This military parade shocked countless people. That very night, innurable individuals comnced their journeys to leave, eager to report the military strength of Shenghai Kingdom as swiftly as possible. Yet, so chose to remain here, for reasons unknown, whether permanently or otherwise.
Each major power had representatives who stayed, adopting a variety of pretexts.
As long as one could secure a foothold here, future interactions with Shenghai Kingdom would be facilitated. The presence of these individuals would also ensure the capital of Shenghai Kingdom thrived more than ever before.
Two days later, the Third Prince returned with his entourage to the Divine Fla Empire. Before everyone, he recounted the details of the parade he had witnessed—without exaggeration or belittlent, his report was remarkably unremarkable.
Upon hearing this, soone imdiately contested, "Third brother, you must have been deceived, right? How could such a remote and minor nation possess such strength?" The challenger was one of his younger brothers.
The Third Prince rely smiled, "How could that be? Even if I could be deceived, the other guards would not. Besides, Shenghai Kingdom is no trivial land; their nation is quite substantial."
"Hmph, weren’t they just a recipient of so useless land we conceded? What good could possibly co from those forsaken southern territories?"
These people lacked vision, seeing only the small piece of land before them. Unacquainted with the south themselves, they based their perceptions solely on imagination and second-hand accounts.
And nobility, such creatures are prone to exaggeration or underestimation, leading to significant disparities between hearsay and reality. In his eyes, the prosperity of Shenghai Kingdom’s capital was not inferior to that of the imperial capital of the Divine Fla Empire.
Naturally, he had no obligation to enlighten these fools. Within the royal family, siblings were rivals.
"Enough," Emperor Tru declared with a wave of his hand, and the Third Prince understood. Indeed, even before he returned, his father must have already been inford about the situation in Shenghai Kingdom; his report was rely a formality, a ans for testing him, perhaps.
"The martial prowess of Shenghai Kingdom continues to grow, no doubt due to so secret training Skill. We cannot allow them to develop any further. Otherwise, they will eventually beco a significant threat to us."
Having never experienced a sixth-tier being ambushed by a fifth-tier, they were oblivious to the true gap between the tiers. All they could do was infer from incidents where fourth-tier attacked fifth-tier.
Watching the increasing fifth-tier forces of Shenghai Kingdom, they grew increasingly restless.
"Indeed, we cannot allow them to continue to progress, but our current relations with Shenghai Kingdom are amicable. Direct military action would invite criticism and provide other nations with a pretext for attack."
They feared nothing in the east of the continent, but if other nations banded together, they might not withstand the opposition. Moreover, the empires in the center of the continent would unlikely stand idly by as they unified the east.
At this juncture, an intelligence officer spoke, "We need a pretext. So nobles stayed behind in Shenghai Kingdom, but their existence there is not a happy one. We could employ so strategem on this front."
"Humph, you underhanded schers always prefer such deceitful tactics," a general said disdainfully.
The others ignored him; they were well aware of his character. If not for his formidable strength and military acun, he wouldn’t be where he was today.
Emperor Tru said nothing, and another military official stepped forward, "He is correct; we require a pretext. Besides, those who stayed in Shenghai Kingdom turned their backs on us. Utilizing them now is inconsequential. The question is, how?"
The group began a discussion, and as they debated, news of Shenghai Kingdom’s parade reached other nations.
Quicksand Empire, which always opposed them, was the second to learn of the event. Their capital gathered high-ranking Sandpeople for a eting.
Quicksand Empire had no hereditary rule nor a king; it was a land where strength reigned supre. Each tribe’s warriors could climb the ranks and improve their standing through challenge.
The most powerful among them ford the nation’s leadership, where ability didn’t matter as much as raw strength.
"How do you see it? This damn Shenghai Kingdom has so many fifth-tier warriors. If we clash with them, we might deplete our forces entirely," openly worried a high-ranking Sandperson of Quicksand Empire.
"Why fight? They wouldn’t dare enter the great desert. The desert itself is our greatest barrier, and upsetting the Divine Spirits would bode ill for them."
"Do not speak carelessly. Since the Divine War, our Divine Spirits have been in slumber. Disturbing their peace is beyond our bearing. Let us continue to observe and see what else they might do. Should they attack, we are not to be trifled with."
Quicksand Empire decided on a course opposite to Divine Fla Empire’s, choosing to consolidate their forces and not venture out.
Furthermore, neighboring kingdoms, duchies, and various organizations received detailed intelligence on the parade. Even the Grey Elves of the Elf Forest felt the repercussions.
Aside from the chaotic Beastman Kingdoms, the Grey Elves decided to establish diplomatic relations with Shenghai Kingdom—a notable step, given their typical isolationism.
Du You might be lost for words upon realizing that his past aid to the Grey Elves influenced their decision to erge.
At that very mont, Du You was unconcerned with others’ thoughts, for the parade’s influence was vast, affecting not only the eastern continent but even so central, southern, and northern regions.
Indeed, the explicit display of power puzzled many, but its impact was palpable. The dominion’s experience began to soar, inexorably approaching its peak. Then on the fifth day post-parade, the experience reached its zenith. Du You knew his plan had finally co to fruition.
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