Wayfarer

Chapter 705: Taking on the Six Empires Alone

A month later, in Shenfeng's capital, the sea of fortune overhead had doubled in size once again. A proclamation was currently being issued in court.

"The heart of governance lies in its people. The Shenfeng Empire prioritizes its citizens over all else, suppressing all chaos so that order and peace may reign. Meanwhile, six neighboring empires have been abusing their people and fomenting evil. They have repeatedly sent spies into Shenfeng and have gathered troops in preparation for an invasion. For their provocation and in self-defense, the Shenfeng Empire formally declares war on all six empires along with their subsidiary forces in hopes of vanquishing evil and saving the world."

The proclamation spread throughout Shenfeng, then all over. The twenty Immortal cities and countless ordinary cities of Shenfeng received the news near-immediately.

In the past, the people might have resented such a war, but over the last three months, they had changed their stance. The sweeping reforms over Shenfeng had been incredibly successful.

In the past, seven large empires had fought over these wartorn lands. Though the common people were able to eke out a living, they did so with the heavy pall of fear and death hanging over them—until the kingdom of Shenfeng was founded. It quickly defeated and took over one of the seven empires.

Over the past year, despite the numerous wars, the Shenfeng Empire had treated its people well. There were no obscure tithes or petty taxes; proper administration had taken over. The people believed that a prosperous future awaited them after just a few years of hard work.

Over the last three months, however, things had changed beyond recognition. The officials of Shenfeng had suddenly grown far more attentive to the common people's needs. When there were large-scale construction projects for which people were drafted, they would receive pay. There were systems in place to report any corrupt officials, who would have their wealth stripped upon confirmation. A portion of that wealth would be given to whoever had reported them.

The officials in the city no longer seemed as stuck-up or ignorant of the common people's affairs as before. Rather, they mingled with the common people and listened to their grievances. Allegedly, they were trying to reach a quota for an examination of some sort.

Furthermore, bandits and criminals that were reported and had their crimes confirmed would be dealt with alongside whatever backers they had. Allegedly, a large-scale Immortal sect had been supporting a gang of bandits in a certain city. After the gang was reported, it vanished in its entirety—alongside the Immortal sect.

Though not everyone lived in luxury, the stable conditions within the empire left the common people at ease. They were grateful for the reforms that had been implemented, and they felt that they would find no better empire in their lifetime.

The common people, who had suffered disaster after disaster, prized their current living conditions above all else. Now that the Shenfeng Empire was about to be invaded, they would naturally rise up in defense. Many even urged their children to train as officials or participate in the military draft.

The people's support notwithstanding, there were plenty of officials seeking to make a name for themselves, including the Yuqing disciples who had just been recruited to Shenfeng.

As a result, there was overwhelming, if not unanimous, support for the war.

The proclamation of war spread to the six neighboring empires as well.

Quite a few figures had gathered together within a certain hall.

"Who divulged our plans? Damn it, that wench is attacking us even before we declared war on Shenfeng!"

"Hongyue advised us to take on Shenfeng. They won't just watch on, will they?"

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"I don't trust Hongyue, myself. We should try to take on Shenfeng on our own for now. We were already planning to make a move regardless—our plans have just been advanced."

"Right. Won't it be straightforward for our six empires to take on the newly ascended Shenfeng Empire? We have far more generals than they can handle."

"The twenty Immortal cities that the Shenfeng Empire took over were supposed to be ours, but we hadn't yet had time to secure them, and the Shenfeng Empire took advantage. How can we allow those cities to retain control of them?"

"Right. If we six empires attack Shenfeng together, its troops will quickly become nothing more than a joke."

"In that case, let's not delay things any further. We'll send out troops immediately to take down Shenfeng. Whatever Immortal cities you can claim will be yours."

"I've seen the Divine Emperor before. She's exactly the type I like, and I've been looking for a new concubine. Don't fight for her with me, you hear?"

"Dream on! Who wouldn't want such a beautiful woman? Whoever takes her down will get her."

"Right, I want her as a concubine as well. We'll see who can get to her first, haha!"

The emperors thought little of Shenfeng and believed it would be trivial to take it down.

Before long, Shenfeng's army had divided into eighteen regiments that set off toward the six neighboring empires.

The six empires' troops likewise set out in force. The forty kingdoms scattered across these seven empires were on high alert. If the intense fighting decimated these empires, the kingdoms might be able to take advantage and advance into empires themselves.

As a result, the entire region was focused intently on the war.

Ten days later, the eighteen regiments formally encountered the six empires' troops on the battlefield.

By then, not only were the forty neighboring kingdoms paying attention, but also a few divine empires in the vicinity. After all, Shenfeng was attempting the unbelievable feat of taking on six empires at once. Would it fall, or would it usher in the rise of a new legend?

On the battlefield, Ye Dafu stood at the forefront, a golden mask covering his face. Ten thousand troops marched at his back. Before him were a hundred thousand enemy forces, led by several generals with fearsome auras.

"Identify yourself, enemy commander!"

"Do you think ten thousand troops can take on our hundred-thousand-strong army? You'll perish!"

"Everyone, listen up! If you take down that masked enemy commander, I'll promote you by three ranks and grant you utmost merit for this battle!"

The enemy commanders' shouts caused their soldiers' morale to spike.

Meanwhile, the soldiers behind Ye Dafu all seemed worried. Their masked commander had come out of nowhere, and the majority of them had never seen his face. There were at least two True Immortals among the enemy commanders. What were they to do?

"You? You're nothing more than riffraff. Hand me a spear!" Ye Dafu reached out for the spear of the soldier behind him.

Everyone glanced at him curiously, not realizing what their masked commander was up to.

Meanwhile, Ye Dafu infused a burst of energy into the spear, causing it to glow with radiant light.

Then, Ye Dafu tossed the golden spear straight at an enemy commander. It streaked by like a shooting star, moving so quickly that everyone was caught off-guard.

"Be careful!" someone cried out.

It pierced right through one enemy commander's chest in a spray of blood. The enemy commander was sent flying, his mouth agape, unable to believe that he hadn't even had time to react.

The spear continued undeterred as it shot into a large mountain, which collapsed in a heap of rubble.

"Impossible. The commander-in-chief's a True Immortal. How could he not have blocked the blow?!"

"Senior Brother, are you alright? How could you have been injured?!"

The other commanders were all making a fuss.

The two armies glanced at the masked Ye Dafu. He had taken down one of the strongest enemy commanders with just a single toss of a spear. How could that be?

"He must be—a peak-grade True Immortal!"

"No, he might well be a Golden Immortal. How could the commander-in-chief have been unable to retaliate at all otherwise?"

"A Golden Immortal? Impossible!"

The enemy soldiers and generals were incredulous about what had happened.

The troops behind Ye Dafu suddenly had their spirits lifted. They were overjoyed. The strength of the allied and enemy commanders often determined victory or defeat.

"Generals, soldiers, charge forward and slaughter the enemy alongside me!" Ye Dafu shouted.

"Die!" his army roared.

Ye Dafu shot forward wielding a blade.

"Release the Immortal-destroying arrows!" the enemy commanders shouted.

Beams of purple light shot toward Ye Dafu, a secret weapon that the enemies had prepared well in advance to deal with Shenfeng's commanders.

Ye Dafu ignored the beams of light and allowed them to strike his body.

"Haha, these Immortal-destroying arrows can kill even late-stage True Immortals. He's done for!" an enemy commander cried out.

"Be careful, Commander!" Shenfeng's troops shouted.

The beams of purple light shattered and dispersed in a rain of fragments. Ye Dafu had blocked them all with nothing but his physical body alone.

"Impossible!" the enemies shouted.

By then, Ye Dafu was drawing near the enemy commanders. With a sweep of his blade, he sent a massive blade technique, hundreds of meters long, descending toward another enemy commander.

"No! He's a Golden Immortal!" the enemy commander shrieked.

With an earth-shattering explosion, the commander was split in two. A huge furrow was left in the ground where his body had stood.

The generals and soldiers on both sides of the battlefield were taken aback.

"A Golden Immortal? What can any of us do against a Golden Immortal?!"

"Weren't the strongest forces of Shenfeng, like General Xia Hong, merely peak True Immortals? Where could these Golden Immortals have come from? This is impossible!"

"What are we going to do? He'll slaughter us all!"

"No!"

The enemy cultivators cried out in fear, whereas the Shenfeng troops were in high spirits. With a Golden Immortal on their side, victory was all but guaranteed.

"Die!" the Shenfeng troops hollered.

This was a one-sided fight; there was no way the Shenfeng troops would lose.

Ye Dafu and his army rushed forward and slaughtered the enemy cultivators.

Before long, his troops were shouting, "Surrender and live. Resist and die!"