Nine Astra Skies

"I heard that the Nanman Kingdom had waged war on the Xiwu Empire. What is the situation like now?" Ye Chen asked.

After hearing Ye Chen's words, Great Emperor Mingwu, who was in deep thoughts, answered, "It pains me to say that following the latest development, eight counties of the Xiwu Empire had fallen. That includes Donglin County."

"Donglin County?" Ye Chen tightened his brows.

Great Emperor Mingwu continued. "I had sent someone to Donglin County to escort the Ye Clan and evacuate them from Donglin County. But they weren't able to find the whereabouts of the Ye Clan. There was news coming from Donglin County that the Ye Clan had ambushed the Nanman Kingdom armies and they had killed several thousands of them but lost several clansmen in the process."

"Lost several clansmen?" Ye Chen clenched his fist, his eyes glimmered with a cold beam. The Ye Clan did not boast large numbers in the first place. Even now, including the children, they only numbered several thousands. The death of every clan member was like a stab to Ye Chen's heart. For now, it should be safe for the Ye Clan to remain in the valley but it was difficult to say for sure what would happen after some time had passed. He had to return to the Ye Clan as soon as he could!

When he saw Ye Chen's expression, Great Emperor Mingwu understood just how important the Ye Clan was to Ye Chen.

"Also… There's another matter." Great Emperor Mingwu passed a sealed letter to Ye Chen, his expression was grim. Previously, he had sent his men to rescue Yin Mengtian but it was too late by the time they got to him. Yin Mengtian stood on the walls of Yinbei County, facing the direction of the Capital City. He had seven arrows stuck on his body. Uncle Yin must have had something he wanted to tell him before his death but there was no chance for him to do that now. Great Emperor Mingwu knew what was probably on Uncle Yin's mind - the Yin Clan of the Royal Tribe had lived on this land for generations. The land must not perish and their bloodline must not be cut off!

Ye Chen was shocked. He could not believe that Prince Yin had lost his life in battle. He recalled his first meeting with Prince Yin in the undergrounds of the Lianyun Mountains. He could still vividly see Prince Yin's smile in his mind. He remembered Prince Yin's words like it was yesterday. Life was truly unpredictable. Ye Chen extended his hands and received the letter from Great Emperor Mingwu's hands and opened it.

"Meeting comrade Ye Chen and becoming long-time partners with comrade Ye Chen is one of the best things to have happened to me, Yin Mengtian. Such a shame that we aren't able to relive our memories over a cup of liquor. It doesn't matter where I am buried for I have died as I have lived, being loyal to my roots. I, Yin Mengtian, am one of the Yin Clan of the Royal Tribe. To die for the clan is my duty and I have no regrets. Just like comrade Ye Chen of the Ye Clan, this old one will not abandon the common people of Yinbei Country just so that I can see myself live another day… The Xiwu Empire now faces a great crisis and this old one has a bold request. I'm aware that the Xiwu Empire doesn't have the strength to oppose the Nanman Kingdom. If it's within comrade Ye Chen's capabilities, I hope that you can help preserve the bloodline of the Yin Clan of the Royal Tribe. This old one will be forever grateful… Yin Mengtian bids to you earnestly."

After finishing Yin Mengtian's letter, Ye Chen heaved a long sigh. Ye Chen had always admired Yin Mengtian's integrity. After being informed of Yin Mengtian's death, Ye Chen's heart was filled with deep pain and sorrow.

"In his life, Uncle Yin was loved by the common people of Yinbei. After he had lost his life in battle, six hundred thousand people of Yinbei County voluntarily risked their lives for Uncle Yin's sake." Even Great Emperor Mingwu who always had a stone-cold heart felt as if his heart had been stabbed by a blade as the corners of his eyes grew red.

Ye Chen looked at the letter in his hands and remained silent for a long time. For the elder to extend such a request, how could he refuse it? 'Uncle Yin, please rest peacefully. I'll see the Xiwu Empire's battle with the Nanman Kingdom until its end. Even in the worst-case scenario, I'll make sure to protect the bloodline of the Yin Clan of the Royal Tribe.' When Ye Chen moved his left palm slightly, a ball of purple flame engulfed the letter. Pieces of ashes fell like fleeting butterflies.

"What does Brother Mingwu plan to do from here on?" Ye Chen asked, looking at Great Emperor Mingwu. He had started addressing Great Emperor Mingwu differently. Ye Chen's current strength was above the constraints of a nation.

Great Emperor Mingwu did not mind how Ye Chen had addressed him. Ye Chen was an extremely powerful individual with an extraordinary background. Even Nie Qingyun and the others showed Ye Chen respect.

Great Emperor Mingwu said, "According to my intel, apart from their mid-Mystique Venerable Rank fighter, Tuoba Yan, they have four more Heavenly Venerable Rank fighters. One of them had already suffered grave injuries, therefore only the other three are on the battlefield. Tuoba Hongye probably won't come to the Xiwu Empire in person. We should've the manpower to deal with the remaining three Heavenly Venerable Rank fighters. The only issue is that we still don't know about their plans. Besides, Tuoba Hongye is backed by powerful sects. They would probably send reinforcements over. These past few days, the Nanman Kingdom army still hasn't invaded the Capital City. They must be waiting for something."

"Backed by sects?" Ye Chen asked curiously.

"Yes. Both the Nanman Kingdom and our Xiwu Empire are assimilated by some large sects in the Central Empire. Our Xiwu Empire is backed by a sect called the Thundercallers. They were once a powerful sect in the Central Empire but are now merely a shadow of their former glory. The Nanman Kingdom is backed by a large sect known as the Daemon Fire Sect. These past years, they have managed to advance to become one of the top ten sects in the Central Empire using ruthless methods," Great Emperor Mingwu said.

After he heard Great Emperor Mingwu's explanation, Ye Chen understood now that the forces in the Central Empire were the ones behind the conflict between these nations. So, that was why the sects in the Central Empire did not conquer these small nations. Chances were the large sects were not interested in conquering these small nations as they were merely pawns to them.

Ye Chen was not certain how powerful the Daemon Fire Sect was. He recalled that he still had the Leo King's Token with him. The Leo King's Token gave him command over the members of the Oracle Sect and the Stygian Sect. These Sects ranked in the top five in the Central Empire. It would be vastly helpful if he could move some of the fighters from there to assist them. The only problem was the Central Empire was too far away to be of any help.

At the end of the day, they would have to rely on themselves to win this war!

Ye Chen furrowed his brows. He still did not know how many fighters the Nanman Kingdom would send or if his current mid-Mystique Venerable Rank strength would be enough to handle them. No matter how many fighters came their way, he would take them all on. Ye Chen was growing excited about the battle. After all, he was even worried about not being able to find an opponent to test his strength after his training. Even if it was a Godly Venerable Rank or Daemon King Stage, Ye Chen was ready to face them all. Though, the Nanman Kingdom probably could never find any Godly Venerable Rank or Daemon King Stage fighter anyway.

"How many sects are there in the Central Empire?" Ye Chen asked. He still was not informed on the matters in the Central Empire.

Great Emperor Mingwu had assumed Ye Chen was trying to measure how strong the Daemon Fire Sect was so he answered, "There are a total of thirty-one powerful sects in the Central Empire. Ranking down from the top, there are the House of Storms, the Stygian Sect, the Oracle Sect, the Scarlet flame, Ashen Cloud Valley, the Daemon Fire Sect, the Singers, and many others. Their ranking shifts now and then, but the top spot always remains the same. It's said that the House of Storms has a beginner Godly Venerable Rank fighter. I'm not sure if it's true or just a rumor. The other sects have more than ten top Mystique Venerable Rank fighters. The Three Major Sects, House of Storms, Stygian Sect, and the Oracle Sect are said to have more than thirty Mystique Venerable Rank fighters."

Having encountered fighters like Fu Yu and Tantai Ling, Ye Chen was completely unfazed when he heard Great Emperor Mingwu telling him about these Mystique Venerable Rank fighters. He had thought that these large sects were the true powerful forces of supreme entities like the Tribunal Council, Daemon King Palace, and such. In the face of these powerful entities, these sects were just insignificant beings.

However, as it was now, Ye Chen was still unable to rival the large sects.

"Let's wait for a few more days and observe the movement of the Nanman Kingdom, then we can decide!" Ye Chen thought for a moment. It was better to wait and see what would happen. Besides, even if they wanted to initiate the attack, they could not do so and they had to wait until Great Emperor Mingwu had received the latest intel.

"Ye Chen, where's the tanuki who's always by your side?" Master Apothecary Xuanyi asked. He had just noticed that Little Tanuki, who was always with Ye Chen, was nowhere to be seen.

When he heard Master Apothecary Xuanyi, Ye Chen lowered his head and fell silent. He was consumed with loneliness and sadness.

When they saw Ye Chen's reaction, Great Emperor Mingwu and Master Apothecary Xuanyi had an idea of what had happened. They knew better than to continue pursuing the matter.

"I'll have someone assign living quarters to you and Little Wingsy. If something happens, I'll have someone send word to you right away," Great Emperor Mingwu said.

"Alright." Ye Chen nodded. After having lived in the Imperial Palace for so long, Ye Chen did not feel out of place in the palace anymore.

Ye Chen and Little Wingsy were situated in a side courtyard. For the past few days while waiting for information on the Nanman Kingdom and apart from eating and sleeping, they did not do much except for training fervently. Ye Chen especially had put his all into his cultivation. Even Master Lion could not believe how much progress he was making.

It was only by training like a madman was Ye Chen able to temporarily take his mind off how much he had missed Little Tanuki.

As night fell, Ye Chen, who had been training for two consecutive days, finally grew tired. He laid down on a bed in the courtyard and immediately fell asleep.

As the moon hung high in the sky, a ray of bright moonlight landed on Ye Chen's bed.

At that moment, something magical happened. The Illusory Pearl that Ye Chen kept on him levitated into the air. When the moonlight shone on the Illusory Pearl, the pearl suddenly radiated with a bright shining light. Its milky-white ray beamed onto Ye Chen's body.

The Illusory Pearl floated in the air silently as if it was consuming the moonlight. Within the white light, stood a small figure. She was beautiful like a goddess who had descended to the world. Her fair skin gleamed under the moonlight. She had a pair of pointy ears and she looked adorable with her eight tails constantly waving side to side.

She was as beautiful and adorable as a dream. It was Little Tanuki, the one who Ye Chen had been thinking of all day and night.

Standing in the white light, Little Tanuki looked like a spirit of the moonlight. She wore a pearly white gauze that revealed her fine neckline and her elegant shoulders. Her petite body along with her well-endowed figure was breathtaking. She danced in the air with her elegant bare feet.

Anyone who had witnessed the scene would think that this was all a dream.

Little Tanuki's cheeks flushed red. The pale white skin on her body glowed with a faint red tint as if something embarrassing had happened to her. It added a certain degree of mysteriousness to her like a beautiful blossoming lily.