The battle in the Treasure Ring Scale State reached its most intense moment. The emperors on both sides were blinded by rage, even risking their lives in the fight. The entire Treasure Ring Scale State trembled under their clash, and the shockwaves even affected neighboring states, causing them to shake as well.
In war, death is a common occurrence, but the Treasure Ring Scale State was different. The number of cultivators below the Heaven Mending Realm who died was exceptionally low, and most of those who perished were killed by the residual energy of the emperors' clashes, not directly in combat.
The root cause of this situation was that the powerful cultivators of the Treasure Ring Scale State dared to step forward. When the emperors of the Divine Realm descended, they initially occupied a third of the Treasure Ring Scale State's emperors. However, not only did they fail to advance further, but they were also pushed back by the Treasure Ring Scale State, greatly boosting morale.
Among the many cultivators engaged in this fierce battle, Xu Zhen of the Fuyao Immortal Sect was notably absent. Xu Zhen had entered the Ninth Mountain and had yet to return. The powerful cultivators had a rough idea of what Xu Zhen was after—likely some opportunity to quickly ascend to the rank of emperor.
Since Xu Zhen had not returned, it was probable that she had obtained the opportunity she sought. It was unclear how she had convinced the inheritor of the Ninth Mountain, but for the Fuyao Immortal Sect, this was undoubtedly good news.
Currently, only Great Sage Chen Xi of the Fuyao Immortal Sect could hold the line, and even she was struggling. She was considered old by cultivation standards, which naturally put her at a disadvantage in battle. Having not made a breakthrough for a long time, her spiritual lake had gradually dried up, making it increasingly difficult for her to unleash her divine abilities.
Becoming a quasi-emperor wasn't something that happened just because time passed—it depended on one's talent. Great Sage Chen Xi estimated that she would remain stuck at the Great Sage level for the rest of her life. Fortunately, Xu Zhen was different. Xu Zhen had the potential to become an emperor, and that was enough.
Although Great Sage Chen Xi represented the Fuyao Immortal Sect in the battle, her role was limited to restraining a Great Sage from the Divine Realm while also safeguarding the Fuyao Immortal Sect. This dual responsibility made her task quite strenuous.
The four-path emperor from the Divine Realm who had descended had not made a move for a long time. It wasn't out of fear of the Immortal Realm but rather because he was waiting for the right moment to strike and seize the entire Treasure Ring Scale State in one go, conserving his strength for that decisive moment.
This was a sound strategy, but the Immortal Realm had anticipated it. That was why a significant figure from the Nine Mountains of the Immortal Realm had arrived. This figure wasn't a cultivator but was capable of confronting the four-path emperor of the Divine Realm. It was the external incarnation of the legendary Lord of the Nine Mountains. Though this incarnation had no cultivation base, it was one of the most powerful treasures in existence, capable of engaging in battle with a four-path emperor.
If the Lord of the Nine Mountains were to emerge from seclusion, he would have to rely on this external incarnation, as his divine consciousness would need to inhabit it.
The appearance of this external incarnation sent another signal to the Divine Realm: the Lord of the Nine Mountains might soon awaken.
This was significant news, as it could disrupt the current power structure of the Immortal Realm.
What was the power structure of the Immortal Realm? According to the Divine Realm's analysis, it was divided into three main factions: the territories controlled by the emperors of the Divine Realm, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains, and the Nine Mountains of the Immortal Realm.
The Divine Realm's plan was to quickly conquer one of the Immortal Realm's nine states before the Lord of the Nine Mountains emerged, establishing a stronghold to facilitate future battles.
The decision to attack the Treasure Ring Scale State was made after countless simulations. The chances of success were highest there, not only because the cultivators of the Treasure Ring Scale State were relatively weak but also due to favorable timing, geography, and unity among the people.
Incidentally, the Divine Realm's calculations deemed the East Jia State the most difficult to conquer, for a simple reason: the East Jia State was home to the Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains, who was capable of effortlessly slaughtering three-path emperors.
Who in their right mind would want to mess with such a monster?
Thus, in the Divine Realm's plans, the East Jia State was effectively ceded to the Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains, and they had no intention of touching it until the war was completely over.
This was a wise decision.
But now a new problem had arisen. Since they couldn't quickly conquer the Treasure Ring Scale State, especially after the arrival of the external incarnation from the Nine Mountains of the Immortal Realm, the battle had entered a prolonged stalemate. The Divine Realm began to wonder if this was part of the Immortal Realm's counter-strategy.
The stalemate didn't last too long, however, as someone dared to break it.
The four-path emperor of the Divine Realm launched a ferocious attack, splitting half of the sky above the Treasure Ring Scale State and engaging in a fierce battle with the external incarnation of the Nine Mountains beyond the heavens. At the same time, he issued a proclamation: within a thousand years, the Treasure Ring Scale State would belong to the Divine Realm!
While the battle in the Treasure Ring Scale State raged on, it had nothing to do with Chen Xia. His current goal was to take control of the entire East Jia State and firmly establish himself in the Immortal Realm.
How to achieve this was another good question.
Should he conquer it directly, or slowly and subtly absorb it into his domain?
Direct conquest would be more challenging, as it might require confronting the will of the Immortal Realm. A gradual absorption would take more time but would be simpler and safer.
Each approach had its advantages.
"How about we compromise?" Chen Xia suggested.
"Go on," replied his inner demon.
"We'll subtly conquer it through force!"
"What do you mean? Can you explain in detail?" The inner demon was confused.
"Simply put, we'll launch small attacks every three days and larger ones every five days. After repeating this a few times, we'll gradually see results and thoroughly tame the will of the Immortal Realm," Chen Xia explained.
The inner demon pondered for a moment before nodding. "That's a novel idea, but will it work?"
"It worked pretty well when the Emperor tamed Bai Di," Chen Xia replied, crossing his arms.
The inner demon fell silent, remaining wordless for a long time before finally sighing and muttering,
"Are you freaking taming a beast here?"