Snow flew, leaving fleeting shadows, and cold light flashed across armor.
Under Liu Yun's command, Great Sui's six-hundred-thousand-strong army split into three columns and simultaneously attacked Great Yu's last gateway, Guxiao Pass.
Though Great Yu's soldiers and civilians resisted to the death, Great Sui's army was simply too powerful.
In just five days, they breached the three strongholds of Guxiao Pass.
General Xiahou Shang shot Wen Yuan, the commander of Chongma Stronghold, dead with a single arrow, slew a Sixth Rank Martial Warrior with one stroke of his blade, and killed over a hundred men single-handedly.
The Wen Family Army at Chongma Stronghold fought to the death without retreating, and every last soldier fell.
The sounds of slaughter pierced the nine heavens.
Only the youngest son, Wen Wu, survived, fleeing on horseback into Dingguan Stronghold to pass on news of the enemy.
Three days later, thirty thousand Great Sui armored cavalry trampled through Dingguan Stronghold.
The youngest son, Wen Wu, died in battle.
Not one person in Dingguan Stronghold surrendered. They all died fighting.
In five days, despite Great Yu's soldiers fighting to the death without retreating, Great Sui breached three strongholds in succession.
When the news spread, the entire nation was shaken...
"Old Ox, alchemy really is a profound field of study."
Li Ping'an sighed with feeling.
"Moo~"
Old Ox nodded.
It was too hard, simply too hard~
Fengyangzi had left, leaving this whole room of books on alchemy to Li Ping'an.
Li Ping'an and Old Ox threw themselves into studying, forgetting sleep and meals.
They practically never stepped beyond either the outer gate or the inner one.
They knew nothing of the situation outside.
At that moment, Li Ping'an held an ancient volume, with an alchemical cauldron set before him.
An incense burner stood beside it, incense burning