Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

Pang Hai is dead.

You received his remains, life extinguished, as frail as paper.

[Even a gentle touch would shatter it; it's far superior to anything beyond the reach of a celestial being, and even ordinary body tempering practitioners.]

[He was simply an ordinary person with no cultivation whatsoever.]

A celestial being descended to the mortal realm, and was slain by a sword.

[You sighed inwardly, your emotions complex—touched, sorrowful, regretful, but above all, resolute.]

[Hai Zi, if it doesn't work this time, I'll take you to try again next time!]

On the city wall of Xiangyang, the remaining several thousand soldiers and two or three generals were all covered in blood and riddled with wounds.

Even if it was congenital, it was covered in scarlet red flesh and had a wide mouth.

Even rapid recovery from injuries requires effort, and what is consumed is life force.

Excessive depletion will drain life force and lead to death.

[It is evident that the soldiers of the four realms of innate strength have all fought to their limits.]

They stared intently at Pang Hai, who was contained within the magical artifact.

Despite days of fierce fighting and heavy casualties, they never even flinched.

But at this moment, my eyes welled up with tears.

You stand proudly before Pang Hai's remains, raising your hand in a gesture of respect, your dark blue robe billowing in the breeze.

"Send this off to the young marshal!"

[The clanging of armor clashing, the trembling of clasped fists, and the resounding thud of a knee hitting the ground.]

"To the young marshal!!!"

The voices of thousands of soldiers and generals echoed powerfully throughout Xiangyang, reaching every citizen and filling them with sorrow.

The enemy soldiers from Qi and Wu displayed complex emotions; some, caught up in the atmosphere, couldn't help but bow.

One, two, three...

[Above the city walls, below the city walls, formations stand...]

[Regardless of friend or foe, this is a tribute to the young marshal.]

The Battle of Xiangyang concluded with the death of Pang Hai and the severe injury to Xiang Che, bringing the pen to a close.

[The Qi army sounded the retreat on Fan Li's orders.]

There will be no further developments until Xiang Che's situation is determined.

Chen Chao remained firmly in his position; with his good brother dead, he naturally intended to inherit his legacy and take over Xiangyang and the entire Chu state.

Then avenge his brothers.

He didn't act rashly; Xiang Che's situation was very strange.

He was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for the Qi army to reveal even the slightest weakness before opening his bloody maw and biting down with his venomous fangs.

[Qi army central tent.]

Fan Li's expression was gloomy, his gaze increasingly cold and sinister, his heart heavy with anxiety.

After being brought back, Xiang Che entered the central tent and sat silently in the commander's seat.

[Head bowed, hair disheveled, face obscured by shadow.]

Gone is the former overwhelming power and destructive might; the tyrannical might and awe-inspiring presence of a hegemon are nowhere to be seen.

Fan Li observed this.

All I felt was a sense of defeat, loneliness, dejection, and gloom.

These emotions, typically reserved for the cowardly and weak, were emanating entirely from Xiang Che.

He pondered for a long time and came to a vivid conclusion.

Xiang Che's bones were broken.

[These are not bones, but the indomitable spirit of the human heart.]

"What happened?"

He too saw Pang Hai's blade, felt the indomitable will within it, and was deeply moved by his act of profoundly demonstrating his unyielding spirit.

Xiang Che looked up, his face blank, his eyes vacant.

[Even when meeting Fan Li's sinister gaze, they instinctively looked away.]

This scene struck Fan Li like a thunderbolt; he was terrified, pale, and stood frozen in place.

Is this... is this still Xiang Che...?

[Fan Li, unusually emotional, strode forward, grabbed Xiang Che's shoulder, and stared intently down at him.]

"How could this happen!"

He roared darkly, his expression twisted and ferocious, the veins on his hand gripping his shoulder bulging, his knuckles white.

Xiang Che remained silent, even shrinking away from his hand as if startled.

Fan Li froze, slowly releasing his hands, which fell limply to his sides.

[He seemed to have instantly transformed from the Grand Commandant of Qi into a lonely, desolate old man.]

His back was unconsciously hunched over, like an old dog's.

If Chen Chao could see this scene, he would surely be glad he had foresight; this was truly something filthy.

The two figures inside the tent seemed frozen in time: one squatted with his head bowed, the other stood hunched over.

[A moment later, a clanging sound rang out, and a cold, ruthless military force swept through the tent.]

[This frightened Xiang Che, causing him to hug himself even tighter.]

[Fan Li, having just recovered from the shock, hurriedly staggered back a few steps, staring at Xiang Che with terrified eyes.]

"What kind of bizarre and evil spirit is this!"

Their eyes were wide open, filled with lingering fear and vigilance.

Hearing someone call him a "ghost," Xiang Che raised his head, looking innocent and frightened.

[Fan Li looked at this "ghostly thing," and made this expression with the imposing and majestic air of a tyrant.]

His face darkened, and his eye twitched.

"Overlord..."

He forced himself to calm down.

But when he spoke, his hoarse, deep voice startled Xiang Che, causing him to tremble and hug himself tightly.

Fan Li opened his mouth.

"Cough cough... Overlord... Overlord~"

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he still couldn't suppress the cold, hoarse voice that was only suited to croaking.

【"well……"】

In the end, only a long sigh remained as he sat beside Xiang Che.

Xiang Che glanced down and subtly shifted his position.

Fan Li frowned and leaned closer: "Your Majesty, explain to me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiang Che silently shifted his position again.

Fan Li: "..."

No one knows what Xiang Che, the Hegemon-King, and Fan Li, were discussing in the central command tent tonight.

The following day, Grand Commandant Fan Li emerged with a frighteningly grim expression and immediately mobilized his army to attack the city!

[And a massive figure, fully clad in armor, even wearing an iron mask, with slightly drooping shoulders.]

He secretly threw her onto the battlefield.

The drums thundered, iron hooves trampled the ground, armies arrayed themselves in battle formation, and the aura of clashing swords and clashing horses coalesced into a military force capable of crushing cities and shattering mountains.

The soldiers and officers of Xiangyang City coldly observed the scene before them.

The terrifying killing intent and military might did not affect their minds in the slightest.

The seed of resilience has been planted and taken root.

Even if the heavens and the earth were to collapse, we would never waver.

You changed into white clothes. Pang Hai was an orphan, without father, mother, or relatives. You were one of his only three family members.

Inside the city gate tower, besides Pang Hai's coffin, there was another one.

That's what you prepared for yourself.

"Hai Zi, the passive meaning of 'surviving a great calamity' is used here, so I guess I've accompanied you through the whole journey."

【escape.】

This word has never crossed your mind.

[“Prophecy,” “Hidden Clues,” “Master of Intelligence” – “Predicting the Enemy”…]

You have enough cards to play and a backup plan.

Although the states of Qi and Wu will not let you go and will relentlessly pursue you, the only true threat is the Celestial Beings.

Therefore, if they truly wanted to retreat, they were 90% certain of escaping the predicament of the Chu state.

But you cannot back down.

Just like that country lane, when you have to choose between left and right.

[This was just a simulation, and it was merely a passive "survival of a near-death experience," a feigned death.]

Moreover, besides surviving a disaster, what else could "surviving a great calamity" mean...?

[There's also the ability to turn lethal attacks into one's own.]

[You possess "sword bones," which barely managed to prolong the transformation of your innate physique. Coupled with your advanced age and declining vitality, simply maintaining your current state is already a feat.]

Therefore, this is necessary both for the sake of accelerating subsequent cultivation and for testing the "surviving a great calamity" attribute.

You need to complete this plan.

That's right, it was the moment the domineering, awe-inspiring golden light appeared on the horizon at dawn.

The plan has already been formulated.