Chapter 453 - 379: Is That Position Really That Important?
Chapter 453: Chapter 379: Is That Position Really That Important?
The Black Beast Forest of Huai Mountain Pass.
It was less a forest and more a sea of trees.
This sea of trees stretched for dozens of miles, and even contained terrain like valleys.
Legend had it that this sea of trees was the battlefield where Human Race Cultivators fought the "Poison God" during a great war in ancient times.
After the Poison God’s death, its residual Spiritual Power contaminated the area, even altering the local Laws to form a natural no-fly Array. Any physical being was incapable of flight within it.
According to legend, when it first formed, the poisonous miasma of Black Beast Forest was so potent that not even Cultivators of the Upper Five Realms could pass through.
Although the poisonous miasma had thinned over the ages, Cultivators below the Dragon Gate Realm still couldn’t get through. The Law that forbade flight, however, remained in effect for everyone, regardless of their Realm.
Yan Liuyun led his seven-hundred-thousand-strong army into the Black Beast Forest.
After taking the Elixirs, the forest’s poisonous miasma had almost no effect on Yan Liuyun’s army.
The Jin Kingdom’s army advanced with incredible ease—so easily, in fact, that even Yan Liuyun found it a little strange.
At their current pace, it wouldn’t take more than six hours to cross this vast, sea-like Black Beast Forest.
’Could it be... I’m overthinking things? Maybe there’s nothing suspicious about this after all,’ Yan Liuyun thought to himself.
"General, at this rate, we’ll be through this sea of trees in less than two hours."
A Vice General stepped forward and reported to Yan Liuyun.
"Mm," Yan Liuyun nodded. "Tell the men not to let their guard down. The Scouts are to continue monitoring our surroundings."
"Yes, General!" The Vice General nodded and immediately relayed the order.
The entire army continued its advance. Although they encountered some attacks from Magical Beasts unique to the Black Beast Forest, they were all dealt with cleanly.
Before long, the Jin Kingdom’s army crossed the flattest part of the region and headed into a valley.
The valley was immense, easily large enough for the seven-hundred-thousand-strong army to pass through.
Once they passed through this valley, they would be behind Huai Mountain Pass. Its fall would be just a matter of time.
Most of the soldiers were growing subtly excited.
After all, if Huai Mountain Pass fell, the Qin Kingdom would be halfway to defeat.
If they were the ones to actually march into the Qin Kingdom’s capital, it would be a legendary achievement!
"General, this terrain... it might not be good..." the Vice General named Yan Li said, once again approaching Yan Liuyun. "The Military School has a common saying: marching through a valley is a great taboo. If we run into an ambush... our army’s losses will be incalculable."
Compared to the others, Yan Li, being Yan Liuyun’s nephew, remained more vigilant and calm.
"You’re not wrong, Yan Li, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. We’ve come this far; how can we even speak of retreating? If we sought stability in all things, we might as well not fight this war at all." Yan Liuyun simply waved his hand. "Full speed ahead!"
"Yes, General..."
Although Yan Li still felt a deep sense of unease, since his own General had spoken, he could only obey.
Soon, the Jin Kingdom’s army entered the valley.
The sound of hooves, clashing armor, and rolling wheels echoed ceaselessly between the valley walls.
In fact, if not for the two high mountains flanking them, they might not have even realized they were walking through a valley.
Just as the Jin army reached the halfway point, a Jin soldier sensed something and looked up. He saw a cold glint of light getting closer and closer.
When he saw it clearly, his heart leaped in shock.
It was an arrow engraved with an explosive Array!
"Ambush!!!"
the Jin soldier roared.
"BOOM!"
Before his voice had even faded, the arrow struck the ground with a massive explosion.
Immediately after, tens of thousands of arrows rained down on the Jin army like a torrential downpour.
Explosion after explosion echoed out, as incessant as firecrackers during the Spring Festival.
Except these explosions were many times louder than firecrackers, and they were mixed with the blood and flesh of the Jin soldiers.
Before long, massive boulders began to roll down from the mountaintops.
These boulders had all been modified by Mo Family Cultivators. The moment they crashed down or were intercepted, they would shatter completely, releasing the Flying Swords hidden inside. The swords would shoot out in all directions, and every single one was coated in a lethal poison.
"All troops, break through to the rear!"
How could Yan Liuyun not know by now that he had fallen into a trap set by the Qin army?
But it was too late.
"Kill!"
At the front of the valley, the Eldest Prince, Qin Jingsu, and several of the Qin Kingdom’s top generals led their army in a charge against the Jin forces.
At the rear of the valley, another Qin army had cut off their retreat.
"Qin Jingyuan!!! I will kill you!!!"
Yan Liuyun was seething with rage, wishing he could tear Qin Jingyuan to pieces at that very moment.
But for now, he had to command his army to break out of the encirclement.
Fortunately, because the Qin forces needed to remain hidden, they couldn’t station too many troops at the rear of the valley, making that part of the encirclement relatively weak.
An hour later, Yan Liuyun led his army out of the valley, retreating along the path they had come.
But after that ambush, the original seven-hundred-thousand-strong Jin army now numbered less than five hundred thousand. Their strength had been grievously wounded.
But Yan Liuyun didn’t feel he had lost yet!
As long as he could fight his way back and regroup, even if he couldn’t break through Huai Pass, he could still hold on to the two prefectures of Jinzhou and Luzhou!
But that was all predicated on whether Yan Liuyun could actually make it out alive.
...
Outside the Black Beast Forest, Qin Jingyuan glanced at the sky, his hand instinctively going to the longsword at his waist.
"If nothing went wrong, the General should be through the Black Beast Forest by now. I imagine he’s about to attack Huai Mountain Pass," the Jin Kingdom general left to guard Qin Jingyuan sneered. "Once Huai Mountain Pass is broken, the Qin Kingdom’s Imperial City will be within our grasp. I’ve long heard of the Third Princess Qin Siyao’s beauty. I’m really looking forward to it."