A vast Great Xia sand-table map, covering more than two thousand square meters, lay beneath Zuo Qiu Mingyue's feet. On this map, the provinces west of Great Xia had already turned black.
Because the sand table was so enormous, it was nearly impossible to take in the entire map at a glance while standing on the same level as it. Thus, Zuo Qiu Mingyue's office was located on the second floor above the gigantic sand table. Between the map and Zuo Qiu Mingyue's feet lay a crystal floor treated with alchemy, completely transparent from one side only. Standing upon it, one needed only lower one's head to see Great Xia's magnificent rivers and mountains beneath one's feet, the entire war situation and every battle visible at a glance.
At this moment, Zuo Qiu Mingyue's gaze was fixed upon that expanse of black on the sand table. With a grave, profound expression, he scrutinized that blackened land inch by inch—the cities, the mountain ranges, the plains, the rivers. If that black expanse was a magnet, then Zuo Qiu Mingyue's gaze was a sharp blade, drawn helplessly toward it.
Ye Province, Martial Prefecture, Blessing Province, Silver Province, Ring Province, Kang Province, Ning Province, Military Province, Sand Prefecture, Plow Province, Gan Province, Cool Province, Might Province, Kang Province, Yi Province, Scenic Province, Settled Province, Copper Province, Luo Province, Xian Province, Flatland Province, Elm Province, Peace Province...
These lands, once the territory of Great Xia, the soil upon which countless billions of Hua Clan people had lived generation after generation, had now all turned black.
Black was a heavy color, the opposite of light. On the sand-table map, it represented the Devil Race. It was also the color of blood after time had congealed it.
At this moment, the black upon the sand table