In the heart of winter’s grasp, the frost winds plundered the borderlands.

The convergence of the southeast’s two domains lay trampled and indistinct beneath the press of countless hooves…

From a vantage point high above, one would behold a sight unlike any other –

Dense ranks of armored soldiers formed a vast, serpentine river, flowing across the boundless plains. Their banners, snapping in the wind, seemed to challenge the very heavens.

The demonic beast war mounts and pack animals within this “river” appeared as leaping fish in a turbulent current.

The war chariots and arrow wagons were resolute surges against the tide.

And amidst the “reefs” within this flowing river, the most arresting sights were colossal tower chariots, resembling extensions of the celestial palace itself.

These tower chariots stood thirty *zhang* high, their fighting corners and eaves soaring upwards.

Their upper sections were shaped like iron umbrellas, radiating a profound, mixed-essence light.

Below the top canopy lay a layer forged in the likeness of city battlements, upon which were mounted great crossbows. Armored soldiers stood guard, spears held ready.

From this point downwards, they seemed to be nothing but iron walls – impenetrable, solid, and seamless, like moving fortifications.

Within these iron walls, the rhythmic clank and rumble of moving mechanisms resounded – a regular, constant beat.

At their base were eight pairs of thick, heavy wheels.

Wherever they rolled, the ground became smooth and flat…

Their overall appearance was that of a massive iron bucket, mounted on a chariot base and capped with a tower dome. Such a structure might ordinarily appear awkward, yet the great craftsmen of the Qi kingdom, with their divine ingenuity, had designed them to appear utterly rational and complete. When they rolled into view, they inspired only awe and fear.

Bearing the ropes in front of one such chariot was a singular, white-furred beast, standing over seven *zhang* tall and twelve *zhang* long, adorned with a single horn.

Its back muscles, like mountain ranges, pulled the iron ropes taut.

Its four white-furred paws gripped the ground with unwavering stability.

Despite its immense size, each step fell without excessive sound.

Truly, it possessed the strength of mountains flowing within its muscles and bones, yet it was gentle, emitting no discernible noise.

This chariot, christened “Rong Chong,” was a secret weapon, a military formation killer forged in the Qi kingdom’s weapon workshop. This was its first unveiling!

For this campaign to subjugate Xia, a grand army of a million had been assembled, yet from the weapon workshop, only three Rong Chong had been deployed. Such was their rarity and value.

And the strange beast pulling the chariot was named “Fu Shan.”

It too was a specially cultivated strange beast from Great Qi’s beast taming workshop, bred solely to enhance the mobility of colossal military equipment like the Rong Chong. While a Rong Chong could move on its own, its immense weight prevented any semblance of speed. With the Fu Shan beast, however, it could seamlessly keep pace with the movement of the entire army.

In the realms of military equipment research, strange beast cultivation, and the development of Dao techniques… all aspects were battlegrounds for the major hegemonic nations.

In the vastness of the present world, only six countries bore the title of hegemon. These six nations, strong in every facet, ultimately converged their power into an overwhelming national force – the very bedrock of their dominance. The foundation of their strength was incomparable to any other nation.

At this moment, within the central chamber of one of the Rong Chong.

Dense and intricate array patterns covered the entire room. The dome, the four walls, the ground – no matter where one looked, these patterns were inescapable.

The chamber actually possessed windows, allowing one to see outside the Rong Chong, letting in sunlight and feeling the wind as the chariot moved. Yet, from the outside, one saw only impenetrable iron walls.

Cao Ji sat alone at his desk, not engrossed in military affairs, but with a book in hand.

Within this military formation killer, every inch of space was utilized to the fullest. Thus, even the chamber designated for the commander of the subjugation campaign was not spacious.

There were no array patterns dedicated to expanding the space, for the patterns etched here had to serve the entire Rong Chong above all else.

The Rong Chong was born for war!

Across from Cao Ji, the excessively young-looking Director of the Imperial Astronomer’s Directorate leaned against a window, quietly observing the sky from within the moving Rong Chong.

His star chart Daoist robe draped down, like a fleeting dream.

“Has the Director calculated anything?” Cao Ji asked casually.

Perhaps feeling somewhat weary, he set his book down idly, face down on the desk.

The cover was revealed, the book’s title: *Great Xia Gazetteer*.

This book, a record of Great Xia’s geography and customs, he had already read thoroughly. This casual flipping was more a means to capture inspiration for the war.

Xia country was absolutely not the opponent many in Qi now believed it to be – an enemy that could be “extinguished with a flick of the finger.”

This biased perception was widespread.

And it would undoubtedly impact his own reputation, that of Cao Ji.

He could easily foresee that, should this campaign encounter even the slightest obstacle, there would certainly be those at court and in the public eye who would leap forth to condemn him, Cao Ji, as incompetent…

Of course, that was not something he would consider at this moment.

And his casual question was not posed with the expectation of receiving any answer. For with the great war between Qi and Xia underway, the national powers were intertwined, and heavenly secrets were in chaos. Anything involving Qi and Xia at this time was beyond human power to calculate –

Unless that “human power” was stronger than the combined might of Qi and Xia, but how could that possibly be?

“To calculate the myriad common people, one cannot calculate war. To measure ghosts and gods, one cannot measure a nation.” This was the ultimate principle of diviners.

Even the Director of Great Qi’s Imperial Astronomer’s Directorate, a grandmaster of star divination, a mainstream presence in the river of fate, could not possibly divine anything of consequence regarding this great war between Qi and Xia.

“I am only looking at the clouds,” Ruan Qu said.

Cao Ji shook his head with a bitter smile.

It seemed Ruan Qu intended to fulfill only the “Town Army” portion of his “Town Army Military Advisor” duty.

Of course, if Ruan Qu truly intended to interfere with military strategy, his demeanor would not be so relaxed.

This face, slightly tinged with a bitter hue – the so-called “little wife face” – was in military matters as cold and hard as iron.

“The isolation of the transmission channels – you must be more vigilant,” Cao Ji finally said.

Turning to proper matters, Ruan Qu, surprisingly, shed his relaxed air and replied formally, “Three hours ago, I broke the main transmission channel of the Xia country. Before noon tomorrow, I can completely lock down all supernormal transmissions within Xia country’s borders.”

Within each prefecture of Xia country, there necessarily existed a unique transmission formation, possessing a unique channel at the supernormal level. This was how the Xia court ruled over each region. This transmission channel, connecting various places, had to possess uniqueness and irreplicability, penetrating into secret space, embodying the unique will of the Xia court, immune to invasion by external wills, absolutely safe and reliable.

The so-called main transmission channel of the Xia country referred to precisely this.

Whether through sound patterns, Yuan force, infused within the five elements, or connected to space… in short, it had various complex constitutions. For example, the main transmission channel within Qi country’s borders was built upon star power, and Ruan Qu was responsible for its maintenance.

The constitution and essential information of any country’s main transmission channel were necessarily the highest national secrets.

To find it was not easy. To capture it was an even more complex confrontation.

Yet, the two great armies had not even made contact, and the Qi side, under Ruan Qu’s leadership, had already taken the first step to break the main transmission channel within the Xia country’s borders – to be precise, this was not an overly significant feat. When war truly erupted, with the national power pressing down and military power twisting, isolating communications was merely a matter of time. The true achievement lay in the speed…

Ruan Qu had completed it too quickly!

This meant that the communication disadvantage of the Qi army operating in enemy territory could be eliminated before noon tomorrow.

This held considerable significance for the entire war!

In a true war, the importance of battlefield transmission was beyond doubt.

Both sides’ efforts regarding communications were directed towards a single point – simultaneously building their own communication channels while disrupting the enemy’s.

Among these, the easiest to isolate was long-distance sound transmission.

Next were items like heart letters.

Even existences at the level of the Taixu Illusion Realm were isolated the moment both sides began preparing for war.

From sound, to Dao techniques, to spiritual consciousness, and then extending to all supernormal levels of communication – it was basically impossible for them to continue in a national war.

This was why, in a real war, methods like thousand-li sound boxes and long-distance sound transmission secret techniques were all useless. Transmitting information still relied on the most primitive means – human messengers and horses.

Humans themselves were the most reliable existence.

Especially during wartime.

For Qi, the establishment of transmission channels primarily relied on the fast-horse flag soldiers patrolling around the Rong Chong at this moment.

They rode Wind-Stepping Demonic Horses, cultivated by the beast taming workshop, with all other aspects abandoned in favor of speed. When they ran, they could rival the full-speed flight of cultivators in the Inner Mansion realm, and their top speed approached that of Outer Building cultivators!

Each flag soldier wore light clothing, with three poles of order flags on their backs and a circle of small flags tied around their waists. Every one of them wore a red cape, spurring their horses forward like streaks of chasing red clouds.

In army transmission, reliance was placed on orders, flags, seals, and drums.

These flag soldiers were all cultivators who had broken through the Heaven Gate and reached the Tenglong realm. This flag army could almost be said to be the meridians of the entire subjugation army,貫徹 the will of the commander’s mansion, and maintaining the operation of the one million-strong army.

“The Director’s efficiency truly surprises me,” Cao Ji smiled. Behind him, there was also a window, and mirroring Ruan Qu, he looked out.

He heard Ruan Qu’s light voice from behind, “Following heaven and responding to fate, naturally there is no disadvantage.”

And his gaze reached the vast sea of people below the towering Rong Chong.

The faces of every soldier in that human sea were clear and distinct in the gaze of a powerful individual.

Yu Liyang sat at the highest point of the city tower, quietly watching the armored and armed soldiers, a thought suddenly arising in his heart… He wondered how many of these people he would see again after this war?

This sentimental thought was truly unbecoming, even more so for a strong individual of the Yan Dao.

But his gaze, after all, fell upon living people.

They had their own parents and families, their loves and hates, their unique lives.

The soldiers, like ants, swarmed and climbed, busy building fortifications.

Great Xia was governed by the Six Ministries: the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works. Above these were two pillars of the kingdom, with the Empress Dowager regent.

State Chancellor Liu Xiyi concurrently held the Ministry of Personnel, and State Master Xi Mengfu concurrently held the Ministry of Rites.

As for the Ministry of Works, it had historically been the foundation of the Tai clan.

Cultivators skilled in the Earth Element Dao techniques gathered together, casting spells under unified command, digging ditches, filling ravines, piling soil, and building walls.

The white-robed array masters of the Ministry of Works were meticulously engraving array patterns, rushing to construct a protective great array before the vanguard of the Qi country’s soldiers arrived. Of course, the absolute majority of these array masters were of Tai clan origin.

That young man named Tai Yin was also among them, working with high efficiency and diligence. There was no sign of a noble son’s casualness.

Everyone was working diligently.

This was Tongyang City, belonging to Xiangyou Prefecture.

To the northeast lay Fengjie Border Prefecture.

Continuous streams of armies were circumventing the city, marching with firm steps towards Fengjie.

However, Yu Liyang knew very well that Fengjie Prefecture could not be defended…

The most dangerous pass in Fengjie Prefecture was Jianfeng Mountain.

Besides that, it was a vast plain.

But Jianfeng Mountain had already been thoroughly ravaged, its defense system entirely destroyed by Jiang Mengxiong. From last year until now, the Ministry of Works had consumed vast resources, constantly attempting to repair it… But without ten years of effort, it was impossible to restore its former state.

The decision to abandon Fengjie Prefecture and defend Xiangyou Prefecture had been made by Si Jiao and him together.

But Fengjie Prefecture could not be lost so easily. At the very least, it had to buy some time for the defense construction of Xiangyou Prefecture. Thus, so many armies were still marching towards Fengjie.

Their task was not to repel the Qi army, which was impossible, but to turn Fengjie Prefecture into a quagmire, using their flesh and blood bodies to delay the Qi vanguard.

“What is Lord Min looking at?” A voice suddenly sounded, ringing in his ear.

At this moment, the guards all stood at a distance. Beneath the hunting wind of the city tower, a man of ancient and majestic presence appeared before Yu Liyang.

The wind stilled.

Yu Liyang did not stand up, merely saying, “People.”

Looking across the entire Xia country, the only person who could appear beside him like this at this moment was Wu Wang Si Jiao.

This Great Xia prince, already eight hundred and ninety-seven years old, had achieved True Monarch status two generations before Emperor Xia Xiang, establishing himself as a pillar of the kingdom. During Emperor Xia Xiang’s reign, he had bloomed with even greater brilliance. After the Ten Thousand Demons Gate incident, in the *Míjiè* (迷界), he had achieved immortal merit.

That was a glorious era, when Great Xia simultaneously suppressed Wei and Liang, dared to challenge Xiong and Chu, ventured to the old lands of Yang, and contended for hegemony in the east…

But Si Jiao of that era was only one among the many glorious figures of Great Xia.

Now, however, he had become the irreplaceable jade pillar supporting the heavens of Xia country.

For Si Jiao himself, the taste was presumably difficult to describe.

“Yes,” Si Jiao followed Yu Liyang’s gaze downwards, sighing, “If not for this war, among these people, who is to say some would not have extraordinary futures?”

Yu Liyang remained silent for a moment.

Si Jiao suddenly spoke again, “Jin Ling has requested to go and defend Jianfeng Mountain.”

“Marquis Anguo…” Yu Liyang sighed, “His failure in Chu was not his fault, why must it come to this?”

The ordinary soldiers marching towards Fengjie Prefecture could not know their fate.

But high-level figures of the empire like Jin Ling would, of course, understand. That was a place strategically abandoned. Their defense with their lives was not for Fengjie Prefecture itself, but for time.

Si Jiao simply said, “Jianfeng Mountain always needs someone to defend it. We cannot simply abandon that place without drawing a knife or firing an arrow.”

Yu Liyang stood up directly, “This king will go instead. If Marquis Anguo goes, not only is death inevitable, but he may also be unable to achieve the strategic objective.”

Facing the vast army of the Qi country, to realize the concept of turning Fengjie Prefecture into a quagmire of blood and flesh, at least one True Person would have to be sacrificed.

However, where in the Xia country of today could a contemporary True Person be so casually spared?

Jin Ling’s voluntary request was born of a determination to die.

But some distances could not be crossed by courage and will alone. For example, the hundred-li abyss to the west of Jianfeng Mountain… that remains unfilled even now.

Jin Ling was very likely unable to even buy time!

Lord Min going personally was different. A True Monarch strong individual, cooperating with the existing fortifications of Jianfeng Mountain, could somehow hold out in Fengjie Prefecture for dozens of days.

But, and there was always a ‘but’…

As Great Xia’s Min Wang, a True Monarch strong individual, making a premature move would undoubtedly expose his “Dao” to greater observation and scrutiny. This would increase his risk of danger in this war!

－－－－－－Off-Topic－－－－－－

Many thanks to book friend “Valentine’s Day quiet” for becoming the alliance master of this book! This is the 282nd alliance for Red Heart Patrol Heaven!

This is a nickname with a story, ah…