Yu Li Yang could not even clearly behold the final charge of the Marquis of Jing An, forced to evade mortal peril before being fatally ensnared.

Yet, Zhong Xuan Chu Liang deliberately paused, his eyes narrowing, taking a meticulous look at the rain of meteors that had descended upon the entire sky.

Flames blazed across ten thousand *li*, stones fell from ten thousand *zhang*.

A thunderous roar, grand and fierce, a truly magnificent spectacle.

This was the final afterglow of Sword Peak Mountain, of the five-segment thick virtue grand array that bore the burden of existence…

After silently observing for a moment, he then raised his blade, that very Cut Life Sabre, which seemed to cleave heaven and earth. With a light flick in the air, it withdrew, as effortless as drifting smoke and clouds—

It was already sheathed.

And as people’s gazes followed, everything in the air had vanished.

Including the clouds, including the fire, including the seemingly endless rain of meteors… as if they had never existed.

One saber stroke had carved out ten thousand *li* of clear sky!

Commanding the Ten Thousand Autumn Slaughter Army and leveraging the might of the army array, the killing force Zhong Xuan Chu Liang could wield was absolutely at the True Monarch level.

However, the act of controlling a ten-thousand-strong army was itself a powerful restraint, limiting the commander from acting with the freedom of a powerhouse whose great might was their own.

Throughout history, when using army arrays to grind down powerful cultivators of the Derivation Path, it was always necessary to first trap them within the formation, locking them down with the malevolent energy of the soldiers. Only through continuous and relentless assault could victory be achieved…

Thus, Cao Jie had allowed Yan Ping to ensnare Yu Li Yang.

The sky above was empty and vast.

After sheathing his saber, Zhong Xuan Chu Liang personally led his grand army in retreat. The forces of the Divided Merits Autumn Slaughter Army had suffered no casualties; the subsequent matters were temporarily unrelated to him.

The ten-thousand-strong army flowed across the land like water pouring forth, surging freely upon the vast expanse of the earth. It was truly a sight that brought comfort to the observer, possessing an indescribable sense of natural swiftness.

The art of war, nothing more than this.

In this tableau of the fierce assault on Sword Peak Mountain, no one noticed Hua Hong Zhao, the Marquis of Jing An of the Xia Country.

Because he had been annihilated along with the final afterglow of Sword Peak Mountain’s mountain protection grand array, wiped away by that single, ferocious saber strike.

His final charge, unexpectedly, left not even a flicker of shadow.

No grandeur was witnessed.

Upon Sword Peak Mountain, only scattered, leaderless troops remained, and a damaged grand array, seven parts ruined, eight parts lacking…

“Feng Jie has already become Qi’s border!”

From atop the Rong Chong Tower Cart, Cao Jie declared thus.

At this moment, Yu Li Yang had already departed, and the final attack of the five-segment thick virtue grand array had been nullified.

The entirety of Sword Peak Mountain was now undefended.

The entirety of Feng Jie Prefecture, twenty-three cities, all lay before the hooves of the Qi army’s cavalry, before the edge of their blades!

This commander of the campaign against Xia, who had just forced back the King of Min of Great Xia and breached Sword Peak Mountain in less than a day, issued three more military orders in quick succession.

The order read: “Order Chen Fu’s division to take control of Sword Peak Mountain, avoid unnecessary casualties!”

Another order read: “Transmit orders to Li Zheng Yan, command him to lead his division to attack cities and capture strongholds while preserving their strength. Within three days, I want the entire territory of Feng Jie Prefecture to change banners! Three days hence, I want the Chase Wind Army to assemble on the west bank of the Lian River. At that time, I shall use the Chase Wind Army as the vanguard to penetrate Xiang You Prefecture!”

Yet another order read: “Transmit orders to Chen Ze Qing, manage intelligence well. ‘The King of Min, Yu Li Yang, personally defended Sword Peak Mountain, relying on his grand array and powerful army, but failed to hold it for even a day.’ I want this message to spread throughout Gui Yi City in the shortest possible time, to be known by every woman and child!”

After issuing three commands consecutively, he turned and entered the interior of the Rong Chong Tower Cart, no longer looking at the battlefield. Though banners fluttered, though the tide of humanity surged, though the blood and fire had not yet extinguished, this phase of the warfare had ended… there was no need to look further.

Flag officers stationed around the periphery of the Rong Chong quickly mounted their horses and dispersed, transmitting Cao Jie’s commands to all corners.

Ruan Qu, however, remained, his hands tucked into his sleeves, standing behind the steel city wall, gazing at the scattered and gathering clouds on the horizon.

Though he was not well-versed in the art of warfare, he could still understand Cao Jie’s multiple commands. More importantly, within these commands, he saw Cao Jie’s unparalleled confidence towards this war!

Taking control of the present Sword Peak Mountain was utterly without difficulty.

Any army could accomplish it.

But Court Consult Doctor Chen Fu was a man who held propriety in the highest regard, who meticulously adhered to rules. The county soldiers under his command would certainly possess better military discipline than the allied forces of the East Domain. They could very well execute the command to “avoid unnecessary casualties.”

And the will embodied in this command was entirely consistent with Cao Jie’s second command.

Allowing the more elite Chase Wind Army to attack and occupy the entirety of Feng Jie Prefecture, rather than having the three hundred thousand county soldiers or the allied forces of the East Domain do so… this was also because the Chase Wind Army, being such world-class elite troops, possessed strict military discipline. Beyond the war itself, they would not engage in any acts of burning, killing, or looting.

As for the requirement to “also want to strike fast, also want to preserve strength,” this was entirely tailor-made for Li Zheng Yan, the Marquis who Excelled at Destroying Cities, who was skilled in raid warfare.

This way, the feelings of the East Domain allied forces, who might feel they were being deprived of merit, could be placated.

After all, who possessed the divine speed of Li Zheng Yan’s troop deployment?

But in truth… with Sword Peak Mountain falling in a single day, and Yu Li Yang having fled, who else in the entire Feng Jie Prefecture could possibly hold firm?

Changing banners within three days sounded difficult, but in reality, even the East Domain allied forces could accomplish it.

Coordinating the overall situation, taking into account all sides, this was the task of the commander of three armies.

The reason why Cao Jie would issue such orders was simply because—

This was a war of extermination and territorial annexation, not a war of plunder.

In Cao Jie’s strategic thinking, the conquered lands of Xia were already regarded as Qi’s territory. The captured people of Xia were regarded as future citizens of Qi Country. Therefore, he would pay particular attention to the consumption outside of the war itself.

Any places crippled along the Xia border would, after the war ended, be places where Qi Country would have to expend resources to mend.

And such an idea, how could it not reflect Cao Jie’s confidence?

As for the third command…

Chen Ze Qing had been responsible for Qi Country’s intelligence work for a very long time; such matters were second nature to him. Being responsible for the intelligence related to this great war was also natural.

The sentence Cao Jie instructed to be disseminated was very interesting.

Every word spoken could be considered fact. There was not a single word of subjective opinion added, and thus, it could not be dismissed by the people of Xia Country as mere rumor-mongering.

But in reality, if only a single corner was intercepted, its appearance would already be completely different from the truth.

The price the Qi army paid for this victory was entirely wiped away, concealing Yu Li Yang’s careful considerations and sacrifices.

The first battle was a report of victory, and it was a great victory that forced Yu Li Yang away and broke Sword Peak Mountain within a day. Cao Jie, of course, wanted to maximize its influence on public opinion.

The vast majority of people would not care how much power the Qi army used in the war, nor would they bother to consider what degree of consumption the Autumn Slaughter Army incurred by directly attacking with the might of the army array… People would only notice that even the King of Min of Great Xia could not hold Sword Peak Mountain, failing to defend it for even a single day!

How profound a psychological shadow would this cast upon the people of Xia Country, how thick a fear would it create?

If measured purely by the gains and losses of war interests, it would actually be very difficult to say that today’s battle at Sword Peak Mountain was an advantage. It would be very difficult to say which was a heavier price: the time of half a month and the massive prime stones consumed by a hundred Thorn Boats, or the temporary rest period entered by the Autumn Slaughter Army.

But to Cao Jie, the loss borne by Xia Country in this war was yet to be fully revealed!

Cao Jie decisively placed a heavy bet; this war was not just about the present, was it?

Yu Li Yang, of course, could also see this point, but compared to the blow to the morale of the Xia Country’s military, the loss of one True Monarch was something Xia Country could even less afford.

Cao Jie today seemed to have changed his style and embraced risk, adopting a posture of going all-in, but what he had placed was actually a winning hand!

The moment the hundred Thorn Boats were all launched, the defense line of Sword Peak Mountain riddled with a thousand wounds and a hundred holes, Yu Li Yang was already destined to suffer a loss.

The only suspense was only in weighing two harms, how he would choose…

Even this was not suspense.

Because everyone knew, one must “take the lighter!”

“Surrenderers shall be spared death!”

Team after team of county soldiers, led by their generals, flew up Sword Peak Mountain, accompanied by flag officers raising their banners and shouting loudly.

Along the winding mountain paths of Sword Peak Mountain, team after team of Xia Country soldiers surrendered, kneeling down, shedding their weapons and armor.

This mountain was indeed formidable and perilous.

This army was indeed strong and solid.

But at this moment, there were not many Xia army soldiers stubbornly resisting.

After all, the legend of their Great Xia’s divine martial era, the representative figure of national power revival, the esteemed powerhouse of the Derivation Path, the King of Min, Yu Li Yang! Had all silently fled…

Who could still be stronger, more courageous than the King of Min?

Their bodies were still outside the mountain, but their hearts had already fallen within the mountain.

Thus, a slaughter was also avoided!

Among the army, there was a man named Zhang Tai, a native of Feng Xian County in Qi Country, and unrelated to that “Zhang” which had once been prominent.

Perhaps several hundred years ago there might have been some blood relation?

Who knew!

Anyway, the Feng Xian Zhang clan no longer existed.

After the event at Initial Cry Shrine, the Ministry of Rites had already formally announced the Nine Returns Marquis as the absolute heir.

A generation of renowned clans that had accompanied the Martial Emperor in establishing and restoring the country, and shared glory with Great Qi, thus vanished into smoke and clouds. Only a single stroke in the history books remained, for later generations to mourn.

Except for the lineage of the Nine Returns Marquis, Feng Xian County had no other prominent families.

Zhang Tai’s own family background was very ordinary, merely having enough to eat three meals a day, not starving to death—in Qi Country, as long as people were not lazy, with sound limbs, they would never have no rice to eat.

He joined the army at the age of sixteen. Because he could endure hardship and labor, and was willing to fight and strive, although his physique was not exceptionally qualified, he slowly became a competent soldier. As a county soldier of Feng Xian County, he guarded his hometown.

Five years ago, during the army selection, he was not chosen for the Nine Graduates, but due to his desperate performance on the field, he was promoted to team leader upon his return. With over a hundred people under his command, his days were quite enjoyable.

Last year, because the team under his command achieved multiple good results in various county joint military exercises, he accumulated enough merit to obtain an Open Pulse Pill! And at the end of last year, he successfully opened his pulse, leaping to become an extraordinary cultivator!

His life had been different ever since!

The gates of Great Qi’s Nine Graduates were open to him. The Feng Xian County county soldiers’ side also offered him the position of deputy commander.

Originally, he would not have hesitated.

The Nine Graduates was after all a place he yearned for day and night, a stage every soldier of Great Qi yearned for. It was a new starting point, and also represented unlimited future… but so many years had passed, he had an aged father at home, a kind mother at home, both already old and frail, and he was no longer that eighteen or nineteen-year-old self.

After careful consideration, he remained in the county soldiers’ team. Promoted to deputy commander, he could take care of his aged parents nearby, and the year before last, he married a beautiful wife; his days were quite leisurely.

His Old Zhang family, without any noble bloodline, was also considered respectable in the local area, living a decent life.

This time, the Heavenly Son campaigned against Xia, conscripting armies nationwide. He was the tenth person to register among the military ranks of Feng Xian County.

Damn it, after hearing the news, he rushed to register overnight, originally thinking he must be the first. The front nine dogs, however, had already rolled up their bedding and waited outside the door!

For an ordinary soldier of Qi Country, what did war mean?

It meant merit, it meant official positions, it meant opportunities.

An opportunity to ascend to heaven in one step.

Not to mention anything far off, just that one Extinguish Yang war fought earlier, how many people accumulated merit and became extraordinary?

How many people leapt over the dragon gate?

He, Deputy Commander Zhang Tai, also wanted to gain resources, for his Dao Pulse to soar like a dragon, also wanted to try that immortal feeling of flying in the sky and escaping the earth! Relying on accumulating merit through peacetime military exercises, how long would that take?

Moreover, his beautiful wife was already with child, and he could see that this war would end just as the child was about to be born. How could he not want to earn an Open Pulse Pill for his unborn child? He himself had rolled in the mud and waded through blood; how difficult it was to become extraordinary, consuming so many years of youth in the county soldiers’ team, to the extent that he felt timid seeing those young faces in the Nine Graduates team.

How could his future son or daughter not be a step ahead?

Since the Heavenly Son ascended the throne today, Qi Country had won all key wars, all the way through great wars, exterminating countless countries, thus achieving the foundation of overlordship in the East Domain.

How could the people of Qi fear war?

Why wouldn’t he be active?

Those common people not on the military register, even if they wanted to respond to the conscription, couldn’t get in!

Truthfully, he had not experienced the great war thirty-two years ago. And Qi Country was the final victor, having won overlordship. The so-called blood debt and national enmity between them and Xia, he didn’t have too much feeling about it.

The reason why he was joyous upon hearing of war was twofold: one, war could bring him personal, real opportunities, real benefits. Even if he died in this war now, his family would still receive an Open Pulse Pill. Military officers like him, if they were heroic, the county governor would personally visit to console them. He benefited from the war and died without worry.

Two, as a Qi person, he possessed a born sense of honor. The once glorious Qi had already become dust in history, and the towering tree of the Mighty Scenery had also long ago begun to decay. As the youngest overlord country in the world, bearing the pressure of other overlord countries, it rose. Just like at the Yellow River Meeting, generation after generation of Qi people fought to the death, finally achieving the top name. The people of Qi Country should just beat the world into submission, see who dared not bow their heads!

“Surrenderers shall be spared death!”

Zhang Tai shouted thus, leading his division’s soldiers up the mountain, skillfully collecting weapons, driving the surrendered troops to one place, and concentrating their guard.

Stepping between the rugged mountain stones, his eyes suddenly brightened.

In his field of vision, a young Xia Country military officer lay face up on the mountain stones, a corpse.

Judging from the literary energy still emanating from his body, he should be a Confucian school cultivator.

He probably died under the bombardment of the Autumn Slaughter Army array; there were no penetration wounds caused by Thorn Guns—thinking of the might of the Autumn Slaughter Army array, Zhang Tai involuntarily felt some envy.

But immediately, he fixed his gaze back on the corpse before him.

Inside the cracked armor of this Xia Country military officer, there was a blood-soaked piece of paper, its edge exposed.

Cultivation method of the Xia Country army? Confucian school secret technique?

No matter what, it was definitely a good thing. Even if it wasn’t suitable, he could sell it for a good price.

Zhang Tai secretly rejoiced.

War spoils were definitely to be handed up uniformly, and finally distributed by the generals above based on accumulated merit.

He dared not pocket it privately. But as the person who personally picked it up, he could also share some.

A free benefit!

Stepping forward, he rushed to the side of the dead Xia Country military officer, carefully and cautiously drawing out this piece of paper.

Unfolding it with full expectation, his face instantly fell.

This was no secret method or secret technique, but a letter home. The letter was very short, but the fold marks were very deep, indicating it had been read many times—

“To my son.

Your old father can still drink several cups, son do not worry, kill the enemy!”

Only two lines of words, every word piercing through the back of the paper.

Zhang Tai had no extra feelings. He casually threw the piece of letter paper away, then reached into the dead Xia Country military officer’s embrace and fumbled for a while, finding nothing.

Quite disappointed, he withdrew his hand and stood up to leave.

But after walking a few steps, for some reason, he thought for a moment, then turned back and picked up the piece of letter paper.

He of course didn’t feel any psychological burden.

A soldier’s duty was to kill the enemy, and nothing else.

In a war between two countries, it was even less his place, a low-level military officer, to speak of pity. Everyone had a wife and children, a warm brick bed, and their own insignificant ideals and pursuits. On the battlefield, life and death were decided by knives and guns; no one needed to sympathize with anyone.

He only saw another segment of life in this letter.

Humans as individuals were usually tiny. On the battlefield, they were often just numbers. But specific to every segment of life, love and hate were all so real…

My life, his life.

“Put down your weapons, surrenderers shall be spared death!” Zhang Tai shouted again as he walked.