Chapter 313: Everything for Dazheng

"Nine ranks?" Zhongshan frowned in confusion.

"Only a ninth-ranked magical treasure has the possibility of possessing spiritual essence. To suppress Yang Springs or Yin Springs, you need a treasure with spiritual essence. This blade can suppress Yang Springs, clearly a ninth-ranked treasured blade! It's the most powerful grade of magical treasure known to the world!" explained A Da.

After a while, the three of them exited the city.

They withdrew to the encampment of the army.

Looking at Dagong City in the distance, now filled with lava, Zhongshan took a deep breath and said, "What a city Dagong was, all for burying this ninth-ranked sinister blade!"

At that moment, Zhongshan deeply realized that Water Trace's looting of the city's wealth was merely scratching the surface. The true wealth, the sinister blade, had been taken by Bai Ye. That ninth-ranked sinister blade was the real wealth, something money couldn't buy.

However, for Zhongshan, this wasn't bad news. It made him aware of the location of another ninth-ranked magical treasure.

The Radiant Sun Sword, obtained in ancient times when a few super strongmen forcibly extracted it from the Yin Springs but ultimately failed.

There's a Radiant Sun Sword there.

However, Zhongshan did not intend to go for it. It would take Bai Ye another two or three days to get it out. There was no way he could get it now. He would wait until he was stronger in the future.

The army looked at the towering flames in the distance, deeply moved! There had been too many changes these days.

"Marshal, what should we do next?" Water Trace immediately stepped forward and asked.

"Dagong City is destroyed. We will move towards Bai Huang Dynasty immediately. I've already made arrangements there!" Zhongshan took a deep breath.

"Yes!" Water Trace responded.

Arrangements made? Water Trace didn't understand, and neither did the others. They hadn't even gone to Bai Huang City; how could arrangements have been made?

When Zhongshan said arrangements had been made, they naturally had been. The gaze of a leader must be far-reaching. Several days ago, when the Fiend Demon destroyed the entire city, Zhongshan had already taken action.

Dagong City had become an empty city. To stay stationed here? How could that be possible? A city without people was at best a warehouse, especially for their own army. In war, casualties were inevitable, and staying here would lead to attrition. They'd be ground down slowly by the enemy!

Bai Huang City was smaller, but it was still a city.

It took them ten days to arrive not far from Bai Huang City.

It was deep into the night, with clouds covering the moon.

Standing on the peak of a distant mountain, Zhongshan faced Liu Wushuang, Water Trace, and Zhao Chuandao, saying, "Now, you will charge the city with full force. When you reach the south gate, it will open automatically. Be fast! Seize Bai Huang City in one fell swoop, like lightning strikes without a sound!"

"Yes!" The three of them looked puzzled.

The south gate would open automatically? Did the Marshal bribe the lord of Bai Huang City?

Whether the south gate would open or not was no longer in doubt for everyone. They only knew that following the Marshal's orders would ensure victory.

In the pitch-black night, with a wave of Zhongshan's hand, the army rushed towards Bai Huang City at lightning speed.

"Kill~~~~~~"

On the city tower, the sentinels suddenly heard an earth-shaking roar.

The sound of battle cries echoed across the battlefield. Converging his gaze towards the distant city under siege, the sentinel's entire body tensed at the sight.

"Enemy attack~~~~~"

"Thud, thud, thud~~~~~"

The warning drums resounded, signaling the attack from all directions.

"Stay steady! Form ranks, archers, get ready!" shouted a defending officer.

"Quick, inform the city lord!" another officer urged anxiously. The city tower's defenders looked worriedly at the massive enemy army in the distance.

"Yes!" A young soldier darted into the city.

"Fire!~~~~~"

At the command of the leader, a volley of arrows descended swiftly like a meteor shower, raining down upon Zhongshan's densely packed army.

"Ahh~~~~~"

"Ahh~~~~~"

... In war, there is death. Zhongshan's army was no exception, and despite their preparations, many soldiers fell beneath the onslaught of arrows. In battle, everything happened too quickly.

Finally, Liu Wushuang and the Wolf Cavalry reached the city first.

Something strange happened: the south gate actually opened before everyone's eyes.

"Charge~~~~~" Liu Wushuang shouted in excitement.

The wolves swarmed into Bai Huang City like a flood, unstoppable.

"The gate is breached? How did the gate open? Can anyone tell me how the gate opened?" The officer on the city tower screamed madly. Damn it, how could such a bizarre thing happen?

Is this even a battle?

There were no ambushes prepared inside the city, and there weren't many archers on the city tower.

It wasn't easy to climb the city tower from the outside, but once inside the city, getting up the tower was no problem at all.

Zhao Chuan gave the order, and the troops stormed the city tower madly. In an instant, the southern city tower was overwhelmed by Zhongshan's army.

They had entered the city. What followed was a night of bloody slaughter.

At dawn, a handful of revitalizing sunlight pierced through from the east. After a night of fear and panic, the people of Bai Huang City finally regained calmness.

Some cautiously ventured out to look around, only to find corpses scattered everywhere. Blood stained the ground in all directions. It had been a cruel night.

In the mansion of the former city lord of Bai Huang City, the lord himself had long since met his end.

Standing on the square, Zhongshan watched as his troops below gradually cleaned up. He sighed lightly. Behind him stood a figure wrapped in a black robe, features indiscernible.

"Dark Emperor, your concealment abilities are truly becoming formidable. Since you managed to deceive A Da last time, I knew you would excel in capturing Bai Huang City this time!" Zhongshan stood with hands clasped behind his back.

"Your praise is too much, Master. My strength is insufficient to face generals, but dealing with a few gatekeepers was manageable. However, my achievements in this war for the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty are insignificant!" Dark Emperor responded immediately.

"Heh, a war for the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty? No, my wars are fought for the Dagong Dynasty. The Twelve Cities of the Coastal Sea were, and so is Bai Huang City now. You may not understand now, but you will in time!" Zhongshan chuckled and shook his head.

"Yes!" Dark Emperor sighed.

"Are you leaving?" Zhongshan asked.

"Yes, that old man who taught me the art of concealment instructed me to go somewhere after his death," Dark Emperor nodded.

"Oh?" Zhongshan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"The old man told me not to tell anyone, but if Master asks..." Dark Emperor began.

"You don't need to tell me!" Zhongshan immediately interrupted.

"Master?" Dark Emperor frowned slightly.

"I don't care what adventures you've had or what secrets you hold. I only know that you are still Dark Emperor, still the Chief Commander of the Shadow Guards for my Dagong Dynasty. That's all that matters!" Zhongshan affirmed decisively.

"Thank you, Master!" Dark Emperor expressed his gratitude.

"Well then, off you go!" Zhongshan smiled.

"Yes!" Dark Emperor nodded and then, in a flash, he darted into the shadows, disappearing from Zhongshan's sight in no time.

Dark Emperor had departed. Zhongshan's mission continued.

At that very moment, atop a peak in the distance from Bai Huang City, Xiao Yuanfeng stood overlooking the city. Before him knelt a fleeing officer who had escaped from Bai Huang City.

"Zhongshan, damn you, Zhongshan!" Xiao Yuanfeng exclaimed angrily.

"Marshal, we arrived just a step too late, only a step, for one night!" a general beside Xiao Yuanfeng lamented.

"The Lord of Bai Huang City is utterly useless! It took just one night for it to fall? How could he be so incompetent? Useless!" another general thundered furiously.

"It's not that the Lord of Bai Huang City is useless. It's that Zhongshan is too formidable. My adoptive father foresaw that he would take Bai Huang City and sent me with troops to reinforce, but even so, it was too swift. Zhongshan's speed in attacking and seizing cities is simply too fast!" Xiao Yuanfeng sighed deeply.

The defeated officer kneeling on the ground spoke, "Marshal, the southern gate inexplicably opened. That led to our defeat."

"Inexplicably? Hmph, it's because Zhongshan's spies had infiltrated the city long ago, killed your gatekeepers, and opened the gate. The gate, the crucial point, and you let them take it so easily? A few insignificant spies managed to take it?" Xiao Yuanfeng's eyes narrowed sharply.

"We had numerous archers stationed at the gate; it's impossible!" the defeated officer argued from his knees.

"Enough! Instead of finding excuses after defeat, find reasons. You're just useless!" Xiao Yuanfeng raged.

The defeated officer could only fall silent.

"Marshal, what should we do now? How do we explain this to the Grand Commander?" asked another general beside Xiao Yuanfeng.

"Withdraw the troops. Let's go back. I'll handle the explanation!" Xiao Yuanfeng took a deep breath.

"Yes!" the generals replied.

Two years later...

In the Lord's Mansion of Bai Huang City...

Zhongshan sat at the command table with rows of generals standing respectfully before him. He looked over some letters on the table, while the generals patiently awaited.

"Water Trace, how many troops do you have now?" Zhongshan asked.

"Six hundred thousand!" Water Trace replied directly.

"Oh? Five thousand less than before? Didn't I ask you to recruit more troops? Now you have fewer?" Zhongshan chuckled.

"Reporting to Marshal, I understand now. Quantity doesn't equate to quality. The sixty thousand elite troops we have now are more than a match for the one million troops we had in the past." Water Trace affirmed confidently.

Satisfied with Water Trace's response, Zhongshan nodded approvingly.

"Zhao Chuan, how is the situation on the Great Light front?" Zhongshan turned to Zhao Chuan.

Seeing Zhongshan ask him, Zhao Chuan was slightly excited. He could tell that Zhongshan hadn't overlooked him because of his ties to the Great Xuan Dynasty; instead, he was being cultivated.

"Reporting to Marshal, in the Great Light domain, along with our forces, we have six armies in total. However, given the current situation, only four can be maintained!" Zhao Chuan reported.