Volume One: The Chaos of Yan and Yun Chapter Eighty-Three: Myriad Stars and the Cosmos (Part Four)
The battle between the mighty beings of the Dao was on the verge of erupting. No matter how bold Zisang Bushou was, he dared not continue sealing the heavens and earth. Feng Yang and the others turned into shooting stars and vanished beyond the horizon, leaving behind fewer than four thousand soldiers in two battalions to cover their retreat atop the city walls.
“This is not a realm for those below the Dao. Any who cross the border will die,” the Wind Guard said coldly.
The four formidable cultivators exchanged glances, ultimately abandoning their plan to force an assault on Shuntian. The formation was destroyed, and even if those two battalions fought valiantly, they would not be enough to vanquish them. Zisang Bushou shook his head but made no comment. By seniority, he was almost a generation beneath the Wind Guard; though his cultivation was now comparable, facing the Wind Guard alone still imposed immense pressure. Wind, by nature, is a flowing gas, and in this vast emptiness, every breath of air might conceal a blade from the Hidden Wind Technique.
The sky itself had become a prison forged of wind blades.
Zisang Bushou stood at the very heart of that prison, hands clasped behind his back, expressionless as he watched the Wind Guard. None of the blades of wind could draw closer than three feet to him. At this stage of Dao fusion, save for a few rare techniques, all other martial skills were but petty tricks.
The three feet before him marked the unique domain of a Dao-fused master—called the Severed Realm.
If the power of heaven and earth was the sharpest spear of the Dao-fused, then the Severed Realm was their sturdiest shield.
Shattering the storm of wind blades was difficult, but for the wind blades to pierce Zisang Bushou’s Severed Realm was no easy feat, either. As he pondered how to capture the Wind Guard, he realized the figure in his sight had vanished.
“Hidden Wind Technique,” Zisang Bushou murmured. “Why must those of our stature bother with waiting for the right moment?”
As the words left his lips, a terrifying sword light seemed to cleave the heavens and earth, crashing down upon him. Zisang Bushou’s eyes narrowed. He raised his right palm skyward and bellowed. The sword light collided with a green barrier of light, the two powers deadlocked for a moment before fine cracks began to spread across the green shield.
He arched an eyebrow, then thrust his palm outward.
Another arc of light, a hundred feet long, roared across the heavens. The sword light sliced through it, continuing toward Zisang Bushou, only to dissolve into nothingness within his Severed Realm.
“To respond in kind is only courtesy,” he said softly, then brought his upraised palm crashing down.
Nothing seemed to change, save for a shockwave rippling outward from where the palm fell, causing the myriad wind blades to hesitate for an instant. Amidst the dense blades, a human silhouette gradually appeared.
A smile tugged at Zisang Bushou’s lips. “Caught you.”
With that, he vanished.
A narrow passage opened among the wind blades, just wide enough for one man. Zisang Bushou followed it straight to the Wind Guard, raising his hand to strike.
The Wind Guard met him with sword in hand.
A peal of thunder split the air. Centered on the two of them, a shockwave radiated out for dozens of yards, erasing everything in its wake.
The other powerful cultivators had retreated after the Wind Guard’s warning; now, witnessing the clash in midair, their hearts trembled. The worst fate, however, befell the Bohai soldiers who had joined the assault—they were pinned by the Yanbei troops left to cover the retreat and were slain atop the city walls before they could withdraw.
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“The prince warned us a thousand times—Shuntian must not be lost. And now, it’s simply gone,” Yang Fan said coldly, looking at Su Yuzhe.
Su Yuzhe’s face was grim. “How was I to know that brat would be so decisive? To abandon such a crucial city at a word.”
Yang Fan’s expression remained dark. “What now? Zisang and the Wind Guard are locked in fierce battle; barging in would be suicide, but they’re unlikely to settle the fight quickly.”
Su Yuzhe frowned deeply, then said, “We’ll take the Red Huai route and launch a surprise attack on Yanyun.”
Yang Fan was startled. “To reach Red Huai, we must pass through Jizhou. Though the High Mountain Camp there isn’t especially strong…”
Su Yuzhe replied, “Gao Ding is a fool. The High Mountain Camp is weak to begin with, and under his command, it’s even more worthless. Not worth a second thought.”
Yang Fan said, “This must be reported to the prince.”
Su Yuzhe said, “A general in the field does not always obey the prince’s orders.”
Yang Fan’s eyes narrowed. “Looking to seize all authority for yourself?”
Su Yuzhe produced the tiger tally. “You may be the front-line commander, but the real decisions are mine.”
Yang Fan’s face darkened further, but at last, gritting his teeth, he asked, “There are only two quickest routes from Bohai to Shuntian: Shuntian itself, now lost, and Red Huai, which must be heavily guarded. Why not detour via Shahe? The path is rough, but our troops are mostly cultivators—it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Seeing his attitude soften, Su Yuzhe’s tone eased as well. “You’ve seen Shuntian’s state. Even the Yanbei Second Young Lord brought only a few battalions, and true elites were scarce. In these circumstances, no matter how strong Red Huai’s defenses, they cannot withstand us.”
Still hesitant, Yang Fan heard Su Yuzhe continue, “We’ve just received word—the Bleeding Pavilion has broken Kunlun. As soon as Dragonfall arrives, they’ll push east to Cangying and Severed Pavilion, then through Fengshun to reach Yanyun’s west gate. Meanwhile, Bibozhu has taken Wanghaiguan, rallying several barbarian tribes and thousands of powerful warriors who’ve already invaded Yanbei; they could attack Yanyun’s east gate at any moment. If we’re not at the southern gate when the time comes, you know the consequences.”
Yang Fan was surprised. The Bleeding Pavilion destroying Kunlun was understandable, but that Wang Ke had taken Wanghaiguan so swiftly was astonishing.
These thoughts brought a sense of urgency. “In that case, I suggest we wait here a while longer.”
Su Yuzhe nodded. “Why?”
Yang Fan explained, “Unless they’re willing to risk their lives, it’s rare for Dao-fused beings to fight to the death.”
Su Yuzhe agreed. “They’re all peak experts. If one truly wants to leave, the other can’t stop them.”
Yang Fan added, “Besides, with nearly a hundred thousand Bohai soldiers, the formation we can muster isn’t something even a Dao-fused master could break quickly.”
Su Yuzhe’s eyes flickered. “Is the Wind Guard’s only goal Zisang?”
Yang Fan replied, “Wuyang is in crisis, yet the Wind Guard didn’t turn back. Clearly, he sees the situation here as more critical. Perhaps he came to safeguard Shuntian, and the only real threat to the city… is Zisang.”
Su Yuzhe said gravely, “But Shuntian is already destroyed.”
Yang Fan answered, “Which makes it all the more likely the Wind Guard will withdraw after this battle.”
Su Yuzhe thought for a moment, then said, “But what if he doesn’t?”
Yang Fan replied, “Once Dragonfall arrives, he’ll have no choice but to withdraw.”
Su Yuzhe sighed. “Dragonfall is the signal for our all-out assault.”
Yang Fan said, “The Bleeding Pavilion’s eastward advance is blocked only by Shenwei Fortress; Wang Ke’s westward push faces only the Strange Stone Forest. Our path north is the clearest of all. Waiting a bit longer won’t matter.”
Su Yuzhe fell silent, then looked to the sky. “Then let’s wait for their duel to end.”
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“Then I must trouble you and Master Liang to cover the retreat,” Feng Muyun said softly to the Lord of Shenwei Fortress. “Yanyun’s fate—its rise or fall—is in your hands.”
The Lord of Shenwei Fortress nodded and sighed. “If the demons invade south again, how will we hold them back?”
Feng Muyun said, “When forced to choose between two harms, take the lesser.”
The Lord nodded. “Indeed. If we didn’t act, Yanbei might never even glimpse the demon banners.”
With that, he let out a roar. “Grand Duke Ming, come out and face your death!”
Without waiting for a reply, he hefted his spear and charged.
Liang Zhiyin shook her head, then followed in a flash.
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