Chapter 2682

The mirror was displeased, yet it heard the Earth Mother speak in a muffled, grumbling tone: "That! That... just this once, no exceptions!"

"Right, just this once."

The Earth Mother grew emotional: "After completing this mission, where I go is none of your business. What I do is none of your business either!"

He Lingchuan naturally agreed readily: "Fine, fine. You want to go wherever for vacation and relaxation, I won't interfere."

"Have your army ready. I'm heading back now."

He Lingchuan rubbed his hands: "No rush. As long as you can reach Wusong Bay within twenty days, that's fine."

Calculating the time, there's still plenty of leeway.

The little stone figure was about to leave when He Lingchuan added another reminder:

"This is a covert operation. Throughout, don't let outsiders see you. When disbanding the army, don't stay too close to the battlefield."

The Earth Mother replied unhappily: "I know already."

Whenever the Nine Abyss Sect sends it out, when has it ever not been a secret mission?

After both finished speaking, the surface of the Hao Yuan Golden Mirror showed only He Lingchuan himself, and then it slowly faded from midair.

The call ended.

Facing the sand table, He Lingchuan again pondered alone for over half an hour.

Now, with a single thought he could stir up monstrous waves and make rivers of blood flow across the world, so every decision must be made with extreme caution, repeatedly weighed.

Until a palace maid lightly knocked on the door outside:

"Your Majesty, it's time for dinner."

He Lingchuan casually said: "Don't serve it. Distribute it."

The food the Emperor doesn't eat will be distributed to the officials and palace maids on duty that night.

Then, Wan Si Liang and Sikong Yi came to pay their respects.

"Cang Yan has been preparing for war for eighteen years." The Nine Abyss Great Emperor stood by the window, hands behind his back facing the imperial garden: "Raising troops for over six thousand days, just for this moment!"

Finally going to war? The two were startled, exchanged a glance, and both saw the eager anticipation in each other's eyes:

"Where the Emperor's sword points, there we shall lead our troops!"

They are the Emperor's sharpest blades, their commands are veteran armies, ten years of forging a sword, all for the moment it leaves the sheath.

"Good, the first battle will be initiated by you." He Lingchuan turned slowly: "However, this battle is special. You must stay away from Cang Yan, quietly await the moment of engagement, and once battle begins, victory is allowed but defeat is not!"

Wan Si Liang immediately straightened his chest and raised his head: "If defeated, I will bring my head to see you."

"If defeated, what use is bringing your head?" He Lingchuan saw his nervousness, so he patted his shoulder: "Don't lightly swear by your head; your opponents are the vassal demon kings of Bei Jia! Ah Liang, do you know why I sent you instead of Qiu Hu? Clearly he fights more meticulously than you."

Wan Si Liang shook his head.

As the most loyal fierce general under the Nine Abyss Great Emperor, he only executes, rarely questions.

"Your reactions on the battlefield are faster and more accurate, but you need to adjust your mindset." He Lingchuan spoke earnestly: "For eighteen years, we've never challenged the Bei Jia army before—I know it's not easy. But I want you to keep a calm mind, just as you trained troops and killed enemies before, so you will lead troops to kill enemies this way, thus bringing out your strengths."

If the commander is too tense, command becomes rigid, and the army loses flexibility.

Wan Si Liang lowered his head, took several deep breaths, and stopped hiding his feelings.

Upon first hearing the holy order, he was indeed both excited and nervous.

The Dragon God Army has campaigned across thousands of miles, already nearly twenty years ago. These years, though they often drilled against demon beasts and the Xian Sect, they have never again experienced a national war.

Thinking of facing the Bei Jia army, for any general of Cang Yan, eagerness comes alongside immense psychological pressure.

After several deep breaths, Wan Si Liang's heart settled considerably, and he responded solemnly:

"Yes."

Afterwards, He Lingchuan summoned the two to the sand table for a brief explanation.

With Wan Si Liang's fearless nature, hearing halfway through, he stared wide-eyed.

He Lingchuan feared his eyeballs might truly roll out: "What expression is this?"

Sikong Yi said: "The Bei Jia sea clan is renowned far and wide; I've long wanted to meet them."

Wan Si Liang then scratched the back of his hand: "Once successful, I dare not imagine what chaos the Bei Jia interior will descend into."

Hey ya, just thinking about it makes me happy.

He Lingchuan replied unhappily: "Don't get too excited too early; the warriors of Bo Lang State are no pushovers, especially with your ultra-long-range warfare. How did I just instruct you two?"

Both spoke in unison: "Covert action, strike unexpectedly!"

Next, He Lingchuan made further arrangements.

The vast territories of Cang Yan were all conquered by him personally; regarding his strategic direction, his subordinate generals have always been wholly convinced.

After an hour, the closed-door meeting concluded. The two generals took their leave with vigorous steps, as if springs were installed under their feet.

In this age of great contention, they can finally ride the waves.

This side, He Lingchuan again lost in thought for a while, then opened the desk's hidden compartment, took out a pale yellow seed, pinched a small opening, threw it into the inkstone, and poured hot water over it twice.

The seed immediately bubbled with foam.

This item is called Wu Huan Zi.

With hot water, the seed sprouted shoots above and roots below; in no time it actually grew into something like ginseng, even bearing a face, somewhat familiar, somewhat abstract.

Once the face's outline became clear, the Wu Huan Zi figurine also rose from the inkstone, even reaching out to steady the bowl's rim.

"Nine Abyss, what do you seek me for?"

This is Mu Di's voice.

"The Ling Xu Holy Sovereign recently plans to first dispatch a hundred heavenly demons to the lower realm—have you received news?"

"I've heard, but don't know the specific time and place." Mu Di's deep voice and the Wu Huan Zi figurine's form are inversely proportional: "Looks like even the heavenly realm has only two or three who know."

"The heavenly realm is in chaos; Bei Jia's vassal demon states invite battle everywhere, small nations fall faster than on the ancient Flash Gold Plains." He Lingchuan said: "Everything is progressing toward the direction preordained by the Ling Xu Holy Sovereign."

Having known each other for over ten years, Mu Di understands his ways somewhat, and without beating around the bush, he bluntly asked: "What do you want to do?"

"Letting the Spirit Void Saint Venerable have his way is crossing ourselves. Taking advantage of the chaos in heaven and the human world, Cang Yan must actively enter the world, wielding arms for all living beings!" He Lingchuan spoke each word distinctly, "The time has come."

Cang Yan's attitude toward dealing with the world is about to make a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn! Even the petty man Wuhuanzi's facial features twitched:

"It should have been this way long ago. Welcome aboard!"

The war between Mouguo and Beijia, and between Lingshan and the Heavenly Demon, has long since ignited across multiple dimensions.

No, it should be said it has never stopped.

But both sides know that a crucial link is missing from this:

Cang Yan.

Cang Yan's approach to handling affairs differs sharply from Lingshan's and from Mouguo's; it has always been silent until it speaks, then startling the world.

When the Nine Nether says it will act, it truly intends to act.

"What is your target? Beijia?"

The Heavenly Demon is still in the heavens; those Cang Yan can strike at are naturally the Heavenly Demon's minions in the human world.

"No." He Lingchuan shook his head, "What I intend to deal with are the vassal demon states. Precisely speaking, those few vassal demon states."