China's Divine Land, the royal palace in Nine Dragons Royal City, capital of the Huan Kingdom.
On the third day after the world-renowned Lost City opened, Huan King Jian Shang returned to the capital with his consorts and ministers, announcing that three days later, the kingdom-ranked Huan Kingdom would hold its Kingdom Ascension Ceremony to become an Imperial Dynasty.
The announcement sent an uproar through the world. Countless Chinese Otherworlders flocked to Nine Dragons Royal City, and many people from foreign nations and races came to witness the ceremony as well.
Although Forging the Sacred Court had been running for four or five years, few Otherworlder Factions had successfully founded nations. More than half of those had been established by Otherworlders of the Undying Forces after the Undead Storm arose. As for Imperial Dynasty-ranked powers, the Otherworlders still had none!
In other words, if the Huan Kingdom's ascension succeeded, Jian Shang would once again be the first Otherworlder to establish an Imperial Dynasty!
"Your Majesty! The Penglai Commerce Association still refuses to give a definite answer. We approached them four or five times over these past two days, but they put us off with all sorts of excuses!"
At the rear of the royal palace, Jian Shang had just emerged from secluded cultivation and was catching up on the current situation while spending time with his consorts. Greedy Wolf Marquis Jiang Yao, who headed the Huan Kingdom's Secret Division and oversaw its intelligence network, arrived with a report-and the news was not good!
Dragon Consort Chong Shiqie blurted out in surprise, "Huh? This would benefit both sides. Why would the Penglai Commerce Association put us off? Do they really intend to resist an invasion by foreign races with nothing but their own association?"
Flower Consort Qi Ji chuckled and