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"Crack!"
The sound of the Battle Blade tearing through armor and flesh was eerily strange, echoing throughout the Gorge, accompanied by the even louder cries of the slaughtered Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry.
As an outstanding general of Wang Li's Army and a descendant of the brothers Montain and Meng Yi, who once held the power of life and death in the Great Qin Empire, Meng Jun was unable to withstand even a single strike from Xiang Yu. He was pierced through the throat and met a tragic end in the Gorge. With Meng Jun's death, the entire Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry lost all morale. These defeated troops, already forced into a panicked retreat by Ye Yang's army, had no strength left to resist Xiang Yu's Overlord Cavalry, becoming mere lambs to be slaughtered under their blades.
...
The screams echoed endlessly as the massacre continued for two full hours. Finally, forty thousand Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry lay dead beneath Xiang Yu's Battle Blade, their bodies cold.
A mournful wind blew through the Gorge, as if lamenting this horrific slaughter. Yet this was war; there were only winners and losers, life and death—no mercy. If Xiang Yu spared these men, they would inevitably become a great enemy once the Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry regrouped. Thus, no one was at fault; it was simply the way of kings that their paths must be paved with blood.
"General!"
Ying Bu, clad in formidable armor, clasped his fists and said, "The Qin Army has been wiped out. That kid Ye Yang actually showed mercy to the enemy and did not kill them; it's truly laughable. What should we do next? Should we bury these Qin Army corpses or burn them on the spot?"
Xiang Yu, holding his Tiger Head Dragon Spear, gazed towards Eastern County and replied, "No need. Let the wolves and tigers devour these corpses. The area is desolate now; there are no civilians here. Their bones will be washed by wind and rain, and their sins and shame will be washed away in time. May they be reborn without ever serving Tyrant Qin again."
"Yes, General! What shall we do now?"
"Withdraw immediately. Zhang Han has a keen nose; we must not let him catch our scent here. Hmph! We will retreat at full speed within two hours back to Giant Deer Camp. Prepare ships; within the next half month, we will settle this score with that old thief Zhang Han. I will take his head to avenge my uncle!"
"Yes, General!"
With the thunderous hooves of the Overlord Cavalry echoing behind them, Xiang Yu's army swiftly retreated.
...
Half a day later, at Chu Army's Giant Deer Camp.
"Hahaha, that was exhilarating!" Xiang Yu raised his cup and drank the fine wine, laughing heartily. "Father, I led twenty thousand Overlord Cavalry to the Azure Cloud Mountain Range. As you predicted, Meng Jun's forty thousand remnants were in disarray, and my troops ambushed them. In the end, we trapped them in the Gorge to the east of the Azure Cloud Mountain Range. By now, their bodies must be cold!"
At the table, Fan Zeng held a turtle shell and sighed deeply. "Yuer, we should not be overly optimistic about this battle. Although you have eliminated a major threat by slaying forty thousand Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry, have you considered how elite those forty thousand were? With all their might, could you truly have slaughtered them so easily?"
Xiang Yu paused for a moment and replied, "I will win, but I will certainly suffer significant losses among the Overlord Cavalry."
"Indeed."
Fan Zeng nodded and continued, "That Ye Yang managed to decisively defeat Wang Li's One Hundred Fifty Thousand Troops with only seventy thousand men, and then used a flood strategy to crush five thousand Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry—this person is no ordinary figure. It is said that Ye Yang commands nearly ten thousand Vermilion Bird Knights, whose prowess rivals our Overlord Cavalry. Yuer, you must be cautious of Ye Yang. If you wish to achieve great things, he is someone you must eliminate; otherwise, he will surely become a calamity!"
Xiang Yu chuckled and replied robustly, "Father worries too much. Although that Ye Yang is clever, he has been fighting against Tyrant Qin's cavalry and seeks the welfare of the common people like us. Why do you think he is my enemy?"
Fan Zeng rose angrily and said, "Yuer, how can you be so blind to right and wrong?! Hmph! Your uncle Xiang Liang started his campaign from Kuaiji with this intention—to make you a person above all others. Hmph! Without the ambition of an emperor, how can you hold the position of the foremost commander among these lords?"
Xiang Yu furrowed his brow tightly and fell silent, seemingly pondering Fan Zeng's words.
Seizing the moment, Fan Zeng pressed on, "Your Majesty King Huai may be benevolent and righteous; however, he is easily swayed by petty individuals. Yuer, do you truly have no intention of becoming the ruler of the future world? Your Majesty King Huai issued an edict stating that whoever enters Guanzhong first shall be king. We have been at a stalemate with Zhang Han at Giant Deer for many days without victory. I am worried that Liu Bang will take advantage of this opportunity to enter Guanzhong first. Once he obtains the title of King of Guanzhong, he will undoubtedly enter Xianyang with legitimacy. At that time, even you will have to bow to him!"
"What?"
Xiang Yu's eyes widened in disbelief as he slammed his hand on the table. "There is no way I would bow to that insignificant Pavilion Chief! Moreover, Liu Bang is my sworn brother; I believe he would not act like a petty person. The main force of the Qin Army has always been under my control and defeat; I must be the first to enter Xianyang!"
Fan Zeng shook his head with a smile. "The hearts of men are unpredictable, Yuer. Liu Bang has capable subordinates like Zhang Liang and Xiao He in civil matters and Fan Kuai and Xiahou Ying in military affairs—one must remain vigilant. Additionally, that Ye Yang has taken control of Qi Land and established himself as a king there; he has caused Wang Li's army to flee in terror—such forces cannot be underestimated."
Xiang Yu nodded and said softly, "Father need not worry; Yuer will surely subdue these individuals one by one. For now, our most pressing concern is how we can defeat Zhang Han's army with overwhelming force. Zhang Han commands two hundred thousand troops in total along with Wang Li's forces—there are nearly three hundred thousand men altogether! Yet we only have a few tens of thousands of soldiers at our disposal; we must devise extraordinary strategies to achieve victory!"
Fan Zeng agreed wholeheartedly and cast a look of approval at him. "Yuer, you possess unmatched courage as well as great wisdom; why fear a mere Zhang Han? In the next battle, inspire your troops! You will undoubtedly achieve a great victory over Zhang Han without any concerns!"
"Mm!" Xiang Yu nodded heavily, sitting firmly in the command tent, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his thick brows furrowed.
...
Two days later, in the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, amidst the valley filled with corpses.
A large number of scavenging vultures circled in the sky. On the ground lay a sea of putrid blood and decaying bodies, a strong stench permeating the air. The bodies of forty thousand Pre-Qin Iron Cavalry soldiers were scattered throughout the valley, left to rot without anyone to tend to them. Many hungry wolves and wild dogs feasted on the corpses, but there was no competition among them, as there were simply too many bodies.
"Aw aw aw..."
A red-furred beast, a hyena, opened its bloody maw and gnawed at the neck of a fallen soldier, splattering pus and blood everywhere. As it ate, it emitted joyful sounds, its tail wagging happily.
"Thud!"
Suddenly, with a sound, a bloody arm burst from the ground, grabbing hold of the hyena's neck. With a sudden force accompanied by a crunching sound, the hyena's neck was crushed, and it fell limply. The ground heaved up as a ragged figure emerged from beneath the surface. It extended a long tongue to lick the blood from its arm, its face twisted and sinister as it cackled, "Hehe, the Soul Refinement Technique taught by Fire Plow Senior Brother is indeed remarkable. In just one day, I have already reached Starry Sky Level Two. My True Qi has become even more substantial; this is far stronger than the Fire God Technique..."
As he spoke, he suddenly soared into the air, floating about ten meters above the ground. He tilted his head back and let out an eerie roar followed by laughter. Blood-red mist spread around him as the corpses on the ground seemed to writhe. The rotting flesh transformed into streams of corrupt energy that flew towards him. In the next moment, countless decaying energies and dead Soul power were slowly absorbed into his body in an incredibly bizarre scene.
He appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself, closing his blood-red eyes as his skin transformed into patches of pale Scale Armor. The death energy and Soul Power rapidly enhanced his cultivation. This strange Soul Technique was indeed cruel and ruthless; even packs of hyenas and hungry wolves fled in terror from his extremely evil aura.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, his face contorting into an expression of extreme malice as he laughed maniacally: "Ye Yang, wait for me! I Peng Cheng will not die so easily. Your good days are numbered. The position of head of the Fire God Clan, the Fire God Fragment, and Peng Yue'er—all these belong to me Peng Cheng! They are mine, and I will take them back with my own hands!"
...
In Eastern County, at a certain place in the Lord's Manor known as Leaf Manor.
Butterflies danced as fragrance filled the air; rockeries stood tall while ripples shimmered across the lake's surface. Atop one green rockery stood a girl balanced on one foot at its peak. She stood majestically with her long hair flowing without wind. With her eyes closed, she immersed all her senses in the sound of the wind. Waves of energy rippled around her, making this place seem even more tranquil.
Only Yun Xiaoxi can cultivate here.
"Swish!"
A blue figure appeared on the nearby wall, revealing a young man holding a Sharp Sword. With sword-like eyebrows and dressed in an elegant long robe, he had a handsome face that exuded an Arrogant aura. He looked at Yun Xiaoxi from afar and suddenly raised his hand with a smile: "Sister Xiaoxi, it's been a long time since we last met!"
Yun Xiaoxi opened her bright eyes, glanced at him, and then smiled: "Oh, it's Senior Brother Li Hao. What brings you down the mountain? Didn't I hear you went to the secluded places in the southern border to cultivate?"
Li Hao, the top disciple of Serene Gate under Fox Moon, unfortunately had slightly lower cultivation than Yun Xiaoxi, which often led him to miss out on Fox Moon's favoritism. However, everyone in Serene Gate adored the clever little sister Yun Xiaoxi, and no jealousy had been reported.
Li Hao smiled: "It's still about the matter of the Twelve Relics. These artifacts are scattered throughout the Central Plains, and Master is very worried. So, he sent me to assist you in investigating the whereabouts of the Twelve Relics. If necessary, you can decide to collect them yourself. After all, allowing the Evil Beings to obtain these divine objects would be a desecration."
Yun Xiaoxi nodded: "Yes, so far I have only found two of the Twelve Relics. The others have no leads yet."
"Sister Xiaoxi," Li Hao said with a serious expression, "I heard that Ye Yang possesses two of the twelve relics by himself. I have something to say; I don't know if I should or shouldn't."
"Go ahead!"
"Ye Yang is a belligerent person. He started his uprising from Liang City, swallowing all the cities and counties of Qi Land. This guy has great ambitions and is definitely not a good person. How can you stay by his side?"
Li Hao showed a look of regret: "You are disappointing Master too much. When I descended the mountain, Master mentioned that Ye Yang is not the true chosen one. The ruler of the world recognized by us at Serene Gate is actually Pei County Liu Bang, illuminated by Ziweidi Xing. Therefore, Master wants me to tell you to leave Ye Yang. If necessary, kill him and bring back the two Divine Relics to Serene Gate."
"What?!"
Yun Xiaoxi trembled slightly, her beautiful face filled with astonishment: "How could Master possibly say such things? Zi Yu is a good person; I will never harm him or seize his artifacts."
"Hmph!" Li Hao snorted lightly: "Master predicted ten years ago that your talent is exceptional and that you are a rare genius for Serene Gate. Unfortunately, you cannot overcome your emotional ties. Now, for such a trivial person, you are actually going against Master's wishes? Sister Xiaoxi, you are truly disappointing!"
Yun Xiaoxi said with slight anger, "I do not kill Ye Yang simply because he is not the one who should be killed. I do not seize the divine artifact because it does not belong to our Serene Gate. What wrong have I done? What disappoints me is the intention of my master. How could she be so unclear about right and wrong? I must return to Serene Gate and kneel before my master to ask if this is truly her will!"
Li Hao sneered, "Xiaoxi, are you doubting that I am misrepresenting our master's decree?"
"No, Li Hao, I just..." Yun Xiaoxi hurriedly defended herself, already flustered and losing her composure.
Li Hao smiled lightly, "Xiaoxi, your heart is in turmoil. This Ye Yang is indeed not a good person. For your cultivation, I must eliminate him. You need not worry about the task of seizing the divine artifact; I will take care of it myself!"
Yun Xiaoxi was infuriated, tightly clenching her delicate fists as small ice spike energies gathered around her fists. Her beautiful eyes widened as she stared directly at Li Hao and said, "Senior Brother, can't you let Ye Yang go? I'm begging you..."
"Xiaoxi, you truly disappoint me. For a man, you have learned to plead?" Li Hao looked at her with disdain.
Yun Xiaoxi felt helpless, lowering her head and giving a faint smile. "Senior Brother, since you have made up your mind, then go ahead. If you can kill Ye Yang, then so be it. But don't say I didn't warn you—Ye Yang's strength is no longer what it used to be; he is now on par with me. However... rest assured, Senior Brother, if you are killed by Ye Yang, I will bring your body back to Serene Gate to apologize to our master!"
Li Hao's body trembled. "Junior Sister, you..."
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