Would you say that what the dragonfolk use counts as spiritual artifacts

At this moment, the Dragonkin felt the same fear that the demon race had once experienced when facing the Red-Haired Demon Slayer.

"What is this guy's deal?! Why do our attacks have absolutely no effect on him??"

"The Martial Sage of our race, who is most adept in physical strength, was actually crushed to pieces by a single stomp from him. Does this even make sense??"

"Too terrifying... No wonder the Realm Lord said that although most humans are mediocre, a peerless powerhouse could emerge among them at any time!"

Having entered the Extreme Wrath state, your combat prowess was simply too overpowered.

Coupled with the suicidal fighting style of the Human Realm Allied Forces—a ruthless approach this expeditionary army had never seen in all their conquests across various realms—they were truly shocked.

Seeing that the situation was turning against them, the remaining two and a half Earth Sovereigns had no choice but to order a retreat.

"All forces, retreat to five hundred miles east of the No-Fly Grand Array's edge!"

Your Extreme Wrath state could not be maintained indefinitely.

Extreme anger also took a toll on one's spirit and could not be sustained for long periods.

When a sliver of your rationality returned, you wanted to continue pummeling the Dragonkin and tried to re-enter the Extreme Wrath state, only to find that you couldn't.

"It seems that Extreme Wrath requires external stimulation and cannot be achieved purely through sheer will. No wonder it is classified as a hidden effect."

Once the Dragonkin left the no-fly zone, the sky was the limit and the sea was boundless for them. They scattered widely, keeping a vast distance from one another.

Even if you could still enter the Extreme Wrath state, you wouldn't actually be able to cause large-scale casualties among them.

You ordered the entire army to retreat into the Firmament Ridge to rest and reorganize. They were to hold the defense line, with sentries patrolling north and south to keep a close eye on the enemy's movements.

Year seventy-six, ninety-five years old.

"Whoosh—"

"Rumble—"

A massive fireball traced a parabolic arc through the sky and crashed into the mountain forest, instantly smashing half a mountain peak and igniting a large swath of trees.

Old Zhang was a menial soldier in the Third Battalion of the Bingchen Army, part of the Human Realm Allied Forces.

He was not a martial artist. Over fifty years old and born a farmer, he already looked very old.

"Quick! Chop down all the trees and clear the grass ahead! Cut it all clean! Once the fire reaches here, it will naturally die out!"

Old Zhang and the menial soldiers of the Third Battalion were responsible for clearing the fires in this area to prevent them from spreading.

In the sky, fireballs were still flying, but they seemed not to notice them, burying their heads in their work.

Old Zhang's son was also a member of the menial army.

"Dad, these aliens are still bombing us. It's been a year; do they have an endless supply of artillery shells?"

Old Zhang smiled.

"These bastards traveled thousands of miles to get here. Would they just give up because of God Yi's No-Fly Array? Right now, they just can't think of a countermeasure, so they might as well bomb us—doing something is better than nothing."

"Today is the big day when the Southern Border Empress accepts the abdication of the Great Qian Emperor. I was hoping to go see the grand spectacle."

"We're in the middle of a war, what spectacle could there be? Everything is being kept simple. Hurry up and clear the firebreak, otherwise if the fire reaches the camp, we'll be in huge trouble!"

Just as Old Zhang, his son, and a group of menial soldiers were busy working.

Another fireball flew over from afar, landing right near them...

It wasn't just martial artists who participated in this realm war.

And it wasn't just martial artists who sacrificed their lives for it.

They might not leave behind their names, but they all deserved to be remembered.

At the commander's camp, a rather simple abdication platform had been built.

A highly anticipated abdication ceremony in the Human Realm was taking place here.

The Great Qian Emperor, Li Chengqian, acknowledged the legitimate status of Empress Li Lingyue and decided to abdicate the throne, signaling the complete unification of the Five Regions.

"I, having received the Mandate of Heaven and inherited the grand foundation of my ancestors, have ruled for decades, remaining vigilant day and night. However, the Heavenly Dao is profound, and destiny has its course. With her feminine virtue shining brightly, the divine artifact must change hands. To you, Princess Taiping, named Lingyue, the legitimate bloodline of the Great Qian..."

The lengthy abdication edict was written with deep sincerity, quoting classics and touching the heart.

However, this was all just a show for the people of the world.

The fundamental reason Li Chengqian abdicated to Li Lingyue was to make it easier for her to have more Empress temples and loyal believers, providing her with the power of incense.

With God Xiaoyao killed in battle, the Seven Luminaries were missing one, and you had to create a seventh Martial God.

Fortunately, the magnates of the Five Regions and you could all be considered family.

Everyone spoke openly and honestly, laying out the stakes.

You wanted to make the Empress the sole ruler of the world, having the common people build temples and burn incense for her so her cultivation could improve more quickly.

This proposal received support from all sides.

Although there was some resistance, after a year of mediation and negotiation, everything was settled.

After the abdication, the Empress would have to return to the Central Plains to officially ascend the throne.

She still had a lot to do.

To gain loyal believers, a single edict was not enough.

The Empress had to prove that she was more worthy of the people's support than the original emperor.

Beneath the fireballs that occasionally streaked across the sky, you watched as the Empress rode her Peacock Imperial Carriage back to the Central Plains.

The Thread of Sky Grand Array blocked this Dragonkin army.

Over the past year, they had tried to detour, only to fly all the way to the oceans on the northern and southern edges of the continent without reaching the end of the No-Fly Grand Array.

The coverage area of the Transcendent Immortal Array was indeed massive, but in reality, you could only cover the entirety of Firmament Ridge.

The reason the Dragonkin were still restricted from flying even when they reached the sea was that you had chased them all the way, adjusting the array's coverage area in real time.

Seeing that neither a direct assault nor a detour would work, this Dragonkin army could only hide outside the no-fly zone and bombard the Firmament Ridge area using special long-range weapons.

This forced the Human Realm Allied Forces' camps to undergo minor relocations every three days and major relocations every five days.

The most headache-inducing part was...

Some of their weapons could actually reach the Central Plains, directly striking certain cities and villages.

The cruelty of the realm war thus invaded countless households, leaving everyone in a state of panic.

Upon her return, the Empress's most urgent task was to pacify the public and ensure the stable operation of production and agriculture.

Martial artists were also human and needed to eat.

With so many people fighting, the supply of food alone was enough to give any commander a severe headache.

Fortunately, in the rear, there was the Great Qian Prime Minister Qin Rong, who took full responsibility for the transport of provisions. Thus far, there had been no shortage of rations.

The professional competence of this great treacherous minister made you see him in a new light.

And just as you expected, his loyalty had not wavered.

Atop a high peak, you and Hua Wuyan were gazing at the distant Dragonkin war weapons.

"Chen Yi, the Dragonkin have been relying on these attacks to wear down our resources and population. This can't go on, and besides... my lifespan is running out."

Hua Wuyan revealed a look of sorrow.

"Senior Hua, I've been pondering a question lately."

"What is it?"

"Tell me... do you think those massive machines of theirs, the artifacts used to control war beasts, along with the magic cannons and Five Elements Spirit Orbs, count as spiritual artifacts?"