Please be my partner.

After doing all this, Chi Chenglong came to the sword-wielding youth's side and exclaimed, "Third Brother, it's been a long time. You've gotten even stronger."

Liang Sicun turned around, revealing a gentle smile, and said, "Ninth Brother, you've worked hard."

Chi Chenglong gave a wry smile and said, "It's not so much hardship, it's just..."

Liang Sicun naturally understood what Chi Chenglong meant. His smile faded, and he said, "That's just how it is."

Chi Chenglong nodded and sighed, "Yes, for Master's sake, there's no other way."

Chapter 650 Procrastination and Divergence

The news of the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces capturing Yanshan City quickly spread throughout the world. Almost all the important figures who received the news found it unbelievable. They mocked the weakness of the Great Yu Dynasty and the stupidity of the border general, but few believed that the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces really had any strength.

Dayong and Xuerong's plan to attack Dayu continued smoothly without wavering.

The leaders of Dayong were even secretly pleased. They had originally thought that attacking Yanshan City would be a tough battle, but they did not expect the latter to be so weak.

Now, the Dayong army only needs to take advantage of the situation to conquer the three border states, and then use this as an opportunity to order Yanshan City to open its gates directly, which can reduce a lot of damage.

As for whether they can conquer the three border kingdoms?

The Dayong army never considered any other possibilities!

The original purpose of the three border states was to serve as a buffer zone. Now that the previous peace has been broken, there is no longer any need for this region to exist.

However, things did not develop as the Dayong army had imagined. Some unexpected circumstances dragged them into a quagmire.

The Dayong border pass is only a few dozen miles away from the nearest city of the three border states, but since when, this route has been shrouded in colorful fog.

After a simple verification, it was found that all of these fogs were poisonous fogs. Not to mention ordinary people, even martial arts masters with full energy would become dizzy and lose their ability to move after a few minutes due to poisoning.

Even if a martial arts expert forcibly disperses the poisonous fog, more poisonous fog will follow.

More importantly, the poisonous fog contains countless poisonous insects of all kinds, from mosquitoes and flies to snakes and frogs. They are impossible to kill or drive away completely, and if you are not careful, you will be contaminated.

The march of a large army is not like that of other armies. Even if the vanguard of Dayong is composed of elite troops, it would take them most of the day to march quickly across these dozens of miles. For ordinary soldiers, even with various antidotes, they would definitely not survive this journey.

Compared to Dayong, Xuerong faces much more direct troubles.

If Xue Rong wanted to attack Dayu, the best route would be through the Great Grassland. The Great Grassland has few tribes and a scattered population, essentially serving the same purpose as the three border kingdoms. However, in reality, the tribes on the Great Grassland are actually closer to Xue Rong.

Once upon a time, the Snowdrifts were a powerful tribe on the grasslands. Later, as they grew stronger, they established a powerful empire.

In the past, Xue Rong had good relations with various tribes on the Great Grassland and also had the idea of ​​subjugating the entire Great Grassland. However, because Dayu was also doing the same thing and was wary of the influence of Tianshan Sect and Tian Shaman, it had always been in a state of balance.

Now that Dayu is in disarray, this presents an excellent opportunity for Xue Rong.

After entering the grasslands, the Snowflakes army planned to unite with the friendly tribes and bring the area under their complete control in a short period of time, severing all of Dayu's tentacles.

As for that Heavenly Shaman?

Xue Rong believed that he would make a rational choice.

But then, something happened that Xue Rong never expected.

Not long after the army entered the grasslands, it was subjected to a series of... 'attacks'?

Dozens of robust, mad bulls with their tails on fire charged the army; during their march, they suddenly encountered hidden tripwires or pit traps; or even a dozen or so tribesmen on horseback fired a few arrows at them from a distance, then turned and fled...

Although these 'attacks' are not a big problem, it's like having dozens of flies buzzing around your ear just as you're about to fall asleep—the irritation is enough to drive you crazy.

They kept the Edelweiss army firmly tied down on the grasslands.

When the skilled members of the Snowflakes army captured and interrogated some of the attacking tribesmen, they learned that they had launched the attack because they had received orders from the 'God'.

This made the Snowflake Army immediately realize that all of this was probably related to that Heavenly Shaman.

…………

While both Dayong and Xuerong were bogged down because of Mellen's prior arrangements.

Outside the capital city.

Faced with the towering cloud pillar that blocked the capital, the hundreds of thousands of troops from the four cities tried various methods but were still helpless.

At this very moment, chaos began to emerge within the Great Yu Kingdom, the fall of Yanshan City, and attacks from Dayong and Xuerong... all sorts of news came in quick succession.

After a brief discussion, the generals decided not to wait futilely here, but to leave only tens of thousands of troops behind, while the rest of the army went to suppress the unrest in various parts of the Great Yu.

But just as hundreds of thousands of troops were preparing to split into several routes and set off...

A blurry face suddenly appeared on the towering cloud pillar. The next moment, a wisp of celestial power overflowed from the cloud pillar, sweeping directly across the front of the army and carving out a deep trench that stretched for thousands of meters.

This miraculous scene terrified the Acropolis army into silence.

A majestic and vast voice resounded: "You lot, I have memorized your auras. If you dare to leave, you will die!"

Although Mellen's words were vague, the generals and martial saints in the army looked at each other with grim expressions, knowing that this was a warning from Mellen.

If they cannot step forward, the Great Yu will inevitably become increasingly chaotic, eventually reaching a point where the situation becomes completely intractable.

However, faced with this unimaginable miraculous scene, these martial saints and generals dared not cross the line. Some of them might not be afraid of death, but they did not want to die in vain.

Shangjing, interior.

The mighty national destiny transformed into an illusory golden dragon, crashing against the thick black clouds in the sky.

A martial saint roared angrily, "How dare you! Facing the suppression of the entire Great Yu, you still dare to be distracted by other things?"

In the clouds, Mellen sat cross-legged, arcs of electricity crackling around him, and chuckled, "Faced with the suppression of the entire Great Yu? You still don't understand the situation?"

The Martial Saint snorted and shouted, "Meren, I admit your strength is beyond imagination, even surpassing the legendary Three Great Martial Saints of the world, but so what? You're already at your limit, aren't you? How long can you maintain this celestial power? A day?! Half a day?! Or an hour?!"

"And the depths of my Great Yu are beyond your comprehension! Hmph! Who is truly clueless about the situation?!"

Mellen nodded slightly, agreeing, and said, "The foundation of the Great Yu is indeed quite good, and it is also thanks to your efforts that I have been able to succeed so smoothly."

As he spoke, the aura emanating from Mellen became sometimes chaotic and sometimes clear, and the surrounding star map gradually blurred, with a new star faintly appearing to be rising.

An elderly martial arts master was shocked and exclaimed, "Impossible! You...you're using my Dayong to hone your martial arts?!"

The essence of martial arts, in the final analysis, is still the spirit, energy, and vitality. And the spirit, energy, and vitality fluctuate. When a person's mental will is highly concentrated, the spirit, energy, and vitality may be elevated to a state far beyond the ordinary.

In many novels and stories, it is not uncommon for the protagonist to break through in battle and kill powerful enemies, all of which are based on this characteristic.

Indeed, this is true. After a fierce battle, a martial artist can often greatly improve their strength, which can all be attributed to the spirit and energy that are elevated beyond the limit during the battle.

However, such cases are ultimately isolated incidents. Those who deliberately pursue breakthroughs in battle as a matter of course, like the protagonists in novels, either die or are crippled.

As for Mellen, he happens to have this condition.

The previous martial arts journey, coupled with several years of accumulation, has allowed Mellen to gather enough martial arts wisdom. He is not far from unlocking the last two divine treasures of the Wudang Holy Body. It can be said that all aspects are satisfied, and only the final grinding is needed.

This display of power over the entire capital city is putting some pressure on Mellen's current capabilities.

It was precisely this pressure that Mellen perfectly transformed into motivation, and under the impact of this month, the 364th Divine Treasure was successfully opened.

Sensing the renewed surge of Mellen's aura and the increasingly powerful celestial force, the martial saints in the capital all showed expressions of disbelief.

"Roar!~"

A colossal phantom wolf emerged from the clouds, its sharp claws tearing and easily injuring the Golden Dragon of National Fortune. After a brief struggle, the Golden Dragon of National Fortune was torn into several pieces by the giant wolf, dissipating into specks of light.

This blow weakened the overall national fortune of the Great Yu Dynasty, and its impact was far more complex than what we see today.

After Mellen displayed overwhelming power, all the major and minor factions in the capital fell silent.

After a long while, Prince Jing appeared under the protection of two martial saints. He looked somewhat haggard, and in fact, he had not been doing well during this period.

As a member of the royal family who had once been close to Meron, Prince Jing was targeted by the emperor shortly after Meron sealed off the capital. The emperor directly ordered him to be imprisoned, and all his powers were naturally stripped away.

At that time, King Jing was actually resentful. He had once helped and thought highly of someone, but that person had brought about his own death. Anyone would feel the same way.

But as time went on, the wind direction gradually changed.

At first, even though Mellen showed unimaginable strength, Da Yu was still confident in dealing with it, so it always showed a tough attitude and there was absolutely no possibility of negotiation.

But now that Meilun has truly demonstrated the strength to suppress the entire Great Yu, some people have immediately changed their mindset, softened their hardline stance, and even released Prince Jing, who had been under house arrest, in order to use his connection with Meilun to talk and see if there was any possibility of reconciliation or any misunderstandings in between.

King Jing's expression was complicated. He stared at Mellen for a long time before speaking, "Mellen, I believe I have treated you well, and the Wind Chime Pavilion has also helped you a great deal, haven't I?"

"Indeed," said Murren calmly.

King Jing asked, "Then why do you treat my Great Yu like this?!"

"Naturally," Mellen said, "it's for a greater purpose."

"A greater goal?" King Jing pondered for a moment, then laughed angrily, "Very well! For your ambition, you're willing to disregard even our past friendship?!"

Looking at Prince Jing, Mellen said calmly, "If I didn't care about our past relationship, I wouldn't have just besieged Shangjing!"

King Jing's expression was unpredictable, shifting between light and dark.

Mellen's gaze swept across the capital, lingering briefly in the direction of the imperial palace, before he continued, "I intend to create a new era. Because of you, the Gongsun family (the royal family of Dayu) can also have a place on this ship that carries the new era. As for whether or not to seize this opportunity, that is your own choice."

As soon as Mellen finished speaking, King Jing's expression changed slightly; in that instant, he thought of many things.

The two martial saints guarding Prince Jing's body changed their expressions drastically. One of them suddenly revealed a ruthless look and was about to attack Prince Jing, who was standing close by, but was stopped by the other.

The man who made the move shouted, "Elder Lu, you..."

The Martial Saint surnamed Lu's eyes flickered constantly. At first, he acted subconsciously, but later he realized something and firmly protected Prince Jing behind him, saying, "Brother You, this is no longer something that you and I can decide."

The martial saint surnamed You roared, "You surnamed Lu, have you forgotten the Emperor's cultivation of us?"

“Cultivation?” The Martial Saint surnamed Lu sneered: “We outsiders are only in a cooperative relationship with the Great Yu royal family. If we are to express our gratitude, we should thank the Great Yu royal family, not any individual.”

"Alright, what happens next is no longer something we can decide from our perspective. If a decision needs to be made, it should be left to the Great Yu royal family."

Although the martial saint surnamed Lu said this, his actions have already shown his inclination.

In this short time, the dejected look on King Jing's face vanished. Although he was still somewhat haggard, the demeanor he exuded was no less than that of the two martial saints who were secretly clashing.

King Jing first bowed deeply to the Martial Saint surnamed Lu to express his gratitude, then stood up and said calmly to the Martial Saint surnamed You, "You, do you intend to interfere in the affairs of my royal family?"

The martial saint surnamed You paused for a moment, remained silent for a long time, then cupped his hands and said, "I dare not."

After saying this, the Martial Saint surnamed You flew towards the palace without looking back. As a confidant of the Emperor of Great Yu, he had to report what had happened here as soon as possible.

King Jing ignored this and instead chatted and laughed with the martial saint surnamed Lu in a gentle manner.

The imperial family of Dayu, and even the entire capital, were thrown into turmoil by a single sentence from Mei Lun.

…………

Meanwhile, in the borderlands and on the vast grasslands, Dayong and Xuerong's armies also chose different strategies.

In the remote borderlands, a martial saint from the Dayong army led an elite squad to forcibly break into the poisonous fog, intending to find the source and behead it.

Even if searching is difficult in the poisonous fog, this team can force their way through the fog to reach the heart of the three border kingdoms. After all, the poisonous fog is inextricably linked to the latter, and striking at the heart of the enemy is a good option.

On the vast grasslands, martial arts experts from the Snowflake Army formed teams that roamed outside the main force, hunting down any tribesmen who tried to approach.

While this could not completely eliminate harassment from the grassland tribes, it greatly alleviated the soldiers' tension and significantly accelerated their march.

It should be noted that the primary objective of the Snowflake Vanguard Army was to take advantage of the chaos in Dayu and capture the border of Dayu, thus paving the way for a larger-scale offensive in the future.

As for the tribes on the grasslands, they were dealt with by a large army from the rear.

Chapter 651 Obstruction and Control

A team suddenly emerged from the poisonous fog. They cautiously surveyed their surroundings before finally breathing a sigh of relief once they were completely certain it was safe.

A lieutenant asked the leader, the Martial Saint, "Lord Zhao Jian, what should we do next?"

Zhao Jian glanced at the team and said in a deep voice, "First, take stock of the casualties. Are the detoxification pills sufficient?"

The lieutenant gave his subordinate a wink before saying, "Sir, we still have quite a few detoxifying pills left. They're fine for ordinary poisons, but they're a bit tricky against the complex poisons used by the forest tribes that attacked us in the poisonous fog."

Zhao Jian's face darkened, and it looked even worse after the casualties were confirmed.

The team consisted of 500 men, all elite and valiant soldiers. However, after passing through the poisonous fog area, 63 men were left there forever, their bodies never to be brought back. Another 100 or 200 men were poisoned to varying degrees.

Zhao Jian paused for a moment, then finally said, "Leave a small group of people to take those who are severely poisoned to a place to recuperate. The rest of you will continue with me to the nearest city. I want to see what kind of tricks this little border region can pull!"

Although the troops suffered some heavy losses, there was no need to worry about morale. With the Martial Saint in charge, they were confident of defeating even enemy troops of several thousand or tens of thousands.

Zhao Jian led the team for a while, then suddenly stopped. In front of them were soldiers lined up in neat rows, numbering at least five thousand.

At the front of this group was a young woman, whose beauty was exquisite and whose military uniform added to her heroic bearing.

Wan'er smiled and said, "So it is the Martial Saint Zhao Jian who has arrived. The name of the Nine Provinces Alliance is renowned, and Wan'er has long admired it!"

Zhao Jian asked in a deep voice, "Knowing it's me, you still dare to block my way? You've got some nerve! State your name, I, Zhao, don't kill nameless ghosts!"