Chapter 527: Mist-Hidden Thunder Blade Luo Yuan, Qin Feng Spews Blood |
Two hours ago, north of Donggu City.
Fu Tiandu held the army flag, walking at the very front of the Tiger Leopard Army. He frowned deeply as he watched the faint, sporadic flickers of firelight barely visible in the distance ahead.
As the fifty-thousand-strong army from Wuchuan truly marched out of Donggu City, Commander-in-Chief Luo Yuan also ordered the forty thousand Xia troops to move out.
The forty thousand Xia troops were divided into two groups. They flanked Donggu City from the east and west sides, moved around to the north gate area, and then directly followed behind the Wuchuan army.
Currently, they were less than two kilometers away from the Wuchuan army. The faint, sporadic flickers of firelight visible ahead were the marching torches of the Wuchuan army.
Although the Ice Abyss was perpetually covered in ice and snow, offering high visibility at night, with tens of thousands of soldiers marching simultaneously, there was no room for carelessness. Lighting torches to illuminate the path was naturally a safer measure.
Not just Wuchuan, Great Xia also followed this practice when marching. A squad of twenty soldiers was required to carry at least four torches for illumination. Therefore, as they tailed from behind, the Wuchuan army was likely well aware of their presence.
The reason for Fu Tiandu's deep frown was his belief that this approach seemed far too childish. The Xia troops were simply following behind, with less than two kilometers separating the two forces. Qin Feng couldn't possibly fail to guess Great Xia's intentions.
Given that, the other side wouldn't be foolish enough to just let them follow. Since they dared to leave the city, Wuchuan must have a countermeasure prepared.
This was what Fu Tiandu thought, but the others in the Tiger Leopard Army felt differently.
"Are we really just tailing them like this? The Wuchuan army is already two kilometers from the city. Donggu is only about twenty-something kilometers from Wuchuan Town City. We're not seriously planning to follow them all the way to Wuchuan Town City before fighting, are we?"
"The Left Route Army is just lucky! They get military merits delivered to them just by waiting!"
"After all, it's the Department Chancellor personally leading the army. Can they be the same as us?"
………………
Deputy Flag Officer Meng Tian and several Battalion Commanders were grumbling. Even many soldiers from the former scout battalion around them began to look displeased.
"Stop complaining! It's less than two kilometers. Who knows what unexpected events might occur? Everyone, stay vigilant!"
Scout Battalion Commander Helian Ba was more composed than the others. Even while reprimanding everyone, his gaze kept sweeping the surroundings, never looking back.
The reprimanded group immediately fell silent.
Fu Tiandu also suppressed the doubts in his heart. Regardless, he was currently just a Flag Officer, a rank lower than a Battalion Commander in the army hierarchy. He had absolutely no say in whatever Commander-in-Chief Luo Yuan was thinking.
The Central Route Army totaled forty thousand troops, with twenty thousand each in the eastern and western groups. By now, both groups had already bypassed the eastern and western city walls, reassembled north of Donggu City, and continued tailing the Wuchuan army.
Any camp or city, under normal circumstances, was always built on relatively flat terrain, and Donggu City was no exception.
Due to the flat surrounding terrain, the marching formation of the forty thousand Xia troops stretched a full hundred meters wide. According to Great Xia's military system, a Team consisted of twenty men, a Battalion two hundred, and a full-strength nine-unit Designation Army two thousand men. Such a wide formation essentially meant they were marching in army-sized units.
Unexpectedly, unlike previous practices, after the forty thousand troops converged in the north, the front ranks were not occupied by the four Designation Armies of the Central Route. Instead, it was the twenty thousand Town Garrison Army troops that Deputy Commander Murong Chui had transferred from Muyin Town.
Behind them were the ten thousand troops under Xiang Fuhai of the Right Route Army. And their Tiger Leopard Army, along with the three most elite Designation Armies—Shenwu, Steel Zong, and Gold Eagle—were actually bringing up the very rear.
"This marching arrangement must be to guard against the more than forty thousand Digging Realm cultivators inside Donggu City. So Commander Luo must have long anticipated that Qin Feng was deliberately luring us to follow. That being the case, the Commander-in-Chief surely has other plans. We won't just be dryly following behind the Wuchuan army all the way..."
Through this unusual marching order, Fu Tiandu immediately grasped the key point, a slight gleam appearing in his eyes.
"Fog is rising?"
However, the moment this thought occurred to him, voices came from the flanks of the formation.
Fog is rising!
Fu Tiandu turned his head to look around. He noticed that the air indeed held much more moisture, with water droplets even condensing on his own armor. His expression first showed surprise but quickly returned to normal.
In an extremely cold environment like the Ice Abyss, fog was actually not common. After all, it was perpetually icy and snowy. Moisture was mostly frozen, and without significant temperature fluctuations, fog was difficult to form.
Generally, there were two types of places where fog was most likely to occur. One was around bodies of water, and the second was around human settlements.
The former was due to unfrozen water beneath the ice, while the latter resulted from the high-temperature environments created by human life and production.
They were currently right beside Donggu City. With only two hours left until dawn, the temperature was dropping rapidly. Fog forming wasn't particularly strange.
However, after continuing forward with the army for over a hundred meters and finding that the fog not only didn't lessen but instead grew thicker, Fu Tiandu's expression gradually began to change.
"This fog... it's not normal!"
"Tiger Leopard, Shenwu, Steel Zong, Gold Eagle—all four armies, and the ten thousand troops under Xiang Fuhai—listen to my command! Turn around immediately and attack Donggu City. You must breach the city within half an hour. Quickly!"
Hearing the voice that rang out above the formation, Fu Tiandu's expression jolted with sudden vigor. In an instant, complete understanding dawned on him, his pupils filled with awe.
"So that's it! So that's how it is!"
………………
"This fog is wrong!"
Almost the exact moment this thought arose in Fu Tiandu's mind, high above the Wuchuan army formation, Qin Feng, who had been looking back at the Xia army behind them, had a drastic change in expression and uttered the same judgment.
"Isn't it just normal fog?"
Hearing his father's words, Qin Shan was momentarily stunned. Seeing that the torchlight at the front of the Xia army behind them showed no change, he turned his head and asked directly.
"Forty thousand Xia troops! What's the use of you staring at that little bit of front-line torchlight? Haven't you noticed that since this fog rose, the surrounding noises seem to have diminished? Also, the Xia army has been tailing us two kilometers behind. How are their footsteps so perfectly synchronized?"
Qin Feng's expression darkened as he directly roared in anger.
At this moment, he wasn't alone. Besides Qin Shan, Wuchuan's other six Sun Manifestation Level experts, along with Cai Yuntong and the other ten Sun Manifestation Level experts from Caiqiu, were all present. Hearing his words, everyone immediately turned to look behind them.
"No good. We're too far away here. We need to observe the Xia army up close to confirm they are following behind!"
Qin Feng watched the thick fog gradually spreading behind them, his frown deepening. He directly issued the order and then flew towards the rear.
"Father, the Xia army has Divine Machine Crossbows, plus Luo Yuan and several other Sun Manifestation Level experts. We can't approach so casually. I'll go with you..."
However, Qin Shan quickly stopped his father. He then turned to look at Cai Yuntong and the other Caiqiu representatives, his face showing a hint of request.
Wuchuan had ten Sun Manifestation Level experts in total, but currently, including his father, only eight were present. With the two armies less than two kilometers apart, if he and his father were to go back to check on the Xia army's situation, someone needed to oversee the fifty-thousand-strong army below. They couldn't all leave.
Hearing this, Cai Yuntong's brow furrowed slightly, clear displeasure flashing across his face. But remembering that Qin Feng leaving the city to lure the Xia army into battle was his own idea, he still nodded to the five men beside him.
Five men immediately stepped forward from the Caiqiu group, following behind Qin Feng and Qin Shan. A total of seven figures flew towards the airspace above the Xia army to the south.
Although they knew Luo Yuan's Central Route Army only had four elite Designation Armies, they weren't clear on exactly how many Sun Manifestation Level experts were under his command. Considering the failed abduction attempt on the night of the 26th and knowing Great Xia had many Sun Manifestation Level experts, Qin Feng naturally didn't dare to be overconfident. Leading the six others, he slowly moved towards the rear, guarding against a surprise attack by Luo Yuan and his men.
However, no matter how slow, it was only a two-kilometer distance. While using their perception abilities to probe the front lines of the Xia army and moving closer, the seven of them soon covered over a kilometer southward.
Yet, after crossing this one-kilometer distance, their hearts grew increasingly uneasy. On one hand, they sensed that the Xia troops at the front on the ground showed no unusual movement, and the numbers seemed normal, but they couldn't perceive anything further back and had to continue flying south. On the other hand, the further south they went, the thicker the fog in the air became. Obstructed vision was one thing, but their perception abilities also began to be limited.
"My perception range is now less than two kilometers. I can only sense just over ten thousand Xia troops. Anything beyond that, I can't feel."
"The sounds are off. We only hear the marching noises this close. This fog doesn't just block sight and hinder perception; it also affects sound transmission. It's definitely not normal fog..."
The strongest elder from Caiqiu spoke. Qin Feng, following behind him, also spoke, though his expression was already very grim as he did.
This Caiqiu elder was called He Qianhu, with a strength of 18 Jun, on par with Qin Feng himself. If He Qianhu couldn't perceive it, Qin Feng naturally couldn't either. However, he had thought one step deeper than He Qianhu. From the marching sounds, he had already detected something amiss.
"Let's circle around from the east side to see what's happening at the rear of the army!"
Qin Feng quickly made a decision. Leading the group, he began circling towards the eastern side of the fog, intending to check the army's rear ranks.
Zzzzzz...
However, the moment he moved.
A flash of blue lightning suddenly shot out from within the fog.
It wasn't a lightning bolt, but a blade of lightning almost solidified into substance, dozens of meters long. It burst forth from the fog, heading straight for Qin Feng's face.
Clang...
Qin Feng reacted extremely quickly. As the lightning blade attacked, he swiftly drew his long sword to block his face, barely managing to parry the blade in the nick of time.
A fierce shower of sparks exploded from the clashing blades. Qin Feng stared at the object that had struck his sword, his pupils contracting sharply.
It was a narrow, short blade, pitch-black in appearance, crackling with blue electric arcs all over. Although the blade length was less than a meter, its jet-black, gleaming edge and the blue arcs dancing across its surface all spoke of its extraordinary nature.
"A Barrier Saber from the Four Great Xia Saber Systems... It's Luo Yuan..."
Just as Great Xia had been infiltrating the five northern towns, over the past few years, the five northern towns had also been continuously gathering intelligence on Great Xia. Combined with the frequent appearances of Great Xia's high-ranking officials in the Southern Foothills region in recent years, Qin Feng was also well-informed about Great Xia's leadership.
The Four Great Xia Saber Systems: Ceremonial, Barrier, Long, and Horizontal. Among Sun Manifestation Level experts, only one was known to habitually use a Barrier Saber—Great Xia's Department Head of the Hunting Department, Luo Yuan. Coincidentally, he was also the commander-in-chief of Great Xia's Central Route Army in this northern expedition.
So, the identity of this Barrier Saber's owner was self-evident!
Qin Feng looked up at Luo Yuan behind the blade. Seeing that youthful face that looked no older than early thirties, his eyes held both envy and intense shock and alarm.
"Sixteen Jun... How can he be this strong? How is it possible..."
According to their intelligence, Luo Yuan had only broken through to the Sun Manifestation Level at the end of last year. His strength at the time of breakthrough was unknown, but at most, it had only been a little over a year since then.
A little over a year was impossible to reach the middle stage of cultivation.
Even knowing of the existence of Sacred Mark bloodlines and being aware that Great Xia's martial arts provided an amplification of over twenty percent, up to forty percent, higher than other camps, seeing Luo Yuan's current peak strength actually reach 16 Jun left Qin Feng utterly dumbfounded.
Sacred Mark: thirty percent. Martial arts: forty percent. Adding these two, Luo Yuan's base strength would be over 9 Jun.
A Sun Manifestation Level who broke through just a year ago, with over 9 Jun strength?
How was that possible!
"What, Lord Qin, have you come back to fight me?"
While Qin Feng's mind was reeling with shock, the Luo Yuan before him didn't give him much time to react. He abruptly withdrew his saber, trailing a large arc of electricity, then raised it high and slashed down again.
Whoosh...
At the same moment, several beams of intense light from blades and swords pierced through the thick fog. The six men he had brought—Qin Shan, He Qianhu, and the others—were immediately engaged as well.
"Xu Ning, Xiang Fuhai, Murong Chui, Helian Shan, Hong Tian, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao... They're all here. Good, good, good..."
Great Xia's Sun Manifestation Level experts, including Luo Yuan, numbered a full eight!
"Lead them towards the south side..."
Qin Feng's pupils contracted sharply. While tangling with Luo Yuan, he shouted instructions to Qin Shan and the other six, while he himself first led Luo Yuan towards the south.
Qin Feng had brought six men here not to fight Luo Yuan and the others, but to spy on the true situation of the Xia army. With his objective clear, he had absolutely no intention of fighting Luo Yuan to the death.
Using the fight with Luo Yuan as cover, he continuously descended in altitude, probing the situation of the Xia troops on the ground while rapidly moving closer to Donggu City to the south, wanting to see the situation there clearly.
However, after descending less than two or three hundred meters, his expression changed drastically.
"No Xia troops... There are no Xia troops! You..."
Actually, he didn't even need to rely on perception. As Luo Yuan pressed him step by step, the fog in the air dissipated at an extremely fast rate. By the time he descended to within a hundred meters of the ground, the fog was mostly gone.
Only with the fog gone did he see clearly. The Xia troops on the ground numbered only the front ranks—over fifteen thousand men. Moreover, the troops in the rear were extremely spread out, with someone holding a torch every ten meters, clearly a deliberate arrangement.
Even more critical, from Donggu City to the south of the army came the earth-shaking sounds of fierce battle...
Boom!
"Brothers, put in more effort! The city gate will break in just a few more hits."
"The Tiger Leopard Army has already swarmed the city walls! Brothers of the Shenwu Army, what are you still afraid of? Hurry up and get the scaling ladders up! The walls are empty."
"Follow me in the charge! Break open the city gate!"
"Take Donggu City, and Wuchuan will become stray dogs with no home to return to! Hurry, brothers!"
………………
"Hahahaha! Lord Qin, how do you find my little trick with this strange fog? Did you really think I planned to follow behind you all the way? A small city like Donggu, without your fifty-thousand-strong army, is just a sheet of paper before my Xia troops..."
Luo Yuan, clad in black armor, stood suspended in the air. After his loud laughter, his tone suddenly shifted, becoming low and serious. "Having lost Donggu, and unable to enter Wuchuan Town City... where should your fifty-thousand-strong army go now?"
After saying this, he didn't bother looking at Qin Feng's rigid expression anymore. He directly looked down and issued an order to the troops below. "All troops, withdraw and enter Donggu City. No need to follow them anymore."
"Luo Yuan, you little brat! Luo Yuan, you little brat! You deceived me! You deceived me! Pfft..."
Qin Feng, having now come to his senses, his rigid face instantly flushed crimson. Pointing a trembling finger at Luo Yuan, he roared in fury, finally so enraged that he directly spat out a mouthful of blood.