Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

Boom! Boom! Rumble—!

The explosions in the first area were just the beginning.

It was like a lit fuse that instantly ignited the entire earth.

Countless streaks of fire shot into the sky, forming a rolling sea of ​​fire.

The terrifying shockwave tore hundreds of soldiers and their horses to pieces, then hurled them high into the sky, where mutilated limbs and charred remains rained down like rain.

Screams, howls, and the mournful neighing of warhorses were instantly drowned out by the deafening explosion.

Wu Zhong, positioned at the rear of the army, stared in disbelief at the hellish scene before him.

The ferocity and smugness on his face had been completely replaced by a deep-seated fear and bewilderment.

What is this...?

Is it divine punishment?

Wu Zhong's proud 50,000-strong army was wiped out in large swaths before his eyes.

The ghost guards around Elder Zhao reacted quickly, immediately using their bodies and internal energy to form a barrier, protecting him and Wu Zhong.

Even so, the onslaught of heat and shockwaves still made their blood boil.

Elder Zhao didn't look at the soldiers who had died tragically. He stared intently at the epicenter of the explosion, a look of shock appearing on his face for the first time.

What kind of tactic is this?

He had experienced countless killings, but he had never seen such a mind-blowing war scene.

After an unknown amount of time, the explosions finally stopped.

The once flat wilderness has now become a scorched earth riddled with countless huge bomb craters.

The 50,000-strong army was now in complete disarray.

Countless wounded soldiers howled and rolled on the scorched earth, with severed limbs and broken bodies scattered everywhere.

The surviving soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons, their faces blank with utter disbelief. Some even turned back and fled in panic.

Wu Zhong's mouth was agape, and he seemed to have lost his soul, falling off his horse with a thud.

"General!"

A soldier cried out and tried to help him up, but was stopped by a withered hand.

"Let him lie down, he's terrified, standing up will only get in his way."

Elder Zhao looked down at Wu Zhong, his voice icy.

He walked straight to a scorched crater that was still emitting black smoke, then squatted down, picked up a piece of charred iron that was deformed by the explosion from the edge of the crater, and sniffed it.

Sulfur, saltpeter... and some other things I don't recognize.

"No fuse required, triggered by pressure, area-of-effect damage..."

Elder Zhao muttered to himself, his mind racing.

If this thing is deployed on a large scale, what use will the Great Xia's most prized iron cavalry charge be?

What use is an indestructible heavily armored phalanx?

So-called elite troops are nothing more than a bunch of pigs waiting to be slaughtered in the face of such weapons!

That kid named Lin Mo actually possesses such a deadly weapon that could change the course of the war.

This matter has gone far beyond the scope of investigating the disappearance of Ghost Seven.

A glint of excitement flashed in Elder Zhao's eyes.

The Third Prince's grand ambitions may be ushered in a completely new era because of this discovery.

He suddenly raised his head and looked in the direction of Blackwind City, as if he could see through dozens of miles to the person who created all of this.

It seems I've caught a big fish this time!

"Retreat...retreat! All troops retreat!"

Just then, Wu Zhong finally regained his voice.

He scrambled to his feet, like a terrified madman, pointing back the way he came and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"It's a trap! It's an enemy trap! Run!"

His roar only exacerbated the army's defeat.

Snapped--!

A crisp, loud slap.

Elder Zhao swung his fist back and slapped Wu Zhong so hard that he spun half a circle on the spot and sat back down on the ground.

Wu Zhong covered his burning face, completely stunned.

"Fuck your troops!"

Elder Zhao's voice became sharp and violent, losing all trace of his former reclusive master demeanor.

"Withdraw the troops, withdraw the troops, and then what?"

The few captains and generals who had survived by sheer luck were about to echo Wu Zhong's words when they heard this and were all stunned.

"Go back and tell the Third Prince that his 50,000-strong army was frightened away by the 'divine retribution' of a ruined city?"

"Or should we tell him that you lost nearly ten thousand men without even seeing a glimpse of the enemy, and then fled back like dogs?"

Elder Zhao turned around, his cold gaze slowly sweeping over everyone. With each word he spoke, the faces of those generals grew paler.

"Do you think your heads are enough for the Third Prince to chop off?"

The chilling words instantly jolted the terrified generals back to reality. Yes, going back like this would be certain death!

"Elder Zhao, but... but we can't stay here any longer! They've clearly set up an ambush!"

"What if the enemy launches an attack on us now! We..."

A general spoke, his voice trembling.

"madness."

Elder Zhao coldly interrupted him.

"If they really had an ambush, they should have charged when our formation was thrown into disarray. But what have we done now?"

He pointed to the desolate mountains and fields around him.

"They haven't shown up at all. What does that mean?"

"This means...they're outnumbered and can only resort to these insidious traps to...scare us away?"

A general, struck by inspiration, blurted out...

Elder Zhao's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, a smile that seemed to be both approval and mockery.

"Now, think again about what this is."

He held up the twisted piece of iron in his hand.

"To privately develop such a large-scale weapon of war, and to openly bury it on the official road to ambush the imperial army... According to the laws of our Great Xia, what is this called?"

"To...treason?"

One of the generals understood perfectly and uttered two words.

These two words instantly exploded in the minds of all the surviving generals like a thunderclap!

They understood instantly!

The nature of this matter has completely changed!

It was no longer a personal feud between Iron Wall Pass and Black Wind City, but had escalated to a treasonous crime that threatened the very foundation of the nation!

"A remnant of a fallen border town, yet he holds a weapon of mass destruction capable of altering the course of the war. What is he plotting? He wants to rebel!"

Elder Zhao's voice carried a bewitching magic.

"Therefore, from this moment on, you are quelling the rebellion for the Great Xia Dynasty! You are eliminating a major threat to His Majesty!"

"Think about it, once you succeed, capture Lin Mo, seize the manufacturing method of such a divine weapon, and present it to the imperial court, what awaits you?"

Elder Zhao's words were like a powerful stimulant, piercing deep into Wu Zhong's heart.

The rebellion was quelled, and the rebellion was suppressed—this was an incredible achievement!

That's right!

Although the explosion was terrifying, the other side was clearly trying to scare them off with these traps!

As long as we can find a way to get through this damned minefield and reach Black Wind City, that ruined city will be a piece of cake.

When the time comes, capture Lin Mo, and wealth and glory will be within your grasp!

What do those who died matter?

What nonsense about Lin Mo, what heavy casualties—in the face of the words "promotion and advancement," they are all just stepping stones to be trampled underfoot!

Wu Zhong jumped up from the ground as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

His face, which had been deathly pale with fright, was now flushed red with extreme excitement and greed.

He felt like he had come back to life again!

He shoved aside his personal guards, regained his commanding presence, and roared with all his might.

"Pass on my orders!"

"The entire army must retreat three miles and set up camp! Seal off all roads! Not even a fly is allowed to escape!"

"I will make sure that brat Lin Mo has nowhere to escape!"