Infinite Professions

"Kill!!!"

Three days passed, and the Weishui River Pass was still filled with the sounds of battle.

From ancient times, the top strategy is to attack the enemy’s plans, next is to attack their alliances, and the lowest is to lay siege to their cities.

After three days of fierce assault, the blood of state soldiers flowed like rivers, and the Weishui River was dyed red, but this mighty pass showed no signs of being breached. Song Jian, wielding the Golden Dragon Crescent Blade, stood on the pass like a pillar supporting the sky, leading the Song clan offspring to repel wave after wave of attacks.

As the attacking side, the state mansions’ hundred thousand elite soldiers have already suffered a loss of thirty percent, with more than ten thousand soldiers wounded or dead each day.

From ancient times, a force that does not rout after losing thirty percent is considered a battle-hardened army.

Although Xiao Ye had not yet unified, he had two states under his command after years of battles in the Southern Lands, becoming the strongest Hidden Dragon in the south. His troops were naturally elite, and even with such losses, there was no sign of retreat; they could still press the assault.

But even so, the situation couldn’t be changed.

The opponent also had a solid foundation and occupied the advantage of the pass, making such a strong attack an act of seeking one’s own destruction.

"Your Highness..."

On the tower ship, the civil and military officials were behind, all wanting to offer their advice.

But Xiao Ye paid no heed, gripping the ship’s rail tightly with both hands, his eyes fixed on the battlefield.

Like a gambler, waiting for the dice cup to be revealed after placing a solitary bet.

The fact was indeed so.

Reaching this point, he had no other choice, nor could he retreat now.

He could only grit his teeth and fight to the end!

If he won, everything could be regained.

If he lost, it was just another cycle of reincarnation.

At his age, what was he waiting for if not gambling?

Seeing his expression, the civil and military officials could only remain silent.

At this moment...

"Boom!!!"

Distant heavens and earth suddenly roared, shaking the ten directions.

"What is happening!?"

Everyone was startled and looked in shock, but couldn’t see any clues.

Only Xiao Ye could sense it, looking north in bewilderment.

Then...

"Aang!!!"

In the void, faintly, a wail resounded like a dragon weeping blood.

"Huh!?"

Xiao Ye’s vision went black, his body trembled, feeling the world spinning, and his heart was in immense pain, as if someone had gouged out the flesh from his heart, an indescribable pain, an indescribable loss.

Under the intense pain, he stumbled a few steps, falling backward.

"Your Highness!?"

The close attendants hurriedly supported him, while the civil and military officials rushed forward in shock.

They saw Xiao Ye collapsing into the arms of his attendants, pressing his hands tightly on his chest, but his chest still heaved violently, his face turning deathly pale.

"Is this..."

"An acute illness?"

"Quick, call the imperial physician!"

Everyone was thrown into chaos, urgently calling for the physician.

"Puff!!!"

Yet before the physician arrived, Xiao Ye suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Spitting out blood weakened his spirit further, his vision distorted, black surged in like a tide, and he was on the verge of fainting, but Xiao Ye still used his last strength to hoarsely whisper to those nearby: "Retreat, retreat the troops!"

"Ah!!!"

With his last words, blood gushed once more, Xiao Ye’s body trembled, and he collapsed, unconscious.

"This..."

Seeing this, the civil and military officials were at a complete loss.

Although Xiao Ye was already ninety years old, he had remained vigorous throughout these years, never even catching a cold, so why would he suddenly fall ill?

Unable to comprehend, but at such a critical moment, there were no other choices; the Weishui Pass showed no signs of being breached, Xiao Ye had just ordered a retreat, who would dare to insist otherwise?

Therefore...

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of the gong for retreat rang sharply.

The attacking army withdrew, and the ships behind raised anchors to leave.

"The enemy is retreating?"

"General, should we pursue them to seize victory?"

The defending generals approached Song Jian, longing for merit as they watched the retreating state soldiers.

Song Jian did not speak, merely observing coldly. After a moment, he finally spoke: "Open the gates, entire army charge out!"

"Yes!!!"

The generals obeyed, and soon the gates opened, warships sailed out, chasing down the retreating state soldiers.

Militarily speaking, one should not chase desperate foes, to avoid falling into a trap.

But Song Jian had no such concerns now.

Jinyang had accumulated for decades, and in terms of mortal military strength, did not differ much from the enemy. Previously, they had been cautious, defending the pass, but now the enemy suddenly retreated; logically, they should pursue to expand the victory and weaken the enemy forces.

At this moment, expanding the gain by a fraction would mean facing less resistance when advancing to the state mansion or even the entire Southern Lands, perhaps even a third or fourth less.

Therefore...

One should pursue the remnant courage to chase the fleeing foe, not pursue fame, like the overlord!

The army charged out, pursuing victory, dyeing the Weishui once more with blood.

The strife of the mortal world, for now, let it be.

Jinyang Prefecture, City God Temple.

Six Departments and Four Divisions, the deities returned. Song Wu disregarded his injuries, still standing firm before the temple, while other subordinate divine dao soldiers assumed their respective positions, prepared to defend against formidable enemies.

Inside the temple, Shen Hex sat alone, absorbing the power of incense flames, exercising the Authority of Creation, to recover the severely damaged Divine Dao Golden Body.

In this Battle of Lanruo, though he won a great victory, it was not without loss.

This Divine Dao Body was, after all, a cultivation of Yin Soul, not as solid as his original body or his Taiyuan Body, which benefited from the combination of Immortal Martial Divine Spirit in Three Methods Cultivation to form the Great Daoist Cultivation Body with a strong foundation. Its essence was relatively fragile, relying wholly on the Merit Golden Body that wards off all evils and does not touch any magic, to cross the boundary and withstand the attack of a Great God.

This time, the opponent’s calculations targeted him, using the Supreme Destiny Divine Light to diminish his merit, shattering his golden body, depriving him of his strongest protective technique. Although he ultimately reversed the situation with the Professional Power of the God of All Things, the Dao Ultimate Form formed by merging Immortal and Demon caused a strong backlash upon himself.

This backlash made him suffer severe damage, without merit to protect himself, and not daring to hold back. His Divine Dao Body was pushed to the brink of destruction, yet he managed to pull through, leveraging the residual power of the extreme move to frighten off the Jinling and Weishui Gods, also dealing a crushing blow to the Daoist and Confucian Venerable.