Inside the main hall of the government office in He County.

Gongsun Yan and the others felt the sudden surge of Hui Cheng's aura, and they were all surprised.

Hui Cheng clenched his fist and sensed the powerful energy flowing through his body, smiling as he said:

"Apart from not being able to use divine power, my strength is now infinitely close to the Third Grade. When Mr. Luo arrives, even if he uses a secret technique but can't deal with Chen Mo, he can stall for time. I'll assist General Gongsun and Duke Liang to deal with Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing first, then turn to confront Chen Mo. Four upper-grade martial artists against Chen Mo alone—how could he possibly survive that?"

After he finished speaking, Gongsun Yan pondered for a while and considered it very reasonable.

Since Hui Cheng could temporarily gain Third Grade strength using a secret technique, then Luo Qingyang, as a Divine Power Realm martial artist, after using a secret technique, even if he doesn't reach the Second Grade, his strength is definitely outstanding among the Third Grade.

Although Chen Mo was able to defeat Liang Xuan and Tie Muer, he is still a Third Grade. Even if Luo Qingyang isn't strong enough to defeat Chen Mo directly, he can at least engage him in a struggle, and once they resolve the situation with Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing, they can assist Luo Qingyang.

Diwu Fusheng, standing below, observed Gongsun Yan's tempted expression and spoke again:

"General Gongsun, Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing, as the patriarchs of the Xiao and Wu families, have been renowned for a long time. Even if they're older and less nimble than in their youth, they wouldn't be quick to finish. If the secret technique's time limit expires and Chen Mo's side frees up first, it would be troublesome."

As expected, after those words, Gongsun Yan's previously tempted expression grew serious again.

Hui Cheng himself admitted that this secret technique is temporary, meaning it has a time limit.

If it doesn't yield results within this timeframe, the initiative is lost.

"I actually have a solution for this," Liang Mu said.

"Oh?" Gongsun Yan looked at Liang Xuan with curiosity.

"The Liang Family has a superior martial art known as the Ten Thousand Shadows Extinction Saber, a coordinated attack martial art requiring multiple participants to unleash its true power. The more participants and the stronger their abilities, the mightier the Ten Thousand Shadows Extinction Saber becomes," Liang Xuan explained.

After listening, Gongsun Yan's interest waned slightly, and he frowned, saying, "Duke Liang, since it's martial arts, it requires time to cultivate, and coordinated attack martial arts demand even more time for mutual accommodation. Right now, we don't have that time. If you'd brought it up earlier, that would have been better."

Gongsun Yan's last sentence was somewhat offensive.

Since it's a family's martial arts, it can't be casually shared.

Not only martial arts, even military books or ordinary books aren't easily circulated.

"General Gongsun may not know; the Ten Thousand Shadows Extinction Saber isn't a complex martial art. Its challenge lies in the coordination among participants..."

Pausing to take a breath, Liang Mu continued, "Regardless of deploying troops or movement, fewer people make it easier to coordinate, and the Ten Thousand Shadows Extinction Saber is the same.

As long as I, General Gongsun, and General Hui cooperate to use it, I can't guarantee how strong the Ten Thousand Shadows Extinction Saber's final power will be, but swiftly resolving those two old fellows, Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing, won't be an issue."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yan's eyes brightened, "Duke Liang, are you serious?"

"This concerns our lives, I wouldn't dare deceive," Liang Mu said.

Actually, Gongsun Yan, Liang Mu, and Hui Cheng all believed that as long as they worked together, dealing with Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing shouldn't be problematic, even if they can't ensure swift results.

And the Ten Thousand Shadows Extinction Saber serves as a tool to expedite the battle and quickly yield outcomes.

"All is indeed well," Gongsun Yan rejoiced.

He was eager for a direct confrontation with Chen Mo.

He didn't even aim to kill Chen Mo, nor Xiao Jing and Wu Yanqing; he just wanted to decisively defeat the Chen Army's main force and push them back.

This way, King Anping will be compelled to enter the fray.

With King Anping and his troops' assistance, dealing with Chen Mo will be much easier.

Gongsun Yan said, "General Song, since you're thoroughly acquainted with Song Family Slope, send you to carefully scout out the situation there and present a topographical map."

"Understood." The Sixth-Grade Martial Artist from Song Family Village acknowledged before departing.

Once General Song left, Gongsun Yan glanced at everyone, saying, "We'll decide whether to engage after General Song verifies the information."

Seeing his persuasion was in vain, Diwu Fusheng retreated somewhat disheartened.

…

Meanwhile, in Yan State.

Prince Anping's Mansion.

Inside the study.

The news about King Chong's alliance army capturing Huai State's He County and Prince Huai's successful surprise attack on Fengzhou with a victorious first battle had reached Prince Anping's ears.

The Prefect of Yanzhou, Zhang Le, was attending nearby, saying, "Prince, the alliance of King Chong, Prince Huai, and Lu Sheng has achieved its first victory, notably on Prince Huai's front where over six thousand Chen Army troops were killed, over three thousand captured, and Lu Sheng's reinforcements have entered Yan State. The alliance army has the winning edge. Shall we join in?"

"No hurry, it's still early days," Prince Anping replied.

A chessboard lay before him, and the black and white pieces seemed to represent the alliance army and Chen Army separately. He intended to play the role of the manipulator, stating:

"At best, Prince Huai and the others can only claim a minor victory, merely wounding Chen Mo's skin. At present, it doesn't affect the overall situation. Chen Mo has moved to Huai State, so only when he clashes with them can the critical aspect be influenced."