Chapter 1923: Don't Be Self-Emotional

The treasure originally possessed the ability to manifest the virtual into reality. As it was intended to remain with He Lingchuan to be tempered by the mortal world, Dafenghu secretly made some modifications to it. He Lingchuan was not surprised at all. He wouldn't believe it if someone claimed that the solitary Dragon City, which had resided within the Grand Evolution Pearl and directly trapped and killed True Lord Qianhuan and Miaozhan Tian, wasn't Dafenghu's work.

However, when He Lingchuan launched his Grand Flashing Gold Project, Dafenghu lent him the Three Corpses Worms. This was truly a godsend, something he couldn't have wished for more.

The natives of the Flashing Gold Plains could never have imagined that the Three Corpses Worms could be controlled by humans and used as a secret weapon immune to primal energy.

The Kasha tribe, the Longye tribe, and even the current Luodian Kingdom were all utterly bewildered by the attacks and subsequently defeated.

This secret weapon, which Dafenghu had previously only given to General Hong, was now fully inherited by He Lingchuan.

In the Battle of the Upside-Down Sea, the survivors reigned supreme. No one but He Lingchuan could enjoy such a benefit.

However, the Three Corpses Worms he summoned had an additional limitation: their numbers were restricted, unlike the overwhelming swarm released by General Hong in the Coiling Dragon Wasteland. Less than a third of Qu Ruhai's army of over thirty thousand were affected, and the time it took for people to become frantic was also shortened, lasting only a few dozen breaths at most. Someone with a strong will like Qu Ruhai might regain their senses after being affected for just three to five breaths.

He Lingchuan deduced that this was likely because the deployment distance was too great, and the Three Corpses Worms were recalled by Dafenghu before they could last long.

If the Three Corpses Worms were released in the Coiling Dragon Desert, such a limitation likely wouldn't apply.

"You want to use me against my King Brother? It's useless," Qu Ruhai said, his lips cracked. "My King Brother has a fierce temperament; he won't yield to your threats. Luodian was once destroyed by the Yao Kingdom and only managed to restore its nation after great hardship. My King Brother would never let Luodian be destroyed by his own hand."

He Lingchuan chuckled, "Oh, can the King of Luodian defeat me?"

Qu Ruhai fell silent.

The Black Armored Army, with lightning speed, first seized Kasha and Longye, then occupied most of Luodian's territory, which sufficiently demonstrated the vast disparity in power between the two sides. Luodian's elite forces had also been decimated in the Chilingshan Mountains that day. The King of Luodian had little hope of turning the tide, let alone achieving victory.

"If he cannot defeat me and refuses to surrender, the Luodian Kingdom will surely perish," He Lingchuan continued. "No matter how fierce your King Brother's temperament, can he change the fate of the Luodian Kingdom?"

Can the King of Luodian decide whether his nation perishes or not?

What monarch, throughout history, would wish for their own nation to be destroyed?

Qu Ruhai was utterly defeated and speechless this time.

"But then—" He Lingchuan shifted his tone. "Even if the Luodian Kingdom ceases to exist, the people of Luodian still have a chance to survive, a chance to rewrite their destiny, and even a chance to grow and prosper!"

Qu Ruhai looked up. "Are you saying?"

"As long as the people of Luodian pledge their allegiance and obey my commands from now on, they can endure in this world, just like them—" The Great Emperor of Nine Hells slightly tilted his head, and Wu Xuyang, the young chieftain of the Longye tribe, stepped forward and bowed respectfully to him.

"If the people of Luodian fight bravely under my command, then in the future Flashing Gold, there will be a place for you to live in peace and prosperity! If the people of Luodian repeatedly achieve extraordinary feats, they will certainly be granted fiefdoms and rewards that can be passed down through generations, protecting their descendants!"

"Go and persuade your brother to surrender," the Great Emperor of Nine Hells said, his voice solemn. "Whether the people of Luodian live or die depends entirely on a single thought of the King of Luodian. He might be moved by his own sacrifice, but in the Flashing Gold Plains, so many nations and powers rise and fall in a single day—who in the world has ever truly cared?"

Although these words were cruel, they were the truth of the Flashing Gold Plains.

Qu Ruhai took a deep breath and agreed.

He Lingchuan was not at all surprised by Qu Ruhai's softening stance. He had dealt with Qu Ruhai before and knew that, though seemingly boorish, he was quite flexible-minded. His actions in Tianshui City also showed that he clearly understood that circumstances outweigh personal will and knew when to compromise.

The Luodian Kingdom's grand momentum was gone; it was impossible for it to turn the tide.

As a person in power, he had to consider the future of his people.

Qu Ruhai knew the Great Emperor of Nine Hells was absolutely right: only the people of Luodian themselves cared about their survival or demise. Whether their fate was lighter than a feather or heavier than a mountain, it held no meaning for others.

If they were gone, they were gone. Extinction was the norm on this continent.

That night, dark clouds pressed upon the city. The gates of Luodian's capital were tightly shut.

The surrounding fields were empty, showing only the tracks of soldiers and chariots.

Over the past two days, the two sides had clashed twice. During the most recent night raid, the army dispatched by the King of Luodian inexplicably went mad. Several generals were injured, and two were even captured.

This battle left everyone bewildered and greatly reduced their confidence. The King of Luodian was forced to tightly close the city gates and urgently summoned Qu Ruhai and armies from various regions to defend the throne.

However, all the news the King of Luodian received was grim. Luodian's major towns were all engulfed in war; some had already fallen, while others were preoccupied with their own defense and unable to reinforce the capital.

Rumors spread widely within the capital, causing widespread panic. Consequently, anyone in the marketplace who spoke of the Dragon God's reincarnation was immediately beheaded by the city guards.

The soldiers on the city wall saw the vast army besieging the city, their armor menacing, and couldn't help but feel their palms sweat. Several flashes of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the surroundings. The city dwellers, awed by the thunder, looked up and turned pale with fright:

The lightning illuminated the sky, revealing a dragon's shadow distinctly circling within the sea of clouds above the enemy army!

From the ground, it looked like gazing up at a giant whale on the surface from the bottom of the sea, with the light and shadow making it appear even more colossal.

And what's more, this was a dragon!

Thick and colossal, it lazily lounged in the clouds, looking down upon the world with boundless majesty.

"Dragon God!" countless people on the ground exclaimed, not only in Luodian's capital but also among the Yangshan army.

The lightning disappeared, and the dragon's shadow vanished.

But everyone knew it was still there!

The King of Luodian was also greatly annoyed. But the distance was too great, and each time the lightning illuminated the dragon's shadow, it only lasted for two or three breaths and was somewhat blurry. Even with his primal energy, he couldn't discern if it was real or an illusion.

But the civilians and soldiers in the capital would take it seriously, and this would shake their morale.

Just then, a figure emerged from the enemy ranks and walked alone towards the city gate.

"Stop!" the city wall soldiers warned, but the person paid them no heed.

Two arrows landed near his feet, but he continued to advance regardless.

The archer guard was slapped aside by someone. "Are you blind?" a voice exclaimed. "Can't you see that's Chief Zuo?"

Chief Zuo?

The guards were startled and looked closely. Who else could it be but Chief Zuo, Qu Ruhai?

At that moment, countless people's minds echoed with two words: It's over.

Everyone had been holding out with one persistent thought: Chief Zuo would bring forces to defend the king and repel the enemy!

Now their own army's whereabouts were unknown, yet Chief Zuo walked alone from the enemy ranks. This...

Qu Ruhai ignored their scattered thoughts and emotions and walked directly to the foot of the city gate.

Someone had already rushed to inform the King of Luodian.

He personally went up to the city gate tower to look, but his brows furrowed. He raised his voice and shouted, "What are you?"

To the other guards, it was clearly Qu Ruhai. But from the King of Luodian's perspective, Qu Ruhai's figure and outline were slightly blurry, not as clear as a living person.