Cai Rui's eyes darted around in confusion. He was now truly faced with a situation beyond the grasp of his understanding. His skill in flattery was useless when the situation turned against his expectations.Gandana, whom he had hoped would assist him, remained silent and entirely unreliable. The title of Grand Commander he had earned through sycophancy now turned into a double-edged sword.Cai Rui let out a long sigh. He stared at a scroll showing the map of the Shang Dynasty’s territory, especially the location of the barren hill, which was only half a day's journey from their resting place."Why are you silent, Commander!? Prove that I was not wrong in appointing you as Grand Commander to replace Wang Yihan," Emperor Zhu Feng snapped in frustration at Cai Rui's sluggish thinking."They already know we’re not far from the barren hill, Your Majesty. If we launch an attack now, we still have a chance to win. Our odds are the same as theirs. The barren hill is known for its extreme tem

"I know about that, Uncle. But the Sky Sword always causes destruction every time I use it," replied Fang An."Every sacred weapon has its own uniqueness, Fang An. You can't force the Sky Sword to have the same traits as the Demon Jade Sword. Even if it could, your opponent’s body wouldn’t be sliced in two—it would be completely obliterated. I once witnessed the Sky Sword’s power firsthand when your mother used it," Zhao Wen responded wisely. With age and the burden of leadership as the head of the Temple of Eternity, his way of thinking had naturally matured."Is that so?" Fang An nodded slowly. "Then what should we do now, Uncle?"Zhao Wen stared deep into the dark forest before answering, "I'm sure the army of the Ying Dynasty is hiding inside that forest. For now, let's return to the tent. If they don't attack by tomorrow, then the day after, we’ll be the ones to strike first.""Our army will attack them?" Fang An asked in surprise, as Zhao Wen’s suggestion strayed from the origin

Eight scouts were hidden in trees and thick bushes, and all of them had been detected through the energy they emitted. Although their energies weren’t particularly strong, to warriors like Fang An and Zhao Wen, sensing their presence was effortless.Fang An was assigned to eliminate three scouts hidden in the bushes, while the remaining five were perched on trees.With above-average speed, Fang An darted toward one of the scouts, stopping directly behind him. Without a sound, he grasped the scout’s head with both hands and snapped his neck.Crack!The sound of the breaking neck was faint in Fang An’s ears. The scout died instantly without a cry. The young man executed the kill coldly and emotionlessly. Compassion had no place when confronting tyranny—a mindset instilled in him by both his parents, who held similar convictions.Gently, Fang An laid the lifeless body on the ground, then launched himself toward another scout using his foot as a spring.Meanwhile, Zhao Wen moved nimbly up

“Hiaaaat!” Fang An shouted loudly.A bright bluish beam of light shot out magnificently, striking several tents at once.Blaaar!A loud explosion startled tens of thousands of soldiers who were still asleep. Shouts and screams filled the air as the soldiers who survived the massive attack cried out in terror.With a single strike, more than a hundred soldiers were instantly killed, their bodies destroyed. Those who survived mostly suffered severe burns as the raging flames consumed the tents.The fire spread rapidly due to the close proximity of the tents. The blaze grew larger by the second, forcing the remaining soldiers to flee outside in panic.“Fire... fire!” came the constant warnings. But moments later, an even louder explosion rocked the entire area.“We’re under attack... We’re under attack!” they shouted again, now with a different tone of urgency.Some soldiers, trying to maintain their composure, looked around in search of the assailant.One of them finally spotted Fang An

"How could they possibly get along, Uncle?" Fang An asked in surprise after approaching Wang Yihan.The sixty-year-old man smiled warmly at Fang An.“Through diplomacy, Fang An. That’s what I’ve done during my time leading the army of the Ying Dynasty. By rank, I was their commander, but on a human level, I was their friend. I learned from them, and they learned from me. We needed each other equally.”“Amazing, Uncle. I truly believe you deserve to be king of the Ying Dynasty,” Fang An replied, clearly admiring Wang Yihan’s mature mindset.“No, Fang An. I don’t want to claim what isn’t mine. There is Prince Zhu Wei, who will one day succeed his father, Emperor Zhu Feng. But he’s still a child.” Wang Yihan suddenly glanced around.“Where is he? I don’t see him here,” he continued.“Who do you mean, Uncle?” Fang An asked.“Emperor Zhu Feng. A soldier told me he joined this battle!”“That means he’s still in the forest. Let’s go!”Wang Yihan nodded. Before they left, he ordered Jaya not