Chapter 1376: The Task to Open the Gateway to the Beyond
Chapter 1376: The Task to Open the Gateway to the Beyond
The successful trial of Yue Ying brought great joy to Lu Hai Kong, but it wasn't the most significant event of that day.
Yue Ying, despite her remarkable achievement, had a streak of bad luck. She had finally conquered the trial, and not as a top-tier historical commander, which should have made her the center of attention for that day and even the following period.
However, in reality, Yue Ying's moment in the spotlight lasted only a few hours before it was stolen by others. Of course, Yue Ying herself didn't mind this shift in focus.
For Yue Ying, her existence held only one meaning: to be Lu Hai Kong's sharpest weapon. Everything else was insignificant. Still, the fact that even Lu Hai Kong's attention was diverted slightly caused a slight ripple in her emotions.
The ones who stole the spotlight from Yue Ying were none other than Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, Lu Bu, Cheng Yao Jin, Wei Chi Gong, and Qin Shu Bao.
These six individuals had been under Lu Hai Kong's command for some time, and their identities alone weren't enough to overshadow Yue Ying. However, their status at this particular moment was somewhat delicate. A few months ago, Lu Hai Kong had assigned them a crucial task that concerned every soldier under his command, from the highest-ranking officers to the lowest-ranking foot soldiers.
So, at this very moment, it wasn't just that these six individuals had captured Lu Hai Kong's attention; their mission had seized the focus of Lu Hai Kong and all the commanders present!
As the ten-year mark drew near, the system's protection period was about to expire, and a war of epic proportions was on the horizon.
It was time for Lu Hai Kong to prepare for the upcoming battle against the forces from beyond. Huang Zhong and his team's task was to pave the way for this impending conflict.
The mission Lu Hai Kong entrusted to them was to open the gateway outside the Ironclad City.
The Ironclad City, also known as the Domain City, was a creation of Lu Hai Kong's, built using the Domain City Construction Decree. During its construction, Lu Hai Kong nearly exhausted all of Jingzhou's resources to fortify the city against the final monster siege.
After the completion of the Ironclad City, a massive mysterious gateway appeared adjacent to it.
Initially, Lu Hai Kong had no idea what this gateway was for, but after experiencing several foreign invasions, even he, in his naivety, realized that it must be a portal to the beyond.
This suspicion was confirmed over the past ten years.
The mysterious gateway indeed led to the beyond, but it wasn't a direct passage. Within it lay a subspace akin to a dungeon, and only by conquering this dungeon could one truly open the gateway to the beyond.
Huang Zhong's team was tasked with clearing this dungeon and opening a path for a counter-offensive into the beyond. Yes, on this day, ten years later, Lu Hai Kong was preparing for a counter-invasion.
This decision wasn't solely due to Lu Hai Kong's absolute confidence in his strength. More importantly, the Three Kingdoms world was destined for a confrontation with the forces from beyond, but he didn't want the battle to take place within the Three Kingdoms.
Even with the advantage of home turf, the price of such a conflict would be immense.
The thought of the Three Kingdoms world potentially being contaminated on a large scale was something Lu Hai Kong did not want to see. After all, even after more than a decade, half of Youzhou had yet to fully recover from that battle, and vast stretches of barren land still remained.
Lu Hai Kong wanted to take the initiative and completely eliminate this trouble from beyond the world before the system's protection disappeared.
The success of Lu Bu's mission was crucial for Lu Hai Kong's plan, so upon hearing of their return, he immediately received Huang Zhong and his group at the Northern Defense Tower.
In the tower, Lu Hai Kong saw the figures of Huang Zhong and the five others. The generals beside Lu Hai Kong gasped in disbelief at the sight of these six individuals.
Huang Zhong and his companions looked somewhat pitiful, each bearing injuries, with Wei Chi Gong being the most severely wounded, having lost an arm.
Wei Chi Gong was one of the few fierce generals under Lu Hai Kong's command with a strength rating of over 120, nearly reaching 130. The fact that even he was in such a miserable state was a clear indication of the formidable opponents they had faced.
Lu Hai Kong's gaze fell on Wei Chi Gong's left arm, and his eyebrows furrowed. He immediately instructed those beside him, "Send for Hua Tuo at once!"
The generals' hearts warmed upon hearing that Lu Hai Kong's first concern was not the mission but their well-being. However, recalling their mission, the six generals couldn't help but blush with shame, and they all bowed to Lu Hai Kong simultaneously.
"This subordinate has failed to live up to your expectations, my lord. Please punish me as you see fit!"
Their appearance spoke volumes; there was no need to say that the mission had ended in failure. Lu Hai Kong understood this and said, "Rise, it's just a mission. If we fail, we try again next time. It's not a big deal!"
"However, I am a bit surprised. This mission should have been an easy one for you, shouldn't it?"
Lu Hai Kong had assigned this task, and he was well aware of its difficulty. Logically, with their strength, they should have succeeded without a hitch. The current situation suggested that something unexpected had occurred.
As expected, when Lu Hai Kong inquired about it, Huang Zhong and the others' faces darkened, and they all expressed anger.
"Reporting to my lord, it is embarrassing to say, but we had already passed through that instance. However, at the last moment, we were blocked and forced to retreat!" Huang Zhong replied grimly.
"Blocked and forced to retreat?" Lu Hai Kong's eyebrows furrowed. "Who was it? There shouldn't be anyone in the Three Kingdoms world capable of stopping you. Even Zhang Jiao might not be a match for you now. Could it be someone from beyond the world?"
"No, it wasn't someone from beyond the world!"
"Not someone from beyond the world? Then who could it be?" Lu Hai Kong was taken aback, unable to imagine who in the Three Kingdoms world could simultaneously hold off all six of them.
Huang Zhong and the others opened their mouths to speak, but just then, almost every commander in the tower changed their expressions. An uninvited guest had appeared in the Northern Defense Tower!
Dozens of commanders reacted instantly, ready to apprehend the intruder.
However, before they could make a move, the uninvited guest bowed to Lu Hai Kong, "Your humble disciple, Zhang Jiao, greets Your Majesty!"
"Zhang Jiao?" Lu Hai Kong's eyes narrowed as he recognized the visitor, "Is it you who has ruined my plans?"
(End of Chapter)
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