Bang!
His arm swept across, his fist smashing into Baidi’s cheek. Amid the explosive airwave, Baidi tumbled as it was sent flying.
It had not been struck so hard by the force of the punch that it lost control of its body. It flipped in mid-air, adjusted its posture, and after landing, its four hooves ploughed through the ground as it slid back a short distance before steadying itself.
“Pfft…”
Baidi spat out a bloodied fang. At that moment, its eyeball had just healed. It lowered its head to glance at the broken fang, then raised its head in disbelief and stared at the burly Human standing three metres tall.
That punch had given it a burning pain and caused a slight superficial wound. For a descendant of gods and demons with such a powerful body, such a minor injury could be ignored completely.
But the shock in Baidi’s eyes surged like a churning sea:
“Impossible. How could you possibly possess such strength?”
Ordinarily, an eruption of potential could only bring a momentary spike in power. To maintain it even for a short while was already no easy feat.
Yet in Baidi’s perception, Xu Qi’an’s strength had risen to a higher level and stabilised there.
What did this mean?
It was utterly absurd!
A cultivator’s power was accumulated step by step. Early second rank was early second rank. There was no reason for someone to grow stronger the more he fought. Where had this power, appearing out of thin air, come from?
This completely defied common sense.
Baidi had lived through endless ages, from antiquity until now, and had never seen anything so preposterous.
If things could be done like this, then what was the point of cultivation?
This boy still had not reached first-rank battle power, but compared with just now, he was vastly stronger.
Baidi began to worry where the limit of this increase lay.
Xu Qi’an spread his five fingers. The shattered bones in them healed rapidly, and his blood-soaked fist regenerated in an instant.
Seeing this, Luo Yuheng felt an immense weight lift from her shoulders. Her whole body went limp, and she felt the weakness in her limbs that came from being strung too tight for too long.
I knew it, during the battle of Xunzhou that day, something was off about his condition. The more he fights, the stronger he becomes… al-Asura felt a weight lift from his heart.
Daoist Jinlian and Zhao Shou likewise relaxed their tightly wound nerves. This meant the fight could still go on.
Daoist Jinlian in particular felt extremely conflicted. During the battle of Xunzhou, he had been busy refining Heilian and had not taken part, so he had not understood Xu Qi’an’s combat strength very deeply.
Only today did he realise that the kid’s battle power had already become exaggerated to this extent.
Agaruka Bodhisattva’s face was dark as water. When Xu Qi’an advanced to second rank, just what Dao had he comprehended? It remained a mystery even now.
And it was also an enormous uncertain factor.
The only comforting point was that, just as Baidi thought, a cultivator’s strength was built up step by step. This so-called growth through battle should have a limit.
It was most likely impossible for him to cross an entire rank.
As long as he remained below first rank, then the problem was not too great.
Xu Qi’an looked south, towards Yongzhou. Taking a deep breath, he smiled and said:
“My warm-up is over. You three, can you still hold on?”
Hearing this, al-Asura spat, ejecting a mouthful of bloody foam, and sneered:
“Forget thirteen days. I can fight for a month and still be fine.”
Zhao Shou said with a smile:
“If the Jianzheng had not exhausted most of the power of the Confucian cap and the carving sabre, this old man would already have sent Agaruka rolling back to the Western Regions.”
Daoist Jinlian shot him a sidelong glance and thought that scholars must eat garlic every day, given how big their breaths were.
“The Daoist Aspect connects with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Our spells are as deep as the sea. We do not fear a war of attrition.”
For experts at the pinnacle level of Jiuzhou, stamina and magic were never things that needed considering.
The only real question was whether Xu Qi’an could hold out. From the look of things, the lad was even more enduring than anyone had imagined.
The three men’s confidence rose sharply.
Xu Qi’an looked south again.
He had looked south twice.
Headmaster Zhao Shou said softly:
“You are the backbone of the Great Feng, the faith of the soldiers. If you do not fall, the Great Feng’s faith will not fall!”
Xu Qi’an withdrew his gaze and let out the bold spirit in his chest:
“A true man keeps a heart of iron until death. Just watch me…”
He took the initiative to charge at Baidi, like a fearless warrior.
Just watch me patch the crack in heaven with one hand.
…
Heaven Sect, within the immortal mountain wreathed in cloud and mist.
Bingyi Yuanjun and Daoist Xuancheng, one riding an immortal crane, the other flying on a sword, arrived at the summit cliff and the magnificent Heavenly Venerable Hall.
The white-haired Heavenly Venerable sat cross-legged upon a lotus dais, his body stooped and his head lowered.
“Greetings, Heavenly Venerable.”
The two Daoist Yang Spirits made a Daoist salute with expressionless faces.
“We have foreseen the Holy Maiden’s deadly calamity. Go to Yongzhou, and while you are there, bring the two of them back.”
Heavenly Venerable’s voice echoed through the hall.
Bingyi Yuanjun and Daoist Xuancheng exchanged a glance, then said in emotionless voices:
“Yes, Heavenly Venerable.”
Heavenly Venerable’s ethereal, indifferent voice echoed through the hall once more:
“The great tribulation is drawing near. After the conflict of heaven and man, the Heaven Sect will seal the mountain and cut off contact with the outside world. Before that, none of you may involve yourselves in mortal affairs, nor may you provoke karma.
“Otherwise, all will be expelled from Heaven Sect.”
Bingyi Yuanjun and Daoist Xuancheng understood that Heavenly Venerable was warning them not to intervene in the war in the Central Plains for any person or matter.
Last time, when they had gone to Yongzhou in search of Li Lingsu, they had fallen into Xu Qi’an’s trap and been forced to fend off enemies for him, against the Buddhist Vajras.
“Disciple understands!”
The two Yang Spirits withdrew from Heavenly Venerable Hall.
…
Xunzhou, the prefectural magistrate’s residence.
An armoured soldier, gripping an intelligence report in his hand, strode quickly into the main hall and bowed.
“Provincial Administrator Sir, urgent military intelligence.”
Yang Gong was in discussion with his aides. Hearing this, he nodded and said:
“Present it.”
After handing over the report, the armoured soldier immediately withdrew. He was only responsible for delivering the message and had no right to stay and listen.
Yang Gong unfolded the report sealed with wax and read it carefully. Without much expression, he set it down and said:
“Erlang has sent word. The Yunzhou rebel army has assembled in force and is preparing to storm Xunzhou.”
The aides’ expressions changed slightly. They knew this day had finally come.
Much had happened during this period.
Along the defensive line centred on Xunzhou, the two armies had fought with exceptional ferocity. Field battles, city defence battles, and large and small engagements together numbered over a hundred.
The whole of Yongzhou had become like a meat grinder, and tens of thousands of lives had vanished into nothing.
And throughout this series of brutal battles, Xu Erlang’s name had risen to prominence. Leading his cavalry beneath him across the battlefield, he had won repeated victories, slaughtering the Yunzhou roaming cavalry until they threw away helmets and armour, and had established brilliant military merit.
The “volunteer army” that worked with him had also played a huge role.
It could be said that for Xunzhou City to have held out until today, they had made an immense contribution.
But just the day before yesterday, Li Miaozhen and the others had tried to infiltrate the Yunzhou main camp and burn the grain stores, only to fall into a carefully arranged trap by Qi Guangbo.
Fortunately, the leaders of that “volunteer army” was highly capable and fought a way out of the encirclement. Though heavily wounded, no one had been killed.
Yang Gong did not know the precise details, but he knew that dealing with Yang Qianhuan’s teleportation technique was not difficult. The Yunzhou rebels also had Arcanists in their ranks, and Xu Pingfeng had certainly left behind a magical artefact capable of restraining teleportation.
“Duke Yang, the Yunzhou army is coming fiercely. This battle will probably not be easy.”
One aide sighed.
The current situation was this: after many days of bitter fighting, the defensive line had already been battered into ruin. At present only Xunzhou still remained. If the Yunzhou army wanted to march north and swallow Yongzhou City whole, it first had to pull out the nail that was Xunzhou.
Yang Gong turned slightly and looked north.
“The truly perilous situation is not ours, but Silver Gong Xu’s, and the National Teacher’s. As long as they are not defeated, we will defend Yongzhou to the death.”
Yang Gong said in a deep voice, “Pass the order. Prepare for battle!”
Li Mubai and the others looked to the north.
They could all die. Everyone could die. As long as the tribulation-crossing battle in the north was not lost, the Great Feng still had hope.
There lay the backbone of the Great Feng, and the faith of its soldiers.
…
Yunzhou main camp.
Inside the command tent, Qi Guangbo stood before the sand table, planting little red and blue flags in different positions.
Around the edges of each blue flag that symbolised the Great Feng army, corresponding red flags held them in check. Looking closely, one would discover that Xunzhou had already been isolated and cut off from aid.
At least for the short term, no reinforcements would appear.
Before the war began, the blue flags representing the Great Feng defenders had been planted one by one along the defensive line, forming mutually supporting horns with Xunzhou.
Now those flags had been removed one after another, whether through complete annihilation or because they had become scattered remnants, turning instead to guerrilla warfare and surprise assaults.
Of course, the Yunzhou army had also suffered heavy losses, losing a third of its forces, among them eight thousand elite core troops.
Elite troops were not the same as irregulars. Every loss was keenly felt. They were Yunzhou’s treasured lifeblood.
“The board has been set. Next, it is time to meet the famed Ziyang Jushi.”
Qi Guangbo looked down over the sand table, his gaze steady.
This madman, an idle wastrel and prodigal who neglected proper pursuits, despised the book and looked down on martial arts, alone cherising leading troops in battle, had been chosen by Xu Pingfeng back then because he possessed terrifying command of the bigger picture.
In warfare, clever schemes and stratagems were always secondary. The ability to command and a view of the whole field were what a supreme commander truly required.
Why was Wei Yuan hailed as a god of war?
Not because of his cultivation, nor because of his schemes, but because he could command armies of hundreds of thousands, even over a million. He possessed an overarching view of the entire battlefield.
When the two sides’ troop strength and numbers of beyond-mortal experts did not differ too greatly, such a terrifying commander could easily determine the outcome of a war.
Qi Guangbo was, in Xu Pingfeng’s eyes, a commander second only to Wei Yuan, even a cut above Jing’s ruler Xiahou Yushu.
“General, Xu Xinnian seems to have a reconnaissance-type magical artefact. If he notices your deployment in advance, what then?”
Yang Chuannan frowned.
Ge Wenxuan smiled and said:
“Before our main army had assembled, before it had advanced on Xunzhou, he could not possibly have detected it. Even if he has a reconnaissance-type magical artefact, he would not be using it at every moment. And as for now, let him detect it if he does. Before noon, our army will be at the city walls.
“If the Great Feng army has only just noticed now, it is already too late.”
Another general said in a deep voice:
“The cavalry led by Xu Xinnian is extremely formidable, and they have the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of Heaven Sect assisting them. If they return to reinforce Xunzhou City, it will bring us no small amount of trouble.”
Qi Guangbo smiled and said:
“No need to bother about them. Someone else will deal with them.”
…
A barren mountain range, bordering a desolate plain.
Xu Xinnian led seven thousand troops and had encamped by the river at the foot of the mountains.
The cavalrymen consciously washed their horses’ nostrils and cleaned their hands, feet, and faces. The infantry piled up stone stoves and brought out iron pots, preparing to boil water and refill their shrivelled water skins.
“Rest for half a quarter of an hour, then immediately return to reinforce Xunzhou City.”
Xu Xinnian turned and gave Miao Youfang the order, then looked at Li Miaozhen beside him and said in a low voice:
“Your injuries really aren’t a problem?”
Li Miaozhen’s face was somewhat pale. She shook her head slightly:
“It’s fine. With the pills Yang Qianhuan left me, I will recover fully within three days. Such a minor injury does not affect my combat strength. The Daoist source of power comes from the Primordial Spirit.”
Her injuries had been left from the ambush the day before yesterday.
At the time, the Yunzhou army had concealed a great number of experts to surround and kill them, including fourth-rank fighters. Meanwhile, Yang Qianhuan’s teleportation array had been restrained by a higher formation of the same system and had been difficult to use.
The reason they had managed to fight their way out had relied entirely on Master Hengyuan’s Vajra Divine Skill, which had borne most of the damage.
That was why Master Hengyuan had been the most seriously injured.
Among the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, only Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen had relatively light injuries.
The latter had taken Li Lingsu and Hengyuan back towards Yongzhou City to recover.
Lady Flying Swallow, meanwhile, had folded her private troops into Xu Erlang’s force and followed him onto the campaign.
People often say that character determines fate. This was precisely why.
Comments for this chapter. You will need a GitHub account. Please follow all terms and conditions of GitHub issues and maintain etiquette in the comments. Cookies are required for this functionality.
If you want to talk with other readers about Nightwatchers (or other cultivation type books) you can join our cultivation groupreading discord server!
I also have a Kofi, which for legal reasons is definitely for supporting my digital art only (promise!): ko-fi.com/yanxin ... plus I guess server space isn't free, and I don't want to put ads/trackers... ever, so thank you if you do!