However, after the Outer Paths were removed, the true conflict would inevitably ignite between the Hundred Schools of Thought and the Three Orthodox Sects. By that point, all pretenses would vanish, and a full-scale war would erupt. What happened next would depend entirely on each faction's strength and finesse.
Still, regardless of the chaos that followed, this phase of the grand game would reach a temporary conclusion when three victors—one from each front—emerged, forming a new balance of power: a tripartite stalemate.
This outcome would serve as the foundation for the next strategic evolution.
This was the true result of Li Qing's design—"the world split three ways."
But for this grand strategy to work, the crucial step was persuading the remaining five Heavenly Mandate bearers of the Hundred Schools.
Compared to the Orthodox Sects and Outer Paths, the Hundred Schools' Mandate bearers were weaker, plagued by limited land and overcrowded power struggles.
