Chapter 194

The two of them arrived at the door of a laboratory.

Ning Hai put on a full set of protective gear, wrapping himself tightly from head to toe, then entered the password to open the thick radiation‑proof automatic doors, and led Lu Xingfeng inside.

After passing through several more isolation gates, they finally entered the interior of the laboratory.

"From now on, this will be your private training chamber," Ning Hai introduced, "it has a bedroom and a bathroom, and we've also equipped it with a refrigerator and air conditioning."

Lu Xingfeng looked around, then finally glanced at a metal suitcase placed on the table.

Ning Hai stepped forward and opened the suitcase.

In that instant, Lu Xingfeng sensed the spiritual energy required for a martial practitioner to cultivate internal skill.

He hurried forward and, with his bare hands, lifted a metal lump that lay inside the box.

The whole piece was gray‑black metal, shaped like a gold bar, only half a palm in size, yet heavy.

"Excellent! It contains a large amount of pure spiritual energy!" Lu Xingfeng's face showed delight.

In fact, ever since he had followed Ning Hai to M Guo, he had never forgotten the nuclear power plant ruins that Ning Hai had spoken of.

Because that area was saturated with spiritual energy.

Although the spiritual energy there was chaotic and not pure enough—absorbing it and converting it into internal strength was time‑consuming and laborious—the quantity was huge, and if he were to seclude himself there for ten years, his martial arts would inevitably advance by leaps and bounds.

However, the moment he saw the item Ning Hai gave him, he instantly pushed that place out of his mind.

"Of course it's a good thing," Ning Hai said with a smile. "This is a full kilogram of weapon‑grade enriched uranium, with a purity of ninety‑seven percent. One kilogram of gold today is only worth a few hundred thousand yuan, so this kilogram of enriched uranium is worth nearly four million! Moreover, even in the modern world, only a handful of nations possess such material."

Considering that Lu Xingfeng was still unfamiliar with modern monetary values, Ning Hai added, "You could think of it as being worth the equivalent of four or five kilograms of gold in your world, but your world lacks highly advanced refining technology, so you probably couldn't obtain such a large, highly radioactive natural material, so..."

"So it's priceless!" Lu Xingfeng cradled the enriched uranium block, eyes blazing. "Brother Hai, there's no need to explain in such detail; I know how precious this is. If it reaches my world, it would drive all martial artists mad—people would risk everything, even their lives and fortunes, just to seize it!"

Ning Hai smiled, "As long as you understand, that's enough."

"Brother Hai, I cannot thank you enough; your care will never be forgotten! I, Xingfeng, am willing to lay my liver and brain on the ground for you," Lu Xingfeng dropped to one knee.

That was exactly the reaction Ning Hai wanted; he promptly helped Lu Xingfeng to his feet. "Junior Brother Xing, you speak too grandly. Though we are separated by two thousand years, we are still of the same Huaxia lineage; in fact, you are practically our ancestor, ha ha ha! Here in this foreign secret base, only the two of us have yellow skin and black eyes. If I don't look after you, who will?"

His words moved Lu Xingfeng deeply, and his eyes reddened.

Ning Hai spoke earnestly, "Junior Brother Xing, train diligently; later I still hope you can go back over two thousand years to unify Zhong Yuan—no, at least unify Asia! I won't trouble you further, farewell."

"Brother Hai, take care!" Lu Xingfeng, eyes glistening, saw him out.

After the radiation‑proof automatic doors closed, separating the two, the next second both of them curled a cold smile at the corners of their mouths...

…

Three days later.

At Huangsha Pass.

General Duan Wu led ten thousand Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army troops and once again breached the so‑called Heavenly Fortress, which General Yu had been defending with fifty thousand elite Yu Guo soldiers.

Even relying on the terrain advantage, General Yu could only hold out a half‑day longer than he had previously at Huangsha Pass.

In the end, he took a few trusted officers and a hundred guards, left behind the remaining ten thousand Yu Guo elite decimated by the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army, and slipped away under the cover of night.

The commanding general fled twice in succession, leaving the remaining soldiers in the fortress disheartened; about ten thousand still‑combat‑capable Yu Guo troops simply surrendered.

They had assumed they would be ordered executed by General Duan Wu.

But instead, General Duan Wu distributed all the stored food and supplies to them, and treated the wounded Yu Guo soldiers, moving them so deeply that they almost wanted to join the Daxuan army and chase the Yu Guo general who had abandoned them, together with Duan Wu.

Of course, Duan Wu declined, saying there was no need.

Taking them along would only slow the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army's pursuit; after all, even elite Yu Guo troops cannot be trained into Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor soldiers in just a few days.

After securing the area, General Duan Wu ordered a scout to send the news back to Huangsha Pass, then continued to drive the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army at speed toward the direction of Yu Guo's capital, soon vanishing into the vast night.

In the following month, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army led by Duan Wu seemed to evaporate from the world, with no further reports.

Meanwhile, over at Daxuan.

During this time, just as Xiao Qidi had plotted, not only did he successfully trade the seized over two hundred thousand sets of Yu Guo equipment for five cities from the Wasteland Nation, but the deterrence also prompted the Wasteland Nation to launch a war directly against An Guo.

The two nations hadn't had time to unite against Daxuan before they turned on each other.

The Wasteland Nation's king swore to regain his pride and recapture the lands taken by An Guo, while An Guo's king, furious, cursed the Wasteland Nation for breaking the alliance and vowed to make them pay.

After a month, the two nations were locked in an indecisive stalemate, having long abandoned the plan to jointly target Xuan Guo, and could no longer spare attention to probe the situations in Xuan Guo or Yu Guo.

Another half month passed.

A weary scout spurred his horse and galloped into Lin Xian Cheng.

A black pennant was tied to his back; he held the reins in his right hand and raised a bamboo tube in his left, shouting excitedly while riding, "His Majesty! Fairy! General Duan has sent news! Great news!"

The townsfolk showed delighted expressions, cleared a path for the scout, then rushed to spread the word, dragging families toward the palace where His Majesty resided, all eager to learn the nature of the good news at once.

The scout rode at full speed along the route he remembered.

But as he ran, he realized he was lost.

He had been away from Lin Xian Cheng for just over a month, yet the surroundings had changed dramatically.

There were now many more new buildings two or three stories high, a grid of roads paved with smooth cement, stalls lining the streets, and crowds bustling everywhere.

He tightened his grip on the reins, looking around bewildered.

The nearby townspeople only then realized he didn't recognize the way and voluntarily gave him directions.

A group of seven‑ or eight‑year‑old children rode strange two‑wheeled carts he had never seen, joyfully clearing the way for him.

With the townspeople's help, the scout finally reached a large manor, dismounted, and hurried up a ten‑meter‑long staircase, shouting, "His Majesty! Fairy! General Duan has sent news!"

The guards beside the manor quickly steadied the exhausted scout.

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli also arrived at the sound of the call.

"His Majesty! Fairy!" the scout trembled with excitement, offering the bamboo tube with both hands, "Inside is General Duan's report letter!"

Ning Jinli took the bamboo tube, handed him a bottle of functional drink, and said, "You've worked hard; have a sip to restore your strength."

"Thank you, Fairy," the scout unscrewed the cap and drank it down in one gulp.

Xiao Qidi opened the bamboo tube lid, poured out a letter, and hurriedly unfolded the paper to examine it carefully.

At this moment, countless commoners have already gathered beneath the steps.

Xiao Qidi quickly scanned the scene and announced loudly: "General Duan has successively captured the main cities of Yu Guo's four prefectures and twelve counties and has entered Yu Guo's capital! Soon we will breach the Royal City and capture the Yu Guo King!"

Hearing such a momentous piece of good news, the commoners instantly burst into cheers and excitement.

Xiao Qidi added: "Send the order that the hundred‑thousand‑strong Daxuan army stationed at Xi Tun Guan and Huangsha Pass should mobilize tomorrow and swiftly occupy the remaining areas of Yu Guo's four prefectures and twelve counties."

"Yes! His Majesty!"

The chief of the guards took the command and left at once.

Xiao Qidi appeared composed on the surface, but inside he was already overjoyed; after turning with Ning Jinli back to the residence, the main gate just closed, he scooped Ning Jinli up and spun her around several times.

"Hahaha! Wonderful! Yu Guo is about to be swallowed by my Daxuan, and the Wasteland Nation and Peace Nation have already been battered into mutual ruin!"

"Next we can deal with the Wasteland Nation and the Peace Nation! I must start making preparations!"

A light shone in Xiao Qidi's eyes; after speaking to himself, he turned and walked away.

Ning Jinli, half laughing, half crying, said, "So it's not that—you're happy, spin me around a few times, and when something comes up you just drop me like that?"

"Ah, right," Xiao Qidi halted, asking, "Jinli, I plan to have the border troops stationed on Daxuan's northeast side deal with the Wasteland Nation first; what do you think?"

Ning Jinli pressed her forehead and said, "Honestly, you kid didn't even hear what I just said…"

"Hm? What words? What did you say?"

"……"

"Sigh, never mind, it's because my boyfriend is so career‑driven," Ning Jinli said with a hint of helplessness, but the matter could not be delayed, so while pondering she continued, "Attacking Yu Guo first is no problem, but according to the historical records on my side, the commanders of the Daxuan garrison on the northeast were incompetent, or rather the Wasteland Nation's commanding general was too formidable; Daxuan's several attempts to strike the Wasteland Nation all ended in failure."

"Indeed, the current commander leading the Wasteland Nation's troops is truly formidable; after acquiring those two hundred thousand sets of Yu Guo equipment, although the fight with the Peace Nation left both sides battered, it also reclaimed the lands that the Peace Nation had seized," Xiao Qidi said, then asked Ning Jinli, "How did Daxuan eventually eliminate the Wasteland Nation?"

Ning Jinli paced and said, "In the Wasteland Nation's court, treacherous officials dominate and the king is incompetent; if it weren't for a capable commander, it might already have been swallowed by the Peace Nation."

Before Ning Jinli could finish explaining how Daxuan historically eradicated the Wasteland Nation, Xiao Qidi immediately thought of a solution, "I see. In that case, we just need to make its commander lose the king's trust."

"Hey, true to form, even in a parallel universe you'd have a way," Ning Jinli said with a grin, "In our history, you used a sow‑and‑reap stratagem. Then you also appointed Qi Zhan as the supreme commander to attack the Wasteland Nation, and ultimately captured it."

Xiao Qidi pressed, "How long did it take?"

"Hmm, let me think…," Ning Jinli pondered briefly, "It took about six or seven years."

Xiao Qidi made a rough estimate, "Then I still need to employ the sow‑and‑reap stratagem and Qi Zhan; with those, plus the weapons and gear you provide, we can greatly shorten the time."

Ning Jinli agreed, "Exactly. The Wasteland Nation isn't as small as Yu Guo; relying solely on upgrading Daxuan army's equipment to attack would take a lot of time, and the longer the war, the greater the damage to the common people's livelihood."

Xiao Qidi turned again and strode away.

Ning Jinli called out, "Hey, where are you going?"

Xiao Qidi turned his face aside, grinning mischievously, "I've placed scouts from Qingyou Platform in the Wasteland Nation to bribe those treacherous officials, hehe…"

Ning Jinli hurriedly said, "The Wasteland Nation's commander is a rare talent; historically the Wasteland Nation's king fell victim to Xuan Guo's sow‑and‑reap stratagem, trusted the treacherous officials who fanned dark winds and lit ghostly fires, and ended up being beheaded! Make sure the Qingyou Platform scouts keep an eye out and protect him at all costs!"

Xiao Qidi replied solemnly, "Yes! As you command!"

Ning Jinli chuckled, "Alright, you go be busy."

After Xiao Qidi left, Ning Jinli stretched lazily, sat on the swing in the courtyard, and while swinging watched the sunset sinking on the horizon, pondering:

"Duan Wu's dispatch said they would soon breach Yu Guo's Royal City; factoring in the days it takes for the dispatch to travel… by now he should have already stormed the palace, right?"

——

At this very moment, inside the Yu Guo palace.

"His Majesty! Trouble!" a eunuch shouted, rolling and crawling into the main hall, "The Royal City has fallen… Daxuan army is charging this way!"

Inside the hall, the ministers were in an uproar.

The officials only learned this morning that a Daxuan force of over ten thousand was approaching the capital.

As for General Yu and the several hundred thousand troops sent to campaign against Xuan Guo, they knew nothing at all.

It was as if that Daxuan army had descended from the heavens.

The Yu Guo capital was forced into a hasty response, deploying forty thousand capital garrison troops; even with the Royal City's fortifications stronger than elsewhere, they held out for less than a day.

"Forty thousand garrison… couldn't even stop it?" Yu Guo King's face turned ashen, nearly falling from the throne, "How many of the garrison remain?"

"Your Majesty… they're all… all gone." the eunuch trembled on the ground.

The assembly of ministers almost all lost their footing.

Some even wore faces of terror, trying to slip away from the hall.

The Yu Guo King, looking at the sunset fading beyond the hall's doors, said coldly, "The palace is the most fortified place in the entire Royal City, and we still have thirty thousand Imperial Guards, the elite of elites. I won't believe that a mere ten thousand Xuan Guo troops could reach me! If any of you dares to flee in battle, I will annihilate your entire clan!"

"Send the Imperial Guard commander to me!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The eunuch scrambled out of the hall.

Soon, the Imperial Guard commander, clad in polished iron armor and bearing a battle sword, arrived at the hall with a grave expression.

The Yu Guo King's gaze was fierce, "Listen to me: inside the palace, whether it's these ministers, palace maids, eunuchs, or consorts, anyone who can draw breath must be issued a set of armor and weapons, and be prepared to protect me!"

When those words were spoken, everyone in the hall felt a chill from head to toe.

His own king is excessively ruthless!

It's one thing for male ministers and even eunuchs, but to force palace maids and even his own consorts to take up arms against the enemy?!