Thinking of this, Tang Qing's gaze suddenly froze.
He spoke slowly, breaking the silence in the hall.
"The conventional approach is too slow."
"I am prepared to launch a blitzkrieg."
"Blitzkrieg?"
A hint of doubt appeared in Xue Qinghe's eyes; she had never heard of this novel term before.
Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen, and the others looked at each other, clearly equally puzzled.
Tang Qing did not offer much explanation.
He stretched out his finger, across the long border of the Star Luo Empire, across layers of military strongholds, and finally, he placed it heavily on a majestic city deep within the sand table.
Star City!
"We will bypass all defenses, strike at the heart of the enemy at top speed, and bring our troops to the gates of Xingluo City."
His voice was calm, yet carried a resolute force.
"Seven days."
"I will conquer Xingluo City within seven days!"
"What?"
Yu Yuanzhen was the first to exclaim in surprise. His eyes widened, and his face was filled with shock.
"Seven days? To break through Xingluo City within seven days?"
Ning Fengzhi gasped. Even with his composure, he was shaken by Tang Qing's earth-shattering plan.
"Your Majesty, this...how is this possible?"
The white crane felt a chill run down its spine.
"The journey from Blue Silver City to Star Luo City is long, and the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire lies between them. It might take seven days to march there, let alone conquer the number one city on the continent!"
Everyone present was shocked by this insane plan.
This isn't just daring, it's downright a fantasy!
After a long while, Ning Fengzhi finally came to his senses from the horrifying plan. He took a deep breath, and his usually composed face showed a violent change in expression.
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, this...this is absolutely impossible."
As the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and one of the most intelligent people on the continent, he subconsciously began to analyze every aspect of the plan, and every aspect pointed to the same result—failure.
He walked to the sand table and traced a long line on it with his finger.
"From the northern border to Xingluo City, the straight-line distance is several thousand miles. In between, one has to cross most of the Tiandou Empire, and then break through the Xingluo Empire's border defenses."
"The Kingdom of Barak is the first line of defense, and the Kingdom of Silves is the second. Although these two kingdoms are subordinate, their military strength is not weak and their city defenses are strong enough to hold back any large army for several months."
"Even if we miraculously manage to cross these two lines of defense, there are still several important military strongholds in the Star Luo Empire's homeland behind us, which are mutually supportive and form a tight net."
"Xingluo City is the most powerful city on the continent, with walls a hundred meters high, a garrison of over 300,000 troops, and countless powerful figures stationed there."
"Seven days..."
Ning Fengzhi gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"Let alone taking seven days to breach the city, it would be a miracle if our army could even reach the city safely."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin beside him nodded slowly, his expression solemn.
"Feng Zhi is right."
"When a large army sets out, it often numbers in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. The target is too big, and it is impossible to hide its whereabouts."
"The Star Luo Empire's spies and the Spirit Hall's informants are spread throughout the entire continent. As soon as our army moves, the news will be on Dai Tianfeng's desk within half a day."
"At that time, they will only need to trade space for time and launch layer upon layer of obstruction, and we will be bogged down in the quagmire of war, making it impossible for us to launch a surprise attack."
Yu Yuanzhen and Bai He also looked solemn. Although they were not strategists, they understood the underlying principles.
This plan, though it sounds ambitious, is actually tantamount to suicide.
However, Tang Qing's expression remained unchanged in the face of everyone's doubts.
He listened quietly, and only spoke softly after everyone had finished.
"What you're talking about is conventional warfare."
He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"The Blue Silver Army never fights conventional wars."
"The passes, defenses, and important towns you speak of are nothing more than markings on a map."
He stretched out his finger and gently stroked the sand table, as if to erase those impregnable fortresses from the map.
"I have a way to bypass all of this and appear directly beneath Star Luo City."
What?
These words shocked everyone present.
Ning Fengzhi's pupils suddenly contracted, Yu Yuanzhen's mouth dropped open, and even the usually calm and collected Sword Douluo had a look of surprise and doubt in his eyes.
Overcome all of this?
What arrogant words!
Could he possibly fly there with a large army?
"Your Majesty, are you... are you sure you mean it?" Bai He's voice trembled slightly.
Tang Qing neither answered nor explained.
Some cards are secrets until they are revealed.
He turned around, faced the crowd, and began to issue orders in a calm and clear voice.
"Relay my king's decree."
Everyone's expression tightened, and they immediately bowed and stood at attention.
"Sect Leader Ning, Sect Leader Yu."
"exist!"
"After I leave, all defenses of the North will be entrusted to you two."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is responsible for logistics, intelligence and resource allocation. The elite of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Clan, together with the Blue Silver Legion's garrison, will guard Blue Silver City and guard against any unusual movements from the Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect."
Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen exchanged a glance and replied in unison, "We will obey Your Majesty's command!"
Tang Qing's gaze fell on the white crane again.
"Chief White Crane, I will leave your Swift Scout Legion behind, I will not take it with me."
"Your mission is to monitor the movements across the entire continent, and to report any disturbances back to Blue Silver City immediately."
Bai He nodded emphatically: "Your Majesty, please rest assured!"
"As for Sword Douluo..." Tang Qing looked at Chen Xin, "you will accompany me on this expedition."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xin's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he bowed with his sword in a salute.
"I am willing to serve as the king's vanguard!"
"good."
Tang Qing nodded slightly, and finally her gaze fell on Xue Qinghe.
"Qinghe, you will take charge of the central command and coordinate all parties for me."
Xue Qinghe looked at him deeply and said softly, "Go ahead and do it. I'll take care of things at home."
After issuing the order, Tang Qing didn't say another word, turned around and strode out of the council hall.
As he left, orders flowed out of the city lord's mansion like a stream, reaching every corner of the northern border.
Blue Silver City, this majestic northern city that rose from ruins, is like a sleeping behemoth that slowly opens its eyes.
Countless supplies began to be gathered, squads of soldiers began to assemble, and the massive war machine, unseen by anyone, quietly began to operate with astonishing efficiency.
...
Blue Silver Academy.
Tang Qing and Xue Qinghe walked side by side on the tree-lined path of the academy.
The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow.
Xue Qinghe looked at the man's profile beside her, but her doubts and worries did not diminish at all.
"Are you... really confident?" she couldn't help but ask.
"The city was breached in seven days. That sounds utterly unbelievable."
"I know you are strong, but war is ultimately not a one-person affair."
Tang Qing didn't stop walking; she just smiled faintly.
"Haven't you always been curious about what I do besides cultivating?"
Xue Qinghe was taken aback.
Let's go.
Tang Qing's tone carried a hint of mystery.
"I'll take you to see something new."
Instead of heading towards any of the academy's teaching buildings or training grounds, he led Xue Qinghe to an extremely remote area on the back mountain of the academy, heavily guarded by soldiers.
After passing through three checkpoints, an inconspicuous gray building came into view.
Above the building's main entrance hangs a simple wooden plaque with a few words engraved on it.
Soul Guidance Device Research Lab.
🔥 Read Ahead!
Unlock 40+ advanced chapters on Patreon.
👉 patreon.com/FicHub
(End of chapter)