"Arrows incoming!" yelled Fu Qian in warning from the back as he tried to stop the remaining soldiers from rushing forward recklessly. A swarming volley of arrows soared through the skies like a murder of black crows headed towards the men overtaken by their blood-lust.

A number of Viscount Sanzu's men had already broken ranks, intoxicated with the thrill of inflicting a crushing defeat on the enemy, they were chasing down and killing the bedraggled soldiers trying to escape from the battlefield.

After hearing the warning they came back to their senses and stopped chasing the enemy, immediately they raised their shields in a desperate bid to protect themselves from the dark cloud of incoming projectiles, they hurriedly formed a raggedy shield formation and held their breath bracing themselves for the shower of death about to fall from the sky.

The vulnerable and frantic soldiers of the nobles who had discarded their heavy equipment in a desperate attempt to make a speedy escape from the slaughtering fields of the western hills, screamed in terror as they were caught unaware in the rain of arrows coming from their allies, blood splashed and splattered over the rocky terrain as the arrows impaled friend and foe mercilessly.

The viscount's men who had lost their discipline in the fog of slaughter had left themselves open to attack from the distant archers because they had strayed too far from their own lines, they too took horrible casualties even with their shields raised in a tight formation, the volume of arrows raining down found the gaps in their defense like water seeping through soil.

Moans, screams and shouts rose in the air as they made a desperate retreat from the open ground while being peppered with arrows, abandoning the dead while dragging the injured back towards their own lines in chaos, leaving trails of blood staining the ground behind them. The survivors had to quickly get out of range of the archers before the second volley of arrows arrived....

"What happened? Who were you fighting? What caused those explosions?"

Hong Zang was livid as he asked quick-fire questions, reports from the paltry dozens of shell shocked survivors who had made it back to their lines described a terrifying weapon wielded by the soldiers of the western hills and the ghastly casualties the weapon had left behind on the battlefield.

Hong Zang listened to the details trembling in trepidation, he could not believe his ears. He had lost almost 90 percent of his troops. He had only kept two hundred of his forces in reserve. Blinded by his thirst for revenge he had sent the majority of his troops together with Elder Wan's forces to raid the western hills, only now did he realize that Baron Hongtian had sent them as cannon fodder.

Elder Wan didn't fare any better, he was pale-faced and could barely breathe when the tally of his casualties reached his ears. He regretted his eagerness in assaulting the western hills, wishing he had held back his forces like Baron Hontian and Elder Juantao but there was no medicine for regret. He had lost so much of his forces that he was now one of the weakest nobles in the western region of the capital.

When word of the disastrous failure reached the big tent in the nobles war camp Song Zemin sat on his cushioned chair with a sour face, he had banked on the army of these nobles whittling down the defenders of the western hills then he would waltz into the manor and execute Hartley and his wife gloriously in front of the army and assert his position in the eyes of these nobles from the western region of the capital.

"Lets go." he stood up and marched out of the tent....

A tall and confident man looking in his forties walked towards the entrance to the western hills. He wore white robe that fluttered in the wind. The view of a large field filled with the dead at the mouth of the winding roads leading towards the western hills greeted his eyes, he scowled as he headed through the scattered corpses towards the western hills with plans of the most gruesome revenge forming in his head....

It was about an hour since the slaughter in the western hills, the sun shone brightly on this spring day. All the nobles had gathered at the front line to watch Song Zemin open the way, now that he was personally taking action surely they would strike a decisive blow against the defenders of the western hills regardless of what weapons they were using....

Back on the high ground of the western hills Fu Qian could be heard shouting loud orders as the viscount's men regrouped and reorganized themselves while administering first-aid to their injured. Heaving breaths, gasped of pain, curses and prayers could be heard mixed with the chaotic screams of the wounded laying on the ground.

The elites of House Hartley took up positions at the front, they only had twenty of the black orbs remaining, they were now nervous, there was no way they could repel another full scale assault from the noble forces.

"Someone is coming!" came a shout from one of the soldiers, everyone looked at the person walking casually towards the winding roads below.

An arrow whizzed from Fu Jianu towards the man dressed in white, with a simple wave of his right hand the arrow was shattered into dust without the man even breaking his casual strides.

Most of the soldiers gulped, the man was radiating an overwhelming oppressive power, everyone gripped their weapons nervously until their knuckles were white, mentally preparing themselves for an even harder battle than they had just had with over two thousand soldiers...

Suddenly there was a swirl of wind and thin blue spiral lines like longitude around a small globe.

Among the defenders,a young man with black hair and blue eyes appeared in the ranks, Fu Qian was the first to see the new person on the scene and breathed a sigh of relief as he ran over. He gave a knight's salute saying "my lord."

All the elites from House Hartley followed suit.

"Rise." Hartley said in a calm voice, "you've all done well." Hartley patted Fu Qian's shoulder then started walking out to the westerns hills to meet the newcomer.

"Fall back, I'll take it from here." Hartley spoke without turning to address anyone in particular.

Hartley casually walked through the carnage wreaked by the secret weapons produced by Alrick, he strolled pass the mutilated dead bodies littering the battlefield, walking without a care as if the wretched mangled corpses were blooming lilies in a summertime garden. Hartley dressed in black walked to meet Song Zemin dressed in white.

From one look in the eyes of the man approaching, Hartley instantly knew who the man was, how could he forget those eyes, the black as ink pupil surrounded by the white as lily sclera. Six months ago those eyes would have sent shivers down Hartley's spine, the first time he had seen those eyes it was like he was looking up at a God. Now all he saw was an old man filled with rage and hatred.

The mountain air was thick with the scent of blood wafting around on a brisk wind, as the two came closer, the killing intent that radiated from Song Zemin was stifling. Hartley stopped ten meters from Song Zemin, both men stood on grass stained red in the middle of the bloody carnage from the battle earlier. The scene looked like two demons about to engage in a death battle on a stage made from corpses..

With a smile Hartley talked casually to the man.

"So, we finally meet."

Returning the smile Song Zemin replied.

"Yes, finally a thorn can be removed from the capital, make no mistake young man, you and all who stand with you will suffer for your transgressions and then that pretty little redhead is next."

Hartley answered with a cordial smile lacking any aggressiveness. "I'm afraid you've delivered yourself to serve as a stepping stone to demonstrate the power of the western hills and as a result I will establish myself as the ruler of the west."

Song Zemin snorted, "you are too deluded, holding this petty position among the nobles so quickly as gone to your head. Today you will find that the capital is no place for inexperienced bumpkins. Are you stalling for time thinking the young prince is on his way to save you? You are not as valuable as you think."

Hartley's face became serious as he said, "the fruit of a poison tree is poisoned just like your petty politics. I have no interest in the politics of the capital, I depend only on my own power.".....

Baron Hongtian stood at the front lines surrounded by his personal guards, the sun was bright and the wind cool. The baron was so pleased with himself he almost smiled. He had orchestrated this plan which had come together perfectly, how could he not feel proud of himself. He had managed to weaken Elder Wan and Hong Zang and uprooted the troublesome Hartley at the same time.

After this was all over he would step in and offer his help on behalf of the eldest prince to Hong Zang and Elder Wan, for a price of course...

Just as he was lost in thought.....BOOM!.....

The ground shook underfoot. Everyone was tossed like a mixed salad as the violent rattle swept them off their feet. Confusion and chaos reigned among their ranks as everyone tried to figure out what had happened.

Some scrambled back to their feet just in time to see a gigantic body falling to the ground stirring up a cloud of dust.

Song Zemin got back to his feet in disbelief. He had gathered all the earth elements around him and wrapped himself in a suit of earthen armor which made him five meters tall looking like a humanoid monster made of stone.

One brutal punch would be enough to turn the arrogant youth before him into mush he had thought to himself. As he stepped forward relishing the splendor of destruction he was about to wreak upon the youth's body, he drew back his hand and punched forward.

All the dead bodies and pieces of shattered military equipment surrounding the two were swept up in a gayle force and swirled creepily in the sky, his fist expanded with more earth elements as it moved forward...by the time it had reached Hartley his fist was as big as a bucket.... Then something that shocked him happened....Hartley punched out..

Three blue flashed erupted as Hartley's fist made contact with his. There was a colossus explosion, the bodies swirling above them were ripped to shreds as a flash of black energy exploded out like a streak of lightning between the two, sending Song Zemin flying back almost a hundred meters with a shriek of disbelief, the figure of the stone humanoid hit the ground like a bomb and shook the earth.

As he got to his feet he felt throbbing pain all over his body, there were cracks scattered across his armor and blood dripping from his mouth.

He saw Hartley walking forward towards him nonchalantly looking uninjured. Gritting his teeth in determination he pushed the pain to the back of his mind and stomped down with his left foot. The earth rumbled and spikes as thick as a adult thigh shot upwards from the ground aimed at impaling the youth at an angle.

There was a flash of blue from a sphere that instantly surrounded the youth, a circular pulse-wave shot out from Hartley like an extending halo as it shattered the spikes into a fine haze of dust that hung in the air.

Finally the alarm bells started ringing in Song Zemin's head.

He was at the peak of the 9th layer, after the backlash he suffered in the spatial crack, he still hadn't reached back to his peak power but he should be able to easily deal with anyone below the saint realm.. Just as he was contemplating fleeing and returning to finish the job when he was at his peak again..

With shocking suddenness Hartley appeared in front of him delivering another punch with his compressed circulation technique. This time there was four bright flashes of blue.

Everyone standing on the front lines of the nobles saw clearly this time, the stone monster standing five meters tall was blasted away like a cannon ball, producing a loud boom as the armor made of stone turned to dust and a man dressed in white tumbled and pitched across the battlefield ejecting a mouthful of blood like an arrow leaving a bow-string, moaning and wailing sounds escaped from his mouth like a wraith from hell as he came to a stop in full display before the terrified onlookers.

Just the sound emitted from the strike alone deafened the soldiers and nobles watching the exchange, their moral sunk into the doldrums after seeing such a highly regarded expert thrashed with such ease.....

Prince Jian sat in his office waiting for news from the battlefield of the western hills.

There was a slight ripple in the air beside him and a voice informed him of the happenings of the battle in real time. He had sent one of his saints to keep an eye on the battle.

After receiving the latest news, again the scales shifted in the young prince's mind, now the benefit of having Hartley under his banner far outweighed the riches to be gained from him hoarding the white iron for himself. Hartley could genuinely tip the scales of power in the capital...

He let out a cold breath thanking his lucky stars that he hadn't declared his position prematurely.

He immediately decreed that Zhi Ruo was no enemy of the kingdom and urgently sent his troops to defend the western hills.

Commander Genk couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment when he received the orders, he'd underestimated the shamelessness of the young prince's politics. The prince was one of the most insincere people the commander had ever met in the capital, on the surface he was scholarly and wise but deep down he was only motivated to act when benefits were to be gained in increasing his own power.

Someone like Commander Genk who truly adored talent and was happy to see talented allies around him grow and blossom towards fulfilling their potential, just couldn't wrap his head around such a concept. Doesn't it mean that no one was truly an ally to the prince?

How could he truly believe in the prince anymore when the boy who had saved the lives of him and his men in Tivoli was seen as nothing but a pawn to be discarded at the prince's leisure.

What did that make the commander himself? Just a tool to be wielded when it suited the prince's agenda?