Regardless of whether it was Hua Yitian or Qu Changtian who were defeated, it was only right for them to apologize, but he, Qing Zhu, did not punish them. The defeat was not because of the two generals, but because he, the supreme commander, made a mistake in his decision, sending his army into the enemy's trap.
Of course, he would not say that he was wrong, but he could not push the blame to others at this time.
Another Stargate appeared in front of them, and the vanguard army appeared, ignoring the guards. If they did not retreat, they would immediately attack, forcefully opening up a path for the Celestial Monarch's entourage, leaving behind a trail of casualties, not caring which side they were from.
"Your Majesty, the Western and Northern Armies are mobilizing their troops on a large scale, and they are launching a full-scale attack on the Imperial Guards within our borders. They have officially made their move against us." Wu Qu reported another piece of bad news.
To someone who had the world under his control, what did it mean to be in chaos? It meant that bad news came one after another.
The situation had gone out of control, and the bad news came one after another. At first, Qing Zhu was furious, but now he had calmed down. Ever since they were defeated, Kou and Guang's reactions were within his expectations, and there was no need to be angry anymore. Now was the time to calm down and solve the problem.
Qing Zhu said, "The enemy outnumbers us, order all the Imperial Guards to preserve their strength, and not fight them head-on. Hide in the Galactic Wilderness first, and when I arrive, they will appear to meet up with my army."
Wu Qu understood what he meant, His Majesty wanted to gather his troops along the way, preserving and accumulating strength as much as possible, so he replied, "Yes!"
Qing Zhu asked, "Only the Western and Northern Armies have moved? What about the Eastern Army? "
Wu Qu replied, "The Eastern Army has not moved yet."
Qing Zhu sneered, "Teng Fei wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, wanting to see both sides fight to the death before coming out to take advantage of the situation. He doesn't even know his own capabilities. Shangguan, contact Teng Fei immediately and ask him to gather his men and come listen to my orders. I can publicly announce to the world that I will bestow him the title of the Eastern Army's Heavenly King and reward him with a hundred million Broken Law Bows. Try to rope him in. If he refuses, tell him that the battle within the Southern Army's borders is over, and I can pick a pushover. My army can change its course at any time and eliminate him first! "
Shangguan Qing answered, "Yes!"
"Your Majesty, there's still the biggest problem we have to solve. The entire world is at war, and all the Stargates have been sealed. Ordinary people can't come and go normally. Every region is under strict control, and the armies are also under strict control. The Star Bell definitely can't be used normally, and all the sects have gone into hiding to avoid disaster. I'm afraid that the spies of the Left Ministry won't be able to deliver any more information, and don't count on the Xiahou Family to provide any more support. Obtaining information about the army is a problem. If this continues, I'm afraid that we won't even know how the enemy mobilizes the army. We'll be like a blind and deaf person. The enemy can grasp our movements, but we don't even know where they are. How can we fight this war?"
Qing Zhu grunted, "Shangguan, inform the Great Ensemble and order all the hidden members of the Great Ensemble to move. Hide and observe near the passageways all over the world and report the movements of the people in each place in time. Also, Gao Guan, get all the members of the Right Supervisory Department to move out and act accordingly. "
"Yes!" Shangguan Qing and Gao Guan obeyed the order.
Qing Zhu didn't say anything else. His face was expressionless, but his heart was getting heavier. The loss of eight hundred million troops meant that eight hundred million Transcendence Bows had fallen into the enemy's hands. Just this alone was enough to make them evenly matched with the troops under his command, not to mention the other losses.
As the supreme commander of the Imperial Guard Army, no one dared to mention the serious problems that came with a single command mistake.
The first direct confrontation between the Imperial Guard Army and the rebel army had ended. The Imperial Guard Army suffered a crushing defeat after falling into the enemy's trap, and eight hundred million troops were wiped out.
The Southern Army that was cleaning up the battlefield was also taking inventory of their losses.
After Bluemoon summarized the losses, she came to Miao Yi and reported, "Your Highness, the enemy's five hundred million troops were completely wiped out. Not a single one of them survived. We seized about five hundred million Transcendence Bows and countless other resources. We lost nearly sixty million troops in the battle at the stargate exit, and nearly three hundred million in the current battle. Most of them were killed by the enemy's early attacks with the Transcendence Bows. We lost a total of three hundred and sixty million troops in total, and nearly two hundred million are injured. We are currently organizing for treatment. Among them, thirty million are heavily injured, and I'm afraid they won't be able to continue fighting in the short term. The rest can recover as soon as possible. "
Miao Yi nodded. Even with such an overwhelming advantage in numbers, they still lost so many troops. The combat strength of the Imperial Guard Army was indeed fearsome. Including the heavily injured who couldn't fight for now, his side had basically paid the price of nearly four hundred million troops to deal with the five hundred million Imperial Guard Army. It was truly a case of killing a thousand of the enemy with eight hundred of his own troops.
Beside him, Yang Zhaoqing said, "The external forces worked together with the Netherworld Army to annihilate about thirty million of the Imperial Guard Army. The Netherworld Army lost nearly two million troops, and our main force lost over ten million as well."
"Sigh!" Cheng Taize sighed. "Even though we managed to annihilate nearly three hundred million of the Imperial Guard Army, we lost nearly five hundred million of our own troops. Hua Yitian managed to break out of the encirclement with two million troops, but he managed to escape."
Miao Yi smiled and said, "Elder Brother, think about it on the bright side. The reason why I made up my mind to fight this battle, no matter the cost, was because it was a decisive battle. It was also a battle that reversed the balance of power between us and the enemy. It was of utmost importance. Now that we've succeeded, we have nearly eight hundred million Transcendence Bows in our hands, and we still have over three hundred and six hundred million troops left. Even if we were to face Master Qing head-on, I'm afraid he still wouldn't be our match.
Cheng Taize chuckled and said, "Your Highness is right!" However, deep down, he was grumbling, 'Your Highness has indeed grown stronger, but my strength has decreased by a third. I can only rely on you even more now.'
Yang Zhaoqing said, "Your Highness, there's still another problem. The several hundred million Imperial Guard Army outside have all gone into hiding. They're no longer fighting me."
Miao Yi furrowed his brows. If these people went into hiding, then it would truly be troublesome.
Beside him, Yang Qing said, "I'm afraid it's not just the Imperial Guard Army within the Southern Army's borders that have gone into hiding. I'm sure Master Qing has already received news of the ambush troops' defeat. There's no longer any meaning in having these scattered troops break through to reinforce him. It's no different from sending them to their deaths. The Western Army and Northern Army have also begun their purge of the Imperial Guard Army. Those troops are no match for the two armies, so I'm afraid they've gone into hiding as well. With this, Master Qing's intentions are very clear. He's definitely trying to preserve his strength as much as possible. We've only annihilated a third of his forces, and he still has a third left. I don't know how many of his forces are scattered across the lands, but I'm guessing it's only a third for now. As long as he can protect and gather the Imperial Guard Army within the borders of the Southern Army, he'll still have a large number of troops at his disposal. "
Cheng Taize nodded and said, "This Mister Yang is right. As long as he can gather the remaining troops, Master Qing won't have to fear any of the opposing forces. He'll be able to put up a fight against them! As of now, Master Qing has personally led his army here. I don't think anyone along the way would dare to face his eight hundred million troops head-on. It's very likely that Master Qing has already gathered his troops along the way. I reckon it won't be long before the number of troops at his disposal surpasses a billion! The eight hundred million monk soldiers led by the Buddhist Lord from the Western Realm are about to come out of seclusion as well. In addition to the five hundred million troops that have already come out, Master Qing's momentum is truly fearsome! "
Everyone could hear the seriousness in his voice. Each of the opposing forces had their own agendas. They would prioritize preserving their own strength first. It was likely that no one would gather their forces to block Master Qing's path for the Southern Army and fight him head-on. However, Master Qing had been forced into a corner, and he would have to fight with his life on the line. It would be very difficult to defeat Master Qing! Very difficult!
"If we can suppress the forces from the Western Realm, only then will the opposing forces be able to make up their minds to join forces and fight it out with Master Qing. Otherwise, Kou Lingxu will be the first to not dare to act recklessly. He will have to face the Buddha Realm's army head-on. Attacking from two fronts, he'll be surrounded by enemies from both sides. He won't dare to fight both Master Qing and the Buddhist Lord at the same time. The most likely scenario is that he'll retreat!" Yang Qing reminded Miao Yi.
"There's no rush! I have my own plans for the Buddha Realm. Now is not the time to make a move. Let's wait for the Buddhist Lord's army to leave the Buddha Realm first. " Miao Yi waved his hand, then raised his brows and said, "Teng Fei is still unwilling to send out his troops. This person wants to sit on the fence and watch from the sidelines. He's the biggest variable. Once he joins Master Qing's side, we'll be in big trouble. Let's get rid of this threat first, then focus on the others!"
Cheng Taize was stunned. "Your Highness, you mean to say that we should avoid Master Qing's attack first and attack Teng Fei?"
Yang Qing said, "We don't necessarily have to attack. Forcing him to surrender is the best strategy!"
Cheng Taize said, "Since Teng Fei has decided to sit on the fence and watch from the sidelines, I'm afraid he won't come into contact with Your Highness so easily. If Your Highness forces him, there's a high chance that he'll flee into the Astral Wilderness to hide first."
Yang Qing smiled. "That's right. We need to take advantage of this opportunity to force him to hide further away. It's best if we force him into the Astral Wilderness as well."
Cheng Taize was curious. "What do you mean?"
Yang Qing looked at Miao Yi. There were some things that he couldn't say. It all depended on whether Miao Yi was willing to say it or not.
Cheng Taize understood Yang Qing's intentions and looked at Miao Yi as well.
Miao Yi smiled and said, "There's nothing to hide from Elder Brother. It's no exaggeration to say that one can conquer the world by conquering the Xiahou Clan. My greatest advantage is that I have the most powerful information network in the world. The Xiahou Clan has been ruling the world for many years, and Teng Fei's trusted subordinates have long since had people from the Xiahou Clan among them. Does he think that I won't be able to find him just because he's hiding a little further away?"
Cheng Taize was no fool. He was shocked and instantly understood everything.
Using Teng Fei's hand to stir up a conflict in the harem, forcing the Heavenly Empress and her son to rebel, and forcing the other families to ally against him, Cheng Taize. At the same time, he was also forcing Master Qing to give up on his support, forcing Cheng Taize to side with Master Qing. Cheng Taize would swallow up Cheng Taize's troops and join forces with the other two forces to defeat Master Qing's attack. At this point, the Western and Northern Armies had already made their move against Master Qing, and Teng Fei was still sitting on the fence. If Niu Youde made a move against Teng Fei, Teng Fei would have no choice but to flee to the Astral Wilderness. His surroundings were completely sealed off. Where else would he dare to go? If he were to side with Master Qing now, Master Qing would definitely force Teng Fei to take the vanguard. This wasn't what Teng Fei wanted. On the other hand, Niu Youde was well aware of Teng Fei's whereabouts in the Astral Wilderness. At this point, Niu Youde had already completed his earlier plans. He currently commanded an army of 3.6 billion soldiers, and he had obtained eight hundred million Transcendence Bows alone. Once Teng Fei was trapped, Teng Fei's army of 1.5 billion soldiers would be no match for Niu Youde. What other choice did he have other than to surrender?
In other words, once Niu Youde subdued Teng Fei's army, he would have close to five billion soldiers under his control. With the equipment he had on hand, he would be able to contend against the combined forces of the Kou and Guang Clans. He would become the strongest army in the world, and it would also serve as the most solid foundation for the upcoming War of the Realms.
Cheng Taize didn't want his expression to change, but after understanding the series of plans, he couldn't help but twitch a little. It seemed like Miao Yi had already planned to take over the entire Eastern Army from the very beginning. Not only did he want to take over Cheng Taize's army, but he had also almost fought Teng Fei to the death. In reality, he was just a pawn in Miao Yi's hands. When the sandpiper and clam fought, the fisherman would reap the benefits.
Why did he have to go through all this trouble? "Your Highness is a man of great talent and bold vision. I, Cheng Taize, admit my inferiority!" Cheng Taize couldn't help shaking his head and smiling bitterly.
Miao Yi consoled him, "That was then, and this is now. Elder Brother naturally had to think for your brothers back then. Now that we are one family, things will naturally be different."
Cheng Taize sighed and asked, "Does Your Highness intend to gather your forces now?"
Miao Yi nodded. "I'll have to trouble Elder Brother to order your forces to gather and avoid Lord Qing's attack. Make preparations to rendezvous with my troops, and don't reveal this plan to your subordinates for now."
"Of course." Cheng Taize nodded.
Miao Yi continued, "Also, Lord Qing was willing to give up on the Heavenly Palace. There's no reason for us to be reluctant to part with Ox King Planet. I hope Elder Brother can inform your sisters-in-law to make preparations to retreat."
Cheng Taize agreed. "That's how it should be. If we stay here, we will lose the flexibility to deal with the enemy. We will be forced into a passive position. We should retreat!"
Ox King Planet. Inside the Prince's Residence's garden, a group of women were happily exchanging pleasantries. Cheng Taize's concubines were very polite, and Yun Zhiqiu, the mistress of the house, was also very friendly.
On the surface, they were all calm, but in reality, they were all very worried, including Yun Zhiqiu.
Normally, this group of women wouldn't feel anything, but now that they knew that their man was leading an army to fight to the death against the Celestial Emperor, they all understood the consequences of defeat. Not only would all their wealth and glory vanish into thin air, they might not even be able to keep their lives.
Previously, when both sides received news that the two Princes had become sworn brothers, both groups of women were overjoyed on the surface. They called each other 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Sister' with great enthusiasm, as though they were closer than real sisters. But in reality, they were happy as well. Knowing that their two forces had joined forces gave them a sense of security.
If even this group of women could feel that this was a good thing, it naturally boosted the morale of the soldiers who were fighting.
"Sisters, what do you think of these items?"
Inside the pavilion, Yun Zhiqiu had someone take out the treasures she had accumulated over the years, and showed them to Cheng Taize's concubines. These were all her favorite treasures.
At a time like this, it didn't matter whether she liked them or not. No matter how much she liked them, she still had to give them away to win their hearts. Even though she knew that Miao Yi was currently the stronger party, she knew how important Cheng Taize was to him. Even if these women couldn't sway Cheng Taize with their words, she couldn't allow them to say anything bad about Cheng Taize.
Even though Yun Zhiqiu had a higher status than these women, she still tried her best to please them and make them happy.
The gifts she gave to Cheng Taize's children were even more extravagant.
Meanwhile, Cheng Taize's family had also received his message. The oath of brotherhood was a lie, and the truth was that they had already submitted to him. Otherwise, their lives would be in danger. This Yun Zhiqiu had a great influence on Niu Youde, so he told them to be careful.
As such, both sides were laughing and fawning over each other, getting along very well.
"Your Highness! A great victory! The eight hundred million personal guards have been annihilated by His Highness and King Cheng! "
Murong Xinghua walked over and loudly reported the good news to Yun Zhiqiu.
Yun Zhiqiu's eyes lit up, and she shouted, "Inform the entire manor immediately!"
"A great victory?"
"We won!"
"Did we really win?"
The women at the scene were in an uproar. They were so happy that they could finally relax a little.
However, not long after the women celebrated, another order came. "Your Highness! His Highness has ordered everyone in the manor to pack up and evacuate … "
Cheng Taize's family received the news almost at the same time.
They didn't know why they had to evacuate. Didn't they win?
The group of women was thrown into chaos once more. Some of them had dark expressions on their faces, worried that something bad had happened. They quickly packed up and prepared to evacuate with the army …
Inside the hall of the Kou King's manor, Kou Lingxu slowly raised his head as he stood in front of the star compass. "We won so quickly? The eight hundred million personal guards were annihilated just like that? "
Tang Henian sighed. "They planned ahead and waited for the enemy to fall into their trap. They had everything prepared in advance, and were only waiting for the final battle to decide the outcome. Naturally, the result was quick. It wasn't too surprising."
There were spies in the Ox King's manor to begin with. As soon as the good news was announced, they quickly learned of it.
Kou Lingxu nodded slightly. He took out the Star Bell and confirmed it with Miao Yi. Then, he put it away and sighed. "Niu Youde said that we lost almost nine hundred million troops!"
Tang Henian said, "But we got eight hundred million Transcendence Bows!"
Kou Lingxu's lips twitched. He was a little angry. "Teng Fei ruined my plans, and he still wants to sit on the fence? Now that Niu Youde wants us to seal off Teng Fei's escape route, he wants to attack Teng Fei. Let's see what Teng Fei can do then!"
Eight hundred million Transcendence Bows! The balance of power between the four armies had been completely broken. As soon as he heard that Niu Youde had set up a trap for Qing Zhu's army, he immediately realized the problem with the Transcendence Bows. He quickly gathered all the Transcendence Bows in his territory. However, Teng Fei refused to cooperate with him. He was being held back by the five hundred million monk soldiers of the Buddha Realm, so he didn't dare to act rashly. Before he could reap any benefits, the Transcendence Bows in his territory had already gone into hiding, causing him to lose a golden opportunity!
One thing was for sure — the Duke of Guang must have gotten his hands on a lot of Transcendence Bows as well. As such, he was the one who suffered the most. Once the balance of power was broken, he didn't know what kind of trouble he would attract in the future. How could he not be furious?
Tang Henian said, "Let them fight!"
"Yes!" Kou Lingxu nodded. "The situation is changing rapidly. Qing Zhu has abandoned the sky palace, and Niu Youde has abandoned the king's manor. We can't hold back any longer. We have to be prepared to react accordingly. Order everyone in the king's manor to pack up and prepare to retreat!"
In the Duke of Guang's manor, the Duke of Guang, who was also guarding the star compass, slowly shook his head and sighed. "Nine hundred million troops in exchange for eight hundred million Transcendence Bows. It's worth it. It's so worth it! Unfortunately, we were a little too late. We didn't even get a hundred million. That bastard Niu Youde. He's really full of guts and starving the cowards! " He turned around and asked, "Niu Youde wants us to work together to seal off Teng Fei's escape route. He wants to make a move on Teng Fei. What do you think?"
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