Chapter 1 The Beginning

Dark clouds hung low, a furious wind howled, tornadoes touched the sky, and waves surged in terror.

The scene, as if heaven and earth were being destroyed, terrified both sides, who retreated three times and dared not approach the battlefield.

Although Lu Longchuan and the others were experienced, they had never seen such a scene before. They were equally frightened and shaken, and hurriedly retreated.

The men of Tianwang (Heavenly King) Stronghold at the fort were seen abandoning their helmets and armor, scrambling to escape for their lives. In a short time, the city wall was littered with debris, and the men had almost completely disappeared. The Dragon King Stronghold's fleet on the water also quickly rowed away, afraid of being sucked into the waterspout.

From afar, both sides saw Chen Feng leap from the wall and plunge into the swirling tornadoes.

Bang, bang, bang—

Immediately afterwards, bursts of explosive fighting sounds rang out in the field.

However, due to the strong wind blowing in their faces, the crowd could hardly open their eyes. Coupled with the dim sky and several waterspouts obscuring their vision, everyone could not see how the two were fighting. They could only listen to the huge movements, unable to help imagining scenes of a dragon and tiger battle.

Inside the fort, the leaders of Tianwang Stronghold huddled behind the fortifications, sheltering from the wind and disaster. From time to time, they poked their heads out to look at the still-howling tornadoes.

"Immortal methods, truly immortal methods!"

Sun Rong murmured in shock.

"Immortal Master Yufeng's abilities are astonishing and astounding. The country has an immortal master, which is truly a blessing for the imperial court... But Chen Feng can actually contend with him, which is simply unbelievable!"

Lu Longchuan's mind was shaken, and he spoke to himself.

The faces of the surrounding leaders of Tianwang Stronghold were pale, all with shocked and terrified expressions.

Originally, many leaders felt privately that the commander and military advisor were abandoning rumors and ostentatiously inviting a Daoist priest to join the army on the expedition, which was a bit of a joke.

But at this time, they only felt terrified and were glad that they had persuaded the Real Person to come out of the mountain to help, otherwise how could they have matched Zhou Jing, who was like a demon lord on earth? Wouldn't they have been slaughtered?!

Guo Haishen and others could not help and could not see the battle situation clearly. At this time, all they could do was wait anxiously,患得患失 (huàn dé huàn shī - worrying about possible loss and gain), and be frightened.

The scene of wind and waves lasted for about an hour before gradually subsiding.

As the wind stopped, the waves calmed, the clouds cleared, and the rain stopped, the sky gradually cleared.

Only then did both sides dare to poke their heads out to observe carefully, eagerly inquiring about the battle situation.

Immediately afterwards, both sides saw that Real Person Yufeng was hovering in the sky, and Qi Dong was showing his upper body in the water, confronting each other from a distance.

Just as everyone was curious about who won and who lost, Real Person Yufeng in the sky suddenly said loudly:

"Today, this poor Daoist has truly broadened his horizons. Fortress Master Chen's divine skills are unparalleled, and his physical body has been tempered a thousand times. He is indeed an unrivaled genius in the field of martial arts."

Zhou Jing responded loudly: "Real Person's supernatural powers are also the only ones Chen has ever seen in his life. They are truly matchless. Among the world's experts, only you are worthy of fighting me!"

Chen Feng smiled and said, "How about we call this battle a draw?"

Zhou Jing grinned: "Okay, let's call a truce today, and I'll slowly compete with you another day!"

The voices of the two spread far and wide, reaching the ears of many people present.

Before everyone could react, the two returned to their respective camps. Zhou Jing swam quickly in the water, dragging a white line as he jumped back to the Dragon King Stronghold's warship, while Chen Feng floated down to the wall of the fort.

Seeing this, Guo Haishen and others hurried up to greet him, surprised and puzzled:

"Real Person, this is..."

Qi Dong withdrew his smile, pinched his fingers, took a deep breath to adjust his breathing, and slowly spoke after a few seconds:

"This poor Daoist's magic power has been greatly depleted. If we continue to fight, I'm afraid I won't be able to subdue this person."

"Ah? Even Real Person's supernatural powers are not a match for that Qi Dong?!"

Qi Dongwei and the others' expressions changed suddenly, and they panicked a little, not knowing what to do.

Chen Feng shook his head and added:

"However, this poor Daoist is good at riding the wind, and that Zhou Jing can't do anything to me either. We can't help each other."

"I see."

Guo Haishen was relieved when he heard this.

If even this expert who commands the wind could not defeat that Zhou Jing, then he really did not know how to fight this battle.

Immediately afterwards, Guo Haishen felt a little relaxed, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and asked respectfully and cautiously:

"In Real Person's opinion, what should we do now?"

"I don't think the other party will attack. Why don't we sound the gongs and withdraw our troops?" Chen Feng said casually, then smiled and said: "Commander Lu is the commander of the three armies. You can issue orders yourself. Why ask a Daoist priest like me who doesn't understand military affairs?"

"Oh... Okay, all generals listen to the order, reorganize the various units, and withdraw the troops for now."

Qi Dongwei hurriedly gave the order.

As the commander, he did not intend to let Real Person Yufeng participate in the decision-making, but now that he saw that this person's methods were far beyond imagination and almost unlike ordinary people, he could not help but subconsciously ask the other party, not daring to ignore his opinion.

The other leaders of Tianwang Stronghold were even more in awe of Real Person Yufeng, and even dared not look him directly in the eyes.

Although they were well-informed old rangers, they still felt frightened when faced with such a powerful figure who could stir up the wind at every turn and whose magic power could penetrate the heavens and the earth. They felt an instinctive fear of the incomprehensible means.

And the surrounding soldiers of Tianwang Stronghold even wanted to prostrate themselves on the ground, each of them诚惶诚恐 (chéng huáng chéng kǒng - trembling with fear), and had already regarded Real Person Yufeng as an immortal.

Looking at everyone's reaction, Qi Dong's face was calm, but he smiled secretly in his heart.

The effect of this fight was remarkable, and it seemed that he had suppressed the situation.

In fact, he and Qi Dong had hardly exchanged blows, but they deliberately created a shocking scene, as if they had fought incomparably fiercely. Others would not believe that the two were acting at all.

They deliberately performed a wave in front of both sides' troops, so that the images of the two Star Realm Apostles were consolidated, and they cooperated with each other to raise each other's worth, which was effective.

"I'm here to contain Zhou Jing, and the troops on both sides will engage in battle step by step. I estimate that it won't be over for a while, so we have to hold on for a while. Next, we'll see how the battle develops..."

Chen Feng thought to himself.

On the other side, Zhou Jing returned to the Dragon King Stronghold's camp, and Qi Dongwei and others hurried up to greet him.

"Brother, are you not injured?"

Zhou Jing casually put the spear aside and waved his hand: "I'm fine."

The leaders had not yet returned to their senses and hurriedly checked him to make sure that Zhou Jing was unharmed before they felt relieved.

Fang Zhen swallowed and said with lingering fear:

"Just now, that Daoist priest used earth-shattering methods. The brothers were all sweating for you, brother... Could that Real Person Yufeng really be an immortal descended from heaven? Is this method of calling the wind and summoning the rain really something that human power can do?!"

The leaders were all filled with lingering fear and were in awe of Lingfengzi's methods, fearing and respecting him.

Zhou Jing shook his head, not taking it seriously: "Talented people emerge in large numbers in the world. It's not surprising to encounter a strong enemy, but he can't do anything to me. It's just that that bird Daoist can fly, and I can't hit him, otherwise I wouldn't have let it go."

Hearing this, everyone felt much more at ease.

Zhou Jing was the spiritual pillar of Dragon King Stronghold. As long as Zhou Jing was not defeated, they would be full of confidence.

Duan Yunfeng frowned and said coldly: "That Daoist priest has such abilities, but he is willing to be a lackey and sell his life for the dog emperor, which is really incomprehensible... It seems that even such an expert can't escape the fame and wealth that people covet."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere suddenly became a little cold, and everyone did not know how to respond.

Du Ying sighed: "Alas, the imperial court is powerful after all, and it is the orthodox ruler of the world. Even if it is昏庸腐败 (hūn yōng fǔ bài - fatuous and corrupt), people are still willing to serve it and be an accomplice. At best, they turn a blind eye and only seek their own wealth and honor... Throughout the ages, fame and wealth have always been greater than justice. To put it bluntly, everything in this world is caused by people's hearts."

Zhou Jing interrupted the conversation and said in a deep voice:

"Let's not talk about these things for now. Let's withdraw our troops and return to the stronghold. Since the enemy has such an expert, we'll deal with them slowly."

Everyone responded loudly and ordered the navy to retreat together.

...

In the following half a month or so, the troops on both sides fought many times in the Huyang area. Real Person Yufeng and Zhou Jing fought several more battles, each time with great momentum and earth-shattering power, and finally ended in a draw.

The two men's battlefield performances were shocking and witnessed by many people. They spread among the people,不胫而走 (bù jìng ér zǒu - spread like wildfire), causing a great uproar.

The folk rumors became more and more exaggerated, simply becoming myths. In some outlandish versions, Lingfengzi was an immortal descended from heaven who bravely fought against an evil dragon. In more outrageous versions, Zhou Jing was invincible in the world and was a land immortal, the ancestor of martial arts. Even immortals had to bow their heads to him.

But no matter how it was spread, the two Star Realm Apostles gained great fame from this battle. They were already very prestigious in different circles, and now they were even better. It could be said that it was a win-win situation... they themselves won twice.

In the next two months, the two armies confronted each other, fighting dozens of major and minor battles.

Although Qi Dong was contained by Real Person Yufeng and could not use his usual beheading tactics, Dragon King Stronghold occupied the geographical advantage and had informants, so it still had the upper hand, causing Tianwang Stronghold to complain incessantly.

Tianwang Stronghold could only write letters to the imperial court frequently, requesting reinforcements, but they all sank without a trace. A lot of supplies were sent, but not a single soldier was sent, and the intention of watching from the other side of the river was not concealed at all.

Helpless, Tianwang Stronghold had to suspend the attack completely and defend the key points, building hard forts and fighting a dull battle, relying on its large number of soldiers and generals to resist the offensive of Dragon King Stronghold.

On the surface, it was not clear which side was the court official.

However, this move was indeed effective. Tianwang Stronghold's strategy of shrinking back and defending was like a rat pulling a turtle, making it impossible for Dragon King Stronghold to attack. The two sides only had small-scale skirmishes and had to enter a stalemate.

As the days gradually entered summer, the red sun was scorching.

Inside Dragon King Stronghold, Chen Feng and the leaders gathered together to discuss military affairs.

"Tianwang Stronghold is shrinking back so much that we can't attack for a long time. It's not a good thing to drag on like this."

Guo Haishen supported his forehead and said worriedly.

Du Ying was also helpless and shook his head:

"The number of enemy troops is roughly the same as ours. With such a tight defense, it's difficult for us to capture the enemy's fort... If the Fort Master could attack as usual, it wouldn't be a problem, but every time that Real Person Yufeng interferes, otherwise Tianwang Stronghold would be no match for us."

Duan Yunfeng frowned: "The enemy army has the support of the imperial court's logistics and has plenty of food and grass. The longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. Unfortunately, the opponent's granary is heavily guarded, and there is no opportunity to take advantage of it."

Everyone discussed for a while.

At this time, Chen Feng suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Although we have the upper hand, we can't defeat the enemy for a while. It's better to win with奇谋 (qí móu - ingenious strategy)."

As soon as the voice fell, everyone turned their heads to look over, their faces full of surprise.

"Brother says this, do you have a plan?"

Du Ying asked curiously.

Chen Feng nodded: "I have a scheme of sowing discord that may be feasible."

"A scheme of sowing discord?"

Everyone was shocked and widened their eyes, their expressions as if they were meeting Chen Feng for the first time.

--I didn't expect that the Fort Master, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also play such insidious tricks?

Du Ying opened his mouth and hurriedly asked, "The leaders of Tianwang Stronghold have gathered together for many years, and they are united from top to bottom. It's as solid as a rock. How can this scheme of sowing discord be carried out?"

Chen Feng's face remained unchanged, and he said, "Military Advisor, you are wrong. The matter of accepting amnesty has already alienated some of the enemy's leaders. In fact, some of the Tianwang Stronghold leaders have been secretly communicating with me for a long time. These days, I have always been able to anticipate the enemy's movements and make the opponent suffer repeatedly because this person has been sending me information and revealing key secrets."

Everyone suddenly heard this news and was immediately shocked.

"There is such a thing? Since the Tianwang Stronghold leader has already accepted amnesty, is he going to betray the imperial court again?"

"No wonder brother has been so familiar with the enemy's movements recently. It turns out that there is such a thing!"

"Brother, you have been hiding it from us!"

After everyone was shocked, they were overjoyed.

It was a great thing that there was an inside agent in the enemy army!

Chen Feng waited for everyone to quiet down before continuing:

"There is a letter to prove this. We can just use the secret letter to frame other leaders, sowing discord among the enemy generals and causing internal strife. In this way, loopholes will naturally arise, and we can take advantage of the situation!"

Du Ying pondered for a while and nodded in agreement: "Acting in this way may be very promising!"

Everyone agreed.

Although the plan sounded complicated, the implementation details were unclear. What targets to choose, how to use the letters to frame them, etc., all needed to be considered in detail and further discussed.

At this time, someone asked curiously:

"Who is this Tianwang Stronghold leader who has defected to us? I wonder if it is convenient for the Fort Master to say?"

Hearing this, Du Ying was about to stop him.

Zhou Jing waved his hand, not caring at all:

"Everyone here is our own brother, there's nothing we can't say. The one who has been secretly sending me information is the fourth leader of Tianwang Stronghold, Xiang Tianjie! If you encounter him on the battlefield in the future, don't entangle with him, lest you ruin your own life."

Seeing that Zhou Jing had already said it, Du Ying sighed helplessly.

In his opinion, how could such military secrets be easily revealed to others?

The Fort Master's actions were too careless. A slight carelessness could harm the person who had defected.

"It's actually him? Could it be that after he met with my second brother in Jiangchun, he admired him in his heart, and that's why he came to defect?"

Lu Longchuan was shocked and frowned in analysis, feeling that he had found a reason that seemed possible.

Everyone was also greatly surprised. They thought that at most it was a small leader with a lower seat who had colluded with the enemy, but they did not expect that it was the other party's number four figure.

What was he planning?

Could it be that the matter of accepting amnesty really caused Tianwang Stronghold to be so united?

Zhou Jing looked at the whispering crowd with a blank expression.

The only spy in the Tianwang Stronghold army was Lingfengzi. There were no enemy leaders at all.

This plan was not Zhou Jing's idea, but in the message, he received instructions from Lingfengzi, who was 上身 (shàng shēn - possessed) by Qi Dong, to cooperate internally and externally.

Chen Feng also did not want to fight for a long time, but he realized that simply revealing military intelligence was not enough to quickly end the battle, and Tianwang Stronghold had been constantly asking for help during this period. To avoid complications, it was better to do some small actions, and Lingfengzi's advantage in being in the enemy camp should naturally be utilized.

The real scheme of sowing discord ended the moment Zhou Jing spoke.