You call this the way of the sword?

The idea lingered in Yang Qingfeng's mind from the moment it was born until Qiao Lie received the message from Zhoucheng, at which point the atmosphere became even more tense.

"The demon race... has arrived first."

"The crossing of Jiuliancheng is still ongoing, and the second batch will arrive within 20 minutes."

Have you received any other lists?

Despite Qiao Lie's best efforts to control himself, he still couldn't hide the tremor in his voice.

Facing high-level demons on a low-level battlefield would frighten anyone, and it was only in such an extreme moment that Yang Qingfeng's composure was magnified infinitely, even distorted.

It's no exaggeration to say that Yang Qingfeng felt no tension whatsoever, nor did he have any extra emotions.

He already had a deeply ingrained belief deep in his heart.

I am nothing more than an ant; to live is a blessing, and to die is nothing more than that.

In this situation, what difference would it make if the demon race forced their way through, or even if the sky collapsed?

"If the primary objective is not to annihilate the enemy, then the list of names is not very important."

"Anyway, you just keep running."

Yang Qingfeng put on the ghost mask, speaking lightly yet with considerable decisiveness.

The strategy devised by Fengtian was to lure the enemy into a trap, with annihilation as a secondary objective. Qiao Lie, who was at the forefront, would lead the attack first, while the others would wait for the Demon King and act when the opportunity presented itself.

Yang Qingfeng was not included in this, and the intention is quite clear.

The group from Fengtian did not say it explicitly, but they had already demonstrated their attitude through their actions.

The reason the demons forced their way across was to stop Fengtian's slaughter, but in essence, it was to suppress Yang Qingfeng. Therefore, Fengtian's defense purpose was very straightforward: to protect Yang Qingfeng with all its might.

This was a tacit understanding between Fengtian and the government, a well-intentioned act, but also a foolish and presumptuous attempt to stop a chariot.

Of course, there is a deeper meaning behind it, but young people are too impetuous to think too far ahead.

Qiao Lie is different.

He wasn't as rude as he seemed, which is why he opposed his sister getting close to Yang Qingfeng.

However, he was still young and of low status, unable to stop his younger sister or influence matters on a larger scale.

Qiao Lie could only see, hear, think, and obey until he awakened his Dao. He began to encounter phenomena that his family and the empire's higher-ups were unaware of, and that even if they knew, they could not accept in a short time.

This includes Yang Qingfeng's potential.

The Qiao family was unaware of Yang Qingfeng, and even if the imperial high command knew, they were unable to make a decision in a short period of time.

But he can.

Influenced by Yang Qingfeng's calmness, Qiao Lie gradually relaxed.

He also put on a demon mask to conceal his expression and said in a deep voice:

"If we followed the family's arrangements, Wanyi and I shouldn't have followed Fengtian's nonsense, and I shouldn't have acted recklessly at a time like this, gambling with my life."

Yang Qingfeng knew that the Qiao family was a powerful family affiliated with the military.

Qiao Lie had explained why he and Qiao Wanyi were sent to the blessed land for training, but he didn't say it all at the time. Yang Qingfeng also guessed that it was more than just a political struggle.

"If I die, you have to take good care of Wanyi for me; it will be very hard for her."

Qiao Lie has never been very confident, especially after being second in command at Wendao Caotang for three years, where he was always outdone by Yang Qingfeng.

Even now, all Yang Qingfeng said to him was, "We'll talk about it when you're dead."

Qiao Lie blurted out, "Can't you speak like a human being? You're the one who's suing me!"

Yang Qingfeng, adjusting his mask, glanced at him and asked, "Did you even speak human language?"

Qiao Lie's feigned anger immediately subsided. He was genuinely afraid that he would be defeated here. After thinking it over, he realized that there were some things he needed to clarify first.

He took out a high-level array artifact, activated it, and a layer of array was formed, covering the entire ship.

It also blocks all known possible monitoring.

"Since the founding of the Yu Xia Kingdom, every ruler has been elected, you know that, right?"

Before the demons arrived, Qiao Lie got straight to the point: "The so-called election used to be a vote only within the cabinet. Later, the military also had a vote. As the cabinet has gradually weakened, the voting power has now shifted to the military."

"The cabinet is very dissatisfied with this, and therefore the struggle with the military is becoming increasingly fierce. It is rumored that the Tian Ce Mansion used to have more than five pillars of state. In order to avoid the division of the empire, some pillars of state took the initiative to make concessions to the cabinet and chose to retire."

"Since then, the military has taken a series of measures to try to build a closer relationship with the cabinet and ensure that the top echelons of the empire can work together as one."

"If you look back at history, you'll find that the most effective way for two parties to cooperate is through political marriage."

"But none of that lasts long, nor is it reliable."

"For the sake of a longer-term perspective, the military and the cabinet have reached a tacit understanding in the hope of achieving political integration, the most fundamental direction of which is... an exchange of power."

"You are in me, and I am in you; we continue to evolve and become completely integrated."

Qiao Lie pointed to himself, "I am the representative of their integration."

Yang Qingfeng's pupils contracted sharply beneath his mask, as if he had heard the most shocking news of his life.

Qiao Lie grinned and said, "Didn't expect that, did you? The throne rotates, and this year it's my turn."

"If I die, Wan-yi will be the backup option."

"Compared to me, a female ruler is more likely to satisfy the cabinet. Do you know why?"

Yang Qingfeng did not respond; the impact of this news was far more profound than the current war.

As an ordinary citizen, he didn't know how to respond. To put it bluntly, he shouldn't even listen to this kind of news; it was top secret.

However, Qiao Lie still said, "After what happened with the Sha family, you should already know that the cabinet is a tough nut to crack."

"It is both the foundation of Yu and Xia and the culprits of Yu and Xia. They are those stubborn culprits who refuse to relinquish power and refuse to give up, and they are determined to instigate factional strife."

"You can imagine, if Wanyi took over my job, those bastards would definitely do anything to get close to her, seduce her, and brainwash her in all sorts of ways, making her a sacrifice to bring down the military."

"At that time..."

Qiao Lie laughed out loud and shook his head, saying, "When the military and the cabinet turn against each other, the empire splits, the surrounding small countries take the opportunity to cause trouble, and the alien races take the opportunity to provoke a full-scale war. Yu Xia will be beset by internal and external troubles, and the human race will once again face annihilation."

"Therefore, I conclude that the military will take proactive action against foreign races before I take office."

"Now you know why I wear this mask, right?"

At this moment, the only remaining teleportation array in Huicheng began to fluctuate, and someone was teleported over.

Qiao Lie patted Yang Qingfeng on the shoulder, "I hope Fengtian can become a third-party force to support me or protect Wanyi, for this..."

"My life is my sincerity."

After Qiao Lie finished speaking, the warship released a thrust, pushing Yang Qingfeng out of the warship, while leaving the formation in place to ensure that he would not be discovered by the demon race immediately.

Meanwhile, Qiao Lie piloted his warship, circling in the sea of ​​clouds, looking down at the figures that appeared one after another below.

Suddenly, a sandstorm swept through the ruins of Huicheng.

The chaos caused by the forced crossing is like a contempt for the way of Heaven.

The sea of ​​clouds surged and thunder roared, becoming a natural energy source for the wind and thunder warships.

Accompanied by strange phenomena, visible fluctuations of energy rippled across the ruins. One after another, those who had crossed over arrived at the battlefield, surveying their surroundings and locking onto the sword spirit in the distance.

At this moment, the team communication was activated again, and Qiao Lie's voice rang out, "Operation begins."