The death of Yu Wuhen plunged the more than ten thousand silver-armored soldiers who followed him into a furious rage; they charged at Ye Jingyu’s Iron Army, intent on fighting to the last breath. Yet, facing the invulnerable Scale Rhinos, they could barely stir up any waves, only inflicting damage on the seven thousand Iron Army soldiers stationed behind the beasts. Of course, without the sheer intimidation factor of the Scale Rhinos, those ten thousand silver-armored troops might have severely mauled the Iron Army…

Even so, by the time the Iron Army had completely annihilated the silver-armored contingent, they too had paid a staggering price: a full two thousand soldiers killed, and over three thousand wounded…

Fewer than two thousand men remained capable of fighting. Fortunately, Luo Ruofeng arrived with his main force just in time, preventing even greater casualties. Elsewhere, Xuanyuan Yu, upon learning of Yu Wuhen’s demise, recognized that the overall situation was lost and decisively chose to retreat. However, his path of withdrawal was immediately blocked by Nangong Shang…

At this moment, the clouds overhead thickened, and a heavy rain began to fall, as if seeking to wash away the bloodshed of the battle. Following the fall of the East City Gate, the South and West Gates also crumbled after holding out for another two hours. Luo Haitian and Luo Muyan, having incurred heavy losses themselves, finally led their combined armies and a contingent of the rebel forces into Lingyan City…

The North City Gate, undefended by any military force, was intentionally left as a desperate escape route by the soldiers serving the three young lords. Now, the two opposing forces met there head-on…

Xuanyuan Yu wore a suit of azure armor, with the remaining four thousand plus personal guards trailing behind him. The lowest-ranked among these soldiers was at the Warrior realm, with over a thousand having achieved the Martial Master realm. In terms of individual prowess, they were arguably superior to the Iron Army, not to mention the vastly more brutal training they had endured, resulting in a military discipline hundreds of times stronger than that of the Iron Army. An army composed entirely of martial practitioners like this one was fundamentally impossible for any ordinary legion to withstand…

This was the elite core of King Yan’s forces, the very innermost circle of his confidants. He had brought thirty thousand men, but the majority were now scattered throughout Lingyan City—some killed, others separated. For the moment, he could only muster slightly more than four thousand…

With these four thousand present, Xuanyuan Yu would have possessed absolute confidence in breaking through any opposition, even if they numbered ten or twenty thousand. But now, he was forced to halt, and the reason was the man leading the opposing force…

His face was somewhat pale, yet strikingly handsome; clad in dazzling white armor, he appeared so impeccably upright and gallant that he could captivate any woman…

But Xuanyuan Yu was no woman, nor did he possess any peculiar tastes. Upon seeing that face, his expression registered only fury—a profound, burning rage…

Woven within that rage was a deep current of resentment…

The source of this hatred was, predictably, a woman—the woman Xuanyuan Yu desired had been stolen away by the man standing before him. It was the humiliation of his entire life…

“Nang… Gong… Shang…” Xuanyuan Yu ground out the three names through gritted teeth…

Nangong Shang remained silent, simply fixing his gaze upon the man, who appeared to be in his early forties, with eyes devoid of joy or sorrow—only the most profound hatred, a raw, naked animosity stripped bare of any other emotion…

The Nangong family had been a prominent clan centuries ago, but their fortunes had waned over the years. By Nangong Shang’s generation, the family was destitute, merely clinging to survival in Blazing Flame City. Fortunately, Nangong Shang proved to be a peerless natural genius. At the age of twelve, he gained recognition from the family’s ancestral divine spear, the Cry of the Gods, becoming the first inheritor to awaken the weapon in nearly a century…

He stepped into the Innate realm by fifteen and reached the Grandmaster realm by twenty. He had every reason to believe the Nangong family would return to glory under his guidance, but all those hopes were utterly shattered by the appearance of one woman…

That woman was, naturally, Yi Ruoshui. She was the daughter of a minor noble’s concubine in Blazing Flame City, but she caught the eye of Xuanyuan Yu, a commanding general in King Yan’s personal guard, during a flower viewing festival…

Xuanyuan Yu was already married, but with his status, taking a concubine was an effortless matter. For Yi Ruoshui’s family, being favored by such a powerful figure as Xuanyuan Yu was cause for elation; the marriage was settled immediately, despite her status as merely a potential concubine…

However, two years after her mother’s death, Yi Ruoshui’s exceptional talent was recognized, and she was secretly taken on as the final disciple by a Great Grandmaster, who began teaching her martial arts. She, too, was a genius, seeking nothing more than to find a man she truly loved, not entry into a wealthy household. The forty-something Xuanyuan Yu was clearly not that man, and Yi Ruoshui chose to flee the arranged marriage…

What kind of man was Xuanyuan Yu? Not only was his noble standing high, but he wielded significant power. If he could not possess a woman he desired, his position as General of the Blazing Flame Army would be meaningless. Upon learning of her desertion, he immediately deployed his extensive network to find Yi Ruoshui…

But Yi Ruoshui would rather die than submit. In response, Xuanyuan Yu used her family as leverage. Unfortunately, he was unaware that since her mother’s murder, Yi Ruoshui harbored no affection for that household. Even when he executed her entire family, Yi Ruoshui did not appear…

Finally, Xuanyuan Yu pursued her personally and managed to locate and apprehend her. He never anticipated that Yi Ruoshui’s master was a Great Grandmaster herself, who naturally intervened personally to secure her disciple’s happiness. However, Xuanyuan Yu was also a Great Grandmaster, backed by numerous powerful experts, and thus did not fear a single Great Grandmaster…

He not only slew Yi Ruoshui’s master but also grievously wounded Yi Ruoshui. Just as she resolved to commit suicide rather than yield, Nangong Shang appeared…

At the time, he did not know Xuanyuan Yu’s identity or who Yi Ruoshui was; he intervened purely out of a basic sense of masculine courage. Only after engaging Xuanyuan Yu did he realize he was no match for him. Fortunately, Xuanyuan Yu had expended too much vital energy killing Yi Ruoshui’s master, giving Nangong Shang the narrow opportunity to rescue her…

Xuanyuan Yu, having his plan foiled, naturally vented his rage upon Nangong Shang. With his authority in Blazing Flame City, he easily uncovered Nangong Shang’s background. In a fit of fury, Xuanyuan Yu took his private army and annihilated the entire Nangong clan…

By the time Nangong Shang learned the truth, his family had already been massacred. From that moment on, he and Yi Ruoshui depended solely on each other, fleeing Xuanyuan Yu’s pursuit from Blazing Flame City southwards, where they encountered Liang Xiaoke and led to everything that followed…

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