After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

"The calamities caused by the great war in Lizhou back then were not limited to trachoma, but also included the Onon Sea. Some things hidden in the earth's veins came out, and the Ice Clan existed to suppress them. If the strongest beings leave, the array patterns will weaken, giving things in the ocean an opportunity to take advantage," the Ancestral Priest said drunkenly.

Chen Futu's heart skipped a beat. "What exactly caused the war in Lizhou? There has to be an explanation."

Chen Futu had asked the system about these matters more than once, but the system wouldn't say a word and refused to explain, as if it involved a lot of things.

The ancestral priest waved his hand and said, "It's been too long, and I don't know the details very well. It's said to be related to a secret technique or an imperial weapon. People from the outside world want to come in, but those big shots have given orders not to cross the boundary. They say that the great war caused the people of Lizhou to suffer, and that it will be in accordance with the will of Heaven if Lizhou collapses on its own. At that time, everyone can take action to seize it."

"Heh, the great war caused countless deaths in Lizhou and created the Sand Eye and Onon Sea. Instead of helping Lizhou to repair itself, the outside world is waiting for Lizhou to fall apart. They are worse than animals!"

"What the Holy Emperor said is just what I was told. We must not provoke those powerful figures. The strength outside is very strong, far beyond our reach. Our Holy Ones can only live for two hundred years at most, but some ancient beings outside are beyond our comprehension. They can afford to wait."

"Is it?"

Chen Futu made a decision: the outside world wanted Lizhou to collapse, but the Great Xia Dynasty was determined to protect Lizhou from destruction. Let's see what they do then!

"Your Majesty, I heard that you used the nation's destiny to bind trachoma, which reduced the number of cases. Is that true?" the Ancestral Sacrifice suddenly asked.

Chen Futu nodded.

"In this way, we will offend them. I hope Your Majesty will think it over carefully and not invite disaster."

At this point in the ancestral worship ceremony, he sighed deeply again.

Chen Futu did not answer, but instead asked the system, "Is the Great Xia currently able to resist external invasions?"

【cannot】

The system answered very concisely.

"Why not? I still possess the remains of an ancient saint. If I were to refine them into a puppet, we would surely become a first-rate force."

[The host's knowledge is insufficient; the avatar can be sent out of Lizhou to see a wider world.]

"That's a good idea. Even if an avatar dies, it can be reformed."

Chen Futu made up his mind and put the matter on his agenda when he got back. Seeing it with his own eyes was always better than hearing it from others.

After a satisfying meal, the ancestor departed humming a little tune.

Yang Yuhuan came to his side and asked, "Your Majesty, you look so worried. Is something wrong?"

"Others have bullied our state by claiming we are alone and even plotted to destroy our homeland. How can I tolerate this?"

“In that case, I should also do my best to cultivate and fight alongside Your Majesty.”

Yang Yuhuan didn't understand those intricacies; she only knew that the Great Xia belonged to the Holy Emperor, and anyone who dared to lay a finger on the Great Xia was an enemy of the Four Beauties. She was willing to fight and even die for it.

Chen Futu smiled, feeling better after she said that.

In the afternoon, Chen Futu carefully visited the Bing tribe. Their daily life was no different from that of the outside world, except that they were very poor in terms of resources. They ate mostly fish, beef, and mutton, so some markets had a fishy smell.

The children here also seemed listless, as if they knew their fate early on. Their eyes had little luster. From birth, they were given medicine to repeatedly cleanse their meridians, and then their bodies were tempered and they worked hard to cultivate themselves. This was their only goal in life.

Chen Futu considered using the nation's fortune to liberate this ethnic group, but since the ancestral sacrifices were not mentioned, Chen Futu did not want to meddle in other people's business.

Three days later, Bingchen was escorted back.

He had burn marks on his body, clearly indicating that Dian Wei had attacked him.

The light snow is still falling.

In a remote place far from the core building area, Chen Futu only brought Yang Yuhuan and Dian Wei.

Bingchen stared at the three of them, his eyes burning with hatred. "Chen Futu, you will die a horrible death!"

The Ice Witch was startled, and the youths widened their eyes as they realized that the young master Qin in front of them was the famous contemporary Holy Emperor!

Dian Wei stepped forward, his armor wreathed in lava flames. "My lord is right in front of you, how dare you bark like that? Are you courting death?!"

"You think I'm afraid of you? You killed two of my brothers; this is an irreconcilable feud. Chen Futu, if you're a man, fight me!"

The icy dust was like a bull's breath, making him want to grind his teeth to pieces.

Chen Futu looked at his ferocious appearance and said indifferently, "You are no match for me. Have you forgotten? I killed your three brothers as easily as slaughtering dogs."

"Chen Futu!"

Bingchen screamed, her true energy twisting uncontrollably.

Of course, he would never forget that Chen Futu had used that strange stone tablet to kill his third brother, turning him into dust, and then severing his second brother with a single sword strike. He still vividly remembered that terrifying and cruel scene.

"Now that you know you are no match for me, do you still intend to resist?"

"Chen Futu, I know I can't beat you! But my clan, like the Sand Sea, is guarding Lizhou. Why are you showing favoritism to one over the other!"

"Just because you want to kill me, that's the biggest difference between you and the Sand Sea Clan."

Chen Futu acknowledged the Ice Clan's achievements, but said that the Sand Sea would not act against the Great Xia like the three brothers had. If the Onon Clan, the driving force behind the grasslands, had followed the Sand Sea's example, the outcome would not have been what it is today.

"I will give you a chance to make a move, considering the Ice Clan's past achievements. If you can withstand ten moves from me, I will not hold it against you. Otherwise, you shall die."

Chen Futu drew the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, its imperial aura swirling around him, as sacred as a divine halo.

The ancestral rites were met with a sigh but no comment.

There must be an explanation for the cause and effect. Moreover, the Holy Emperor possesses a spatial treasure that the Ice Clan cannot contend with. He will not allow the entire Ice Clan to perish for the sake of a single saint.

"Chen Futu, I will not let you get away with this!"

With nowhere to retreat, Bingchen screamed and lunged forward.

He exerted all his strength, and this punch was terrifying. However, Chen Futu activated his Reverse Scale and blocked his strongest attack with his bare hands. "Not enough."

"Kill!"

Bingchen attacked with all his might, relentlessly.

The original rule was that he had to withstand ten moves from Chen Futu, but he ended up attacking for the first nine moves, which seemed to be the opposite of what had happened.

"I have already conceded nine moves to you, which is enough to give your Ice Clan face and acknowledge your clan's achievements. Now, I will only strike once."

After Chen Futu finished speaking, his fingertips swept across the Dragon Sparrow, and a golden imperial aura was added to the sword. The fluctuations of sword law emitted by the Dragon Sparrow alone were enough to make people's hearts tremble.

This is the fourth sword, "Surprising Beauty." Last year, when fighting an indescribable monster, I hadn't yet fully mastered it. Now, the fourth sword is completely perfected.

The defining characteristic of this sword strike is its speed; once perfected, it will reach the pinnacle of speed.

"We, the Ice Clan, will never yield!"

Bingchen's eyes were bloodshot, and his whole body was trembling, whether from fear or despair, it was hard to tell.

Chen Futu stared at him expressionlessly, standing in mid-air, casually raising the dragon sparrow. A gust of wind stirred up snowflakes that danced and swirled, and the majesty of the Holy Emperor was vividly displayed on his cold and stern face.

"cut."

The single word uttered resonated like heavenly music, interwoven with the laws of the imperial way.

Bingchen didn't dodge. Instead, he glared with bloodshot eyes and leaped forward, unleashing a final, fearless attack: "Let's go to hell together and pay for the lives of my three brothers!"