Castle of Black Iron

A huge sand table of the map of Taixia Country covering 2,000 square meters was under Zuoqiu Mingyue’s foot. On this map, all the provinces in the western part of Taixia Country had turned black.

Since the sand table was too large, It was impossible for Zuoqiu Mingyue to watch the overall map on the same level. Therefore, his office was on the second floor. It was a unidirectional crystal floor under Zuoqiu Mingyue’s feet which had been processed with alchemy. Standing on the transparent floor, he could see the overall battle situation facing Taixia Country as long as he lowered his head.

At this moment, Zuoqiu Mingyue was focusing on that black area on the map. He scanned those places, cities, mountains, plains and rivers in the black area inch by inch. If the black color was a piece of magnet, Zuoqiu Mingyue’s eyes would be sharp sabers and swords, which were attracted by that black area.

Yezhou Province, Wuzhou Province, Zhuzhou Province, Yinzhou Province, Huanzhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Ningzhou Province, Force Province, Shazhou Province, Lizhou Province, Ganzhou Province, Liangzhou Province, Weizhou Province, Yizhou Province, Jingzhou Province, Dingzhou Province, Tongzhou Province, Luozhou Province, Xianzhou Province, Pingzhou Province, Yuzhou Province, Anzhou Province…

These provinces of Taixia Country, where hundreds of millions of Huaxia people once lived, had already turned black.

Black was a gloomy color, which was opposite to bright. It represented demons on the sand table. It was also the color of frozen blood.

At this moment, the shape of the black area on the map was like a huge, bottomless, bloody mouth of a monster. Baring its sharp fangs, it was going to devour all the other places on the map.

The above two sharp fangs in the huge mouth were Ganzhou Province and Liangzhou Province in the north; the lower two sharp fangs were Yuzhou Province and Anzhou Province in the south. They were tearing Lingzhou Province, Lizhou Province and Tongzhou Province on the map, which appeared to be hardly eaten.

Lingzhou Province, Lizhou Province and Tongzhou Province, when being connected with each other, looked like a rough and hard irregular iron block. It was rubbing the demonic fangs heavily. The monster couldn’t completely devour this rough and hard iron block; neither would it spit it out…

Once the monster devoured Lingzhou Province, Lizhou Province and Tongzhou Province and tore them into pieces, the hinterland of the entire Taixia Country would be completely exposed to the black fangs and huge mouth of the monster. By then, demons would break through the country from south to north and further deteriorate the overall situation facing Taixia Country. As a result, Taixia Country and humans would have their doomsday.

When Yezhou Province, Wuzhou Province, Zhuzhou Province and Yinzhou Province collapsed, people could transfer to Huanzhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Ningzhou Province and Force Province. When Huanzhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Ningzhou Province, Force Province, Shazhou Province and Lizhou Province collapsed, people in Ganzhou Province, Liangzhou Province, Weizhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Yizhou Province and Jingzhou Province could continue to retreat to Dingzhou Province, Tongzhou Province, Luozhou Province and Xianzhou Province step by step. However, if Lingzhou Province, Lizhou Province and Tongzhou Province collapsed, those people in the provinces behind them would have no place to retreat. By then, casualties would surge and reach hundreds of times greater than that before.

Since the holy war broke out over 40 years ago, Hua people and Taixia Country had got no more place to retreat as the wide area of land had been covered with blood and battle flames.

At this moment, Lingzhou Province, Lizhou Province and Tongzhou Province became the fiercest battlefield in this holy war.

Over 10 billion Hua soldiers and almost 100,000 human knights covered the three provinces with Tongguan Pass as the center and Lingshan Mountain and Lijiang River as two flanks and carried out bloody battles with the army of demons around the clock. Over 600,000 miles’ land was covered with battle flames and heroic battle calls from heavens to abysses. The tragical situation was indescribable…

At this moment, Zuoqiu Mingyue, the military god of Taixia Country was in Tongguan Pass, Tongzhou Province, the fiercest place of the holy war like the pillar of the country.

In the large room, Zuoqiu Mingyue was watching the sand table under foot inch by inch while slightly knitting his brow. Meanwhile, his personal attendant was gazing at him silently with a bit of concern behind him.

It had been over 20 years since the battle at Weishui Bank. Zuoqiu Mingyue remained graceful and hale; however, the hair near his temples had been silver like snow. Additionally, there was a wisp of red hair on his forehead, which was such eye-catching. It implied that he had been thinking too much and even hurt his medullary blood. In the others’ eyes, Zuoqiu Mingyue almost remained unchanged. Only his personal attendant knew that the 20-odd years were like 200 years for this undying military god of Taixia Country.

In the past 20-odd years, Zuoqiu Mingyue slept less than one hour a day on average. On many occasions, he didn’t even sleep for ten days. Even so, Zuoqiu Mingyue still fought sage-level demon knights on the level of Abyss Monarch on the battlefield for more than 10 times. Sometimes, he even kept fighting the two sage-level demon knights alone until the arrival of sage-level knights of Taixia Country…

That sand table under his foot was not still; instead, it was dynamic. At this moment, numerous soldiers and staff officers of Taixia Country were busy working in dozens of rooms around that sand table. In the communication room, over 1,000 crystal remote-sensing devices were vibrating, transmitting or receiving messages from the other places across Taixia Country. For the sake of confidentiality, each remote-sensing device was managed by three Taixia soldiers, one for receiving and sending messages, one for supervision, one for translation. All the messages that they received about the battle situations would be input into a super steam computer. That super steam computer controlled that machine-based sand table below, presenting the live battle situation to Zuoqiu Mingyue in the directest way.

Those below were only busy working intensely and quietly. They couldn’t see the situation in the room on the second floor; however, they knew that the military god of Taixia Country could see their achievements. Therefore, nobody dared be slack. It was worth mentioning that almost all the people who were safeguarding those remote-sensing devices were beautiful Hua women in military uniforms. In the hub of the Taixia Army, Hua women were contributing to the holy war with their special patience, prudence and loyalty.

“Lord, it’s been 9 pm…” Zuoqiu Mingyue’s personal attendant couldn’t wait to warn him when he found Zuoqiu Mingyue was paying heed to the dynamic sand table under his foot.

Military god had overused his nerves and hurt his medullary blood. Du Zhongling, the Pills Immortal in Taixia Country especially made some Heavenly Pure Marrow Fixing Pills for military god. He told Zuoqiu Mingyue’s personal attendant to warn Zuoqiu Mingyue to take it at each 9 pm, when qi and blood returned to one’s liver.

Zuoqiu Mingyue didn’t turn around; neither did he take the medicine; instead, he asked his personal attendant calmly, “Zixia, what do you think about the result of this holy war?”

“Of course, humans will be the final winner!” his personal attendant immediately replied aloud.

“Oh, really?” Zuoqiu Mingyue turned around and took a glance at his personal attendant. After that, he said with a smile, “Glad to hear about it. People of Heavens Fortune Sect always said that the result of the holy war depended on people’s hearts. If people’s hearts don’t die, humans will always have opportunities to win. We kept retreating all the way from the bank of Weishui River to here, almost all the provinces and prefectures in the western part of Taixia Country have collapsed. We have no way to retreat anymore. I’m ready to fight to the death in Tongzhou Province. The future of Taixia Country still depends on youngsters like you…”

After hearing Zuoqiu Mingyue’s words, his personal attendant’s heart palpitated once as he replied, “Without your support, Taixia Country’s situation might be worse now. Actually, you deserted those provinces and prefectures in the western part of Taixia Country on purpose. You exchanged land for people’s time of retreat. According to your policy of strengthening defense works, evacuating noncombatants and hiding provisions and livestock, demons didn’t capture the Hua people; despite they have acquired the land. Compared to the situation on the Western Continent, over these years, if not Lord’s support here, Hua men might be fighting Hua people of Heavens Reaching Empire who have been enslaved and brainwashed by demons at this moment. Demons are too powerful. Additionally, there’re too many problems domestically. Three of the top six sects have their own plans. They don’t contribute to Hua people in the holy war; instead, they always drag our feet…”

Zuoqiu Mingyue’s personal attendant continued with faint enmity, “If not them, how could brilliant, world-renowned Immortal Qianji die at Yinhai Desert, Shazhou Province? At this moment, Taixia Country doesn’t input all of its power on the battlefields of the holy war. The failures on the battlefields didn’t attribute to you. Who could imagine that the army of demons made a detour around Lion Fortress and directly broke in Force Province from Earth-Element Realm? Therefore, we have to abandon the defense lines of Weishui River and Helan Mountain and retreat all the way here…”

Zuoqiu Mingyue shook his head with a smile silently as he looked a bit bitter and helpless…

That personal attendant knew that it was useless to talk about these now. When he spotted Zuoqiu Mingyue’s response, he shifted the topic. “Lord, it’s time to take the Heavenly Pure Marrow Fix Pills that Pill Immortal made for you…”

Before Zuoqiu Mingyue opened his mouth, their door had been pushed open from the outside. The assistant of the minister of war broke in rudely, without even informing in advance. He then handed the intelligence to Zuoqiu Mingyue and shouted, “Lord, an important intelligence from Youzhou Province…”

After opening the envelope and taking a glance at the letter, Zuoqiu Mingyue instantly widely opened his eyes as he released an indescribable, powerful qi.

He then closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes after 2 seconds, he emitted strong light through his eyes. Then, he gave a resolute and decisive order. “Inform all the generals of the top four armies and air cavalries in the three provinces and the guardians at Lion Fortress and Tongguan Pass to be ready for launching a holistic attack. Wait for my order…”

‘A holistic attack?’

His personal attendant became stunned. He then looked at Zuoqiu Mingyue, then the sand table under his foot. On the map, demons were still attacking armies in Taixia Country. Demons took the initiative and advantage on the battlefields. ‘What intelligence comes from Youzhou Province? How could military god ask all the guardians and knights in the three provinces to be ready for launching a holistic attack in such a flurried manner?’

Zuoqiu Mingyue raised his head as if his gloomy eyes could penetrate through the roof and see the situation outside the battle fortress. Meanwhile, a young and vivid face appeared in his mind…

Zuoqiu Mingyue knew that that man would definitely do the same as he was thinking about if that man came back…

Old Man Taiyi and Grand Master Shenkong both died in Youzhou Province. As a result, Taixia Country lost two sage-level knights. Three major sects were involved in this case. It would definitely arouse a big turmoil and domestic instability. That man would definitely not create such a good opportunity for demons to further encroach Taixia Country. The only way for preventing demons from further encroaching Taixia Country at this moment was to inflict heavier losses to the army of demons. If demons were in greater chaos and were almost scared sh*t out of them, they would not think about encroaching Taixia Country any longer…

As the military god of Taixia Country, of course, Zuoqiu Mingyue would seize all the opportunities possible to gain greater victory and more beneficial situation for humans. Therefore, Zuoqiu Mingyue made such a major decision in a split second.

At this moment, the only uncertain factor was how great damages would that man who suddenly came back bring to demons. There were 4 sage-level demons knights and over 100,000 demon knights in the western provinces of Taixia Country now…