Besiege Without Attacking

During the long campaign, the first five years were the most intense period of conflict between the two sides. During this time, the human army was constantly vulnerable to attacks from gods and demons. Threatened by large numbers of these beings and the inherent dangers of the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh itself, the army's advance was quite slow.

From the sixth year onward, the offensive momentum of the gods and demons began to wane.

Although the number of gods and demons hidden within the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh was vast, it was not infinite; five years of attrition had left them struggling to hold on.

Under these circumstances, the human army's rate of advance undoubtedly accelerated significantly. The vast Autumn Mountain Great Marsh was rapidly devoured by the humans from the outside in, leaving the gods and demons with less and less room to maneuver.

In the blink of an eye, another ten years passed.

Five years of initial struggle followed by ten years of progress—a total of fifteen years—had finally driven the gods and demons into a dead end!

All the surviving gods and demons within the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh had gathered in a perilous location at the very center of the marsh, while the human army converged from three directions, surrounding this dangerous terrain completely.

The strategy originally devised by the Jiuhua Immortal had now been fully realized!

With the three armies united, the gods and demons had nowhere left to run and could only cling to their final stronghold to survive. Should they dare to leave that perilous area, they would immediately be met with a ruthless purge by the human army!

At the center of the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh, inside the Yinglong Army's command tent, the commanders of the various tribes gathered once again after fifteen years.

"Fellow Daoists, please!" The Jiuhua Immortal, seated at the head of the table, raised his wine cup and smiled as he drained the fine liquor in one gulp.

"..."

The commanders below did not hesitate, each smiling as they downed the wine in their own cups.

"The army has been campaigning for fifteen years, and we have lost over one hundred thousand soldiers! Despite the heavy casualties, our achievements are truly glorious!" the Jiuhua Immortal declared loudly.

"The gods and demons of the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh have been trapped by us within Liufeng Mountain. They are now cornered beasts; the outcome of this war is already decided!"

"Hahaha, satisfying, truly satisfying!" God Mountain, whose body was covered in countless patterns of massive mountains, could not help but laugh heartily.

"..."

While the other tribal commanders were not as boisterous as God Mountain, they felt a deep sense of relief upon hearing the Jiuhua Immortal's words.

Just as everyone was chatting in small groups, a calm voice suddenly cut through the air.

"Fellow Daoist Jiuhua, I wonder when we shall launch the final assault?" the voice asked.

"Ah, it is Fellow Daoist Ju Hua!"

The Jiuhua Immortal turned to look at the figure seated to his left, a thoughtful look flashing through his eyes.

He had not seen him for fifteen years, and the aura emanating from this Ju Hua of the Zhuanshui River had grown increasingly sharp. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but at times, he even felt a faint sense of threat from the man.

"..."

Ju Hua bowed toward the Jiuhua Immortal without saying anything more.

At this moment, the other tribal commanders also looked toward the Jiuhua Immortal. In truth, this was a concern for all of them. Although the situation was excellent—it was no exaggeration to say the victory was sealed—they would feel much more at ease once the war was officially concluded.

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need to rush!" the Jiuhua Immortal laughed. "I have discussed this with the other Celestial Immortals. We shall surround them without attacking, waiting for those gods and demons to come out on their own."

"These gods and demons, birthed by heaven and earth, have near-infinite lifespans. Would they voluntarily abandon their geographical advantage to come out and fight us to the death?" asked the female commander of the Heishen Clan.

"That is because they have no choice but to come out!" the Jiuhua Immortal said unhurriedly. "Fellow Daoists may not be aware, but the Liufeng Mountain is filled with pervasive, biting winds. The Void-Returning gods and demons might be fine, but those at the Primordial Spirit or Myriad Phenomena levels could never withstand the constant buffeting of those winds! In twenty years at most, these gods and demons will be forced to reveal themselves!"

"So that is how it is!" The commanders below nodded one after another.

"If that is the case, why did the gods and demons choose to hide there in the first place?" another commander asked.

"Because they had no other choice!" the Jiuhua Immortal laughed.

"If they had chosen anywhere else for a final stand, our human army would have charged straight in without the slightest fear! But in this Liufeng Mountain, while the gods and demons cannot endure the winds, we Loose Immortals would fare a hundred times worse!"

"Could it be that the winds in Liufeng Mountain are the type that specifically target the soul?" someone asked.

"Indeed. The winds in Liufeng Mountain not only target the soul but are also unavoidable. Those with weak souls could have their spirits scattered on the spot!" the Jiuhua Immortal nodded.

"If it is such a strange wind, then let us wait here for twenty years!"

"A mere twenty years will pass in the blink of an eye. There is no need to risk entering Liufeng Mountain for the sake of that time."

"The two fellow Daoists are right!"

"..."

The words of the Jiuhua Immortal left all the commanders without further objection. To these cultivators, twenty years was nothing, and compared to that, risking an entry into Liufeng Mountain was utter foolishness.

The Loose Immortals felt this way, and Ju Hua, the youngest among them, shared the same sentiment. Although his strength had greatly increased over the years, there was no need to take risks for the sake of saving a little time.

The only issue is that I have been away for quite a while. I wonder how my little sister is doing? Ju Hua thought, before slowly shaking his head.

When he left, his little sister was already on the verge of breaking through to become a Primordial Spirit Daoist. Fifteen years had passed; in all likelihood, she was already a Primordial Spirit Daoist now.

For a Primordial Spirit Daoist, this amount of time was not particularly long!

Once I finish dealing with matters here, I will return immediately! Ju Hua did not dwell on it, turning his attention back to the meeting and the victory celebration.

By evening, the meeting concluded. The commanders of the major tribes bid farewell to the Jiuhua Immortal and returned to their respective camps, and Ju Hua was no exception.

However, just as Ju Hua was taking his leave, the Jiuhua Immortal suddenly sent him a voice transmission.

Upon hearing the message, Ju Hua felt a surge of surprise, but he remained composed on the surface, merely nodding slightly.

After all the other tribal commanders had departed, Ju Hua turned back and found the Jiuhua Immortal sitting in the main tent, waiting for him.