All who witnessed this scene, friend or foe alike, felt their hearts suspended in tension.

Throughout the Wei army, shouts of “Protect the King!” rose one after another. Cultivators quickly converged, striving to intercept the enemy. The entire army was enveloped in an intense red glow, and both cultivators and soldiers felt their spirits greatly lifted, their strength mysteriously increasing by two portions.

This was Yun Ya rapidly mobilizing his elemental power and applying it to their officers and soldiers.

On the battlefield, an increase of two portions in strength was a remarkable advantage.

The Yao army, which had been advancing like an unstoppable force, resembled a derailed locomotive—although their momentum remained fierce, their speed was indeed being dragged slower and slower.

But at this moment, a faint cyan light also emanated from their bodies.

At this critical juncture, the Kingdom of Yao had also employed elemental power.

If they could capture the Wei King, whether alive or just his head, Yao’s counterattack would immediately rewrite the course of the battle, achieving a beautiful major victory!

Seeing this, Yun Ya instructed several deeply cultivated practitioners: “Protect His Majesty. I’ll be back shortly.” Then he strode outward.

The abundant elemental power deployed by Yao had only one explanation:

The State Preceptor of Yao, An Ruzhen, had also arrived!

What was originally just an interception battle had escalated due to the dual participation of the Yao Crown Prince and the State Preceptor, showing a distinct trend toward becoming a decisive battle!

This turn of events was something neither side had anticipated.

Feng Miaojun hadn’t gone far, merely circling stealthily around the perimeter to climb a different treacherous peak.

This location was several li away from the battlefield, unobstructed with an excellent view. Simply standing on the mountain peak allowed her to observe the battle situation below. Most importantly, it was more than ten li from where she had hibernated the Heart-Fixing Gu, making it useless for Yun Ya to rush there.

Only now did she choose a large tree and settle among its branches to watch the great battle below. This way, even if bird demons flew overhead, they would be unlikely to discover her.

In truth, she had been contemplating escape from Yun Ya for a long time but had lacked a suitable opportunity. Indeed, staying by Yun Ya’s side offered countless benefits, which was one of the reasons the State Preceptor could attract numerous cultivators to serve him. But Feng Miaojun understood that she had unspeakable difficulties.

She was Princess An Xia, not truly a woman of the Feng family, and her real name wasn’t Feng Miaojun. What did this mean? If Yun Ya wanted to inscribe her name in the Wei Kingdom’s elemental register, it simply wouldn’t work.

Her name and eight characters of birth time wouldn’t match at all.

When that moment came, he would certainly discover that she had never been completely honest with him!

Given this man’s temperament, could she expect any good outcome? So from the moment Yun Ya proposed to enter her in the Wei Kingdom’s elemental register, Feng Miaojun understood that she must leave before entering Wei.

A chaotic battle presented the perfect opportunity.

In this great war, the Kingdom of Yao had played a divine stroke, outclassing the Wei army by several streets in pre-battle preparation.

From anyone’s perspective, the Wei army had more than an eighty percent chance of losing. Although Yun Ya, as one of the Wei army’s core figures, had a minimal probability of perishing here, their lives were connected, and she still needed to see him safely retreat before she could rest easy.

The battle below was unprecedentedly intense; she had never witnessed such brutal slaughter since joining the military. Looking down from her high vantage point, it wasn’t difficult to notice that the Yao army’s firepower was concentrated on the Wei army’s third unit. Besides the main force repeatedly charging toward this area, arrows, and mystical attacks rained down without cessation.

At least two-thirds of their firepower was focused here. This meant the people of Yao had discovered where the Wei King was hiding.

Strange—how had they accomplished this? Could there be Yao spies around the Wei King?

If the Wei King was there, Yun Ya should be there too, right? Feng Miaojun rubbed her forehead, imagining Yun Ya’s expression upon discovering her escape, and couldn’t help feeling somewhat guilty.

She was no longer as fearful as during her years in the Jin State; that fear had been replaced by a different kind of apprehension toward Yun Ya.

Before the battle began, he had bitten her ear, making their relationship increasingly complex. A man like him was like a poppy—too easy to become addicted to. But reason told her that their positions, identities, and cultivation levels destined them to walk different paths.

If she liked a man, she absolutely wouldn’t stay by his side in such a manner. The unequal status would only result in unequal feelings.

Looking up in admiration was the perspective she detested most. Better to withdraw before things become irreversible.

She sighed inaudibly, not even noticing it herself.

After all, she still cared about Yun Ya’s safety.

And then, she heard an elderly voice that penetrated the entire battlefield:

“Where is Yun Ya? An Ruzhen of Great Yao challenges you to battle!”

This voice was deep and powerful, carrying a distinctive hoarseness and an air of having weathered many storms. It instantly spread across the battlefield where over a hundred thousand people fought for their lives, yet stirred the blood of all who heard it!

The State Preceptor of Yao challenging the State Preceptor of Wei, right here, right now!

This would be a confrontation between supreme cultivators, a rare sight in the mortal world. Both sides involuntarily slowed their attacks.

Would the Wei State Preceptor accept the challenge?

Feng Miaojun’s heart was also suspended in anticipation. That guy—called out by name for a duel!

Among the Yao army, Miao Fengxian was also startled, exclaiming involuntarily: “Master!”

The white-haired An Ruzhen walked step by step out of the golden glorious city. When Miao Fengxian tried to stop him, he raised his hand to cut off his words: “We should seek a quick victory. Neither of us can afford to drag this out.”

Currently, the Wei army was at a disadvantage, but as troops tempered through a hundred battles, though caught off guard by the Yao forces, they were still far from real defeat.

To achieve a swift victory, the best method was to take down the opponent’s key figures, severely damaging Wei’s morale.

For instance, the Wei State Preceptor?

Miao Fengxian moved closer to him and whispered so only the two of them could hear: “But your health…”

An Ruzhen snorted: “Are you afraid I can’t defeat him?”

Miao Fengxian choked slightly: “Yun Ya is at the height of his power.” In his anxiety, he no longer minded preserving his master’s dignity.

“He’s been plagued by chronic ailments for years. How much better can he be than me?” An Ruzhen said calmly. “Besides, the Golden City can only be maintained for a limited time. Winning this battle but exhausting all of Great Yao would be equally unprofitable.”

He waved his hand slightly: “Enough, say no more. I have my methods to stimulate potential.”

Amid the expectations of countless people, the Yao King’s palace remained eerily quiet.

Yun Ya had not responded.

The advantage gained by the Yao army was already very obvious. Conversely, this challenge was imperative for Yun Ya.

If he won, he could boost morale, strike a blow against the enemy, and even turn defeat into victory.

The Wei King frowned. How could he not see through An Ruzhen’s malicious intent? The Wei army’s ability to reorganize and resist the assault was partly due to the quality of its troops and partly due to the effective coordination of elemental power. By choosing to draw away the Wei State Preceptor when the Wei army was at a disadvantage, the Yao army could launch a full attack without fearing Yun Ya’s ever-changing tactics.

But if he didn’t accept the challenge, where would Yun Ya, the Wei King, and the Wei Kingdom put their faces?