"His Highness perhaps doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation, but it is far more serious than you can imagine," Jin Yao stated solemnly. "Should anything befall His Highness, it would be a devastating blow to the Demon Dragon Imperial Family."
"A devastating blow." I was somewhat bewildered. I'm just one person. Although I inexplicably became the heir to the Demon Dragon Royal Bloodline, surely it wasn't as exaggerated as he made it sound.
"In short, I will not allow His Highness to risk infiltrating the Demon Sealing Empire," Jin Yao declared firmly.
"Ha!" I was a little surprised. Could this big fellow be planning to place me under house arrest? Thinking of this made me anxious; that simply wouldn't do. Although I hadn't known Jin Yao for more than a day, he gave off the impression of being decisive and ruthlessly effective—a man who meant what he said. Against someone like that, you mustn't argue. Even though I currently held the title of Prince of Qin, who could guarantee that if I pushed him too far, he wouldn't resort to forceful confinement? Then I wouldn't even have a place to cry.
"Um, I will listen to the General," I conceded, backing down. "If the General says I shouldn't go, then I won't go. But the General must keep his word and absolutely help me rescue Yun Shang."
"It is best that His Highness sees reason," Jin Yao replied, though his gaze remained somewhat suspicious as he studied my expression.
I tried my best to appear simple and obedient. I realized that to deceive these old foxes, who were as sharp as seasoned veterans, there seemed to be no better method than playing the innocent youngster. Of course, I didn't really need to pretend; I didn't look very old right now. Though I was already seventeen, my frame hadn't seemed to grow much, and worse was this baby face that made me look incredibly harmless and guileless. As a result, Jin Yao's look of suspicion was fleeting, and he doubted no further.
"It seems His Highness has truly understood," Jin Yao sighed with relief. "I will immediately draft a dispatch to inform His Majesty and arrange an escort to see His Highness back to the Imperial City."
It seems this physique and youthful face weren't entirely useless after all; at least they were quite deceptive. For the first time, I felt a small measure of pride in my appearance and stature.
"In that case, I shall trouble you," I continued. "How does the General plan to handle the disciples from the Yun family?"
"Naturally, they will return to the Yun family. With the two nations at war and the situation chaotic, they cannot be allowed to face danger," Jin Yao stated.
"..." This time, it was my turn to have a headache. I certainly didn't want them to know about my Demon Dragon Royal identity: "General, my identity must not be revealed to others."
"His Highness need not worry; I will keep it confidential. We will simply say that due to the war between the two nations, to prevent spies from betraying state secrets, they are being temporarily detained and will be released once the investigation is complete," Jin Yao assured me.
Sweat! By the time the investigation is complete, the war will probably be over. This old fox truly has his methods, but I already have a plan forming, so for now, this will have to do.
In the vast garden of the Demon Dragon Imperial Palace, Jiu Yao Chong Yang stood gazing at the fiery red Sunbloom flowers before him. Unpredictable brilliance flickered in eyes as deep as the sea. The massive invasion by the Demon Sealing Empire had come fiercely. Although feasible strategies had been set, Jiu Yao Chong Yang remained uncertain of the final outcome.
Two hundred thousand of the three hundred thousand elite guards protecting the Imperial City had been instantly dispatched to the Black Sea front line. Jiu Yao Chong Yang felt a lingering worry: if the capital were to be attacked at this juncture, would the remaining hundred thousand truly suffice? Yet, the current situation allowed him no room for hesitation; reports of emergency continued to flood in from all sectors of the Black Sea front.
The Demon Sealing army had already pushed deep into Ci Cheng, Sui Cheng, and Lan Cheng. The southern continent had been brutally pierced by the Demon Sealing Empire’s deep thrusts. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before they reached Demon Dragon City.
He never imagined that, forty years later, he would once again face such a cruel test. At this moment, Jiu Yao Chong Yang subconsciously closed his eyes.
Forty years. Even now, Jiu Yao Chong Yang could vividly recall the years of struggle amidst clashing metal and horses in the Sands of War, fighting alongside Jin Yao, Luo Hou, and Yue Yao in his youth.
The earth-shattering war drums, the trembling ground, and the overwhelming scenes of countless troops surging like a tsunami—everything felt as if it had happened only yesterday. Whenever he thought of it, Jiu Yao Chong Yang felt a surge of hot-blooded impulse. If he were not already the ruler of a nation, Jiu Yao Chong Yang would have immediately led the army to the front lines.
But reality was unavoidable. As the sovereign, he bore the well-being of the entire Demon Dragon Continent, the success or failure of the entire Imperial Family. This compelled Jiu Yao Chong Yang to deliberate with extreme caution over every decision. For forty years, he had served diligently, treading on thin ice.
Being an emperor is truly tiring! Jiu Yao Chong Yang could no longer recall how many times he had sighed this.
"The Dove Group Steward requests an audience," a guard nearby softly reminded the contemplative Jiu Yao Chong Yang.
"Let him enter."
The sound of steady footsteps quickly approached. Lai Xing, the Dove Group Steward, appeared at the main entrance of the garden, holding an urgent letter in his hand: "An urgent dispatch from General Huo Yao in Rong Cheng."
"Is it military intelligence?" Jiu Yao Chong Yang asked, slightly startled.
"Yes!" Lai Xing continued. "The Demon Sealing Empire has dispatched the Grand Priest Mo Luo, carrying the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul Devouring Staff, rushing to the front line."
"What? The Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul Devouring Staff?" At this, Jiu Yao Chong Yang could no longer remain seated. He abruptly stood up, pacing back and forth in agitation. "The Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul Devouring Staff—these two treasured artifacts of the Demon Sealing Imperial Family appearing simultaneously at the Black Sea front? Are they planning to unleash the forbidden spell, Fire Dragon's Wrath!"
Fire Dragon's Wrath—according to ancient legends, this terrifying magic was introduced to the Mafa Continent by the (Wolong Mage) from Wolong Villa. Ancient records claim that a powerful mage from Wolong Villa, acting alone, could cast this world-destroying terror.
Later, because Wolong Villa bestowed its most loyal ally, the Wolong Hero, upon humanity, this terrifying magic was gradually mastered by mages on the Mafa Continent. Legends say that the powerful Phoenix Heaven Mages, when combined with their Wolong Hero Mages, could jointly summon this Fire Dragon's Wrath capable of melting heaven and earth. Once cast, everything within a ten-mile radius would instantly turn to ash! It was the most terrifying large-scale destructive magic, which is why Phoenix Heaven Mages dared not easily employ it except as an absolute last resort; thus, it was also called a forbidden spell.
However, after the Phoenix Heaven War, no mage could cast Fire Dragon's Wrath until over three thousand years ago when the singular figure, Sage Yan Zhen Hun, in order to oppose the powerful Beastman legions, finally researched and restored this world-annihilating magic. Relying on this terrifying spell, the Sage Word Alliance gained a decisive advantage against the Beastman army. It can be said that Fire Dragon's Wrath played a crucial role in the successful defeat of the Beastmen over three millennia ago. Some say the souls of the Beastmen slain by Fire Dragon's Wrath could fill all of Hell, illustrating just how many Beastmen it annihilated.
After defeating the formidable Beastmen, the Mafa Continent enjoyed a rare period of peace for over a thousand years, but humanity was destined to be a creature blinded by desire and greed. War erupted again, and the once-unbreakable Sage Word Alliance split into two factions—the faction that broke away being the current Mo Luo Alliance.
The two major factions began a confrontation lasting over a thousand years. War had never truly left the Mafa Continent; the only difference was that the opponent had changed from the Beastmen of the past to their own kind now.
The primary reason the Mo Luo Alliance could stand against and even gain the upper hand against the Sage Word Alliance—comprising the other three nations—was their magic legions, which boasted numerous powerful mages. But the fundamental reason was their control over terrifying forbidden spells.
Although the forbidden spell restored by Sage Yan Zhen Hun required over a thousand top-tier peak Red Moon Mages wielding the Heart of the Fire Dragon to cast, its sheer destructive power was something no army on the continent could resist. Although Jiu Yao Chong Yang had never witnessed the activation of the forbidden spell Fire Dragon's Wrath, the tragic lessons recorded in ancient texts left him with absolutely no courage to test whether Fire Dragon's Wrath was as terrifying as the legends claimed.
"Ring the bell; summon all ministers to the Chaoyang Palace for discussion," Jiu Yao Chong Yang commanded.
"Yes!" The guard hurried out of the garden.
"Your Majesty, there is one more matter," Lai Xing still held an urgent dispatch in his hand. "It is an urgent dispatch from General Jin Yao of Yun Cheng."
"What is it?" Jiu Yao Chong Yang asked in a deep voice.
"Prince of Qin intended to infiltrate the Demon Sealing Empire and was coincidentally encountered by General Jin Yao. He is currently in Yun Cheng," Lai Xing continued. "General Jin Yao requests that we send someone to escort the Prince of Qin back to the Imperial City."
"Xing Chen, what was he doing in the Demon Sealing Empire?" Jiu Yao Chong Yang was puzzled. Ji Du had recounted the whole story of slaying Luo Jiang upon returning to the palace, which made him exceedingly curious about this little fellow constantly encountering fortunes and misfortunes, while simultaneously being secretly awed by Jiu Yao Zhu Yue’s astonishing prophecy.
He never expected that Ji Du's 'noble benefactor' mentioned by Jiu Yao Zhu Yue would turn out to be Xing Chen again. This struck Jiu Yao Chong Yang as incredible; it seemed Xing Chen always managed to lend a hand to the Imperial Family at crucial moments—during the Azure Moon Divine Sound, and again when Ji Du fell into difficulty.
And now this kid had appeared inexplicably at the Black Sea front!
Thinking of this, a thought struck Jiu Yao Chong Yang. Could this kid be plotting some new astonishing feat?
"Reply to Jin Yao; tell him not to restrict the Prince of Qin’s freedom," Jiu Yao Chong Yang instructed. "Let him do whatever he wants."
"Ah!" Lai Xing was startled but quickly regained his composure.
Demon Dragon Continent, Ci Cheng! Encampment of the Demon Sealing Army!
The temporary palace remained brightly lit. Mo Luo Ao Tian, commander of the First Expeditionary Force of the Demon Sealing Empire, the Ao Tian Legion, sat boldly on his commander's chair. Lined up on either side of the hall were the civil and military officials of the Ao Tian Legion, all wearing grave expressions.
"The supply fleet has arrived at Black Sea and Jinghai harbors. The provisions brought this time are enough to support our Ao Tian Legion for three months," reported Cha Liwen, in charge of logistics, while flipping through his ledger.
"What is the progress on manufacturing siege equipment?" Mo Luo Ao Tian asked.
"The number of scaling ladder siege chariots is complete at seven hundred. Due to iron ore shortages, only twenty battering rams have been built," Cha Liwen replied.
"Speed up the process," Mo Luo Ao Tian said heavily. "If there isn't enough iron ore, mine it locally. Regardless, it must be finished before the end of September."
"Yes!" Cha Liwen confirmed solemnly.
"When will High Priest Lan Ling and the others arrive?" Ao Tian looked towards the Dove Group Steward, Rong Fang.
"They have arrived at Ci Port and will reach Ci Cheng in three days," Rong Fang informed him.
"Good. In that case, we can launch a full-scale attack soon," Mo Luo Ao Tian said excitedly.
"Wonderful." Everyone in the hall couldn't help but cheer in unison.
The crescent moon hung high in the sky! Silence enveloped the surroundings!
A blurred black shadow streaked over the city wall, instantly vanishing into the vast night.
Hah! Hah! It was only after running a long distance that I finally stopped.
General Jin Yao, I apologize. Although I know you meant well, there are some things I absolutely must accomplish. As for Yun Xi and Feng Qing Tian, I trust Jin Yao wouldn't make things difficult for them.
In fact, I'm rather satisfied with the current situation. Although I am now alone, my chances of successfully infiltrating the Demon Sealing Empire are greatly enhanced if I act solo. This was actually my initial plan, but I felt awkward stating it when the Yun family decided to send people to rescue Yun Shang.
Although Tong Lei and Feng Qing Tian are top experts among the younger generation, and Yun Xi is exceptionally shrewd, I always felt that being with them was somewhat restrictive. Perhaps this is a disparity in strength; staying with them makes it easier for me to fall into crisis. Of course, this is just my personal view, and I certainly won't let them know, as that would hurt our camaraderie too much.
Now, Jin Yao's timely intervention provided the perfect excuse to separate from them, and I believe that by detaining them, Jin Yao will naturally prevent them from leaving, thereby maximizing their personal safety.
This way, I can pursue what I want to do without reservation.
The only trouble now is the lack of a warhorse, which gives me a bit of a headache. Out of necessity, I can only utilize my movement techniques and sprint south at full speed.
According to the map, the southernmost extremity is the Black Sea, one of the four great seas of the Mafa Continent, and the southernmost city is Ci Cheng. However, it is now enemy-occupied territory. But precisely because of this, I plan to go there and find a way to infiltrate the Demon Sealing Empire.
As for stealthy infiltration, I am quite an old hand. Back when I was only at the initial stage of the Red Moon in Cang Yue, I once disguised myself as Divine Sound and managed to evade my pursuers. Now, I intend to use the old method.
Even before we set out, we had already gathered information about the situation in Ci Cheng. Due to the massive numbers of the Demon Sealing Army, Ci Port has become the logistics and supply base for their operations against the Demon Dragon Continent, with a large number of ships traveling between the Demon Sealing side and the Demon Dragon Continent daily to transport grain and other supplies.
My method is simple: find a way to sneak into Ci Cheng, then reach Ci Port, and from there, figure out how to blend onto a ship heading to the Demon Sealing Continent. That way, I can reach the Demon Sealing Continent without anyone knowing.
This plan is only viable when I am alone, which is why I am currently brimming with confidence about this solo operation.