Ling Han and the others ascended the city gates one after another. This city was protected by a formation, and could endure Deity Transformation Tier attacks.
Purple Moon Empire’s banners were divided into two types. One was the country’s flag with a purple crescent moon drawn on it, and the other was the general’s flag with a male lion drawn on it. However, it had six legs, four wings on its back, and seven tails, looking extremely peculiar.
Ling Han, however, was shocked on the inside. He recognized this lion—an ancient divine beast, Mi Ang!
Chapter 685 - Purple Moon Heavenly Astral King
Translator: Reverie_ Editor: Henyee
With a divine beast as a family crest or clan emblem, that family was definitely extremely strong, or else how could they be worthy of using a divine beast as an emblem?
This was as if someone who clearly didn’t have the strength yet claimed to be “Sword Emperor,” or “Saber King”; they would definitely be given a sound thrashing. In the world of martial arts, people were very particular with regards to matters like this, and definitely weren’t allowed to mess around.
On the side five great sect’s side, that Shattering Void Tier elite leapt atop the city, and said, “Purple Moon fake empire’s general, come out to see this lord.”
“Hehe, a mere warrior at the third layer of the Shattering Void Tier dares to be impudent in front of this king!” With a long laughter, a fully armored man appeared. He rode on an extremely lofty beast, its hooves intertwined with flames, appearing amazingly divine and mighty.
Ling Han looked at that beast, and couldn’t help but reveal an astounded look because that beast was Nine Flames Heaven Treading Beast, a tenth-tier beast!
A tenth-tier beast was on equal footing with Shattering Void Tier elites; also, because the physiques of divine beasts were far beyond that of humans and could be said to be naturally cultivating physical arts concurrently, beasts had a greater chance of winning in a fight in the same tier.
However, such a powerful beast had now become a human elite’s mount… too astonishing.
Nine Flames Heaven Treading Beast advanced step by step, not very fast, but the aura it emitted was extremely terrifying, making everyone feel constricted as if their hearts were being squished to the point of bursting.
If the mount was so strong, then what about the master?
The man wore a silver mail on his body and a silver helmet on his head, but his face wasn’t covered, and his features could be seen, all filled with hale and hearty lines. His expression was calm as if he would still be able to support the heavens even if they collapsed.
“Who are you?” the Shattering Void Tier elite of the five great sects shouted, somewhat shocked by the other party’s powerful arrival.
“Purple Moon Empire’s Heavenly Astral King, Na Lan Tian Huang,” the rider said in a mild voice, yet it resounded in everyone’s minds, lingering for a long while.
The Shattering Void Tier of the five great sects snorted, and said, “How outrageous, to dare establish a nation on the vast lands. This is to go against the heavens!”
“Hehe, can you represent heaven and earth?” Na Lan Tian Huang said scornfully.
“This lord is Zhang Xiao Lin. Today, I represent the vast lands and send you all an ultimatum: immediately forsake darkness for light, and there’s still a slim chance of survival, or else you’ll be courting your own ruin!” the Shattering Void Tier elite of the five great sects shouted.
“Heh, you truly know nothing!” Na Lan Tian Huang sneered. “When this lord shook the whole world, your great ancestors were still somewhere drinking milk, and you dare be impudent towards this king!”
This arrogant tone!
Zhang Xiao Ling was obviously unable to suppress his anger, but he didn’t know the depths of Na Lan Tian Huang’s strength at all, and didn’t dare easily stir a quarrel. He snorted, and said, “An arrogant man will court his own death in the end.”
“Hahaha, this lord will spread out the army here, and attack the city in three days!” Na Lan Tian Huang said in clear bright voice, his voice rumbling like thunder. “At that time, those who lay down their weapons and kneel down in surrender can be spared!”
“In your dreams!” Zhang Xian Ling coldly.
While two great Shattering Void Tier elites were conversing, the rest of the people obviously had no qualifications to interrupt them, and with that said, the two sides came to a conclusion, no longer speaking.
Battle of the tongues was a psychological attack, a contest of imposing manner, influencing morale, so the two sides were obviously unwilling to be weak in manner.
“Fatso Ma’s subordinates are truly an assembly of the talented!” Ling Han was shocked. He’d only conjectured as such earlier, but personally witnessing it now, he finally dared to confirm that the Purple Moon Empire truly had Shattering void Tier elites.
Moreover, Na Lan Tian Huang wasn’t an ordinary Shattering Void Tier elite. Although his exact cultivation was unknown and his strength inapparent, being able to ride on a tenth-tier beast, could this not explain everything?
He gazed into the distance, only to see that Purple Moon Empire’s army formed a tidy battle array. A hundred thousand people formed a square, and each square was in good order. No one stood slanted, and even though Zhang Xian Lin let out Shattering Void Tier aura earlier, this army wasn’t at all shaken, displaying its frightening military discipline.
But as for this side, under Na Lan Tian Huang’s presence, many people shivered, already losing half their fighting spirit.
Without fighting, they’d already lost half the war.
Truly strange. Fatso Ma, a clown like that could actually subdue such a powerful subordinate, and this is only one of three great armies. The other two armies’ generals are probably not any inferior.
No wonder he dares to establish a country and even have the ambition of opening the skies… shockingly deep roots indeed.
Accordingly, shouldn’t Ma Duo Bao who bears the great responsibility of opening the skies be even stronger? Otherwise, without a tough enough physique, one can’t possibly endure the boost of a powerful power of the nation.
As expected, people shouldn’t be judged by their appearance. Who is Ma Duo Bao really?
Ling Han was more and more curious. If you didn’t understand someone, you could understand him through the people around him. The so-called things of a kind come together, and being able to attract an elite like Na Lan Tian Huang, could Ma Duo Bao be ordinary?
Purple Moon Empire’s great army began to construct its camp, preparing for the battle in three days.
The five great sects also convened an emergency conference. The dispute of the conference was whether to carry out a sneak attack at night today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, catching them unprepared.
“Nothing is too deceitful in war. This lord thinks a surprise attack should be launched tonight. Their great army had been constantly on the move, and tonight is definitely the moment when they’re the most relaxed,” a bigshot suggested.
… Being able to attend today’s conference, everyone was obviously an important person, and Ling Han was fortunate enough to participate because he was a Heaven Grade alchemist, who could be on equal level with Heaven Tier elites, and even Shattering Void Tier ones would give some face.
However, Ling Han didn’t have the slightest look of a Heaven Grade alchemist as Hu Niu sat on his lap. One adult and one child, the two of them happily cracked sunflower seeds, completely not caring about this extremely serious military conference.
“No, no, no, the other party intentionally put forth the period of three days, most likely already expecting us to launch a sneak attack in these few days. They’ll definitely set up traps, and we mustn’t fall for it,” someone objected.
“They tired after a long march, so how could they possibly have time to set up traps. This lord insists that this is the best chance to strike.”
“I insist on objecting!”
The people that attended the conference were divided into three groups. One proposed actively attacking, and one wanted to defend tenaciously; anyway, they had already laid out a formation in the city, so why not let the enemy charge into the formation?
The last party was neutral, reserving its opinion. However, neutral was just a nice way to put it—they simply didn’t have their own view.
Zhang Xiao Lin made up his mind to send an elite unit at night to carry out a sneak attack, testing the quality of Na Lan Tian Huang’s army.
Many people volunteered to participate in this operation, but Ling Han obviously declined. No kidding, he wasn’t going to throw his life in for the five great sects. Moreover, Na Lang Tian Huang’s strength was unfathomable, and his army was in a gallant array, clearly being an iron-blooded army. To go launch a sneak attack?
To die was more like it!
Not only did he reject to participate, but also made the Rain Emperor and the others not to get in on the action. It was better to see how the situation was in the great battle three days later.
Chapter 686 - An Invincible Army
Translator: Reverie_ Editor: Henyee
At night, under Zhang Xiao Lin’s guidance, a raid team composed of over three hundred people set out towards Na Lan Tian Huang’s camp stealthily, preparing to carry out a slaughter.
Although there weren’t many people in this team, their foundation was Spiritual Infant Tier, on top of over ten Deity Transformation Tier and Heaven Tier elites, with even a Shattering Void Tier elite leading it. It could be said to be extremely powerful, enough to destroy any force other than the five great ancient sects.
No matter what everyone thought, even if Na Lan Tian Huang was long prepared, facing such a powerful team, his army’s heavy casualties would be certain at least. Even if not, the raid team could still return in one piece.
However, when the dawn of the early morning appeared, Zhang Xiao Lin brought two Heaven Tier elites back in disarray into the city. Each one of them was ashen, and even had a sort of terror of being frightened to the bones.
They didn’t say a single word and went to their respective quarters, but in only half a day, a military order was issued for everyone to immediately retreat.
What sort of situation was this, only fighting a sneak attack battle and running off now?
But an order was issued by a Shattering Void Tier commander, so who dared to question, and who dared to object?
Instantly, the troop of ten thousand withdrew from the city, and retreated towards the expanse beyond the frontlines. While on the path of retreat, the truth of the matter on the sneak attack last night finally came to light.
One of the two Heaven Tier elites that survived had told his descendant, and this descendant just so happened to be a person that didn’t have tightly sealed lips; so, one person told ten people, ten people told a hundred people, and then everyone knew.
Last night, after the raid team entered the enemy’s camp, they were caught in an ambuscade.
Na Lan Tian Huang had long sent troops to wait for them, so this wasn’t a sneak attack, but rather a long-prepared-for fight in close quarters.
Zhang Xiao Lin sent out at least three hundred elites of the Spiritual Infant Tier, with the addition of a Shattering Void Tier leader. In contrast, on Na Lan Tian Huan’s side, they sent a ten thousand people in formation, but their strength on a whole wasn’t anything great. The strongest elite was only in the Spiritual Pedestal Tier, and the majority was only spiritual Ocean Tier warriors, while Na Lan Tian Huang actually wasn’t even the one providing support—the tenth-tier beast was.
No matter how it looked, Zhang Xiao Lin’s side should’ve had the absolute advantage, casting the beast aside. Any random Spiritual Infant Tier sent out could sweep away this ten thousand people’s formation, a matter as easy as the turn of the palm.
However, once the fight began, it wasn’t what happened at all.
The ten thousand people square array seemed to be on stimulants and had extremely terrifying battle prowess, effortlessly defeating the raid team. Zhang Xiao Lin was also blocked by the beast, and actually was at a disadvantage.
Fighting for only less than half a day, the raid team was almost completely wiped out. Zhang Xiao Lin saw that things were far from good, and barely rescued two Heaven Tier elites, escaping back to the city.
According to that Heaven Tier elite’s conjecture after the event, the ten thousand people unit used some sort of array to combine their strength together, and even received an extremely great boost so as to rival Heaven Tier.
This made the Heaven Tier elite shocked, because… the other party still had ninety-nine more such 10,000-people-big formations!
Too terrifying, this was completely a powerful all-conquering current. Who would be able to rival it?
Thus, they could only retreat; fighting was the same as courting death.
After Ling Han heard it, he couldn’t help but nod inwardly in recognition. No wonder Ma Duo Bao was so confident, so it turned out he grasped a powerful ancient array, and attacked with the battle array, like a troop of kings. Moreover, they also had the power of nation’s blessing, and that was probably the key to coalesce the array.
Focusing ten thousand people’s power into one whole, even though each and every one was only Spiritual Infant or Spiritual Pedestal Tier warrior, it was terrifying once combined together. On top of the blessing of the power of the nation, and even extracting some of Na Lan Tian Huang’s power, they possessed the power to sweep across Heaven Tiers.
This was only a ten thousand people army, and what if it were a hundred thousand people? One million people?
With the power of hundreds of millions of people combined, would there then be the possibility of splitting open the skies?
Splitting the skies, a country had to be founded.
Ling Han didn’t voice any particular opinion, and retreated along with everyone, but once they withdrew from the city, Na Lan Tian Huang launched a siege on the city.
With a Shattering Void Tier elite keeping watch, who could obstruct them?
The city was taken down. So long as everyone turned, they would be able to see that the flag atop the city was changed to the flag of the Purple Moon Empire, and it represented that this rising empire had seized another territory; its expansion couldn’t be stopped.
In only an hour, Na Lan Tian Huang’s army advanced once again, and set out towards the next city. It could be known through the communication stones that the other two armies on the other routes were also met with no resistance. Facing such an offensive, the five great sect’s coalition was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; how could they possibly block such a powerful current engulfing the lands?
The other two coalition armies’ fates were even more tragic. They launched an all-out sneak attack in an attempt to take advantage of the opportunity before the opponent found stable footing to annihilate the other party in one move, but in the end, almost no one from the ten thousand people army escaped.
In short, the coalition army mobilized by five great ancient sects was a joke, not even being able to hinder Purple Moon Empire’s advancement.
The news returned and the world was shaken!
At the start, who didn’t think that the Purple Moon Empire was a joke? But now that the three punitive expeditions were all crushed, the Purple Moon Empire instantly became greatly influential. This definitely was the strongest force other than the five great sects, an extremely terrifying thing.
Zhang Xiao Lin soon announced the disbandment of the coalition, and everyone returned to their own homes. The five great sects were going to conduct an emergency conference and sortie with the strongest soldiers to confront the Purple Moon Empire, ensuring the destruction of these “treacherous” outlaws.
Everyone had a load on their minds, and left one after another.
The Purple Moon Empire was truly too strong. Everyone had to wonder—if, by any chance, even the five gr
eat sects couldn’t stop them, could they only submit? They served for the five great sects at this time, would they suffer in the future when accounts were settled?
Pei, anyway, whoever was in charge of the world had nothing to do with me. I only need to live my simple life, why care about whether it was the five great sects that commanded respect or the Purple Moon Empire that claimed the throne?
Quite a few people decided not to care about the affairs of the world. Toss and turn however you guys want, I’m not caring anymore. When the time comes, I’ll go pay respects to whomever wins in the end.
The Rain Emperor and Mu Rong Qing both returned to the academy. They were going to continue to attract more talents and lay the foundation for founding a country, while Ling Han decided to go on a trip to the Purple Moon Empire. He had to see Ma Duo Bao as there were many questions that he needed the latter to answer.
By his side were still Zhu Xuan Er and Hu Niu. The three traveled lightly and turned towards Purple Moon Empire’s territotry.
A normal border obviously couldn’t block Spiritual Infant Tier elites, not to mention that Ling Han had the Black Tower in hand. As long as it wasn’t entering Purple Moon Empire’s imperial palace, he should be able to go in and out with ease.
After three days, they’d already ventured deep into Purple Moon Empire’s territory, but there was still roughly a twenty days’ journey from the imperial city.
At this time, the golden ship obviously came in handy, carrying them on their way. Ling Han and Zhu Xuan Er only had to take turns to control it each day.
Hong!
On the fifth day, Ling Han suddenly felt a warning premonition. After abruptly picking up Zhu Xuan Er and Hu Niu and flashing into the Black Tower, the golden ship was also instantly smashed into pieces, the fragments fluttering about.
Ling Han’s figure also surfaced and his gaze turned towards the sky. A slender middle-aged man could be seen standing in the air, his right hand still stretched out.
Apparently, he was the one who’d attacked just now.
Alchemy Emperor of the Divine Dao c1-1294 Page 354