Chapter 1616: Battle Record

Unsolvable Substitute Marriage: Jiang Fan and Xu Yining

In everyone's line of sight, a crack opened in the earth. A tall, middle-aged man in a long blue robe, his face full of righteousness, flew out from underground. It was none other than Grand Exalt Xingyuan!

Jiang Fan's eyebrows twitched; he noticed something. Previously, he wouldn't have been able to tell, but with his Divine Transformation stage perception, he saw that the Grand Exalt Xingyuan before him was merely a paper effigy.

“Junior greets Grand Exalt Xingyuan.”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan examined the Full Moon Divine Ring behind Jiang Fan's head, a look of deep satisfaction on his face. “Is Zhenyan doing well?”

Now it was Jiang Fan's turn to feel guilty. He replied, “Quite... quite well.”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan continued, “So, after you returned, did you have any communication?”

Jiang Fan felt even more embarrassed. “We had a bit of... in-depth communication.”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan's face lit up with joy; it seemed the two had reconciled. He patted Jiang Fan's shoulder with relief. “I'm relieved to entrust Zhenyan to you.”

“Communicate deeply with each other, get to know each other thoroughly. Although your relationship isn't harmonious right now, feelings will develop over time.”

“I believe you will both be happy.”

Jiang Fan's heart pounded. It was fortunate that Grand Exalt Xingyuan didn't know he and Exalt Zhenyan had already consummated their relationship. Otherwise, a Confucian leader, with his expectations for his daughter, would never allow her to lose her virginity before marriage.

“Ahem, Grand Exalt, let's first discuss the current situation in Hunyuan Province.”

“We've all rushed here for the decisive battle against the giants.”

From a distance, Grand Exalt Bingxin watched Jiang Fan's flustered expression, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. “So, you also have days like this?”

She had intended to tease him, but hearing about the decisive battle, she put aside her playful thoughts.

She also hurried over, scrutinizing Grand Exalt Xingyuan. “Where is your true body?”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan didn't reply directly. Instead, he first surveyed his surroundings, his face full of gratitude.

“You all have endured great battles and undoubtedly suffered the loss of loved ones. It pains me deeply to ask you to rush to the decisive battle in Hunyuan Province while still grieving.”

“On behalf of Hunyuan Province, I bow in gratitude to all of you.”

He bowed deeply to everyone.

Jiang Fan said solemnly:

“Senior, you speak too gravely. As the saying goes, 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.' If Hunyuan Province falls, how can our other eight provinces remain unscathed?”

“The Nine Provinces of the Central Lands share a common destiny. Since the ancient giants have launched an all-out invasion, we naturally must gather all our strength for a decisive battle against them!”

The thousand-year war should finally come to an end!

Success or failure depends on this battle!

Grand Exalt Bingxin secretly nodded. Apart from the incident where Jiang Fan stole her undergarments, he was impeccable in all other aspects.

She said, “From our Sacred Spirit Province, not only are Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation cultivators coming, but Sage Wanyun will also be personally present.”

“Our Sacred Spirit Province will stand or fall with Hunyuan Province!”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan was visibly moved.

“With such determined compatriots from the Central Lands, even if we lose this battle, we will have no regrets for future generations!”

“Now, I will inform you of the battle situation in Hunyuan Province.”

“As you can see, Hunyuan Province has been defeated!”

“Two hundred eighty-three sects have been erased, and over four thousand Nascent Soul Confucian cultivators sleep eternally in this land.”

“Now, only over thirty sects and three hundred Nascent Soul Confucian cultivators remain.”

“Hunyuan Province's thousand-year foundation was emptied in one battle.”

Jiang Fan's heart constricted violently.

He had anticipated that the battle in Hunyuan Province would be tragic, but he hadn't expected it to be this devastating!

An army of over four thousand Nascent Soul cultivators, more than twice the number of Taicang Province.

Yet, they were ultimately reduced to only three hundred!

Of over three hundred sects, nine out of ten were annihilated!

Had aid from other provinces not arrived in time, it's likely that the local populations would have been devoured, leaving nine out of ten homes empty!

Grand Exalt Bingxin's beautiful eyes trembled, filled with deep sorrow.

“Were the tribes you encountered really that powerful?”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan gave a bitter smile. “We were up against the Blood Moon Royal Court.”

“They had one Blood Moon King, thirty Giant Kings, and three thousand ancient giants.”

“The most troublesome thing was a Blood Pool that could transform our human race.”

Jiang Fan closed his eyes.

The Blood Moon Royal Court's strength was twice that of Hunyuan Province!

This was already a certain death situation, similar to what Taicang Province faced.

With the addition of a deadly ancient Blood Pool, how could Hunyuan Province not suffer a crushing defeat?

Grand Exalt Xingyuan's face showed compassion.

“Many Nascent Soul Confucian cultivators refused to be transformed; if they couldn't win, they chose mutual destruction.”

“Therefore, although we were almost completely wiped out, the Blood Moon Royal Court also suffered severe losses to their vital energy, and fewer than a thousand ancient giants remain.”

“Seven out of ten Giant Kings were lost.”

“The Five-Star Giant King and the Blood Moon King were severely wounded by my Confucian arts and cannot recover.”

“Later, when the Grand Wine Sacrifice informed the other provinces to come here, the Blood Moon King, fearing entrapment, led the remaining forces back to the Heaven-Connecting Black Pillar to await the assembly of ancient giant armies from all routes.”

Jiang Fan's face showed respect.

Hunyuan Province had fought to the death against enemies twice their number.

Two thousand ancient giants, equivalent to late-Nascent Soul stage cultivators, theoretically meant that Hunyuan Province would need two thousand late-Nascent Soul Confucian cultivators.

However, Hunyuan Province had at most just over a thousand.

At the Divine Transformation stage, fifteen Divine Transformation cultivators annihilated over twenty Giant Kings!

To achieve such a record, it was likely that among Hunyuan Province's Confucian cultivators were those like the Nine-Orifice Nascent Souls of Taicang Province who threw themselves into danger like moths to a flame, and like Bodhisattva Tianting who sacrificed himself to the tiger—a magnificent and tragic epic.

He said softly, “Though defeated, Hunyuan Province is still glorious.”

Grand Exalt Xingyuan shook his head. He said, “Everyone was inspired by your Taicang Province.”

“The weakest province, with only three to five Divine Transformation stage cultivators and fewer than five hundred late-Nascent Soul stage cultivators.”

“Yet, it was the first to achieve a great victory, the first to bring a glimmer of hope to the Central Lands.”

“That's why Confucian cultivators took Taicang Province as an example, fighting the ancient giants and spilling their last drop of blood.”

The experts from various provinces instinctively looked towards Jiang Fan.

Grand Exalt Bingxin couldn't help but cast a curious gaze. “What were the specific battle conditions in your Taicang Province's battle?”

She only knew that Taicang Province had won, but not the strength of the enemy.

She thought that the Black Sun Royal Court must have been the weakest of the nine tribes in the Celestial Realm.

While Taicang Province's victory was due to their fearless bravery, it was also partly because the Black Sun Royal Court was the weakest.

Jiang Fan calmly stated, “The Black Sun Royal Court's thousand ancient giants were all annihilated, and all eight Giant Kings were slain.”

Everyone understood in their hearts.

Indeed, the Black Sun Royal Court was the weakest, with only eight Giant Kings—any province could easily handle them.

But Jiang Fan added, “Plus, we completely annihilated the Central Tribe's Ninth Army.”

Grand Exalt Bingxin raised her eyebrows and exchanged a look with Grand Exalt Xingyuan.

She realized that Grand Exalt Xingyuan shared her same question.

Did they mishear something?

The Central Army descended upon Taicang Province, and was annihilated?

Grand Exalt Xingyuan said in astonishment, “My intelligence indicates that the Ninth Army had one Five-Star Giant King and forty Giant Kings.”

Jiang Fan recalled the deaths of Bodhisattva Tianting, Jian Lanjiang, and the five Divine Transformation Exalts who aided them, and there was no trace of pride on his face.

Only solemnity.

“Yes, the Ninth Army descended upon Taicang Province in two waves.”

“We went through three major battles, one after another, and ultimately, at the cost of many lives, we completely annihilated the Ninth Army.”

Immediately, the entire place fell silent.

They silently calculated in their minds: eight Giant Kings from the Black Sun Royal Court, plus forty from the Ninth Army, wouldn't that be...

Nearly fifty Giant Kings?

But how many Divine Transformation cultivators did Taicang Province have?

Even with reinforcements, there were only a dozen or so in total. How did they manage to destroy fifty Giant Kings?

As a reinforcement, Exalt Hongchen said shamefully, “Although I aided in the final battle, I didn't kill a single Giant King.”

“Half of them were slain by Exalt Xinghuo.”

“Oh, and that includes the Ninth Army's Five-Star Giant King, King Youming.”

Clang—

The air solidified.

Someone's sword slipped from their hand and fell to the ground, striking a stone with a crisp metallic clang.