The mercenary generals moved swiftly and ruthlessly, using all sorts of underhanded yet effective methods to break through the defenses. The city’s commander was actually quite injured, barely able to stand with the help of others. The mercenary generals dragged him to the city wall, overseeing the process of taking over the defenses.
As he watched squad after squad of mercenaries enter the tower city, rushing towards various defensive positions and gun turrets, the commander couldn’t help but feel angry, “Relying on numbers, what kind of skill is that!”
One of the mercenary generals laughed heartily, “If you could muster up a dozen or so generals, then I’ll call it a real skill.”
The commander fell silent, realizing that no family in Zheng Country could possibly have so many generals. This alone demonstrated the terrifying might of Anhuo.
Another general sneered, “Even your country’s master couldn’t last three minutes under our lord. You, who thinks they can withstand one slap from our lord, should be thankful for your words.”
The commander fell silent again.
His circle of acquaintances were all strong figures at his level, and they had a fair assessment of the clash between the master and Qian Ye. In their view, Liu Zhongyang had lost from the very first move. After being hit by Qian Ye’s Original Gun, Liu Zhongyang was as good as crippled even if not dead. The subsequent exchanges with Qian Ye were essentially meaningless. It seemed that Qian Ye allowed the onlookers to see Liu Zhongyang die on the spot, thus intercepting him. Otherwise, even without intervention, the elderly and weak Liu Zhongyang would have been unable to maintain his Divine General realm, rendering him useless.
These high-ranking strong figures had different perspectives from ordinary people. The one who had sensed the terrifying power of the Original Gun and spoke candidly, stated that anyone below the Divine General realm hit by it would certainly perish. The commander knew well that encountering Qian Ye would mean instant death for him.
What puzzled him was why such a reaper would come to the remote lower continent of Yonglu.
At this moment, a massive shadow swept over the city, and a war cruiser flew in low over the Tower City. Cruising at an altitude of less than a hundred meters, the war cruiser appeared like a gargantuan beast never seen before, as if an entire block had taken flight.
The main cannon jutting out from the bow, rows of secondary guns on both sides, and the armor plating on its belly, pockmarked with bullet scars but still sturdy and thick, all induced despair.
The commander stood stunned for a while, his arrogance dissipating, and his head lowered. Up close, he truly realized the overwhelming and unstoppable power of this war cruiser. Its exceptionally stable flight, agile and nimble movements, showed that this was a formidable weapon with no weaknesses. Even if the Zheng fleet was intact, a single war cruiser could easily devour it.
As for himself, if he had broken through the Divine General threshold, he might have a chance to breach the war cruiser and destroy it from within. But now, with only a Level 16 cultivation, he could ascend but not meet the standards for void combat, let alone fly and maneuver flexibly in the air. He would likely be shot down in midair.
In his despondency, he didn’t notice an additional person standing in front of him.
“Are you a disciple of Liu Zhongyang?”
Startled by the sudden voice, the commander looked up to see a young, almost impossibly beautiful individual. He instantly recalled the recent rumors, exclaiming, “You are…?”
Qian Ye confirmed, “Yes, Liu Zhongyang was defeated by me.”
The commander composed himself and respectfully said, “The master did guide me for a while, but seeing that I had no hope of becoming a Divine General, and that the Western Frontier needed someone to guard it, he released me. So, strictly speaking, I am only a nominal disciple of his.”
“You are Xu Jingxuan?”
“Yes.”
Qian Ye nodded, “I heard that you have a good record against the dark races. But why is the garrison in this tower city so small? Do you think that with just these few people, you can defend such a large area?”
Xu Jingxuan sighed bitterly, “Recently, the various lords have been competing and need manpower, so everyone comes to my place to requisition troops. Being a commoner, powerless and without influence, I cannot refuse. To be able to retain even this many soldiers is already a struggle.”
Qian Ye examined him up and down, and Xu Jingxuan shivered, feeling as though every secret was laid bare.
As the blue hue in Qian Ye’s eyes faded, Xu Jingxuan felt more at ease.
“Now that the situation is settled, do you have any interest in following me on a western campaign to drive the dark races from this leaf?”
Xu Jingxuan was somewhat excited but also hesitant, “Lord, it won’t be easy.”
Qian Ye smiled faintly, “Of course, I know it won’t be easy. When we fight, I will lead the charge, and you will follow closely. Dying on the battlefield against the dark races is better than engaging in internal strife here in Zheng. What do you say, are you afraid?”
Xu Jingxuan’s blood surged, “We soldiers, with all our cultivation, exist to die on the battlefield, to reclaim a place of survival for our people and descendants from the hands of foreign invaders. If I were afraid of death, I wouldn’t have taken up this post!”
However, after his initial enthusiasm, Xu Jingxuan showed signs of difficulty, “But…”
“Tell me, what’s the problem?”
“My family is in the capital. As border guards, all our relatives live in the core area of the capital. If I leave to follow you, I fear I will be accused of desertion, which is a crime punishable by the execution of the entire family.”
Qian Ye understood; this was a common method used by countries to control border generals. Even the early Great Qin used it. However, with the establishment of the clan system, the main forces for expansion became the great clans, and the control over border generals was loosened.
The clans established in border provinces, where every inch of land was soaked with the blood of their kin, would firmly resist any invasion, often resulting in the complete annihilation of the defenders rather than surrender.
Qian Ye thought for a moment, “How about this: I’ll give you a few days to bring your family here. I’ll send a frigate to take you back, so you won’t waste time on the journey.”
“But…” Xu Jingxuan still looked troubled.
Qian Ye said coolly, “Seeing the warship, Nan Ruohuai will know that you are already mine. No matter what you do, he will agree. Of course, if he really doesn’t let them go, I will have a talk with him.”
Xu Jingxuan suddenly looked up, asking, “Lord, are those rumors true?”
Qian Ye smiled, “I just needed an excuse to come to Yonglu. It doesn’t matter who sits on the throne of Zheng.”
“True, even putting the 31st prince on the throne, whoever you want to support, it’s as easy as turning your hand.”
After a pause, Xu Jingxuan carefully asked, “Lord, since you can put someone on the throne, why not just take it yourself?”
Qian Ye shook his head, “Zheng is too small, and I have no interest in it. It’s a good stepping stone, but only that.”
“Then, why are you here in Yonglu?”
Qian Ye looked at him, not answering directly, but instead asking, “Why do you think Yonglu is so desolate and poor?”
This question stumped Xu Jingxuan. After much thought, he could only say, “Perhaps the land is too barren?”
Lower continents usually had similar issues, with poor soil, scarce minerals, and harsh climates. With less food, fewer people could survive, and fewer strong individuals would emerge.
After listening to Xu Jingxuan’s explanation, Qian Ye extended his hand, and a primal vortex, like a tiny tornado, appeared in his palm, swirling continuously. This little whirlwind contained eerie black streaks, seemingly bottomless. Feeling its aura, even Xu Jingxuan felt a chill down his spine.
“Is this void primal force?”
“Yes, and it’s a type of void primal force between the dark source and the midpoint.”
“No wonder.” Xu Jingxuan’s forehead was already slightly sweaty.
The closer to the dark source, the purer the primal force, similar to the Dawn Source. The midpoint between Eternal Night and Dawn is pure chaos, which is relatively stable. But deviating from these points, void primal force easily carries negative effects like corruption and vitality suppression. Even dark races would reject such primal force.
Looking at the primal force vortex in Qian Ye’s hand, Xu Jingxuan was both immensely impressed by his control and somewhat puzzled, not understanding the significance of bringing this up now.
Seeing his confusion, Qian Ye explained, “This is why top-tier strong figures are hard to come by in Yonglu, and why the werewolves dominate here.”
Xu Jingxuan finally caught the meaning, incredulous, “You mean, this is the primal force in Yonglu?”
Qian Ye nodded, “This void primal force is too thin; you can’t usually feel it on the ground. I’ve condensed it, making it clear.”
Xu Jingxuan gaped, staring at Qian Ye as if he had seen a ghost. He had never heard of condensing primal force, let alone in this manner.
However, for Qian Ye, who practiced the Great Profound Art of War and possessed the Song Ancient Scroll, condensing primal force was as simple as drinking water. But in a place like Zheng, it was unheard of.
After the initial shock, Xu Jingxuan began to understand.
In the environment of Yonglu, filled with the void decay primal force demonstrated by Qian Ye, even a tiny bit was enough to degrade the quality of the cultivation environment. Under such conditions, the cultivated primal force inevitably contained impurities. A single impurity could cause a failure at the Divine General threshold.
In Yonglu, those who could become Divine Generals were few and far between, far fewer than in Great Qin. Thinking back, when Great Qin was founded, starting from the lowest layer of the world and moving upwards, countless sacrifices were made until they occupied a middle layer continent, perhaps due to environmental factors as well.
Seeing Xu Jingxuan’s realization, Qian Ye smiled, “Do you understand? This is also why the werewolves can dominate here.”
Xu Jingxuan, who had fought the werewolves many times, struggled to understand the other dark races. He frowned in deep thought but couldn’t pinpoint the reason.
Qian Ye explained, “This void primal force is harmful to the dark races, especially to the Demon race, like poison. So, unless absolutely necessary, the true strong figures of the Demon and Blood races don’t come here. As for the Arachnids, they are unaffected, but it offers no benefit. They have more important places to contest, better suited for their growth, and rarely compete with the werewolves for such places.”
Xu Jingxuan finally understood, “Yonglu’s environment is so poor that other dark races don’t bother, allowing the werewolves to dominate?”
“Exactly.”
“Since Yonglu is so barren, why are you here?”
Qian Ye laughed, “I can’t defeat people in other places.”
Xu Jingxuan, not expecting such a frank answer, could only awkwardly smile. Indeed, Yonglu’s environment was harsh, poor, and weak, only slightly better than the lowest layer, the Eternal Night Continent. But having it said so bluntly still felt uncomfortable.
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