Chapter 1949

Tao Ran stood up, composed himself, and said: "I, the subordinate, know my fault!"

The other generals were also startled.

He Lingchuan nodded satisfactorily: "Do you all understand? From now on, correct your attitudes and manage your subordinates well. Dismissed!"

Everyone here has a heavy workload; fewer meetings and more action is the right way.

Regarding the war strategy for Shanjin, He Lingchuan pondered repeatedly, having also considered other approaches. It cannot be denied that some methods might be more fundamental and thorough, but they require a very long time and an unwavering force—precisely what He Lingchuan currently lacks.

The Dragon God War he personally initiated must be compressed into within one year as much as possible.

Once the heavenly gods' internal strife ends and effective intervention in Shanjin becomes possible, once logistical supply and rear stability encounter problems, the difficulty of conquering Shanjin will increase by several levels.

More importantly, the concentrated outbreak period of Imperial Flow Paste will occur within the next one or two years; he must seize this vast plain before Shanjin recovers.

What is one year? Even a civilian walking from the easternmost to the westernmost end of Shanjin would take more than a year.

To him, time is more precious than money.

As for troop quality... alas, the second phase will likely begin to expose its flaws.

Therefore, the policy he selects must best match Shanjin's current state, enable most forces to be used for his own purpose, and minimize resistance from the Dragon God Army.

At this moment, Du Shan followed up from the rear and said softly: "My lord, we have received intelligence from the rear; the allied forces' internal factions are now in contact with the demons."

The allied forces have seven members, occupying considerable territory in the central and western parts of the Shanjin plain.

Whether allied forces or Dragon God Army, both clearly understand that the Dragon God will not let go of that place; the only difference is who takes it first.

"As expected." He Lingchuan smiled: "The demons will not stand by while I take Shanjin; they will surely try to stop me. Now, they have many usable forces on the Shanjin plain, and in the second phase they will become our roadblocks. Hah, while the Lingxu gods are busy fighting among themselves, they still have to hinder me—truly keeping them occupied."

The Dragon God War has entered the tough assault phase; difficulty will surely spike sharply. This is also the best opportunity for the demons to stir up trouble. Even if the Lingxu gods are overwhelmed, they must still spare a hand to deal with him.

Du Shan nodded: "I do not rule out the possibility of some other force rising in between, but I infer that, no matter how many tricks the Lingxu gods play, their final point of effort will not be Bai Tan but the allied forces."

So far, if the heavenly gods wish to influence the mortal realm, they still must rely on human power.

"Which one do you want to take first? Or... both together?"

He Lingchuan stretched lazily: "It just depends on whether they give me the chance to eliminate them one by one."

The heavenly gods, Bai Tan, and Qingyang are not stupid; they will not wait passively for him to eliminate other obstacles before seeking a decisive battle with him.

"I think they will take the initiative to attack, just when we are overwhelmed." Du Shan suggested: "So, we had better strike first and seize the initiative."

He Lingchuan nodded.

In the meeting hall, the water stains on the table were about to disappear; Weng Xing looked at the circles on the table and grinned, Weng Su asked him: "What are you laughing at?"

"Brother, look how perfectly the lord drew these three circles—like big biscuits."

"You don't know shit!" Weng Su flicked his forehead with a knuckle: "Get lost, what nonsense!"

Sometimes, he truly does not know how his brother's mind works!

……

Three days later, Fang Chanran came to find He Lingchuan.

Tuo City and its subordinate towns have already become several large training camps, with troops drilling twelve shichen a day, deserving of the name "training under stars and moon."

Fang Chanran occasionally strolled through the countryside, always able to hear work chants and rebukes, and occasionally even screams.

He Lingchuan was not in the city; still, Weng Xing volunteered to lead him to Liudai Town, saying the lord was inspecting troops there today.

When Fang Chanran entered the town, the troop inspection had already ended; he did not see the grand drill, but discovered the martial arts platform crowded with people, roaring like thunder—

On the platform, the fierce battle was in full swing.

The Nine Abyssal Great Emperor stood with hands behind his back on the high platform, watching a group of broad-shouldered, thick-waisted wrestlers grapple!

"On this platform are warriors from Kashar and Rodian." Weng Xing explained beside him: "Every day at this time in the afternoon they open the ring; if they successfully defend the ring for seven consecutive days, they will receive very rich rewards, including cultivation techniques, weapons, rations, and xuan crystals, as well as the privilege of resting for three days."

The great army of the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor is like a huge war-preparation machine; every soldier is pulled into constant motion, and being able to rest one day is already a luxury.

Three days? That is absolutely a benefit.

Fang Chanran knew that sparring on the martial arts platform is also one way the military selects strong warriors; and for many warriors, watching the matches is a rare entertainment that can regulate the mental health of high-intensity training.

Just then, a "bang" sounded on the martial arts platform—the outcome was decided.

The victor raised both hands and roared. He looked under twenty, both young and stubborn.

"This kid surnamed Luo is one the lord brought out from the Overturned Sea." Weng Xing stroked his chin: "But he is not quite like the other Phantom Sect disciples; he gets along better with us, and in the past fights against Kashar and Rodian he was also very brave, earning several major merits."

Not a single word missed!

While speaking, Luo Xie actually turned toward He Lingchuan, extended his fist toward him, and then patted his own chest!

Weng Xing stared: "This kid!"

This kid actually dared to provoke the lord?

The surroundings of the martial arts platform also fell silent, stunned by Luo Xie's gesture, but immediately followed by earth-shaking cheers!

"Great Emperor!"

"Great Emperor!"

"Great Emperor!"

"This ignorant brat, the Great Emperor will give him a lesson!"

The shouting below was too loud; He Lingchuan also acted decisively, propping his left hand on the railing and jumping directly onto the martial arts ground.

The rule of this martial arts platform is one match decides the winner; whoever falls first loses.

Moreover, no use of true power is allowed.

He Lingchuan stood firm in place, right hand behind his back, left hand hooking his finger toward Luo Xie.

He wants to let this kid have one hand.

The crowd below burst into laughter.

Luo Xie rotated his shoulders and neck, emitting a few "crack" sounds, then lunged forward violently.

Two missed grabs, two hits to the joints, both painful and itchy.

He Lingchuan's move was simple and clear, as if everyone on and off the stage could see it plainly, yet for some reason, Luo Xie just couldn't dodge it.

The third time, He Lingchuan's motion suddenly sped up, leaving a trail of afterimages. Fang Canran only knew that he finally grabbed Luo Xie's neck and flung him outward—such a large person flew through the air out of nowhere, his back slamming heavily onto the table.

Bang, the spectators nearby felt a strong shock.

The outcome was decided, the fastest match of the day.

Fang Canran couldn't help but join the crowd in shouting, "Good!"

Luo Xie wanted to shake his head, but the muscles at the back of his neck were numb, his breathing a little strained. This was still thanks to his fine tendons and bones—an ordinary person grabbed by the neck and thrown like that would have had their soul shaken loose.

He Lingchuan stepped forward, grabbed his shoulder, and hauled him up from the ground in one motion: "Stand firm."