Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1389 Initiating War

Just before the spiritual impact arrived, Zong Chi also chose to dodge to the side.

If the opponent is only one person, given his temperament, he would most likely choose to confront them head-on. But if there are two people, he has to take a more cautious approach.

Facing two opponents is incomparable to facing one; the level of danger is more than doubled.

The beam of light instantly struck the city wall behind them. Wherever it hit, whether it was the inscribed secret symbols or the guards behind them, everything crumbled and disintegrated under the torrent of light.

But then many bright lights flashed in the camp, and a thick, almost tangible field rose up there, resisting the continuous invasion of this force.

Hong Ancheng exclaimed in surprise, taking the pipe from his lips. "The Dinghai Army is indeed quite something."

He had expected this spiritual shock to destroy at least half of the camp, but it had only carved out a huge trench in the middle.

Zhu Anqi calmly said, "It's not surprising. The Dinghai Army was built at great expense by the old imperial family."

The Dinghai Army is not just an army for combat, but a secret force composed of multiple super-limit field creatures that are interconnected and interdependent by ritual.

For every fifty people, there is one symbiotic alien creature attached to them. Even if someone loses consciousness, as long as one person and one super-limited creature are still alive, everyone else will follow the group and act together.

The rituals within the fortress were so numerous and complex that they were dazzling. The ritual fields of various sizes overlapped and nested with each other. It could be said that as long as the foundation of the field was not destroyed, even if the outer buildings were demolished, they could still go underground to continue their resistance.

Hong Ancheng grunted. This garrison fortress was very sturdy. If the General Zhengbei in front of him were to retreat, it would be like shrinking into a tortoise shell, which would make it really difficult to fight.

Zhu Kongqi stared at Zong Chi. Now that the other party had come out, he would not let him retreat easily. As long as he had such intentions, he would use his speed to intercept him immediately.

Zong Chi did not choose to retreat. With two Changshengguan fighters in front of him, how long could the fortress hold out, no matter how strong it was?

Moreover, simply taking a beating without fighting back doesn't fit his temperament.

At that moment, a rumbling tremor ran beneath their feet, and the ground in front of Hong and Zhu suddenly bulged up, followed by a toad-like creature emerging from the ground.

Its body was as black as ink, with two golden eyes bulging outwards. There were spiral-shaped bumps with silver lines wrapped around its skin. It had a wide jaw, a round head, and a large belly that hung down to the ground. Its eyes were disdainful, and it was wrapped in a robe, making it look extremely majestic.

This is Zong Chi's mount, the Xuanjin Toad!
This transcendent creature was cultivated by the old imperial family using special drugs. It can generate a peculiar field that makes people feel as if they are carrying mountains, and when combined with its supernatural power, its power is amplified. Even in the battles of the Longevity Temple, it can have a significant impact on the enemy.

Hong and Zhu didn't show much unusualness in their eyes. Before they arrived, they had already learned a lot about Zong Chi's situation and had a plan to deal with it.

Since Zong Chi is not retreating, it is exactly what they want.

The two exchanged a glance, then transformed into two streams of light, one on the left and one on the right, and began to surround Zong Chi.

On the side where the Da Shun army was stationed, Chen Chuan followed his adjutant to the highest point of the terrain, where he could see the entire battlefield.

If no truly significant figure from the enemy side appears, then he doesn't need to show his face.

He's here today to ensure the entire plan can proceed smoothly.

After waiting for a few minutes, he looked to the side and saw that the battle over there had ended.

Sure enough, after a while, an aura rapidly approached, and at the same time, a beam of light came towards them, arriving almost instantly.

The light emanating from Shan Yuchuan faded, and he was still holding a person who was barely breathing, with only half of his body emitting a blue flame. Upon seeing this, the soldiers standing around him immediately saluted him.

At this moment, he had many injuries, especially his left arm, which was twisted beyond recognition and was emitting deep red spiritual fire. However, he ignored it, as he had just sacrificed an arm to capture Nan Shuguang.

He then put down the severed half of the body in his hand, raised one hand, and solemnly saluted Chen Chuan.

"Mr. Chen."

Chen Chuan returned the greeting and said, "General Shan."

Just as he was about to say something, a messenger came over: "Report, General Shan, telegram from the central city!"

Shan Yuchuan didn't go to take it, but instead said, "Nian!"

The messenger said, "The former imperial family is negotiating peace with us, and things are looking promising. I hope the general will be mindful of the current difficulties, remain steadfast in his duties, and refrain from easily starting a war with the former imperial army. In case of any friction, I hope you will prioritize the overall situation and handle the matter with caution."

This is to inform you.

Anbuk Provincial Government Office, Municipal Council.

Shan Yuchuan remained unmoved. Just then, footsteps approached, and another messenger delivered a telegram.

Upon hearing the message from the token, his eyes flickered, and he immediately picked it up, glanced at it, paused for a moment, and then looked up and said, "Inform the rear that Nan Shuguang has defected on the battlefield and has been killed by me."

Upon hearing this, Nan Shuguang on the ground knew things were going badly, but he only had the strength to open his eyelids and was powerless to struggle.

Shan Yuchuan said to Chen Chuan, "Mr. Chen, please excuse me." Chen Chuan nodded slightly.

Shan Yuchuan grabbed Nan Shuguang and walked away.

Chen Chuan watched him leave, knowing he was going to take care of dealing with the person.

This political struggle has no way out; it's a life-or-death battle.

It's clear that the progressive faction is very determined this time and will not tolerate any obstacles. People like Nan Shuguang, who know the situation and have tried to hinder them, must die.

At that very moment, a powerful light erupted once again from the old imperial army camp ahead.

From the dull echo, one can imagine how powerful the impact and the explosive force were.

The senior officers all looked serious. The generals who had previously guarded the border area of ​​Anbei Province were from the Zongji faction and had frequently attacked them in the past, so much so that the conflicts between them here had never stopped.

Therefore, they knew how powerful the fighters were.

They couldn't help but glance at Chen Chuan, who was standing in front gazing into the distance. Everyone who knew his identity was waiting for him to make a move.

Chen Chuan watched the two fighting with Zong Chi. Although they were quite far apart, he could clearly grasp the current situation of the three of them.

In my opinion, this former imperial general who led the northern expedition was far inferior to Sukuo in terms of both his personal level and combat strength.

This is understandable, as Sukor was a veteran minister during the last emperor's reign. The new emperor employed him, but did not trust him.

Zong Chi, on the other hand, was related to the royal family by blood and was promoted by the new emperor, which is why he was able to sit in this position.

In my opinion, neither of our two fighters is inferior to Zong Chi, and they are even more experienced. They should be the true elites defending the World Ring.

He pondered for a moment. This time, two powerful combatants were suddenly drawn from the World Ring. There must be some substitutes to fill the gap, otherwise it wouldn't be so easy.

Two people fighting one, even if they are not as strong, can suppress each other, let alone now. So if no one else intervenes, there will be no surprises in this round. At most, Zong Chi will hide in the fortress and resist for a longer time.

It appears that the progressives have been preparing for this day for at least a decade, and their considerations in all aspects have indeed been quite appropriate.

After watching for a minute or two, the situation became clearer. Zong Chi was obviously unable to hold on any longer, but he was a tough guy. Even at this point, he refused to retreat to the rear fortress.

"Ok?"

Suddenly, he had a premonition and looked at the sky on the other side. Everyone followed suit, but because the night sky over the place where they met was as black as ink, they couldn't see anything clearly for a moment.

Just as I was feeling a bit confused and nervous, I suddenly saw what looked like a starlight in the night sky, followed by more and more points of light.

A moment later, the outline of an extremely large airship emerged from the darkness, surrounded by lamps burning with white phosphorus-like flames, illuminating the entire black hull.

Around it, more than twenty airships followed, all with eerie lights, like ghost generals and armies rushing into the real world from the underworld. On the main ship, there was also an ancient seal script character "万" (wan).

Upon seeing it, the adjutant was immediately startled and blurted out, "It's the Tianjing! Sir, this is the carriage of Wan Ke, the former Imperial General of Chariots and Cavalry!"

At this moment, Shan Yuchuan had finished his work and arrived at the high ground. He glanced at Chen Chuan, who nodded to him. Feeling reassured, Shan Yuchuan immediately raised his hand and solemnly ordered, "Light the fire!"

Upon receiving this order, soldiers in the surrounding area and at a distance threw the lanterns they were carrying onto the nearby fire.

boom!
Suddenly, pillars of fire shot into the sky from the high ground outside the fortress and the surrounding earthen mounds, while a large amount of ritual materials were thrown in, and the bright light instantly merged into one.

Looking down from the sky, one can vaguely see cryptic patterns appearing between the fortresses, keeping the blending darkness of the night and the writhing creatures within them out.

The airship fleet over there had clearly noticed the situation, and a massive figure appeared on the main ship's terrace, taking everyone's breath away.

This person wore a dragon-headed helmet, his face was hidden under a ghost mask, and heavy armor plates hung down his neck to protect his collar. His body was covered with layers of armor from his neck to his ankles. A tail extended from the back of his spine, with barbs at the end, making him awe-inspiring.

He was draped in a heavy indigo cloak, trimmed with crane feathers, which made him look noble and majestic, yet also fierce and cunning.

What is particularly striking is that the man is sitting on the back of a huge, cheetah-like beast with enormous wings. The beast is covered in indigo mane, and its two front paws are gripping the edge of the terrace.

Shan Yuchuan's expression was solemn as he said, "Mr. Chen, it's Wan Ke, the former Imperial General of Chariots and Cavalry, and his steed, Mao Haiqiu." He paused, then added, "He's noticed us."

As they were talking, the fleet that had been moving toward Zong Chi suddenly turned around and headed toward them.

……

……

(End of this chapter)