Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 224 Destroying Liang and Restoring Tang
News of Luoyang's fall spread like wildfire, carried by the chilling autumn wind, quickly reaching every corner of the land.

Jinyang, the headquarters of the Tongwen Academy.

Looking at the urgent battle report from the front lines in Luoyang in his hand, Li Siyuan's face, which usually wore a fake smile, was now filled with disbelief, horror, and deep apprehension.

He narrowed his eyes, his voice hoarse: "Wang Yanzhang's 100,000-strong army... couldn't even hold them off for half a day?!"

At this moment, Li Siyuan just wanted to hurl insults and yell, "What a joke!"

Even if you had 100,000 pigs, tied them up one by one, it would still take half a day to slaughter them, right?
Was the Later Liang army really that vulnerable, or was Wang Yanzhang, the commander-in-chief, simply too incompetent?
The State of Jin bordered the Later Liang and had frequent conflicts with it. They were well aware of the strength of the other's army, which was by no means weak.

In other words, Li Xingyun is just too powerful!
This made Li Siyuan think of someone.

With divine prowess and unparalleled skill, he single-handedly turned the tide at the Battle of Hulao Pass, single-handedly striking down the enemy's courage, while the two kings were like lambs to the slaughter. Within ten days, he defeated Dou Jiande's 300,000-strong army, captured Wang Shichong in the fortified city of Luoyang, and bound the two tyrants together, shaking the world.

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin!

But Li Xingyun's current record is no less impressive than that of that person.

Inside the hall, Li Cunzhong, Li Cunli, and other sect leaders were all present, their faces solemn and the room completely silent.

The descriptions in the battle report were so horrifying, they were practically mythical tales. If they hadn't been verified from multiple sources, they would have almost thought it was an exaggeration by the Liang army after their defeat.

"Brother, what kind of monsters are under Li Xingyun's command?" Li Cunzhong's voice trembled slightly.

"The walls of Luoyang are impregnable, easy to defend and difficult to attack, yet it was captured in just half a day... no, excluding the time for troop preparation and the takeover of Luoyang, the actual combat time was less than half an hour. This is absolutely beyond human capability!"

Li Siyuan slammed the battle report on the table, stood up abruptly, and paced back and forth, no longer able to maintain his usual composure.

"An army of demons and gods... immortal and indestructible... their murderous aura soaring to the heavens..."

He muttered the words from the battle report, his eyes flickering, "When did the Bad Commander acquire such terrifying power? No... that's not right!"

He stopped abruptly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd: "The battle report clearly states that the commander of that army was a general wearing a bronze mask, not the Bad Commander. The Bad Commander was always protecting Li Xingyun!"

Li Cunli pondered, "Could it be the hidden trump card of the Bad Commander? Or perhaps Li Xingyun... has had a fortuitous encounter?"

"Li Xingyun..."

Li Siyuan read the name aloud, his tone filled with unprecedented solemnity and scrutiny: "We all misjudged him before! We all thought he was just a puppet pushed to the forefront by the Bad Commander, a symbolic flag."

He took a deep breath, slowly sat back in the main seat, and unconsciously tapped the armrest with his fingers: "Now it seems that he is probably the real mastermind. At the very least, he has the power to overturn the game. That army obeys only his orders!"

Thinking back to his earlier plan to sit back and watch the fight, and then take advantage of the situation, Li Siyuan broke out in a cold sweat.

He couldn't even imagine the consequences if that terrifying army were to turn its attention to the State of Jin.

"Brother, what should we do now?" Li Cunzhong asked anxiously. "It seems that the Liang Kingdom is on the verge of collapse. Should we immediately declare our support for Li Xingyun? Or..."

Li Siyuan remained silent for a long time, his eyes gleaming as he weighed the pros and cons.

Finally, he said in a deep voice, "Immediately prepare another generous gift, no, prepare a heavy gift, in the name of my father and me, to congratulate Your Highness on the recapture of Luoyang, the eastern capital. The words should be extremely humble, expressing the determination of our Jin Kingdom to serve you wholeheartedly and help you achieve this great feat!"

He paused, his tone turning extremely serious: "At the same time, issue the order that all previous plans for action against Luzhou be suspended. Without my order, there must be absolutely no friction or conflict with the Qi army or the Bad People! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"Big Brother?!" Li Cunzhong exclaimed in surprise, "We've been planning this for Luzhou for a long time, and it's almost here..."

"idiot!"

Li Siyuan interrupted him sharply, "What is the situation right now? Li Xingyun is at the height of his power, and with the might of breaking through a city with a single blow, the world is shaken! If we go to provoke him now, do we want Tongwen Academy to follow in the footsteps of Xuanming Sect?"

He suppressed his anger and said coldly, "The most important thing now is to clear ourselves of any suspicion of waiting and seeing, to show him goodwill, or even to show weakness. We need to make him feel that Jin is his most loyal ally and his most devoted subject. At least until he completely eliminates Liang, this major threat, we must not let him turn his attention to us!"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunzhong and the others all solemnly agreed.

Li Siyuan looked out the window and muttered to himself, his voice carrying a hint of awe that he himself was unaware of: "Is this Tang Dynasty really going to be rebuilt in the hands of that prince?"

------

Inside the Bianzhou Imperial Palace, Zhu Wen's rage had bordered on madness. Everything in the hall that could be smashed had long since been reduced to dust. Palace servants and eunuchs knelt on the ground, trembling, fearing that the emperor's wrath would descend upon them at any moment.

"Useless! Wang Yanzhang's 100,000-strong army, the fortified city of Luoyang, fell in half a day? Is Li Xingyun some kind of god descended from heaven?!"

Zhu Wen's eyes were bloodshot, and his hoarse roar carried a hint of barely perceptible fear: "And what exactly is that ghost army? Investigate! Find out for me!"

However, finding out the truth is pointless now.

Riding high on their victory, the Qi Kingdom's allied forces advanced eastward with unstoppable momentum. The Liang army, terrified by their advance, saw the prefectures and counties along the way either surrender or flee, unable to halt their advance even for a moment.

Li Xingyun's military tactics combined the orthodox and unorthodox methods.

Bai Qi's Undying Army was the most elite force in the world, capable of destroying cities and fortresses, and was invincible; the Qi Kingdom's army, along with the constantly gathering Bad People and various anti-Liang righteous men, were the righteous forces, sweeping away the remaining enemies, consolidating the rear, and eliminating the defeated soldiers.

What's even more alarming is that Li Xingyun didn't sit high in the rear, but personally went to the front lines every time.

Although he wore no heavy armor, only a black outfit, the Liang army generals were no match for him when his Longquan sword flashed.

His military tactics were sometimes grand and sweeping, overwhelming the enemy head-on; at other times, they were unpredictable and unpredictable, cutting off supply lines and burning baggage, demonstrating the full application of military strategies.

Rumors began to circulate in the army, saying that the young prince's military prowess and magnanimity were reminiscent of Emperor Taizong's style when he swept away all rivals and established his rule over the world.

In particular, the "Ghost God Army," which followed his lead without question and was invincible, made people associate it with the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry under Emperor Taizong, who were undefeated in every battle.

When the news reached Bianzhou, Zhu Wen's rage turned to fear. Like a cornered beast, he desperately ordered troops from all over the country to return to the city, even going so far as to draw troops from the borders guarding against the Jin state, attempting to fight Li Xingyun to the death under the walls of Bianzhou.

-----

Outside Bianzhou City, the allied army camps stretched for dozens of miles, their banners obscuring the sun, their morale soaring.

Inside the central command tent, Li Xingyun was discussing the strategy for attacking the city with Prince Qi, Shuiyunji, Yuan Tiangang, and a group of generals.

"Zhu Wen is already trapped, besieged in an isolated city. However, Bianzhou is a high-lying city with deep moats and a large garrison. A direct assault would result in heavy casualties." Shuiyunji looked at the sand table and analyzed calmly.

Li Xingyun's gaze swept over the model of Bianzhou City on the sand table, and finally his finger pressed heavily on its core.

"The struggle of a cornered beast is the most dangerous and the weakest. Its army's morale has collapsed and the people's hearts have been lost. The so-called high city walls and deep moats are nothing but the last thin sheet of paper."

He raised his head, his eyes gleaming with sharp light, and his voice was resolute: "At dawn tomorrow, the entire army will attack the city. General Bai Qi will lead his troops as the vanguard again, striking directly at the main gate, which is the most heavily fortified! "Prince Qi will lead the main army to attack the east gate, thus containing their main force."

“Minister Yuan, the Bad People have been lying in wait for a long time. They will create chaos in the city, burn down the granaries, and open the water gates.”

Finally, he looked at the generals in the tent, his tone solemn yet filled with unwavering determination: "And I will personally lead the central army, closely following General Bai Qi. Once the city gates are breached, we will march straight to the imperial city and slay the traitor Zhu Wen!"

"Your Highness, you mustn't!" a general immediately advised. "Your Majesty's life is of utmost importance; how can you lightly venture into such a dangerous place? There must be heavy troops and remnants of the Xuanming Sect within the imperial city..."

Li Xingyun waved his hand, interrupting him, his tone calm yet containing an undeniable authority.

"Zhu Wen usurped the Tang throne, slaughtered the imperial family, and plunged the world into chaos. We, the descendants of the Li Tang dynasty, should personally kill such a traitor to comfort our ancestors and set the record straight for the world!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally meeting Yuan Tiangang's eyes behind his mask: "My mind is made up, there's no need for further discussion."

Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly, offering no objection. He knew this was a time for His Highness to establish his authority and to win over the hearts and minds of the people and the army. Personally slaying a traitor was far more significant than beheading thousands of enemy generals.

Moreover, he was no match for this prince. Yuan Tiangang found it hard to imagine who in the world could possibly defeat this prince.

-----

The next day, at dawn.

The first light of dawn could not dispel the heavy, ominous atmosphere hanging over Bianzhou city. Liang soldiers nervously watched the dark mass of allied troops outside the city, fear coiling like a cold, venomous snake in their hearts.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The thunderous sound of war drums suddenly shattered the silence of dawn.

"wind!"

"Gale!"

Bai Qi's 1,200 Undead Army soldiers formed ranks once more, their blood and qi soaring into the sky and coalescing into a form. This time, it was neither a spear nor a Qiongqi, but a gigantic, murderous hammer—a city-breaking hammer!

As Bai Qi's sword pointed, the blood-red siege hammer, with the force of destruction, crashed into the massive city gate of Bianzhou, which had been reinforced several times!

"boom--!"

A deafening roar, like an earthquake, resounded, and the entire city wall trembled violently. The Liang soldiers at the city gate were thrown about, their hearts pounding with fear.

Once! Twice!

The city gate groaned under the deafening impact, cracks spreading, and finally shattered on the third blow!
"The city gates have been breached! All troops, charge!"

Li Xingyun's clear yet menacing voice echoed across the battlefield. He took the lead, drawing his Longquan sword, its golden light illuminating the road leading into the city like the rising sun.

"kill!!!"

The allied forces surged in through the breached city gates like a flood bursting its banks.

Li Xingyun charged ahead, his sword flashing, men and horses falling in his wake. His objective was clear; he lingered without hesitation, heading straight for the imperial city. Bai Qi led his Undying Army to closely protect his flanks, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake, carving a path through the chaotic street fighting.

The imperial city is right before our eyes!

However, a short, twisted figure, shrouded in towering black energy, blocked his path. It was none other than the Underworld Emperor, Zhu Yougui!

"Li Xingyun, stop your arrogance! Die for this emperor!" Zhu Yougui shrieked, pushing his Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Art to its limit. He pounced like a ghost, his claws aimed straight for Li Xingyun's vitals.

"A clown like you dares to block my way?"

Li Xingyun snorted coldly, without even slowing down. He twirled his Longquan sword, and the extremely yang and powerful internal energy of the Tiangang Technique surged forth, transforming into a dazzling golden sword aura that slashed straight down.

The dazzling sword energy, like divine punishment descending, is the nemesis of sinister techniques like the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Art.

Zhu Yougui felt the destructive power and was terrified. It was too late to dodge.

"Crack!"

Where the sword energy passed, the condensed black energy melted away like ice and snow. Zhu Yougui's protective aura shattered instantly. He let out a shrill and desperate scream as his entire body was cleaved in two by the supreme yang sword energy, his flesh and blood flying everywhere, his death extremely gruesome!

Li Xingyun didn't even glance at the corpse, and without slowing down, he charged straight into the imperial city gate.

The imperial city was in complete chaos. Palace maids and eunuchs were crying and fleeing in all directions. The scattered resistance was no match for the ferocious allied forces.

Li Xingyun spurred his horse straight into the main hall, followed closely by Bai Qi, Yuan Tiangang, and elite guards.

In the Jiao Lan Palace, Zhu Wen, dressed in a dragon robe and wielding a sharp sword, appeared as if he had gone mad. Only the trembling Zhu Youzhen and a few loyal guards remained by his side.

"Traitor! I am the emperor! I am the Son of Heaven!" Zhu Wen shouted hoarsely, brandishing his sword.

Li Xingyun leaped off his horse and ascended the jade steps, his gaze as cold as ice: "You murdered the emperor, usurped the throne, slaughtered loyal officials, and brought disaster to the country and its people. You dare to call yourself emperor? Today, on behalf of the ancestors of the Tang Dynasty and the people of the world, I will take back your usurped life!"

"Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!" Zhu Youzhen was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, screaming shrilly.

Several guards mustered their courage and rushed forward, only to be easily killed by Li Xingyun with a few casual sword strikes.

Knowing he was doomed, Zhu Wen roared and, with all his might, lunged at Li Xingyun with his sword.

Li Xingyun neither dodged nor evaded; his figure moved with ghostly speed, instantly closing in on Zhu Wen. His left hand shot out like lightning, precisely grabbing Zhu Wen's wrist holding the sword, and with a slight pull...

"Crack!" The wrist bone shattered, and the sword fell to the ground.

His right hand, like an iron clamp, gripped Zhu Wen's fat neck.

“Uh…you…” Zhu Wen’s eyes bulged, his face filled with fear and disbelief.

Li Xingyun's face was ashen, his eyes showing no pity, only a cold resolve.

With a sudden burst of strength from his arms, and under the watchful eyes of countless people, accompanied by a sickeningly loud cracking sound, he actually managed to twist the head off the neck of Zhu Wen, the usurper of the Tang Dynasty!
Blood splattered, staining the dragon robe and the jade steps red.

Li Xingyun raised the head, still bearing a terrified expression, and turned to face all those inside and outside the hall who had witnessed this scene. His voice, like the clang of metal, resounded in all directions:
"The traitor Zhu Wen has been executed!"

"The Great Tang Dynasty, restored!!!"

(End of this chapter)