High Martial Arts: I Travel Through Heaven and Earth Through Dreams

News of the great victory in the capital spread to every corner of the entire Daqian Dynasty within just a few days.

In an instant, the whole world was shocked and the people were in an uproar.

That white-haired swordsman who appeared out of nowhere, single-handedly slew two grandmasters on the battlefield and ultimately defended the capital.

The people and soldiers in the city embellished and spread his legendary deeds.

In the storyteller's words, he was a national guardian deity, three zhang tall, who could blow away an army of 100,000 with a single breath.

In the writings of scholars and poets, he is a peerless sword immortal whose "sword light chills nineteen provinces".

Regardless of the version, the name Lin Hanzhou is renowned throughout the world.

His image as the white-haired imperial advisor is deeply imprinted in the hearts of every citizen of the Great Qian Dynasty.

His prestige reached its peak at this moment, and even seemed to surpass that of the founding emperor.

Seven days later, in the imperial court.

An unprecedented grand assembly is underway.

Inside the main hall, civil and military officials gathered together.

Unlike the chaotic and oppressive coronation ceremony half a month ago, the atmosphere in the court today was solemn and silent.

All the ministers bowed their heads, gazing with heartfelt reverence at the two figures standing side by side on the throne.

One of them was Empress Li Yuechan, dressed in a black dragon robe and wearing an imperial crown, already displaying the majesty of an emperor.

The other was Lin Hanzhou, the Grand Preceptor of the Nation, dressed in black with snow-white hair and an indifferent expression.

His white hair is the best proof of his dedication to his country.

He inspires both awe and fear in everyone who sees him.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees!"

The eunuch's shrill voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Lin Hanzhou, the National Preceptor who protected the nation, turned the tide and saved the country during a time of national crisis, his achievements will be remembered for all time."

"I am deeply gratified and have no way to repay you. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon the Imperial Preceptor the title of Great Protector of the Nation, placing him on the same level as me."

boom!

This imperial decree of investiture struck like a thunderbolt in the hearts of all the ministers.

Equal to the emperor?

What a venerable honor! What a glorious achievement!

Throughout the hundreds of years of the Great Qian Dynasty's existence, there has never been such a precedent.

This is no longer a matter of subjects; it's practically a matter of being emperors side by side.

However, faced with this decree that was enough to overturn ancestral rituals, the hall was completely silent.

Not a single minister dared to stand up and voice any objection.

Any objections?

Are their opinions useful?

Those princes and ministers who once had objections—their fates are still fresh in our minds.

"Your humble servants offer their congratulations to the Great Sage Master."

After a brief silence, all the ministers bowed in unison towards Lin Hanzhou.

Lin Hanzhou simply nodded calmly, accepting the title.

He doesn't care about these empty titles.

In the previous dream world, what empty titles hadn't he experienced?

However, this status, equal to that of the emperor, also saved him countless unnecessary troubles.

In the imperial court, a completely new structure was initially established.

The three vassal kings, far away in their fiefdoms, were filled with disbelief when they received the battle report from the capital.

It wasn't until their own spies returned and delivered news that matched the battle reports from the capital that they finally believed the truth.

Their original plan was to wait until the capital was captured by the Qing army and the Great Qian imperial family was completely destroyed.

They could then legitimately raise an army to vie for power and seize control of the Central Plains under the pretext of "avenging the late emperor."

For this plan, they even secretly provided considerable assistance to the Qing army's surprise attack.

But now...

That mysterious and unpredictable Imperial Advisor killed two Grandmasters outside the capital?!

This news completely shattered all their ambitions and wishful thinking.

They realized with horror that their so-called elite troops...

Before that white-haired national advisor, it would probably be a matter of just one sword strike.

As a result, the three feudal lords who had been eager to make a move now became completely obedient.

Without prior arrangement, they personally prepared the most lavish gifts with their trusted confidants and sent them to the capital as quickly as possible.

Fearing that arriving late would displease the imperial advisor, they personally visited them.

Before long, the three vassal kings appeared in the court and presented the gifts they had brought.

One by one, they bowed and scraped, tears streaming down their faces, using the most respectful words...

It expresses his boundless loyalty to the Empress and his worship of the Great Protector of the Nation.

They swore an oath to guard the frontier for the Great Qian forever and never rebel.

They knew in their hearts that the god-like, white-haired sword saint was sitting in the capital.

Any act of rebellion is a path to certain death.

Just as the capital city and its surroundings became more stable than ever before due to Lin Hanzhou's formidable power.

Unbelievable good news also came from the border battlefield.

The Qing army grandmaster who was stationed on the front line of the Qingzhou battlefield fled overnight after learning the news from the capital.

He couldn't even imagine what a terrifying existence it was.

Those two grandmasters were his colleagues, and their strength was comparable to his; they were the most powerful cultivators of their time.

Yet these two powerful figures of their time were killed by a mysterious sword saint.

Upon hearing this news, he even thought that one of his spies had been bribed by the other side to pass on false information.

But after he personally verified the authenticity of the intelligence, he had no choice but to believe the absurd news.

As this grandmaster fled in disarray, the other grandmaster generals followed suit upon learning of it.

They were terrified that the god of war would come to the border; the fate of the grandmaster general of the 100,000 Snow Wolf Iron Cavalry outside the capital was still fresh in their minds.

For a time, due to the desertion of a large number of Qing generals, more than 200,000 Qing troops were leaderless and their morale was in chaos.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Grandmaster on the border of the Great Qian Dynasty launched a general offensive, advancing with unstoppable momentum and forcing the Qing army into a series of defeats.

In just one week, the Qing army's front line collapsed completely.

More than 200,000 Qing troops were either wiped out or surrendered; without their generals, they had no will to fight.

The two prefectures, which had been occupied by the Qing Dynasty for nearly ten years, were thus easily taken back.

This news further elevated Lin Hanzhou's reputation to godlike status.

The grandmaster who guarded the border praised him highly.

"As the Grand General who protects the country, I can only lead troops to confront a Grandmaster."

"The Great Sage Master who protects the nation can frighten away Grandmasters even in the capital city, which is a feat of subduing the enemy without fighting."

This is the true supreme divine power.

Under Lin Hanzhou's absolute military deterrence, the precarious situation of the Great Qian Dynasty miraculously stabilized again.

The three originally ambitious vassal kings bowed down and submitted to the emperor.

The three major sects, who had been eager to make a move, also sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts, indicating their willingness to obey the imperial court's orders.

A new power structure, with a young empress at its political core and a mysterious imperial advisor as its military pillar, is beginning to take shape.

The once-declining Daqian seems to be truly about to be reborn.