Great Zhou attacks
Taiwu Mountain Range.
On a hilltop stands Beacon Tower on the border of the Great Qian Dynasty.
More than ten Soldiers were stationed here, but most of them were hiding inside the building. Only two stood on the watchtower, their hands tucked into their sleeves, lazily chatting.
"Damn it, you can pee here and it freezes into icicles before it even hits the ground. This is no place for a human to stay. There are still three months until the next troop rotation. I don't know what the point of guarding here every day is. Do you think anyone can cross Taiwu Mountain to get here? Old Zhou, do you still have any of the liquor you brought? Let me have a couple of sips."
"Go away, go away, it's all gone. You bunch of guys didn't even bring some for yourselves. I prepared half a year's worth of wine, and it's all gone before I've even finished half of it."
Old Zhang spoke angrily, glanced at the distance, suddenly paused, and then rubbed his eyes.
"Qiu Laosan, look over there, what's that? Doesn't it look like a person?"
"What kind of people could be in this godforsaken place?" Qiu Laosan said, glancing over as well.
In the vast ice field, a few black dots appeared, then more and more appeared, and in a short while they became densely packed. You could vaguely see countless Snow Wolf pulling sleds in this direction.
The two men exchanged a glance, then their expressions suddenly changed, and they exclaimed in alarm, "Enemy attack!"
From the nearby underground igloo, a man who looked like a general poked his head out. "Qiu Laosan, what are you yelling about!"
"At least several thousand people, no, at least tens of thousands!" Qiu Laosan exclaimed in panic.
"Tens of thousands? Where would we find that on this icy plain..." The man cursed as he walked out and glanced around. Then his expression changed, and he kicked Qiu Laosan, shouting, "What are you all standing there for? Pour on the Black Oil and light the Beacon Tower!"
"Your Majesty, the Great Zhou Kingdom has launched a surprise attack without warning! Tens of thousands of enemy troops have crossed the Taiwu Mountain and launched a surprise attack on Anping Province, resulting in the fall of two prefectures and twelve cities!"
"A mere tens of thousands of troops, yet they've conquered twelve cities in five days! Is Han Bing, the Governor-General of Anping Province Circuit, a complete waste?" Li Haotian roared in fury.
"Your Majesty, according to the messenger, all those who came from the Zhou Kingdom are Cultivator the Profound Martial Middle Rank or above, and there is even Grandmaster in command. Governor Han has already sacrificed himself for his country!"
The Minister of War knelt on the ground and presented his memorial.
"What?" Li Haotian stood up.
"Governor Han was assassinated by a Grandmaster amidst a vast army outside Anding City. The governors of Pingdong and Dongning have both summoned troops to rush to his aid, but with a Grandmaster's intervention, both have urgently requested reinforcements from the court, traveling three thousand li. If no expert can restrain the Zhou Kingdom's Grandmaster, the situation will surely be lost in the long run!"
Outside of Dayu Mountain.
On a hilltop, one can see directly into the Dayu Mountain, where the former sentries have fallen silently into pools of blood.
Gong Xin lightly waved his Folding Fan and chuckled, "Brother Zuo, what do you think of my move?"
"How did you manage to persuade the Zhou Kingdom to cross the Taiwu Mountain and send troops to Great Qian? The Taiwu Mountain Range are like a barrier in the sky, separating this continent. The Zhou Kingdom is like a tree without roots or water without a source. Even if it gains the upper hand for a while, it will ultimately be difficult to achieve great things," Zuo Qiu asked in surprise.
"Everyone has desires. Even Grandmaster in this world only has a lifespan of two hundred years. With just one Longevity Pill and the method of cultivation, I can exchange a king for a country who would be willing to serve me."
We Cultivator are not reckless fools; we know how to utilize all things for our own benefit, including Human Heart. Besides, I have promised to help. The Zhou Kingdom, with its remote and desolate landscape, has long coveted the Great Qian. How could they possibly miss such an opportunity!
Zuo Qiu sneered, "I thought I used some brilliant trick, but it's nothing more than mutual exploitation."
"What's wrong with that? We each get what we need. The Zhou Kingdom gains the land and rivers of this realm, and I get the Ten Thousand Gold Essence. And your brother Zuo wants to Blood Sacrifice to the Red Dragon God in exchange for the Sacred Demon Pill. Our desires are not conflicting; the only obstacle is the Great Qian Kingdom. Why not cooperate and achieve a win-win situation?"
Zuo Qiu snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Gong Xin gazed at Dayu Mountain and said with a smile, "This mountain is heavily guarded, with Dao Embryo Realm Cultivator Qi Observation Art. We were detected as soon as we approached within ten miles. I've also heard about the Great Qian Qian's military formation. If we add the Dao Fire Realm Cultivator you mentioned, it would be troublesome to force our way in now. However, if the Qian Kingdom wants to deal with the Zhou Kingdom, they will have to spare some of these experts. That will be our opportunity."
Zuo Qiu scoffed, "In the end, it all comes down to waiting."
"Brother Zuo, why be in such a hurry? There are still six months before we leave this realm. If everything is done, wouldn't it be boring? Why don't I go with you to see North Spring Mountain? If we can retrieve your sword, perhaps this battle will be a little easier."
Inside Dayu Mountain, Daoist Xuanqing stood atop the mountain, gazing into the distance, remaining motionless for a long time.
Qin Wuya, holding a Silk Book, lay half-reclined on the Green Stone. Suddenly, he put down the scroll and asked, "Brother Dao, have you discovered something?"
Daoist Xuanqing hesitated and said, "Just Dao Heart. When I looked westward, I seemed to see two streams of Sha Qi, one green and one red. But upon closer inspection, they had vanished. Perhaps I was mistaken."
Qin Wuya stood up, walked to Daoist Xuanqing's side, and looked into the distance. He said calmly, "It shouldn't be a mistake; the other party is concealing their Qi. Yesterday, Prince Qing sent a message saying that Zuo Qiu was traveling with someone, and this person might also be from Outsider from Beyond."
"The Outer Heavens? I'm destined never to see them in this lifetime. If I could meet Outsider from Beyond, it would fulfill my wish." Daoist Xuanqing smiled slightly.
"Yes, I'm so glad I was born in this era. At least I can still see Outsider from Beyond. It's just a pity that I couldn't become Grandmaster before I turned thirty-five and couldn't traverse the Heaven Ascending Path." Qin Wuya put his hands behind his back, his Sword Intent swirling around him, stirring up a gentle breeze.
Becoming Grandmaster grants one the right to know certain secrets. For Cultivator like them, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the chosen ones of heaven in this realm. Yet, in the end, they realize that this world is like Cage, and they have no chance to see another Heaven and Earth. What a regret that is!
North Spring Mountain.
Gu Yuanqing sat cross-legged with his eyes closed in front of the Cliff on the back mountain.
Just now, the Dao Embryo within the Divine Court finally completed its nurturing, and all the True Qi within its body transformed into True Essence.
When everything was completed, the Dao Embryo seemed to awaken from a deep sleep, and an invisible Spiritual Qi emanated from within the Green Mountain of the Dao Embryo, spreading outwards in all directions like ripples.
The ripple emanated from the Dao Embryo, brushed over Gu Yuanqing's body, and then spread Outer Realm.
At that moment, Gu Yuanqing felt as if he had been Newborn, a completely new sense emerged, and everything around him seemed to have been unveiled as if a thin film had been peeled away.
The whole world became mottled with color, incredibly delicate.
The leaves are greener, the grass is tenderer, and the soil is thicker. When he looks at anything, he no longer sees the surface, but the principles and truths within things, and the vibrant life force hidden in all things.
"Is this the Grandmaster Realm? How similar it is to when I was Mountain Observation, except that before, what I gained through Mountain Observation was like being separated by a thin veil, while now I am experiencing it directly with my 'heart'."