The Warring States period.
This is the assessment made by the leader of the Northern Spirit Empire regarding the current situation in the Astral Realm.
As the name suggests, it was an era of warring states, military clashes, a diverse mix of people, and a rise and fall of powerful figures.
An era of blood and fire.
It arrived so suddenly.
It seems a bit fast, but looking at it from the beginning, it makes sense.
The long period of peace in the Third Age accumulated too much resentment.
The new generation of powerful individuals have not experienced the Slaughter of the first and second eras, and their understanding of war is inadequate. They believe that they can gain everything through killing, but little do they know how many people will fall along the way, and only a very few will have the last laugh.
One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand; this is the essence of the saying.
At the same time, the interests of the new generation of rising powers are not guaranteed, and they want to seize more rights and status, and go further.
But the upper echelons had already divided up the cake, so what could they do but fight for it?
The strength of an individual is only one factor.
Those advanced civilizations, even the pinnacle civilizations, that rose to prominence in the Third Era can also be considered 'newcomers'.
The three most powerful civilizations —the True Dragon Empire, the Undying Civilization, and the Knight Empire —are in turmoil.
Whether it collapsed suddenly or changed hands, in short, with the core base severely shaken, a considerable portion of the profits spilled out.
This will inevitably attract countless hungry wolves to fight over it.
This is just the beginning.
Even greater upheavals awaited the beings of the Third Age.
There might be Eternity fall.
An era of constant upheaval is not conducive to the development of a super-civilization like the Northern Spirit Empire, which stands at the top of the pyramid and represents order.
The Northern Spirit Empire isn't Bottomless Abyss; it can't just keep killing and killing without developing people's livelihoods.
The advancement of imperial technology still depends on countless researchers who have made one after another dedicated themselves to the cause.
Only in times of peace can we wholeheartedly cultivate these talents.
Of course, war is not without its benefits.
Struggling on the brink of death, the extreme stimulation, can unleash unprecedented potential in people, including researchers.
Throughout history, the periods of great technological breakthroughs in the Northern Spirit Empire have always been times of great upheaval and constant warfare.
Many civilian technologies are first used in the military, and then rolled out to civilian use once the technology is stable.
It cannot be ignored that the empire had already accumulated considerable technological assets before this, which it could use in the war.
Otherwise, if their foundation is weak, they will perish before the technological revolution even begins.
At the parliamentary table, the cabinet ministers of the Northern Spirit Empire listened to the head of state's words with varying expressions, but generally agreed with his assessment of the situation.
In that case, the next step is to define the strategic direction.
what to do?
Continue to seek peaceful development?
Or is it about starting the empire's war machine?
If war is to break out, which faction should be attacked first?
Which powerful figures or forces should we try to win over?
What kind of expansionist campaigns can the empire's resource reserves support? For how many years can they sustain this?
There are too many things to consider.
Although, as the highest leadership of the Northern Spirit Empire, they only need to grasp the general direction.
But this doesn't mean they have to detach themselves from the grassroots level. They must be thoroughly familiar with all the data; otherwise, they will quickly lose their positions.
The Northern Spirit Empire is not a corrupt country. Its efficient political system and enterprising spirit have kept the country basically pure from top to bottom.
Officials who can't get things done simply can't survive.
"Since you have no objection to my judgment, let's discuss which faction should be the primary target of the Empire's expansion."
The imperial head of state swept his gaze across the room, his eyes sharp as swords, carrying a heavy sense of oppression.
The cabinet officials lowered their heads in thought. After a moment, one of them spoke up, "We can first take over the territory left behind by the True Dragon Empire. As a fellow technological civilization, the True Dragon Empire's path of civilization is of great reference value to us."
"Furthermore, the Lord of Time only captured True Dragon above the True God realm and imprisoned them in the Eternally Sealed Dragon Realm; True Dragon below the True God realm remain active in the Astral Realm."
"The Dragon Clan's bloodline talent is beyond doubt. If we can seize this opportunity to introduce a large number of the Dragon Clan into the empire and tame them as its subjects, we will undoubtedly benefit greatly."
"This is a win-win situation!"
The cabinet official added at the end.
The head of state glanced at him and nodded slightly, but did not express his opinion.
Clearly, they wanted to hear other people's opinions.
The cabinet ministers then began to speak one by one, outlining their strategies.
However, most people agree on conquering the True Dragon Empire.
After all, the latter had already lost its ability to resist.
Its own system is also highly compatible with the Northern Spirit Empire; it would be a real shame not to take it over.
The only downside is that it might offend the Lord of Time, and there's a suspicion of trying to take advantage of him.
Some cabinet officials also felt they should take the opportunity to attack the Nine Hells, preventing the Lord of Hell from so easily devouring the Aggregate of Evil Karma.
Once the Lord of Hell, who possesses the Gate of Myriad Worlds, steps into the Second-Step Eternity, the power of the Devils of Hell Clan will undoubtedly reach a new level, and their desire for invasion will be impossible to suppress, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
The quiet council chamber suddenly became somewhat noisy.
The imperial head of state seemed unconcerned, his eyes deep and unfocused, lost in thought.
As the supreme leader of the empire, the level of information he possesses is naturally a cut above the rest.
He agreed with the cabinet officials' words; the True Dragon Empire was bound to be taken over, after all, it wouldn't take much effort, just a matter of seizing something along the way.
The Lord of Time's revenge is nothing compared to this. Besides, it's highly unlikely that the other party will actually make a move. Would such a cunning individual really confront a super-civilization for a few small gains? Impossible!
What truly made the imperial leader hesitate was whether to wage a real war against Hell.
The direct confrontation between two super-civilizations is bound to be a momentous event. While the Warring States period is about to begin, the first to act will inevitably attract a lot of attention, which is not a good thing.
and...
Information about the New World Domain flashed through the mind of the imperial leader.
According to intelligence, this New World Domain even surpasses the Divine Realm in terms of the Power of Faith.
We can't let this go.