NOVEL WEB Chapter 773: 255
Having just ascended the throne, he was already expected to venture into the Star Sea Gateway, a place fraught with almost certain death. The advisers in front of the Imperial Palace were unwilling to consent, and after much persuasion, the situation gradually escalated into a standoff between ruler and ministers, resulting in heated arguments.
For the sake of the Human Race and for Saint An, the Saint Master chose to go to Gui He to apologize. The advisers, out of goodwill, did not wish for the Saint Master to take such a risk. Both parties had very clear starting points and intentions, which were fundamentally benign, so the atmosphere of the argument was not as tense and hostile. Lu Hong had no interest in managing such matters and passed by the Saint Master directly into the Imperial Palace.
Through the location marked by the Saint An Sword Sage, he quickly found the old king's secret chamber and successfully rescued Danni and Su Yu.
Seeing her rescuer Lu Hong, Danni hadn't yet come to her senses and, trembling, touched Lu Hong's face, "Is it really... you?"
Lu Hong gave a slight smile and stepped forward to embrace Danni, "It's me, I've come back!"
"It really is you!" The emotions Danni had sealed away for so long melted, she had been imprisoned and had suffered greatly without shedding a single tear, but today, all the grievances and yearnings poured out like crystal-clear tear drops, unstoppable.
It took quite a while to soothe her before Danni's emotions were somewhat stabilized.
At this moment, the Saint Master who had been arguing with the advisers also came to the location and gave a bow to Lu Hong, "Thank you, Brother Lu, for your assistance. Otherwise, the late emperor would have probably taken over my body by now and once again brought calamity to the world."
Lu Hong waved his hand, "No need for formalities. Your Saint An has suffered for the peace of the Star Sea for countless years, it's what the Star Sea owes you. I just heard that you plan to personally lead an expedition to the Gateway, may I join you?"
"Of course, you can. However... The Gateway is fraught with danger, it's a near-death experience. Once there, I'm afraid I cannot ensure your safety."
"No matter, just take me with you."
Having rescued Danni and her companion, Lu Hong had the Saint An Sword Sage draft a missive and had the other five Tower Masters also sent to the Imperial City.
After many years, Lu Hong and the seven Tower Masters were reunited. But this time, Lu Hong was not simply participating as Danni's man; as of today, his status was likely higher than everyone present, by quite a margin.
"Duke, may I inquire about the current situation in the Star Sea?"
Lu Hong responded to Vili, "It's alright for now. The Beast Clan is monopolizing the Star Sea, and the rest of the races have established a Star Domain Alliance within their domains. For the time being, there's a peace treaty. The Beast Clan is probably still in the midst of a power struggle, while our Star Domain Alliance is developing steadily. However... on this journey to find you in Saint An, I've discovered an even greater threat."
"What threat could be greater than the Beast Clan?" Red Beard asked with confusion.
"The Eternal Realm."
"The Eternal Realm?" The Tower Masters all shook their heads, indicating they had never heard of this force.
Lu Hong then explained, "According to the intelligence I've got, the Eternal Realm has conquered countless worlds far stronger than our Star Sea. Our Star Sea has long been their target meal. The only reason they haven't appeared in the Star Sea is because a Heavenly God, leading the warriors of Saint An, has been staunchly guarding the Gateway, securing millennia of peace for our Star Sea."
Upon hearing this, Weiwei spoke up, "I originally despised this Saint An plane to the utmost, but now it seems I have a considerable respect for it."
"Yes, Saint An is in a special location, only accessible, not exitable. So if we want to leave here, I'm afraid we'll still need to find a way with the Saint An royal court and the Saint Master."
At this point, Danni got up from Lu Hong's embrace, "What? You want to go to that near-certain death place? Can't we think of other ways? If all else fails... we could just spend our lives here in the Saint An plane."
Having been through life and death with Lu Hong twice, Danni now completely followed her heart, wishing for nothing more than Lu Hong's safety.
"Little fool, I will take good care of myself," Lu Hong paused, then continued, "The Star Sea portal is already on the verge of collapse. If Saint An fails to resist the invasion from the Eternal Realm this time, the portal will surely be opened. Then, when the Eternal Realm's army invades the Star Sea, no one can remain indifferent."
Despite her reluctance to accept it, Danni had to respect Lu Hong's choice. She threw herself into Lu Hong's arms once again, greedily savoring every moment with him.
This scene made the other Tower Masters quite uncomfortable. A Brahmin coughed with pretense, "Erm... ahem! Could you possibly restrain yourselves in public?"
"Mind your own business?"
Danni's words effectively shut the Brahmin up.
Red Beard laughed heartily, then pulled Su Yu into his embrace, "Well then, I won't hold back either."
Vili and the others rolled their eyes, stood up, and waved their hands, "Fine, I'm off to sleep. In this magic-forbidding world, we're all useless anyway. Just remember to bring me when you leave."
Time flew by, and Lu Hong and Danni spent three beautiful months together. During these three months, the Saint of the Kingdom of Saint Deity handled internal affairs and organized military affairs. Soon, a one-million-strong army set to march on the portal was assembled. Led by the uprising army's strong guides from the past, with Saint An Sword Sage as the general, and Saint Deity as the commander-in-chief, they left the Saint An plane in a grand procession, cheered on by the capital's citizens.
Marching along the ancient void path, it took half a month to reach the second camp of this journey.
Here was the other half of the Saint An plane grafted above the portal, a land rich in Spiritual Energy, nearly akin to that of the Era of the Gods. With such spiritual nourishment, cultivation became much more effective, which was likely the main support for Saint An's resistance against external foes.
Looking around, the thousand-mile camp, the living areas, the training grounds, and the marching camps were distinctly organized. And in the middle of these areas stood a towering Warrior Temple. Inside the temple, Lu Hong sensed the presence of the War God. This presence didn't come from him, but... Xiao Zheng!
As soon as Lu Hong locked onto the temple, the remnant soul of Xiao Zheng within also detected Lu Hong's presence.
The next second, Lu Hong found himself inside the temple, with Xiao Zheng's soul manifesting, offering a cheerful look at Lu Hong, "You've arrived? War God, sir."
Lu Hong was first startled, then replied, "You're the real War God, I'm not worthy of such a title."
He had withdrawn from the stage of the Era of the Gods, and it was Xiao Zheng's efforts that had developed and expanded the Human Race. Although Lu Hong had helped him reach the Heavenly God Realm, it was Xiao Zheng who truly contributed to the Human Race and to the Star Sea.
"Do you blame me?"
Faced with Xiao Zheng's question, Lu Hong countered, "What would you have me blame you for?"
"For taking your godhood."
"I was reborn in the Era of the Gods using your body. If anything, I took your opportunity first. Without me, you might have become a god on your own," Lu Hong said, his words laced with modesty.
Xiao Zheng shook his head, no longer dwelling on the topic, saying, "Actually, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Not just me, Gui He has also waited too long."
"What is really going on here?" Although Lu Hong had some understanding of the portal and the Eternal Race, the true insights lay with Xiao Zheng and Gui He, "And where is Gui He? Can I see him?"
Xiao Zheng sighed, "Gui He is currently gravely injured, having escaped far into the interior of the Eternal Realm with Shi Changxin to hinder the invasion of the demons. So far, the results have been good. At least the Heavenly God-level combatants have been entangled by Gui He and his wife. But below the Heavenly Gods of the Eternal Realm, the army masses, daily sacrificing lives to weaken Gui He's Formation, draining its power with their lives. In seven days, the Formation will collapse and the battle for the portal will begin. You must lead the Saint An army to repel this attack from the Eternal Realm. If you can hold out for three months, Gui He's Formation will be able to absorb Spiritual Power and naturally recover, protecting the Star Sea for a thousand years once more."