Chapter 1975: Another New Battlefield Opens

And among the enemy forces were many large, monstrous demons with hulking physiques and terrifying faces.

From the government office, Fan Shuang heard thunderous crashes, each one making his heart pound. It was two flaming bulls ramming the city gate, oblivious to the rain of arrows from the city walls.

Guo Baiyu, of course, knew this was Dragon God Army territory. How dared he attack without enough men or a guaranteed victory?

Miancheng was only a small place, but after the Black Armored Army breached its gate last time, the rebuilt gate was quite sturdy. Recently, it had been reinforced desperately, so the flaming bulls' two fierce impacts failed to knock it down.

Just as the flaming bulls prepared for their next charge, the city wall shimmered faintly, and suddenly two massive heads emerged, biting into the bulls' foreheads!

Everyone was startled. In the firelight, they saw that these two monsters had pig-like snouts and alligator-like mouths, but with wider muzzles and full sets of tusks. Their two front claws, extending from the wall, resembled eagle talons, gripping powerfully.

Caught off guard, the two flaming bulls struggled but couldn't break free. One had its neck bone severed, the other its throat torn, both dying in a spray of blood.

These two monsters were not living creatures, yet they were incredibly ferocious.

The opposing general, being knowledgeable, recognized them instantly: "City guardian beasts!"

And they were meticulously crafted, powerful city-guarding automatons.

After killing the flaming bulls, the monsters vanished back into the city wall a second later, leaving the wall looking exactly as it had before.

The enemy's subsequent siege attempts were much more restrained. They no longer recklessly lunged at the wall, knowing that its surface was like a deep pool, and no one knew where the monsters might emerge next.

The battle lasted for several hours, with the enemy retreating at dawn.

The shouts of battle outside the city gate finally subsided. The people of Miancheng let out a collective sigh of relief, while Fan Shuang's legs felt weak and his back was drenched in sweat.

"This... this was real warfare?"

He stepped out of the government office to find the streets filled with jubilation. People were rushing around, spreading the news, shouting, "We won, we won!"

This initial victory significantly boosted the confidence of Miancheng's inhabitants.

Just then, Tu Shanfang rushed over from the opposite direction. Fan Shuang went to meet him, smiling, "You really are formidable for repelling Guo Baiyu!"

"What are you thinking?" Tu Shanfang said, utterly devoid of a smile. "This was just a probing attack. Miancheng's war is only just beginning."

Fan Shuang's smile vanished. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To arrange patrols in the rear," Tu Shanfang replied, patting his shoulder. He whispered, "As a friend, I advise you to stock up on food, clean water, and medicine as soon as possible. Do you have a weapon?"

"Yes," Fan Shuang replied. The Fan family had fled from Yaodi and always carried weapons.

"Good, keep it with you."

***

Yaodi, on the outskirts of Tianshui City, at the Serene Lake Pavilion.

Bai Tan's right eye twitched continuously on his way to the pavilion after receiving Qingyang's message, a sign he knew meant trouble. And he was right!

Upon hearing Qingyang's demand, Bai Tan angrily slammed the table and stood up:

"What? You want me to send troops now?! Just a few days ago, I told the Palace Lord..."

After defeating Chen Chuihua, the entire territory of Yaodi was unified, and Bai Tan had finally achieved his long-held wish: to rule above the nation, below the gods. However, Bai Tan had yet to properly integrate Chen Chuihua's political and military legacies; his army of over 100,000 men was not yet fully under his command.

Furthermore, the people of Yao were still quite resistant to him, and he needed time to properly digest all these changes.

To his surprise, Qingyang got straight to the point upon seeing him, stating that the Celestial God's next plan was ready and required Bai Tan to cooperate by sending troops to attack the Dragon God's territory.

"Couldn't it wait just one more month?"

"Is this truly the Celestial God's directive?"

Bai Tan suspected this might be Qingyang's own scheme, using the Celestial God's name to command him. Originally, the Sublime Heaven conveyed messages to the King of Yao through the chief temple official. After the fall of the Sublime Heaven, many temples were abandoned, and the Divine Realm had yet to decide who would succeed as the main deity of Yaodi. Therefore, communication for Yaodi could only temporarily go through the Celestial Palace Guardian, Qingyang.

Qingyang ignored his suspicion. "As the Celestial God expected—"

She chuckled, though it was more "as *she* expected": "The fake Dragon God's full-scale war is bogged down, with resistance movements constantly emerging, keeping He Xiao overwhelmed. The gods believe the time for action is ripe and should not be delayed."

"But here, the integration of the army, government administration, capital, and local areas is far from complete. Forcing an expedition would only..." Just days ago, he was even assassinated in Tianshui City, right outside his own mansion!

This was his third assassination attempt in three months.

The people of Yao gave him the title "Half-City Butcher," a clear indication of their hatred for him. Unlike other places in Shanjin, where minor states and factions rose and fell quickly, their demise held little impact, and commoners felt no particular allegiance—after all, whoever ascended the throne would surely enslave them.

However, the State of Yao had existed for nearly two centuries. Even though it had become corrupt in its later stages, the people of Yao still harbored a strong sense of superiority and identity. They loathed Bai Tan, the traitor who had personally orchestrated the demise of their nation.

Therefore, integrating internal affairs proved extremely difficult for Bai Tan.

Currently, chaos in various regions was suppressed by the army and deterred by the Celestial God's might. If it weren't for the Grand Emperor of Nine Hells stirring up trouble in Shanjin, he could gradually sort out Yaodi and eventually succeed. But if he were to deploy troops elsewhere, the local resistance forces might immediately retaliate.

This situation was called "an unstable rear."

The Grand Emperor of Nine Hells didn't have to face such problems at all! Was there any comparison between them?

Before he could finish, Qingyang cut him off. "You wanted to annex Chen Chuihua, and we helped you eliminate him. Never has the Celestial God favored a mortal so greatly. Yet, several months have passed since then, and you're still far from integrating Yaodi's existing forces. It's simply too slow!"

The efficiency of the Yao people truly disappointed her.

"How big was the former Yao? Look at the territory He Xiao has conquered; it's more than ten times the size of the former Yao. Why doesn't he have issues consolidating his troops?"

This question filled Bai Tan with bitter unspoken grievances.

He Xiao rallied under the banner of the reincarnated Dragon God, and his soldiers genuinely revered him as a deity, making their cohesion naturally strong. In contrast, officials and common people throughout the former Yao were still locked in a battle of wits and courage against Bai Tan.

Furthermore, while the Dragon God Army experienced wins and losses in various regions, leading to a stalemate, He Xiao's own Black Armored Army was invincible, crushing every opponent it faced and winning every battle to date.

Therefore, the Black Armored Army and the Dragon God Army had incredibly strong faith in their lord.

The presence of such faith could conceal many contradictions.

This was precisely the Yaodi army's weakness.

Seeing his displeasure, Qingyang softened her tone. "I know you're worried, but preparation for war is endless. No war ever waits for you to be fully ready before it begins."

Bai Tan took a deep breath. "What exactly is the plan?"

"The Allied Army," Qingyang said, resting her chin on her hand. "Situ He's inaction has caused discontent within the Allied Army to reach its peak. Three factions have already pledged allegiance to the Celestial God, preparing to depose Situ He and take control of the Allied Army."