Chapter 425 - Descent into the Dragon’s Tale

Chapter 425: Chapter 179: Descent into the Dragon’s TaleHeng Xin’s death meant the situation in Domoko was set in stone. Lu Hong had agreed with Bai Shi that, after a month and once Bai Shi had dealt with the internal issues of Domoko, he would lead his troops to support the Continent of God’s Grace.

"However, once we get to the Continent of God’s Grace, don’t expect me to have the same level of formidable combat power as I do now," Bai Shi sighed. "The plane level of the Continent of God’s Grace is too high. Even I would be suppressed by two whole levels upon entering, and even my secret techniques would be significantly weakened. I wouldn’t be much stronger than those who are in the late Third Transition."

Lu Hong was aware of the plane suppression, but hearing it from a Third-Transition Peak expert with secret techniques felt different. "Is plane suppression really that severe?"

"What else?" Bai Shi replied indifferently, "This plane suppression is the greatest imbalance in the Star Sea. Those born in a lower-level plane, no matter how hard they fight and train throughout their lives, can only look up to the higher-level planes. This identity, engraved in their bones, cannot be changed. Thus, the forces from lower-level planes can never become truly powerful and are destined to be conquered by higher-level planes. The Emperor Clan of Tian’an dreams of independence, but after all, Domoko is only a mid-level plane within the Star Sea. Even if the Sacred Empire falls, another higher-level plane will conquer it again. That’s the Law of planes within the Star Sea—it’s as if people are born into different classes."

Tired of the topic, Bai Shi waved his hand at Lu Hong, "You should have other missions, right? I won’t keep you any longer. Once the Naga Sea Tribe is defeated, I will surely have a proper drink with you."

"Definitely," Lu Hong replied with a faint smile and turned to leave.

Returning to Xie’an, Lu Hong asked, "Domoko is basically dealt with. Where are we heading next?"

"Good," Xie’an nodded. He had always found Bai Shi to be trustworthy and wasn’t worried about him reneging on the deal. After all, the man had even handed over divine artifacts with full sincerity!

After agreeing with Lu Hong, Xie’an turned to his Deputy General and asked him to open the Star Sea map. He first marked a check over the Domoko plane and then pointed to a large plane far to the west of Domoko.

"Here," Xie’an indicated the plane, "Dragon Pool, a Third Transition beginner-level plane. Its combined strength is several times stronger than Domoko’s. However, the Empire is wary of them and has supported two families within Dragon Pool to match the strength of the leading family there, resulting in a tripartite balance of power. According to the information provided by the Military Department, the third family in Dragon Pool, although they outwardly agree with the independence of Dragon Pool, are secretly sending intelligence back to the Empire. We need to reach the Uko plane near Dragon Pool, where the Passa Family will open a portal for us to Dragon Pool."

Lu Hong nodded, "You take care of the arrangements. Just call me when it’s time to fight."

He couldn’t care less about those political intrigues. Xie’an understood Lu Hong’s stance and smiled, "Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you unless absolutely necessary."

Lu Hong snorted, "You’re not very good at understanding things, are you?"

Xie’an was taken aback, and Lu Hong explained, "What do you think Konstantin sent me here to help you with? To watch over you? It’s to reduce casualties."

"Could that... devalue things?" Xie’an pondered before replying, "After all, your combat power is not inferior to those at the Third-Transformation Peak, right?"

"But I’m only at the Second-Transformation Peak," Lu Hong shrugged. "I don’t have the same grandeur as those powerful figures."

Xie’an gave an awkward smile, "Baron, you really... really know how to deflate someone!"

Second-Transformation Peak? Goddamn Second-Transformation Peak. Xie’an was also at the Second-Transformation Peak, but could their combat powers even compare? Could they? Such words could kill a person!

After a day’s rest and with Bai Shi’s arrangements, Xie’an’s forces obtained a route to the back planes and successfully arrived at the Uko plane, where they had agreed to meet with the Passa Family.

Of course, they had to travel through over a dozen small planes along the way. Most of these planes, following Domoko or Dragon Pool, had declared independence but raised the white flag without hesitation when faced with the Imperial army’s pressure.

To ensure these fickle small planes did not cause trouble, Xie’an conscripted the surrendered soldiers from each plane, drafting nearly 300,000 men from each, though only about 100,000 were actually incorporated into his forces. The rest, a mixed army from various planes, were compiled together. With mixed personnel and diverse intentions, they were unlikely to connive in rebellion. Even if they did rebel, Xie’an was confident he could suppress them.

The Uko plane was a very small plane, yet incredibly rich in minerals, with high-grade ore almost everywhere. It had been so thoroughly exploited by Dragon Pool that it was now scarred and near derelict, so desolate that, frankly, not even a dog would live there.

The ground was pitted and uneven, with not a piece of flat land to be found.

The Yok plane, due to its mineral composition, didn’t sustain any vegetation or living creatures. After its resources were depleted, it essentially became a dead star, with no one willing to enter.

Therefore, it was the perfect place for the Empire’s army to conceal its movements and provide an excellent location for troop stationing.

Xie’an led Lu Hong and his deputy to the rendezvous point agreed upon with the Pasa family. A group of people had already been waiting there.

Upon seeing the arrival of the three, the middle-aged man at the head of the group hurriedly came forward and bowed deeply, saying, "I am Ji Tong, the steward of the Pasa family. I have the honor of meeting the generals."

Xie’an’s face remained calm, betraying no emotion, "Did your family head not come?"

"Reporting back to the General, yesterday two major families suddenly called an extraordinary meeting and decided to place the Dragon Tan under a dimensional lockdown. Our family head couldn’t refuse this proposal and had to agree, but he still managed to obtain a glimmer of opportunity during the meeting," Ji Tong continued, "Using the excuse of having troops stationed abroad, he secured a temporary portal that can transport ten thousand men into the Dragon Tan. However, this portal is controlled by the Cairo family, so we must disguise your troops as Pasa’s private army in order to sneak them into the Dragon Tan."

"A lockdown of the Dragon Tan?" Xie’an’s tone was somewhat doubtful, not quite trusting the steward’s words.

Ji Tong gave a bitter smile, "This all started when you returned from the border, sweeping through the various planes so fiercely that it made Dragon Tan extremely cautious. Hence, they decided to temporarily seal off the plane to avoid conflict with the Empire’s army."

"I’ve only got four hundred thousand men, and they’re scared?" Xie’an laughed coldly, "The families of Dragon Tan can’t be that foolish, can they?"

"Four hundred thousand is a minor issue, but...," Ji Tong reluctantly glanced at Lu Hong, "Baron Yitian’s reputation is too imposing! Three days ago, news came back that Baron Yitian overpowered Domoko’s number one warrior, Bai Shi. This news panicked the other two major families. After all, the Empire slaughtered the strong of Dragon Tan in the past, and Dragon Tan has not yet recovered from it—they have too few top-tier fighters at their disposal."

Lu Hong shrugged, "So it’s my fault, is it?"

Xie’an was somewhat speechless and, after a moment’s thought, he then asked, "Can we really only bring ten thousand men?"

"Yes," Ji Tong nodded, "That’s already the limit. The other two families are monitoring the Pasa family very closely; they’re quite familiar with the Pasa family’s military strength. Fortunately, years ago, the Pasa family agreed to support the North Dawn plane with a hundred thousand troops, which gave us an excuse. These hundred thousand have resided in North Dawn for over several decades; hence, their exact identities would be hard to trace. However, your men will need to learn the customs of the North Dawn plane by heart. Make no mistakes, as the Cairo family has long been suspicious of our Pasa family, so caution is paramount."

"Ten thousand men will make it hard to change the situation," Xie’an frowned, knowing that even four hundred thousand would struggle to make a difference. After all, Dragon Tan is a large plane, and any one of the three major families there could easily muster an army of a million in half an hour.

Yet Dragon Tan was a place Xie’an was determined to conquer. The attitude of Dragon Tan impacted more than forty different-sized planes in its vicinity. Taking it down was tantamount to resolving the issues with the other forty planes, so no matter how difficult it was, they had to find a way.

"No rush, let’s take it one step at a time," Lu Hong patted Xie’an on the shoulder, signaling him not to be anxious. Indeed, returning from the border, Xie’an carried a heavy responsibility. Conquering planes was a matter of great difficulty. Plus, Xie’an’s troops had no reinforcements, no supplies, and treaded as delicately as if they were walking a tightrope—a slight misstep could lead to devastating consequences. All the way, Xie’an hadn’t slept well a single night, spending almost all of them pondering how to resolve the conflict.

Having only a hundred thousand troops to bring along, even with the full support of the Pasa family, would still make it extremely difficult to crush the other two big families. Xie’an looked at Lu Hong and spoke earnestly, "Baron, I will need a lot of help from you at this time."

"You come up with the strategies from behind, and I’ll clear the enemies for you. Taking down Dragon Tan won’t be a problem," Lu Hong reassured.

Encouraged by Lu Hong’s spirit, Xie’an nodded and then turned to Ji Tong, "In three hours, I’ll bring my men. Have the teleportation affair ready."

"As you command," Ji Tong nodded, and gestured to his subordinates to take out the prepared clothing, "Please change into the Pasa family’s attire when the time comes. My people will teach you the relevant customs of the North Dawn plane. We can enter once everything is prepared."

"Understood."