On the plains east of White Demon Valley, dust billowed, blotting out the sun.
Over three hundred thousand elite troops of the Toronto Empire were advancing in three columns. Their synchronized footsteps sounded like muffled thunder, causing the very earth to tremble.
Flags snapped in the wind, their crimson backgrounds embroidered with a black eagle spreading its wings—the national emblem of the Toronto Empire, fluttering defiantly as the army marched.
This was not the 150,000 men the Mirar scouts had reported; it was a full 300,000!
Heavy magitech tanks cleared the way on both flanks, their treads carving deep furrows into the ground, while their magitech cannon barrels gleamed with a cold, metallic luster.
Magitech ballistae, disassembled and packed onto supply wagons, were ready to be assembled at a moment's notice to fire armor-piercing bolts capable of piercing dragon scales.
Further back, three super magitech cannons were being pulled by dozens of giant elephants, their muzzles pointed toward the sky. Their terrifying pressure kept the surrounding soldiers from venturing too close.
Near the center of the army, a luxurious magitech carriage drawn by eight unicorns moved slowly forward.
Inside the carriage, the commander, Leodo, clad in black armor, held a glass of red wine, a confident smirk playing on his lips.
He was tall and burly, and the pair of folded black wings on his back identified him as a member of the Avian race. His black armor was inlaid with brilliant gemstones, a testament to his high status.
Haha, those fools of the Hill Empire probably still think we only sent 150,000 men! Leodo took a sip of wine, his voice laced with pride.
One million men, attacking from three directions. Their main forces are pinned down by the capital on the front lines, leaving their rear completely exposed. This time, the Hill Empire will surely fall to our Toronto Empire!
The adjutant sitting opposite him quickly agreed, a flattering smile plastered on his face.
Commander! The Hill Empire is plagued by internal strife; this is the perfect opportunity for our Toronto Empire to rise! Once we take the Hill Empire, Your Excellency will surely be titled a Prince by His Majesty and be remembered forever in history!
Naturally. Leodo set down his wine glass, a glint in his eyes.
News from the front says Kaiaolen's allied forces are locked in a death match with the territories of Black Rock and Qingqiu. They simply can't spare any men to stop us.
We will pick up the pace, pass through White Demon Valley, and strike directly at their rear supply camp! Once their supplies are cut, the front-line army will naturally collapse. Then, we will coordinate with our other forces to take the capital in one fell swoop. The entire Hill Empire will be ours!
Your Excellency is brilliant! the adjutant complimented again. I have already passed down the order for the entire army to accelerate. We aim to reach the allied supply camp by sunset tomorrow!
Leodo nodded and was about to say more when a frantic shout suddenly came from outside the carriage.
Commander! An anomaly has been detected ahead! Someone is blocking the army's path!
Hmm? Leodo frowned, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. Who is so bold? Just kill them!
No! The soldier's voice outside carried a hint of terror. That person is floating in mid-air, a few miles away. Our soldiers don't dare to advance!
Floating in mid-air? Leodo was taken aback for a moment, then sneered.
Interesting. It seems the Hill Empire has sent a high-level mage. Does he really think he can stop us all by himself?
Or perhaps he has laid a magic circle in advance?
He stood up, his black wings snapping open as a powerful aura erupted from his body.
He was a seventh-tier powerhouse, one of the top combatants in the Toronto Empire. Naturally, he had no fear of a lone mage.
Open the door. I want to see for myself who is bold enough to stand against my empire's army of 300,000!
The carriage door swung open, and Leodo leaped out. With a flap of his wings, he instantly soared into the sky.
He looked ahead and saw a young man in a black robe floating in the sky several miles away. Though his figure was slender, he gave off an aura of unfathomable depth.
He had black hair, a handsome face, and a faint smile on his lips, as if he didn't care about the 300,000-strong army below him at all.
It was Ye Chuan.
With a single teleportation, he had crossed a distance of over a thousand miles to arrive at the entrance of White Demon Valley.
Looking down at the 300,000 troops surging forward like a tide, Ye Chuan's expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of amusement.
Leodo had now flown up to Ye Chuan, looking down at him from a higher altitude. Who are you? A mage of the Hill Empire?
Ye Chuan raised an eyebrow, his tone indifferent. You've marched all the way to someone's doorstep, and yet you're asking who they are?
Leodo was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. Good, good! You have a sharp tongue. I never kill a nameless man. State your name!
Xi Xi, Ye Chuan said. Remember it well.
Xi Xi? Leodo frowned. He had never heard the name before. He assumed it was some obscure high-level mage from the Hill Empire.
Or perhaps a powerhouse living in seclusion here.
Regardless, coming here alone was no different from seeking death.
He sneered, a murderous glint in his eyes. You dare come here alone... are you trying to stall for time while waiting for reinforcements from the Hill Empire?
Stall for time? Ye Chuan shook his head, his tone casual. Not exactly.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the 300,000 troops below and the magitech weaponry gleaming with cold light. The smile on his lips widened.
I'm here to wipe you all out.
Hahahaha! Leodo laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, doubling over.
You? Alone? You want to annihilate my 300,000 elite troops? Have you lost your mind?
The soldiers below also heard Ye Chuan's words and broke into raucous laughter. They looked at Ye Chuan as if he were a fool.
One man destroying an army of 300,000? It was pure fantasy!
This army was protected by mobile magic arrays!
Once Leodo finished laughing, the killing intent in his eyes intensified. He shouted to the army below:
All units, hear my command! Magitech cannons, lock on target! Blast this arrogant brat to pieces!
As his voice fell, the three super magitech cannons below immediately pivoted, their pitch-black muzzles pointing directly at Ye Chuan in mid-air.
The magitech tanks and ballistae also locked onto him, waiting only for the commander's order to launch a lethal strike.
Cold killing intent instantly enveloped the entire battlefield, making the very air feel frozen.
A mobile magic array, huh. Ye Chuan glanced at the array below and reached out to summon the Human Sovereign Flag. He grinned.
It's only 300,000. Let's try out my light-attribute summoning magic.

s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!