Slave Empire [Complete] - 23

Volume 9, Counterattack from Desperate Situation, Chapter 190: An Incredibly Large Appetite.
Tens of thousands of "Divine Fire Flying Crows" burst into bloom like countless fireworks in the night sky, a truly beautiful sight. However, the Flying Dragon warships had already ascended to a safe altitude of over 120 zhang. The "Divine Fire Flying Crows" fired by a few of the Dragon Clan's military experts could barely reach them, but were powerless to penetrate the special forces' interception and cause no damage.
"Deputy Division Commander Zeng! Immediately issue an order to the Flying Dragon warships to stop using the Demonic Dragon Blood Bullets! Switch to using the Sun-Shooting Arrows!" Seeing that the battle had escalated and deviated from the pre-planned course, Hai Tianqing sternly ordered, "Otherwise, you will be court-martialed!"
Although the special forces division and the navy were not in the same system, as a member of the "Supreme Nine-Person Conference," a military general, and the commander-in-chief of the waterways, Zeng Guozhong dared not disobey Hai Tianqing's orders.
However, even Hua Yinghong probably didn't anticipate that the Special Operations Division's reckless pursuit of glory with ten airships and Zeng Guozhong's hasty retaliatory action would completely distort a planned naval battle aimed at forcing surrender, resulting in immeasurable negative consequences…
*******location*****
Shilong Town was a crucial town on the official road between Jianghan Prefecture, the Ding family's old stronghold, and Dongguan City. Official roads leading north to Jianghan Prefecture, west to the northern part of Tianshui Prefecture, east to Baiyang City, and south to Dongguan City all converged at Shilong Town.
In peacetime, Shilong Town was bustling with people. But now, in times of war, this vital transportation hub had lost its former prosperity and become desolate.
To ensure the safety of Shilong Town, a strategic location, Ding Zixing, after personally leading his army south to attack Dongguan City, still deployed a regular military division in Shilong Town, which had a radius of just over three miles. Combined with the numerous fortified positions built during the standoff with the Free Army, the original plan was to hold out for several days until reinforcements arrived, even if attacked by an enemy force several times their size.
This hypothetical "enemy force" even considered the possibility of the Qiu family attacking Shilong Town from Baiyang City, bypassing the main force and heading northwest!
The Free Army's arrival was unexpected by the Ding family's garrison in Shilong Town—starting from Qingshui Peak and Changlong City, Ba Tian led six hundred Flying Dragon warships carrying thirty thousand special forces soldiers, covering a straight-line distance of over one hundred and thirty miles in just one hour, quietly arriving over Shilong Town.
After receiving the attack order from Hua Yinghong outside Dongguan City via fireworks, Ba Tiancao, who had been itching to see the power of the "Flying Dragon Warship," tried to persuade Ding's garrison to surrender, but was unsurprisingly refused. He immediately ordered an attack on Shilong Town—
thousands of "Demon Dragon Blood Bullets" were simultaneously thrown from the city walls near the east, south, west, and north gates of Shilong Town, and within a range of over two hundred feet inside the gates!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."
The explosions of the "Demon Dragon Blood Bullets" caused a raging fire that illuminated the area near the city walls, and countless crossbows and "Sun-Shooting Arrows" infused with powerful true energy roared towards the Ding's garrison guarding the city gates and walls!
In less than a quarter of an hour after the first wave of attacks from the "Flying Dragon Warship," over 15,000 of Ding's Jade Dragon garrison soldiers were killed, wounded, or rendered incapacitated! The "Sun-Shooting Arrows" fired by the special forces division from a hundred feet in the air possessed incredible power, directly claiming the lives of thousands!
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth fluctuated violently, and light flashed on the city walls. The Ding family, assisting more than a dozen Saint-level experts stationed in Shilong Town, used their superior skills to skillfully deflect the "Dragon Blood Bullets" thrown by the Free Army, sending them flying over the city walls. The scattered "Sun-Shooting Arrows" also failed to penetrate the powerful true energy shields of these experts!
"Experts! Experts! I'll make you die—hunt!"
Ba Tian originally wanted to lead his men down to fight face-to-face, but his elder brother, Hua Yinghong, had given him a strict order: he must not act recklessly before the situation was settled, otherwise, even if he won, he would be transferred out of the special operations division—Ba Tian had just experienced the thrill of fighting in the air aboard the "Flying Dragon Warship," how could he dare disobey orders?
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!—" Dozens of powerful arrows pierced the air with a sharp whistle, flashing with jade-white light before disappearing into the void!
"Ah! Ah! Ah!—" The dozen or so Saint-level experts from the Ding family on the city wall suddenly let out a series of screams. Their protective true energy was breached, and they exploded into pieces of flesh flying everywhere!
Despite being Saint-level experts themselves, the Special Forces Division, with dozens of Saint-level experts concentrating all their power, unleashed "Sun-Shooting Arrows" carrying powerful true energy at the Ding family Saint-level experts on the city wall. No one could withstand them!
In large-scale group combat, there are no rules of the martial arts world; the immense destructive power is unimaginable for martial arts masters accustomed to one-on-one combat! Faced with dozens of Saint-level experts attacking with "Sun-Shooting Arrows," even a Divine-level expert would likely try to escape as quickly as possible!
Especially in a situation like this: the enemy is flying high in the sky, and they can only take the hits without being able to retaliate—such a battle is simply unwinnable!
"If we had known this would happen, we would have been better off abandoning the city walls and hiding inside to fight the Free Army in street battles." — The Ding family division commander stationed in Shilong Town saw the "Dragon Blood Bullets" ignite into a towering inferno, cutting off the retreat route into the city for a last-ditch resistance. Large numbers of his soldiers were reduced to sitting ducks near the city walls, and further resistance would only result in pointless casualties. In desperation, he ordered his remaining troops to surrender. After signaling the fall of Shilong Town, he drew his sword and committed suicide!
This was understandable; no one had ever encountered such a fierce aerial attack, nor had they even heard of it before. How could they possibly have devised a plan to deal with it?
"Damn, they're really weak!" Even Ba Tian was shocked by the combined power of the Flying Dragon warships and the special forces division!
Because Hua Yinghong had left Ba Tian at the "Top Secret No. 2" base to personally witness the Gaoshan tribe's internal strife plot planned by Miao Tieshan and his son Mu Shanzhu, Ba Tian had not accompanied Zeng Guozhong and others to the "Top Secret No. 1" base in the Alang Mountains, and therefore had not yet witnessed the power of the Flying Dragon warships.
At this moment, Ba Tian could only be more grateful that Miao Tieshan and his son's conspiracy had failed—if the Gaoshan tribe had launched a large-scale rebellion, given his elder brother Hua Yinghong's temperament, he certainly wouldn't have been lenient or merciful. Faced with a super weapon like the "Flying Dragon Warship," how many Gaoshan people would have died?
In just over two quarters of an hour, after being disarmed, more than 20,000 surrendered Ding clan soldiers were imprisoned with acupuncture points sealed, and Shilong Town completely fell into the hands of the Free Army! Meanwhile, the dust raised by the 40,000 cavalry of the Ding family, who were ordered to rush back from Dongguan City to reinforce Shilong Town and ensure the smooth passage of the main road back to Jianghan Prefecture, was still ten miles away…
Having unloaded 20,000 special operations soldiers to garrison Shilong Town, leaving only the crew, the 500 Flying Dragon warships headed towards Qingshui Peak—
"Free Army Flower" Feng Yanran, leading Zhao Qingsi's Fire Phoenix Female Soldiers Division, Qu Qingbo's Division, and three newly established reserve divisions from Changlong City, a total of 200,000 troops, were on their way to Shilong Town. If they could transport two more regiments to Shilong Town and withstand the Ding family's desperate counterattack, the main Ding army would be firmly trapped in a narrow area fifty miles north of Dongguan City and south of Shilong Town. Even if Ding Baijian's army from Tianshui City arrived to join them, it would be useless; they would only be food for the Free Army to expand its gains!
Gu Tianfang's division has been relieved from Qingshui Peak and is advancing westward towards Dongguan Prefecture along with another reserve division from Changlong City. Four reserve divisions from Tenglong Port are also advancing westward with full force, hoping to reach Dongguan City and encircle the main force of the Ding family. Meanwhile, Chang Shengqiu's Independent Cavalry Division, which has been operating at the border of Changlong and Dongguan Prefectures, preventing the Ding family cavalry from harassing Dongguan City and the area south of Changlong City, has finally been deployed and is rapidly maneuvering towards Tianshui Prefecture!
According to Hua Yinghong's plan, the Free Army has mobilized a total of 320,000 regular troops, including Feng Yanran's Fire Phoenix Legion as the main force, the Batian Special Forces Division, Chang Shengqiu's Independent Cavalry Division, and Zhang Qunfeng's Fifth Legion, plus reserves from Dongguan City, Changlong City, and Tenglong Port. They aim to swallow up the three legions of the Ding family that have entered northern Dongguan Prefecture, including even four legions including Ding Baijian's Legion, in one fell swoop along the Pumpkin Hill line in Dongguan Prefecture!
Such ambition is astonishing, but with the assistance of the Flying Dragon Warships, what was originally unlikely to happen will become extremely possible, and the chances of success are extremely high!
At this time, Changlong City and Tenglong Port had become cities almost entirely devoid of regular military garrisons. Qiu Shuiba and "Tiger" Ling Tong were ordered to lead the Qiu family's Hundred Sheep Legion and Eastern Legion northwards respectively, threatening the Ding family's Nanjiang Prefecture from the northern part of Changlong Prefecture, forcing the Ding family to be unable to send troops from Nanjiang Prefecture to reinforce Jianghan Prefecture, let alone enter the northern part of Dongguan Prefecture.
But what would happen if the Qiu family suddenly changed their minds and their hundreds of thousands of troops turned back to attack Changlong City and Tenglong City? Even Chief of the General Staff Ji Wumou raised this extremely dangerous question, but Hua Yinghong was unconcerned—he believed that Qiu Shuibo was truly pragmatic and knew how to adapt to the situation.
Moreover, as long as the main force of the Free Army remained, with the support of the "Flying Dragon Warships," any lost city could be recaptured. If Qiu Shuibo dared to choose such a wrong path, the powerful Qiu family might be destroyed by the Free Army, with no chance of recovery!
Hua Yinghong was certain that Qiu Shuibo would never dare to take this extremely dangerous risk!

"Order Ding Baijian and Ding Zizai's two legions to attack Shilong Town! Send out assault teams and retake Shilong Town at all costs!" A shadow fell over Ding Zizai's mind—"Son of Freedom" Hua Yinghong was indeed extraordinary: the persuasion to surrender had just failed, and soon the signal of Shilong Town's fall arrived—the power of the Flying Dragon warships was indeed ridiculously strong!
But to encircle and annihilate the Ding family's elite 640,000-strong army in this way, Hua Yinghong's appetite was probably too big, wasn't it?
Shilong Town had become the choke point for the Ding family's army's life and death. There was originally another gap in the west, which could be used to detour through the northern part of Tianshui Prefecture to retreat, but that route would be more than 400 li long. Even with lightly armed troops, the 600,000-strong army would need at least two to three days of forced march to retreat back to Jianghan Prefecture's territory—and in those two or three days, hundreds of thousands of Free Army soldiers could surround and intercept them from the air and the ground, causing the Ding family's army, which had left their fortified positions and hiding places, to die several times over!
However, if they successfully capture Shilong Town, the main force of the Ding family army can retreat to Jianghan Prefecture to defend the various fortified cities and towns. Even if the Free Army were to launch a strong attack on a city, they could at most use the Flying Dragon warships to breach the city gates. Once inside, the street fighting wouldn't allow for the widespread use of "Dragon Blood Bullets" that would harm civilians
. In the cities and towns along the route through Jianghan Prefecture, which the Ding family had cultivated for many years, hundreds of thousands of soldiers could fight to the last man, killing two or three hundred thousand Free Army soldiers, thus buying the family a chance to regroup. Like the "Dragon Blood Bullets" and the Divine Crossbow, the things the Free Army could manufacture, the Ding family's powerful research capabilities could certainly produce as well, and perhaps even better! This was the real reason why Ding Zixing was unwilling to surrender unconditionally!
"The Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree?" A thought flashed through Ding Zixing's mind, but he shook his head. The Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree couldn't be issued lightly unless the family was truly facing a life-or-death situation. Hua Yinghong was no benevolent ruler. Even if he unleashed all the hidden forces of the Ding family and mobilized millions of people to fight against the Freedom Alliance, he probably wouldn't hesitate—
when the nature of warfare has completely changed, it's no longer simply a matter of troop numbers. Fifty years ago, during the reign of Emperor Liu Suifeng, how effective was the method of mobilizing the entire population to protect the family? That's a big question mark.

Outside the north gate of Tianshui City.
"Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng and "Bloodthirsty Demon Blade" Yang Shidao looked at the flying dragon warships, hundreds of feet high, launching "Dragon Blood Bullets," and exchanged bewildered glances—what kind of monsters were these, with such destructive power?
Below Changlong City, "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng hadn't received the news of the bet between Hua Yinghong and Qiu Shuibo and the appearance of the "Flying Dragon Warships" in time. After the Yinming Sect lost the close cooperation of the Peach Blossom Palace, the efficiency and quality of their intelligence system were extremely poor, especially since the aftereffects of "Amorous Young Master" Xu Xiaoyao's assassination attempt on Hua Yinghong hadn't yet been eliminated. Within the Free Alliance's controlled territory, Liu Yufei's order to allow no one from the Yinming Sect to establish a foothold, Xue Qianqian's Level One Peach Blossom Order, and Miao Youlan's Plum Blossom Sacred Order rendered the Yinming Sect's intelligence network completely ineffective.
The security department, primarily composed of members of the Peach Blossom Palace, was extremely familiar with the Yinming Sect's martial arts and even their methods. Any Yinming Sect intelligence personnel who entered the Free Alliance's controlled territory would have disciples captured within two days, their intelligence extracted using the Soul-Seizing Technique, and the vast majority of intelligence personnel quickly eliminated! After
losing ten Saint-level experts, forty Ninth-level experts, and hundreds of other levels of experts, Xu Shaopeng had to abandon this futile effort—one of the reasons he had been so cautious during his march into Tianshui Prefecture during the "Year-End Operation."
Previously, when the five major forces joined forces to attack the Free Alliance, the Qiu and Ding families would relay the intelligence they obtained. However, since the Qiu family had unconditionally joined the Free Alliance at the gates of Changlong City, they would naturally no longer provide intelligence. The cunning Ding Zizhi certainly wanted the Yinming Army to tie down the 160,000 Free Army soldiers of Tianshui City, giving his hundreds of thousands of troops ample time and space to react and deploy. He certainly wouldn't relay such crucial information—since the alliance of the five major forces had effectively collapsed, "minding one's own business" was the proper course of action!
However, "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng was indeed a very shrewd man. The fact that Ding Baijian's army outside the East Gate was rapidly breaking camp and retreating to Dongguan Prefecture under cover of night made him sense the pervasive killing intent and crisis in the air. He immediately ordered his entire army to prepare for contingencies. Meanwhile, "Overlord Spear" Tang Tianxiao's Fourth Legion of the Yinming Army had quietly begun its retreat, tightly guarding all the strategic locations along the way. If the situation turned unfavorable, the Yinming army could quickly retreat to its main camp in Yulong County—
although the Yinming Army's gains in Yulong City were too substantial; after continuous large-scale expansion, its current strength reached 1.28 million men across eight legions, with a considerable number of reservists still training. However, if the three strongest main legions fall in Tianshui Prefecture, the soon-to-be-established Holy Dynasty of Light probably won't last long...
"Shaopeng, what the hell is that? How are we supposed to fight this?"
The usually valiant "Bloodthirsty Demon Blade" Yang Shidao looked at the arrogant "Flying Dragon Warship" in the sky, utterly speechless.
After his incredibly dangerous kill of "Frost Blade Saint" Li Xinghai, Yang Shidao's cultivation had advanced further, directly approaching the threshold of a Divine-grade expert. But he was helpless against the "Flying Dragon Warship" flying over a hundred zhang in the air—even if he could leap more than twenty zhang with all his might, what use would that be? To wield the "Bloodthirsty Demon Blade" to chop at the heavens?
"Bow!" Xu Shaopeng grabbed a ten-stone strong bow from the side.
With Xu Shaopeng's skill and cultivation, he could usually shoot a bow 180 zhang away; a direct shot into the sky should be able to reach over 100 zhang, right?
Fang Caiyinghong demanded unconditional surrender from the airship. When refused, he began distributing leaflets and then attacked downwards with "Dragon Blood Bullets." Strangely, Hua Yinghong's aim wasn't to kill the Yinming Army; he merely dropped "Dragon Blood Bullets" on dozens of camps, causing widespread panic among the Yinming soldiers. The actual casualties were likely only a few hundred!
"Snap!" A bowstring twanged, and a rocket from Xu Shaopeng's hand flew swiftly towards the "zy00001" flying dragon warship!

Volume 9, Chapter 191,
"A Piercing Arrow," A soft snap echoed in the air as a powerful arrow shot from the "ZY00001" airship, intercepting the rocket at a distance of twenty feet.
Two arrows, imbued with true energy by two Saint-level experts, collided in mid-air, creating a powerful explosion of true energy. The airflow scattered violently, like surging waves, even causing the massive airship to shake!
"Xu Shaopeng's skill is truly formidable!" Fang Shiling's handsome face showed a look of horror.
Fang Shiling used the "Sun-Shooting Arrow" to shoot down the powerful arrow that "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng shot into the sky. It seemed like a draw, but in reality, Fang Shiling's skill was still far inferior!
Xu Shaopeng used an ordinary ten-stone military bow to shoot from below, and the arrow flew nearly ninety feet. Fang Shiling, on the other hand, used a specially made twenty-stone powerful bow to shoot from above, and the two arrows collided at a distance of twenty feet from the bowstring, the distance at which the arrows could exert their maximum power. This showed how profound Xu Shaopeng's skill was!
Onboard the Freedom One Flying Dragon warship were Hua Yinghong, Fang Shiling, eighteen bodyguards, and several Freedom Iron Guards. Aside from the special forces soldiers piloting the airship, over thirty people on board could launch continuous attacks using Sun-Shooting Arrows and "Dragon Blood Bullets." Combined with the advantage of being virtually unaffected at high altitude, the combat power of this Flying Dragon warship was so formidable that even a single expert of the Divine Rank would likely flee in terror!
In the battle of Jade Dragon City, "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng, despite the imminent collapse of the Yinming Army, still assessed the situation and decisively attacked the city, turning defeat into victory. Although there were coincidences such as "Bloodthirsty Demon Blade" Yang Shidao taking advantage of Long Er's assassination of Ying Fei to kill the quasi-god level expert of Jade Dragon's secret agents and the backbone "Frost Blade Saint" Li Xinghai, and "Yinming Divine Fist" Xu Ling leading the Yinming Golden Guards to arrive in time to resist the powerful offensive of Jade Dragon Dao Sect and Jade Dragon Elder Yuan Tiangang, Xu Shaopeng's adaptability and strategic thinking in the face of the enemy greatly impressed Hua Yinghong, who felt a sense of mutual respect for him.
Xu Shaopeng was loyal and righteous, with exceptional intelligence and martial arts skills. His character and conduct were admired even by Xue Qianqian, the "Peach Blossom Fairy" with whom he had once worked. Xue Qianqian instructed Hua Yinghong to avoid harming Xu Shaopeng if possible, and to win him over as the best strategy. If they could subdue and recruit such a talented person as Xu Shaopeng, it would be a great help to the Free Alliance in unifying the Hua Long Continent, and even in conquering Japan, the Oba, and the Meisi Continent in the future!
"There are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people. Shiling, do not underestimate the heroes of the world." After giving Fang Shiling a brief reminder, Hua Yinghong said loudly to Xu Shaopeng on the ground, "Brother Shaopeng, it is impolite not to reciprocate. Please take my arrow!"
With a twenty-stone longbow and an ordinary arrow, Hua Yinghong's divine sense firmly locked onto the "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng, who was more than a hundred feet below. He gently closed his eyes, his whole body becoming one with heaven and earth, exuding an extremely peaceful aura.
Hua Yinghong's breathing had stopped; his mind was completely focused on the bow and arrow in his hand. There was no killing intent, but a torrent of true energy flowed from his dantian, continuously pouring into the arrow he held. The primordial energy of heaven and earth in the void swirled wildly towards him, as if his body were a giant vortex, devouring endless energy!
Xu Shaopeng, witnessing this, couldn't help but change his expression, his heart sinking!
During the rapid rise of the Free Army and the Free Alliance, "Son of Freedom" Hua Yinghong rarely took action personally. The only verifiable records date back to the beginning of the slave camp uprising, and it was said that he was quite lowly four months ago, during which time he was nearly killed twice by assassination attempts, indicating that his skill was not high.
What the major powers feared was Hua Yinghong's unpredictable military tactics and the endless stream of new weapons of war, rather than his martial arts skills.
Now, facing Hua Yinghong head-on, Xu Shaopeng felt a sense of awe, akin to that before his adoptive father, Xu Ling, the "Yinming Divine Fist." Perhaps Hua Yinghong's skill was still inferior to Xu Ling's, but the speed of his progress was unprecedented and astonishing!
"Piercing Arrow!" Hua Yinghong suddenly opened his eyes, unleashing his self-created "Piercing Arrow," a fusion of the Sun-Shooting Technique, the Mind-Concentrating Technique, and the Piercing Arrow Technique into his archery.
The arrow flew a full ten feet before disappearing without a trace, as if vanishing into the endless void. In the divine sense of "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng, however, he felt the world change color the moment the arrow was released, and time seemed to freeze for a moment—his Flying Dragon Halberd had blocked his thigh at the last second!
"Clang!" A clear, resonant sound rang out, and the handle of the Flying Dragon Halberd, neither gold nor iron, untouched by swords or axes, was marked nearly half an inch deep by the steel arrow!
An irresistible surge of Void-Piercing True Qi rushed along the halberd shaft towards his arm, surging forth thirteen times in succession like a tidal wave!
Xu Shaopeng frantically channeled his Yin-Yang True Qi to resist, dissolving the wave after wave. The final surge of true qi, however, acted like a gentle spring rain, nourishing and repairing the damage the Void-Piercing True Qi had inflicted on Xu Shaopeng's arm meridians—Hua Yinghong's masterful use and control of the Void-Piercing True Qi and the true qi of heaven and earth had reached an unbelievable level!
"Brother Hua's divine skill is truly admirable," Xu Shaopeng said, maintaining his composure. Although Hua Yinghong had the advantage of being on the high ground and launching the attack, his archery skills and profound cultivation were indeed superior to his own!
"Brother Shaopeng, you are destined to lose this battle. I know you cannot stand up for the Yinming Sect. It would be too difficult for you to submit now. How about you lead your troops and retreat?" Hua Yinghong said loudly, "However, the Free Alliance is currently short of food and supplies. Brother Shaopeng, please lead your troops back to Yulong Mansion
with light equipment. I will not stop you." Xu Shaopeng replied loudly, "Brother Hua, although you are highly skilled and have powerful weapons like the Flying Dragon Warships to aid you, it will not be easy for you to win this battle easily and seize my food and supplies."
To deal with the Free Army's most powerful "Dragon Blood Bullets" and Divine Crossbows, the Yinming Army specially made many fireproof umbrellas, fire extinguishers, and specially made steel shields. One hundred Flying Dragon Warships are ultimately a limited number. How many "Dragon Blood Bullets" and weapons can they carry? As long as they deal with it properly and retreat slowly in different directions under the cover of night, the Yinming Army's losses may not be too heavy.
"In that case, I have no choice but to let Brother Shaopeng see how to win this battle! Attack!" With a command from Hua Yinghong, two thousand powerful arrows rained down like a storm upon the Yinming Army soldiers who held high their shields around Xu Shaopeng!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!..." The sounds of exploding true energy and the screams of the Yinming Army soldiers rang out continuously!
—What pained Xu Shaopeng most was that those powerful arrows seemed to have eyes, specifically targeting the middle and high-ranking disciples and officers of the Yinming Sect dressed in red and white, causing hundreds of casualties in an instant!
"Brother Shaopeng, the steel shields of your soldiers cannot withstand the Sun-Shooting Arrows of a master of the ninth rank or above." Hua Yinghong shouted again, "You may not be able to withstand another arrow from me either!"
Although it was not easy to see clearly in the dark, what eyesight did "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng possess? After carefully looking at the sky, Xu Shaopeng's face suddenly turned pale!
In Hua Yinghong's hand appeared a small two-foot bow, gleaming with a translucent, jade-like emerald luster—the Jade Bow, the renowned protective artifact of the Gaoshan tribe! With this artifact, capable of at least doubling his attack power, the destructive force of Hua Yinghong's "Sunset Arrow" would rival that of a divine-grade expert!
Hua Yinghong focused his mind on the Jade Bow in his hand, marveling at the wonders of Taoist magic: the Gaoshan tribe's protective artifacts, the Jade Bow, the Sunset Arrow, and the Jade Ring, were said to be relics passed down from ancient times. The small jade ring on his ring finger was a storage ring crafted using Taoist magic; in reality, it contained a three-foot square dimensional space. The two-foot-long Jade Bow and the Sunset Arrow could actually be hidden within such a small ring!
However, the Jade Ring required powerful spiritual energy to control and access its contents—even with Zeng Guozhong's cultivation level, after eliminating Miao Tieshan on Treasure Island, he was unable to hide the Jade Bow and the Sunset Arrow within it. Hua Yinghong, with his initial Golden Core cultivation, could barely use it!
Just the sheer wonder of this Daoist technique—capturing the vastness of Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed—made him extremely puzzled: why had the once-powerful Daoist sects of the Tang Dynasty suddenly declined over a decade ago? In
Hua Yinghong's heart, this other world held countless mysteries: the wondrous martial arts and Daoist techniques, the psychic sea dragons, the magic the Oba people had only heard of but never seen, even the reason he had inexplicably arrived in this other world—all were unsolved mysteries. However, he believed that one day, everything would become clear, and everything would be understood!
Those were matters for the future; the most urgent task was to deal with the Yinming Army, otherwise it would hinder the Freedom Alliance's next overall plan.
A "Sunset Arrow" was nocked, and instantly, as if time and space themselves froze, the primordial energy of heaven and earth from all directions around the "Freedom One" flying dragon warship converged on him like rivers flowing into the sea, and the jade bow began to shimmer with a dazzling green light!
Can the "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng withstand the Void-Piercing Arrow fired by this divine weapon?

Long Feiyang's flagship, the "Feiyang," is much larger than ordinary warships.
Aside from the crew, the "Flying Star" can carry 350 combat personnel. Among these 350 personnel are 50 Saint-level experts and 300 Ninth-level experts from the Long family!
The threat of the "Dragon Blood Bullet" is negligible to Saint-level experts. As long as they use their true energy to gently envelop the "Dragon Blood Bullet" and throw it into the sea, aside from depleting their true energy, it poses virtually no threat. Furthermore, unless subjected to a high-intensity attack exceeding their capacity simultaneously, or a continuous barrage of attacks, the astonishing recovery ability of Saint-level experts—absorbing the energy of heaven and earth to replenish their true energy—would not have a significant impact.
Currently, almost every warship in the Long family's Quanzhou harbor naval divisions is equipped with one or two Saint-level experts.
Long Feiyang's father—Long Chengbi, one of the "Five Great Families" of yesteryear, also known as the "Nine Heavens Divine Dragon"—obtained the ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus. Combined with the spiritual herbs the Long family had collected over generations, the secret elixirs for enhancing power refined by the divine physician's disciples were no less numerous than those of the Qiu and Ding families. The Long family had managed Donghai County for generations, monopolizing Nanhai and Yunyuan Counties for ten years, accumulating war potential no less than that of the Qiu and Ding families! This was one of the important reasons why Long Feiyang refused to surrender easily.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!..." Hai Tianqing did not order the use of "Dragon Blood Bullets" against Long Feiyang again. Instead, he concentrated the remaining 190 flying dragon warships and launched a fierce attack on Long Feiyang's naval division with a barrage of "Sun-Shooting Arrows"! Having crushed the most elite fighting force of the Long family navy, coupled with the immense pressure from the Free Army's 400 warships, Long Feiyang would have no choice but to surrender!
Each warship would simultaneously withstand the attack of over sixty Sun-Shooting Arrows from two airships!
The occasional roar of dragons echoed—the Dragon Clan's ultimate technique, "Dragon Elephant Skill," was quite effective for wide-area defense. In particular, the Dragon Clan members, using their palms against their backs, practiced a method of combined attack to amplify their power. They formed several simple long dragon formations on the warship's deck, led by Saint-level and Ninth-level experts, wielding their weapons. Giant dragons of true energy rolled and soared, deflecting most of the incoming arrows!
Hai Tianqing frowned upon seeing the unsatisfactory results. He hadn't expected the Dragon Clan to possess such a tactic; powerful clans were indeed not to be underestimated, each possessing its own unique strengths.
"Guozhong, use the hunting tactics!" Under Hua Yinghong's influence, Hai Tianqing had long since abandoned his initial idea of a heroic, all-out battle—
"Achieve the greatest results with the least cost." It was precisely this war mentality of Hua Yinghong that had led to the Free Alliance's current success!
The "Hunting Strategy" is actually Hua Yinghong's application of the military strategy of "concentrating superior forces to attack a single enemy point" to deal with super experts. It's the same strategy used by the "Hunting Squad" to repel the numerous Saint-level expert assault teams from the five major forces on New Year's Eve.
Normally, Saint-level experts possess extremely strong protective true energy. Unless one possesses overwhelming strength to break through it in one fell swoop, they continuously absorb the energy of heaven and earth to replenish their energy, allowing them to withstand attacks from multiple experts for a long time.
However, Hua Yinghong's strategy involves first using super-powerful crossbows or sun-shooting arrows to continuously attack and deplete the Saint-level expert's true energy, giving them no chance to replenish it. When the enemy's true energy shield is almost at its critical point, one or even several Saint-level experts seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow with an extremely powerful "sun-shooting arrow"!
Even God-level experts would be terrified by such a strategy!
"Yes!" Zeng Guozhong knew that the situation was unlikely to improve.
Long Feiyang was determined not to surrender. If the elite forces of the Long Clan's navy cannot be destroyed at sea, this battle will be a complete disaster. Losing face for the Special Operations Division is a minor matter; ruining Marshal Hua's grand plan and the Freedom Alliance's important affairs would be a major fault for the Special Operations Division!
Hua Yinghong is usually kind and fair in rewarding and punishing people, but merits cannot outweigh demerits, and he is ruthless when it comes to dealing with people. No one can plead for mercy; even those who dare to plead will be dealt with!
In the sky, the Flying Dragon warships ceased their attack. A series of colorful fluorescent flag signals flashed, and the Flying Dragon warships kept approaching and separating, with figures leaping and changing positions between them.
Just as Long Feiyang and his men were looking up at the sky, wondering what kind of trick the Free Army was playing, disaster struck!
Eight Flying Dragon warships suddenly stopped at eight points above Long Feiyang's flagship, their intense killing intent locking onto the very symbol of the Long Clan's navy!
Long Feiyang, who was observing and directing the battle from the command tower, and the 350 experts on the ship had not suffered much damage in the fierce arrow barrage, but now a chill ran through them—even though it was the coldest night of winter, could the chill be so intense for these experts whose cultivation was already impervious to heat and cold?
"Shoot—" A bowstring twanged in the air, and a hundred "Sun-Shooting Arrows," with a crisp and powerful command, shot straight towards the command tower with a piercing whistle!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!..." Inside the command tower, ten Long Clan Saint-level experts responsible for guarding the tower unleashed powerful sword energy, deflecting all the incoming arrows!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Before Long Feiyang and the guards could catch their breath, a second and third volley of hundreds of "Sun-Shooting Arrows" continued to hurtle through the air!
A series of metallic clanging sounds erupted again, as the overwhelming "Sun-Shooting Arrows" rained down on the command tower like a torrential downpour!
The "Sun-Shooting Arrows" unleashed by eighth and ninth-grade experts, imbued with their true energy, possessed incredible power! After barely managing to deflect four volleys of arrows, every member of the Long Clan's guards who had blocked the arrows, along with Long Feiyang himself, was shaken so badly that their blood and qi surged, and their true energy was severely depleted!
"Clan leader, run!" The expert responsible for protecting Long Feiyang knew that the Free Army had already used its trump card, and the command tower had become the most dangerous place!

Volume 9, Desperate Counterattack, Chapter 192: The Death of a Famous General.
It was too late to think of escaping now!
Dozens of dazzling jade-colored rays of light flew out from the eight airships, disappearing into the vast void after only three zhang, seemingly vanishing without a trace!
Only Long Feiyang and the ten Saint-grade guards in the command tower could clearly perceive through their divine sense that those dozens of rays of light were definitely astonishingly powerful arrows unleashed by Saint-grade experts using the "Sun-Shooting Arrows," which had locked Long Feiyang and the others tightly in place, leaving them with no way to avoid them!
Only when they were about ten feet away from the command tower did dozens of jade-colored rays of light reappear from the void. With the swing of weapons, more than twenty powerful arrows were barely deflected, but many more arrows, carrying indestructible Void-Piercing True Qi, pierced through the weakened protective True Qi of Long Feiyang and his ten guards like a swift knife cutting through tofu, and pierced into the bodies of eleven people with overwhelming force—Long Feiyang alone was hit by five arrows in various places, including his chest and abdomen!
After the arrows hit their targets, a series of bowstring twangs echoed in the void—this volley of powerful arrows was clearly fired by a Saint-level expert from the Special Forces Division, and its speed was faster than sound!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The spacious and sturdy command tower, made of ironwood, was blown away by the shockwave from the explosion of true energy. Countless pieces of flesh and blood rained down, landing on the stunned soldiers of the "Flying Yang" Liang army, who were already stunned by the sudden turn of events. Some of the flesh and blood belonged to the head of the Long family—
the once-renowned general Long Feiyang, who died in such a tragic way without leaving a single word!

On the sixth day of the first month of the year 995 in the Hua Long Continent calendar, at noon.
The front pages of media outlets such as the "Freedom Daily" and "Treasure Daily" were filled with headlines such as "Sweeping Across the Army Like a Rolling Mat," reporting the unbelievable and unprecedented victory of the Free Army the previous night—
the shocking result of the world-shaking gamble between Hua Yinghong and Qiu Shuibo under Changlong City was astonishing: no one knew what secret method Hua Yinghong used, but the once invincible Qiu family, under the leadership of the new head Qiu Shuibo, surrendered to Hua Yinghong without a decisive battle and announced their unconditional joining of the Freedom Alliance!
Saying it's "unconditional joining" is just a nice-sounding name; in reality, it's the same as unconditional surrender. It's just a way to save face for the various branches of the Qiu family and their soldiers!
Qiu Shuibo, the head of the Qiu family, has been appointed as a general in the Free Army and will deploy the majority of the Qiu family's Jade Dragon Army to cooperate with the Free Army in combat!
In just one night and half a day, Liu Litao's Fourth Army Corps in Maoming Prefecture has swiftly set off eastward to Baijiang Prefecture, advancing towards the defense line of the Long family's Baiquan Army Corps on the border between Baijiang Prefecture and Baiquan Prefecture.
The four newly recruited divisions of the Free Army reserves in Maoming Prefecture have been divided and advanced eastward and northward, taking full control of the military of most cities and towns in Baijiang Prefecture and Zhanjiang Prefecture. General Qiu Haoran and "Jade-faced Tiger" Qiu Shuitao were ordered to lead the Qiu family's Zhanjiang Army and Shunde Army directly to Meijiang Prefecture, suppressing the newly established Meijiang Army of the Long family, which dared not move an inch. Qiu Shuibo, Qiu Shuiliu and "Mad Tiger" Ling Ye led the South China Sea Army and Qingyuan Army on a forced march of more than 100 li and were about to reach the border between Qingyuan Prefecture and Maoming Prefecture. The vanguard cavalry had entered Maoming Prefecture, and their target was obvious - directly targeting the Long family's only remaining Baiquan Prefecture and the important town of Quanzhou Port on the west bank of the Yulong River.
In the pursuit battle in the Zhenbao Strait, General Hai Tianqing commanded the Free Army Special Forces Division's airship unit to kill the head of the Long family, Long Feiyang, sink 180 warships of the Daliang Navy, and capture 3,372 transport ships full of soldiers and supplies of the Long family's Western Army. Except for a few top experts from the Long family and several thousand loyal Long family generals who escaped by sea under cover of night, the Long family navy and the western army of Daliang, unable to fight back and with nowhere to escape in the vast ocean, were besieged by the Flying Dragon warships and the Free Army navy. More than 300,000 were forced to surrender!
The Qiu family's Yangjiang naval army, with 800 warships, changed to the Phoenix Flag and lifted the blockade of the Treasure Strait, heading east towards the waters of the Daliang Kingdom...
Outside Tianshui City, the Yinming army was attacked by Marshal Hua Yinghong, who personally led one hundred Flying Dragon warships. "Jade Dragon Gentleman" Xu Shaopeng was forced to abandon his supplies and retreat in panic. The war correspondent of the Free Daily even jokingly referred to the 480,000-strong army of the three legions of the Yinming army that invaded Tianshui Prefecture as a "transportation team". The Yinming Army arrived on a whim, only to be forced to retreat without a single battle, leaving behind mountains of supplies, weapons, and equipment—a truly overwhelming amount.
Shilong Town was easily captured by the Free Army's Special Forces Division, which descended in on flying dragon warships. After the siege of Tianshui City was lifted, Lieutenant General Lin Zhizhong's Second Army Corps, consisting of two regular divisions, two reserve divisions, and the Changshengqiu Cavalry Independent Division, blocked the Ding family's army's escape route from the northern part of Tianshui Prefecture back to Jianghan Prefecture. The Ding family's more than 600,000 troops were now surrounded by the Free Army within a small area of only fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers) south of Shilong Town and north of Dongguan City;
their annihilation seemed imminent. During the "Desperate Counterattack" operation, Hua Yinghong, the "Son of Freedom," unprecedentedly allowed a strictly vetted newspaper to send war correspondents. The *Freedom Daily* published a series of reports describing the Free Army's battle scenes and interviewing soldiers, allowing the people of the alliance who had never experienced military life to feel as if they were there—a truly unprecedented event!
The storytellers in teahouses and restaurants embellished and promoted the battlefield news from newspapers such as the *Liberty Daily*, *Treasure Daily*, and *Changlong Commercial Daily*, exaggerating the invincibility of the Free Army and the unparalleled strategic brilliance of Marshal Hua Yinghong. This caused the Free Alliance citizens, who had been somewhat worried and even panicked due to the combined attack of millions of troops from the five major powers and food shortages, to be overjoyed!
At this point, even if the Free Alliance leader Liu Yufei and Marshal Hua Yinghong of the Free Army issued an order to march on the capital of the Later Tang Dynasty, probably no one would doubt it, and it would definitely attract a huge following, with the entire alliance joining forces!
A large number of well-trained internal affairs personnel, security personnel, and military intelligence personnel have been dispatched to the former Qiu family-controlled areas: the northern regions of Changlong Prefecture and Qingyuan Prefecture, Shunde Prefecture, Zhanjiang Prefecture, Baijiang Prefecture…
Although the Free Army has not stationed troops in Baiyang City, the Qiu family's stronghold, Qiu Shuiling, carrying the order of the family head Qiu Shuibo and the family's supreme "Ten Thousand Miles of Sorrowful Autumn Order," has cooperated with the Free Alliance in a comprehensive takeover operation. A large number of transport wagons and horses from the ship guild have already transported the first batch of grain from Baiyang City…
All of this undoubtedly proves that the Free Army's overnight victory in the "last stand" is indeed true, almost like an unbelievable myth!
Now, what can stop the Free Alliance's expansion, and who can stop the Free Army's advance?

Based in Shilong Town, the Free Army has extended from east to west, constructing a tight defensive line more than twenty miles long, with many temporary fortifications under construction. The winter sun provides little warmth, while the occasional howling north wind brings an inexplicable chill.
"Second brother, did you enjoy last night's battle?"
Hua Yinghong stood expressionlessly on the city wall of the south gate of Shilong Town, gazing at the terrifying battlefield stretching as far as the eye could see. His thoughts were unreadable:
from the base of the city wall at the south gate of Shilong Town to the distant highlands, broken spears, machetes, and longswords lay everywhere; damaged weapons were scattered about; and piles of human and horse corpses lay everywhere. Especially within a two-mile radius of the city wall, it was a scene of utter carnage, with corpses strewn across the land, stretching as far as the eye could see…
"That was exhilarating! That was exhilarating! The Ding family are a bunch of reckless madmen!" Ba Tian kept saying how exhilarating it was, but in his heart, he felt a lingering fear—
last night, the Jade Dragon Army under the Ding family, under the personal command of its young master Ding Baijian, launched a relentless and continuous charge to reclaim the passage for hundreds of thousands of troops retreating to Jianghan Prefecture, disregarding the lives of its soldiers...
Although two hundred flying dragon warships in the sky continuously dropped "Dragon Blood Bullets" and fired "Sun-Shooting Arrows" to assist, killing and wounding a large number of Ding family soldiers, the Ding family soldiers, surging forward like a tidal wave, continued to advance over the corpses of their fallen comrades, without the slightest hesitation or pause even before the flames ignited by the explosions of the "Dragon Blood Bullets"!
Nearly 30,000 highly skilled special operations soldiers were guarding a small town with a radius of just over three miles. With the aid of the devastating "Dragon Blood Bullets" and the unprecedented aerial weapon, the "Flying Dragon Warships," the task should have been relatively easy. However, Ba Tian found it even more difficult than when he had fought against a Japanese army of over 100,000 with only 10,000 special operations soldiers in Xiaoyuan Town!
The Ding family dispatched three assault teams, each composed of 50 Saint-level experts and 300 Ninth-level clan protectors, who mingled with the attacking army, moving swiftly and fiercely across the city walls. They did not directly engage the Saint-level experts and "hunting teams" organized by the special operations division, but instead constantly disrupted the division's defenses, attempting to systematically reinforce the Ding family's army on the city walls—300,000 against 30,000, they would crush the special operations division soldiers even if it meant pushing them to their deaths!
Fortunately, Ba Tian was outwardly rough but inwardly meticulous: after the Ding family's assault team caused chaos, he promptly changed tactics, using one hundred Flying Dragon warships to drop tens of millions of "Dragon Blood Bullets" outside the South Gate city wall, creating a raging sea of fire two hundred paces wide, temporarily cutting off the Ding family's relentless assault.
Then, Ba Tian concentrated one hundred and fifty Saint-level experts from the Special Operations Division, with fifty Saint-level experts and two hundred and fifty Ninth-level experts in the air on Flying Dragon warships, and one hundred Saint-level experts leading thousands of Ninth-level experts on the ground to besiege one of the Ding family's assault teams, annihilating them completely. Next came the West Gate, the East Gate...
The Battle of Shilong Town was arguably the most arduous and costly battle since the Special Operations Division was established. The formidable fighting power of the Ding family's super experts and elite divisions even instilled lingering fear in the special forces division soldiers, who considered fighting and combat commonplace. The city walls changed hands several times, and the battle raged on for over a dozen large-scale skirmishes. Even Ba Tian, in his fight against Ding Baijian, risked his life to withstand a Beiming Spear with his "Embracing Jade Skill," sustaining minor internal injuries, but his Zhanfeng Blade still managed to slash Ding Baijian's left arm!
— It wasn't until 500 Flying Dragon Warships carrying over 20,000 fresh troops from Qu Qingbo's 11th Division arrived as reinforcements, and "Free Army Flower" Feng Yanran led 40,000 cavalry from the Fire Phoenix Legion to the battlefield, launching a flank attack on the Ding family's army from the east, that Shilong Town returned to the complete control of the Free Army!
In the Battle of Shilong Town, the special forces division suffered 12,000 dead and 9,000 wounded out of 30,000 soldiers, including over 50 Saint-level experts who perished! This was the heaviest casualty the special forces division had ever suffered since its establishment. If it weren't for the help of the Flying Dragon warships, and if it weren't for the timely arrival of Qu Qingbo's division and Feng Yanran's troops, the special operations division would likely have been completely annihilated by Ding's army in Shilong Town!
"Fun? If the Special Operations Division hadn't been so arrogant and overconfident, how could the casualties have been so heavy! Capturing Shilong Town was meritorious, but your reckless actions led to the deaths and injuries of countless soldiers. Merits and demerits don't offset each other; you'll be demoted one rank, but temporarily retained as the Special Operations Division Commander to atone for your crimes. Any objections?"
Despite the victory and the achievement of the pre-battle plan to hold Shilong Town, Hua Yinghong's expression was grim, and he punished Ba Tian.
Before the battle, Hua Yinghong had instructed Ba Tian in detail to concentrate the powerful firepower of the Saint-level experts and the "Hunter Team," fully utilizing the Flying Dragon warships for aerial strikes, and eliminating the Ding family's various commanding officers from the air.
"Shoot the horse before the rider, capture the king before the thief"—the Ding family's army had a strict hierarchy of officers, their armor clearly distinguished by color, making them ideal for a "decapitation" tactic. If the Special Operations Division killed a large number of the Ding family's officers, even with a large force, chaos would ensue, making an effective attack impossible.
Beneath Tianshui City, Hua Yinghong, with only a hundred Flying Dragon warships, forced Xu Shaopeng's 480,000-strong army to retreat in defiance, a feat partly due to this. However, Ba Tian, caught up in the heat of battle, completely forgot the pre-arranged "decapitation" tactic, leading to such heavy losses.
"I submit!" Ba Tian replied softly. He knew he had broken military orders. Although Hua Yinghong treated his sworn brother extremely well, he showed no mercy when it came to military orders. If Shilong Town hadn't ultimately been held, even if he wasn't beheaded, dismissal and transfer from the special operations division would have been inevitable.
"Second brother, the discipline of the Special Forces Division needs a thorough overhaul," Hua Yinghong said meaningfully. "
News just came that Guo Zhong also made great contributions in the strait, but his ten airships were shot down and burned because he was greedy for credit. I have ordered him to be demoted and demoted, but he will temporarily serve as the deputy division commander, leading the airship force on the eastern front. No matter how strong the individual combat power of an army is, without discipline it will be a disorganized mess, easily defeated. Second brother, remember this!"
"Yes!" Ba Tian knew that his elder brother Hua Yinghong's handling of the matter was already showing consideration for their brotherly bond, and was quite lenient.
"Second brother, come with me to see the wounded soldiers!"
Although there were miraculous healing medicines prepared by Bai Sisi, a successor of the Divine Physician Sect, and the "Heaven and Earth Technique" also had strong self-healing capabilities, Hua Yinghong still couldn't break his habit of visiting the wounded after battles, and he strictly ordered all levels of generals in the Free Army to visit the wounded during lulls in the fighting: only soldiers who feel truly cared for will fight for the Free Alliance at all costs!
"Marshal! I'm just a lowly soldier, how could I let you expend your energy..." A common soldier from Qu Qingbo's division, who had suffered internal injuries and had his left arm severed, had his hands held by Hua Yinghong, who channeled an extremely beneficial stream of Hunyuan True Qi into him. His internal injuries were instantly healed to a great extent, and he was so excited that he couldn't speak
. "Reporting to the Marshal, he used to surrender from the Jade Dragon Army of the Sima clan's Jinghai Army. He was injured before, and none of the noble generals of the Sima clan ever visited him. He's quite excited that the Marshal has come to see him in person," the accompanying squad leader explained.
"No matter where you come from, once you join the Freedom Alliance, you're all one family; once you join the Freedom Army, you're all good brothers. The Freedom Alliance's great cause was won through the bloodshed and sacrifice of countless Freedom Army soldiers, not by any one person or group." Hua Yinghong patted the soldier's shoulder and said, "I will send an airship to take you back to Changlong City to recuperate."
"Don't send me back!" the soldier shouted, "I can still fight..."
This scene was witnessed by the accompanying war correspondents from the *Freedom Daily* and *Treasure Daily*, their pens constantly filling their notebooks...
Everywhere was a scene of intense construction of battlefield fortifications... Every Freedom Army soldier understood that tightly surrounding the Ding family's hundreds of thousands of troops was only the prelude to the decisive battle; the real test of the Freedom Army was about to begin...

Volume 9, Desperate Counterattack, Chapter 193: A Fierce Struggle
at Pumpkin Hill.
"Baijian, how are your injuries?" Ding Zixing asked his beloved son, Ding Baijian, who was recuperating in bed.
"My injuries are not serious. I never imagined that Iron Man Batian's skill was so high, and that the Free Army's Special Forces Division and the Flying Dragon Warships were so powerful! Baijian was incompetent, and despite suffering heavy losses, he still failed to capture Shilong Town..."
Ding Baijian was still shaken by last night's battle—the combination of the Free Army's elite Special Forces Division and the secret weapon "Flying Dragon Warships" was simply terrifying: the two legions of 320,000 Ding family troops launched continuous attacks, and even with 150 Saint-level experts, nearly 1,000 Ninth-level experts, and his own 1,000 Northern Darkness Guards leading a powerful assault, they were still repelled time and time again. In the end, all three assault teams were wiped out, more than half of the Northern Darkness Guards were killed, and another 120,000 were killed or wounded!
After "Free Army Flower" Li Feng Yanran led elite cavalry to attack the main camp from the east flank, Ding Baijian had no choice but to order a temporary retreat and return to the Pumpkin Hill area to rebuild defensive positions based on the terrain.
"We only have five days' worth of rations left!" Ding Zixing sighed. "We still have over 500,000 troops. It won't be easy for the Free Army to swallow us whole, but this crisis is unprecedented."
Before witnessing the formidable power of the Flying Dragon warships firsthand, Ding Zixing still harbored a glimmer of hope. But after his attempts to persuade them to surrender failed last night, Hua Yinghong immediately led a hundred airships to target Ding's heavily fortified supply depot. A barrage of "Sun-Shooting Arrows" killed or wounded thousands of soldiers guarding the supplies, and a volley of "Dragon Blood Bullets" burned a large amount of grain. Furthermore, the vast majority of the supplies for hundreds of thousands of troops were stockpiled in Shilong Town and were now in the hands of the Free Army—even the usually shrewd Ding Zixing was at a loss.
"Father, don't Xu Shaopeng and Sima Cheng understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'?" Ding Baijian said. "If our clan is defeated, the Yinming Army and the Sima Clan will be defeated one by one by the Free Army. The Free Army, with its momentum, will sweep through Yulong County, Wuling County, and even the entire Yulong Kingdom. Apart from the Wenjian Pavilion, I'm afraid even the Later Tang Empire will be no match for them. There will be no one left in the world who can control them."
"I have already ordered contact with Sima Cheng, the Yinming Army, the Long Clan, and Sima Lang. They should not sit idly by and watch the Free Alliance expand on a large scale," Ding Zizi sighed.
“The allied forces have always been driven by their own ulterior motives, always scheming to reap the benefits without actually fighting, never showing their true strength. This gave Hua Yinghong an opportunity. I hope they can truly wake up this time.”
As he said this, Ding Zixing seemed not to have considered his own situation
. “Father, Sima Lang is cunning and I fear he may have other plans for our clan. Beijiang Prefecture must be on guard.” Ding Baijian hesitated for a moment, then said, “If things really don’t work out, perhaps…”
But he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Baijian, our clan has relied on others for so many years, building up our strength and resources. How can we just abandon our ancestral legacy?” Ding Zizhi shook his head and said,
“Although the Free Alliance is currently powerful and unparalleled, its founding principle fundamentally overturns the privileges and interests of aristocratic families, making it an enemy of the world. Previously, it only failed to attract enough attention from the major powers of various countries, allowing it to play both sides and gain all the advantages. Now that the Free Alliance has become too powerful, it will inevitably be resented and may not ultimately amount to anything. If I am not mistaken, the Sword Inquiry Pavilion will also make a move.”
“But Fairy Lingbo Shui Xinyue and Hua Yinghong are very close, and Sword God Lang Qingyun and the current Sword Inquiry Pavilion Master, Fairy Piaomiao, are a divine couple. Why would the Sword Inquiry Pavilion make things difficult for the Sword God’s disciple?” Ding Baijian asked, somewhat puzzled.
Although he was the heir designated by the Ding family, there were some secrets that only the head of the family was qualified to know, so Ding Baijian was not very familiar with them.
“Baijian, just as my father and I, as family heads and heirs, sometimes find ourselves powerless, so too does the Sword Inquiry Pavilion, which maintains the fate of the world, sometimes find its master and successor powerless. You will understand the intricacies of this later.” Ding Zixing stopped there, then continued,
“I have secretly informed your grandfather that the Spring and Autumn Limitless Token should be used if necessary. If we cannot weather the current crisis, the Spring and Autumn Limitless Token will be of little use once the Free Alliance gains power. We should fight with all our might!”
"The Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree!" Ding Baijian's eyes lit up—fifty years had passed since its last use; just how much power had the Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree accumulated?
Perhaps this was the Ding family's last chance?

Shunchang City, Pinjianzhai.
"Lingbo Fairy" Shui Xinyue's beautiful eyes sparkled as she meticulously read the key information extracted from that day's *Freedom Daily* and transmitted via "Wanli Ling." For both public and private reasons, she had to pay the closest attention to the confrontation between the Freedom Alliance and the five major powers.
Unbeknownst to her, Hua Yinghong's shadow had already deeply imprinted itself on Shui Xinyue's unbreakable Dao heart.
Hua Yinghong's ordinary face, through his witty and relaxed letters, and with each passing day, gradually gained more understanding of her, began to captivate Shui Xinyue's heart—just as her master, the "Ethereal Fairy" Ling Hanyan, fell for the plain-looking swordsman Lang Qingyun rather than the majestic and handsome saber god Guan Shanyue or the dashing spear god Yan Nanfei, the most outstanding female disciple of the Sword Inquiry Pavilion had such unique standards for choosing her beloved.
In Shunchang City, discussions about the battle situation in Baiyang County could be heard constantly among the people of Daliang and even among the soldiers under the Shangguan family. The Free Alliance's donation of military equipment to the Shangguan family and its naval support in their fight against the Japanese pirates were already common knowledge. The joint invasion of the Free Alliance by the five major forces had aroused widespread discontent among the people of Shunchang Prefecture—otherwise, with the powerful Free Alliance navy and army advancing eastward, how could the Japanese pirates have been so arrogant?
The Shangguan family's attitude toward the Freedom Alliance has also quietly changed over the past month: although they have not openly announced their change of allegiance, they have been continuously accepting aid from the Freedom Alliance, as well as military training personnel, weapons improvement personnel, and defense planning personnel sent by the Freedom Alliance in recent days, all of which show a certain trend.
Today, news of the Free Army's great victory has spread throughout Shunchang Prefecture, controlled by the Shangguan family, causing thunderous cheers from the entire prefecture's soldiers and civilians. Some even suggested that the Shangguan family should march west from Shunchang Prefecture to Donghai County to welcome the Free Army and eliminate the Japanese pirates as soon as possible...
Clearly, the Free Alliance's carefully cultivated image as a pillar of resistance against the Japanese pirates has deeply resonated with the people and is exerting an immeasurable influence...
The appearance of the Flying Dragon Warship, and Qiu Shuibo's resolute decision to lead the Qiu family to unconditionally join the Free Alliance, led to a stunning reversal and a one-sided situation in the battle, making Shui Xinyue believe that Hua Yinghong's statement that "everything is under my control" was not just empty boasting. It also allowed her to witness the resolute decisiveness and astonishing courage of these two outstanding young figures—with such figures joining forces, who in the world could rival them?
The question is: what decision should the Sword-Asking Pavilion make?
Contrary to Ding Zixing's judgment, Fairy Lingbo Shui Xinyue did not intend to make any decision, nor did she make any statement on behalf of the Sword-Asking Pavilion regarding the battle situation in Baiyang County. Silence—perhaps the best way to deal with the current situation.
The actions of the Sword Inquiry Pavilion, much like the disciples' cultivation of the Ruyi Heart Sutra, are primarily about following the trend. Suppressing the war in the past was in accordance with the will of the people; now, tacitly approving the selection of a peerless ruler should also be in accordance with the will of the people—if they openly oppose the Freedom Alliance now, even if the Sword Inquiry Pavilion has the strength, how can they disregard the will of the people?
"...May Your Majesty understand the will of Heaven, have compassion for all living beings, and spare no lives. Xin Yue is deeply grateful. On the night of the full moon, Xin Yue has other important matters to attend to and cannot be present. The Ice and Fire Cave Heaven, however, is a place that haunts my dreams..." Shui Xin Yue's young heart, along with a subtle letter, had already flown far away...

The ninth day of the first month of the 995th year of the Hua Long Continent calendar.
The entire Hualong Continent was focused on the impending decisive battle between the Free Alliance and the Ding and Long clans, but the situation was overwhelmingly favorable for the Free Alliance.
Along the Shilong Town line, the Free Army had deployed 200,000 troops in recent days, including Qu Qingbo's 11th Division, Zhao Qingsi's 12th Division, and three reserve divisions. With Feng Yanran personally overseeing the operation, they had dug deep trenches, built high walls, deployed extensive iron net formations, and equipped themselves with new projectiles, super crossbows, and other heavy weaponry, effectively cutting off Ding Zixing's army's route north to Hanjiang Prefecture.
Ten miles west of Pumpkin Hill, Lin Zhi led two divisions of the Free Army's Second Legion, two reserve divisions from Tianshui Prefecture, and Chang Shengqiu's Independent Cavalry Division—a total of 200,000 troops—to construct a solid defensive position, blocking Ding's army's escape west to Tianshui Prefecture and their return to Jianghan Prefecture.
More than ten miles east of Pumpkin Hill, Gu Tianfang led the Free Army's 10th Division, along with four reserve divisions from Changlong City and Tenglong Port, totaling 200,000 troops, to build a fortified position.
South of Pumpkin Hill, Lu Dafu led the Ninth Division, along with two divisions from Zhang Qunfeng's Fifth Army Corps and two reserve divisions from Dongguan City, to garrison Dongguan City, forming an impregnable defensive line!
800,000 against 500,000! Ignoring the disparity in combat strength and morale, the Free Army held a significant advantage in troop numbers alone, not to mention the 700 Flying Dragon warships capable of transporting three newly replenished regiments of special operations soldiers and 3,000 Marshal's Free Iron Guards to any battlefield in the shortest possible time.
The Ding family's army could only rely on the terrain of Pumpkin Hill, digging numerous caves and underground bunkers to avoid air attacks, daring not to launch an attack in any direction. If supplies were plentiful, this defensive posture might be a viable option, but that was precisely the biggest problem: the Ding family's army only had two days' worth of provisions left!
The leaflets rained down from the sky daily were beginning to take effect, with discussions emerging within the Ding family's army about whether fighting for the Ding family's personal gain was worthwhile and whether joining the Free Alliance was not so bad.
Although Jianghan County was the territory deeply rooted and managed by the Ding family for generations, it still had dozens of other forces of varying sizes and strengths. How could the Ding family's million-strong army be entirely composed of Ding family members? It was simply that Ding family members held high-ranking positions!
When the Ding family was powerful, those affiliated forces could only follow the Ding family's lead, not daring to utter a sound! But now, facing the Ding family's extreme predicament, it's not surprising that those affiliated forces harbored ulterior motives. Furthermore, with the deliberate instigation of the Freedom Alliance's intelligence agents, and Hua Yinghong's public announcement that those willing to surrender and join the Freedom Alliance would still be treated as allies—the Ding family, determined to resist to the death, had begun to be divided and isolated.
Despite Ding himself ordering military judges at all levels to strictly monitor the situation and execute any deserters, deserters were still inevitably appearing among the hundreds of thousands of troops—something unimaginable before!
Because of the support from the Free Army's Flying Dragon warships, special operations divisions, and "hunting teams," Ding's forces sent to hunt down the deserters suffered heavy losses and were unable to control the situation... First, a small number of scattered deserters, and later, some low-ranking officers such as squad leaders and platoon leaders who were not direct descendants of the Ding family simply led their troops to surrender to the Free Army!
Although the total number of deserters was not large, the impact on the morale of the soldiers under the Ding family was extremely fatal! In particular, these people received excellent treatment immediately after surrendering to the Free Army, and were arranged to travel by airship over Pumpkin Hill to spread propaganda and call for meritorious service on the front lines...
Hua Yinghong's move was indeed insidious: it is feared that when the Free Army truly launches its final general attack, the soldiers who are loyal to the Ding family will have to worry about being attacked from behind by swords, spears, and arrows!
The four reserve divisions of the Free Army left behind on Zhenbao Island crossed the sea by boat after the blockade of the Zhenbao Strait was lifted, landed at Tenglong Port, and headed straight for the northern part of Qingyuan Prefecture. Qiu Shuiba and "Tiger" Ling Tong led the Qiu Clan's Hundred Sheep Legion and Eastern Legion into Nanjiang Prefecture of Jianghan County, occupying a vast southern region of Nanjiang Prefecture. Their main force slowly advanced to a point more than twenty li south of Nanjiang City. With the addition of four reinforcement reserve divisions of the Free Army, the Free Alliance forces advancing north into Nanjiang Prefecture would reach a staggering 480,000!
Judging from Hua Yinghong's troop deployment, it was clear that after dealing with the Ding family's four most elite legions trapped in Dongguan Prefecture, he would deploy over a million troops to swallow the entire vast and populous Jianghan Prefecture whole!
The situation on the eastern front was also extremely favorable to the Free Army: after learning of Long Feiyang's death and the annihilation of his 400,000-strong army in the strait, Long Xiaotian, in a moment of crisis, assumed the position of family head, vowing never to surrender. He left a division to cover the rear and led the main force of the Baiquan Army, 160,000 men, on a rapid retreat of 200 li (approximately 100 kilometers) back to Quanzhou Port, a key town at the mouth of the Yulong River, intending to hold the city at all costs, even at the cost of mutual destruction in street fighting with the Free Army!
Liu Litao's Fourth Army Corps, with the support of Zeng Guozhong's Flying Dragon warships, easily annihilated the rearguard Long family division, with as many as 30,000 surrendering! Subsequently, the Fourth Army Corps advanced directly to the walls of Quanzhou Port. Qiu Shuibo, Qiu Shuiliu, and "Mad Tiger" Ling Ye led the South China Sea Army Corps and the Qingyuan Army Corps to Quanzhou Port to join forces with Liu Litao's troops. Hai Tianqing, Yun Shalang, and Qiu Haohan led the Free Army's First Naval Corps, Reserve Corps, and Qiu Family Baijiang Army Corps, totaling 2,000 warships, respectively, cutting off all communication between Quanzhou Port and Donghai County. The fall of Quanzhou was only a matter of time; it all depended on when the Free Army launched its final offensive!
Anyone with eyes could see that the Free Alliance held an absolute advantage, and the Ding and Long families were no match for their offensive!
But unexpectedly, Marshal Hua Yinghong of the Free Army abandoned his usual swift and decisive style, delaying the order for a final offensive. Instead, he instructed the intelligence, security, and reserve departments to work closely together to strengthen control over the vast areas under the Free Alliance's control, and to continuously send airships to airdrop large amounts of propaganda leaflets into the areas controlled by the Ding and Long families—did he intend to subdue the two families, who had a deep-seated feud, with just these leaflets?
Just as those with ulterior motives were speculating about Hua Yinghong's intentions, the answer was quickly revealed: On the evening of the ninth day, two strange fireworks rose almost simultaneously from Pumpkin Hill in Dongguan Prefecture and Quanzhou Port City in Baiquan Prefecture, each forming four large characters: "Spring and Autumn Without Limits" and "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens," which lingered in the night sky for a long time—
as the last force to protect their families and clans, the Ding family's "Spring and Autumn Without Limits Order" and the Long family's "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order" appeared at the same time!
(End of Volume 9, please read Volume 10 "Soaring to the Heavens")

Volume 10 Soaring to the Heavens Chapter 194 Powerful Families
On the No. 1 Flying Dragon Warship above Pumpkin Hill, Hua Yinghong saw the four large characters "Spring and Autumn Without Limits" formed by specially made fireworks rising not far away and lingering for a long time. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief—
in the long history of the struggle for supremacy in the Hualong Continent over thousands of years, there were quite a few true powerful families who, after being wiped out, were never able to rise again. However, those who dared to ruthlessly exterminate powerful clans rarely met with good outcomes.
Before Emperor Liu Suifeng established the unprecedentedly vast Tang Empire, some powerful and arrogant rulers, eager to dominate the world, launched bloody purges and massacres after defeating rival powerful clans. This provoked a full-scale counterattack from the clans' hidden forces, resulting in the victors being either crushed or completely wiped out, ultimately turning victory into defeat or benefiting a third party—such examples are countless and far from uncommon. More than
fifty years ago, the prodigy Emperor Liu Suifeng was able to unify the Hua Long Continent and establish the unprecedentedly powerful Tang Empire because he learned from many lessons in the history of power struggles. After defeating his rivals and powerful clans, he mostly adopted a policy of appeasement, preserving them considerable political, economic, and military privileges, thus bringing these defeated forces onto his side.
In the path to hegemony, the most important element is "momentum." At the time, Liu Suifeng, wielding immense power, forced these powerful families to submit and pledge allegiance, preventing them from easily unleashing their hidden forces for a desperate last stand.
Just as when Long Feiyang led his army to attack Baiyang City and succeeded, if he had offered acceptable conditions, the Qiu family would most likely have chosen to submit to the Long family while retaining many privileges, rather than easily issuing the "Ten Thousand Miles of Sorrowful Wind Order" to mobilize their last remaining strength for a life-or-death struggle—the result of such an action would most likely be the Qiu family's extinction from the ranks of powerful families!
However, this also sowed the seeds of the Tang Empire's eventual division: once the power of Liu's descendants waned, and the central government was no longer respected by powerful and influential princes, the "Five Princes' Partition of Tang" rebellion ten years ago would not have been surprising.
After conducting in-depth research into the history of the Hua Long Continent, Hua Yinghong disapproved of Liu Suifeng's methods of unifying the continent, and also disapproved of the Wenjian Pavilion's constant manipulation of the power balance on the Hua Long Continent, creating a false peace: because such actions would undoubtedly only temporarily mask the contradictions, ultimately leaving endless future troubles!
However, Ren Huayinghong was incredibly audacious. Before the Free Alliance's strength was sufficient, he dared not easily provoke the long-established and deeply rooted powerful families like the Ding, Qiu, and Long clans. Otherwise, the Free Alliance's fragile foundation would be unable to withstand the immense potential unleashed by the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order," the "Ten Thousand Miles of Sorrowful Wind Order," and the "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order"!
But with the success of the two top-secret plans, advanced weaponry such as the Flying Dragon Warship, the Super Divine Crossbow, and the Divine Crossbow, and even a large number of Saint-level experts were "manufactured." Huayinghong believed he now had the resources to deal with the powerful families!
In the past few days, Huayinghong ordered a siege of the Ding clan's army besieging Dongguan Prefecture, and of Quanzhou and Meijiang Prefectures under the control of the Long clan, without attacking. Instead, he intensified propaganda offensives in the areas controlled by the Ding and Long clans, and strengthened internal, military, and intelligence control over the vast areas under the Free Alliance's rule, especially the newly occupied areas… All of this was preparation for the eventual battle against the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" and the "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order"!
If the latent forces unleashed by the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" and the "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order" can be cleanly and efficiently eliminated, and then the powerful families can be intimidated and lured with benefits, forcing them to follow the new rules set by the Free Alliance to secure their family interests and ensure their survival—the Free Alliance's process of unifying the Hua Long Continent will be greatly accelerated!
Furthermore, by eliminating many of the powerful families' political and military privileges, the Free Alliance's political foundation will be far more stable than the Tang Empire established by Liu Suifeng! This is the true essence of Hua Yinghong's "alliance with powerful families" strategy on Treasure Island!
Qiu Shuibo is truly clever and quick-witted, seizing the opportunity to join the Free Alliance through a high-stakes gamble; otherwise, the Qiu family would have been the first to be tested, and the first general summons issued under pressure from the Free Alliance might have been the "Ten Thousand Miles of Sorrowful Wind Order"!
Victory or defeat? The decisive battle between the Free Alliance and the Ding and Long families will be decided within days!

Since its use against the Tang army fifty years ago, the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree" has never been invoked again.
For the past fifty years, the Ding family's rule over Jianghan County has been remarkably smooth, quietly accumulating and expanding their power without fanfare. Regardless of the matter's size, the Ding family has always been able to resolve things properly on their own. Even their few wars with the Yuwen clan of the southwestern county of the Later Tang Empire across the Yulong River, the Feng clan of Nanhu County, and their eastern neighbor, the Long clan of Yunyuan County, have all been confined to small-scale conventional warfare, avoiding any significant damage, let alone requiring the use of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree"!
The Long family's "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Decree" has not been used for over a century!
This time, due to the overwhelming pressure from the Free Alliance after absorbing the Qiu family, and the Free Alliance's policies prohibiting the Ding and Long families from maintaining political and military privileges, both families have been forced to simultaneously invoke the General Summoning Decree—a truly unprecedented event in the millennium of the Hualong Continent!
After the fireworks signals of "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" and "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order" shot straight into the sky, the entire Hua Long Continent, including Treasure Island under the Free Alliance, was like a pot of boiling soup, bubbling and spewing water... completely boiling!
Almost all the powerful families on the Hua Long Continent, for the sake of their family's continuation, had two major forces, one overt and one covert: one overt, responsible for maintaining the family's interests on the surface; and one covert, lying dormant under various identities, forming its own system, maintaining the family's safety in various forms. Usually, even the family head did not know what the effects and consequences would be after issuing the general summons order.
Near the border between Jianghan Prefecture and Dongguan Prefecture, there was a small mountain village. In the village lived a farming family of four who worked diligently in the fields from sunrise to sunset. Within a radius of several miles, everyone knew that this family was frugal and hardworking, a perfectly ordinary household.
This family's surname is Wu. Old Man Wu is nearing seventy, frail and suffering from rheumatism and bone pain, especially in his legs. Every day, he still hunches over, using a hoe to go up and down the mountain to the fields. Each time, he coughs painfully, as if he's about to cough up blood, yet he can't bear to leave the land he's toiled his entire life on, his very lifeblood. This arduous labor is unbearable for the neighbors. Aunt Liu next door often says to Old Man Wu's son and daughter-in-law, "Oh dear, I say, your old man is really something. With you two young people around, why does he still go hoeing and cutting?... You should try to persuade him!"
The "you" she refers to is Old Man Wu's son, Wu Fu, and daughter-in-law, Wu Zhangshi.
The young couple are actually very filial to their father, taking meticulous care of him, but Old Man Wu just refuses to rest. The young couple toiled in the fields every day. They glanced at Old Man Wu, who was hiding far away on the edge of the field, clearing land under the scorching sun. They felt sad but could only mutter to themselves, "He's destined for a life of toil..."
But neither their son nor daughter-in-law could persuade Old Man Wu, who was somewhat stubborn
, and could only shake their heads and sigh. On the evening of the ninth day of the first lunar month, Wu Fu and Wu Zhangshi finished work and ate dinner with their child, Wu Bao'er, in the main hall, while Old Man Wu rested in the backyard. Suddenly, a rocket-shaped firework exploded in the sky, shooting into the clouds. They rushed to the front yard and saw the four large characters "Spring and Autumn Without Limits" appear in the night sky for a long time before disappearing.
"What beautiful fireworks!" Wu Bao'er clapped her hands excitedly. Wu Fu's expression changed instantly. He turned to his wife, Zhang Manyu, who was staring blankly at the sky, and said, "Ayu, I can't take care of you anymore."
"Where are you going?" Wu Zhangshi asked blankly, tears welling in her eyes.
Wu Fu was an honest farmer, not good with words, and for a moment he didn't know where to begin. He said anxiously,
"Ayu, I, I, I joined a gang. Do you know? That time when Guo Laohu came to seize our land, a young master came and drove him away. The young master who stood up for us that time was surnamed Ding. Do you understand? He's a great hero, a very good person. To repay him, I joined his gang. The fireworks in the sky just now were Young Master Ding's summons, indicating that he was in unprecedented danger. In the past, when we were in trouble, we didn't ask them for help, and they would come to our aid; now that he's in trouble, he sets off fireworks to call for help, I can't not go and help... In short, I must go, I must repay this kindness..."
Wu Fu scratched the back of his head, stammering and hesitant, finally finishing his sentence. Then, mustering great courage, he grabbed Zhang Manyu's hand and said, "Ayu, I'm leaving now. You must take good care of Dad." ...
At this moment, another rocket shot up from the backyard, soaring into the night sky and exploding into the four characters "Spring and Autumn Without Limits." Zhang Manyu's pretty face glowed with a healthy red. Suddenly, she spoke, her calm and composed demeanor astonishing Wu Fu: "Writing Spring and Autumn Annals."
Wu Fu hesitated for a moment before replying, "The Way of Heaven is Boundless.
" Zhang Manyu said in a deep voice again, "Legends of the Past and Present."
Wu Fu's eyes suddenly lit up, sharp as arrows, and he replied, "Sacrificing oneself for righteousness!"
Zhang Manyu looked at the red fireworks fluttering down from the sky and said in a low voice, "Jianghan Hall, Chen number nineteen."
Wu Fu suddenly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Jianghan Hall, Si number seventeen greets the incense master."
Zhang Manyu said, "There's no time to lose, let's go there together."
Wu Fu couldn't help but jump up and said, "Ayu, I really didn't expect you..."
Zhang Manyu shook her head, signaling him not to continue. Wu Fu laughed, "Alright, alright, I know the rules of the gang are strict. I'll just say this much, and then I'll consider you my superior..."
Zhang Manyu sighed sadly.
Wu Fu scratched his head and asked urgently, "Wh...what is it?"
Zhang Manyu sighed softly, "But...but who will take care of Father-in-law and Bao'er?"
Wu Fu nodded and said, "You come. You're a woman, I'll go and answer the call."
Zhang Manyu said, "No, you should stay behind. I'm of higher seniority, and my martial arts are better than yours. Besides, what difference does it make whether you're a man or a woman when answering a summons?"
Wu Fu was immediately dumbfounded!
Suddenly, they heard an old voice say, "You both go."
The couple turned around together and saw Old Man Wu, hunched over, coughing as he walked over, holding his pipe.
"Father, you..." Old Man Wu suddenly flicked his pistol, the sparkler exploding into hundreds of golden stars that swirled and danced in the night. He called out, "Number Eight, Yin!"
Wu Fu and Zhang Manyu were shocked! The "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" used a twelve-hour system, and the Yin generation belonged to the first-level Protector, a rank even higher than the Hall Master of Han Han Hall, and far superior to Zhang Manyu's Incense Master status.
Zhang Manyu asked, "May I ask which lineage you belong to, Father?"
Old Man Wu laughed heartily, "I knew you were also members of the sect, but according to the sect rules, even brothers and fathers cannot reveal their identities to each other, unless they are serving the sect together... I was one of the patriarch's Northern Darkness Guards back then."
Old Man Wu straightened up, showing no trace of his old age. He said, "Back then, because I fought alongside him in countless battles, the patriarch granted me permission to retire, bestowing upon me the surname 'Wu' from 'Chunqiu Wuji' and a hundred acres of fertile land... and so I settled here."
It turned out that the "Chunqiu Wuji Sect," as the Ding family's clan's secret force, was a large organization with strict rules. Old Man Wu and his two brothers were all highly skilled and possessed unique techniques, but wives didn't know their husbands, and sons didn't know their fathers. The three were all experts within the sect. However, in terms of seniority and skill, Old Man Wu, who always pretended to be old and frail, was the most senior.
Old Man Wu said, "The summons has arrived, we must hurry. Bao'er will be cared for by Aunt Liu next door..."
Suddenly, a shout rang out: "Yes! No delay whatsoever!"
Old Man Wu roared, "Attack!" His figure leaped five zhang high with lightning speed, his pipe transforming into the "Northern Darkness Sword Technique," unleashing hundreds of pipe shadows carrying powerful energy that descended upon the source of the sound!
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!..." A figure soared into the air, dozens of sword lights flashing, dispelling the countless shadows of poles. The person who landed was a middle-aged woman in her forties, who laughed and said,
"Good! Brother Wu, you truly deserve to be ranked eighth among the Northern Darkness Guards back then. Your cultivation has deepened over the years, and I, your younger sister, am far inferior!"
"Aunt Liu!" Wu Fu and Zhang Manyu were even more surprised. Aunt Liu, who had always taken good care of their family and treated Wu Bao'er like her own grandson, was actually a top-notch expert!
"May I ask your name and position in the sect?"... Seeing that Aunt Liu knew the "Northern Darkness Sword Technique" so well, it was clear that she was a fellow disciple. Old Man Wu made a strange gesture and asked.
"Fifteenth of the Yin Character Punishment!" Seeing Aunt Liu's strange hand gesture, Old Man Wu's expression changed. "I didn't expect you to be a Protector of the Punishment Hall! My apologies!"
"The signal has been given. Bao'er will be taken care of by the disciples of our sect. Let's go!" Aunt Liu laughed. "Our village is
full of hidden talents!" Old Man Wu shouted to Wu Fu and Zhang Manyu, "Wu Fu, Zhang Manyu, listen to my command! Our sect issues the 'Spring and Autumn Limitless' divine decree. Go immediately and do your utmost. Any disobedience will be punished with death!"
"Yes, sir!"
Overnight, the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree" was relayed throughout the Hua Long Continent, reaching as close as Jianghan County, directly adjacent to Baiyang County, and the entire Jade Dragon Kingdom, as far as the Golden Dragon Kingdom, the Later Tang Empire, the Great Liang Kingdom, and even as far as the New Song Kingdom, on the Aegean coast! On the vast continent of Hualong, countless towns, villages, and farmhouses experienced situations similar to those of Old Man Wu's family...
A small town with several thousand inhabitants suddenly vanished overnight, leaving only a few hundred inexplicably disabled and elderly people; some small martial arts sects and mountain strongholds suddenly mobilized, leaving none behind; in the Nanhu County of the Later Tang Empire, a military camp of a thousand soldiers in a company was wiped out, leaving only the company commander. Fearing punishment and execution, even the company commander fled in terror...
The shockwaves caused by the Long family's "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order" throughout the Great Liang Kingdom and the Hua Long Continent were no less than those caused by the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order"!
The entire Hua Long Continent seemed to boil over overnight: from the imperial city, the army, and officials, to peddlers, laborers, commoners, and heroes, countless hidden forces belonging to the Ding and Long families were urgently summoned by the general summons. Countless carriages and streams of people rushed towards the same goal, towards the places where the general summons was issued—the Pumpkin Hill in Dongguan Prefecture, the origin of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order," and Quanzhou Port City, the origin of the "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order"—at top speed…

Volume Ten, Soaring
to the Heavens, Chapter 195: Aerial Romance, Changlong City, the Freedom Alliance Leader's Mansion. It was the turn of the Pig and Rat.
Liu Yufei, her face as beautiful as a flower, remained composed and dignified. Her stunningly beautiful face showed no sign of panic as she calmly and collectedly asked Prime Minister Lü Jingwei of the Internal Affairs Council, "Elder Lü, are all departments ready?"
"Completely ready, awaiting only the Princess's order." Out of respect for the late Emperor Liu Qinghua of the Great Tang Empire, and driven by his enduring dream of restoring the Tang Dynasty, Lü Jingwei still addressed Liu Yufei as "Princess."
However, a hint of worry lingered in his voice: he knew all too well the immense power of these powerful families. The Free Alliance was now simultaneously dealing with the Ding family's "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" and the Long family's "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order"—an unprecedented event in the millennia-long history of the Hua Long Continent's struggle for supremacy!
Although the powerful Qiu Tong family had recently joined the alliance, and Hua Yinghong's military strategies were ingenious, who knew if the Qiu family would change their allegiance at a crucial moment when things looked unfavorable?
"Good! I order: the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Military Intelligence, in coordination with the military, to immediately close in on the plan and wipe out all the hidden forces of the Ding and Long families within our alliance!"
Liu Yufei showed no worry whatsoever, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a strange light. When Hua Yinghong wasn't present, this celestial beauty displayed a decisive and heroic side, revealing the innate kingly aura of her royal lineage.
"Yes, sir!" Minister of Security Xue Qianqian and Minister of Military Intelligence Mo Yan responded simultaneously, their voices unable to conceal a hint of excitement: after defeating the Ding and Long families, the Freedom Alliance's prestige would be unmatched!
Xue Qianqian and Mo Yan knew more about the two top-secret plans orchestrated by Hua Yinghong than even the Prime Minister of the Interior, Lü Jingwei, and their confidence in Hua Yinghong's ability to lead the army to victory in this unprecedented battle far surpassed Lü Jingwei's!
"Whoosh!—" A signal fire shot into the sky from the Alliance Leader's Mansion, and then, centered on Changlong City, countless fireworks exploded in the sky, even relaying the signal from airships already waiting above the Treasure Strait!
Under Hua Yinghong's planning, the all-out decisive battle between the Free Alliance and the Ding family, who launched the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order," and the Long family, who launched the "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order," had begun!

Fifteen miles north of Qingshui Peak in Changlong Prefecture, there is a Chonglong Peak. It is named for its resemblance to the overlapping heads of two giant dragons, giving it a very imposing appearance.
On the night of the ninth day, Chonglong Peak was teeming with people from its summit to its base, a surging tide of humanity, the exact number of whom was unknown.
Looking out from the summit, countless fast horses and torches were constantly rushing towards Chonglong Peak. Among the early arrivals, many recognized some of their closest friends and jumped for joy!
One exclaimed, "You too..." Another said, "Why didn't you say so sooner!" One said, "We even had a fight before..." Another responded, "If we had known that, why would we have fought! Ha! Ha! Ha!..."
This shows how pervasive and insidious the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" is, its number of disciples unknown—perhaps only the sect leader and a few core members know!
Ding Keqin stood tall on the dragon-head boulder atop "Chonglong Peak," gazing at the sea of heads thronging the mountainside, his heart surging with emotion: As the head of the Hundred Sheep Hall of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect," his public identity wasn't Ding, and his profession was merely that of a small cloth shop owner in Hundred Sheep City, the kind of person everyone else was.
If the Ding family had continued to prosper and be invincible, Ding Keqin would probably have followed ancestral teachings and lived a quiet, uneventful life.
However, the current strength of the Free Alliance and the astonishing methods of Hua Yinghong, the "Son of Freedom," have led to the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order," previously only used when the enemy attacked Jianghan City and the ancestral hall was in danger, being issued by the current family head, Ding Zixing, at the very beginning of the decisive battle. This can only mean one thing: Ding Zixing has completely lost confidence in relying solely on the family's visible strength to withstand the Free Alliance's attack!
If the more than fifty elite troops of Dongguan Prefecture are all annihilated, it will probably be too late to issue the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order"!
The "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" has two main halls, an inner and an outer one. The outer hall has thirty-six halls, one in each of the five kingdoms of Hualong, varying in size. Disciples of the same rank are never allowed to communicate horizontally, only vertically, giving orders or sending intelligence. Therefore, Ding Keqin does not know how many disciples there are in the entire sect.
However, Ding Keqin is familiar with the situation of the Hundred Sheep Hall: as of the end of 994, including Hundred Sheep County and Zhenbao Island, the Hundred Sheep Hall had a total of 267,438 disciples. The other halls are usually smaller in size and number the farther they are from Jianghan County, but the combined power of the thirty-six halls would be astonishing!
Choosing Chonglong Peak as the signal to issue the Hundred Sheep Hall's summons was deliberate: given Hua Yinghong's shrewdness as the "Son of Freedom," who has even earned the title of "Invincible Military God," it's impossible he's unaware of what the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" represents. Gathering the disciples and forming a unified command will take time. If they gather in Hundred Sheep City, they will immediately be surrounded and annihilated by the Qiu family; if they gather in Changlong City, although the main fighting force of the Free Army has been fully mobilized, the powerful security and intelligence departments will certainly not allow a gathering of more than one hundred people. The three thousand Fire Phoenix Guards protecting the Alliance Leader's Mansion and the thousands of Free Army soldiers protecting the Free Army's General Staff Headquarters are enough to wipe out the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" disciples one by one before they complete their assembly. Moreover, there was the special forces division carried by the stealthy Flying Dragon warships…
“Brothers and sisters!” Ding Keqin estimated that about 120,000 to 130,000 disciples armed with knives and weapons had gathered near Chonglong Peak, and began to speak loudly. Although he was only forty years old, he had already mastered the Northern Darkness Divine Art to a high level, and ordinary Saint-level experts were no match for him. Therefore, his voice shook the heavens and penetrated into everyone’s ears, without worrying that anyone would not hear him!
“The Hall Master has spoken, quiet! Quiet!” Some flag leaders, incense masters, commanders and other leaders began to order their disciples to be quiet, and for a moment, Chonglong Peak was completely silent.
"As you all know, our Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect hasn't issued a summons for fifty years, and most of us don't even know each other." Ding Keqin was quite satisfied with the discipline of his disciples:
"In the past, there may have been some conflicts and disputes among us, but now that we've gathered under the same banner, we're all brothers who will share joys and sorrows, life and death. Any grudges will be wiped clean!"
"Share joys and sorrows, life and death!" A chorus of shouts and responses erupted from hundreds of thousands of people, shaking even Chonglong Peak. The cohesion of the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect disciples was extraordinary!
"Everyone, find your superiors according to your respective ranks and regions. Organize yourselves and occupy the strategic points to defend Chonglong Peak. Changlong Banner will defend the southern peak, Tianshui Banner will defend the western peak, Dongguan Banner will defend the northern peak, and Qingyuan Banner will defend the eastern peak. Once more disciples have gathered, the sect leader will issue the order to begin the operation! Sacrifice yourselves for righteousness! Die for
righteousness! Die for righteousness! Die for righteousness!..." A chorus of shouts echoed through the vast night sky of Changlong Prefecture...
Almost the same scene was unfolding on a mountain called "Lotus Peak," thirty miles west of Quanzhou City in Baiquan Prefecture, Nanhai County: The
"Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens Order" of the Long family had a greater influence in Nanhai Prefecture and Yunyuan Prefecture, which had been ruled for many years and were deeply rooted in the region. More than 200,000 "Dragon God Gang" disciples quickly gathered near "Lotus Peak," and countless "Dragon God Gang" disciples from Shunde Prefecture, Zhanjiang Prefecture, Maoming Prefecture, Baijiang Prefecture, and beyond continued to flock to "Lotus Peak"...
Meanwhile, in Jianghan and Donghai counties, the strongholds of the Ding and Long families, disciples of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" and the "Dragon God Gang" openly gathered in towns and cities of all sizes. To estimate the numbers, approximately 10-20% of the population in each town and village revealed themselves, armed with knives, spears, and bows, fully prepared to answer the call…
Whether Hua Yinghong realized he had stirred up a hornet's nest, and two at that—the trouble was immense!
Jianghan County alone had a population of eight to nine million; even at 15%, the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" disciples numbered at least 1.2 million! Donghai County, managed by the Long family for generations, had a total population well over six million; the "Dragon God Gang" disciples in Donghai alone numbered at least one million!
And that didn't stop the disciples from all corners of the Hua Long Continent, from all corners of the continent, pouring into Dongguan and Baiquan counties in response to the two families' call to arms.
How could Hua Yinghong and the Free Alliance possibly handle such an unprecedentedly massive force?

Hundreds of feet above Chonglong Peak, Hua Yinghong, seemingly oblivious to the hornet's nest he had stirred up, leisurely watched the spectacular scene below, where hundreds of thousands cheered in unison, a relaxed smile on his face.
A devilish hand, however, tightly embraced the slender waist of "Free Army Flower" Feng Yanran, pressing her alluring body against him, as if boneless. He planted a fierce kiss on her tempting lips before saying, "Yanran, look how magnificent the scene below is! The Feng family is a powerful and prestigious clan, so why did they choose to be wiped out rather than issue the Wind God's Decree?"
"Brother!—" Feng Yanran nestled weakly in Hua Yinghong's arms, seemingly without any strength. The subtle passion her lover had secretly bestowed upon her had flushed her face, completely obscuring her usual cold and ruthless general demeanor.
"The events of that year happened so suddenly. Perhaps Grandfather didn't have time to issue the Wind God's Decree. Perhaps he considered that even if the entire family's power was mobilized, it still wouldn't be enough to withstand the millions of troops and Blood-Clad Guards of Liu Piaoxu, the pseudo-emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty. Perhaps he wanted to preserve a sliver of strength for the Feng family to rise again!"
"Even powerful families have their untold difficulties." Hua Yinghong cupped Feng Yanran's tender
, already aroused face and said, "Believe me, the Feng family will regain its former glory in your and Qingyang's hands, and it will be even better than before." "Of course I believe..." Feng Yanran gave him a sweet kiss, slightly shyly saying, "Brother! We should go see how Sister Sisi's preparations are going."
"Alright! There's still some distance to Qingshui Peak from here, just enough time..." One of Hua Yinghong's strange hands was already caressing Feng Yanran's firm breasts. Although there was a breastplate and a layer of battle robe between them, it couldn't stop the penetration of "Passion Essence" and "Aphrodisiac Peach Blossom Hand"...
while the other strange hand had already quietly slipped into Feng Yanran's...
"Brother—" Feng Yanran, caught off guard by the sudden attack, went limp, radiating a fiery heat. Her voice was as soft as a cute kitten's: "Love me well!..."
Busy patrolling the battlefield, Feng Yanran hadn't had a proper intimate moment with her lover for three days. The beautiful young woman, already craving more, couldn't withstand her lover's teasing any longer. Her breath hitched, and a flush of desire rose on her pretty face.
In the midst of their passionate kiss, Hua Yinghong skillfully removed Feng Yanran's clothing, revealing her flawless and alluring body.
Her years of combat had left no trace on Feng Yanran; her fair skin was delicate and smooth, with a subtle sheen beneath her flawless, jade-like skin. It was supple to the touch, exuding a captivating and alluring charm.
Due to her years of diligent martial arts training, Feng Yanran's body was both beautiful and flexible, possessing a unique blend of feminine charm and robust strength.
Hua Yinghong's passionate lips slid down from Feng Yanran's lips, along her smooth, jade-like neck, leaving a trail of kisses on her firm, snow-white breasts and flat stomach. The ticklish, warm, and alluring sensation made Feng Yanran moan softly.
Hua Yinghong's masterful seduction techniques had Feng Yanran's desire reaching its peak. She felt incredibly empty, desperately needing something to fill the void, but Hua Yinghong lingered on her flawless body, his nimble tongue teasing her sensitive nipples before sliding back to kiss her deeply again, seemingly unaware that her desire was becoming unbearable!
Feng Yanran's breasts heaved rapidly, causing her full, high breasts to tremble, her small, red mouth opening and closing incessantly, her eyes glazed over, her cheeks flushed, unable to bear the sight. In the emptiness, somewhat confused, she reached out and groped for her lover's erect member, releasing it from his warrior robe!
Hua Yinghong's thick, fiery dragon root was already as hard as steel. Feng Yanran slid down her delicate body, her cherry-red lips and fragrant tongue gently licking her lover's strong, powerful abdominal muscles, sliding all the way down.
During her "seclusion" at Qingshui Peak, Feng Yanran had learned enough techniques from her sisters Xue Qianqian and Liu Yufei. Her slippery, fragrant saliva spread throughout the fiery dragon root. Her parted lips pressed against it, kissing from the bottom to the top. After her lover's breathing became rapid, she gently took it into her mouth, her cherry lips wide open, her fiery fragrant tongue working in tandem with her lips to lick.
Hua Yinghong looked down at the usually cold and aloof Feng Yanran, her bright, beautiful eyes meeting his gaze. They gazed at each other, a hint of shyness in her eyes. Her small, alluring lips kissed him tenderly, a multi-sensory pleasure that was indescribable—visual, psychological, and physical. In Feng Yanran's warm, soft, and smooth mouth, he quickly felt a surge of uncontrollable urge to explode.
Hua Yinghong pulled Feng Yanran up and placed her on a specially made bed in the marshal's cabin. He gently parted her long, slender, snow-white legs and began the most primal act. Soon, Feng Yanran let out rapid, low moans that made one's blood boil. Fortunately, Hua Yinghong had already released a protective aura to prevent it from spreading outside.
The two of them made love in the flying warship, enjoying the sweetness of their mutual affection, seemingly forgetting the impending final battle...

Volume 10, Chapter 196: The Situation Reversed . With the
simultaneous issuance of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" and the "Dragon Soaring
to the Nine Heavens Order," the war between the Free Alliance and the Ding and Long families, which initially held a significant advantage, suddenly reversed almost overnight. By noon on the tenth day of the first lunar month, over 160,000 disciples of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" had gathered along Chonglong Peak in Changlong Prefecture!
Despite lacking heavy weaponry, this force of over a legion of highly skilled Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect disciples posed a formidable threat. Whether they attacked westward to the rear of the Free Army's 9th Division and four reserve divisions totaling 200,000 men, or southward to the sparsely defended Changlong City, or northeastward to the Qiu family's stronghold and the Free Army's newly acquired granary, Baiyang City… any of these options would cause immense trouble for the Free Army!
Even if the Baiyang Hall army of the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect, hastily assembled by Ding Keqin at Chonglong Peak, was merely a rabble of individual strongmen lacking battle experience, it was still a thorn in the side of the Free Army!
About twenty miles north of the Free Army's rear line in Shilong Town, the Jianghan Hall, the most powerful force within the Chunqiu Wuji Sect, had gathered over 400,000 men. The Ding family's four divisions, totaling 160,000 troops, which had been assembled from various parts of Jianghan Prefecture to reinforce the Dongguan Prefecture battle, had also arrived. This force of over 560,000 men could launch an attack from the north of Shilong Town towards the Free Army's defenses at any moment, coordinating with Ding Zixing's 500,000 troops encircled at Pumpkin Hill, to shatter the Shilong Town frontline defense system commanded by "Free Army Flower" Feng Yanran!
Under Ding Zixing's relentless orders, disciples of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect, who had come from various prefectures of Yulong County, Wuling County, and Jianghan County, had amassed nearly 400,000 troops twenty miles behind Lin Zhi's Second Army Corps defense line in Tianshui Prefecture! The Ding clan army, which was originally confronting Sima Cheng's army in Wuling Prefecture, left only one division to guard the key route and dispatched three divisions south to Tianshui Prefecture. The 520,000 troops cut off the passage between Lin Zhi's Second Army Corps, Chang Shengqiu's Independent Cavalry Division and Tianshui City!
If the Ding clan army in Tianshui Prefecture were to split its forces and attack the sparsely defended Tianshui City at this time, even with "Plum Blossom Sword Saint" Mei Shanmin and many disciples of Wanmei Manor in charge, they would not be able to withstand the Ding clan's large numbers and power!
Aside from Dongguan City, the Free Army, which had surrounded Ding Zixing's 500,000 elite troops from the east, west, and north, was instead counter-encircled from the outside by nearly 1.2 million disciples of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect and the Ding family's regular army! The Ding family, with 1.7 million against 800,000 Free Army troops on the main battlefield in Dongguan Prefecture and possessing the advantage of internal and external support, seemed to have clearly turned the tide in this decisive battle!
However, Ding Zixing did not immediately order his troops to launch a counter-offensive. Instead, he ordered the Chunqiu Wuji Sect disciples to rest and regroup. After all, many disciples had traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles in a day or two on horseback or using their lightness skills to reach the battlefield. If they were to engage in combat without rest and recovery, they would suffer countless casualties against the well-equipped, powerful, and well-rested Free Army!
"Baijian, I feel something is very wrong, but I can't quite put my finger on it." Now, when Ding Zixing faced a difficult situation, he liked to consult with his son, Ding Baijian.
Because of the generational gap, Ding Zixing couldn't fathom the unpredictable thoughts and ideas of newly emerging young talents like Hua Yinghong, Qiu Shuibo, and Xu Shaopeng. The death of the renowned general Long Feiyang served as a stark warning! Ding Baijian, on the other hand, was roughly the same age as Hua Yinghong and had recently taken to studying "Hua Zi's Art of War," allowing him to predict Hua Yinghong's military strategies to some extent.
"Father, do you think everything is going too smoothly?" Ding Baijian couldn't help but ask.
On the surface, the powerful force unleashed by the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Order" seemed to have made the Ding family's current situation extremely favorable. However, upon closer examination, something was amiss—the capabilities of the Free Alliance's security and intelligence departments were well-known, and the Free Army's Flying Dragon warships were incredibly fast, more than twice as fast as cavalry. Why allow the disciples of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" to gather so easily without any resistance?
"It's precisely because things are going too smoothly that I feel uneasy!" Ding Zixing's face showed no joy, but rather some worry. He continued,
"Currently, the power of the Spring and Autumn Wuji Sect is completely exposed. Of the 1.16 million men of the Jianghan Hall, 700,000 have already gathered in Dongguan and Tianshui Prefectures, and the rest are still on their way. If the Free Army launches a surprise attack on Jianghan County with its Flying Dragon warships, we will have no means of responding."
"Perhaps there is such a possibility, but we have at least one division stationed in each of the four prefectural cities. If the Free Army launches a surprise attack from the air, it will only cause some property damage and casualties, which will not help the overall situation. If they enter the city for street fighting, the Flying Dragon warships can only carry too few people. I'm afraid that no matter how strong their fighting force is, they won't gain much of an advantage." Ding Baijian analyzed.
"The key to the current battle is no longer the gain or loss of a single city or territory, but rather who can eliminate the enemy's manpower in this battle of encirclement and counter-encirclement. If we can annihilate the 800,000 Free Army troops on this main battlefield in one fell swoop, even if we lose Jianghan City temporarily, we won't be afraid. As long as our more than one million troops return with the momentum of victory, coupled with our deep roots in Jianghan County and the successive arrival of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect disciples from all over the continent who are still on their way, what city can't we take back?"
"Baijian, it seems you have quite a bit of insight into Hua Yinghong!" Ding Zixing said with a sigh of relief:
"That Hua Yinghong is cunning, but observing his every action, he doesn't care about the gain or loss of cities, but rather about creating opportunities for victory. In each local area, he uses superior forces to eliminate the enemy's manpower, using war to promote peace, and maximizing his gains. This kid has managed to create such momentum in just a few months, it's truly remarkable! What a pity! What a pity!"
"If our clan had such talent, what worries would we have about achieving hegemony!" Ding Baijian also sighed with regret.

Changlong City, Marshal's Mansion, War Room.
A huge map hangs on the wall. In the spacious hall, a massive war sand table is displayed.
Thanks to the Flying Dragon warship's advantage of aerial terrain views, and the recruitment of highly skilled artists over the past few months, a fairly accurate terrain sand table of Jianghan County, Baiyang County, Nanhai County, and Yunyuan County has been created through on-site surveys and aerial observations. It is ideal for simulating the battle situation of this decisive battle.
Security Minister Xue Qianqian's melodious voice rang out in the hall: "According to Commander Hua's plan, after the Ding family launched the 'Spring and Autumn Limitless Order' last night, our alliance's security department, military intelligence department, and army cooperated to capture 11,428 members of the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect who were lurking in the Free Alliance's internal affairs department and the Free Army. They are awaiting their fate."
"According to preliminary interrogations, these people have generally not done anything to harm the Free Alliance. They joined the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect only because their ancestors or they themselves had received favors from them, hoping to repay those favors. Most of them didn't even know what they would do after responding to the Spring and Autumn Limitless Order. Some even wrote apology letters before leaving, clearly explaining their duties..."
"The Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect is adept at winning people's hearts, attracting disciples with acts of kindness without expecting anything in return," Military Intelligence Minister Mo Yan added.
“Sometimes they even deliberately send highly secretive core disciples to commit evil deeds, while other disciples pose as chivalrous heroes and benevolent people to offer assistance. Many are deceived, but it's difficult to find sufficient concrete evidence.”
“Let’s temporarily detain those people,” Hua Yinghong said calmly. “Don’t treat them as enemies for now. Chief of Staff Ji, please brief everyone on the situation.”
Xue Qianqian and the “Soul-Capturing Messengers” under the Peach Blossom Palace used the “Soul-Capturing Technique” to “interrogate” the captured people. Unless the interrogated person’s mental strength and willpower were stronger than the caster’s, and they had some understanding of the “Soul-Capturing Technique,” they would reveal even the secrets of their ancestors for eighteen generations! The
“Soul-Capturing Technique” was originally a kind of evil art despised by so-called righteous people, and it was one of the major techniques that led to the Bright Sect being called a “demonic sect.”
But Hua Yinghong disagreed. In his view, the “Soul-Capturing Technique” cultivated mental power and would not harm others. No matter what kind of martial arts secret technique, it is righteous when used for good, and evil when used for evil. To ensure the Freedom Alliance's health, using the "Soul-Absorbing Technique" to gather intelligence and test the loyalty of key members is not inherently wrong.
Of course, this power must be controlled by a very small number of people and strictly controlled to prevent abuse.
Peach Blossom Palace also possesses another, even more profound technique, the "Soul-Devouring Technique," which, it is said, allows one to absorb and convert the spiritual energy of others to enhance their own spiritual cultivation. Those whose souls are devoured often become mentally impaired, unlike the "Soul-Absorbing Technique," which leaves no harm—which would be far too cruel. Therefore, Peach Blossom Palace has strict rules against using the "Soul-Devouring Technique" for harm; those who violate it will be executed by the "Level One Peach Blossom Order"!
"Currently, most of the Ding family's hidden forces have surfaced," Ji Wumou calmly drew a large circle around the Dongguan Prefecture region on the terrain model, then pointed to the model and introduced the various forces:
"The Ding family has gathered approximately 160,000 men near Chonglong Peak, over 500,000 men north of Shilong Town, and over 500,000 men between Tianshui City and Lin Zhi's Second Army's defensive line. There are also approximately 500,000 Ding family troops within the encirclement.
In Nanjiang Prefecture, the Ding family's Nanjiang Army and the Chunqiu Wuji Sect have gathered approximately 480,000 men. Qiu Shuiba and Ling Tong have been ordered to retreat to the northern part of Qingyuan Prefecture. The Ding family's 480,000 troops have now reached the border between Nanjiang Prefecture and the northern part of Qingyuan Prefecture."
"Including reserves, our army has 800,000 combat-ready troops on the main battlefield in Dongguan Prefecture, plus a mobile special operations division of 30,000 and the Freedom Iron Guard of 3,000, and 700 Flying Dragon warships..."
"The outcome of the war no longer simply depends on the number of troops." After Hua Yinghong finished explaining the military situation, seeing the concern on the faces of Lü Jingwei, Gui Yuanhai, and others regarding the Ding family's mobilization of such a massive force, he continued,
"Weapons, morale, training, and fortified positions will all offset the enemy's numerical advantage. More importantly, we have Flying Dragon warships, which can change the balance of power locally at any time, coordinating air and ground attacks to achieve overwhelming victories and thus influence the overall outcome of the campaign."
"Brother Hua is personally commanding the operation; we are naturally at ease," Lü Jingwei asked.
"There's just one thing I don't understand. Why didn't Brother Hua seize the opportunity to annihilate Ding Zixing's army before the Spring and Autumn Limitless Order was issued, instead of waiting until the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect had gathered before making a move? Currently, the Ding family's numerical advantage is quite obvious. If they coordinate from within and without, attacking in any direction could cause massive casualties on both sides."
"That's exactly what I did intentionally. Ding Zixing's besieged 500,000-strong army is the best bait to trigger the Spring and Autumn Limitless Order," Hua Yinghong smiled.
"After several months of fighting, our army has won many battles, greatly increasing its strength and morale. The war has escalated from small-scale battles to the level of campaigns and even strategic considerations.
"The saying goes, 'It's better to break one fist than to injure all ten fingers.' Merely eliminating the Ding family's four main legions cannot completely shake the foundation and latent power that the Ding family has built up over generations in Jianghan County. The Ding family can launch the Spring and Autumn Limitless Order at any time to fight our army for control of cities and towns one by one." In densely populated towns, unless we disregard the lives of ordinary people, the power of the Flying Dragon Warship and the Dragon Blood Bullet will be very limited.
"Since that's the case, why not use the hundreds of thousands of Ding's trapped troops as bait to lure out the Spring and Autumn Limitless Decree, exposing their hidden forces so we can annihilate them? Then our Free Army can easily conquer the entire Jianghan Prefecture, and our future governance will be a breeze!"
"Only Brother Hua has such a grand vision and boldness," Lu Jingwei said, still somewhat worried, but still admiringly. "The Internal Affairs Bureau has prepared a large number of internal affairs and security personnel as required, just waiting for the good news from the front."
"Brother Hong, we must also guard against other forces taking advantage of the situation." Peach Blossom Fairy Xue Qianqian's beautiful eyes sparkled with affection as she reminded her spirited and valiant young lover:
"Intelligence shows that the Yinming Army, the Later Tang Southwest Army, the Nanhu Army, and even the Japanese army far away on the coast of Shunchang Prefecture have all made unusual movements and begun to gather for battle. If this battle results in mutual destruction, we may end up doing all the work for others."
"Don't worry, Sister Qian. If I didn't have at least a 90% chance of success, why would I risk the lives of millions of Free Army soldiers and tens of millions of civilians?"
Hua Yinghong smiled mysteriously, his tone relaxed. "No matter who dares to invade, they'll be in deep trouble. Besides, I still have a super secret weapon that Sisi has been painstakingly preparing for so many days that I haven't revealed yet!"
Hua Yinghong's mysterious smile was once described by Batian as "When Big Brother smiles, someone is definitely going to be in big trouble."
The Flying Dragon Warship is already an incredibly powerful weapon of war, could there be an even more powerful super weapon? Hua Yinghong's trump card never seems to be fully revealed—it's just unknown who will be in big trouble this time...

Volume 10 Soaring to the Heavens Chapter 197 Under the Spotlight
The Later Tang Empire, Zhongdu City, Imperial Study.
Liu Piaoxu put down the "Hua Zi's Art of War" in her hand and asked Li Junxin, the Blood-Clad Guard Commander standing respectfully to one side, "Junxin, was I wrong this time?"
Li Junxin was a Confucian scholar, a tall and slender middle-aged man of about forty years old. With a slightly long and thin face, clear eyebrows and bright eyes, a fair complexion and no beard, he resembled a refined and cultured middle-aged scholar. Judging by appearance alone, no one would associate him with the commander of the "Blood-Clad Guards," the largest intelligence agency in the Later Tang Empire.
The Blood-Clad Guards were responsible for monitoring the entire Later Tang Empire, possessing countless skilled individuals and a ruthless nature. The commander of the Blood-Clad Guards had the power to execute officials below the fifth rank without prior approval. Even some powerful families and high-ranking generals feared the Blood-Clad Guards, because a single secret report from them could easily accuse a once-powerful family or general of plotting rebellion—the suspicious Later Tang Emperor Liu Piaoxu himself had ascended the throne through rebellion, and naturally feared others following suit and suffering the same fate.
"Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted. Ordering Dongfang Bai to halt the attack on the Southwest Prefecture was the most appropriate choice under the circumstances," Li Junxin said eloquently. "The weather is cold, and the snow is knee-deep. It would be ideal if we could capture the Southwest Prefecture in one battle by force against the Golden Dragon Army, but if we fail to capture it and a stalemate ensues, the logistical pressure will be too great, and we might even suffer a major defeat, which would be disastrous."
"That's true," Liu Piaoxu sighed, "but when the Sima clan of Yulong Kingdom was in decline and in turmoil, it was the perfect opportunity for me to lead my army to take control. Now that the Free Alliance has gained the Qiu family's support, it is even stronger. In the decisive battle against the Ding and Long clans, whichever side wins will become a powerful new force. I have millions of troops, but I can only watch from across the river. It is truly unsatisfying."
"This battle will be decided within a few days. Hua Yinghong has actually managed to build such an unprecedented weapon as the Flying Dragon Warship. Although our forces seem to be at a significant disadvantage, we have an over 80% chance of winning this battle. If we also capture the Long family's Donghai County on the eastern front and subdue the Shangguan family in Shunchang Prefecture, I fear that my greatest enemy in unifying the world will not be the powerful New Song Dynasty, nor the Jinlong Kingdom with its vast territory, but rather the Free Alliance, which has only been established for a few months."
"The Flying Dragon Warship has limited effectiveness in urban warfare, but in open field battles, if it is deployed in formation and fortified, it is not entirely defenseless." Li Junxin said, "Your Majesty need not worry. I have ordered all efforts to collect information on the Flying Dragon Warship. I believe that with the Ministry of Works' strong research and manufacturing capabilities, it will soon be able to replicate it. Moreover, the new firearms that the Ministry of War is secretly developing are not entirely without threat to the Flying Dragon Warship."
"Time waits for no one!" Liu Piaoxu shook her head and said, "Junxin, contact Jieyulou immediately. No expense should be spared; we must obtain the method for building the Flying Dragon Warship as quickly as possible. We might as well remind them: if Jieyulou neither knows Hua Yinghong's background nor sells the method for building the Flying Dragon Warship, they'll have no face to call themselves the number one building in the world."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Junxin's expression was solemn. Emperor Liu Piaoxu's eagerness to use the Jianghu intelligence organization "Jieyulou" to obtain the method for building the "Flying Dragon Warship" showed an unprecedented level of importance placed on the Free Alliance, even overshadowing his concerns about the Dongfang family and the famous general Dongfang Bai. A major battle was now unavoidable.
"The Directorate of Ceremonial!"
"Your Majesty!" came the response from the Directorate of Ceremonial outside the Imperial Study.
"Issue the imperial decree: Appoint Dongfang Bai as Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition, and Yuwen Shang as his deputy, to command the Central Army Corps, the Northwest Army Corps, the Southwest Army Corps, and all reserve armies, and to control the Zhufeng Army Corps, the Nanhu Army Corps, the Baoding Army Corps, and the Dongting Navy. They are to recapture the Southwest Commandery within ten days; and defeat Sima Lang and Shenshuimen within one month, recapturing Yanbo Prefecture and Zhufeng Commandery." Liu Piaoxu paused, then added, "Also, convey my oral decree: tell him that I have entrusted 2.6 million troops, equivalent to half the empire, to Xiaobai. Do not disappoint me."
Many high-ranking generals of the Later Tang Empire's Northwest Army Corps and Zhufeng Army Corps had close ties and complex marriage relationships with the Dongfang family. Furthermore, the Central Army Corps was effectively controlled by the Dongfang family, meaning that three major armies were essentially affiliated with them. The "Restoration Operation" initiated by Dongfang Bai before the new year, which had essentially recaptured the Northwest Commandery except for Zhenhai Prefecture, was ordered to cease by Emperor Liu Piaoxu.
The reason for this perplexing imperial edict was not, as Li Junxin claimed, due to concerns about the weather. Rather, it stemmed from Emperor Liu Piaoxu's fear that if Dongfang Bai were to recapture the Southwest Commandery, the Yuwen family, originally loyal to the imperial family, would lose its stronghold there. If Dongfang Bai were to launch a pincer attack from the Southwest and Zhufeng Commanderies against Sima Lang's Yulong Army, reclaiming Jiangyin City and Yanbo Prefecture, and subsequently seize the entire Nanhu Commandery—where the Feng family showed signs of resurgence and the Liu family's control was waning—the Dongfang family would control three of the eight commanderies of the Later Tang Dynasty. Coupled with the renowned general Dongfang Bai's prestige and the Dongfang family's vast potential power, if they harbored rebellious intentions, amassing two to three million troops would be a simple matter. It was feared that the scene of Liu Piaoxu's coup ten years prior would be repeated!
Liu Piaoxu ordered Dongfang Bai to halt the attack on the Southwest Commandery and instead use the Ding family to help the Yuwen family cross the river back to Jiangling Prefecture. This was actually intended to leverage the Yuwen family's powerful influence in the Southwest Commandery as a buffer, preventing the Dongfang family's power from becoming a unified entity.
Now, the Yuwen clan's Southwest Army has returned to the western region of Jiangling Prefecture and completed its reorganization. The recapture of the Southwest Commandery is imminent. If the Dongfang family wants to harbor any disloyal intentions, they must first consider that the Central Commandery has broken away from the control of the Central Army, and the Southwest Commandery is sandwiched between the Northwest Commandery, the Nanhu Commandery, and the Zhufeng Commandery. They must think twice before acting.
When Liu Piaoxu initially ordered Dongfang Bai to lead the Central Army to confront the Golden Dragon Army, he intended to transfer the Central Army away from its base in the Central Prefecture. The control of the newly trained reserves in the various prefectures of the Central Prefecture was essentially in the hands of loyal, loyal generals. Although he was suspicious and fickle, he was a worthy ruler, his political maneuvering skills were truly masterful!
Within a month, he tasked the renowned general Dongfang Bai with seven major armies and reserve forces totaling 2.6 million men to reclaim lost territory and quell the Shenshuimen rebellion. This task seemed easy, but in reality, it was quite difficult. Sima Lang's governance and military training in Yanbo Prefecture and Jiangling City were very popular, and Shenshuimen's governance and military training in Zhufeng Prefecture, Kazan Prefecture, and Yueyang Prefecture were also quite impressive. Moreover, although Shenshuimen's navy consisted of only two divisions, it was built from the backbone of pirates who had dominated Dongting Lake for many years. Its combat strength was comparable to the Dongting Island navy of the "Heaven and Earth Gate," which relied on water for survival, and was probably far superior to the newly trained Dongting navy of the Later Tang Empire!
Not counting the still powerful Golden Dragon Army, the Jade Dragon Army under Sima Lang and the Divine Water Army under the Divine Water Gate already exceed one million. If the Dongfang family, the Golden Dragon Army, Sima Lang, and the Divine Water Gate all fight to the death, Liu Piaoxu will send out his newly expanded and fully-reserved elite guards, northern legions, Lianyun legions, and even the Imperial Guards to clean up the mess—only then will Liu Piaoxu truly control the entire Later Tang Empire, the ideal outcome!
Internal strife must precede external defense. Liu Piaoxu's wariness of the Dongfang family is far deeper than that of the Nanhu Feng family, which he had previously eliminated, but he dared not act rashly. Now, the situation is pressing, presenting him with an opportunity—if Dongfang Bai cannot accomplish his mission with such superior forces, how can he be qualified to serve as the commander of the Central Legion? How can he be worthy of the title of a renowned general?
Li Junxin remained silent. Based on his experience serving the emperor, he could usually guess eight or nine out of ten of the emperor's thoughts, but he never easily expressed his opinion. As the saying goes, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." If Emperor Liu Piaoxu were to become dissatisfied with anyone, that person might not even know how they died!
Others might not know, but Li Junxin, the emperor's confidant, knew very well: Ten years ago, after the successful "Five Princes Partitioning Tang," Emperor Liu Piaoxu bestowed the title of "Celestial Master" upon Zhang Daoyan, the leader of the Shu Sect, and reserved the Xuanhuang Palace, covering hundreds of acres within the Forbidden City, for the Shu Sect, where thousands of Shu Sect masters secretly cultivated. Zhang Lingzan, the current commander of the Imperial Guards, who was even more favored than Li Junxin, the commander of the Blood-Clad Guards, was a disciple of the Shu Sect!
However, the Shu Sect acted with surprising discretion; "Celestial Master" Zhang Daoyan almost never showed himself, except to impart some health preservation methods and secret techniques to Emperor Liu Piaoxu. The Shu Sect's influence in the Northern Prefecture, where its headquarters were located, was waning, giving outsiders the impression that the Shu Sect had declined!
Li Junxin had the most personal experience of how powerful the Shu Sect was. The suspicious Emperor Liu Piaoxu, under the pretext of practicing Taoist arts, "accidentally" cast a "soul-controlling spell" on Li Junxin, whom he considered a trusted servant, and a group of top Confucian masters. Despite Li Junxin's cultivation having reached the initial stage of Golden Core formation, Liu Piaoxu only needed to chant a few incantations to make him wish he were dead, even to the point of his soul being scattered!
Otherwise, why would the historically suspicious Emperor Liu Piaoxu trust Li Junxin so much, entrusting him with the power of the Blood-Clad Guard Commander?

West of Quanzhou City, at the Free Army camp,
Qiu Shuibo, Liu Litao, Qiu Shuiliu, and Ling Ye rode along, inspecting the various positions.
Fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke; no one could have imagined that the Qiu Clan's Jade Dragon Army and the high-ranking generals of the Free Army, who had fought many life-or-death battles and were on the verge of a major conflict, would join forces under such circumstances!
What is war? War means creating death and hatred, but is war merely death and hatred? How many people throughout history have truly understood what war is? Yesterday's enemy may become an ally; yesterday's ally may become an enemy. Everything is for the needs of war, everything is for the interests of those who manipulate the war!
Despite being a military general unfamiliar with politics, Liu Litao still greatly admired Qiu Shuibo's decisiveness and courage: the Qiu family lost Zhenbao Island to the Free Army, and also suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Qingshui Ridge and the "Year-End Operation," with no fewer than 200,000 soldiers dying in battles against the Free Army! Logically, the Qiu family and the Freedom Alliance should have been bitter enemies, yet Qiu Shuibo was able to relinquish control so readily. Even more remarkable was the Qiu family's unwavering commitment; after announcing their unconditional joining of the Freedom Alliance, they immediately cooperated with the Freedom Army in combat and actively assisted the Alliance in its comprehensive takeover of domestic affairs.
In the past few days, as the commander-in-chief of the eastern front appointed by Hua Yinghong, Qiu Shuibo dispatched the four reserve divisions of the Freedom Army recruited by the Freedom Alliance in Maoming Prefecture to Shunde Prefecture, Zhanjiang Prefecture, and Baijiang Prefecture respectively to take over defenses, while sending the reserve divisions left by the Qiu family to the front lines in Meijiang Prefecture and Baiquan Prefecture. His high-mindedness and sincerity left the Freedom Army generals, who had previously harbored doubts and concerns, utterly speechless!
"General Qiu, what do you think of the Fourth Army Corps' positional setup?" Liu Litao asked, somewhat proudly pointing to the Freedom Army's positions.
"High walls and deep moats, strict discipline, clear hierarchy, and great flexibility; it can advance or retreat as needed. The weaponry and troop deployment are just right. Even a million-strong army would only be able to sigh in despair." Once Qiu Shuibo was relieved of the immense burden on his shoulders and no longer had to face a formidable adversary like Hua Yinghong, he quickly regained his former composure and continued, "A strong general has no weak soldiers. Brother Liu's command of troops is skillful; I can only admire him."
"Mad Tiger" Ling Ye suddenly interjected, "Looking at the camp before me, I finally understand why the Free Army has won so many battles. They calculate defeat before victory. General Liu always considers the worst-case scenario when setting up positions. No matter which direction you attack from, you will encounter a strong counterattack, unlike some positions that seem strong but collapse completely once a point is breached."
“Actually, I value something else more,” Qiu Shuiliu said, pointing to the Free Army soldiers who were still reinforcing the fortifications. “That is unity of purpose. Second Brother and Brother Ling, please look over there—”
Following the direction Qiu Shuiliu was pointing, they saw a Free Army general wearing the rank of major general wielding a military shovel, breaking through the hard frozen soil like tofu, piling it up onto the earthen wall, and then patting it down firmly. It seemed that even knives, guns, and crossbows could not penetrate very deep—the general’s martial arts skills were at least at the eighth or ninth rank, yet he was reinforcing the fortifications like an ordinary soldier!
"A true king's army is indeed different from others," Qiu Shuibo sighed. "
Although I have repeatedly emphasized this, few of my clan's and army's captains and above are willing to share the hardships with their soldiers. How can they expect their soldiers to fight to the death in battle? As for governance, Alliance Leader Liu has personally issued an order that those who died or were wounded in this battle will receive the same compensation as the Free Army soldiers. Those who died in battle from the day they joined the alliance will be enshrined in the Free Army Martyrs Memorial Hall for future generations to admire... With such a kingly approach, how could the world not be won over?"
"Report! The ten Flying Dragon warships that went to Qingshui Peak have returned. Marshal Hua has issued a marshal's order to launch a full-scale offensive at Shenshi!"
"This will be the most unforgettable battle of my life," Qiu Shuibo said. "Shuiliu, Lingye, order the South Sea Navy Corps, Qingyuan Army Corps, and all officers and soldiers to strictly abide by the Free Army's discipline and treat prisoners of war well, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Second Brother, our army currently numbers only 480,000 at Baiquan City. Meanwhile, the Dragon God Gang disciples to the west number no less than 300,000, and the Dragon God Gang disciples summoned by the Dragon Soaring Nine Heavens Order and the Baiquan Legion led by Long Xiaotian in Quanzhou City likely number no less than 400,000. Generals Hai Tianqing and Yun Shalang's two naval legions have already gone to intercept the Japanese navy to prevent a surprise attack on Zhenbao Island. Our Yangjiang navy faces pressure from the Long family's East China Sea navy. It's already difficult enough for our army to remain undefeated; how can we possibly attack a fortified city and even discuss the treatment of prisoners?" Qiu Shuiliu asked, puzzled.
"How could we possibly imagine or fathom the capabilities of Commander Hua?" Qiu Shuibo gazed at the towering, six-zhang-high Quanzhou city wall and said calmly,
"War is no longer the war of the past. Haven't you heard that the Sun and Moon City, Lingbao City, and Keelung City on Zhenbao Island have opened twelve new city gates to facilitate transportation? That's Commander Hua's unwavering confidence in victory! With the Flying Dragon Warships, what fortified city can we rely on?"
Hua Yinghong didn't explicitly state how to deal with the massive forces assembled by the Chunqiu Wuji Sect and the Dragon God Gang in his general offensive plan. He only instructed that those who resisted should be killed without mercy, and others should be captured alive to minimize casualties on both sides.
Qiu Shuibo believed that with the assistance of 290 Flying Dragon warships and 10,000 special forces soldiers, taking Quanzhou Port City would be no problem. However, he couldn't fathom what other powerful methods Hua Yinghong might have to easily deal with Long Xiaotian, the new leader of the Long Clan, whose eyes were blinded by hatred caused by Long Feiyang's death, as well as the countless disciples of the Dragon God Gang!
Everything would be revealed at Shenshi (3-5 PM).
At that time, the mountain of accusations from within the Qiu Clan against Qiu Shuibo for abandoning his ancestral legacy by "unconditionally joining" the Free Alliance without issuing the "Ten Thousand Miles of Sorrowful Wind Order" or even fighting a decisive battle with the Free Army would vanish!
The battles in Baiyang County and Baiquan Prefecture are now the focus of everyone's attention: the leaders of all countries and major forces across the Hualong Continent, even the Japanese Emperor Kurosawa Hideyoshi, and the countries of the Oba and Meisi Continents thousands of miles away, are all watching this unprecedented war that is about to break out!
The planner of this war—the Free Army's "Romantic Marshal" Hua Yinghong—is currently in unprecedented "trouble" a thousand feet above Chonglong Peak...

Volume 10 Soaring to the Heavens Chapter 198 Holy Maiden
Sisi , Sisi, what's wrong with you? "Hua Yinghong was indeed in considerable trouble: Bai Sisi, the Bai ethnic minority's holy maiden, who had been admiring the vast
sea of clouds with him on the airship, suddenly fainted and collapsed into his arms! Fainting wasn't the worst of it. This most beautiful woman of the Bai ethnic group, who always wore a white veil and never showed her true face, had her veil fall away, revealing an incomparably beautiful face. Her beautiful black hair framed a pair of tightly closed yet alluring eyes, and her fair neck revealed skin as white as snow. Her perfectly sized, full, and rosy lips could easily steal the soul of any man!
Bai Sisi wore no makeup, yet her natural beauty was enough to make her stand out from the crowd, transcending the mundane world. Her captivating body leaned against Hua Yinghong's chest." She appeared delicate and frail, languid and powerless, a silk sash cinching her waist, revealing her graceful figure.
The phrase "beauty that could topple kingdoms
" was utterly fitting! Even with Hua Yinghong's current composure, he could remain completely unfazed. Despite his experience with countless beauties like Liu Yufei, Xue Qianqian, Miao Youlan, Nangong Chuchu, and even the most beautiful woman on the Hua Long Continent, "Lingbo Fairy" Shui Xinyue, he was still momentarily stunned!
Bai Sisi's beauty was in no way inferior to any of the women beside Hua Yinghong, and perhaps even surpassed that of "Lingbo Fairy" Shui Xinyue! Especially since the two were so close, a faint, alluring fragrance emanated from Bai Sisi, intoxicating him and almost causing him to lose control!
"Sisi is probably too tired these days, and suddenly being at such a high altitude has caused altitude sickness." "Nangong Chuchu said anxiously from the side, a glint of cunning flashing in her beautiful eyes.
With the great battle approaching, Hua Yinghong originally had no time to take the two beauties, Nangong Chuchu and Bai Sisi, on a ride on the airship to enjoy the experience of flying high in the sky. However, he couldn't resist the charming Nangong Chuchu's entreaties, and even Liu Yufei had "ordered" him to take the saintess Bai Sisi, who had worked so hard these days to refine the power-enhancing elixirs and make the "secret weapons" for the "Top Secret No. 2" project, to experience flying in the sky—being able to fly freely in the sky was the dream of countless people for thousands of years!
"High-altitude reaction?" Hua Yinghong was shocked. He reached out and checked Bai Sisi's delicate nose, only to find that the beauty in his arms had stopped breathing! He was immediately startled and hurriedly ordered, "Shiling, quickly order the airship to sink!" In his haste ,
Hua Yinghong disregarded everything else, pinching Bai Sisi's nose and kissing her full, rosy, alluring lips. A stream of pure, primordial energy flowed into her
mouth. "Mmm!" Bai Sisi suddenly awoke, her cheeks flushed, her beautiful eyes closed, her jade-like wrists tightly wrapped around Hua Yinghong's neck. Her lips parted slightly, like a nimble little snake darting into his mouth, releasing a faint, sweet fragrance reminiscent of orchids and musk...
Hua Yinghong's mind went blank for a moment, almost losing his senses! He immediately realized he had fallen into a "trap"!
These past few days, Bai Sisi had been refining power-enhancing elixirs in a secret chamber at the "Top Secret Number Two" base, frequently interacting and conversing with Hua Yinghong. He wasn't oblivious to the profound depths behind Bai Sisi's veil. The affection in Bai Sisi's eyes, especially after he accepted Nangong Chuchu, became increasingly apparent, a mixture of resentment and sadness in her gaze…
However, Hua Yinghong felt he was already entangled in a web of romantic entanglements and was focused on pursuing the "Lingbo Fairy" Shui Xinyue, so he could only pretend not to know Bai Sisi's feelings and subtly avoid them…
But Bai Sisi's bold declaration of love took Hua Yinghong by surprise: he recalled Xue Qianqian's whispered words in his pillow, "Why not give Chuchu to Sisi…" Thinking back to Liu Yufei and Nangong Chuchu's unusual behavior earlier that day... Hua Yinghong now understood that these extraordinary beauties had conspired to "scheme" against him.
After mastering the art of passion, Hua Yinghong's prowess in intimate moments had left the women both ecstatic and somewhat overwhelmed, while he himself could not fully enjoy himself, and the venom of lust remained incurable... The "harem," led by Liu Yufei, tried various methods to add more sisters, but ordinary beauties were no match for these stunningly beautiful women. In the eyes of these beauties?
Nangong Chuchu and Bai Sisi are not only impeccable in appearance and temperament, but Chuchu's business acumen and Sisi's medical expertise are also invaluable assets to Hua Yinghong and the entire Free Alliance. Furthermore, with the Nangong family and the Baiyi tribe as their respective backers, they are naturally the top choices for "newcomers to the harem"!
Hua Yinghong is neither a virtuous man who can remain unmoved by temptation, nor a sage monk or Buddha. Since he is in this strange world where the strong rule, and since he has already accepted the seemingly absurd dream... Since life still revolves around pursuing Shui Xinyue, why can't it also include loving Bai Sisi? Faced with such a stunning beauty like Bai Sisi throwing herself into his arms, wouldn't it make one the biggest fool, the most clueless person in the world?
Bai Sisi's virgin kiss was clumsy… her soft, smooth tongue explored Hua Yinghong's mouth haphazardly, utterly lacking in skill… Hua Yinghong gently captured that tongue, responding with his honed and masterful kissing technique, guiding it, and adding a touch of passion…
two lines of clear tears. A stream of tears flowed down Bai Sisi's exquisitely beautiful face. An indescribable feeling told her that this most magical man in the history of the Hua Long Continent had truly accepted her from the bottom of his heart, just as he had accepted Feng Yanran and Nangong Chuchu...
If her initial feelings for Hua Yinghong before coming to Changlong City were based on the wishes of the Bai Clan Elders and her elder brother Bai Jingfei, and were initially only motivated by the Bai Clan's reliance on the strong and the desire to maximize the interests of both the Bai Yi and Bai Clan, then after experiencing the romantic atmosphere of Feng Yanran's birthday party and these past few days... Through frequent contact and observation, and witnessing firsthand the genuine happiness and joy of stunning beauties like Liu Yufei, Miao Youlan, Xue Qianqian, Liu Lan, Liu Ju, Feng Yanran, and Nangong Chuchu, all nourished by Hua Yinghong's love, Bai Sisi's young heart was irrevocably drawn to him…
As the most beautiful woman of the Bai ethnic group, Bai Sisi was never short of ardent suitors, and the Bai youths were full of handsome and extraordinary men; however, compared to Hua Yinghong, they paled in comparison. All others paled in comparison! That ordinary face became endlessly charming because of his unparalleled wisdom in his eyes, his thoughtfulness and attentiveness, his tenderness and affection, and his unique romance…
Bai Sisi's face flushed with desire, and she was slightly breathless. The inexperienced girl was no match for her beloved's skillful flirting, completely forgetting that Nangong Chuchu was watching with a smile beside her. Her beautiful and charming body pressed tightly against Hua Yinghong's strong body, enjoying the strange taste of her first kiss like a greedy child…
“Commander Hua, it’s almost Shenshi (3-5 PM). Should we head back first?” The captain of the guards, Fang Shiling, interrupted the two in their passionate kiss at an inopportune moment. Hua Yinghong reluctantly pulled away from Bai Sisi's fragrant and alluring lips and said softly, “Sisi, I’ll take you and Chuchu back to Changlong City first.”
Bai Sisi shook her head and said, "Hua Lang, you promised me you'd try to kill as few people as possible. I want to watch you fight."
Bai women are known for their passionate love and hate. If they fall for a man, they'll remove their veils and reveal their true faces. If they receive a response of true love, they'll remain faithful for life; if they don't, they'll remain unmarried unless they kill him!
Bai Sisi's call of "Hua Lang" was so sincere and moving that it stirred Hua Yinghong's heart.
"Hua Lang, I want to stay on the warship and watch you fight too," Nangong Chuchu said sweetly, her pretty face beaming with excitement.
Nangong Chuchu appeared gentle and weak, but she was actually extremely strong-willed and not the kind of woman who feared bloodshed. Since establishing the Free Army, Hua Yinghong had commanded dozens of battles without a single defeat, yet few had witnessed it firsthand. Now that such a good opportunity presented itself, how could Nangong Chuchu let it slip by? With her current martial arts skills, unless she encounters a peerless master of Ding Chunqiu's caliber, ordinary Saint-level masters might not be her match!
"Alright, you can watch the battle from the boat. Just be aware that battles are bloody and littered with corpses, so don't be afraid." Hua Yinghong was helpless against the two beauties' stubbornness and could only say, "However, after the battle at Chonglong Peak, you must return to Changlong City. War is dangerous, and I don't want you to suffer any harm."
"Okay!" Bai Sisi and Nangong Chuchu's pretty faces lit up with sweet smiles, and their hearts were filled with sweet concern for their lovers—after all, no matter how strong a woman is, she still needs a man's love and tenderness.

On the dragon head boulder at the top of Chonglong Peak, the banner of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect fluttered in the wind.
Ding Keqin looked around, a sense of unease rising in his heart—the disciples summoned by the "Chunqiu Wuji Order," after the initial excitement, began to discuss amongst themselves. Especially when the leaders, such as the incense masters and flag masters, attempted to organize their disciples like an army, some began to inquire about the purpose of the gathering.
Although there were strict instructions and rules beforehand—the mission was to be carried out without question—the disciples weren't fools. Some, especially those not core disciples of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect but there out of gratitude and loyalty, felt increasingly uneasy about the sect's secretive practices. A
massive gathering of hundreds of thousands of people was something no regime, including the Free Alliance which championed freedom, would tolerate. Especially after news spread that the four reserve divisions of the Free Army, which had marched north from Tenglong Port to the northern part of Qingyuan Prefecture, were turning back towards Chonglong Peak, some astute disciples felt even more agitated and pressed for details about the mission of this mobilization order—in truth, it was obvious
: if it were a gang war, why would hundreds of thousands of people be needed? But if it were a confrontation with the Free Army, many disciples who had already benefited from the Free Alliance and were accustomed to hearing news of the Free Army's repeated victories might not be willing to face them head-on!
"Master, many disciples are beyond calm!" A branch leader rushed to report to Ding Keqin. "Someone is spreading rumors that this summons is to deal with the Free Army. Many are demanding confirmation, and I'm afraid—" "
Perhaps issuing this general summons was a mistake." This thought flashed through Ding Keqin's mind.
The vast organization of the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect" was built on bestowing favors upon many people, or, as Mo Yan said, "creating favors." Apart from the core disciples of the Ding family, many others responded to the summons based solely on "favors and righteousness," without any iron-fisted sect rules or binding mechanisms.
If these people were asked to "sacrifice themselves for righteousness" in a gang feud or to resist foreign enemies, perhaps these disciples would gladly die. But if these disciples were asked to deal with the Free Alliance, whose policies have benefited millions, or the invincible Free Army, how many would be willing to draw their swords for justice? That's a big question mark!
"Brothers! Friends!" Ding Keqin raised his voice, his clear and resonant tone echoing for miles around Chonglong Peak, clearly reaching everyone's ears. The
previously noisy scene quickly quieted down. Ding Keqin paused for a moment, then continued, "Our mission in this mobilization is to rescue the Ding family army trapped in Dongguan Prefecture, which inevitably involves a battle with the Free Army. I don't want to hide this from you, nor do I want to implicate you because of past favors or the Ding family's private interests. Please consider your actions carefully. Those who wish to help us in this battle are greatly appreciated; those who wish to leave will not be stopped. I only hope that you will not aid the Free Army in becoming our enemy!"
Ding Keqin was no simpleton; he immediately devised the best solution for this situation. The truth will eventually come out. Rather than using deception to send wavering disciples to the battlefield, it was better to be straightforward and use kindness and loyalty to bind these martial arts practitioners who prioritize righteousness. Otherwise, if they only realized they had been deceived on the battlefield, or even turned against us, that would be extremely disastrous!
"The Spring and Autumn Wuji Sect has shown the Heavenly Horse Ranch an immeasurable debt of gratitude. If it weren't for Master Ding leading his men to repel the bandits back then, the Heavenly Horse Ranch would have been destroyed long ago. How could we be where we are today? It is ungentlemanly to forget a debt of gratitude. No matter who the enemy is, the Heavenly Horse Ranch will follow the lead of the Spring and Autumn Wuji Sect! We will sacrifice our lives for righteousness and die for our country!" The first to loudly declare this was Shang Zhengyang, the owner of the Heavenly Horse Ranch on the Changlong Plain north of Baiyang City.
Five years ago, the Heavenly Horse Ranch was attacked by thousands of masked bandits with exceptional martial arts skills. Countless of the ranch's guards were killed or wounded. In the critical moment, Ding Keqin led the elite warriors of the Baiyang Hall to arrive in time, repelling the bandits and saving the Heavenly Horse Ranch from a great disaster. Afterwards, Ding Keqin secretly plotted to sell large quantities of the Heavenly Horse Ranch's horses to various prefectures in Jianghan County, earning countless gold coins. In recent years, the strength of the Heavenly Horse Ranch has greatly increased. Upon receiving the summons, Shang Zhengyang immediately led two thousand ranch guards, all cavalry, representing nearly ninety percent of the ranch's fighting strength—a force to be reckoned with.
"Our Five Tigers Gang is willing to advance and retreat alongside the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect..." "Our White Sand Gang..." In an instant, many of Ding Keqin's pre-arranged core disciples and the smaller sects under his actual control shouted in unison, their spirits high. Even some wavering individuals who had previously hesitated to fight the Free Army began to echo their sentiments.
"Hall Master Ding, why deceive everyone into going to their deaths!" A loud, melodious voice, like that of an immortal, suddenly rang out from the clear sky.
To everyone's astonishment, hundreds of enormous flying dragon warships, as large as ocean ships, slowly descended from the clouds, hovering like celestial warriors at a height of one hundred and twenty feet, completely surrounding "Chonglong Peak"!
"The Son of Freedom," Hua Yinghong! —Someone exclaimed in surprise!

Volume 10, Soaring to the Heavens, Chapter 199: Divide and Conquer.
"Esteemed martial arts seniors and friends, has the Freedom Alliance ever wronged you?" Hua Yinghong stood tall on the Freedom No. 1 warship, bathed in sunlight. His golden marshal's armor reflected the light, making him appear like a golden-armored god, exuding an aura of absolute dominance that inspired awe and reverence.
Within a radius of over ten miles around Chonglong Peak, the vast, dark mass of Chunqiu Wuji Sect disciples remained silent.
Hua Yinghong raised his voice again: "I am Hua Yinghong, the marshal of the Freedom Army. We martial artists should prioritize upholding justice and helping the weak and poor. If we rashly intervene in the battle without understanding the situation, we risk harming ourselves, others, and even our families and clans. This is a matter of great importance; I urge you all to think carefully before acting!"
"The Son of Freedom—Hua Yinghong!" The entire Chonglong Peak, from its summit to its foot, with hundreds of thousands of people, was utterly stunned!
The Flying Dragon Warship had been spotted for several days, but very few had actually witnessed it. Anyone facing something larger than a ship, capable of flying freely in the sky, would feel a deep-seated fear—especially with the invincible "God of War," the "Son of Freedom," Hua Yinghong, aboard!
"Don't listen to his nonsense!" Ding Keqin saw the newly ignited fighting spirit and martial camaraderie of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect disciples being suppressed by the Flying Dragon Warship and Hua Yinghong's dazzling appearance, and sensed something was wrong! He continued to incite, "Our sect has now gathered two million disciples, and Jianghan County has tens of millions of soldiers and civilians. The complete annihilation of the Free Army is only a matter of time..."
"What a joke!" Hua Yinghong's imposing words boomed from the sky, interrupting Ding Keqin's speech. He shouted sternly, "Businessman! Tianma Ranch is now under the jurisdiction of the Free Alliance. If you insist on going your own way, aren't you afraid of being wiped out?"
"Marshal Hua, since I came to answer the call of the Spring and Autumn Boundless Order, willing to sacrifice myself for righteousness, I have already considered the consequences and disregarded life and death. Where righteousness lies, even the destruction of my family and clan is not an option!" Shang Zhengyang's skill had clearly reached the Saint-level master realm. His voice was like a booming bell, soaring more than a hundred feet into the sky, making it clear to everyone on Chonglong Peak.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! What a fine example of self-sacrifice!" Hua Yinghong laughed three times, then said loudly, "It's laughable that the shrewd Shang Zhengyang, who has been fooled all his life, is so easily deceived! Think about it: when Tianma Ranch was attacked, where did thousands of highly skilled bandits suddenly appear on the Changlong Grassland? Why did Ding Keqin happen to lead a large number of experts from the Chunqiu Wuji Sect to help? It was clearly a case of the thief crying 'kill the thief!' Unexpectedly, the shrewd Shang Zhengyang actually recognized the thief as a friend and was even willing to risk his life to help the thieves fight against the Free Army. It's utterly ridiculous!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! I never thought that Marshal Hua, who is renowned throughout the world, would be such a slanderer!" Ding Keqin used the Beiming Divine Skill and laughed wildly, "What kind of person is the shrewd Shang Zhengyang? How could he believe your nonsense? If you want to sow discord, you've made a mistake!"
"I wonder if Marshal Hua has any evidence for what he said?" Unexpectedly, Shang Zhengyang asked this question after hearing Hua Yinghong's words.
The attack on Tianma Ranch back then was indeed shrouded in mystery, with many suspicious points. Despite extensive investigations, the merchants had no leads and, out of gratitude for a great favor, had not pursued the matter further to the Chunqiu Wuji Sect. Given Hua Yinghong's current status as the "Son of Freedom," he wouldn't be making baseless accusations and risk ridicule—this single question revealed that Shang Zhengyang was already suspicious!
"Do you need proof? Merchant, please look at those people around Master Ding," Hua Yinghong suddenly shouted, "Those who participated in the attack on Tianma Ranch, all of you, come out!"
These two sentences were delivered with focused sound, using his full power of "Mind-Bending Technique," his voice exploding only after landing in the crowd around Ding Keqin. With his current cultivation level, it was no less than a thunderclap, especially the words "Come out!" which echoed for a long time, shaking the very soul!
"Hmph!—" Ding Keqin swiftly channeled the "Northern Darkness Technique," his tongue booming like thunder, his shout piercing the heavens, attempting to dispel Hua Yinghong's "Mind-Bewitching Technique." However, it was too late!
Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, over a hundred core disciples of the Hundred Sheep Hall, who had participated in the attack on Tianma Ranch, had already stepped forward under the powerful influence of the "Mind-Bewitching Technique"!
"Master Shang, that Hua Yinghong is using sorcery to bewitch people, don't believe him!" Ding Keqin thought to himself that things were going badly: if the "Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect's" conspiracy of attacking Tianma Ranch first and then rescuing "Shi En" was exposed, most of these tens of thousands of people would probably become suspicious, those who had been summoned for the sake of "gratitude and righteousness." At that time, apart from the core disciples who were loyal to the Ding family, perhaps no one would be willing to fight the Free Army!
As those hundreds of people stepped forward, Shang Zhengyang's face turned deathly pale—the previous people were mixed in with the crowd, the situation was complicated, and he had not noticed anything unusual. But as soon as these people emerged, he immediately realized who they were!
"Master Ding! Tianma Ranch thanks you for your great kindness!" Shang Zhengyang said with grief and indignation, emphasizing the words "great kindness" with extreme weight. Then, pointing to those who had come to their senses and were scrambling to disappear into the crowd, he said:
"These are the masked bandits who attacked my ranch and killed thousands of my people back then. Even if they were reduced to ashes, I would recognize them! If it weren't for Marshal Hua's miraculous skills, I, Shang Zhengyang, would have remained completely in the dark, risking my life to fight for my enemies. Chunqiu Wuji Sect, good!... Good... Good..."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Shang Zhengyang uttered several "good"s before falling silent.
"Master Shang, don't believe Hua Yinghong's nonsense and slander—" Ding Keqin wanted to explain, but couldn't find a plausible reason and was speechless.
"It's not too late for the shop owner to realize his mistake," Hua Yinghong continued, raising his voice from the airship.
"The Free Army's 160,000 troops and Flying Dragon warships have completely surrounded Chonglong Peak. Those of you who have been deceived can leave the encirclement and return to your original positions by laying down your weapons. I, Hua, in the name of the Free Army Marshal, guarantee that no one will be held accountable. Anyone who resists will be considered an enemy of the Free Alliance and will be killed without mercy!"
"My Tianma Ranch is clear about its grudges and will not take advantage of others' misfortunes today. From now on, members of the Chunqiu Wuji Sect will settle scores wherever we meet!" Shang Zhengyang threw down these words and led the experts from Tianma Ranch to turn and head down towards Chonglong Peak!
Ding Keqin's eyes flashed with a cold light, but he dared not order Shang Zhengyang and the others to be left behind, caught in a dilemma.
The Chunqiu Wuji Sect had worked hard for decades, and in fact, most of their work involved chivalry and helping the poor and needy. The Spring and Autumn Wuji Sect meticulously planned a bandit attack because the Tianma Ranch, which raises a large number of fine horses and produces tens of thousands of warhorses annually, was in dire need of training cavalry for the Ding family. Unexpectedly, Hua Yinghong, the "Son of Freedom," proved far more capable than anticipated, exposing the conspiracy in one fell swoop! The departure of
the two thousand cavalrymen from the Tianma Ranch wouldn't normally have a significant impact on the Spring and Autumn Wuji army
of over ten thousand, but the consequences were far too severe—the scene just now was witnessed and heard by the hundreds of thousands of disciples on Chonglong Peak. With the departure of the Tianma Ranch cavalry, many peripheral disciples who harbored doubts also silently left. After all, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Regardless of whether the favors they received were genuine or not, or whether it was intentional, no one was willing to fight for the survival of the Ding family without understanding the truth!
Especially since almost everyone knew the outcome of this battle was a near-certain death—
in the distance, the Free Army, in its well-organized formation and with synchronized steps, slowly approached the positions set up by the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect on the outskirts of Chonglong Peak, pushing super-powerful crossbow carts, "Dragon Blood Bullets," and other heavy weaponry. The gleaming blades and spears flashed with a chilling light in the winter sun…
In the sky, a hundred flying dragon warships and thousands of powerful bows were drawn, the intense killing intent almost suffocating, as if the end of the world was imminent…
"Send word to all banners to return to the main peak of Chonglong with all their might. Urgent report to the Sect Master: the Hundred Sheep Hall is fighting to the death on Chonglong Peak to pledge allegiance to the family." A bitter smile appeared on Ding Keqin's face.
Outlaw forces summoned by the Spring and Autumn Limitless Order due to a sense of duty and loyalty, after the truth about the Tianma Ranch incident was exposed, and under the immense pressure of the powerful Free Army, they gradually withdrew... The core disciples of the Hundred Sheep Hall, truly belonging to the Ding family's dark forces, number no more than 40,000. Even if there were 20,000 or 30,000 disciples who were truly willing to fight to the death, they absolutely could not hold out for long under the immense pressure of the hundreds of thousands of Free Army soldiers. Now, the Hundred Sheep Hall can only defend Chonglong Peak to the death, trying to hold off "Son of Freedom" Hua Yinghong for as long as possible.
"Hall Master Ding, the situation is hopeless. Why don't you lead your subordinates to surrender?"
Unless absolutely necessary, Hua Yinghong, seeing that the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect only had 40,000 to 50,000 die-hards left around Chonglong Peak, still wanted to minimize the killing and tried to persuade them one last time. Especially since Nangong Chuchu and Bai Sisi were watching the battle from the No. 1 warship, it was best not to let the two beautiful women mistake him for a ruthless, bloodthirsty demon king.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!... Disciples of the Spring and Autumn Limitless Sect, there are only warriors who die in battle, not cowards who surrender!" Ding Keqin roared with laughter. "Marshal Hua, do you dare to land and fight me to the death?"
"Truly hopeless!" Hua Yinghong shook his head and ordered, "Operation Compassionate Heaven begins!"
The code name "Compassionate Heaven" was chosen because the "Lingbo Fairy" Shui Xinyue, Liu Yufei, Bai Sisi, and other women, whether in letters or in person, all requested Hua Yinghong to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, not wanting a bloodbath involving millions of people, hence the name, signifying compassion and mercy.
The signal exploded into the sky, and a hundred flying dragon warships flew around Chonglong Peak, continuously dropping spherical objects with sparking fuses, many of which exploded in mid-air...
"Dragon Blood Bullets?" Ding Keqin hurriedly shouted, "Quickly, take cover!"
—But unexpectedly, the exploding objects were not the "Dragon Blood Bullets" as expected. Instead of igniting, they formed thick, multicolored smoke. Soon, the entire area within several miles of Chonglong Peak was shrouded in this smoke, carrying a refreshing and unique fragrance…

Above Lotus Peak in Baiquan Prefecture, where the Dragon God Gang disciples were gathered.
"Powerful Dream Incense! And a terrible antidote!" Qiu Shuibo picked up a small bottle containing the antidote, smelled it, and couldn't help but exclaim.
"Dream Incense" was another secret weapon Hua Yinghong had prepared for this unprecedented battle—the Enchanting Herb, a specialty of Treasure Island, had been purified multiple times, and then Bai Sisi added "Eternal Lavender" and other herbs from the Baiyi Mountains, using the secret methods of the "Divine Physician Sect" to create the incredibly powerful "Dream Incense"!
The alluring herb had proven incredibly effective in the Free Army's operation to break "Operation Fishnet," and Hua Yinghong, of course, hadn't forgotten such a powerful tool. For months, he had secretly scoured Treasure Island for all the alluring herbs and powders through various clandestine channels, conducting clandestine research. Bai Sisi's appearance made the large-scale use of this chemical weapon in the war a reality.
After repeated experiments, the effects of "Dreamy Incense" lasted for more than half an hour even in open, well-ventilated areas. Without a specially made antidote using "Stinky Grass" as the main ingredient, inhaling the fragrance would cause anyone to become drowsy, or even fall into a deep sleep, only waking up a day later!
The power of "Dreamy Incense"? —Those with a cultivation level below the fifth rank have almost no resistance; only experts at the sixth rank or above can resist it, but their power will be greatly affected; only experts at the ninth rank or above can be largely unaffected—but how many experts at the ninth rank or above are there in any army?
Even the "Dreamy Incense" alone wouldn't be powerful enough. In the martial arts world of Hualong, there are many scoundrels who use unorthodox methods like sleeping potions and the "Five Crows Resurrection Incense" to commit crimes, especially lecherous thieves who use them to rape innocent women… But those things would be laughable in large-scale military operations: even if launched from catapults at enemy positions, the affected area would only be a few hundred paces, and in open areas, it would quickly dissipate with the wind, failing to play a decisive role in large-scale battles, especially when prepared; the effectiveness of ordinary sleeping potions would be greatly reduced.
However, the appearance of the Flying Dragon Warships maximized the effect of the "Dreamy Incense": a large "Dreamy Incense" encirclement was launched from the air, then spread towards the center… Looking down from the air, at least tens of thousands of the 300,000 "Dragon God Gang" disciples gathered near Lotus Peak had fallen in a matter of moments!
Having smelled the antidote, the Free Army and the Qiu Clan's Jade Dragon Army, still clad in black helmets and armor, numbering 120,000 cavalry and infantry, advanced swiftly from all directions towards Lotus Peak under the cover of one hundred Flying Dragon warships!
Along the way, besides shooting down or surrounding some highly skilled and stubborn fighters, the Free Army and Jade Dragon Army primarily focused on confiscating the weapons of the sleeping Dragon God Gang disciples, immobilizing them by striking their pressure points, and rendering them incapable of fighting.
This method of warfare greatly alarmed some of the Qiu Clan soldiers who were initially resentful that Qiu Shuibo had surrendered to the Free Alliance without a fight: if the Qiu Clan and the "Dragon God Gang" had been in different positions, wouldn't the outcome have been the same under the Free Army's "Dream Incense" and Flying Dragon warships?
"Using sleeping potions to ambush someone, what kind of hero are you? It's utterly despicable and shameless!"
A furious shout that shook the heavens rang out from the top of Lotus Peak: "You spendthrift Qiu Shuibo, if you have the guts, fight me to the death!"

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