The people of the Blackwater Empire clearly noticed the looks they were receiving from those of the Divine Dragon Empire, which couldn’t help but bring a slight smile to their faces.
They knew the Divine Dragon Empire was a newly emerged force that had recently grown stronger.
While such a force might have powerful momentum, their foundational reserves weren’t nearly as substantial.
Compared to established powers like themselves, these upstarts simply couldn’t compete in terms of depth and heritage.
Just look at the current situation: the Divine Dragon Empire had mobilized fifty million troops, while the Blackwater Empire had directly deployed a full one hundred million.
Not only that, but within their hundred-million-strong army, there were numerous Immortal Emperor level experts.
As for Immortal Kings, they were too many to count.
And when comparing Supreme Realm experts, the gap was even more stark.
The Blackwater Empire had mobilized a full thirty Supreme Realm powerhouses, while the Divine Dragon Empire didn’t have a single one.
Even the Divine Dragon Empress herself was merely at the Immortal Emperor level.
This comparison made the Divine Dragon Empire look vastly inferior to the Blackwater Empire, filling many with a sense of superiority.
“Divine Dragon Empress, what exactly do you mean by this? Are you planning to make a move against our Blackwater Empire?”
“Isn’t it obvious? They’ve mobilized their entire army—of course they’re planning to attack us!”
“An attack? Excellent! It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real fight, my hands have been itching! If the Divine Dragon Empire wants a battle, I’m more than willing. I just wonder if they can handle the consequences of going to war with us.”
At these words, many in the Blackwater Empire felt a stir of interest.
Originally, none of them had any particular designs on the Divine Dragon Empire.
But hearing this and looking at the assembled army before them, their thoughts suddenly became much more animated.
If war actually broke out, they could take this opportunity to completely swallow up the Divine Dragon Empire.
Given the Divine Dragon Empire’s shallow foundation, it would be very difficult for them to withstand their army’s assault.
Once they conquered the Divine Dragon Empire, their Blackwater Empire would inevitably leap forward, directly becoming a top-tier power.
At this thought, countless hearts raced with excitement.
There was just one problem within the Divine Dragon Empire: the Divine Dragon Empress herself.
Her presence was something they couldn’t afford to ignore.
After all, she held the record for single-handedly killing twenty Supreme Realm experts.
Although no one knew exactly how she had accomplished this, the very fact that she could do it spoke volumes about her extraordinary abilities.
Thus, the Blackwater Empire’s forces barely glanced at the Divine Dragon Empire’s fifty million troops; all their attention was fixed on the Divine Dragon Empress.
“Speak, Divine Dragon Empress. What exactly are you trying to do?”
“What am I trying to do? What I want is very simple: hand over your resources. If you surrender all your resources, our Divine Dragon Empire will not go to war with your Blackwater Empire.”
“Hand over our resources? You’ve come to attack us just to threaten us into giving up our resources? Are you telling me you don’t actually intend to occupy our Blackwater Empire?”
In the Blackwater Empire’s speculation, the Divine Dragon Empress was immensely ambitious—having conquered five major powers, she now wanted to take on them as well.
That was why they had immediately mobilized a hundred million troops and thirty Supreme Realm experts, all to protect their empire’s security.
They never expected that the Divine Dragon Empress merely wanted their resources.
This caught everyone off guard.
Thus, someone curiously asked the Divine Dragon Empress:
“Resources? How much do you want?”
They had no intention of actually handing anything over; they were simply curious about just how much she was demanding.
Without a moment’s hesitation, the Divine Dragon Empress gave her answer.
“All of it, naturally.”
“If you hand over all your resources, I will spare you and not wage war against you.”
“All our resources?”
“Spare us?”
“Liu Ruyan, you have some nerve! How dare you toy with us!”
At the mention of “all resources,” everyone’s expression darkened.
Taking all their resources and conquering their empire—what was the real difference?
Was it simply that one involved occupying territory and the other didn’t?
Without resources, what use was land?
Thus, from the Blackwater Empire’s perspective, the Divine Dragon Empress was clearly mocking them.
Consequently, many were instantly enraged.
But in contrast to their fury, the Divine Dragon Empress’s demeanor remained utterly calm.
“I knew you wouldn’t agree. That’s why I brought my army.”
“Good, good, good. It seems you’re dead set on war with us. Since that’s the case, don’t blame us for overwhelming you with superior numbers.”
“Formation! Activate the Blackwater Grand Array!”
The moment the Blackwater Empire gave the order, their army immediately moved.
The massive military formation sprang into action.
With a hundred million troops forming a single battle array, its power was truly staggering.
As the formation took shape, a vast black ocean materialized before everyone’s eyes, blotting out the sky and covering the sun.
An overwhelming pressure surged toward them, as if intent on crushing everything in its path.
Fortunately, the generals of the Divine Dragon Empire reacted swiftly and issued their own command.
“Form the Divine Dragon Grand Array!”
At this order, the Divine Dragon Empire’s forces also moved quickly into position.
Soon, an enormous divine dragon appeared before everyone’s eyes.
This dragon was far larger than any previous Divine Dragon Array they had formed, and its aura was stable enough to surpass even Supreme Realm experts.
Yet compared to the Blackwater Empire’s Blackwater Grand Array, it still fell somewhat short.
Once the Blackwater Grand Array was fully formed, their forces became an unfathomably deep sea of black water.
The Divine Dragon Empire’s formation, in contrast, was merely a single dragon.
A dragon might be capable of stirring the seas, but it could just as easily be swallowed by them.
Thus, the pressure on the Divine Dragon Empire’s forces was immense.
Fortunately, at this critical moment, the Divine Dragon Empress’s own aura surged upward.
This time, her presence was even more powerful.
Having conquered five major powers, the Divine Dragon Empire’s territory had expanded enormously.
This vast land granted the empress even greater strength.
Now, the aura radiating from the Divine Dragon Empress was enough to overpower any single Supreme Realm expert present.
At least the Divine Dragon Empire had only the empress herself at this level, which allowed the Blackwater Empire to breathe slightly easier.
Nevertheless, recalling the record of her single-handedly killing twenty Supreme Realm experts, the Blackwater Empire remained deeply wary.
“Liu Ruyan, you still have a choice. If you withdraw your army right now, I am willing to pretend none of this ever happened.”
“Otherwise, do not blame our Blackwater Empire for being merciless.”
