Chapter 46: Gaochang Part 1

After the sandstorm fully dispersed, Xiang Xian only then discovered that the true number of Ba Army troops that had participated in the battle far exceeded the initial estimate of one hundred thousand—it had nearly reached two hundred thousand!

“Xiang Xian! Xiang Xian! Are you alright?” Xiao Kun knelt beside Xiang Xian and met his gaze.

Xiang Xian nodded and took Xiao Kun’s hand to borrow strength as he stood up.

“What about Mr. Liu?” Xiang Xian asked.

Xiao Kun opened his other hand, revealing a tiny flickering black flame. The black fire had already grown extremely weak. This was Xiang Xian’s first time seeing the legendary “Demon Core,” the inner elixir of the demon race. He immediately pulled out a Glazed Bottle, placed the Demon Core inside, and carefully stored it away.

Nearly half of Gaochang City’s walls had collapsed, but under the immense power of the Mountains and Rivers Sheji Map, they rose again. However, Chaosheng clearly had no interest in cleaning up the mess he had made. Several times, he wanted to just let it go, but after reluctantly repairing the walls, he turned and ran toward the center of the battlefield.

An azure-blue dragon carrying a burly man descended outside the city. Numerous defending troops and reinforcements, including Jing Pian Ge, all witnessed the scene, and the human armies were deeply moved.

The dragon transformed into a handsome youth, while the burly man was bare-chested, with a long skirt-like cloth wrapped around his waist. Golden rings gleamed on his neck, wrists, and ankles.

Xiao Kun introduced them: “This is Lord Pi Changge, along with Brother Yuzhou, the guardian of Yaojin Palace.”

Xiang Xian had long heard of their fame and knew they were Chaosheng’s family from Kunlun. He hurriedly bowed in respect.

Pi Changge said, “I’ve finally found that thief.”

Xiao Kun said, “You know King Mu?”

Pi Changge clearly hadn’t expected to encounter an old acquaintance on the battlefield, especially one who was a Demon King. “This matter is a long story. We need to find a place to…”

“Changge—!” Chaosheng rushed out of the city gate with an excited shout. Pi Changge turned, and Chaosheng threw himself into Pi Changge’s arms, hugging him tightly. Wu Yingzong followed behind and bowed to the dragon and the Pixiu.

Chaosheng climbed and clambered over Pi Changge like a little monkey, so delighted that he wished he could offer his entire self to be devoured by Pi Changge. He then hugged Pi Changge’s head, and Pi Changge planted a loud kiss on Chaosheng’s cheek.

“Ahem!” Yuzhou said. “Big brother, the mortals are all watching.”

“Yes, yes!” Pi Changge noticed that several tens of thousands of people on the battlefield were staring at them due to the dragon’s arrival. Bila Ge had even led his personal guards, preparing to come out and welcome them. After all, it had been a long time since dragons had appeared in Shenzhou or the Western Regions. In the national religion of the Gaochang Uyghurs, dragons were one of the eight divisions of guardian deities.

“Although there’s much I want to say,” Pi Changge said, “I must go, Chaosheng.”

“Alright.” Chaosheng was quite reluctant to part, clinging to Pi Changge and refusing to let go. Yuzhou explained to the others, “Brother Changge doesn’t have much lifespan left; he can’t linger long in the mortal world.”

Xiang Xian was utterly confused, not yet grasping the situation, so he bowed to Pi Changge once more.

“You’ll come home, right?” Pi Changge said to Chaosheng.

“I will! Wait!” Chaosheng pulled Wu Yingzong over and formally introduced him to Pi Changge. “Changge, this is Old Wu.”

“Oh?” Though Pi Changge didn’t understand Chaosheng’s intent, seeing that among all his companions, Chaosheng had specially introduced this fellow, he immediately nodded and shook hands with Wu Yingzong. “Hello, hmm? A monkey? Excellent! Excellent! I like monkeys!”

Wu Yingzong hurriedly said, “Greetings to Lord Pixiu.”

Wu Yingzong lifted his martial robe to kneel on one knee, but Pi Changge waved him off. “You all must have much to do. We’ll talk about the rest when you come to the White Jade Palace. No, I’m going to die soon; I must hurry off.”

With those words, Yuzhou transformed back into a dragon. Pi Changge pressed on the dragon’s horn and nimbly flipped onto its head.

The dragon’s roar shook heaven and earth. The azure-blue dragon soared into the sky, breaking through the air toward the eastern Kunlun Mountains.

“A True Dragon,” Xiang Xian said.

“Yes, a True Dragon,” Xiao Kun nodded. “When I first met Senior Yuzhou, I had the exact same thought.”

They all knew what a dragon signified.

In ancient legends, dragons had always symbolized the Heavenly Mandate, closely tied to the great achievements of earthly emperors. Dragons, Pixiu, phoenixes, and other supreme divine beasts that towered over all creation—their fates were intertwined with Shenzhou’s future. Their appearance anywhere would spark endless speculation and interpretation among mortals.

Xiang Xian sheathed his Pei Sword and said, “We need to clean up the battlefield, Lord Xiao. Shouldn’t you go see your old colleague first, and your father?”

Yelu Dashi’s troops held their position. After receiving Bila Ge’s call for aid, they had rushed from Tingzhou and joined the battle at the critical moment. Now, they were arrayed outside Gaochang City.

After being struck by King Mu’s attack, Xiang Xian felt his head buzzing with pain. As the city’s defenders went out to clean the battlefield, he stood for a moment before sitting back down, head lowered like a child.

“Yes,” Xiao Kun said. “There’s much that still needs clarifying. Xiang Xian?”

Xiang Xian made a sound of acknowledgment. He stared at the crack on the Wisdom Sword. Though the crack hadn’t changed, it emitted a faint black qi. Xiang Xian infused a bit of Internal Force and shook it, dispersing the black qi.

Xiao Kun called to him, and Xiang Xian put away the Wisdom Sword.

“Accompany me to see them,” Xiao Kun requested. “Old Wu, please take Chaosheng and Hulü Guang back to the city first to help treat the wounded.”

Xiao Kun summoned warhorses, and the two rode together toward where Jing Pian Ge was.

Jing Pian Ge had brought several thousand War Dead Corpse Ghosts from the Abyss Divine Palace. At the final moment, they had blocked the Ba Army’s retreat, delivering a heavy blow to Mr. Liu’s forces. After the battle ended and the sun set in the west, the War Dead Corpse Ghosts began to assemble. They should have returned south of the Tianshan Mountains, but they had yet to depart.