Outside the Imperial City, on a vast plain.
At this moment, a middle-aged man appeared. He was dressed ordinarily and seemed indistinguishable, but there was an unhidden sense of authority gleaming between his brows.
He moved slowly towards the Imperial City.
"The fortune of Dawu is incredibly strong!"
The middle-aged man looked up at the fortified Dawu Imperial City, feeling the robust and fiery fortune of Dawu, his complexion slightly changed, as such fortune didn't seem typical of a two-star Imperial Dynasty.
"Besides some young children, even the most ordinary people are at the realm of crossed pulses - a nation of martial artists? I see no signs of illness. This is something that only a four-star Imperial Dynasty would possess. What is the origin of the ruler of Dawu to be able to create such a powerful dynasty so quickly!"
This middle-aged man observed the swarming crowd moving within Dawu Imperial City.
"Spiritual Rice, everyone is eating Spiritual Rice!"
The middle-aged man knew that Dawu had a kind of magical rice, but he never imagined that everyone in Dawu would be eating it.
He had thought that only a select few could access it, not that it could sustain an entire nation.
But now, he realised how wrong he was.
"There must be a significant secret hidden within Dawu. Its rapid prosperity means it must have stumbled across a great opportunity. If I can acquire it, then perhaps...!"
There was a menacing glint in the eyes of the middle-aged man.
Just as he was about to act, an overwhelming imperial might suddenly descended, causing his face to change. Unexpectedly, he saw a figure that seemed to step out from the void, appearing before him.
This man was wearing Dawu's Imperial Robes, his eyes radiant, exuding an unimaginable authority.
"Have you seen enough?"
The person who appeared was none other than Chu Yuan.
"You are!" The middle-aged man's eyes shot out a rolling chill and he exclaimed, "Martial Emperor Chu Yuan!"
"Indeed, it is I." Chu Yuan replied indifferently: "If I am not mistaken, you must be the ruler of Black Ming. You are certainly bold, daring to sneak into my Imperial City and even brazenly show up. Do you think you can seamlessly blend in?"
"You actually discovered me?"
This middle-aged man was indeed the ruler of Black Ming!
He publicly announced his intentions to invade Dawu, but it was nothing more than a diversion tactic.
On New Year's night, he intended to infiltrate Dawu's Imperial City, not only to inspect Dawu's national strength but potentially to cause havoc with his power.
However, what he didn't expect was to be discovered by Chu Yuan even before he managed to sneak in.
What confounded him was how Chu Yuan managed to discover him despite his exceptional disguise.
"This is my territory, why is it strange that I discovered you?"
The ruler of Black Ming believed that his disguise was impeccable, but he was not aware that the moment he stepped into the Imperial City, he ignited a beacon of alert within Chu Yuan's National Fortune Array. His cultivation was impossible to hide.
You must know that Chu Yuan's National Fortune Array was based on the Imperial Scripture, not an ordinary National Fortune Array.
"Haha, upon seeing you today, Martial Emperor, you are indeed extraordinary. In just a few short years, you transformed a one-star Imperial Dynasty into such a powerful entity. Even I am somewhat in awe of you. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe."
Since he was found by Chu Yuan, the ruler of Black Ming no longer felt the need to hide his identity.
Boom! A suppressive realm of the eighth stage of Illuminating stage erupted. The ruler of Black Ming's strength was at the extreme of the eight illuminating stage. The shadowy aura that surrounded him made it seem as though he was an emperor rising from Hell.
If it were any other three-star Imperial Dynasty, the ruler of Black Ming would definitely not risk himself.
Sneaking into an Imperial City could potentially lead to severe disruption, but he would also be suppressed by the nation's fortune, leading to irreversible downfall.
However, according to his intelligence, it had only been a year since Dawu ascended to a two-star Imperial Dynasty. The power of the nation's fortune shouldn't be too strong yet. Even though they had slain Zhong Han, they were still far from being comparable to his eighth stage of Illumination.
If he could get hold of Dawu's powerful secret, he was willing to take this risk.
"Illuminating stage eight, indeed formidable, but if you want to wreak havoc within my Imperial City, you're courting death!"
Chu Yuan shook violently, took a step forward. In his territory, the nation's fortune he could mobilise was boundless. Immediately, that sacred light concentrated onto the ruler of Black Ming.
"The power of Nation's Fortune!"
The ruler of Black Ming's face changed slightly, then he sneered: "The reputation of the Martial Emperor, over this past year, is known to all in the Hanging Sky Realm. The ability to trade Spiritual Rice as a national treasure has intrigued me. I wonder, how strong your real strength is to have slain my general."
Chu Yuan moved in a flash, suddenly appearing in front of the ruler of Black Ming.
"Great Heavenly Dark Shadow Palm!"
The ruler of Black Ming, being the ruler of a nation, had more to his strength than his realm revealed. He launched a deadly technique; black palm prints transformed into an Apocalypse Storm, launching fiercely at Chu Yuan.
"Nation's Fortune Belief!"
Chu Yuan's face was stern.
He was in his national capital, garnished with endless faith.
Immediately a great battle technique was activated, full of furious power. Golden palm prints, released from his hands, collided ferociously with the rival's force, causing a whirlwind to erupt.
The ruler of Black Ming had extremely rich battle experience. He spent his entire life at war and therefore had an acute sense for it that was beyond ordinary.
He responded with a palm strike, throwing off aggressively. He flickered like a phantom, moving continuously. In the blink of an eye, the entire void was pervaded by his power, everywhere were black palm prints accompanied by an ominous and chilly aura.
However, Chu Yuan's eyes were fierce and awash with lethal light.
If one were to say that the ruler of Black Ming was cold and gloomy, then he was the sun in the sky, radiant and resplendent. Instantaneously, with him as the centre, a light as bright as daylight illuminated the surrounding ten miles. He directly reached out with his Double War God's Grip.
The ruler of Black Ming said, "Not an ordinary Divine Artifact!"
This ignited a strong sense of greed in his eyes. Even such a small dynasty owned so many valuable items. If he were to acquire them, he could possibly elevate the Black Ming Dynasty to an even more powerful four-star Imperial Dynasty.
The ruler of Black Ming reached out directly, aiming to seize both life and soul, a sight to behold.
With a loud bang! But Chu Yuan directly took on the blow with his hands. The ruler of Black Ming felt as if he had hit a piece of iron sheet, his entire body boiling up. Supported by the power of nation's fortune, Chu Yuan became unbearable even for him.
By activating the divine artifact skill with Chu Yuan's current realm and strength, it was hard to tell how powerful this War God's Grip was.
The ruler of Black Ming naturally discerned the extraordinary power of the War God's Grip. Even though his cultivation level was higher than Chu Yuan's, he wouldn't foolishly confront it head on, so he flashed to the side, building up an array of Qi wings on his back. His entire body shifted to the side in a flash.
The War God's Grip grasped at the air, creating an enormous wave of Qi. But in the blink of an eye, Chu Yuan quickly issued another attack, causing a storm of fluctuations.
Realising the immense power of this move, the ruler of Black Ming explosively retreated. He took to the sky, hovering in mid-air.
At the moment, Chu Yuan stood firm in the sky, his eyes glinting with a cold light. He summoned a tremendous amount of power, staring at the ruler of Black Ming!