Come Have a Chat in My Human Emperor Banner!
Several more months passed.
The tension of the standoff along the border has not truly eased with the passage of time.
Instead, it's like a noose that's constantly tightening.
However, there is always a tendency for people to become lazy. When the expected thunderous strike is delayed, the nerves that were originally stretched to the limit will inevitably develop a little bit of imperceptible relaxation and wishful thinking.
In the Northwest, the clamor of frantically constructing the [Northern Defense Grand Formation] seemed to have subsided somewhat.
Everyone subconsciously thought that perhaps there was still more time.
But beneath this seemingly calm surface, where undercurrents were actually surging, a sudden and dramatic change occurred!
"A great demon wreaks havoc on the world, bringing chaos and destruction to humanity!"
"Your divine might has arrived, illuminating all directions!"
The unified roars, imbued with immense Law Power and unwavering will, were like thunderclaps from the heavens, instantly drowning out all other sounds in the world and striking the minds of every cultivator in the Northwest.
The bugle calls sounded like war drums, each one louder than the last, wave after wave, carrying with them a resolute belief in cleansing away filth and restoring order.
Shaking mountains and rivers, shattering the clouds!
Just as the slogan reached its peak...
Above the northwestern border, the originally gray sky was suddenly stained by an irresistible force, turning into a chilling crimson gold.
A crimson sun forcibly replaced the original light of day.
Its magnificent divine power shone down, illuminating the entire border mountains and wilderness in a dazzling display!
Buzz!!!
From the core of that high-hanging crimson sun, a ray of crimson-gold light, condensed to its extreme and exuding boundless killing intent, fell fiercely like the first ray of light after the creation of the world!
The crimson light expanded and deformed rapidly as it fell.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a massive crimson-gold blade that stretched across the heavens and the earth.
There were no warnings, no tests.
This giant blade, formed from the national destiny and supreme Daoist techniques of the Southern Yin Dynasty, fell fiercely towards a crucial node of the [Northern Defense Grand Formation]—a node that had just been formed and was brimming with spiritual light—as if a god were executing an executioner, under the bloodshot gazes of all the cultivators in the Northwest!
"No-!!"
A desperate roar came from the Northwest monks who were responsible for guarding the area.
Laugh-!!!
A deafening roar, indescribable and seemingly tearing the entire world apart, exploded!
A terrifying ravine, stretching for thousands of miles and seemingly bottomless, accompanied by towering rocks and extinguished spiritual light, instantly replaced the original ground with a single blow!
A crucial node of the [Northern Defense Grand Formation], which had consumed countless resources and effort and gathered the power of thousands of cultivators, was forcibly chiseled and flattened.
Along with the hundreds of cultivators stationed there, they were instantly reduced to nothing!
And this is just the beginning!
Under the blazing sun, the sound of war drums grew ever more impassioned.
Immediately afterwards, countless figures clad in standard red armor, wielding uniform magical Law Artifact, and exuding an aura of iron-blooded killing intent as if solidified, surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, sweeping across the northwestern territory from the breached defensive line!
It was none other than the World-Suppressing Army, the elite force of the Southern Yin Dynasty, renowned throughout the land!
The army marched with resounding steps, its formation impeccable. Wherever the torrent passed, Sha Qi aura filled the sky, staining it crimson.
The fierce aura of those battle-hardened elites is enough to intimidate those with weak wills before the battle even begins.
Behind the World-Suppressing Army, however, came a dense, swarming mass of various colored lights, like locusts in flight! Sword Pavilion, clad in green robes of the Sword Pavilion, wielded their swords like rain.
A Confucian scholar from the Hao Ran Holy Land of righteousness, who recites mantras to evoke Vast Righteous Qi.
There are also cultivators from other major and minor righteous sects.
Using magical Law Artifact or supernatural Divine Ability, they followed closely behind the army, like a persistent carbuncle, surging towards the northwest hinterland!
The peace was shattered completely.
The flames of war ignited the entire northwestern border in the most intense and brutal way in an instant!
Shouts of battle, the crackling of Law Technique, and the screams of the dying have replaced the usual clamor.
A brutal and grand picture of war was forcibly drawn open.
Once the flames of war were ignited, they spread rapidly like wildfire.
Southern Yin 'World-Suppressing Army advanced rapidly, almost unmatched in strength.
The military formation they formed was extraordinary.
The million-strong army was united in Law Power and magic, as if they were one!
Their actions were fluid and precise, their transitions between offense and defense seamless and flawless.
Wherever the raging torrent passed, the hastily constructed defenses of the demonic sect cultivators crumbled like paper at the slightest touch.
Countless demonic cultivators and small and medium-sized sects could only flee at the mere sight of the enemy, running for their lives in a panic.
Occasionally, some fierce individuals might stubbornly resist by relying on the mountain gate, but they could not escape being completely submerged and crushed into dust, not even causing a ripple.
Following closely behind the invincible "divine spear" of the World-Suppressing Army, cultivators from various righteous sects moved like precise and efficient "scythes."
They did not compete with the World-Suppressing Army for the credit of a direct confrontation.
Instead, they were specifically responsible for clearing out the remaining rebels who had been scattered and fled in all directions after the army was broken up, eliminating those hidden strongholds, and eliminating the remnants of resistance.
Sword light flashed like rain, and Daoist magic surged like a tide.
In sync with the World-Suppressing Army's advance, they relentlessly reaped the spoils.
The two have a clear division of labor and work together seamlessly.
Clearly, this Northern Expedition had been meticulously planned and repeatedly rehearsed long ago; it was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Qi Yun Palace.
The atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.
A huge black gold scroll floated in front of Yang Cuan, clearly marking all the nodes of the [Northern Defense Grand Formation].
At this moment, on the scroll, the dots representing those that have been destroyed or severely damaged have lit up with a dazzling red, densely packed, numbering nearly a hundred.
These red dots, like malignant sores, are constantly eroding the original integrity of the great formation.
Yang Cuan's face was grim as he pointed at the red dots. "Those damned spies, they really did their job well."
The Southern Yin Dynasty must possess our complete battle formation diagram.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to locate and destroy these key positions so precisely and efficiently.
In just half a month, they destroyed nearly a third of the foundation we painstakingly built over three years!
"At this rate, the entire [Northern Defense Grand Formation] will be completely paralyzed in two months at most! Turning into a pile of scrap metal."
Qi Yun stood with his hands behind his back in front of the huge array diagram. His dark blue Daoist robe accentuated his tall and straight figure, but at this moment, his back view exuded a sense of solemnity.
His gaze was sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the ever-spreading "red sores" on the map and the Confederate army's incredibly clear route of advance, as if trying to etch every detail into his mind.
With Yang Cuan's complaints echoing in his ears, Qi Yun's brows furrowed even more deeply.
Such precise strikes—such efficient advances—demonstrate an intimate understanding of the Northwest defenses.
All of this points to a chilling truth.
Southern Yin's preparations were far more thorough than they had imagined.
Those spies who were exposed probably already passed on a lot of crucial intelligence before they were even exposed.
However, what stirred Qi Yun's heart was not merely the strength of the enemy and the leak of intelligence.
Instead----
The reactions from the four cases!
Logically speaking, with the defensive line torn apart so quickly and key positions destroyed one after another, the four Great True Person should have taken action long ago.
So far, apart from lower-level cultivators and some small and medium-sized sects fighting their own battles and being passively attacked, the situation remains unchanged.
The four true core forces seemed to have fallen silent, offering no clear instructions or strong intervention.
Could it be that I guessed wrong?
In reality, the four methods didn't actually have any backup plans.
Staring at the ever-expanding crimson area on the array diagram, Qi Yun slowly rubbed a die between his palms.
What are those leaders really thinking?
Several days later.
Qi Yun left the palace, concealed his presence, and roamed the war-torn mountains and rivers of the northwest.
All that could be seen along the way were cultivators fleeing in panic, and the ruins of breached mountain gates, a scene of utter devastation.
The speed and efficiency of the Confederate advance were truly alarming.
One day, they arrived at the outer edge of a black mountain range shrouded in malevolent energy.
Qi Yun sensed from afar that the spiritual energy ahead was chaotic and the sounds of Law Artifact clashing were incessant, clearly indicating that a battle was taking place.
With a quick scan of his Divine Sense, he understood the situation.
About twenty or thirty righteous cultivators, dressed in uniform blue Daoist robes with mysterious talisman patterns embroidered on their cuffs, were besieging a sect built against the mountain.
Above the sect's mountain gate hangs a plaque inlaid with countless white bones, inscribed with the words "Thousand Bones Sect".
Three large, distorted characters.
It was clearly a small-scale demonic sect that cultivated the path of corpses or the path of bones.
The protective demonic light of the Thousand Bones Sect has shattered, and its disciples have suffered heavy casualties.
The few remaining people, relying on the broken restrictions and the Ancestral Hall, put up a stubborn resistance, but their defeat was only a matter of time.
Conflicts of this scale are commonplace in Northwest China today, and they do not arouse Qi Yun's utter interest.
He shook his head, about to turn and leave, unwilling to waste time on such a trivial matter.
But just as he lifted his foot to leave—
A righteous shout, clear and distinct, pierced through the battlefield's clamor and reached his ears. "You demon, stop resisting!"
Today, I, Nine Kings Mountain, will use the righteous energy of heaven and earth to wipe out your demonic lair!
His voice was loud and clear, carrying a resolute air of slaying demons and monsters.
"Nine Kings Mountain?"
The moment those three words entered his ears, Qi Yun abruptly stopped in his tracks. He turned his head sharply, his gaze flashing like lightning, instantly piercing through the void and precisely locking onto the group of righteous cultivators.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, which then transformed into a keen interest.
Nine Kings Mountain ----
He was very familiar with that name!
Back then, when he removed the old ailment from the body of True Person Qianxin, he took out a talisman called [Three Rivers Bitter Cold Divine King Talisman].
Later, this talisman was refined by the Law Technique Panel, but it unexpectedly attracted the attention of the True Lord of Nine Kings Mountain.
He was almost killed remotely by that True Lord.
Fortunately, the Law Technique Panel is incredibly powerful.
By reversing the Dao's intent and changing the [Three Rivers Bitter Cold Divine King Talisman] into the [Three Rivers Bitter Cold True King Talisman], he was able to escape the True Lord's obliteration.
"Hehe----" Qi Yun's lips slowly curled into a smile, and his original intention to leave vanished instantly.
"I didn't expect to run into someone I know as soon as I came out."
With a single step, his figure appeared silently above the dilapidated gate of the Thousand Bones Sect. His deep blue Daoist robe fluttered in the mountain wind as Qi Yun looked down at the group of Nine Kings Mountain cultivators below, who had abruptly stopped fighting and looked on in surprise at his sudden appearance.
He then waved his hand, and a large, dark banner appeared out of thin air, fluttering in the wind.
"Fellow Daoists, our meeting is fate. Since we are destined to meet, why not come and have a chat on my Human Emperor Banner?"