Chapter 1691: Placing Pieces Across Heaven and Earth
"The Green Emperor is formidable, but unfortunately he ran into Giang Bạch Khuê!"
The Green Emperor was still trapped within the encirclement of the great army, constantly taking wounds, but Giang Bạch Khuê had not ordered his death—that was the most terrifying aspect of all.
The core of besieging a point to strike at reinforcements lies in striking the reinforcements. Not killing the Green Emperor was to lure in rescue forces. Luring in the Green Emperor's reinforcements without killing them was to lure in even more reinforcements.
This was the unconventional.
When more reinforcements arrived, annihilating the first wave of reinforcements at the fastest possible speed to avoid being surrounded—this was the conventional.
After eliminating the first wave of reinforcements, adjusting the formation to commit more troops to besieging the second wave of reinforcements—this was again the unconventional.
The interplay of conventional and unconventional made the stakes ever higher, forcing the enemy to be unable to abandon their own living forces, thereby continuously grinding down the enemy.
As for the utilization of the battlefield and the mastery of heavenly principles and human desires, these extremely tested the wisdom of the commanding general. Any error in any aspect would prevent achieving the desired effect.
Diên Khang's military strength was far inferior to that of the Eastern Heaven. How to defeat a superior force with an inferior one without being devoured by the enemy's superior numbers was an even greater test.
Diên Khang's National Preceptor, Giang Bạch Khuê, had reached the pinnacle of mastery—there was no match for him on the battlefield.
As the Eastern Heaven's various divisions—the Celestial River, Chariot Cavalry, War Chariot, and others—were thrown into the battle, the Green Emperor's heart turned even colder. The more divine demons from the Eastern Heaven's sixty route army marquises that were dragged into the fray, the harder it became to let go.
If such a massive force were to be completely swallowed and eradicated by Diên Khang, no general could possibly accept that!
At this point, it was no longer a question of besieging him without destroying him. Even if Giang Bạch Khuê released him immediately, the Eastern Heaven's great army could not possibly withdraw from the battlefield!
"The Eastern Emperor's injuries should be mostly healed by now, yes?"
National Preceptor Giang Bạch Khuê came to the Eastern Emperor's side and said, "Now you can awaken the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest, awaken your physical body and the divine dragons of the Eastern Extreme Heaven."
The Eastern Emperor rose, laughing heartily: "Giang Bạch Khuê, you are truly ruthless and merciless!"
He let out a long cry, his blood energy raging wildly, and on the distant opposite side in the Eastern Heaven's camp, the headless Azure Dragon's physical body suddenly trembled violently. The dragon soared, extending its claws, grasping toward the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest!
The Ten Thousand Dragon Nest was his sacred ground—he was born there. The power of this Ten Thousand Dragon Nest was not inferior to the Southern Emperor's Dao Fire Ancestral Ground!
The Dao Fire Ancestral Ground's might was terrifying beyond measure, capable of distorting time and space. One layer of Dao fire, one layer of heaven—the entire universe seemed to exist within the ancestral ground's Dao fire.
The Ten Thousand Dragon Nest ancestral ground did not possess the Dao Fire Ancestral Ground's overwhelming power, but this place excelled in blood energy. When the blood energy within the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest erupted, the blood energy of all the divine dragons in the Eastern Heaven's camp surged to near-madness!
Those divine dragons were the divine dragons of the Eastern Extreme Heaven, all descendants of the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon. Empowered by the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest's blood energy, their physical bodies continuously swelled, snapping the Dragon Binding Ropes upon them!
Only a portion of the Eastern Extreme Heaven's divine dragons had been beheaded. Tens of thousands of divine dragons remained as slaves in the army. Now these divine dragons broke free one after another, claws and fangs bared, dragon roars continuously emanating from the Eastern Heaven's great camp.
The Eastern Emperor's long chant continued without end. Those divine dragons' strength surged dramatically as they pounced upon the various other route armies within the Eastern Heaven's great camp. In an instant, chaos erupted throughout the camp, flesh and blood flying everywhere.
At the same time, Giang Bạch Khuê ordered the entire army to advance. The great tower ships flying through the sky were still a thousand li from the Eastern Heaven's great camp when cannon light split the sea surface, blasting toward the camp's city gates and shattering them open.
Countless divine demons stepped across the sea surface, charging toward the Eastern Heaven's great camp. The might of one heavy divine artifact after another was activated, the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannons were driven, and the killing auras of various slaughter formations soared into the sky, churning the winds and clouds!
At the same moment, who knew how many divine demons had crept from the seabed to beneath the camp, breaking through the camp's foundations and slaughtering their way into the city. From the sea, great kun fish clad in armor leaped above the waves, flying through the air. Each great kun carried dozens of divine demons on its back, pushing forth sword towers from which sword pellets poured down like rain.
Just then, Earth Virtue Primordial Lord Công Tôn Diễn flew forth, walking toward the Eastern Heaven's great camp.
On the sea surface ahead, countless tender sprouts grew from within the camp, branches whipping about, binding countless Eastern Heaven soldiers and generals!
Originally, if the Eastern Heaven soldiers and generals could form their formations and battle arrays, they could still contend with the Earth Virtue Primordial Lord.
Although the Earth Virtue Primordial Lord was the daughter of Earth Mother Primordial Lord, her cultivation and strength were only equivalent to a Throne Seat powerhouse who had cultivated over a dozen celestial palaces—she could not yet be called a Heavenly Venerable. Moreover, the Earth Virtue Primordial Lord had not experienced much slaughter and lacked combat experience. To suppress her, one only needed several hundred thousand divine demons to lay down a strict formation to face her in battle.
But at this moment, the great army was in complete chaos, scattered like loose sand. No one could stop Công Tôn Diễn any longer!
Công Tôn Diễn was also known as Little Earth Mother. Facing an existence of equal cultivation realm, she might not be a match, but facing the scattered, disorganized Eastern Heaven soldiers and generals, it was a one-sided massacre!
Wherever her divine abilities passed, the Eastern Heaven soldiers and generals locked in battle were transformed into wood one after another—their flesh and blood turning to timber, becoming wooden statues!
Công Tôn Diễn could not woodify these divine demons' primordial spirits, but once the primordial spirit was separated from the physical body, how much combat power remained?
Within the Eastern Heaven's great camp, the primordial spirits of the Eastern Heaven soldiers and generals flew about, but they were immediately shattered and destroyed under the attacks of the Diên Khang soldiers and the Eastern Extreme Heaven divine dragons. Worse still, some transformed into black sand of souls!
Rolling black sand surged along the sea surface, flowing toward the Heavenly Yin Realm.
The trapped Green Emperor saw this and was overcome with utter despair. Giang Bạch Khuê's strike could be said to have severed all his hopes. The Eastern Heaven's sixty route army marquises would surely suffer a complete defeat!
One misstep in strategy, and the entire game was lost!
"Giang Bạch Khuê, I..."
The Eastern Heaven Green Emperor had just spoken these words, not yet having time to utter the word "surrender," when suddenly the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon burst forth, slaughtering his way into the midst of the three armies!
In a few bounds, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon slew the Green Emperor's primordial spirit!
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's face was ferocious and vicious. His claws seized the Green Emperor's true body—that ancient tree—and he opened his mouth to spew divine fire, igniting the ancient tree, reducing it to ashes in the divine flames!
"Green Emperor, you killed so many of my offspring, defiled my physical body, seized my ancestral ground, and enslaved my descendants. Grinding your bones to dust and scattering your ashes is letting you off easy!"
The Azure Dragon opened his mouth and spat out a breath of dragon breath, blowing the Green Emperor's ashes all over the sky, then said viciously: "Old rival, time to hit the road!"
The three route armies that had been besieging the Green Emperor were at a loss, not knowing what to do.
After the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon vented his fury, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Giang Bạch Khuê, whose face was as dark as water. His heart suddenly clenched.
Giang Bạch Khuê's expression grew even more gloomy, and the Eastern Emperor's heart was filled with trepidation.
"Azure Dragon Heavenly Venerable, do you wish to die a heroic death upon this Eastern Sea?"
Giang Bạch Khuê's face was as dark as water, speaking flatly: "The Green Emperor was about to surrender to me. Had he surrendered, the Eastern Heaven's great army would have fallen into my control. The Diên Khang soldiers would not have needed to continue slaughtering the Eastern Heaven army—instead, they would have gained a tremendous new fighting force. Now that you have killed the Green Emperor, the various divisions of the Eastern Heaven army will surely fight to the death in resistance. I do not know how many of my Diên Khang soldiers will have to die before they can be taken down."
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon feared him even more than he feared Tần Mục. Hearing this, he quickly forced a smile and said: "My strength is far greater than the Green Emperor's. The divine dragon army of my Eastern Extreme Heaven is not much weaker than the Eastern Heaven army. National Preceptor, rather than employing the Green Emperor, why not employ me? A thousand pieces of gold are easy to come by, but a good general is hard to find. I am willing to be a good general under the National Preceptor's command, charging into battle!"
Giang Bạch Khuê said nothing.
The Eastern Emperor's heart was uneasy, constantly studying his face.
After a moment, Giang Bạch Khuê said: "Then what is the Eastern Emperor waiting for? Why have you not yet entered battle?"
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon finally relaxed, immediately charging out toward the Eastern Heaven's great camp, thinking to himself: "When he called me Azure Dragon Heavenly Venerable, he was moved by anger and killing intent. When he called me Eastern Emperor, he had dispelled that anger and killing intent. It seems I can be safe now."
Giang Bạch Khuê watched him charge into the Eastern Heaven's great camp, and only then did his hand, gripping his divine sword, slowly loosen.
His knuckles were somewhat pale from gripping too tightly.
Mount Tai King, Heaven Strategy General, and the others stepped forward. Duke Wei Guo bowed and said: "Congratulations to the National Preceptor for gaining a great general!"
Giang Bạch Khuê's expression was as calm as an ancient well, and he said softly: "I nearly could not restrain myself from killing him just now."
Everyone was startled. Duke Wei Guo was about to speak, but remembering that his voice was too loud, he quickly shut his mouth. Mount Tai King said: "Why did the National Preceptor harbor killing intent?"
"The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon should more properly be called Azure Dragon Heavenly Venerable—he is the same kind of figure as the Heavenly Court's Ten Heavenly Venerables. If an existence like him survives, he will eventually infiltrate Diên Khang's upper echelons and steal the fruits of victory. If Diên Khang ever becomes corrupt in the future, it will originate from people of this sort."
Giang Bạch Khuê said: "Diên Khang's reform began with Emperor Diên Phong and has lasted two hundred and sixty years to this day. It has survived the Diên Khang Calamity without being destroyed. Countless soldiers and generals have shed their blood and sacrificed their lives to build a world where gods serve the people, where power serves the people, where every talent is put to proper use, and where the greatest fairness and justice prevail. After two or three hundred years of struggle, if at the final juncture, an existence like Azure Dragon Heavenly Venerable were to pluck the fruit—would that not be the greatest tragedy?"
Everyone fell silent.
"However, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's utility is also extremely great. His power is formidable, the divine dragons of the Eastern Extreme Heaven obey his commands, and among the countless worlds, the dragon race is innumerable. His influence cannot be underestimated. If he aids Diên Khang, the benefits to us are also enormous—it can allow Diên Khang to lose far fewer lives."
Giang Bạch Khuê continued: "Yet in this battle, his contributions are immense, and he cannot be easily killed. If I kill him, the dragon race will rebel, and the other heavens, fearing death because of his demise, will not dare to surrender. This leaves me uncertain how to deal with him."
Mount Tai King said: "The National Preceptor need not worry. When the war subsides in the future, we can find some pretext to purge him."
Giang Bạch Khuê said: "After establishing unparalleled achievements, purging meritorious officials will inevitably invite condemnation. That condemnation falls not only on me, but also on the Emperor."
The soldiers fell silent once more.
Giang Bạch Khuê cast aside these distracting thoughts and said: "Matters of the future can be discussed in the future! For now, let us focus on the task before us!"
He personally led the army charging toward the Eastern Heaven's great camp, plunging into the battlefield.
In the Supreme Pure Realm of Vô Ưu Village, Tần Mục was playing a game of Go with Vân Heavenly Venerable. He lightly placed a piece and laughed: "The Eastern Heaven has been pacified. Heavenly Emperor Hạo Thiên has lost one of his claws!"
The moment his words fell, the sky suddenly trembled violently. In the direction of the Western Lands, boundless metallic aura radiated in all directions, like a massive golden sphere erupting with incomparably sharp light, illuminating most of the Primordial Realm!
At the same time, in the northern frontier's Khảm region, dark waters surged endlessly. The Celestial River changed course, coiling once around the Khảm region. Amidst the ice and snow, a great marsh descended, freezing the earth for millions of li, suspended above the Khảm region's sky!
Tần Mục laughed: "The Black Tortoise Twin Emperors have arrived. The Northern Heaven can be pacified."
"Why does Brother Mục not mention the Western Emperor?"
Vân Heavenly Venerable looked at the Go board, glancing at him, and said: "The Western Emperor White Tiger has descended upon the Western Lands. Indeed, the Western Heaven's White Emperor cannot deal with her, but the Western Lands are isolated and cut off. The Heavenly Court only needs to send one Heavenly Venerable-level existence, and the Western Lands will surely be broken, and the Western Emperor will surely be killed. If the Human Emperor Tần Vũ cannot hold back the Southern Heaven's defeated army, then you are still at a draw with Heavenly Venerable Hạo Thiên, having gained no advantage. Does Heavenly Venerable Mục know how many Heavenly Venerables the Heavenly Court has?"
Tần Mục was momentarily startled.
Vân Heavenly Venerable said: "Thirty-five."
Tần Mục raised an eyebrow.
"The Spirit Official Hall Master of the Ancestral Court's Jade Capital City alone can transform into thirty of the most supreme Heavenly Venerables."
Vân Heavenly Venerable placed a piece and said flatly: "His physical body can transform into ancient gods comparable to Heavenly Venerables, each one with vast divine powers. This round, you have lost."