"The clamor of the snipe and the clam is on, yet he may not be the fisherman who profits! But if Shi Yue is indeed lurking nearby, then our Great Qian gains another measure of victory in this battle."

Kong Yao finished speaking, only then realizing that Zong Shou was staring at her, lost in thought. A flicker of shyness crossed her face, which she quickly replaced with a sharp glare.

"What are you looking at? Is there something so interesting?"

Zong Shou chuckled. What he loved most was seeing Kong Yao commanding the army, orchestrating strategy on the battlefield. Her heroic spirit was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

"Xiao Yao, if you think he will calculate against Yin Yu and drag Great Shang down, you are mistaken."

Seeing a trace of confusion in Kong Yao's eyes, Zong Shou explained, "You might not believe it, but this man's character is upright and magnanimous. Although he already possesses vast territories outside the domain, as long as Great Shang does not betray him, Shi Yue will certainly not harbor thoughts of treason against them. This time, even if he returns from beyond the domain to observe from the sidelines, it is most likely out of concern that the Emperor of Great Shang will be defeated by my hand, rather than seeking to profit as the fisherman."

Kong Yao was astonished. As far as she knew, Shi Yue commanded perhaps dozens of worlds beyond the domain, his achievements no less than Zong Shou's.

Possessing such immense power, was he truly content to remain a vassal of Great Shang?

Zong Shou drifted into a daze, gazing past the tent flap. Shi Yue's entire life seemed almost flawless; even now, as an adversary, Zong Shou held deep admiration for him.

The reason this man rose in arms was that Great Shang had first wronged him, leading to his complete despair regarding their dynasty.

Even in the myriad unofficial histories of later generations, not a single detractor could truly fault him.

Some called him a hypocrite, yet this man lived with such openness that even if he were one, his achievement was remarkable.

"There are people like that?"

Kong Yao murmured, then dismissed the thought. Whether Shi Yue returned to the Cloud Realm or what his true intentions were, it would hardly sway the tide of the war.

She extended her slender hand, pointing to a spot on the military map. "Husband, I propose we break the enemy here. What do you think?"

"The Plains of Fallen Gods?"

Zong Shou's eyebrows shot up, revealing a hint of shock. His complexion changed drastically, becoming pale as paper.

"The Plains of Fallen Gods? I haven't heard of that. Husband, what's wrong?"

Kong Yao was startled, equally bewildered. The location she had pointed to should have been an obscure, nameless spot.

Where had Zong Shou heard the name 'Plains of Fallen Gods'?

She became worried that her chosen decisive battlefield might hold some unforeseen danger. "Nothing! This place is excellent!"

Zong Shou's expression instantly returned to normal, and he nodded with a smile.

More than excellent—it was utterly cruel!

This place was where Kong Yao had perished in her previous life's battle.

At that time, although Great Shang was beset by chaos, Kong Yao managed the armies to repeated great victories. She secured Wusheng Pass in the south and Tong Pass in the west. Relying on these two formidable fortresses, she crushed all challengers, eliminating the warlords east of the passes, and pinning Shi's army firmly in the southwest. Finally, Shi's clan had no choice but to attempt a flanking maneuver through the southern frontier.

This led to the Battle of the Plains of Fallen Gods, and the name 'Fallen Gods' stemmed from this place being the site where the Peerless God of War met his end.

Zong Shou couldn't help but look up at the heavens. Perhaps there truly was a karmic destiny woven into the fabric of this world.

He felt a sudden clarity: this current battle might truly be the place where Kong Yao could defy fate and change her destiny.

"As for the Plains of Fallen Gods, it's nothing; I just named it offhandedly."

"Why so random?"

Kong Yao huffed, yet inexplicably felt a lightness throughout her body, as if shedding some constraint.

Zong Shou smiled without speaking. Just then, a sheet of purple-gold talisman paper flew into the tent.

It was a signal for military intelligence, sent without any coded language, clearly unafraid of interception by powerful individuals.

Zong Shou took it. Moments later, his smile widened.

Meeting Kong Yao's questioning gaze, Zong Shou managed a calm tone, "It's Ruolan; she has won!"

The Grand Admiral of Great Shang was not without talent. He attempted to launch a surprise attack on the Great Qian naval base while Shi Ruolan's forces were exhausted from their long journey and still establishing a foothold.

However, he was instead ensnared and ambushed by Shi Ruolan, losing a full seven Nine-Tusk warships, two Spirit Slayers, and twenty-three Seven-Tusk vessels. Yet, due to extreme exhaustion, Ruolan could not press the pursuit to expand the victory.

This battle was said to be intensely fierce. Shi Ruolan ultimately secured the win by skillfully exploiting the unique properties of the Seven Kill Spirit Slayer ships, turning them against Great Shang's sailors, causing countless enemy deaths on the battlefield. Her own losses were not insignificant.

Still, this victory would effectively crush Great Shang's ambition to sever the maritime routes, rendering it an absolute fantasy.

Kong Yao's spirits lifted as well. News like this before a major engagement was the best possible omen. * * * *

At the same moment, north of the Henglian Mountain Range, a carriage drawn by seventy-two seventh-tier Dragon Horses moved slowly southward, escorted by ten thousand armored cavalry.

Though called a carriage, it resembled a small palace more closely.

It spanned a hundred zhang in width and length, internally divided into dozens of compartments, traversed by maids and eunuchs.

This vehicle weighed over a million shi, yet it possessed an intrinsic array for levitation. The seventy-two Dragon Horses, furthermore, possessed inexhaustible strength. Thus, its aerial speed even surpassed that of the accompanying knights.

However, the interior decoration was extremely sparse, devoid of any luxury, symbolizing the simplicity of the carriage's owner.

And at the rear of this conveyance, within the spacious Imperial Study, Yin Yu hurled his white jade paperweight with tremendous force, smashing it to powder.

The attending eunuchs in the study were gripped by terror, daring not to utter a sound.

Chong Xuan stood by the window, thoughtfully observing the myriad stars.

Just moments before, he had noticed the 'Po Jun Yaoguang' star faintly flicker for an instant.

Regrettably, the duration was too short to discern anything clearly. The stellar alignments were already chaotic, making any precise reading impossible.

He could not confirm whether this was a feint by the opponent or a genuine celestial shift.

"Yaoguang?"

In this world, only one person was associated with Po Jun Yaoguang: Kong Yao.

Could it be that in this battle, this peerless general who shook the world could still turn the tide and reverse destiny?

Unable to confirm his suspicions, just as he prepared to focus, Chong Xuan heard the sound of jade shattering behind him.

Turning back, he saw Yin Yu's rage still unabated, his eyes burning crimson.

"Is Your Majesty vexed by the recent naval defeat?"

Chong Xuan was unperturbed. "I said long ago that the naval strength of Great Qian is by no means inferior to our Great Shang; there is no need to place too much expectation on them. Although they did not win this battle, they preserved a significant portion of their forces; there is no need for such worry."

Yin Yu shook his head. Starting a campaign with a defeat was terribly unlucky. However, his composure was not so fragile as to erupt in fury over such a minor setback.

"It is Jin Buhui!"

Yin Yu let out a chilling, brittle laugh filled with boundless coldness. "This wretch actually submitted a memorial demanding that our Great Shang cease the war. He claims Zong Shou is a wise ruler of this age, and that our campaign this time is bound to end in catastrophic failure."