Seals Duchy.
The Seals Duchy lay south of the Heaven Dou Empire. Its area was roughly the size of a single province of the Heaven Dou Empire. It bordered the Heaven Dou Empire to the north and Spirit Hall to the south, making its location extremely important.
Back when the continent was still in the Warring States era, the Grand Duke of Seals had merely been an ordinary merchant. Though his wealth rivaled that of a nation, he had lived in constant fear amid the chaos.
Thus, the Grand Duke of Seals had placed his bet among the many powers of that time. During one encounter with the Heaven Dou Emperor, he had been won over and used his entire fortune to support the founding emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. When the Heaven Dou Empire was established and rewards were bestowed according to merit, the Grand Duke of Seals was granted a vast tract of land—the place where the Seals Duchy now stood.
As time passed, only two colossal powers remained on the continent: the present Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire. Yet compared to the Star Luo Empire in the south, the Heaven Dou Empire had declined severely and had repeatedly found itself at a disadvantage in their clashes.
And the current Grand Duke of Seals was no longer the Grand Duke of Seals from back then. Naturally, he held no true loyalty toward the Heaven Dou Empire. Instead, he was ambitious and determined to break free from its control.
North of the prosperous Seals City stood a sprawling complex of palaces, extravagant and beautiful beyond compare. Its walls were pure white, its domes golden, carrying a faint elegance amid their grandeur. This was the residence of the Grand Duke of Seals.
"As long as Spirit Hall