The plain outside Canghai Pass—Qin’s army and Qi State’s army had both already made camp. The great battle could be said to be on the verge of breaking out at any moment.

Nearly every soldier on both sides understood that this final battle would decide the fate of the world of myriad arts!

And with each day that passed, the battle drew one day closer.

From the generals above to the ordinary foot soldiers below, the tension and excitement in their hearts only grew stronger and stronger.

That kind of excitement was extremely beneficial for raising morale and combat power.

But that kind of excitement also could not be sustained forever.

So, when the soldiers’ excitement reached its highest point, that would be when the two armies were about to begin the fight.

These past few days, besides closely observing the enemy’s movements, Xiao Mo often used Heaven-Mending Iron to hone the Ten-Calamities Spear in his hands.

Xiao Mo could often sit there alone—honing and honing—for an entire day.

The generals who had arrived, like Liu Xing, all knew that this was their general’s way of keeping his heart calm.

Let alone the Frost King—if they themselves were leading troops alone, on the eve of a major battle, they would also do some repetitive, simple action to make their hearts completely quiet.

Because a deputy general, or even an ordinary soldier, could be excited, could be nervous, could even be afraid.

But the commander-in-chief could not.

As commander-in-chief, he had to remain calm at all times. He could not let emotion interfere with even a single judgment.

Besides honing his spear, the second thing Xiao Mo liked to do these days was gaze into the distance.

Usually at night, Xiao Mo did not sleep. He only raised his head and looked toward a single direction.

Deputy General Hong Bo and the others noticed—

the direction the Frost King looked toward seemed to be the imperial capital.

And on the eve of the great battle, within Qin’s court, it had also fallen into a strange kind of silence.

The court now was much quieter than before.

The conflicts between factions and great clans that had existed seemed to suddenly pause these days.

Even the clashes between the new officials and the great clans had eased quite a bit.

After all, in Qin’s court, everyone was concerned about the situation on the battlefield.

Through all sorts of channels, they were trying to find out news about the decisive battle outside Qi State’s Canghai Pass.

Some great clans were even making preparations for defeat.

For those great clans, what they cared about in their hearts was family interest more than anything.

As for who would own this land in the future, they did not care at all.

But for those officials who held ideals and had only Qin’s interests in their hearts, they cared about this battle even more.

They were not afraid to die.

But they were afraid Qin would lose.

If this decisive battle was lost, not only might all past efforts come to nothing, the enemy might even press the advantage and march straight into the imperial capital—Qin would be destroyed.

So for a time, what mind did Qin’s officials have left for attacking political enemies?

Inside the imperial palace, Qin Siyao instead looked calm beyond measure.

She still handled state affairs as usual, and whenever she had time, she went to the Xiao residence to visit her mother-in-law.

But on this day, Qin Siyao asked Huasheng to do one thing:

“Huasheng, could you help me move a war drum to the Observing-Heaven Tower?”

“Move a war drum... to the Observing-Heaven Tower?”

Huasheng froze for a moment, not quite understanding what Qin Siyao meant.

The Observing-Heaven Tower was the tallest building in Qin’s imperial palace, and it could also be said to be the tallest tower in all of Qin.

Mohist disciples had built it—soaring into the clouds, used for observing the stars.

But why would Siyao move a war drum to the Observing-Heaven Tower?

“Yes, the kind of war drum the Northern Wasteland Army uses.” Qin Siyao nodded and smiled. “I’ll trouble you, Huasheng.”

“I understand.”

Even though she did not know what Siyao wanted to do, Huasheng still carried it out.

Chu lands, Heavenly Mechanism City.

Recently, the lord of Heavenly Mechanism City, Little Star Master, had refused all visitors.

Others did not know what had happened to the lord of Heavenly Mechanism City.

But Little Star Master’s son knew—his father’s lifespan limit was almost here.

This morning.

Little Star Master woke early from the bed and had someone summon his son.

“Father.”

He Qing, the deputy lord of Heavenly Mechanism City, walked to his father’s bedside and gave a respectful salute.

“Mhm.”

Little Star Master looked at his son, his tone calm.

“Qing’er, my lifespan limit will arrive today. There are some matters I must explain to you.”

“...”

Hearing his father’s words, He Qing’s eyes trembled.

Even though he had long been mentally prepared, and even though as a Yin-Yang School cultivator he had long viewed life and death lightly—

when a close relative was about to leave this world, a thread of sorrow was unavoidable.

“Ascension Realm cultivators all die. How could I not die as well? And I have already lived long enough. You need not be sad. Compared to that, every word I say next—you must remember it, and you must pass it down as ancestral instruction. Do you understand?”

Little Star Master stared straight into his child’s eyes, waiting for his answer.

“Yes, Father.” He Qing answered solemnly.

Little Star Master nodded and spoke slowly:

“I have twice calculated the survival or destruction of Heavenly Mechanism City.

“The first time was when the Frost King, Xiao Mo, led the great army to Heavenly Mechanism City. If Heavenly Mechanism City refused to send troops, the Frost King would have leveled Heavenly Mechanism City.

“Fortunately, the Frost King, Xiao Mo, was not an unreasonable man.

“Heavenly Mechanism City sent troops for Qin.

“So this first calamity has already been resolved.

“The second time...”

Little Star Master paused for a moment. In his aged eyes, it was as if stars flowed and turned:

“This second time was a thread of heavenly secret I glimpsed when I cast a divination for the Frost King. Come—lean close, and listen.”

He Qing stepped forward, bent down, and brought his ear close to his father’s mouth.

As Little Star Master spoke, one word at a time, the more He Qing listened, the more his spirit shook, the more he felt it was unbelievable.

“At the time, the heavenly secret involved far too much. The Frost King asked me, and I did not dare speak.

“If I told the Frost King, the Dao of Heaven would certainly strike back. It would not only mean my body and Dao would be destroyed—every last person in Heavenly Mechanism City would be wiped out, without a single survivor.

“What I just told you, you are not permitted to tell any other person. You absolutely cannot write it on paper.

“You may only, at the moment of your own death, pass it as spoken words to the next city lord.

“Do you understand?”

“I understand, Father!” He Qing nodded heavily. “Your son will remember!”

“Mhm.”

Little Star Master nodded.

“From this day onward, Heavenly Mechanism City will still remain neutral. Under no circumstances may we participate in other sect conflicts or matters of dynasties.

“But if the demon-race world attacks, Heavenly Mechanism City must not stand by with folded arms.

“Far, far in the future—how far, I cannot say. In any case, even your grandson’s grandson will not live to see it.

“Then, among the descendants of our He family, there will be two extraordinarily gifted women.

“One will be bold and open-hearted.

“One will be steady and composed.

“When that time comes, Heavenly Mechanism City must send one person to the Ten-Thousand-Li Great Wall to resist the demons.

“As for the other, let her remain here and guard Heavenly Mechanism City.

“In later ages...

“Any time you come into contact with someone surnamed Xiao, you must interact with them carefully and cautiously.

“If their conduct is acceptable, then as long as Heavenly Mechanism City can help, we should offer a hand or two.

“Do you understand?”

“I understand, Father.”

After Little Star Master finished giving his final instructions, it was as if his entire person became much lighter. The pale color in his face even grew more ruddy, making him look nothing like someone whose lifespan limit had arrived.

But He Qing knew this was nothing more than his father’s final flare of light.

“All right. What I needed to explain is just that. The road ahead for Heavenly Mechanism City will still depend on you all to walk it yourselves—and in this world of myriad arts, the sky should change.”

Little Star Master looked out the window. Where his gaze reached, it was as if it were that vast battlefield.

Hearing his father mention “change,” He Qing thought of the decisive battle about to happen outside Canghai Pass and asked, “Father... can Qin win this time?”

“Heh heh heh.”

Little Star Master chuckled softly.

“Win?

“What is called winning?

“And what is called losing?

“Frost King...

“What do you think?”

As the old city lord’s final word fell, he slowly closed his eyes.

In the last moment of his vision, what he saw was not the courtyard outside.

It was outside Canghai Pass, where the two armies had already formed ranks in confrontation.

A man in white armor held a long spear, rode a Snow-Treading horse, and stood before a million-strong army—slowly putting on an asura mask.

Behind him, the million-strong army also covered their faces.

Qin’s imperial capital, imperial palace, the Imperial Study.

A woman who had spent the entire morning reviewing memorials was resting with her head on the desk.

After a short while, Qin Siyao’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

“Xiao Mo...”

As if sensing something, Qin Siyao straightened, pressing a hand over the rise and fall of her chest, her lips pressed tight.

She sprang to her feet and ran toward the Stargazing Terrace.

Arriving atop the Stargazing Terrace, Qin Siyao stared blankly into the distance, her thoughts drifting away.

“I don’t have anything I want right now. If Your Highness truly feels bad about it, then just reward me however you like.”

After an eight-year-old boy saved an eight-year-old girl, the girl insisted on giving the boy a gift, and the boy said that.

“All right...” The little girl thought seriously for a moment, then lifted her head. In her bright, watery eyes, light flickered. “I know what to give you.”

“What?”

“I’m going to beat the war drum for you!” the little girl said happily.

“Beat the war drum?”

“Yes, yes!”

The little girl nodded again and again.

“My father once told me that the best gift he ever received in his life was on his birthday—when he charged at the front, and my mother beat the war drum for him.

“If Father said it was the best gift, then it must be the best.

“And you’re already so impressive. Later you’ll definitely become a great general.

“So I’m going to give you this best gift too!

“Xiao Mo, say something. I’ll beat the war drum for you, all right?

“All right?”

“All right.”

“My husband... I will beat the war drum for you...”

On the Stargazing Terrace, the woman gathered her thoughts away.

Wearing a plain long dress, she lifted the drum mallets with slender hands.

THOOM!

The mallet struck the drumhead. A deep, powerful sound spread through the high air.

On the Canghai Pass plain, the two armies were like two great seas throwing up massive waves, crashing into each other as they surged forward.

The man at the front led the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry as he charged and killed ahead.

Whenever battle began, the man was always the first to rush in—without exception!

And whenever the soldiers saw their general’s back, they felt from the bottom of their hearts that even if they died on the battlefield, they would have no regrets in this life!

THOOM!

The woman beat the drum again. Her plain long sleeve slid down her arm, revealing a pale lotus-root forearm.

The two armies’ blades met. The ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) slaughter shook the sky. Blood stained the earth, stained the heavens.

THOOM!

THOOM!!

THOOM!!!

Again and again. One sound after another.

The woman struck faster and faster, heavier and heavier.

Fine sweat slid slowly down from her pale forehead.

High wind brushed her waterfall of hair, gently lifting her skirts and sleeves.

On the battlefield, every time Xiao Mo thrust his spear, several lives were taken.

“Human race! Do not be so arrogant!”

A Jade-Polished Realm elephant-tribe demon cultivator roared, revealing its true form and stomping down at Xiao Mo with one massive foot.

Xiao Mo’s spirit tightened. He leapt up, landed on its back, and drove his spear downward into its body.

Upon the Ten-Calamities Spear, the ancient ten calamities surged up with violent spear qi, tearing at the elephant-tribe demon cultivator’s flesh and blood!

WROOOOAR!

With a miserable scream, the elephant-tribe demon cultivator exploded into chunks of flesh and blood that scattered across the battlefield.

The Snow-Treading horse ran toward its master.

Xiao Mo landed on the saddle and continued the slaughter ahead.

The more Xiao Mo fought, the braver he became, leading the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry as they tore through the battlefield, smashing forward and killing toward the center of Qi’s army.

There, the King of Qi watched everything on the battlefield.

Ten thousand zhang in the sky, Ascension Realm cultivators were fighting with spells, over and over as if they meant to shatter the firmament.

And by Xiao Mo’s ear, waves after waves of war drums rang out.

This drumbeat seemed not to come from the grassland, but from far away.

As if a woman in a plain dress stood behind the battle formation, sleeves rolled up, striking the drumhead—each beat like thunder!

Two Immortal Realm cultivators and five Jade-Polished Realm great powers, along with two hundred thousand troops, arranged a formation array before Xiao Mo.

Within the array, the King of Qi actually used himself as the array’s core, driving the great array with all of Qi State’s final dynastic fortune.

The King of Qi stared coldly at Xiao Mo and shouted, “Junior! Do you dare enter the array and kill me?!”

At the same time, two Immortal Realm cultivators and three Jade-Polished Realm cultivators from Qin descended around Xiao Mo.

One hundred thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry stopped behind Xiao Mo.

The hundred thousand armored cavalry all gave off blood qi, blood clinging to their armor.

“Who will enter the array with me?!” Xiao Mo shouted.

“We are willing to enter the array with the general!” the five upper-realm cultivators and the hundred thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry roared in unison.

“Northern Wasteland Army!” Xiao Mo pointed his spear forward. “Break the array!”

With Xiao Mo at the head, the flood of armored cavalry charged toward Qi’s formation array.

As if sensing something, Xiao Mo turned his head and looked into the distance toward a certain place.

There.

A tall tower.

Spring sunlight fell on her as she beat the war drum again and again, her long hair and long dress drifting in the wind.

Xiao Mo did not see it.

But Xiao Mo knew. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

How she looked right now.

She must be beautiful.

THOOM THOOM THOOM!

THOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM!

The woman struck the war drum with all her strength. Sweat dampened her hair, clinging it to her dress.

And just as the woman struck the final beat, the mallet in her hand suddenly snapped, dropping to the ground.

The drumbeat stopped abruptly.

Looking at the two broken mallets on the ground, the woman’s eyes trembled.

She slowly squatted down, picked them up, and pulled them into her arms.

She held them tighter and tighter.

A layer of crystalline mist covered her eyes.

Tears slid down her cheeks, drop after drop, falling onto the ground.

The woman did not know how long she cried.

Until tears poured from her like a spring.

Until she could no longer form words through sobs.

Until she lost everything.