MMORPG: War God, You are Invincible Again-Chapter 1342 - 318: Preparations for War (Part 1)

To put it simply, war is imminent.

Yes, and it will be a full-scale war across the Twelve Great Domains of the Dark Continent.

Compared to previous wars, this one will be even more intriguing.

The reason is simple: Martial Gods are not allowed to intervene in the mortal battlefield.

Previously, the Tianlang Domain shattered Rongtian, relying on the invincibility of Martial Gods, and the Zhao Family defeated the Yanyang Domain by the same means.

Now that Martial Gods are prohibited from meddling in the mortal battlefield, the upcoming world war becomes simpler: Martial Gods fight Martial Gods, and others fight their counterparts.

"If that’s the case, you’d better issue a decree immediately."

Lu Hong didn’t specify what kind of decree to issue, but Qin Hong understood, nodding slightly.

"Summon the Left and Right Minister of the Great Qin to discuss matters." These positions were specifically created by Qin Hong before leaving the Great Qin, to manage affairs in his absence and to prevent either from becoming too powerful, ensuring mutual checks and joint governance to avoid problems.

Soon, the two ministers received the notice from the Imperial Palace Guard to head to the palace.

Along the way, both ministers were extremely anxious, completely unaware of Qin Hong’s return without any prior notice, feeling uneasy about being summoned so abruptly.

Although they kept each other in check, the two ministers secretly developed their own forces and amassed considerable wealth.

If Qin Hong finds out, there’s no doubt he would execute them.

Soon, the two arrived at the palace with apprehension, and seeing the majestic figure standing in the palace square, they were stunned. How could someone be so towering?

Although they had grown taller too, it was nothing compared to Qin Hong’s severalfold increase in stature.

"Your old servant greets Your Majesty. Seeing Your Majesty’s divine body has grown, this servant believes the original palace is no longer adequate for Your Majesty’s residence. Please issue an edict; this servant is willing to arrange the construction of a larger palace for Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the Right Minister inwardly cursed; that old rascal really knows how to flatter quickly!

In response, Qin Hong waved his hand and said, "There is no rush for that matter. Convey my decree immediately: All Emperor Realm experts within the Great Qin Empire are forbidden from attempting to breakthrough to the Martial God Realm. Any Martial God who advanced during my five-year absence must come to the Imperial City within a month to meet me. Additionally, report on the military preparedness of the Great Qin for the past five years. Today, I expect a detailed report."

Qin Hong was aware that his outstanding performance in the 13th Domain had made him a thorn in the side of many Martial Gods, posing a threat not just from one front but likely involving at least two allied forces, such as the Yanyang Domain and the Mingze Domain, which border on the Rongtian Domain. These two Great Domains each had a Martial God who entered the 13th Domain for training.

Therefore, the primary enemies Great Qin faces next are from these two Great Domains. However, since these two Martial Gods are not the Controllers of the Great Domains, it might take some time before they fully control a domain.

Before that happens, Qin Hong plans to take the initiative and adopt a divide-and-conquer strategy.

Thus, Qin Hong keenly needs an overview of the military preparedness of the Great Qin over the past five years to assess the possibility of immediately dispatching troops.

Although the Great Qin Empire occupies both the Tianlang and Rongtian Domains, the population is significantly lower than that of a normal domain.

This situation arose because the Tianlang Martial God was too ruthless, killing nearly sixty percent of Rongtian’s population.

And the Tianlang Domain also suffered a population decline under the past slaughter by the Rongtian Martial God.

Therefore, from the founding of Great Qin, Qin Hong’s national policy focused mainly on recuperation. Regarding military preparedness, a cap was set at 800,000 troops, primarily to guard against minor incursions from the Yanyang and Mingze Domains, as at the time, these domains lacked evident Martial Gods. Qin Hong’s mere presence was enough to deter any hostile intentions from these domains.

But things have changed now; Great Qin needs to expand the military immediately!

Soon, the Left and Right Minister submitted data on the national conditions of Great Qin over the past five years.

Qin Hong reviewed them one by one, with Lu Hong assisting at his side.

From the collated information, the number of Qin Army troops remained stable on the red line over these five years, neither decreasing nor increasing.

The population of Great Qin indeed improved under the encouragement of national policies, with a significant increase in newborns. However, it will take a long time before they can come of age and join the army.

"It seems we cannot initiate a war." Lu Hong shook his head helplessly, "We should rather think of ways to prevent the alliance of Yanyang and Mingze Domains!"

"Or perhaps..." Qin Hong was reluctant, "I could directly attack and kill those two Martial Gods."

At these words, Lu Hong nodded, "Indeed, that is also a good strategy. At least it would leave them leaderless for a time. Until a new Martial God emerges, these two domains shouldn’t dare to make any significant moves."

Seeing Lu Hong raise no objections, Qin Hong decided to proceed with this plan. Yet he still needed to request his master’s help for one matter: "Master!"

Lu Hong chuckled softly, "If there’s anything you need me to handle, just say it directly."

"Please oversee the Great Qin on my behalf, and punishing any corrupt or law-breaking individuals harshly!"

Qin Hong spent five years without ruling, truly unaware of the state below, and awkwardly, his own massive form left no suitable place for him within the cities and residences of the newly established Great Qin. Moreover, with such conspicuous size, he would easily be spotted and prompt others to conceal or destroy evidence of any wrongdoing.

Hence, Lu Hong was indeed the best choice — petite and nimble.

Lu Hong also understood that Qin Hong’s mention of rooting out corruption was just the surface. Much more needed his attention — five years without an emperor’s presence inevitably fostered the powerful influence of connections between officials and families, fracturing the authority of Great Qin.

As the saying goes, to secure external strength, one must first ensure internal stability. Lu Hong fully agreed.

Reflecting on past wars between the Sky Domain and the Six Domains Alliance among the Nine Domains Heavens, internal unity might have prevented the subsequent disastrous self-destruction, which allowed the Xiong shou lineage to reap the spoils.

Now, Great Qin needs unprecedented unity, with everyone’s interests focused on national priorities. Traditional family interests must be eradicated, and the best way to eliminate these entrenched families is to uproot them entirely.

Indeed, Qin Hong had long intended to purge the powerful families from within the Great Qin Empire. He began this mission at Great Qin’s founding, constantly suppressing family influence in court and reducing their official representation.

Yet, in his five-year absence, according to reports from the Left and Right Minister, family members now comprise over eighty percent of officials. These families include remnants from the old Tianlang and Rongtian regimes and new families birthed from concentrated official power. Nonetheless, all of these families must be eradicated. A unified dynasty does not require these powerful families as parasitic entities.