64: A million soldiers press on the border, to gamble with a fairy?

Below Qingmu City, a million-strong army pressed down.

The defending soldiers clutched their weapons, their spirits heavy, as they gazed at the dense, boundless army.

Below, a golden imperial carriage, as grand as a palace, was extremely conspicuous, pulled by a terrifying Taotie beast that exuded a malevolent Aura, making people feel a chill even from tens of miles away.

Closest to the imperial carriage were seven thousand silver-armored, white-robed cavalrymen; their Aura was profound and upright, a stark contrast to the Taotie beast.

On the left flank of the imperial carriage were two hundred thousand Great Qin Tiger Wolf soldiers, led by Meng Tian.

On the right flank of the imperial carriage were two hundred thousand Hundred Battles Camp armored soldiers; Lü Lingqi stood atop a Blood Flame Dragon Lion, holding a square halberd, her demeanor heroic.

Further back were the Heavenly Martial Army, the Southwest Border Army, and the Prefectural Army.

"Your Majesty, the Nation Protecting Grand Array of this city seems to be unusual," Lü Lingqi's voice was authoritative, exuding a charm that conquered hearts.

Mu Wan'er pulled open the outer curtain of the imperial carriage, and what met Xia Xuan's eyes was a formidable pass.

The city walls were dozens of feet high, lined with giant ballista, and a cyan light screen, connecting to the sky, rose from the city wall, with runes flowing ceaselessly, making it exceptionally profound.

"Your Majesty, the Jinmu Kingdom originally did not have such a Nation Protecting Grand Array; it was only added after the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty's army was stationed here."

Behind, inside the semi-palatial imperial carriage, a palace maid spoke.

She was a member of the The Unworthy, responsible for relaying messages.

Xia Xuan found it difficult to discern any clues for a while.

"Which beloved general is willing to step forward and test it?"

"I will!"

Lü Lingqi lifted her square halberd, and the Blood Flame Dragon Lion beneath her roared, charging forward, raising a blazing blood flame, and leaping up to be level with the city wall.

"Roar!"

The Blood Flame Dragon Lion let out an angry roar, its materialized sound waves piercing clouds and splitting stones, causing the nearby city defenders to clutch their heads and ears in pain.

"General Lü's Divine Might is unmatched!"

The Hundred Battles Camp soldiers cheered in unison, their momentum subtly coalescing into a military formation.

Lü Lingqi, however, did not rely on the military formation; she struck first, the heavens and earth roared, Origin Qi ran wild, and a hundred-foot-tall square halberd Dharma Aspect manifested, carrying thunderous heavenly might, slashing fiercely towards the city wall.

"Boom!!!"

With a massive tremor, the ground outside the city cracked into ravines.

On the city wall, tens of thousands of soldiers bled from their seven orifices.

The strong winds from the aftermath swept through, making the Great Wu Dynasty's battle flags flutter.

To everyone's surprise, Qingmu City still stood tall and majestic, and the cyan light screen remained completely undamaged.

"This Grand Array is definitely not something that the current level of runic artistry can achieve."

Xia Xuan frowned slightly.

On the city wall of Qingmu City, the defending soldiers were both fearful and astonished; the opponent's earth-shattering halberd strike had been blocked.

"With the help of this array, our army is invincible in defending the city!"

"Qingmu forever!"

"Qingmu forever!"

...Lü Lingqi continued her full-force assault, the defending soldiers' injuries worsened, but their expressions grew more fervent, and their morale soared.

After some time, the Grand Array even began to continuously feed back vital Origin Qi, healing the injuries of all the soldiers.

"Can't even the Divine Dharma Aspect Realm experts of the Wu Dynasty shake it?"

The defending general, Green Wood Wolf, stood on the city wall and laughed loudly, "Your Majesty, you should go back and drink milk; otherwise, once the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty's army arrives, it won't be so easy for Your Majesty to leave."

With a "boom," the cyan light screen burst open with cracks.

Green Wood Wolf and all the defending soldiers inside turned pale and spat blood.

Lü Lingqi's gaze was icy; her Martial God Body allowed her to perfectly exert all her power without the need for Dharma Aspect Fusion; that last halberd strike, imbued with the military momentum of a million-strong army, was absolutely no less powerful than a Divine Dharma Aspect Ten's full-force attack.

Xia Xuan smiled faintly, "Come back."

He already had some ideas.

This Nation Protecting Grand Array connected the lives of all the defending soldiers; if one flourished, all flourished; if one suffered, all suffered.

It was even possible that it connected the vital Origin Qi of everyone in the city.

This was why a city without even a Spirit Dharma Aspect defending general could withstand the assault of a Divine Dharma Aspect Realm expert.

"Your subject failed to breach the city, causing Your Majesty to be humiliated; I request Your Majesty's punishment!"

After Lü Lingqi returned, she knelt and pleaded for punishment.

"Just note it down for now; the punishment will be administered later, all at once."

Xia Xuan waved his hand, then turned and disappeared back behind the curtain.

Inside the fragrant imperial carriage palace, Fairy Xuanzha, cold as frost, knelt before a jade table, pouring tea and water.

Red Bell teased her from the side, trying to persuade her on a psychological level.

White Plain sat quietly at another table, studying calligraphy and comprehending Sword Intent.

There were also several maidservants in the palace responsible for grinding ink and other trivial matters.

Mu Wan'er, meanwhile, stayed by Xia Xuan's side.

While others led armies with an atmosphere of solemn killing, Xia Xuan led his army with beauties by his side, in luxurious carriages, at ease and comfortable.

"Your Majesty, are we not attacking the city anymore?" Mu Wan'er asked softly.

Initially, being in the same room as the Palace Master of the Myriad Desires Palace made her very reserved.

But she gradually understood that with His Majesty, external rankings meant little; those favored by His Majesty, even a mortal woman, could soar to great heights, surpassing external Saintess Prodigies.

And those bullied by His Majesty, even the Palace Master of the Myriad Desires Palace, a stunning and brilliant Fairy, had to lower her stance, becoming less than a maidservant.

"Of course we'll attack, but we need to wait a bit."

Xia Xuan took out yuanfu mountain, imprinting a spirit talisman that changed Aura; the basic runes quickly evolved into high-level runes within it.

During the brief waiting period, he sat opposite Fairy Xuanzha, drank the tea she poured, and then asked with a smile:

"How about a wager between I and Fairy?"

"If Fairy wins, I will willingly remove the Seal, return Fairy's freedom, and offer an apology."

Xuanzha looked up and coldly retorted, "If I lose, what else can I give you?"

"The entire Myriad Desires Palace."

Xia Xuan continued to inscribe runes, saying carelessly, "Although the Myriad Desires Palace is full of uninteresting ice beauties like Fairy, if it can help I improve my cultivation, I might as well make a small sacrifice."

"I dare to give it; does Your Majesty dare to take it?"

Xuanzha looked directly at Xia Xuan, then suddenly sneered, "Since ancient times, there have been countless forces coveting the Myriad Desires Palace; does Your Majesty not know why the Myriad Desires Palace has stood until now?"

"There is no one I desires that I cannot obtain," Xia Xuan chuckled.

"What does Your Majesty wish to wager?" Xuanzha no longer dwelled on the topic.

Anyway, even if the people of the Myriad Desires Palace all migrated to the Wu Dynasty, Xia Xuan wouldn't dare to force her; the backlash of the ice flames would be enough to kill him.

"Within one day, we'll wager on how many of my army can breach the city."

"What kind of wager is that? If you let the Wu Dynasty's Divine Dharma Aspect experts attack the city at all costs, then isn't it just a matter of how many people you want to breach the city?" Xuanzha scoffed.

"No Divine Dharma Aspect experts will be deployed."

Xia Xuan wantonly and playfully kneaded and punished Xuanzha, making the latter almost grit her teeth, sneering, "Without Divine Dharma Aspect experts to hold the line, even if Your Majesty's million-strong army attacks together, I'm afraid they won't be able to break through that Grand Array, right?"

She was well aware of the situation outside; the Qingmu City Nation Protecting Grand Array was incredibly profound, and even if all of Xia Xuan's powerful subordinates were deployed, they might not be able to break the array within a day.

To think of breaking the array with just other soldiers was wishful thinking.

"Then let's wait and see."

Xia Xuan finally pinched Xuanzha's icy, translucent cheek, smiled faintly, and left.