Chapter 58: Total Victory

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly, then said in a clear, resonant voice, "Leave that Martial Spirit expert to me. Since I was able to rescue the Grand General from his clutches, I am naturally capable of defeating him."

"As for that regiment of Martial Master soldiers, to counter them, I will personally train a superior Martial Master regiment, and I guarantee it will be stronger than the one belonging to the Fengming Kingdom. All expenses for raising this force shall be borne by me, Lu Xingchen, alone!"

"The troops and grain required to reclaim our lost territories can be borrowed from the Yunyin Kingdom. Having previously bestowed a favor upon its sovereign, Su Xinghe, I believe he will not refuse me."

"From this point onward, the Tianhui Kingdom will no longer provide any assistance to the Fengming Kingdom. For it is not only the Fengming Kingdom that has a powerful backer—I, Lu Xingchen, have one as well!"

"Now, do any of you have any questions?"

The grand hall fell once more into a dead silence.

Judging by Lu Xingchen's words, he intended to save the entire Dayan Kingdom single-handedly.

This was simply incredible!

Could he truly achieve such a feat?

Peng Zhihao spoke in a deep, skeptical voice, "Lu Xingchen, these are merely your own claims. How are we to know if they are true? We cannot wager the entire future of the Dayan Kingdom on you alone."

Lu Xingchen let out a cold snort. "To be honest, I haven't really taken the Dayan Kingdom to heart. Were it not for my father, I could have simply walked away. The very fact that I chose to stay proves I possess the capability to do this."

Xiao Long suddenly slammed his hand down on the armrest.

"Hahaha! Splendid, absolutely splendid! Truly, heroes emerge from the youth! Lu Xingchen, I believe your words. From this moment onward, the future of the Dayan Kingdom rests in your hands!"

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief.

At least this Xiao Long still had some backbone and the courage to resist.

Peng Zhihao cried out, "Your Majesty, you cannot! With a million citizens in the Dayan Kingdom, how can you entrust its fate to an inexperienced youth?"

Xiao Long replied in a stern tone, "Enough! Peng Zhihao, my mind is made up, and you need say no more. As long as there is even a sliver of hope to launch a counteroffensive against the Fengming Kingdom, I, Xiao Long, will not abandon it."

"The child Lu Xingchen possesses boundless potential. This war is merely a minor trial for him."

Peng Zhihao said no more.

Xiao Long was the sovereign, and once he made his final decision, no one dared to oppose him.

Xiao Yue said, "Since that matters are thus decided, you are all dismissed. If the young general Lu Xingchen has any tasks he requires of you, none are to refuse. Understood?"

"Understood!"

The officials withdrew one by one.

Xiao Long set aside the regal demeanor of a sovereign, rose from the dragon throne, and walked toward Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen cupped his fists slightly and said, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Long chuckled softly. "It is I who should thank you. You have allowed me to see hope for the revival of our nation. Lu Xingchen, is there anything you need me to do right now?"

Lu Xingchen replied calmly, "Not for the moment. Let us first deal withreinforcements and the enemy troops outside the royal city!"

Xiao Long said in a deep voice, "I know nothing of military strategy. That will have to depend on the Grand General."

Lu Zhaoqiang declared firmly, "Leave it to me! Little Chen, let us prepare the troops for a sortie!"

Lu Xingchen smiled. "Call upon some of the officials and citizens to watch the battle from the city walls. Let them witness the Grand General's might and instill a bit of confidence in them."

Lu Zhaoqiang tapped him lightly on the head with his knuckles, laughing, "You rascal, you just want them to witness *your* prowess, don't you? Let me see just how much you've grown over all these years!"

Half an hour later, the troops were fully assembled.

The Dayan Kingdom possessed only three thousand garrison soldiers, while the enemy forces outside the royal city numbered upwards of ten thousand.

Yet Lu Zhaoqiang felt not a shred of fear.

He was most accustomed to fighting uphill battles.

At the stroke of noon, just as the Fengming Kingdom's army was kindling fires to cook their meals, Lu Zhaoqiang led his forces in a surprise charge.

With Lu Xingchen making his appearance and Lu Zhaoqiang returning to the fold, the morale of the Dayan soldiers soared as they cut their way forward.

The greatest impact, however, came from the several Great Martial Master experts.

Lu Xingchen, Lu Zhaoqiang, Lin Jing, Yun Li, and Xiaoyou—the Dayan Kingdom now boasted five Great Martial Master realm experts.

All five possessed a wealth of combat experience, striking directly at the vulnerable points of the Fengming army and tearing open breach after breach.

Griping the Luoxia Bow, Lu Xingchen executed the *Tianxuan Arts*, condensing a "Sky-Breaking Slash" onto his feathered arrows. A single shot was enough to decimate over a dozen enemies with terrifying efficiency.

Seeing Lu Xingchen wield the *Tianxuan Arts* with such consummate skill, Yun Li was utterly astounded.

"Wait, Lu Xingchen, I only handed the *Tianxuan Arts* over to you half a day ago, and you've already mastered it?"

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly. "A stroke of sheer luck."

Yun Li gave a soft huff. "Who are you trying to fool? It seems not only do you grow stronger through combat, but you also possess supreme comprehension. You're a true martial arts prodigy!"

Lu Xingchen chuckled. "I suppose so, though I myself am not entirely certain."

He certainly couldn't just blurt out that he had a system cheat, could he?

The battle began swiftly and ended even more quickly.

In the span of merely two hours, over half of the Fengming army had been slain or wounded, leaving their commander with no choice but to sound the retreat and fall back.

The crisis of the royal city was finally, completely resolved.

Lu Xingchen checked his system interface.

[Host: Lu Xingchen]
[Realm: One-Star Great Martial Master]
[Experience Points: 1000/2000]
[Exchange Points: 3220]
[Talents: Eagle Eye (30), Heavy Strike (20), Berserk (50), Blade Edge (50), Jade Shatter (50), Devour (50)]
[Profession: Tier 3 Alchemist (5000/10000), Tier 3 Spirit Array Master (0/10000)]
[Mount: Nether Dragon (Tier 3)]

Having accumulated half of the required experience points, it was quite satisfactory.

If he continued to participate actively in combat, his level would rise at an astonishing pace.

The officials and citizens atop the city walls were utterly dumbfounded.

"Three thousand against ten thousand, yet it was practically a landslide victory. As expected of the Grand General!"

"The young general also contributed immensely. Had it not been for the helpers he brought back, we could never have won so swiftly!"

"An ordinary minor nation is fortunate to have even a single Great Martial Master expert holding down the fort, yet we possess a full five."

"I can almost see the hope of reviving the Dayan Kingdom."

Lu Zhaoqiang sounded the gong to withdraw the troops, and the victors returned to the royal city.

Word of this sweeping victory was spread far and wide by the officials and citizens who had watched from the walls. Overnight, Lu Xingchen's prestige within the Dayan Kingdom skyrocketed, even eclipsing that of Lu Zhaoqiang.

More and more people came to endorse Lu Xingchen's plan to launch a counter-invasion against the Fengming Kingdom.

Inside the council chamber, the four Great Martial Masters sat as equals alongside Xiao Long.

Xiao Long smiled warmly. "Though our Dayan Kingdom has been battered and bruised, it is now the strongest it has been since its founding. Five Great Martial Master realm experts—something I wouldn't have dared to dream of in the past!"

Lu Xingchen smiled slightly. "This is only the beginning. Until the Fengming Kingdom is completely eradicated, I, Lu Xingchen, will not leave."

Lu Zhaoqiang said in a grave tone, "Little Chen, the royal city has only three thousand garrison troops, and our other cities possess very few soldiers as well—not even two thousand combined. To reclaim our lost territories, I fear this force is far from sufficient."

Lu Xingchen replied resolutely, "I shall set off for the Yunyin Kingdom immediately to secure the greatest possible assistance for our nation!"