The Imperial forces have been defeated. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

And the defeat is total, an utter rout.

Two Tier Nine Imperial Knights, dozens of Tier Eight Judgment Knights, hundreds of Tier Seven Punishment Knights, and a large number of middle and low-tier knights all perished in this battle against Great Xia.

Such a result was beyond the imagination of any force on Blue Star, let alone the Empire.

It completely exceeded their expectations and understanding.

The strength displayed by Great Xia made them feel unfamiliar.

Is this still the Great Xia where Li Shutong died in battle, where various war zones were systematically broken and besieged, where Combat Spirit Contract Masters suffered massive losses and two-thirds of its territories were devoured and divided?

In less than two years, it was nothing short of a complete transformation.

This is thanks to Han Zhan.

Great Xia’s revival today owes much to Han Zhan, undeniably and deservedly!

Reflecting on the past year and more, the path Great Xia has traveled has been long indeed, unnoticeably so.

After retreating to North County, Great Xia could only survive precariously with the help of an Ancient Array, with energy bricks blocked by Can Shang Company, and Awakening Stone mining monopolized by major forces, leaving them waiting for a slow death.

It was Han Zhan who wielded his sword southward, seizing large quantities of Energy Bricks in Titan City, alleviating the immediate crisis.

Through the Fruit World, he also helped Great Xia resolve the Spirit Contract Awakening issue.

The entry of Shang Siteng further propelled Great Xia’s technological advancement, significantly accelerating its pace toward modernization.

From that moment, Great Xia began its plan for rapid development, entering the fast lane.

To establish a foothold in North County, relying solely on the grassroots was insufficient; a core strength like Li Shutong was needed to stabilize the psyche of North County’s soldiers and populace.

Thus, Han Zhan returned with the Original Daoist River Map and Luo Book, the White Jade Emperor’s Seal, and the Demon God’s Heart.

He helped Second Senior Brother Lin Jingxuan, Third Senior Brother Ye Qiu, and First Senior Brother Wei Qing to break through!

He and his wives also did not neglect their realms.

Now, Great Xia boasts two Tier Nine Ultimates fused with the Original Dao Soldiers, and at least more than ten Tier Eight powerhouses.

And an increasing number of Tier Six and Tier Seven Spirit Contract Masters are gradually becoming the backbone.

Regarding the large legions, the original Eight Major War Zones which were systematically broken are now being redeveloped into new legions.

These include Shen Zheqi’s original Fourth War Zone Legion, Ye Qiu’s Slaughter Spirit Legion, Xia Youwei’s War Spirit Legion, and Celestial Net Bob’s Intelligent Mechanism Legion, these four standardized legions.

Additionally, there’s Zhan Ning and Yu Lian, whose Knight Legions were originally modest in number, but this counterattack against the Empire yielded considerable gains.

Many knights were captured, persuaded to defect, and became members of the Knight Legions.

It’s worth noting that the Storm Knight Order, originally the fourth Imperial Knight Order, had the highest number of knights who surrendered.

How can this scene be described? Is this, perhaps, hatred turned to love?

In any case, with Great Xia’s current strength, after the Empire’s fall, there’s scarcely a rival in terms of top-tier power or large legions.

With hard power addressed, there remains the matter of personnel appointments.

Previously, Great Xia only had North County, where personnel assignments sufficed for its one county.

But now, reclaiming vast lost territories and occupying large swaths of Imperial land makes personnel deployment and garrisoning particularly crucial.

The Celestial Net installation work has been ongoing urgently and is of utmost importance.

With the Celestial Net, city security and information transmission are ensured.

These tasks are overseen by Great Xia Research Institute’s director Shang Siteng, and Celestial Net Bob together.

Within Great Xia’s borders.

The Spirit Contract Master Academy has been re-established, with Li Tugui responsible for educating and selecting promising candidates to cultivate Great Xia’s future strength.

Dong Dachui has been appointed Minister of Armaments, primarily responsible for forging, collecting, and repairing equipment-related tasks.

Chen Zui and Fan Chaohui can no longer remain idle, being appointed as Minister and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs respectively; one’s a brewer, the other’s a chef, both professions related to livelihoods, which suits them well.

Li Lingzhen has been appointed as Minister of the Medical Department, overseeing the treatment of the injured and medical-related matters across Great Xia.

The eighth Senior Brother remains Minister of the Intelligence Department, as the most enigmatic figure, even after Great Xia’s reclamation of lost territories, he has not appeared, just sending back a note with the words "Congratulations."

As for Xia Youwei, Gongyang Jin, and the unmentioned Ye Qiu, Shen Zheqi, all belong to Great Xia’s Combat Department, with the rank of Legion Commander.

For the previous Imperial territories.

Zhan Ning and Yu Lian are equally appointed as the two Legion Commanders of the Knight Legions, responsible for managing matters within Imperial lands.

Given their prior experience with the North County City Guard, taking over posed no significant problems.

One thing that needs explaining is,

The Knight’s Code, the object of knightly faith, was dismantled by a single sword, and even the mighty Original Dao Soldiers were no match for a single sword from the Transcendence Realm’s Yellow Emperor.

Though it is no more, the origin fragments it consumed, known as "auras," did not completely disappear.

These origin fragments returned to the earth, and because it happened in the Empire’s territory, most origin fragments scattered within Imperial lands.

People living in the Empire can still awaken as knights, possessing their respective "auras," the only difference being, they no longer need to gain power through faith.

Having the choice in one’s own hands is perhaps not a bad thing.

Having discussed the appointments, now it remains to reintroduce the situation on Blue Star.

The situation on Blue Star has undergone drastic changes compared to before.

The most significant change is that two of the Five Great Forces, the Empire and the Old Covenant, have vanished entirely from the map.

The lands formerly of the Empire are largely under Great Xia’s control and occupation, with a small portion under Shang Jianyue’s control.

This patriarch of the Can Shang Company is still embroiled in struggles with his descendants, his biggest weakness being his lack of actual territories for development.

With the Empire recently fallen, available lands lost their masters, allowing Shang Jianyue, in this particular area, to reap substantial benefits.

Great Xia hasn’t expressed an opinion on Shang Jianyue’s actions, seemingly tacitly approving them.

After all, even the Empire is destroyed by Great Xia, Shang Jianyue’s actions could be described as snatching food from a tiger’s mouth.

If Great Xia were not pleased, sending two Tier Nine Ultimates to "chat" with Shang Jianyue might cause him headaches for a long time.

The reason for not doing so was after consulting Han Zhan’s opinion.

Before Great Xia gained a foothold, Shang Jianyue provided some information and support, though the two aren’t allies, they aren’t exactly enemies either.

Besides, the remaining powers on Blue Star are only Can Shang Company, Longevity Company,

and across the ocean, on the other end of Blue Star, the Crimson Insect Race!