All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes
Chapter 473 - 98: Armaments of the New Era (5000)

Chapter 473: Chapter 98: Armaments of the New Era (5000)

The vanguard sped through the snow-covered plains, crossing the Lu River which had been sealed by ice. Before completely freezing over, ice had encased the shorelines, drowning both the rice fields and the ferry docks, turning them into a ground trampled by hooves. Only one or two chimneys protruded from the ice, like desperate hands reaching out.

"No sign of the enemy."

After crossing the ice, a scout cavalryman at the very front, clad in fur armor and holding a telescope, gazed toward the Broken Blade Mountain defense line. Then, he picked up the animal cage hanging by his side to check on the small creature inside.

Assured that the creature wasn’t agitated, he nodded and picked up the Jade Talisman on his chest, saying, "This is the twelfth report for today. The Metal-Eating Rat shows no reaction, no sign of Weapon Fiend or Gold Fiend from Lu River to Broken Blade Mountain, Eagle Eye confirms no airships hidden Among the Clouds, good weather conditions, please instruct from the main tent."

At the end, he added, "The Vanguard Camp is in good condition, supply is sufficient, we can continue the operation."

[Continue scouting ahead] Not long after, a hoarse male voice emerged from the Jade Slip: [Conceal your presence, infiltrate the Broken Blade Mountain from the northeast to the southwest, report once when you enter, and then report every quarter of an hour.]

"Understood."

The Jade Slip sparkled, and the Scout Team Leader, aware that the message had been disseminated to all scouts in every direction and the rear Vanguard Camp, continued forward, following the route given by the main tent.

"I really don’t know what has happened to Da Chen."

As his steed galloped, the Old Scout, with over one hundred and twenty years of Battle Formation experience, couldn’t help but let his thoughts race. His peak Inner Strength kept his hair pure black, but the lengthy years still made him reminisce about the past: "How could Da Chen of those days be as frail as it is now?"

He still remembered, the last batch of Conquering General’s forces sweeping past Iron Li’s old horse pastures.

It was a dawn from one hundred and forty years ago, when Martial Artists and Cavalry in Armor appeared at the horizon’s edge on the plains, followed by even more Martial Artists and Cavalry.

Their numbers surpassed the trees in the forests, their momentum overshadowed the most imposing peaks among the mountains, the brilliance of their armors shone like stars and moons, reflecting the brightness of the great sun, resplendent like the vast Milky Way on the night sky of the Netherworld’s grasslands.

Back then, wherever the Military Spirit Great Formation of the Four Symbols and Five Elements passed, the world’s elements changed, ancient ancestral spirits and Demon Lords either dissipated with mournful howls or surrendered respectfully. Even the ancient Iron Li Earth Spirits were overwhelmed and sealed, struggling within the Netherworld, unable to be freed.

Mountains shifted their position, clearing their bases for the cities of Da Chen; rivers altered their course, nourishing Da Chen’s farmlands with their essence.

He still remembered.

Above the sky, flying shuttles were as numerous as clouds, and Xuan banners were planted into the earth, fluttering in the wind, while majestic war drums thundered like roaring thunder, proclaiming the land had changed hands and become the King’s Soil of Da Chen since ancient times.

Wherever Da Chen’s Xuanwu banners went, even the bravest of Iron Li warriors and the strongest Giant Spirits could only withdraw, while he, held in his father’s arms, departed from the grasslands of their homeland and ancestral dwellings with his family, without any extravagant hope of returning.

But now, he had returned.

The Old Scout sped across the snow plains, yet his heart held no joy or nostalgia.

The once-invincible checkpoints had crumbled from within; the once-majestic cities, desolate like crumbling sand, and Da Chen’s mighty celestial warriors now, although not cowardly compared to the fearless gaze of their ancestors, seemed lost in spirit, unclear about the purpose of their fight.

—To defend their homeland?

But hadn’t they themselves abandoned it?

Even though he was the enemy, the Old Scout did not share the contempt that the younger comrades now puffed up with pride held for the Da Chen army after taking a few of their cities.

On the contrary, he deeply understood them because, many times, they were not beaten in battle, but weakened by the force from within, bleeding time after time, and thus had to concede defeat to them.

Like those big cities without Divine Weapons—taking such cities could surely make their tribes flourish, but did this truly mean they had defeated Da Chen?

Was it like the insects feasting on a giant’s wounds, praising the strength of the insects and not questioning the giant’s madness in self-harm?

"This Da Chen is not the real Da Chen."

"Just as the current Iron Li, is not the real Iron Li."

The Old Scout was not a fool. Everyone dwelling on the Embracing the Void land were descendants of the tens of thousands brought by the Great Immortal of Embracing the Void, thus every Sect, country or tribe possessed both the short-sighted and the clear-headed.

He could see that all the abnormalities in Northern Border of Da Chen stemmed from internal decay, and the Iron Li clans could abruptly grow stronger only because of the ploys of the Five Sects behind them.

They were all but pawns, or even the dust upon pawns, in the hands of those high and mighty True Persons, True Lords, and even Heavenly Lords and Emperors.

But realizing this was meaningless, the Old Scout suppressed the tumultuous thoughts in his heart and devoted himself to his mission.

If one were to overlook the Broken Blade Mountain Range from the sky with the eyes of a hawk, it appeared like a dragon’s ridge on land with numerous peaks like spikes protruding from its back into the heavens. Among them, the central Broken Blade Peak was the sharpest, resembling the tip of a broken blade.

Entering the woods, the paths where horses could run grew narrow, but the scouts, already having applied their Art of Magic, agilely traversed the roots and branches, their graceful steeds galloping as if treading on air. Their figures were shielded by the wind and mist, invisible to any Demon Beasts, not that there were any left to see them, since the Demon Spirits of the area had already departed, and nothing would disturb their search for Earth Pulse Nodes.