"Your Majesty, is there anything we can assist with?"
Queen Longzhen's voice was soft, her gaze lowered. The thought of becoming a concubine, which she had once entertained, had long since disappeared.
—With such extraordinary means, how could she dare to think otherwise? Simply standing in the hall to hear the imperial edict was already a great honor.
"The movement during the formation was considerable," Fang Yuan lightly tapped the dragon throne with his fingers, his tone calm. "It will be implemented in seven days. You should reassure the people in advance to avoid causing any unrest."
"Understood, Your Majesty," Queen Longzhen replied respectfully, her demeanor more humble than usual.
Fang Yuan's gaze swept over the ministers in the hall, and he continued, "Additionally, during my travels in the world above, I happened to collect some martial arts manuals and rare treasures, the quality is decent, and the quantity is substantial."
He casually tossed several storage bags, which landed steadily in the hands of Duke Chongwu.
"Place them in the national treasury. They should help our Summer Kingdom move forward."
"Your Majesty..."
Duke Chongwu's hands trembled slightly. Although the storage bags were light, they now seemed as heavy as mountains.
—Just a month ago!
What exactly had His Majesty done in the world above to bring back such astonishing resources?
However, Fang Yuan's words continued, thundering through the hall:
"Also, I am preparing to take a group of people to the world above."
His tone was indifferent, but it made every minister in the hall hold their breath.
The world above?
That was the legendary place of ascension!
"The world above is rich in spiritual energy and resources, at least enough to help someone reach the level of a Martial Saint. It is inexhaustible."
Upon hearing this, the ministers immediately stirred. They exchanged glances, their eyes full of disbelief.
"Your Majesty! Does that mean that even those who haven't reached the Martial Saint realm... can ascend?"
"Of course not," Fang Yuan smiled calmly. "But I have a way to sneak them in. I have my methods."
He scanned the room and continued, "The spiritual energy above is a hundred times denser than here. A regular martial artist could become a grand master in just a hundred years."
A hundred years... a grand master?!
The hall erupted in shocked gasps. It was a martial artist's holy land!
Several generals could no longer contain themselves, fists clenched, eager to try.
Fang Yuan raised a hand to calm them. "Generals, listen up. Go back to your provinces, collect the most talented individuals, and bring them to the capital."
Only then did the ministers realize that the people His Majesty was bringing to the world above were likely not a small number!
But...
Duke Chongwu could not help but ask, "Your Majesty, you've only ascended a month ago. Have you already established a foothold in the world above? Did you perhaps... join a certain sect?"
"Yes," Fang Yuan nodded. "I have temporarily joined a sect called the Sun Moon Sect."
The ministers let out a collective sigh of relief, but Fang Yuan added another sentence:
"I am currently serving as the sect leader."
The entire court was left in stunned silence.
Wait... this doesn't make sense!
Usually, when one joins a sect, they start as a disciple, right?
How is it that His Majesty... became the leader immediately?!
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, not knowing whether to be shocked or indifferent.
—Truly, as expected of His Majesty!
"We will discuss this matter further, you may return and start selecting the candidates," Fang Yuan said, waving his robe to end the meeting.
Once the ministers left, only Duke Chongwu and Yuan Tianhe remained in the hall. Fang Yuan then informed them of the underground Yellow Dragon and the Wuxiang Bone Sea, matters that could only be shared with a few trusted individuals.
The two were chilled to the bone, never having imagined that beneath their feet lay an overwhelming terror that even the peak of the Heavenly Realm could not touch.
"Although based on my calculations, these two existences will likely remain dormant for at least a thousand years, but to be safe, I will gradually move the people of the Summer Kingdom to the world above. This first batch is just the beginning."
Fang Yuan continued, explaining that this was the only solution he had come up with, calling it the "Wandering Summer Plan."
After all, if those two beings truly awoke... the mountains and rivers of this world would collapse, and his Summer Kingdom might not be able to survive.
Duke Chongwu remained silent for a long time, eventually letting out a heavy sigh. "Your Majesty plans far ahead… but in the face of such a great calamity, we are helpless…"
His voice choked, filled with frustration and unwillingness.
Fang Yuan raised his hand to stop him. "Human strength is always limited. Don't blame yourself. Only someone like me, a genius, can resist a little."
"Yes..." Duke Chongwu nodded.
...
With a single command, the generals in every city did not dare to delay. They rushed back to their territories day and night. Soon, a decree bearing the imperial seal, written in the emperor's own hand, spread across the Summer Kingdom like wildfire:
"I am preparing to establish a Grand Array. There may be unusual phenomena in the heavens and earth. The people need not be alarmed…"
The moment the decree was issued, the entire kingdom was stunned!
Everyone knew that His Majesty was an ascended being! Now he had descended once again and was going to perform a feat that resembled the ancient gods, setting up a gigantic array that would cover the entire world!
This earth-shattering news immediately ignited the entire Summer Kingdom.
People everywhere discussed it, eagerly awaiting the arrival of this legendary divine event.
Seven days passed quietly under the watchful eyes of all.
On the highest peak of the Dragonforge Mountains in the West Continent—Dragon Head Peak.
The cold wind howled like knives, sweeping across the mountaintop and lifting clouds of snow.
Queen Longzhen stood alone, gazing toward the eastern horizon, where the sun rose, the heart of the Summer Kingdom.
Behind her, the generals of the West Continent stood silently, breathless and solemn.
"To cover both the Eastern and Western continents... what kind of immense power, what earth-shattering array, could possibly encompass all of this?"
Queen Longzhen spoke softly, her voice carrying a barely detectable tremor.
She could not help but worry. Such a feat, something only found in myths and legends, seemed more like something only a creator god could accomplish.
Although His Majesty was indeed powerful, judging by the combat prowess displayed in the past month, it seemed far from such an unimaginable feat.
...
As the world held its breath, at the summit of Mount Tai in the Summer Kingdom, a figure in a dark robe stood facing the wind. The sleeves fluttered like ink clouds pouring down.
Fang Yuan's gaze was calm as he looked up at the clear, washed-out sky, silently counting the passing moments.
The faint aura that emanated from him, even inadvertently, made the people at the foot of the mountain—Duke Chongwu and others—feel as if a thousand pounds were resting on their chests, their breaths stagnating. It was a primal instinct of reverence, a submission to supreme authority.
"The time has come."
As Fang Yuan spoke, a resplendent golden light shot up from the mountaintop, cleaving the sky like a sword. The dazzling radiance illuminated the faces of those around, shaking their spirits and freezing their thoughts.
Fang Yuan slowly raised his hand, fingers stretching as though grasping the laws of the universe in the air.
—Then, he suddenly gathered them!
Boom—!!!
In an instant, the sky shattered like glass, and the golden light spread at an astonishing speed, swiftly engulfing the entire sky!
The entire heavens above the Eastern and Western continents were bathed in this brilliant light, as if millions of suns were burning at the same time, turning the sea of clouds into a dazzling golden ocean!
"What... is this?!"
On the highest peak of the Western Continent, Queen Longzhen and the others turned pale, gazing up at the sky now completely transformed into gold. Sweat poured down, soaking their robes. Breathing became incredibly difficult.
It was only at this moment that she fully understood—
Her previous doubts were absurd and laughable!
To try and fathom the realm of the gods with a mere mortal body was like an ant attempting to hold up the sky!