# Chapter 1691: Placing Pieces Across Heaven and Earth
"Green Emperor is very powerful, but unfortunately he met Jiang Baigui!"
Green Emperor remained trapped within the encirclement of the great army, constantly taking damage, but Jiang Baigui had not ordered his execution—this was the most terrifying aspect.
The essence of besieging a point to lure reinforcements lay in attacking the reinforcements. By not killing Green Emperor, they could draw in rescue forces. And by not killing Green Emperor's reinforcements once they arrived, they could lure even more reinforcements.
This was the unconventional.
When more reinforcements arrived, the first wave of reinforcements would be eliminated as quickly as possible to avoid being surrounded—this was the conventional.
After eliminating the first wave of reinforcements, adjusting the formation to commit more troops to besieging the second wave—this was again the unconventional.
The interplay of conventional and unconventional increased the stakes, forcing the enemy to be unable to abandon their own living forces, thus continuously grinding them down.
The application of the battlefield and the control of heavenly principles and human desires severely tested the commander's wisdom. Any mistake in any aspect would prevent achieving the desired effect.
Yan Kang's military strength was far inferior to that of the Eastern Heaven. How to defeat a larger force with a smaller one without being devoured by the enemy's superior numbers was an even greater challenge.
Yan Kang's National Preceptor, Jiang Baigui, had reached a state of divine mastery, with no equal on the battlefield.
As the Eastern Heaven's Heavenly River, Chariot Cavalry, War Chariot, and other divisions were thrown into the battle, Green Emperor's heart grew even colder. The more divine demons from the Eastern Heaven's sixty route marquises were drawn in, the harder it became to extricate them.
If such a massive force were completely swallowed and eliminated by Yan Kang, no general could accept it!
Now it was no longer a matter of besieging him without killing—even if Jiang Baigui released him immediately, the Eastern Heaven's great army could not withdraw from the battlefield!
"The Eastern Emperor's injuries should be mostly healed by now, right?"
National Preceptor Jiang Baigui arrived beside the Eastern Emperor and said, "Now you can awaken the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest, awaken your physical body, and awaken the divine dragons of the Eastern Extreme Heaven."
The Eastern Emperor rose, laughing heartily: "Jiang Baigui, you are truly ruthless and merciless!"
He let out a long roar, his blood energy erupting violently. On the opposite side, within the Eastern Heaven camp, the headless Azure Dragon's physical body suddenly trembled violently. The soaring dragon extended its claws, grabbing toward the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest!
The Ten Thousand Dragon Nest was his sacred ground, where he was born. The power of this nest was not inferior to the Southern Emperor's Dao Fire Ancestral Land!
The Dao Fire Ancestral Land's power was terrifying, capable of distorting time and space. One layer of Dao fire, one layer of heaven; the entire universe seemed to exist within the ancestral land's Dao fire.
The Ten Thousand Dragon Nest's ancestral land did not possess such formidable power as the Dao Fire Ancestral Land, but it excelled in blood energy. When the blood energy within the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest erupted, the blood energy of all divine dragons in the Eastern Heaven camp surged to nearly berserk levels!
Those divine dragons were from the Eastern Extreme Heaven, all descendants of the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon. Empowered by the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest's blood energy, their physical bodies swelled continuously, snapping the Dragon Binding Ropes that bound them!
Only a portion of the Eastern Extreme Heaven's divine dragons had been beheaded. Tens of thousands remained as slaves in the army. Now these divine dragons broke free one after another, their claws and fangs ferocious, dragon roars echoing continuously from the Eastern Heaven camp.
The Eastern Emperor's long chant continued without end. Those divine dragons' strength surged dramatically as they pounced on the various other armies within the Eastern Heaven camp. In an instant, chaos erupted in the Eastern Heaven camp, with flesh and blood flying everywhere.
At the same time, Jiang Baigui ordered a full-scale assault. The tower ships and great vessels flying through the sky were still a thousand miles from the Eastern Heaven camp when cannon light streaked across the sea surface, bombarding the camp's gates and blasting them open.
Countless divine demons stepped on the sea surface, charging toward the Eastern Heaven camp. The power of heavy divine artifacts was activated, Sun-Shooting Divine Cannons were mobilized, and various killing formations' murderous aura surged into the sky, stirring the wind and clouds!
Simultaneously, countless divine demons emerged from the seabed beneath the camp, breaking through the camp's foundations and charging into the city. From the sea, armored great kun leaped out of the water, flying through the air. Each great kun carried dozens of divine demons on its back, pushing sword towers from which sword pellets poured down like rain.
At that moment, Earth Virtue Primordial Lord Gongsun Yan flew forward, walking toward the Eastern Heaven camp.
On the sea surface ahead, countless sprouts grew from the camp, branches flying wildly, locking down countless Eastern Heaven soldiers!
Originally, if the Eastern Heaven soldiers could form formations and battle arrays, they could still contend with Earth Virtue Primordial Lord.
Although Earth Virtue Primordial Lord was the daughter of Earth Mother Primordial Lord, her cultivation and strength were only equivalent to an Emperor Seat expert who had cultivated over a dozen heavenly palaces—far from a Heavenly Lord. Moreover, Earth Virtue Primordial Lord had little combat experience. To suppress her, only a few hundred thousand divine demons arranged in a strict formation were needed to face her.
But now the army was in complete chaos, scattered like loose sand. No one could stop Gongsun Yan!
Gongsun Yan, also known as Little Earth Mother, might not be a match against opponents of equal cultivation, but facing the scattered Eastern Heaven soldiers, it was a one-sided massacre!
Wherever her divine abilities passed, the Eastern Heaven soldiers engaged in battle were petrified into wood, their flesh and blood turning into timber, becoming wooden statues!
Gongsun Yan could not petrify these divine demons' primordial spirits, but once their physical bodies left their souls, how much combat power remained?
In the Eastern Heaven camp, the primordial spirits of Eastern Heaven soldiers flew about, but they were immediately shattered and disintegrated under the attacks of Yan Kang soldiers and Eastern Extreme Heaven divine dragons. Some even turned into soul black sand!
Rolling black sand surged along the sea surface, flowing toward the Netherworld Realm.
The trapped Green Emperor saw this and was utterly despondent. Jiang Baigui's strike had cut off all his hope. The Eastern Heaven's sixty route marquises were likely to suffer a complete defeat!
One wrong move, and the entire game was lost!
"Jiang Baigui, I..."
Just as Green Emperor spoke these words, before he could utter the word "surrender," the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon suddenly rose up and charged into the midst of the three armies!
In a few bounds, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon killed Green Emperor's primordial spirit!
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's face was ferocious and vicious. His claws gripped Green Emperor's main body—that ancient tree—and he opened his mouth to spew divine fire, igniting the tree and reducing it to ashes in the flames!
"Green Emperor, you killed so many of my offspring, insulted my physical body, seized my ancestral land, and enslaved my descendants. Grinding your bones to dust and scattering your ashes is letting you off easy!"
The Azure Dragon opened his mouth and blew out a dragon breath, scattering Green Emperor's ashes everywhere. He said viciously, "Old enemy, hit the road!"
The three armies that had been besieging Green Emperor were at a loss, not knowing what to do.
After venting his fury, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon inadvertently glanced at Jiang Baigui, whose face was as dark as water, and his heart suddenly jumped.
Jiang Baigui's expression grew even more gloomy, and the Eastern Emperor's heart was filled with unease.
"Azure Dragon Heavenly Lord, do you wish to die a heroic death here on the Eastern Sea?"
Jiang Baigui's face was as calm as still water as he said flatly, "Green Emperor was about to surrender to me. If he surrendered, the Eastern Heaven's great army would also fall under my control. Not only would Yan Kang soldiers not need to continue fighting the Eastern Heaven army, but we would also gain a tremendous fighting force. Now that Green Emperor has been killed by you, the various armies of the Eastern Heaven will surely resist to the death. I don't know how many Yan Kang soldiers will have to die to take them."
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon feared him even more than he feared Qin Mu. Hearing this, he quickly said with a flattering smile, "My strength is far greater than Green Emperor's. The divine dragon army of my Eastern Extreme Heaven is not much weaker than the Eastern Heaven army. National Preceptor, instead of giving heavy responsibility to Green Emperor, why not give heavy responsibility to me? A thousand gold is easy to come by, but a good general is hard to find. I am willing to be a good general under the National Preceptor, charging into battle!"
Jiang Baigui did not speak.
The Eastern Emperor was uneasy, constantly studying his face.
After a moment, Jiang Baigui said, "Then what is the Eastern Emperor waiting for? Why haven't you gone into battle yet?"
The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon finally relaxed and immediately charged out toward the Eastern Heaven camp, thinking to himself, "When he called me Azure Dragon Heavenly Lord, he was moved by anger and killing intent. When he called me Eastern Emperor, he suppressed that anger and killing intent. It seems I can be safe now."
Jiang Baigui watched him charge into the Eastern Heaven camp, and only then did he slowly release his grip on his divine sword.
His knuckles were somewhat white from the force.
Mount Tai King, Heavenly Strategy General, and others stepped forward. Duke Wei Guo bowed and said, "Congratulations to the National Preceptor for gaining a great general!"
Jiang Baigui's face was as calm as an ancient well, and he said softly, "I almost couldn't help but kill him just now."
Everyone was startled. Duke Wei Guo was about to speak but remembered his loud voice and quickly shut his mouth. Mount Tai King said, "Why did the National Preceptor have killing intent?"
"The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon should more properly be called Azure Dragon Heavenly Lord. He is the same kind of figure as the Ten Heavenly Lords of the Heavenly Court. If someone like him survives, he will infiltrate Yan Kang's upper echelons and steal the fruits. If Yan Kang becomes corrupt in the future, it will be because of people like him."
Jiang Baigui said, "Yan Kang's reform began with Emperor Yan Feng and has lasted for two hundred and sixty years. It has survived the Yan Kang Calamity. Countless soldiers have bled and sacrificed their lives to establish a world where gods serve people and power serves the people, where everyone can fulfill their potential and achieve the greatest fairness and justice in the world. After two or three hundred years of struggle, if at the final moment, someone like Azure Dragon Heavenly Lord comes to steal the fruits, wouldn't that be the greatest tragedy?"
Everyone was silent.
"However, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's role is also enormous. His strength is extremely great. The divine dragons of the Eastern Extreme Heaven also obey his commands. Among the myriad heavens and countless worlds, the dragon race is numerous, and his influence cannot be underestimated. If he helps Yan Kang, the benefits to us are also enormous, allowing Yan Kang to lose fewer people."
Jiang Baigui continued, "However, in this battle, his contributions are great, and he cannot be easily killed. Killing him would cause the dragon race to rebel, and other heavens would also dare not surrender because of his death. This leaves me uncertain about how to handle him."
Mount Tai King said, "National Preceptor need not worry. When the war subsides in the future, we can find some excuse to purge him."
Jiang Baigui said, "After establishing unparalleled achievements, purging meritorious officials will inevitably incur infamy. This infamy will not only fall on me but also on the Emperor."
The soldiers fell silent again.
Jiang Baigui cast aside these distracting thoughts and said, "Let the future take care of itself! For now, let us focus on the task at hand!"
He personally led the army charging toward the Eastern Heaven camp, rushing into the battlefield.
In the Supreme Pure Realm of Carefree Village, Qin Mu was playing a game of Go with Cloud Heavenly Lord. He lightly placed a piece and said with a smile, "The Eastern Heaven has been pacified. Heavenly Emperor Hao has lost one of his claws!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sky suddenly trembled violently. In the direction of the Western Lands, boundless metallic energy radiated in all directions, like a huge golden sphere emitting extremely sharp light, illuminating most of the Primordial Realm!
At the same time, in the Northern Region's Kan Land, vast dark waters surged. The Heavenly River changed course, circling around Kan Land once. Amid the ice and snow, a great marsh descended, freezing the land for millions of miles, hanging above Kan Land!
Qin Mu laughed and said, "The Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Emperors have arrived. The Northern Heaven can be pacified."
"Why doesn't Brother Mu mention the Western Emperor?"
Cloud Heavenly Lord looked at the chessboard, glanced at him, and said, "The Western Emperor White Tiger has descended upon the Western Lands. Indeed, the Western Heaven's White Emperor cannot deal with her, but the Western Lands are isolated. The Heavenly Court only needs to send one Heavenly Lord-level existence, and the Western Lands will surely be broken, and the Western Emperor will surely be killed. If the Human Emperor Qin Wu cannot stop the defeated army of the Southern Heaven, then you are still at a draw with Heavenly Lord Hao, gaining no advantage. Does Mu Heavenly Lord know how many Heavenly Lords the Heavenly Court has?"
Qin Mu was slightly startled.
Cloud Heavenly Lord said, "Thirty-five."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow.
"The Spirit Official Hall Master of the Jade Capital City in the Ancestral Court alone can transform into thirty of the most top-tier Heavenly Lords."
Cloud Heavenly Lord placed a piece and said flatly, "His physical body can transform into ancient gods comparable to Heavenly Lords, each with vast divine abilities. In this game, you have lost."