The Fei River.
A million troops.
Stationed in the central army, Shan Liangcheng raised the Xuan Jade Golden Radiance Bamboo in his hand and issued his orders in a deep voice:
"Generals, heed my command!
"The rear of the central army will become the vanguard, and the vanguard will become the rear, withdrawing in an orderly fashion 20 li. The rear army's front, center, left, and right divisions will shift 15 li southward.
"In addition, draw 8,000 light cavalry from the left division of the central army to force a crossing at the northern ford of the Luojian River, and draw 15,000 light cavalry from the rear division of the rear army to force a crossing at the southern ford of the Luojian River. They must complete the crossing before the main army finishes its withdrawal, then circle around behind Bagong Mountain to cut off the enemy's line of retreat.
"I will repeat these orders once more!"
Commanding an army was never the task of a single person.
The larger the force, the more it relied on vast numbers of experienced grassroots officers to assist in execution. If the commander-in-chief were the key that started a great mechanism, then the officers throughout the army—from senior generals down to squad leaders—were the countless gears that brought the entire mechanism to life. Not a single link could afford to fail.
At this moment, more than 50 Profound Manifestation–realm generals were gathered here awaiting orders. They repeated the immortal master's deployment word for word, without the slightest deviation.
"Execute at once!"
"This subordinate obeys!"
With the command given, more than 50 Profound Manifestation–realm generals swung onto their horses and scattered in all directions, passing the orders to their lieutenant generals, who then mobilized thousand-commanders and hundred-commanders, until the commands reached the lowest ranks.
Across the vast and boundless wilderness battlefield of Yuzhou, a colossal mechanism composed of 1,000,000 soldiers began to turn slowly as its gears engaged.
When troops exceed 100,000, they cover heaven and earth.
A million heavenly soldiers, blazing with divine might!
Shan Liangcheng rose into midair and pointed from afar at the surging sea of troops below, speaking loudly: "Your Majesty, please observe. Although this appears to be a withdrawal, it is in fact the 'Heaven and Earth Three Talents Formation.'
"The moment Chen Sanshi begins directing a river crossing, our army will immediately tighten formation and counterattack. At that time, we will form a three-sided encirclement. Moreover, I also intend to redeploy the Thick Earth barrier from Kunyang City to completely trap them. Even if scattered units manage to flee back across the river, they will be crushed by the ambushing forces that have already circled behind them.
"At present, my only concern is whether Chen Sanshi will actually cross the river. After all, his wife and children have already withdrawn, so there is no longer any need for him to risk his life against us."
"He will cross," Emperor Longqing said.
Seated upon the back of an immortal crane, he gazed toward the opposite bank.
He understood this young man all too well.
Six years ago, along the Hongze River at the border between Youzhou and Yunzhou, this youth's realm had been no more than tempering organs, with barely over a thousand troops under his command, yet he had still charged forward without hesitation to escort civilians across the river.
Now, that same young man stood above the Martial Saint realm, commanding vast armies, with Northern Liang troops trapped within Kunyang City across the river. How could he hesitate now?
The only difference between then and now was that Chen Sanshi had grown from a mere Hundred-Household into an ever-victorious general commanding 200,000 iron cavalry.
As a commander, one must learn to weigh gains and losses.
If the court did not withdraw 20 li to feign a flaw, Cao Kai believed Chen Sanshi would retreat without hesitation, even if every defender within Kunyang City were annihilated.
That would be a decision made from the broader perspective, precisely what an ever-victorious general ought to choose.
However, once the court agreed to withdraw and offered a glimmer of hope, even if Chen Sanshi knew full well that he might face a half-crossing ambush, he would still lead his army across the river without hesitation.
He would rather risk some danger than abandon the soldiers trapped within Kunyang City.
In the end, he would still act on impulse.
And that was Chen Sanshi's greatest weakness.
Where there is weakness, there is defeat.
Kunyang City.
The slaughter of blood and flesh continued without pause.
Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan wielded a willow-leaf blade, his dragon robe already tattered beyond recognition. Yet at this moment, in the eyes of the soldiers under his command, he seemed clad in a truly indestructible dragon robe.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Wei Lan fought desperately at his side, cleaving a would-be ambusher cleanly in half at the waist.
Not long ago, the number of cultivators outside Kunyang City had suddenly dropped, easing the pressure somewhat. However, the court army still benefited from the Six Ding Six Jia Golden Radiance Formation, and with their overwhelming numbers, they remained difficult to repel.
"Brothers!"
"Hold fast!"
"The enemy's cultivators have clearly decreased!"
"That means they've already engaged the Grand Commander and can't spare attention for us!"
"Kill!!!"
Of the 120,000 defenders within the city, only a little over 90,000 remained. As siege engines continued their bombardment, large sections of Kunyang's city walls had collapsed, allowing enemy troops to climb up easily using ladders or piles of corpses.
At the same time, most of them realized a grim truth.
That was that Yongjia Prefecture near Bagong Mountain lay at a vast distance from Kunyang. Even if Grand Commander Chen had already begun fighting there, he would still need to break through tens of thousands of enemy troops before he could arrive.
Judging by the current situation, they feared they would not be able to hold out until that moment arrived.
In the sky above, the Guiyuan Sect's cultivators had been observing for quite some time.
They had no intention of making further sacrifices and planned to quietly await the final outcome.
According to reports from the front, near Bagong Mountain, Chen Sanshi claimed to have brought 200,000 reinforcements along with a large number of cultivators from Yunding Palace, their momentum vast and imposing.
As for how many reinforcements could truly be mustered, the Guiyuan Sect had already dispatched spirit beasts into the heartland of Qing Kingdom to verify the situation the moment the White Robe abandoned the city.
All factions had planted spies among one another, and they were no exception.
Especially now that Yunding Palace had intervened, the Guiyuan Sect needed to ascertain the true situation and form a basic judgment of the overall circumstances. After all, allies were only temporary; in the end, everyone was a competitor for the ancestral vein.
By their calculations, the spirit beasts sent out should have returned by the mao hour today. Yet even by midnight, there was still no sign of them, the delay stretching far longer than expected.
Left with no alternatives, the Guiyuan Sect's cultivators could only remain here, waiting it out, observing the changes on the battlefield ahead, and conserving their strength.
"You all look—there seems to be movement below."
Qian Qiren's voice rang out, breaking the silence of the night sky.
Looking down from their vantage point tens of thousands of meters above the ground, the vast army on the wilderness plain resembled a black river, or a dense swarm of ants, sealing off the banks of the Luojian River so tightly that not a single gap was left for reinforcements to cross. Their intent was clear: to grind down Kunyang first, no matter the cost.
Yet all of a sudden, for reasons unknown, the pitch-black tide began to churn. With the astonishing eyesight granted by cultivation techniques, it was clearly visible that the court's army was… retreating.
"Are they making room, planning to let the reinforcements cross the river?"
"That Chen fellow really is something. He actually managed to force the court to let them come ashore."
"But the problem is—so what if they get ashore?"
A harsh reality lay plainly before them.
The court's hundreds of thousands of troops had long been fully prepared. Even if the reinforcements managed to cross the river while ignoring all interference, they would merely be stepping onto a corner of ground deliberately ceded by the enemy. There was no possibility of turning the tide with a surprise victory.
Chen Sanshi had abandoned the city and gone to fetch reinforcements, circling around again and again, only to return for a head-on decisive battle in the end.
The opposing side had more than 500,000 troops, with Emperor Longqing and Ling Kui personally overseeing the field. Even with Yunding Palace supporting the White Robe, the odds of winning a frontal clash were still not high.
Unless Yunding Palace had some hidden trump card.
That was it.
Yunding Palace must have made preparations!
This was the only explanation the Guiyuan Sect's cultivators could come up with.
"Damn Yunding Palace—they've clearly been plotting this for a long time."
If that were truly the case, then all of Guiyuan Sect's preparations over the past few years would amount to nothing more than wedding clothes made for Yunding Palace.
Worse still, it would not be long before the blade was turned back on Guiyuan Sect itself.
Just as curiosity spread among the group, a spirit beast no larger than a finger—a hummingbird—flew in. It was precisely the spirit beast they had dispatched to scout for information.
It landed in Qian Qiren's palm and spat out a strip of paper. He immediately examined its contents with care.
"Well?" Cui Zichen asked urgently. "What preparations does Yunding Palace have? We should make our own arrangements in advance as well."
Under the anxious gazes of the crowd—
"This is bad!"
Qian Qiren's expression shifted erratically before he spoke in a trembling voice, revealing the truth. "What trump card is there to speak of?!"
"You mean…"
"Yunding Palace is simply planning to fight to the death?"
"No." Qian Qiren shook his head. "Yunding Palace hasn't come at all!
"Look for yourselves!
"This secret message spells it out clearly.
"Neither the Qing Kingdom nor Yunding Palace has sent a single soldier or a single cultivator. They're all just watching the fire from across the river.
"There are no reinforcements at Kunyang.
"Or rather… the only reinforcement is Chen Sanshi himself!
"We've been played by him!"
At these words, the cultivators turned pale with shock.
"Disciple," Cui Zichen hurriedly asked, "you're more familiar with troop deployments. Without help from Yunding Palace, how many soldiers could Chen Sanshi realistically mobilize to rush back in such a short time?"
"At most 20,000," Prince Cao Zhi answered without hesitation. "The only force that could reach Bagong Mountain within half a month would be the 20,000 troops originally left behind at Chibi."
20,000!
They stared at one another in disbelief.
Had Chen Sanshi gone mad?!
After going to such lengths, he had only brought back 20,000 men.
And he planned to use those 20,000 to fight…
1,000,000!
What a masterful display of bluffing!
Even the well-informed Guiyuan Sect had only just learned the truth. The Great Sheng court would learn it even later, and without doubt they would assume there really were 200,000 troops across the river.
Fake was fake!
You could deceive others, but how could you deceive yourself as well?
With only 20,000 men, the moment they successfully crossed the river… the truth would be exposed!
At that point, it would not even count as lambs entering a tiger's den—it would be nothing more than delivering themselves straight to the enemy as a side dish!
"He's insane!"
"That Chen fellow has completely lost his mind!"
"Good thing we left early and didn't continue holding Kunyang. Otherwise, we would have been killed by him for sure!"
"Let's watch for now."
"If the situation turns bad, we leave immediately."
If this battle was lost, the Guiyuan Sect would essentially lose all qualification to continue competing for the ancestral vein and could only retreat in bitterness.
"Hiss—what a fierce wind!"
Huang Laojiu, who had been sitting silently on the donkey cart the entire time, suddenly spoke up. Only then did the others realize that in the night sky, which had been utterly still just moments before, a savage gale had arisen without warning. Immediately afterward, raindrops as large as beans began pelting down onto them.
The heavens had changed.
Above the Fei River, the bright moon shone clear, the myriad stars strewn across the sky in resplendent brilliance.
After a clear day, the night sky stretching for tens of thousands of kilometers should have been a scene of tranquil beauty—stars hanging low over the plains, moonlight surging with the great river's flow. Yet in an instant, an eerie and sinister storm was stirred into being.
Amid violent gusts, more and more dark clouds rolled in from afar, gathering above the Fei River. Once they sealed off the sky, they surged like a tsunami.
Meteors slipped through sparse branches; the moon raced against the clouds.
If one looked up from the ground, they could peer through the dark boughs of Bagong Mountain and see the bright moon weaving across the surface of the clouds, until it plunged headlong into black fog like a hellscape, completely engulfed and swallowed, leaving not the slightest trace of light.
Instead, the stars—once dim beside the moon—began to flash one by one, growing ever brighter.
"Crack—!"
As a streak of purplish-red lightning tore across the star-filled night sky, a torrential downpour suddenly descended, forming an eerie celestial phenomenon unseen for a hundred years.
This scene was clearly visible not only to the cultivators hovering in midair but also to the court's army on the ground, who could not help but cluster together and whisper among themselves.
"Red lightning?!"
"And why do the stars look so much brighter than usual? They're almost turning white!"
"I studied celestial phenomena with my teacher when I was young."
"Then hurry up and tell us—what's going on?"
"This is an ill omen."
"An ill omen?"
"That's right. The last time something like this happened was more than 500 years ago, when the Former Jin collapsed. That night, the Milky Way turned pale and blood-colored lightning fell from the sky because the Jin Dynasty was brutally tyrannical and drew down Heaven's punishment!"
"What?!"
"There was something like that?"
"Then who is this Heaven's punishment meant for today?"
"Who knows?"
"Maybe the rebels… or maybe us."
Within the court's million-strong army were the Black Turtle, White Tiger, and Heavenly Lion battalions.
After the strange phenomenon appeared, many self-proclaimed experts in celestial signs immediately emerged from these three battalions, tirelessly explaining their interpretations to those around them. Coupled with the rare sight of stars glowing white and lightning flashing purple, the notion of Heaven's punishment spread rapidly.
A million soldiers meant a million mouths, all murmuring about "Heaven's punishment," and for a time their minds wavered.
Especially when some claimed that this punishment was aimed directly at them, unease spread even further.
"Silence!"
"Hold your tongues!"
"It's just rain—look at how spineless you are!"
"Do what you're supposed to do!"
"Cause trouble and you'll lose your heads!"
Lieutenant generals and thousand-commanders moved through the ranks, forcing the soldiers to quiet down while relaying orders from the front for the central and rear armies to withdraw further back.
At the very center of it all, Emperor Longqing and the others naturally noticed the change in the heavens as well.
"Your Majesty!"
"This is an ill omen!"
A civil official stumbled through the rain and mud, rushed forward, and dropped to his knees, shouting loudly. "Your Majesty, the Milky Way has turned pale and purplish-red lightning has appeared! This signifies impending calamity—it is…"
This man was the Director of the Astronomical Bureau, responsible for observing celestial and stellar phenomena.
"An ill omen?" Emperor Longqing narrowed his eyes slightly and cut him off in a drawn-out tone. "Nonsense. Where is this ill omen you speak of?"
"Your Majesty, it is truly so!" The director insisted despite attempts to stop him. "This humble official only knows that the Five Emperor Seats in the Supreme Palace Enclosure have been dim of late, which bodes ill for Your Majesty. Now, with a heavenly anomaly appearing tonight, it is likely unsuitable to engage in decisive battle!"
"Nonsense! His Majesty has just broken through the Foundation Establishment threshold—how could anything go wrong? This is clearly a heavenly auspicious sign!"
Chief Eunuch Huang Hong of the Directorate of Ceremonial Supervision shouted sternly. "Men, drag him away and execute him!"
Emperor Longqing watched quietly as the official's head fell.
The anomaly was plain for all to see.
Yet even if the Astronomical Bureau official was correct, he still had to die.
Because matters had reached this point and there was no path of retreat. With the decisive battle imminent, no one was allowed to shake the army's morale.
A trace of unease gradually rose in Emperor Longqing's heart.
Unsure whether this phenomenon was mere coincidence or somehow connected to the White Robe on the opposite bank, he finally could not restrain himself and asked in a low voice, "Shan Liangcheng, is this truly an ill omen?"
"The methods of observing omens run counter to the Heavenly Dao. We cultivators truly dare not tread that path lightly."
Shan Liangcheng gazed up at the night sky and, after a brief hesitation, spoke with conviction. "Your Majesty need not worry. We cultivators draw in the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth and seek the Dao of longevity; this is inherently an act of defying heaven. When great cultivators of the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realms break through, they must even face heavenly tribulation.
"If one were to fear even natural phenomena of Heaven and Earth, then there would be no need to continue walking the immortal path at all."
"Heh."
Ling Kui let out a lukewarm chuckle. "The young friend's words are not without reason. Your Majesty need not be concerned. In the cultivation world, phenomena like this are as common as wind and rain."
"Your Majesty." Shan Liangcheng pointed toward the opposite bank and said with growing confidence, "Everything is in place. All that remains is the river crossing. The moment Chen Sanshi steps onto the pontoon bridge will be the moment his entire army is annihilated."
"Wait!"
Standing atop a wooden watchtower, the Prince of Qin peered carefully toward the opposite shore and quickly noticed something amiss. "Why are their numbers so small?!"
With the decisive battle at hand, by all logic the White Robe's forces—however many they had—should have been fully gathered at the crossing, ready to surge over at any moment.
Yet from their elevated vantage point, it was clear that the enemy's numbers…
Were insufficient.
They claimed to have 200,000 troops, but judging by the scale of the forces assembled on the opposite bank, there were at most 70,000 to 80,000, and possibly only around 50,000.
"Looks like a feint," Shan Liangcheng said thoughtfully. "That explains it—there's no way he could have mobilized 200,000 troops in such a short time."
"This man excels at playing tricks and mystifying people," the Prince of Qin said disdainfully. "Back at Hulao Pass, it was said he scared Southern Xu into not knowing how many troops were inside the pass, which led to the collapse of 100,000 soldiers. Now he wants to try the same thing again."
"It won't work," Shan Liangcheng said calmly. "Once the fighting begins, they'll expose themselves."
"Once the battle starts," he continued, "we finish it swiftly."
Only a single thought remained in Emperor Longqing's mind.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Amid the thunder, the sound of war drums rolled out.
Under flashes of lightning, battle flags whipped violently in the wind.
A million soldiers—vast beyond measure.
Once arrayed in formation, anyone standing within it could no longer see the outside world at all. As far as the eye could reach, there were only comrades-in-arms, and nothing else.
That was why every movement had to be executed strictly according to the war drums and command flags. Otherwise, the entire army would plunge into chaos.
At this very moment, every chain of command within the army was transmitting the same order to the soldiers—
Withdraw.
"Why are we retreating just because of thunder?"
"What happened up front?"
"No idea."
Military orders could never be conveyed simply by shouting at the top of one's lungs. Even if the voice carried far enough, the overlapping shouts of countless officers would only sow confusion.
By contrast, orders conveyed through banners and war drums were always concise and unambiguous. How many drumbeats meant advance, how long the horn sounded for withdrawal, how the flags were waved to indicate direction of movement, and what formation to adopt—everything was clear.
For the countless formation grunts, there was no need to understand too much on the battlefield. They only needed to stake their lives on obeying orders.
Just like now.
Amid the torrential rain and crashing thunder, they repeatedly confirmed that the command they had received consisted of only two simple words—
Withdraw.
"Why withdraw?"
"What's happening ahead?"
More and more soldiers tried to see the situation at the front. Some stood on their comrades' shoulders, while others leapt high into the air.
But with a million troops stretching tens of miles across even laterally, combined with raging winds, driving rain, darkness, and lightning, how could anyone possibly make out what was happening at the very front?
"If you're told to withdraw, then withdraw!"
"What are you standing there for? Move!"
One lieutenant general after another rode through the ranks on horseback or was carried by cultivators' flying swords, weaving through the formations and urging the soldiers to carry out the order.
At the same time—
Within Emperor Longqing's field of vision, the White Robe troops on the opposite bank finally…
Moved!
They took on the posture of a charge, stepping onto the pre-built pontoon bridges one after another and surging toward the deliberately vacated space within the million-strong army. The sound of hooves pounding against wooden planks was like a dense roll of war drums.
Emperor Longqing guided the immortal crane as he slowly ascended into the air. Mana began to condense within his body, and his dragon-like eyes, deep as an abyss, released an unprecedented vigilance and killing intent.
At his side, Ling Kui also raised the Yin Gui Netherworld Sword. Thick, murky Netherworld True Force coiled around the blade like living vines, wrapping it in cold, gleaming light.
Shan Liangcheng no longer paid any attention to Kunyang City at all. Holding the Profound Jade Golden Radiance Bamboo, he remained here, preparing to fully control the formation and support the two of them.
It was over.
Everything was about to end!
The moment the White Robe on the white horse led the first wave of soldiers ashore, the barrier of the Six Ding Six Jia Formation would rise behind them, cutting off their retreat and trapping the vast majority of the rebel troops still on the bridges, unable to advance or withdraw.
Then the central army and rear army would follow the original deployment. Before the enemy could fully land, they would surge back in a pincer attack using the Heaven and Earth Three Talents Formation.
Everyone present knew that the White Robe could employ Heavenly Book formations.
But military formations ultimately relied on manpower.
Under the court's arrangements, the rebels would have no chance whatsoever to form ranks. The instant they set foot on shore, it would be a dead end!
Fifty zhang!
Twenty zhang!
Ten zhang!
The White Robe on the white horse charged at the forefront, gripping a Dragon Gall Bright Silver Spear. His speed was so great that beneath the curtain of rain formed by the downpour, he tore open a gap, leaving only a single step between himself and the riverbank.
On the surface of Emperor Longqing's whisk, five-colored auspicious radiance was about to burst forth, like a sea of mana accumulated to its absolute limit, on the verge of eruption.
Just as his arm slowly began to rise—
From within the mud-soaked ranks of the army below, a sudden, resounding voice rang out.
It drowned out the wind, crushed the rain, and surpassed even the thunder, like a great bell falling from the Nine Heavens into the mortal world.
"Our army has been defeated—"