Chapter 2133 - 2118: The Bigger Picture

Chapter 2133: Chapter 2118: The Bigger Picture

Over a thousand streaks of Spirit Light traversed the air simultaneously, causing the expressions of everyone, including Ye Zhen and Governor Ni Feng, to change dramatically, yet none attempted to dodge.

This was not a surprise attack, nor was it the Escaping Light of a master.

It was Talisman Light!

These thousand streaks of Talisman Light coming across the sky were all emergency military reports from various military units.

According to the military system of the Great Zhou, in case of an emergency situation, at least three higher-level military units must be informed of the situation, and until a confirmation response is received from the higher authority, reports must continue through various means.

This is a lesson written in blood over tens of thousands of years on the Human Demon Battlefield.

Especially for very urgent military reports, all military units have the right to report directly to the highest officer of each battle zone.

The military units referred here include Military Cities, Fortresses, Castles, and Outposts, whereas units like Beacon Fire Towers do not have the authority for urgent reports.

The current situation, with a thousand Talisman Lights in the sky, only signifies one possibility: an emergency situation has occurred.

Typically, such emergency situations involve the Demon Clan.

Even Shan Zhengchun, the Fortress Lord of Dingbian Fortress, was drawn to these thousand emergency talisman messages.

The scale of such an emergency is rare.

When the thousand Talisman Lights descended, they split, with a dozen headed toward Ye Zhen, and the rest toward Governor Ni Feng.

A Spiritual Power Giant Hand suddenly extended from behind Ni Feng’s head, gently sweeping in all the Talisman Lights.

With Ni Feng’s mid-stage Dao Realm Cultivation, a sweep of the massive Primordial Spirit Power brought all the contents of the thousand Talisman Lights to mind instantly.

"Our Northern Battle Zone had a total of 1,053 military units simultaneously discovering Demon Clan scout sightings, which is the most urgent military situation and might signify a large-scale Demon offensive!"

Governor Ni Feng’s words caused Ye Zhen’s face to change again because Ye Zhen received similar intelligence.

His command, including four fortresses and sixteen outposts, Blood River Fortress among them, all reported sightings of Demon Clan scouts with a few minor skirmishes ensuing.

Ye Zhen’s Heavenly Wave Army of North Sea suffered thirteen casualties with over a hundred seriously wounded, while killing five Spider Demons amongst the demon scouts!

The nearly three-to-one battle casualty ratio made Ye Zhen’s heart twitch.

The normal battle casualty ratio between the Human Demon Battlefield’s defending troops and the Demon Clan’s army is less than two-to-one, but his Heavenly Wave Army of North Sea was nearly at three-to-one.

This indicated that Ye Zhen’s Heavenly Wave Army still had room for improvement in terms of strength or tactics.

What startled Ye Zhen more was the potential implications of this intelligence.

Such a large-scale action by Demon Clan scouts likely signifies a possibility of a massive offensive from the Demon Clan.

Ye Zhen himself wasn’t afraid of the Demon Clan’s attack.

Yet, deep down, Ye Zhen felt an ominous sense of misfortune.

Having just come to help defend the Human Demon Battlefield, there was already a chance of encountering a major Demon army offensive, which seemed quite unlucky indeed.

Because a large-scale Demon offensive inevitably means a high number of soldier casualties.

For Ye Zhen, the Military Commander of the Heavenly Wave Army of North Sea, these casualties wouldn’t just be cold numbers but vital lives and memories.

If there were indeed a large-scale Demon offensive, Ye Zhen wasn’t sure, ten years later, how many of the 220,000 soldiers of the Heavenly Wave Army he might be able to bring back.

Seventy percent?

Fifty percent?

Or even a mere thirty percent?

Ye Zhen was uncertain in his heart.

"Fort Lord Shan, Ye Zhen, with such an urgent military situation, do you intend to continue your dispute?" The demeanor of Governor Ni Feng suddenly became severe.

"If the Demons launch a large-scale offensive and you, Ye Zhen, are not stationed at Blood River Fortress, leading to its fall or breakthrough by the Demons,

then you, Ye Zhen, would become the primary culprit of our Great Zhou,"

Governor Ni Feng added, then turned to Shan Zhengchun, the Fortress Lord of Dingbian Fortress. "Fort Lord Shan, if, due to your reasons, a defensive gap allows a Demon incursion, the first to suffer will be your Dingbian Fortress!"

Governor Ni Feng’s words made Ye Zhen and Shan Zhengchun’s expressions turn serious.

The Demon Clan’s military situation is of top priority in the entire Human Demon Battlefield.

"Alright, considering this urgent military situation, how about both of you step back a little as a favor to me?" Governor Ni Feng gazed at Ye Zhen and Shan Zhengchun.

With Governor Ni Feng having said this much, Shan Zhengchun, not obliging, would appear ungrateful. After glancing at Governor Ni Feng, Shan Zhengchun stared hard at Ye Zhen.

"Release my grandson’s Divine Soul and compensate him with ten portions of spiritual medicine to enhance the stability of the Divine Soul Origin, and an additional Nine-Transition Spirit Fusion Pill to perfectly fuse his Innate Divine Soul and body, and this matter can be settled."

"Absolutely impossible!"

Ye Zhen immediately rejected Shan Zhengchun’s conditions without any consideration.

Ye Zhen was still deliberating over releasing Shan Wei’s Innate Divine Soul, and compensating him was out of the question.

Absolutely impossible!

Governor Ni Feng’s expression changed abruptly, eyed Ye Zhen, and warned, "Ye Zhen, keep the big picture in mind!"

Ye Zhen pressed his lips tightly, his face grim as he watched Shan Wei howling in agony under the Soul Refining Ghost Banner.

If he had dispersed Shan Wei’s soul right then, Ye Zhen thought it too lenient for this bastard, failing to redress the hundreds of slain comrades.

Hence, he crafted the Soul Refining Ghost Banner, intending to torment Shan Wei’s Innate Divine Soul day and night until it collapsed.

Yet now, it seemed this matter had become a possible lifeline for Shan Wei, the bastard.

"Ye Zhen!"

Governor Ni Feng urged again.

Ye Zhen remained silent, lips tightly sealed, though his eyes clearly showed his stance.

He would not compromise on this matter.

Governor Ni Feng became angry, pointing at Ye Zhen and scolding him, "Don’t you understand the bigger picture at all?"

"Governor, Shan Wei, this bastard, caused the deaths of five hundred brothers, and now demands compensation from me. This is absolutely impossible! Soldiers of the Heavenly Wave Army would rather die in battle against the Demons than compromise on this!" Ye Zhen retorted angrily.

"You!"

Seeing this, Shan Zhengchun stood firmly and coldly said, "Governor Ni, you see, it isn’t my disrespect to you; it’s he who is entirely ignoring the bigger picture!"

Ye Zhen’s gaze bore into Shan Zhengchun, his jaw clenched tightly, with a visibly tense jaw muscle showing his anger.

"Do you believe I’ll obliterate this bastard’s soul with just a thought?" Ye Zhen’s grim voice resonated as the Soul Refining Ghost Banner howled fiercely, amplifying Shan Wei’s Innate Divine Soul’s screams several times over.

"You dare!"

Shan Zhengchun roared, his late-stage Dao Realm power suddenly locking onto Ye Zhen, ready to fight if Ye Zhen dared to act.

The scene gave Governor Ni Feng a massive headache.

"With the urgent Demon military situation ahead, you are still..." Governor Ni Feng interjected between the two.

"Alright, you are both fierce, both heroes; this is my fault. I shouldn’t have come here today.

Ye Zhen, release Shan Wei’s Innate Divine Soul."

Governor Ni Feng addressed Ye Zhen first, regardless of his agreement, then turned to Shan Zhengchun, the Fortress Lord of Dingbian Fortress, "Fort Lord Shan, I will provide the spiritual medicine needed for stabilizing the Divine Soul Origin; as for the Nine-Transition Spirit Fusion Pill, let me help inquire for you?"

Both Ye Zhen and Shan Zhengchun were taken aback, especially Ye Zhen, whose expression became particularly troubled.

Fortress Lord Shan Zhengchun nodded, "This favor, Governor, I will grant!"

With Governor Ni Feng having said so much, Ye Zhen not acknowledging would truly seem oblivious to the situation.

"Alright then!"

After a long pause, under Governor Ni Feng’s persisting gaze, Ye Zhen sighed reluctantly, handing over the Soul Refining Ghost Banner.

However, as he did so, Ye Zhen secretly imposed a malicious Restriction onto Shan Wei.