Western Wasteland Invasion
The fastest update to Seeking the Dao in the Mortal World!
Qin Yi has reached the top of the cliff.
Finding a way up from the bottomless abyss was no easy feat, but it paled in comparison to the hardships he had endured before. Qin Yi quickly found a cave near the skeleton array outside the desolate mountain, containing a spatial rift leading to the cliff top.
Upon arriving at the top, it was snowing, and the surroundings were covered in white, with fresh and pleasant air.
The snow couldn't even reach the valley; it had long since melted into water amidst the boundless Yao Qi.
The valley floor is rainy, the ceiling is snowy; though separated by only the top and bottom, they are two worlds apart.
Leaving the dense Yao Qi and carnage, the feeling of seeing the world again was truly overwhelming. Qin Yi rubbed his face with snowflakes and excitedly flew Nanli Kingdom, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Having experienced several brushes with death, his spiritual cultivation had unknowingly grown.
Martial Dao Xiantian Middle Stage, with Body Tempering Completion.
At the fourth level of the Immortal Dao Path, one is close to being able to control magical artifacts.
The Dual Cultivation of Immortality and Martial Arts has become increasingly established.
Just as he was feeling joyful, after traveling less than a hundred miles, Qin Yi's expression changed.
A faint smell of blood wafted through the refreshing snow, though very faint, but to Qin Yi at that moment it was almost as if it were right in front of his nose.
He followed the scent of blood and hurried forward, only to find a burned-down village with corpses scattered everywhere inside and outside.
Qin Yi held his breath, stepped forward, and examined a corpse. The corpse was frozen solid; this hadn't just happened, it had been at least several days.
His gaze was fixed on the corpse's neck, on the fatal wound, a gash left by a scimitar.
"Western Wasteland Invasion!"
Qin Yi's mind went blank for a moment, and the hairs on his body stood on end. He quickly affixed a Swift Travel Talisman and sped off towards Lihuo City at lightning speed.
Why would they choose this time to hack?
It will take at least two more days to get back!
Hopefully we can make it in time!
Nanli Kingdom, Hengshan County.
"Clang!" Li Qingjun's spear shot out like a dragon, piercing through the long sword of the general in front of her and knocking him off the city wall.
Once blocked by the first to scale the walls, the enemy troops on both sides swarmed forward.
The silver spear danced like pear blossoms, leaving a trail of blood-red light amidst the swirling snow, a breathtaking sight.
More than ten soldiers from the Western Wasteland fell from the city wall.
Li Qingjun was covered in blood, her eyes obscured by the enemy's blood. She took a slight breath, wiped the blood from the corners of her eyes, and looked at the layers upon layers of dismembered corpses and severed limbs before her, with piles of bones beneath the city walls.
The enemy was everywhere, stretching as far as the eye could see.
This is Hengshan County, which Qin Yi and the others passed through when they left the mountain to check the notice. It is only a day's journey by fast horse from the capital, Lihuo, and is the last barrier Lihuo City.
Li Qingjun had been guarding this place for three days and three nights, and her light armor had long been stained red with blood.
The Western Wasteland launched a surprise attack just days after Li Qingjun quelled the rebellion in Donghua, shocking the Soldiers Arrive and the public. It's not entirely Li Qingjun's fault; even a veteran like Xie Yuan hadn't anticipated that the Western Wasteland would choose such a time of freezing temperatures to launch a major offensive, catching him completely off guard.
This is completely contrary to military common sense. In such icy and snowy weather, marching and setting up camp in the field is extremely difficult, and the chances of people freezing to death are greatly increased. In addition, when attacking a city, the walls are slippery and covered with ice, which is extremely disadvantageous to the attackers. It may be possible to fight small-scale wars in this season, but to mobilize the whole country for war is simply too miraculous.
Most importantly, there were no border alarms, not even a signal fire was seen...
There was no other reason than that the border general had already defected to the enemy, and the checkpoints were wide open, allowing the enemy to enter the country.
Li Qingjun felt deeply saddened.
She had been involved in politics for quite some time and was naturally well aware of the situation. Southern Li, having been tormented by her father and Dong Huazi for years, was already terminally ill. Not only were border troops in arrears, but people from the Western Wasteland had also been planted within the border army; it wasn't difficult to understand why border generals would be turned against them. Originally, she had hoped that Li Qinglin could restore order and quickly bring order, but Li Qinglin ...
It cannot be said that Li Qinglin did nothing; he did take some progressive measures, but not enough.
The things he did could at best make him a passable monarch in ordinary years, and in times of peace he could barely be praised as a wise ruler. But this was far from people's expectations of him, from his past ambitions, and from the performance he should have been capable of.
In fact, he did far less serious work than Li Qingjun; most of the time, Li Qinglin was simply cultivating Daoism. This made Li Qingjun try to convince herself that her brother was just old and lacked energy, but she couldn't.
Li Qingjun himself lacked experience and ability, and was powerless to reverse the situation in such a short time. Before he could even take charge of the border troops, the Western Wasteland had already launched a fierce invasion in the dead of winter.
Southern Li too small, and once the border defenses were opened, the enemy army had already reached Hengshan County within a few days. Fortunately, Li Qinglin reacted quickly and immediately dispatched the veteran general Xie Yuan with an elite force to rush to Hengshan County, thus blocking the Western Wasteland army outside Hengshan County and preventing the enemy from directly the Soldiers Arrive the capital.
Li Qinglin quickly ordered Li Qingjun to reorganize the army and rush to Hengshan County to provide reinforcements, which finally brought the stalemate to a standstill.
These two orders prove that Li Qinglin has not completely lost his mind, but how long can he hold out like this?
The reason why the enemy invaded in winter was soon clear: they had several Witcher who, together, managed to dry the city walls, thus mitigating much of the disadvantage of attacking the city in the snow and ice.
They didn't have this ability before, and it's unclear whether it was due to some new Technique Method they've secretly developed over the years, or because of Dong Huazi's contribution.
The enemy has been plotting for years, preparing for war and making all sorts of War Preparation. This time, they have mobilized the entire country, with their army covering the mountains and fields.
And what about our side?
Two kings went on to pursue spiritual practices, leaving the national treasury empty, the bureaucracy corrupt, the army demoralized, and even the people indifferent, showing no enthusiasm for united resistance.
With the border troops lost, all of Southern Li's most elite forces are now here. If Li Qingjun cannot hold them, Southern Li will be destroyed!
In the central army below the city, Prince Mang Zhan of the Western Wilderness laughed up at the sky, "Why should Princess Zhaoyang struggle on? My love for the princess has never changed. If the princess opens the city gates, I will surely make her my queen. From then on, the people of Nanli will also be my subjects. The two countries will be united and governed together. Wouldn't that be a wonderful story?"
Without a word, Li Qingjun drew her bow and nocked an arrow. With a "whoosh," the arrow flew like a shooting star, its powerful force blowing Mang Zhan's banner far away.
Mang Zhan's face darkened, and he sneered, "You really think you can hold it? Hengshan County has never been prepared for War Preparation; it's not a well-defended line of defense at all. I've already sent my This King to take a detour and launch a surprise attack on Lihuo City. At that time, Hengshan County will be an isolated city, and you won't even be able to become its slave!"
Li Qingjun pursed her lips tightly. The veteran Xie Yuan had already told her about this possibility, but she was powerless to do anything about it. The enemy's forces far outnumbered theirs, which was why they had such control.
We can only hope that Brother Wang can rally his spirits and annihilate the enemy forces that have made a detour to attack Lihuo City.
Mang Zhan knew what she was thinking and laughed, "This King know that although Li Qinglin is senile, he's not stupid and not easily dismissed. Therefore, this army that raided Li Huo is our country's most elite Blood War Army, commanded by General Mang You, and accompanied by seasoned generals. If they were here, I'm afraid you, Zhaoyang Princess, wouldn't have it so easy. How about it, am This King being chivalrous? Hahaha..."
Li Qingjun's expression finally changed.
No wonder we haven't encountered any truly powerful enemy generals in the past three days. The enemy has mainly focused on encirclement. It turns out the real elite forces aren't here.
It would be better if we were really here. I'm leading the most elite army in Southern Li, and if they hold the city, they might not be able to take it. In this cold winter, it's difficult for the enemy to set up camp, and if we can drag it out for a few days, we still have a chance to wear them down. But the remaining troops in Lihuo City are far less elite, and given my brother's current condition, can they really stand against the most ferocious and powerful troops led by the famous general of the Western Wasteland?
For a moment, Li Qingjun even regretted it a little. She should have just abandoned this line of defense and gone down with Li Huo... Was her brother's seemingly decisive order wrong?
Mang Zhan said no more and waved his right hand.
As the bugle sounded, another wave of attacks surged toward the city gate.
This was to put pressure on them, preventing them from rushing to Lihuo's aid. Li Qingjun looked at the enemy troops covering the mountains and plains, feeling utterly exhausted.
Qin Yi's image came to mind.
Are you still looking for a way to break the Curse...?
You initially agreed to a period of six months, and you probably never imagined that Southern Li wouldn't even last two months.