While the Wang Clan was noisily, chaotically dealing with all manner of complicated affairs, the distance between the armies of the two nations and Great Qian's border was also rapidly shrinking.
War was steadily drawing nearer.
Within the buffer zone along the border between Great Qian and South Qin lay a vast region known as "Nethergate Ridge."
Compared to other areas, this region had sparse vegetation and layers upon layers of bizarre mountains, making its terrain exceptionally complex. Numerous boiling hot springs converged here, and the vast amounts of dense mist they gave off drifted with the wind, forming thick clouds that stretched from heaven to earth. Where those clouds intertwined, lightning strikes and unceasing torrential rain became commonplace.
Such a harsh environment resembled the entrance to the netherworld and the Yellow Springs. Hence, it was called "Nethergate Ridge."
Whether Great Qian attacked South Qin or South Qin advanced into Great Qian, Nethergate Ridge was an unavoidable natural barrier.
At this moment.
Within Nethergate Ridge.
In several concealed valleys, inscriptions glimmered faintly amid the hidden rises and falls of the rocky terrain. At some unknown time, formations had already been laid there. The swirling dense mist concealed all traces of the formations, making their concealment even more effective.
Beneath the formations, countless figures clad in black armor lay silently in wait.
Their movements were measured and their discipline strict. Even while eating and drinking, they made scarcely any noise. The atmosphere was solemn and cold; viewed through the thick fog, they formed a vast black mass that carried an indescribably heavy pressure.
Clearly, these were three highly trained armies.
Like three peerless Fierce Beasts, they lay quietly in ambush, as though waiting for the perfect moment to strike the enemy head-on with a devastating blow.
The army at the center