Chapter 330: Du Ge's Crisis
The announcement of the top ten names was like the sounding of a war horn.
In an instant.
Everyone quickened their pace to improve their attributes.
After all.
The last Alien Star Battlefield ended in just six months.
This time, although the top two seemed evenly matched.
But as long as one of them falls, the surviving one's attributes will surely skyrocket, and time is running out for the others.
Especially for those who haven't even unlocked any skills yet, they were even more anxious.
A month had passed, and still no skills. In the past, this was simply impossible.
Some speculated that the cancellation of the body possession identity might have changed the rules, making it harder to unlock skills.But more people believed they hadn't found the right method.
After all, in the Alien Star Battlefield, you can't always hold onto beautiful fantasies. What if others have skills and you don't? How much would you suffer in battle?
Pushing yourself is never wrong.
...
On the day the list was announced.
The identities and names of the top ten were exposed in various countries.
Some lists were sent to the desks of important figures, while others were spread among the public through posted notices and distributed flyers.
In this Alien Star Battlefield, everyone's thoughts were very flexible, and they would spare no effort to strike at their opponents.
This world had high-powered natives, and as long as any of them targeted the Alien Star warriors, their competitors would be reduced by one.
Of course.
Making the rulers of this world aware of the benefits of the Alien Star warriors was also an opportunity for them.
...
Beihai Kingdom.
County Magistrate Ma Shichun had just finished a day's work and was meditating in his study, practicing his true energy.
Suddenly.
A commotion came from the courtyard.
Ma Shichun listened carefully, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth: "They came quickly!"
He stood up, pushed open the door, and looked into the courtyard, saying loudly, "County Magistrate Ma Shichun, at your service, Lord Qianhu."
The leader, dressed in a blue brocade robe, glanced at Ma Shichun, raised the token in his hand, and said, "Qianhu Huo Ming of the Royal Guards, here to arrest you by order. Magistrate Ma, come with us!"
"Qianhu, may I ask why I am being arrested?" Ma Shichun inquired.
"Someone reported you as being possessed by the Heavenly Demon. The Commander wants to take you back for verification," Huo Ming said, looking at Ma Shichun, somewhat unconsciously.
"So it's about that. Let's go then!" Ma Shichun, unafraid of the dreaded Royal Guards, smiled calmly and said, "I also wanted to talk to the Commander. During my tenure, the governance has been clear, the people live in peace, and there is no theft or robbery. With my talents, I shouldn't be just a small county magistrate."
...
Qingwu Kingdom.
Qu Liandong looked at the former Gang Leader of the Beggar's Sect lying at his feet, disdainfully glancing at the several elders who had attacked him and were now crippled. With a flick of his toe, the green bamboo staff symbolizing the Gang Leader's identity fell into his hand: "Everyone, today I shall be the Gang Leader of the Beggar's Sect. Any objections?"
At the same time.
Zhonglang General Wei Jiuchou rode swiftly, alone, heading straight for the capital...
...
The Harem of Kingdom Chu.
Emperor Shi Long of Kingdom Chu held a sword in one hand, looking down at the concubine before him: "Beloved concubine, rumors are spreading that you are possessed by the Heavenly Demon, here to disrupt my kingdom. Today, I have come to seek an explanation."
"Your Majesty, it is true that I am possessed by a Succubus," Wu Tong said sorrowfully, her eyes filled with allure, "but the talk of disrupting the kingdom is nonsense. I have only heard of treacherous ministers causing chaos and noble families seizing power, never of a woman disrupting a kingdom. A succubus can bring men extreme pleasure and can only survive by clinging to men. Your Majesty, wise and powerful, do you lack the confidence to subdue a mere woman?"
As she spoke.
Her thin dress quietly slipped off, revealing her snow-white, delicate shoulders, "Your Majesty, I believe that subduing a succubus and making her serve you under your command truly showcases the essence of an emperor!"
...
At the same time.
Martial sects such as the Xunyang Gang, Tianying Gang, and Fire God Sect, which were on par with the Qinglan Sword Sect, were also approached by Alien Star warriors.
With Yunyao in the Qinglan Sword Sect as an example.
At this time, they had a good excuse to join the sects.
Even the Qinglan Sword Sect accepted a Heavenly Demon as an inner disciple. Aren't you afraid that the Qinglan Sword Sect will use the power of the Heavenly Demon to attack if you don't accept one?
...
Cats have their ways, and mice have theirs.
Alien Star warriors displayed their abilities, causing a great stir in various places.
The number of participants quickly dwindled. In just two or three days, the number of Alien Star warriors dropped to 745, a reduction of a quarter.
The natives' personalities were varied and strange; not everyone was willing to accept them, and not every keyword was suitable for survival on the battlefield.
...
While everyone was fighting for their future, Du Ge's expansion was halted.
Seizing power was clearly different from leading a group in battles.
In previous Simulation Fields or Alien Star Battlefields, as long as his combat power was sufficient, he could lead a group to stir up trouble.
But in this Alien Star Battlefield.
His keyword was loyalty, meaning he couldn't freely roam the world but had to methodically build his own force.
Building his own force required steady progress, step by step, consolidating bit by bit.
Loyalty to himself and his beliefs brought him improvements, but not enough to dominate the world.
Moreover.
Having a force was necessary to get his other keyword, trend, rolling.
Recruiting soldiers, logistics, intelligence...
All sorts of trivial matters left Du Ge overwhelmed. Only his high mental power kept him from collapsing under the weight of these tasks.
At this moment, he suddenly understood why it was said that Zhuge Liang worked himself to death.
Prime Minister Zhuge didn't have his high mental power and physical strength, nor did he have skills like "A single move affects the whole situation" to lead the situation.
...
Wu Chang's surrender was just a minor episode.
Not killing him before meant there was no reason to kill him now. Promising Wu Chang a spot in the top ten, Du Ge sent him back to the battlefield.
The Chongming Kingdom's army mobilization wasn't timely.
But Wei Tingjiang, stationed at the border, reacted swiftly. Upon learning of the mutiny at Langping Pass and Yutang Pass, he immediately mobilized troops to attack Langping Pass.
Fortunately, defending a pass was easier than attacking one.
Langping Pass was strategically located, originally designed to repel foreign invasions, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.
Leaving ten thousand troops to defend, even with Wei Tingjiang's fifty thousand troops, it wouldn't be taken easily.
Of course.
Du Ge wouldn't sit idly by. He sent a letter to the border general of Qingwu Kingdom, informing him of Wei Tingjiang's current movements.
He hoped to use his power to stall Wei Tingjiang's attack.
But not everything goes as Du Ge wishes.
The border general of Qingwu Kingdom was too cautious to launch a sudden attack.
After all.
The new emperor of Qingwu Kingdom had just ascended the throne, and the country was still unstable. Even knowing it was the best time to take Dongling Pass, he didn't dare send troops to attack Chongming Kingdom.
Doing so would mean war between the two countries, a responsibility he couldn't bear. Most importantly, attacking Chongming Kingdom now would seem like rescuing the princess.
...
The plan to drive away the tiger and swallow the wolf failed, and Du Ge had to face the mad old General Wei Tingjiang alone at Langping Pass.
...
After repelling another wave of attacks.
Huangfu Xing looked at the corpses beneath the city walls, his face extremely grim.
He couldn't bear the internal strife. Even though everyone saw him as a traitor, he still considered himself a subject of Chongming Kingdom.
Moreover, he now knew Du Ge's true identity. The Heavenly Demon's promises left him uneasy. Would He Xu really help him restore his honor in the future?
But he couldn't leave Luo Shuang at this time.
After all, the list included Prime Minister Shi Pingchuan and the Fourth Prince's advisor, who were also Heavenly Demons in the chaos. Who knew what chaos Chongming Kingdom would fall into with these guys around?
Huangfu Xing was particularly confused.
"Imperial Teacher, what should we do now?" Gao Yanping didn't have as many worries as Huangfu Xing. After surrendering, he focused solely on Luo Shuang. He didn't have much loyalty; he only knew that after surrendering once, he couldn't surrender a second time. If Luo Shuang failed, death awaited him.
Glancing at Du Ge, he explained, "Wei Tingjiang is an old general who has never lost a battle, best at using troops. Now that we've cut off his retreat, the rations for his eighty thousand soldiers can last at most three months. For the sake of his soldiers, the old general will do everything to break through the two passes."
Du Ge asked, "Can you hold out for three months?"
Gao Yanping and Huangfu Xing shook their heads simultaneously.
Huangfu Xing sighed and explained, "Morale is low. We only have Linyang City behind us. Even if we have enough rations, the soldiers feel like they're fighting alone. If Chongming Kingdom's army attacks from behind, we'll be caught in a pincer attack and have no escape..."