That was ten thousand men! Even if they lined up to be killed, it would take an entire night to finish them all!
"General Chen…" Cao Zhi turned to the side, his words stumbling over themselves. "Weren't you known for your cunning and strategy? What's going on here…?"
"I don't know either." Wang Zhi squinted his mung-bean eyes, trying to see more clearly. Then he raised his voice and yelled, "Hey—Zhao Kang, get your damn self over here!"
Hearing the call, Zhao Kang, who wasn't far away, rode over on horseback.
"This is…?" Zhao asked, glancing curiously at the richly dressed man beside Wang Zhi.
"This is His Highness, the Twelfth Prince!" Wang Zhi said quickly, then could no longer hold himself back. "Tell me—last night, what trick did Sanshi pull this time? Eight hundred men killed ten thousand?!"
"Tactics? There were no tactics." Zhao Kang showed the blood-stained armor on his body. "The plan was simple—kill. My lord fought alone…"
As he began to recount the events in detail, Cao Zhi's eyebrows rose—and never came back down. "What did you just say? General Chen, alone, cut down three enemy generals within the midst of tens of thousands, and while surrounded by twenty thousand, singlehandedly slew over four thousand enemies?! Are you joking with me?!"
"Your Highness, why would I lie to you?" Zhao Kang said calmly. "The bodies are right there. We've only got eight hundred men. How could we fake this? The barbarians sure as hell didn't kill themselves."
After confirming several times, Cao Zhi felt his ears start to ring.
One arrow… killing someone at Major Achievement in Profound Manifestation?
And the other two generals weren't even able to last a single exchange?
When had Chen Sanshi reached Major Achievement in Profound Manifestation?
The last time they met at Mount Ziwei, they were roughly at the same level. Now, Cao Zhi had only reached Major Achievement in Meridian-Connecting, yet Chen Sanshi had already advanced beyond him?!
More importantly—how could one man slaughter thousands without exhausting himself?
Even if the enemy had no cultivators of equal rank, no matter how strong a Profound Manifestation martial artist was, after killing around a thousand, they would collapse from fatigue. But four thousand?! That was four thousand men, including numerous barbarian generals at various realms!
Impossible!
Forget about a human warrior—even if he weren't human!
Based on Cao Zhi's understanding, even if an ordinary immortal cultivator from the cultivation world came here, after killing a thousand, their mana would be completely spent. Without a way to escape, even an immortal would die under a storm of blades.
Four thousand men!
How did he do it?!
Even Emperor Gao Xie, the Taizu himself, had only ever broken through two thousand armored elites in his lifetime—and that was while facing Martial Saints. But in sheer numbers alone, Chen Sanshi had already surpassed even that legendary record.
"Your Highness? Your Highness?" Zhao Kang called carefully. "Since the army's arrived, we should move in and take over the barbarian camp!"
Cao Zhi finally steadied his turbulent emotions and began issuing orders to station the troops. He also sent the battle report back to Liangzhou City at the fastest possible speed.
Outside the central command tent, Chen Sanshi had changed into clean robes and was wiping his spear when he heard the thunderous sound of approaching hooves—and recognized the leader instantly.
He set his spear aside, stepped forward, and cupped his hands. "Your subordinate greets Your Highness. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
"General Chen, there's no need for such formality." Cao Zhi quickly dismounted. "To tell the truth, I came to train alongside you, but upon arrival, I heard of your astonishing victory. I can only say—I am completely in awe."
He tugged Chen Sanshi aside to speak privately. "Brother, to be honest, I just want to earn some military merit under your banner. You don't mind me tagging along, right? Don't worry—I won't hold you back."
"Your Highness's presence is my greatest honor," Chen Sanshi said perfunctorily.
Having a royal prince tagging along was troublesome. It made every move inconvenient. But there was no way to turn him away—what could he say?
"Brother, you're still treating me like an outsider!" Cao Zhi said, still sizing him up from head to toe. He couldn't help asking, "Brother, how did you kill them?"
Chen Sanshi blinked. "Kill who?"
"The four thousand." Cao Zhi held up four fingers. "Brother, didn't you run out of strength?"
Chen Sanshi said calmly, "Killing them… takes effort?"
Cao Zhi was left speechless.
"Since you're here, join me in reviewing the next phase of the campaign," Chen Sanshi said as he entered the tent.
He spread out the military map on the main table and ordered his men to summon all officers of lieutenant general rank and above.
Cao Zhi sat nearby, gesturing for his personal guards to bring wine. They fetched an unopened jar of barbarian liquor from the enemy's warehouse, and he poured himself a cup slowly. "Go roast a sheep."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Before long, the tent was filled with the rich smell of roasted mutton.
"Prince Yan truly knows how to enjoy himself," Chen Sanshi said dryly, ignoring the leg of lamb being offered to him. His eyes stayed fixed on the map. "How are things in Youzhou?"
"Not that fast yet." Cao Zhi took two bites of the tenderest meat, then set the knife down and spoke seriously. "According to the plan, within ten days, Liangzhou and its neighboring prefectures will dispatch at least five battalions from the safe zone inside the Great Wall to reinforce Youzhou.
"Now that General Chen has captured Tiger Hill Mountain, that opens up a much closer route to Youzhou. There's even a chance to launch a surprise attack from behind the barbarians outside Youzhou's Great Wall. Of course, that would still take about two months."
He looked up. "General, what advice should we send to Liangzhou?"
When Chu Shixiong spoke now, his tone carried much more reverence.
A God of Slaughter—that was what this man had become.
Among everyone present, he had the highest cultivation and could see clearly what had happened.
Last night's heavy snow.
A white-robed demon of war.
That man had walked through tens of thousands of enemies as though through an empty field, killing until even the barbarians were too terrified to flee.
What kind of concept was that?!
Chen Sanshi studied the Luotian Mountain Range on the map. Without full knowledge of the terrain, it was difficult to make an entirely accurate decision.
After some thought, Chen Sanshi said, "Write to Liangzhou and tell them we need two more battalions to leave the Great Wall and rendezvous with us here at Tiger Hill Mountain. After that, we'll reassess our plans."
"Alright, I'll write it myself."
Cao Zhi immediately picked up a brush and began drafting the letter.
Before a grand strategy could be set, Chen Sanshi had no choice but to station his forces here. Thankfully, the barbarian camp had already been built in advance, saving them a great deal of trouble.
"Whooo—whooo—"
Just then, a violent wind suddenly rose outside, shaking the tents so fiercely that they flapped like thunder, as if they might be torn apart at any moment.
"What a huge wind!"
"How did it suddenly get so strong?"
Hearing the commotion, Chen Sanshi put down the map and walked out of the tent.
The clear sky from earlier was now swallowed by dense black clouds. A blizzard far greater than before began to pour down in torrents—so fierce it could easily alter the entire course of the upcoming campaign.
"General Chen."
Cao Zhi came out halfway through writing his letter. "With snow like this, the supply routes won't hold, right?"
"Yeah."
Chu Shixiong looked up at the sky, his face full of worry. "Why is it snowing this hard?"
"If it keeps up like this, we might not even be able to fight at all."
Cao Zhi frowned. "General Chen, should we still stick to the original plan? Even if we push forward in this storm, we won't get any supply support afterward."
"Worst case…"
Chu Shixiong looked at the raging blizzard. "The campaign might be canceled altogether. We'd all have to withdraw back to Liangzhou City, reinforce Youzhou's defense from within the Great Wall, and give up any offensive operations. This northern expedition will probably have to wait until spring next year."
"This is really strange."
Cao Zhi muttered, "Could it be that the barbarians predicted this storm and attacked Youzhou on purpose, knowing we wouldn't be able to move our army deep into their lands?"
"Continue!"
Their discussion was cut short by a commanding voice, sharp and unyielding.
A white-robed figure stood in the howling snow, long spear in hand, giving his order. "Inform Liangzhou—no matter what, they must send at least two battalions here to Tiger Hill Mountain. Immediately!"
Cao Zhi had been right.
This battle—the reason the barbarians dared to invade Youzhou so recklessly—was not because they didn't fear encirclement.
It was because…
They likely already knew the truth.
That the Great Sheng army could not move far from Liangzhou City!
And the more that was the case, the more they needed to deploy troops outside the city right now—ready for any emergency.
Whatever the enemy planned, they couldn't be allowed to succeed.
Even if it cost everything.
But could this really be just because of the snow?
Chen Sanshi gazed toward the direction of the Luotian Mountains, his expression grave. He knew—it wasn't that simple.
There had to be a bigger scheme at play.
Even his master might not know the full extent.
Manao River.
At the barbarian grand camp, the combined forces of the Yu Wen tribe and the Duan clan, numbering fifty thousand, were gathered.
Among them, the Yu Wen family's Martial Saint—Great Khan's elder brother, Left Sage King Yu Wen Jingwen—personally commanded from the central tent.
His nephew, Ninth Prince Yu Wen Xin, who had recently returned from "studying abroad" in the Great Sheng, was also there.
"Xin'er!"
Yu Wen Jingwen's rough, booming voice carried a trace of affection. "You really don't want to leave? You're insisting on staying here?"
"I'm not leaving!"
Yu Wen Xin was still wearing the clothing of the Great Sheng nobility. Sitting in a deerskin chair, he said coldly, "Fourth Uncle, I'm staying. I want to avenge myself!"
"Good! My nephew's got guts!" Yu Wen Jingwen laughed heartily. "Don't worry. Soon, not a single man, woman, or child in Liangzhou City will be left alive. Your revenge will be complete."
"I'm going to capture Chen Sanshi alive!"
The Ninth Prince clenched his fist. "And I'll take back the Mountain-Suppressing Sword with my own hands!"
"Nephew, you don't need to be so obsessed."
Yu Wen Jingwen's tone turned heavy. "Looking at it now, it's clear that what happened back then wasn't carelessness on your part. That Chen Sanshi is no ordinary man."
To think back—
Ninth Prince Yu Wen Xin had first met Chen Sanshi years ago near the Xi River Tribe outside Poyang County.
At that time, Chen Sanshi had been an unknown Hundred-Household officer in a small county's command post.
Yet in just two or three years, his name now shook the entire world.
He'd even been ennobled as an Earl and commanded his own battalion.
To be honest, his nephew hadn't been wronged that day. Surviving that encounter had already been fortune enough.
"Report—!"
"Your Highness, terrible news!"
Suddenly, a soldier burst into the tent, stumbling as he rushed forward and fell flat on his face in panic. "Prime Minister! Prime Minister!"
"Prime Minister?"
Yu Wen Jingwen leaned forward. "What about the Prime Minister?"
"Outside Tiger Hill Mountain, Chen Sanshi led eight hundred scouts, killed ten thousand of our men, captured ten thousand more, and then took the Prime Minister alive—he's already been sent back to Liangzhou!"
"What?!"
Yu Wen Jingwen shot to his feet and strode up to the soldier. "What did you just say? Repeat that!"
"Your Highness, it's true…"
The soldier was gasping for breath, but he recounted everything he knew as clearly as possible.
Eight hundred scouts…
Wiped out the entire garrison at Tiger Hill Mountain?!
Tengger and Dari'aqi—both killed in battle on the spot?!
Chen Sanshi, alone, cut down several thousand enemies?!
Absurd.
Completely absurd!
"Your Highness!"
"These reports came from our allied posts nearby. There's no mistake!"
"How could one man, even at Profound Manifestation, kill thousands without collapsing?!"
Yu Wen Jingwen couldn't even picture it.
"At least when I fought him," the Ninth Prince said, "I didn't even have a single Meridian-Connecting realm beside me. Looks like I wasn't that weak after all!"
"This man's a monster—an even greater one than Sun Xiangzong!"
Yu Wen Jingwen ground his teeth. "The Great Sheng truly breeds heroes. Sun Xiangzong isn't even dead yet, and already another one like this has appeared!"
"Fourth Uncle!"
Ninth Prince Yu Wenxin asked anxiously, "What do we do now? Should we send our army to rescue my Seventh Uncle?"
"It's too late," Yu Wen Jingwen replied, closing his eyes. "By the time we arrive, your Seventh Brother will have already been taken back to Liangzhou City." He paused, his tone turning heavy. "And judging by the timing, the Foul Vein Grand Sacrifice is about to begin. With your Seventh Brother held inside Liangzhou… I fear the outcome won't be good."
"What?"
Yu Wenxin frowned. "Aren't we going to think of a way? We could negotiate—just like I did—to bring him back!"
"There's no time!" Yu Wen Jingwen's voice boomed through the tent. "Everything revolves around the Grand Sacrifice! Your Seventh Brother's sacrifice will be remembered by our Heaven Tribe."
His expression turned cold as he looked outside at the raging snowstorm. "With this blizzard raging, the Great Sheng army will soon have to retreat south of the Great Wall. Once they do… they'll be refined into nothing!"
"The blood feud between our Heaven Tribe and Liangzhou…" His eyes narrowed. "It will finally be settled!"
At Wolf Juxu Mountain—
"Outrageous!"
Great Khan Yu Wen had also received the news. He nearly flipped the table in front of him in fury.
The war had barely begun, yet the Yu Wen tribe had already lost three generals!
The faces of the other three tribal khans carried faint smiles of schadenfreude.
"Calm yourselves!"
Atop the altar, the High Priest of the Witch God Sect raised both hands, and black-red fiendish energy erupted between his fingers.
"The Grand Sacrifice begins!"
"Everything will end soon!"
——
In Liangzhou, inside the royal manor—
The Sixth Prince, Lü Ji, and Fang Qingyun, along with several generals, were waiting anxiously for news.
Finally, after endless waiting, Cao Huan received a report from the front lines.
"I wonder if my troops made it in time to support General Chen," he muttered, breaking the seal on the report himself. "I hope Tiger Hill Mountain hasn't fallen…"
But as his eyes scanned the first few lines, his hand froze midair.
"Your Highness?" Lü Ji asked, his expression tensing. "Has something happened?"
"Something happened—something big!"
Cao Huan broke into a grin and held up the letter. "Last night, General Chen led eight hundred light cavalry, killed ten thousand enemies, and captured Prime Minister Yu Wen Chengzhao alive! Both the prisoners—ten thousand of them—and the Prime Minister are already being escorted back to us!"
The room fell into stunned silence.
Lü Ji grabbed the report and read it over carefully, his face flickering between disbelief and awe.
"They say General Chen is unmatched in strategy," Cao Huan said excitedly, "but it turns out his bravery rivals his wisdom! At this point, he's second only to you, General Lü!"
"That's right, General Lü!"
Another officer laughed. "You and General Chen really are worthy of being fellow disciples under the same master!"
"General Chen's intelligence rivals General Fang's, and his valor is nearly equal to General Lü's!"
"Grand Commander Sun's personal disciple truly lives up to his name!"
"With General Chen in Liangzhou, we'll have nothing to fear!"
Inside the hall, most were veteran commanders of the Liangzhou army.
Their cultivation and official rank might not be the highest, but they were all battle-hardened sub-generals with men under their command—and great respect in the army.
Hearing their praise, Lü Ji's eyes grew darker and deeper.
"The situation at Tiger Hill Mountain has been stabilized," said Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan, who had just entered. "But this snow is only getting heavier. What should we do next?"
"Ordinarily, in such a blizzard, the right move is to pull the army back," Cao Huan said slowly. "We should reinforce Youzhou's defenses rather than push forward."
He sighed. "But in his letter, General Chen insists that we dispatch two more battalions beyond the walls. If we do that, our supply lines will collapse!"
In war, the army always followed its grain. Without secure logistics, even the bravest general couldn't march far.
"This snow isn't natural," Fang Qingyun said, rolling his wheelchair to the door. He gazed at the heavy white flakes blanketing the courtyard. "For half a year before this war began, I studied the heavens every night. I never saw any sign of such a storm."
He narrowed his eyes. "It feels… artificial. As if the barbarians deliberately caused it—to stop our advance and make it easier to strike Youzhou. Everything about it reeks of foul play."
"I agree with General Chen," Fang Qingyun continued. "The stranger it seems, the more we must resist it! Even if we can't launch a full northern campaign for now, we can't just sit and wait for death inside the city. We should send two battalions to take the shortcut north to Youzhou."
"I agree," Lü Ji said firmly. "Between Liangzhou and Youzhou lies the Luotian Mountain Range. With the roads now buried in snow, traveling from within the Great Wall would take far too long. Even the shortcut outside might barely make it in time."
He straightened. "So here's my proposal: I'll lead the Black Turtle Battalion and the White Tiger Battalion north beyond the Great Wall. We'll first rendezvous with General Chen at Tiger Hill Mountain, then all three battalions will march straight to Youzhou. We'll aim to arrive within one month."
"Hm…" Cao Huan hesitated. "What about provisions? And, General Lü, aren't you afraid this could be a barbarian trap? What if you're ambushed on the way to Youzhou?"
"One month's supply will be enough," Lü Ji replied coldly. "And if there really is an ambush—then we'll break it."
"Good! As expected of 'the blazing horse among steeds, and the fiery Lü Ji among men!'" Cao Huan declared, making his decision. "I trust your judgment! As you all suggest—dispatch the Black Turtle and White Tiger Battalions immediately! Take thirty days of provisions and march north beyond the Great Wall!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Lü Ji clasped his fists and left swiftly.
Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan followed close behind, murmuring, "Our little junior brother is terrifyingly gifted. The Battle of Tiger Hill Mountain will soon be known across Liangzhou. Those old generals clearly admire him greatly."
"Exactly," Lü Ji said, his armor clinking with every step. "That's why we can't wait. We need to earn our own victories—two hard-fought battles at least. In this northern campaign, I'll seize the top merit myself. If possible, I want the position of Grand Commander. Only then can I protect all our junior brothers and sisters."
"You're right, Senior Brother," Nie Yuan said. "But with all that's happening, will Master really stay hidden and not take charge himself?"
——
At the Luotian Mountain Range, among the Twelve Mountains, deep within the core—
Beneath the main peak, a vast altar towered high, spewing fiendish energy into the heavens. Waves of formation patterns glowed around it.
Dozens of black-robed cultivators stood at fixed positions, each holding a Vajra Pestle, channeling power into the formation. From deep underground, the Foul Vein surged awake—its vast, ocean-like energy spreading outward from the Twelve Mountains to the ends of heaven and earth.
The yin and fiendish aura began to distort the very sky.
Temperatures across the northern desert plummeted.
The entire Foul Vein stretched from Luotian in the south to Wolf Juxu in the north—covering tens of thousands of li. Everywhere it passed, blizzards erupted. The Luotian Mountains turned into a chain of snow peaks.
Atop the altar stood several cultivators of the Ancient Demon Clan from the cultivation world.
They practiced by absorbing this fiendish qi. Their entire bodies radiated killing intent, their skin marred by black veins that spread like webs across their faces. Their eyes glowed blood-red.
"Immortal Masters!"
"The formation is complete!"
The High Priest of the Witch God Sect, Yiled, appeared and asked, "Shall we begin?"
"Don't rush."
The leader of the cultivators—a young man who looked barely twenty—spoke calmly. His crimson eyes, however, carried a depth and weariness far beyond his age. "Our guest hasn't arrived yet."
"Immortal Master Deng," Yiled sneered. "If you ask me, that man surnamed Sun has no way out. Otherwise, he would've already shown up."
"Mm."
Immortal Master Deng nodded. "Let's begin."
Before his words even finished—
A silver dragon descended from the heavens.
Immortal Master Deng and the other ancient demon cultivators had long been prepared. The five of them activated their artifacts at once. The altar's formation drew upon the killing energy of the ancestral Foul Vein, lending them strength. That power gathered and transformed into a black fiend-dragon, roaring skyward to meet the descending silver light.
"Boom—!"
The two forces collided violently.
The black dragon shattered into mist, yet the silver dragon was also thrown back, tumbling through the air—until it fell gently into the hand of an old man who had appeared out of nowhere.
Beside him stood another elderly man in Daoist robes.
"Greetings to His Majesty, Emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty!"
Yiled, the High Priest of the Witch God Sect, gave a mocking smile. "It seems the Life-Extension Pill worked well. You and I, it seems, have both profited from our cooperation."
"Yiled!"
Cao Kai ignored his words, his expression hard as steel. "You dared to collude with the demonic cultivators of the Immortal Realm, practicing forbidden magic to awaken the Foul Vein? Do you even understand what will happen once it revives? The demons will pour into the mortal world—life itself will be extinguished!"
"So what?!"
Yiled's grin widened into madness. "Our Witch God Sect was founded by an ancient demon mighty from ages past! We're only returning to our ancestral roots. And when the time comes, you humans will all be nothing more than nourishment for my Heaven Tribe!"
"I'll give you one chance."
Sun Xiangzong's voice was cold and quiet. "Return to where you came from. I'll destroy the Foul Vein and spare your lives."
"Sun Xiangzong, aren't you a bit arrogant?"
Immortal Master Deng's tone turned raspy. "You're better off saving what little life you've got left—hide somewhere and breathe a few more years!"
"If you know my days are numbered," Sun Xiangzong said, his gaze steady, "then you should treasure your own lives while you can."
He opened his hand.
A spirit pearl engraved with the Extermination Spirit Grand Formation gleamed in his palm, radiating a vast, surging power. "I'm not afraid of the Foul Qi's backlash."
"The Annihilation Spirit Array?"
Immortal Master Deng's eyes narrowed. "So that's why you've stayed away from the Foul Vein all these years. You've been wandering everywhere—gathering power to charge that formation!"
That was precisely why they hadn't waited for the Foul Vein to revive naturally over the centuries. Instead, they had set up a Blood Sacrifice Formation to forcefully accelerate the awakening.
Both sides were racing against time!
The ancient demon clan wanted to revive the Foul Vein before Sun Xiangzong could activate his sealing formation.
In the end, their paths collided here.
"Sun Xiangzong!"
Immortal Master Deng raised his sword and hovered midair. "Do you think you're the only one with a grand formation left behind by a supreme being? If you want to destroy the Foul Vein, you'll have to destroy our Blood Sacrifice Formation first!"
"Activate the formation!"
At his command, Yiled immediately placed the Vajra Pestle, an artifact granted by the demon clan, into the altar's slot.
The artifact pulsed with a deep red glow. It contained the blood of hundreds of thousands of Yunzhou citizens sacrificed over ten days, along with years' worth of essence blood harvested from fallen martial cultivators—all preserved through demonic arts.
Now, all that power flooded into the altar.
On top of the original revival array, a second formation—blood-red and throbbing with life—emerged. Fed by the Foul Vein buried deep beneath the earth, it expanded wildly.
A pillar of crimson light burst through the sky. The fiendish energy spread like an enormous, blood-red curtain, slowly covering the heavens above.
A barrier—
"Woom!"
Under the barrier's influence, the spirit pearl dimmed.
It fell back into Sun Xiangzong's hand, its light extinguished.
The Annihilation Spirit Array had failed.
All things balance and counteract each other—formations are no exception.
Cao Kai frowned. "It's the barrier's influence?"
"Yes," Sun Xiangzong admitted. "Thanks to His Majesty's reminder." He tucked the spirit pearl away for the moment. "The blood of Yunzhou's hundreds of thousands, combined with the Foul Vein's own energy, has formed this Blood Sacrifice Formation. To activate the Annihilation Spirit Array, we must first destroy the Blood Sacrifice Formation."
"The Blood Sacrifice Formation…" Emperor Longqing asked in a low voice. "Does it only serve to protect the Foul Vein?"
"Far from it."
Yiled's grin twisted into something grotesque. "Once it's complete, its reach will cover all of Liangzhou. When that happens, every one of the five million souls in this city will be turned into nourishment for the Foul Vein!"
"Abomination!"
Cao Kai's Daoist robes fluttered as he drew his sword. The Dragon Abyss Sword hummed with power. "Then I'll destroy it myself!"
"With you?"
Immortal Master Deng sneered and led several demon cultivators forward. Their swords and demonic qi clashed with Cao Kai's divine light, their duel sending tornadoes of sword qi sweeping through the mountains.
Birds and beasts scattered in terror.
Yiled shook the bronze bell in his hand softly, giving a silent command. "What are you waiting for? Move!"
"Boom!"
From both sides of the forest, two figures shot out at once.
One held a long sword.
The other wielded twin blades.
They were Shao Yuqing and Wen Zhi, both their eyes lifeless, their bodies controlled by parasitic gu worms. One from the left, one from the right—they charged toward the old Grand Commander with killing intent.
One was the world's Sword Saint.
The other, a Twin-Blade Martial Saint.
Among mortals, both stood at the peak of the martial path.
"So it's gu control after all."
Sun Xiangzong exhaled, true energy rippling from his body.
"Boom—!"
Power exploded.
Within ten zhang around him, the ground split apart under the shockwave, stones shattered, and clouds of dust swallowed the battlefield, obscuring all sight.
No one could see what happened within.
"My son!"
"My son!"
Wen Zhi was trapped in a nightmare.
He couldn't control his body. In his vision, he saw himself crushing his son's heart with the Demon-Subduing Pestle. Then he turned toward his daughter—only to be stopped by a long spear.
Chen Sanshi.
The enemy who had killed his son… yet the same man who had saved his daughter.
After that moment, Wen Zhi's mind went dark.
Now, consciousness returned.
'What… happened?'
He looked down. His twin blades were dripping with fresh blood.
'I… I killed someone again?!'
He slowly raised his head—only to meet the face of an old man, hair white as snow.
"Grand Commander Sun?!"
"I… killed Grand Commander Sun?!"
"Cough, cough…"
A few rough coughs shattered Wen Zhi's illusion. He blinked, realizing at last that his twin blades—and Shao Yuqing's long sword—hadn't pierced the old commander's body at all. They'd stopped inches away, blocked by a layer of protective true energy, unable to advance further.
"Enough. With the two of you and your fancy tricks, who could you possibly kill?"
Sun Xiangzong stood calmly, letting their weapons strike harmlessly against his body. He slowly pulled out two pills and swallowed them before saying, "Move aside already. I just used my last Clear Mind Talisman on you both. If you don't hurry and destroy the mother gu in the Witch God Sect Master's hand, you'll never break free from control."
"This…"
Wen Zhi trembled as he withdrew his blades. "Grand Commander, thank you for saving us!"
Sun Xiangzong didn't respond. His figure flickered and vanished in an instant, reappearing before the altar. The silver dragon in his hand roared, and in a flash of light, several Witch God Sect cultists exploded into a rain of blood and flesh. In just seconds, only three to five of them were still alive.
The Witch God Sect Master began forming hand seals, his hands turning into blood-red claws—but even he was no match.
After only two exchanges, he was wounded and fled in panic.
Elsewhere, Cao Kai cut down several demon cultivators in succession and captured one alive.
"Immortals?!"
"You're both immortals?!"
Wen Zhi and Shao Yuqing couldn't believe their eyes.
"You two—why are you still standing there?! Help!"
Cao Kai barked sharply and rose into the sky on his sword, flying toward the remaining demon cultivators.
At once, Wen Zhi and Shao Yuqing stopped hesitating. One charged forward to assist, while the other secured the captured ancient demon clan cultivator.
"Boom—!"
After the Witch God Sect Master retreated, nothing else could stop them.
The silver dragon descended from the heavens once more. True power surged as it tore through the black fiendish mist, shattering the altar completely.
However—
The blood-red formation in the sky didn't stop spinning.
This wasn't the true core of the array.
For the first time, a hint of gravity darkened Sun Xiangzong's aged face.
"Surnamed Sun!"
From afar, the Witch God Sect Master's triumphant voice echoed. "You fell right into my trap!"
Sun Xiangzong took out the spirit pearl again, sensing the flow of the Foul Vein, then examined the remaining sigils on the altar. Within moments, he understood the Blood Sacrifice Formation's mechanism.
This place was only the Foul Vein's origin.
The true core—the main array eye—was at the Foul Vein's other end.
The barbarian imperial capital—Wolf Juxu Mountain!
"Cao Kai! This place is yours now!"
Sun Xiangzong wasted no words. He shot into the air, ready to leave Liangzhou—but a massive barrier shimmered across the heavens, blocking his path. Even he couldn't force his way through.
"Don't bother!"
Immortal Master Deng sneered. "Since you've come, you're not leaving. From this moment forward, not a single living creature in Liangzhou will escape!"
This was their open trap from the beginning.
The Blood Sacrifice Formation had three core points—two main, one auxiliary. Each was aligned with one of the Foul Vein's most vital locations, forming a perfect triangle that continuously drew power from the Foul Vein to fuel the ritual.
Even if Sun Xiangzong destroyed one, the other two could keep the formation active.
"Buzz—"
Cao Kai flew upward and slashed down with his sword, but even his strike couldn't make a dent.
He turned to his commander. "What should we do?"
"The auxiliary array eye is to the east—toward Youzhou."
Sun Xiangzong narrowed his eyes. He hadn't joined the frontlines himself, spending his final strength suppressing the Foul Vein's anomalies within the Luotian Mountains. But he still knew enough about the battlefield's situation.
No wonder the barbarians had concentrated their main offensive on Youzhou.
That was where the auxiliary eye lay.
And it was also the Life Gate of the formation.
Destroying the auxiliary eye would open a path of survival.
Everything has a weakness—formations are no exception. That Life Gate was the Blood Sacrifice Formation's vulnerability.
As long as the barbarians held the Youzhou border's array eye, no one in Liangzhou would escape alive.
And judging by the timing…
Sun Xiangzong's face darkened further.
By now, Youzhou had already fallen—or at least, a breach had been torn open.
The barbarians didn't truly want Youzhou itself.
Their goal was Zhu Tuo Pass, on the border of Youzhou!
"Cough… cough…"
Sun Xiangzong coughed heavily and swallowed another handful of pills, forcing his energy to stabilize. Then he gave Emperor Longqing the most decisive solution. "Either send men to Zhu Tuo Pass to locate the Life Gate, or march to Wolf Juxu Mountain and destroy the second main array eye."
The array eye here had been destroyed.
If they could take down two main cores, the formation couldn't sustain itself with only one auxiliary node.
"Wolf Juxu Mountain?"
Cao Kai's jaw tightened imperceptibly. "That's the barbarians' capital—nearly ten thousand li from here."
Even during his northern campaign, he had never intended to push that far. His best hope had been to capture the Manao River region and use it to breed warhorses for Great Sheng.
But Wolf Juxu Mountain…
That was far too distant.
"Let's deal with these first!"
Cao Kai's anger flared. He drew his sword and charged toward Yiled, Immortal Master Deng, and the surviving cultists.
"We wouldn't have come without preparation!"
Immortal Master Deng laughed coldly, spreading his arms. A flurry of array flags appeared and planted themselves around the remaining survivors, forming a shimmering protective barrier.
After several probing strikes, Emperor Longqing could sense it—this barrier was faintly linked to the Blood Sacrifice Formation in the sky.
"Don't waste your effort!"
Immortal Master Deng's grin twisted with malice. "Unless the Blood Sacrifice Formation itself collapses, this barrier will never break!"
They were directly borrowing the Foul Vein's ancestral power—something no ordinary formation could ever match.
And at that very moment—
Above their heads, the heavens trembled.
The Blood Sacrifice Formation above the heavens twisted into a massive black-and-red vortex. Waves of scarlet mist poured outward, filling the sky. An enormous predatory eagle flying thousands of feet high brushed against the red fog—and in an instant, its flesh and bones melted into blood, completely absorbed by the formation. Its very essence became nourishment for the awakening Foul Vein.
As the bloody mist thickened, spreading from the heavens down to the earth, it would soon engulf the entire world.
Once the scarlet fog filled the sky, everything in Liangzhou—man or beast—would be sacrificed and refined, leaving the land drenched in blood and death.
"Cough… cough…"
Sun Xiangzong's coughing grew heavier. He sat cross-legged on the spot, forcing himself to stabilize his energy.
"Life Gate… the Life Gate…"
Emperor Longqing muttered to himself. "I will not die here. I cannot die here. If there's a Life Gate, then it can be opened. If we take Youzhou, we live."
"Chirp—!"
He summoned his Gyrfalcon, took pen and paper from his storage pouch, and began to write an urgent command.
From within the barrier, the Witch God Sect Master sneered. "Cao Kai! Are you out of your mind?! The barrier's sealed shut! How's your army supposed to get out?!"
That was exactly what Emperor Longqing feared most.
According to the original plan, only eight hundred light cavalry were currently outside the city.
Mobilizing troops from anywhere else to reach Youzhou in time was impossible.
"Heh…"
Amid such dire circumstances, Sun Xiangzong, still sitting cross-legged, let out a faint, cold laugh.
"Zizhan, what are you laughing at?"
Emperor Longqing frowned. "If we can't get out, both you and I will die here."
"I'm laughing," Sun Xiangzong said slowly, "because the emperor who sits on his dragon throne, ruling the lives of others, now knows fear. A fine piece of karmic retribution! A sin come home to roost!"
His voice hardened like iron. "But what's hateful is this—you, a selfish emperor, cling to life and drag millions of innocent Liangzhou citizens into death alongside you! Cao Kai! May your soul never find peace in eternity!"
"The Yunzhou incident has nothing to do with me."
Emperor Longqing's tone didn't rise. He finished the letter, tied it to the Gyrfalcon's leg, and released it. Then his eyes darkened as he looked down at the Dragon Abyss Sword in his hand.
Within that sword lay half a kingdom's fate.
——
Inside Liangzhou City.
"Look!"
"Look up there! What is that?!"
The terrifying sight wasn't visible only in Liangzhou. Even the surrounding prefectures could see it clearly.
Above the Luotian Mountain Range, the black clouds split open. A massive, swirling vortex emerged, bleeding crimson mist that fell like a rain of blood. The sky dimmed into a ghastly red, like a colossal blood-colored bell descending over the land, trapping all living things inside.
"What in the world is happening?!"
At the Great Wall's edge, the Sixth Prince Cao Huan, Fang Qingyun, and several veteran generals had come in person to send off the Black Turtle Battalion and White Tiger Battalion.
But not long after the two battalions had departed, a wall of red mist suddenly appeared across the horizon, about two li beyond the Great Wall.
"This…"
"What kind of sorcery is this?!"
Cao Huan's voice shook. "Quick—go check it out!"
One of the soldiers spurred his horse forward to the edge of the mist. Out of curiosity, he reached out a hand to touch it.
"Szzzz—!"
"Ahhh—!"
In the blink of an eye, his arm dissolved into liquid blood. He fell to the ground screaming, writhing in agony.
"What?!"
Everyone watching from the wall froze in horror.
"It's a barrier," Fang Qingyun said finally, his voice grim. "We're trapped inside."
"Trapped? What do you mean trapped?"
Cao Huan's face turned pale. "This blood mist—it can trap millions of people in Liangzhou?!"
"Chirp—!"
A Gyrfalcon swooped down from the sky.
Cao Huan hurriedly removed the message tied to its leg.
"Father?"
He stared at the familiar handwriting—his father's own script. "Father is in Liangzhou? When did he come here?"
He kept reading.
The contents made his blood run cold.
In short—if they couldn't reach Youzhou in time to find a specific altar hidden within the Luotian Mountains, then millions of soldiers and citizens trapped inside Liangzhou City would all…
Turn into blood.
Just like the soldier moments ago.
"Ahhh!"
The screams hadn't stopped.
The man whose arm had touched the mist was now a puddle of blood on the ground. The corruption spread through his body like a plague—first his skin, then his muscles, then his bones—until his entire being simply vanished.
Evaporated from existence.
True human evaporation.
"Youzhou!"
Cao Huan clenched his fists. The scene was too horrifying to comprehend, but one thing was clear—if they wanted to live, if they wanted to save Liangzhou, they had to do exactly as his father's letter commanded.
"Quickly!"
"Gather all our troops—"
But mid-sentence, he froze.
It hit him all at once.
There was no way out.
Inside Liangzhou were over one hundred thousand troops, yet almost all of them were trapped within the barrier.
Right now, outside the Great Wall—
Only Chen Sanshi and Lü Ji, leading three battalions, remained free.
And in Youzhou, the barbarians had one hundred fifty thousand soldiers waiting.