Another year passed in the blink of an eye.

In the fifteenth year of Xinglong, as the winter snow melted and the weather grew warmer, the floating ice on the riverbed outside Shangjing City completely melted into flowing water.

Zhao Zhen, aged and nearing his end, wrote an imperial decree.

[The Realm Must Return]

Four simple words. The armies of Da Xiang rapidly mobilized. Within half a month, they all reached the Borderlands.

Combined with the 150,000 troops already guarding the Frontier Pass, nearly 400,000 soldiers gathered at the border.

Events began abruptly!

The thunderous sounds of the marching army filled Heaven and Earth. Carrying the Blood Fiend Energy, they advanced fiercely toward Western Xiao.

In less than half a day, Yongning City, Western Xiao’s main fortress at the Frontier Pass, fell.

The army of the Prince of Xiang entered its territory, rested briefly, then expanded outward in all directions—unstoppable!

Within half a month, the Prince of Xiang seized three cities in succession. Military morale soared.

…

At the royal court of Western Xiao.

Preparations were made in mere hours; troops were ready to march!

300,000 troops headed east toward the Frontier Pass to fight for victory!

His Majesty of Western Xiao drew His Majesty’s Sword. Clad in golden armor, his warhorse snorted under him.

Shang Lu gripped his Long Saber, surveying his vast army.

The pounding of hooves was constant.

“The Prince of Xiang harbors wolfish ambitions! He invades our Western Xiao!”

“This path is perilous; we may never return. But if we falter now, soon his iron cavalry will trample Western Xiao! Humiliating our people, abusing our kin! Even if fear pierces your heart, raise your blades and charge! Face death without regret!”

Shang Lu lifted his Long Saber, shouting: “I am your sovereign! On this march, I share your life—and your death!”

“On this eastern march!”

“Our blades will drink blood! We will crush the enemy!”

After his words,

An earth-shattering roar erupted from tens of thousands of voices together:

“Blades drink blood, crush the enemy!”

“Blades drink blood, crush the enemy!” 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

With morale surging, Shang Lu in golden armor on his warhorse declared coldly:

“Move out!”

The full force of Ximing’s 150,000 troops marched east.

Simultaneously, armies from across Western Xiao mobilized, rushing to the Frontier Pass at maximum speed.

300,000 troops in total, marching together unto death!

…

“KILL!!!”

Shouts of slaughter rose from beneath the city walls.

A strategist beside the General watched the scene and said, “General, we cannot win this battle. If we don’t retreat now, it will be too late…”

The General’s brow furrowed deeply. He turned, glaring at the strategist.

The strategist flinched, quickly bowing his head.

The General gripped the sword at his waist tightly. “Evacuate the city’s civilians!”

“This General would rather die than retreat!”

“Either fall dead upon the battlefield outside! Or die before these city gates!”

The battle had lasted days. Only a few thousand soldiers remained in the city, mostly wounded. Outside, 50,000 Xiang Army troops lay siege. Victory was impossible now.

But Dongyu City was vital. It connected several military camps inside Western Xiao. If this city fell, reinforcements would struggle to assemble.

Even if they perished, they must hold until reinforcements came!

“This Dongyu City is a truly tough nut!”

Seeing this, the Xiang Army commander in his tent decided not to delay any longer.

“Deploy more troops! This General will seize Dongyu City at once! Anyone delaying will face execution!”

The Xiang Army’s attacks intensified drastically.

“THUD…”

A log ram thudded heavily against the city gates.

Each impact sent clouds of dust flying.

Behind the gates, several hundred soldiers strained desperately to hold them.

“Hold! Hold!!”

During this stand, countless soldiers collapsed exhausted before the gates.

When one fell, another instantly took his place.

The violent impacts shuddered up their arms, rattling their very bones and organs. Some spat blood. Others screamed hoarsely.

Countless lives entrusted to them rested on their shoulders.

“Fire arrows!”

Arrow rain filled the sky, plunging into the city.

Corpses lay everywhere. Beacons burned atop the City Tower, thick smoke billowing at every corner.

Enemy troops scaled the walls.

Weapons clanged against weapons!

Blood drenched nearly every surface of the City Tower. One soldier, with his final breath, drove his spear into an enemy’s chest.

“You bastards!”

His roar was lost as blood sprayed over his face.

The exhausted soldier fell immediately. Moments later, he lay still.

“Reinforce this spot! Now!”

“Kill!!”

“Behind you! Watch out!”

The city’s last survivors, barely a few thousand, defended it to the death.

Each had already prepared to die. Even the wounded dragged themselves to the battlements, using shattered bodies to fight the Xiang Army.

“What’ve I to fear? A broken body! Dying’s no loss! Killing one? Pure profit!”

For three full days and nights, without cease.

In the city, only about 2,000 defenders remained. Soldiers without injury were now exceptionally rare.

Behind the city gate, nearly a thousand corpses were piled there, blocking the impacts from outside the gate.

The General was injured in his right hand, held a sword in his left hand, and fought endlessly on the fortress wall, not letting any enemy soldiers enter the city.

“They are coming over there! Hurry up! Go quick!”

The General roared, but at that moment, a long sword stabbed into his body from behind.

The General opened his eyes wide and turned his head to look.

“General!!”

Someone yelled in shock.

“Kill!!!”

The General’s face turned cold, and he swirled around to hack with his long saber.

“Curse you!”

The long saber slashed across the enemy soldier’s neck, blood gushed out, and after wobbling twice, he fell down.

The General’s body collapsed on the fortress wall.

He could no longer breathe; his throat was full of blood, and it kept bubbling out.

“General! General!”

Someone rushed forward, eyes all red.

That General stretched out his hand, and only faint whispers came from his mouth.

“Hold… the city…”

After saying this, he went stiff and his body relaxed.

“Ah!!!”

That young soldier seemed to go crazy and charged to kill the enemy soldiers!

His eyes were red like fire, only set on murder.

“Kill!!”

Suddenly, a huge shout came from behind.

“The reinforcements are here, the army has arrived!”

Nearly a hundred thousand soldiers rushed straight to Dongyu City without stopping.

When Shang Lu saw the wrecked fortress wall, his eyes turned red.

“Take down every enemy! Leave no one alive!”

And when the army got ready to leave the city and saw piles upon piles of corpses below the gate, every single one of them burned with anger.

“Low-down!”

“Kill for me! Slaughter all these awful foes!”

The city gate burst open, and at once, thousands of soldiers poured into the fight.

With more troops coming, the tides quickly changed.

The enemies outside the walls were driven back again and again.

“Pursue them! Chase after! Don’t let any scoundrel run!”

But they refused to spare even one of the many foes; after tracking them for miles and cutting down thousands, their rage finally cooled some.

Shang Lu stood on the city wall, keeping watch by the dead body of Dongyu City’s defending general, and he mumbled, “I was too late…”

He reached out and pressed the general’s wide-open eyes shut.

That general slowly shut his eyes for good.

Shang Lu glanced around and saw dead bodies everywhere; his murderous feeling grew beyond control.

“Zhao Zhen!!”

A sharp shout left his clamped teeth.

In just a blink, this always kind His Majesty…

wasn’t the same person anymore.

It made everyone scared, it made them tremble…