Chapter 2075: Attack, Attack, Attack!

Mu State's assistance to He Xiao in repelling Ya State's invasion was a "favor"; Mu State's assistance to Lu Qinglin in reclaiming the Yangshan Archipelago was "power".

Combining favor and power is how a great state demonstrates its skill.

Thus, He Xiao also realized that before the great state, he was still inexperienced, and with the western maritime trade route controlled by Mu State, he would have to recognize his position and obediently become Mu State's follower.

Even though we are all from the Ling Mountain faction, internal rankings must still be determined, seating arranged by strength.

Now everyone can see that the trend of unifying the Flash Gold Plains is unstoppable; the next "Flash Gold Empire" is likely to emerge soon. At this critical juncture, Mu State's display of initial authority is very necessary.

But Guo Shaoping never imagined that He Xiao had already planted a hidden piece in the Yangshan Archipelago!

As long as Mu State does not covet the Yangshan Archipelago, Chiyan will not plant its flag so quickly.

He Xiao's counterattack was swift and fierce, instantly reversing the situation, showing no sign of being a political novice.

Now, the ball has been kicked back to Mu State's side.

He Xiao and the King of Chiyan are probably both waiting for Mu Emperor's response.

Mu Emperor usually sits high on the throne, silent. Now he merely changes posture, another hand resting on his forehead.

After the debate on the field had ceased for a long time, he finally spoke:

"No troops will be sent."

The voice echoed in the hall, solemn and low.

One word decided it, and the ministers below dared not speak further.

Mu Emperor personally decided that this matter would be temporarily settled, not allowing the situation to expand further.

In this recent series of events:

Bei Jia lost his covert influence over the Flash Gold Plains, which has nearly become an established fact, but on the surface he gained the Yangshan Archipelago;

Mu State obtained eight hundred Punishing Dragon Pillars, but due to the rash deployment of troops to the Yangshan Archipelago, rear security has been threatened and challenged;

Ya State sent troops to invade the Dragon God's territory, but gained little advantage, and retreated under Mu State's threat;

The Nine Abyss Great Emperor ceded the Yangshan Archipelago to Chiyan State, preserving the Flash Gold Plains and the vital western sea route, but dealt Mu State a heavy blow. This hidden loss, Mu State certainly remembered, and Mu Emperor came to understand He Xiao's methods even better.

He Xiao will henceforth face a greater challenge in maintaining this relationship between the two sides.

￥￥￥￥￥

The Dragon God War, watched by the world, has begun again.

This time, it swept through Ya State's territory together with the summer wind.

Three great armies advanced simultaneously from the north, south, and southeast, targeting Ya State's key strongholds, powerfully suppressing Ya troops everywhere.

Subsequently, He Lingchuan personally led two hundred thousand troops from west to east into Ya territory, advancing all the way to Shui City.

They hardly paused, killing anyone who blocked the road without mercy.

The army led personally by the Dragon God never turns back, as other Dragon God forces along the way provide support.

How to describe these battles? Like a butcher's knife cutting through old cowhide—laborious and exhausting, though not easy, yet ultimately advancing steadily and solidly forward.

The quality and capability of the Ya troops are far beyond what the local strongmen of the Flash Gold Plains can match, especially after enduring over a year of internal turmoil, the swords forged from their own people are exceptionally sharp.

Without the nearly four months of arduous training beforehand, the Dragon God army might not be able to chew through such hard bone.

But the early internal turmoil inflicted massive damage on Ya State: generals fell in battle, elite troops were killed or wounded and lay scattered, logistical supplies were insufficient, and so on. Many cities still had not repaired the gates breached during the turmoil.

The most terrifying thing is that people's hearts have scattered.

Formerly, Ya State's strength surpassed that of the Flash Gold Plains, and the Ya people took pride in their homeland, looking down on the Flash Gold Plains while tightly uniting against outsiders, even sneering at the Nine Abyss Great Emperor and the Dragon God.

Now, how can a fragmented nation and shattered homeland still muster much cohesion?

Although Bai Tan, after regicide, issued a pacification announcement under pressure, claiming he would still uphold the great Ya order, anyone with a bit of sense understands this is a complete fraud.

Great Ya has long since perished.

From the moment Bai Tan slaughtered the Ya royal descendants, from the moment he sent troops to exterminate various resistance forces, Ya State had already ceased to exist in fact!

The state is no longer a state; for whom should the Ya people fight?

Bai Tan? Does he deserve it?

Reflected in the Dragon God War, this means Ya State's military and civilians across the region lack strong will to resist, their efforts are weak, and even several units labeled by Bai Tan as "bandit rebellions," hiding in the deep mountains, have defected to the Dragon God army, becoming guides.

Some of Bai Tan's close aides are indeed actively resisting. One of them guards Yu'an City, but could not hold out for even five days, was assassinated by his subordinates, and delivered both the city and his head to Tao Ran.

The Dragon God main force personally led by He Lingchuan advanced like a bamboo splitter all the way.

Those beside him, Dong Rui and Wanqi Feng, etc., only then understood that his past actions in Ya State were all for today's layout!

He skillfully exploited the situation, pushing the contradiction between Ya State and the Heavenly Gods toward irreconcilability, using the power of the Heavenly Gods and Qingyang to break open Ya State's hard shell, disturbing the hearts here.

Only now does the Dragon God army have the qualification to charge forward on horseback into this once-strongest Flash Gold Plains nation, piercing its soft heart with sharp blades!

Once again, the Dragon God army surged like a flood across Ya State's former lands, just as they had swept across the Flash Gold Plains a few months prior.

Irresistible.

Bai Tan also led troops in battle, but each day he received battle reports like snowflakes, all bad news from various places.

Which city had fallen again, which unit had sacrificed, or worse than surrender, had defected!

Food was insufficient, weapons insufficient, military funds insufficient.

Bai Tan simply abandoned Ya State's outskirts, taking Shui City as the center, specifically constructing the core Five-City Alliance.

These five cities mutually support each other, with sturdy walls and ample grain, and their defenders are all Bai Tan's direct lineage troops, sharing honor and disgrace with him, thus their will to resist is extremely firm.

This is also the key area Bai Tan focused on in early training and city construction.

Qingyang had already designed this plan for him; he thought the war would last a long time, never expecting this plan to be activated so soon!

The Dragon God army's cyclical major battles around these five cities have thus begun.

The intensity of this war can be called the pinnacle of Flash Gold Plains in nearly three hundred years.

The remaining nobility of Ya State have basically retreated here, knowing they share weal and woe with the cities, so the five cities fight desperately to resist.

But they also felt in the Dragon God War the opponent's firm and terrifying fighting will.

The Dragon God Army's resilience, ferocity, and resolve—even their strict discipline—did not resemble a newly trained force at all.

On the seventeenth day of the great battle, Wanfeng City fell first, creating a major breach in the Five Cities Alliance line.

On the twenty-sixth day, the second city fell.

On the thirty-ninth day, Bai Tan prayed for divine descent, but to no avail; the third city fell.

With only two cities left, the speed of collapse accelerated.

Mangzhou held on for just three more days before its gates were breached, as the bronze formation plates behind the gate could not withstand the assault.

This ancient city had enjoyed sixty years of peace, yet in the end it could not escape the ravages of war.