Chapter 526 - 454: No Less Than the Brave Crowned Marquis

Chapter 526: Chapter 454: No Less Than the Brave Crowned Marquis

Mo Na gazed at the towering skull pyramid, and his blood ran cold.

Four Mingxin Grandmasters... and very possibly five.

Five whole Mingxin Grandmasters!!

If he hadn’t seen the skulls of the four kings with his own eyes, he would never have believed a single Mingxin Martial Artist could do such a thing.

Perhaps only that invincible Mingxin from Ximo, three thousand years ago, could be compared to Bai Yuan.

’Killing Mingxin masters as if they were dogs!’

Mo Na took a deep breath.

He thought, ’I’m never leaving the capital again.’

’The Profound People are simply too dangerous.’

According to eyewitnesses, Bai Yuan had brazenly stormed the Imperial Palace and beaten the Sovereign to death with his bare hands.

He didn’t dare even imagine the scene.

In silence, Mo Na led his army away, never once looking back.

The clamor before the skull pyramid grew louder and louder.

It seemed Ximo would not know peace for the next decade.

...

A hundred li outside Lonely Wolf City.

When the Zhenxi Army’s scouts cautiously approached the Ximo Alliance Army’s main camp, they were shocked to find it completely empty.

"They’ve retreated."

"The Ximo forces have retreated!!"

A scout galloped on horseback through the Zhenxi Army’s camp.

At first, this drew the ire of many.

But when they heard the scout’s words, they forgot their anger, their eyes filling with joyful surprise.

"They retreated?!!"

Just a few days ago, they had been locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Ximo Alliance Army.

Everyone had been certain that a second great battle was imminent.

But just as the Zhenxi Army finished its preparations, the Ximo Alliance Army had actually withdrawn on its own accord. It was unbelievable.

When Liu Ancheng heard the news, even he, who was always composed, showed a rare flicker of emotion.

Qian the Sixth was so overjoyed he wept.

"Old Third, you didn’t die in vain! We’ve held Lonely Wolf City!"

Gao Xiong was the calmest of all.

"I’ll go take a look."

With that, he leaped into the sky. He returned a quarter of an hour later.

A hint of a smile touched Gao Xiong’s lips. "The Ximo forces are gone."

Hearing Grand General Gao Xiong himself confirm it, the last trace of worry in everyone’s heart vanished.

In the end, the Zhenxi Army had won this war.

Liu Ancheng seemed to think of something and abruptly raised his head. "Grand General, do you think it could have been Lord Bai?"

Gao Xiong shook his head. "I don’t know. Our people in Ximo should be sending news soon."

"Mm."

"Let’s head back to Lonely Wolf City first."

...

「Five days passed.」

Lonely Wolf City didn’t receive news from its spies in Ximo, but they did receive the Tiger and Leopard Camp.

"It’s the flag of the Tiger and Leopard Camp."

"Lord Bai is back!!"

The soldiers guarding the city walls cried out in surprise when they saw the familiar banner.

With a CREAK, the main gates were opened from within.

A cavalry of a thousand men galloped into Lonely Wolf City.

Hearing the commotion from the walls, the soldiers in the city all came out, gazing at the troop with admiration.

Soon, the Tiger and Leopard Camp arrived at the city center.

Xu Dingchun, Gao Xiong, and the other high-ranking officers of the Zhenxi Army had already heard the news and were waiting there.

"Master, your disciple has not failed your trust."

Bai Yuan dismounted, cupping his fist to Xu Dingchun.

Xu Dingchun was grinning from ear to ear. "You brat. You really have a bit of my old flair."

Gao Xiong rolled his eyes from the side.

"Don’t go patting yourself on the back. Did you ever kill five Mingxin Grandmasters when you were young?"

"I did not."

This time, Xu Dingchun was honest.

Gao Xiong didn’t mock him, but instead looked at Bai Yuan with deep emotion. "Heroes truly are born from the young. Nephew Bai, your future is limitless."

Just then, Qian the Sixth, who was standing nearby, spotted a familiar face and exclaimed in delight, "Old Lu, you really are alive!"

Only then did the other generals notice that Lu Wu, whose severed arm had been sent to them earlier, was among the ranks of the Tiger and Leopard Camp.

Lu Wu grinned. "It’s not that easy to kill me. The Ximo people couldn’t take my life."

Gao Xiong looked at Lu Wu.

He nodded in relief.

He had seen Lu Wu in the crowd much earlier. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t happy. The fact that Lu Wu was alive was good enough, but he didn’t show any more obvious emotion.

They were all soldiers; were they supposed to weep in each other’s arms just to celebrate being alive? It wasn’t necessary.

Qian the Sixth hurried forward. "Old Lu, quick, tell us! What in the world did you guys do in Ximo?"

Ever since returning to Lonely Wolf City, he had lost his appetite for food and drink.

He had just been waiting anxiously for the Tiger and Leopard Camp to return.

He was desperate to know what had happened in Ximo that had forced their grand army to retreat.

Lu Wu’s interest was immediately piqued.

He was, after all, an eyewitness to this world-shaking battle.

He immediately began to vividly recount, down to the last detail, everything that had happened in Ximo over the past few days.

"Lord Bai killed Ah Du Mu and saved me..."

"Crossed Fire Prison Canyon without a single casualty..."

"Conquered four countries in four days... built a skull pyramid..."

...

Everyone’s eyes were wide, and no one spoke. Only the occasional sound of a thigh being slapped in astonishment could be heard.

"I think Lord Bai’s achievements in this battle are no less than those of the Brave Crowned Marquis of old!"

Lu Wu concluded with this assessment of Bai Yuan.

This Brave Crowned Marquis was the most capable and valiant warrior under the Grand Ancestor Emperor during the founding of the nation. It was a pity that the heavens were jealous of his talent; he passed away suddenly at the age of just sixty, a cause for great regret.

The Brave Crowned Marquis’s record of a surprise attack over eight thousand li was recorded in the history books with great fanfare.

It often made later generations wonder what would have happened if the Brave Crowned Marquis had lived for another two hundred years.

Perhaps they might have witnessed the grand spectacle of two Martial Saints in one era.

Of course, this was all just speculation.

’No less than the Brave Crowned Marquis of old...’

Liu Ancheng murmured to himself.

In the army, the Brave Crowned Marquis was a god-of-war-like figure, often mentioned, especially in reference to promising young generals.

But only Bai Yuan, who had achieved such terrifying merits today, truly deserved such a comparison.

Liu Ancheng was well-versed in the art of war.

He knew all too well the value of such a deep solo incursion, a grand flanking maneuver of five thousand li. It was practically unprecedented. Not to mention building a skull pyramid in Ximo—this was the fulfillment of the Zhenxi Army’s thousand-year-old dream.

’A heaven-sent prodigy!’

Xu Dingchun and Gao Xiong exchanged a look, both seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.

They had been fighting wars their entire lives.

They had always proceeded with caution and deliberation.

They had never even seen an anomaly like Bai Yuan—marching five thousand li deep into enemy territory alone, slaying his foes, and erecting a skull pyramid. How utterly magnificent!

How could they say they hadn’t also dreamed of fighting such a gratifying battle against Ximo?

Xu Dingchun patted Bai Yuan’s shoulder in relief. "You brat, you fought well. But try not to do things like this too often in the future."

Bai Yuan nodded. "Your disciple understands."

’The reason I dared to venture so deep alone wasn’t just because the Thunder Spirit Pill could negate the effects of the Bone-Eroding Wind, but also because of the confidence I had in my own strength. I’m now practically number one among all Mingxin masters. Furthermore, I possess the Divine Palace Profound Soldiers, which allow me to instantly sense the will of a Divinity Grandmaster, giving me enough time to escape. With the added deterrent of my Master, Xu Dingchun, I’m effectively invincible as long as Ximo’s Divinity Grandmasters don’t make a move.’

After this battle, the Zhenxi Army would be free from conflict for at least three months. If things were managed well, it could be even longer.

Gao Xiong looked at Bai Yuan with envy.

"You old coot, you sure are lucky. You’ve taken on two good disciples."

Xu Dingchun smiled smugly. "Old Gao, you’re just jealous. A better master has better disciples, naturally."

Gao Xiong immediately started muttering curses as he walked out of the Martial Arts Arena.

He felt even more frustrated.

The joy he had felt at seeing Lu Wu instantly vanished. He even gave Lu Wu a kick on the butt as he passed.

If he hadn’t felt bad about the kid losing an arm, he probably would have kicked him harder.

As he walked out of the Martial Arts Arena, a smile finally returned to Gao Xiong’s face.

"If you can’t win, you can’t win. As long as you’re alive, that’s what matters."

It seemed as if he was saying this to Lu Wu, but also to himself.

...

"The Grand General of Wunan Country has the best relationship with the royal family. They’ve already installed a new King, so infiltration will be difficult."

"The National Preceptor of Fengya Country has long had rebellious intentions. We could try to work with him."

...

Liu Ancheng analyzed the situation in each country, one by one.

The Sovereigns of four Ximo nations were dead.

The impact wasn’t limited to just those four nations, but extended to dozens of surrounding countries.

The Zhenxi Army obviously couldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity; they had to take full advantage of it.

Liu Ancheng had long been plotting in the shadows.

His goal was to make it impossible for Ximo to form another alliance for the next three years, ensuring the Zhenxi Army wouldn’t have to fight another desperate battle in that time.