Chapter 2004: Opponent's Initiated Provocation

The Dragon God was truly in a league of his own. If they hadn't been incorporated into his forces, they wouldn't have known war could be fought this way.

Even after three days, and even when they weren't fighting directly under the Dragon God but under their old superiors—the former generals of the allied army—they still fought as if divinely aided. Obstacles that were previously insurmountable were now overcome with ease.

Why was this happening? Everyone was puzzled.

Someone, cracking walnuts, remarked, "I heard the Dragon God issued a strict order to every unit leader: during battle, they must lead from the front! Otherwise, they'll be demoted or executed."

"What does 'leading from the front' mean?"

"It means you have to be at the very front during battle, leading the entire army in a charge!"

Everyone uttered a drawn-out 'Oh!' "Exactly! As soon as the battle started, they charged forward. Our Deputy General Xu, who used to cower at the back and order us forward, now wields his sword and charges himself, leading the assault with incredible ferocity."

"The Dragon God Army largely operates in this style, which makes them exceptionally formidable in battle. This is the power of leading by example."

The man who spoke earlier added, "However, Deputy General Xu arranged an extra hundred elite guards for himself, who surrounded him closely during the charge, protecting him meticulously. Ah, I'm part of that guard detachment."

Everyone burst out laughing. "That works, that works. As long as he's willing to charge!"

The man cracking walnuts motioned towards the encampment. "Look at Marshal Situ—oh, I mean General Situ now. He charged right to the front, and as a result—"

Situ He happened to be walking out of the main tent. The white bandage on his neck was quite conspicuous. He had also led troops out to fight several battles, and as a result, had nearly been struck in the throat by a stray arrow.

Another chimed in, "Our Commandant Hu was killed in action; he was stabbed in the stomach with a spear and couldn't be saved."

Victory, of course, came at a price. Everyone fell silent for a moment, then changed the subject.

"We're almost at Bixia's capital again." This was the allied army's second siege; last time, General Chongwu had returned and lifted Bixia's siege.

"How long do you think it'll take to capture the capital?"

They all looked towards the Dragon God's main tent, as if on cue.

"Five days!"

"I'd say at least seven days."

The man cracking walnuts crushed another with a snap, using his bare hands. "Two days."

"That's ridiculous!" others challenged him. "No matter how powerful the Dragon God is, what makes you guess two days?"

"I've been with the Dragon God for a long time." The man grinned. "I've even fought alongside him against the Sky Demons."

This man was Luo Xie.

He sniffed the air a few times. "What a sweet fragrance. Is the Imperial Dew coming soon?"

A faint, unusual fragrance had begun to waft through the air, though no one knew when it started. It was like the strong winds that often precede rain in the mountains. Born in a place with particularly rich spiritual energy, he was highly sensitive to such phenomena.

The soldiers' faces immediately fell. "Oh no, not again?"

While other creatures joyfully welcomed the Imperial Dew, for them, the spiritual rain meant forced marches and immediate combat. Now, they only wished the Imperial Dew wouldn't arrive, so they could get a good night's rest.

Luo Xie glanced around the campfire and suddenly asked, "Which other units haven't arrived yet?"

"Many! The Wutu clan, the Kan clan, and the units from Poliu Commandery and Baoxin Commandery haven't arrived." Of the original seven allied army units, only three have arrived so far.

Everyone looked up at the sky; it was still early.

Inside the main tent, Situ He also raised this question, to which He Lingchuan replied, "They all have opponents and their battles aren't over yet, so they can't arrive for a while."

Those units have all encountered formidable opponents and are currently engaged in tough fighting.

Situ He was speechless.

Indeed, the allied army was still just the allied army; their combat power wouldn't undergo a drastic transformation within three days.

So why split their forces? If everyone followed the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities, they could still defeat all of Bixia.

Just then, a bird demon flew down and entered the main tent directly to report:

"The Wutu clan, while blocking the White Hair Pagoda to the east, has suddenly come under attack from Bixia's main forces and is requesting aid!"

Most of Bixia's territory had already been lost, and the White Hair Pagoda was their last connecting passage to the east, so it absolutely had to be kept open.

He Lingchuan's gaze sharpened.

Situ He stepped forward and said, "I'll go."

He Lingchuan waved a dismissive hand. "Bixia's main force? How many are there?"

"Someone recognized General Chongwu," the bird demon replied. "I flew over them and saw them hiding in the forest, so I couldn't get an exact count. But... but it's estimated to be no less than twenty thousand! The Wutu clan has suffered heavy casualties."

"Twenty thousand!" The generals were visibly stirred.

For Bixia to still muster twenty thousand troops now meant they had deployed their main army. The Wutu clan had only three thousand troops, and they were ambushed en route, so it was perfectly normal that they couldn't defeat them.

"The Bixia people are truly bold. The White Hair Pagoda is only fifteen li from here."

He Lingchuan also sensed the strangeness in the air and glanced at the sky through the tent flap. "I believe the timing, location, and personnel are all aligned, and the army is well-fed and rested. Transmit my order: prepare the army to depart, target the White Hair Pagoda!"

It seemed he wasn't the only one who had learned to fight on the night the spiritual rain descended.

"Yes, sir!" The generals from the former allied army all took a deep breath.

Before following their new leader, they had truly never experienced such swift and decisive warfare!

He Lingchuan then smiled. "As long as Chongwu is defeated, in less than two days, I'll host a banquet for all of you in Bixia's royal palace!"

The generals responded with enthusiastic cheers. Having witnessed He Lingchuan's methods of commanding an army, his combat prowess, and his art of command, they surprisingly didn't find his words arrogant.

Moments later, urgent whistle blasts echoed outside.

Assemble and prepare!

The soldiers who had been lazily sitting around chatting or idly strolling and playing games quickly rose and swiftly rejoined their ranks.

The high-intensity marches and battles of the past few days had largely worn away their sluggishness and laxity, and they were beginning to resemble the Dragon God Army.

He Lingchuan strode out, and the Roaring Dragon Battle Armor automatically affixed itself to him.

The moment he stepped out of the tent, he transformed back into the bloodthirsty Great Emperor of Nine Serenities.

If he didn't have other plans, he would have concluded the Bixia war even faster!

After all, the faster he fought here, the less blood the Dragon God Army would shed fighting fiercely elsewhere.

He could have also avoided dividing his forces, but he had another calculation in mind.

To resolve the situation with Bixia, the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities would undoubtedly personally enter the battlefield. Not only did the Dragon God Army's soldiers know this, but his opponents were likely well aware of it too.

He Lingchuan hoped to draw all of the Heavenly Gods' and Qingyang's hidden tactics and reserves to this battlefield—if they had any. That way, Dong Rui, Madam Zhu, and the rest of the Black Armored Army attacking "strongholds" would naturally be safer.

He sneered at the distant city's silhouette. "If you have the ability, come at me!"

The moment the city gate was breached, the hearts of Miancheng's defenders shattered like ice, plummeting into despair.

"Don't panic! Hold the barbican; we still have a chance!" Tu Shan Fang poked his head out, roared down to the city, then quickly scaled the walls, swiftly exiting the narrow passage and taking his stand on the city gate.

A massive bell hung there, serving as an alarm. Over nine chi tall with a thick, rounded waist, it was typically rung by sentries to warn of enemy invasion.