The grand hall slowly emptied.
One by one, the player emperors were escorted out by divine guards, their expressions restrained, their thoughts anything but calm. Only one remained.
Lan Yue.
The massive doors closed behind the last guest with a low, reverberating hum. The hall felt instantly larger—and infinitely heavier.
Feng Hao turned slightly, his gaze settling on her.
"You may speak freely now," he said.
Lan Yue straightened, her usual composure returning—but her voice carried an honesty she hadn't shown before.
"We didn't come to challenge you," she said. "Nor to form an alliance today."
Feng Hao raised an eyebrow. "Then why come at all?"
"Because," she answered quietly, "if we didn't see the gap with our own eyes, we would delude ourselves into thinking it didn't exist."
That earned her a brief glance of acknowledgment.
"You're not wrong," Feng Hao said. "Most players mistake time for advantage."
Lan Yue hesitated, then asked the question that had been weighing on her since the border.
"You've been here only three weeks like us… yet your dynasty already stands at Tier 7."
She paused. "What are you aiming for?"
Feng Hao's answer came without hesitation.
"Stability."
She frowned slightly. "That's all?"
"For now," he said calmly. "Those who chase rank burn themselves out. Those who stabilize… outlive everyone."
Lan Yue absorbed that in silence.
Then she bowed—not as an empress, but as a cultivator acknowledging someone further on the path.
"I won't interfere with your territory," she said. "And neither will my allies."
Feng Hao nodded once.
"That decision will keep you alive."
The Ones Who Tested Fate
Not all emperors were as wise.
Beyond the palace, in the outer administrative district, four player emperors lingered—each ruling Tier 2–3 dynasties, each backed by early alliances.
One of them scoffed quietly.
"He speaks like a god," a male emperor
Said
Another folded his arms. "Power comes and goes. Dynasties fall. He's strong now—but this arrogance will cost him."
They didn't notice the shift in the air.
A shadow crossed the ground.
A single figure descended silently before them.
Divine General.
Divine Bridge — Early.
His presence alone made their breathing difficult.
"You are standing in a restricted zone," the general said calmly.
One emperor bristled. "We are guests—"
The general's gaze lifted.
The pressure doubled.
"You are tolerated guests," he corrected. "Not peers."
The fourth emperor swallowed and took a step back. "We meant no offense."
The first one didn't retreat fast enough.
A finger lifted.
The emperor's aura collapsed instantly—no injury, no blood, just absolute suppression. His cultivation was sealed to Qi Refining in a blink.
"You may leave," the general said. "Or remain kneeling until the Great Emperor notices you."
That was enough.
They fled.
Word spread through the visiting dynasties within minutes:
The Nine God Dynasty does not warn twice
Back in the Inner Palace
Feng Hao sensed the disturbance—and dismissed it just as easily.
"Lessons taught themselves," he murmured.
Lan Yue exhaled slowly.
"So even your subordinates…"
"Reflect my will," Feng Hao said. "Nothing more."
Outside, the Nine God Dynasty continued its silent expansion.
Inside, the player forces finally understood their place.
And somewhere far beyond the northern horizon, stronger forces began to stir—unaware that the balance had already shifted.
The northern wind was calm.
From the back-mountain pavilion, Feng Hao withdrew his gaze from the horizon and let it settle inward. The recent tribulation, the gathering of player emperors, the silent fear spreading through nearby territories—all of it had reached a natural pause.
Now was the time to consolidate.
"System," Feng Hao said calmly. "Open Barracks Panel."
A vast projection unfolded before him, layers of golden formations stacked upon one another like an ancient military scripture.
[Divine Mountain Barracks]
Level: 3
Status: Stable
Requirements for Upgrade → Level 4:
Emperor Cultivation: Divine Bridge Realm (Peak) ✔
Earth Grade Ores: 20,000 units ✔
A faint pulse ran through the panel, confirming what Feng Hao already knew.
He had met every condition.
"Upgrade," he said.
The moment the command was issued, the ground beneath the Nine God capital trembled—not violently, but deeply, as if the land itself was taking a breath.
Twenty thousand units of Earth Grade ore dissolved into pure essence, flowing into the barracks through underground spirit channels. Formation lines ignited one after another, ancient runes lighting up the mountainsides like constellations carved into stone.
The barracks expanded.
A thunderous system voice echoed:
[Divine Mountain Barracks — Upgrade Complete]
Level: 4
Immediately, the effects manifested.
The air around the barracks grew heavier, saturated with refined spiritual qi. Soldiers stationed nearby felt their breathing synchronize, their foundations stabilizing without conscious effort. Training grounds transformed into natural breakthrough zones, each step taken within them reinforcing cultivation paths.
Divine Barracks
Rank : Myth
Level : 4
Summonable units
Divine Soldiers — 125,000 (Early Qi Sea)
Divine Cavalry — 12,500 (Mid Qi Sea)
Divine Captains — 6,250 (Late Qi Sea)
Divine Commanders — 1,250 (Half-Step Divine Bridge)
Divine Generals — 120 (Early Divine Bridge)
Divine Marshal — 10 (Peak Divine Bridge)
Dragon Guards — 10 (Peak Divine Bridge)
New Unit type : The dragon guards The emperor's Personal Guards.
Elder Hall
Rank : Myth
Level : 2 (elder hall upgrades automatically with barracks)
Low-Level Elders — 100 (Late Golden Core)
Mid-Level Elders — 40 (Peak Golden Core)
High-Level Elders — 10 (Middle Nascent Soul)
Supreme Elders — 3 (Half step Unity Real)
The golden projection lingered in the air, the newly expanded barracks still humming with power. Feng Hao studied the numbers for only a moment before his gaze shifted.
"System," he said calmly. "Use Barracks Upgrade Stone."
The response was immediate.
[Ding—Barracks Upgrade Stone detected] [Bypassing material and cultivation requirements] [Force-upgrading Divine Mountain Barracks]
The first stone dissolved into pure authority.
This time, the reaction was far more violent.
The mountains surrounding the capital groaned as if pressed by an invisible hand. Ancient formations buried deep beneath the dynasty awakened, layers upon layers of forgotten military inscriptions unfolding like sealed scriptures being forcibly opened.
The barracks did not merely expand.
They evolved.
A dragon-shaped qi vein surged from the earth, coiling around the Divine Mountain before plunging directly into the heart of the barracks. Soldiers across the capital felt their bloodline resonate, their loyalty sharpened into instinct.
A second system voice thundered:
[Divine Mountain Barracks — Upgrade Complete] Level: 5
Before the tremors could even settle, Feng Hao lifted his hand again.
"Use the second stone."
The heavens did not respond.
The land did.
The second Barracks Upgrade Stone shattered, releasing a surge of Myth-rank authority that forcefully rewrote the barracks' foundational laws. Training grounds collapsed and reformed. Weapon vaults expanded into pocket domains. Even time within certain zones subtly slowed, allowing cultivation efficiency far beyond mortal standards.
The system fell silent for a full breath.
Then—
[Divine Mountain Barracks — Forced Upgrade Complete] Level: 6
A final pulse swept through the Nine God Dynasty.
Not destructive.
Absolute.
Divine Mountain Barracks
Rank: Myth
Level: 6
Summonable Units (Per Cycle):
Divine Soldiers — 375,000 (Early Qi Sea)
Divine Cavalry — 37,500 (Mid Qi Sea)
Divine Captains — 18,750 (Late Qi Sea)
Divine Commanders — 3,750 (Half-Step Divine Bridge)
Divine Generals — 360 (Early Divine Bridge)
Divine Marshals — 60 (Peak Divine Bridge)
Imperial Guard Unit:
Dragon Guards — 20 per day (Peak Divine Bridge)
(Cultivation synchronized with Emperor; absolute loyalty; immune to morale collapse)
Elder Hall
Rank: Myth
Level: 3 (Upgraded Automatically)
Low-Level Elders — 500(Late Golden Core)
Mid-Level Elders — 240(Peak Golden Core)
High-Level Elders — 60 (Middle Nascent Soul)
Supreme Elders — 18 (Half-Step Unity Realm)
Feng Hao did not rush.
The Divine Mountain Barracks had reached Level 6 only moments ago, its authority still settling into the land like an unshakable law. Yet the system panel quietly displayed another line—one that mattered more than raw numbers.
[Summoning Cycles Available: 4]
He had not summoned for four full days.
In a dynasty where time itself bent to authority, that meant only one thing.
"Begin consecutive summons," Feng Hao said calmly.
"All cycles."
The world answered.
Four Days of Accumulated Authority — Released at Once
The skies above the Nine God Dynasty darkened—not with clouds, but with condensed military qi. Massive summoning arrays unfolded across the capital, each one layered atop another, rotating like interlocking heavenly gears.
On the first cycle, the ground shook.
On the second, distant mountains bowed.
On the third, even the surrounding territories felt pressure crawl across their borders.
By the fourth, the summoning no longer felt like a spell—
It felt like mobilization.
One by one, legions stepped forth.
Not rushed.
Not chaotic.
Perfectly ordered.
Total Forces Summoned (4 Consecutive Cycles)
Divine Soldiers — 1,500,000
(Early Qi Sea)
Their presence alone turned the air heavy. One and a half million stabilized cultivators, foundations flawless, formations instinctive.
Divine Cavalry — 150,000
(Mid Qi Sea)
Mounted atop spirit beasts forged from barracks authority, their momentum could shatter mortal battle lines on contact.
Divine Captains — 75,000
(Late Qi Sea)
Each one capable of commanding thousands, their qi sharp, disciplined, lethal.
Divine Commanders — 15,000
(Half-Step Divine Bridge)
They did not speak. Their existence alone anchored formations and suppressed enemy momentum.
Divine Generals — 1,440
(Early Divine Bridge)
Every single one a battlefield dominator. Any Tier 6–7 dynasty would consider one a pillar.
Divine Marshals — 240
(Peak Divine Bridge)
Their auras overlapped, forming an invisible canopy of pressure over the capital itself.
Imperial Guard — Dragon Guards — 80
(Peak Divine Bridge, Cultivation Synced with Emperor)
They emerged last.
Ten at a time.
Four days.
Eighty figures clad in draconic authority, kneeling the instant they appeared.
Absolute loyalty.
No morale.
No fear.
They were not soldiers.
They were extensions of Feng Hao's will.
The summoning arrays faded.
Silence followed.
Then—
The Nine God Dynasty exhaled.
From the outer provinces to the inner palace, cultivators froze as they sensed it. Not killing intent. Not hostility.
Only Power.
Elders Summoned (4 Consecutive Cycles)
Low-Level Elders — 2,000 (Late Golden Core)
Each new elder radiated battlefield authority, reinforcing nearby normal units. Their presence stabilized formations like unshakable anchors.
Mid-Level Elders — 960 (Peak Golden Core)
Able to manipulate local spiritual qi, accelerating breakthroughs for soldiers and cavalry, and smoothing terrain for tactical advantage.
High-Level Elders — 240 (Middle Nascent Soul)
Low - Level- Heavenly King — 300 ( Late Golden Core)
Their aura reshaped the battlefield, redirecting attacks, suppressing enemy qi, and amplifying the Nine God Dynasty's overall cohesion.
Supreme Elders — 72 (Half-Step Unity Realm)
Walking conduits of divine strategy, they coordinated the entire army instinctively, their insight making generals' decisions instantaneous.
The Nine God Dynasty was Now On the path to becoming True Supreme Dynasty.