Published: February 10, 2025
The cold season finally passed, and the howling wind and snow stopped, waiting for their next return.
The Blue Secret Realm is truly magical; after the cold season, the temperature rises rapidly. In just two days, the ice and snow melted away, and the air was filled with the scent of earth.
However, the ground would be muddy, yet one place was different. A vast stone platform made up of white hexagonal jade slabs was laid over the muddy land, pressing the muck beneath. This 'white ground' stretched for more than ten miles, displaying a level of luxury and extravagance that was astonishing.
Above the white jade stone surface, there were massive tents in pristine white with golden edges, and on one side, there was a semi-open beast enclosure filled with countless strange and exotic creatures.
In the camp, the sound of music could be faintly heard. Troops of clean and tidy guards patrolled the area, holding long spears, their footsteps uniform.
At the four corners of the camp stood four huge white jade pillars, each reaching dozens of meters high, topped with a blooming flower shape. Light points twinkled on them; although small, they were extraordinarily radiant. From time to time, light sand would flow down from these points, drifting toward the largest central pillar of the camp, coming together to form a canopy of light sand, shielding the area from the occasional drizzle and light snow.
In a huge tent at the northeastern corner, three middle-aged men were seated around a stone platform intricately carved with beautiful patterns, sipping green liquid from bone cups polished as smooth as jade.
"Southern Commander, is there still no news?"
The only middle-aged man without armor turned his gaze to the white-armored man on his left, asking with concern.
The man referred to as the Southern Commander sighed, "There is."
The other man dressed in silver armor, who was observing a scroll, also looked up, clearly very concerned about this matter.
"Here, their bodies were found... the entire army was wiped out."
The Southern Commander's finger gently flicked a black chess piece, which flew from his hand and stuck to the map hanging beside the tent.
Though the map was nowhere near as accurate and exquisite as those made using precise instruments on Earth, it was quite impressive compared to the ignorance of the posthumous children.
The other two men's faces darkened upon hearing this. Although they were not the commanders of the order of the radiant knights, the three military factions of the Sanctuary were closely tied, and now, during wartime, they felt pained by such losses.
Five hundred radiant knights, an entire detachment.
It had been some time since the invasion of the posthumous children began, and the Sanctuary's army had not encountered any significant resistance, let alone suffered such losses.
"Which king zun did this?"
In their minds, the only ones capable of annihilating a detachment of five hundred radiant knights among the posthumous children were the king zun and his tribe.
The unarmored middle-aged man asked, his eyes flashing with intensity, and though his tone did not place the king zun in high regard, he was indeed qualified to say this as the commander of the Holy Sanctuary's guards, the Holy Father's elite.
"I don’t know. That location isn't within the territory of any royal tribe. Although we have been in the posthumous children’s territory for a while, we have only been conducting targeted clean-ups on the outskirts and have not delved deep into the regions controlled by those king zuns," replied the Southern Commander, his expression thoughtful.
"Did the other detachments not receive any distress signals?" asked Zai Li, the commander of the radiant feather knights, with suspicion.
"None," Nan Jin replied blankly, which caused both Rong Zhi and Zai Li to change color.
They were also commanders of troops. Although they did not directly lead the order of the radiant knights, they were well aware of how strictly Nan Jin enforced discipline. While the Sanctuary’s offensive was proceeding smoothly, they had yet to encounter the posthumous children's elite Royal City forces and super tribes, so caution was paramount. A detachment that was completely annihilated should not have strayed too far from the main army, yet it had been eliminated silently. Who could have done this? When did the posthumous children gain such capability?