Shangyong City fell with little resistance.
Orion made sure to scour the land thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned in his quest for fortune. He couldn't afford to miss any potential luck value, not even from the grandest mansions in the city. In his meticulousness, he netted over 100,000 luck points.
[Host: Orion]
[Strength: Middle Martial Emperor!]
[Factions under his command: Yanyun's Eighteen Cavalry (slightly injured), 100,000 Snow Dragon Cavalry (enhanced version), 50,000 trapped camp, Shadow Guard, Xiaoyu, 10,000 Beifu Army (disabled)!]
[Guards under his command: Emperor Qingyun, Li Sandao, Xu Chu (Emperor level enhanced version)!]
[Luck value: 8,820,563!]
At this moment, Orion's luck value surged past 8.8 million.
"Sigh... that last 1.2 million luck points is proving elusive," he mused, wincing as if suffering from a toothache. While eight million points were already considerable, enough for eight draws from the holy-level lottery, his ambitions extended far beyond that. He craved an emperor-level lottery!
"Perhaps it's time to employ some clever tactics," he thought. "I can use the Dragoon Army's agility to harass the soldiers near Chang'an City and hopefully snag another opportunity for an emperor-level lottery."
According to his sources, three million troops from the Great Zhou Dynasty had gathered around Chang'an, far too many to fit within the city itself. They were now stationed in the surrounding area, presenting the Dragoon Army a chance to strike swiftly and stealthily.
"Yuan Zuozong, tell the Dragon Cavalry to cease cleaning the battlefield. Those remnants are worthless to me!" he commanded coldly. "Now, give the order to march toward Chang'an at full speed. We need to reach the city before nightfall!"
"Understood!" Yuan Zuozong replied promptly.
Meanwhile, news of the 100,000 defenders of Shangyong City being annihilated by Orion's forces swiftly reached Chang'an.
Upon learning this, Zhou Linglong sighed. "What a pity. An army of 100,000 couldn't even delay Orion."
She realized that sending those troops had not been in vain; at least it demonstrated royal resolve. Zhou Linglong had reasons for positioning a hundred thousand troops in Shangyong City—political motives foremost among them. The earlier withdrawal from Yizhou had left many noble families dissatisfied, and the loss of Shangyong City, though expected, could not simply be ignored. Failing to resist would invite scorn from all quarters.
Yet, the strategy had proved futile.
Following the fall of Shangyong City, Orion encountered no further resistance. His journey continued without interruption. Along the way, he noticed spies from various factions trailing his movements. It was clear that he had become a prominent figure throughout the Dongzhou Continent, known for rebelling against the Great Zhou Dynasty and annihilating significant forces.
"Lord, should I deal with those spies?" Ying Mo asked, appearing at Orion's side with respect.
Orion chuckled. "There's no need to eliminate every last one. Even if we dispatch a few, others will merely take their place." He turned to Xu Chu and Qingyun. "Cover the aura of the Dragon Cavalry Army. Yuan Zuozong, order the troops to quicken their pace and shake off these spies!"
"Yes!" came the swift response.
As Orion's orders were executed, the less skilled spies soon found themselves outmatched by the speed of the Dragoon Army, unable to keep up. Those who remained were warriors of significant strength, yet they soon realized the Dragon Cavalry seemed to vanish into thin air. Despite their initial advantage, they could do nothing but watch as the cavalry disappeared from sight, their frustrations boiling over.
Finally, before night fell, Orion and his forces approached within a hundred miles of Chang'an City.
"Chang'an... the place I've yet to see, yet here I am!" Orion smirked, nostalgia flickering across his face. This would be his first time in Chang'an, and he had never anticipated arriving in such a manner.
As night enveloped the sky, the moon hid behind thick clouds. Even though visibility might be limited, powerful figures could still sense the movement of wind and grass within vast ranges. However, Orion's army drew ever closer to the heart of Chang'an without a hint of detection from the three million opposing troops encamped nearby.
This was thanks to the abilities of the two great emperors, Xu Chu and Qingyun, who had effectively cloaked the Dragon Cavalry's presence. The enemy, not even up to the level of Martial Saints, stood no chance of detecting their approach.
In the forbidden realm of Longting, a man in black robes felt a subtle shift in the air around him, furrowing his brow. "Strange... why do I sense fluctuations in the nearby space?" he wondered. Yet, attributing it to the secret realm's inherent instability, he dismissed his concerns and returned to meditation, missing the perfect opportunity for vigilance.
Orion watched as Xu Chu nonchalantly discarded the bodies of several night sentries, then turned his attention to the oblivious enemy camp.
Seizing the moment, Orion's anger flared. They had evaded detection thus far, and with such an ideal opportunity before them, it was time to strike.