Chapter 1221: The Time Dragon's Editor's Preface

Chapter 1221: The Dragon of Time's Editorial Preface

Upon the field of battle.

The Scarlet Coalition, a host three hundred trillion strong led by the Lanluo Scarlet Empire, fell into sudden and chaotic mutiny in the blink of an eye.

Fully half of the crimson soldiers, scarlet deities, and true gods of the scarlet realm turned with feral, fanatic expressions to strike down the comrades at their flanks.

Caught entirely unawares.

Another twenty trillion and more of the scarlet warriors and gods were left dead or maimed.

This singular stroke of internecine strife instantly withered the Lanluo Scarlet Empire’s effective strength to a mere one hundred and twenty trillion.

Meanwhile, the martial might of the Empire of the Scorching Sun soared to a staggering six hundred trillion!

Compounded by the suffocating paranoia born of this internal treachery, the soldiers of the Lanluo Scarlet Empire’s coalition began to doubt the very comrades standing beside them.

Their collective combat readiness plummeted by more than half in an instant!

Yet looking back at the host of the Blazing Sun Empire, their morale soared ever higher!

The tide of battle turned instantly, tilting inexorably toward the side of the Blazing Sun.

Anyone with discerning eyes could perceive the truth.

The victory of the Blazing Sun Empire was already a certainty written in stone; what remained was merely a matter of time.

Witnessing such a stark contrast in morale, a shadow of despair flickered within the eyes of the Scarlet True God Lan Lu.

How could it be that at the very dawn of conflict, when the two armies had only just clashed, they had already plunged into such a monumental disadvantage?

Was this truly the terrifying grandeur of the Emperor of Common People and the Blazing Sun Empire?

At this very moment.

The Scarlet True God Lan Lu, alongside the other Scarlet True Gods, suddenly caught a glimmer of understanding as to why Os, despite commanding such a fearsome army, had still suffered defeat at the hands of this mortal human lord.

Yet Lan Lu, the Scarlet True God, would soon realize that this despair was only the beginning.

Upon first contact, the Huangfu Dao soldiers and baneful spellcasters of the Jiaoyang Empire swiftly demonstrated a combat prowess far surpassing that of any imperial-level forces, crushing the red-army coalition troops of the Lanlu Red Empire under their might.

The True God of Lanlu Red Empire grew ever more desperate.

If previously the Red Coalition still held a 10% chance of victory, now—after witnessing the overwhelming strength displayed by the Jiaoyang Empire's forces—their odds of triumph had dwindled to… zero!

Half an hour later.

Peace settled upon the battlefield.

The entire Lanlu Red Army was annihilated.

The Jiaoyang Empire's forces emerged triumphant, beginning the cleanup of the field.

"It was a war of sheer domination," Qiudo shook his head.

The gap was too vast.

He hadn't even had time to act yet.

At that moment,

He suddenly noticed distant soldiers carrying the corpses of the fallen toward the Celestial Emperor's Ship.

"Your Majesty, what are they doing?"

Qi Ao's mind flickered with an idea—perhaps he could intervene here. He pointed at them.

"The Celestial Emperor's Ship has a resurrection altar; they're taking the fallen soldiers there to be revived," Zhou Zhou glanced at them and shook his head with a smile. "These fools fight like madmen. They have a free resurrection chance built into their very being, yet they still die more than twice—so much so that they now need the resurrection altar to bring them back."

"Resurrection altar?"

Qi Ao thought for a moment, then said:

"Is it the resurrection altar created by Lady Cuithis?"

"Yes."

Zhou Zhou nodded.

No wonder Qi Ao was one of the most knowledgeable and perceptive beings across the myriad realms—merely hearing Him speak, He had already deduced the truth about the Life Goddess.

"According to my knowledge, using such a resurrection altar appears to require exceedingly rare faith nerves. Would Your Majesty wish to deploy vast quantities of faith nerves to resurrect these fallen soldiers?"

Qi Ao asked.

"Of course," Zhou Zhou nodded. "They are all my soldiers. How could I stand by and watch them die?"

"Lord Qi Ao, having just arrived in our Jiaoyang Empire, you may not yet be fully aware—our soldiers have always been like this. When they die, they simply rise again. This practice has existed for a very long time."

"Among my troops, there are many who have died dozens or even hundreds of times—yet they are all still alive today. Indeed, several soldiers have attained divine or semi-divine status through these relentless cycles of life and death. Thanks to this method of resurrection, I have maintained a war-zero mortality rate for a very long time."

As he spoke the final words, Zhou Zhou's expression carried a proud, almost arrogant gleam.

He rarely displayed such a look outwardly.

But regarding a zero casualty rate in warfare, He was exceedingly proud of it.

And indeed, that was well worth boasting about.

Among all the Lords across the infinite realms, there might not have been a single one like Him—maintaining a zero death rate in battle—whose existence could be said to have preceded any precedent, and whose legacy would likely never be matched.

And upon hearing Zhou Zhou's words, the usually calm and composed expression of Qi Dao finally flickered with a surge of shock.

Had He maintained a zero casualty rate in warfare for such a long time?

No, He had never heard of such a thing. He could scarcely imagine it.

In every Lord’s domain He had ever known, there was not a single one that had ever achieved such a record.

For it was fundamentally impossible.

How could warfare ever remain free of casualties?

This was common knowledge among all the Lords across the realms.

Even the Life Goddess, who commands the twin principles of life and death, and the Death God, could never have done such a thing.

Yet before him—no, not merely before him, but before all existence—stood the Lord, more accurately, the Emperor of the People, who had done it.

After a long silence, His eyes flickered with a sudden gleam, and He asked softly, "Then, in the lands of the Sovereign, have there never been families shattered by war?"

"Indeed not," replied Zhou Zhou with a quiet smile, as though this were a matter utterly ordinary to Him. "And because our army is renowned, our provisions generous, and our people feel secure and honored, countless citizens within the realm have flocked to enlist. Even women, children, and the elderly—those who ought not to bear arms—have sought to join, eager to fight for the Sun-Emperor’s realm."

"To our enemies, war is a nightmare beyond measure."

"But to our people, war? They do not fear it. They embrace it. They eagerly seek to join!"

"Then did they join?" asked Qi Ao.

At the words, the smile on Zhou Zhou’s face began to fade.

He spoke with an icy detachment:

"The young men of the Scorching Sun Empire are not yet dead, and it is not yet their turn to join."

"War, after all, is a wretched thing."

"Our Scorching Sun Empire is merely an exception; the living souls across the rest of these countless realms are still suffering terribly because of war."

"One day, I hope I will be the one to end this war with my own hands."

As he spoke those final words, Zhou Zhou’s voice dropped low, as if he were murmuring only to himself.

"And when this war that engulfs the endless realms finally comes to a close, how will Your Majesty handle this immortal legion of yours?"

Kiod seemed to sense something deeper, pressing further with the question.

"If a true peace ever visits these endless realms, I will disband the soldiers under my command, and perhaps even disband my empire itself."

A faint smile graced Zhou Zhou's face, as though he had long pondered this very moment. "I will grant my soldiers, generals, heroes, and gods ample pensions and security, and then let them pursue whatever their hearts desire—provided, of course, they do not bring harm to the world."

"Ultimately, if the war ends, then they too should be able to live their own lives—not serving me, doing things for me, or following me as their master."

"They should have their own lives, their own dreams, their own families, their own paths."

"Instead of being forced into this great whirlpool of war right now."

"As for me, living with my wife, playing games with Zhou Chengmin, traveling the world with Wu Tu to experience the diverse customs and cultures of countless realms across the universe—there would surely be endless wonders."

Qio stood silently, watching Zhou Zhou speak softly to himself, and for a moment, froze in stillness.

After a long while,

He finally came back to himself, pondering deeply, then opened the wordless book in his hands and inscribed upon the first page these words:

[Editor's Preface:]

[The People's Emperor is the most powerful, most handsome, and most peculiar, most strange lord I have ever encountered.]

[He detests war, yet has become the King of War in the New Era.]

[He loves his wife, yet sees her rarely.]

[He enjoys gaming, yet rarely engages with it himself, though beneath his rule lies a vast virtual gaming empire.]

[He longs to witness the customs and splendors of myriad realms, yet spends every day confined within his imperial capital, guarding his people and territories with unyielding vigilance.]

[He possesses everything other beings envy, yet seems profoundly distant from what he actually holds.]

[This Celestial Emperor of the mortal realm has unleashed endless bloodshed, making the annihilation of entire clans a common occurrence—yet within his realm, peace reigns, and all live as if in a paradise.]

[He desires to end this ceaseless war across the multiverses.]

[This aspiration—long beyond the reach of the ancient, lofty races who have plotted for eons—has been firmly and resolutely declared by this human lord who has only recently arrived upon the Supreme Continent.]

[Does he carry some burden?]

[Perhaps his desires, perhaps the weight of a sovereign’s duty, perhaps the innocent gaze of a child crushed by war, perhaps something else…]

[I, Time God Dragon-Qioudou, shall pen this with the quill of time, and present it to myself and to all of you who read.]