Chapter 837: Initiative

What? Build the city walls?

As dawn broke, the land of Bei Chu erupted in chaos. People stared in astonishment toward the south. "A city wall spanning over three million *li*—have the people in the south lost their minds?"

"In my view, they're not mad; they're just full of themselves."

"My king, about this matter..." In the dimly lit demon hall of the demon realm, a demon general looked at the demon king, hesitating to speak.

"*Ye Chen*, you have great boldness." *Kui Yujiang* took a deep breath, his vast eyes flashing with a hint of admiration.

"Princess, *Ye Chen* has stirred up quite a commotion this time!" In the imperial hall of the *Da Chu* royal clan, *Taiyi Zhenren* stood with his hands behind his back, shaking his head in amazement. "A city wall of over three million *li*—he actually dared to do it."

"He's very clever." *Da Chu Huang Yan* spoke softly.

"Clever?" *Taiyi Zhenren* was taken aback.

"Open attacks are easy to defend against, but hidden ones are hard to guard." *Da Chu Huang Yan*'s voice was ethereal. "He unified *Nan Chu* in such a short time, and these eight words describe it perfectly. He knows how to leverage his advantages and how to prevent other forces from exploiting them. That so-called city wall isn't just a wall—it's a barrier for *Nan Chu*, allowing them to advance and attack or retreat and defend. His boldness, vision, and breadth of mind have already surpassed that of your father before he became emperor."

The whole of *Bei Chu* was buzzing with excitement.

Not just the descendants of emperors, even the Eight Kings had their attention drawn to it. These ancient figures, who had witnessed the changes of ages, saw through *Ye Chen*'s intentions clearly. And precisely because of this city wall, even they felt a powerful threat.

"United the four directions, raise troops to march south—under no circumstances can we let *Tian Court* build that city wall." In the grand hall of *Shixue Dian*, a ethereal and authoritative voice echoed repeatedly.

"Old ancestor, it's just a city wall. Is it really necessary to...?"

"What do you know?" The words of the *Shixue Dian* master were cut off by a cold snort. "Once the city wall is built, no one will be able to shake *Nan Chu*. Strike now, while *Tian Court*'s power is not yet stable."

"Understood."

"Trouble brews with great success!" In a vast ancient city, *Ye Chen* sat quietly in a tavern, sipping wine and listening to the discussions of passing cultivators. His brows furrowed deeply, for *Tian Court*'s actions had caused far too much stir.

"Holy Lord." Soon, an elder in plain robes entered and bowed respectfully.

"Speak while you sit." *Ye Chen* said casually.

"Just as you predicted, Holy Lord." The plain-robed elder sat down as he spoke. "Our insider in *Shixue Dian* has sent intelligence—they're actively uniting the four directions, and various intelligence networks have confirmed that major forces are secretly gathering their cultivator armies."

"As expected."

"Over eighty percent of our *Tian Court* forces are focused on building the city wall. If they attack now, we'll struggle to respond. And then there's the Eight Kings—if they join forces at this time, *Nan Chu* will face a catastrophic disaster." The plain-robed elder looked worried.

"The Eight Kings are held back by the descendants of emperors, so they won't act rashly for now." *Ye Chen* replied calmly. "The real challenge is *Shixue Dian* and the various forces in *Bei Chu*. If we fight, *Tian Court*, with our current strength, has no fear. What I'm worried about is if they don't fight."

"I don't understand." The plain-robed elder looked at *Ye Chen* in confusion.

"Open attacks are easy to defend against, but hidden ones are hard to guard. If our *Tian Court* forces have to deal with sneak attacks from the *Bei Chu* armies while exhausting themselves building the city wall, we'll wear down over time. That way, the *Nan Chu* city wall might take eight hundred years to build."

"Surely not!" The plain-robed elder stroked his chin. "Is *Shixue Dian* making such a big show just to disrupt us?"

"This possibility isn't baseless—it's inevitable." *Ye Chen* spoke steadily. "Since they can't defeat *Tian Court* directly, they'll settle for the next best thing. Their goal is clear: to curb *Tian Court*'s rise. The most straightforward way is to stop us from building the city wall. They understand that once it's built, no one can shake *Nan Chu*'s *Tian Court*."

"Holy Lord, forgive my bluntness." The plain-robed elder took a deep breath. "With them around, we can't build the *Nan Chu* city wall! *Tian Court* is strong, but we can't withstand this kind of constant disruption."

"The *Nan Chu* city wall must be built." *Ye Chen*'s tone was firm. "Their scheming proves just how important it is."

"But..."

"We need to seize the initiative on this." *Ye Chen* interrupted the plain-robed elder.

"Just give the orders, Holy Lord."

"*Tian Court* isn't without influence in *Bei Chu*." *Ye Chen* pondered. "There's the *Yan Huang* headquarters still in *Bei Chu*, plus the *Ouyang* family, *Nangong* family, *Huangfu* family, *Muyu Yun* family, *Panlong* Sea Domain's *Niu* family, and Black Dragon Island—these are enough to stir up massive waves in *Bei Chu*."

"Holy Lord's meaning is to cause chaos in *Bei Chu*?" The plain-robed elder asked tentatively.

"Let the major forces in *Bei Chu* have no time for anything else—that's how we seize the initiative."

"Brilliant, brilliant!" The plain-robed elder smiled broadly. "Who would expect that while we're fully committed to building the city wall, we'd still send forces to strike first? This way, we can buy enough time for *Tian Court*."

"Go ahead! Be quick about it." *Ye Chen* waved his hand lightly.

"Understood." The plain-robed elder didn't delay and rose abruptly, but before he could take a step, *Ye Chen* called him back.

"Holy Lord, is there something else?"

"Any news about my master?" *Ye Chen* looked at the plain-robed elder, his resolute eyes carrying a trace of hope.

"None." The plain-robed elder shook his head gently, sighing inwardly, then turned and left.

After he left, *Ye Chen* remained sitting quietly, silent as a statue.

He was the Holy Lord of *Tian Court*, the commander of the three armies, and the most powerful figure in *Da Chu* now, yet he still felt constrained. Even though he had unified *Nan Chu* and was currently in *Bei Chu*, he couldn't set everything aside to search for his loved one.

"Oh dear! What an honor for this humble tavern to have such a distinguished guest!" Suddenly, the tavern, already filled with chatter, grew even more lively—all because of one person's arrival.

Looking over, it was an elder in a blood-red robe, exuding a fierce aura of bloodlust. He was gaunt, with eyes as menacing as a snake or scorpion.

This person was none other than *Cang Ming* from *Shixue Dian*.

In the past, when *Ye Chen* left *Haotian* family, he passed through *Canglang* Ancient City and clashed with his new disciple *Yuan Hao*, leading to the later incident where *Ye Chen* caused chaos in *Beizhen Cangyuan*. The epic heavenly tribulation that broke the deadlock was still a legend today.

"What perfect timing!" *Ye Chen* continued sipping his wine, a cold smile tugging at his lips.

"Esteemed one, please, this way." On the other side, a group of cultivators had already stood up, bowing and scraping obsequiously, the atmosphere thick with flattery.

"Hmm." *Cang Ming* acted superior, like a lofty senior, clearly relishing the fearful respect from others.

"Esteemed one, I've heard that your hall has gathered forces from all directions, preparing to march south and attack *Tian Court*?" A group of curious cultivators surrounded *Cang Ming*, pouring wine and offering flattery.

"Indeed." *Cang Ming* maintained his authoritative demeanor, seeming like a recluse master to those who didn't know better.

"I knew it! It's about time we dealt with those people in the south. They call themselves *Tian Court*? Why don't they just ascend to heaven?"

"The armies of *Shixue Dian* will surely be invincible."

"To wish your hall a triumphant victory, we... hmm?" The speaker's words were cut off as a rush of chilling energy swept in, freezing the entire tavern visibly before their eyes.

At the sight, everyone's expressions changed drastically, their gazes unanimously turning toward the window and fixing on the black-robed *Ye Chen*.

Even the composed *Cang Ming* turned pale, the terrifying killing intent making him tremble. Though he sat there, it felt as if his body had been dragged into an icy abyss.

Bang!

As everyone paled, the entire tavern shook violently.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shaking didn't stop; the banging sounds were steady and rhythmic, revealed to be the sound of footsteps upon closer listening.

"*Cang Ming*, no time like the present." *Ye Chen* approached slowly, his eyes fixed straight ahead. With each step, his black robe gradually fell away, revealing his true face and the imposing figure of the *Tian Court* Holy Lord.

"He—he is..." As *Ye Chen*'s face was revealed, everyone's eyes widened in shock.