Chapter 340 261: Bearing Down

"The attack on Yuan Tianhao has sent shockwaves through the morale of the frontline soldiers. Without him to hold them in check, the various armies are at odds with one another. With only his title as temporary overall commander, the Shenxiao Army Commander can't possibly keep the other armies in line."

"Most importantly, if Yuan Tianhao really can't hold on and dies, the Warlord factions will undoubtedly fall into chaos. The Beidou Army will be the first to face turmoil. Without the Beidou Army to mediate, it will be difficult to resolve the conflicts between the various armies. Besides, the other Military Commanders have been coveting Yuan Tianhao's position for a long time. His death will inevitably cause a huge uproar."

"The commanders of the Shenxiao, Yun Ling, and Celestial Mansion armies must all focus on stabilizing their own forces. Amidst this chaos, they believe the top priority is to retreat first, fall back to the strategic locations outside Shangjing, and mitigate the fallout from the attack on Yuan Tianhao. Otherwise, even if they stay and continue to fight, they'll likely suffer heavy losses under the Neon army's assault."

"So, their current plan is to temporarily withdraw their forces and send people to negotiate with the Neon side. They'll promise them benefits to buy time. They're probably trying to imitate the peace talks of the previous dynasty—at worst, they'll cede territory and pay reparations."

The head of the Martial Arts Association branch spoke to Zhao Xuanqi and the others, his expression incredibly grim.

"I'm afraid there's more to it than just that. There's another reason: after what happened to Yuan Tianhao, the other Military Commanders have lost their nerve. They are terrified by the strength of the Neon experts. If even Yuan Tianhao could end up like this, what chance do they have?"

Wang Sea added coolly.

During the rescue mission, the Neon experts, even after their great battle with Yuan Tianhao, still displayed terrifyingly immense power. If Zhao Xuanqi hadn't stepped forward, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"The Neon army won't be satisfied so easily. Their target isn't just the small Northern Territory."

Zhao Xuanqi shook his head. He was looking at it from the perspective of history, having lived through the history of his previous life. The Warlords of this world might not have such awareness. After all, since the previous dynasty, invasions by the Great Powers were not uncommon; they were often just a way to secure greater benefits within the Divine Land.

If Yuan Tianhao were to die, many Warlords would covet the now-vacant position of the most powerful man in the Divine Land. Some might have even been wishing for his death for a long time.

"What should we do now?"

Wang Sea asked Zhao Xuanqi.

"Let's return to Jinmen first, gather everyone, and then decide on a plan."

Zhao Xuanqi shook his head slightly. He couldn't influence the decisions of the various armies, and in their current state of disarray, there was indeed no way to continue holding their ground.

With Yuan Tianhao out of commission, the Divine Land was bound to fall into turmoil. There was no guarantee that Jinmen would remain safe, so he needed to return and secure the city, then decide his next steps based on the situation.

With his strength alone, he couldn't yet change the course of this war. After his encounter with the Neon's Restricted-level experts, he understood that even after opening the Eight Dragon Spine Acupoints, he had only reached the threshold of the Restricted level. In a one-on-one fight, he was likely only on par with a Restricted-level expert, let alone fighting multiple opponents who were backed by a massive army.

If he were at his peak from his previous life, perhaps he could have done something more. But for now, he could only go with the flow and take things one step at a time.

...

...

「Divine Land, Jinling.」

「Lin Mansion.」

"Has Yuan Tianhao's condition been confirmed?"

Lin Quelan had gathered the high-ranking officers of the Phoenix Army for a meeting in the council hall.

"He's critically injured and on the verge of death. They're using Golden Willow Jade Liquid to keep him alive. The temporary overall commander, Chi Zhenyun, has already given the order to retreat. They're taking Yuan Tianhao back to Shangjing for emergency treatment, but his chances of survival are slim."

A subordinate reported.

"I've finally gotten my chance."

Lin Quelan's phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile touched the corners of her lips.

Among the armies of the Divine Land, the Phoenix Army was the strongest, second only to the Beidou Army. And among the Military Commanders, besides Yuan Tianhao, she, Lin Quelan, was the only one to have reached the Restricted level.

However, Yuan Tianhao had always overshadowed Lin Quelan, forcing her to remain in a subordinate position. The current situation was the perfect opportunity for her to take his place and become the most powerful person in the Divine Land.

As for the Neon Influence, while the threat was immense, that was a problem to be considered only after she had taken control of the Divine Land.

"Gather the troops immediately! We march to the Capital City with me to assist the Grand Marshal in resisting the enemy and upholding the legitimacy of the Divine Land!"

Lin Quelan said to the group coolly.

In an instant, with Yuan Tianhao gravely injured and incapacitated, a storm swept through the Divine Land. The commanders of the eight great Warlord armies, bringing their experts and troops, all rushed to Shangjing. They came under the banner of "assisting the Grand Marshal in resisting the enemy," but in reality, they were taking advantage of the power vacuum, hoping to control the situation in Shangjing and carve out their own share of the Divine Land's interests.

Although they knew the various armies had ill intentions, the Beidou Army was in no position to resist. With Yuan Tianhao in a coma, many key military and political officials killed in the attack, and experts like Meng Dongtai seriously injured, they were in internal disarray. Within a short week, all the Military Commanders had gathered in Shangjing, throwing the city into turmoil.

When Yuan Tianhao had first called everyone to arms, rallying forces to march north and fight Neon, only three of the more closely allied Military Commanders had shown up. But now that Yuan Tianhao had fallen, they all rushed to Shangjing without even being summoned. It was truly absurd.

They were hardly enthusiastic about saving the nation from peril, yet they swarmed in to fight for power and profit.

The situation in Shangjing was in flux, with power constantly changing hands, but Zhao Xuanqi had no intention of interfering, nor did he have a reason to. He and Wang Sea returned to Jinmen. Just as they expected, they found that the political turmoil had caused chaos within Jinmen as well. The powers in the foreign concessions were stirring, and Neon's sleeper agents were making moves, seemingly with the idea of using Jinmen as a stepping stone.

However, upon Zhao Xuanqi's return, he immediately suppressed all signs of chaos, restoring peace to Jinmen.

And just as all the factions were converging on Shangjing, the Neon army marched south. Within half a month, they broke through three of the armies' defensive lines and began to threaten Shangjing itself.

During this time, there was no news of Yuan Tianhao. The Beidou Army consistently claimed he was still undergoing emergency treatment.

Under the pressure of the Neon army, the power struggle in Shangjing quickly came to an end. In the end, Lin Quelan, with the greatest strength and largest force, temporarily assumed the position of Grand Marshal of the Divine Land. The great Warlords once again formed a joint force, led by Lin Quelan, to march north. She called upon all patriots in the land to join the fight against the Neon army.

This time, however, the response was very limited. Lin Quelan was not Yuan Tianhao, after all, and the actions of the various armies had truly disheartened many people.

The joint force also sent an invitation to Zhao Xuanqi and the Martial Arts Association, but this time, Zhao Xuanqi did not agree to help.

Many people within the various armies held grudges and enmity toward him. With Yuan Tianhao absent, it was hard to tell if these people were friend or foe. There was no guarantee that someone wouldn't try to stab him in the back.

He could trust in Yuan Tianhao's character, but he couldn't trust the other Military Commanders, especially Lin Quelan of the Phoenix Army.

Soon, under the watchful eyes of all factions in the Divine Land, the joint force led by Lin Quelan clashed with the main Neon army. Unexpectedly, the joint force held out for less than three days before collapsing into a rout, with the army continuously retreating.

The joint force proposed peace talks to the Neon Influence, but the Neon army flatly refused and continued its march south, pressing toward Shangjing.

The four Restricted-level experts, now restored to their peak condition, were unimaginably powerful. It was only then that the allied forces finally understood just how strong Yuan Tianhao must have been to survive an encounter with such experts.

The continuous defeats of the joint force sent another uproar throughout the Divine Land. The surge of anti-Neon sentiment that had been stirred up suffered another blow after the attack on Yuan Tianhao. A sense of pessimism began to grow in many people's hearts.

The Divine Land is in peril. The Neon Influence is unstoppable.

The tide had turned!

In less than a month, the joint force had retreated back into Shangjing City, and the Neon army had advanced to less than a hundred kilometers from the capital.

The enemy army was at the gates, the city under siege!

Just then, a piece of good news finally came from within Shangjing City.

Yuan Tianhao, who had been in a coma for nearly a month and a half, had finally awakened.

And Zhao Xuanqi, at the Martial Arts Association Headquarters in Jinmen, also received a secret letter sent by one of Yuan Tianhao's men. It said that Yuan Tianhao wanted him to come to Shangjing for a meeting.