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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: Conflict
The Cult of the Hall of Malevolence had not been active for long when Ji Zichen and Xia Lian began to tidy up. With every step Ji Zichen took away from the temporary camp, he felt increasingly anxious, fearing he might trigger another alert Formation. Along the way, they could see dark markings, and Ji Zichen and Xia Lian did their best to hasten towards the Azure Sovereign.
Yang Guizhi saw the palace explode along the Travel Path; it was triggered by an explosive Magic Circle. Last night, Prince Huixin witnessed the destruction of the palace. At first, he felt a twinge of panic, but now he knew his decision was correct. The explosion had left the Cult of the Hall of Malevolence dazed. In their moment of chaos, Prince Huixin left Qingyang City.
Prince Huixin's departure was not an act of fleeing; instead, he was advancing towards Evil Spirit Hall Mountain Valley. He gathered the remaining troops, contemplating that with so many sent out by the Hall of Malevolence, Fierce Death Valley must be vulnerable. If he could seize it, it would deliver a significant blow to the Arbitrator. This attack was imperative; if he ran far away, it would play right into the Arbitrator's hands. Moreover, if Prince Huixin retreated, he would be sealing his own fate.
He could only hope that his all-or-nothing decision was not misguided. In truth, Prince Huixin had no other options left. If he did not take this risk, he would inevitably face relentless pursuit from the Arbitrator. He would rather die than live a life on the run.
Leading a remnant force of five hundred men, Prince Huixin pressed on through the night without calling for a halt even when their mounts could barely move.
On the way to Fierce Death Valley, Prince Huixin's ranks swelled overnight as other soldiers joined them along the route. These soldiers were all escapees from Lin City. Upon hearing that Prince Huixin intended to attack Fierce Death Valley, they joined his ranks without hesitation, bringing their numbers over a thousand.
Prince Huixin hoped that before reaching Fierce Death Valley, their numbers would continue to grow. His thoughts aligned perfectly with those of Wei Deputy; they both understood the terrifying power of the Arbitrator.
Before finalizing their offensive strategy, the gathered soldiers shared all enemy information they could recall with Prince Huixin. The ambitions of the Hall of Malevolence were undoubtedly not limited to Desolate Central Plain. If they allowed the Arbitrator to consume Desolate Central Plain, it would surely invade places beyond Predicament, destroying everything in its path—this was an undeniable future.
The thought of such a future filled everyone with dread.
However, that future still lay far ahead; they needed to focus on immediate matters. After listening to his generals' descriptions, Prince Huixin discussed tactics with them and made adjustments to exploit the Arbitrator's weaknesses. Although they felt confident about this plan, they were uncertain about what facing the Arbitrator head-on would entail.
Prince Huixin assured them that they would defeat the Arbitrator regardless of how formidable the Evil God within might be. He vowed to lead his finest troops to slay the Arbitrator and promised they would become true warriors.
It was clear to everyone that things would not go as smoothly as hoped, yet they found themselves unable to turn back. No matter how difficult the road ahead might be, they had to overcome it.
Despite their rapidly increasing numbers, they did not slow down. Among the Soldiers gathering along their route were some who wielded Fire Elemental Artifacts; traveling at night was no hindrance due to their illumination. With these artifacts lighting their way, it felt as if they were walking in daylight amidst darkness.
As Prince Huixin's forces approached Fierce Death Valley, dawn broke. Just an hour before Ji Zichen and his companions arrived, Prince Huixin's troops reached the outskirts of Fierce Death Valley. He noticed a strange Green Light shooting straight up into the sky from within Fierce Death Valley.
"What is that light?" one soldier murmured to himself.
"Calm down, this must be some dark magic from the Arbitrator," Prince Huixin reassured the anxious soldiers, leaning forward to gaze intently. "This Green Light is strange. What is the Arbitrator doing? It seems like some kind of summoning ritual."
The Wei Deputy didn't need to ask anything further. "The Arbitrator must already know we are coming, so they want to ambush us here."
The commander beside him nodded. "Your Highness, it would be best to send someone to scout the area first and assess the enemy's situation. However, if they wish to engage us immediately, we will not disappoint them."
Prince Huixin nodded and commanded, "Await orders!"
The horns sounded in unison as the troops split into four waves, forming a battle formation. A thousand-strong army clad in armor, with cavalry and infantry, looked incredibly imposing.
Prince Huixin thought that no matter what the Arbitrator was up to, they could not afford to fail. If they did, the Arbitrator would ruthlessly destroy them.
He dispatched a small team to investigate. The longer he stared at the Green Light, the more uneasy he felt. Prince Huixin sensed this feeling was shared among his comrades.
"Don't be afraid!" Prince Huixin encouraged his troops as he scanned their faces.
"Do not lose yourselves in fear," he said with a stirring tone that inspired confidence. "You all understand well what losing faith can lead to. We will not lose; we absolutely cannot lose. Those Cultists are not frightening at all. As long as we kill the Arbitrator, they will have no backbone and will surely scatter like sand."
"That's right! We cannot falter before the battle even begins!" Wei Deputy shouted passionately.
As Wei Deputy's rallying cry faded, a piercing scream suddenly echoed from the distant Mountain Valley where the scouting team had gone. Prince Huixin and Yu Ren immediately went on high alert as they heard the sound of chaotic footsteps approaching from that direction.
Prince Huixin's heart tightened. "They're coming!"
The Hall of Malevolence's Cult charged toward Prince Huixin's forces, and both sides clashed fiercely. Soldiers on both fronts were blinded by rage; one fell only for another to take their place. The soldiers' mounts screamed in terror while Divine Eagles gathered in the sky above, swooping down in rows. The Divine Eagles injured many Soldiers, their cries echoing with delight.
More soldiers fell, and more blood would be spilled.
Prince Huixin glanced at Wei Deputy, who nodded in response. "Prepare the artifact archers!" Wei Deputy commanded.
Hundreds of magical artifacts drew their bows, aiming at the Divine Eagle in the sky.
Wei Deputy raised his hand high, fixated on the Divine Eagle above. As the Eagle Flock drew closer, he brought his hand down with force.
Artifact Arrows flew towards the Divine Eagle like rain, screaming through the air as if they were arrows of death. Despite knowing that death might be imminent, the Divine Eagle remained undaunted and did not slow its pace as the Eagle Flock surged into the midst of the Artifact Arrows.
The sight of the Divine Eagle was terrifyingly massive, but as long as it had a physical form, it could be killed. The first wave of Artifact Arrows struck nearly all of the front-line Divine Eagles, with some becoming so riddled with arrows that they could not even lie flat on the ground.
The Divine Eagles plummeted from the sky, crashing down among the fighting crowd below. Some of their bodies even fell onto their own people, causing injuries.
Though Prince Huixin felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, the most important thing now was to repel the Eagle Flock. He shouted, "Once more!"
The Artifact Arrows shot toward the flock again, but this time with less effectiveness. The Eagle Flock had adapted; some Cult members riding on the backs of the Divine Eagles maneuvered them to higher altitudes. Although the Artifact Arrows flew swiftly, they were still inanimate objects and could not move freely like the Divine Eagles. Some Cult members controlled their mounts to evade in mid-air.
Others wielded their spears to knock down the incoming Artifact Arrows.
"Those eagles are flying too high; our Artifact Arrows can't reach them," said a commander beside Prince Huixin. "They've found a way to counter us; this is troublesome."
Ignoring him, Prince Huixin commanded, "All artifact archers and firearm soldiers prepare! Once the arrows are shot up, use fire to propel them further!"
Wei Deputy's face lit up with joy. "That's a great idea!"
With fire propelling the arrows, this tactic proved exceptionally effective. Many of the high-flying Divine Eagles could not evade and were struck by Artifact Arrows, falling to their deaths. This time, numerous Divine Eagles plummeted to the ground. Wei Deputy exclaimed, "They dare not fly overhead on their eagles anymore! Your Highness, it's time to prepare for a charge!"
Wei Deputy called out, "Your Highness! Let me lead a team of Cavalry! I am confident we can annihilate those fallen eagles!"
Prince Huixin replied, "At this point, you can do whatever you want! Go!"
Wei Deputy, despite his injuries, led a squad of Cavalry charging towards Eagle Flock. The Eagle Flock had landed on a slightly elevated hill, making the ascent more laborious than usual, but it was still manageable.
Wei Deputy guided the Cavalry up the hill.
Prince Huixin shifted his gaze to the nearby battlefield, where the ground had cracked open, revealing numerous deep pits and clouds of dust. This was the aftermath of a clash involving magical artifacts; both sides were employing such weapons. Many had been blasted into the air only to fall back down, while others were buried beneath massive stones.
On the hill, as Wei Deputy and the Cavalry approached, the Divine Eagles spread their wings and took to the sky. Some Divine Eagles managed to escape into the air, but most were slaughtered by the Cavalry.
"They're finished!" a commander beside Prince Huixin exclaimed joyfully.
"They're still trying to counterattack; don't celebrate too soon," Prince Huixin replied calmly.
Most of the Divine Eagles flying above were shot down by Artifact Arrows, yet some continued to circle in the air. However, those remaining posed little threat.
Even though Prince Huixin's side held the advantage, he did not feel pleased. Too many soldiers had fallen alongside those Divine Eagles into the Underworld Passage. Prince Huixin disliked war, but he could not avoid such circumstances.
Despite the tide of battle turning in their favor, Prince Huixin knew many soldiers would not survive this day. The Cult from the Hall of Malevolence surged forward again, trampling over their fallen comrades as they approached with shouts.
"We must end this battle quickly; these are merely the first wave of enemies," Prince Huixin told his commander. "We cannot afford any complacency until we eliminate the Arbitrator."
The commander raised his voice, "Yes! I believe we will achieve final victory!"
Prince Huixin felt a sense of conviction as well, but he reminded himself not to become overconfident.
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