I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 527 - 289: Abdication Refused, Turmoil Resurfaces_2

Chapter 527: Chapter 289: Abdication Refused, Turmoil Resurfaces_2

Although he now had high resilience, quick speed, and a hundred thousand lives, this was not a reason for him to act recklessly.

"No problem, I could just pretend to be one of the Eight Immortals in the future, after all, the Eight Great Demons are the ones subdued by them. Dressing in the garb of the Eight Immortals and having the Eight Great Demons under my command can be understandable."

After playing out the scenario in his head, Gu Shanhai felt that the scene became increasingly bizarre. He had an ominous feeling.

"It shouldn’t... happen, right?" Gu Shanhai’s confidence dwindled more and more.

Moreover, as he advanced in his military tactics, Gu Shanhai found that the Daoist Soldiers were greatly amplifying his power, giving him an impression that he was quickly becoming non-human, taking on an indescribable form.

It was like players from his previous life who belonged to the Evil God or Ancient God factions, either their bodies mutated, or their souls mutated, or, even more drastic, both would mutate. Such mutations were due to the inability to handle certain knowledge, mental and physical corruption, or the decay from a particular type of energy.

However, unlike them, Gu Shanhai’s transformation into a non-human entity was simply due to his immense strength – an irreversible process of getting stronger.

His power-up process was too peculiar. Unlike the refined paths of Cultivators, Martial Artists, or Mages, where one would remain human even after becoming strong, Gu Shanhai might lose his human form in the mid-stages of his power enhancement.

This didn’t bother him much, as in his past life he was the World Tree, and therefore, he wasn’t too concerned about his race or even his size. But this also led to a new problem – his appearance might cause unnecessary trouble.

Back when he was the World Tree, he was a big shot and didn’t need to worry about such matters.

"I’m evolving too fast, and my power is still so limited..."

"It must be because of the Heart Demon Dao Soldiers. Indeed, there’s a price to pay for becoming stronger."

"If only I could go bald instead of turning into a bizarre shape."

Gu Shanhai sighed. Going bald wasn’t a big deal; he had Spirit Plants. He could just have Spirit Plants mimic hair, changing it daily if he wished. Not to mention growing lush, green grass, he could even have multicolored flowers or various messy trees.

While he pondered, he began to segment the "Eight Formation Map" plan and proceeded with the development according to the schedule.

"I should complete it within three years," Gu Shanhai estimated the research progress. Three years seemed about right, just like the "Thirty-Six Strategies" took that long. This was mainly because, after using Demonic Qi to create the Eight Great Demons, Gu Shanhai found a new support point that greatly reduced the difficulty.

Otherwise, the pressure of the huge military formation solely on Gu Shanhai’s shoulders would be overwhelming.

To speak frankly, managing ten thousand Heart Demon Dao Soldiers, not merely ten. If it were just ten, Gu Shanhai wouldn’t need to be so concerned.

Moreover, the number of Heart Demon Dao Soldiers would continue to grow in the future. Gu Shanhai planned to have a million Heart Demon Dao Soldiers. If they all relied on him, that would indeed cause problems, especially since the strength of the Heart Demon Dao Soldiers would grow with him, rather than stay static.

"The current situation is becoming increasingly incomprehensible," Gu Shanhai noticed that recently the whole Dalong had fallen into an inexplicable quietude.

It was only Dalong that was quiet, though. Jiang Lu’s ships and warships were expanding overseas; Zhou Ding’s cavalry was rampaging on the steppes; Luo Chuan’s dispatched soldiers were penetrating deep into the mountains.

It almost gave the impression of unconventional expansion and colonization.

Those civilizations outside of Dalong suffered under these emerging monstrosities’ relentless lashing.

Like Jiang Lu, which discovered several civilizations still in their primitive stages, and lands rich in resources.

Fortunately, they weren’t scalping, but the treatment was still lacking. They were enslaved on the spot, then put to work in mining, logging, and so forth.

With Jiang Lu almost stepping onto the path of colonization, it meant Dalong’s foundation couldn’t be lost; otherwise, the actions would be greater.

"Marquis, the latest intelligence." Xu En strode in briskly, bringing the usual reports.

Seeing this, Gu Shanhai nodded, signaling for him to lay them down.

In these years, Xu En’s status had risen as the profits from Xuanzhou were far beyond anyone’s imagination. Being one of the first to pioneer the area, it was natural to be promoted. Even if Xu En’s role was just odd jobs and running errands, his name stood out on the merit scrolls.

Intelligence was delivered daily, coming from the Jinyi Guard and other sources, aiming to even out information disparities.

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Gu Shanhai was shocked upon glancing at the first report.

"Is that kid Luo Chuan trying to usurp the throne?"

The latest intelligence revealed that Emperor Long had decreed the abdication of the throne in favor of Prince Xi, Luo Chuan, but Luo Chuan refused.

This was normal, Luo Chuan was concerned about his reputation, so it wasn’t likely he would accept the first time. In the following attempts, just two more would suffice.

"In that case, once the other party successfully usurps the throne, Jiang Lu can also proclaim himself emperor." Gu Shanhai stroked his chin, pondering this matter, and honestly, there weren’t many issues with that idea.

Once someone started, the rest would not be a problem.

Moreover, Jiang Lu could even take over the title of "Luo" as a moral justification, increasing his cohesion.

As long as Luo Chuan succeeded, even if Jiang Lu didn’t want to become emperor, he would be hoisted into the role by his subordinates. Otherwise, they’d have to acknowledge Luo Chuan’s legitimacy, becoming traitors themselves, which no one could accept.

Therefore, resistance was imperative.

"Not sure what the rest are thinking."

Once Luo Chuan succeeded, Jiang Lu would soon follow in proclaiming himself emperor, and Zhou Ding would definitely not just stand by and watch.

As the three largest powers, they would restrain each other at critical moments.

The only uncertainty was the position of the remaining six feudal lords. Inferior in strength to the three powers, the decision to declare themselves emperor depended on them, and Gu Shanhai was not sure how to handle it.

If they didn’t declare themselves emperors, they would essentially have to pay homage to Luo Chuan, though they would be the type that followed orders without true allegiance.

If they did declare themselves, it would be a serious problem. With their national strength, they hardly qualified to become emperors.

Gu Shanhai actually hoped these six lords were stubborn enough to just proclaim themselves as emperors. After all, the chaos had reached such a point, what more could add to it?

"Need to prepare in advance." Since he had predicted the subsequent developments, Gu Shanhai was considering bolstering his legitimacy even further to have the moral high ground and public opinion on his side.

In an instant, Gu Shanhai thought of the Three Emperors Tripod, the symbol of utmost legitimacy.

It was even more legitimate than Dalong’s Emperor Seal, and the story of the lost and recovered Three Emperors Tripod would be a beautiful tale, showing Jiang Lu was favored by heaven. Otherwise, how could he obtain it?

’The Human Emperor Tripod is easy to fish out, but the Heavenly Emperor Tripod will be troublesome.’ Gu Shanhai felt somewhat helpless.

The Heavenly Emperor Tripod was in Si Li Province, Yong’an City, the stronghold of Luo Chuan. If Gu Shanhai went there and was exposed, there was no coming back.

Yet, letting someone else go was not something he felt confident in.

After much consideration, he had no choice but to go himself.

The Heavenly Emperor Tripod was buried covertly; as long as Gu Shanhai didn’t make a spectacle upon arriving in Yong’an City, he needn’t worry about exposure. Although the city was secure like an iron barrel, it was not impenetrable. As long as Gu Shanhai didn’t get involved with the core issues and acted normally, he didn’t need to worry about being discovered.

’Head out to grab the Human Emperor Tripod first!’ Having made up his mind, Gu Shanhai naturally planned to take action.

"Xu En, I’ll be out for a few days. Meanwhile, help me deliver this letter to Jiang Lu." Gu Shanhai had to inform someone before leaving, otherwise Jiang Lu might turn Xuanzhou upside down in search of him.

Better to give a heads-up beforehand to avoid any mess.

"Yes, Marquis, then I will prepare your travel arrangements." Xu En didn’t think too much and simply agreed.

"No need, I’m going alone." Gu Shanhai directly refused, as he was planning to do something clandestine; how could he make a big entrance? He definitely had to move stealthily.

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