The flood still raged rampantly, its thunderous roar seeming to smash a hole through heaven and earth. It crashed into Pang Juan, causing him to spit out another mouthful of fresh blood, his lips turning pale.
RUMBLE!
Seemingly realizing someone was obstructing its path, the flood roared in anger, fiercely surging forward and stirring up waves a hundred zhang high.
Standing before the flood, Pang Juan was as minuscule as an ant.
The impacts struck once! Twice! Thrice...
After withstanding several such blows, Pang Juan's aura weakened. He had reached his limit; perhaps his very next breath would be his last, consigning him to the watery depths.
Qin Wudao...
Before his demise, Pang Juan thought not of his family, nor his country, but of Qin Wudao—a man he knew only by reputation. He had galloped across battlefields his entire life, every attack unblockable, every battle a victory. Yet, his ultimate fate was to be defeated by a mere youth.
One hundred and eighty years ago, I, this general, was also a fifteen-year-old recruit. It's fate... such is fate...
In the end, the floodwaters consumed Pang Juan, drowning out his final, fading words.
Unimpeded, the floodwaters surged forth like wild horses that had broken free of their reins, carrying with them the power of utter destruction as they crashed into Anyi Pass.
BOOM!
This pass, which had weathered the vicissitudes of ages and stood for tens of thousands of years, was as fragile as a thin sheet of paper before the vast might of nature. It shattered instantly, offering no resistance to the deluge.
The Great Wei soldiers within the pass, all with cultivation below the Beyond the Shore Realm, were unable to break through the air to escape. After the walls were destroyed, they were all submerged by the floodwaters, their screams incessant.
They struggled briefly in the torrent before sinking to the bottom, vanishing into eternal darkness.
"After this battle, the Great Wei Empire's momentum is lost!"
From a nearby hill, Qin Wudao stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching as millions of Great Wei soldiers met their gruesome deaths, a cold sneer gracing his lips.
Waging war meant using any means necessary to achieve victory and protect one's interests. The war between the Qin Dynasty and the Six Nations had raged for tens of thousands of years. Flooding Anyi Pass was merely an interlude in the annals of this war, an insignificant embellishment.
"Congratulations, Your Highness!" Jia Xu said with a cupped fist salute, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
Standing beside him, Wang Jian saw this smile, and his heart skipped a beat. He was well aware of Jia Xu's terrifying ruthlessness and silently resolved that he could offend anyone but Jia Xu.
Too vicious!
The lives of more than two million Great Wei soldiers were the best testament to that.
"Congratulations on this initial victory, Your Highness! This subordinate will now go write a memorial detailing the battlefield situation to report to His Majesty!"
After saying this, Wang Jian eagerly flew off the hilltop.
In tens of thousands of years, this was the first time the Qin Dynasty had launched an offensive out of Hangu Pass. He could already imagine the tremors it would send through the Imperial Court once the news arrived. If all went as expected, the Ninth Prince would be enfeoffed as Crown Prince for this great merit.
「Two days later」
When the floodwaters receded, they revealed an uneven, muddy plain covered in silt more than ten zhang deep. Bodies and maimed soldiers were strewn everywhere. This was only what lay on the surface; countless more corpses were buried deep within the mud.
"Forward, march!"
Qin Wudao led his grand army across the site where Anyi Pass once stood, officially setting foot upon the territory of the Great Wei Empire.
The war banners fluttered, guiding the army: Onward! Onward! Ever onward!
While Qin Wudao was flooding Anyi Pass, a grand court assembly was being held in the distant Imperial Capital. Almost all the influential nobles and powerful factions of the Qin Empire were in attendance. The primary agenda of this assembly was to decide upon the appointment of the Crown Prince.
"Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince is arrogant and presumptuous! He led the forces from Hangu Pass to attack Anyi Pass—an act comparable to an egg striking a stone, a path to self-destruction! This subject believes the Ninth Prince is not qualified to be the Crown Prince!"
At the head of all officials, Prime Minister Li Si spoke with a cupped fist salute, his words forceful and resonant, his powerful aura impossible to ignore.
"Your Majesty, this subject believes the Prime Minister's words are reasonable!"
"Your Majesty, this subject supports the Prime Minister..."
Numerous court officials voiced their agreement, accounting for a third of the entire Imperial Court.
"Then whom does the Prime Minister believe should be enfeoffed as Crown Prince?"
Upon the Dragon Throne sat Emperor Qin. Clad in a black dragon robe, his majestic figure radiated the might of an emperor who could swallow the world and command all territories. His face was indistinct, yet his eyes alone were like a boundless, starry sky—profoundly deep, like those of a deity gazing down, perceiving all under Heaven and Earth. Those eyes could see through the hearts of men.
Facing that gaze, Li Si's heart trembled, but he steeled himself and said, "Your Majesty, this subject believes that the Eldest Prince, Qin Xiaolong, is exceptionally talented. His contributions are outstanding, and he is hailed as the Qin Dynasty's foremost prodigy. He is worthy of being enfeoffed as Crown Prince!"
Emperor Qin nodded without expressing an opinion, asking calmly, "My beloved ministers, do you all think so?"
"Your Majesty, this subject objects to the Prime Minister's statement! Firstly, the Ninth Prince broke through to the Fasang Realm at the mere age of fifteen, shattering the Qin Empire's cultivation record. Furthermore, he possesses a special physique and has limitless potential, making him the foremost prodigy of our Great Qin!"
"Secondly, at Hangu Pass, the Ninth Prince repelled the allied armies of the Six Nations and eliminated their prominent young talents, thereby displaying the might of our Great Qin! This is an achievement that the other princes cannot compare to!"
"Lastly, regarding the Ninth Prince's campaign against Anyi Pass, no news of defeat has yet arrived. For the Prime Minister to make such a hasty judgment is truly unfair!"
The speaker was Bai Qi, a top general of the Qin Empire known as the "Human Butcher." His usual battlefield was not in the East Ancient Domain; rather, he defended against incursions from the Skyfire Domain. Thirty years ago, the Skyfire Domain invaded from the west, beacons flaring for a thousand li. Bai Qi, entrusted with command at that critical juncture, led the Western Army Corps to resist the Skyfire Domain's forces. In a mere three months, he annihilated a million enemy soldiers and buried alive over three million more. His tone of voice was ice-cold, suffused with a palpable killing intent that made others shudder.
"General Bai, the Ninth Prince is indeed outstanding, but that cannot make up for the blunder he is poised to make!" Li Si, like a bristling porcupine, immediately retorted.
He was a supporter of Qin Xiaolong and had chosen his side long ago. After Emperor Qin's abdication, if Li Si wished to retain his position as Prime Minister, he had to ensure Qin Xiaolong ascended the throne. However, this was not the primary reason; he was not so shortsighted as to jeopardize the nation's overall interests for personal gain.
"Oh? Can the Prime Minister practice divination then? Able to predict the Ninth Prince's defeat from thousands of li away?" Bai Qi scoffed. He had originally been neutral, not wishing to interfere in matters of the Crown Prince's succession. As long as he possessed military achievements, it mattered little to him who became Crown Prince; his interests would not be affected. After all, he had the backing of generations of generals—a considerable force indeed. However, upon hearing of Qin Wudao's actions at Hangu Pass, his interest in this hitherto unknown Ninth Prince had been thoroughly piqued, and a trace of favor had begun to bloom.
"Does that even need predicting?" Li Si countered sharply.
"The Ninth Prince's decision to dispatch troops to Anyi Pass was indeed somewhat rash. If he fails, We shall punish him. However, his merits cannot be erased on this account alone. Let us, for now, postpone the matter of appointing a Crown Prince..."
Seeing his two ministers arguing incessantly, Emperor Qin began to speak, but before he could finish, an urgent voice interrupted him.
"Battle report from Hangu Pass!"
Outside the black palace, upon the ninety-nine tiers of steps, a soldier holding a memorial scroll aloft shouted, "The Ninth Prince has flooded Anyi Pass, slain a million enemies, and has already led his forces into the Great Wei Empire!"
This declaration caused the expressions of everyone in the hall to become incredibly colorful. Even Emperor Qin was no exception; he had just finished calling Qin Wudao rash when news of this great victory arrived.
"Excellent! Truly worthy of being Our son!" Emperor Qin slapped the armrest of his throne and stood up excitedly. He paced twice upon the high platform, his eyes gleaming. "My beloved ministers, We intend to mobilize the full strength of the nation to attack the Great Wei Empire...!"