Chapter 1024

Chapter 1024: The Dragon Hides in the Abyss

Hanhai County.

The light rain had been falling steadily throughout the night, nourishing the vast farmlands surrounding the county capital. The wheat fields were lush and green, showing excellent growth.

The farmers working in the fields wiped the sweat from their brows, unable to hide the smiles in their eyes.

If all went well, this year would be another bountiful harvest!

They simultaneously turned their gaze towards the nearby Hanhai Dao Palace, revealing expressions of awe and reverence.

Historically, Hanhai County, located on the edge of the Dayan territories, was known for its barrenness.

Endless mountain ranges, an arid climate, and the occasional sandstorms made most areas, except for a few oases, desolate and unsuitable for growing crops.

However, ever since the establishment of the Dao Palace, the number of rainy days in Hanhai County had suddenly increased, with rainfall becoming quite plentiful, invigorating the land and bringing endless vitality.

Moreover, areas around Hanhai County that were previously decent now presented large expanses of land ready for cultivation!

Over a million refugees who had migrated from the three northern counties were thus able to settle down in Hanhai County.

Many people privately speculated that the transformation of Hanhai County from a barren land to a place of prosperous rains was entirely due to this Dao Palace.

The Hanhai Dao Palace was not only the cultivation area of Queen Wu Zhao but also the retreat of Grandmaster Wang Chen!

Two years ago, Princess Qingyun declared herself queen, renaming herself Wu Zhao, appointed Wang Chen as the Grandmaster, raised her royal banner in Hanhai and West Sea counties, and formally announced her entry into the competition for the Dayan throne.

In the past two years, the Kingdom of Xiliang, under Wu Zhao’s rule, focused on farming and military training while diligently managing internal affairs. They not only successfully welcomed millions of immigrants from the three northern counties but also engaged in trade exchange with surrounding counties, gaining power and influence daily.

Due to the stability and prosperity of Hanhai and West Sea counties under Queen Wu Zhao’s governance, many talents flocked to join her.

In the fragmented realm of Dayan, the Kingdom of Xiliang stood out distinctly, attracting even more attention!

Including some with ulterior motives.

In the royal palace of Hanhai County, in the study, Wu Zhao sat at her desk and rubbed her temples, putting down the official document in her hand.

Although her methods of cultivation had reached a high level, the long hours spent reviewing memorials and handling the piled-up documents still left her feeling mentally exhausted.

Thinking of Wang Chen, who was secluded in the Dao Palace, the queen smiled bitterly.

Two years ago, within the newly established royal palace, she was granted the name Wu Zhao by Wang Chen and gained partial control over the Great River and Mountain Formation, subsequently raising her royal banner with his support.

As a result, Wang Chen retreated into the Dao Palace, which had been transformed from the new royal palace, leaving all affairs for her to manage.

He also no longer controlled the new Hanhai army and the Divine Machine Camp.

In the past two years, the once diligent Princess Qingyun had rapidly grown into a capable Queen Wu Zhao, working tirelessly.

Though she held great power, in her heart, she cherished the days spent learning and cultivating alongside Wang Chen in the Dao Palace the most.

Unfortunately, with the burden of state affairs, the time Wu Zhao could spend in the Dao Palace grew less and less.

Reflecting on this filled her with melancholy.

"Your Majesty."

At that moment, a guard hurriedly presented a confidential report. "Urgent news from Dayan!"

"Is that so?"

Wu Zhao’s phoenix eyes sharpened as she took the confidential document, unfolding it to read.

After reading it, she snorted coldly and said, "The Yan Kingdom still refuses to give up; I wonder what they are relying on!"

Over the past two years, the Kingdom of Xiliang had spread its network of spies through the Yuhua Sword Sect and Fortune Celebration Commerce. In addition to the many factions within Dayan, both Dayan and Daqi had dispatched numerous spies on Outgoing Assignments to keep track of the movements of these two great nations.

The intelligence Wu Zhao had just received indicated that Dayan was gathering a large number of elite troops heading towards Hanhai Pass, and they were also requisitioning massive supplies, clearly preparing to wage war once more.

Two years ago, the Yan army had suffered heavy losses at Hanhai Pass, resulting in the fall of three martial honors, returning with their heads bloodied.

Now they were surprisingly making a comeback, which puzzled Wu Zhao.

According to previous intelligence, the only significant change in the past two years was the emergence of a new sixth-level martial honor in Dayan.

With just one martial honor, what could they possibly do to capture the well-fortified Hanhai Pass, which was as solid as a metal fortress?

"Your Majesty!"

Just as Wu Zhao was deep in thought, another guard hurried into the study. "Urgent news from Dayan!"

Another confidential report from Dayan!

Wu Zhao immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.

After finishing the new report, she finally understood why Dayan dared to attack Hanhai Pass again!

At this moment, Wu Zhao could no longer sit still and quickly rose to head for the Hanhai Dao Palace.

"Master!"

In the quiet room of Hanhai Dao Palace, Wang Chen slowly opened his eyes, lightning seemingly flashing within his dark pupils.

He took a deep breath, waved his sleeve, and the sealed door of the quiet room opened instantly.

Standing at the door, Wu Zhao immediately revealed a sweet smile. "Master, I hope I didn’t disturb your cultivation."

In the entire Kingdom of Xiliang, only she would dare to do such a thing.

Wang Chen shook his head and curiously asked, "What’s the matter? You seem quite anxious; that’s not good."

"I know, one should remain calm when faced with major issues."

Wu Zhao replied with a pained expression, "But Master, this time we are in serious trouble!"

In front of others, she was the dignified Queen Wu Zhao.

But alone with Wang Chen, she was still the naive and innocent Princess Qingyun!

Wang Chen took the confidential report about Yan that Wu Zhao handed him and read it, smiling. "I thought it was something serious."

"But, but…"

Wu Zhao stammered, "The Yan Kingdom has artillery now and support from Kunlun Dao Palace."

This report revealed that Yan not only secretly forged a large quantity of artillery but also received full backing from the Kunlun Dao Palace.

The Kunlun Dao Palace was known as the number one Dao Palace in the world and previously never intervened in worldly conflicts; now they were actually stepping in, which seemed unbelievable.

But such news couldn’t be fake because it would soon spread far and wide.

"You have the Great River and Mountain Formation; you don’t need to fear even ten Kunlun Dao Palaces," Wang Chen replied calmly. "As for Yan’s artillery, they will soon learn the difference between the original and the imitation!"

It was natural for the secret of artillery to leak, especially since the scale of the Divine Machine Camp in Xiliang had vastly increased, equipping hundreds of field cannons that couldn’t be hidden from prying eyes.

However, forging cannons was no simple task, and the formula for the gunpowder remained a closely guarded secret. With Wang Chen’s continuous improvements, he didn’t believe that the imitations made by Yan posed a significant threat.

"The original and the imitation?"

Wu Zhao was momentarily bewildered, but Wang Chen’s indifferent attitude reassured her, and her mood instantly lightened. "Then there’s no need to divert troops from West Sea County to reinforce us, right?"

"We will need them."

Wang Chen said meaningfully, "If they can come, so can we. It’s time to thoroughly resolve this trouble."

"Are you ready?"