Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

At dawn, the golden, mist-shrouded formation slowly disappeared under the morning light...

This was the moment when Yuan Shao's army completely annihilated Sun Jian's army.

"My lord!!" The formation disappeared, and Dian Wei, Taishi Ci, and Huang Zhong revealed themselves. As soon as they saw their lord Lin Mu, they ran over.

A look of shame appeared on the faces of the three men... They had actually been trapped by a formation, three peak-level Divine Generals of the Ninth Rank. How humiliating!
"Thank you for your hard work. You did nothing wrong on this trip," Lin Mu said, waving his hand.

He then told the three of them about the [Heavenly Martial Military Formation].

"So that's how it is. I never expected Sun Jian to have such methods," Huang Zhong exclaimed.

"It means they were too busy escaping to pay attention to us. If they had more time, they might have used this formation to wear us down and then surround and annihilate us," Dian Wei remarked after experiencing the formation.

This formation clearly incorporates the martial arts and humanistic power of Sun Jian's troops. If all of Sun Jian's troops were here, they could enter the formation and encircle and annihilate them.

“Sun Jian probably doesn’t have many of these kinds of props… but we still need to be careful.” Lin Mu nodded.

"Let's go, let's begin our two plans." Lin Mu led the group away from the palace.

On the way, Lin Mu told Liu Dai, Kong Rong and others about their situation.

Their primary target is Kong Rong!

Kong Rong commanded a million soldiers, but some were lost along the way, and others were used as logistical support, leaving him with less than 500,000 soldiers capable of fighting.

The Nine Suns Legion and Thunder Legion lying in ambush in the Great Wilderness Territory are more than capable of handling them. In terms of high-end combat power, it's an overwhelming situation.

So the problem isn't too big, but we need to consider the far-reaching consequences of any small action.

He couldn't scheme and plot like Yuan Shao; he had many more things to consider. If it were Yuan Shao who had just taken control of Youzhou, Qingzhou, and Yangzhou, without any territory, he wouldn't have had so many concerns. He would have acted decisively, frantically increasing his fortune and territory.

Youzhou and Qingzhou are surrounded by Bingzhou, Jizhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and other states. If the impact is too great, the Great Wilderness territory may face the armies of the feudal lords on more than a dozen fronts.

With four or five more lines in Yangzhou, the pressure is unimaginable.

In fact, the pressure he is under now is no less than the pressure he faced after becoming queen.

Yuan Shu in the south will definitely cause trouble, Yuan Shao in the north will also stir up trouble, and Cao Cao in the central region might also jump out... Dong Zhuo in Chang'an will not let him go either, and all kinds of pressure are coming.

If his scheme against Kong Rong were to be exposed now, the pressure he faces would increase exponentially!

That's why Lin Mu didn't dare to scheme against the various warlords.

Bao Xin, Zhang Miao, and other minor figures could be easily dealt with. However, the Great Wilderness Territory did not make any plans for this, for fear of having too great an impact.

Fortune and honor are found in danger, and in order to gain control of Qingzhou more quickly, Kong Rong had to take control!

The reason for this was that he had too few troops.

In particular, the system cities they occupy cannot transfer the Daoist troops, the Great Wilderness Xuanwu Guard, which greatly reduces the strength of the Great Wilderness territory when expanding its territory.

……

Under the cover of darkness, Liu Dai led his remaining troops and quietly left the imperial palace camp, heading north at breakneck speed.

On the evening of the third day, he led his troops through the palace gates. Without stopping, they continued their journey north.

Along the way, they saw many people shouting and yelling in the ruins of Luoyang, seemingly digging for meteorites. They walked past them, but the people paid them no attention, as if they were being manipulated by something, focused and unaffected by external forces, which was very strange.

Even though no one stepped forward, Liu Dai knew in his heart that this trip was extremely dangerous. He not only had to be wary of the schemes of Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and other warlords in Guandong, but also had to guard against the "hunter" hiding in the shadows striking again.

The latter is more likely to happen!
As for Qiao Mao, although he had sent someone to explain the situation, without the support of food supplies, he was already on edge and seeing threats everywhere. Qiao Mao, Kong Rong, and others needed to be on guard!
He has no friends left... As for Lin Mu, he might be the 'hunter'... so they can't contact each other anymore.

He made three preparations. The first was to borrow grain. He asked Qiao Mao, Kong Rong, and even Yuan Shao for grain.

If we can borrow it, that's much easier and safer. If we can't borrow it, then we have to implement a second plan: robbery!
Whose piece should we steal? No need to say more, we'll steal Qiao Mao's, since he's also a piece on the chessboard!
In the process of grabbing, we might be able to devise something even more!

How could he not want to improve his ranking on the list of all the feudal lords of heaven and earth...?

The third option was to retreat and return to Yanzhou. Of course, returning via the same route was impossible.

His planned route was to head south to Huanyuan Pass, the formidable defensive pass of Luoyang, and then through Huanyuan Pass to Yangcheng County in Yingchuan Commandery of Yuzhou, which is close to Huanyuan Pass.

Then they took the teleportation array in Yangcheng County back to the Yanzhou base camp.

"Pass on my order: the entire army must accelerate and reach the inner city wall of Xuanwu in three days! We will rest after we reach our destination!" Liu Dai reined in his horse and whispered to his adjutant beside him.

"promise!"

The temporary camps of several feudal lords were located north of Luoyang. It was there that his provisions were robbed.

Although he knew that returning to this place was extremely dangerous, he had no choice but to take the risk.

Three days later, at dusk, Liu Dai, who had not encountered any ambushes along the way, finally arrived at the Xuanwu City Wall.

After passing through here, you'll reach the outer city area, and beyond that, you'll find the Luoyang city wall.

The soldiers had been marching at a rapid pace and were exhausted. After settling down, the only sound in the entire camp was snoring.

But Liu Dai, as the lord, dared not rest. This was also the most dangerous time!
However, nothing unexpected happened overnight.

This finally allowed him to rest in peace.

Five days later, Liu Dai led his troops on the road again...

Kong Rong, Qiao Mao, and others followed behind. Although they were not as eager as Liu Dai, they still rested less and traveled more.

……

While the warlords of Guandong were in turmoil, Dong Zhuo, who was still on his way, received the report immediately.

"Wenyou, just as you predicted, the Guandong Coalition has begun to fall into internal strife." Dong Zhuo laughed heartily, his face full of smiles.

He was attended to by six stunningly beautiful concubines, which made him feel extremely comfortable and relaxed.

"Congratulations, my lord! Now Han Fu, Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian and others have all bowed to you, and Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are also inclined to bow down. The Guandong Coalition is no longer a threat!" Li Ru said calmly.

It turned out that the warlords who had withdrawn from Luoyang and returned to their own bases had all contacted Dong Zhuo.

They are not stupid; they know when to do what.

They swore an oath of blood at Suanzao Temple, vowing to kill Dong Zhuo and restore order to the world. At that time, they wished they could devour his flesh and drink his blood.

Now, they've turned around and pledged allegiance to Dong Zhuo...

Han Fu, Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian, and others were not fools; they possessed some political acumen. Their outward flattery of Dong Zhuo was merely a facade. As long as their troops didn't accept his incorporation, they maintained their personal safety and territory. Anyone can put on a show.

At this time, Dong Zhuo needed to put on a show, and everyone readily agreed.

Therefore, Dong Zhuo not only did not pursue the responsibility of the blood oath, but also gave them a little bit of benefit, a win-win situation!
“Sun Jian… Hmph!!! He schemed against me when he left Luoyang, saying he wanted a marriage alliance, but I never expected it was to protect the Imperial Seal.” Dong Zhuo’s face turned ashen upon hearing the name Sun Jian.

He ordered the Flying Bear Divine Army and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry to help Sun Jian, but Sun Jian stabbed him in the back instead!

The Imperial Seal of the State—something he had been searching for for months—had finally appeared, only to be taken away from Luoyang by Sun Jian.

When Sun Jian said he wanted to join him, he was very excited and believed Sun Jian's words without considering anything else, thinking that Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were joining forces to deal with Sun Jian for his own good.

At that time, Yuan Shao and others were very strict in controlling the flow of information, and the news that Sun Jian had obtained the Imperial Seal of the State did not spread.

After Sun Jian fled, Yuan Shao and others secretly spread the information.

Sun Jian has already left the palace and may have already left Luoyang. He may be taken away from Sili and taken to Jingzhou!
"My lord, do not worry. Our spies have reported that Yuan Shao has contacted Liu Biao, Liu Yao, and others, preparing to intercept and kill Sun Jian and seize the Imperial Seal of the State."

"My lord, we can also contact Gongsun Zan and others who have pledged allegiance to us, and ask them to help us seize the Imperial Seal of the State," Li Ru suggested.

"Very well, go and make the arrangements. Whoever retrieves the Imperial Seal and hands it over to me will be promoted and made rich! If Gongsun Zan and his ilk manage to retrieve it, they will be appointed as General of Chariots and Cavalry, a second-rank official, and granted the title of Marquis!" Dong Zhuo shouted in a deep voice.

"promise!"

And so, an epic mission was born.

Li Ru not only mobilized the feudal lords, but also launched a legion of supernatural beings who were affiliated with them. Even Lin Mu, Ji Beiqin, Jiang Chenglong and others received mission information.

Lin Mu ignored him, because he simply didn't have the time to chase after Sun Jian.

Unlike Liu Dai and Qiao Mao, Lin Mu and his group, who were traveling light, were much faster. While Liu Dai was still resting on the inner wall of Xuanwu, they had already arrived at the northern city wall of Luoyang.

"Our lord's plan to use the extraordinary individuals to excavate the meteorite is truly ingenious. Not only does it spare the soldiers from facing danger, but it also allows them to serve as a mobile force, maintaining combat effectiveness. A mere spot to learn a Xuan-level cultivation technique is worthless," Huang Zhong remarked.

The more people learn the Zhou Tian Transport Technique, the more beneficial it will be for Lin Mu.

"We don't need to worry about the meteorites. With such a generous reward, there will surely be brave men. They will clean up all the meteorites in the entire city of Luoyang," Lin Mu said with a faint smile, looking at the players who were still pouring in.

As the news spread, the troops in Luoyang City were no longer limited to those of Beitang Xueji, Beiqin, Jiang Chenglong, and others; the largest group gathered there were actually individual players.

They had been waiting for an opportunity near Luoyang.

Now the opportunity is coming!

By simply digging up a meteorite over ten zhang in length, one can exchange it for five learning slots in the Profound-Rank cultivation technique, the Zhou Tian Teleportation Technique. Keep in mind, once learned, it's not only usable in the real world, but also synchronized with the mythical world. Its value is self-evident!

In short, news of the limited spots for learning the Meteorite Dialogue Technique has already spread among players.

Even wealthy players from other districts have started remotely controlling the market, directly offering bounties for meteorites or exchanging huge sums of money for the skill learning slots that players obtained from Lin Mu.

Lin Mu's recent offer to exchange these skills has caused a sensation among players. They practically wished a rain of meteorites would fall from the sky, instantly snapping up all the available spots for learning the cultivation techniques Lin Mu had...

After resting for a while, the group descended the city wall and disappeared outside the city...

……

The residence of the prefect of Linxiang City, Changsha Commandery, Jingzhou.

Sun Jian's half-brother, Sun Jing, had a very solemn expression on his face and hurriedly walked to a large hall.

Seeing the crowd gathered in the hall, Sun Jing walked silently to the head seat.

"Is everything packed?" Sun Jing turned around and asked the crowd in a deep voice.

"Everything's packed... Youtai, what exactly happened? Is someone forcing us to leave again?" a still-attractive middle-aged woman asked calmly. This woman was Madam Wu.

Lady Wu, wife of Sun Jian and daughter of Wu Hui, bore him four sons: Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, and Sun Kuang. She was an important figure in the establishment of the Sun Wu regime during the Three Kingdoms period.

“A major event has occurred, a major event that could either propel our Sun family to great heights or bring about its demise!” Sun Jing declared firmly.

"My elder brother sent me a message, telling me to make sure my relatives were taken care of."

“Brother has a premonition that the enemy will attack Changsha!” Sun Jing said calmly and in a deep voice.

"Therefore, in order to ensure that my elder brother has no worries, we must leave the prefect's mansion..."

"Alright, you can make the arrangements." Madam Wu gently hugged the young Sun Quan and said in a deep voice, she could trust Sun Jing unconditionally.

Afterwards, under Sun Jing's calm command, everyone began to evacuate in an orderly manner and disappeared from public view.

After working for a while, Sun Jing returned to the prefectural governor's mansion.

Others could hide, but he couldn't. He needed to stay in Changsha, stabilize the situation, and wait for his brother Sun Jian to return as much as possible.

Fortunately, Sun Jian's vigilance paid off. On the second night after their evacuation, tens of thousands of black-clad men with cultivation levels at least at the Yellow Rank martial general level surrounded the prefectural governor's mansion, then quickly and precisely entered the residence to begin abducting people.

There were people at each destination, and they quickly completed their plan.

The shouts of battle ceased after about an hour...

However, kidnapping people from the prefectural governor's residence was only the enemy's first tactic.

Afterwards, an army of over a million began to gather around Yiyang City in Changsha County, preparing to attack the city.

Outside Yiyang City in Changsha Prefecture, banners blotted out the sun, and a murderous aura filled the air.

The leading general, clad in black armor and wielding a long spear, was none other than Cai Mao, a general under Liu Biao, who had been ordered by Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo to intercept Sun Jian and seize the Imperial Seal of the State.

Both Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo offered Liu Biao great rewards, forcing him to take the matter seriously.

They spent a huge sum of money to send their soldiers to a city near Yiyang in Changsha County, Wuling County, via teleportation array, and then rushed over without stopping, preparing to conquer all of Sun Jian's territory.

Sun Jian had already subdued, defeated, or driven out most of the clan forces in Changsha, stabilizing the situation within the prefecture. Therefore, the only option was to attack from the outside.

Behind Cai Mao were the elite Jiangxia soldiers of Jingzhou, each with fierce eyes and an imposing aura.

Their goal was to capture Yiyang City, then advance straight into Linxiang City, seize the seat of Changsha Commandery, and sever Sun Jian's power base.

"General Cai, the vanguard battalion has succeeded, capturing 182 people!"

(Only one update today, I've been a bit busy, sorry!) (End of Chapter)