After the fairy disappeared

Chapter 2699 A Difficult Decision

If Panlong City is the heart of the entire Panlong Kingdom, then this place is its brain.

But today, almost everyone in the town wore a somber expression, because a piece of terrible news had arrived from the east:

Dragon's Throat Pass has been breached!
This natural stronghold was originally guarded by General Hong, but after Zhong Shengguang adopted He Lingchuan's new strategy, he sent General Hong to the Maohe Plain to carry out guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, while Longhou Pass was handed over to Generals Xu Zhiyu and Geng Tao to guard.

Both men were highly experienced in guarding the pass; one was strict in military discipline, and the other was very resilient. Zhong Shengguang and He Lingchuan discussed the matter at length before deciding that these two would take over the important task of General Hong.

But even they couldn't hold out for more than fifty days before Dragon's Throat Pass was breached by Bega's army.

The Bega army used every trick in the book, resorting to a war of attrition in the later stages, with several legions taking turns attacking the city without stopping for a moment. Many of the Dragon's Throat guards were exhausted to death.

Both sides were giving it their all, resulting in a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood at Longhou Pass. In the end, the pass's walls couldn't hold and collapsed.

This pass was besieged for more than a year, and no matter how much it was fortified, the city walls eventually could not hold.

The scene of breaking through the pass was exceptionally tragic, and Xu Zhiyu sacrificed his life in the line of duty.

Even though He Lingchuan knew that Longhou Pass would eventually fall, he still sighed sadly when the news came.

Hu Min and Xu Zhiyu had never gotten along. On this day, Hu Min used water instead of wine, his eyes red as he toasted the east side, muttering something for a long time.

Dragon's Throat Pass is the eastern gateway to Panlong Wasteland. Once it is breached, the Bega army may not immediately advance, but there will never again be such an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack natural barrier in the eastern rear of Panlong.

Their invasion of Panlong Wasteland is imminent. He Lingchuan estimates that even if Panlong resists with all its might, it will only take seven days at most.

Seven days from now, Panlong Kingdom will face a pincer attack from the east and south by the Bega army!

An even more devastating all-out war would then begin.

The strategy was proposed by He Lingchuan, and he had foreseen everything that was happening. But when the moment actually arrived, he still felt an immense pressure, as heavy as a mountain.

He wants to help Panlong break the deadlock.

He would do anything to help Panlong survive.

This stemmed not only from his deep personal affection for Panlong, but also from the fact that the Great Pot had become too deeply intertwined with reality. As the holder of the Destiny Godhood, the Nine Nether Emperor sensed that if the struggle in the Panlong world failed, the real world would likely face annihilation as well.

The ultimate battle between the human world and the celestial demons actually began long ago in the world of Panlong.

The outcome of Panlong's battle is of immense significance.

He Lingchuan then convened a military meeting and announced that the Panlong defense perimeter should be proactively reduced in order to deal with the new enemy entering the plains from the east.

This was an exceptionally difficult strategy, but one that had been planned long ago.

Once Longhou Pass is breached, Panlong will no longer have such a natural barrier to the east, and the Bega army will discover that General Hong is absent. Therefore, Panlong will have to defend against the Bega army's invasion from the east and south. General Huyi will have to command the two major battlefields in the east and south, and Zhong Shengguang will also have to coordinate the supply of materials to both the east and south.

Panlong's proactive reduction of its defensive perimeter is aimed at making perfect arrangements with limited troops.

But this means that He Lingchuan has to give up the territory that the Panlong warriors had previously fought and sacrificed to protect.

Logically, this is understandable.

Emotionally, it's hard to accept.

A few days later, the sky was filled with mist and haze.

Wen Daolun strode into the main tent, bringing with him the latest news from Bekaa:
"Two major events. First, Lingxu City and the Heavenly Palace issued statements almost simultaneously, saying that the 'Heart-Breaking' formula that Panlong gave to Fushanlie was fake. The enemy's clumsy tricks will not work on Bega, and the relationship between Lingxu City and the Heavenly Palace will not change in the past, present, or future."

"Is that so?" He Lingchuan stood in front of the sand table without turning his head. "If the formula is fake, how do you explain Fu Shanlie being transferred away from the front line so quickly?"

"As the commander of the front line, he easily believed the enemy's words, fell into the enemy's trap, acted rashly and recklessly, and delayed the opportunity to fight. His talents are not worth relying on. Therefore, he has been transferred from the southern front line of Panlong Wilderness and dispatched to another post." It was rare for Wen Daolun to still be able to laugh at this time. "These are the original words of the Demon Emperor criticizing Fu Shanlie."

He Lingchuan laughed loudly.

One can only imagine the extent of Fu Shanlie's psychological trauma at this moment, even if the Demon Emperor was merely putting on an act.

Since Lingxu City has declared the formula fake, the Demon Emperor cannot simply ignore or punish Fu Shanlie. However, he still feels somewhat guilty and simply reassigns Fu Shanlie to another post. If He Lingchuan were in his position, to ensure realism, he would at least subject Fu Shanlie to several severe punishments.

"So, has the Demon Emperor been to Mount Xu?"

“No,” Wen Daolun added. “According to our sources, ever since the rumor of the ‘Heart-Binding’ formula being leaked reached Lingxu City, the Demon Emperor has never set foot on Mount Xu again, not even once.”

Based on Panlong City's observations, the formula should be genuine; otherwise, the Heavenly Palace's attitude would have been more natural, and neither it nor the Demon Emperor would have been so wary of each other. The only question is how General Tiger Wing obtained it. Could it have been found out from the Dream Kingdom of the Illusionary Music God?

“It’s afraid. It’s afraid that once it goes to Xushan, it will fall into the ambush of the Heavenly Demon.” He Lingchuan raised the corner of his mouth, but the smile did not reach his eyes. “The Demon Emperor is so wary of the Heavenly Palace, their relationship will not be good.”

Once the Demon Emperor obtains the "Heartbreak" formula, he will undoubtedly be unable to resist the urge to undermine the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon knew its impulses were uncontrollable. Since the problem couldn't be solved, why not eliminate the source of the problem by eliminating the person who created it?

So even if the two sides were laughing sweetly, the Demon Emperor would only stay in his own territory/lair and would never dare to step into the Ruins Mountain.

The seeds of mutual suspicion had already been sown in their relationship. This formula was merely a powerful catalyst, causing them to drift further apart.

The Demon Emperor Bega in the Panlong world is not the same as the one in the real world; they are father and son. He Lingchuan has been diligently collecting information about him.

There have been three emperors in total, and this one is the second and the longest-reigning, lasting over 380 years. Had the spiritual energy of heaven and earth not been consistently weak, it should have lived even longer. In the current timeline of the Panlong World, the second demon emperor should have been on the throne for 220 years. Its foundation is solid, and its governance ability is quite remarkable, because barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will continue to rule steadily for another 150 or 160 years.

Now He Lingchuan wants to create a little surprise for it.

This demon emperor's personality differs from his descendants in reality; he is irritable and forceful. It is said that in ancient times, most dragons shared this temperament.

During his reign, he executed countless officials and nobles, and also expanded his territory three times.