With the State Preceptor’s enhancement, the Wei army’s combat power was restored to its former level. Combined with the fine armor and sharp weapons provided by New Xia, their strength was basically on par with the Yan soldiers.

But now, the Yan forces numbered less than two hundred thousand, while the Wei army had a full two hundred and ninety thousand elite troops, positioned to encircle them!

Facing a stronger enemy with weaker forces, the Yan King, despite his reluctance, had to loudly order a retreat.

But Yun Ya laughed, “What’s the hurry? Since you’ve come, why not all stay!”

Before his words faded, several booming cannon shots followed, but they didn’t fall among the crowd. Instead, strange sounds came from above. The Yan army looked up to see Wei soldiers firing cannons from several miles away, bombarding the mountainside with remarkable precision!

As mentioned earlier, the mountains here were like folding screens, the smaller ones like sails, all with long, thin profiles. The Wei army’s cannonballs mostly struck the western sides of three to five small mountains. After one or two volleys, the mountains could no longer withstand the tremendous force and began to collapse eastward.

Those with discerning eyes could tell that the Wei people had tampered with the mountain bases beforehand, thinning the foundations to make it easier for the cannons to collapse them. And the firepower was astonishingly powerful, clearly expensive ammunition.

The Yan soldiers below let out terrified howls—the direction in which the small mountains were falling was precisely where the main Yan forces were positioned!

This truly was toppling gold mountains and jade pillars. When millions of tons of earth and stone came crashing down, who would have the courage to stand their ground? No matter how valiant the Yan people were, they now cried out in fear and fled in all directions.

In the face of natural disaster, how insignificant is human power? The courage accumulated by the Yan people over months of victories instantly vanished.

Witnessing this scene, the Yan King’s tiger eyes turned red. Despite being locked in combat with Yun Ya, he threw out a statuette with a flick of his hand.

Upon touching the ground, it transformed with a “boom” into a giant ethereal figure of a divine spirit. Standing fifty meters tall, with arms bound by golden rings, bare-chested, and muscles bulging all over, it silently roared to the sky under the Yan King’s control. Simultaneously, it raised both hands to support the largest falling rock face.

Though a transparent phantom, its strength was very real, buying more time for the Yan soldiers below.

The Yan people, terrified in the mountain’s shadow, still remembered to flee for their lives, scattering in all directions.

Twenty breaths later, the divine spirit phantom’s duration expired, and it dissolved into nothingness. This massive rock face, along with its companions, crashed onto the ground one after another.

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, the dust that rose obscured the sky, plunging the world into darkness.

Meanwhile, the Wei army cheered. The enemy’s rout greatly boosted their morale, and they charged forward in great strides, unwilling to miss this opportunity to strike while their foe was down.

The Yan Kingdom generals looked around and saw only rolling dust clouds. All they could hear were ghostly wails and wolf howls, with panicked Yan soldiers relentlessly pursuing Wei troops in all directions.

News of the battle at Tianmen Gorge flew like snowflakes to the Northern and Southern Continents.

Various kingdoms could hardly believe their eyes:

The Yan army, falling into a trap, suffered a great defeat and fled eastward. The number of casualties at Tianmen Gorge exceeded one hundred and twenty thousand. This was the second most devastating battle since the beginning of the two countries’ struggle for supremacy, with over half of their forces perishing, most crushed to death by the mountain collapse.

The remaining Yan troops lost their will to fight and fled in panic, with the Wei army closely pursuing with raised blades.

In the final tally, the wounded numbered less than thirty thousand, but another six thousand became prisoners.

The Wei army finally had their moment of triumph, and their subsequent treatment of prisoners was exceptionally brutal:

No survivors—all were executed on the spot!

Among the six thousand prisoners, not a single one was left alive.

Reading this, Feng Miaojun couldn’t help but sigh gently. Yun Ya was still Yun Ya, unchanged in the slightest.

Of course, she understood the Wei people’s intent with this action—to create a powerful deterrent against the Yan Kingdom and crush the Yan people’s fighting spirit.

In comparison, what concerned her more was: “What about the Yan King?”

“He retreated eastward with his army, though it’s unclear if he’s injured,” Prime Minister Wang Yuan knew what the Queen wanted to hear. “The Wei State Preceptor personally led the pursuit, and he didn’t appear to be injured either.”

“That’s good.” Feng Miaojun breathed a light sigh of relief. “Since Yun Ya has returned to the army, it seems the war in central Wei will reach a turning point. From now on, it will be the Yan people’s turn to worry.”

The State Preceptor’s return with elemental power meant a significant increase in the Wei army’s strength. They were also fighting on their own territory, with clear home-field advantage.

As Feng Miaojun said this, she glanced around, “Where is Chen Dachang?”

Chen Dachang was the Court Justiciar and had to report for duty every day. Usually, he would enter the palace before the Chen hour, a model of punctuality. But now, halfway through the Chen hour, why hadn’t he appeared?

A nearby court attendant stepped forward slightly and said, “Court Justiciar Chen is slightly indisposed today and has requested a day’s leave, awaiting your approval.”

“Granted.” Feng Miaojun stroked her chin. “It’s rare for him to fall ill, how could I not approve?” But for a cultivator to fall ill, how could it be so easy?

The next day, Chen Dachang indeed arrived at the palace before the Chen hour.

Seeing him in high spirits, Feng Miaojun asked curiously, “You’ve recovered?”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have.”

Feng Miaojun was about to speak when her jade nose suddenly sniffed twice, and her beautiful eyes glanced at Chen Dachang, “Oh?”

Chen Dachang did not understand.

Feng Miaojun covered her mouth and yawned, “I got up too early and feel drowsy. By the way, do you need to rest for a few more days to fully recover?”

Chen Dachang hastily replied that it wasn’t necessary.

“Go prepare then, it’s time for the morning council.”

A few days later, Yu Huaizhen also came to attend the court discussion. According to regulations, every ten days, the State Preceptor had to regularly report on the allocation of elemental power to coordinate with national policy. That fellow Yun Ya was arbitrary, reporting when he felt like it and slacking off when he didn’t, leaving both the previous and current Wei Kings helpless against him. Yu Huaizhen was different—meticulous in official duties, diligent and serious, with an attitude no less impressive than Chen Dachang’s.

Unlike the Wei Kingdom, which was in the midst of fierce fighting, the theme of today’s New Xia court meeting was still “favorable weather for crops.” If a few more words were to be added, “national prosperity and people’s peace” would suffice. Feng Miaojun even felt that while neighbors were fighting to the death daily, her kingdom had nothing but peace day after day—such tranquility was truly a luxury.

After the court session ended, Feng Miaojun invited Yu Huaizhen to stroll with her in the imperial garden.

The two women chatted casually about world affairs, laughing and talking freely. New Xia had had its State Preceptor for more than seven years, and the relationship between the sovereign and the State Preceptor was harmonious, a beautiful tale among the common people.

Feng Miaojun casually complimented her, “Your perfume is blended wonderfully, it’s pleasing to the heart.”

Yu Huaizhen responded generously, “This is Auspicious Dragon Fragrance, a formula passed down from my ancestors. If Your Majesty likes it, I can copy the recipe and present it to you.”

“So it’s the State Preceptor’s exclusive secret formula.” Feng Miaojun smiled with narrowed eyes. “A gentleman does not covet what belongs to others. This fragrance should not be shared with outsiders.”

She turned her head to look at Yu Huaizhen. The State Preceptor had been radiant these past few days, adding to her charm.

Not sharing with outsiders? How could someone as perceptive as Yu Huaizhen not understand the hidden meaning? She couldn’t help but pause her steps, her face slightly flushed.

So the Queen had noticed.

After a heavy rain that morning, the sun had come out, and the garden’s flowers and plants looked freshly washed. At this moment, a fiery red rose bloomed in the sun beside Yu Huaizhen, its soft petals bearing crystalline dewdrops.