If blood were not to flow like rivers and corpses to litter the land, it would truly be a strange sight.
Unless there was some way to release this long-suppressed resentment in another fashion, then, *hehe*...
Thinking of this, Wu Tao's eyes flickered slightly. He suddenly thought of a possibility.
Wu Tao then subtly probed Wu Fei with a few questions.
Through his conversation with Wu Fei, Wu Tao finally confirmed how the higher-ups of the Giant race managed to release their long-held resentment and dissatisfaction.
It turned out that at regular intervals, the Giant race would proactively launch large-scale attacks against the Celestial race.
As the saying goes, "hurting the enemy by a thousand also wounds oneself by eight hundred." The grievances and dissatisfactions accumulated by the various tribes over the years were released by the Giant race's leadership through external warfare.
This method was indeed ingenious.
Blood feuds were indeed more unforgettable than any other form of hatred.
However, this method was not without its flaws. At least Wu Tao had already thought of a way to grasp the Giant race by the throat.
Of course, this was not something he could achieve alone; it would require a significant amount of manpower and resources.
...
Having obtained what he desired, Wu Tao bid farewell to Wu Fei, the leader of the Boulder Tribe.
As the master of a top-tier major power, he did not have the time and energy to linger here.
Wu Fei, watching this enigmatic figure finally prepare to leave his tribe, readily agreed. After Wu Tao was far away, he heaved a long sigh of relief.
As the leader of the Boulder Tribe, Wu Tao did not harbor much goodwill towards this stranger.
It was only because Wu Tao's strength was too great and he possessed the king's bloodline of the Giant race that Wu Fei could not drive Wu Tao away and thus chose not to make a move.
Now that Wu Tao wished to leave of his own accord, Wu Fei naturally would not stop him.
Coincidentally, You Meng, who had disguised herself as a member of the Celestial race and gone undercover, also came looking for him.
The reason Wu Tao and You Meng had parted ways earlier was that Wu Tao, being unable to be in two places at once, could not possibly visit both the Celestial race and the Giant race in a short period.
Therefore, Wu Tao went to the Giant race, and You Meng went to the Celestial race.
Wu Tao and You Meng had agreed on a time. Once the time arrived, they would each return.
This approach would allow them to understand the specific situation in Yunzhou in the shortest possible time, and more importantly, to gain detailed information about the Celestial race and the Giant race.
...
A few days later, Wu Tao and You Meng returned to Chu Domain.
Within Wei City, the domain city of Chu Domain.
Wu Tao sat in the main seat, flanked by eighteen Nascent Soul cultivators, including Ye Yu, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, and Nangong Xing.
Because Wu Tao's undertaking this time was massive, requiring an overwhelming amount of manpower and resources, it was impossible to keep it hidden from these subordinates.
Therefore, Wu Tao no longer intended to conceal anything from them.
After Wu Tao revealed all that he knew and his own thoughts, a profound silence fell upon the hall.
After a long pause, Ye Yu broke the stillness.
"The legendary Yunzhou, the Giant race and the Celestial race that disappeared from history..."
"Tsk tsk, Master has truly reaped great rewards from this trip."
"I support Master's idea. As our strength grows, the title of a provincial governor, which was once a help, is now a limitation and a shackle."
"Yet, with our current strength, we are unable to break free from the confinement and restrictions of these shackles."
"In this chaotic world, to stand still is to regress, and to regress is to die."
"Now that there is a way to further expand our influence, I propose our firm support."
The others exchanged glances and whispered amongst themselves, indicating that some among them did not agree with the plan.
However, after Wu Tao clearly expressed his stance, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, Nangong Xing, and others also voiced their support...
Ultimately, everyone agreed to the plan.
...
Seeing that everyone had agreed, Wu Tao rose directly to his feet, and the others followed suit.
"Issue my decree as Jiedushi!"
"Order number one: All artifact refiners within the Chu Domain must report to Wei City within one month to forge massive war armor and weapons. Those who disobey shall be killed! Killed! Killed!"
"Order number two: Everyone listen carefully. I don't care what means you use, but you must collect eight hundred billion tons of food within three months, or bring me your heads."
"Order number three: All specialized talents shall be promoted and supported. Any novel ideas, even those that seem exceedingly audacious, as long as they have the possibility of being realized, shall be wholeheartedly supported."
"Order number four: Open the treasury, find talents, and vigorously construct Sky-Piercing warships. Strive to build a fleet of Sky-Piercing warships."
"Order number five: Significantly recruit cultivators from outside. Their treatment will be at the highest standard. A great war is about to erupt."
"Sooner or later, the entire Purple Continent will fall into my hands. I will change the world and become the Immortal Emperor."
"At that time, you will also prosper."
After Wu Tao finished speaking, the seriousness on his face not only did not diminish but intensified.
He paused, then continued, "Those present, convey a message for me today: let those damned trash keep their eyes wide open and do not even think about outwardly agreeing and inwardly opposing."
"The master raises dogs to guard the house and protect his wealth. Once a dog is no longer useful, it will undoubtedly be dismembered."
"In the name of my position as Jiedushi of this province, I convey my will to the entire world and to the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty. If you are not convinced, then come and fight!"
The eighteen Nascent Soul cultivators, led by Ye Yu, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, and Nangong Xing, trembled collectively upon hearing these words.
At this moment, in addition to a sense of unease, they also felt a peculiar excitement.
Sometimes, it was not a bad thing, but a good thing, for subordinates to have an ambitious and heaven-aspiring leader.
After the meeting, Ye Yu, Ye Qingyi, Nangong Nan, Nangong Xing, and the other eighteen Nascent Soul cultivators, through their respective channels, spread Wu Tao's declaration to all corners of the world at the fastest possible speed.
It was no wonder everyone was so uneasy and excited. Although the agreement with the central government of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty included certain powers after becoming a provincial governor, this was the first time Wu Tao, at the rank of Jiedushi, had formally declared his will to the outside world.
Fundamentally, it wasn't that he didn't want to do this normally, but at their level, any public statement represented more than just his personal opinion.
His will represented the will of the entire military power group, led by the Ascension Sect.
Wu Tao would absolutely not announce his intentions in this manner for anything less than a truly significant matter.
Otherwise, if he declared to do certain things today and then other things tomorrow, and none of these things were accomplished...
Over time, what credibility would he have left...
Therefore, although Wu Tao merely spoke a few words casually in the hall, in a certain sense, he had gambled the fate of tens of thousands of cultivators, including himself, the Ascension Sect, and numerous vassals.
Any force that dared to challenge these declarations would face a full counterattack from Wu Tao and his followers.
Thus, every declaration made by the lord of a major power was meticulously considered and deliberated upon; it was by no means a trifling matter.
Otherwise, if some of your declarations caused another power's lord to become hostile towards you, it could very well lead to all-out war.
At that point, even if both sides' leaders did not genuinely intend to go to war, for the sake of their respective faces and dignity, they would have to fight.
The fighting would not cease until blood was spilled and mountains of corpses were formed.
...
When a person reaches a certain level, prestige, face, and reputation become more important than anything else.
Matters that ordinary people could resolve through discussion would absolutely not be discussed at their level.
Of course, Wu Tao's declaration to the outside world had its advantages, but it also had its disadvantages.
Those who understood the implications of the declaration and were not threatened in their core interests would naturally not engage in war with Wu Tao without cause.
However, those who understood the hidden meanings of the declaration were only a portion.
There was still a portion of forces that understood nothing, or were perhaps too bold, or too greedy.
In this situation, Wu Tao and his Ascension Sect would have to eliminate these provocateurs immediately, like killing a chicken to scare a monkey.
However, the turmoil that Wu Tao's actions this time would cause, no one knew, and no one could tell...
After everyone had left, Wu Tao's right hand involuntarily reached for the hilt of the Moonflower Sword.
"Yuehua, wait..."
"Over a hundred years have passed, it's too long..."
"Blood feuds cannot be forgotten. Those who owe me a life, I will make them pay it back tenfold!"
...............
Three days later, Ye Yu sat in the lord's seat of Black Blood City, listening to his subordinates' reports.
Upon hearing news of opposition, Ye Yu stroked his chin and said with interest, "Oh, there's such a situation? Someone openly stood up to object? A master artifact refiner?"
...
Seeing his subordinate kneeling on the ground in silence, Ye Yu first sneered for a while, then his words were filled with killing intent.
"Haha, there really are people in this world who aren't afraid of death..."
"Fine, then I shall grant his wish."
"Take ten of my Black Thorn Guards and go sever the head of that master artifact refiner. Then, hang it on the city wall for three days."
"Let's see who else dares to speak out."
...
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