Spring of the Eighteenth Year of the Jingxin Calendar, Rewards Arrive!
After the Soul Offering Pass was captured, Rahu King suffered heavy losses.
Because his bet with Ling De King started on November 10th, when Liu Tianning had only been in the war zone for a few days.
He bet with Ling De King that Zhao Xing could resolve the issue within forty days and that Soul Offering Pass could be taken down.
As a result, the Soul Offering Pass was not captured until the end of December.
"Hahaha, Luo Hou, I'll gladly accept these two Seventh Order Divine Soldier of yours!" Ling De King laughed happily. "Thank you."
Rahu King's lips twitched, utterly speechless.
Zhao Xing's performance met his expectations.
However, the speed at which the Soul Offering Pass was taken down was still Heavenly Timing slower.
"If Luo Hou had bet for two months, Ling De would have been doomed to lose," Heaven Derivation King said, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, it was just Heavenly Timing."
"A few days' difference is still a difference, and a bet is a bet," Rahu King. "The resistance at the Soul Offering Pass this time slightly exceeded my expectations."
"Look at the intelligence submitted by Yingyuan Prefecture. If it weren't for Zhao Xing's amazing performance, it would probably take until next year to take Soul Offering Pass."
Upon Heaven Derivation King and Ling De King indeed noticed something unusual.
The military supplies provided by Zhao Xing far exceeded expectations.
Therefore, the Six Armies Alliance was able to launch a continuous and fierce attack in the last month, especially the Primal Chaos Warship, whose attacks almost never stopped in the second half of the month.
If it weren't for adequate logistical support, the Soul Offering Pass would have truly dragged on until next year, just as Rahu King had predicted.
"But why did the Divine Might Army stop fighting?" Ling De King asked in confusion.
"Commander Liao Rulong has had a conflict with Yi Yue," Rahu King said in a deep voice. "Liao Rulong missed a crucial opportunity, abandoning the pursuit halfway through. Yi Yue had a big argument with him, and Qi Yuan Army Yuanjun and Nangong Ye have also parted ways with them."
"Having a partner who is too strong may not be a good thing; they will eventually part ways," Heaven Derivation King. "However, Liao Rulong is lucky. Perhaps a truce is imminent, and pursuing him now will not bring much military merit; the danger outweighs the opportunity."
"A truce?" Ling De King and Rahu King both looked at Heaven Derivation King. "How come I didn't know that?"
Heaven Derivation King and said, "I'm just guessing; there's no definite news yet."
Rahu King, "If we really want to end the war quickly, stopping the pursuit now would be the safest course of action."
If a high-level battle is truly to begin, high-level experts will inevitably step in and come to the front lines to prepare.
There will inevitably be a period of chaos, and neither side will strictly adhere to the rule that "high-class people should not attack low-class people".
If things go wrong, you might run into an area where high-level troops appear. In that case, you won't gain any merit, but you might even suffer heavy losses.
Even if they don't encounter each other, once the order is given, they have to retreat, which means they've fought for nothing.
"Luo Hou, I might lose to you." Heaven Derivation King said helplessly. If a truce were to be reached, neither Xia Jing nor Zhao Xing would have yet reached the level of being granted the title of Second-Class Marquis.
It can only be said that Emperor Jing was more impatient than expected. He wanted to start a real war before he had even trained his troops for a short time.
Soul Offering Pass, a secluded courtyard.
"The Inner Five Elements Heavens, Heaven's mandate is my destiny, Heaven's fortune is my fortune, Heaven's lifespan is my lifespan."
"Yin and True Self, the true self; the Five Elements, Five Elements Heaven and Earth—in the end, the True Self Faction is the King's Way," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
It is now January of the eighteenth year of the Jingxin Calendar. Since the capture of Soul Offering Pass, the Divine Might Army, Black Armor Army, and Sea Pacifying Army have been resting and reorganizing on the spot.
With nothing to do in Tonghuo City, he came to Soul Offering Pass to cultivate.
The area within Soul Offering Pass has been altered.
Its damage was not as severe as that of the Fire Dragon Pass. The Nether Five Elements Grand Array of the Profound Heaven Sect was still in operation, only the southern section of the barrier was still unable to be restored.
Within the Yin Five Elements Heaven Grand Array, Zhao Xing's understanding of the "Yin Yang True Self Scripture" and the "Five Finger Heavenly Mandate" became increasingly profound.
Because Liu Tianning taught him advanced Bewitching Array, which involved the profound principles of Yin-Yang Five Elements.
Secondly, he learned the True Self Straw Puppet, the grass man, Five Arts Unity, which is actually a superficial level of "unity of the five paths".
It also conforms to the principles of the Five Elements.
Now, having come to this grand formation set up by the Profound Heaven Sect, and having experienced the rare Nether Five Elements Magic Array, I have gained a deeper understanding.
"The Five Finger Heavenly Mandate utilizes the Inner Five Elements Heavens to harmonize with the Great Five Elements of Heaven and Earth."
"To deduce the destiny of the inner world is to deduce my own destiny."
"I can even vaguely sense how long I can live," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
His extra lifespan reached 150 years, which he obtained by consuming various spiritual elixirs and methods to increase his lifespan.
So how long can he, as Seventh Grade Earthly Fiend Realm, live? Less than one hundred and fifty years.
Shouldn't one live longer the more one cultivates?
That's not actually the case.
At a low level, one cannot effectively prolong life.
This realm is utterly insignificant compared to the constraints of heaven and earth.
" In the Vital Energy Era, the shackles of destiny are the most unshakable of the rules of heaven and earth. How long each race of beings is destined to live is governed by a rule, which is what is meant by a predetermined fate."
"Cultivators can become very strong, but it is still difficult to break free from the shackles of destiny. Even the emperors of Dynasty of Fate can only live for a thousand years."
"After the Spiritual Energy Revival, the world underwent drastic changes, ushering in the Spiritual Energy Era. The upper limit of the constraints of destiny became higher, and the lifespan of all races of beings also increased."
"In ancient times, the Profound Yellow Continent also had Spiritual Energy Era. Giant creatures roamed the land. Whether animals or plants, they were all incredibly large. Even a small blade of Little Grass could live for a long time. The rare treasures of today were commonplace back then."
"After the Era of Natural Disasters, the status of heaven and earth was reduced to the 'primordial energy level,' and everything shrank accordingly, and the upper limit of lifespan also decreased."
Every time Zhao Xing was promoted, he could see giants in the court in his illusions, especially Emperor Jing, who was enormous. This meant that his "fate" was stronger than others and that he would live longer.
Zhao Xing began to calculate how much longer he had to live before he could hope for immortality.
"There are still nineteen years left in the Jingxin Calendar. After thirty-seven years, there will be the Great Governance Era and Eternal Governance Era years. The two periods of calendar years add up to one hundred and fifty-eight years, and then Emperor Jing will die."
"That means there were still 177 years left in Emperor Jing's reign."
"The Wu Emperor who followed lived for 1,020 years. He broke the Dynasty of Fate, but he still did not go any further."
"After Wu Emperor came Yuan Emperor. From here on, the Great Zhou Dynasty began to experience internal and external troubles as well as Era of Natural Disasters. Its fortune began to decline. There were a total of fifteen emperors, with an average lifespan of just over a hundred years. Roughly speaking, it lasted for 1,700 years."
"The Spiritual Energy Revival won't begin until then, which means I still have nearly three thousand years to live," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "The road to immortality is long and arduous."
"We must take things one step at a time. Let's first achieve the goal of becoming Fifth Grade official during the reign of Emperor Jing."
"My battle merits have now reached 1.6 million, ranking forty-fifth on the Seventh Rank Merit Rankings."
"Not counting the temporary positions promoted by the Divine Might Army, my current official rank is the Official Seventh Rank, Lower."
"Currently, I am in the Divine Might Army, following Liao Rulong's unit, and have never been defeated."
"With my military achievements, if I were to be rewarded, I would definitely be promoted three ranks, so I should be able to reach the Sub-Sixth Rank."
"Old Chen and Long Xiao Qidian a higher level than me; they should be able to reach the Sixth Rank."
"With 1.6 million battle merits, the Nobility Title will not be promoted further; it will remain that of a third-class marquis. Although this is not Martial Marquis but merely a leisurely marquis, he can still have 160,000 mu of low-grade fertile land and a fief of 1,600 households."
"The honorary title should be the fifth level of the Commandery Councillor, who can participate in important decision-making discussions in the county seat and also has some say at the prefecture level, and can offer suggestions."
"The rank should be able to reach the sixth level. As long as one is employed, in addition to the salary, the extra bonus should amount to 300,000 points per year."
The bonuses for rank are calculated based on the Military Realm, because the bonuses for rank are distributed by the Military Realm.
After the Great Zhou Dynasty expanded its territory, its lands generated substantial revenue, and a portion of this revenue was used to pay the soldiers who had earned ranks.
The military class must be the wealthiest class in the Great Zhou!
Therefore, the soldiers of the Great Zhou were also enthusiastic about expanding the territory. Even after retirement, the bonuses brought by their ranks were still one-third to one-half of what they received while in service.
Zhao Xing's honorary titles and ranks were not high, because his previous million military achievements were all used to exchange for a spot in the Yin Spirit realm.
"If nothing unexpected happens, there will be a truce in February, and the entire Pacifying Barbarians Battlefield will begin to retreat. The rewards will be completed in March."
"Next came the strange changes in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, which began to give birth to a large number of Heavenly Spirit Essence." Zhao Xing analyzed the future trajectory.
"The explosive appearance of the Heavenly Spirit Essence lasted for half a year. In September, the polarity reversed, the sun shone brightly in the sky for ten days, and a cataclysmic disaster occurred."
"In October of the same year, Emperor Jing reopened the low-to-medium-level battlefields and continued his strategy of training troops."
"The war continued until the 28th year of the Jingxin Calendar, with the deployment of mid-level combat forces, the highest being the Fourth Grade. From the 29th to the 35th year, the war continued to escalate, with the Third Grade to first ranks successively entering the fray."
"In the thirty-fifth year, the war was lost, and the Liang King colluded with factions and Southern Barbarians forces to rebel. In the thirty-seventh year, the rebellion was suppressed, and the war ended completely. After that came the Great Governance Era era, Emperor Jing began to have children and reproduce. In the Eternal Governance Era era, the successor was determined..."
"The window of opportunity for the Southern Barbarians battlefield will last for a while after the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, but I must be careful not to lose my footing," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
If an officer is promoted to a high rank, it's impossible to simply leave the military whenever one wants; after all, the military isn't a place where one can come and go as one pleases.
Giving you an official position means you're expected to do things; there are only a few opportunities for you to leave.
If he misses out, Zhao Xing will have to continue fighting and participate in the mid-to-high-end battlefield, where he will become cannon fodder.
The Great Zhou is now producing a great number of talented people. Liu Tianning, Fan Zhaoli, Lu Bang, Tantai Ming... these veteran Fifth Grade and Fourth Grade have lived for one or two hundred years, or even three or four hundred years.
Zhao Xing had no chance of taking the position. The chosen one, Lu Yuanwei, also suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield and could only barely maintain his Official Rank of the lower Fifth Grade.
If he is in such a predicament, then others are in even greater danger.
"Enjoy the blessings you deserve, and avoid the disasters you must avoid," Zhao Xing said. "I am not strong enough now, and my position is too low. I must suppress my greed and not try to influence the overall battlefield situation."
Cultivating the Five Finger Heavenly Mandate also served as a warning to Zhao Xing. He calculated the fates of the Soul Offering Pass and Old Chen, both of whom suffered backlash. How much more so would it be if he were to throw himself into the entire Pacifying Barbarians War?
Derivation Three's luck was indeed good, but in the later stages of the war, there were many people stronger than Zhao Xing.
Take Lu Yuanwei for example, Zhao Xing estimated that his luck had reached at least the Evolution Six!
Because he was born in Lüliang Province, and this Lü refers to another king of a different surname. Lu Yuanwei was a direct descendant of a king and was born with great fortune!
By comparing it to other battlefields, one can understand the dangers of mid-to-high-end warfare.
"The goal during Emperor Jing's reign was to develop my power. Now, I have not yet gained momentum in terms of connections, strength, or fortune. Emperor Jing does not have the destiny to make me take the throne. This is not the time for me to rise to power and make my mark."
Having sorted through his thoughts and finalized his future plans, Zhao Xing closed his eyes and stored his memories deep within his soul using the Great Dream Spring and Autumn Technique.
You won't think of it normally; it will only be triggered at critical moments. Of course, you can also actively recall it at certain safe times.
In the Vital Energy Era, methods of soul searching were extremely rare. Even techniques like the Soul Capturing Straw Figure, which were almost Forbidden Art, could only yield fragments of memories from the past few days. Nevertheless, Zhao Xing remained cautious, just in case.
In the following period, Zhao Xing practiced his magic in the Soul Offering Pass.
In the short term, I focused my energy on the [True Self Straw Puppet], because this spell has endless uses, and practicing it is equivalent to practicing many other spells.
On January 4th of the 18th year of the Jingxin Calendar, the transport Tower Ship arrived at Soul Offering Pass.
Lu Tingzhi planned to talk to Zhao Xing about their shared interests, but he heard that Zhao Xing was in seclusion, so he had to give up.
Long Xiao and Chen Shijie exchanged a million battle merits for a spot in the Yin Spirit Temple, thus completing the procedure for the Heavenly Soul to reside in the temple.
Xia Jing didn't do that because he didn't need to. His father had already made great contributions and brought blessings to his Heir Apparent, Xia Jing already received such treatment.
Wen Shaoyang did not choose the Yin Spirit slot. As for the others, Jiang Ming and Li Que were not yet qualified because their performance was not outstanding and their battle merits at Soul Offering Pass were not as many as those at Fire Dragon Pass.
On January 12th of the Jingxin Calendar, Qi Yuan Army, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye's attack failed. The ' Nether Soul ' and ' Dragon Yang Daoist ' who had retreated to Spirit Turtle City seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, resulting in the loss of over a thousand men in the three armies.
Driven by greed and recklessness, and without logistical support, the three generals realized that the people of the Sacred Spirit Royal Court were not incompetent. They had likely been misled by Zhao Xing's effective assistance.
However, this incident also caused the relationship between the three of them and Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang to plummet.
They believed that if Liao Rulong continued to follow up, with Zhao Xing leading 100,000 logistics troops, they would not suffer a setback in Spirit Turtle City.
In particular, Yi Yue reported the battle situation to the main force on the northern front after the retreat.
He even publicly denounced Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang, the two main generals, as idiots.
But when Zhao Xing was mentioned, he felt that Zhao Xing was a talented person and that Liao Rulong was not worthy of having a logistics general like Zhao Xing.
Although Qi Yuan Army and Nangong Ye were not as extreme as Yi Yue, they also lowered their evaluations of the two main generals, Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang, when reporting the battle situation.
However, their statements were relatively objective.
The Divine Might Army can be considered a strong and powerful force. People like Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, and Zhao Xing all have a good reputation among them.
The problem lies with the commanders, Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang, who are indecisive and unable to seize opportunities.
Qi Yuan Army, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye are the top three military commanders on the Seventh Rank Merit Rankings.
With their extensive network of connections and having overcome the Soul Offering Pass, the words they utter naturally carry a great influence.
Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang's reputations plummeted, while Zhao Xing's reputations soared.
"Yi Yue, with his fiery temper, scolded the commander Liao Rulong so harshly, yet he praised Zhao Xing quite highly. It seems Zhao Xing has really done a good job."
Wei Hong, a member of the Tigron Army, smiled as he read the letter. He Yi Yue were good friends.
Yi Yue's attack was thwarted, and the hundreds of thousands of battle merits he had accumulated were reduced by 120,000 to 130,000. Naturally, he immediately complained to his friend.
"If what Lao Yi said is true, then Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang really don't deserve such high praise," Wei Hong muttered to himself.
The most famous people after conquering Fire Dragon Pass were not Zhao Xing, but Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang.
Zhao Xing's fame largely stemmed from his "slaying Qian Shougang".
Because those two were the main generals, they initially praised Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang highly.
However, after the spread of the news by the three powerful military figures, Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang's reputations have also declined considerably.
"You bastard! That bastard Yi Yue! How dare he talk about me like that!" At the City Soul Offering Pass, Liao Rulong was furious. "When have I ever backed down? Screw your ancestors!"
Liao Rulong was trembling with anger and cold at this moment. He took the letter in his hand and tore it to shreds.
Because in the public battle report that Yi Yue gave to the commander of the Primal Glory Army, he bluntly said that Liao Rulong was a coward, an idiot, who delayed the battle and was unfit to be a general. Yes, he used those very words.
The letters he wrote to his friends were even more appalling!
It's easy to imagine how angry Liao Rulong was when he found out.
"Damn it! I'm Sixth Rank military officer, and he's only Seventh Grade, yet he dares to act like a superior and criticize me. I'll never let this man get away with this!" Liao Rulong roared.
Pu Zhong remained calm, and only after Liao Rulong finished venting did he speak up, "Yi Yue is a simple person. At least he was publicly criticizing you, rather than the kind of person who would do bad things in secret."
"You're still defending him?" Liao Rulong snorted, but didn't continue to get angry.
It is not uncommon for cooperation between two militaries to fall apart, especially when the two sides are of equal strength.
He agreed with Pu Zhong's words, and he understood Yi Yue's anger.
But even though I understand, I still can't stand this jerk!
"We won't cooperate anymore," Pu Zhong comforted him. "You said you're Sixth Rank, so you should be more magnanimous than him."
"Your magnanimity is evident simply by saying nothing and explaining yourself to others."
Zhao Xing also learned of the failure of Yi Yue, Qi Yuan Army and others' attack, as well as the matter of Yi Yue scolding Liao Rulong.
"This hot-tempered guy really insulted the wrong person." Zhao Xing said with a wry smile. "It was I who persuaded Old Chen, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing. These three have a lot of influence, so Liao Rulong decided not to continue the attack."
"If anyone should be scolded, it should be me, but instead he praised me all the time."
However, as the commander-in-chief, Liao Rulong had to bear both praise and criticism.
Zhao Xing was just a commander, so there was no way to criticize him.
On January 20, rumors of a ceasefire circulated in the army.
On January 21, Yang An and Jia Pu issued formal orders to Liao Rulong's and Wen Shaoyang's troops, prohibiting them from continuing their advance.
January 21 to 24.
In all areas of the Fire Demon Tribe Clan's territory, powerful individuals exceeding the Sixth Rank have emerged, some of whom are enemies, while others are allies.
On this day, Zhao Xing also emerged from underground. He dispatched a straw figure to travel east of the Soul Offering Pass in a flying boat, while simultaneously activating the Heaven's Eye Art.
Four hundred miles east of Soul Offering Pass, many large cities appeared, filled with overwhelming yin energy and thick, persistent Dark Clouds.
Ahead appeared a series of Yin Soul giants, each a thousand meters tall, wielding massive axes and glaring menacingly.
Zhao Xing glanced at it from afar, and the True Self Straw Puppet almost collapsed, so he had to retreat quickly.
Meanwhile, strong individuals have also emerged on our side.
Yang An, Fourth Grade military officer, personally visited the Soul Offering Pass, accompanied by Jia Pu of the Fourth Grade or lower, and eight Fifth Grade generals.
The Black Armor Army also sent a master, Marquis Xiang Kui Marquis Mingwei, who dispatched his deputy general Zhang Jue, a Fourth Grade military officer.
There was another official named Li Yuanzhen, a Fourth Grade Military Sima Nong.
There are also seven Fifth Grade, including Priest, strategists, warriors, and sorcerers.
Although the Black Armor Army only had a little over 10,000 men, Xia Jing's identity was special, so the men Xiang Kui sent were also exceptionally strong.
In addition, Liu Tianning and Fan Zhaoli also attended in person.
Liu Tianning came voluntarily, while Fan Zhaoli came at Tian Yan's request.
The most eye-catching are Liu Tianning from the Inspection Department and Li Yuanzhen from the Black Armor Army.
On the way back, Zhao Xing's straw man saw Liu Tianning arrive on a cloud and directly swept up all of his scouts and boats, including Zhao Xing, and threw them behind him.
"Whoosh~" In just an instant, the gale blew over a thousand of their own people more than fifty miles away.
At the same time, Liu Tianning pointed forward, his voice carrying across the sky on the wind. "The truce is hereby established. Anyone who dares to cross it will be executed without mercy!"
Boom!
The earth churned like ocean waves, a shadow loomed over the battlefront stretching for dozens of miles, and then the shadow began to glow faintly.
Towering trees rise from the ground, each over 500 meters tall!
They shone brightly on the battlefield; some trees crackled with lightning, others spewed flames... As a powerful figure of the True Self Faction, Liu Tianning's move directly shocked everyone.
"They're all Seventh Order Plant Soldier!" Zhao Xing's brow twitched. "Isn't Old Liu only Fifth Grade official? His strength is definitely more than Fifth Grade."
The Pure Yuan Projection can project so far and nurture so many Seventh Order Plant Soldier; it's simply astonishing.
Li Yuanzhen rode in the Cloud Rain Tower Ship, following closely behind. He pointed to the sky, and the dark clouds dispersed, revealing bright sunshine.
A pale green Solar Terms Decree floated in the air, dispelling the dark clouds in the distance.
"With the Start of Spring Solar Terms Decree, he has altered the Heavenly Timing within a thousand miles. The Nether Five Elements have become balanced, and he must have reached the 'Stability Realm'."
Even from a great distance, Zhao Xing could feel the vitality of spring, and a touch of green appeared on the earth. This place was originally a barren wasteland, eroded by yin energy, where not a blade of grass could grow.
But now Li Yuanzhen has changed things!
Zhao Xing looked at Li Yuanzhen and Liu Tianning, "Old Liu Li Yuanzhen Fourth Grade man, and he can also reach the Second Rank position. Now it seems that Old Liu's prestige is no less than Li Yuanzhen's."
"As soon as they arrived, a truce was declared. It seems that the timeline hasn't changed."
In February of the eighteenth year of the Jingxin Calendar, all major battle zones on the Pacifying Barbarians Battlefield entered a state of truce.
The Four Great Royal Courts and Five Great Grotto Heavens all ceased hostilities, demarcated defense zones, and left buffer zones.
A large number of mid-to-high-level experts took over the battlefield, resulting in a stalemate.
As for the low- and mid-grade products, they began to slowly withdraw from the battlefield.
Zhao Xing also boarded Tower Ship, crossed the Canglan River, and returned to Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven in the Military Realm on February 14th.
On February 16th, a Heaven's Heart Palace appeared in each of the Five Great Grotto Heavens.
Emperor Jing's bestowal of titles and rewards also began on February 16th.
Soldiers of different ranks will have their war merits recognized at this moment, and this recognition will continue until March.
Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, Yang City, the garrison of the Divine Might Army.
Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, Yu Ziqi, and others were all staying at their post.
Suddenly, a Golden Light pillar of light descended from the golden palace in the sky, surrounded by a coiled dragon, enveloping the four people.
"They've arrived." The four exchanged a glance, quickly walked into the Golden Light pillar, and were then guided by a powerful force, flying towards the palace in the sky.