At night, under Zhang Xiao Lin's guidance, a raid team composed of over three hundred people set out towards Na Lan Tian Huang's camp stealthily, preparing to carry out a slaughter.
Although there weren't many people in this team, their foundation was Spiritual Infant Tier, on top of over ten Deity Transformation Tier and Heaven Tier elites, with even a Shattering Void Tier elite leading it. It could be said to be extremely powerful, enough to destroy any force other than the five great ancient sects.
No matter what everyone thought, even if Na Lan Tian Huang was long prepared, facing such a powerful team, his army's heavy casualties would be certain at least. Even if not, the raid team could still return in one piece.
However, when the dawn of the early morning appeared, Zhang Xiao Lin brought two Heaven Tier elites back in disarray into the city. Each one of them was ashen, and even had a sort of terror of being frightened to the bones.
They didn't say a single word and went to their respective quarters, but in only half a day, a military order was issued for everyone to immediately retreat.
What sort of situation was this, only fighting a sneak attack battle and running off now?
But an order was issued by a Shattering Void Tier commander, so who dared to question, and who dared to object?
Instantly, the troop of ten thousand withdrew from the city, and retreated towards the expanse beyond the frontlines. While on the path of retreat, the truth of the matter on the sneak attack last night finally came to light.
One of the two Heaven Tier elites that survived had told his descendant, and this descendant just so happened to be a person that didn't have tightly sealed lips; so, one person told ten people, ten people told a hundred people, and then everyone knew.
Last night, after the raid team entered the enemy's camp, they were caught in an ambuscade.
Na Lan Tian Huang had long sent troops to wait for them, so this wasn't a sneak attack, but rather a long-prepared-for fight in close quarters.
Zhang Xiao Lin sent out at least three hundred elites of the Spiritual Infant Tier, with the addition of a Shattering Void Tier leader. In contrast, on Na Lan Tian Huan's side, they sent a ten thousand people in formation, but their strength on a whole wasn't anything great. The strongest elite was only in the Spiritual Pedestal Tier, and the majority was only spiritual Ocean Tier warriors, while Na Lan Tian Huang actually wasn't even the one providing support—the tenth-tier beast was.
No matter how it looked, Zhang Xiao Lin's side should've had the absolute advantage, casting the beast aside. Any random Spiritual Infant Tier sent out could sweep away this ten thousand people's formation, a matter as easy as the turn of the palm.
However, once the fight began, it wasn't what happened at all.
The ten thousand people square array seemed to be on stimulants and had extremely terrifying battle prowess, effortlessly defeating the raid team. Zhang Xiao Lin was also blocked by the beast, and actually was at a disadvantage.
Fighting for only less than half a day, the raid team was almost completely wiped out. Zhang Xiao Lin saw that things were far from good, and barely rescued two Heaven Tier elites, escaping back to the city.
According to that Heaven Tier elite's conjecture after the event, the ten thousand people unit used some sort of array to combine their strength together, and even received an extremely great boost so as to rival Heaven Tier.
This made the Heaven Tier elite shocked, because… the other party still had ninety-nine more such 10,000-people-big formations!
Too terrifying, this was completely a powerful all-conquering current. Who would be able to rival it?
Thus, they could only retreat; fighting was the same as courting death.
After Ling Han heard it, he couldn't help but nod inwardly in recognition. No wonder Ma Duo Bao was so confident, so it turned out he grasped a powerful ancient array, and attacked with the battle array, like a troop of kings. Moreover, they also had the power of nation's blessing, and that was probably the key to coalesce the array.
Focusing ten thousand people's power into one whole, even though each and every one was only Spiritual Infant or Spiritual Pedestal Tier warrior, it was terrifying once combined together. On top of the blessing of the power of the nation, and even extracting some of Na Lan Tian Huang's power, they possessed the power to sweep across Heaven Tiers.
This was only a ten thousand people army, and what if it were a hundred thousand people? One million people?
With the power of hundreds of millions of people combined, would there then be the possibility of splitting open the skies?
Splitting the skies, a country had to be founded.
Ling Han didn't voice any particular opinion, and retreated along with everyone, but once they withdrew from the city, Na Lan Tian Huang launched a siege on the city.
With a Shattering Void Tier elite keeping watch, who could obstruct them?
The city was taken down. So long as everyone turned, they would be able to see that the flag atop the city was changed to the flag of the Purple Moon Empire, and it represented that this rising empire had seized another territory; its expansion couldn't be stopped.
In only an hour, Na Lan Tian Huang's army advanced once again, and set out towards the next city. It could be known through the communication stones that the other two armies on the other routes were also met with no resistance. Facing such an offensive, the five great sect's coalition was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; how could they possibly block such a powerful current engulfing the lands?
The other two coalition armies' fates were even more tragic. They launched an all-out sneak attack in an attempt to take advantage of the opportunity before the opponent found stable footing to annihilate the other party in one move, but in the end, almost no one from the ten thousand people army escaped.
In short, the coalition army mobilized by five great ancient sects was a joke, not even being able to hinder Purple Moon Empire's advancement.
The news returned and the world was shaken!
At the start, who didn't think that the Purple Moon Empire was a joke? But now that the three punitive expeditions were all crushed, the Purple Moon Empire instantly became greatly influential. This definitely was the strongest force other than the five great sects, an extremely terrifying thing.
Zhang Xiao Lin soon announced the disbandment of the coalition, and everyone returned to their own homes. The five great sects were going to conduct an emergency conference and sortie with the strongest soldiers to confront the Purple Moon Empire, ensuring the destruction of these "treacherous" outlaws.
Everyone had a load on their minds, and left one after another.
The Purple Moon Empire was truly too strong. Everyone had to wonder—if, by any chance, even the five great sects couldn't stop them, could they only submit? They served for the five great sects at this time, would they suffer in the future when accounts were settled?
Pei, anyway, whoever was in charge of the world had nothing to do with me. I only need to live my simple life, why care about whether it was the five great sects that commanded respect or the Purple Moon Empire that claimed the throne?
Quite a few people decided not to care about the affairs of the world. Toss and turn however you guys want, I'm not caring anymore. When the time comes, I'll go pay respects to whomever wins in the end.
The Rain Emperor and Mu Rong Qing both returned to the academy. They were going to continue to attract more talents and lay the foundation for founding a country, while Ling Han decided to go on a trip to the Purple Moon Empire. He had to see Ma Duo Bao as there were many questions that he needed the latter to answer.
By his side were still Zhu Xuan Er and Hu Niu. The three traveled lightly and turned towards Purple Moon Empire's territotry.
A normal border obviously couldn't block Spiritual Infant Tier elites, not to mention that Ling Han had the Black Tower in hand. As long as it wasn't entering Purple Moon Empire's imperial palace, he should be able to go in and out with ease.
After three days, they'd already ventured deep into Purple Moon Empire's territory, but there was still roughly a twenty days' journey from the imperial city.
At this time, the golden ship obviously came in handy, carrying them on their way. Ling Han and Zhu Xuan Er only had to take turns to control it each day.
Hong!
On the fifth day, Ling Han suddenly felt a warning premonition. After abruptly picking up Zhu Xuan Er and Hu Niu and flashing into the Black Tower, the golden ship was also instantly smashed into pieces, the fragments fluttering about.
Ling Han's figure also surfaced and his gaze turned towards the sky. A slender middle-aged man could be seen standing in the air, his right hand still stretched out.
Apparently, he was the one who'd attacked just now.
Hu Jian Yi, Wind Moon Sect's sect master.