Within the Casting Department, there was a flurry of activity.
It was operating at full capacity every day.
Chu Yuan gave a Deity Elixir to Ouyang Ming, who upon refining himself to the tenth level of the Mystical God stage, could consume the elixir to breakthrough to deityhood.
Another elixir was given to Lu Qianfu to fortify him for the various battles that he would need to command.
"Your Majesty."
Ouyang Ming approached Chu Yuan.
"How is the construction of the Demon Locking Tower progressing?" Chu Yuan asked.
"After our initial discussions, we decided to design the Demon Locking Tower with nine levels. Nine represents the ultimate limit, with nine nines being the epitome of it. Therefore, nine is a very special number. The nine floors are the top part of the tower, with one being the base, signifying the breaking of limits," Ouyang Ming explained as he laid out a blueprint.
"Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Chu Yuan glanced at the blueprint. The Demon Locking Tower was magnificent and matched his vision. He nodded, "List the materials required and collect them from the national treasury."
"As for the materials, we''re still experimenting. The Treatise on Artifact Refining provides a lot of information on various materials. We''re still in the process of selection. The main issue lies with this step, but rest assured, Your Majesty, the Demon Locking Tower will be completed soon!"
Ouyang Ming was confident.
"Embed this divine artifact inside the Demon Locking Tower."
Chu Yuan took out the Eternal Divine Heart.
This was a unique divine artifact nurtured by the Origin of the Eternal World. It could absorb the power of the Origin of the World, thus providing a continuous source of power to suppress the demons locked inside the tower.
The Demon Locking Tower was not only designed to imprison demons, but also egregious criminals.
"We understand, the Casting Department will present the most perfect plan!"
...
Having given his instructions to the Casting Department,
Chu Yuan then summoned his ministers. He planned to deploy spies across the Eternal World and separately establish an institution dedicated to collecting various kinds of information.
All these matters were tedious, but he had people to execute them.
In the blink of an eye, the time had advanced to the 45th year of the Great Wu Dynasty.
The Divine Mountain was still bustling, but Chu Yuan hadn''t yet sent out large troops into the mountain.
This made many forces curious, but no one could afford to let their guard down. The strange behavior of the Great Wu Dynasty only made things more unusual. After all, everyone knew that the more silent the Great Wu Dynasty were, the less they could guess what they were up to.
A court meeting was held in the Divine Martial Hall.
Yu Jianmei stepped up. Having just achieved deityhood, it was also her time to make meritorious contributions.
"The Phoenix Army is also ready."
Zhu Fengfeng, draped in red armor, stepped forward.
The Phoenix Army had a unique status in the Great Wu.
The Phoenix Army was made up not only of human warriors but also elite monster soldiers. That''s why Chu Yuan specifically established the Phoenix Army.
"Regarding the battle with Eastern Chu Forbidden Land, I have made preparations. Soon, the War Department will propose a plan on how each army should cooperate in the battle and distribute it to you."
During the court meeting, Chu Yuan announced the permission to wage war on the Eastern Chu Forbidden Land.
Suddenly, the whole Imperial Dynasty began to prepare. The next target was only disclosed to a handful of key ministers and wasn''t yet known to the military. The aim was to ensure that the Eastern Chu Forbidden Land didn''t get time to make any early preparations.
Meanwhile, all the troops were training in preparation for a big battle that was seemingly imminent.
The divisions of the Great Wu started gradually entering the Divine Mountain World, concealing their true movements and blinding the enemy''s sight.
"The Great Wu Army has finally arrived! I thought they weren''t going to come!"
Various major forces relaxed a bit after seeing the Great Wu come, as its absence made them worry more.
"I guess they withdrew earlier to destroy the Shadow Valley. Now that they''re back, it must mean they had just recently eradicated the Shadow Valley. After exhausting the foundation of a deity-level force, they''ve now mostly replenished their resources," one speculated.
"The Shadow Valley, a nuisance that even Emperor-level forces couldn''t annihilate, has, shockingly, fallen into the hands of the Great Wu."
"Now, the Great Wu Imperial Dynasty is in its prime, enjoying unrivaled prestige!"
...
The Battle of the Shadow Valley was so shocking that it made all these forces see the formidable strength of the Great Wu. They were all on high alert.
Who would dare to underestimate an Imperial Dynasty capable of annihilating a deity-level force with its army?
It was apparent that the Great Wu had made thorough preparations this time to capture more treasures.
Without the Great Wu, these forces struggled to respond.
Now that they had arrived, it was easier to deal with them.
"The Great Wu has arrived again!"
The powerful individuals in the Spirit-Inducing Forbidden Land noticed the Great Wu and commented gravely. "The Great Wu is hard to predict. Who would have thought they could send troops on an expedition and suddenly annihilate the Shadow Valley? I reckon the Eastern Chu Forbidden Land, intending to target the Great Wu this time, might face great pressure."
"Both the two empires are currently in a temporary peace and won''t attack the Great Wu for now. However, given the mighty reputation of the Great Wu and the power of their Martial Emperor, I wonder how many treasures will end up in their hands."
The elders from the Eastern Chu Forbidden Land also noticed the arrival of the Great Wu and said solemnly: "Invite over the powerful individuals from the Spirit-Inducing Forbidden Land to discuss how we should respond to the spraying of treasures this time."