Grand Finale: What Truly Defines the Indestructible Golden Body?!

The blade pierced his flesh, yet there was no geyser of blood, no tearing of flesh, as one would expect. Prince’s blade seemed to plunge into a pool of tranquil Dead Water. No matter how he churned, the blade could only ripple the Dead Water, unable to draw a single drop of blood or sever a speck of flesh!

Prince’s expression subtly shifted. He let out a soft ‘Eh?’ He violently yanked out the dagger, then looked again. The two-finger-wide gash on Du Chen’s chest rapidly healed, becoming pristine and unblemished. His skin, delicate enough to make countless beauty-loving maidens envious, showed not a single scar!

“Damn it, what kind of defensive Secret Technique is this?” Prince mused inwardly. “On the surface, it bears some resemblance to Margaret’s Verdant Peak, Water’s Embrace. But for Francis to possess such an enigmatic ability even after severe injury, his Secret Technique must be several times more profound than Margaret’s!” He then sneered aloud, “Francis, no wonder you dared to mock me with ‘Master Grape’ even on the brink of death. So you have such a Secret Technique to protect yourself!”

Du Chen himself was utterly astonished. Although he had previously known he possessed the Indestructible Golden Body and had even defeated Bonis with it, Du Chen had never imagined that the Indestructible Golden Body would be so formidable that even a dagger plunged into his heart couldn’t kill him. At most, there was some tolerable pain. Du Chen’s confidence surged by three-tenths. He shamelessly continued to taunt like a street ruffian, “Prince, this is the Indestructible Golden Body I cultivated by eating Master Grape! If you want it, go find Master Grape!”

At this point, Du Chen suddenly realized something. Given the strategy and caution Prince displayed when capturing him, he should have thoroughly investigated Du Chen by now. Not to mention, the controlled Xue Ji knew everything about him before he obtained the Indestructible Golden Body. So…

This is odd! Logically, Prince should have learned from Xue Ji that Francis’s unique ability came from a Primordial Divine Fiend named Master Grape and had eight layers of cultivation. Yet, Prince only mentioned knowing the efficacy of his Arcane Artifacts from Arthur’s memories. And now, he just took Du Chen’s “Master Grape” remark as a taunt. This implies… even though Xue Ji was controlled, she didn’t betray him!?

In other words, Prince only had a general understanding of his Arcane Artifacts, but knew nothing of the details!

How could this be?

A great doubt formed in Du Chen’s mind, but he couldn’t be certain yet.

Just then, Prince brutally thrust his blade down again. “Even defensive Secret Techniques have their limits. Let’s see how many stabs you can endure!” He violently pulled out the blade, then plunged it in again. Stab after stab, each swift and precise. Prince swore by his Divine Emperor-level combat experience that every single stab had unequivocally pierced Francis’s—heart!

Yet Du Chen’s chest remained… as pristine as before!

Prince lunged forward in disbelief, meticulously stroking Du Chen’s chest. He thought, ‘For millennia, I’ve witnessed countless protective Secret Techniques. Powerful ones like Lynch Baton’s Indestructible Beast Emperor Body could withstand simultaneous volleys from dozens of War Instruments. Enigmatic ones like Margaret’s Verdant Peak, Water’s Embrace could transform into water and earth to escape. But never have I seen anyone whose heart endured dozens of direct stabs and emerged completely unharmed!’

Du Chen, still pondering the question of whether Xue Ji had betrayed his secrets—his tone mocking, but in reality, he was probing—“Your Majesty Prince, don’t waste your efforts. Fearing you might stoop to the shameless act of coercing me with a woman again, I’ll be frank: I don’t even know how to kill myself. If you want to kill me… you’ll have to find Master Grape!”

A sharp glint flashed in Prince’s eyes. He snorted, “Francis, I dislike being constantly mocked by a mere junior. I admit your protective Secret Technique is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, but does that mean I can’t assimilate you?”

Du Chen’s heart trembled violently. He had still thought “Master Grape” was just a taunt. So Xue Ji truly hadn’t betrayed him?!

Prince tossed aside the dagger and drew a long saber, arm’s length, from a nearby Laboratory rack. “You can heal your body, can’t you? Fine, I’ll lop off your arm! Can you still regenerate your body after that?!” As he spoke, Prince, leveraging Arthur’s unparalleled powerful body, brought the saber down with an ear-splitting howl, cleanly severing Du Chen’s right arm with a ‘thwack’. The blade’s edge scraped against the metal Laboratory table, sending out a spray of sparks—*shhh! shhh!*

Prince’s brows furrowed tightly. Though Du Chen’s right arm had been severed, as soon as Prince lifted the great saber, the horizontally cut, bloodless wound rapidly healed. In an instant, Du Chen’s arm was restored to its original state!

“You… you can truly regenerate your body?!”

Du Chen’s gaze held doubt. Still unable to fully believe that Xue Ji hadn’t truly betrayed him, he continued to probe, “I’ll tell you again: if you want to kill me, you’ll have to find Master Grape!”

This time, Prince didn’t retort or lose his temper. Instead, he stared intently at Du Chen’s arm, deep in thought for a moment. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and picked up an even larger cavalry saber. “I’ll chop off your head! Let’s see if you can still heal then?!” As he spoke, Prince brought the saber down. Having learned from the arm incident, he feared Du Chen would heal again after the blade was removed. So, with one hand gripping the saber and the other grasping Du Chen’s topknot, after severing the head, he casually tossed it into a small cultivation cauldron nearby. With a *plop*, the head, upon falling into the water, seemed like golden silt dissolving into the sea, rapidly disintegrating and vanishing in the blink of an eye. Then, looking back at Du Chen…

He actually grew another head!

Prince was dumbfounded! Head severed and still not dead? His very head could actually regenerate?! This… wasn’t this the eternal life and immortality he had always dreamed of?! “Francis, have you reached the end of the Battle God’s Path?!”

Du Chen was also dumbfounded. He had only ever heard of this feat in myths, accomplished by his legendary ‘monkey Senior Brother’. Yet, unexpectedly, he possessed such an ability today! ‘Heavens, if I had known I was even more impervious to death than Dus, why did I bother avoiding Thunder Cannons in Scourge Citadel?!’ “Prince, if I had reached the end of the Battle God’s Path, would I still have been captured alive by you?!”

Prince clamped a hand around Du Chen’s throat, demanding fiercely, “Then what exactly is happening with your body? What Secret Technique is at play?!”

Du Chen looked at him innocently, “I told you, I really don’t know. If you want to know… you’ll have to find Master Grape!”

“Master Grape, hmph! I’ve eaten more grapes in my life than you’ve had meals!” The experiment of his millennia-long dream was at hand, yet the eternal life he had pursued his entire existence was now manifested in someone else. Even Prince couldn’t help but lose some control of his emotions. However, being profoundly cunning, he stabilized his state of mind after a few breaths. He smiled faintly and said, “Good, good, good! Francis, your Secret Technique far surpasses my estimations—your body has reached a perfect realm I never dared to imagine. In that case, I am even more determined to assimilate you!”

Prince, having witnessed Du Chen’s Indestructible Golden Body, knew that Du Chen’s claim of being unable to kill himself was reliable truth. He glanced at the cultivation cauldron he had prepared, thinking, ‘Francis isn’t afraid of decapitation, so this mere alchemical cauldron probably can’t do anything to him. In that case…’

Prince suddenly lifted his head. “Someone! Go invite the Life Tree here, and tell her to bring the Essence of Earth as well! Francis, we’ll skip the dissection step entirely. I shall use the Sacred Artifact Furnace as a vessel, the Lamenting Tear as water, the Life Tree as kindling, the Molten Heart as fire, and the Essence of Earth as an auxiliary ingredient. I will gather the Five Great Primeval Forces of the world to refine you! Let’s see if you have the ability to remain so carefree under the combined assault of the Five Primordial Forces!”

Soon, the Life Tree arrived, offering some essential kindling wood. Prince had also prepared the other three Primordial Forces. However, there was a delay: the Essence of Earth, along with Old Warma, was still inside Du Chen’s Precious Lotus Scripture. The Life Tree couldn’t extract it from the Precious Lotus Scripture, so she brought the Arcane Artifact along with it.

While waiting for the Scarlet Army members to set up the Sacred Artifact Furnace, Prince caressed Du Chen’s various Arcane Artifacts, his eyes sparkling with a strange brilliance. He was clearly captivated by these ingenious Instruments, unable to put them down. Yet, after a long gaze, Prince resolutely cast aside the Arcane Artifacts. “Francis, we’re all intelligent individuals. Don’t make me go through the trouble of bringing more prisoners to threaten you. Tell your substitute, that… Dus, to take out the Essence of Earth inside!”

Du Chen, trapped by the Life Tree, could only instruct, “Fifth Brother, do as he says for now. Don’t worry, I’ve verified the power of the Indestructible Golden Body. Prince can’t kill me, so we’re at least standing on unbeatable ground!” He then added via Divine Sense, “How are you all doing?”

Fifth Brother released the Essence of Earth. Via Divine Sense, he whined, “You’re severely wounded, and the brothers are all out of strength. We can only let the Life Tree, who captured us, do as she pleases. But it’s strange, Prince seems very wary of us, not daring to research too deeply. So I wrapped some important things with my own body, keeping them from being discovered. For example… Constantine!”

Du Chen was startled. Seeing Prince pick up the Essence of Earth and about to leave, he asked with a smile, “Does Your Majesty like these Arcane Artifacts?”

This was merely a conversational opener, but unexpectedly, Prince reacted with extreme intensity. He sneered, “Yes, I admire these exquisitely crafted Instruments. However, I will not take them! Arthur’s memories tell me that these items can only be used by you, and if you die, they too will perish. So, let these things vanish with your demise!”

As he spoke, Prince’s eyes fixated on Du Chen, as if seeing through some conspiracy or trick. “Do you intend for me to accept these Instruments and then use them to kill me? Little one, I used that trick a thousand years ago…”

Du Chen thought, ‘I was just testing why you didn’t thoroughly research my Arcane Artifacts. When did I ever want to kill you?! Besides, in my current state, could I even kill you?!’

Prince sneered, “Francis, Arthur told me that your Instruments and your protective Secret Technique were all bestowed by Du Chen, the Divine. It seems this Du Chen, the Divine, will be my final formidable opponent after I assimilate you. The war is raging, yet Du Chen, the Divine, has yet to appear. He must either be unable to extricate himself, or… he’s hiding in the shadows, abandoning you to plot against me, isn’t that right? Heh heh, but I won’t be as pathetic as Sama, who dared to take everything and ultimately died at the very moment he reached his peak!”

Du Chen raised an eyebrow. “Your Majesty Sama was killed by you?”

Prince smiled, pointing to the crown on his head. “The Divine Emperor’s Crown I left behind is a spiritual emitter from the Primordial Military Branch. It was enough for me to secretly manipulate and kill Sama from afar! Francis, your Instruments must also contain some mechanisms that could kill me if I were to take them, right? Rest assured, I won’t follow Sama’s old path!”

Du Chen inwardly scoffed, ‘A fellow who judges others by his own crooked standards!’

However, this line of thought from Prince also proved that he truly didn’t understand the specifics of Du Chen’s sacred artifact. Or rather, Prince’s knowledge of Du Chen’s Arcane Artifacts came solely from Arthur’s memories and some scattered intelligence!

So… Xue Ji didn’t betray me?

At this moment, the Sacred Artifact Furnace was set up. Prince instructed the Life Tree to extend its vines, take away Du Chen’s sacred artifacts, and imprison them securely in a distant cage. He then personally took the Essence of Earth and went to a side hall, emerging a moment later to coldly glance at Du Chen and command, “Life Tree, begin! But be careful not to let the Sacred Artifact Furnace refine Francis into a sacred artifact himself!”

Du Chen, still bound by the Life Tree’s vines, was thrown into the Sacred Artifact Furnace. He was immersed in the water of the Lamenting Tear. Above him was a lid formed by the Essence of Earth. Below the furnace, the Molten Heart burned with the branches and leaves of the Life Tree…

At first, Du Chen felt nothing. But as time gradually passed, the Life Tree contributed a new batch of kindling. The Sacred Artifact Furnace glowed fiery red. The Essence of Earth melted into liquid flowing stone, mixing with the Lamenting Tear. And the Lamenting Tear had an extremely high boiling point; even under such intense heat, it emitted not a single wisp of steam!

Du Chen felt as if he had been stuffed into a giant hotpot. Every inhalation scorched his nasal passages with searing pain. Every exhalation felt as if the blood from his lungs was being expelled. His bones and muscles were being boiled to a pulp. But each time a piece of muscle was boiled away and dissolved into golden sand, new muscle instantly regenerated, as if he were being slowly sliced into a thousand pieces!

Though Du Chen couldn’t die, this torment caused him immense agony. He even lamented why Master Grape had made it impossible for him to commit suicide!

‘Back then, my Senior Brother in the alchemical furnace probably endured no less, right? Yet he gained Fiery Cores. What will my fate be? Am I to be forever imprisoned in this agony!?’

Despite the unbearable pain, Du Chen caught a glimpse of Prince through a crack and couldn’t help but smile!

For a full half-hour, Du Chen remained unmoving within the Sacred Artifact Furnace. Prince muttered to himself in disbelief, “Heavens, someone can actually withstand the combined might of the Five Great Primeval Forces? Who else in this world could possibly kill him?! A Secret Technique, but what kind of Secret Technique is this?! Du Chen, the Divine… truly a formidable opponent! Life Tree, increase the intensity even further!”

Just then, *thump, thump, thump*, three burly men dressed in Scarlet Army uniforms strode in from outside. One of them whispered a few words into Prince’s ear. Prince’s brows furrowed slightly. He told the Life Tree, “You keep watch here. The situation is about to undergo a major change; I must go see for myself!”

Prince walked out of the Laboratory and then called over a few Scarlet Army members, instructing them in a low voice, “The Life Tree and I are merely collaborators. We use her now, but we mustn’t trust her. You are to draw three-tenths of the guards from the Battle God Prison, strictly guard this Laboratory, and monitor the Life Tree!”

*Clang!* After Prince left, the Laboratory’s grand gate was sealed shut and secured with multiple shackles. Hearing the sound of the door closing from inside the furnace, Du Chen was startled. ‘Why would Prince leave at such a crucial moment?’

But just then, a complaining voice reached Du Chen’s ears. “Damn it, Prince wants to assimilate Francis, but why drag us into it? Lamenting Tear, you’re boiling me to death!”

Another voice said, “Essence of Earth, what are you complaining about? Aren’t I also being steamed and boiled by the Sacred Artifact Furnace?”

“Hmph, isn’t *my* Sacred Artifact Furnace being incinerated by the Molten Heart? Damn it, even the Molten Heart is having a tough time with the Life Tree!”

Du Chen listened with astonishment, then interjected, “Are you all having a rough time too? Do you, like the Life Tree, possess independent sentience?”

“Hmph, as fellow Five Great Primeval Forces, how could we not have sentience?” The voice belonged to the Sacred Artifact Furnace. “Boy, you can’t die, but you’re dragging us down to suffer with you, you’re utterly worthless! But where did you learn such an ability? My Sacred Artifact Furnace followed Byron-Gale for over a decade and then Phil for several years. I know a great deal, but I’ve never seen the Holy Yessar Church possess a Secret Technique like yours! Could it really be bestowed upon you by that… Du Chen, the Divine?”

Du Chen’s heart stirred. Since the Primeval Forces had sentience, there was theoretically a possibility—they might release him for their own benefit. Thinking this, Du Chen chuckled, “Of course, it was bestowed upon me by Du Chen, the Divine! Sacred Artifact Furnace, you successively followed my Maternal Grandfather and Mother; you could be considered an old friend of the Holy Yessar Church…”

The Sacred Artifact Furnace interrupted Du Chen. “Don’t even think of asking us to release you! Right now, except for the Life Tree, the primordial souls of us few have been controlled by Prince. It’s impossible for us to betray him!”

Du Chen was startled. “What is a primordial soul?”

The Essence of Earth said, “Do you understand the form of the Life Tree? Her body supports the Three Continents, but her true essence is only a small sapling. That sapling is the Life Tree’s primordial soul. We all have something like that. Prince used a Spiritual Contract to control our primordial souls, which is why we must serve him!”

Du Chen thought, ‘The Essence of Earth is quite succinct in speech. If the outer shells of the Five Great Primeval Forces are like automatons, then their primordial souls are the drivers! But since there’s a contract, bribery and playing on sentiment are useless. In that case… I’ll provoke them!’

Du Chen mocked, “You, the mighty Four Great Primeval Forces, actually let yourselves be controlled by a single person… tsk tsk!”

The Sacred Artifact Furnace indignantly retorted, “What do you know?! How much strength could the Essence of Earth possibly have left after self-detonating? Wasn’t it easy for Prince to control him? As for the Molten Heart, he was severely wounded by a mob, which is how he fell into Margaret’s hands back then. And me, I was covered in wounds by the Fire Phoenix during the Fallen Gods era, then recuperating underground, only to be captured by your Maternal Grandfather, Byron-Gale, who exploited my weakness! If it weren’t for these individual reasons, do you think we would willingly serve a human?!”

The Lamenting Tear added, “Moreover, Prince is very strong, Francis. Arthur shared your power through a symbiotic bloodline, but as he had no battle qi, he dedicated all his power to enhancing his physical body. Can you imagine how formidable Prince’s body is now? Furthermore, Prince’s Spiritual Power is no less than his battle qi. His battle qi is currently waiting for Inheritance on the Instruments, but his Spiritual Power has already entered Arthur’s body with his soul… enough to control us!”

Du Chen frowned, no longer bothering with the Instruments that had no chance of helping him escape. He turned to ask the Life Tree, “Life Tree, since your primordial soul isn’t controlled, is there still a need to obey Prince submissively?”

The Life Tree sneered, “Oh, so you see the other Great Primeval Forces can’t help you, and now you come to persuade me? Let me tell you plainly, it’s impossible for me to help you!” She paused, then continued, “Previously, Prince’s Scarlet Army faced an energy crisis and would eventually come after me. I couldn’t genuinely cooperate with them then, and there might have been a chance to release you! But now it’s different. Once Prince successfully assimilates you, it means they’ve solved their energy crisis, and we can coexist peacefully…”

“Francis, you probably don’t know the situation outside, do you? The Scarlet Army now holds an absolute advantage. If I help you escape, I’d just be inviting trouble and making an enemy of Prince! But if I continue to imprison you now, in the future, Prince will coexist peacefully with me. Moreover, he can use the Lamenting Tear and Essence of Earth to help me cultivate tree seeds… Yes, you could also help me cultivate tree seeds, but since both of you can, I naturally choose the stronger party. You are not as appealing to me as the Scarlet Army. Besides… this is the Battle God Prison. Even if I released you, neither of us could escape!”

Du Chen wanted to say, ‘Just let me out of this Sacred Artifact Furnace, and I can break any number of shackles.’ But would saying that be useful? The Life Tree truly saw the situation clearly, knowing exactly which side to stand on for maximum advantage!

At this point, the Life Tree said, “Everyone, put in more effort! Let’s strive to refine Francis away before Prince returns!”

…

Prince walked out of the Laboratory, and his handsome Arthur-like appearance turned grim. The Scarlet Army member reporting behind him explained in detail, “Supreme One, just now, Leiming instructed Bonis to use a Fiendkind spy to try and steal the Tear Source. And that Fiendkind spy did indeed use the Lionheart King to steal the Tear Source. But unexpectedly, the spy turned out to be a double agent! He launched a surprise attack while handing over the Tear Source to Leiming… Now, four other Venerables have fallen in battle, and Dud has seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. The situation has changed dramatically!”

Prince directly contacted Leiming using the Scarlet Army’s communication Secret Technique. “Leiming, who could possibly kill four Thunder Cannons in a single strike?! What is the current situation?!”

Leiming first reported on the situation, then said, “Supreme One, that woman used something from the Primordial Military Branch, and it specifically counters us Thunder Cannons—though your subordinate narrowly escaped, I am severely wounded! And judging by the Secret Technique she displayed, it seems to be… it seems to be the Moon Goddess, who should have died a thousand years ago under your poison!”

“What?!” Prince’s face instantly turned ashen, but he quickly regained his composure, sneering, “Very well, Leiming, how is Bonis?”

“Just now, the Moon Goddess also targeted Bonis—it seems she wants to kill Bonis and then use the Tear Source to control the Undead legion to turn the tide of the war. Although your subordinate rescued Bonis, Bonis has been severely shaken repeatedly and is probably… on the verge of death!”

The situation had indeed reached a critical point. If Bonis died, humanity would control the Undead legion and the Netherbeast Legion, combined with their existing armies… With such a force opposing him, even if he successfully assimilated Francis, it would be extremely difficult to resist countless armies!

The light in Prince’s eyes flickered erratically. He suddenly sneered, “We still have one ultimate trump card: no one knows that Arthur is Prince. Humanity only thinks that Arthur disappeared along with Francis last night! And now, the key to the situation is the Tear Source. So… Leiming, I shall enter Lionheart City in Arthur’s guise to retrieve the true Tear Source. You must stall them with your armies, hold on until the moment I succeed!”

As he spoke, Prince had already arrived at the entrance/exit of the Battle God Prison. The Battle God Prison, as it was called, had an outer shell of a five-colored barrier of light. All the light emanated from a spherical object near the exit, resembling a Thunder Cannon, and then returned to this sphere, forming the prison’s outer casing. And Sherine and Xue Ji were leading many emotionless Puppet Legionaries and Scarlet Army members, guarding near this sphere!

“Supreme One!” Sherine bowed her head in salute!

“Su-Supreme One…” Xue Ji’s voice was extremely weak. Her face was bloodless, and her entire being seemed listless, as if utterly drained. And on Xue Ji’s shoulder, she wore the exact same shackle as Sherine!

Prince coldly glanced at them. “Xue Ji, the last time I questioned you about Francis’s secrets, you chose to trigger the Deed of Ownership and face death rather than obey my command… I saw that you held some influence over Margaret’s Water’s Embrace Puppet Legion, which is why I reluctantly spared your life! But today, if you dare to do anything while I am absent—for instance, try to rescue Francis, who killed your Master—then my Deed of Ownership will immediately strike you down on the spot!”

With that, Prince opened a corner of the prison and flew away!

Xue Ji knelt blankly as Prince departed, then abruptly stood up and began walking towards the deeper parts of the prison. Sherine grabbed her, “Xue Ji, don’t try to rescue Francis! Both of you will die!”

Xue Ji stubbornly shook her head. Sherine continued, “Foolish sister, even if you could release Francis from the captivity of the Five Great Primeval Forces, could you lead him out of the Battle God Prison? Only Prince and the nine Venerables of the Scarlet Army know the Secret Technique for entering and exiting the Battle God Prison!”

Xue Ji’s body stiffened. She whispered, “Sixth Sister, Francis’s lock-picking Secret Technique is unfathomable; perhaps…”

Sherine gritted her teeth and suddenly, with a resolute heart, struck Xue Ji on the back of her neck. Looking at Xue Ji, who collapsed listlessly, she forced a bitter smile, “Don’t blame Sixth Sister for being cruel. Prince’s words just now were no joke. Once you enter that Laboratory, it’s a Dead End!”

With that, Sherine instructed others, “The Supreme One has temporarily left. We must intensify our defenses, especially against the prisoner leader Ruilong, and the recently incarcerated Melinda, Jamis, and others! Although they cannot escape this prison, don’t let them cause a ruckus!”

…

Prince had wasted a considerable amount of time on Du Chen’s Indestructible Golden Body. By the time Prince, in Arthur’s guise, returned to Lionheart City, the external war situation had already changed significantly…

First, the Moon Goddess, acting as a Fiendkind spy, used the fake Tear Source with the Lionheart King’s assistance to slay four Venerables of the Scarlet Army. But Leiming fled with Bonis, so the Moon Goddess relentlessly pursued them, leading the Thundercloud Iron Cavalry alongside the Lionheart King. Also, Annie and Frinda led the Five Families of Fallen Gods’ Retainers in a fierce assault on the Fiendkind defenses. Their sole objective was to eliminate Bonis, to allow the human army controlling the Tear Source to become the Commander of the Nether-Spirit Army, thereby dramatically turning the tide of the war!

Meanwhile, Flaying, Andy, and the Fire Phoenix’s contingent, after much coercion and effort, finally managed to bring Arges back to Lionheart City while the Moon Goddess initiated her plan. Immediately after, following Dud’s Military Edict, their order was simple: “Wherever Leiming takes Bonis, pursue and kill. Spare no cost; eliminate Bonis and seize control of the Nether-Spirit Army!”

“The key to everything… lies with the Tear Source and the timing of Bonis’s death!” Dud, holding a halberd, stood proudly on the city walls, directing the overall situation, speaking slowly with Liana, who was responsible for coordinating affairs within the city.

Liana nodded, yet was filled with worry. ‘Where exactly has Francis gone?!’

Just as she was thinking, someone nearby exclaimed in surprise, “Marshal, Crown Prince Arthur is fighting his way over from the direction of Mount Wanliu!”

Arthur, covered in blood, stumbled onto the city wall, collapsing to his knees, unable to stand again, panting heavily. “Liana, Francis has been captured!”

“What?!” Liana, disregarding all etiquette, grabbed Arthur’s collar.

Arthur wiped a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth. First, he recounted the initial part of the marital discord. He continued, “I angrily returned to the bridal chamber, but the more I thought about it, the more stifled I felt. What on earth was happening?! Unwilling to accept it, and hearing soldiers say Francis had gone to Mount Wanliu, I immediately pursued him there. But unexpectedly, as soon as I arrived at Mount Wanliu, I saw… I saw Francis being pulled into a cave by several massive vines, and Sha also jumped in after him. Immediately after, the Fiendkind launched an offensive, attacking the armies patrolling Thornwood Valley there—Mount Wanliu became a battlefield!”

Arthur paused, then forced a bitter smile. “I fought my way through the chaos, finally making it back to report. Liana, Francis and I are brothers for life, even if Xue Ji stands between us, now is not the time for personal grudges. Give me an army, and I will go rescue Francis!”

His words were seven parts truth, three parts fabrication. It not only suited Arthur’s arrogant character but also subtly aligned with his brotherly bond with Du Chen through shared adversity, making it truly difficult to discern truth from falsehood!

Arthur secretly glanced at the Moon Goddess battling below the city walls, sneering inwardly. ‘Moon Goddess, you don’t know my experiences from the latter half of my life, so you can’t possibly know about Instruments turning back into humans. In that case… no one present here can expose me!’

Liana looked at Dud. “How many more troops can be spared to go rescue him from Mount Wanliu?”

Dud silently calculated in his mind. “Einz’s allied forces collapsed due to Arges’s reckless advance and can no longer fight. Cassian’s Yakun allied forces are still en route. Adams’s ambush troops have already been deployed. Even Reno and the Five Families of Fallen Gods’ armies are currently battling… So, the only forces available are our own Papal Curia army, and Aliza’s unit guarding the Tear Source! But the Papal Curia army is defending Lionheart City and absolutely cannot be withdrawn from the battlefield…”

Seeing Dud’s silence, Liana urged, “Francis’s life is more important than anything!”

Dud slammed his halberd down with a *thud*. “Issue the order! Aliza’s unit and the forces guarding Lionheart City are each to draw three-tenths of their elite troops to form an assault team, accompanying Crown Prince Arthur to rescue His Majesty the Divine Emperor! This order is top-secret, first-tier. No one outside of Du City’s confidants must know that His Majesty has been captured!”

Liana sighed in relief. Arthur also soberly gripped his greatsword, about to rise and lead the troops to rescue. But just as he stood, his legs gave out, and he fell back to the ground. He glared hatefully at the large, bloody, mangled wounds on his leg, and told the General who came to assist and inquire, “Damn it, I was hit by a Fiendkind War Instrument last night, but it’s nothing! Tell the army to follow me!”

Liana frowned. “Arthur, don’t blame me for speaking harshly during wartime, but in your current physical state, you’d only be a burden. Don’t play the hero! Dud, select another General, and have Arthur tell him the exact location!”

‘Choose another General?’ Dud pondered for a moment. Given the current situation, all Generals in Du City’s military system capable of bearing this heavy responsibility were fighting elsewhere. There were also… Ted and Helen, father and daughter, who, being familiar with Fiendkind combat tactics, served as Marching Strategists under disguise!

A Military Edict was issued, and Ted and Helen led reinforcements, secretly heading towards Mount Wanliu. Only then did Arthur truly breathe a sigh of relief. Liana turned and said, “Arthur, you go rest now. Once Bonis is dead, we will have complete control of the situation!”

Arthur stubbornly shook his head. “The war is raging fiercely! I already can’t bear to face anyone because I couldn’t save my brother. Are you really asking me to lie in a sickbed, becoming a crippled soldier mocked for incompetence?! Liana, where is Aliza? I can’t walk very far right now, but I can still help Aliza protect the Tear Source while sitting!”

Liana was momentarily stunned. Knowing Arthur’s consistently stubborn temperament that could not tolerate being looked down upon, she pointed him in a direction.

Arthur looked, and it was the central plaza of Lionheart City. He cast a proud glance at Liana, pushed away the General who was helping him, and limped defiantly, forcing himself to walk towards the military camp protecting the Tear Source!

Meanwhile, inside the military camp, some troops had just been withdrawn. Only General Aliza remained, along with several high-ranking allied deputies who assisted Aliza with strategy, and the captive Brockman… plus two children, Belmonde and Alex?