Since it was a matter of doing what he could, it wouldn't be right to keep taking things for free.
Chen Sanshi asked about the price again.
"Brother Chen, the fact that you're so unwilling to take advantage of others only proves you're a straightforward man."
Bai Linxun didn't dwell on it further.
"How about this instead. Once the pills inside are refined, you give me half of them. That way, I'm not losing out either. As for that set of 'Talisman General Iron Armor' inside, it's just a tier 1 defensive armor anyway. Let's count it as 200 spirit stones. We'll offset it together later. How about it?"
Truthfully, he had indeed harbored the thought of letting the other party owe him a favor, so he could use moral pressure later. But forcing it would only backfire.
"No problem," Chen Sanshi agreed.
In any case, it was common for pill заказers to provide their own materials. A purely transactional deal felt much more comfortable.
"Brother Chen, then until we meet again!"
Bai Linxun clasped his fists.
The two exchanged bows and parted.
Using the jade token, Chen Sanshi returned to The Edge of the World. Little Dummy first steered the boat across the Sea of Fog, and then they flew through the air, heading back toward Liangzhou.
On the way, he finally had time to open the storage bag Bai Linxun had given him. After a careful look, he couldn't help feeling slightly surprised.
The Bai family was this wealthy?
Just the raw materials for True Martial Pills alone numbered close to 100 portions. The materials for Nourishing Meridian Pills exceeded 200 portions. Clear Spirit Pill materials amounted to dozens. There were also materials for other tier 1 pill formulas. They were practically swimming in resources.
No wonder so many people had their eyes on the Bai family.
At the very end was the armor Bai Linxun had mentioned—the Talisman General Iron Armor.
The entire set was pitch black, forged from Primordial Unity Profound Iron. Its surface was densely engraved with talisman patterns that ran from head to toe. Cold metal hardness blended with exquisitely refined, mysterious craftsmanship, giving off an air of solemn authority. Beneath the helmet was a ferocious, murderous mask. The full suit of armor lay in the storage space. Though it was clearly brand new, it still carried an ancient, heavy aura.
According to Bai Linxun, this armor was designed specifically for martial artists. It could accommodate True Force of any one of the Five Elements, and its defensive power was equivalent to a tier 1 talisman.
It was solid, practical gear.
Ever since Laizhou, Chen Sanshi had rarely worn armor. For high-level martial artists, ordinary armor offered very limited protection and could even hinder flexibility. But armor from the cultivation world didn't have that drawback.
He set those thoughts aside and focused on flying.
This "shopping trip" had gone unexpectedly smoothly and barely delayed him at all.
Round trip.
Just a little over 1 month.
Chen Sanshi returned to Liangzhou.
All military affairs, supplies, and logistics were being dispatched in an orderly fashion.
Since Xu Wencai had returned, things had indeed become much easier.
In the past, most government and military matters had required Chen Sanshi's personal handling, which severely affected his cultivation.
After dropping Little Dummy back at the Grand Commander's residence, he headed straight for the central command tent.
It was the Mao hour, with dawn just beginning to break.
When Chen Sanshi entered the camp, he saw that Xu Wencai's tent was still lit by candlelight. He seemed not to have slept all night.
Chen Sanshi lifted the tent flap.
"My lord has returned."
Xu Wencai looked up from the mountain of documents and memorials, then hurriedly stood to salute.
"Greetings, Commander."
"Why bother with formalities with me?" Chen Sanshi went straight to the point. "How have things been lately?"
"Everything is basically ready. In another 20 days, we can begin the campaign."
Xu Wencai pointed at the documents on the desk and reported in detail.
"My lord has been busy, so I took the liberty of deciding many routine matters on your behalf. However, I marked the more critical ones for you to review personally when you have time.
"Also.
"Over on Prince Jin Cao Huan's side, envoys have arrived. One Immortal Master, accompanied by a eunuch. They say they're here to bestow rewards upon you."
"Bestow rewards on me?" Chen Sanshi paused. "Go on."
"It's a long story."
Xu Wencai invited the White-Robed Commander to sit, then spoke in front of the map.
"Ever since Princes Jin and Yan took General Fang hostage, they've been spreading rumors in the south, claiming that His Majesty has been cultivating in seclusion and already intends to abdicate in favor of Prince Jin.
"Thus, Prince Qin assassinated Prince Jin, then, taking advantage of His Majesty's seclusion and lack of outside knowledge, colluded with the Yan faction to seize control of the court, even attempting patricide and regicide.
"Prince Jin raised troops to save his father and purge the court.
"Not only that.
"They've also imitated our Northern Liang. Wherever they pass, they eradicate all spiritual grain. They even proclaim that Northern Liang is not a rebel force, but troops under Prince Jin—loyal ministers of the Great Sheng Dynasty. As things stand, the hearts of the people are turning toward them."
One should never underestimate the influence of Confucian sage doctrines on the people, nor underestimate the number of loyal ministers cultivated by Great Sheng over 300 years.
Moreover, with the emperor in seclusion and not appearing publicly, the abdication story increasingly seemed real.
This rhetoric directly elevated Prince Jin as the chosen of Heaven. With that, he could rapidly gather popular support.
Not long ago, Xu Wencai had spoken of a grand "ten-year plan." That plan required a full 10 years of warfare to slowly exhaust the Great Sheng Dynasty's fate.
But now, everything had only just begun.
The Great Sheng's fate had not yet been extinguished.
Chen Sanshi took the tea poured by Qi Cheng, a disciple of Wolong, drank a sip, and asked, "Then in your view, should I accept this bestowal or not?"
"There are pros and cons," Xu Wencai said.
"My lord is already a Duke. If you're rewarded further, the only title left is that of a king of a different surname. This 'king' title will not only be useful to you personally in the future, but will also greatly aid the 'swift and decisive warfare' you're aiming for.
"Advancing south under the name 'King of Northern Liang,' you'd only need to win 1 or 2 key battles to make regions across the realm surrender at the mere sight of you, without the slightest thought of resistance.
"As for the downside, nominally speaking, you would still be a 'minister of Sheng,' merely shifting from the capital's banner to Prince Jin's banner.
"Overall.
"This humble one advises the Commander to accept the bestowal."
Chen Sanshi nodded slightly.
The old scholar was right.
His original intent was a swift, decisive war, to reach the capital city Chang'an as quickly as possible. With the Great Sheng Dynasty's fate not yet exhausted, he was bound to encounter heavy resistance. If there were time, it could be worn down slowly.
But what Chen Sanshi lacked most was time.
No matter what, he had to strike the capital first.
With that thought, he set down his teacup.
"Let Prince Jin's people come in."
Not long after.
A eunuch in a python-patterned robe entered the tent. After clasping his fists in salute, he took out an orange-yellow scroll. He did not immediately read it, as if waiting for something.
However…
The white-robed Commander remained seated firmly in the commander's seat, showing no intention of standing to return the salute.
According to Great Sheng court protocol, an edict from the regent crown prince did not require full kneeling and kowtowing, but at least a one-knee kneel to show respect was expected.
"Chief Eunuch Zhao,"
Xu Wencai spoke up to remind him.
"My Commander is busy with military affairs. Please do not delay matters."
"Oh, hehe."
Chief Eunuch Zhao gave an awkward laugh and no longer dared to put on airs. He raised his voice and read aloud:
"At present, treacherous ministers dominate the court, wreaking havoc upon governance. The realm is plunged into chaos, and the people cannot survive. Prince Jin Cao Huan receives the mandate in peril, rewards the Six Armies, rallies all righteous forces, follows Heaven's will and the times, and brings peace to the altars of state. Therefore, we hereby confer upon the white-robed Chen Sanshi of Liangzhou the title of King of Liangzhou, granting him command over the northern border armies, to march south and suppress the traitors, and pacify the realm."
King of Northern Liang!
An ennobled king of a different surname!
In the entire history of the Great Sheng Dynasty, not even in its founding years—no matter how great the merits—had there ever been an ennobled king of a different surname!
In just a few short years, the white-robed man before them had risen from a mere junior captain in the army to King of Northern Liang. It was nothing short of astonishing.
"I accept the edict. Convey my thanks to His Highness Prince Jin on my behalf."
After a few polite words, Chen Sanshi issued a dismissal.
"I still have military affairs to attend to, so I won't detain Chief Eunuch Zhao."
"Then I hope Your Highness will soon send troops south to enter the passes. His Highness will respond from the south, striving to pacify the realm as soon as possible."
After saying this, Chief Eunuch Zhao departed under the guidance of a cultivator, flying away through the air.
On the 12th day of the 12th month, in the 76th year of the Longqing era.
Prince Jin Cao Huan conferred the title of King of Northern Liang upon the white-robed Chen Sanshi of Liangzhou, granting him authority over the northern border armies and issuing proclamations to the entire realm. From that day on, they formally stood in opposition to the court, each calling the other rebels.
Another deep winter arrived.
In the northern frontier, snow once again fell thick and fast.
The Northern Liang iron cavalry had reached the eve of departure.
On the drill grounds.
Soul-stirring military music resounded.
Just as "Qing Songs" once moved the soldiers of the Qing Kingdom, Northern Liang also had its own music. Ritual music was never merely for pleasure in brothels. When used properly, it could strengthen cohesion among soldiers, soothe hearts, boost morale, and ignite fighting spirit. That was the true meaning of military music.
Before this.
Northern Liang had tunes, but no fixed military music.
The current military music was proposed by Chen Sanshi. He himself did not understand musical theory, so the actual composition was devised jointly by Fang Qingyun and Xu Wencai. In the past 2 years since the uprising, Xu Wencai personally finalized it as the official Northern Liang military music to enhance cohesion. Its name was—"Northern Liang Breaking the Formation March."
This piece.
Was performed by several thousand soldiers interested in music. The instruments included erhu, pipa, bamboo flute, shakuhachi, suona, war drums, and more, all playing together in a grand symphony. The melody was vast and stirring, majestic in momentum, and immense in scale.
Chen Sanshi had proposed creating military music not merely for spectacle, but also to practice formations from the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts. One formation, called the "Brilliant Divine Authority Soul-Suppressing Formation," required grand music. However, the Heavenly Book did not record the specific scores or instruments, so experimentation was necessary.
He stepped onto the high platform and looked at the soldiers arranged according to different directions. Feeling the reaction of the Mystic Pearl inside his storage ring, he confirmed it was indeed usable, though the amount of mystic qi was still insufficient.
The Heavenly Book recorded that the Soul-Suppressing Music Formation could directly destroy divine souls—a super-grade grand formation. Naturally, its mystic qi consumption was enormous. Even if it could be deployed now, there simply wasn't enough mystic qi to sustain it.
Formations in the Heavenly Book either relied on the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth or required mystic qi for activation. The more mystic qi available, the greater the power.
Since Chen Sanshi had gained actual control over 3 northern provinces, the accumulation of mystic qi had grown faster and faster. At this rate, sooner or later he would be able to deploy even stronger formations. For example, the "Eighteen Nether Thunder Rolling Formation" once used at Silver Pine Cliff of Hulao Pass could previously summon only a few divine lightning bolts. With enough mystic qi, it could strike endlessly.
Or those formations that seemed profound and mysterious, capable of truly creating heavenly phenomena and drawing down constellations to bombard the earth.
By that logic.
This uprising had truly been the right choice.
As the territory under his actual control expanded, the military formations Chen Sanshi could deploy would only grow stronger.
After the grand, earth-shaking "Northern Liang Breaking the Formation March" ended.
The grand southern campaign officially began.
The Northern Liang army now commanded the Vermilion Bird Battalion, Azure Dragon Battalion, Heavenly Wolf Battalion, Zhenbiao Battalion, Northern Prefecture Battalion, Heavenly Strategy Battalion, Great Halberd Battalion, Anshan Battalion, and Hongze Battalion—9 major battalions in total. Together with the surrendered garrison troops from Youzhou and Yanzhou, the total available force reached 180,000 soldiers.
Among them, the Heavenly Strategy Battalion and the Yanzhou garrison troops still left a small force behind to guard the easily defended, hard-to-attack Jianmen Gorge.
In the past few years, Western Qi had suffered repeated devastating defeats. After being driven back into Mingzhou by the White Robe, they completely abandoned Northern Liang and instead devoted themselves fully to attacking the Mang Mountain ancestral vein.
The remaining 150,000 troops were all deployed outside Qilin Mountain, repairing plank roads day and night, putting on the appearance of a full-scale assault on Chunqiu Prefecture.
The southern campaign had officially begun!
The capital.
Zhongjue Hall.
Prince Qin and the others were almost continuously handling battle reports from all directions.
Fortunately, the vast majority were reports of victory.
"Good news from the south! Elder Mo and Immortal Master Xu have slain 3,000 enemies, killed 2 enemy generals, and recovered the entire southern region!"
"At Mang Mountain ancestral vein, under the leadership of the Ling family's old ancestor and General Tong Xiaochu, victories follow one after another, with over 10,000 enemies slain!"
"Grand Commander Jiang Yuanbo and the Immortal Masters of Shengyun Sect have successfully checked Eastern Qing's advance at Tongnan Prefecture outside Laizhou!"
"Good! Excellent!"
The Prince of Qi was overjoyed and repeatedly praised the current Minister of War.
"Lord Mu truly deserves his reputation as one who rose alongside Sun Xiangzong. Under your deployments, the overall situation was stabilized in less than half a year!"
Mu Fengchun was long known as a poisonous strategist.
A master at playing with poisonous schemes.
After chaos erupted across the realm, he accepted the post of Minister of War at a critical moment. Time and again, he used ruthless stratagems to sow discord. If not for how unpleasant it sounded, he could well be called a grandmaster of the military's 'Poison Dao.'
"Hehe."
Mu Fengchun merely gave a faint, inscrutable smile.
"This old man is already a flickering candle in the wind. To still be able to serve the court is my honor."
"Your Highness, there is news from Northern Liang!"
Just after the stream of good news, a voice clearly different in tone rang out.
A guard rushed into the hall in a panic.
"Not long ago, Prince Jin claimed to possess an abdication edict, then conferred Chen Sanshi as an ennobled king of Northern Liang. Chen Sanshi has now assembled 150,000 troops and deployed them outside Qilin Mountain, repairing the plank roads and preparing to attack Chunqiu Prefecture, marching south to enter the Central Plains!"
The moment these words fell, the officials—who had just breathed a sigh of relief—once again felt their hearts leap into their throats.
White Robe!
Chen Sanshi!
150,000 troops!
What these three terms meant when combined was crystal clear to everyone present.
"Absurd!"
Prince Qin thundered in rage.
"When the state was founded, the Great Ancestor made it perfectly clear with the generals of the Qilin Pavilion—'Any who bear the title of king without the surname Cao shall be executed by all under Heaven!'
"When has our Great Sheng Dynasty ever had an ennobled king of a different surname?!
"This realm belongs to the Cao family!
"That Sixth Brother, for the sake of seizing the throne, truly stops at nothing. Detestable to the extreme!"
Compared to his fury, the Prince of Qi was more worried.
"Lord Mu, Lord Yan, Chen Sanshi has never tasted defeat since joining the army. At Hulao Pass, he shattered 100,000 Southern Xu troops with just 3,000 Black-Armored soldiers. Now he commands 150,000 men. If he truly breaks through the passes, what should we do?"
"Your Highness need not panic."
Mu Fengchun gazed at the sand table, calming the emotions of the officials.
"This old man once considered many countermeasures from Northern Liang's perspective—allying with Eastern Qing, or lying low in Northern Liang for 10 years to build strength. But only one thing is certain: attacking Chunqiu Prefecture is a road destined to end in death."
"Lord Mu is right!"
Prince Qin himself was also a martial cultivator, tall and broad, once a commander on the battlefield. Only after the former crown prince stripped him of military authority did he devote himself fully to state affairs.
He stared at Chunqiu Prefecture on the sand table.
"In my view, Chen Sanshi is a cornered dog jumping the wall. Unless he can make the entire Northern Liang army fly over from the sky, he'll be waiting to die at Qilin Mountain!
"As for why such a capable commander would make such a rotten move this time?
"The reason is simple!
"He is afraid of my Imperial Father!
"The day Father emerges from seclusion will be the day all traitors under Heaven are destroyed!"
The Longqing Emperor, still in seclusion, became the stabilizing pillar in everyone's hearts.
That's right!
The White Robe panicked!
When people panic, they make mistakes—or rather, he knew full well this was a dead move, yet had no choice but to take it!
Prince Qin continued,
"So his foolish decision was inevitable. No one needs to worry. All we need to do is ensure our supply lines remain intact, then wait for my Ninth Brother's victory reports!"
The officials gradually calmed down.
Yet in the corner, the Minister of War Mu Fengchun—who had been the most composed at the start—stared at the sand table with an increasingly grave expression.
For a commander, the greatest taboo was lacking composure and letting emotions show.
As the former chief strategist under Sun Xiangzong, how could he not understand this?
In truth, Mu Fengchun felt uneasy.
Could it be…
Just as Prince Qin said—was Chen Sanshi afraid?
Afraid that His Majesty would emerge from seclusion, wield the Dragon Abyss Sword, and personally march to Liangzhou, forcing him to take this desperate gamble?
That possibility existed, and it was significant.
But time and again, Chen Sanshi had achieved victory through the unexpected. This forced Mu Fengchun to take him seriously and think from his perspective.
If he were Chen Sanshi, how would he take Chunqiu Prefecture—a formidable stronghold that was nearly impossible to breach?
Chunqiu Prefecture!
Built against the mountains, it stretched across a narrow gorge, completely blocking Liangzhou's exit. Thus it was known as the Iron Lock of the Northern Frontier and the Gateway to the Central Plains.
Ling Yun, Dao Xuan, the Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong, Li He, along with 200,000 Central Plains troops, were all gathered here.
Inside the central command tent.
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong stared deeply at the map before him.
"Report—"
A soldier came to deliver news.
"The 150,000 Northern Liang troops are fully deployed outside Qilin Mountain, repairing the plank roads day and night, almost regardless of cost."
"Hmph!"
Upon hearing this, Li He snorted coldly.
"I'll personally lead a few fellow Daoists to destroy the plank roads. They fix them once, we destroy them once. We'll make sure they never leave Qilin Mountain!"
"No!"
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong raised a hand to veto the idea.
"Let them come."
"This…"
Ling Yun warned,
"Isn't that inappropriate?"
"There's nothing inappropriate about it."
Dao Xuan saw through his intent.
"Fellow Daoist Cao plans to let them in, merely to lure them into attacking the city and die.
"Our Chunqiu Prefecture has tall, sturdy walls, and the rear supply routes are completely secure. I've also set up formations atop the walls. Even if we let them pass Qilin Mountain, what can they do? Let alone 150,000 troops—even 300,000 would be unable to do anything to us!
"All we need to do is hold for a few months.
"Eastern Qing next door will surely grow restless and move to attack Liangzhou. At that point, they'll be caught between advance and retreat. The moment they make any mistake in their panic, we'll swallow them whole.
"Fellow Daoist Cao, is my analysis correct?"
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong was a man of few words. He did not answer, silently acquiescing.
"Hehe."
Dao Xuan stroked his beard and smiled.
"It seems I do have some talent for commanding troops."
"Go and hurry up with setting the formations!"
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong spoke sternly. Dragging a broad saber without a blade, its thickness as wide as a palm, he slowly walked out of the city tower and onto the walls, gazing toward distant Qilin Mountain. The killing intent in his eyes grew ever stronger.
This was it!
The hatred of having one's martial path cut off was, to him, even deeper than the blood feud of having one's parents killed!
One was Chen Sanshi.
The other was Fang Qingyun!
These two people!
In this campaign, even if it meant death!
Even if he abandoned the passes entirely, he would still fight to the death to kill this man!
Amid the howling wind and snow, the plank road of Qilin Mountain was finally repaired.
The King of Northern Liang, Chen Sanshi, personally acted as the vanguard. He led the Hongze Battalion along with part of the Great Halberd Battalion, a total of 20,000 troops. They crossed the plank road in batches and encountered no obstruction or interference along the way.
"This is really strange," Song Guizhi said as she followed beside him. "At the beginning, they sent cultivators every day to cast spells, destroy the plank road, and then run. Why did they suddenly go blind and just ignore us?"
"Because they did it on purpose," Wolong's disciple Qi Cheng explained. "They're confident we can't take Chunqiu Prefecture in a short time. So they want to lure us deep in. Once our rear is empty, Eastern Qing will definitely take advantage of the opening. When we try to retreat, they'll cut off the plank road again, and we'll die trapped in the Qilin Mountain pocket."
"Hmph!"
Wei Xuan snorted coldly.
"I'd like to see whether they're really that tough!"
Both he and his wife had already broken through to the True Force Realm. That made them rare and valuable combat power. In all the battles, large and small, they fought desperately and proved themselves very useful.
"This junior dares to ask General Wei a question," Qi Cheng said respectfully. "I've heard that General Wei and our King of Northern Liang only met once. There were some transactions, and you're not even from this world…"
"You want to ask why this old man is willing to risk his life for Brother Chen, right?"
Seeing Qi Cheng's tacit agreement, Wei Xuan stroked his beard and smiled.
"Back at Guandu, Brother Chen led us to fight with our lives on the line. In the end, your court not only stabbed him in the back, but even wanted to deal with him. This old man couldn't stand it, so I wanted to help him. As for later, there wasn't much reason. Following Brother Chen to uproot spiritual grain just felt good!"
When he was young, he studied martial arts with the Seven Heroes of Jiangzuo. Later, he learned from heroes of all paths. Half a lifetime in the martial world taught him the true meaning of 'the greatest chivalry is for the nation and the people.' After that, he guarded cities and spent his life practicing chivalry.
But after entering the cultivation world, Wei Xuan no longer had the ability to 'uphold chivalry.'
He had seen cultivators take pleasure in cruelly killing mortals for amusement. He had seen sects force commoners to plant 50% of their fields with spiritual grain. Yet he could only watch. The depression nearly made him ill.
It was only after arriving in the Eastern Divine Continent—
After personally seeing the White Robe pull spiritual grain from the fields and kill disciples of the Shengyun Sect—
That he realized something.
In this vast world, there was actually a place where people were resisting!
Wei Xuan knew he had no hope of breaking through beyond the True Force Realm in the last 10-plus years of his lifespan. So he made up his mind to join his wife and use their remaining bodies to do what a 'xia' should do.
"So that's how it is," Qi Cheng nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't expected that there truly were people in this world who acted purely for great righteousness.
The 20,000-strong vanguard army spent 10 days crossing the Qilin Mountain plank road in waves. They arrived at the mountain foothills—terrain that was easy to defend and hard to attack—and set up camp.
"All troops, follow me and attack the city!"
With a single command from Chen Sanshi, the order was given.
Chunqiu Prefecture.
On the city walls.
News that the Northern Liang army had crossed Qilin Mountain quickly reached here.
"Report—"
"Chen Sanshi personally led the vanguard. After camping 80 li outside the city, they're already charging straight for the city gates!"
"As expected," Li He said. "This villain did exactly what you predicted. First, he set up camp outside the mountain with a small force to secure the plank road and supply routes. Then he comes to attack us. Daoist Dao Xuan, are you all prepared?"
Daoist Dao Xuan was seen sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Around him were all kinds of flags, formation discs, and spirit stones. With confidence, he said,
"I've already set up the 'Golden Bell Formation' and linked it with Chunqiu Prefecture's city walls!
"This is a tier 1 upper-grade formation. It protects the walls of the entire city. Even if part of the wall is damaged, I can quickly repair it. Even if they try to chisel through the walls, it'll take them 10 days or half a month. It's as solid as a golden fortress!"
"What about the Heaven Book formations?" Ling Yun asked cautiously. "If Chen Sanshi brings out Heaven Book formations, we need a way to deal with that too."
"That can't be rushed," Daoist Dao Xuan replied. "Preparing large-scale Heaven Book military formations consumes an enormous amount of formation flags, spirit stones, and other materials. These were all requested from the sect. There's enough, but I still need to consecrate them one by one. Once my 'Eight Gates Golden Lock Immortal-Trapping Formation' is completed, we can try to encircle and kill Chen Sanshi. Before that, we just need to hold the city."
Formations from the Heaven Book often required thousands or even tens of thousands of people. They were never something a single cultivator could afford. Even for sects, it was a significant expense.
Who knew what kind of treasure Chen Sanshi possessed, or what power he used, to bypass spirit stones entirely and activate massive formations at no cost. Thinking about it carefully was simply unbelievable!
"Wooooom—!"
While they were still talking, the city suddenly trembled. In the distance, the vast white land was gradually swallowed by a pitch-black tide.
That was the Northern Liang army.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Inside Chunqiu Prefecture, war drums that had long been prepared thundered to life. All Central Plains soldiers grabbed their weapons and stood ready on the walls.
At this moment, despite the deafening drums and hoofbeats, in the perception of both sides, it felt eerily silent. The pressure was suffocating, as if an invisible force was building in the void. When the war banners on both sides waved at the same time, that force exploded outward.
"Archers!"
"Fire!"
"Catapults!"
The great battle erupted in an instant!
Arrows fell from the sky like torrential rain, arcing downward. They were all blocked by the shield soldiers and siege equipment at the very front of the Northern Liang army. Massive stones were hurled from the rear, crashing into Chunqiu Prefecture like falling mountains.
Yet at the very moment those stones struck, layers of thin golden barriers lit up across the city walls, enveloping the entire city in protection.
"Rumble—!"
One boulder after another exploded into fragments, yet the city walls remained completely unharmed.
The follow-up fire arrows and the siege engines that arrived first all met the same fate. No matter how fiercely they bombarded, everything was easily blocked by the golden barrier. There was no way to cause any real damage to the walls themselves.
Chunqiu Prefecture stood amid the flying snow, bathed in golden light—truly an impregnable fortress!
"It's a formation!"
Wei Xuan recognized it immediately. "Looks like there's still a formation master inside the city."
He raised the massive blade in his hand high, signaling the brothers behind him to slow their advance.
Within the black, surging tide of troops, only a single white figure charged ahead. Like a fading afterimage, he rushed straight toward the city. In the blink of an eye, he closed to within 500 paces. A flash of spiritual light followed, and a golden great bow appeared in his hands, engraved with profound runes. When the bowstring was drawn, it let out a deep "wummm" sound. Even the drifting wind and snow gathered before it, gradually forming a swirling vortex.
Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong, had long known that the White Robe excelled at archery. What was strange was that he could see no arrow at all—neither in the man's hand nor on the string. From afar, it was clearly empty.
"Wumm—"
At last.
The fully drawn bowstring snapped back.
Before the White Robe, True Force surged in layers. The long-accumulated ice-and-snow storm burst forth. After flying more than ten zhang, the storm rapidly melted, turning into icy water, then instantly vaporizing into white mist under scorching heat. From within it, a crimson fire dragon suddenly burst out, carrying overwhelming might, and in a split second reached the city wall!
Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong, had been waiting. His reverse breathing method activated, and the lower eight Scenic Spirit Gods within his body awakened one after another. The blunt-edged great saber in his hand bloomed with dense black qi amid the snowy expanse.
Killing qi!
He had originally cultivated a Metal-element breathing method. What he should have produced was Metal-element True Force. Yet by a twist of fate, it transformed into killing-qi True Force instead. Precisely because of that, the power it carried exceeded that of ordinary Early True Force. With a single slash, he cleaved open a clear stretch of space within the vast snow curtain, then slammed straight into the fire dragon.
After a brief stalemate, the fire dragon collapsed. Yet within it remained a silver bead the size of a walnut. One rune after another lit up across its surface, then it erupted with tsunami-like spiritual power.
Golden Bow and Silver Arrow!
"Boom!"
Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong, was forced back half a step by the shock.
At the same time.
Relying on the divine speed of his mount, Chen Sanshi had already rushed to outside the city gate.
The warhorse neighed!
He drove the white steed into a leap, soaring several zhang into the air. In the instant that followed, he stowed Qianxun into his storage bag. A flying artifact replaced it beneath his feet, and the Golden Bow and Silver Arrow in his hands transformed into the Dragon Gall Silver Spear.
One thrust!
Blazing flames surged, brilliant like the midday sun!
Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong, showed no fear. Roaring, he swung the blunt great saber downward. Rolling killing qi pressed down like a black mountain.
"Boom—!"
The two forces collided. True Force rippled outward, flinging soldiers dozens of paces away.
At the same time.
The other three also closed in from different directions.
Ling Yun of the martial family wielded a soft sword. Under the enhancement of the Water-element breathing method, the metal blade completely turned into flowing water—soft yet carrying fierce strength—as it struck the spear.
Water and fire clashed and canceled each other out. With sizzling sounds, white mist quickly enveloped an area of several zhang.
Daoist Dao Xuan formed seals with both hands and activated the formation he had prepared long ago. Golden chains shot out like dragon-serpents, wrapping toward the White Robe.
Finally.
Li He, the Li-family cultivator who had once taken a Foundation Establishment Pill and reached the sixteenth layer of Qi Refining, with boundless mana, unleashed his natal flying sword. One slash split mountains and seas.
"Little thief, die—!"
In the blink of an eye.
Chen Sanshi's pupils blazed with fire. The Fire-element True Force on his body surged again. He directly knock away Ling Yun and Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong. Then he swept with overwhelming force. A fiery arc cut through the air, melting ice and snow while smashing apart all the chains summoned by the formation. Only at the very last moment, just before Li He's flying sword fell, did he raise his spear horizontally to block.
"Clang!"
A thunderous crash echoed.
Both sides watched as the White Robe—who had just fought onto the city wall—was blasted back hundreds of paces under the combined assault. Only at the instant before hitting the ground did he steady himself with the flying artifact.
Unexpectedly, he did not charge again. Instead, he turned and flew toward the distance, quickly vanishing into the vast curtain of snow.
The Northern Liang army sounded the signal to withdraw.
The storm came fast, and it left just as fast.
After only a brief clash, everything returned to calm.
On the city wall.
Prince of Zhen'nan, Cao Rong, almost couldn't suppress the urge to give chase.
"Daoist Cao, calm yourself!"
Daoist Dao Xuan advised, "There's a saying—don't chase a cornered enemy. That man is sinister and cunning. He's very likely trying to lure us out of the city."
Cao Rong naturally understood this. In the end, he forced himself to rein in his emotions.
"This brat should have been executed long ago!"
After a single exchange, Li He had already felt how terrifying the opponent was.
Among the four of them present, Cao Rong cultivated a reverse method, and Li He himself was at the sixteenth layer of Qi Refining. In theory, they should all have been stronger than the White Robe. Yet he could clearly sense that if it were a one-on-one fight, none of them would be his match. They had only managed to suppress him by joining forces.
Luckily!
They could hold the city.
"The defensive strategy is correct," Ling Yun said with emotion. "That man's spear techniques are unbelievably fierce. I've never seen anything like it, even in the cultivation world."
"Enough. Then we defend the city," Cao Rong said heavily.
He might be a battle fanatic, but having guarded the southern front for years meant he was no fool.
"The clash just now was only their probe. Before long, more troops will march south through Qilin Mountain. Only after they gather 150,000 soldiers and deploy Heavenly Book formations will the real, brutal battle begin.
"Fortunately, our grain and supplies can be continuously delivered into Chunqiu Prefecture. As long as we rely on this city to stall for time, within 100 days, the enemy army will collapse on its own. Then we strike and take that man's head!
"Brother Dao Xuan, please hurry and prepare the formation flags. Use the Heavenly Book formations as soon as possible!"
"Of course," Daoist Dao Xuan replied at once and returned to his work.
The four of them came from different backgrounds and held different statuses, but at this moment they worked together with only one goal—to drag the White Robe to death.
Northern Liang Army.
Central Command Tent.
"What a truly impregnable fortress!"
Just as Chen Sanshi had expected, Chunqiu Prefecture was indeed a city that could not be taken in a short time.
"Then proceed according to the original plan," he ordered. "Send word to Xu Wencai. The entire army is to move at once toward Yunzhou. We must break Yunzhou within the set time. After Chunqiu Prefecture's supplies are cut off, we strike from the eastern flank and clamp down on Chunqiu Prefecture!"
Wei Xuan said with concern, "Brother Chen, you still plan to take only 7,000 men and cross mountains to hold Hongdu Prefecture? That will surely draw a counterattack from 200,000 troops. Isn't that too risky?"
"Staying on the frontal battlefield is the real risk," Chen Sanshi said calmly.
Once he had set a strategy, he never wavered. "My decision is final. Execute it."
Leading 20,000 vanguard troops and the brief siege just now were merely a smokescreen to deceive the enemy. The true main force had already secretly moved toward Youzhou. Once the order arrived, the entire army would strike.
This was 'repairing the plank roads in plain sight.'
And this siege.
It was also a test.
A test of every aspect.
Including the enemy's methods and realms.
On paper, all four of them were at higher realms than him. That aged cultivator even far surpassed Qi Refining Perfection.
And Cao Rong.
In a later letter, Fourth Senior Brother had mentioned that the Dragon Scripture he handed to the court was reversed, with many sections tampered with.
Yet even with a distorted cultivation method.
Cao Rong had still succeeded, and the True Force he condensed was extremely violent.
The world was truly full of wonders.
Moreover, they also had a formation master.
That was what worried Chen Sanshi the most.
Because it meant the Heavenly Book's formations might also be used by the court.
So it was even more impossible to drag things out.
"All right," Wei Xuan said.
He didn't press further, but asked to take on a task. "How about this—let me go with you to guard Hongdu? They have 200,000 troops, and the four people in Chunqiu Prefecture all have higher cultivation than you. In the clash just now, they easily forced you back. I think having one more person means one more share of strength…"
"No," Chen Sanshi said. "Yunzhou lacks True Force martial artists. Xu Wencai needs you."
"As for Hongdu, I alone am enough."
In the clash just now.
He had indeed fallen into a huge disadvantage.
But he hadn't died!
As long as he could hold on, there was a chance to endure until victory.
This was…
Northern Liang's only chance!
Only with this arrangement could they possibly break through the passes at the fastest speed, then decide the fate of the Central Plains in a single battle. They would charge into the capital and take the old emperor's head.
Ideally, before the other side reached Foundation Establishment!
In warfare, one must never be a gambler.
But when the chips in hand are insufficient, and one must win big with little, there is only one choice—go all in!
The military orders were quickly delivered.
Just as the defenders of Chunqiu Prefecture stood ready, waiting for another brutal siege, 130,000 troops from Youzhou suddenly changed direction, their spearheads pointing straight at Yunzhou!