Liuzhou and Nanming Prefecture are actually not far apart, especially by water. Nowadays, the shipping industry in Jiangnan is very developed. In the past, it would take five days to travel to Nanyang by mountain road and four days by water. But now, if the formation is activated and the journey is at full speed, it will only take half a day!
Tian Heng's troops set off from Liuzhou at noon and arrived in Nanyang just as evening was approaching.
Nanyang was a very large city, originally inhabited by the wealthiest people in Jiangnan. After Jiangnan became prosperous, it became even more bustling, with markets open all night and lights shining brightly.
Even so, it could not conceal the radiant Buddha light that emanated from it.
"Don't we really need to coordinate from within and without?" Tian Heng asked, puzzled. The army had already surrounded the city, yet Shen San insisted on going into the Underworld to investigate first.
"Your men informed us beforehand, so your surprise attack wouldn't have made much difference. I know what you want. Since you've decided to abandon them, cut ties cleanly. But there will always be a price to pay. You came openly, but you don't know what methods they're using. You'll always suffer some losses. You should know that even if the West Sea Army who are taking drugs now have a death wish, they still have to die meaningfully."
After hearing what the other party said, Tian Heng stopped trying to dissuade him.
Indeed, the reason he sent those people to deliver the message was to completely sever ties with them. No matter how you look at it, his decision to betray his own people for the greater good was justified. As for their advance warning, he didn't care at all.
The West Sea Army marched from the pass to Jiangnan, then split into three routes. If the Buddhist temples in several areas of Jiangnan still hadn't reacted by then, the Buddha Kingdom would be too low-class.
Godspeed is of the essence in warfare, so that they don't have enough time to prepare. Some world-changing forces cannot be prepared in just one or two days.
Of course, if we come openly and honestly, the other side will definitely be prepared. At this point, even a little bit of information could help reduce our losses.
Tian Heng took a deep breath. He was now only one step away from the King Level. This step seemed small, but it was a hurdle that many demons could not overcome even after millions of years. Once he crossed it, he would become an immortal.
If a person could live forever, then family and descendants would be irrelevant. With unlimited time, how large of a family could one create?
Chen Qing's power is great enough, but only a few will be able to advance to the King Level in the future. There will be great changes in the future, and those who are not at the King Level will probably be nothing but ants, without even the right to protect themselves. In times of war, strength is king, and Tian Heng has always understood this principle. His position in Jiangnan is already awkward, and with so many talented people in Jiangnan now, it is impossible to obtain a King Level resource position without great merit.
This time, it's all or nothing!
--
"My lord, you're finally back."
Upon returning to the Underworld, Shen San saw many tutors and assistants waiting Underworld.
Nowadays, the Underworld is short of talent. The position of judge of civil affairs, which should be held by sorcerers, cannot be filled by sorcerers in Nanyang. The reason is simple: most sorcerer families still want to work in the mortal world. Once they enter the Underworld, there is no turning back, so they still have some concerns.
"How's the situation?" Shen San asked directly.
"We don't know either. There hasn't been any trouble in Nanyang City yet. The gatekeeper has been on high alert for many days, constantly reminding us to be careful and try not to leave the Underworld, to guard this place for the master. The situation outside is being reported by the patrolling gods day and Night Wandering God, and for the time being, there doesn't seem to be any problem."
"Is that so?" Shen San rubbed his fingers together, then said, "Have the Night Wandering God inform the Door Gods to come to the Underworld Temple to see me!"
Everyone was taken aback, and then their expressions turned somewhat strange. Apart from a few old scholars who were bookworms, most of them were shrewd and intelligent. How could they not understand Shen San's meaning?
Third Master is doubting the door gods!
"Third Master, isn't this a bit inappropriate right before battle?" one of the teachers said cautiously.
"There's nothing we can do about it now; we can't worry about that at this point," Shen San said, his expression slightly grim.
The position of door god is of utmost importance, especially for the door gods of the major cities in Jiangnan. When Chen Qing first started looking for door gods, he was very careful and cautious. Moreover, Shen San knew that Chen Qing should be able to see whether all the deities appointed by imperial decree were loyal or not.
The problem is that Chen Qing is not here.
At the very moment he was away, there was this strange force from the Buddha Kingdom that could awaken memories of past lives.
The probability of this ability turning someone to a defection is extremely high. Even if someone was loyal before, it's hard to say whether they might betray you because of the awakening of their memories. Chen Qing just happens to be away at this time.
This is very troublesome.
Shen San felt that if they wanted to retaliate against Tian Heng, or rather, if these Buddhist temples were to act with impunity, the most likely course of action would be to target the door gods!
This is the worst-case scenario.
The presence of gate gods, combined with magical formations, is one of the reasons why Jiangnan dares to send out its entire army. With the combined strength of gate gods and magical formations, it is very difficult for thousands of troops to break through, especially in Nanyang City.
There were already some magic arrays Nanyang City, which were originally Dragon Palace Inheritance. Later, Chen Qing vigorously developed the art of magic arrays, and these magic arrays Nanyang City basically became the best place for students of the Heaven Academy to practice.
But that's precisely why the magical formations outside Nanyang City are the most troublesome.
Because all experiments are conducted here, good ideas and creative concepts are tested here first, including the combination with the door gods. The quality of the magic arrays in Nanyang City can be said to be comparable to, or even stronger than, that of Liuzhou Liuzhou.
In this situation, if the gatekeepers betray him, even if Tian Heng's soldiers become much stronger, they will probably have a hard time breaking through!
"Report!!"
In less than a quarter of an hour, a burly man dressed in the armor of Night Wandering God came running in a panic. The way he ran made Shen San's heart sink.
"Explain!"
"My lord, the Gatekeeper refuses to come!" the Night Wandering God Wanderer gasped, "He says that with a great battle imminent, the West Sea Army has led its troops here at this crucial moment, and even the Underworld Lord is with them. He needs an explanation; otherwise, he won't have let the West Sea Army in, much less come to the Underworld!"
Shen San: "."
The worst has happened!
Outside the city, Tian Heng anxiously awaited news. He understood what Shen San wanted to test by entering the city. Both of them knew that there was actually a hidden adversary behind the extinguishing of the Buddhist temple.
They just try their best to avoid this happening.
Among the deities appointed by imperial decree, door gods have the lowest threshold. It is said that Chen Qing initially sought out some demons and monsters to appoint them.
But it is precisely the most important!
With control of a city's defenses and the coordination of formations, one can withstand an army of thousands.
Although their responsibilities were heavy, their future prospects and status were far inferior to those of other pantheons.
At first it might be fine, but as time goes on, other thoughts will inevitably arise, especially now, with the allure of that Buddha's light that can awaken past lives.
If in my past life I was a top-tier figure, I would never be content to be relegated to being a mere gatekeeper for the rest of my life!
Frankly, he believes the possibility of the doorman betraying him is not small.
Sure enough, just as these bad thoughts were arising, Shen San brought the worst news.