As Ye Jingyu and the others fled from Xuanyuan Jing, two figures materialized where Ye Jingyu and Xuanyuan Jing had just clashed: it was Xiao Cangtian and Bing Ming.

By then, Xuanyuan Jing and Xu and the others had already departed, leaving nothing behind but a scene of devastation and no other trace.

Gazing at the ruined hills and sensing the residual energy lingering in the air, Xiao Cangtian’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Old Ancestor, have you found anything?” Seeing Xiao Cangtian’s heavy frown, Bing Ming asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

“I only know a fierce battle took place here, but I cannot guarantee whether Young Man Ye is safe. Alas, we arrived too late!” Xiao Cangtian sighed heavily.

Hearing his Ancestor’s words, the worry in Bing Ming’s eyes deepened, but what could he do at this moment?

“You will return to Medicine City with me. We must check if he was captured or killed. If he was merely captured, there is still a chance to rescue him!” After a moment of brief contemplation, Xiao Cangtian made his decision.

“Yes!” Since learning Xiao Cangtian’s true identity, Bing Ming dared not offer any more objections.

Without another word, the two of them soared into the air and sped off in the direction of Medicine City.

At this very time, Mudan was leading Gongsun Xiangyi and Hu Yanmeng away from Medicine City. They traveled south, meeting up with Chi Yixiu and the others hundreds of kilometers away. From there, they navigated various side paths toward Yunjing. Even so, they encountered several skirmishes with deserters from the ongoing conflicts, but these fugitives were no match for the formidable warriors like Chi Yixiu.

After taking a full half a month, Gongsun Xiangyi and her group finally managed to escape the boundaries of Lanzhou…

During this period, however, Luo Muyan, stationed in Blazing Flame City, received news that Xuanyuan Xue was marrying the young lady of the Gongsun family, and he even personally went to Medicine City to attend the wedding rites.

Luo Muyan, desperate to achieve a great military feat, naturally would not let this opportunity slip by. He personally led an army of three hundred thousand northward, intending to conquer Jincheng in one swift campaign. But just as they reached the Tianjiang River, Xuanyuan Lin, the second son of the God of War of the North and a renowned general in his own right, successfully led a force of one hundred thousand across the river from the border between Yanzhou and Yunzhou. He immediately launched an assault on Blazing Flame City, which was defended by only a few tens of thousands of troops. By the time Luo Muyan learned of the situation, Blazing Flame City had already fallen.

Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Xiaozhan personally led another hundred thousand soldiers to confront Luo Muyan’s three hundred thousand troops at the mouth of the Tianjiang River.

Upon learning that their rear had been breached, the morale of the Southern Cloud Army plummeted. Furthermore, although Luo Muyan possessed considerable military talent, he was far inferior to Xuanyuan Xiaozhan.

The army of three hundred thousand held out for only three days before being utterly crushed by Xuanyuan Xiaozhan. Seizing this momentous victory, he led his hundred thousand soldiers southward, relentlessly pursuing Luo Muyan. Xuanyuan Lin, now in control of Blazing Flame City, actively coordinated with his father, hunting down the routing remnants of the Southern Cloud Empire’s forces.

When the Southern Cloud Emperor, Luo Xiaofeng, received this devastating news, he immediately dispatched Xiao Geng to lead troops into battle. However, by the time Xiao Geng reached Yanzhou, Luo Muyan’s army had been reduced to fewer than fifty thousand men through constant pursuit.

Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, having already slain nearly two hundred thousand enemies, showed no sign of mercy. Pressing his advantage from this massive victory, he advanced relentlessly. Relying on his god-like military strategy, he forced the Southern Cloud Empire’s armies into repeated retreats. This withdrawal not only pushed them entirely out of the Yanzhou border but also forced them back to the border of Shuzhou—the original boundary between the Shu Yun Kingdom and Yanzhou.

The situation instantly became exceedingly dire. Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, the master of strategy, once again made the world recognize his power and his terrifying might. A God of War indeed; no one could stand against him.

Whether it was Luo Muyan, Xiao Geng, or even Qin Yunxiao, these celebrated generals of the new generation within the Southern Cloud Empire proved utterly vulnerable before Xuanyuan Xiaozhan.

Just as the Southern Cloud Empire faced the imminent threat of its national borders being overrun, Luo Ruofeng proactively volunteered for command. Luo Xiaofeng naturally could not refuse. Thereupon, Luo Ruofeng led an iron legion of a hundred thousand men onto the campaign trail. Utilizing the intellect provided by Zhuge Yi Shi, he managed to halt Xuanyuan Xiaozhan at the border line, yet even so, the entirety of the Southern Cloud Empire remained under immense threat.

The name Xuanyuan Xiaozhan was once more etched into the memory of everyone across the Nine Provinces.

All of this transpired in the span of barely half a month; their speed of advance even surpassed the pace of an ordinary person traveling urgently.

The God of War, truly worthy of the title.

At this time, far away in Yanzhou, near the Tiangang Mountain Range, there lay a hidden valley, resembling a paradise isolated from the world. The valley was not large, perhaps only ten-odd mu in area, centered around a lake that occupied eighty percent of the space. Along the lake’s edge, several wooden structures had been built; their decoration was simple, yet they exuded an air of serene elegance.

Beneath one of these wooden buildings lay a white-striped great tiger with wings—it was Yingzhao, the primeval demonic beast that had rescued Ye Jingyu and the others that day. It was lazily sprawled on the ground, basking in the sun. Not far from it, a soft couch rested, upon which lay a man—it was Ye Jingyu.

Currently, his eyes were tightly shut. Aside from the continued rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat, he appeared little different from a corpse.

Jiu Feng had changed into a black gauze dress and sat quietly beside Ye Jingyu. In her hand, she held a warm, damp towel, which she was gently wiping over Ye Jingyu’s body…

She wiped with such meticulous care, with such tender gentleness, as if afraid of causing Ye Jingyu the slightest discomfort.

“Junior Sister, his soul has long since scattered. He is nothing more than a living dead man now. No matter how kindly you treat him, he won't know it!” At this moment, Gui Jianchou, clad in a long gray robe, stood nearby. Watching Jiu Feng tend to a man with such devotion, he voiced his profound dissatisfaction. Over the past few days, he had tried to persuade Jiu Feng many times, but each attempt failed; she simply did as she pleased, which filled Gui Jianchou with both frustration and envy.

“He won’t die. He absolutely will not die, Senior Brother. You know that if a person’s divine soul truly leaves the body, they will wither and perish within seven days at most. But look—half a month has passed, and there has been no change in him at all. Even the injury on his chest has healed. Doesn’t that prove he isn’t dead?” If, at the beginning, Jiu Feng had been somewhat self-deceiving, these past days had led her to believe increasingly that Ye Jingyu was not dead.

“Not dead? If he truly weren’t dead, he would have awakened by now. Junior Sister, you haven’t attended to the affairs of the Mingyan Tower for half a month. Master will be returning soon, and if he discovers what you’ve done, he will certainly reprimand you. No, I cannot stand by and watch you continue like this any longer. Let me take care of him…” Gui Jianchou also found it strange. Logically, after such a long time, a person whose soul had completely dissipated should have withered away. Why did Ye Jingyu show no signs of decay whatsoever?

It was precisely because of this doubt that he secretly resolved that he absolutely could not allow Ye Jingyu to awaken for real. Otherwise, given Jiu Feng’s feelings for him, he would never have a chance…

Just as he prepared to step forward and snatch Ye Jingyu from Jiu Feng’s grasp, Ye Jingyu’s eyes, which had been tightly closed, snapped open suddenly…

(Little Ye’s true cultivation has begun, brothers! Our journey has truly started as well. Let’s work hard together!)