You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

The estimated loss is several hundred members of their families.

If he keeps causing trouble, he'll run out of manpower.

"Damn the Great Qian people, they've already planned it all out, trying to force me into a decisive battle." Looking around, he noticed a weak point in the fire. "The fire here isn't big enough... it should be to the north."

The smoke and the darkness made it difficult to discern directions, but one could easily spot where to retreat.

Weird.

It was a deliberate leak that created a breakthrough.

The enemy set fires in several other directions of the forest, causing the flames to converge here, so that either you are burned to death or you can break through.

Breaking through would mean attacking the towering southern city-state under these conditions.

The city, which was captured by the elite Imperial Guard and the High Priest's personal command back then, has now been fortified again. Are we going to rely on these small fry to fight it again? Now is not the time to boost the enemy's morale; a decision must be made.

"attack."

At the command of the takin tribe's leader, all the tribesmen charged north at full speed, disregarding the flames.

The clansmen, carrying out the order to attack, rushed towards the southern plateau.

Most of them were still burning, clearly showing torchbearers running through the night sky, drawing a line of fire across the grassland.

It looked as if a comb was brushing across the earth.

The battlefield was now as bright as day; even the moonlight broke free from the dark clouds, its frosty white illuminating the earth and, together with the starry sky, overlooking the magnificent and frenzied scene of galloping across the city walls.

"Roar!"

The frenzied sounds reverberated in one's mind, blending into the howling of ghosts and wolves carried on the wind.

"The general's judgment was spot on. Luckily, we made it onto the city wall," the adjutant said with lingering fear.

A direct confrontation with the frenzied clans might backfire and result in more harm than good, while the Great Qian army is currently well-rested and ready. The enemy has already left behind countless corpses, which have been burned to ashes during their advance. "It won't be that easy. Prepare to meet them head-on. The main battlefield will likely be the city walls."

"ah?"

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Xingyao suddenly thrust his spear into the darkness, piercing right through a blue-feathered monster, killing it instantly. Its last eyes were filled with shock; it hadn't expected its opponent to be so fast. How did it do that? Little did it know the vast difference in their psionic abilities.

General Daqian must be a hero and powerful figure who has awakened his spiritual energy, and he is fully equipped. Ordinary infections are meaningless to him. In addition, his battle-hardened martial arts skills make dealing with mere crazed kin a piece of cake. Even special infected individuals cannot withstand a single round. His strength has increased further in recent years of fighting in the south and north, so of course he has nothing to fear.

"Be on guard!"

After learning from the example of the Feathered People, the Daqian Army reacted immediately. Their subsequent aerial attacks on the city walls all failed, as if they had run right into a formation of spearmen.

They were strangled to death before they could even struggle.

The first wave of surprise attack was broken, but Shen Xingyao showed no joy on his face.

"These guys have evolved."

Without using ladders or siege towers, they scaled the city wall directly, moving incredibly fast with both hands and feet. It almost made people think they were some kind of ibex, capable of moving at a 90-degree angle. Most armies would panic and lose their composure in such a situation, but the elite troops of the Great Qian Dynasty maintained an orderly and efficient resistance.

They used long spears to accurately pierce the enemy, or arrows to shoot at them in quick succession.

The goal is not to inflict damage, but simply to intercept.

So one unlucky one after another fell, howling as they crashed into their companions, making the scene even more chaotic.

The initial assault on the city walls, which should have been a swift and decisive move, was becoming increasingly slow.

The takin leader was so anxious that he scratched his head and looked at the towering South Plain city wall with a fierce glint in his eyes.

The multi-layered walls and meticulously designed crossfire system allowed it to effectively engage even enemies agile and mobile, so any attempt to outmaneuver it resulted in failure and continuous losses. "Fire!"

Shen Xingyao resorted to his old trick, setting fire to the base of the city wall, turning some of the clansmen who were planning to dig tunnels into torches. What a joke! That's how we stormed in back then. Didn't we know to guard against this? Don't try to teach a fish to swim.

Moreover, the southern plateau is now protected by multiple sections of city walls and barbicans, so digging tunnels or digging into the base of the walls would be ineffective.

As a general, he could only try to besiege such fortresses.

"That guy is too eager to succeed, which is just as good."

The leader's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on the city wall. He swiftly threw a spear, which stuck firmly into the wall. "Destroy it!"

The Daqian soldiers couldn't break it with arrows or long spears; the arrows were too deeply embedded.

Just as they were about to take further action, they found that the leader had thrown out a few more spears, and he himself had leaped up on the spears and reached the city wall in just a few jumps.

It seemed to descend with a wave of energy, causing tremors in all directions.

The surrounding Daqian soldiers involuntarily took a step back, but Shen Xingyao remained unfazed, his hand gleaming with silver light—Ping!

Sparks flew atop the city wall as a hunting knife swept away a spear.

Although an inch longer means an inch stronger, the leader was most skilled with this weapon and could easily control the point of force to deflect it. Even so, his wrist went numb and vibrated so intensely that it made a buzzing sound.

Isn't that a bit presumptuous?

He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed some of his family members had followed, otherwise facing the general and his guards alone would have been extremely difficult. "Let me see what the Great Qian General is capable of—"

Faced with the provocative laughter, Shen Xingyao did not respond. Instead, he flicked his spear, scattering starlight so fast that he disappeared into the night sky without even leaving an afterimage, while at the same time, the sounds of clanging and banging rang out.

The response was good.

Unfortunately, the leader still had bloody holes in his shoulder and waist, but that wasn't the most critical issue.

Logically speaking, the body of a member of a clan should not be easily shaken by some injuries. However, a purifying power continuously seeps into the wound, constantly dispelling the negative energy.

"Could it be a weapon imbued with psionic energy?"

"You would never understand, thanks to the blessings of Heaven and the High Priest."

Having experienced being possessed and controlled before, Shen Xingyao was more familiar with this power and used it with ease. Soon, the next offensive began, his spear flashing like a dragon, his swift, accurate, and ruthless moves overwhelming the enemy wave after wave.

So fast!

Caught off guard, the leader parried repeatedly, but after several exchanges in an instant, his arm went numb. The two exchanged blows, their swords flashing like fireworks.

They were both wounded, and their armor did nothing to stop their attacks, yet they continued to attack relentlessly, their passion running high and their blood boiling.

The attacks are getting faster and faster.

The two sides fighting on the city wall involuntarily parted to make way, allowing a gust of wind to rage back and forth, stirring up blood and carrying away corpses. Was this the power a human could unleash? It had already transcended the realm of humanity. The veterans couldn't help but recall the deathmatch between Feng Tianyin and Song Yan years ago—it was so similar!

The situation gradually became clear: Shen Xingyao's martial arts skills were ultimately superior, inflicting more damage on the enemy. Even though the leader tried his best to block, he was still seriously injured. "You won't live past tonight. Be free."

He gritted his teeth and said, "It's not over yet, you better open your eyes wide."

Before he finished speaking, the corrupting power of the surrounding clans began to gather, continuously concentrating on the commander... Buzz!

A pure, purifying force completely blocked it, even annihilating any energy that dared to escape into the air. "How is this possible? What are you doing?"

The leader stared wide-eyed, clearly witnessing the priests' coordinated purification covering an area of ​​dozens of meters. With Shen Xingyao blocking his way, escape was impossible; it was a desperate struggle for survival.

"I had already figured it out. You're an impatient and reckless man, it was easy to predict."

"Go to hell!"

The leader, wielding a hunting knife, slashed out in a fit of rage, only to have it snapped in two by the spear. The attack was perfectly timed, demonstrating that the opponent had controlled the pace from the very beginning.

The Great Qian Dynasty sought a controllable victory to ensure safety. In that instant, a purifying light illuminated the night sky, dispelling pollution! Thump!

The clan leader, who was kneeling on the ground, was still struggling and baring his teeth and claws, but Shen Xingyao drew his sword and beheaded him with a snap.

Moments later, the charred, headless corpse of the takin tribe chief lay on the city wall, his body emitting smoke and hissing sounds. It wasn't burns, but rather the purifying power's rejection of the contamination within his body, ultimately resulting in his death. The priests quickly wrapped the body in special cloth.

It will still be useful later; it can be used as research material. Once it reaches Xiayi, you won't be able to cause any trouble.

As for the head, of course it must be returned.

Holding the enemy's head, Shen Xingyao ordered sternly, "Pursue the victory, leave no one alive, and resolve this pollution outbreak tonight."

Yes, sir.

Even before the Great Qian army could further expand its gains, most of the monster kin had already gone mad, running around in all directions, some even grabbing at the walls and howling like ghosts, creating utter chaos. At this stage, they were nothing more than a group of ignorant puppets.

They lack any sense of self and merely obey orders; once they are no longer in command, they become leaderless.

Don't miss out.

Under Shen Xingyao's command, the Daqian army acted swiftly and decisively, eliminating the monsters that had climbed the city walls. The remaining monsters were dealt with outside the city, leaving no survivors. They still retained their instinctive resistance.

But it's futile against well-organized elite troops; they crumble at the first charge, becoming lambs to the slaughter in a frontal assault, falling one after another. Even releasing pollution won't work, because purification is everywhere.

No, it's even more thorough than that.

The area covered by the Nanyuan Temple is immune to all poisons. At this moment, the magic array within it is operating at high frequency, and there is no flaw that can be penetrated.

From the very beginning, the Great Qian Dynasty employed a meticulously organized and highly efficient operational system. As Shen Xingyao stated, it was simply beyond the comprehension of a mere mindless madman.

Reason is the weapon of normal human beings, and it can be used effectively under the protection of the natural order.

It was less of a pursuit and more of a cleanup operation.

Click!

Monsters of the same kind kept falling to their deaths; none could withstand a single blow.

They were once unfortunate barbarian tribes, corrupted and turned into walking corpses. Now they can finally be freed. With the cooperation of the Daqian army and priests, they have completely disappeared and will never be able to cause trouble again.

The outcome of this battle is already decided.

Shen Xingyao, who was on the city wall, witnessed the whole process and breathed a sigh of relief. It was very dangerous, and only the commander knew how troublesome the variables were.

He seems to have a complete grasp of the situation and is incredibly insightful, but in reality, he's just been calculating a lot.

He has too many things to consider.

The general, letting out a long sigh, leaned against the city wall and gazed at the defeated and perished of his clan. At the same time, the city lord, Cheng Feng, followed behind him and solemnly bowed. "Congratulations on the great victory. I will also praise you in my letter to the High Priest. You have saved the Southern Plains."

"You flatter me, it's all what we should do."

"Yes, after this battle, everyone will understand that the Great Qian is the truly reliable protector. On the other hand, other city-states may be able to barely protect themselves, but they cannot create victory."

"Indeed, people always gravitate towards victory, and the High Priest will surely take action."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

In any case, the phase of the mission has been completed, and all that remains is to see how the temple reacts.

In addition, there's a ritual to worship Heaven on the Southern Plains, since it's His faith that protected everyone; otherwise, they wouldn't have escaped the fate of contamination. Therefore, the ritual is naturally part of the ceremony, and also serves as publicity for the surrounding area. It would be even better if Heaven could witness this victory.

I don't know.

Xia He did indeed witness the system log report, which described the events in detail and included clips of the battle.