The two weeks for preparation flew by. According to their agreement, the princes each came to a yard at the outermost of the imperial city. Their troops that were transported into the city using various ways were ready to go. The moment the bell rang at midnight, everyone moved!

  “Remember, the battle tonight will be tough, but not bloody. As we have agreed, as long as you are injured at a fatal point, you must immediately withdraw from the competition. If anyone violates this rule, I, as your leader, will be disqualified!” The First Prince made a final speech before the mobilization.

  The other princes were telling their troops the same thing. Simply put, this would be an intense but friendly battle, which was even more difficult to fight than a deadly one!

  “Go!”


  With the commands from the princes, five armies set out from five different locations within the imperial city while four forces outside the city started to attack the four city gates. Unlike the Third Prince, the others still had many people waiting outside, and the city gate entrances were their first obstacle.

  “Is everything arranged?! This is not our battlefield! Send troops into the city as soon as possible and aid His Royal Highness!” On the wall, all the captains of the garrison troops, who belonged to the Third Prince’s party, roared with their might.

  Their soldiers quickly responded and all garrison troops evacuated from the city wall. This also allowed the troops attacking the gates to enter. However, a series of explosions suddenly shrouded the four gates in flames, unfatal as they had been adjusted, but all the soldiers caught in their scope wisely stopped. After all, if the garrison really wanted them dead, they would have been blown to pieces.

  Meanwhile, even more soldiers who weren’t affected poured into the city in the planned directions.

  However, the garrison had no intention to make their roads smooth. While evacuating, they did so not in the direction of the Third Prince, but all the other princes, planting all kinds of traps along the way and delaying the other troops. Not only so, they even exchanged blows with all other forces with only one purpose -

  Stall!

  As a result, the Third Prince gained the upper hand in the first round of confrontation and became the closest to the palace.

  However, this development was within the expectations of many. When the Third Prince was halfway through, a group of mercenaries stopped his troops.

  “Your Highness, you’d better not go forward, or it’ll be bad if your army tastes annihilation,” coldly said the leader of the mercenary group.

  The Third Prince snorted in disdain. “I’m afraid you’ve never fought with official government troops before.”


  With that, the Third Prince’s exclusive army instantly got into a formation, emitting an overwhelming aura that slowed down the circulation speed of the mercenaries’ origin energy. This was the ability of the Third Prince private army: Crushing Aura!

  This ability not only affected the circulation speed of origin energy but also limited and weakened it. Moreover, the more the opponent was suppressed, the higher the morale of the army.

  “Kill!”


  A loud, piercing roar came from the private army as they charged forth. Meanwhile, the Third Prince resumed on his path as if the situation had nothing to do with him.

  Reality proved that he was not being arrogant at all. Anyone who approached him was stopped and knocked down by his soldiers. When the Third Prince passed through the blockade area, the mercenaries had been dealt with to the last one.

  “My brothers, I know this isn’t all you have.” His expression solemn, the Third Prince quickly moved forward.

  “All clear, Your Highness. We must hurry.”


  On the First Prince’s side, the interfering garrison had finally been cleared. Similarly, the garrison troops everywhere were no longer effective in delaying the other parties.

  “Third Brother should be up ahead, but he can’t go further. Eighth Brother’s people are waiting there,” the First Prince commented without a hint of anxiety. “Let’s go. In any case, we can’t be slower than them!”


  Per his order, the troops accelerated.

  At that same moment, the Eighth Prince’s private army, under the guise of international envoys, appeared in front of the Third Prince.

  “After I pass you, there should be no more obstacles.” The Third Prince wasn’t the slightest worried as he faced the Eighth Prince’s troops. He even looked excited. “Come, show me what you’ve got!”


  As soon as he finished his words, he personally participated in combat for the first time! His aim was to handle the Eighth Prince’s troops before the forces behind him caught up!

  “Brothers, our mission is to stall the Third Prince until reinforcements arrive!”


  The Third Prince immediately heard the last thing he wanted to hear. He was not afraid of clashing head-on, but was afraid that they stood firm and held their ground like this!

  “Open a gap for His Highness!” His troops quickly responded to the situation, gathering an elite team to help break him through the blockade.

  However, it was easier said than done. Just as the Third Prince was about to squeeze his way through, there was a commotion behind - the Sixth Prince’s forces had arrived!

  The Ethereal Merchant Group’s forces were scattered all over the city, so the Sixth Prince chose to disperse his troops while he himself silently snuck through the major blockades, leaving only a body double as a decoy!

  “Those under the Eighth Prince, I think you also know who’s the tougher nut here!” shouted the Sixth Prince as soon as he appeared and sided himself with the Eighth Prince. Because there was no leader, the Eighth Prince’s people made a decision -

  They teamed up with the Sixth Prince to stop the Third Prince first!

  They made way for the Sixth Prince and watched as the Sixth Prince rushed through with his people and then they clashed with the Third Prince.

  Since the Third Prince’s party had just experienced a hard battle, they immediately fell into a bad place when facing the Sixth Prince’s troops that were in their peak condition.

  The scale started tilting for the first time!