Brownie was ultimately unable to break through and escape. After all, these were the elite Dragon Blood Guards under the command of the Dragon Country's Zhenbei King, and Brownie was captured alive without even a proper resistance.
At this time, the fourth defense line was also nearing its end. With the final scattered enemy forces eliminated, the battle concluded with a great victory for the Western Front Army led by Xiao Yunlong.
Just as Xiao Yunlong had stated before the battle that the enemy would be annihilated, the final outcome was precisely that. Apart from a few key generals captured alive and several thousand enemy soldiers who surrendered, the nearly 200,000 allied forces from the three countries were almost entirely wiped out.
When the news spread, it caused national shock, and even worldwide astonishment, as expected.
"As it turns out, King Xiao Bei's attack on the Stan Kingdom was indeed just a ruse. However, this battle where he annihilated 200,000 enemy troops at Tianzang Mountain can be called a classic!"
Zhang Qingyun, the Northeast Tiger stationed in Wancheng on the Eastern Front, couldn't help but praise upon hearing the news.
"It was indeed brilliant. I initially thought he wouldn't be able to conquer Tianzang Mountain, as the enemy's 200,000-plus troops were defending the mountain with favorable terrain, making a breakthrough difficult in a short period. But he achieved it, and he dismantled their defenses overnight. He's truly remarkable!"
Even the burly, bearded general who had previously found fault with Xiao Yunlong at every turn had to offer his praise.
Zhang Qingyun shook his head and said with a wry smile, "I was initially unconvinced by him, the Dragon Country's God of War, and even thought of competing with him. But after this battle, I am convinced, completely convinced!"
"King Xiao Bei truly lives up to his title as our Dragon Country's God of War. We are all sincerely convinced!" Several other generals also expressed their agreement.
"Let's go, assemble the army, and welcome King Xiao Bei back!" Zhang Qingyun stood up and beckoned, heading out.
At this very moment, in the Dragon Country's imperial capital, the leaders of the various aristocratic clans and powerful families had also received the news from the northern territories.
"This Xiao Yunlong is truly extraordinary. Back then, the Old King of the North, against all opposition, appointed this junior with shallow qualifications as the King of the North. We didn't understand, and even disagreed at the time. Now, it seems the Old King of the North truly had foresight!"
In the highest-level pavilion of the Wentiange in the imperial capital, a white-haired old man smiled with great benevolence.
This person was the current Grand Master of Wentiange, a super-powerful figure in the Dragon Country whose slightest move could shake the entire imperial capital.
Overall, the Grand Master belonged to the seasoned neutral faction. He neither explicitly supported Xiao Yunlong nor openly opposed him. All his actions and decisions were based entirely on the fundamental interests of the Dragon Country.
In other words, if Xiao Yunlong could bring benefits to the Dragon Country, then he would support Xiao Yunlong. In this regard, he was fundamentally different from the old guard who resolutely opposed or even tried to exclude and suppress Xiao Yunlong.
The heroic middle-aged man standing beside the Grand Master spoke, "Master, after this battle, if nothing unexpected happens, King Xiao Bei's next step should be to come to the imperial capital, right?"
The Grand Master nodded slightly, "He will definitely come. The imperial capital is likely to see some excitement next."
The heroic middle-aged man sneered, "If that's the case, then the Tiance Mansion must be restless now, especially the Wang family. They should be the most troubled!"
"Hmph, what a Wang family. Relying on the legacy and foundation of their ancestors, these conservative wastrels cannot tolerate anyone infringing upon their interests, making the imperial capital stagnant like a dead pool for the past decade, devoid of any vitality. This situation is overdue for a change!"
The Grand Master snorted lightly, then continued, "This Xiao Yunlong is like a sharp sword. His return to the capital this time will likely cut through the thorns, clear out the old forces, and allow the imperial capital to regain its former vitality!"
"That's not necessarily true!"
The heroic middle-aged man shook his head and smiled, "These aristocratic clans and powerful families in the imperial capital are deeply entrenched, and their influence is not to be underestimated. The ambush set for Xiao Yunlong in the capital last time is the best illustration. I believe they will not easily compromise or yield this time either!"
The Grand Master did not continue discussing the matter but suddenly asked, "By the way, disciple, what do you think of this Xiao Yunlong? Or rather, how do you compare to him?"
The heroic middle-aged man suddenly smiled, his smile revealing deep confidence and a hint of disdain.
"To be honest, Master, it's difficult for me to answer your question right away." The heroic middle-aged man shrugged slightly.
"Then tell me your true thoughts," the Grand Master asked.
"My true thought is that I have never considered comparing myself to Xiao Yunlong from beginning to end. To say it like this is not entirely accurate. I should say, I simply don't regard him as my opponent!"
The corners of the heroic middle-aged man's mouth curled up slightly, and he continued with confidence and composure, "Master, you may not know, but since entering that place, my martial arts cultivation realm, as well as my vision and perspective, have completely changed. To be honest, King Xiao Bei is indeed outstanding and very strong, but he is not enough to be my opponent. He is not qualified yet!"
He smiled as he said this, and the heroic middle-aged man concluded with a summary, "In general, he and I are simply not on the same level!"
The Grand Master was stunned. After a long while, he asked, "What kind of existence is that place? How could it allow you to cultivate from the Three Flowers Gathering Pinnacle, Martial King realm, to the peak of the True Essence realm, and even step halfway into the legendary Yin-Yang realm, in just two years!"
The Yin-Yang realm was above the Innate True Essence realm. This heroic middle-aged man appeared to be only around thirty years old, yet he had already reached the pinnacle of the Dragon Country's martial arts, becoming a rare existence. It was no wonder he was so confident, not even regarding the Dragon Country's guardian deity, King Xiao Bei, as a worthy opponent.
The heroic middle-aged man bowed slightly and said, "I apologize, Master. Strict regulations were set for that place, stipulating that anyone selected to enter must absolutely not mention it to outsiders, not even to their closest relatives. I ask for your understanding, Master!"
The Grand Master nodded helplessly and then sighed regretfully, "It's a pity that I am past the age limit and am no longer eligible to enter the Dragon Guard Pavilion. If I were thirty years younger, I would definitely have entered the Dragon Guard Pavilion and had the opportunity to step into that place!"
The middle-aged man thought for a moment and said, "In fact, Master, many of the outstanding disciples from the four great aristocratic clans and powerful families in the imperial capital who are in the Dragon Guard Pavilion have already entered that place!"
The Grand Master was surprised and quickly asked, "Wasn't it said that the entry requirements for that place are extremely stringent, and very few people are selected each year?"
"That was before. Due to some changes within, countries around the world are now expanding their recruitment scale, and the entry requirements are also being lowered."
The heroic middle-aged man paused and then continued, "That's why I said earlier that it will be very difficult, even impossible, for King Xiao Bei to enter the Tiance Mansion next and shake the influence of these four great aristocratic clans. After all, once the outstanding disciples from the four major families who entered that place achieve success and emerge, they will undoubtedly be extraordinary. They could probably crush Xiao Yunlong with a mere flick of their fingers."
The Grand Master stood there in silence, clearly shocked by this news. After a long while, he sighed sadly, "This world is becoming more and more unfathomable. It will undoubtedly be the world of you young people. I am old, so old!"
As his disciple, the heroic middle-aged man did not comfort his master, because in his opinion, his master was indeed old. This world was truly vast and mysterious, even to the point of being unimaginable to ordinary people.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yunlong, having just concluded the fierce battle, was resting on Tianzang Mountain, the highest peak of the Tianzang Mountain Range. Although he was unaware of the shock this battle had caused in various circles, he did not dwell on it.
In fact, after practicing the Three Thousand Divine Kingdom techniques, Xiao Yunlong not only saw a significant improvement in his martial arts cultivation realm but also underwent a transformation in his vision and perspective.
He also knew that this world was not simple, far from what ordinary people perceived it to be!
Liu Ruyan, who was beside him, suddenly asked, "Yunlong, after this battle ends, you should be heading to the imperial capital next, right?"
"Yes, it's time to go to the imperial capital!"
Xiao Yunlong nodded slightly and added, "There are still some post-battle matters in the northern territories that need to be handled. After they are dealt with, it should be after the new year. We will celebrate the new year in the northern territories this year. Would you be willing? Otherwise, I'll send a special plane to take you back..."
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Ruyan said, "As long as we are together, it doesn't matter where we celebrate the new year. In fact, there are many fun places in the northern territories, like the snow. I only saw it for the first time not long ago in my life. There are also ice sculptures, herds of cattle and sheep, and vast grasslands..."
Xiao Yunlong said no more, but gently pulled her into his embrace.
After the army finished clearing the battlefield, Xiao Yunlong directly led the army, along with the two main and deputy commanders of the enemy and thousands of prisoners of war, south towards Jiacheng Pass.
Zhang Qingyun and others from the Eastern Front Army had been waiting at Jiacheng Pass for a long time. Seeing Xiao Yunlong's army approaching from afar, they quickly rode out thirty li to meet them.
"Greetings, Your Highness the King of the North!" Zhang Qingyun galloped his horse to Xiao Yunlong's side and then knelt on one knee to pay his respects.
"Greetings, Your Highness the King of the North, we welcome King Xiao Bei's triumphant return!" The generals behind him also knelt on one knee to greet him.
Zhang Qingyun's kneeling naturally represented his complete submission to Xiao Yunlong.
"We are all brothers, there's no need for such formality. Get up!" Xiao Yunlong waved his hand and personally helped Zhang Qingyun up.
Frankly speaking, although Zhang Qingyun was not comparable to Xiao Yunlong, his principles and breadth of mind were quite good. Otherwise, Xiao Yunlong would not have tried to win him over.
"Zhang Qingyun, from today onwards, you will be my fifth great general. From now on, don't call yourself the Northeast Tiger anymore. Call yourself the Flying Tiger General. Are you willing? Also, your former subordinate generals will still be led by you!"
"Your subordinate is willing, thank you, my lord, for bestowing the name and for your trust!" Zhang Qingyun was overjoyed, and the anxiety in his heart finally subsided.
The generals under Zhang Qingyun behind him were also excited upon hearing this, especially the bearded general. He had initially thought that King Xiao Bei would hold him accountable for his previous offense, but now he realized that his perspective had been too narrow.
Unexpectedly, Tu Fu then shouted, "Damn it, you're called the Flying Tiger General, and I'm the White Tiger General. Doesn't the name sound even more impressive than mine?"
Zhang Qingyun was taken aback, as he didn't know how to respond to this.
Zhu Que couldn't help but laugh, "It seems you're not convinced, Iron Bull. How about you two have a fight?"
"Let's fight, who am I afraid of!" Tu Fu grunted.
Seeing the atmosphere about to turn sour, the faces of Zhang Qingyun's subordinate generals behind him became a little uneasy.
Zhang Qingyun, who possessed high emotional intelligence, laughed loudly at this moment, "I've long heard that the White Tiger General Tu Fu has a great capacity for alcohol. How about we compete in drinking at the upcoming celebration banquet to see who can drink more?"
"Alright, let's compete in drinking. When it comes to drinking, I, Iron Bull, have never conceded to anyone. We won't go home until we're drunk!"
Tu Fu laughed heartily. This big fellow also had a good emotional quotient. The final phrase "we won't go home until we're drunk" finally smoothed over the atmosphere.
"Since that's the case, count me in. Let's brothers have a good drink together then!" Zhuge Wushuang said loudly, and everyone else laughed in agreement.
Seeing that the atmosphere was almost right, Xiao Yunlong suddenly said sternly, "Flying Tiger General, heed my command! Lead your eighteen thousand troops to immediately set up an ambush at Tianzang Mountain to intercept and assassinate any possible frontal assault by the Snow Wolf Kingdom's vanguard!"
"Yes, my lord!" Zhang Qingyun cupped his fists and then led his subordinate generals to action.
"Remaining soldiers, follow me back to the Northern Territory Grand Camp!" Xiao Yunlong gestured grandly, speaking with high spirits.