I've announced that I'm destined to have many children, and my father has bestowed upon me

Above Blackwater Pass, the raging energy storm gradually subsided.

The epic battle that had lasted for three days and three nights finally came to a brief respite.

Above the sky, the ten once arrogant figures of the Great Xia Dynasty's retainers were now listless.

Each bearing their injuries, they transformed into streaks of light and retreated back into the Great Xia army formation outside the pass.

They dared not fight anymore.

Zhao Daoting, that madman, fights with his life on the line.

They were merely imperial retainers, paid to do their bidding; they never imagined they would lose their lives here.

As the aerial battle ended, the black tide on the ground slowly receded, leaving behind a devastated battlefield and mountains of corpses.

The soldiers of the Great Zhou let out a cheer as if they had survived a calamity.

"They've backed out! They've backed out!"

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

Amidst deafening shouts, the golden figure suspended in mid-air slowly descended and stepped atop the Blackwater Pass once more.

Zhao Daoting's black dragon robe was already tattered and covered with marks of swords and dried blood.

The golden imperial dragon aura intertwined with the black demonic aura, making him appear both majestic and sinister.

"His Majesty!"

Covered in blood, Li Qingcang strode forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

His armor was torn in several places, and a gruesome wound stretched from his left shoulder to his chest, deep enough to expose the bone, but he seemed to feel no pain.

Zhao Daoting didn't look at him, but calmly glanced at the cheering soldiers below and the Great Xia army formation that was regrouping in the distance.

"To the command post."

His voice was a little hoarse, and carried a hint of fatigue.

"yes!"

Li Qingcang stood up and followed closely behind Zhao Daoting into the temporary command post set up inside the wall.

The heavy curtains fell, shutting out all outside sounds.

Inside the command post, several generals were engaged in a heated discussion around a sand table. Upon seeing the emperor enter, they immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed in greeting.

"His Majesty……"

Zhao Daoting waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite. He walked straight to the head seat, as if he wanted to say something.

However, he had just opened his mouth.

"puff!"

A mouthful of scalding blood suddenly spurted from his mouth, splashing onto the huge sand table in front of him, turning the map depicting the mountains and rivers of the Great Zhou Dynasty into a dazzling scarlet.

The entire command post fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared in shock at the scene, unable to believe their eyes.

In their hearts, His Majesty fought against ten men single-handedly for three days without being defeated. He was a god descended to earth and an invincible symbol!

Well, it's not actually that sacred.

However, if Zhao Daoting cannot withstand the pressure, the Great Zhou will gain the upper hand in the high-end battlefield.

Then there was no possibility of defending Blackwater Pass any longer!

After all, Zhao Daoting is not only the only Dragon Transformation Realm expert here, but also the backbone of all the soldiers!

"His Majesty!"

Li Qingcang was the first to react, letting out a cry of surprise and rushing forward in three steps to support the swaying Zhao Daoting.

"It's alright."

Zhao Daoting raised his hand to stop him, and used his other hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His figure remained upright, but his originally powerful aura showed a slight, almost imperceptible, disorder.

"I underestimated the dynasty's strength."

Zhao Daoting slowly sat down, closed his eyes, and regulated the surging blood and qi within his body.

"Those ten old fellows are all very afraid of their lives. Not one of them dares to fight me to the death. They are all just going through the motions without putting in any real effort."

"Even so, the three-day battle has greatly depleted my spiritual power and caused considerable damage to my divine sense."

He opened his eyes, which were bloodshot.

"If it were to happen again, I... would undoubtedly be defeated."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the command post instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Li Qingcang's face was ashen, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and blood dripped from between his fingers.

"It's all my fault for being incompetent!"

He slammed his fist heavily against the pillar next to him, making a dull thud.

"Your Majesty has bestowed upon me top-grade cultivation techniques and martial arts skills, yet I have been unable to decipher the secret of the Dragon Transformation, and thus cannot share Your Majesty's burdens. I am guilty!"

To be honest, cultivation really depends a lot on talent.

For example, Zhao Daoting, after switching to cultivating the Great Dao Heavenly Evolution Scripture, combined it with the Nine Dragons Demonic Halberd.

They broke through in no time!

Looking at Li Qingcang again, he had also switched majors and worked hard.

However, he remained stuck at the Fourth Extreme Realm, unable to reach the threshold of the Dragon Transformation Realm.

Seeing Li Qingcang's remorseful expression, as if he wanted to atone with his death, Zhao Daoting shook his head.

"It's not your fault. Cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight."

"Moreover, I can still hold on."

Although his words were calm, his weakness was hard to conceal.

But how much of this weakness is real, and how much is fake?

Only the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who was scheming to rule the world, knew the truth.

Just then, a messenger rushed in excitedly, even forgetting to salute.

"Report!"

"Your Majesty, an urgent report from the capital!"

"His Highness Prince Wei has personally led 200,000 newly trained troops out of the capital and is rushing to reinforce Heishui Pass!"

Upon hearing this news, the previously oppressive atmosphere in the command post lifted, and several generals showed joy on their faces.

Only Zhao Daoting showed no joy on his face; instead, anger surged up.

"You bastard!"

He slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise.

"National war is dangerous, not child's play! What is he doing here, a useless cripple who can't cultivate, leading a bunch of greenhorns? Are they just going to their deaths?!"

"That unfilial son!"

He reprimanded her sternly, his chest heaving violently with anger.

It seemed to have aggravated his injury, and he couldn't help but cough violently.

However, the coughing motion looks like he's trying to mimic a smile!

Li Qingcang stood aside, looking at the furious Emperor, scratched his head, somewhat bewildered.

Is Your Majesty happy or unhappy?

He had a feeling that although His Majesty was scolding, there seemed to be something else hidden beneath that anger.

Is it pride?

Zhao Daoting ignored everyone's reactions.

Without saying another word, he took out a jade bottle from his pocket, poured out several pills that emitted a strong medicinal fragrance, and swallowed them without hesitation.

The powerful medicinal properties dissolved within his body, repairing his damaged meridians and consciousness.

Everything was unfolding according to his script.

Chen An has arrived.

The 200,000 new troops were secondary; what was important was:

As long as he arrives, that fairy from the Hunyuan Sect will surely follow him.

The bait is in place.

After acting for so long, it's time to wrap things up.

Zhao Daoting's breathing gradually calmed down, but a cold and crazy flame ignited deep within his bloodshot eyes.

Lu Tianlong!

This time, I will make your Great Xia Dynasty pay the price for your arrogance!

I will use your life, the life of an emperor of a dynasty, to exchange for a hundred years of peace for my Great Zhou!

He slowly clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked repeatedly.