My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Execute without mercy!

After speaking, he turned and left, leaving the officials staring at each other in dismay.

What is he up to?

Does he really intend to treat them as expendables, allowing the Beiliang Army to dominate?

The officials were already anxious about this war, and now being rebuked, they were greatly displeased.

"Alas~"

The Emperor Cao Huan sighed: "Dear ministers, it is best not to discuss retreating anymore."

"Your Majesty."

Shangguan Haichang frowned, speaking softly: "I have something to say, though I'm uncertain if it should be said."

The Emperor nodded: "Minister Shangguan, speak without hesitation."

"Your Majesty."

Shangguan Haichang leaned forward: "The Beiliang King indeed has the authority of the False Yellow Halberd, but that concerns officials like us. Just now, Your Majesty was present!"

"Indeed, indeed."

Several officials echoed: "Earlier, the Beiliang King did not even perform the basic courtesies upon seeing Your Majesty."

"And this deployment of troops."

"It completely forced Your Majesty and us to agree."

"Your Majesty is benevolent and trusts in those he employs, but a heart guarding against others is still needed!"

"..."

"I truly don't understand, even if we are to defend Kunyang, why must we go all out?"

Shangguan Haichang continued: "Now, both Your Majesty and King Yan, along with most of the court's elite, are inside the city. Yet, Chen Sansi and his Beiliang Army still have half their forces behind. If Your Majesty and King Yan encounter any mishaps, the Imperial Family will only have the twelve-year-old Prince remaining in the Capital City. By then..."

It would be a young lord and a doubtful nation!

The implication was very clear.

There was no ruling out that the Beiliang King intended to lure them here to be wiped out, thus seizing power completely.

"Enough!"

The Emperor Cao Huan interrupted, speaking with righteous indignation: "Chen Aiqing is my brother, loyal to the Great Sheng Dynasty, how could he harbor dissent?"

In fact.

How could he not be aware of what these officials were saying?

The Beiliang Army had long controlled half of Jiang Mountain.

But now facing a formidable enemy, they still needed the White Robe to lead them into the Capital City.

Afterward...

They had their own plans!

The twelfth brother said it clearly, the Guiyuan Sect could manage the White Robe, and there was no need to worry about rebellion, merely making full use of everyone's talents and resources.

"..."

The officials, unable to incite division, had to change their approach: "Your Majesty, we mean no impeachment against the Beiliang King, we merely wish to remind Your Majesty that a noble body such as yours should command from the rear, not take risks at the front!"

"..."

The Emperor Cao Huan fell silent.

He naturally understood the dangers, yet during the fight to conquer the world, how could a sovereign hide behind?

Nonetheless, there was no need to worry too much.

He had numerous Immortal Masters to assist, and if the situation truly turned unfavorable, retreating would not be too late.

At a corner of the city wall.

Wang Zhi and others watched the mumbling Emperor and officials, unable to hold back their curses.

"What nonsense!"

"This time marching south, who forced them over here?"

"Wasn't it because this group was worried that our master's accomplishments would overshadow theirs, they wanted to share the credit, and now they wish to run away."

"Indeed, especially the Emperor, personally leading the campaign, speaking so grandly, isn't it just to win people's hearts? Not only is it useless, but it even requires someone to look after him, he's simply a burden!"

"..."

"Report!"

While speaking, several scouts ascended the city wall one after another.

"The vanguard troops of the Enemy Army have set off!"

"They are expected to reach outside Kunyang City within two hours!"

"..."

The scouts' voices were loud, and everyone heard them clearly.

Almost instantly, the previously noisy city wall grew quiet, and the atmosphere became heavy.

Even those who had experienced countless battles braced themselves to the utmost once more.

Because once again...

There were going to be casualties!

"Clang——"

The sound of blades being drawn resounded continuously.

"Brothers!"

"To battle!"

Under the command of various generals, batches of armored soldiers ascended the walls, moving to positions they had rehearsed countless times, some wielding spears, others with bows, and also using large crossbows and rolling stones.

"Senior Huang."

"Are you ready?"

"..."

The cultivator Huang Laojiu from Golden Feather Peak of the Guiyuan Sect, dressed as an old farmer, was directing several cultivators in setting up the formation. However, his movements appeared both clumsy and unfamiliar, often requiring several adjustments to place an array flag correctly.

"Take two steps to the southeast."

"No, no, it's three steps to the northwest."

"Hmm, not working? It shouldn't be."

"Let this old man take another look."

"..."

"Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump—"

Meanwhile, the sound of war drums was heard from several dozen miles away.

The setting sun dyed the bloody battlefield red, the sunset shone like fire over the city's east.

War drums sounded, banners danced.

Hooves thundered, blades flashed.

Under the gaze of everyone, a black flood surged towards the city, halting five miles away to form their ranks. All that could be seen were enemy armored soldiers, even the ground was obscured.

"Mr. Huang!"

A cultivator urged, "The enemy army is about to attack, is the formation not ready yet?"

"Oh dear, it will be ready soon, just a moment!"

Huang Laojiu was increasingly flustered.

"..."

The cultivators from Guiyuan Sect couldn't help but murmur among themselves.

This is a second-tier array master?

It's no wonder they've never seen him before.

It's unclear what the sect was thinking, sending such an unreliable person for such a critical task.

Among the enemy army,

a rider galloped forth.

It was the newly appointed Minister of War, Zhu Ming, and also the vanguard general this time.

"Prince Jin!"

Zhu Ming halted eight hundred steps away, looking up at the top of the city wall and shouted, "Your Highness was originally the Supervisor, already controlling the military and political affairs of the land, why rebel and seize the throne?!

"Now the court's mighty lion army of a million soldiers besiege the city, you are already at the end of the road, why not surrender quickly? The current Holy Emperor is benevolent and considering the father-son bond, might still offer Your Highness a way out!"

"Nonsense!"

The grey-haired legitimate Emperor retorted, "I am following the will of Heaven, inheriting the great order! Within Chang'an, Prince Qin, and Prince Qi have ambitions of wolves, first failing to kill their brother, then colluding with Yan Liang father and son to throw the world into chaos!

"In a time of crisis, I protected the society, leading the army of justice in a southern expedition, only wishing to return a clear and bright world to the Great Sheng!

"As you are servants of our Great Sheng, you should immediately kill Yan Liang, Yan Maoxing, capture Prince Qin and Prince Qi alive, and then turn your weapons to join us, not twist black and white in front of two armies, acting as treacherous rebels!"

"It seems, Prince Jin is determined to go his own way!"

Seeing persuasion failed, Zhu Ming said no more, turned around, and rode back. Before he melded into the army formation, the war drums beat again, and iron mountain-like siege engines began their advance.

On the central army's war chariot,

Dan Liangcheng opened his eyes, finally confirming with the nearby general, "Have all the rebel forces gathered inside the city?"

"All twenty thousand defenders are inside the city."

Old General Xu Chonghao first answered with a determined tone, then voiced concerns, "Only that not attacking earlier, now that their forces have concentrated, I'm afraid it will be difficult to take Kunyang City in a short time."

"But they can't leave either, can they?"

As Dan Liangcheng spoke, he rose into the air, forming seals with his hands, causing a gigantic array plate to appear, followed by numerous cultivators from Shengyun Sect, who began injecting mana into the array plate together.

"Rumble!"

The earth began to tremble.

One after another, gigantic stone pillars, towering dozens of yards tall, rose from the ground, swirling around the cultivators in the air, a total of eighty-one stone pillars, emanating piercing golden light, then soared into the sky.

"Fall!

"Rumble—"

A stone pillar, radiant with golden light, fell from the heavens, with divine beasts carved on its stony surface, coming to life under the brilliant spirit light, roaming and soaring amidst the clouds, spewing golden light.

Then the second pillar, the third...

Each stone pillar was like a heavenly pillar. As more and more heavenly pillars fell, the battlefield within a thousand miles was illuminated in golden light, as if the million-strong army were all divine heavenly soldiers of the land's Divine Court!

"Earth Drawing Array, open the Heavenly Gate, enter the Earth Gate, close the Golden Gate, ride the Jade Wheel!"

Six Ding Six Jia Golden Light Array!