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Chapter 683: The World as a Chessboard, the Dynasty as a Chess Piece

"Dead?" Ying tapped the armrest of the dragon throne lightly.

"Your Majesty, is Nie Fancheng truly dead?" Li Si asked with a furrowed brow.

"Does it matter whether he\'s dead or not?" Ying replied calmly.

"Indeed," Li Si nodded. It truly no longer mattered whether Nie Fancheng was dead or alive.

"However, Nie Fancheng was quite remarkable, abandoning the Dali Heavenly Dynasty and adding more chaos to the Divine Land," Ying remarked.

At this moment, Bai Qi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops north!"

Ying looked at Bai Qi and finally nodded, "Very well. Your soul has just returned, and the gods have just settled. Your body is still too weak. Marching north to wage war will be the best remedy for your recovery."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Bai Qi bowed.

"Your Majesty, it might not be long before Chancellor Lü\'s soul returns as well," Li Si bowed and said.

"Yes, you and Xu Fu will handle the preparations for this," Ying nodded.

"Understood!" Li Si immediately complied.

The phoenixes had almost completely moved everything from Phoenix Island. Countless phoenixes scattered, heading southward towards the Divine Land, their destination being the Lingxiao Heavenly Court!

As soon as the major events on Phoenix Island concluded, Zhong Shan rushed back to the Lingxiao Heavenly Court. The uncertainty of Nie Fancheng\'s fate gnawed at him, making him eager to return and find out the truth.

Months later, at the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, in the Tianyuan Pavilion:

In Zhong Shan\'s study stood Yi Yan, Shuijing, Shui Wuhen, Zhao Suoxiang, and Wang Ku, the legion commanders.

"Your Majesty, the downfall of the Dali Heavenly Dynasty was truly unexpected!" Yi Yan sighed and shook his head.

"Have we gathered the intelligence?" Zhong Shan asked Shuijing.

"We have. Before the fall of the Dali Heavenly Dynasty, its top strategists mysteriously disappeared one by one. Even Shao Feihou, whom Your Majesty had been closely monitoring, vanished along with his entire family," Shuijing reported.

Hearing Shuijing\'s report, Zhong Shan furrowed his brow deeply.

"Your Majesty, did Nie Fancheng plan this disappearance in advance?" Yi Yan speculated.

"However, Wu Jiutian couldn\'t have lied to me. From her resolute tone, I know that Nie Fancheng is definitely dead!" Zhong Shan said, frowning.

The legion commanders also furrowed their brows.

"Your Majesty, could Wu Jiutian have lied?" Zhao Suoxiang asked, frowning.

"She shouldn\'t have. She said Nie Fancheng... Nie Fancheng, Nie Fancheng?" Zhong Shan suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with seriousness and then surprise as he repeatedly pondered Nie Fancheng\'s name.

"Nie Fancheng? Fancheng, the mundane world? Nie, nirvana? Nirvana in the mundane world?" Zhong Shan carefully pondered.

"Your Majesty!" The ministers looked at Zhong Shan.

"Let me ask you, in the history of the Divine Land, has there ever been a Nie surname?" Zhong Shan asked solemnly.

"There are millions of surnames in the Divine Land. Although it\'s uncertain if there has ever been a Nie surname, we can be sure that no notable person with the Nie surname has appeared throughout history, until the sudden rise of the Dali Heavenly Dynasty," Shuijing, the most knowledgeable, immediately responded.

"Hmm!" Zhong Shan nodded, taking a deep breath before finally revealing a peculiar smile.

"Your Majesty, is Nie Fancheng not dead?" Shui Wuhen asked.

"Nie Fancheng is dead, but he has been reborn through nirvana. He died in the Small Thousand World but is alive again in the Great Thousand World. It\'s unbelievable, truly unbelievable! What kind of cultivation method is this?" Zhong Shan sighed.

"This is not a cultivation method; it is a divine power!" Wang Ku suddenly spoke up.

"Divine power?" Zhong Shan looked at Wang Ku.

Wang Ku\'s origins were extremely mysterious, and he knew a lot about many things.

"Yes, above cultivation methods, there is a magical ability called divine power. Your Majesty is actually familiar with it!" Wang Ku explained.

"Oh?"

"I believe that Your Majesty\'s two bodies can be considered a type of divine power!" Wang Ku continued.

"A type of divine power?" Zhong Shan\'s eyes narrowed.

"Yes, divine powers are not something ordinary people can create. Every person who creates a divine power is an extraordinary genius. Generally, people below the level of Celestial Immortal cannot even touch the edges of divine powers. Even above the Celestial Immortal level, few can grasp it. However, there are exceptions, like Your Majesty and like Nie Fancheng. Perhaps the immortal behind Empress Gan is also one such exception!" Wang Ku explained.

"Divine powers are different from cultivation methods?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Divine powers can ignore cultivation methods, the rules of heaven and earth, and the laws of nature. Of course, there are many other miraculous uses, and each \'divine power\' is unique!" Wang Ku marveled.

"Hmm," Zhong Shan nodded.

The group fell into silence.

"Your Majesty, Nie Fancheng\'s so-called repayment of a favor, does it have to do with that old eunuch?" Yi Yan asked.

"The old eunuch? That is part of it!" Zhong Shan replied.

In fact, Zhong Shan had long suspected the old eunuch. Even if he was sent by the Longevity Realm, what does it mean to be a Heavenly Dynasty Sovereign? The fundamental principle of the emperor\'s way is to win hearts and minds. That old eunuch had followed Nie Fancheng for so many years; it was impossible for Nie Fancheng not to win his loyalty. As a competent sovereign, he should be able to win over even the most steadfast heart. Moreover, during the Wan Dan Conference, the old eunuch was abandoned and killed by the Longevity Realm, and Nie Fancheng saved him. Wasn\'t that enough for Nie Fancheng to use it to win his loyalty?

It could only be that the old eunuch and Nie Fancheng were putting on an act!

"Oh? What else?" Yi Yan showed a hint of doubt, evidently suspecting that the old eunuch wouldn\'t betray Nie Fancheng.

"A woman from thousands of years ago, Empress Kong! She was the catalyst when the ancient divine powers, including Nie Fancheng, besieged the Bliss Pure Land. At that time, the Buddhas borrowed the power of the sacred land. Though they couldn\'t win, they could avoid defeat. Because of my \'life calamity,\' I helped Nie Fancheng exact his revenge," Zhong Shan said with certainty.

"Hmm!" The group nodded in agreement.

"Nie Fancheng was indeed an extraordinary hero, even taking his non-immortal officials to the Great Thousand World!" Shuijing sighed.

"In this mortal world, apart from Lu Guitian, which Heavenly Dynasty Sovereign is simple? Each one is a prodigy!" Zhong Shan frowned.

"Lu Guitian?" The group pondered.

"Since Lu Guitian\'s death, has the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty\'s fortune dispersed?" Zhong Shan asked Shuijing.

"No, it hasn\'t dispersed at all. Normally, when a sovereign dies, the dynasty\'s fortune should scatter, but the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty\'s fortune has not dissipated. It\'s very strange! However, it is now controlled by Prince Lietian, who has changed his name to Kong Lietian," Shuijing replied.

"Indeed, he is a descendant of the Kong family!" Wang Ku remarked.

Zhong Shan furrowed his brows deeply and then suddenly widened his eyes, filled with a chilling light.

"Your Majesty, could the Longevity Realm be..." Yi Yan asked, his brows furrowed in surprise.

"Indeed. In the past, it was already alarming that the Bliss Pure Land controlled some imperial dynasties. But now, it seems the Longevity Realm has outdone even them, controlling an entire heavenly dynasty! Impressive, truly impressive, Longevity Realm!" Zhong Shan said coldly.

"The Longevity Realm has indeed hidden itself very deeply!" Shuijing nodded.

"Your Majesty, when you mentioned Nie Fancheng repaying a favor, were you referring to the Phoenix Clan?" Zhao Suoxiang asked.

"No, besides the Phoenix Clan, there is also the Northern World!" Zhong Shan replied seriously.

"Oh?"

"No character in the heavenly dynasties of the mortal world is simple. The sudden collapse of the Dali Heavenly Dynasty has made it the focus of all. The three great heavenly dynasties will undoubtedly send their armies northward to fight for supremacy. This not only reveals the strength of the world\'s various forces to us but also buys us time to deal with the southern imperial dynasties!" Zhong Shan said gravely.

"What a profound scheme! Nie Fancheng\'s sudden departure leaves a vast battlefield in the north, luring the three great heavenly dynasties into a struggle for supremacy. The world is the chessboard, and the three great heavenly dynasties are the chess pieces, with Nie Fancheng being the strategist. And our dynasty becomes the observer, watching the strength of the world\'s forces clearly. This is truly a grand gift from Nie Fancheng!" Shuijing marveled, shaking his head in admiration.

"Moreover, Nie Fancheng knew that we planned to target the twenty-four imperial dynasties of the south. At this critical moment, he diverted the attention of the heavenly dynasties, allowing us to act more perfectly. Nie Fancheng is indeed as formidable as the ancient divine powers!" Yi Yan nodded.

"Shui Wuhen, you and Liu Wushuang are responsible for gathering intelligence on the northern battlefield!" Zhong Shan ordered.

"Yes!"

"Yi Yan, continue overseeing the Grand Whale Swallowing Plan!" Zhong Shan instructed.

"Yes!"

"Shuijing, I have an important task for you!" Zhong Shan said after some thought.

"Oh?" Shuijing, fanning himself, looked slightly puzzled.

"The Xuanwu Clan of the South Sea!" Zhong Shan said solemnly.

"The Xuanwu Clan?"

"Yes, Empress Bei once told me that when she was trapped in the Ice Seal Dynasty, she encountered the young master of the Xuanwu Clan. This person is very dissatisfied with the Xuanwu Clan\'s dependence on the Longevity Realm. With the approaching end of Guishou\'s life, the Xuanwu Clan is bound to be in turmoil, divided into factions supporting the young master and the supreme leader. You and Empress Bei will go to persuade the young master of the Xuanwu Clan and sign a contract with him," Zhong Shan said earnestly.

"But what if Empress Bei, with her precious golden body, faces danger?" Shuijing asked, frowning.

"If she insists on going, let her go. But you must ensure her safety at all costs!" Zhong Shan said firmly.

"Yes!" Shuijing immediately responded.

"Zhao Suoxiang, you will re-enter the Hundred Worlds Cave. This time, the cycle of a hundred lifetimes will be filled with chaotic worlds of slaughter. Go and fully experience it, accumulate boundless killing intent, and strengthen yourself as quickly as possible!" Zhong Shan instructed Zhao Suoxiang.

"Yes!"

"Wang Ku, you are still recovering from your injuries. Take some time to rest and recuperate," Zhong Shan said to Wang Ku.

"Yes!"

Under Zhong Shan\'s coordination, everything fell into place.

Three months later, at a large mansion in the Daqin Heavenly Dynasty, countless Daqin soldiers guarded all sides, preventing civilians from approaching. The mansion\'s plaque bore two golden characters, exuding a majestic aura.

The Lü residence was under strict guard, yet it welcomed two extremely esteemed figures from Daqin: Chancellor Li Si and Xu Fu. Today seemed to be an extraordinarily important day, as all the servants in the Lü residence knelt on the ground. Li Si and Xu Fu proceeded to the central hall, the Lü Spring and Autumn Hall.

The two exchanged glances, and Li Si said, "Let\'s begin!"

"Yes!" Xu Fu nodded in agreement.