Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1445 Algae Fire Lights in the Dark Night

Emerald green light rose in the night sky above the land of merging, enveloping the entire city of Youdu.

This magnificent light is supported by the relics left behind by the Da Shun people.

Beyond the light, there were airships hovering in the sky, their lights constantly flashing.

The airships were coated with a special paint that reflected the glow of the sunset and dispelled the darkness and eerie creatures of the merging land. They were patrolling back and forth, occasionally casting a searchlight downwards.

After nightfall, Chen Chuan did not choose to stay in the palace, but instead stayed in the temporary fortress outside.

It's not out of any taboo; these things aren't observed anymore. The Former Imperial Palace Museum in Nakakyo has a special night palace where anyone can stay overnight after making a reservation, as long as they're willing to pay.

He doesn't go there because there are still a large number of fields and mental interference devices in Youdu City.

Especially in the Yunmeng Garden area, those mutated plants begin to emit various strong interference fields near night.

Even nearby soldiers could sense a significant increase in their activity level. If they weren't careful, they could transform into something like the soldiers and civilians of Youdu, or even proliferate on a large scale. This made it very inconvenient to receive information and deploy troops within the city.

This problem can only be solved by the national technology department later.

The fortress is now brightly lit, and when viewed from its heights, it twinkles like stars across the land.

There is no shortage of algal oil in Youdu, and there is no need to transport it from the rear to maintain all the power needs of the vanguard army.

Chen Chuan watched for a while, fed Chaoming, rubbed its head, and returned to the fortress.

On the table was a large stack of books, rare books that had been looted from the library, many of which were secret cultivation methods of the royal family.

He had already looked through it. In fact, these cultivation methods were also preserved in Da Shun. There were some differences in the details, but they were generally similar. The only thing lacking was the matching resources.

Besides, it's a method reserved for the royal family. Without a special mutated organization, you can forget about mastering it; anyone who could would be inhuman. In his case, it can at most serve as a reference and broaden his horizons.

He sat down and, as was his habit, reviewed the battle that had taken place during the day.

Emperor Wenguang's strength was actually just so-so; without relying on the lost artifact, he could be killed in a few strikes. Only the guiding spirit was somewhat noteworthy; even though it possessed the transformation technique, the person in question had likely never truly mastered it before, nor did it have the corresponding ritual field to support it.

This makes sense. Even the four True Persons of the Heavenly Secrets Sect need to use the Heavenly Secrets Disc and the Great Instrument to freely control the Heavenly Divine Form. If they had mastered the power that matched it, they could have used it long ago.

So now it seems that Emperor Wenguang was not trying to win, but rather using delaying tactics out of desperation, hoping to rely on his enormous body to hold out until he could ascend to immortality.

As a result, he had only defenses but no other strengths, and he couldn't even use the demon-slaying techniques he had prepared.

If the divine form lacks variation, then there's almost nothing to discuss. On the contrary, the human form he chooses should be as simple as possible; if a single strike can defeat the opponent, then a second strike is unnecessary.

He reached out, took the Snow Lord's Blade, and drew it, a flash of cold light passing through the room.

The Snow Lord Blade has now fallen into a deep slumber.

When I killed Emperor Wenguang before, it seemed like something was swallowed by him. Since the last transformation, this has rarely happened.

This is also a good thing.

He wiped the blade clean, sheathed it, and placed it back on the sword holder.

He then took a pouch and retrieved some items that had fallen from Emperor Wenguang's body.

There are about ten of these scattered items.

Three of them were clearly the emperor's commonly used seals, so there was no need to look at them much. However, another one caught his attention.

He picked it up, turned it over, and saw eight ancient seal characters on it: “Supreme Virtue Matches Heaven, For All Generations to Be One”.

"The Imperial Seal of the State?"

Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. He had heard that this thing was destroyed at the end of the Sheng Dynasty, and that a new one was made during the Feng Dynasty. Others said that it had been taken to the Western Continent by the royal family of the previous dynasty.

However, since Emperor Wenguang was carrying it with him, he felt it was very likely to be true.

You can question Emperor Wenguang's character, but you don't need to question his judgment. He wouldn't value something that isn't truly good.

He put the seal aside, and of the remaining items, most were lost or forgotten.

Two of the lost items were clearly level one lost items, and Emperor Wenguang successfully used these two items to repel several of his attacks.

One of them resembles a beast-shaped knob, naturally forming a small beast huddled together. If one has sufficient spiritual power, one can awaken this creature and repel all external forces in times of crisis.

You can only defend against one attack per year, but this can be accumulated, with a maximum of three attacks.

Therefore, if we want to use this thing again, we'll have to wait until next year. The other lost object is a nearly transparent gaseous substance, roughly shaped like a coiled python. Without using mental energy and a field of perception, we can only discern its approximate shape by touch.

As long as this thing is carried on one's person, one can instantly assimilate the body to it upon mental contact, entering another independent field, thus preventing external attacks.

However, there is a price to pay. This thing needs to feed on lost items. It needs to be fed before use. It can be used once after being fed. Each time it needs to consume at least three level-two lost items or one level-one lost item. However, it can only be used twice consecutively within a month.

Chen Chuan shook his head, thinking that only the imperial family could afford such extravagance.

Normally, only national and global giants possess Level 1 Lost Items. Level 2 Lost Items are considered rare even by fighters in the Dongxuan Temple, let alone being given away so easily.

However, this thing can still play a certain role in some special situations.

Besides these two, there was one other lost item that he wasn't quite sure about. He picked it up and saw that it was jet black and looked like fish scales.

He took it in his hand, glanced at it a few times, and then probed inside with his mind.

Ok?
I encountered some mental barriers, which were not innate but artificially imposed.

He gently pinched it with his hand, and a lot of black powder fell out, and then the contents inside were revealed.

He then discovered that the mutated tissue within his body suddenly developed a strong craving for this thing.

A thought struck him: a rare material?
Da Shun Tian Yuan Tang Government Office.

Inside the lounge, Ren Xinshan pinched the corner of his eye and the side of his nose, took a sip of tea laced with medicine, and silently adjusted his breathing.

In a short while, another surge of energy emerged from the alienated organization, quickly restoring his spirits.

He hasn't had much rest these days. He only went back to the administrative department to handle some business one day. Most of the time, he's been staying here.

This was because he was afraid of missing any news from the front lines and being unable to respond immediately.

The battle is progressing relatively smoothly so far, with progress continuing every day.

Of course, there were dissenting voices in the command post. Some people said that the advance was too slow and that the pace needed to be accelerated because the Great Shun was under tremendous pressure every day, so the war had to be ended as quickly as possible.

They believed Chen Chuan was too conservative, seemingly overly concerned with the lives of his subordinates. Sacrifices were inevitable in wartime, and capturing Youdu sooner, even at a cost, would ultimately benefit the nation as a whole.

Those who make these voices are not necessarily all conservatives; there are also some radical elements among the progressives.

Because of their previous victories, they thought that taking Youdu would be a very simple matter, so they couldn't wait to see a great victory.

Fortunately, the upper echelons of the combat command were clear-headed and did not adopt these suggestions, allowing the frontline commanders to coordinate the pace and intensity of the battlefield.

Ren Xinshan had been wondering if Chen Chuan would also be eager to rush forward, since Chen Chuan's style had always been decisive, swift, and sharp.

But as it turned out, when the time came, Chen Chuan was unusually cautious, preferring to slow down in order to ensure victory.

The conservatives, on the other hand, are submitting reports to higher authorities every day, saying that the consumption of supplies in the rear is alarming, since military forces are being mobilized in major cities across the country.

As long as it continues, the mobilization will continue, severely impacting the economy and production.

Deputy Chief of the General Political Department Qiao Dingguo specifically mentioned this matter at the meeting.

He believed this was a good thing, and could be seen as a rehearsal for a nationwide mobilization, because a major collision was imminent, and the situation would definitely be a hundred times more complicated and difficult than it is now. If we can't even cope with it now, how can we fight against the situation we will face next?
The dissenting voices have thus diminished considerably. However, in general, as long as the battlefront continues to advance and victories are maintained, even if only minor ones, these dissenting voices can be suppressed.

Because everyone knows that once the old imperial family is completely destroyed, the benefits that can be obtained are immeasurable. Not to mention the wealth accumulated by the old imperial family, the vast expanse of the Confucian land that has been developed for more than a thousand years is enough to feed all levels of the Great Shun Dynasty.

Not to mention the large amount of human resources available there. Although these people currently seem like a potential threat, if handled properly, the strength of the Great Shun Dynasty will surely rise to another level.

Just as Ren Xinshan was about to pick up the department's documents, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

He unconsciously raised his head, and Vice Minister Guo opposite him also looked up. Both of them sensed something unusual in the footsteps.

After a knock, and upon receiving permission, an internal staff member pushed open the door and entered, bowing to the two individuals.

"Ministers, the command center is holding a meeting. Please move to the next room."

Ren Xinshan and Vice Minister Guo exchanged a glance. They both knew that something must have changed in the war situation. What could it be?
Could it be that they've encountered difficulties? Or is there some other situation?
Vice Minister Guo stood up and said, "Let's go, I think there's good news."

Ren Xinshan nodded, and he stood up, saying, "Judging by the time, it's about time."

……

……

(End of this chapter)