[This 'Baoping Demon Disaster' was merely a test by the three Demon Ancestral Courts lurking in the Northwest Wilderness, not a full-scale attack.]

[When Princes from the Divine Capital and masters from Jianghu joined the battlefield...]

[The mastermind of this campaign, the Jing River Dragon King, had already breached the 'Demon-Suppressing Great Wall' and lured one of the three City Heads, 'Celestial Heaven' Wei Wenshan, to defect, opening a new path in the Northwest Wilderness.]

[Even though the four-year grand campaign resulted in significant casualties among the demon ranks, seeing that Great Zhao did not use thunderous methods to annihilate the roots of the Three Ancestral Courts, both the Jing River Dragon King and the host of the Northwest Wilderness knew the truth.]

[That is, while the surface of Great Zhao appears 'like flowers on a brocade, oil boiling in fire,' internally, power disputes are leading it to 'crumble apart'...]

[Already not far off!]

["In those years, it was because of the Great Demon Hunter Master and the Empress of Great Zhao that all forces united. Now both factions' leaders remain hidden. With the increasing changes of heaven and earth, how could they unite as before, swallowing ten thousand miles like a tiger?"]

["Expelling demons, establishing a humane order, ha, just because your Dao differs, you must eliminate them ruthlessly, why such an ostentatious pretense?"]

["Just wait, in another cycle of sixty years, your painstakingly established Great Zhao will entirely vanish like clouds past, to settle old grudges!"]

[The impressive Jing River Dragon King, clad in a green-blue golden-patterned robe, emulating the Great Demon Hunter Master, after 'drowning Baoping, transforming land to swamp,' looked at the broken Demon-Suppressing Great Wall and laughed heartily.]

[Immediately after, he returned with the demon army.]

[Beside him, the 'Celestial Heaven' City Lord Wei Wenshan, leading the remaining thirty percent of the martial soldiers from the Celestial Heaven rebellion four years ago, cast a sharp gaze toward the distant Great Zhao.]

[Four years ago, the Master of Great Snow Mountain's whereabouts were revealed, pursued for days by the Baiyujing Lord Yang Xiu and Baoping Grand General Ye Cang, eventually achieving liberation from the mortal body, leaving no remains.]

[Wei Wenshan remembered this enmity until today, harboring hidden hatred in his heart.]

[If the betrayal of colleagues and the murder of the Cyan Nether Lord four years ago, sparked by a moment of indignation, led to the sweeping 'Baoping Turmoil' still left Wei Wenshan in shock and guilt afterward...]

[Upon hearing the news of the 'Master of Great Snow Mountain's death, he instantly felt dead at heart and chose to follow this path irreversibly.]

[Though the Great Zhao has its rules, outside the law lies human sentiment, he indeed acted impulsively, making mistake after mistake along the way, but isn't practicing martial arts in pursuit of transcending constraints?]

["Ye Cang is dead, yet Yang Xiu remains."]

["Baiyujing Lord..."]

["Were it not for your arbitrary decision four years ago, contacting Ye Cang and assaulting the Master of Great Snow Mountain, would I, Wei Wenshan, have reacted in anger, leading to today's circumstances?"]

["Next time, whether in a few or several decades when the Zhao country falls into chaos, I shall surely..."]

["Compete with you to the end!"]

[Wei Wenshan's expression turned icy, his large sleeves billowing, he vanished beside the demon and Demon Monarch!]

[As the dust billowed, the hordes of demons fled!]

[Next time they come...]

[It might not be this 'test' again!] 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

[But a complete, unwavering conquest without returning until a state is broken!]

[Meanwhile, in the Baoping Prefecture!]

[Even though the Demon-Suppressing Great Wall had been shattered, and the Great Zhao Official Mansion invited the Master of Xuanbing Cave for repairs, where could the skills compare to the past genius craftsmanship?]

[The former Demon-Suppressing Great Wall could 'one wall fend off ten Demon Monarchs,' keeping the Northwest Three Ancestral Courts at bay, but now, perhaps just three or four Demon Monarchs joining hands could break it, incomparable to before.]

[Yet no matter what, this demon calamity has also retreated now.]

[The entire Baoping Prefecture, especially the governmental forces, was about to experience a vast earthquake.]

[With the Demon-Suppressing Great Wall's three City Heads, 'Celestial Heaven' defected, 'Cyan Nether City' fell, leaving only 'Baiyujing' Yang Xiu alone.]

[Two Standard Third-Grade Martial Marquis equivalent real-power positions within the government, with the State Lord Pei Nanbei battling the Jing River Dragon King and using the Great Wall advantage to engage several Demon Monarchs, fighting in numerous battles, donning armor each time, severely injuring himself, leaving behind lingering ailments.]

[As the overall commander of the 'Baoping Prefecture,' with half of the state engulfed in warfare for four years, she couldn't escape blame, though she repeatedly achieved miraculous feats, no criticism, yet Pei Nanbei felt guilty for not fulfilling the 'Great Demon Hunter Master's guardianship duty.]

[Additionally, due to her severe injuries requiring years of recuperation, she chose to resign voluntarily, retreating to the Pei Family for secluded recovery, no longer appearing, leaving the 'State Lord' position vacant.]

[Furthermore,]

[Baoping Demon Hunter General 'Ye Cang' fought stubbornly for the Baoping Mansion to the point of exhaustion, upholding the oath that 'once entering the Demon Hunting Department, none may escape but through death,' rendering the greatest assault of the Three Ancestral Courts invisible but costing his life on this land, leaving the 'Baoping Grand General' position empty.]

[In an instant, the two governmental positions bolstered by 'Great Zhao's Destiny,' equivalent to Senior Third-Grade Martial Marquis, incited countless envy!]

[With the cessation of combat.]

[The 'Reward Banquet' began.]

[After the contest, those who laughed last...]

[Were the ones who took over the positions of Demon Hunter General and State Lord, from the Divine Capital's Junior Third Grade 'Dragon-slaying Marquis' and the direct line of the Lan Family, one of the six noble marquis lineages, ennobled as 'Duke Liang'—Lan Jingyi!]

[Both were fourth-tier figures dispatched from the 'Divine Capital' to aid the Baoping State.]

[Standing at the pinnacle of power in Baoping State after this turmoil settled and the powers reshuffled... the new 'Baoping King'!]