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"The Taoist Sect... are they our only allies?"

Inside the Lyuzhou hall, everyone present, the trusted confidants, finally received insider intelligence.

"In the world, there are only four Ancient Forces!" Chen Qing traced the map with his hand. "These powers formed in the first Era of this world’s history, when outsiders invaded. Over countless millennia, their balance has never been altered. They’ve always existed in opposition to one another."

"They are Heaven’s Court, the Buddha Kingdom, the Demon Realm, and the Taoist Sect."

"These four factions stand at the apex of all Ancient Forces. The remaining ancient powers merely serve these four. Over the vast ages, any force that failed to submit to them has been wiped out—such as the Ancient Demon Clan of Yun Du City, or even the once-mighty King Xiang."

"The domains held by the four factions are quite distinct as well..." Chen Qing continued, marking areas on the map. "First, there is the Heavenly Palace. They dominate the stars."

"The stars?" Everyone froze for a moment. Were they referring to the stars in Outer Space?

If that were the case... then surely this territory had no connection to the continent below, right?

"Are you all wondering whether the stars of Outer Space have anything to do with this continent?" Chen Qing asked, catching their puzzled expressions.

"My lord..." Wei Gongcheng interjected hastily, "Our understanding is indeed limited. Please enlighten us, my lord."

"The expanse of stars is vast," Chen Qing explained. "Of course, not all the stars in Outer Space are within Heaven’s Court’s dominion, but what makes Heaven’s Court a top-tier Ancient Force on this continent is that their stars are directly tied to the land below."

On a fresh sheet of paper, Chen Qing sketched a diagram—a sphere enveloped by hundreds of orbiting stars.

"The design structure of this world closely mirrors that of our own origins. The functioning of the cosmos works the same way. Around one star, countless celestial bodies orbit in alignment, forming a star system. These entities are interdependent yet remain distinct."

"Heaven’s Court governs the outer reaches, specifically controlling the myriad stars surrounding this continent.

These stars are immense in size, many even comparable to the continent itself.

While their resources are less abundant and their ecosystems lack the continent’s quality, their sheer territorial scale is staggering—far surpassing that of the continent by dozens of times! "

Upon hearing this, the hall descended into amazement. The vastness of the world truly defied imagination. Had they not followed Chen Qing, they would have remained oblivious to the fact that even the stars of Outer Space were interconnected with this realm. How fascinating it all was!

Indeed, the longer one lives, the more one sees. The higher one ascends, the broader their view. This realization sparked a yearning to experience and understand more of the world’s wonders.

"My lord..." Wei Gongcheng, ever pragmatic, voiced the question weighing on his mind. "Since they reside in the stars above, wouldn’t it be difficult for us to launch an attack up there, or for them to descend here and fight?"

"This is where the balance between the four factions lies.

" Chen Qing couldn’t help but laugh. "These four powers have been in conflict for countless years, yet none have ever escalated into all-out war. Aside from their mutual restraint and the fact that even the most powerful figures fear death, Heaven’s Court plays a pivotal role in maintaining this balance. "

"How so?" The gathering immediately perked up with curiosity.

"Because Heaven’s Court has the ability to send their forces down at will!"

"What?" Everyone was stunned. "Send... send them down?"

"Precisely!" Chen Qing nodded. "Through a method known as starbeam projection, they can directly deploy Heavenly Soldiers to the surface. Of course... this process causes significant commotion, so it cannot be done in complete stealth. It also requires preparation time, but once ready, they can send forces anywhere. Unless an area is protected by a Barrier, Heaven’s Court’s soldiers can materialize anywhere they wish! "

"Hiss!!" A collective gasp filled the air as everyone sucked in a cold breath.

The Buddha Kingdom’s methods were already audacious enough, but this—this was on another level of shamelessness.

Most battles require meticulous planning: selecting terrain, establishing checkpoints, and strategizing troop movements. But Heaven’s Court? Full-scale teleportation? Ignoring geographical constraints?

This was utterly absurd!

"Moreover, they can more or less observe the battles unfolding below." Chen Qing smiled bitterly. "Heaven’s Court possesses an enormous mirror capable of surveying the surface. Normally, they can spot significant movements, and if they expend some resources, they can even discern finer details."

"This..." Even Shen Er couldn’t hold back. "Isn’t that just downright shameless?"

Chen Qing grinned sheepishly, saying nothing. The memories of Pu Yunchuan still lingered in his mind. The uniqueness of Heaven’s Court felt almost as if he himself had designed it. Hearing others call them shameless left him at a loss for how to counter the accusation.

From what he recalled, the gaming forums back in those days had torn Pu Yunchuan apart with insults too crude to count.

"My lord..." Shen San furrowed his brow. "If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean Heaven’s Court can always play the role of the opportunistic third party?"

The others nodded in agreement. Such a shameless ability rendered all strategic plans vulnerable. How could any faction make the first move in such a scenario?

"This is precisely why large-scale wars never occur!" Chen Qing sighed bitterly. "No faction dares to launch a massive campaign, because no one knows when Heaven’s Court might suddenly intervene to claim the spoils!"

In any major standoff, if a large battle erupted and another faction unexpectedly stepped in, it would threaten everything. No one could guarantee victory against such interference. With this unpredictable force looming, who would dare initiate an all-out war?

"But they also have their weaknesses," Chen Qing noted.

"Although they can project their forces, they have very few foundations on the continent.

If they attempt to forcefully occupy a territory, they risk becoming the target of united retaliation from other factions, getting bogged down in the process. "

Hearing this, the crowd began to understand. Heaven’s Court’s advantage lay in its mobility, but once they committed to holding a location, they would become vulnerable. This was their Achilles’ heel.

What a troublemaking wildcard they were!

"This is also why the Ancient Wars of yore, despite their legendary status, never truly escalated into large-scale conflicts.

Most battles were small in scope, with forces divided and dispersed.

This constrained skirmishing rarely led to decisive outcomes, and casualties remained minimal, barring the occasional outlier. "

"I see..." Shen San stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If that’s the case, then the demand for mid- to high-tier combat strength must be quite substantial."

Chen Qing nodded. Small-scale skirmishes placed a premium on elite units. Not only did soldiers need to be of exceptional caliber, but their commanding officers also had to be formidable. This, unfortunately, was a critical disadvantage for them at the moment.

The Buddha Kingdom alone boasted thousands of Buddhas, with hundreds at the King Level or higher. The other factions likely had even more.

In contrast, their forces—which included the Great Jin Dynasty of the Central Plains and the Qin King’s Forces in the East—could barely muster ten King-Level figures in total.

The disparity was staggering. If this trend of small-scale skirmishes persisted, the elite forces trained in Jiangnan would be relegated to defensive roles, with virtually no chance of mounting an offensive.

"This is why the Taoist Sect approached us—they want to disrupt the balance!" Chen Qing said with a heavy air. "Heaven’s Court must be dealt with. If we can’t eliminate that wildcard first, the three of us have no chance at all!"