Gan Ning strode past the half-dead deputy general and went straight to Lie Fenghou. Lie Fenghou, bloodied and stripped of his princely demeanor, lay like a beaten dog in the pit, muttering unintelligibly in a voice too low for Gan Ning to discern.
"Your head, I shall borrow!"
With a flick of his wrist, a cold glint flashed across Lie Fenghou's neck. Gan Ning's hand seized the severed head.
Lie Fenghou, the second most prominent figure of the Blood Sun Dynasty, had led a million-strong army and three Rongtian realm deputy generals, all now lost in this vast plain.
...
On the sixteenth day of the fourth month of the second year of the Great Han, since Great Han declared war on the four great dynasties, the six great legions of Great Han had swept into the territories of the four dynasties, achieving remarkable and abundant victories.
Qin Qiong, leading the Qilin Legion, annihilated three Rongtian realm powerhouses of Qingming, eliminating hundreds of thousands of Qingming's army. The triumphant army then annexed half of the territory of the Qingcang Dynasty. The Qilin Legion and Qin Qiong became renowned throughout the land, their might shaking all directions!
The Kui Niu Legion, led by Qi Jiguang, showcased the ultimate mastery of tactics. With uncanny marches, they suddenly appeared from the west of the Great Cloud Dynasty, materializing in Xinping Commandery, one of the four major guarded cities. Fireballs reduced Xinping Commandery to ruins. General Qing Mu of the Qingcang Dynasty, leading hundreds of thousands, perished entirely in Xinping Commandery.
Qi Jiguang achieved renown with zero casualties!
The Kui Niu Legion advanced further towards the capital of the Great Cloud Dynasty. The Great Cloud Dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse, its downfall imminent.
Meanwhile, the Qing Long Legion, the Lie Tian Si Legion, and the Qiong Qi Legion, led by Meng Tian, slew three masters of the Imperial Clan Mansion of the Holy Yuan Dynasty. Meng Tian, following Qi Jiguang, became another commander whose Heavenly Martial realm power overshadowed princes.
This battle also saw the emergence of three Rongtian realm powerhouses: Ying Bu, Chen Tang, and Han Qinghu!
In the Blood Sun Dynasty, the Vermilion Bird Legion, commanded by Zhang Liao, under Chen Gong's strategy, annihilated a million-strong army with minimal losses, also slaying Lie Fenghou, the second most powerful figure of the Blood Sun Dynasty. With Lie Fenghou's head, Gan Ning ascended to the peak of martial artists in the southwestern region.
The Great Han, having declared war on the four great dynasties, saw its four armies advance with ferocious momentum, annihilating considerable forces with thunderous speed and occupying vast territories. The Great Cloud Dynasty, in particular, was on the verge of collapse.
The fall of a dynasty to an imperial dynasty was an unprecedented event in the southwestern region!
Following Li Bai, Li Wenzhong, Zhang Liao, and Xu Chu, Han Qinghu, Qin Qiong, Chen Tang, Gan Ning, and Ying Bu, with their brilliant war records, entered the sights of the top powers in the southwestern region.
With nine Rongtian realm powerhouses, Great Han's might resonated across all directions, projecting the image of the foremost power in the southwestern region, eclipsing many imperial dynasties.
The Northern Cold Dynasty, the Heavenly Yuan Dynasty, and the Cang Mu Dynasty, capitalizing on the weakness of the Great Cloud, Holy Yuan, and Blood Sun Dynasties, surged forward, as if coordinating with Great Han, to decimate the forces of the three imperial dynasties.
The scales of victory began to tip subtly.
Great Flame Dynasty.
"Regarding this war, do any of you ministers have thoughts?"
The Great Flame Human Emperor sat on the throne with a mask-like expression, devoid of emotion. Since the commencement of the dynasty war, he had allied with several imperial dynasties and assumed the position of the Human Emperor Hall Master of the Blood Sun Human Emperor. However, if the war continued, the human lands of the southwestern region would be destroyed upon the arrival of the holy war.
In the past month alone, over a dozen Rongtian realm powerhouses had fallen!
"Your Majesty, as the esteemed Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall, you should consider the future of the human lands. The holy war is imminent; it concerns the majesty of the Human Emperor and our Great Flame Dynasty. The holy war must not be lost. I suggest that we intervene in the name of the Human Emperor Hall to halt this unnecessary conflict."
An elderly minister, frail with age, stepped forward trembling.
"Hmph, that is misguided!"
"As the saying goes, only the strong survive. Dynasties like Great Cloud and Blood Sun, being so weak, are no longer worthy of comparison with us. This war was bound to happen. I believe our Great Flame has no need to interfere. Lest we fail to be the heroes and end up getting ourselves soiled."
A general immediately voiced his opinion, his words blunt and unapologetic.
"You..."
The elder minister's face flushed, and he nearly choked with anger.
"Enough."
"Grand Tutor, what is the response from Empress Weiyang?" The Great Flame Human Emperor turned to the Grand Tutor. A few days prior, he had instructed the Grand Tutor to contact the Weiyang Dynasty. Despite being populated by women, the Weiyang Dynasty ranked among the foremost in terms of national strength and top-tier combat power.
"Your Majesty, Empress Weiyang has sent no message," the Grand Tutor frowned and replied.
Empress Weiyang had long since lost patience with the imperial dynasties and rarely intervened in human internal conflicts.
"Alas."
"Alas!"
...
Weiyang Dynasty.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
Pei Yin rushed out, clutching a stack of memorials.
"This girl!"
Empress Weiyang shook her head, her eyes filled with affection.
"Your Majesty, frontline news indicates that the Great Han Kui Niu Legion has completed the encirclement of the Great Cloud Dynasty's capital. Within half a month, the Great Cloud Dynasty will surely disintegrate!"
"Oh!"
"In my estimation, the Great Cloud Dynasty will fall within days."
Empress Weiyang, clad in a light golden gown, reclined on her dragon bed, her eyes half-open.
"Your Majesty, the Blood Sun Dynasty is likely not faring well either. Lie Fenghou's demise with a million elites of the Blood Sun Dynasty likely spells doom for them."
Pei Yin's tone grew fierce when she mentioned Lie Fenghou's name. She had long wished to kill him but had never found a suitable opportunity.
"Great Han!"
Empress Weiyang softly murmured, "With the holy war approaching, perhaps this Great Han will have an unexpected effect. For ten thousand years, the southwestern region has not seen fresh blood injected. Were it not for the century-old holy war, these dynasties would have long lost their fighting spirit."
Great Han, with the might of a single dynasty, launched attacks on four fronts, declaring war on four imperial dynasties. With unimaginable reserves and powerful legions, they had brought the four imperial dynasties to the executioner's block. The demise of the Great Cloud and Blood Sun Dynasties, in particular, was not far off!
"Your Majesty, a missive from the Great Flame Dynasty?"
Pei Yin spoke softly, looking at Empress Weiyang.
"Burn it!"
Empress Weiyang waved her hand, then turned over and closed her eyes. After Great Han joined the fray, the war accelerated rapidly. Before the various powers in the southwestern region could fully digest the frontline news, Great Han accelerated the demise of two imperial dynasties with thunderous speed.
At this very moment, the Great Cloud Dynasty began to toll the death knell of its demise!