"Where are they?!"
Qian Qiren flew on his sword to the large residence inside the city where the white-robed man's family had been settled, only to find the place completely empty, without a single person in sight.
He grabbed one of the guards at the gate and demanded, "Where are the Chen family?!"
"I-I don't know…"
The guard answered with a blank face. "I didn't see them leave."
"They ran in advance?!
"What kind of scheme is Chen Sanshi plotting?!"
Anxious and furious, Qian Qiren searched the surrounding area several times, but still found nothing. With no choice left, he gave up and flew toward the city wall to report the disappearance of the white-robed man's family.
"They're gone?"
Cui Zichen snapped angrily. "I knew that Chen fellow wasn't so honest!
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
Shangguan Haichang threw away his notched goose-feather saber. "The situation is critical—we can't delay any longer. First, escort His Majesty out of Kunyang!"
"Immortal Masters, can we really not hold on a bit longer?"
Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan looked at the soldiers on the walls who were still fighting desperately in blood-soaked armor. At this moment, he showed an unexpected hesitation toward the idea of "escaping."
The battlefield was the greatest forge of human character.
During this period, he had risked his life daily to climb the walls and inspect the defenses, eating and living alongside the soldiers. Without realizing it, he had come to understand what it meant to "share the same robe."
Pointing at the city wall, he said, "If we just leave like this, what will happen to the soldiers inside the city?"
Without the Immortal Masters, the defending troops would face one-sided slaughter.
"We can't worry about that anymore."
Cui Zichen urged impatiently. "Even if we stay, we won't last much longer!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shangguan Haichang grabbed the emperor's dragon robe. "Victory and defeat are common in war. Even if all the troops here are lost, as long as we leave, we can still regroup the remaining forces. Hurry, Your Majesty!"
Under the pushing and pulling, Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan was led away from the battlements.
Amid the chaos, they made their way to the southeastern corner as discreetly as possible, then boarded donkey carts and flying boats.
Even so, a commanding general passing through during a troop rotation noticed them and could not help but question, "My lords, where are you going?!"
"You only need to defend the city. Do not ask what you shouldn't!"
Shangguan Haichang barked in reply.
The Martial Saint's armor was already in tatters, with an arrow embedded in his chest. Looking at the donkey carts and flying boats behind them, he immediately understood what was happening. Confusion turned into grief and rage as he suddenly raised his long blade and shouted, exposing the truth:
"Shangguan Haichang, you're running again?!"
"Nonsense!"
Shangguan Haichang argued, "We're going out to seek a way to break the enemy!"
The Profound Manifestation–realm general roared with eyes splitting in fury. He pointed toward the distant city wall, where corpses were still falling from time to time.
"Run, run, run! All you damn people know how to do is run!
"Back then, you were the ones who talked about creating an age of peace and establishing an immortal legacy—that's why the brothers followed you and risked their lives!
"But what do you take us for? Are our lives worth less than dogs in your eyes?!"
"Cao Huan!"
He called the emperor by name outright. "Don't pretend you didn't hear me! I'm talking to you—answer me!"
"Insolence!"
A eunuch flew into a rage. "Wei Lan, how dare you address His Majesty by name?! That's treason deserving death!"
Wei Lan ignored him. His bloodshot eyes locked onto the dragon robe, veins bulging from his neck as he shouted:
"Cao Huan!
"With a great enemy before us, you, the ruler of a nation, keep trying to sneak away and flee! You're worse than the Chen family's children—what kind of Son of Heaven are you?! What kind of emperor?!"
"General Wei—"
Under the barrage of accusations, Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan did not grow angry. Instead, he felt overwhelming shame and found himself unable to speak.
"Your Majesty!"
Wei Lan howled hoarsely, his voice breaking with sobs. "You can't leave! The brothers need you! You only need to stand behind us, and we can still hold on—maybe Commander Chen will kill his way back any moment to lift the siege!
"But if you leave now, everything will truly be over!"
As he spoke, he clanged his weapon to the ground and fell heavily to his knees, begging bitterly.
"Your Majesty!
"I beg you!
"Stay!
"I swear—even if only one brother remains alive, we will not let them harm a single hair on Your Majesty's head!"
"Kill him."
Cui Zichen lost his patience and said coldly.
Behind him, a cultivator immediately drove his flying sword straight toward Wei Lan's throat.
But at that very moment, Cao Huan—still in his dragon robe—suddenly stepped in front.
The cultivator hurriedly twisted the sword aside; it skimmed past the crown of Cao Huan's head, narrowly avoiding killing him by mistake.
"Sixth Brother?"
Prince Yan, Cao Zhi, exclaimed in shock.
"Immortal Master Cui!"
The grey-haired Zhengtong Emperor slowly raised his head. His eyes were slightly red as he questioned, "What crime has General Wei committed, that he must be killed?"
Everyone was baffled, not understanding what scene was now unfolding.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Cui Zichen said expressionlessly. "The situation is urgent—who has time to waste arguing with this man?"
"Yes, Sixth Brother."
Prince Yan Cao Zhi urged, "If you say not to kill him, then we'll spare him. But don't waste time—come with us quickly."
Under the night sky, dim firelight flickered across the Zhengtong Emperor's somewhat timid face. He looked at Prince Yan and the many Immortal Masters, his heart seemingly locked in fierce struggle.
At last, after making a decision, his lips trembled as he spoke:
"I've changed my mind. I'm not leaving. And none of you are allowed to leave either. We stay and defend to the death."
"What?!"
Everyone was stunned.
"You've gone mad?!"
Qian Qiren looked at him in bewilderment. "This is simply absurd!"
"I—I am not discussing this with you."
Cao Huan's tone grew firmer. "General Wei is right. These soldiers are risking their lives for me. If I slip away at a time like this, how would I be worthy of the supreme throne of the Nine-Five?"
"Sixth Brother, that's enough."
Prince Yan, Cao Zhi, grabbed his wrist. "Hurry up and go."
He exerted force as he spoke, yet failed to pull him along.
"Twelfth Brother!"
Cao Huan suddenly said, "I know I am your puppet."
Prince Yan froze.
Cao Huan's clouded eyes reddened as he looked at the brother who had helped him ascend the throne, speaking with startling clarity. "You merely want to use the reputation I accumulated at court in my early years, along with my status as the rightful eldest son, to recruit scholars across the realm and expand your forces. All of this—I know."
From Mount Ziwei to the assassination attempt at the ancestral temple that forced the emperor to flee, it had all been Prince Yan's schemes. He himself was nothing more than a marionette.
What was more, Guiyuan Sect's power stood entirely with Seeking Immortals Tower. Who sat on the throne ultimately came down to a single word from Prince Yan.
All along, Cao Huan had done whatever Prince Yan told him to do, obedient to the extreme, because he— did not care.
He only wanted to do something for his ancestors' legacy. Even if he were emperor for just a single day, even if he might be forced to abdicate at any moment, he still wished to give it his all.
"Sixth Brother, you're overthinking it."
Prince Yan spoke frankly. "I never intended to do anything to you, nor was I in any hurry to drive you off the throne. Everything I've done is merely a personal grievance with that person."
Compared to the throne, he cared far more about obtaining the ancestral vein, stepping onto the Dao path, and pursuing longevity.
And to put it bluntly, Cao Huan's health would not last many more years anyway. There was no need to rush.
"Good!"
Cao Huan raised his voice. "In that case, have the cultivators of Guiyuan Sect stay and defend the city with me!"
"The path to longevity—how could it be nullified for the sake of a few mortals?!"
Before Prince Yan could answer, Qian Qiren said mercilessly, "If you want to stay, then stay! Our sect will not remain here to throw our lives away!"
To them, the entire war was nothing more than a struggle for the ancestral vein. With any path of retreat available, how could they be willing to die alongside mortal soldiers?
As they spoke, many cultivators took advantage of the night to rise into the air. Clearly, no one wished to keep holding on.
"Sixth Brother, see? There's nothing I can do about this."
Prince Yan, Cao Zhi, tried to persuade him earnestly. "If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"
Seeing that the other would not budge, he did not continue persuading. Turning around, he stepped onto his master's flying sword.
Under the helpless gaze of Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan, all the cultivators of Guiyuan Sect departed without a single one lingering behind.
"Your Majesty?!"
Wei Lan looked at the emperor before him, seemingly not expecting him to stay, and instead said, "You should go with them!"
Since the cultivators of Guiyuan Sect were unwilling to help, Zhengtong staying behind was meaningless.
"I am also at the Meridian-Connecting realm!"
Cao Huan said as he picked up a long blade from the nearby ground, his voice trembling slightly. "Today, without Immortal Masters, I will still live and die with the soldiers. My Cao family's realm was won from horseback—how could it lack blood and courage?"
"Your Majesty!"
Wei Lan covered his face and wept. "I knew it—Your Majesty is a sage ruler! Rest assured, if the traitors want Your Majesty, they will have to step over my corpse!"
The Wei family were also former ministers of the Qilin Pavilion. When the Prince of Jin fled the capital back then, they had chosen to follow him. Hearing this today, he could die without regret.
On the city wall, with the number of cultivators sharply reduced, casualties among Kunyang's defenders began to increase exponentially.
"Where are the Immortal Masters?!"
"Why can't we see the Immortal Masters anymore?!"
"Do you even need to ask?!"
Feng Yong cursed as he cut down the enemy before him. "They must have run—"
Before he could finish, he saw a figure in a dragon robe carrying a blade charge onto the wall, personally joining the slaughter.
Cao Huan's moves were clumsy, his martial skill clearly long neglected. Before he could even kill a single enemy, he nearly lost his life on the spot.
Yet his actions greatly bolstered the morale of the soldiers loyal to Zhengtong.
"Soldiers, do not panic!"
Cao Huan climbed up from the ground and shouted. "The Immortal Masters are finding a way to contact Commander Chen. Soon, we will strike from within and without and crush the enemy—hold on a little longer!
"Kill!"
The sounds of battle shook the heavens.
Elsewhere, the many cultivators of Guiyuan Sect reached the skies above Kunyang City, where an earth-colored Thick Earth barrier quickly rose before them.
"Leave it to this old man!"
Huang Laojiu hurriedly formed seals with both hands. An orange-yellow talisman slowly rose, the spiritual power blooming from it far surpassing that of ordinary talismans.
A talisman treasure.
So-called talisman treasures were special talismans that only cultivators at the Golden Core realm or higher could create, often possessing astonishing power.
However, because their creation consumed either a magic treasure or the cultivator's own mana, talisman treasures were exceptionally precious.
Under Huang Laojiu's activation, the originally flimsy sheet of talisman paper transformed into a magic treasure.
The treasure was pitch-black like ink, shaped like an iron spike, no larger than a palm. Yet the power contained within was anything but small.
The Demon-Sealing Nail!
"Go!"
Huang Laojiu let out a soft shout.
The Demon-Sealing Nail turned into a streak of black light and shot forward, its afterimage like splashed ink. Carrying vast and surging spiritual power, it slammed into the barrier with a thunderous crash, forcibly gouging open a breach over 1 zhang wide in the Thick Earth barrier—whose defensive might reached mid-grade second tier.
At the same time, however, the Demon-Sealing Nail shattered, turning into specks of spiritual light that gradually dissipated into the air.
Talisman treasures differ from ordinary talismans. They are not one-time consumables. The reason it collapsed upon use was not because the Thick Earth barrier was sturdy, but because of the Heaven-and-Earth Seal.
The Heaven-and-Earth Seal does not only restrict cultivators, limiting them to Qi Refining Perfection; it also suppresses magic treasures, formations, and the like. Once their power reaches upper second tier, they are extinguished.
If the talisman treasure just now had not been restricted, it could have been reused repeatedly until the barrier was completely destroyed. Under the current constraints, however, it could only tear open a single escape opening.
Watching a perfectly good talisman treasure be wasted like this made the cultivators' hearts ache.
"Move, now!"
Qian Qiren shouted a warning. "Someone's coming after us!"
With the formation damaged, Shan Liangcheng immediately led people rushing over to investigate.
"Run!"
Huang Laojiu lashed the donkey hard with his whip. The donkey cart shot toward the sky like an arrow or falling star, escaping to safety.
The others followed closely behind, fleeing Kunyang City just moments before the Shengyun Sect cultivators arrived.
They flew more than ten li away and only stopped after confirming no one was pursuing them.
Without the barrier's concealment, everyone's vision returned to normal.
"Look over there!"
A cultivator cast a technique similar to Far-Seeing Eyes toward the direction of Eight Lords Mountain, then shouted excitedly, "Senior brothers, look! Chen Sanshi really did return as agreed!"
Looking over, they could faintly see troops arrayed in formation on the far bank of the Luo Stream.
"It seems that man named Chen didn't lie to us."
One cultivator asked, "In that case, should we return to the city? Without us, the casualties inside will probably be severe."
"Junior brother, have you lost your mind?"
Qian Qiren snapped. "What does their heavy casualties have to do with us?!"
"No need to worry too much."
Cui Zichen analyzed calmly. "The people in Kunyang City can still hold out a little longer. Let's watch first.
"If they can win, we'll kill our way back.
"If they can't, going back now would be useless anyway."
"Daoist Cui is indeed thorough in his thinking."
Qian Qiren said, "Our sect cannot afford further sacrifices so lightly.
"These Qi Refining late-stage and Perfection disciples are all seedlings for Foundation Establishment, the future backbone of the sect."
"Tsk."
"Speaking of which, how exactly does that man named Chen plan to attack?"
Within their view, hundreds of thousands of imperial troops were arrayed along the riverbank. Golden light barriers stood like city walls, and with Emperor Longqing and Ling Kui personally overseeing the field, they truly could not imagine how the enemy could be broken through. This only made them more relieved that they had fled earlier—otherwise, just waiting for the White Robe would have meant near-certain death.
"Let's watch first, let's watch first."
Huang Laojiu sat on the donkey, hugging his wine gourd as he observed.
Outside Yongjia Prefecture.
Beneath the White Robe.
"Commander,"
Sima Chi reported, "the challenge letter has already been delivered, but it seems they have no intention of withdrawing to let us land."
"Brother,"
Zhang Shun gripped his fish spear and looked out anxiously. "Kunyang City's defensive formation seems to have broken. They probably won't last much longer. Are we just going to watch?"
"The time is almost here. Wait a bit longer."
Chen Sanshi issued his order calmly. "Shan Qunyu, you lead five thousand troops to withdraw. Make as much noise as possible. Sima Chi, spread word of the retreat to the other side."
"Withdraw? Alright, understood."
Shan Qunyu asked no questions and immediately carried it out.
On the opposite bank.
The imperial army.
Emperor Longqing and Ling Kui were still holding the position.
Across the riverbank, they could even see the White Robe's figure occasionally rise into the air to scout. If not for concern over a possible Yunding Palace ambush, they likely would not have been able to restrain themselves from attacking already.
"Your Majesty, Senior Ling Kui, something unexpected happened in Kunyang."
Shan Liangcheng hurried over. "The people inside used some unknown method to tear open a gap in the barrier, allowing all of Guiyuan Sect's people to escape.
"But this is actually a good thing. Without Guiyuan Sect's disciples, they definitely won't last until dawn, and our losses will also be minimized."
"They all escaped?"
Ling Kui asked urgently. "What about that little thief's descendants?"
"They likely escaped as well."
Shan Liangcheng answered honestly. "We didn't see them. Since Guiyuan Sect fled, they would certainly take the Chen family's dependents with them—otherwise Chen Sanshi would never let them go."
"Report—!"
As they were speaking, a scout rushed in. "Your Majesty! The Northern Liang army on the opposite bank has sent word. Since we do not dare to fight decisively, they will no longer continue this standoff and are preparing to withdraw and fight another day."
Hearing this, Emperor Longqing personally used Aerial Control to inspect and indeed saw banners waving on the far bank, with figures withdrawing eastward.
"This is bad!"
Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan said, "Your Majesty! With my junior brother's family freed, one major concern is gone. He's retreating to welcome even more Qing Kingdom reinforcements!"
Ling Kui snorted coldly. "I thought he was some great hero. Turns out once his wife and children are safe, he doesn't care about anyone else's lives?"
"Father Emperor!"
The Prince of Qin said hurriedly, "We can't let Chen the Hunter get away! Once he leaves and relies on Yunding Palace, it'll be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains!"
"That may be so,"
Nie Yuan said with a troubled expression, "But if he insists on leaving, what can we do? We can't possibly have hundreds of thousands of troops chase after them. What if they strike us while we're halfway across?"
As he spoke, it drew Shan Liangcheng's attention.
"Your Majesty,"
Ling Kui said in a deep voice, "why don't the two of us cross together and try to directly behead that little thief?"
Emperor Longqing remained silent. His sharp eyes swept across the opposite bank, taking in the banners covering the mountains and plains, and he felt certain it was a trap.
Since Yunding Palace dared to show itself, it meant there must also be a second-tier formation.
Even with the Dragon Abyss Sword in hand, unless it was absolutely unavoidable, he could not afford to waste it.
"Your Majesty, I have a plan."
Shan Liangcheng clasped his fists and said, "Why not agree to let them cross the river?"
"Impossible."
Lü Ji stopped him in a low voice. "Daoist Shan, my junior brother is cautious in warfare. If he says he wants to land and fight, he must be prepared. If we truly let him come ashore, who knows what kind of schemes he has waiting."
"General Lü,"
Shan Liangcheng said instead, "I only said we should agree to let them cross the river. I never said we would actually let them land."
"Oh?"
Nie Yuan asked with curiosity, "What ingenious plan does Immortal Master Shan have in mind?"
"In fact, it was General Nie's words that reminded me."
Shan Liangcheng said leisurely, "You just said that if we crossed to pursue them, they could strike us mid-crossing.
"This move—
"we can use it too!"
"I would like to hear the details."
"First,"
Shan Liangcheng explained methodically, "send word telling them we agree to a decisive battle and are willing to withdraw 20 li to give them space to land and form ranks.
"They naturally won't believe it easily.
"So we must put on a show.
"First order the troops along the riverbank to withdraw, luring the enemy into crossing the river. But we won't actually wait for them to land and form up.
"When they are halfway across, we suddenly give the order for the entire army to turn back and strike, catching them completely unprepared.
"This is striking the enemy mid-crossing!"
Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan assumed a thoughtful look, then suddenly realized the brilliance of it and praised, "This plan is excellent!"
"Indeed."
The Prince of Qin agreed anxiously. "Father Emperor, our provisions can't last much longer."
A million troops—what a staggering level of consumption.
Because of their sheer numbers, they didn't even have the option of retreating.
Either they decided the outcome, or the nation's strength would collapse!
"Yes, I think it will work as well."
Ling Kui echoed, "Your Majesty, Chen Sanshi has most likely already reached mid True Force Realm. If you and I join forces now, we can still kill him easily. But if we delay further, who knows what might happen."
Emperor Longqing's dao robe snapped loudly in the night wind. He stared at the tiny white-robed figure on the far bank. After a brief surge of emotion, the deep, abyss-like eyes flashed with cold light. He finally made his decision and spoke a single word that shook the heart:
"Approved."
On the opposite bank.
The decisive battle was at hand.
The White Robe sat by the river, eyes closed, conserving his spirit.
Until Sima Chi's voice sounded by his ear.
"Commander! They've agreed to withdraw 20 li and give us room to land and form ranks."
Chen Sanshi abruptly opened his eyes and looked toward the opposite bank. He saw that the golden barriers that once stood by the river had vanished. The imperial army was withdrawing in orderly fashion, clearing space for them.
He said without hesitation, "Pass the order. The entire army prepares to cross the river."
"Commander, this old man has some concerns."
Sima Chi cautioned, "This could be the enemy using a counter-scheme, luring us into the water and then striking us mid-crossing."
"I know."
Chen Sanshi said calmly, "But it's already over."
In any vast campaign, the true decisive moment often comes in a single instant.
And that instant— had arrived!
War drums thundered, hooves shook the earth.
East of the Luo Stream, 20,000 cavalry arrayed themselves in formation, assuming a charging stance.
Facing them—was the imperial army of 1,000,000!
20,000 versus 1,000,000!
A white horse, a white robe, slowly rode to the very front of the formation.
Silver light flashed.
A long spear appeared in the commander's hand. Accompanied by the cry of a dragon, it was raised high, and a resounding, majestic voice echoed across heaven and earth:
"The entire army—cross the river!"