In a house in the suburbs of the Border City, Canglang City,

more than ten young people sat, each with a computer in front of them.

Their hands flew frantically across the keyboards,

endlessly posting all sorts of comments about Chu He and Si Haowen on various platforms, deliberately steering the atmosphere in the comment sections.

"Haowen, because you’re Si Haowen, you deserve the best of everything! Just keep forging ahead. We’ll always be behind you, your impenetrable armor and sharpest blades, forever by your side."

"Si Haowen should just go back to the Lighthouse Empire! Only the Lighthouse Empire is a place where a genius like you can develop freely. Otherwise, you’ll just be persecuted in the Great Xia Empire."

"Chu He is just a simple-minded brute with more brawn than brains. How can he even be compared to Si Haowen? As a citizen of the Great Xia Empire, I swear that if they don’t release Si Haowen, I’ll join the Lighthouse Empire and contribute my strength to them."

Watching the flames of rage they had fanned, satisfied smiles appeared on the faces of the dozen or so young people.

But to be honest, Si Haowen’s fans were truly moronic.

This was the simplest mission they had ever received. They didn’t even have to rack their brains to come up with a comprehensive plan.

There was no need to focus on logic. They just had to add some fuel to the fire and take the lead, and Si Haowen’s fans would automatically take the bait and run with it,

making the commotion ever more boisterous and intense.

As public opinion continued to ferment,

some people had already directed the conflict straight toward Chu He and Lu Yinxing.

With that, their mission could be considered a success.

From this point on, they wouldn’t even need to deliberately manipulate things anymore.

These fans would continue to blow the situation out of proportion, pushing it to its peak.

...

"Where on earth did Chu He go? Why has he been unreachable these past few days?"

In the Royal City of the Great Xia Empire, Lu Yinxing had been extremely anxious lately.

Her anxiety wasn’t because of the escalating storm of public opinion outside,

but because Chu He had passed some information to Liu Yuzhu, who in turn had brought it to her.

If the information was true, the entire situation would become far more severe.

However, Lu Yinxing had already mobilized numerous forces to investigate the situation described in the intel,

but it was like a stone sinking into the sea—there was no response whatsoever. It didn’t make any sense.

Lu Yinxing, Liu Yuzhu, and the other intelligence officers all understood this clearly, yet they were completely helpless.

So for now, they could only pin their hopes on Chu He, but he had vanished without a trace after leaving that day.

"Could something have happened to him?" Liu Yuzhu asked uneasily.

"Unlikely. With Chu He’s strength, no one could make him disappear without a single soul knowing."

Lu Yinxing shook her head. "Even if someone did make a move, it’s impossible that our Great Xia Empire wouldn’t have detected it."

"That makes sense. I’ll urge my subordinates to intensify the search," Liu Yuzhu said with a nod.

"What’s the situation with the White-Red Empire? Is there any new intelligence? Why would the White-Red Empire, after having Deities awaken, still allow the Lighthouse Empire to send Martial Artists and establish a Martial Artist Base there?" Lu Yinxing asked.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest intelligence report."

A secretary walked over and placed a file on the desk.

"Just read it to me," Lu Yinxing said, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes.

She massaged her temples with both hands, trying to relieve the pressure and make herself a little more comfortable.

"The White-Red Empire refers to these Deities as the Three Great Celestial Gods: Yoshitsune, Yumizakura, and Ootakemaru.

"Yoshitsune was one of the most famous demons active during the Heian Era, once known as the King of Hundred Demons who ruled over all other demons.

"His specialty was transforming into a handsome young man to lure women.

"Once he succeeded, he would devour their flesh and drink their blood.

"For women of exceptional beauty, he would either imprison them in his mountain fortress or keep them as slaves.

"Yumizakura, also known as the Nine-tailed Demon Fox.

"This Nine-tailed Demon Fox possesses nine tails.

"Legend says each of its nine tails has a different ability. The wag of a single tail can summon lightning, fire, gales, earthquakes, floods, and even the dead and lesser fox demons.

"The nine tails also represent nine souls. Unless all nine are severed at once, they can regenerate, and upon regeneration, they possess brand new powers.

"Ootakemaru was originally a renowned Ghost God from Ise Linglu Mountain, whose presence caused bandits to run rampant in the region.

"Ootakemaru was protected by three unparalleled Divine Swords, known as the Three Bright Swords.

"They were named the Great Tonglian, the Little Tonglian, and the Xianming Sword.

"At that time, the Grand General of Expedition, Sakagami Tanamura Asa, was ordered to subjugate him.

"He encountered Linglu Imperial Lady, the daughter of the Fourth Celestial Demon King, who was known as Liwu Hat and wielded Divine Power to command demons.

"Linglu Imperial Lady used a clever ploy to trick Ootakemaru and take his treasured swords, the Great Tonglian and the Little Tonglian.

"Having lost the protection of his Three Bright Swords, Ootakemaru’s Ghost God Dharma Body was destroyed by Tanamura Asa’s arrow of divine power. After several great battles, he was successfully slain."

The secretary had clearly memorized this information. "This is all publicly available data that can be found online."

"Why do these sound like monsters? The White-Red Empire is truly shameless, calling such things Celestial Gods," Liu Yuzhu said with a strange expression.

"Also, a statue of the Deity, the Great Celestial Dog, was stolen by the Great Jing Empire.

The entire Great Jing Empire has scoured its history books but can’t find a single Deity with any traceable record," Liu Yuzhu added, sharing her latest intelligence.

"Neither the Great Jing Empire nor the White-Red Empire is a threat," Lu Yinxing said, shaking her head.

"Your Majesty, how should we handle the escalating storm of public opinion outside?" the secretary asked worriedly. "Most of these fans are young and easily swayed by public opinion. Once they’re provoked..."

"What kind of trouble can they cause?"

Lu Yinxing opened her eyes and said coldly, "Our top priority right now is to find out what Si Haowen and his group are plotting, especially that female agent of his whose name they still haven’t given up.

"Even if it means using unconventional methods, we must make them spit out the truth as soon as possible."

...

「Great Jing Empire.」

"The Lighthouse Empire is finally earning its pay."

Surrounded by a group of security personnel, Ji Shengyue and Zong Yajuan arrived at the coast.

Huge warships were docked here.

The surfaces of these warships were all covered in dark scales, which writhed slowly in the sunlight,

as if the warships possessed a life of their own, rising and falling on the sea as they breathed.

This time, the Lighthouse Empire had sent over all manner of equipment, resources, and manpower.

They had sent a full ten thousand ordinary Martial Artists alone.

Among them were more than five hundred Ninth Grade Martial Artists.

There were as many as a hundred experts at the King’s Realm,

and overseeing them were a full three powerhouses of the Emperor Realm.

"It looks like Chu He from the Great Xia Empire has put immense pressure on the people from the Lighthouse Empire,

otherwise they wouldn’t have mobilized such a massive force."

But there was little trace of a smile on Zong Yajuan’s face.

The greater the stir Chu He caused outside, and the more powerful he appeared, the more worried she became.