Xiao Xun refused with a wave of his hand, "No, these are my soldiers. I cannot abandon them and live alone."
At this moment, an archer rushed over, "My lord, we can hardly hold on. If you don't leave now, it will truly be too late."
Everyone around urged Xiao Xun to leave, but Xiao Xun looked at these nearly a hundred thousand soldiers. If they all died here, he would have no face to return.
Suddenly, he remembered his confrontation with Horton and, in his surprise, shouted, "All high-level fire mages, cast your spells on me!"
Although everyone was momentarily confused about Xiao Xun's intentions, they complied.
Several streams of flame converged into a large fireball, which shot towards Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun's hands flashed with white light, absorbing all the flames.
As his entire body felt ignited, he roared, "Enough! Stop!"
Those who were casting spells immediately ceased. Xiao Xun then unleashed "Heavenly Inferno" upon the swarming locusts.
The massive flames reduced the sky-obscuring locusts to ashes. A gust of wind scattered them, leaving no trace behind. If not for the severed heads and scattered locust bodies on the ground, the ferocity of the battle would have been unbelievable.
Xiao Xun said with lingering fear, "Is this truly the power of the Scourge Legion?"
At this moment, the two grand legion commanders were ordering their men to tally the casualties.
Virtually no one was wounded; it was either life or death.
This battle had claimed over twenty thousand lives, and the entire engagement lasted less than ten minutes.
Xiao Xun now believed in the strength of the Scourge Legion. They were certainly capable of conquering a city in a short period, leaving no survivors.
The two grand legion commanders asked Xiao Xun, "Your Highness, shall we retreat or continue our advance?"
Xiao Xun's veins bulged on his forehead, his expression one of fierce determination. "I have never endured such humiliation in my life. So many have already died, and we have come this far. To retreat without even entering the city would be to invite mockery from our enemies as cowards!"
The two grand legion commanders exchanged glances, then looked at Xiao Xun, "Then what is your Highness's intention?"
Xiao Xun pointed towards the direction of Midoa's capital, "Notify the entire army. Enter the city. Once inside, leave no living creature untouched, regardless of what you see."
"Yes!"
The Phoenix Army abandoned its current offensive. The vanguard rushed into the capital, followed closely by the heavy infantry, with the rest of the forces trailing behind.
Before Xiao Xun could enter the city, a messenger ran up, "My lord, a significant discovery has been made in the Midoa Imperial Palace. The vanguard officer dared not make a decision and requests your immediate presence."
Xiao Xun rode his twin-headed dragon into Midoa's capital. The scene was one of devastation, with sticky fluid from exploded locust eggs splattered everywhere and countless human skulls and heads littering the ground. The stench was unbearable.
Witnessing this scene, Xiao Xun felt waves of nausea. Fortunately, he hadn't acted rashly and charged in alone with Bai Yang; otherwise, the city's locusts would have instantly torn him to shreds.
Slaves were cleaning the streets and residential buildings, the locust residue proving to be an overwhelming stench.
Under the protection of the Twelve Star Envoys and accompanied by the two grand legion commanders, Xiao Xun arrived at Midoa's royal palace. It had to be said that this palace was far more magnificent than Sancho's castle.
Upon entering the grand hall, he was confronted by a colossal human face, silver-grey, over two meters tall. It was an oval face, and judging by its contours, that of a great beauty.
This face was supported by six scorpion-like legs. Above the face was a cobra's head, its eyes two clear, yellow gemstones.
The words "snake-like beauty" instantly flashed in Xiao Xun's mind.
The vanguard officer informed Xiao Xun that this was the only place not ravaged by the locusts.
Xiao Xun pointed at the giant human face before him, "Besides this, did you discover anything else?"
The vanguard officer gestured for Xiao Xun to proceed further. As Xiao Xun passed the face, he felt as though the snake's eyes were tracking his movement, but the sensation vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Entering the rear hall, a chamber resembling a bedroom, there was no bed, but a coffin.
The coffin here was crafted like a chest, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, resembling a teardrop.
It had two handles. Pulling the larger handle only lifted half of the lid, while pulling the smaller handle opened the entire lid.
Xiao Xun found the concept of a coffin to be ill-omened and did not approach it. Standing at a distance, he asked, "What is so significant about this item that it warrants reporting?"
The vanguard officer replied, "You will understand when you see it."
Xiao Xun braced himself, as the vanguard officer had already opened the lid. He imagined all sorts of terrifying scenarios involving corpses. Steeling himself, he approached and looked. It was a sight that captivated him forever.
The young woman was extraordinarily beautiful, the most beautiful in the world. Even lying in the coffin, her complexion was still rosy, her eyelashes soft and elegant, and her cherry-like lips beckoned for a kiss.
His gaze was fixed, unable to tear away. What was this? A sleeping beauty? Waiting for a prince's kiss to awaken her? Xiao Xun remembered that he had seen this girl before; she was the lead actress at the opera house, Salefini.
As if possessed, Xiao Xun closed the lid again, realizing he was covered in sweat. "Who discovered this coffin?"
The vanguard officer summoned the soldier who had found the coffin. The young soldier stood before Xiao Xun timidly, having never been so close to a person of such stature.
Xiao Xun asked him, "Describe to me what is inside the coffin."
He described the person in the coffin as being crafted entirely of pure gold, with ruby eyes and diamond teeth.
Xiao Xun then asked the vanguard officer, "What did you see inside the coffin?"
The vanguard officer recounted the same details, confirming it was a priceless golden statue.
Xiao Xun called Bai Yang over and pointed to the coffin, "Go and see what lies within this coffin."
Bai Yang obediently opened the coffin. What appeared before him was none other than the High Priest. He stared at the coffin in shock and exclaimed, "Teacher, how are you inside?"
Xiao Xun quickly moved to close the coffin lid, "Someone! Take this out and burn it!"
Everyone exchanged glances, bewildered by the meaning, but Xiao Xun's order had to be obeyed.
As the coffin was set ablaze, Xiao Xun's soul felt as if it were being drained. He slumped onto a chair, a sense of profound loss washing over him.
After a long silence, he stood up and addressed those present, "This palace cannot be empty. Search it thoroughly. Leave no corner unchecked. There must be a secret room here."
The men obeyed Xiao Xun's command and began a meticulous search of the entire palace. Not a single vase or floor tile was overlooked, but they all returned to Xiao Xun empty-handed.
Xiao Xun returned to the grand hall and looked at the "snake-like beauty" before him. "Of course, you found nothing. But you missed one thing to check." He pointed at the giant human face. "This thing could not have appeared here for no reason. Investigate it! What secrets does it hide?"
The men responded and began searching the silver-grey face.
Suddenly, the individuals standing on the face tumbled down without warning, all at the same time.
Xiao Xun immediately instructed the accompanying priests to examine them. After a thorough examination, a priest turned to Xiao Xun and said, "Your Highness, they have all been subjected to witchcraft."
Xiao Xun looked around, finding nothing unusual. "What kind of witchcraft are they afflicted with? Is it easy to cure?"
The priest replied, "It is petrification, and it is not easily cured."
Xiao Xun walked over and was about to crouch down for a closer inspection when Bai Yang stopped him, "My lord, be careful. It might be contagious."
"It's alright, I won't touch him."