Chapter 1961: The Weakness of the Nine Hells

Yuan Xian calmly explained, "It's just a small trick used by immortals. The Heaven Palace, where we reside, is located in Xushan, which used to be the territory of the Great Return Sect. That sect would erect boundary markers, and the runes on these markers, like this black dragon imprint, couldn't be scraped off or wiped away. They even glowed, serving as a warning if an enemy invaded. The Nine Nether Emperor merely exploited this technique to deceive and mystify the world."

Hearing his casual explanation, the others remained half-convinced, half-skeptical.

Another person remarked, "Even if the Dragon God is fake, the Nine Nether Emperor's army is truly vast and powerful. We heard that when they first started, each contingent only had a few thousand men, but they snowballed, recruiting new soldiers along the way, eventually multiplying tenfold."

This worried them because it mirrored their own strategy: occupying an area, recruiting local soldiers, and then moving on to the next target. As long as they kept winning battles, their army would grow.

This was the current dilemma facing all factions: they woke up to find their former neighbors had become part of the Dragon God's army!

It was like standing on an isolated reef in the sea, with massive waves surging from all directions, and their own small patch of ground seemed precariously unstable. A slightly larger wave could sweep them away.

This anxiety and fear left every faction unable to rest or eat in peace.

Qingyang raised his cup and took a sip of warm tea. "Since the Nine Nether Emperor's army is like a torrent, why hasn't it swept away all of your lords present here?"

Someone immediately replied, "The Dragon God's army takes the easy path and avoids difficult fights; they don't just charge head-on. From what my lord has observed, the Dragon God's army hasn't encountered a single tough opponent."

Another envoy added, "That's not entirely true. The army from the west, led by a man named Qiu Hu, is particularly fierce. And the Dragon God—er, the army personally led by the Nine Nether Emperor—is even more vicious and formidable, easily conquering cities and forts. He annihilated Luodian in less than a month!"

"The fact that all of you can sit here and talk with me proves that the Nine Nether Emperor's army is strong on the outside but weak within, with too few truly strong and capable soldiers! Otherwise, he would have swept everything away like a storm; why would he have overlooked your territories?" Qingyang said softly. "Not only do I see this clearly, but your lords are also well aware. Otherwise, they would have simply surrendered; why bother sending you here to listen to an old woman ramble?"

The envoys exchanged polite pleasantries, then got straight to the point: "Guardian Qingyang, you must have a strategy to share, since you've invited us here?"

"Of course." Qingyang gave a firm answer. "The Nine Nether's aggressive advance is actually a tactic to gain an initial advantage and cover his weaknesses. You simply need to use your strengths against his weaknesses."

"Please guide us, Guardian."

"The Nine Nether's army appears vast in scale, but it's actually rapidly expanded like a snowball by absorbing local surrendered soldiers, bandit forces, and farmers. True elite soldiers and warriors make up less than one percent." Qingyang's voice was clear and resonant. "Leaving aside whether he can manage them properly, does such an army truly possess combat effectiveness? They only know to charge forward in a swarm when they hear a drum; they don't understand flag signals or commands, they don't grasp formations or drills, and they can't even distinguish between a tactical retreat and a full rout. How is such an army any different from a disorganized mob?"

Someone immediately echoed, "Yes, these green recruits can only fight winning battles. Once they get bogged down in a stalemate or show the slightest sign of defeat, they immediately collapse into disarray, completely lacking any fighting spirit."

Qingyang smiled slightly. "So, what kind of soldiers do your lords command?"

"My lord was besieged at Huxi Rock for three days and three nights, repelling the enemy several times before breaking out and even killing two enemy generals."

"My elder brother took Qi'an City in seventy-six days, wearing down the city until its arrows and food were exhausted, forcing a surrender."

"When our General Guo was still serving the State of Yao, he once led his army for seven days and seven nights, even crossing the Black Sand Marsh, which had claimed countless lives, to rush to the front line and support Xue Zongwu, defeating the great army of Luodian!"

The envoys, reinvigorated, began to recount their lords' military achievements. If the Heaven Palace was impressed, they would receive more resources later.

"Your lords' armies have at least trained for a year, haven't they?"

Everyone laughed. "A year is hardly enough! Those who have served alongside our lords through life and death are at least three to five-year veterans."

"Then, looking at the Nine Nether's army again, isn't it large but ineffective, merely consuming vast resources?" Qingyang casually summoned a sand table and tapped it gently in a few places. "He knows his own weaknesses, so he's started to gather troops in these few locations for training. For example, in Duo City, my scouts reported that at least over a hundred thousand people have gathered there."

"The Nine Nether has already conquered a vast territory, and now he's conducting large-scale training. I think all of you understand what this means."

The lamplight reflected unpleasantly on everyone's faces. Why was the Nine Nether Emperor still conducting extensive training? Evidently, he still had tough battles to fight.

Where would these tough battles come from? Of course, from the very factions present today! Given the Nine Nether Emperor's aggressive stance, he clearly wouldn't stop until he had devoured the entire continent!

"Delusion!" the envoy from the Guo family murmured. "Where did such a madman come from?"

Someone else interjected, "Could he really be from the Nine Nethers?"

Everyone glared at him, silently questioning his tact.

"If you wait until he's fully trained his army, what do you think he'll do next? The first battle certainly won't be fought in the State of Yao."

No need to guess; they would be the first targets.

So everyone immediately asked, "What good strategy does the Guardian have?"

"Whatever he wants to do, we'll do the opposite and cause widespread disruption." Qingyang pointed at the sand table. "He wants to train his soldiers properly, right? That'll take at least three months, or as long as half a year. During this period, he won't have any spare capacity to deal with you, nor will he be able to adequately defend the territories he's already conquered. As I said, his army is large but ineffective. Having taken such a vast territory in the early stages, defending it now is quite difficult! Why don't all of you add fuel to the fire and create a little more chaos for him?"

The envoys exchanged glances. "Does the Guardian mean for us to harass the enemy's rear?"

"You've also studied the Nine Nether's territory, haven't you? Whenever the Dragon God's army captures a place, they have to take the local troops with them, leaving only a small number of garrison soldiers behind. This means the cities conquered by the Dragon God's army are now poorly defended, lacking any elite soldiers or formidable generals."

"The vast territory he seized early on has now become his soft spot! For you to attack them would be like taking something from a pocket; and if all of you are willing to cooperate, it would require even less effort."

An envoy immediately said, "Conquering a single city isn't difficult, but what benefit is there for us? Once the Dragon God emerges, he'll come looking for trouble with us first!"

"If only one or two factions do this, the Dragon God can calmly defeat them. But if all of you act, the fires of war will spread across his territory, and he won't be able to save them all, let alone contain the situation," Qingyang calmly responded. "This is the power of collective effort, and it's precisely why we're meeting today."