Nestled between the two nations of Xiang and Xu, within the vast expanse of the Xingyue Plain, lay a land of unparalleled bounty.

In this world, the most coveted resources were, without question, those that aided cultivation.

The Xingyue Plain, among all locations in the present realm, held the closest proximity to the distant Star Dome. This “closest” was not measured in mere physical distance, nor did it signify a landscape towering nearest to the heavens. Rather, it was this land’s inherent ease of forging a connection with the far-off celestial vault.

Relatively speaking, the erection of a Starlight Holy Tower here was also a simpler endeavor than in other places.

Perhaps there were other locales in the world that possessed a stronger affinity with the distant Star Dome, but none were likely to rival the sheer immensity of the Xingyue Plain.

The two nations, Qi and Jing, regarded this plain as a forbidden territory, maintaining a perpetual standoff, neither yielding ground nor permitting other forces to gain a foothold.

Thus, although Xiang lay in close proximity, it was denied a base here. Zheng, despite being situated just a short distance north of the Xingyue Plain, found its southward advance utterly barred.

This peculiar state of affairs gave rise to a unique phenomenon:

On the Xingyue Plain, only a scattering of minor powers held sway. Their very existence, however, was predicated on the special trade that flowed between several nations. For the most direct trade routes, crossing the Xingyue Plain, remained closed to these very countries.

The dominance of Qi and Jing was palpable in this regard.

Of course, beyond the regular deployment of cultivators from Qi and Jing to erect Star Towers on the Xingyue Plain, the esteemed monks of the Suspended Temple, located to the south, also frequently journeyed here.

Furthermore, these minor forces upon the Xingyue Plain were not necessarily entirely independent.

Did they not, when faced with the prospect of large-scale conflict, simply pack their belongings and disperse? Some seeking refuge in Zheng, others in Xiang, and still others in Xu.

It was as if they were returning to their own homes, so natural was their movement.

Those who truly found themselves without a foothold in times of crisis were, in fact, the minority.

This, too, was a tacit understanding.

The value of the Xingyue Plain lay in its “Stars and Moon,” and its beauty, too, stemmed precisely from this celestial embrace.

The nights, seemingly close enough to pluck the very stars, had woven countless beautiful dreams.

Even during the day, the sky here was a vast canvas of blue, with boundless clouds and an endless horizon.

But now, the landscape was dense with banners.

Banners gathered like storm clouds, and tens of thousands of troops and horses stood arrayed upon the plain!

Two towers, reaching several dozen *zhang* into the sky, stood as sentinels, facing each other across the teeming battlefield, where the press of humanity met the surging tide of soldier-fiend.

Upon the western tower stood the leader, none other than the Great Pillar State of Xiang, Lian Jingzhi. Sword at his side, he surveyed the battlefield, his gaze unwavering. A colossal elephant, three *zhang* in height and exceeding four *zhang* in length, stood before the tower, clad in heavy armor of fearsome might. Even its trunk was encased in leather armor studded with sharp spikes.

On the eastern tower, the Great Commander of Xu’s forces, Fang You, remained seated calmly in a large chair, his face utterly devoid of expression.

For many years, Lian Jingzhi and Fang You had seemed destined to face each other thus. They had heard of each other’s renown, envisioned each other as rivals countless times, and even engaged in certain clandestine confrontations. But when it came to leading armies into war, they remained merely facing each other.

For this was not their battlefield; this was not their war.

The true conflict unfolded before the towers, in the vast arena spanning nearly half of the Xingyue Plain, situated between the eastern and western sentinels.

Or, to be more precise, it was the near-ten thousand soldiers commanded by the young prodigies of Qi and Jing.

It appeared that Lian Jingzhi had arrived at the same decision as Fang You, also deploying five thousand of his main force, entrusting their command to the young prodigies of the Jing nation’s camp.

But how could the intentions of the two leading generals be so remarkably aligned?

This decision, therefore, was a manifestation of the wills of both Qi and Jing.

Tearing away the veil of the Xiang-Xu dispute, piercing the illusion of Lian Jingzhi and Fang You’s stalemate.

The truth of this war was that the young prodigies of the two great overlord nations, commanding the soldiers of Xiang and Xu, were using the lives of these soldiers to temper and prove themselves. How utterly cruel this was to the nations of Xiang and Xu!

Those caught within this conflict, unaware of the underlying truth, wielding weapons and armor, believing they fought for their homeland—it was truly difficult to discern whether they were fortunate or unfortunate.

In the vanguard, where the true war raged, the young prodigies of both sides stood in confrontation.

And the troops positioned in the middle army, behind the vanguard, those guarding the towers… they were, in fact, merely intended to supplement the front lines.

This was the strange paradox of this war, and the embarrassing predicament of the two renowned generals.

Of course, their embarrassment held little significance. Even if they were Lian Jingzhi, even if they were Fang You.

Beneath the iron hooves of the overlord nations, all were but ants.

The Qi nation’s camp was divided into ten battalions, each comprising five thousand soldiers. Within each battalion, approximately one hundred were superhuman cultivators, forming the core of the army formation. Their cultivation levels were all below the Tongtian Realm. The Xu nation’s army, even its main force, was organized similarly.

The ten battalions were divided into two cavalry units and eight infantry units. The two cavalry armies were led by Bao Bozhao and Chao Yu, though it remained unclear how they had “persuaded” Xie Baoshu.

In any case, Xie Baoshu, alongside other “younger brothers” of the Inner Mansion realm, led an infantry battalion.

Time was of the essence. The soldiers and horses, all drawn from Xu, were previously unfamiliar with each other. Consequently, they utilized the array diagrams commonly employed by the Xu army.

The cavalry array diagram was known as “Feng Arrow,” and the infantry array diagram was the “Fish Scale.” Both were offensive formations.

Whether it was Chao Yu, who could be considered a seasoned military veteran, Wang Yiwu, who had grown up in the army from a young age, or Li Longchuan and Chong Xuan Sheng, both from renowned general families, none attempted to alter the army formations.

This demonstrated a keen understanding of military performance. In a true battlefield, “stability” was arguably the most crucial factor.

Lin Xian, temporarily substituting for the yet-to-arrive Jiang Wang in leading the army, had his formation positioned directly beside Chong Xuan Sheng’s.

“This great war is about to erupt, when will Jiang Qingyang arrive?” He couldn’t help but transmit his voice, asking.

“He’s already on his way,” Chong Xuan Sheng replied unhurriedly. “You can lead the army and fight for a while first. This is also an opportunity for you.”

On the battlefield, he couldn’t directly contact Jiang Wang immediately, but he had already sent people to use the fastest possible means, through the Taixu Corner Tower in Tianfu City, to enter the Taixu Illusion and notify Jiang Wang.

He believed Jiang Wang should already be en route.

Lin Xian pressed his blade forward, gazing ahead, and said no more. Chong Xuan Sheng was right; being able to independently lead an army on the Xingyue Plain was an opportunity for him. His only concern was that Jiang Wang might arrive too late and be unfamiliar with the army, thus being unable to fully utilize the army’s formations.

In this kind of frontal assault, the competition was one of comprehensive strength.

The wind whipped the banners, and the ten thousand soldiers stood in silent anticipation.

Opposite the Qi nation’s camp, on the side of the Jing nation’s camp, the forces were divided into twenty teams, paired together, each equal in size to a single battalion on this side.

Both armies had taken their positions on the Xingyue Plain, each arranging their formations.

Banners fluttered, and the soldier-fiend surged.

They awaited only the bugle call for a charge, and then the most brutal slaughter would commence.

But just in this tense moment of drawn swords and taut bows…

Bao Bozhao was the first to turn his head, followed by Chao Yu, Xie Baoshu, Wang Yiwu, and others.

To their astonishment, they saw two figures, one in front and one behind, galloping at high speed from due north, approaching the battlefield!

Who dared to cross the battlefield in such a manner?

Were they insane?

With the vast armies of Jing and Qi poised for engagement, did someone actually dare to intrude?

If the great war had been in full swing, any unknown intruders would have been strangled by both sides immediately.

But this was precisely the moment before the war’s commencement, the cusp of engagement.

Thus, the ten thousand strong armies forming the vanguard of the Qi and Jing camps, as well as the various nation’s prodigies embedded within them, could only watch with wide eyes as those two figures flew in a straight line, approaching rapidly. There was a sense of profound absurdity in the sight.

The leading figure was a woman. Her face was concealed by a mask, and her body was clad only in thin garments, revealing more than three points of her boundless allure, difficult to fully conceal.

Flying behind her, however, was a figure in a green shirt, gripping a sword. He strode with proud confidence, his posture潇洒, his feet treading upon green clouds!