In the Qin palace square, a grand funeral procession slowly passed. At this moment, the people of Great Qin watching on their screens, one by one, shed tears involuntarily, murmuring to themselves.
"Farewell to our heroes! Great Qin will never forget your sacrifice!"
Concurrently, somewhere in Great Qin, over a dozen figures exuding terrifying auras gathered. They emanated immense pressure and rage.
"Presumptuous! Utterly presumptuous! How dare Li Xiaotian utter such words on this occasion, vowing to slaughter all sixteen of our sects! Who gives him such audacity? Truly outrageous!"
An elder roared, his face flushed with anger. Their sixteen sects boasted nearly a hundred Emperor-level powerhouses, while Great Qin had only a dozen or so. He desperately wanted to know what gave Li Xiaotian the confidence to make such a boastful threat to annihilate their sixteen sects!
"Hmph! It seems we have been too lenient. The humiliation of the Zhengcheng battle has made them underestimate us. Li Xiaotian's audacious words, does he not realize he is pushing himself and his Great Qin towards a dead end!"
"If we unite, and no Heaven-level experts intervene, we can even contend with overlord-level sects. What right does Li Xiaotian have to speak such words?"
"I suggest we organize an army immediately. Since it's already known that our sixteen sects are at odds with Great Qin, why not go all out? Tonight, we strike! Heh heh, a state funeral? How can there be no deaths!"
Someone sneered, their tone somewhat impulsive. Those present were all sect leaders, possessing late-stage Emperor-level strength, and held some renown in ancient times. Today, being provoked by Li Xiaotian like this, if they did nothing, wouldn't they be looked down upon by their peers worldwide?
"Foolish! Always thinking of slaughter. Do you take the Sword Pavilion and the Daoist Gate as mere decorations? Believe me, if we mobilize our entire forces, these two sects will surely intervene! Don't forget what our sects have done. The reason those righteous sects haven't moved against us is because Great Qin is shielding us!"
Someone berated. The actions of their sects were such that even if Great Qin didn't deal with them, other sects would. It just so happened that Great Qin was currently reclaiming lost territories and clashed with them. Otherwise, if their deeds were to spread, some righteous individuals would surely come to punish them.
"Then what should we do? Just watch? Do nothing? Wouldn't that be too suffocating?"
Someone felt unwilling. They had never suffered such humiliation, being provoked by a junior.
"Everyone, please calm down. Heh heh, Li Xiaotian mentioned sixteen sects, but who can say for sure he was referring to us?"
A purple-robed elder spoke, with white eyebrows and white hair. This was his first utterance since the beginning.
"Fellow Daoist Ziyun, what do you mean? Li Xiaotian was indeed referring to us; everyone here knows that!"
Someone retorted, though their tone was more restrained, seemingly showing deference to Ziyun.
"Heh heh, precisely. We know Li Xiaotian was referring to us, but outsiders do not! Don't forget, although the world knows sixteen sects are hostile to Great Qin, very few know which specific sixteen sects they are. If we act rashly and charge forward without restraint, wouldn't we be exposing ourselves prematurely?"
Ziyun spoke unhurriedly. The reason they targeted Great Qin was because Great Qin could not tolerate them, hence their preemptive strike.
But in reality, only their sixteen sects and the Desolate Hall knew precisely what they had done. As for others, they likely knew very little.
Moreover, even if they did know, they wouldn't provoke them without reason.
"Then what should be done? Does this mean we have to swallow this insult?"
"Swallow it? Heh heh."
Ziyun chuckled, then a fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he continued.
"Although we won't deploy our entire forces, dispatching dozens of Emperor-level experts is certainly feasible. Great Qin's greatest reliance right now is Li Xiaotian. As long as Li Xiaotian is eliminated, Great Qin will be no threat!"
"But what exactly happened during the Zhengcheng battle? Who was secretly assisting Great Qin? We still haven't figured that out. If we send too few people, we might walk into a trap."
Someone hesitated. Great Qin had been incommunicado for over a month, with no news leaking out, so they were unsure which forces were backing Great Qin.
"That won't happen. If we are to act this time, I suggest we dispatch at least half of our Emperor-level experts and three Heavenly Weapons. Then, even if Great Qin has powerful reinforcements, we will not be afraid!"
Ziyun stated. In his heart, he had a clear understanding. Those aiding Great Qin were likely none other than the Sword Pavilion and the Daoist Gate. As long as the two overlord-level experts did not intervene, dispatching half their Emperor-level experts would be sufficient to handle any situation. After all, half their Emperor-level experts numbered nearly fifty.
"Forty-odd Emperor-level experts and three Heavenly Weapons, all to kill one Li Xiaotian. Aren't we being overly cautious? I believe Li Xiaotian alone is not worthy of such treatment."
Someone remarked. Forty-odd Emperor-level experts meant that, on average, each sect would have to contribute three to four Emperor-level experts. For weaker sects, this meant deploying their entire reserves, carrying a significant risk.
"Heh heh, killing Li Xiaotian is only one objective. If the opportunity arises, we can annihilate all of Great Qin's Emperor-level experts in one go, eliminating all of Great Qin's top combat power! At that time, we can even turn the tables and secretly control Great Qin!"
Ziyun's eyes flickered with brilliance, and he then murmured.
"At that point, it wouldn't be impossible for us to contend for the position of overlord in this era!"
Hearing Ziyun's words, a glimmer of light flashed in everyone's eyes.
That's right. Although Great Qin was weak, its advantages were numerous: the populace's support and its legitimate lineage.
Once the heavens and earth were fully unsealed, and destiny manifested, Great Qin, with its circumstances, would undoubtedly acquire considerable destiny. Coupled with the secret support of their sixteen sects, Great Qin would certainly become a major power.
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Ziyun speaks wisely. Let us proceed as such. Then, we can legitimately exploit these ants."
Someone laughed heartily, a look of smug satisfaction on their face, as if they could already see themselves controlling Great Qin, becoming an overlord, and wielding supreme power!
At this time, the funeral in the capital was nearing its end. All live broadcasts were shut down, and Great Qin issued no statements.
Many people in Great Qin waited for Great Qin to say something, but Great Qin seemed to have forgotten them, taking no action.
It could be said that Great Qin had changed subtly. Whatever they did, they no longer needed to explain themselves to others. Those who understood them didn't need explanations, and those who didn't, no amount of explanation would suffice.
Within the Qin palace, all of Great Qin's Emperor-level experts were gathered in the palace halls. Their expressions were solemn, and everyone realized that a great war was imminent.
Regardless of whether the sixteen sects would continue their actions, Great Qin and the sixteen sects were now completely opposed. It was a fight to the death between them.