Royal Court in Sight

The Northern Expeditionary Army was like a black blade, cutting open the frozen earth and wilderness of Northern Mang's heartland. Wherever it passed, beacon fires were extinguished and tribes fled far away.

After breaking through to the Aperture Opening Realm, Chen Qing's perception and control of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth far surpassed what it had once been. He no longer relied solely on the scouts beneath his command. His Fierce Tiger Domain, fused with the true intents of slaughter and extinction, could spread like invisible tendrils across dozens of miles, taking in the terrain of mountains and rivers and the movements of enemy forces before his very "eyes."

The layers of defenses arranged by Wuwei, Northern Mang's Left Virtuous King, were nothing but empty shells before the absolute disparity in strength. Small-scale harassment and ambushes did not even require Chen Qing to act personally; the vanguard of the Northern Expeditionary Army swept them away as easily as crushing ants.

The army advanced at tremendous speed. In less than half a month, they had reached the final natural barrier before the Northern Mang Royal Court—the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

This mountain range stretched for a thousand miles, its peaks rising one after another like countless gigantic wolves crouching low, guarding the lush grasslands behind them—the core territory of the Royal Court known as the Golden Tent Grassland. Within the range, only three narrow routes allowed passage. The terrain was perilous, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Wuwei had clearly placed his final hopes here. He gathered all his battered remnants and defeated troops, assembling an army of nearly one hundred thousand. He personally held the central Wolf's Throat pass, while the other two routes, Wolf's Paw and Wolf's Tail, were guarded by trusted generals and heavy forces. He had assumed the posture of holding the dangerous terrain to the death and fighting a final life-or-death battle.

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

Inside the command tent, charcoal crackled, driving away the bone-deep chill of the northern lands. Chen Qing, Old Niu, Sun Quezi, and several newly promoted core commanders gathered around a sand table.

"General, Wuwei has concentrated his main force at Wolf's Throat Pass, while the defenders at Wolf's Paw and Wolf's Tail are comparatively weak. This subordinate suggests splitting our forces to feign attacks on both flanks and draw the enemy's attention, while the main force concentrates its strength to forcibly break through Wolf's Throat!" A commander skilled in military strategy pointed to the sand table as he offered his counsel.

Old Niu said in a booming voice, "Why make it so troublesome? The general is now in the Aperture Opening Realm, with divine powers vast and boundless. Why not just fly over there and twist off that old Wuwei's head?"

Sun Quezi added darkly, "Old Niu's words are crude, but his reasoning isn't. To capture bandits, first capture 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 resting upon the Wolf's Throat pass on the sand table, like the gaping mouth of a giant wolf. He slowly shook his head.

"Wuwei is merely a chess piece placed in the open. The true opponent is hiding behind him."

He raised a hand. A wisp of dark red Killing Intent streaked with blue curled around his fingertips, and he lightly tapped the sand table. The Killing Intent actually gathered above it into a miniature mass of dark, roiling clouds, faintly pointing toward the depths of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

"Something more dangerous is awakening there." Chen Qing's voice carried a trace of gravity. "Its aura... is very powerful. More than one."

Everyone's hearts tightened at those words. If even the general called them "dangerous," how terrifying must they be?

"Then... how should we respond?"

Chen Qing withdrew his finger, and the cloud of Killing Intent dispersed. His eyes turned cold once more. "Since they want to hold the dangerous terrain and await reinforcements, then we shall grant them their wish."

His gaze swept across the group. "Pass down the order. The entire army will camp at the southern foot of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range, dig deep trenches and raise high fortifications, and assume the posture of a long siege. Old Niu, Sun Quezi."

"This subordinate is here!"

"You two will each lead ten thousand elite troops to Wolf's Paw and Wolf's Tail respectively. There is no need to force an assault. Feign movements every day, create momentum, and merely contain the defenders."

"Orders received!"

"The remaining forces will stay with me in the central army and hold position."

"General, you mean to..." The others were somewhat confused. In war, speed was paramount. Why waste time here against Northern Mang?

A cold curve touched Chen Qing's lips. "They are waiting for their trump card. I, too, am waiting for my 'food' to come knocking."

He could sense that the several powerful auras awakening deep within the mountain range were unprecedented great tonics to him. Taking the initiative to enter dangerous terrain was not the best strategy. Better to wait at ease for the exhausted enemy and let them deliver themselves to his doorstep.

Moreover, he had only just broken through to the Aperture Opening Realm. His cultivation had not yet fully stabilized, and he needed more time to familiarize himself with and temper his control over his own power—especially that newly born Killing Intent containing the properties of extinction.

Once the orders were issued, the vast Northern Expeditionary Army, like a dormant behemoth, halted at the southern foot of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range. They began constructing sturdy camps and fortifications, assuming the posture of a prolonged standoff.

This move left Wuwei, defending the dangerous pass, unable to make heads or tails of it, and his heart grew increasingly uneasy. Chen Qing's actions completely contradicted his former style of fierce, relentless advance.

"What is he waiting for?" Wuwei stood atop the walls of Wolf's Throat Pass, staring south at the unbroken Northern Expeditionary Army camps whose Killing Intent soared into the heavens. His brows were tightly furrowed.

His deputy general said softly, "Commander, could it be that their provisions are insufficient? Or... that something has changed in their rear?"

Wuwei shook his head. "Doesn't seem so. Chen Qing's use of troops appears overbearing, yet he is actually cunning and treacherous. He must have another scheme."

He looked toward the sacred mountain's forbidden grounds deep in the range and silently prayed, National Preceptor... Wolf God Guard... how much longer will you need?

Time passed day by day amid the strange standoff between the two sides.

Within the Northern Expeditionary Army camp, Chen Qing spent most of his time in secluded cultivation within his command tent. He continuously circulated the Fierce Tiger Iron Body, absorbing the Killing Intent permeating the battlefield—especially the Deathly Silent Malevolent Energy originating from the Azure Wolf death warriors—completely refining it and merging it into himself. His aura grew ever deeper and more restrained, yet whenever his eyes opened and closed, the occasional hint of extinction within them made even Old Niu and the others, who occasionally came to report military matters, feel their hearts pound in terror.

On this day, Chen Qing was comprehending the newly born "extinction" property within the Fierce Tiger Domain, attempting to better merge it with the true intent of "slaughter" and form a more powerful domain force, when his heart suddenly stirred.

He abruptly opened his eyes. With a flash of his body, he was already outside the command tent, his gaze shooting like lightning into the depths of the Burial Wolf Mountain Range.

They had come!

He sensed that the several powerful auras that had remained hidden deep within the mountain range had finally moved! At an astonishing speed, they were racing toward the Northern Expeditionary Army camp!

One of those auras was especially terrifying, like an ancient ferocious beast awakening from slumber, carrying a pressure of savagery, violence, and... a trace of divinity!

"Pass down the order! The entire army is to be on alert!"

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

The clouds of war once again shrouded Burial Wolf Mountain. And this time, what had arrived would be the Northern Mang Royal Court's final—and strongest—force.