Slave Empire [Complete] - 13

Volume 6 Chaos Under Heaven Chapter 91 A Fury of the Crown
"What?" Ying Fei was very clear about his deployment. To prevent Liu Yufei and the others from escaping westward into the depths of the Baiyi Mountains, he had deployed four hundred carefully selected experts in the west, each at least at the seventh rank, including more than a dozen experts who had just advanced to the Saint rank. Could it be that the "Peach Blossom Fairy" Xue Qianqian, the "Knife Saint" Hou Mubai, and the "Demon Sect Saintess" Ji Xiuqing had come together?
"The Five Elders of Plum Blossom, trap Miao Youlan! Long Er, entangle Lü Jingwei! Jiang Sheng and the others, kill the rest! Move quickly!" In his haste, Ying Fei even abandoned his usual composure and gave the order quickly—at this moment, he understood that Liu Yufei's return to her seat was a delaying tactic. If it really were those three, the Jade Dragon Spy would likely suffer another crushing defeat tonight—though they still had a backup plan, it was practically useless!
Hou Mubai, the "Sword Saint," alone was already formidable in killing the "Five Elders of the Dragon," let alone Xue Qianqian and Ji Xiuqing, the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect whose power was no less than Hou Mubai's! Only by capturing any one of Liu, Miao, or Lü first could they possibly take them hostage and seize the initiative. Among the three before them, Liu Yufei was undoubtedly the most important, and also the weakest!
"Five Elders of the Plum Blossom, heed my command! Trap Long Er!" Miao Youlan suddenly shouted, raising a white jade token shaped like a plum blossom in her left hand, giving the order to the Five Elders of the Plum Blossom brought by Ying Fei! Just as the Five Elders of the Plum Blossom were about to surround Miao Youlan as Ying Fei had instructed, they suddenly changed their movements, trapping Long Er, who was about to pounce on Lü Jingwei, within the Plum Blossom Sword Formation!
"The Five Elders of Plum Blossom! What are you doing? Are you disobeying Master Mei's orders?" Ying Fei, his figure flashing like lightning as he lunged at Liu Yufei with his sword, was intercepted by Lü Jingwei. Lü Jingwei's blazing palm strike cleaved Ying Fei's blade, and with a deafening roar, both were sent flying back several feet, evenly matched! Seeing the Five Elders of Plum Blossom turn against him, Ying Fei was shocked and asked,
"The Five Swords of Plum Blossom recognize orders, not people. Since the 'Plum Blossom Sacred Order' is in the hands of this Miss Miao, who is also a disciple of the Sword Saint, Master Mei's orders cannot bind us." The Five Elders of Plum Blossom unleashed a series of sword energies, weaving an endless plum blossom sword net that enveloped Long Er. Despite Long Er's powerful martial arts and swordsmanship, and despite his various agility techniques, he couldn't escape! One of the Five Elders of Plum Blossom still had time to answer Ying Fei's question.
“Young Master Eagle, there’s no need to be surprised,” Miao Youlan said with a beautiful face and a voice like silver bells. “Wanmei Manor was built by my master, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint. Although the current manor lord, Mei Yi, is my master’s adopted son, how can his manor lord’s decree compare to the Plum Blossom Saint’s decree? Last night, my master crippled Mei Yi’s martial arts and made him reflect on his mistakes. From now on, Wanmei Manor will have no further dealings with the Jade Dragon Spy.”
At this moment, Miao Youlan couldn’t help but admire her beloved Hua Yinghong’s meticulousness and wisdom. Just from the fact that he had killed a low-ranking Wanmei Manor disciple who knew the “Ten Thousand Plum Blossom Sword” in the “Divine Craftsmanship Operation” at the iron mine camp, Hua Yinghong deduced that Wanmei Manor must have a deep collusion with the Jade Dragon Spy to drive its disciples to risk their lives. However, the actions of the Wanmei Manor's subordinates were completely inconsistent with the character of "Plum Blossom Sword Saint" Mei Shanmin, as described by Miao Youlan!
For the past two months, Hua Yinghong had secretly ordered Mo Yan's Military Intelligence Division and Xue Qianqian's Peach Blossom Palace to secretly collect a large amount of evidence of Wanmei Manor's collusion with the Jade Dragon spies. Taking advantage of protecting Liu Yufei, Miao Youlan secretly returned to Wanmei Manor in Tianshui Prefecture to pay respects to her mentor, Sword Saint Mei Shanmin, and truthfully report Wanmei Manor's collusion with the Jade Dragon spies and various unjust acts.
"Plum Blossom Sword Saint" Mei Shanmin had no children. Mei Yi, Mei Shanmin's adopted son, was quite capable. Since taking over as manor lord, he had managed Wanmei Manor with great success and always appeared extremely respectful and virtuous in front of Mei Shanmin, earning the appreciation of the long-absent Mei Shanmin, who thus entrusted all the affairs of the manor to Mei Yi.
Unbeknownst to many, Mei Yi was secretly colluding with Jade Dragon's spies, plotting to use their influence to expand Wanmei Manor into the premier manor in the Jade Dragon Kingdom and even the Hualong martial arts world. The people of Wanmei Manor learned from Miao Youlan that Wanmei Manor had gone astray, and the evidence was conclusive. They feared that if not dealt with promptly, the Free Army's landing would annihilate the manor! Therefore, on the night of the seventh day, they summoned Mei Yi, subtly crippling his martial arts and imprisoning him in the back mountains of Wanmei Manor to reflect on his actions. Publicly, they claimed it was to impart his newly acquired divine skills to facilitate Miao Youlan and her group's plans.
The true backbone of Wanmei Manor consisted of the Five Elders of Plum Blossom and others who had received the true essence of the "Ten Thousand Plum Blossom Sword" and the Plum Blossom Five Elements Sword Formation, and they had always disapproved of Mei Yi's perverse actions. However, Mei Shanmin had long been detached from worldly affairs. Aside from occasionally meeting his adopted son Mei Yi, he spent most of his time teaching martial arts to the orphaned Miao Youlan in the back mountains. Mei Yi was extremely wary of others, so no one could reveal Mei Yi's true identity to Mei Shanmin. But just now, the Five Elders of Plum Blossom, upon seeing the unique "Plum Blossom Sacred Decree," knew that Sword Saint Mei Shanmin had personally intervened. Therefore, they turned against Ying Fei and the others without hesitation, turning the tide at a crucial moment!
This is a long story. Seeing the Five Elders of Plum Blossom, who had initially been his allies, change their allegiance, Ying Fei knew the situation was hopeless and his plan had failed. Just as he was about to intervene to relieve Long Er's siege and lead his men in retreat, a mesmerizing, bell-like laugh rang out from outside the hall: "Oh! Even Elder Mei's Plum Blossom Sword Formation has been alerted! Young man, you're in big trouble!"
Two alluring, stunningly beautiful, and identical middle-aged women suddenly appeared in the hall. Instantly, the entire hall was filled with a warm, spring-like atmosphere and a refreshing fragrance. The sweet, yet not cloying, scent was extremely pleasant. The icy aura Ying Fei had forced out with his "Yinluo Frost True Qi" and Lü Weiwei's fierce, blazing sun energy seemed to melt away like snow under the blazing sun!
"Oh! This young man is quite handsome!" One of the women winked seductively, her allure captivating, but Ying Fei felt as if he had seen a ghost!
"The Death-Taking Fairy and the Two Beauties of Peach Blossom!" Ying Fei's expression changed drastically! Without needing an introduction, he knew these two were the two most troublesome figures among those his master, "Frost Blade" Li Xinghai, had warned him against easily provoking! Compared to these two, he would have preferred "Blade Saint" Hou Mubai and the Holy Maiden Ji Xiuqing to be the ones who came!
Over a decade ago, in the Hua Long martial arts world, anyone who mentioned "The Death-Taking Fairy and the Two Beauties of Peach Blossom" was terrified, avoiding them like the plague—the "Two Beauties of Peach Blossom" were the two senior sisters of the current "Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect," Ji Xiuqing, and were twin sisters. Over a decade ago, they were only in their early twenties, beautiful as flowers, charming and alluring, yet ruthless as iron. With their mastered "Peach Blossom Seductive Skill," they turned the Hua Long martial arts world upside down, killing thousands at their hands.
"Better to fight three gods than provoke two beauties!" Such was the rumor circulating in the Hua Long martial arts world at the time! This implies that even challenging three top-tier masters would only result in defeat. Generally speaking, these three masters, confident in their status, wouldn't make things difficult for ordinary people; however, if you offend the Two Beauties of Peach Blossom Palace, they are like death-dealing fairies, relentlessly pursuing you until you die! The two beauties themselves possess extraordinary skill, and being twin sisters, they are never separated. Furthermore, they practice the unique inner cultivation techniques of Peach Blossom Palace, making their teamwork seamless, as if they were one person. Even three or four masters of equal rank would be helpless against them.
Legend has it that later, the "Sword God" Guan Shanyue couldn't stand it anymore and personally challenged them to a duel, after which the "Two Beauties of Peach Blossom Palace" disappeared. Everyone in the martial world believed that the two beauties were killed by the Sword God, only a few masters like the "Frost Sword Saint" knew that Guan Shanyue had merely forced the two beauties to return to Peach Blossom Palace for seclusion, agreeing that as long as the "Sword God" lived, they could not leave the mountain!
Now that the "Sword God" Guan Shanyue has flown away, and the "Two Beauties" have reappeared in the martial world, what kind of bloody storm will they stir up this time?
"Long Er! Run!" Ying Fei, disregarding everything else, soared into the sky on his sword, piercing a large hole in the sturdy glazed roof, and fled eastward towards Tianshui Prefecture! Even in mid-air, he waved a signal fire to signal his retreat!
"Yo! Don't run away!" The two beauties of Peach Blossom Palace vanished in a flash, clearly eagerly chasing after Ying Fei, who had gotten himself into big trouble because of his good looks.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!" Five clear sounds of clashing swords rang out. Long Er desperately used his signature move, suddenly weaving and shifting within the ever-changing Plum Blossom Five Elements Formation, his entire body seemingly transforming into the sixth petal of the formation. Finding an opportunity, he unleashed five consecutive strikes, forcefully deflecting the longswords of the Five Elders of Plum Blossom Palace and forcing them back half a step. He too soared into the sky on his sword, escaping through the hole Ying Fei had created in the roof…
Witnessing Long Er escape from the Plum Blossom Five Elements Formation with such miraculous agility and swordsmanship, Miao Youlan stopped the Five Elders of Plum Blossom from giving chase, a strange light flashing in her beautiful eyes…
Even experts like Ying Fei and Long Er fled in panic, so how could Jiang Sheng and the others dare to linger? They all leaped up to escape, but then they heard Lü Jingwei shout, “Traitors deserve to be killed by everyone!” A burst of fierce palm force forced Jiang Sheng, the leader, to the ground. Miao Youlan and Liu Yufei also shouted, and the “Ten Thousand Plum Blossom Sword” and the “Startling Wind and Weeping Rain Sword” exploded with a sky full of sword flowers and sword rain, enveloping more than a dozen traitors…
“My two aunts have unparalleled skills, I am ashamed to admit my inferiority…” Only then did the voice of Peach Blossom Fairy Xue Qianqian ring out from dozens of feet away—

five miles south of Echo Valley, on a high mountain peak. Ba Tian’s majestic body stood in mid-air on a protruding boulder, waiting silently. The night after the "Fifteen-Person Meeting," the Special Operations Brigade quietly marched to Beigang and boarded a pre-prepared transport ship. Escorted by the warship, they secretly landed on a shallow beach along the coast of the Baiyi Mountains on the night of the seventh day. Utilizing the Special Operations Brigade's exceptional skills in traversing mountains and valleys, they secretly infiltrated the distant headquarters of the Restoration Society.
Hua Yinghong's concern for the safety of Liu Yufei, Miao Youlan, and others surpassed even his own. After the Sima clan took over Tianshui Prefecture, they not only had a large number of Jade Dragon spies but also deployed an army of 80,000. Regarding dealing with the Jade Dragon spies and the traitors of the Restoration Society, Miao, Lü, and Xue Qianqian together possessed three Saint-level experts, along with the "Freedom Iron Guard" and the "Fire Phoenix Guard," as well as a large number of Peach Blossom Palace experts and even the support of Wanmei Manor. Hua Yinghong was not worried. At worst, they could escape to the Baiyi Mountains. Hua Yinghong's biggest worry was that the Jade Dragon King, to achieve his goal, would secretly mobilize a large army to besiege the Restoration Society
's headquarters. Amidst such a massive force, Liu Yufei and her group would find it difficult to escape. The first mission of Ba Tian's Special Forces after their secret landing was to deal with the Jade Dragon Kingdom's potential army mobilizing to besiege the Restoration Society's headquarters—in the mountains, even 40,000 to 50,000 Jade Dragon troops might not be a match for the Special Forces!
"Whoosh!" A signal rose from the east of Echo Valley!
"Damn cowards!" Ba Tian cursed inwardly. He had initially thought that seeing the Jade Dragon Kingdom had indeed mobilized 20,000 troops to besiege the Restoration Society's headquarters from all sides would lead to a tough battle. Who knew that after waiting until midnight, the enemy would retreat? What a disappointment!
"Order the encirclement of Echo Valley!" Ba Tian commanded. Even if they could manage to capture the Jade Dragon spies and Restoration Society traitors trapped within the Special Forces' encirclement, it would be better than nothing. I only hope that my sisters-in-law and Master Lü's men won't be too ruthless, and at least leave some for Batian and the Special Forces...

On November 9th, two pieces of news shocked the Hualong Continent once again—
one was that the Grassland Allied Army had broken through Taihe Pass and trampled Xiliang!
The other was that Ying Fei, the deputy chief of the Jade Dragon Secret Service, led a large number of experts to besiege the headquarters of the Restoration Society, and the leader of the Freedom Alliance, "Goddess of Liberty" Liu Yufei, had disappeared. Hua Yinghong, the "Son of Freedom" on Treasure Island, was enraged for the sake of a woman and declared that the Freedom Alliance was going to war against the Sima Clan!

Volume 6 Chaos Under Heaven Chapter 92 Deep Planning
On November 9th, at 1-3 PM.
"Brother Lu, there shouldn't be any major problems with making these things, right?" Hua Yinghong was undoubtedly in a good mood, not as "enraged for the sake of a woman" as the news had been deliberately spread.
In fact, dealing with the traitor of the Restoration Society was just a way to deliberately lure the Jade Dragon Secret Service to deal with Liu Yufei, the supreme leader of the Freedom Alliance, so that the Free Army would have a legitimate reason to enter the mainland. After extensive propaganda and the widespread reputation of "paradise on earth," the Free Alliance's image of "saving the people from suffering and rescuing the masses from dire straits" has begun to spread widely throughout the Hua Long Continent. If a war is hastily started without a legitimate cause, even if a temporary victory is achieved, it will not be conducive to future expansion.
Last night's outcome was undoubtedly perfect: Ying Fei, the second-in-command of the Jade Dragon Secret Service, personally led a thousand elite spies in action. Apart from Ying Fei and Long Er, the most powerful among them, who escaped, all the traitors in the Restoration Council's meeting hall, including Jiang Sheng, were killed. Hundreds of Restoration Society traitors who followed Jiang Sheng and colluded with the Jade Dragon Secret Service were also executed. Of the thousand Jade Dragon Secret Service elites responsible for the encirclement, only a few dozen of level eight or nine masters escaped into the mountains with their exceptional lightness skills; the rest lay dead in the desolate mountains under the combined attack of the Peach Blossom Palace masters and the Ba Tian Special Forces.
The Free Army suffered negligible casualties—their combined long-range and close-quarters combat tactics, along with their superior martial arts skills, were used against a motley crew relying solely on brute force. The powerful long-range attacks of the Divine Crossbow and Sun-Shooting Arrows inflicted heavy casualties on the Jade Dragon Spy experts, killing or wounding them. Even those Jade Dragon Spy experts who managed to penetrate their own ranks were always quickly drained of their internal energy and then surrounded by several times their number of opponents, making survival nearly impossible. Furthermore, Hua Yinghong's repeated indoctrination instilled in them the war mentality of "victory at all costs" and "mercy towards the enemy is cruelty towards oneself," which had taken deep root in the minds of the Free Army and even the experts of the Peach Blossom Palace. After all, it was better for the enemy to die than one's own; watching the enemy die was far better than watching brothers, sisters, comrades, or even oneself die. Thus, a thousand Jade Dragon Spy experts were annihilated in one fell swoop, while the Free Army Special Forces, the Restoration Society, and the Special Forces only suffered 46 dead and over 300 wounded. This was an unbelievable yet undeniably true victory!
The two top experts, Ying Fei and Long Er, were so terrified by the "Two Beauties of Peach Blossom" that Peach Blossom Fairy Xue Qianqian had somehow summoned that they fled in panic. The renowned "Plum Blossom Sword Saint" Mei Shanmin secretly agreed to support and back the "Ten Thousand Plum Manor" after the Free Army occupied Tianshui Prefecture... All of this made Hua Yinghong realize that the Free Army had entered a fast track of expansion—the most worrying situation of the Free Alliance lacking super experts as support had been greatly improved!
Hua Yinghong was fortunate enough to witness the earth-shattering "Battle of Two Gods" between Sword God Lang Qingyun and Knife God Guan Shanyue. That kind of power, surpassing human limits and shaking the heavens and earth, could not be replaced by simply having a large army. The existence of super experts from various forces was an extremely terrifying threat, like the "nuclear terror balance" of another world, which no one dared to use lightly. But if someone did use it, it would be a fatal blow to the side without super experts!
A single master of divine skill might not be able to take on an entire army single-handedly, but if they were to coordinate an army against another, and the opposing side lacked a master of similar caliber, it would be a disaster for the entire army! If a large number of a mid-to-high-ranking officers in an army were to be ambushed and killed by a super-master, how could the war continue?
The foundation of the Free Army was, after all, too shallow.
"Brother Hua, every time I'm summoned by you, I'm always both delighted and apprehensive," Lu Shenggong said jokingly after listening to Hua Yinghong's ideas for several "new inventions."
"They're just some little gadgets. Without Brother Lu's brilliant hands, these things would just be ideas," Hua Yinghong laughed. "I can only talk the talk, not walk the walk, all talk and no action."
"Brother Hua always has ingenious ideas, finally letting me know what genius is," Lu Shenggong said with some emotion. He naturally didn't know that the things Hua Yinghong wanted him to manufacture were essentially obsolete in the other world. It was simply that due to the limitations of the current technological level and basic conditions, many more advanced things couldn't be manufactured yet.
The accumulation and development of civilization, after all, takes time. Even if Hua Yinghong had the ideas readily available, he still needed the corresponding technological foundation to support them. All he could do was appropriately accelerate this progress. After these days of observation, he realized that the current technological level of the Hua Long Continent was roughly equivalent to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties in another world. Black powder for fireworks had been invented, but even with the formula for high-energy explosives, Hua Yinghong hadn't successfully formulated them—because Lu Shenggong, representing the highest level of miscellaneous knowledge on the Hua Long Continent, didn't know what the periodic table was, or what nitroglycerin, ammonium nitrate, or similar substances were, so naturally, he couldn't manufacture them.
If, like in some fantastical novels, high-energy explosives, machine guns, missiles, or even nuclear weapons could be manufactured instantly, Hua Yinghong wouldn't have to go through all this trouble—even a master of divine rank might be able to withstand machine gun bullets, but surely not the power of missiles and nuclear weapons? One must eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. Although Hua Yinghong did have the tempting idea of using missiles to lock onto and annihilate a super expert... those were just unrealistic fantasies for the time being!
If fate truly exists, it should at least be relatively fair to everyone. If life is merely a game, then at least the rules of the game should be the same for everyone.
However, in the days following the great battle with the Japanese army, Hua Yinghong has indeed put forward many ingenious ideas and far-sighted plans to consolidate the foundation of the Free Alliance.
For example, when expanding his army in Lingbao Town, Hua Yinghong widely disseminated the first three techniques of the "Heaven and Earth Technique" within the Free Army. This was because the method of "practicing in motion" had been proven to lack the compatible and permeating characteristics of the true qi of heaven and earth, and practicing only the Blazing Sun Technique could easily lead to qi deviation. Later, he simply established the position of Master of Techniques, who was in charge of the examination, instruction, and statistics of personnel promotion for those who practiced the sixth technique and below of the "Heaven and Earth Technique."
In the civilian population, Hua Yinghong also ordered the widespread teaching of the basic techniques of the Blazing Sun Technique, the Void-Breaking Technique, and the Heaven and Earth Technique. Anyone interested in learning could obtain them from the special department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and there were also special instructors to guide their practice. After mastering these techniques, one could reach the third rank. As for cultivating higher-level martial arts techniques, one must join the Free Army or serve the Free Alliance within the Internal Affairs Department before being granted them level by level based on their skill level. Everyone is registered, and anyone who divulges high-level techniques without authorization is considered a traitor—this measure has created a large population with excellent martial arts foundations. Expanding the army in the future will be extremely easy…
To print a large number of basic martial arts techniques and training instructions, Hua Yinghong was inspired and changed the woodblock printing method commonly used on the Hua Long Continent to movable type printing. The Nangong family was overjoyed and rushed to partner with Hua Yinghong to establish the "Zhonghua Printing House": Hua Yinghong contributed his technology as a 40% stake, while the Nangong family invested 200,000 gold coins for a 60% stake. They said it was a great deal—just by using movable type, which was ten times faster and cost-effectiveer than woodblock printing, the Zhonghua Printing House earned a net profit of 20,000 gold coins by printing the first batch of hundreds of thousands of military books, textbooks, books, and popular science materials on martial arts for the Protocol Department, the Military Academy, Tsinghua Academy, and the library. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the enormous profits that Hua Yinghong brought to the printing industry by establishing numerous colleges and military academies under the ideology of "education should never be neglected, no matter how poor we are"...
Feeling that the roads on Zhenbao Island were difficult to navigate on rainy days, and that even the official roads paved with lime and gravel would become muddy and impassable after being trampled by horses, Hua Yinghong proposed a method for making cement: Using 75% refractory materials such as clay bricks, fragments of various earthenware bowls, plates, and pots, as well as slag from iron smelting furnaces and ash, and 25% quicklime, and calcined gypsum heated in an iron pot until it turned yellowish-gray, the various raw materials were washed, dried in a fire pit, and then ground and mixed together with a stone mill to make "cement". Cement, used to pave roads and build houses, is far stronger and more durable than current official roads and buildings.
Seeing the lucrative potential of cement production, major forces on the island have invested in building dozens of cement production camps. This will not only alleviate the environmental pollution caused by various mines and urban waste, but also generate substantial profits. According to the Interior Ministry's plan, streets in major towns on Zhenbao Island, official roads between cities, and even rural roads will be gradually renovated with this cement. If the Free Army successfully lands on the mainland and occupies more land and towns, the astronomical profits will be immeasurable! For
example, Lu Shenggong mentioned to Hua Yinghong that due to the massive expansion of the army and the manufacture of weapons, there was a severe shortage of steel production. After visiting those rudimentary steelmaking camps, Hua Yinghong, without hesitation, spent a day designing a "open-hearth steelmaking method." This method utilizes refined "Dragon Blood" and uses heat storage to increase furnace temperature, producing high-quality steel from pig iron and scrap iron!
Hua Yinghong's steelmaking furnace was low and flat, with a flat molten pool. Air preheated in the lower regenerator and then heated into a mist-like form of dragon blood were sent to the upper molten pool, where they were blown and burned on the surface of the molten iron. The steel produced was far superior to that produced by the current rudimentary methods, and pig iron, scrap steel, iron filings, wrought iron, and iron ore could all be used as raw materials, greatly increasing production! Furthermore, after being refined through a hundredfold refining process, the performance of various military weapons produced was far superior to before!
And so on and so forth. As Liu Ju said, "As long as you can ask a question, Brother Hua will have a solution, as if his head is naturally filled with answers." Lu Shenggong, who prided himself on being a master of miscellaneous knowledge and a master of weaponry, had to marvel at "a once-in-a-millennium genius"—the Hualong Continent had never seen a general like Hua Yinghong who had achieved such great military success, and who also had the mind to study these seemingly messy and unworthy things, let alone come up with ingenious ideas to benefit the world.
In reality, Hua Yinghong's "new inventions" and ideas were commonplace in another world. He simply used the mind of Lu Shen, a master of miscellaneous arts, and the technology of this other world—a civilization hundreds or even thousands of years ahead—to create them, benefiting the people under the Free Alliance's rule and giving the Free Alliance a leading position in the economy, military, and reputation.
More importantly, Hua Yinghong wanted to use these things to truly enrich the people of Treasure Island and under the Free Alliance's rule, allowing them to truly live a good life in a "paradise on earth." "A prosperous people makes a strong nation," and only with the genuine support of the people can the Free Alliance have the most solid foundation for its existence. After each of Hua Yinghong's new inventions was born, he gathered many forces on the island to jointly manage it, thus giving them huge returns. Only in this way can we gain the genuine support of more forces—
according to Nangong Wang's report, the Zhonghua Gold Bank has established branches or sub-branches in every town on the island, with a continuous influx of gold coins deposited, and a large amount of gold coins being borrowed by forces and individuals who see potential opportunities in various industries. As of November 8th, deposits had reached 15 million gold coins, and loans had reached 6 million gold coins. At this rate, if the Free Army lands on the mainland and wins another battle, gaining some territory, deposits and loans will likely surge even further!
After declaring war on the Sima clan, he will set off for the long-awaited mainland, not knowing when he will return. Hua Yinghong needs to seize the time to handle several important matters for long-term planning.
"Brother, if you can make these things, they will be worth at least two more legions," Hua Yinghong said with deep feeling. Indeed, the astonishing destructive power of the "Divine Crossbow" and "Dragon Blood Bullet" in the great battle against the Japanese army was something Hua Yinghong had not anticipated. Beyond mere lethality, the emergence of these two items revolutionized the entire strategy and tactics, giving the Free Army absolute initiative.
After the great battle with the Japanese army, Hua Yinghong personally awarded Lu Shenggong and every craftsman in the weapons battalion who developed the "Dragon Blood Bullet" the Second Class Freedom Medal and bonuses, increasing their salaries. This made the weapons battalion the most envied place by the Free Army, second only to the "Iron Army" Special Forces. The craftsmen in the weapons battalion became even more enthusiastic about developing new technologies, inventions, and improving weaponry…
"These things are somewhat difficult, but they should be achievable; it just takes time." Lu Shenggong had been continuously passing on his knowledge to the staff of the weapons battalion and the ordnance department. Hua Yinghong had also established a special "Academy of Physics" at the "Tsinghua Academy" specifically for research on miscellaneous instruments and such. Lu Shenggong was indeed quite busy, juggling lecturing, managing the ordnance department's affairs, and conducting research.
“Brother, you can now delegate the daily tasks of the Ordnance Department to your deputy and focus on invention, manufacturing, and lecturing. Such broad learning will benefit generations to come!” Hua Yinghong remarked again.
“Report! Director Mo requests an audience.” The voice of the guard captain, Fang Shiling, came from outside.
“No outsiders. Invite him in,” Hua Yinghong said.
“According to a report from the forward command, all our units have reached their designated positions and are ready to land and fight at any time.” Director Mo Yan of the Military Intelligence Department entered with his usual stern and unsmiling expression.

Volume Six: Chaos Across the Land, Chapter Ninety-Three: Standing Alone
. The Baiyi Kingdom was located on a beach twenty miles east of the Tianshui Prefecture border.
It was deserted, with towering, precipitous mountains not far from the shore, making it unsuitable for a large-scale landing.
Two hundred warships of the Free Army Navy escorted nearly two thousand transport ships laden with supplies and Free Army soldiers, anchored at the shore. The night after the "Fifteen-Person Meeting," the various regular divisions of the Free Army quietly boarded pre-prepared transport ships, much like the Overlord Special Forces Command, and, under naval escort, secretly embarked from locations such as North Port, Pearl Harbor Beach, and West Port, heading to their designated combat positions. Hua Yinghong's presence on the island attending various public events and even the curfew were merely a smokescreen.
During their training, the Free Army frequently conducted large-scale marches and field exercises, both day and night. Throughout Zhenbao Island, various military units constantly interspersed their training sessions. Sometimes a unit would be in Xigang one day and at Jubao Ferry the next. Other times, they would be in Keelung City one night and suddenly found at Beigang Wharf the next afternoon… Apart from the Military Affairs Department, no one knew the exact location of any unit, let alone the intelligence agents planted by various factions. After this became commonplace, the Free Army's movements on Zhenbao Island attracted little attention—this was precisely the deceptive tactic employed by Hua Yinghong.
After large numbers of Free Army soldiers secretly boarded ships and left the island from different locations, the military camps were all under tight security, keeping the spies of various factions completely in the dark!
On the "Shalang," the forward command, comprised of Ye Zhiqi, Ji Wumou, Lin Zhi, Liu Litao, Pang Yi, Zhang Qunfeng, Qin Zhong, and Yun Shalang, was holding a meeting to discuss the battle plan.
"This time, our army has mobilized six regular divisions, one naval division, and a special operations force, totaling 290,000 troops, for this landing operation. The targets are Tianshui Prefecture and Dongguan Prefecture. According to the corps commander's orders, we must not only win, but win decisively, minimizing losses and securing a firm foothold, so as not to be overwhelmed by the Sima clan's counterattack. Everyone, please give your opinions first." The young Ye Zhiqi, appointed as the commander-in-chief of the "Landing Operation," felt immense pressure.
Hua Yinghong's decision not to personally command such a crucial battle, but instead entrusting him with this responsibility, was partly to maintain a diversionary tactic on Zhenbao Island, but more importantly, to allow the senior generals of the Free Army to mature in actual combat, moving beyond simply executing his plans and orders. Conquering the vast continent of Hualong requires a large number of generals capable of leading armies and fighting independently, not just Hua Yinghong alone.
Ye Zhiqiu is Hua Yinghong's sworn brother, holding the high position of commander of the First Division. However, Ye Zhiqiu, who knows his elder brother's temperament well, also knows that if he cannot demonstrate the corresponding level of ability, Hua Yinghong will dismiss him without hesitation—not only him, but any general in the Free Army.
"An incompetent general can lead to the death of thousands of soldiers." Hua Yinghong will boldly promote any capable and outstanding general, like Yun Shalang. But he will also remove any mediocre or incompetent general. With the intelligence supervision of the Military Intelligence Division, the division commanders of each major regiment sometimes receive orders from Hua Yinghong personally to replace or deal with individual incompetent regimental commanders, battalion commanders, and other generals. He will also issue warnings against division commanders for poor personnel management. Therefore, throughout the Free Army, orders are strictly followed, and no one dares to slack off in the slightest!
"The Sima clan has stationed two divisions of 80,000 reserve troops in each of Tianshui and Dongguan prefectures, totaling no more than 160,000 men. With the fighting strength of our Free Army, taking the two prefectures is not a problem. The key is how to fight and how to minimize losses. I propose to besiege the points and attack the reinforcements. We will launch a forced landing with our main force, besiege Tianshui Prefecture, and ambush the Yulong Army that may come to reinforce from the direction of Yulong County and Dongguan Prefecture. Then the two prefectures will naturally fall into our hands." Pang Yi was the first to propose a plan.
"Brother Pang's plan is certainly sound. However, if the Jade Dragon Army holds firm in the fortified city and doesn't send reinforcements, our army may be caught in a dilemma. After all, amphibious operations without a base of operations place immense logistical pressure on us. If we launch a strong attack on a fortified city defended by 80,000 men, our army lacks experience in siege warfare, and heavy losses are inevitable, making it a losing proposition. But if we don't take advantage of the Sima clan's recent acquisition of two prefectures to launch a strong attack, we fear that if the siege lasts too long, the Sima clan, after consolidating their rule within the city, will send another large army from Jade Dragon County to advance steadily, launching a pincer attack. In that case, Long Feiyang's fate at Baiyang City will be repeated in our army." Lin Zhi, the commander of the Second Division, was skilled in defensive warfare. His assumptions from the defender's perspective were reasonable and tantamount to overturning Pang Yi's plan, but he did not propose his own battle strategy.
"I propose to lure the Jade Dragon Army out of the fortified city and annihilate them in open battle!" Yun Shalang, the commander of the Naval Reserve Division, naturally became the top leader in the navy when Hai Tianqing was absent. Intelligent and resourceful, Yun Shalang dared to propose bold and innovative strategies. Since cleverly seizing Ling Ye's naval warship at Pearl Beach, he had gained the appreciation of Hua Yinghong and Hai Tianqing, and his promotions had been rapid.
"How to lure the enemy?" Ye Zhiqiu asked with interest, noticing that Yun Shalang's idea coincided with his own. This method of open discussion in pre-battle meetings, replacing individual unilateral decisions, could compensate for the limitations and shortcomings of the core decision-makers. "Three cobblers can equal a great general," hence Hua Yinghong strongly advocated for its implementation within the Free Army—of course, once a decision was made, it had to be strictly enforced; military orders were paramount!
Yun Shalang said, "Currently, the only unit our army has exposed is Batian's Special Operations Brigade. It's said that after our Free Alliance declared war this morning, the Sima clan's Jade Dragon Army in Tianshui City and Dongguan City dispatched scouts everywhere. They are building a pier at Longtan Town, where the two prefectures meet on the coast, and have sent several patrol boats to the Zhenbao Strait. If our army..."

"Director Mo, is there any other important news?" Hua Yinghong, after hearing Mo Yan's report, knew the landing force was ready to launch an attack at any time. Ye Zhiqiu would report back soon with the specific battle plan. It was just a matter of how the battle went and how much damage was done.
"The grassland allied forces have captured Taihe Pass and entered Xiliang Prefecture," Mo Yan said.
"Oh?" Hua Yinghong was somewhat surprised. "As far as I know, Taihe Pass is exceptionally fortified, and with Li Wenlong, the rising star of the Li family, guarding it, how could it fall before Longxi City? How could the grassland allied forces do that? Do you have any detailed information?" "
It is reported that the grassland army used siege towers and slid down from the peaks on both sides of the pass into the pass using flying divine robes, and Taihe Pass fell. Details are unknown," Mo Yan replied.
"Flying divine robes? Do you know what that is, brother?" Hua Yinghong looked at Lu Shenggong. These days he had spent a lot of time studying the geography, weaponry, and other war-related things of the Hualong Continent. He had heard of siege towers, but he had never heard of flying divine robes.
"I've never heard of it either," Lu Shenggong sighed inwardly. Strange things happen every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual. Not only does Hua Yinghong always have strange things popping up, but even the grassland allied forces, who have always lived on horseback, have siege towers and even novel items like "flying divine robes"—from now on, fortified cities are no longer absolutely defensible.
Hua Yinghong pondered for a moment before saying, "Director Mo, do your best to gather intelligence on the Flying Divine Garment. My departure date will be postponed by one day. Brother Lu, I've thought of two things, and I'd appreciate it if you could lead your men to expedite their development. I will have the Ministry of the Interior, the Reserve Division, and the Military Intelligence Bureau provide full support in terms of resources and manpower, and ensure that secrecy measures are in place. If they can be successfully developed, it will be no less significant than adding a million soldiers to the Free Army!"...

Dusk. Inside Dongguan City, at the Jade Dragon Army camp.
Sima Yuan, clad in golden armor, sat upright in the commander's seat of the central tent, his somewhat scholarly face gaining a touch of heroic spirit from the full armor.
As the sixth son of Yulong King Sima Yuan, he was unlike the eldest prince Sima Tai, who enjoyed the advantages of being the eldest son and had the support of his maternal clan, the Ding family, and the civil service system led by Murong Ming; unlike the seventh prince Sima Lang, who had the help of his in-laws, the Qiu family, and was perhaps appointed commander of the central army by his father Sima Yuan as compensation, thus gaining military power—which meant he rarely returned home to disturb his father and Qiu Shuiyun's intimate moments; and unlike the third prince Sima An, who had the support of his maternal clan, the Li family of Xiliang, and wielded considerable power in Changling Prefecture, Jinchuan Prefecture, and Yinchuan Prefecture, which bordered Xiliang Prefecture, north of Luolan County.
The kingdom's Imperial Guard, the most elite fighting force besides the Imperial Guard, was firmly controlled by "Duke Protector of the Nation" Sima Cheng, and the elite of the elite—the Imperial Guard—only obeyed the orders of Yulong King Sima Yuan, and Sima Yuan had no way to interfere. He had always been disliked in the succession struggle among the four sons of Jade Dragon King Sima Yuan, mainly because he lacked military power or support.
However, Sima Yuan was not without merit, thanks to his wonderful mother—Consort Li Ruyu, whom Jade Dragon King Sima Yuan both loved and feared most! Despite having taken Qiu Shuiyun, the "Third Beauty of Hualong," as his new favorite in the past two or three years, Li Ruyu remained irreplaceable in Sima Yuan's heart, even subtly surpassing his first consort, Ding Jieyu! Besides Li Ruyu's beauty, as her name suggests, and her youthful appearance even at nearly forty, another important reason was that her father, Sima Yuan's maternal grandfather, was Li Xinghai—the "Frost Blade Saint" Li Xinghai!
The vast Jade Dragon spy network was one of Sima Yuan's most important tools for monitoring officials and controlling the Jade Dragon Kingdom. It boasted countless openly known experts, and coupled with the numerous martial arts sects and families it secretly controlled, such as Jiang Sheng of Tianshui Prefecture, its potential power was immense. This tool was in the hands of "Frost Blade Saint" Li Xinghai. Li Xinghai's martial arts skills had reached an unfathomable level, and he enjoyed Sima Yuan's trust second only to "Duke Protector of the Nation" Sima Cheng, not only because of his unfathomable martial arts prowess but also because he had saved Sima Yuan's life three times!
Due to a secret agreement between Sima Yuan and the Qiu family, the Sima family gained control of Tianshui and Dongguan Prefectures. It was clear to everyone that the Qiu family's early surrender of these two prefectures was a temporary way to get rid of a hot potato—this was evident from the fact that the Free Army declared war only on the Sima family, not on the Jade Dragon Kingdom itself; the Free Army, which was bound to land sooner or later, needed to find a target to attack. The Qiu family's immediate priority was to deal with Long Feiyang's hundreds of thousands of troops in Daliang and firmly control the wealthy Nanhai and Yunyuan counties. Diverting the threat of the Free Army westward to the Sima family was the best option.
The Sima family, however, was happy to take on this "hot potato." Gaining access to the sea would grant them access to the abundant marine resources of the Zhenbao Strait, a base for building a powerful navy, and potentially a re-landing on Zhenbao Island to eliminate the Free Army and truly reclaim the rich resources for themselves, rather than merely scratching the surface under the Qiu family's rule. Although the Qiu family paid five million gold coins in taxes annually, it was heavily discounted.
It was under these circumstances that Sima Yuan led two reserve divisions of the Imperial Guard and two reserve divisions secretly formed primarily from retired soldiers, transforming himself into the Jinghai Army and taking on the heavy responsibility of defending Tianshui and Dongguan prefectures. This was a good start; after two victories, Prince Yulong, Sima Yuan, would agree to let him lead more troops. With the enormous wealth amassed by Yulong's secret agents over the years as a backing, his previously suppressed and submissive situation in the struggle for the crown prince would be completely changed!
"Urgent report from Longtan Town! Free Army patrol boats spotted fifty miles from the Zhenbao Strait!"
"Urgent report from Tianshui! Nearly ten thousand members of the Free Army Special Forces are heading east along the coast from the direction of Tianshui Prefecture. The garrisons in the towns along the way are powerless to stop them. They are less than thirty miles from Longtan Town. Requesting permission to dispatch a large army to encircle and annihilate them!"...
Messages kept pouring into Sima Yuan's office. In the course of war, intelligence is of paramount importance. Even before the Free Army declared war, Sima Yuan had already dispatched a large number of patrol boats from Longtan Town to patrol the Zhenbao Strait, to prevent being caught off guard when the Free Army attacked.
Most of the terrain in Tianshui and Dongguan Prefectures is flat, with occasional small hills only a few dozen feet high. However, the coastline, stretching over 300 li, is mostly rocky and precipitous cliffs. The only suitable landing areas for a large army and its supplies are the area around Heilong Town in the Baiyi Mountains near Tianshui Prefecture, and the area around Longtan Town, spanning only a dozen li. Last night, Yingfei's "Capture the Head" operation failed, resulting in the annihilation of over a thousand elite Yulong spies and hidden members of the Restoration Society. The Free Army, instead of securing a landing, declared war on the Sima clan. Sima Yuan knew then that the Free Army's operation had begun, and he dispatched two regiments to heavily fortify the two potential landing sites.
For a large army to land, it's essential to first secure a favorable landing location to facilitate troop deployment. The Free Army's special operations brigade's decision to attack Longtan Town instead of Heilong Town was also within Sima Yuan's expectations. Longtan Town is only about 30 li from Dongguan City, and its under-construction docks and shipyards were intended for the Sima clan's naval forces, making it an ideal landing location for a large army.
"Order! The Third Division's directly subordinate regiments and the First Regiment immediately depart and garrison Longtan Town. The entire Fourth Division is to garrison Heilong Town to strengthen defenses. Tianshui City and Dongguan City are to enter Level 1 combat readiness..." Sima Yuan issued a series of orders, deploying a full-fledged division in both Heilong Town and Longtan Town, leaving no room for error. This demonstrates that he is not a mediocre talent ignorant of military strategy.
The Free Army's first battle on the mainland encountered a formidable opponent...

Volume 6, Chaos Across the Land, Chapter 94: Forced Landing in
Jade Dragon City, Jade Dragon Palace.
Jade Dragon King Sima Yuan sat on his dragon bed, enjoying the intoxicating oral service of the beautiful Qiu Shuiyun. The soft, moist, fragrant lips and tongue of the "Third Beauty of Hualong" made him tremble involuntarily, waves of explosive, extremely pleasurable pleasure emanating from their contact...
The Seventh Prince, Sima Lang, led the Central Army and Reserve Army, along with the navy, to attack the Nanhu County of the Later Tang Empire, thousands of miles away. Sima Yuan simply summoned Qiu Shuiyun to the palace, indulging in nightly pleasures. Of the three thousand beauties in his harem, all three thousand favored him alone. Sima Yuan wished he could take Qiu Shuiyun with him even to court, completely disregarding the resentful hearts of the many beautiful women in the harem who eagerly awaited the Dragon King's favor.
"Oh...oh..." Sima Yuan couldn't help but groan softly. Qiu Shuiyun's skillful use of her lips and tongue, combined with her wondrous "Charming Maiden Technique," brought him to an incomparably blissful state... As he wholeheartedly catered to her, the beauty's bright, captivating eyes radiated intoxicating allure, gazing at him with a mixture of reproach and delight, as if trying to win his favor...
The most difficult thing to bear is the favor of a beautiful woman. Normally, Sima Yuan would have felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders and released his pent-up energy, bestowing his rich, hot essence upon this beautiful woman before engaging in a passionate lovemaking session... But today, Sima Yuan was unable to reach that blissful moment, for his mind was preoccupied with other matters—
the fall of Taihe Pass was extremely detrimental to the Sima family. After the Later Tang Empire and the Great Liang Kingdom made peace, a situation arose where the Golden Dragon Kingdom and the Jade Dragon Kingdom joined forces against the Later Tang Empire and the Great Liang Kingdom. In terms of overall national strength, the "Two Dragons" were no match for the Later Tang and Great Liang; their only strategic advantage was a surprise attack that seized most of the Later Tang Empire's northwestern prefecture, the entire southwestern prefecture, and Yanbo Prefecture of Nanhu Prefecture, as well as the Great Liang Kingdom's Yunyuan Prefecture and Nanhai Prefecture, trapping the Later Tang Empire's southwestern army and the Great Liang Kingdom's western and eastern naval armies. The
fact that the Later Tang Emperor, Liu Piaoxu, would actually lower himself to seek peace with the Great Liang Kingdom was a complete surprise to Sima Yuan. The Great Liang Kingdom, having suffered a surprise attack and the annihilation of over ten thousand soldiers by the Later Tang Empire, could still swallow this insult—Zhu Wen was no ordinary man of restraint! This greatly surprised Sima Yuan. If he, Sima Yuan, had been in that situation, he would have seized the opportunity to kick them while they were down, mobilizing a large army to wipe out the Later Tang's Nanhu Army—and then storming into Nanhu County to claim a share. With the three kingdoms joining forces, and even the New Song Kingdom, which had remained inactive in the northeast of the continent, perhaps joining the war once the situation became clearer, the Later Tang Empire, despite its strength, would be in deep trouble! "Four kings dividing Tang" would not be a pipe dream!
Unfortunately, such a good opportunity, but the short-sighted King Zhu Wen of Great Liang actually rejected his envoy's proposal, leaving Sima Yuan both amused and exasperated!
After the fall of Taihe Pass last night, hundreds of thousands of cavalry from the grassland coalition marched straight into Xiliang Prefecture. Li Xuanji devised a plan to abandon Longxi City before the steppe allied forces cut off his retreat, and instead retreated entirely to construct a new defensive system between Xiliang City, Huaiyuan City, and Yulong Pass, protecting the northern half of Xiliang Prefecture and Wulan and Dangxiang Prefectures. However, this allowed the steppe allied forces, once deployed, to leave a portion of their troops to contain Li's Xiliang army, while the majority could advance through the southern part of Xiliang Prefecture towards Yinchuan Prefecture in Luolan County, which was under the control of the Sima clan.
Luolan County comprised four prefectures—Yinchuan, Jinling, Changling, and Jinchuan—forming an irregular "田" (field) shape. Changling and Jinchuan Prefectures, bordering the Yulong River to the north from west to east, and Yinchuan and Jinling Prefectures, bordering the Yulong Mountains to the south from west to east, were mostly low hills and plains. Apart from a few large cities, there were virtually no natural defenses. Upon receiving the urgent report from the Li family, Sima Yuan and Sima Cheng immediately ordered the formation of the Roland Legion from four reserve divisions secretly established in Roland County. Combined with the existing Second Guards Division and its reserve divisions, a total of 240,000 men were to be assembled and deployed towards Yinchuan Prefecture under the command of the Third Prince, Sima An, to construct defenses.
—With the newly established Jinghai Legion and Roland Legion to take over Tianshui and Dongguan Prefectures, along with the Central Reserve Legion heading to Nanhu County, and two reserve divisions sent to replenish the losses from the battle of Baijiang Prefecture, the military strength trained by the Sima clan since its massive expansion was almost fully revealed, both openly and covertly. Excluding the Ding, Qiu, and Li families, the Sima clan's current military strength had reached an astonishing one million men!
However, with such a large army to contend with the two-front war in Nanhu and Luolan counties, the Sima clan still found themselves short-handed and stretched thin. If Taihe Pass hadn't fallen, they could have reinforced Nanhu County, or joined forces with the Ding clan to annihilate the Later Tang's southwestern army and launch a new offensive against the Later Tang Empire. If they could decisively defeat the Later Tang's Nanhu and Zhufeng armies and share the two wealthy counties with the Ding clan, Ding Zili would likely not have refused such a good deal.
Sima Yuan had previously conveyed this proposal to the Ding family through the Minister of Personnel, Ding Zili, but the fall of Taihe Pass at this critical juncture caught Sima Yuan off guard! The reserve forces originally intended to support the Ding clan's attack on the Later Tang's southwestern army were now largely depleted after forming the Luolan army. Given Ding Zili's cunning and shrewdness, he would certainly not be willing to expend resources to annihilate the Later Tang's southwestern army alone without corresponding benefits.
Once again, the army was expanded—Sima Yuan had no other choice. He ordered the addition of fifteen reserve divisions to the three prefectures and twelve counties controlled by the Sima clan, plus the newly acquired Tianshui, Dongguan, and Qingjiang prefectures. A naval division was also added to Jiangyin City in the southwestern prefecture of the Later Tang Empire. A large number of mid-level officers in the Jade Dragon Regular Army were promoted and ordered to form reserve divisions. However, since many trained retired soldiers had already enlisted during the first conscription, this recruitment could only be based on ordinary civilians. The fighting strength of an army cannot be formed simply by civilians picking up swords and guns. Even with the best training results, it would still take a considerable amount of time to form a relatively strong fighting force.
Only Sima Yuan, Sima Cheng, and a few others knew that the Sima clan had reached the brink of a real crisis—the national treasury's reserves of fifty million gold coins accumulated over the past ten years, along with military equipment, had been almost completely depleted after the first expansion and more than two months of war. The production and equipment of weapons, training expenses, and compensation for the wounded and the injured had been exhausted. Of the three newly acquired prefectures, Tianshui and Dongguan, ceded by the Qiu family, have not yet generated any revenue. While the confiscation of the Later Tang Empire's treasury and official property in Nanhu County, Yanbo Prefecture, and Jiangyin City yielded nearly ten million gold coins, the "crushing blow" launched by the renowned general Dongfang Bai upon his return immediately resulted in 80,000 casualties in the Jade Dragon Army, with compensation alone costing over four million gold coins! The Sima family has begun to utilize their private wealth and the accumulated funds from tributes from the Baiyi Kingdoms over the years, and this military expansion will consume most of it—if they don't find a good way to raise funds, the Sima family will be overwhelmed by the burden of their ever-expanding army!
"The Divine Treasure"—while Sima Yuan is worrying about finances, he recalls the legendary "Divine Treasure," said to contain billions of gold coins and countless superior weapons. If he captures the former Tang princess Liu Yufei, it won't be difficult to force the "Son of Freedom" to submit and hand over the Divine Treasure and its key. With the Jade Dragon spies' formidable strength, it won't be difficult to retrieve the Divine Treasure with proper planning and scheming. With substantial financial backing and no longer needing to worry about the immense pressure from casualties, the Twin Dragons Alliance will be unstoppable! Unfortunately
, their supposedly foolproof "capture plan," which involved sending Eagle Flying, Dragon Two, the Five Elders of Plum Blossom, over a thousand elite spies, and an army of 20,000, was completely outmaneuvered by the Free Alliance, who used the opportunity to declare war on the Sima clan. This only compounded Sima Yuan's misfortunes, as if all the bad luck had befallen the Sima clan overnight!
Now, they can only hope that the Sixth Prince, Sima Yuan, will prove himself and lead the Jinghai Army to stop the Free Army's landing, ideally achieving a resounding victory and shattering the Free Army's myth of invincibility. With the victory as a foundation, the Free Army's money-making schemes like the "Land Law" and "Gold Law" could also be repackaged and bring enormous wealth to the Sima family—and given the current situation, even if they were forcibly implemented, few people might have confidence in the Sima family's three-front war…
"Sanlang! Look at you…" Because Sima Yuan was distracted, his manhood became limp and dejected. After Qiu Shuiyun's efforts proved fruitless, she couldn't help but give Sima Yuan a reproachful, flirtatious look. "Sanlang" was a nickname between the two of them because Sima Yuan was the third child. "The Third Beauty of Hualong," Qiu Shuiyun, deliberately acted coquettishly, her stunning beauty almost making even an iron man's heart melt...
"Shuiyun..." Sima Yuan snapped out of his daze, activated his Xuan Yu Gong, and instantly straightened his manhood. He bent down, grabbed Qiu Shuiyun's slender waist, threw her onto the dragon bed, and thrust into her with the somewhat rough movements that beauties love...
"Ah!..." A soul-stirring groan rang out... followed by a series of countless soul-stirring groans, sounds of flesh colliding, and gasps intertwined, forming a primal and moving symphony that even made the imperial guards who could faintly hear it in the distance somewhat aroused...

The night was vast, with only a sliver of moon in the sky, quietly watching the sea.
The blazing fire illuminated the newly built dock area of Longtan Town, stretching for miles, as if it were daytime. Sima Yuan, mounted on his horse, stood on a high ground far from the sea. With his skill, he could clearly see the entire battle situation within a radius of several miles—
the Free Army's attack was faster and more ferocious than expected. A dozen or so sentry ships in the strait had disappeared after sending a few messages, presumably destroyed or captured by the Free Army. Fifty Free Navy warships were lined up on the sea more than two hundred paces away, just outside the range of the large catapults and boulders on the shore. The stones hurled by the medium and small catapults could barely hit the warships, but caused almost no damage to the decks and hulls, which were covered with thin steel plates. They only had some effect on the attacks of the Free Army's large catapults and archers—
Sima Yuan would hardly have believed the terrifying power of the "Dragon Blood Bullets" if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes! Within a distance of over 300 paces, the "Dragon Blood Bullets" landed precisely on the Jade Dragon Army's positions or exploded in mid-air, scattering and burning Dragon Blood everywhere. Despite hearing about the Free Army's victory over the Japanese, and despite the military experts of the Sima clan's Ministry of Works devising some countermeasures over the past few days, such as using fire-resistant materials to create protective umbrellas and using wet sand to extinguish oil fires, the direct casualties caused by the "Dragon Blood Bullets" to the Jade Dragon Army were not significant. However, the intense heat and pungent odor of the burning "Dragon Blood" alone made it impossible for the Jade Dragon Army to hold their positions on the shore. They retreated step by step, and the high platforms built on the shore and the hundreds of catapults that had not yet retreated were turned into a sea of fire.
Under the cover of continuously launching "Dragon Blood Bullets" at the approaching naval warships, dozens of Free Army transport ships approached the dock, quickly unloading a large number of soldiers and supplies. After large catapults were assembled on the shore, they continuously fired "Dragon Blood Bullets," pushing the positions forward!
Within two hours of the landing operation commencing, the Free Army's fifty warships had already reached the shore, essentially withdrawing from the battle—this was because Liu Litao's Third Division, which had landed, had advanced its battle line more than a mile from the shore, exceeding the range of the catapults on the warships.
Should they retreat to Dongguan City and hold their ground, or take advantage of the Free Army's main force not yet arriving and mobilize a large army to annihilate the landing division on the shore? Sima Yuan hesitated—if they retreated from Longtan Town, the Fourth Division stationed at Heilong Town would undoubtedly also need to retreat to Tianshui City, otherwise the Free Army would cut off their retreat and defeat them one by one. But in doing so, the Jinghai Army Corps would be entirely on the defensive, clearly suffering a minor defeat, contradicting his father Sima Yuan's order to "win the battle at all costs, to boost morale, and to raise funds..."
At present, the Free Army's forces, including the naval regiment, numbered only 50,000, and judging from their lack of urgency in launching an attack on the Yulong Army, they were undoubtedly merely the vanguard force to open up the landing point. If their hundreds of thousands of troops arrive, whether they attack Tianshui Prefecture or Dongguan Prefecture, the Jade Dragon Army and Jinghai Regiment will face a fierce battle!
The Free Army's forced landing, without any tricks, was completely unexpected by Sima Yuan!

Volume 6 Chaos Under Heaven Chapter 95 Luring the Snake Out of its Hole
"Boom! Boom! Boom!—" The huge sound of the Demonic Dragon Blood Bullets exploding rang out continuously, followed by a series of shrill screams. It turned out that a squadron of Jade Dragon Army soldiers had secretly prepared to launch a surprise attack on the Free Army's catapult position under the cover of night. They were discovered more than two hundred paces away, and a barrage of "Demonic Dragon Blood Bullets" flew out, burning hundreds of them to death!
"Brother Kong Liang, what do you think, should we retreat or attack?" The Sixth Prince Sima Yuan looked at the unfavorable situation on the battlefield, feeling anxious and uncertain, and could only seek help from the wise man beside him.
"Your Highness, there are advantages and disadvantages to both advancing and retreating at this time. It depends on your choice." The slightly short and fat young man with a smile on his face beside Sima Yuan replied. A person who could be addressed as "brother" by the sixth prince Sima Yuan was naturally no ordinary person. If someone knew him well, they would immediately recognize him as Murong Bo, courtesy name Kongliang, son of Murong Ming, the current Left Chancellor of the Jade Dragon Dynasty.
Murong Bo's appearance was almost a carbon copy of Murong Ming's, only twenty years younger. He possessed the same confidence and affability, the same vast knowledge, and the same deep, unfathomable cunning.
"What are the advantages and disadvantages? How should I choose? Brother Kong Liang will surely enlighten me." Sima Yuan knew that Murong Bo would never easily express his opinion on such a crucial matter. However, while the Left Chancellor Murong Ming outwardly supported the eldest prince Sima Tai, he was secretly playing both sides, placing some bets on himself. By sending Murong Bo, the most outstanding member of the new generation of the Murong family, to assist him in leading the army, he inevitably had to drag him into the mess. In case of any missteps, the civil service system led by Left Chancellor Murong Ming would naturally offer its full support, and with the support of "Frost Blade Saint" Li Xinghai, his father, King Sima Yuan, wouldn't be too harsh—Sima Yuan's mind had already processed so many thoughts in a flash. Since he dared to intervene in the struggle for the crown prince position, he was no pushover.
“The advantage of retreating is that we can hold the city and preserve our strength, waiting for the right opportunity to act; the disadvantage is that we will be defeated before the battle even begins, allowing the Free Army to reach our city, causing morale to waver, which will be detrimental to the future battle, and it would also be against His Majesty the Dragon King’s orders. From a broader perspective, it may not be a good thing.” Murong Bo no longer declined and spoke eloquently.
“I have also considered this, so I dare not lightly suggest retreating.” Sima Yuan looked at the fierce battle in the distance. The Jade Dragon Army had been forced to retreat its defensive line to Longtan Town, three miles from the coast, relying on the town walls and houses for defense. The Free Army had stopped its attack and began constructing a defensive line just over two hundred paces away, clearly satisfied with the results of the battle to establish a landing point.
"The advantage of attacking is that if we can win, it will help enhance the prince's prestige, boost the morale of the army and the people, and facilitate His Majesty the Dragon King's implementation of new policies. In the future, it will be natural for the prince to seize power. The disadvantage of attacking is that it will definitely weaken our strength and make it difficult to control the situation in the event of any major changes." Murong Bo's analysis was meticulous and insightful, seemingly explaining everything, yet it also seemed to have no effect on the decision-making process.
"The difficulty of military decision-making is such that one cannot understand it without being in that position," Sima Yuan sighed. "What exactly is Brother Kong Liang's intention? I am truly at a loss for words."
"Attack! And we must launch a fierce attack at all costs, ensuring victory and annihilating or driving the Free Army back to the sea!" Murong Bo, abandoning his usual hesitant manner, said with a glint of cold light in his eyes, "Only by shattering the myth of the Free Army's invincibility can the Prince gain prestige and the Dragon King's favor. No matter the losses, they can be compensated."
"Good! Great minds think alike. Given the Free Army's past history, they might not be willing to sacrifice a division and naval corps for a forced landing. If casualties are heavy, they will certainly find another way. Father has already ordered that we can expand our army. Once the Free Army retreats, in a short time, the Jinghai Army, having experienced bloody battles, will surely become an invincible force..." Sima Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he finally made up his mind—
"Order! Two regiments each from Tianshui City, Dongguan City, and Heilong Town are to reinforce Longtan Town... All units must be wary of a sneak attack by the Free Army Special Forces..." Even as Sima Yuan was determined to wage a full-scale battle in Longtan Town, he hadn't forgotten to guard against the elusive Special Forces—the Free Army Special Forces, which should have arrived in Longtan Town long ago, had vanished thirty miles away. The Jade Dragon spies and the Jade Dragon Army's skilled scouts and sentries all lost contact as they approached its perimeter, their movements unknown, making him extremely cautious.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!..." A series of smoke signals rose, quickly relayed to all units of the Jinghai Army Corps...
"The snake has finally emerged!" On Yun Shalang's flag ship, Ye Zhi Qiu, Ji Wu Mou, and Yun Shalang almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at each other. With Hua Ying Hong's approval, the deliberate attempt to alert the enemy had finally succeeded!

Zhenbao Island, Sun and Moon City.
Until midnight, Hua Yinghong, Lu Shenggong, and Liu Ju finished discussing the development of new weaponry inspired by the "Flying Divine Garment." Lu Shenggong, beaming with joy, hurriedly left. Many sleepless nights might follow, but compared to the sense of accomplishment that would follow success, they were insignificant…
"Ju-mei…" Hua Yinghong embraced Liu Ju's slender waist, about to say something apologetic, when Liu Ju threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and offered her burning cherry lips and fragrant tongue… With parting imminent, all words became superfluous. Even the usually gentle and reserved Liu Ju was overcome with passion.
Hua Yinghong tightly kissed Liu Ju's fiery tongue, their tongues intertwining. His right hand untied the sash around the beautiful woman's waist, and with his "Peach Blossom Amorous Hand," he kneaded and caressed her smooth, full buttocks and jade-like legs, arousing Liu Ju's budding desire…
"Mmm... Husband... be good... to me..." Liu Ju's breath was hot and labored, and she uttered a series of broken words indistinctly. One of her jade-like hands had already unbuttoned Hua Yinghong's casual clothes, reaching inside to grasp and caress his already hard and hot member...
The breathtakingly passionate kiss lasted for an unknown amount of time. Hua Yinghong wanted to place Liu Ju on the large bed in the study, but Liu Ju stopped him: "Husband... let Ju'er serve you tonight..."
Liu Ju slid down her delicate body... her fragrant tongue gently kissed Hua Yinghong's neck... her rosy lips used the various techniques taught by Xue Qianqian to squeeze, lick, and knead...
Hua Yinghong felt waves of extremely pleasurable pleasure coming his way. He sat back on the edge of the bed and continued... Enjoying Liu Ju's loving tenderness, he wished the night would never end...
A devilish hand slipped inside Liu Ju's clothes, caressing her smooth skin. Her proud, erect breasts were teased and stimulated by the "Peach Blossom Seduction Technique," and Liu Ju's desire surged, a blush rising on her pretty face...
Watching her rosy lips use the techniques she had learned from Xue Qianqian... the dual stimulation of touch and sight assaulted Hua Yinghong's nerves like waves, almost causing him to burst...
Liu Ju moved with tenderness... feeling his member swell even more, reaching its limit... so she moved harder, faster... using the seductive techniques she had learned from Xue Qianqian... giving him an even stronger sense of pressure and stimulation...
"Oh..." Hua Yinghong couldn't help but feel an overwhelming surge of excitement, like ocean waves crashing against the shore... Liu Ju silently endured it, feeling the deep affection and tenderness between the two...
"Ugh!—" Hua Yinghong could no longer bear it, letting out a suppressed gasp... But Liu Ju... a torrent of hot energy gushed out violently... that familiar, intensely hot primordial yang and primordial true qi erupted like a fountain in an instant... "
Commander, Chief Mo reports. The snake has emerged from its hole, everything is going smoothly." Fang Shiling's voice rang out from outside the window.
"Understood. We'll set off tomorrow morning, without disturbing the people." Hua Yinghong had already set up a barrier in the room with primordial true qi, so there was no need to worry about the events inside being leaked. While answering, he continued to channel his intense, hot essence and primordial energy into Liu Ju—a supreme pleasure that also greatly benefited Liu Ju's cultivation…
After a long while, Hua Yinghong placed Liu Ju on the bed. He saw the dense, fragrant grass extending down, and between the two tender, white petals, the secret place of her peach blossom spring was faintly visible, already overflowing with jade fluid… He raised his once-erect member and thrust it straight into the soft, smooth flower path!
“Ah!…” Liu Ju couldn't help but let out a series of captivating moans, seemingly both infinite pain and boundless joy…
Winter had arrived, and the weather was growing cold, yet the room was once again filled with the warmth of spring…

Inside a residence in Beigang City.
This was a small and inconspicuous residence, owned by an extremely ordinary merchant. No one would suspect that this was a secret stronghold of the Yinming Sect—not even the subordinates of the Peach Blossom Palace knew of it.
Xu Xiaoyao, the "Amorous Young Master," the Two Elders of Yinming, Shi Heng, the "Corpse-Strewn" Shi Heng, Tan Yingxiao, the "Asura Blade," and more than ten Yinming Sect masters lurking in Beigang City gathered to discuss the assassination of Hua Yinghong.
"That lowly wretch Hua Yinghong stole my love first, then colluded with the Qiu family, occupying my Keelung City and destroying my Bright Army. If we don't kill him, it will be difficult to quell our hatred." Xu Xiaoyao's face was shrouded in a chilling aura, making his expression even more unpredictable and his true appearance difficult to discern. It was a sign that his "Yinming Divine Skill" had broken through again, but the resentment and hatred in his expression did not diminish in the slightest despite the increase in his power.
“Young Master, there’s no need to be angry,” Shi Heng advised. “That lowly servant Hua Yinghong is always accompanied by a large number of experts. A rash move would be futile. However, tomorrow we will depart from Beigang City for the mainland. Xue Qianqian, the most skilled fighter in the Freedom Alliance, along with Miao Youlan and Lü Jingwei, will not be with him. If we ambush him at a crucial point along his route and make proper arrangements, we can surely kill him in one fell swoop.”
“That fellow is known as the Son of Freedom and enjoys immense popularity on the island. While it would be easier to conceal our actions in a crowded area, many would be fiercely protecting him, making success difficult,” Shura Blade Tan Ying said with a smile. Although the Yinming Sect members are highly skilled, even heroes can be overwhelmed by numbers, especially knowing that the Peach Blossom Palace, the Nangong Family, and the Ship Gang are all heavily involved with the Freedom Army. If they were to attack in a crowded area, their presence would be exposed, and even if they succeeded, escape would be difficult.
"Then let's choose a place he deems safe before we act. The two elders and I will be responsible for the assassination, while Brother Tan and the others will hold off the rest. In just a few breaths, we'll ensure he's doomed and dies without a burial place!" A chilling aura spread across Xu Xiaoyao's handsome face, and the dozens of candles in the hall suddenly began to flicker without wind, like eerie will-o'-the-wisps…
"Young Master, we still haven't found Miss Liwen. Could it be…?" a skilled undercover agent from Beigang City asked worriedly.
"It's alright. I doubt she'd dare reveal my secret." Mentioning Liwen, Xu Xiaoyao was furious: a lowly servant girl who had lost her martial arts skills and was once dominated by thousands, had betrayed him and disappeared over such a trivial matter.
In the eyes of the "Amorous Young Master" Xu Xiaoyao, it was indeed just a trivial matter: because the intelligence agents of the Free Alliance and Peach Blossom Palace were extremely skilled at tracking, and to avoid revealing their identities, the Yinming Elders and "Shura Blade" Tan Yingxiao had been hiding these days, not daring to go out and have nowhere to seek pleasure. All he had done was let Liwen accompany the Yinming Elders and Tan Yingxiao for a few nights, and this wretched maid dared to betray him and disappear—she was simply the same kind of slut as Xue Qianqian!
Xu Xiaoyao was unaware that his absurd and shameless behavior had caused Li Wen, who had been loyal to him, to be treated like trash, leading to her deep hatred for him and all men, which would unleash a tremendous wave of rebellion…

Volume 6, Chaos Across the Land, Chapter 96: Another Assassination Attempt
. On November 10th, news once again shocked the Hua Long Continent—after a large number of grassland allied cavalry entered Xiliang Prefecture, they circled westward towards the Yulong Pass line. To avoid being trapped in an isolated pass and annihilated, the Yulong Pass garrison commander, Fang Shilun, led 80,000 men to voluntarily abandon the pass and retreat to Huaiyuan City, 60 miles away from Xiliang City. The impregnable pass was thus surrendered, and the main road for the grassland allied forces to enter Xiliang Prefecture through Yulong Pass was suddenly opened!
The Li family, implementing the "Shocking God Plan," had already relocated the vast majority of their population and resources to Xiliang City, Huaiyuan City, Dangxiang Prefecture, and Wulan Prefecture. The actual gains of the grassland allied forces in occupying the entire Longxi Prefecture and half of Xiliang Prefecture were extremely limited. After deploying troops to Yulong Pass to threaten Huaiyuan City and Xiliang City, 600,000 grassland troops marched from the southern part of Xiliang Prefecture straight towards Yinchuan Prefecture in Luolan County, controlled by the Sima clan!
The battle between "Nine-Rank Divine Sword" Li Wenlong and "First Warrior of the Grasslands" Babuli, and Li Hanshuang's miraculous appearance to rescue Li Wenlong single-handedly from a massive army, were kept secret within the grassland allied forces. Naturally, neither Li Wenlong nor Li Hanshuang spoke of it, so no one knew the truth. However, after secretly visiting the wounded Babuli, Meng Muzhen decided to abandon the attack on Xiliang City and Huaiyuan City and instead advance eastward. If the Grand Preceptor Pang Deyan and the top experts in the Grand Preceptor's Palace did not personally intervene, no one in the grassland allied forces would be a match for Li Hanshuang. If the Li clan were pushed too far, Li Hanshuang alone could cause countless deaths and injuries to the entire grassland army's generals, not to mention the vast Li family behind them, with countless experts!
At this moment, the Grassland King Meng Muzhen truly understood the meaning of the words spoken by the Grand Preceptor Pang Deyan, and the weight of that seemingly insignificant word "rules"!
However—the "unspoken rules" of the Hua Long Continent had begun to melt away like solid ice: Li Wenlong, Babuli, Li Hanshuang, and even Saint-level experts including Xue Qianqian, Miao Youlan, Lü Jingwei, Ying Fei, and Long Er, had all, to varying degrees, broken the "rules," though still kept within a very small scope, not yet out of control.
But every rule has its breaking point. If the "unspoken rules" were to disintegrate, and countless super-powerful experts joined the direct battle, what kind of situation would that bring to the Hua Long Continent and even the entire Holy Continent?

At the Beigang City docks, the crowds stretched as far as the eye could see.
Although Hua Yinghong had strictly ordered that the news of his departure from Zhenbao Island for the mainland not be revealed, the news had somehow leaked out. Hundreds of thousands of people spontaneously gathered at the Beigang City docks and along the coast to see him off. Many people had traveled dozens of miles from Sun and Moon City, and even from Lingbao City and Keelung City—the sheer number of people made Hua Yinghong, who was initially somewhat displeased, feel a surge of excitement.
The Mu Shanzhu Reserve Division, responsible for maintaining order, was on high alert, as were Fang Shiling's eighteen guards, the Freedom Iron Guard, and the secret agents from the Military Intelligence Bureau. Because the path left by the departing crowd was less than three zhang wide, Hua Yinghong frequently shook hands with the crowd to say goodbye. If the enemy forces lurking on the island were to suddenly launch an attack, it would indeed be difficult to defend against.
"Long live the Freedom Alliance! Long live the Goddess of Liberty! Long live the Son of Liberty! Long live the Freedom Army Flower!..." The crowd spontaneously chanted slogans. Even Feng Yanran, who had finally obtained permission to lead the Fire Phoenix Division to the mainland after much pleading, felt the overwhelming cheers as she accompanied Hua Yinghong. A charming smile appeared on her usually cold face, which was usually icy due to her deep-seated hatred. Being compared to Liu Yufei and Hua Yinghong was a great happiness and joy for this girl with a pitiful background.
"Son of Freedom, thank you for everything you've brought to Zhenbao Island. May the God of Freedom bless you." A respected elder with white hair and beard was chosen to toast Hua Yinghong.
Under the Freedom Alliance's rule, Zhenbao Island underwent a dramatic transformation: freedom, equality, dignity, prosperity, and a bright future… all of this earned the Freedom Alliance the genuine support of millions of Zhenbao Island residents!
Taking the large bowl of wine, Hua Yinghong took a big gulp and solemnly said, "This gulp is for the soldiers fighting for the Freedom Alliance." He poured the rest of the wine on the ground and added, "This bowl of wine is dedicated to the true heroes who sacrificed themselves for the Freedom Alliance!"
"God! Open your eyes! A heart that cares for the people, a heart that cherishes the soldiers—this is the true king you have chosen!" The elder looked up to the sky, raising his hands high, seemingly summoning the gods with irresistible power. "Son of Freedom, we, representing the four million people of Treasure Island, respectfully await your instructions."
"Instructions?" Hua Yinghong was taken aback, then realized it was just a speech. But at this moment, facing hundreds of thousands of expectant eyes, what was there to say?
"I, Hua Yinghong, by the command of the God of Freedom, call upon every person who refuses to be enslaved to defend the rights to freedom and equality to the death!" In a moment of quick thinking, Hua Yinghong channeled his inner energy, transmitting his voice to the ears of hundreds of thousands, finally completing a slogan-like speech.
"We swear to defend the rights to freedom and equality! We swear to defend the rights to freedom and equality!..." The cheers of hundreds of thousands erupted like a tsunami, seemingly about to resound throughout the entire Hua Long Continent! Amidst the deafening cheers, Hua Yinghong and Feng Yanran boarded the largest flagship of the Free Navy, the "Freedom One," and, escorted by Hai Tianqing's "Azure Sky" and twenty warships, slowly sailed away from the shore, heading towards the long-awaited Hua Long Continent...
Sun and Moon City.
After a passionate night, Liu Ju awoke slowly, only Hua Yinghong's strong masculine scent remaining beside her pillow; her beloved had quietly departed.
Parting was bittersweet, and Liu Ju knew her lover had gently pressed her pressure point to induce sleep before quietly leaving. Perhaps her considerate and thoughtful lover didn't want her, with her somewhat sentimental nature, to be sad at parting. With each day spent with Hua Yinghong, Liu Ju felt a growing reluctance and longing to leave.
On a blank sheet of paper beside my pillow were a few lines that seemed more like poetry than poetry: "...Holding hands, we gazed at each other with tearful eyes, speechless and choked with emotion. Thinking of the vast expanse of misty waves stretching a thousand miles, the twilight deepening over the boundless sea and sky. Parting has always been painful, especially in the desolate early winter... Ju'er, I will soon bring you to the mainland..."
As Hua Yinghong carefully covered her head with the blanket, tears silently rolled down Liu Ju's beautiful eyes... The

"Freedom One" sailed three miles from the shore, and Fang Shiling, the eighteen guards, and the elite guards sent by various forces in secret finally breathed a sigh of relief, their minds relaxing—they should be safe now.
Coming back to his senses from the earlier scene of commotion, Hua Yinghong felt a chill inexplicably rise in his heart. The Dragon's Roar Blade on his back emitted a "hum," almost exactly the same as when he was assassinated in Jubao Town, indescribable—
"Beware of assassins!" Almost instinctively, Hua Yinghong blurted out a warning!
With a "boom!" splash, a dozen figures leaped from the seawater on the port side of the "Freedom One," more than two zhang high above the port side, arriving with unparalleled speed above Hua Yinghong and Feng Yanran, who were looking back at Zhenbao Island from the side of the ship.
One of them, his wide, golden robe billowing in the sea breeze, resembled a vampire bat with outstretched wings. His sharp eyes gleamed with a terrifying cold light, and his handsome face was shrouded in a chilling, unpredictable aura. These dozen or so men were none other than Xu Xiaoyao, the "Amorous Young Master," and his two Yinming Elders, along with Shi Heng, the "Corpse-Strewn" master,
and Tan Yingxiao, the "Asura Blade," all determined to assassinate Hua Yinghong to vent their hatred! Before they even arrived, their powerful energy pressed down upon them! Fang Shiling and her eighteen guards, as well as the more distant Free Guards, were caught off guard and hadn't even drawn their weapons when Shi Heng's domineering "Extinction Blade Technique" descended upon Feng Yanran!
The elder of the "Yinming Elders," with his arms outstretched, unleashed his renowned "Yinming Divine Claw," while the younger brother attacked Hua Yinghong from the left with his "Yinming Divine Fist"!
"The Amorous Young Master" Xu Xiaoyao drew his Tengshe Sword with lightning speed, becoming one with the sword, and charged towards Hua Yinghong's right flank with an incredibly fierce aura of "gusts of cold wind"!
"The Asura Blade" Tan Yingxiao and more than ten other experts flew over their heads, blocking Fang Shiling and the eighteen guards and Freedom Iron Guards from coming to their rescue!
The Yinming Sect's assassination plan was flawless—it was early winter, and the seawater was icy cold. No one could have predicted that the Yinming Sect members, using their "Yinming Divine Skill" which made them impervious to the cold, would submerge themselves underwater, clinging to the side of the "Freedom One" and breathing through thin bamboo tubes. They would launch their attack when the ship was away from danger and everyone's vigilance was relaxed!
—In terms of the sophistication of martial arts techniques, the Yinming Sect, including "The Amorous Young Master" Xu Xiaoyao, was second to none among martial arts gangs and families. Especially the combination of Xu Xiaoyao and the two Yinming elders, who enveloped Hua Yinghong in claw strikes, fist strikes, and sword energy, leaving him no room to dodge except to take the blows head-on!
"Clang!" Having received Hua Yinghong's warning, Feng Yanran's two family heirlooms, the "Wind God Spear," which she carried on her back, had somehow swiftly combined into a twelve-foot-long spear. She unleashed the "Nine Strikes of Fengran," striking Shi Heng's annihilating blade repeatedly. The sounds of metal clanging and explosive energy filled the air! Although Feng Yanran had diligently practiced her family's martial arts and, with the aid of the Heaven and Earth Technique, had advanced to the ninth-rank master level, her skill was still significantly inferior to Shi Heng's decades of dedicated training. She was immediately forced back ten feet! Taking advantage of the momentum, Shi Heng rose more than ten feet into the air before striking down again!
Hua Yinghong's martial arts had reached the pinnacle of the ninth rank, just a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the Innate Saint rank. His mastery of the "Three Heavenly Swords" was unparalleled. His Dragon Roar Blade, with lightning speed and a "sweeping through a thousand armies" style, relentlessly met Xu Xiaoyao's Tengshe Sword to the left. His left hand clenched into a fist, his mind racing, his Primordial True Qi rapidly transforming into Void-Breaking True Qi, an indestructible force heading towards the "Yinming Divine Claw" about four feet above his head! Simultaneously, he leaped up, soaring like a crane into the sky, attempting to temporarily evade the Yinming Divine Fist before making further plans!
Hua Yinghong's reaction was undeniably fast and appropriate, but he still underestimated the power of the three masters who were determined to kill him—
"Clang!" Xu Xiaoyao's Tengshe Sword, imbued with Yinming True Qi, struck the Dragon Roar Blade heavily. A terrifying, chilling force emanated from the point of contact, causing Hua Yinghong's hands to nearly split open, almost causing him to drop the Dragon Roar Blade!
"Boom!" The sound of the Void-Breaking True Qi clashing with the "Yinming Divine Claw" energy was deafening. The Yinming leader was forced back by the indestructible Void-Breaking energy, but Hua Yinghong's skill was far inferior. He was hit twice by the Tengshe Sword and the Yinming Divine Claw, and his rising figure was momentarily halted—
"Boom!" The "Yinming Divine Fist" struck Hua Yinghong's left waist solidly, making a sound like hitting tattered leather. The terrifying energy penetrated his body, causing Hua Yinghong to vomit blood. He flew high into the air, passing over Xu Xiaoyao's head, and flew more than ten zhang away from the ship's side like a kite with a broken string, falling into the sea!
"Brother Hua!" Feng Yanran cried out in alarm, gritting her teeth. With the "Wind God Spear" move "You Die, I Die," she ignored Shi Heng's blade coming from "corpses strewn everywhere" and thrust at Shi Heng with the intention of mutual destruction!
Shi Heng parried with his blade, using the momentum to dodge. With the Yinming Elders and Xu Xiaoyao already having succeeded, he was unwilling to trade his life for Feng Yanran's! The
"Amorous Young Master" Xu Xiaoyao, relentless, leaped into the air, intending to use his sword to cut Hua Yinghong down again. Suddenly, a whooshing sound rang out behind him, and Feng Yanran, seemingly fighting desperately, shot towards him with her spear! Left with no other choice, Xu Xiaoyao turned and drew his sword—"Clang!" Spear and sword clashed. Feng Yanran was forced back by the powerful Yinming True Qi, but Xu Xiaoyao thus missed his chance to personally kill Hua Yinghong!
On the sea, a startling scene suddenly unfolded—
right where Hua Yinghong had fallen, a water column nearly ten feet thick shot into the sky, rising over ten feet high, spreading like an umbrella, and a black shadow the size of a small mountain rose from the sea… The people on the “Freedom One” saw a maw three feet wide open, sucking in countless seawater and everything around it. Hua Yinghong, who had flown out of the Freedom One warship, coincidentally fell right into that maw and disappeared in the blink of an eye!
The Devil Sea Dragon! Hua Yinghong, caught in a surprise attack and severely injured, had fallen into the mouth of the Devil Sea's overlord—the Sea Dragon!

Volume Six, Chaos Across the World, Chapter Ninety-Seven: Irreconcilable Enemies.
Dongguan City, Peach Blossom Palace Dongguan Branch.
Just as Hua Yinghong was struck by the “Yinming Divine Fist”—
“Crack!” Xue Qianqian, who was enjoying tea and chatting with Miao Youlan and Liu Yufei, suddenly felt a violent shock. The jade cup filled with fragrant tea slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground!
"Crack!" "Crack!" Miao Youlan and Liu Yufei also felt a violent shock, and the jade cups in their hands fell to the ground and shattered!
"Brother Hong is in trouble! Sister Fei, Sister Lan, you sensed it too?" A chilling aura appeared on the holy face of Peach Blossom Fairy Xue Qianqian.
Putting aside the private affair between Xue Qianqian and Hua Yinghong, since Peach Blossom Palace joined the Freedom Alliance, thanks to the strong support of the Freedom Alliance, the number of Brightness Sect followers developed on Treasure Island far exceeded 300,000! With the successful landing of the Free Army, given time, Peach Blossom Palace will surely surpass the Yinming Sect to become the number one sect of the Holy Sect.
Since cooperating with the Free Alliance, many male disciples in the Peach Blossom Camp have been practicing the Heaven and Earth Technique taught by Hua Yinghong. The Heaven and Earth True Qi, with its vibrant vitality and characteristics second only to the Primordial True Qi, has greatly benefited the martial arts of the Peach Blossom Palace lineage. Even Jiaxin, Xinru, Yilin, Ruotong, and the other "Four Beauties of Peach Blossom," after practicing dual cultivation with four outstanding male disciples, no longer needed to use seductive tricks to absorb male essence and successfully broke through to the eighth level of the Nine Revolutions Peach Blossom Seductive Technique! The hope that "the Peach Blossoms will bloom and the Holy Sect will be revived" that "Holy Maiden" Ji Xiuqing said was placed on Hua Yinghong. If something were to happen to Hua Yinghong now, it would undoubtedly be a great loss that she and the Peach Blossom Palace could not bear!
"Sister Qian! Brother Hua is really in trouble?" Miao Youlan couldn't believe it. Although she had also had a magical connection with Hua Yinghong through spiritual and physical intercourse, she still refused to believe it.
"Brother!—" Of the three women, Liu Yufei's skill was the weakest, yet she too possessed that miraculous connection. She was deeply attached to Hua Yinghong, and after the turmoil and the severe blow to her body, she firmly believed it.
"Fei-mei, Lan-mei, don't worry. Brother Hong should be alright. Otherwise, the three of us sisters would definitely have another connection," Xue Qianqian said.
"Why is that?" Miao Youlan and Liu Yufei asked in unison.
“Fei-mei, Lan-mei, you may not know, but my two sisters and I have cultivated spiritual and physical ties with Brother Hong to the point of perfect harmony and spiritual connection. According to the secret teachings of Peach Blossom Palace, when spiritual and physical ties reach this level, if any one of us suffers an accident, the other will feel it as well, suffering a great loss of power. They will not only be severely injured, but in severe cases, they may even die together! Therefore, the ‘Spiritual and Physical ties cultivation method’ is also known as the ‘Life and Death Technique,’ signifying the meaning of living and dying together.” Xue Qianqian had not previously told Liu and Miao the true secrets of the “Spiritual and Physical ties cultivation method,” but now she explained it in detail, surprising and delighting the two women.
“Who is so bold? If Brother really suffers an accident… Fei-er will spare no expense to wipe out his entire family!” A terrifying murderous aura rose on Liu Yufei’s beautiful face, clearly showing her true anger, but no one dared to underestimate the determination of this peerless beauty…
Miao Youlan did not speak, but the resolute look in her phoenix eyes showed a determination no less than that of Xue and Liu!
**********
...

"Commander!" Fang Shiling, the eighteen guards, and the Free Guards, realizing what was happening, were enraged. Like mad tigers, they surrounded Shi Heng, who was "a corpse strewn across the ground," and Tan Yingxiao, the "Shura Blade," along with more than ten others, launching a frenzied, all-or-nothing attack!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!—" Several Free Guards wielding crossbows unleashed a powerful rain of arrows at Shi Heng and his group!
"Retreat!" Shi Heng roared, his "Annihilation Blade Technique" unleashing a flurry of blade shadows and bursts of energy, barely managing to withstand the onslaught from Fang Shiling and the guards, deflecting the crossbow bolts. He was about to leap away and escape using the water—
"Still trying to escape?" Eight figures flashed out from the cabin, instantly traversing more than ten zhang of space. Sword energy and blade force crisscrossed the air, enveloping Shi Heng, Tan Yingxiao, and the others!
"Damn it!" Shi Heng, Tan Yingxiao, and the others were shocked and secretly lamented their misfortune. The eight people who came out of the cabin were all at least at the ninth rank in terms of skill. They were definitely the carefully selected experts from Peach Blossom Palace and Nangong Family, secretly protecting Hua Yinghong. Now that their auras had been locked, their chances of survival were slim...
************
The two "Yinming Divine Fist" attacks were incredibly powerful. After being hit solidly, Hua Yinghong quickly circulated his Hunyuan True Qi to protect his body, but he still felt his internal organs shift immediately, experiencing excruciating pain. Most of his strong meridians were also blocked by the penetrating fist force and Yinming True Qi. He could not move in the air. He could only take a deep breath before watching helplessly as he fell into the mouth of the "Sea Dragon"—actually an enormous monster that looked like a whale—and was sucked into its belly along with tons of seawater!
"I never imagined that I, Hua Yinghong, would perish in the belly of a fish just when I was riding high on my success." Hua Yinghong smiled bitterly to himself. Fortunately, he hadn't completely lost his mind. He immediately focused his attention on his internal organs and used all his strength to activate his Hunyuan True Qi to heal himself—never giving up until he was in dire straits was Hua Yinghong's nature!
Miracles often happen through unwavering perseverance...
************
The battle on "Freedom One" quickly ended. Under the combined attack of eight guards from the Nangong family and Peach Blossom Palace who had just advanced to the Innate Saint Rank, along with the grief-stricken Feng Yanran's "Nine Strikes of Wind," Shi Heng, "corpses strewn everywhere," was hit by dozens of bullets and blasted into pieces by the true qi. Tan Yingxiao, "Shura Blade," and more than ten Yinming Sect experts were also killed one by one by Fang Shiling and the eighteen guards and self-defense iron guards!
"Brother Hua!" After spewing several jets of water, the mountain-sized sea dragon darted into the deep sea. Feng Yanran leaped towards the spot where the sea dragon had disappeared, but Fang Shiling and the others held her back.
"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!" A signal was raised on the "Freedom One," sending the message "Commander Hua Yinghong assassinated" to other unsuspecting ships.
"Splash! Splash! Splash!" Soon, dozens of "Thousand-Mile Shadows" spread this shocking news in all directions—
thousands of skilled naval warriors and Freedom Guards dived into the sea near the spot where the sea dragon had disappeared, searching for its massive form. Thousands of ships of all sizes from Beigang City spontaneously rushed to the scene, searching the surrounding waters for dozens of miles... They
wanted to find him alive or dead. The people of Zhenbao Island originally held sea dragons in awe and always avoided them. Now, in order to find the whereabouts of "Son of Freedom" Hua Yinghong, if the sea dragon were to reappear, it would likely face countless attacks. Even if it means killing the sea dragon and disemboweling him to retrieve his body, they must find "Son of Freedom" Hua Yinghong!
Sun and Moon City. Liu Ju fainted upon receiving the news—she couldn't believe that the tender intimacy of the previous night had ended so tragically! Limited by her cultivation, unlike Xue Qianqian and the other women who had reached a state of spiritual communion with Hua Yinghong through dual cultivation, she only assumed that Hua Yinghong, having been severely injured and then swallowed by the sea dragon
,
had little chance of survival… ********** ... Originally, considering they were both from the Holy Sect and out of respect for Xu Ling's unfathomable martial arts prowess with the "Yinming Divine Fist," Xue Qianqian had shown leniency towards Xu Xiaoyao in Shunhe Town after failing to kill him in her first attack at the Lichun Courtyard. Little did she expect that this would sow the seeds of such disaster!
"Issue my Level One Peach Blossom Token! All Peach Blossom Palace subordinates shall pursue Xu Xiaoyao's whereabouts with all their might. If any Holy Sect disciple aligns with the Yinming Sect and becomes an enemy of the Peach Blossom Palace and the Free Alliance, kill them without mercy!" Xue Qianqian issued this token in a fit of rage, undoubtedly declaring that not only was cooperation between the Peach Blossom Palace and the Yinming Sect impossible, but they would also become irreconcilable mortal enemies!
"Lan'er, Brother Hua is a lucky man, he should be alright. Issue my alliance leader's decree: under the Free Alliance's jurisdiction, not a single member of the Yinming Sect will be tolerated. Any member of the Yinming Sect who has not submitted to Peach Blossom Palace will be killed without mercy!" Knowing Hua Yinghong was unharmed, Liu Yufei calmed down and comforted Liu Lan, who was weeping uncontrollably.
Even if Hua Yinghong was alright, Liu Yufei couldn't tolerate someone so audacious as to attempt to assassinate her beloved. If it weren't for the reputation of "Peach Blossom Fairy" Xue Qianqian, she might not only have angered the Yinming Sect, but also the entire Bright Sect.
"If you find Xu Xiaoyao and the two Yinming Elders, Sister Qian, count me in." Although the Peerless Jade Maiden Miao Youlan possessed the "Plum Blossom Holy Decree," she didn't have the authority to declare war on the Yinming Sect on behalf of Wanmei Manor. However, her personal attack on Xu Xiaoyao was an exception.
Even the "Amorous Young Master" Xu Xiaoyao never imagined that his momentary venting of hatred and pursuit of pleasure would nearly bring annihilation to the Yinming Sect ! **********
...

"Second brother, your skill has improved significantly again." Xu Ling, the "Yinming Divine Fist," had already reached the Grandmaster level, and even after losing control, he quickly returned to normal. "Find that unfilial son and immediately order him back to the mountain to face the wall in seclusion. If he dares to disobey again, immediately cripple his martial arts and bring him back, perhaps that will allow him to live out his
remaining years in peace." The Treasure Island uprising failed, and Xu Ling didn't blame Xu Xiaoyao too much. After the failure, Xu Xiaoyao deliberately stayed on Treasure Island, and Xu Ling didn't inquire much about it either. However, Xu Xiaoyao's audacity in assassinating the leader of the Freedom Alliance was a major taboo in the martial arts world—it seemed Xu Ling was truly enraged this time.
"Eldest brother!" Xu Shan said urgently, "Although Xiaoyao has committed a grave mistake, our Xu family only has one heir left. How can you bear to..." Because of practicing the "Yinming Divine Fist," the Xu family has always had difficulty conceiving. Xu Ling and Xu Shan only had two brothers in their generation, and Xu Xiaoyao's generation only had one heir, inevitably leading to him being spoiled from a young age. Xu Shan, as the second uncle, was even more indulgent than Xu Ling.
"Second brother, perhaps we've been wrong all these years." Xu Ling shook his head and said slowly, "Strictness is love, leniency is harm. It's one thing for Xiaoyao to be reckless and audacious. But this disaster is no small matter. If the 'Two Beauties of Peach Blossom,' Xue Qianqian, or even Hou Mubai and Ji Xiuqing were to make a move, even if our Yinming Sect protects him with all its might, I wonder how much of a chance Xiaoyao would have to survive? With the Free Alliance's momentum, they have successfully attracted most of the Jade Dragon King's forces and attention, which is exactly what our Yinming Sect can do. With Hua Yinghong dead, the Free Alliance will definitely hate our sect to the bone now. Hundreds of thousands of Free Army soldiers are all enemies of our Yinming Sect. Isn't it pointless to create such a powerful enemy out of thin air? Moreover, if Lang Qingyun's Misty Rain Sword were to reappear, even though I have newly mastered the thirteenth level of Yinming Skill, I may not have much of a chance of winning."
"Would Lang Qingyun really reappear for Hua Yinghong, who is not even considered a formal successor?" Xu Shan knew that with his elder brother Xu Ling's skill level, it was not surprising that he knew things that others did not.
"Second Brother, do you think that Lang Qingyun's passing down of the Heaven and Earth Technique and Guan Shanyue's passing down of the Void-Breaking Technique were both intended for Hua Yinghong alone? Was it truly an unintentional act?" Xu Ling sighed, gazing towards Penglai Immortal Island. "Three top-tier masters, how could their reputations be undeserved!"

Volume 6, Chaos Across the World, Chapter 98: A Narrow Escape.
November 11th, Hua Long Calendar. Treasure Island.
Liu Yufei's secret Alliance Leader Order and Xue Qianqian's Level One Peach Blossom Order played a crucial role—
overnight, the Free Army Reserve Division of Treasure Island joined forces with the Military Intelligence Bureau, and major forces such as Peach Blossom Palace, Nangong Family, and Ship Gang secretly dispatched experts to assist. Tens of thousands of Free Army soldiers and experts from various factions simultaneously conducted a massive purge of the Yinming Sect's hidden forces in major towns. The Yinming Sect's hidden forces, already known to the Military Intelligence Bureau and Peach Blossom Palace, were completely eradicated. Nearly a thousand die-hard members of the Yinming Sect were arrested and killed, and more than two thousand surrendered to Peach Blossom Palace; almost no one escaped!
Peach Blossom Palace even dispatched mysterious "Soul-Seizing Messengers" to thoroughly search the spiritual consciousness of the Yinming Sect disciples using the "Soul-Seizing Technique." Using the intelligence gathered, they also rounded up all the Yinming Sect members lurking in the villages, leaving the Yinming Sect with no foothold on Treasure Island!
According to the Yinming Sect followers who surrendered in Beigang City, Xu Xiaoyao and the two Yinming Elders had already secretly sailed away back to the Hualong Continent after the successful assassination.
Liu Ju received secret letters from Liu Yufei and Xue Qianqian, knowing that Hua Yinghong would be safe, and felt relieved. As the Deputy Director of the Internal Affairs Department, she issued orders on behalf of the Freedom Alliance Leader Liu Yufei to appease the people and call upon all the island's scholars, farmers, workers, merchants, and soldiers to work together to improve construction, practice martial arts, and strengthen war preparedness to welcome the "Son of Freedom" back… Meanwhile, Beigang, Donggang, and Xigang dispatched tens of thousands of ships of various sizes to search the Treasure Strait for the sea dragon that swallowed Hua Yinghong.
Although the Interior Ministry's order seemed absurd, everyone knew that Hua Yinghong, having been swallowed by Hailong a day ago and still without a trace, was undoubtedly dead. Yet, the four million people of Zhenbao Island, as if poisoned, firmly believed that Hua Yinghong would return safely. Many even burned incense and prayed for him at home…
What kind of miracle would the "Son of Freedom," who consistently created miracles, bring this time?

Longtan Town. Upon receiving the news of Hua Yinghong's assassination attempt en route, Ye Zhiqi, Ji Wumou, and others were struck dumb, almost unable to believe it—without Hua Yinghong, the entire Free Army would lose its soul, its backbone, and its direction. Furthermore, no one in the Free Army, including Deputy Commander Hai Tianqing, could replace him in uniting hundreds of thousands of Free Army soldiers!
Fortunately, Liu Yufei's "Freedom Alliance Leader's Order" arrived in time, stating that Hua Yinghong would be safe and sound, and ordering the Free Army to proceed with the planned landing operation as a welcome gift for Hua Yinghong's return, thus reassuring the generals.
At 1:15 AM, Sima Yuan, the Sixth Prince, who had mobilized 100,000 troops and a large number of Jade Dragon secret agents, took advantage of the potential instability in the Free Army's morale following Hua Yinghong's assassination attempt to launch a fierce and reckless attack on the beachhead established by the Third Division of the Free Army led by Liu Litao!

Hua Yinghong, the "Son of Freedom" who had captured the hearts of countless people on the Hua Long Continent, was completely unaware of everything that was happening to him. At this moment, he was teetering on the brink of life and death—
the terrifying power of the "Yinming Divine Fist" had caused immense damage to Hua Yinghong's internal organs and meridians. The incomparably dark and cold energy invaded his body and meridians, and the "Yin-Yang Tai Chi Sphere" in his dantian desperately poured out Hunyuan True Qi to resist the heavy pressure, making him feel as if his body was about to explode!
The fierce battle and violent impact between the Yin-Yang True Qi and the Hunyuan True Qi within his body caused his meridians to sometimes swell as if about to burst, and at other times to shrink drastically. His limbs and bones felt as if they were frozen in ice—it was an indescribable feeling, as if life had ended at this moment, and all that could survive were the two raging tides of true qi within his body that represented death and life, constantly impacting his skin. Everything around his body was useless, but the heavy pressure and the feeling of air gradually disappearing from the sea dragon's belly caused all of Hua Yinghong's functions to be transformed into internal movement, naturally entering a wonderful feeling.
The feeling was extremely similar to when he was struck by He Zongshi's Yinluo Hanbing True Qi... It was also extremely similar to the healing process after being bitten by the Iron Wire Lustful Snake and struck by "Lustful Snake" Ouyang Bin's "Blue Qi Heavenly Net True Qi," and even similar to the feeling of being in the womb in a distant, unknown memory—a state of mind that hovered between life and death, seemingly alive yet dead, without any worldly thoughts, only quietly savoring the state of life and death...
Without life or death, without surprise or joy, without anger or resentment, everything became the most primitive and lowest-level seed, including Hua Yinghong's life. Life is but a seed, an ever-expanding seed… The “Yin-Yang Tai Chi Sphere” within the dantian continuously flows with Primordial True Qi, but under the immense and rampant attack of the Yin-Yang True Qi, it gradually compresses into an extremely fine point, like the point at the beginning of chaos…
“Death is life, life is death; Yin reaches its extreme and Yang arises, Yang reaches its extreme and Yin arises; Heaven and Earth are me, I am Heaven and Earth.” Just as the Yin-Yang True Qi was about to invade the dantian, and Hua Yinghong’s mind was greatly shaken, believing that death was inevitable, in the ethereal void, Hua Yinghong seemed to hear a voice that seemed both very distant and yet very close, a voice that seemed to transcend everything, a voice that seemed to be the voice of death, and a voice that seemed to come from another world, heaven or hell… filled with a mysterious, vast, beautiful, and countless mixed meanings!
That was the mysterious sound emanating from the Dragon's Roar Blade in his hand… the mysterious energy left behind by the "Blade God" Guan Shanyue as he soared into the distance… the profound thoughts of heaven and earth inputted by the Sword God Lang Qingyun during his power transfer… the divine thoughts transmitted by Xue Qianqian, Miao Youlan, and Liu Yufei through the combined power of the "Spirit
and Desire Dual Cultivation" technique—so clear, so intimate, so unforgettable… As the death brought by the Yin-Yang True Qi drew ever closer, the sound grew louder and louder! Hua Yinghong knew that he might truly be dying! Immersed in the seawater and countless gastric juices within the sea dragon's belly, and battling the Yin-Yang True Qi, he had no idea how much time had passed outside. His memory seemed both vast and fleeting. He relaxed his mind—
"Boom!" Countless Yin-Yang True Qi surged into Hua Yinghong's dantian, flowing like a hundred rivers into the sea into the Taiji sphere shrunk to its extreme point, causing it to expand wildly and explode! At that moment, Hua Yinghong suspected he had been blasted into countless fragments! However, the shattered Tai Chi sphere contained a vibrant life force, churning within the dantian, seemingly depicting the evolution from the beginning of heaven and earth, the origin of life...
The chaotic and intertwined primordial energy and yin-yang energy scattered in the countless congested meridians were all drawn in by the unparalleled powerful attraction of the dantian's sea of qi. The sudden feeling of rapid expansion followed by extreme contraction was too much for Hua Yinghong's strong and resilient divine sense to bear.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he clearly felt a powerful energy entering from the Dragon Roar Blade he was holding in his right hand. It was a powerful and strange Void-Breaking True Qi! The icy limbs offered no resistance to this energy, and the energy-starved dantian seemed to have found a source of power, frantically absorbing it.
Most remarkably, this Void-Breaking True Qi and Hua Yinghong's dantian had a tacit coordination, achieving an extraordinary balance, rapidly spreading throughout his meridians and even every cell.
"Boom!" Hua Yinghong felt every inch of his meridians, every patch of skin, every cell fully open. His body regained sensation, and the energy from the seawater in the sea dragon's stomach flowed continuously into his dantian through the acupoints and pores that had opened throughout his body… Hua Yinghong felt his internal
injuries suddenly heal, his dantian directly connected to the outside world, seemingly with an inexhaustible flow of energy, as if the most primordial power of the innate universe emanated from heaven and earth! He knew: he had once again turned misfortune into fortune, breaking through the most difficult bottleneck in his cultivation, from the ninth rank to the innate saintly rank! The
originally pitch-black surroundings suddenly became crystal clear in Hua Yinghong's eyes. A stream of pure, yang energy emanated from a crimson passage, over ten feet in diameter, within the sea dragon's body, flowing into Hua Yinghong's dantian, a sensation he found incredibly pleasurable.
"The sea dragon's inner core?" Having just regained consciousness, Hua Yinghong suddenly recalled the wondrous legends about sea dragons from the Peach Blossom Palace's *Records of Strange Things*, which he had gleaned from Xue Qianqian's thoughts. Almost instantly, he vanished from the seawater where he was—

November 11th, afternoon. Dongguan City.
Xue Qianqian, Miao Youlan, and Liu Yufei sat opposite each other, their six jade palms pressed together, using the Peach Blossom Palace's unique "Spiritual and Desire Dual Cultivation" technique to sense Hua Yinghong's life force. The "Spiritual and Desire Dual Cultivation, Sharing Life and Death" method was indeed incredibly miraculous. Since learning of Hua Yinghong's predicament and issuing the order to respond, the three women had been using this method, constantly sending out divine thoughts to call out to him, almost simultaneously experiencing the life-or-death struggle with Hua Yinghong within the sea dragon's belly! Only after Hua Yinghong broke through to the Innate Saint Realm and his injuries were fully healed did the three women breathe a sigh of relief and slowly stop their practice.
The combined effort of the three women over the past day of spiritual sensing was too much for them, and their three beautiful faces showed signs of extreme exhaustion. Xue Qianqian, however, possessed far greater skill. She only needed to circulate her profound energy for a short while to recover, and she opened her eyes and chuckled, "Fei-mei, Lan-mei, I haven't lied to you at all, have I? Brother Hong has escaped danger and is heading towards the mainland. We might meet tonight! You two sisters should take good care of yourselves; Brother Hong is full of energy now!"
Miao Youlan and Liu Yufei retorted in unison, "You naughty Qian-mei! Aren't you the same? You dare to make fun of us?"
"Hehe! Hehe! Hehe!" The three women, disregarding their fatigue, teased each other and burst into laughter.
"My three sisters, Brother Hua's fate is unknown, and you're still laughing and joking!" Liu Lan, who was guarding outside, heard this and pushed open the door, her pretty face still showing sorrow and displeasure.
"Silly Lan'er, Brother Hua has already recovered and is on his way here." Liu Yufei stopped smiling and said seriously.
"Really? I'll tell them!" Liu Lan jumped up happily. This impatient girl didn't bother to find out why Liu Yufei was so sure, only knowing that her princess sister would never lie to her. She quickly slipped out of the room and went to inform the Fire Phoenix Guards and Free Iron Guards who had secretly infiltrated Dongguan City with the three women and were also worried about Hua Yinghong's safety.

Longtan Town. Flames raged, arrows rained down, swords and spears clashed, boulders roared... Shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, the neighing of warhorses... all combined to form a frenzied symphony!
Sima Yuan and Murong Bo commanded 80,000 Jade Dragon troops, launching relentless attacks on the Free Army's beachhead from Chenshi (7-9 AM) until Shenshi (3-5 PM). At the cost of 30,000 men and 1,000 elite Jade Dragon spies, they managed to compress the Free Army's front line by more than a mile towards the sea. Just one more mile would have allowed them to launch a 20,000-
strong cavalry charge, quickly driving the remaining 30,000-plus Free Army soldiers into the sea, leaving them no time to escape by boat! The Free Army's "Dragon Blood Bullets," divine crossbows, and sun-shooting arrows were indeed formidable, with astonishing destructive power! Sima Yuan and Murong Bo employed a combination of fireproof umbrellas and steel shields, along with numerous shield-wielding infantry, archers, catapults, and other weapons, along with elite soldiers mixed in for surprise attacks, gradually eroding the Free Army's positions. The casualty ratio was 30,000 to 6,000! This casualty ratio far exceeded Sima Yuan's expectations. But by this time, the situation was already dire. At noon, Sima Yuan urgently ordered Dongguan City and Heilong Town to send another regiment as reinforcements to maintain absolute numerical superiority and win the battle!
As for the elusive Free Army Special Forces, even a surprise attack might not be enough to capture Dongguan City, which was defended by a regiment and supported by a large number of skilled spies. Even if they annihilated all 50,000 Free Army troops on the coast of Longtan Town, they could retake Dongguan City even if it fell temporarily. A major victory in annihilating a regular Free Army division, or even a naval regiment, was more important than losing a newly acquired city!
This was Murong Bo's analysis—clearly, the morale of the Free Army had been affected by the assassination of "Son of Freedom" Hua Yinghong, and the "Dragon Blood Bullets," after the landing and several hours of continuous bombardment, must be nearly depleted. A further heavy blow would render the Free Army unable to fight in the short term!
This analysis was undoubtedly correct, but only on the premise that the Free Army had no reinforcements—Murong Bo had cut off the daily routine of communication and reports from the Jade Dragon secret agents starting on the afternoon of the 8th, and Hua Yinghong only set out on the morning of the 10th to analyze: the main force of the Free Army would not set off from Beigang City until the evening of the 8th at the earliest, and even if the journey was smooth sailing, they would not arrive until late tonight at the earliest. This period of time was enough to wipe out the Free Army's beachhead!
If they could take advantage of the Free Army's navy not abandoning the landing force to participate in the battle, they might even be able to capture some "Dragon Blood Bullets" and warships, and then use them to deal with the Free Army, keeping them off the coast. In that case, the prestige of the Sixth Prince Sima Yuan and the Jinghai Army Corps would be at its zenith, soaring to new heights!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!...Kill!" The war drums of the Jade Dragon Army and the Jinghai Army Corps thundered, charging towards the victory that seemed to be within their grasp!
"Sizzle!" At this crucial moment that would determine the outcome of the great battle, a signal rose a hundred feet high from the flag ship "Shalang" of Yunshalang, clearly visible for dozens of miles around!
The Free Army's backup plan has finally been implemented!
Almost no one noticed that dozens of miles away, towering waves, three or four meters high, were surging towards Longtan Town from the direction of Zhenbao Island...

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