The Baruch Empire's war against the Luoao Empire had ground to a standstill.
"Father, what do you think we should do?" In the great hall of the Dragon Blood Castle, a group including Xini, Wotton, Gates, Hillman, and Nina had gathered to discuss the sudden emergence of two Saint Realm powerhouses from the Luoao Empire.
Wotton, Sesler, Gates, and the rest had all finished listening to Xini's report.
They were all deeply shaken.
"When did the Luoao Empire produce two such formidable Saint Realm experts?" Hillman said, frowning.
Hillman had been cultivating a top-tier Dou Qi Scripture and had now reached the eighth-level warrior rank. His strength was far below Wotton's or Gates's, but his standing in the Dragon Blood Castle was nonetheless very high.
"Father, Uncles, do you think you can handle them?" Xini looked at Wotton and Gates.
Wotton mused, "Even though our comprehension of the Laws isn't that deep, we possess divine artifacts and we're Ultimate Warriors. If we actually clash with those two Saint Realm powerhouses, we should have a good chance of winning."
Gates and Anko both nodded.
Sesler gave a low chuckle. "Wotton, you lot actually think you can fight them?"
"What do you mean?" Wotton looked at Sesler.
"Sesler, you don't think it's possible?" Gates and Anko both turned to Sesler.
Sesler smiled, though his smile always seemed cold and eerie. "First, let me ask you — if any one of you faced a Saint Realm Golden Dragon and a Saint Realm Tyrant Dragon, could you easily defeat both of those Saint Realm magical beasts?"
"Well..." Wotton and Gates both hesitated.
Dealing with a single Saint Realm magical beast should be fairly easy for them.
But facing two at once — managing to hold their own would already be impressive enough.
"Hmph, and you'd go in without certainty?" Sesler sneered. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what Lord Lin Lei said before he went into seclusion?"
Wotton and the others froze.
They all recalled it.
Lin Lei had specifically instructed them that if certain situations arose, they absolutely must not act recklessly. Moreover, Lin Lei had warned that this war concealed a tremendous crisis, and that was precisely why he had felt uneasy.
"Lord Lin Lei said that a terrible crisis lurked within this war, one that even God-level powerhouses wouldn't dare take lightly," Sesler said, looking at Wotton and the rest. "You understood that this war, which seemed to have a predetermined outcome, harbored some kind of crisis, didn't you? Well, now you see it."
Before the war began, even Lin Lei himself hadn't known what the crisis was.
It was only because Lord Belute had warned him that Lin Lei had felt uneasy and said those things to Wotton and the others.
Wotton and the rest hadn't understood it either. They'd believed the war would proceed without incident.
"Mr. Sesler, what are you suggesting?" Xini's brow furrowed.
Wotton, Gates, and the others felt a chill run through them.
"Think about it — the Saint Realm powerhouses on the Yulan Continent are a known quantity. Even those who've been in seclusion, Lord Lin Lei and Lord Desli would surely know about them, right? But they both said the Luoao Empire had no top-tier Saint Realm experts. So where did these two Saint Realm powerhouses come from?" Sesler said.
"They appeared out of nowhere and have already stalled the war."
Sesler let out a cold laugh. "It's obvious — the crisis lurking within this war is beginning to surface."
"So what do we do now..." Wotton also looked at Sesler. He remembered Lin Lei's instructions: when something important came up, they should consult the experienced Sesler.
Sesler said calmly, "It's simple. Don't rush to deal with those two Saint Realm powerhouses. Lord Lin Lei also said that in this war, we don't necessarily have to conquer the other empires entirely — it's fine to claim less territory. The important thing is to protect ourselves."
Everyone nodded slightly.
Wotton mused for a moment. "Fine. Let's observe first and see what crisis this war is really hiding."
"If we run into serious trouble, don't be heroes — go ask Lord Lin Lei for help," Sesler said. "Of course, he's only been cultivating for a little over half a year, and the situation isn't critical yet. There's no need to disturb him right now."
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye Lin Lei had been in seclusion for over five years.
Over the past five years, the Yulan Continent had been in a state of hidden chaos. Whether it was the Baruch Empire, the Yulan Empire, or the O'Brien Empire, all of them had fallen into a stalemate in the war. The Holy Alliance and the Dark Alliance had both produced mysterious new powerhouses.
These mysterious figures were enormously powerful.
The war had stagnated.
Yulan Calendar, Year 10039, Winter. On a frigid deep-winter morning, three middle-aged men dressed in thick cloaks rode side by side on fine horses, galloping down a desolate highway toward a distant city.
"Haha, Blue Lion City is just up ahead! Once we get there, the three of us brothers are going to have a couple of drinks and warm ourselves up!" the burly man at the front declared with a hearty laugh. They had just closed a business deal, and their spirits were high.
Ahead, the walls of Blue Lion City were already visible.
They rode on for a while.
"Huh? That's strange — why is it so quiet?" The three brothers reached the city gates of Blue Lion City and found them wide open, yet not a single soul in sight.
"Blue Lion City may not be a major city, but it's fairly prosperous — a hundred thousand people at least. How come there's not a single person around this early in the morning?" The three dismounted, led their horses forward, and entered the city with puzzled expressions.
The broad streets were completely empty.
Silence!
It was already seven or eight in the morning — the streets should have been bustling.
"This is damned creepy." The three well-traveled middle-aged men felt a chill run through their hearts.