Chapter 285: Battle! (Part 2)
Li Hongyuan really wanted to kill Qiu Ergou .
These monks are not very skilled. The Northern Region needs people, like Li Hongyuan, who is at the Qi Refining Stage. He was hurriedly pushed onto the battlefield.
Every inch of the snowy ground in the Northern Region is almost stained with red blood. Whether it's the Northern Region or the battlefields in the South, they are all brutally deadly.
Not long ago, their subordinate forces were defeated in battle. He and over ten of his brothers fought their way to Xianyang City, intending to seek refuge in Xianyang and then head to Masui City to join the main force, giving their all.
Returning to their hometown is no longer an option. They can only live day by day, hoping that luck is on their side, and maybe they can survive until the end of the war.
But Li Hongyuan never expected to see Qiu Ergou and Deng Saner here! These cowards who ran away as soon as the battle began!
Li Hongyuan's face turned pale with anger. He unsheathed his golden-hilted long sword, hesitating for a moment near Qiu Ergou's neck, his expression changing multiple times.
Qiu Ergou's face turned pale as he said, "Li... Li eldest brother..."
After they joined the army, they were assigned to the same team. Li Hongyuan was the leader, and he and Deng Saner were good friends.
Qiu Ergou swallowed and thought, "If only they hadn't deserted..."
In the howling cold wind, no one dared to speak.
Just as the blade was about to cut Qiu Ergou's neck and a trickle of blood appeared, a girl in a pink dress suddenly reached out her hand and stopped it in front of Qiu Ergou.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Taoist friend?" Qiao Wan calmly addressed Li Hongyuan, "In this situation, killing your former comrades in the presence of enemy troops?"
"Fighting amongst ourselves in this situation?"
Li Hongyuan was taken aback, "Who are you?"
Qiao Wan replied, "My surname is Lu."
In the end, the blade aimed at the deserters didn't fall. Li Hongyuan's face turned pale with anger. He angrily turned the blade towards the dark group of enemy soldiers and shouted without looking back.
"Get in line! Charge!"
"Brothers! The gates of Xianyang City are closed, and the defenders clearly have their own concerns! They're afraid that if the enemy advances too far, it will make it difficult for them to defend the city. Let's not make it hard for them."
Li Hongyuan, with swift footsteps, shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the chilly night, "Let's fight our way out! We'll defeat them all before reentering the city!"
Qiao Wan slowly lowered her hand, first looking surprised, then solemn, followed by respect, and finally turning into seriousness.
In this critical moment, anyone who is a normal person would show deep respect for these seemingly ordinary people, who are as bright as stars, defending their home and country.
Even Qiao Wan is no exception, perhaps due to her upbringing in the Great Tian Dynasty.
Respecting and admiring the soldiers, the unity between the military and the civilians, the close relationship between them, is different from any capitalist country.
As an ordinary college student, who has never even had a chance to fight or get into a fight, Qiao Wan couldn't help but turn her head and quietly ask the distressed Qiu Ergou.
"Friend, are you sure you're still so down in this situation?"
"Shouldn't we go help this taoist friend Li?"
Qiao Wan's voice was soft, but determined, and it clearly reached the ears of Qiu Ergou and his companions through the night wind.
"Kill these magic soldiers, then deal with your own business."
Suddenly, Qiu Ergou, Deng Saner, and the others woke up!
Qiao Wan shifted her gaze to Li Hongyuan and the others. These disheveled cultivators had regained their composure and were ready to fight!!
The magic soldiers weren't many, but they were accompanied by a huge magic beast. At first, they hesitated to make a move due to the guards of Xianyang City, but now that Li Hongyuan made a move, they immediately followed suit!
Although Qiu Ergou was a bit of a coward, he had a clear mind.
In this world, everyone is afraid of death.
Because of their fear of death, they showed an extraordinary courage in the face of danger!
Looking at the city from a distance, it filled Qiu Ergou and the others with guilt and remorse.
They felt sorry for Li Hongyuan, Qiu Ergou forced a bitter smile.
Back when they enlisted together, Li Hongyuan, as the older brother, took care of them. They knew in their hearts that they betrayed him when they left together. They surely hated him now.
At this point, they can only try to make up for what they did!
Qiao Wan gave a look, and she along with Qiu Ergou and the others charged forward!
But as soon as Qiao Wan charged forward, she realized that things were not as simple as she had imagined!
Because, from the time she crossed into this world till now, she had never seen a dead person.
Growing up in peaceful times, she had never seen a dead person, not even in the demon realm.
But right now, this battle has no so-called vanguard or left and right flanks, it's just a bloody slaughter!
The battlefield of the cultivation world is more terrifying than any other world's battlefield. As soon as the war started, the demon realm immediately unleashed these few demon beasts.
These few demon beasts, charging back and forth, left and right, just like a plow, under the rampage of their hooves, many cultivators who couldn't react in time were instantly crushed into minced meat!
Even though Qiao Wan had used her spiritual power fairly well before, when she saw one of the cultivators being punched into pieces by a demon soldier, it felt like her feet were frozen in ice and she almost vomited, her thoughts uncontrollably veering off for a second.
This feeling was contradictory and painful. Qiao Wan felt like she was about to split apart.
Her mind was clear, so clear that she could even feel the warmth of the blood splattering on her cheeks. There seemed to be a surge of vigorous fighting power inside her body, urging her to go, go up.
But half of her came from the soul of the weak college student inside her.
She was scared, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Originally, Qiu Ergou dared to go forward relying on the presence of a female bodhisattva by his side. In the midst of the charge, he turned his head and caught a glimpse of Qiao Wan looking a bit absent-minded, causing Qiu Ergou to pause for a second.
Reacting first, he shouted, "Let's go! Stop daydreaming! Do you want to die?!"
As soon as the battle began, both sides unleashed their respective unique skills.
Qiu Ergou manipulated strings like magic on his ten fingers, summoning three or five puppets from somewhere, and with his fingers flying, he sent the puppets charging forward!
When one fell, another took its place!
No wonder after escaping, they could only resort to robbery as a means of survival. With the degree of puppet consumption, it was very wasteful.
Meanwhile, Deng Saner simply unleashed over ten powerful sword auras, which faintly glowed with a shimmering light.
This was when he was still at Chongde Ancient Garden, where Senior Meng taught these disciples who would go to the battlefield. Unfortunately, his cultivation level was low, so he couldn't create a whirlwind of thirty or more sword energies like Senior Meng.
In the fight, the most useless person turned out to be Qiao Wan .
Qiao Wan took a deep breath, calmed herself, and threw out a few spiritual energy bullets with gritted teeth!
However, she was slower in making the spiritual energy bullets this time, and her hands were shaking nonstop.
On the battlefield, there is no room for hesitation. In just one second, someone's head would fall with a "snap"!
Realizing that time was crucial, Qiao Wan's mind quickly turned, and her spiritual energy rushed down, attaching itself to her feet. Surprisingly, she came up with the idea of "swift thunder"!
Engaging in a fierce battle with the swift thunder, Qiao Wan stabbed the short sword in her hand into the stomach of the evil cultivator in front of her.
She stabbed one after another, and while doing so, she threw the statue of the Bodhisattva from her storage bag. In just a few moves, it disappeared inside!
This statue of the Bodhisattva was meant to deal with these evil beasts.
The big ones should deal with the big ones, and now the benefits of having Qiu Ergou transform the statue of Bodhisattva become apparent. After the transformation, the statue of Bodhisattva became fast and stable, not afraid of the attacks of these monsters.
With a strong pull of the knife in his hand, Li Hongyuan turned his head and faintly saw the huge silhouette under the night sky. His heart trembled sharply, "What is this thing?"
Not only Li Hongyuan and his companions were shocked, but also the soldiers guarding the city on the city wall.
The statue of Bodhisattva under the night sky appeared as if the Buddha descended from the heavens, towering like a distant snow-capped mountain.
"What...?" The worldview of the city guards was refreshed, and they couldn't help but look at their leader, Peng Zhishan, the elder of Chongde Ancient Garden, "What is this thing..."
With the appearance of this statue of Bodhisattva, regardless of their actual strength, at least they have temporarily intimidated the other demon soldiers.
Taking advantage of the stunned moment of the other demon soldiers, Qiu Ergou immediately commanded and controlled three or five puppets to attack.
On the battlefield, the situation was constantly changing, and the most important thing was actually morale.
Suddenly, there was a faint sense that Qiao Wan's side had the advantage.
"Do we need to take action?" asked the soldier guarding the city. As he looked down, he saw that the enemy soldiers had already unleashed their magical flames, sensing danger.
As the roaring flames were about to ignite, Peng Zhishan looked up at the sky not far away.
After a night of intense fighting, the sky was beginning to turn white.
Peng Zhishan's expression darkened in Chongde Ancient Garden and he raised his hand, saying, "Form a formation."
A loud shout came from the city walls, "Form a formation!!!"
The sound carried all the way outside the city.
This was specifically meant for Li Hongyuan and the others to hear!
Li Hongyuan raised an eyebrow and immediately put away his sword, immediately shouting to his comrades who were still fighting to find cover.
"Run quickly!"
"They're using a thunder formation!"
Thunder formation?!
Qiao Wan was taken aback.
The soldier guarding the city quickly found their positions under cover and set up the formation.
Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in the sky. Thunderbolts flashed and shook the earth, raining down with a loud boom.
The evil cultivators who couldn't avoid it were struck by a thunderbolt, instantly turning into charred bones.
At that moment, Qiu Ergou, accompanied by Deng Saner and others, hurriedly ran over. They quickly took cover under the Buddha statue, panting heavily and cursing under their breath.
Qiao Wan looked solemnly at the "thunder and fire from the sky" and asked, "What is this?"
Qiu Ergou tremblingly took out a cigarette from his sleeve and took a deep drag. Only then did he regain his composure. He tapped the ground with his finger and said, "Move away, don't touch that stuff. It's demonic fire, very wicked. It doesn't fear water, and once it touches you, it won't rest until it burns you to death. Sometimes, it even explodes suddenly."
Qiao Wan was puzzled, lost in thought.
"This is a thunder formation."
"You have never experienced a real battlefield before." Qiu Ergou said, "The battlefield for cultivators is different from that of ordinary people."
"In battles, the body cultivators usually take the front line, providing cover for the sword cultivators. The sword cultivators are the main force, while the beast cultivators are like cavalry, and the formation cultivators stay at the back."
"Actually, everyone thinks that sword cultivators are the most important, but in reality, we are all sacrificing ourselves for the formation cultivators. Protecting them and giving them time to set up formations is what's most important."
"Of course, if you're a sword cultivator like Qiao Wan was before, able to split a mountain with one sword, then disregard what I just said."
Meanwhile, in Cangwu State,
Cangwu State, located by the sea, was a crucial battleground in the south. The demon realm and the cultivation world were locked in a fierce battle here, captivating everyone's attention.
In the fourth year of the Xiu Zhen calendar, in the second month, Mei Kangping ordered a group of demon soldiers and monsters to land from the sea, causing huge waves and plunging the area into darkness.
In the fifth year of the Xiu Zhen calendar, in the third month, the head of Wenshi Hall in Kunshan, Ma Huaizhen, personally went south to visit the powerful Ao family of Gan Nan.
Mei Kangping wanted to form an alliance with his father, Gan Nan.
Gan Nan wasn't foolish and was considering whether or not to get involved in this difficult situation. But Ma Huaizhen calmly explained the advantages and disadvantages.
Basically, the cultivation world and the Gan family were tied together. After Mei Kangping dealt with the cultivation world, he would definitely gather his forces and target the Gan family.
The Gan family couldn't just close their doors and hide in the water. It was impossible for them to live peacefully.
After much hesitation, Gan Nan finally agreed to the proposal of forming an alliance with the cultivators.
With the help of the Gan family, the situation in the southern battlefield had a slight chance to catch a breath. Soon after, Xie Xingzhi was sent by the cultivation alliance to go south and assist Elder Chen Xuanling from Qingyang Academy in fighting against the demons.
Just by knowing that the leader in the southern battlefield was an elder from Qingyang Academy, one could see the cunningness of the cultivation alliance.
Gan Nan, the favored youngest son, didn't hesitate to agree to the proposal, thanks to Mei Kangping's persuasion.
Unfortunately, things were chaotic on the Aoshi side as well, like a pot of seafood porridge gone bad.
Shortly after the alliance between the two families, Xie Xingzhi, with a worried expression on his face, was busy strategizing with Chen Xuanling and Gan Nan in the camp.
In front of them stood a young man, dressed in a dark Taoist robe, with a tall hat adorned with a symbol of yin and yang fishes. He looked elegant and noble, but the scars of war had added a rugged charm to his refined demeanor.
His noble appearance was mixed with the smell of gunpowder and blood, with a furrowed brow that was both handsome and intimidating.
As for Gan Nan, his youthful face still had a smooth and delicate complexion, making him look like a little girl. However, he had shed some of his timidness and gained a sense of maturity and resilience in his crystal-clear eyes.
Chen Xuanling said, "In the end, it's a battle at sea. The best strategy is to keep the enemy forces away from the shore, annihilating them in the process. However, only defending the coastline and preventing them from landing is a secondary plan."
As for the worst plan, we don't even need to mention it.
Xie Xingzhi said, "But we don't have enough boats, and we don't have enough water-capable spirit beasts."
Chen Xuanling sighed and said, "Once the demonic soldiers land inland, they will suffer."
In other words, the main point of contention between the two is whether to primarily rely on the navy or the army to deal with the demonic soldiers.
Chen Xuanling comes from a Confucian background and has a bit of concern for the hardships of the people.
On the other hand, Xie Xingzhi is even more determined due to the influence of this ruthless path.
Years of warfare have made him somewhat more ruthless.
Xie Xingzhi spoke confidently, "I understand your concerns, but if the demonic soldiers land, it will be the people inland who suffer. However, naval warfare is not our specialty. Even if there are sword cultivators who can use their swords at sea, the waves will be too high for them to do anything."
"Furthermore, if we refuse the demonic soldiers from landing, the sea is vast, and we don't have the resources to station troops along the coast."
For the current plan, we can only wait for the enemy to land, lure them in, and concentrate our forces to attack.
After speaking for a while, Gan Nan, who had been silent, hesitated with a touch of his lips: "But... but this is not a solution in the end."
The young boy, still not used to expressing his opinions, blushed and stammered: "They advance when they win, retreat to the islands when they lose, and have no trouble at all. This method can only solve the immediate problem, but it cannot completely eradicate it. If this continues, our cultivators here will definitely become exhausted...
Moreover, the situation in the northern territory is very critical." He paused, then continued with a flushed face and ears: "If we can't win on the southern front, it won't inflict much harm on them. At least it can hold back some of their forces from supporting the northern territory."
As everyone knows, that is the main battlefield.
Xie Xingzhi lowered his eyes coldly, and his face twitched: "In the current situation, this is the only way."
Inside the tent, there was only prolonged silence.
After a while, Chen Xuanling, with tears in his eyes, said in a sorrowful voice, "The demon soldiers are far more powerful than ordinary human armies. Once they land, thousands of innocent people will die under their iron hooves..."
He did not refute Xie Xingzhi's words any further.
Could it be that the realm of cultivation is really coming to an end? Chen Xuanling, as an elder who has lived for hundreds of years, someone's grandfather and ancestor, fought back his tears at this moment.
Gan Nan hesitantly held his mentor's hand, wanting to comfort him.
Chen Xuanling turned away his face.
This is all retribution. The peacefulness of these past few hundred years allowed the realm of cultivation to fall back into old patterns. Now, with the demon realm as a united force, the divided realm of cultivation is struggling to form an alliance. However, there are conflicts and disagreements among them, making it difficult to cooperate.
In a way, being in charge of Cangwu State is considered relatively good.
Xie Xingzhi was a calm and powerful man, and the others greatly respected him for his wisdom.
In the midst of the silence, someone murmured to themselves, but it was unclear who it was.
"If... only Demon Emperor Jia Yin would join the battle," Gan Nan said, his eyes dimming as he clenched his fists.
Demon Emperor Jia Yin... He was known as the most powerful figure in the world of cultivation. Although he was a battle fanatic, before being known as such, he was the Lord of All Demons. Therefore, after the war broke out between the world of cultivation and the demon realm, the Lord of All Demons chose not to participate and remained a neutral observer, carefully considering which side to ally with.
Humans and demons had a long-standing enmity, so no one could blame him for his choice. His decision was indeed the best for an emperor.
While he had a fierce and brutal nature, he was indeed a wise and righteous ruler.
However, choosing sides was inevitable. Filled with thoughts, Chen Xuanling sighed and said, "I hope he doesn't end up on the side of the demon realm in the end."
As they spoke, they couldn't help but think about the missing Qiao Wan.
If Qiao Wan were still here, they wondered if she would help the cultivation world out of friendship. Gan Nan also thought about this, his gaze growing dimmer. But for now, she was nowhere to be found, and thinking about these things was just empty talk.
Just then, suddenly, a young cultivator hurriedly burst into the camp and fell to his knees with a thud.
"Elder!"
"Taoist Friend Xie! Something bad has happened!"
Xie Xingzhi's eyes darkened. "Take your time and tell me."
The cultivator clenched his teeth and forcefully squeezed out a few words, causing a thunderous shock! Immediately, the faces of Xie Xingzhi and Chen Xuanling turned pale.
Gan Nan froze for a moment, then stood up abruptly and took a few stumbling steps forward. "What... what did you say?"
"Ao Yi killed Zhu Enchou and his own father, Ao Tao!!"
*
At sea, the sky was dim and lifeless.
Just after a battle had ended, the vast sea shimmered in the distance. A dark flame suddenly started burning on the surface of the waves. This flame was unique to the demon realm and burned quickly. It was so fierce that once a person touched it, they couldn't put it out. In a blink of an eye, they would be swallowed by the fiery tongues. This flame was even able to burn in water, causing a lot of trouble for the cultivators.
However, not long after, a group of brave demon cultivators who were not afraid of fire and water came to the shore. Among them was Ma Huaizhen, who had traveled all the way from the North to the South. He was drawn by the dragon scales of the Ao family, which were resistant to this magical fire. Only the dragons of the Ao family had this ability, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals did not.
The magical fire burned quickly and was extremely fierce. Whenever Ma Huaizhen thought about it, his face turned pale with helplessness.
On top of the waves, there stood a man dressed in white. Upon closer inspection, this young man bore a striking resemblance to Gan Nan. Both had white hair and eyebrows, eyes like glass, and a hint of seaweed green at the tips of their hair. However, compared to the silly and cute Gan Bai Long, his older brother Ao Yi appeared more domineering, with longer and narrower eyes.
Among the cultivators on the shore, a female cultivator from Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion spoke up, "Taoist friend Ao, what are you leading soldiers here for?"
The man narrowed his eyes and, amidst the unsure gazes of the crowd, he walked down from the waves and put away the long spear in his hands, heading towards the camp.
"Let me explain," Ao Yi paused, giving a faint smile to the cultivators on the shore. "I have come to apologize for what happened to Elder Zhu."
*
In the northern region,
Under the mighty thunder, the battle quickly came to an end.
The thunderclouds dispersed, revealing a golden light on the horizon.
With a loud rumble, the city gates opened, and a small group of beast cultivators riding spirit beasts rushed out from within the city.
A person raised a torch and shouted loudly, "Enter the city! Hurry, enter the city!"
Qiu Ergou's face lit up, and he hurriedly crawled out from under the statue of Buddha, not forgetting to turn around and remind Qiao Wan behind him.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry, enter the city!"
Qiao Wan remained silent for a while, finally asking the question she had been wanting to ask since earlier.
The black demon fire burns quickly, has a high temperature, and can easily cause explosions. It can even burn on water and is difficult to extinguish once it touches a person.
"What does the demon fire in the demon realm have to do with petroleum?"
