Lieyang Mountain Heavenly Pond
Tens of thousands of giant winged cloud swallows breed here. Such numbers are inseparable from the cultivation of the Cloud Kingdom.
The human world is vast. Without these beasts of burden, the Cloud Kingdom would be no different from a cripple.
Feeding these cloud swallows requires immense amounts of food daily, placing a heavy economic burden on the Cloud Kingdom.
The patrolling guards are all superior stock, tall and naturally strong.
Beside the Heavenly Pond, there is a large complex of buildings: granaries, barracks, cargo transfer areas, labor dormitories, mess halls, and a command center...
Inside the command center, a corpulent man slumped in his chair. Various gift boxes were piled in front of him, and a massive cleaver lay beside the chair.
"Lord Bogang, this is a token of respect from He City, hoping for priority in item transmission."
"This is from a wealthy merchant in Guancheng. Their intention is to transport some contraband, and they hope Lord Bogang can turn a blind eye."
"And this is the cargo manifest from the King himself, with a warning that if there are any mishaps, your head will be forfeit."
Bogang flinched and roared, "Fool, next time the King's letters should be presented separately and read first..."
"But..."
"Hmm?"
"Last time, Your Lordship said to arrange letters by the amount of gifts received, and the King did not send any gifts..."
Bogang kicked him, frustrated. "Damn it, the fact that the King doesn't chop me is the greatest gift!"
Bogang, one of the twelve commanders of the Cloud Kingdom, is the King's right-hand man and trusted assistant.
The commander of Lieyang Mountain is the most lucrative position in the Cloud Kingdom. Only a confidant would be entrusted with the vital hub of Lieyang Mountain.
It was Bogang and Makabaka who led the previous surprise raid on Mocheng.
Bogang opened a gift box, fiddling with the rare treasures inside. He downed a 2L bottle of strong liquor in one gulp, his tolerance being astonishing.
*Boom!*
Bogang frowned. "What's going on?"
"Commander, it seems to be coming from the direction of the slave dormitory."
"Slave revolt? Such a commotion, where have all the guards gone? Hurry and urge them on!"
"Yes!"
Bogang grumbled in displeasure and took out another bottle of liquor, enjoying it leisurely.
...
Meanwhile, the Great Army of the Northern Alliance launched a full-scale invasion, leaving no survivors in their wake!
Besides over a dozen elites, there were thousands of warriors with high awakening levels. Further away, hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers were gathering, and if the elite forces could capture the teleportation point, the main army would immediately advance!
The old man with a goat beard sat beside a corpse, dipping his brush in blood and ink to continue transcribing the Chronicle of Northern Heroes.
"A perfect surprise attack. The guards at Lieyang Mountain were lax and slow to react; such a defeat is fitting..."
"An army of a hundred thousand, costing a thousand gold a day, places immense pressure on the Northern Army in the long run."
"As the saying goes, 'By living off the enemy, the soldier's food is made to suffice!' If we can capture the supplies at Lieyang Mountain this time, the war will be won!"
"It's just that both sides have underestimated their opponents..."
...
Elite troops launched a surprise attack, their battle cries reaching the heavens!
The Cloud Kingdom's response was swift, and an effective defense was immediately organized.
A dozen high-level beings, clad in fine armor and fully equipped with weapons, descended from the sky, their feet cracking the rocks below!
"Greetings, esteemed Blade Masters!"
"What is happening?"
"It's a counterattack from the human world! Information about Lieyang Mountain must have been leaked!"
The Blade Masters exchanged glances. The tallest among them spoke, "To think that mere scum from the human world would dare to invade the territory of our Cloud Kingdom? They have quite the audacity!"
"Heh heh heh, since they dare to reach for Lieyang Mountain, let's chop off those dog paws!"
A Blade Master shouted, "Warriors of the Cloud Kingdom, follow me and fight!"
With a backbone in place, the retreating forces regrouped.
Blade Master, a position of great prestige within the army, perhaps lacking in strategy or authority, and without subordinates... but undeniably skilled in combat!
As long as a Blade Master was present, the soldiers of the Cloud Kingdom would reignite their fighting spirit!
The Blade Masters led the charge, their casual swings of their weapons shattering small combat units of over a dozen men, making the Northern Alliance forces suffer greatly.
Mo Du stood on a high vantage point, gazing at the battlefield. "The elites of the Cloud Kingdom have entered the fray. Esteemed sirs, I entrust this to you!"
Behind Mo Du were about a dozen individuals, representing the peak combat power assembled by both sides.
...
A Blade Master was engaged in fierce combat when he suddenly felt a gust of wind from behind. He twisted his head slightly, and a cleaver grazed past his hair, whistling through the air.
"Who are you?"
"Hee hee, a dying man, why so many questions!"
The same situation was repeated in many places on the battlefield.
Among them were some familiar faces, such as the two brothers, Hengxing and Badao.
Bloodthirsty Blade, Bloodthirsty Sword... they drank the enemy's fresh blood on the battlefield!
Each brother faced a Blade Master. Their broad, powerful attacks not only forced their opponents to retreat repeatedly but also allowed them time to clear out lesser foes.
Badao, wielding a heavy sword, roared excitedly, "So cool, so cool! Brother, your blade is a bit dull. I've already killed dozens."
Hengxing remained unfazed, focusing on his attack against the Blade Master.
Responding to his brother's teasing, he said, "What's there to brag about with ordinary grunts? Let's see who can take down the opposing commander first!"
"Okay! Let's have some stakes. How about 200,000 Belize?"
"Too little, 500,000!"
"Brother, the bet is a bit too high! I'll have to give it my all!"
"Do I need you to hold back?"
Their brazen conversation made the two opposing Blade Masters feel utterly humiliated.
The rank of Blade Master was earned through countless battles. When had their heads been treated as mere commodities?
...
Lieyang Mountain Command Center
Listening to the roars of battle outside, Bogang remained unmoved, calmly sipping his liquor and playing with the various bribes.
A messenger, his face covered in blood, burst through the door.
Bogang frowned. "Can you knock before entering next time? You'll receive twenty military lashes later."
The messenger choked, "Your Lordship, this is a disaster! It's not a slave rebellion, the people from the human world have attacked!"
"The human world? The North?"
"Judging by the flags, there are indeed patterns of the North. Your Lordship, please think of a solution quickly, the brothers are about to collapse!"
"Useless!"
Bogang roared, "Where are the Blade Masters? They're always eager for a fight, but where are they when something happens?"
"The enemy numbers are too great. A dozen Blade Masters are on the front lines, and several have already been seriously injured!"
Bogang waved his hand irritably. "Get out, get out! These good-for-nothings! Useless!"
"Your Lordship, what do we do now?"
"What do we do? I'll go take a look, what else can we do! I really don't want to move, but they just have to cause trouble for me."
Saying that, Bogang reached for the weapon beside his chair.
Strangely, something happened. The gold-inlaid, diamond-studded precious saber flew up into the air and darted to the ceiling beam.
A hand reached out from the ceiling beam and firmly grasped it.
Bogang froze, staring blankly at the ceiling beam with dead fish eyes.
"Didn't anyone tell you not to touch my things?"
The messenger beside him retreated in fear. Everyone here knew that when Bogang made that expression, someone was going to die.
A gaunt figure appeared on the ceiling beam, his face sinister.
In one hand, he held the precious saber; in the other, a bamboo pole with a thin, crystalline thread attached.
"I saw something I liked and borrowed it. You don't mind, do you?"
"I mind greatly!"
The figure on the ceiling beam ignored him and said leisurely, "This precious saber is adorned with all sorts of strange stones and crystals, likely worth tens of millions of Belize... Someone who can afford such a weapon must not be ordinary. You are the leader here, aren't you?"
Bogang tilted his head. "And who are you?"
"Hee hee hee hee~ Then I've found the right person! It seems the credit for this operation will be mine."
"Didn't you hear my question?"
"Oh, oh, oh, my apologies for my rudeness. I am one of the Ten Heroes of the North. You can also call me the Angler!"
...
"Thunderous Overlord's Three Streaks of Lightning!"
Hengxing transformed into a whirlwind, unleashing three consecutive strikes!
The heavy force directly shattered the Blade Master's weapon, armor, and body, with blood splashing over seven feet high!
On the other side, Badao also completed his kill, only a breath behind Hengxing.
Badao grumbled, "Unfair, I spent a lot of time clearing out those grunts."
"Heh heh, that's not my problem. A bet is a bet!"
"Draw a circle, draw a circle."
Drawing a circle meant deferring payment, to be settled when funds were more ample.
Based on Hengxing's understanding of Badao, this debt would likely be drawn forever.
Hengxing looked around, a hint of dejection in his voice. "It seems Junqing isn't here."
"Brother, this surprise attack won't cause much of a ripple. We'll be able to rescue Junqing sooner or later."
"Alas~ It's my weakness, I couldn't protect him."
"It's not your fault," Badao said softly, comforting him. The two were no longer the hot-blooded warriors from before, their sighs filled the air.
When the Cloud Kingdom attacked that day, Hengxing and Badao were present, but the enemy's strength was too great, and they were powerless to resist, forced to watch Junqing be abducted.
In that battle, Hengxing lost an arm, and Badao lost half his face.
"Yo, are you two lovebirds playing a sad play here?"
They both turned around in unison, their expressions instantly turning furious as they looked at the newcomer.
Hengxing squeezed out two words through gritted teeth!
"It's you!"