Chapter 167: Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor

He Liangzhi pondered for a moment, then said, "Judging by their Cultivation and Martial Techniques, it seems they weren’t people from our Wu Country."

"They’re from the Mo Country."

Mo Tang said, "The True Master Martial Dao who escaped used the Mo Country’s Mechanical Technique. The Martial Dao of the Mo Country excels at things like mechanisms, traps, Hidden Weapons, and gunpowder."

"I see."

He Liangzhi’s brow furrowed. "Those people from the Mo Country are unbelievably audacious. I was just thinking, no matter how arrogant people from our Wu Dynasty get, they’d never dare to attack our Evil Extermination Bureau. Could this be related to the Corpse Refining Sect in Stone Forest Valley?"

After all, Mo Tang had been ambushed the moment she returned to Jingzhou City after investigating the Corpse Refining Sect.

"Most likely."

Mo Tang nodded.

He Liangzhi snorted coldly. "These Mo Country people are so audacious, causing trouble right here in our Jingzhou City and committing violence in the streets. They deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

Mo Tang suddenly said, "I was originally from the Mo Country, too."

"Ah?"

He Liangzhi froze, then hurriedly explained, "My lady, I... I wasn’t talking about you..."

He had no idea.

Mo Tang said, "I came to the Wu Dynasty as a refugee. I was fortunate enough to meet my master, who took me in as a disciple and let me join the Evil Extermination Bureau. So now, you could say I’m a person of the Wu Country.

Our Wu Dynasty’s eastern border meets the Mo Country, separated by the Jingshui River. To the northeast, we border the Shi Country. Both Mo Country and Shi Country are plagued by evil and overrun by demons. Their Courts are corrupt and prey on the common people. Because of that, many like me flee to the Wu Country as refugees."

Hearing this, something stirred in Lu Bai’s heart.

’The Bai family in Bai Family Village... Bai Chuchu’s family... they seemed to be refugees from the Mo Country too.’

Mo Tang continued, "The Late King was benevolent. He couldn’t bear to send the refugees from those two countries back, but he also worried about causing disputes with the other Vassal States, so he chose to turn a blind eye to the matter.

Refugees who come here, no matter which country they are from, can settle down and make a life in the Wu Dynasty as long as they abide by its laws."

Taking a shallow breath, Mo Tang went on, "Grateful for the Late King’s kindness, the refugees from both countries have been law-abiding and self-sufficient all these years.

A situation like today’s has never happened before."

He Liangzhi said, "I’ve heard that border conflicts have been incessant in recent years. Could this be related? Is it possible the Mo Country wants to use the power of the Corpse Refining Sect to move against our dynasty?"

Mo Tang remained silent.

After being ambushed and targeted for assassination in Jingzhou City today, many possibilities had run through her mind.

None of them were optimistic!

What He Liangzhi had suggested was just one of them.

There were other possibilities, perhaps even more troublesome.

Mo Tang said grimly, "The Peace Alliance was too long ago. The Celestial Divine Land has been stable for over eight hundred years. I suspect some people are getting restless."

"Indeed."

He Liangzhi also sighed with emotion. "The Peace Alliance... it truly was a convention that will go down in history.

It’s because of that alliance that our Celestial Divine Land has enjoyed over eight hundred years of stability. The various nations were able to rest and recuperate. Countless common people were spared the scourge of war and lived out their lives in peace."

"What is the Peace Alliance?"

Lu Bai couldn’t help but ask.

He Liangzhi explained, "After the Ancient Times, the Celestial Divine Land was torn apart, fractured into more than a hundred Vassal States. War was rampant as lords vied for supremacy, contending for control of the Divine Land. This went on for over a thousand years, shattering the land and leaving it utterly devastated."

"Today’s Four Great Dominator Countries—the Great Cang, Great Geng, Great Li, and Great Abyss—carved out their territories by annexing other Vassal States back then. Each Dominator Country has over a hundred states within its domain!"

The Wu Dynasty currently has only fourteen states.

’Over a hundred states... that really is much larger than the Wu Dynasty.’

"In truth, by that point, all the major Vassal States wanted to stop fighting. Even the Four Great Dominator Countries realized that if the wars continued, there might be no winner."

He Liangzhi continued, "But once a war starts, it creates endless blood feuds and shatters countless families. It’s impossible to simply stop. That is, until one person appeared..."

At this point, He Liangzhi’s eyes filled with reverence, his tone thick with emotion as if he were lost in memory.

Lu Bai was just getting engrossed in the story when He Liangzhi fell silent.

Just as he was about to urge him on, Mo Tang picked up the thread. "That person crossed the vast sea and descended upon the Celestial Divine Land. With a single saber, he alone forced the Vassal States into an alliance. In the Wu Country Capital City, they signed the Peace Alliance, establishing their current borders and ending all wars!"

Lu Bai’s face was a mask of shock.

’A thousand-year war between vassal states, ended by one man and one saber!’

"Who was he?"

Lu Bai couldn’t help but ask.

"The Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor!"

He Liangzhi said, enunciating each word.

"The Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor?"

Lu Bai was a little confused.

’I wonder what relationship this Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor has with the Ancient Five Emperors.’

Mo Tang explained, "He’s called the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor because he came from the Eastern Desolate Xuan State. Here in our Celestial Divine Land, the Martial Dao flourishes. While there are Cultivation Sects, their overall strength and top-tier experts cannot compare to those of the Martial Dao.

To the east of the Celestial Divine Land lies the vast, boundless Cyan Wave Sea. At the Sky-Sea Border is an immense continent known as the Eastern Desolate Xuan State.

On the Eastern Desolate Xuan State, Cultivation is paramount and the Martial Dao is in decline. It is a world of Cultivators."

Lu Bai asked, "But a Martial Emperor was born in the Eastern Desolate Xuan State?"

"Correct."

Mo Tang nodded. "Legend says this Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor fought his way out of a shattered minor world. He appeared out of nowhere and, in just a few hundred years, suppressed the entire Eastern Desolate Immortal Dao with his Eternal Celestial Saber!"

Lu Bai was utterly astonished as he listened, his heart filled with yearning and admiration.

’What incredible, breathtaking talent! What soaring heroism!’

’Although the Martial Dao is at a natural disadvantage against Cultivators in the early stages...’

’...all techniques are one, and all paths share a single origin. When cultivated to the absolute peak, one can still look down upon the world and suppress all immortals!’

Lu Bai asked, "So when this Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor came to the Celestial Divine Land, the Four Great Dominator Countries just obediently fell in line?"

"Not exactly."

Mo Tang shook her head slightly. "At the time, he wasn’t yet called the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor. He was only known as ’Celestial Saber,’ and his influence in the Celestial Divine Land wasn’t that great.

He commanded the Vassal States to form an alliance, but the Four Great Dominator Countries were naturally unwilling to obey. They even roused several of their old ancestors.

This ’Celestial Saber’ cut a path across the Four Great Dominator Countries. With the blood of their ancestors, he forced the Vassal States into submission. They obediently gathered in the Wu Dynasty Capital City to sign the Peace Alliance, and it was then that he earned the name Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor.

It is precisely because of this alliance that the Celestial Divine Land has had over eight hundred years of peace.

The Wu Country was also formally established after that alliance."

Lu Bai asked another question, "Where is this Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor now?"

He Liangzhi answered, "Not long after the Peace Alliance, he underwent his tribulation and ascended."

Lu Bai was secretly speechless with amazement.

’Even after the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor’s tribulation and ascension, his lingering might was still so great that the Peace Alliance has held for eight hundred years. It just goes to show how powerful he must have been!’

’What Mo Tang and He Liangzhi described probably doesn’t even scratch the surface.’

A flicker of doubt suddenly crossed Lu Bai’s mind, and he asked, "If this alliance of Vassal States was so important, why was it held in the Wu Dynasty Capital City?"

"The most common explanation is that the Wu Dynasty is located in the Central Earth of the Celestial Divine Land, which made it more convenient for the Vassal States to gather."

Mo Tang paused here, then added, "There are also some rumors that the Late King had some connection to the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor, but the specifics are unclear."