The defeat at Wu Yang City undoubtedly struck a heavy blow against the complacent Qi army, a blunt instrument against their rising tide.

On the eastern front, the most promising young general, Bao Bo Zhao, the legitimate eldest son of Great Qi’s Shuo Fang Bo, led an army of thirty thousand against Wu Yang.

Word arrived that very day, proclaiming Wu Yang City’s surrender.

Yet, just as twilight descended, the latest dispatch brought shocking news: Bao Bo Zhao’s forces had been routed at Wu Yang! Two-thirds of the Qi army, twenty thousand strong, were utterly annihilated. Bao Bo Zhao himself barely escaped the city walls, his fate unknown.

Ten thousand soldiers of the newly surrendered Xia army returned to their homeland.

Tai Yin declared, “With a strong enemy outside and no resolve within, to disband and surrender is not the fault of the soldiers! At this moment of life and death, how can we force their hand?”

Thus, he executed the generals who had surrendered to Qi and welcomed back the returning Xia soldiers.

Within Wu Yang City, to the entirety of Hui Ling Prefecture and the wider Qi-Xia battlefield, he proclaimed that the battle of Wu Yang marked the beginning of Xia’s counteroffensive. He declared, “To capture Jiang Shu at the imperial front begins precisely from this day!”

The entire eastern front of the Qi army numbered some three hundred thousand. Xie Huai An led the main force in a grinding advance against Zhou Ying in Lin Wu Prefecture. The Qi forces allocated to Feng Li and Hui Ling Prefectures totaled only twelve thousand.

In Feng Li Prefecture, banners had changed hands entirely. Qi had amassed large numbers of surrendered Xia troops to garrison the cities, with a portion of their main force engaged in attacking Jin An Prefecture.

One could thus imagine the limited strength of the Qi army battling in Hui Ling Prefecture.

The loss of twenty thousand in a single battle at Wu Yang City was, for the Qi army, an absolutely devastating blow.

Rumors spread like wildfire that Tai Yin had personally led the pursuit and slaying of Bao Bo Zhao, marking the fall of a Qi nation’s Heaven’s Pride!

Who was Bao Bo Zhao?

One of the most notable figures among Qi’s younger generation.

If he had not perished, this man would have undoubtedly become a high-ranking general in Qi’s future, a vital component of its might. His value was immeasurable, his significance extraordinary!

It is fair to say that the defeat at Wu Yang truly jolted the Qi people from their smooth, seemingly unstoppable momentum. It forced them to confront the brutal reality of this war.

Do not assume the cavalry clashes on the Jiang Yin Plain represent the full extent of the Xia people’s will.

Xia is not a nation to be easily molded or broken!

Furthermore, the one thousand surrendered Xia troops who then rebelled greatly curtailed the Qi’s reliance on such forces.

A saying, boiling hot, spread widely… that the core reason for Bao Bo Zhao’s defeat at Wu Yang City lay in the defection of the surrendered troops during the battle. “Qi and Xia were originally of one sect, yet after all, they are peoples of two nations. How can true trust exist?”

A war of annihilation, waged across a nation, is not solely about defection, nor is it merely a brutal exchange of flesh and blood.

In life and death, it is also about honor and shame.

The struggle is for the hearts of the people, the contention for the tide of the times.

To extinguish Xia is not merely to extinguish its flesh and blood, but also its spirit; conversely, the same holds true.

Beyond the clashes of grand armies, within Xia’s vast territory, the Qi army’s banners and Xia army’s Jade Platform patrol riders fought countless skirmishes.

From Lin Zi to Gui Yi, the spies of both sides clashed an unknown number of times.

And in this all-encompassing confrontation, the battle of Wu Yang was undoubtedly the Xia army’s most eye-catching maneuver to date.

This battle ignited the Xia army’s momentum, forcing the seemingly invincible Qi army to once again acknowledge the Xia army’s tenacity. Tai Yin, too, achieved fame in this single battle!

Hurrying through the city streets, Tai Yin’s mood remained far from relaxed.

He understood clearly how dire the current situation had become.

The battle of Wu Yang was, of course, a great victory, but relative to the entire eastern front, it was, after all, only a matter of one city’s fate!

Prior to the eruption of the Wu Yang battle, only three cities remained in Lin Wu Prefecture. Feng Li Prefecture’s entire territory had changed hands, and more than half of Hui Ling Prefecture had already fallen.

Now, Hui Ling Prefecture could no longer be considered Xia’s Hui Ling Prefecture.

The Qi people here already held a significant advantage!

This battle, the annihilation of Bao Bo Zhao’s forces, was undoubtedly a moment of triumphant catharsis, but it also poked a hornet’s nest. The Qi would absolutely not relinquish the advantage they had built in Hui Ling Prefecture in the coming period. Wu Yang City was a crucial flag.

The Qi army, seeing this, would certainly not allow it to stand.

The period that followed was critical!

He had ambushed Bao Bo Zhao at Wu Yang, and after chasing him, immediately led his army back. On one hand, they drastically repaired the city’s defenses, adopting a stance of defending the city to the death. On the other hand, they selectively released news of the Wu Yang City battle, quickly initiating the next phase of their plan without a moment’s delay.

He dared not tarry on his hurried journey.

Mid-stride, he suddenly raised his head.

He saw a shadow swiftly traverse the sky, abruptly stopping at a street corner, solidifying in an instant. A slender, tall figure, clad in a green military uniform, with a sallow complexion.

His eyeballs flipped, revealing the imprint of a gray smoke bird in one pupil, then flipped back.

His entire being became vibrant.

The leading figure of Great Xia’s Chu Shi younger generation, Chu Min!

Tai Yin showed no surprise, continuing his forward movement, merely asking, “How?”

The path of cultivation is a distant road; to not advance is to retreat. Those with future ambitions are unwilling to waste any time.

Today, Chu Min was also an Outer Building cultivator, having erected three star towers. Naturally, he had also tamed more exceptional strange beasts, like the smoke bird hidden in his eyeball.

Controlling a beast to borrow its path, simulating its form, allowed him to move between reality and illusion.

Thus, in the chaotic war situation of Hui Ling Prefecture, relying on this beast, he ventured forth personally to scout the enemy’s situation!

“There are two branches of the army, mutually reinforcing, currently approaching Wu Yang City,” Chu Min stated concisely.

“Heavy Xuan Sheng and Jiang Wang have indeed come?” Tai Yin asked.

Chu Min replied, “As you predicted.”

The two walked side by side, their footsteps hurried.

Tai Yin spoke as he walked, “Heavy Xuan Sheng and Heavy Xuan Zun are contending for the title of Bo Wang Hou. For this, before the expedition, Jiang Wang and Heavy Xuan Zun already fought one battle, vying for the vanguard before ten thousand troops, putting the competition in the open. Now Heavy Xuan Zun has the merit of harassing the imperial tomb. Heavy Xuan Sheng and his faction cannot possibly allow the significant merit of traversing three prefectures to be greatly diminished by Wu Yang City. They will undoubtedly come!”

Chu Min supplemented, “And in their intelligence assessment, the battle of Wu Yang City was orchestrated solely by you, Tai Yin. The strength of Wu Yang City’s defenses, with only Wei Guang Yao commanding the Wu Yang City guard army, and your personally commanded force that ambushed Bao Bo Zhao, plus that one thousand surrendered and returned army under Bao Bo Zhao, does not exceed thirty thousand soldiers in total. And Xuan Ping Hou’s recapture of Xin Jie City, currently locked in battle in the Tian Feng Ranch area, means God-Descending cultivators cannot be spared. This matter will also lower their guard.” As they spoke, the two had already entered the drill ground.

On the drill ground, soldierly aura surged, knives and spears like a forest.

The one-armed Wei Guang Yao was currently conducting final pre-battle training.

A severed limb could be regrown, by many methods. With Wei Guang Yao’s cultivation, the resources required to regrow a severed limb were not exceptionally terrifying. The Xia Court would be responsible, and Tai Yin’s family background could also fully afford it for him.

The problem was time.

At this critical juncture of war, there was simply no time to allow him to slowly regrow his limb and adjust his state. He himself was unwilling to leave.

Tai Yin said, “Hui Ling Prefecture’s elite are at Hu Yang Pass. The forces in the other cities are weak. This is the reason the Qi army became particularly arrogant after attacking into Hui Ling Prefecture from Feng Li Prefecture, and it is also the foundation of our successful ambush of Bao Bo Zhao. Defeating Bao Bo Zhao will inevitably break this perception. But we still need to find a way to make them underestimate us as much as possible—this is the key to intelligence deception.”

Chu Min said, “Their rapid advance signifies that our intelligence deception has been successful.”

“In the intelligence model we constructed, I, Wei Guang Yao, and an army of thirty thousand are the upper limit of Wu Yang City’s strength. Moreover, Jiang Wang has a strong psychological advantage against me. I hope he will therefore become careless.”

Tai Yin said, “However, with Heavy Xuan Sheng’s caution, even if he confirms Wu Yang City only has thirty thousand soldiers, he will absolutely not respond with only a force of that scale. Because Wu Yang City is now so crucial, he will at least try to bring fifty thousand people, so as to form a decisive force, like an eagle seizing a rabbit.”

The two spoke as they hurried across the drill ground, entering the council hall.

Perhaps the two most outstanding young men in all of Xia, their hurried footsteps and rapid speech reflected their race against time. In the cruel, flowing river of time, they were exhausting their abilities, striving to save the fate of Xia!

Chu Min’s voice held a trace of admiration, “I couldn’t get too close, but on Heavy Xuan Sheng and Jiang Wang’s side, there are at least thirty thousand people. The other side, mutually supporting them, also has a similar number.”

“Did you see their flags?”

“Yes. Embroidered with ‘Victory in Sight’.”

“Then that’s them. What flag does the other side fly?” Tai Yin asked.

“Xie.” Chu Min said, “It should be Xie Bao Shu.”

“This is good news,” Tai Yin said, “That person is not worth worrying about.”

“Xie Bao Shu would definitely not agree with your assessment. He is quite ostentatious on the battlefield.”

“It’s best that he doesn’t agree.” Tai Yin turned and asked, “Are the Qi army’s offensives in other areas still ongoing?”

“According to scout reports, yes,” Chu Min said. “I cannot multitask sufficiently to personally verify everywhere. But I did make a trip to Xuan Mu City. The fighting there is indeed still ongoing. I did not alert them.”

Tai Yin pondered as he continued, “The situation is so severe, we must be extremely cautious…”

At this moment, a voice rang out from a corner of the council hall—

“I seem… to have heard the name Jiang Wang.”

Accompanying this voice was the entrance of a cold man with jade-crowned hair and sword-like eyebrows and thin lips.

One hand gripped a sword, standing like a green pine.

When he didn’t speak, he seemed to not exist. When his voice rang out, he could no longer be ignored!

Your ears were compelled to hear him, your eyes to see him.

He was clearly so calm, yet you felt as if you had already been cut.

The hand gripping the sword tightened, as if strangling something. It seemed countless souls wailed in his palm.

It was Yi Sheng Feng, the outstanding disciple of South Dipper Hall, direct disciple of the Seven Kills True Man Lu Shuang He, who had successfully survived the unlimited pursuit order issued by the Huai Guo Gong Mansion in the previous period, thereby achieving fame!

He had unexpectedly already quietly infiltrated Xia.

This indicated that South Dipper Hall had already intervened in the war!

And until this moment, not a single whisper had leaked out. Even within the main body of the Xia army, few knew of this matter.

Just like Yi Sheng Feng’s concealment in Wu Yang City, until today, only Tai Yin and Chu Min, responsible for the counteroffensive in Hui Ling Prefecture, were aware.

South Dipper Hall’s long-brewed hidden hand, once unleashed, must yield decisive results!

Looking at Yi Sheng Feng at this time, Tai Yin said in a calm tone, “Yes. As I told you, Jiang Wang is already on his way to Wu Yang City.”

Tai Yin was unaware of the enmity between Yi Sheng Feng and Jiang Wang.

But Yi Sheng Feng’s killing intent towards Jiang Wang was so resolute, something he had personally experienced deeply.

Last year, upon exiting the Mountain Sea Realm, Yi Sheng Feng had specifically intercepted him to obtain intelligence on Jiang Wang. This time, with South Dipper Hall’s participation in the Qi-Xia war, Yi Sheng Feng also found him, who was temporarily in charge of the Hui Ling Prefecture war, and specifically requested to kill Jiang Wang—a request he naturally did not refuse.

Yi Sheng Feng stood indifferently in the council hall, exuding a sharp coldness. He was incompatible with the council hall, indeed with the entire Wu Yang City.

Nor did he plan to conform.

He didn’t know when it had begun, but the name Jiang Wang had become a lingering heart demon.

He had clearly contended for a first-class immortal fate in the world, yet upon suddenly looking back, that Jiang Wang, who should have led an ordinary life in Feng Xi Town, was actually standing on the Guan He Terrace, bathed in the world’s most glorious scenery.

What he had initially thought was a forgotten childhood uncontrollably surged back into his mind once again.

Reminding him once more—

The disciple Lu Shuang He had initially favored was Jiang Wang!

How could he forget?

His heart churned with indescribable emotions.

But he only asked, “Then what are we waiting for?”

Tai Yin shook his head.

South Dipper Hall was a strong ally, Yi Sheng Feng a sharp sword.

Speaking solely of personal combat prowess, he knew full well he was no match.

To survive under the purview of the Chu Huai Guo Gong Mansion’s pursuit order, proclaimed across the entire South Domain, how could that be the feat of ordinary talent? Although escaping to survive is different from a frontal confrontation, if they were truly to compare… looking across the entire South Domain, perhaps only a Dou Zhao at the Outer Building level could accomplish such a feat.

Yi Sheng Feng’s strength was beyond doubt.

But war was not a wanderer’s brawl; it required unified command, a leader.

For this, he, Tai Yin, considered it his bounden duty.

Thus, he simply said, “Heavy Xuan Sheng is the soul figure who can change the situation on the eastern front. Jiang Wang is a model of Qi’s younger generation, an existence who claimed the top name at the Yellow River. If we can kill these two, even if the entire Hui Ling Prefecture falls, we will not have lost!”

“To kill a chicken, one must use an ox cleaver; to fight a rabbit, one must use full strength,” Yi Sheng Feng said. “Since you all deem Jiang Wang so important, I remember you all have a Hou Ye in Hui Ling Prefecture. Why hasn’t he come over?”

Chu Min disliked this so-called high disciple of South Dipper Hall immensely. From his tone of voice to the bone-deep coldness, everything about him made Chu Min uncomfortable.

But he showed nothing.

Today, he had no right to refuse any force that approached Xia.

For over twenty years of his life, he had always been proud of Great Xia, believing it to be the greatest nation in the world, destined one day to reach its rightful place.

Once on the Guan He Terrace, he had sacrificed everything for the nation’s honor, doing all that he could.

This time, amidst the turbulent storms, he felt the country’s fragility for the first time, discovering that it was not as powerful as he had imagined. But his feelings for the nation, instead, were stronger than ever before.

Tai Yin responded, “Xuan Ping Hou needs to restrain the Qi army at Tian Feng Ranch. Currently, in Hui Ling Prefecture, we are the inferior side. If Xuan Ping Hou were to come over, he would only attract more strong cultivators from the Qi army. And as long as he moves, Heavy Xuan Sheng will absolutely not come to Wu Yang. Heavy Xuan Sheng is a very intelligent person. Once he becomes alerted, there will be no possibility of him entering this trap. We have spent a great deal of effort and invested heavily to create this opportunity. We cannot lightly waste it.”

Yi Sheng Feng slightly raised his chin, “So, what do you want to do?”

Tai Yin waved a hand, suspending a round array disk. Light simulated movement, manifesting a complex, detailed map in mid-air.

Mountains and rivers, all within view.

He first located the position of Wu Yang City, then moved north, then west. His finger gently traced the map, seemingly stroking a lover’s skin… such was his gentleness.

“Mister Yi, are you prepared to fight to the death?”

Tai Yin, in a flat tone, said, “To fight them for their lives.”