Royal Court in Sight

The Northern Expeditionary Army was like a black blade, slicing through the frozen earth and wilderness of Northern Mang's heartland. Wherever it passed, signal fires were extinguished, and tribes fled.

After Chen Qing broke through to the Aperture Opening Realm, his perception and control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth far surpassed his previous abilities. He no longer relied solely on his scouts; his Fierce Tiger Domain, infused with the true intents of Slaughter and Annihilation, could spread like invisible tendrils for dozens of miles, taking in the terrain and enemy movements as if he had "eyes" everywhere.

The layered defenses set up by Northern Mang's Left Virtuous King, Wuwei, were like a paper shield against the absolute disparity in strength. Small-scale harassment and ambushes were easily swept away by the vanguard of the Northern Expeditionary Army, like crushing ants, without Chen Qing even needing to personally intervene.

The army advanced at an extremely rapid pace. In just half a month, they had reached the last natural barrier of the Northern Mang Royal Court—the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

This mountain range stretched for a thousand miles, with towering peaks resembling countless crouching giant wolves guarding the core of the Royal Court, the fertile "Golden Tent Grassland" behind it. Within the mountain range, there were only three narrow passages for passage, making the terrain treacherous and easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Wuwei had clearly placed his last hope here. He had gathered all his remaining forces, amassing nearly a hundred thousand troops. He personally stationed himself at the "Wolf's Throat" pass in the center, while the other two passages, "Wolf's Paw" and "Wolf's Tail," were each guarded by trusted generals and heavy troops, presenting a stance of desperate defense and a decisive battle.

The Northern Expeditionary Army's camp was established at the southern foot of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

Inside the command tent, the charcoal fire crackled, dispelling the bone-chilling cold of the northern lands. Chen Qing, Old Niu, Sun Quezi, and several newly promoted core generals were gathered around a sand table.

"General, Wuwei has concentrated his main force at the Wolf's Throat pass, while the garrisons at the Wolf's Paw and Wolf's Tail passes are relatively weak. Your subordinate suggests we divide our forces to feign an attack on the flanks, drawing the enemy's attention, while our main force concentrates its strength to forcefully break through the Wolf's Throat!" a general skilled in military strategy advised, pointing at the sand table.

Old Niu grunted, "Why bother with all that trouble! General is already in the Aperture Opening Realm, with vast divine abilities. Why not just fly over and twist off that old rascal Wuwei's head!"

Sun Quezi added sinisterly, "Old Niu's words may be crude, but they make sense. To catch the bandit, first catch their king. As long as Wuwei is killed, the Royal Court's defenders will surely fall into chaos."

Chen Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the "Wolf's Throat" pass on the sand table, which resembled the gaping maw of a giant wolf. He slowly shook his head.

"Wuwei is merely a pawn placed in the open. The real opponent is hidden behind."

He raised his hand, and a wisp of dark red and blue malevolent energy swirled around his fingertips. He gently tapped the sand table, and the malevolent energy condensed into a miniature, dark, churning cloud above the sand table, vaguely pointing towards the depths of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

"There, something more dangerous is awakening," Chen Qing's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "The aura... is very strong, more than one."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts grew heavy. If even the General called it "dangerous," how terrifying must it be?

"Then... how should we respond?"

Chen Qing withdrew his finger, and the cloud of malevolent energy dissipated. His gaze returned to its icy coldness. "Since they want to defend from a position of advantage and wait for reinforcements, then we shall grant them their wish."

He swept his gaze over everyone. "Pass down the order: the entire army will camp at the southern foot of the Burial Wolf Mountain, digging deep trenches and building high ramparts, adopting a posture of long-term siege. Old Niu, Sun Quezi."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You two will each lead ten thousand elite troops to the Wolf's Paw and Wolf's Tail passes, respectively. There's no need to force an attack; just conduct daily feints and create a show of force to tie down the enemy troops."

"Understood!"

"The rest of the forces will remain with me in the central army, holding our positions."

"General, this is...?" The crowd was somewhat confused. Speed was of the essence in warfare; why would they linger here and get bogged down with Northern Mang?

A cold arc curved on Chen Qing's lips. "They are waiting for their trump card. I, too, am waiting for my 'food' to come to me."

He could feel that the powerful auras awakening in the depths of the mountain range were an unprecedented "great tonic" for him. Actively charging into a dangerous area was not the best strategy. It was better to wait for them to come to us.

Moreover, he had just broken through to the Aperture Opening Realm, and his cultivation was not yet fully stable. He needed time to further familiarize himself with and temper his control over his own power, especially the newly born malevolent energy imbued with the characteristic of annihilation.

As the orders were issued, the massive Northern Expeditionary Army halted like a dormant beast at the southern foot of the Burial Wolf Mountain, beginning to construct solid camp fortifications and adopting a stance of long-term confrontation.

This move left Wuwei, who was defending from a position of advantage, bewildered and uneasy. Chen Qing's actions were completely contrary to his usual fierce and rapid advance.

"What is he waiting for?" Wuwei stood on the city wall of the Wolf's Throat pass, gazing at the endless Northern Expeditionary Army camp to the south, which radiated malevolent energy, his brow furrowed.

The deputy general whispered, "Great Marshal, could it be a shortage of supplies? Or... something has happened in the rear?"

Wuwei shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it. Chen Qing, though his tactics appear overbearing, is actually cunning. He must have another plan."

He looked towards the direction of the sacred mountain forbidden area deep within the mountain range, praying silently, "National Preceptor... Wolf God Guard... how much longer will it take?"

Time passed, day by day, amidst the strange standoff between the two sides.

In the Northern Expeditionary Army camp, Chen Qing spent most of his time in seclusion in his command tent. He continuously circulated the Fierce Tiger Iron Body, absorbing the malevolent energy pervading the battlefield, especially the "deadly silent malevolent energy" from the Azure Wolf Death Warriors, refining it completely and integrating it with himself. His aura became increasingly deep and restrained, but when his eyes opened and closed, the occasional hint of annihilation that flickered within them made even Old Niu and others, who occasionally came to report military intelligence, feel a sense of dread.

One day, as Chen Qing was contemplating the newly born "Annihilation" characteristic within the Fierce Tiger Domain, attempting to better fuse it with the true intent of "Slaughter" to form a more powerful domain, his heart suddenly stirred.

He abruptly opened his eyes, his figure flashing, and he appeared outside the command tent. His gaze was like lightning, shooting towards the depths of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

They're here!

He sensed that the several powerful auras that had been lurking in the depths of the mountain range had finally moved! They were rapidly approaching the direction of the Northern Expeditionary Army camp at an astonishing speed!

One of the auras was particularly terrifying, like an ancient fierce beast awakening from slumber, carrying an aura of wildness, brutality, and... a trace of divine pressure!

"Pass the order, the entire army is on alert!"

Chen Qing's cold voice instantly spread throughout the entire camp.

The dark clouds of war once again enveloped the Burial Wolf Mountain. And this time, what was arriving would be the Northern Mang Royal Court's final, and strongest, force.