The true intentions of the Dark Hall remained unclear, primarily because the events that transpired during Ye Longlin's hours-long disappearance had compelled him to prepare for an all-out war.
This decisive battle was something the Glorious Hall had anticipated for many years, the foundational families had waited for a long time, and Ye Longlin himself had yearned for it.
That it had arrived so abruptly due to a mere disappearance felt somewhat dreamlike, an almost unreal sensation.
Upon returning to the Xia family, Mu Hanqi stated directly, "The foundational families have made their arrangements. Of the four hundred thousand soldiers dispatched from Dragon Pavilion, one hundred thousand have already arrived, with the rest expected to reach us by tomorrow afternoon."
Ye Longlin nodded, letting out a long breath. "Inform everyone to enter Level One alert."
...
Three days later.
During these three days, Ye Longlin had barely slept. He had been constantly on the move, either arranging the impending battle or on his way to do so.
Meanwhile, the Glorious Hall had maintained continuous contact over these three days. The matter had even reached the ears of the Supreme Commander, whose only directive was to ensure the Dark Hall's complete eradication from the face of the earth.
What else could Ye Longlin do but agree?
In the military, at the command post!
Ye Longlin, clad in the uniform of the Supreme Commander and draped in a cape, gazed with resolute determination at the countless Dragon Pavilion soldiers assembled below, his expression grave.
"Dragon Pavilion soldiers, we have never feared death. Dragon Pavilion soldiers, we have always lived in defiance of it!"
"The conflict between the Dark Hall and our Dragon Pavilion is long-standing. Countless soldiers have fallen by their hands, and how many comrades have met their end by their blades!
We have waited too long for the Dark Hall's decisive confrontation, and we have been suppressed for too long. This time, let us annihilate the Dark Hall and avenge our fallen comrades!"
...
Dark Hall Headquarters.
Chen Daoru stood beside the Hall Master, his gaze placid.
Over these three days, they had transformed the headquarters into a small military base. Everywhere one looked, there were defensive lines and heavy machine guns!
Should the enemy breach these defenses, they would be sitting ducks.
Once the heavy machine guns were activated, no matter how many of them came, they would be held here, let alone the fact that they possessed far more than just these means.
"Has the pavilion over there been completed?"
The Hall Master, shrouded in a black robe, spoke slowly, a trace of a playful smile flickering in his eyes.
Chen Daoru nodded. "Reporting to the Hall Master, it has been completed. Furthermore, the TNT buried underground is ready.
The capital has also been prepared. As soon as our battle commences, those in the capital will begin their actions. The fighting in the capital will undoubtedly conclude sooner than ours. Thus, while this may appear to be an act of overreach on our part, how could they possibly comprehend our grand design?
As long as the capital's operation is successful, even if we are captured, they will not dare to do anything to us!
It is the Hall Master's masterful foresight that they will never uncover our true objective. We have them completely in our grasp."
Having said that, Chen Daoru chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes.
After all, for them, this decisive battle was merely the beginning of a new chapter!
Whether they could transform the Dark Hall into the Glorious Hall, whether they could replace the Glorious Hall, all depended on those in the capital!
The people in the capital were the cream of the crop, their accumulated strength over the years!
While they occupied Ye Longlin and this group of top-tier forces here, there would be few left in the capital, making this their opportunity!
Replacing the Glorious Hall was their ultimate goal!
And this was the closest they had ever been to achieving it!
"Never underestimate the opposition. We are waging war against the entirety of Great Xia. Any mistake will surely lead to our demise, with no chance of recovery."
The Hall Master spoke, reaching up to remove his wide-brimmed hood, revealing his face!
Jin Wu!
The Hall Master of the Dark Hall!
No one had expected Jin Wu to be the Hall Master of the Dark Hall!
Chen Daoru showed no surprise, clearly already aware of the other's identity!
"Who would have thought that the esteemed mayor of Chang'an City would be the Hall Master of the Dark Hall? Perhaps, no one would have imagined that you would also be a member of the hidden Jin family.
Even though the Jin family is now history, you survived and took over the Dark Divine Temple from that old ancestor of the Ye family, transforming it into the Dark Hall."
Indeed, not a single person could have ever guessed Jin Wu's true identity.
"Heh."
Back then, the Jin family was besieged by all the hidden families. They fought desperately to send Jin Wu out. The most ironic part was that they weren't sending out Jin Wu, but Jin Wei.
Jin Wei was a prodigy of the Jin family, and with him, the Jin family could be revived. Therefore, they sent Jin Wei out, awaiting the day the Jin family could once again appear on Great Xia's soil.
However, due to the extreme chaos, in a twist of fate, Jin Wei and Jin Wu both escaped. They were discovered, and the ultimate outcome was Jin Wei's death, while Jin Wu managed to flee.
After escaping, he was accidentally adopted. Later, when his adoptive father died in an incident, his adoptive mother brought him back to their hometown in Chang'an.
Ten years later, with the adoptive father's affairs settled, and with the help of some individuals, he gradually climbed from a mere office worker to his current position.
But no one knew that Jin Wu had also ordered the death of his adoptive mother. This was because his adoptive mother knew too much, and to ensure this matter remained secret, he eliminated everyone who knew!
It had to be said, he was truly ruthless!
But without that ruthlessness, he would never have reached his current position!
"Hall Master, Ye Longlin's army has arrived and has surrounded us layer by layer."
Someone rushed in to report.
Jin Wu narrowed his eyes slightly, nodding, and looked at Chen Daoru, saying slowly, "Go. I'll leave this place to you."
"Understood!"
After Jin Wu spoke, he took a step forward. It appeared to be a small step, but once he planted his foot, he was already a hundred meters away!
Jin Wu was also a top-tier expert!
Yet, Ye Longlin had interacted with him several times without discovering that the man was a martial artist. This could only mean that Jin Wu had hidden his abilities so well that Ye Longlin had found no trace of them.
The small pavilion at the village entrance.
This had been erected over the past three days.
The last time Ye Longlin was captured, they had used this very path. If he were to come today, it was highly probable he would take this route again.
As expected, an hour later, Ye Longlin, dressed in his military uniform with six stars on his shoulders, strode forward!
"Three days ago, Chang'an Mayor Jin Wu went missing with me. I thought you had captured him, but I never expected it to be you."