In the outpost of a certain Yunqin army, the pupils of a Yunqin officer on a wooden tower suddenly contracted.

A speeding horse appeared in his line of sight.

Under the midday blazing sun, the plains before him were completely spacious and empty. That was why this speeding horse’s appearance was extremely abrupt. In this clear world, it was as if an unharmonious note was suddenly played.

This was a warhorse with a saddle, but there was no one riding on it. The two brass stirrups flickered with radiance under the blazing sun.

Behind this warhorse, a second warhorse immediately followed, then a third, a fourth… a black expanse of warhorses appeared, entering the view of the Brass Hawkeye in his hands like a dark cloud, covering everything.

“Enemy attack!”

An extremely shrill shout roared out from the mouth of this Yunqin officer who stood straight like a javelin.

The hearts of all the Yunqin soldiers who heard this voice immediately contracted. Within the silent and speechless atmosphere, their bodies began to tremble slightly.

Biting cold killing intent quickly spread through the army.

This was one of the strongholds that led to Meteor City, within Yunqin army's area of control. An enemy attack in broad daylight like this with such a small troop was completely useless. For a Great Mang troop to appear here, it could only mean that the enemy was trying to force their way through, signifying that their current deadlocked situation was going to be shattered, Great Mang was going to make a huge move. The Great Mang troops that would appear here wouldn't only number in the thousands, but rather at least in the tens of thousands.

This type of great army was definitely going to arrive like a powerful tide.

As the first wall of defense against this type of terrifying attack, regardless of whether this battle ultimately ended in victory or defeat, there might not be many of them alive afterwards.

"For Yunqin!"

After shouting out the two words 'enemy attack' and immediately sounding the alarm, this Yunqin officer standing on the watchtower at the very front coldly drew the longsword on his back. Then, he coldly said the words 'for Yunqin', preparing to fight a bitter battle.

However, right at this time, this Yunqin officer's body suddenly became even more rigid, his face instantly filled with shock and disbelief.

"General!"

This word he spoke was even more urgent than his previous words as it sounded from his mouth.

The outlook military officer was like the eyes of the Yunqin army. When his military order was immediately passed on, the entire army could swiftly respond. When this Yunqin officer shouted these words, it could only mean that there was a sudden change to the situation, something that he couldn't make a decision over at all.

A black-armored general rose and fell a few times, directly leaping onto the tower like an ape.

This high ranking Yunqin officer whose face was extremely stern immediately understood why the outpost officer would react like this.

There was no great army behind this dark cloud-like expanse of warhorses at all.

Moreover, the backs of these warhorses that clearly belonged to Great Mang were practically completely empty, there were only less than a hundred black-armored soldiers on them.

It was clear that these warhorses and black-armored soldiers were all extremely weary. Even in these final moments, they still saw warhorses foam at the mouth and collapse, dying on the spot. They could see that many of the black-armored soldiers couldn't even stand up straight, only remaining on the horses by binding their bodies around them.

Moreover, what especially made their breathing stop, their chests feeling a suffocating pressure, was that they saw one person struggling to raise a military flag.

This was a black military banner that already had many holes punctured through it with stars and dark red patterns… this was Thousand Sunset Border Army's banner.

"Wait!"

After a moment of sluggishness, this black-armored high ranking military officer whose expression was always cold and stern inconceivably became filled with hot tears. He first gave a military order, stopping military equipment from being fired, only ordering the vanguard troops to remain vigilant, and then he leapt off the tower, ordering again, "They are our men! Vanguard troops, come with me to greet these soldiers!"

Right now, there were no words that could describe the mood of this Yunqin general whose eyes were filled with hot tears. Even though he previously heard about Thousand Leaf Pass being broken through by enemy imposters, judging from their exhausted appearances and auras these black-armored soldiers gave off, he could guarantee that these were Yunqin soldiers with his own life, they were true Thousand Sunset Border Army men.

More than 3 weeks had passed since Thousand Sunset Border Army's complete withdrawal. For these Thousand Sunset Border Army soldiers to still be alive, still able to return here, for him, and for the entire Yunqin Empire, this was a true miracle, a miracle that made one's blood boil, a miracle that made one's eyes brim with hot tears.

The border army banner Mo Xunhua was holding was already on the verge of falling at any time. However, when he saw the black cavalry that rushed over, he still tightly clutched this military banner, not letting it fall.

"Hurry!"

"Medics!"

"..."

The black cavalry finally entered their cavalry troops, familiar Yunqin words immediately entering his ears.

Mo Xunhua's cracked lips produced a bit more wisps of blood, his vision becoming a bit blurry.

He saw a black figure rush to his side. Then, this black figure supported him, cool water entering his lips.

"How did you guys survive?"

Only under this type of voice, did Mo Xunhua's consciousness start to clear up again.

"Great Mang's crown prince was most likely assassinated by Sir Lin Xi."

"It was Sir Lin who saved us. He brought us into Great Mang's horse field… only then could we arrive here alive."

While looking at the Yunqin black-armored general who held a water sack by his lips and supported him, Mo Xunhua coughed a few times before speaking.

"Sir Lin Xi? … Great Mang's crown prince?!"

This black-armored general's body instantly went rigid again. The water sack in his hand unintentionally poured down on Mo Xunhua's bloodstained and dust covered armor.

The arrival of military intelligence would always be faster than people and horses.

At this time, Yunqin's vanguard army already received secret information from some Yunqin spies. There was a fleet, most likely coming from Great Mang's imperial court who entered the battlefield. This was definitely some great figure who came to observe the battlefield or accumulate merit.

This was definitely an important piece of information for the entire Yunqin army.

It was because if it was a powerful high ranking officer or someone with an especially noble identity who came to supervise the battle, Great Mang’s military might also make a great move soon after.

It was just like how if Yunqin’s Grand Secretary or imperial princess, this type of figure personally came to supervise and direct the army, Yunqin’s army would definitely make use of the boosted morale to fight a great battle.

Meanwhile, several days ago, the intelligence brought back by the spies and secret agents told him that that great figure might be Great Mang’s crown prince Zhantai Shouchi. Moreover, it seemed like Great Mang’s crown prince suffered an assassination, having a high chance of being assassinated, but this information seemed to be kept absolutely secret in Great Mang. As such, they needed a bit of time to further verify this information.

This information made Yunqin’s military feel like it might be to confuse the enemy. Great Mang’s crown prince, this type of individual who was second only to Great Mang’s emperor was taking part in the war, so how could Great Mang’s army treat this lightly? How could he possibly be assassinated while escorted by the army? Perhaps Great Mang’s military wanted to use this type of scheme to make Yunqin take some actions, even find out some of Yunqin’s spies and secret agents.

However now… this type of news was actually true?

“You are saying that… you all participated in Sir Lin’s assassination?” This black-armored commander snapped out of his daze, starting to breathe with difficulty as he looked at Mo Xunhua.

“Yes.” Mo Xunhua looked at this general. He licked his lips, “When I brought my horses out from the barracks, Sir Lin already started his assassination. Judging from the shouts of many Great Mang soldiers, we heard that the crown prince should have been shot down by Lin Xi… this is precisely the reason why we had to return alive.”

When this Yunqin black-armored general heard this conclusive reply, his chest felt as if it was struck by a hammer, only after a long time had passed did he say, “The true glory definitely cannot be erased, this type of information should be quickly verified by further military intelligence. Everyone in Yunqin will know these things that have happened on the battlefield…”

“How many people were in that army?” This general’s voice suddenly stopped. Only after pausing for a bit did he ask with difficulty, “Sir Lin, is he still alive?”

Mo Xunhua looked at him, also remaining silent for a long time before saying, “Over twenty-five thousand. Sir Lin entered the central army to assassinate the crown prince.”

Yunqin’s black-armored general became silent again.

Several breaths later, he released a fierce shout. He called over a military report officer, telling him to quickly record and pass on the things that happened here.

Charging straight into a Great Mang central army of twenty-five thousand to assassinate their crown prince, was there a chance of coming out alive?

Yunqin’s black-armored officer’s heart continuously felt chills, hot tears starting to appear in his eyes again.

Even Yunqin’s own people felt like there was no way Lin Xi could live after facing this type of enemy army.

However, what this Yunqin black-armored general didn’t know was that right at this time, in the enemy back lines where his sight couldn’t reach, many Great Mang cultivators with extremely overcast expressions were currently searching for Lin Xi and Gao Yanan’s traces together with more than ten Great Mang cavalry troops, disregarding day and night.

…

At the same time.

In Heaven Ascension Mountain Range in the northern extremity of this empire, within some snow covered peaks outside Green Luan Academy.

More than ten academy professors and lecturers dressed in academy black robes were currently cleaning up the corpses of some experts who were also dressed in black robes.

That day, after the head of the opposition faction, that elder who came from the same generation as Vice Principal Xia passed away, the academy’s battle situation was already decided, that elder who came to see Luo Houyuan also left Green Luan Academy in a lonesome manner, no longer bothering with the secular world. However, this was also the most bitter and cruel purge in Green Luan Academy’s history. Some final scattered battles were still continuing.

A man with black scattered hair that fluttered in the snow, his expression still wild and crazy despite having a bloody hole in his chest walked through a pool of blood.

“This was merely supposed to be the academy’s internal struggle and conflict, yet it ended up being tangled with the dispute with imperial authority, this kind of life and death confrontation. Is there really a need?”

This man’s expression was instead a bit lonesome and desolate, releasing a sigh.

Following this sigh, a streak of sword radiance carrying crazy energy landed on the huge chains locking down the thick iron gates in front of him, forcibly crushing the giant chains right in the middle.

He was Self Defense Department’s Professor, Madman Qin.

The thick iron gates were opened before him, inside was actually a place where all types of soul weapons were created. There were many rune formations carved into the ground, massive heavy armors that were many times larger than the standard ones used, many dazzling gemstones and many wooden cranes that released soft yellow radiance and had wooden runes carved on them.

At the same time.

There was a wooden crane flickering with yellow radiance that smashed through thick layers of snow in the rear part of this mountain, rushing out of the forest, its astonishing speed producing crazy winds and surging snow as it roared towards the sky.

Suddenly, on this wooden crane, the pupils of a black-robed lecturer who had a giant wooden chest on his back contracted and then enlarged.

Standing on the mountain peak in front of him was the lonely figure of a single-eyed black-robed archer.

Tong Wei stood alone at the very summit of this mountain peak. He looked at this wooden bird, in his hands Principal Zhang’s ‘Little Black’.

An arrow was fired from that peak. Then, all of the wind and snow in this world seemed to have been condensed into that arrow, descending upon this wooden crane.

The wooden crane turned into countless wooden pieces.

The black-robed lecturer on the wooden crane was also blasted to pieces. However, what was shocking was that the wooden chest on that black-robed lecturer’s back was still perfectly intact, falling down into the thick snowy land.

Soon afterwards, another black-robed lecturer appeared, picking up this wooden chest.