Storm of Kingship

Over the next few days, once Jian Shang's intention to found a state and establish a dynasty was confirmed, the Wuhuan Faction stirred like boiling magma. Preparations for the founding, construction of an altar, repairs to the royal palace, surveys of the land, proclamations to the people—countless tasks kept Wuhuan's generals run off their feet, yet they worked with boundless energy.

Meanwhile, news that King Wuhuan would soon proclaim the founding of his state and take the throne spread swiftly across the world. It struck the Hua Xia region like a bomb. Native powers and Otherworlder Factions alike were stunned.

The native powers were less shocked. With war raging everywhere and rebel armies springing up like mushrooms after rain, another new ruler was hardly surprising. Still, King Wuhuan held a princely title granted by Qin, and his faction was the second after the Zhang Chu Faction to declare a king. That gave everyone plenty to talk about.

The Qin imperial court and the Zhang Chu Faction, however, were both furious and alarmed. They were about to fight a decisive battle not far from Hidden Dragon Commandery. King Wuhuan's sudden declaration could mean any number of things for either side, leaving them to imagine the worst.

As for the Otherworlders, their shock stemmed chiefly from the fact that, until now in Forging the Sacred Court, Otherworlder Factions had existed much like Jianghu organizations. Quite a few had seized mountains and styled themselves kings or occupied cities and raised banners, but none of that carried real weight. King Wuhuan was the first Otherworlder to truly declare himself king, and the consequences would be far-reaching. More importantly, an Otherworlder's kingship differed greatly from a native's: without the system's recognition, the title was nothing but a joke.

Plenty of Otherworlders called themselves kings—the Fist