Chapter 332 - - 330 Duge’s Crisis_1

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The publication of the top ten rankings seemed to signal the start of a war.

Instantly.

Everyone hastened their efforts to improve their attributes.

After all.

The last Alien Battlefield had ended in just six months.

This time, although the top two seemed evenly matched.

Between them, should one fall, the survivor’s attributes would surely skyrocket, leaving them little time.

Especially for those who hadn’t even acquired any skills yet, they were even more anxious.

A month had passed without any skills; such a thing was simply unthinkable before.

Some cancelled their possession and chose their identities, speculating that perhaps the rules had changed, making it harder to obtain skills;

But most believed they just hadn’t found the right method.

After all, on the Alien Battlefield, you can’t always harbor beautiful illusions; what if the others have skills and you don’t? How hurtful would it be when it comes to combat?

Pushing yourself is always the right choice.

…

On the day the rankings were released.

The identities and names of the top ten were exposed in various countries.

Some lists were sent to the desks of important figures, while others were simply disseminated to the public through notices and flyers.

In this Alien Battlefield, everyone’s mindset was very flexible, and they would spare no effort in striking down their rivals.

There were natives with high combat power in this world, and as long as any of them targeted them, their competitors would be one fewer.

Of course.

Getting the rulers of this world to realize the benefits of Alien Warriors was an opportunity for them as well.

…

North Sea Country.

County magistrate Ma Shichun had just finished a day’s government duties and was meditating and practicing his True Qi in his study.

Suddenly.

A commotion rose from the courtyard.

Ma Shichun listened attentively, his mouth curving slightly, “They’ve come quite quickly!”

He stood up, pushed open the room door, and looked into the courtyard, calling out loudly, “County magistrate Ma Shichun greets the Jinyi guard Leader.”

The leader, dressed in a green brocaded robe, glanced at Ma Shichun, shook the token in his hand, and said, “Jinyi guard Leader Huo Ming, on orders to arrest someone. County magistrate Ma, please come with us!”

“Leader, may I know the reason for my arrest?” Ma Shichun asked.

“Someone accused you of being possessed by the Heavenly Demon. The commander wants to capture you for verification,” Huo Ming replied, instinctively.

“I see, it’s about this affair; let’s go then!” Ma Shichun was far from fearful of the Jinyi guards, and replied with a carefree smile, “I was just about to have a talk with the esteemed commander myself. During my term, the administration has been clear and just, the people live in peace and prosperity, not a thing lost along the road, not a door closed at night. With my abilities, I shouldn’t be confined to the role of a mere county magistrate.”

…

Qingwu Country.

Qu Liangdong looked down at the former Gang Leader of the Beggar’s Gang who had collapsed at his feet, casting a disdainful look around at the elders who had attacked him and were now lying broken, and with a flick of his foot, the bamboo staff symbolizing the Gang Leader’s identity fell into his hand, “Gentlemen, as of today, I assume the role of Gang Leader of the Beggar’s Gang. Does anyone object?”

At the same time.

General Wei Jiuchu was spurring his horse, riding alone, heading straight for the Capital City…

…

The harem of Dachu Country.

Emperor Shi Long of Dachu Country held a sword in one hand, looking down from his elevated position at the Empress before him, “My beloved, rumors have spread that you are in fact a Heavenly Demon that has taken possession to wreak havoc on our nation. Today, I come to seek clarity from you.”

“Your Majesty, it is indeed true that I am a Heavenly Demon in possession,” Wu Tong said sadly, her alluring eyes like silk, “However, the talk of chaos is utterly baseless. I have only heard of corrupt officials causing chaos, of noble families seizing power, but never of a single woman disrupting a nation. A Heavenly Demon can bring men the utmost pleasure; we only survive by clinging to men. Yet Your Majesty, wise and mighty, do you truly lack the confidence to subdue a mere woman?”

As she spoke.

Her thin robe silently slipped away, revealing her pale and delicate shoulders, “Your Majesty, in my view, to truly display imperial majesty, one should subdue the Heavenly Demon and let her serve beneath you!”

…

Meanwhile.

Xunyang Gang, Sky Eagle Gang, Fire God Sect, and other martial sects comparable to the Qinglan Sword Sect, also had Alien Warriors knocking at their doors.

With Yun Yao’s example in the Qinglan Sword Sect.

They now had a good excuse to join these sects at this time.

Even the Qinglan Sword Sect had accepted a Heavenly Demon as an inner sect disciple. Wouldn’t you be afraid of the Qinglan Sword Sect leveraging the power of the Heavenly Demon to strike at you if you don’t recruit one?

…

Cats have their ways, and mice have theirs.

Alien Warriors showcased their strengths and caused huge upheavals everywhere.

The numbers plummeted quickly, and within just two or three days, the Alien Warriors were reduced to 745 people, a decrease of a quarter.

The natives had all kinds of characters, and not everyone was willing to accept them. Nor were everyone’s keywords suitable for survival on the battlefield.

…

While everyone was fighting for their future, Duge’s expansion was hindered.

Seizing a regime was clearly different from leading a group of people into battle.

In previous simulations or the Alien Battlefield, as long as his combat power was sufficient, he could lead a group and cause chaos.

But in this Alien Battlefield.

His keyword was loyalty, which meant he couldn’t run wild and conquer the world; he could only methodically build his own power.

And to build his own power required steady progress, advancing bit by bit, consolidating step by step.

Being loyal to himself and his beliefs wasn’t enough to dominate the entire world.

Moreover.

Having a power base was necessary to get his other keyword, “trend,” rolling.

Recruiting soldiers, logistics, intelligence…

Trivial matters from all sides overwhelmed Duge, and it was only his high spiritual power that kept him from collapsing under the strain.

At this time, he suddenly understood why they said Zhuge Liang died from exhaustion.

Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister, didn’t have his own high spiritual power and physique, nor did he have a skill that could trigger a chain reaction and lead the situation.

…

Wu Chang’s surrender was just a minor episode.

Since Duge hadn’t killed him before, he certainly wouldn’t now. Having promised Wu Chang a place in the top ten, Duge sent him back to the battlefield.

Chongming Country’s army mobilization wasn’t so timely.

However, the border commander Wei Tingjiang reacted quickly. When he learned of the mutinies at Wolf Ping Pass and Yutang Pass, he immediately called in troops and attacked Wolf Ping Pass.

Fortunately, it’s easier to defend a pass than to attack it.

Wolf Ping Pass was strategically located and inherently difficult to attack, serving to repel foreign invasions.

Leaving ten thousand troops to defend, even though Wei Tingjiang brought fifty thousand men, he couldn’t take it down in a short time.

Of course.

Duge wouldn’t just sit and wait to die; he directly sent a letter to Qingwu Country’s border commander, informing him of Wei Tingjiang’s movements.

He wanted to borrow their strength to hold off Wei Tingjiang’s siege.

But not everything developed as Duge hoped.

Qingwu Country’s border commander was too conservative and dared not launch an attack rashly.

After all.

Qingwu Country’s new emperor had just ascended to the throne, and the unsettled nation wasn’t ready to act. Even though he knew it was the best time to seize East Ridge Pass, he didn’t dare march on Chongming Country.

If he did, it would be tantamount to declaring war between the two countries. He couldn’t bear the responsibility of inciting a war, and more critically, attacking Chongming Country now would seem suspiciously like rescuing the princess.

…

With his plan to ‘use one enemy to subdue another’ having failed, Duge had no choice but to face the frenzied General Wei Tingjiang alone at Wolf Ping Pass.

…

Another wave of attackers repelled.

Huangfu Xing, looking at the pile of corpses below the city walls, had an extremely ugly expression on his face.

He couldn’t bear the slaughter among his own people, and even though everyone regarded him as a traitor, in his heart, he still considered himself a subject of Chongming Country.

Furthermore, he now knew Duge’s true identity, and the promise of the Heavenly Demon weighed heavily on him. Would He Xu really help to restore his honor in the future?

But he couldn’t leave Luo Shuang at this time.

After all, the Prime Minister Shi Pingchuan and the Fourth Prince’s advisors on that list were also the Heavenly Demons of a chaotic era. Who knew what state Chongming Country would fall into with such characters around?

Huangfu Xing was utterly confused.

“Imperial Master, what should we do now?” Gao Yanping wasn’t as troubled as Huangfu Xing; after his surrender, he focused solely on considering things for Luo Shuang. He didn’t have many ideals of loyalty; he knew that once you’ve surrendered, there’s no turning back. If Luo Shuang fails, he faces a certain death.

Looking at Duge, he explained, “Wei Tingjiang is a veteran general with an unbroken string of victories, and he is best at using troops. Now that we’ve cut off his supply line, his eighty thousand soldiers’ provisions will last at most three months. For the sake of his soldiers, the old general will spare no effort to break through the two passes.”

Duge asked, “Can you hold out for three months?”

Both Gao Yanping and Huangfu Xing shook their heads.

Huangfu Xing sighed and explained, “We lack morale. We only have Linyang City behind us. Even if we have sufficient provisions, in the minds of our soldiers, we’re still fighting a lonely battle. If Chongming Country’s army comes from behind, with attacks from both sides, we will have no escape…”

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