Chapter 2244: Internal and External Battle

It did not condense into any shape, appearing as pure golden light. Each time the red mist turned to devour it, it was entangled and shrouded by the black mist.

Standing behind He Lingchuan, Xu Shichu couldn't help but ask, "Is that golden mist General Hong's divine soul?"

"Not entirely. General Hong's divine soul power isn't yet that formidable; most of this is primal energy." He Lingchuan immediately discerned the purple energy mixed within the golden light.

This sea of consciousness had become a supreme battlefield for gods and demons. Logically, human souls should have no place here. Yet—

"That's Zhong Wugan's primal energy, and the primal energy of the Panlong Kingdom!" He Lingchuan stated solemnly. "This transformed primal energy will not benefit the Sky Demon! Therefore, the participants in this epic battle within the sea of consciousness are gods, demons, and the human kingdom!"

His gaze swept across the warriors present. "What General Hong is manifesting," he declared, "is the combined power of everyone here!"

This was the ultimate reason Zhong Wugan could maneuver freely and remain resilient between two ancient, formidable powers:

She was never fighting alone.

As soon as he finished speaking, He Lingchuan suddenly extended his long halberd, knocking away a flying knife that had been shot towards General Hong.

It was a counter-attack from Jin-Du Ghost Kid, who had seen General Hong get injured.

Wu Xianxian, on the opposing side, was equally sharp-eyed. Noticing the apparent conflict among the enemy's commanders, and seeing General Hong standing motionless with blood beneath her nose, he immediately shouted, "The enemy commanders have turned on each other! General Hong is gravely wounded! Counter-attack, counter-attack! This is an opportunity not to be missed!"

Subordinates quickly relayed the command, and soon shouts of "General Hong is gravely wounded!" echoed from all sides, intended to bolster their own troops' morale and undermine the Panlong army's fighting spirit.

Wu Xianxian then directed his two elite, direct-line units to launch a fierce assault on the Panlong army.

The battle by Xianling Lake had reached a fever pitch. The Golden Horn clan had just been decisively defeated by General Hong's spear in plain sight, and the accompanying visual and auditory effects were so stunning that the Beijia army momentarily panicked, being driven back dozens of yards by the Panlong forces.

Now, hearing that the enemy's main commander was also seriously wounded, and with their own side launching a vast, powerful counter-attack, the Beijia army steadied themselves and pressed forward!

However, the Great Wind army was somewhat bewildered at this moment.

What exactly was happening within their ranks?

He Lingchuan stepped forward a few paces, but before he could reach General Hong, several deputy generals rushed to block his path:

"General Huxi, halt!"

"General, do not act rashly!"

Xu Shichu held up the monarch's token, claiming that General Huxi was merely following orders. However, everyone had witnessed General Hong being injured by his palm strike, clearly not "unharmed."

Furthermore, the Panlong army was not short of Mi Tian's devotees and followers, who now stepped forward to obstruct He Lingchuan.

Given the unclear circumstances, preventing General Huxi from approaching further was the prudent course of action.

This was the first time such a divided and confrontational scene had occurred within the Panlong army. The root cause was General Hong's extraordinarily high prestige.

From afar, Wu Xianxian keenly observed this extraordinary sight, ecstatic with delight, and immediately spurred his troops to attack.

He Lingchuan had long anticipated this scenario and stated calmly, "There's no need to worry. General Hong is currently fending off her inner demons; she will be safe in a moment!"

He projected this message throughout the army using his true energy.

Since everyone wished for him not to approach, he decided against it. In any case, he couldn't assist with the battle unfolding within General Hong's sea of consciousness.

He Lingchuan turned and issued an order to the fierce general standing beside General Hong:

"Shi Zhonghui, you must protect General Hong! Do not let those abominations get near her."

Shi Zhonghui's voice boomed like thunder as he instantly replied, "Yes!"

"Miao Qing," He Lingchuan said, looking at another individual, "gather your subordinates and follow me to confront the enemy!"

Miao Qing likewise responded with a loud "Yes," then turned and waved his hand, yelling, "What are you all staring at? Charge!"

Just then, a deputy general interjected, "General Hong just said she wanted to... to kill..."

Mi Tian's last two words were "kill it," but she was interrupted by the Dragon God before she could specify the target. Otherwise, He Lingchuan would have been in even greater trouble at that moment.

"Kill whom?" Miao Qing demanded, his eyes wide, "It couldn't possibly be General Huxi! For years, General Huxi has fought alongside General Hong, sharing life and death with us."

He then pointed towards the enemy forces opposite them. "Do you think General Hong wants to kill General Huxi, or wipe out those bastards?!"

He Lingchuan pursed his lips.

Who General Hong truly intended to kill, only he knew best.

The Willow Branch, standing behind General Hong, also roared twice, bringing his subordinates closer. "We await General Huxi's command!" he declared.

With General Hong unable to issue commands at the moment, these individuals, who held high prestige within the Great Wind army, stepping forward at this critical time provided the soldiers with a much-needed focal point.

He Lingchuan drew a breath of true energy, pointing the tip of his halberd directly at Wu Xianxian. "General Golden Horn is dead," he bellowed, "the enemy is already terrified! Eliminate Wu Xianxian for me, and Panlong is sure to win!"

As long as he didn't attempt to approach General Hong, he wouldn't clash with her personal guards. In any case, wasn't the most crucial task at hand to defeat the Beijia army?

After General Golden Horn was propelled away by Mi Tian's spear, he hadn't reappeared for a long time. It seemed that even if he wasn't dead, he was unable to continue fighting.

And spreading rumors? That was certainly easy for He Lingchuan.

The two armies clashed once more.

Wu Xianxian, with his own capabilities, tried every conceivable method to draw He Lingchuan away, intending to then dispatch elite teams to attack General Hong.

Jin-Du Ghost Kid also circled General Hong, poised to strike when the opportunity arose.

Xu Shichu remained close, meticulously guarding General Hong. He watched the red mist in the area with extreme tension.

The visions conjured by the Grand Divination Celestial Pearl were visible only to him and He Lingchuan. The thousands of soldiers on the battlefield had no idea that the battle raging within General Hong's sea of consciousness was even more brutal than the physical one before them!

From the perspective of primal energy, General Hong's success would be their collective success;

Should General Hong fail, it would mean their collective failure.

This battle was incredibly intense; at times the black mist would suppress the red, while at others, the red mist gained the upper hand. Beneath the sunlight, the churning sea of clouds was magnificent, causing He Lingchuan's mood to rollercoaster like a goat cart traversing the Upside-Down Sea.

Finally, the black mist seized an opportunity, strangling and flinging the red mist high into the air, causing countless points of light to scatter from it.

Seeing this, Xu Shichu clenched his fists, understanding that Mi Tian had suffered a significant blow and her divine soul was wounded.

However, the red mist unfurled in mid-air. What was initially an almost human shape now revealed a pair of wings, a tail grew from its back, its head sharpened, and a single horn and a dagger-like beak emerged.

Then, a resonant voice boomed through the sea of clouds:

"You have finally revealed your true self."

This voice, like the resonant peal of a great bell, reverberated deep within everyone.

He Lingchuan, who had been fiercely battling at the front, suddenly turned his head. He recognized the voice instantly, having heard it before: the Dragon God was speaking.

The words were directed at Mi Tian.

Mi Tian had previously been human-shaped, but after being struck into mid-air, she transformed again, now resembling an eagle more than a human.

This was peculiar because a divine soul's appearance rarely changes; it embodies a creature's true form, unaltering even if the physical body transforms.

Mi Tian, in her true form, had descended. In General Hong's sea of consciousness, she should have appeared as her original self. Why then the need for further concealment?

What did the Dragon God mean by "true self"?