Free Web NovelChapter 206: Chapter 183: How About a Match
Wu Dao did not rush into reckless revenge.
Instead, he had sought out Prince Nanyang at the first opportunity.
Prince Nanyang knew full well what kind of temperament Wu Dao had.
So he had a good idea of why Wu Dao had come.
He clearly wanted to use this incident as leverage.
To trade for some benefits from him.
The Prince didn’t find this repulsive or disgusting.
If he disliked such behavior, he wouldn’t have initiated contact with Wu Dao in the first place.
Not to mention, he had later made a deal for Wu Dao to attack Pingliang.
’Once a person reveals their desires,’
’all their schemes and calculations become transparent.’
’Compared to the scheming and backstabbing hidden behind veils,’
’he actually quite liked cooperating with a pragmatist like Wu Dao, who settled one score at a time.’
WHOOSH~
Wu Dao took a small sip of tea, then smiled. "I’m sure you have a thorough understanding of my character, Prince."
"So I won’t beat around the bush."
At this point, Wu Dao’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said,
"The Three Prefectures occupied by the Southern Alliance... as long as you, Prince, can keep their Fourth Transformation and above Great Divine Power Users occupied, I can sweep through them alone. This is no joke."
As soon as he said this,
even Prince Nanyang fell silent for a moment.
In his perception,
Wu Dao did indeed have hidden power. If fully unleashed, he could probably reach the Peak of Three Transformations.
’But that’s not enough...’
The Southern Alliance had gathered the top Cultivators from the Two Peaks of the Southern Border, as well as a group of old monsters from the Central Plains.
They had no fewer than thirty Divine Ability Users at or below the Third Transformation, including Peak of Three Transformations experts like Feng Qianjin.
In other words,
if Wu Dao truly attacked alone, he would most likely be swarmed.
They were all in the same realm.
Two fists can hardly fight four hands, let alone more than a dozen pairs.
Even if Wu Dao could borrow Celestial Might,
his ferocity would be temporary.
He wouldn’t gain any advantage in a prolonged battle.
’Of course...’
’If Wu Dao really pulls it off,’
’it would mean...’
’that he, Prince Nanyang, could take the Three Prefectures without losing a single soldier, without investing massive resources, and without losing any Dao Embryo Divine Ability Users.’
The benefits for the subsequent war...
...would be unimaginable.
’So, what’s the price?’
In the end, Prince Nanyang chose to believe Wu Dao could do it. His thoughts turned to what he would have to pay for this transaction.
Wu Dao had specifically mentioned sweeping through them alone.
Such a world-shaking feat...
once accomplished...
...meant Wu Dao’s appetite for compensation could not be satisfied with just one or two Celestial Being Alien Species.
"Since Alliance Leader Wu is not joking,"
Prince Nanyang tapped his index finger lightly on the tea table, a profound starlight in his eyes. Then, he smiled freely and said,
"As long as it’s something I can provide, feel free to ask, Alliance Leader Wu."
He had a faint idea of what Wu Dao wanted, and it wasn’t something he would find hard to part with.
’Because...’
’after learning of Wu Dao’s promotion to Divine Power, he had already intended to give it to him.’
’It’s a deal.’
The corners of Wu Dao’s mouth curved up. He set down his teacup and said frankly, "If this is accomplished, I will be so bold as to ask the Prince for your..."
"Done."
Hearing this, Prince Nanyang thought, ’Just as I expected.’ He then nodded, agreeing to Wu Dao’s condition.
"Haha, you are a man of great character, Prince!"
Wu Dao laughed heartily, then casually added,
"The Southern Alliance broke the rules by having the strong bully the weak. So, on tomorrow’s battlefield, there are some rules that I, Wu Dao, will not be following either."
"Of course, if this displeases you, Prince,"
"I can restrain myself a bit."
This was a preemptive warning.
’When I, Wu, make a move, I don’t care about any rules. If one comes, I’ll kill one. If ten thousand come, I’ll kill ten thousand.’
’Besides,’
’I’m not the one who broke the rules first.’
’If you’re vicious, don’t blame me for being venomous!’
But he also had to consider Prince Nanyang’s bottom line and give him a heads-up.
To avoid getting stabbed in the back later.
"On the battlefield, there is only victory and defeat, not benevolence, righteousness, or compassion. Alliance Leader Wu, you may act as you see fit."
Prince Nanyang gave Wu Dao a complicated look, then let out a soft sigh, indicating his agreement.
’On the battlefield...’
Wu Dao now had a better understanding.
He knew where Prince Nanyang’s line was drawn.
’But it doesn’t matter.’
’He wasn’t a madman like the Slaughter Emperor. Slaughtering the weak for no reason and for no profit held no meaning for him.’
After the deal was struck,
Wu Dao and Prince Nanyang discussed the details.
Where to start the attack.
When to start.
Intelligence on the enemy.
And how to handle any unexpected incidents.
All of this had to be considered.
It wasn’t a matter of just saying "attack" and then rushing in blindly. That was the way of a disorganized mob.
...
At dusk, as snow began to fall,
within the Garrison Cities along the battlefront that stretched across the Three Prefectures,
the Southern Alliance’s army noticed something very unusual.
The troops of the Nanyang King Group...
...had actually begun to sound the drums for retreat, completely pulling out from the most intense frontlines. They withdrew a hundred li, abandoning some of the territory they had previously captured.
Such a strange and abnormal event...
...did not please the various generals of the Southern Alliance army. Instead, it worried them, and they quickly reported the situation to the Southern Governor’s Mansion.
「Puyang Prefecture.」
Inside the Southern Governor’s Mansion.
Within the familiar conference hall.
"A full retreat from the frontlines... What on earth is that brat Zhou Chen trying to do?"
Luo Dingjun, in the main seat, frowned deeply. ’Such an anomaly must hide something sinister, especially in a war of this scale.’
Any unusual move by the opponent...
...could be part of an unknown scheme.
But he would never have guessed, not in a million years...
...that Prince Nanyang’s full retreat...
...was merely to clear the battlefield for Wu Dao, so he could act without restraint.
"Could this be related to Wu Dao?"
Jiang Changsheng, to his right, had a hint of hostility flicker in his usually detached and serene eyes as he made a cold guess.
Their side had just failed in their attempt to ambush and kill Wu Dao.
Two dead, three severely injured.
His beloved disciple, Nangong Li, was still unconscious.
Their losses could be described as devastating.
They had just suffered a setback,
and Wu Dao had just gone to see Prince Nanyang.
Prince Nanyang’s side immediately made an unusual move. It was hard not to connect it to Wu Dao.
’Could it be that...’
’Prince Nanyang wants to use that malevolent star, Wu Dao, to make a move?’
"Impossible."
Yan Feihong, on the right, gritted his teeth and said coldly,
"When Elder Feng killed Wu Dao’s Incarnation, he sensed that bandit’s aura. Even with that strange Heavenly Control technique of his, at most he’s at the Divine Power Third Transformation. What waves can he possibly make?"
They had indeed suffered a great loss to their Primordial Qi this time.
Two Divine Power Third Transformation experts had died tragically!
And Feng Qianjin, a Third Transformation expert, was severely wounded by Jiang Yuansheng’s Fist Momentum and couldn’t recover in a short time.
But they weren’t entirely without gains.
At least they had confirmed Wu Dao’s strength.
The tactic of using Fighting Generals was no longer effective.
With Wu Dao at the Divine Power Third Transformation level, any move from him would mean all-out war!
With preparations,
the Southern Alliance, while possibly at a disadvantage, wouldn’t be completely suppressed for the entire fight.
Yan Feihong didn’t believe...
...that just by adding one Divine Power Third Transformation expert, Wu Dao, Prince Nanyang could rapidly change the state of the war.
"Regardless of what that brat Zhou Chen and Wu the bandit are plotting, we cannot be careless. We must think outside the box and prepare for the worst."
Luo Dingjun took a deep breath, his tone grave. He and Jiang Changsheng began to discuss countermeasures for various possible emergencies.
The enemy was plotting while they were exposed.
And they couldn’t guess the enemy’s plot.
In this situation,
not a single potential risk could be ignored; they had to be fully prepared.
Time slowly passed.
「On the third day.」
The Nanyang King Group’s armies had completely withdrawn from the frontlines.
And the ominous premonition in Luo Dingjun’s heart grew stronger and stronger.
Until noon,
the premonition in his heart was ignited into horror by a message, and he even roared:
"What did you say? Say that again!!"
"Reporting to the Governor, it’s absolutely true!"
The voice on the other end was even more horrified and incredulous as it trembled,
"That... Wu the bandit... he’s really... he’s really challenging dozens of Garrison Cities in Yu Yuan Prefecture all by himself!"
"No!"
"It’s not a challenge!"
"I repeat, it’s not a challenge!"
"He’s directly attacking the cities!!"
