Two days later, at Da'en's imperial city.
A shout rang out: "Report!"
A messenger rushed into the grand hall, kneeling on one knee and announcing loudly, "Your Majesty! Our army has the upper hand in the battle against the Hu Kingdom! The Hu cavalry are no longer a threat. We've also discovered that more than half of the current royal family of the Hu Kingdom has been affected by the Soul - Binding Pearl. They've gone insane, greatly weakening their combat power. As long as there are no unforeseen complications, the Hu Kingdom is bound to collapse in three months."
Upon hearing this, the entire court erupted in an uproar.
"The fall of the Hu Kingdom is inevitable. What should we do to handle the aftermath?"
"How will the Man Kingdom react once the Hu Kingdom is destroyed?"
"Our Da'en has contributed the most to this war. We should claim two - thirds of the Hu Kingdom's territory and push the Man Kingdom to a corner."
"No! Although the Hu Kingdom is defeated, the Man Kingdom is already our vassal state. If we take too much for ourselves, it will surely anger the Man Kingdom!"
"Hmph! Why should Da'en back down? If the Man Kingdom objects, we'll go to war again!" Ministers in the court shouted their views, arguing fiercely.
Li Yunchuan, the Emperor of Da'en, sat on the dragon throne, gazing deeply at the ministers below. His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the throne, his brows furrowed in deep thought. After a moment, he subtly signaled to the chief eunuch, Zheng De.
Zheng De's high-pitched voice rang out: "Court adjourned!" All ministers fell mute, bowed, and then left the chamber.
...
Meanwhile, deep in the mountains at the border between the Hu and Man Kingdoms, Lin Yuan and his companions were there.
Staring at the jet - black bead before him, Lin Yuan murmured, "Is this the Soul - Binding Pearl?"
The Valley Master of the Divine Doctor Valley nodded. "Precisely."
Lin Yuan frowned. "Has it created too many mutated monsters that it's fallen asleep?"
A faint black mist surrounded the Soul - Binding Pearl. Eerie red lights faintly flickered on its surface, like tortured souls writhing within. The air was so thick it was hard to breathe.
Before he finished speaking, the distant battlefield descended into chaos.
Xiao Hei leaped into the air, surrounded by churning flames. He transformed into a black fire lion and let out a deafening roar. Violent flames instantly swept over the cave entrance, engulfing nearby mutated cavalry and human - headed birds, turning them into charred remains.
On the other side, Xiao Bai stood on a protruding rock. With a flick of his three tails, a wave of frost spread out. The freezing cold enveloped the entire area. The charging mountain spiders were instantly frozen. With a forceful flick of his tail, he sent the frozen monsters crashing into a thousand fragments.
"Fire and ice... quite a sight," Lin Yuan exclaimed, watching the scene unfold.
Xiao Bai seemed to relish the slaughter, leisurely grooming his tail fur as the tip of his tail twitched, as if teasing the cold in the air.
Just then, Jiuchong Ring emitted a soft chime.
"Ding! The host has completed the mission. You will be teleported to the next plane in half a year."
Lin Yuan stared in surprise, then gave a bitter smile. "Half a year? Not bad. But... so my real mission wasn't about protecting the kingdom. It was... Did you copy the bead?" Jiuchong Ring stayed silent.
"Oh well," Lin Yuan sighed. "Fifteen minutes, then we're off to the battlefield."
====================
两天后,大恩皇城.
"报!"
大殿之外,传令兵快步入内,单膝跪地,高声禀报:"启禀陛下!我军与胡国交战,战况占优!胡国骑兵已不足为惧,且查明胡国当今皇族有一大半皆受 '生魂珠' 影响,疯癫失智,战力大损!若无变数,不出三月,胡国必亡!"
满殿文武闻言,顿时哗然.
"胡国覆灭已成定局,如此大好局势,我等当如何善后?"
"胡国一旦灭亡,满国会如何反应?"
"此战,我大恩功劳最大,理应占据胡国三分之二疆域,让满国退居一隅."
"不可!胡国虽败,满国已为附属国,若我们独占过多,恐怕会引发满国不满!"
"哼,大恩岂能受此掣肘?满国若不愿,我们再战一场便是!"
朝堂之上,群臣七嘴八舌,各抒己见,争论不休.
高坐龙椅上的大恩皇帝李云川,目光深沉地看着眼前的众臣,手指轻轻敲打龙椅扶手,眉宇间隐隐透出深思之色.片刻后,他目光微动,朝大太监郑德递去一个眼色.
郑德立刻尖声高喝:"退!朝!"
满殿文武纷纷收声,行礼后退出大殿.
...
与此同时,林远等人在胡国与满国交界的大山深处.
他凝视着眼前这颗黝黑如墨的珠子,低声道:"这就是 '生魂珠'?"
神医谷谷主点头:"正是."
林远皱眉:"是制造太多异变怪物了,所以才累得睡着了?"
生魂珠周围弥漫着一层淡淡的黑雾,隐约间,珠子表面似有诡异的红光闪烁,仿佛有无数怨魂在其中翻滚挣扎.四周空气沉闷,似乎连呼吸都变得沉重.
话音未落,远处的战场已经陷入一片混乱.
小黑纵身一跃,周身烈焰翻腾,化作一头漆黑火狮,怒吼一声,狂暴的火焰瞬间席卷山洞入口,连带着附近的变异骑兵和人头怪鸟皆被烈焰吞噬,化作焦炭.
另一边,小白立于一块突出的岩石上,三条尾巴轻轻一摆,漫天冰霜骤然扩散,霜寒之气瞬间覆盖了整片区域.那些朝他们冲来的山蜘蛛瞬间被冻结,下一刻,尾巴猛然一扫,冰雕般的怪物纷纷炸裂,化作无数碎片洒落地面.
"冰火两重天啊..." 林远望着眼前的景象,忍不住低声感叹.
小白似乎很享受这场屠杀,正悠哉地顺着自己尾巴的毛发,尾巴尖微微抖动,像是在挑逗着空气中的寒意.
就在此时,九重戒骤然发出一道轻响.
"叮!宿主已完成任务,将在半年后传送至下一个位面."
林远一怔,随即苦笑:"半年后?可以啊,等等... 果然,我的主任务不是保家卫国,而是... 嗯?你复制了这颗珠子吧?"
九重戒未作回应,沉默如常.
"算了算了..." 林远叹了口气, "再过一刻钟,我们就赶回战场."