[All along the way, the grief piled up in your heart like fallen leaves in late autumn, heaping into mountains, impossible to disperse.]
[The people suffer when the nation prospers; the people suffer when the nation falls. Such is the nature of the world.]
[From childhood to adulthood, pursuing the Dao had always been what you desired. Ever since your birth, for some unknown reason, transcending this world had been your ultimate goal.]
[Yet at this moment, an unprecedented emotion surged within you. There was a fire in your heart. You wanted to end the strife of this chaotic age and restore peace to the world.]
[Outside Hulao Pass, some cavalry of the North Wind Profound Kingdom were also causing trouble.]
[You sat astride your horse, gazing at this mighty pass beneath heaven, and a sense of desolation seeped from it.]
[Because of your identity as a Daoist and your background as a disciple of Three Truths, the guards readily let you through.]
[You discovered that upon hearing "disciple of Three Truths," the guards immediately treated you with solemn respect. It seemed that disciples of Three Truths held an honored status in Hulao Pass.]
[Yet the morale within Hulao Pass was abnormally low. Compared to the hundred thousand Iron Pagoda Cavalry of the North Wind Profound Kingdom outside the pass, the defenders here seemed so frail and powerless that an inexplicable worry rose in your heart.]
[Within Hulao Pass, the Great Qing defenders under Wang Yang still had thirty thousand elite troops, while the remaining twenty thousand or so were volunteer armies gathered from all directions. Some came from the countryside, while others came from the martial world.]
[After asking around the camps in Hulao Pass, you quickly learned where your father and younger brother were.]
[The Lu Family Army was renowned both within and beyond Hulao Pass.]
[Though they numbered only a little over four thousand, they displayed astonishing combat strength in every battle, ranking among the foremost of the volunteer forces.]
[Lu Yu's name was also well known in Hulao Pass. On the battlefield, he had repeatedly fought his way out of encirclements by his own strength.]
[After you revealed your identity, you were respectfully led into the Lu Family Army's camp.]
[Inside the military tent, father and sons, brothers, were reunited. Lu Jiaxuan, their father, excitedly gripped your hand and said, "Eldest son, you shouldn't have come."]
[You said firmly, "When Father faces danger, how could his son dare not come?"]
[Seeing your father's white-haired figure, you could no longer contain your emotions, and tears spilled from your eyes. Lu Yu stood at the side as well, choked with sobs and unable to speak.]
[Your father looked at the two brothers and said, "With sons like you, what more could a father ask for?"]
[Yet when the current situation was mentioned, a trace of worry appeared on his face. He told you that the North Wind Profound Kingdom's army had already prepared itself. In no more than half a month, they would launch their siege.]
[If they insisted on holding out, the only outcome would be the city falling and its people perishing.]
[You studied your father's expression, and your heart sank. You understood that he had already resolved to die, prepared to live and die alongside Hulao Pass.]
[Lu Yu had also lost the optimism he had possessed before descending the mountain. His former lively, unruly temperament had faded, replaced by a measure of steadiness.]
[Lu Yu told you that the North Wind Profound Kingdom's military strength was formidable, far beyond anything Great Qing could compare with.]
[They had heavily armored infantry as well as light cavalry. The Iron Pagoda Cavalry in particular was impregnable, making Great Qing's soldiers pale at the mere sight of them.]
[Their soldiers were also fierce and fearless of death, often capable of fighting one against ten.]
[By contrast, Great Qing's imperial troops had low morale and were timid and hesitant, while the volunteer forces were like a dish of loose sand, lacking systematic training. Their combat strength was truly worrying.]
[Before you arrived, Lu Yu had already argued with his father many times. Unwilling to sit and await death, Lu Yu advocated using surprise to secure victory and turn Heaven and Earth on their head.]
[Yet your father had fought in countless battles and knew well the valor and martial prowess of the northern nomads. In their past clashes, defeats had outnumbered victories. He firmly believed that only by holding their ground could they win the southern-bound refugees a slim chance at survival. Lu Yu's disputes with his father had long become commonplace.]
[Now that you had set foot here, both your father and younger brother turned their eyes toward you, hoping that you could make the decision.]
[You quietly walked to the map of Hulao Pass. Your gaze burned like a torch as you examined each twisting line of defense, already forming a plan in your heart.]
[Thus, you decided...]
1. Personally participate, understand the changing situation, then make a wise choice. (0/3)
2. Follow Father's advice and choose to hold fast.
3. Fight shoulder to shoulder with Lu Yu and face the powerful enemy together.
Yu Ke looked at the options and could not help sinking into thought. He was not certain about either of the latter two choices.
A surprise attack or a stubborn defense? Both had their advantages and disadvantages.
The Lu Family Army had only four thousand troops. They could not withstand such losses. If those four thousand men were lost, then you would be unable to play any role at all in this battle.
It would also render your decision to descend the mountain this time nothing but empty talk.
Yu Ke struggled for a while.
He decided to personally participate. After all, he had never tried it before.
If he tried it, he would no longer be a "child."
He chose Option 1: personally participate and understand the situation.
Following Yu Ke's choice.
[Kun Void Cauldron] seemed to awaken from slumber, trembling violently. The patterns upon it shone brilliantly, radiating an aura like the Chaos Era.]
[A shapeless shadow of a cauldron, like a profound vortex, silently expanded and slowly drew Yu Ke into its depths.]
[Yu Ke suddenly felt as though he had stepped into the void of the Chaos Era. The surrounding space spun wildly, stars shifted, and Heaven and Earth turned upside down.]
[The indescribable dizziness unsettled his mind, and the world before his eyes became a disorderly mess.]
[A huge black vertical eye suddenly appeared and stared fixedly at him, making sweat pour down his body.]
[The illusory Kun Void Cauldron trembled once more.]
[The vertical eye vanished in an instant, as though it had never existed.]
[Facing that chaotic vortex, Yu Ke clenched his teeth and gathered his will.]
[Only a moment passed before Yu Ke opened his eyes again.]
[He discovered!]
[He was standing within a solemn and imposing military tent.]
"Brother, what's wrong?"
[A somewhat anxious voice called him awake.]
[Yu Ke slowly came to, his gaze gradually focusing on the youth beside him.]
[The youth beside him wore a Daoist topknot and battered, battle-worn armor, yet it could not conceal the heroic spirit contained within him.]
[He was a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth, open brows, and a valiant air.]
[Yu Ke understood.]
[This must be Lu Yu, Lu Chen's younger brother.]
[What a heroic aura that struck one head-on. No wonder so many disciples of Three Truths in the simulation followed him.]
[At that moment, Lu Yu was gently shaking his shoulder, worry in his eyes.]
[Lu Chen had suddenly fainted just now, taking several steps back before finally steadying himself.]
[Lu Yu assumed that his brother had only just come down from the mountains and had not yet acclimated to the local conditions.]
[After all, epidemics were rampant in the military camp. Both refugees and soldiers fell ill.]
[Beside them, a white-haired middle-aged man hurried over as well. His steps were steady, and he looked vigorous and alert, his eyes revealing competence and decisiveness.]
[His gaze was filled with concern for Yu Ke.]
"Eldest son, are you all right?" the man asked.
[After thinking back for a moment, Yu Ke recognized him as Lu Chen's father. Though not yet fifty, his head was already full of white hair.]
[He shook his head slightly and replied, "I'm fine."]
[Yu Ke's gaze swept over the military tent. The torches had not yet burned out, their faint flames swaying beneath the moonlight and illuminating a broad wooden table and weapons beside it that gleamed with cold light.]
[He approached one of the weapons and lightly gripped it, feeling its icy touch seep through his palm.]
[So this is what personally participating feels like. As expected, it is dreamlike and surreal, Yu Ke sighed inwardly.]
[The Mystic Manifestation of the Kun Void Cauldron was even more miraculous than he had imagined.]
[This had a far stronger sense of immersion than any "game."]
Before you continue