"The bow isn't quite suited to my hand."
Chen Sanshi watched the corpse plummeting straight down in front of him. Holding the golden bow, he weighed it a few times, only to feel that it lacked heft. Then he turned and headed toward Yongjia Prefecture.
The sudden appearance of the orthodox faction's main army was, for the defenders of Yongjia Prefecture, like troops erupting straight out of the ground—utterly unexpected.
Coupled with the death of the cultivator overseeing the defense, the garrison collapsed immediately. There was no overall command to speak of; they scattered like startled birds and fleeing beasts.
During the pursuit, the Liangshan troops and Sima Yao's main force pressed the attack, almost completely annihilating the 8,000 defenders. Only a very small number managed to survive and cross the Fei River tributary.
With thunderous momentum and nearly zero casualties, they occupied Yongjia Prefecture and faced the million-strong enemy army across the river.
"Commander."
Sima Yao climbed onto the city wall and bowed respectfully. "The entire army is fully prepared. When do we cross the river? What should we do next?"
"Send men to fell trees and prepare to build pontoon bridges along the bank."
Chen Sanshi said calmly, "At midnight tonight, the entire army will cross the river and charge straight into the enemy formation."
"Directly?"
Sima Yao had just begun to question it when he immediately stopped himself. "This subordinate understands."
"Anything else?"
Chen Sanshi asked softly when he saw Sima Yao lingering.
"Commander Chen!"
Sima Yao suddenly dropped to one knee, clasped his fists, and said with ringing conviction, "This subordinate is willing to go through fire and water for the commander, without hesitation!"
This was a battlefield—life and death were already shared.
Yet to say such words here carried a deeper implication.
This was an offer of allegiance.
"You."
Chen Sanshi scrutinized him. "What do you mean by this?"
"Commander Chen,"
Sima Yao said bluntly, "The orthodox court is full of mediocre mortals, unworthy of planning with. From this day forth, the Sima clan is willing to follow the commander to the end!"
"Sima Yao."
In the shadow of the trees, the expression on the white-robed figure's face could not be seen. "Put away those thoughts. Do what is before you first."
Sima Yao hurriedly said in alarm, "This subordinate understands!"
The white-robed figure did not respond further and turned to leave.
Sima Yao remained kneeling on the ground until the figure's back disappeared completely from view, only then slowly rising.
"Father?"
Sima Chi and Sima Lan, waiting not far away, looked utterly confused.
"What?"
White-haired and white-bearded, Sima Yao stood up somewhat stiffly, lightly brushing the dust from his clothes. "Do you think it was shameful for your father to kneel to a man in his twenties? Or do you think I chose the wrong person to pledge to? Or perhaps both?"
The two sons fell silent—clearly, they thought it was both.
"Childish!"
Sima Yao scolded angrily. "You've spent so many years on Heavenly Water Isle—how can you still judge a person by age? Two years to cultivate from early True Force to middle True Force—how many on Heavenly Water Isle can accomplish that?
"And another thing.
"In the eyes of Guiyuan Sect, what do you think we amount to? How many resources would we ever receive?
"Do not add flowers to brocade—send charcoal in the snow!"
An early-stage True Force martial artist was nothing to Guiyuan Sect, but to Northern Liang, such people were exceedingly rare—let alone an entire clan.
"But…"
Sima Lan said hesitantly, "The battle at the Fei River is still undecided. Isn't this a bit rushed?"
"I know,"
Sima Chi took over. "That's precisely why, with life and death uncertain, this is when we present our pledge. If we miss this chance, there won't be another."
"And if we lose?"
Sima Lan said uneasily, "Even if Chen Sanshi has broken through, the enemy still has Longqing and Ling Kui, plus the Six Ding Six Jia grand formation formed by a million troops. In my view, our chances of victory might not even reach five tenths."
"Lan'er."
Sima Yao narrowed his eyes slightly. "Once the battle begins, you stay in the rear to stabilize things. Don't rush forward. If you see the situation turning unfavorable… immediately take the most talented youths of the clan and flee Eastern Divine Continent."
"Your son…"
Though reluctant, Sima Lan finally clasped his fists. "I understand."
After finishing his instructions,
Sima Yao clasped his hands behind his back and gazed across the riverbank. Even from dozens of li away, he could see the dense black mass of troops and the grand formation with spiritual power surging skyward.
In his mind, he recalled the white-robed figure's deployment.
Midnight tomorrow…
Charge straight across?
In his view, this was no different from throwing lambs into a tiger's den—nearly tantamount to suicide.
Yet this was the Sima clan's only chance to establish itself on Eastern Divine Continent.
Sima Yao could only…stake his life on it!
Across the river.
The imperial army.
Central command tent.
"Terrible news!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Terrible news!"
Several surviving city defenders, disheveled and battered, burst into the tent, dropping to their knees in panic as they cried out:
"Chen—Chen Sanshi has led his army to Yongjia Prefecture. Immortal Master Zhong Fan was killed on the spot!
"Out of 8,000 brothers, only a handful of us made it back alive!"
Before the screen.
Emperor Longqing half-closed his eyes. "Slow down. Stop shouting. I'm timid—I can't withstand such fright."
"This general deserves death!"
Understanding that the emperor was mocking his loss of composure, the lieutenant general kowtowed repeatedly. "This general deserves death!"
"Enough nonsense!"
The Prince of Qin urged, "How many men did Chen Sanshi bring?"
"T-two hundred thousand!"
The lieutenant general swallowed hard. "At least 200,000—and the number of Immortal Masters is likewise immense. We couldn't determine it in a short time!"
Two hundred thousand?!
At these words, the great tent fell into brief silence.
If there truly were 200,000 troops, plus the 100,000 or so inside Kunyang City, that would be 300,000 soldiers in total.
Three hundred thousand against one million—the disparity was suddenly far less overwhelming.
In the hands of the white-robed commander, it might unleash astonishing combat power.
Emperor Longqing did not speak immediately. He simply flicked his sleeve, rose, and stepped onto an immortal crane, ascending into the air to survey the opposite bank.
Under the vast heavens, the dark mass of Baguo Mountain stood towering and imposing, like a colossal beast slumbering upon the thick earth. As far as the eye could see, its body was covered in jagged rocks, dense and interlinked vegetation devouring the light. Grass and trees swayed in the wind, rustling as if whispering in low voices. Verdant trees loomed and drifted like twisted demonic claws, while streaks of crimson banners fluttered among the forests, constantly shifting. Shadowy troops moved within, their numbers impossible to judge—one could only see…
Everywhere you looked—there were troops!
If 200,000 soldiers were fully deployed, this was indeed the scale it would reach.
From time to time, figures could also be seen flying through the sky. They were likely cultivators sent by Yunding Palace to reinforce the battle, numbering more than 20.
"Shan Liangcheng."
Emperor Longqing spoke in a drawn-out tone. "Is this what you meant when you said the enemy reinforcements would not exceed 50,000?"
Witnessing the scene before him, Shan Liangcheng's expression grew grave. "If this is truly the case, then it means that after the battle at the Fei River began, the Qing Kingdom had already started making preparations."
Cao Kai did not respond, merely signaling for him to continue.
"Your Majesty need not worry. Even if there truly are 200,000, we can still deal with them with ease."
Gripping the Golden Radiance Bamboo, Shan Liangcheng pointed toward Kunyang City and said, "At the latest, before midnight tonight, I will be able to break the city's defensive formation.
"When that time comes, my sect's senior brothers will employ a human-wave tactic. It will be more than sufficient to deal with the rebels inside the city.
"I will remain at the center to command the battle formation.
"Your Majesty and Senior Ling Kui can then focus entirely on dealing with Chen Sanshi.
"Moreover, once the Thick Earth barrier is activated, all news from Kunyang City will be completely sealed off. They will have no way of knowing that the white-robed one has returned.
"When the formation is broken, it will be the moment of their collapse.
"Therefore,
"What we need to do now is nothing more than redirect the central army and the rear army, changing their orientation from facing Kunyang City to facing the Luojian River, to prevent the enemy from launching a sudden attack while we are unprepared.
"Your Majesty,
"The decisive moment will be midnight tonight!
"After this battle is concluded, relying on Your Majesty's cultivation, you will be able to bring the entirety of Eastern Divine Continent under control within three to five years. When that time comes, the Mang Mountain ancestral vein will naturally be well within reach.
"Once this matter is accomplished, I ask that Your Majesty not forget—"
"Matters after the war can be discussed later."
Emperor Longqing cut him off. "What your Shengyun Sect needs to do is fight this battle well. As for the rest, there is no need for Immortal Master Dan to concern himself."
Faced with the other party's arrogance, Shan Liangcheng could only endure it. After bowing respectfully, he took up his life-bound artifact and continued to control the formation's assault on the city.
"Rumble—!"
With the dual empowerment of the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal and Ling Kui, the Black-Armored Xunwind Formation that had held on until now finally produced a fissure amid a tremendous buzzing roar—and…
It could not be repaired!
Like prey finally shedding its first drop of blood under siege, greatly stimulating the beasts, the imperial soldiers' morale surged to its peak. They launched their final assault on the city in a near-maddened frenzy.
At the same time, the rest of the imperial army began to mobilize.
In this campaign, more than 1,000,000 troops were divided into four parts.
They were the vanguard army, the front army, the central army, and the rear army. The vanguard numbered 100,000, while the other three each consisted of 300,000 troops.
Once the latest orders were issued, the army began to reorient itself in batches.
When numbers reached the millions, mere figures could no longer convey how vast the scene truly was. The troops had already completely blanketed the entire plain, stretching beyond the horizon and forming a true "sea of humanity."
Such an enormous army was like a colossal siege engine. Its power was indeed inexhaustible, but it was equally constrained by its sheer size, making its movements inevitably ponderous.
Every single soldier was a cog within this massive mechanism. Move one part, and the whole responded. Just transmitting an order from the front to the rear alone required more than two hours.
And that was with cultivators assisting.
If there were no cultivators and the army relied solely on mounted messengers, then a seemingly simple command such as "have the central army and rear army form up facing east toward the Luojian River" would take at least half a day to complete at best.
After all, in a million-strong army, even just connecting head to tail spanned dozens of li.
War drums thundered. Banners danced.
These ear-splitting sounds looked like displays of momentum, but in truth they were the army's "communication tools."
How many beats the drums struck and how the banners were waved represented exactly how many steps the soldiers were to shift within the formation—not even half a step could be wrong.
It was precisely for this reason that the phrase "the more, the better" was something only a military immortal was qualified to say.
At last, under the orderly operation of this colossal mechanism, the commands were successfully carried out. While maintaining the Six Ding Six Jia grand formation, the central and rear armies—600,000 troops in total—turned their spearheads, their military edge pointing straight toward the eastern Fei River tributary, the Luojian River.
Moreover, these 600,000 troops pressed tightly against the Luojian Riverbank. One more step forward and they would have fallen into the river. Combined with the Six Ding Six Jia grand formation, layers of golden light walls were generated along the river's edge, leaving the enemy no opportunity whatsoever to cross.
"Rumble—!"
On the battlefield ahead,
With the arrival of a new wave of bombardment,
The cracks in Kunyang City's defensive formation multiplied from a single line into several, until an irregular breach with a diameter of more than 1 zhang was blasted open at the southeastern corner.
A Shengyun Sect cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection flew into the city. He summoned a golden flying blade and formed seals with both hands, pouring all of his mana into it.
"Buzz!"
The golden flying blade tore through the void. Wherever it passed, any Northern Liang soldier standing in its way—whether holding shields or wearing armor—was cleaved cleanly in half at the waist.
Because it was so sharp, many people were left with only half their bodies still swinging weapons, only realizing they were already dead when blood sprayed forth and agonizing pain arrived.
The golden flying blade advanced unstoppably, about to sever Old Huang's head in a single strike!
"Hey!"
Huang Laojiu was startled out of his wits and hurriedly summoned a vine-armored shield.
The shield successfully blocked the flying blade.
But Huang Laojiu himself was sent flying backward by the surging mana. His old bones slammed hard into the city wall, making him bare his teeth in pain.
The Shengyun Sect cultivator did not give him a moment to catch his breath. Gripping the rebounding golden curved blade, he charged forward once more.
As long as he killed this formation master, it would be the greatest merit of the battle. Forget a Foundation Establishment Pill—even resources up to the middle and late stages of Foundation Establishment would no longer be a concern.
"Clang!"
A flying sword thrust in from the flank.
Cui Zichen of the Seeking Immortals Tower intervened in time to block him, then engaged him in a battle of spells.
Once Qian Qiren and the others freed their hands, they rushed over to assist. After several exchanges, they finally slew that cultivator.
"Senior Huang."
Cui Zichen stepped forward to support him. "Are you all right?"
"How could I be all right? I nearly died!"
Huang Laojiu's old, bark-like face was filled with pain. "At most a few more hours, and the grand formation will collapse. Where is Daoist Chen—has he still not returned?"
Seeing him in such a sorry state, having been chased and nearly killed by a cultivator even weaker than himself, Cui Zichen felt a chill in his heart.
It seemed this battle could not rely on this man at all—they could only depend on… the white-robed one.
But the problem was…
Where was he?!
Right now, more than 100,000 of them were trapped within the Thick Earth barrier, completely cut off from the outside world, unaware of what was happening beyond it.
According to the originally agreed time, the white-robed one's reinforcements should have already appeared near Eight Lords Mountain by now, yet there was not the slightest movement.
Above their heads, the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal seemed to come alive, continuously growing larger. In just a few breaths, it expanded to more than 1 zhang wide, its golden radiance dazzling as it accumulated power, the oppressive pressure growing ever stronger.
As one waxed, the other waned—the flowing light of the Black-Armored Xunwind Formation grew increasingly dim.
"Suppress!!!"
A supremely majestic and thunderous "Suppress" resounded between heaven and earth, and the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal, now more than 1 zhang across, descended accordingly.
The barrier of the Black-Armored Xunwind Formation was like a glass dome inverted over the city. And at this very moment, this crack-filled glass…
finally could no longer bear the strain and exploded with a deafening roar.
"Boom!"
Amid violent tremors, the entire city of Kunyang lurched and tilted, before being completely laid bare before the enemy forces.
From this moment on, there was no longer any external power capable of stopping the imperial army's advance. More and more enemy troops and cultivators began to swarm onto the city walls.
"Brothers!"
"The Grand Commander will come to get us soon!"
"Hold on a little longer!"
"Whether we win this battle or not depends entirely on us!"
"Kill—!"
Wang Zhi raised his long saber and roared as he charged toward the battlements.
The soldiers had long since lost any path of retreat. Every single one of them clenched their weapons and fought on in a bloody struggle.
Outside the barrier.
After successfully breaking the grand formation,
Emperor Longqing gently raised his hand and drew the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal back into his sleeve.
The old ancestor of the Ling family, Ling Kui, did not attack Kunyang after it lost its defensive formation. Instead, he came to the emperor's side, sword in hand, standing in midair.
The two of them stood ready in full vigilance.
Because they could see that, on the opposite bank of the Luojian River, the troops under the white-robed one had begun to form ranks.
With Kunyang City trapped by the Thick Earth barrier, once the Black-Armored Xunwind Formation was gone, the defenders inside were nothing more than turtles in a jar—certainly doomed.
Under such circumstances, Emperor Longqing and Cao Kai had to remain stationed at the center army to prevent the white-robed one from suddenly launching an assassination strike that would leave them unable to attend to both front and rear.
Within their sight, a small skiff appeared on the surface of the Luojian River. On it stood a long-robed youth, unarmed, clearly indicating he was only a messenger.
Before the battle lines of two armies, envoys were not slain.
With Emperor Longqing's tacit consent, Sima Chi slowly drew near the bank.
"Little thief."
Ling Kui narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Since the one surnamed Chen has arrived, why does he still sit idle? If he drags things out any longer, everyone inside Kunyang City will be dead."
Sima Chi did not go ashore. Standing on the skiff, he called out loudly, "We have long wished to decide this in a battle to the death. Unfortunately, it is you who are greedy for life and afraid of death. That is why my side sent me here to deliver a letter of challenge."
"Greedy for life and afraid of death?"
The Prince of Qin cursed angrily. "Brat, stop spouting nonsense!"
"Prince of Qin, please listen to me calmly."
Sima Chi said leisurely, "If you were not greedy for life and afraid of death, why would you form up by the riverbank and even set up a barrier? Clearly, you dare not face our army in a direct battle!
"My Grand Commander asked me to convey a message to you.
"If you truly wish to fight a decisive battle, then retreat 20 li and give our army space to land.
"Once our forces have crossed and formed ranks, then we will fight!
"If not, then let us simply wear each other down across the river. With a million troops eating and horses consuming fodder every single day, let us see how long you can hold out!"
After finishing his words, he took up the oars himself, turned the boat around, and slowly departed until he disappeared back toward the opposite bank.
"This…"
After hearing his speech, many of the generals began to discuss among themselves.
The current situation was indeed exactly as he had said.
If they truly continued to face off across the river like this, it was the imperial court that could not afford the prolonged consumption.
"Why not let them come ashore!"
The Prince of Qin proposed. "Even if they have 200,000 troops, our central army and rear army together amount to 600,000!"
"No."
Shan Liangcheng spoke up to reject it. He cupped his fists lightly toward the emperor. "Your Majesty, Chen Sanshi is growing anxious.
"Now that Kunyang City's defensive formation has already been broken, it will fall before long. His wife and child are still inside and will inevitably be captured alive by us. The white-robed one understands this clearly, yet has no way to cross the river for the time being, so he sent someone to provoke us.
"There is no need for us to pay him any mind. As long as Your Majesty and Senior Ling Kui remain stationed here, Kunyang City can be taken before dawn. At that time, it will not be too late to consider whether to let them cross the river for a direct confrontation!"
"Exactly!"
Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan echoed. "Your Majesty, Chen Sanshi insists on crossing the river and coming ashore—there must be some scheme behind it. We absolutely cannot comply with his wishes!"
"As expected, fellow disciples understand each other best."
Emperor Longqing agreed with this assessment.
In his youth, he had campaigned on the northern frontier alongside Sun Xiangzong—how could he fail to see through such a provocation tactic? He said calmly, "Eat Kunyang first, then we'll talk."
"Little Daoist Shan!"
Ling Kui emphasized, "With His Majesty and me here, this is sufficient. You go assist with the siege—don't forget to help me kill Chen Sanshi's wife and children."
"Then I leave this place to the two of you!"
Shan Liangcheng accepted the order and departed.
The siege lasted from midday until the sun dipped below the horizon, then from a sky full of lingering rosy radiance to a deep night studded with stars. Corpses had long since piled up along the city walls, and blood poured down from severed limbs and broken torsos like waterfalls, forming a grotesque, demonic tableau under the firelight.
Kunyang's defensive formation had been breached.
But the imperial troops were still empowered by the Six Ding Six Jia Formation, each soldier covered in protective auspicious light.
For the Northern Liang soldiers to kill an enemy, they first had to expend seventy to eighty percent of their strength just to break through that glow—often costing the lives of more than a dozen men to barely take down one foe.
The disparity in combat power between the two sides was enormous.
Even the cultivators of Guiyuan Sect were growing increasingly strained.
Not to mention that the enemy also had cultivators; the sheer human-sea tactics alone drained mana at a rate they simply could not sustain.
Arriving at the Divine Continent in batches through the teleportation array, they had accumulated only a little over 20 cultivators in total—and after barely half a day, only 15 remained.
After slaying more than 2,000 enemies with flying swords, Qian Qiren's mana was nearly exhausted.
A Shengyun Sect cultivator seized the opening, unleashing three purely offensive spells in succession. With no way to defend, Qian Qiren was struck by a golden-light technique, vomiting blood as he collapsed on the spot.
If not for Cui Zichen's intervention, Qian Qiren would have died then and there.
After that, Cui Zichen himself was utterly spent.
As for Huang Laojiu, he was already fleeing in panic across the city walls, clutching his head.
If this continued, they would die before the city's soldiers did!
"What is Chen Sanshi doing?!"
Shangguan Haichang's goose-feather saber had been hacked until its edge curled. With a ferocious expression and bloodshot eyes, he roared, "Where are the reinforcements we were promised?!"
"Everyone, don't panic!"
Xu Wencai climbed onto the city wall and shouted hoarsely to steady them. "The Lord's entire clan is in the city—how could he break his word? He will surely arrive as agreed. By now, he must already be forming ranks on the far bank of the Luojian!
"Otherwise, think about it—why haven't Emperor Longqing and Ling Kui personally joined the siege?
"They must be dealing with the Lord and have no time to spare for Kunyang!"
Once he said this, everyone realized it made sense.
Cao Kai and Ling Kui had never shown themselves, indirectly proving that the white-robed one had indeed reached his destination on time.
"The problem is—when will he actually attack?!"
Qian Qiren could no longer even control his flying sword. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If this goes on, we'll all be dead here before dawn!"
From Eight Lords Mountain to Kunyang, there was still a long distance to cover—they could not possibly hold out that long.
"Six Ding Six Jia guard the left—heavenly soldiers descend to protect the right!"
As they spoke, Shan Liangcheng once again unleashed the might of the formation.
Hidden behind the Thick Earth barrier, there was nothing they could do to him. Being worn down to death was already a foregone conclusion.
"Pff!"
Qian Qiren, at Qi Refining Perfection, having exhausted his mana, was wounded amid the chaotic melee by a great general of the Profound Manifestation realm.
As for the other ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, they were being injured by warriors at the Transforming Strength and Meridian-Connecting stages—or even by martial fighters of still lower realms.
The cultivators of Guiyuan Sect and many high officials had long since lost any will to fight.
"Fall back!"
"Fall back!"
A disheveled Huang Laojiu shouted it three times as he fled.
Yet those words only plunged the cultivators into deeper despair.
They had believed the white-robed one and stayed in the city. Now, trapped within the Thick Earth barrier, leaving meant first breaking the barrier!
A second-tier formation—who could break it so easily?!
Before everyone's eyes, Huang Laojiu fumbled in his robes and pulled out a crumpled yellow talisman paper. With his aged, hoarse voice, he shouted, "This old man can open a Gate of Life! Fellow disciples, quickly follow me!"
"This is…"
Staring at the item in the old man's hand, Qian Qiren quickly recognized it and exclaimed in delight, "A talisman treasure?!"
"Senior Huang has a talisman treasure!"
"There's hope—there's hope!"
"Hurry!"
"Let's leave this place first!"
"If Chen Sanshi is truly at Eight Lords Mountain, we'll rendezvous with him!"
"If he's not, then we run!"
"Wait!"
Prince Yan, Cao Zhi, said, "Daoist Qian! Take my sister-in-law and the others with you!"
If they abandoned the city and fled without regard for the white-robed one's family, he would inevitably turn against them—and then they truly would be doomed.
With Yunding Palace backing him, he could completely ignore them!
Protecting the Chen family's relatives was their real lifeline.
"Alright."
Qian Qiren quickly grasped the stakes and immediately acted as instructed.