Nimoluo.
Banners blotted out the sun, and smoke and flames surged into the sky.
Before the three armies, Zhang Tianxiang, dressed in full military regalia, had ascended an altar to offer sacrifices to Heaven. Then he turned around and loudly proclaimed to the foreign cavalry below: “I am the appointed envoy and general commander sent by the Great Zhou Emperor, the supreme ruler of the grasslands, the Khan of all Khans, and the sovereign of all kings! I am here to command you all—does anyone dare to defy me?”
“We dare not disobey the general’s orders!”
The foreign cavalry below were a motley force, drawn from various small states in the Western Regions, a classic rabble. Seeing Zhang Tianxiang’s noble bearing and dignified presence, they already felt ashamed of their own crude appearances and secretly admired him. Moreover, he was the legendary Great Zhou envoy and field commander, so naturally they obeyed with reverence.
“Unexpectedly smooth!”
In the ranks, Ji Fu and Xin Jue exchanged glances and smiled.
Zhang Tianxiang had first presented his credentials as the chief envoy, with Princess You Tanlusi as witness, immediately gaining an audience and recognition from King Nimoluo.
During the banquet, Zhang Tianxiang, with his silver tongue, convinced King Nimoluo to lend him eight thousand cavalry.
With this force, he then traveled through the Western and Eastern Regions, attracting many small states to join him. Zhang Tianxiang accepted all comers. Although they were clearly a ragtag army, his forces had grown to over thirty thousand troops, a significant force among the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.
“This man possesses the aura of the dragon. His every word and action defy normal reasoning!”
Xin Jue understood this well.
When one’s fortune is at its peak, even princesses fall in love, kings bow, and armies obey without question—it’s nothing unusual.
“But he doesn’t know how to preserve his hidden strength. Warfare consumes fortune rapidly. Even if he wins, without replenishment, after a few battles, even a dragon will fall to the level of a carp or serpent, losing all chance of recovery…”
Ji Fu thought silently, recalling the many hidden hands in the Great Zhou Western Regions Chronicle world, his heart suddenly chilled with deep reverence.
Before, he had planned to use the power of the Temple of the Lord to gather dragon-qi and compete for the throne.
But now it seemed even a true dragon was no more than a carp pawn in a Dao Lord’s game. Without immortality, human fortune cannot be transformed into enduring celestial fortune. Even great blessings cannot last forever.
“…In White Elephant Kingdom, a traitor rebelled, murdered the legitimate King Xidi, and committed atrocities, causing chaos in the court and unbearable suffering to the people… Our Great Zhou Emperor, as the supreme ruler of the Western Regions, has the duty to restore order. I have now brought with me the rightful heir to the White Elephant Kingdom, Princess You Tanlusi… Warriors! Your deeds will be rewarded with gold and silk, and you shall be ennobled by the King of Kings, the great Emperor of Great Zhou!”
Zhang Tianxiang’s voice rang out across the entire army.
Undeniably, he had immense charisma. With his fortune at its peak and righteous authority in hand, his words were indeed highly persuasive.
Hearing him claim to be the supreme commander and falsely act as the imperial envoy, promising rewards in the Emperor’s name, Xin Jue and Ji Fu exchanged bitter smiles.
This man was always audacious beyond belief. As merely a deputy envoy, he dared to impersonate an imperial envoy and even issue imperial edicts—utterly fearless.
However, without such bold promises, the Eastern Western Region states, no fools themselves, would have no reason to obey his solitary command.
“Although I haven’t read the ending of the Great Zhou Western Regions Chronicle, I can guess most of it. If this man remains in the Western Regions as a king, perhaps he’ll be fine. But if he returns to Great Zhou, though he may not be executed, his fate will surely be tragic…”
Ji Fu mused silently.
At this moment, however, Zhang Tianxiang was thinking of none of this. He waved his command flag and shouted, “The army advances!”
…
Under the authority of an imperial envoy, Zhang Tianxiang, bearing imperial orders to suppress rebellion, had gathered an army of thirty thousand. In the Western Regions, this was already enough force to destroy a nation, causing shock and awe across the region.
The army advanced unchecked, and a month later, entered the territory of the White Elephant Kingdom.
King Altai of the White Elephant Kingdom urgently mobilized his forces and ordered his vassal states to send reinforcements, assembling an army of fifty thousand to confront Zhang Tianxiang’s allied forces on the Pampado Desert.
“Pampado” meant “the tears of the goddess” in the local dialect. This land had once been fertile grassland, but a hundred years ago, all vegetation suddenly withered overnight, seemingly struck by divine wrath. The area had been shrouded in dark clouds ever since, and locals feared it deeply, hence the name.
Now, with eighty thousand troops gathered here, it was about to become the battlefield, the very air thick with martial energy and bloodlust, so much so that even those who observed auras avoided the area.
On the battlefield, the armies faced off, while around it, numerous arriving cultivators cautiously watched, ready to join this great tribulation of Heaven and Earth, using their enemies’ heads to fulfill their own karmic trials.
The battlefield of human affairs was but a small part of a larger celestial catastrophe.
And with this as the beginning, a far greater, vaster, and more secretive battlefield was about to open.
“The great tribulation of humanity has begun!”
“We cultivators must seize this opportunity to complete our karmic trials!”
“Hehe… With chaos in the mortal world, perhaps I can finally refine my demonic treasure!”
…
Countless dark rays silently lurked around, observing the fortune and fate of both sides.
Zhang Tianxiang, a chosen child of fate, was indeed skilled in military strategy. On the day of battle, he led the charge himself, commanding five thousand cavalry to break the enemy lines.
Altai’s formation was thrown into chaos, thousands were killed or wounded, and the army had to retreat thirty miles before barely regaining composure.
Inside the camp.
Altai paced back and forth:
“Before I set out, the National Preceptor warned me that this journey would be fraught with uncertainty, perhaps even a crushing defeat… Sigh, I thought it was mere arrogance before, but now it seems to be wise counsel indeed!”
He issued orders: “Send messengers immediately to summon the National Preceptor to the capital and have him come here to take command!”
“At once!”
Several riders departed. Not long after, a general lifted the tent flap and entered: “Your Majesty, a group of shamans from the Central Plains has arrived outside the camp, requesting an audience!”
“Shamans from the Central Plains?”
Altai’s eyes showed suspicion: “Bring them in. Also, Bayan, prepare one hundred warriors and two hundred lightning throwers outside the camp. I want to see what they have to say…”
“Poor Taoist Taibai greets the King of the White Elephant Kingdom!”
When the group entered, Altai immediately realized his subordinates had made a mistake. These were not shamans, but Taoist priests from the Central Plains.
But it hardly mattered. He asked directly: “Why have you come here?”
“Hearing that Your Majesty suffered an initial defeat, we have come specially to assist!”
The Taoist Taibai spoke sharply, like a sword pressing forward: “I have a formation called the Taibai Sword Array. Please assign me three thousand elite soldiers, and I can set it up within a day!”
“You are from the Central Plains. Why do you not aid the envoy, but instead come to help me?”
Altai’s face was full of suspicion.
“Hehe… Your Majesty may not know much about the Central Plains. My Taibai sect inherits the ancient path of killing and life. There is nothing in the world we cannot slay! I wish to use the vitality and blood energy of the enemy soldiers to complete my karmic trial!”
Taoist Taibai’s eyes flashed with brilliance: “If Your Majesty doubts me, feel free to let those warriors outside come in and witness my skills!”
At the same time, he thought silently: “The great tribulation has begun. What remains is for each to rely on fate. Even Altai, if he defeats Zhang Tianxiang, still has a chance at survival, not defying Heaven!”
“My Taibai sect’s Taoist methods are suited to the West, relying on the sharpness of metal essence. This time, borrowing the fortune of this kingdom and the battlefield’s killing aura, perhaps I can refine that ultimate treasure and survive this karmic trial!”
This Taoist was indeed a disciple of a Dao Lord, his magical powers terrifyingly formidable. After a brief demonstration, Altai was completely convinced and immediately honored Taoist Taibai as his military advisor, entrusting him with the command of the Taibai Sword Formation.
Two days later.
“What formation is this?”
Zhang Tianxiang arrived at the enemy camp, seeing a massive formation ahead exuding a murderous aura, and his heart immediately felt a chill.
But there was no turning back now. He immediately ordered a vanguard of two thousand soldiers to charge into the formation.
Ssssh!
As soon as the two thousand soldiers entered the formation, the surroundings instantly changed!
A sharp metallic aura surged into the sky. Three thousand swordsmen emerged, their bodies seemingly protected by golden armor, impervious to blades and spears. In an instant, the two thousand vanguard troops were cut to pieces.
The entire army was shocked. Altai seized the opportunity to lead a counterattack. Zhang Tianxiang immediately took personal command of the rearguard, slowly retreating, barely managing to hold the line and avoid a total rout.
…
“The enemy has strange and powerful allies! We should also put up a recruitment notice, inviting cultivators from all directions to come to our aid!”
After returning to camp, Xin Jue and Ji Fu took the opportunity to advise.
“Excellent!”
Zhang Tianxiang thought for a moment, then immediately issued an order: offering a reward of one hundred gold coins, twenty pieces of jade, and two hundred bolts of silk for anyone who could break the sword formation.
Until then, the army would hang up a “No Battle” sign and remain on the defensive.
“Report!”
Three days later, a messenger hurriedly came to report that several cultivators had arrived outside the camp to claim the notice.
Zhang Tianxiang was delighted and personally went to receive them.
“Jiejie…”
The first to step forward wore a black-feathered Taoist robe, his eyes like hawks, his nose curved like a hook—this was Wu Hexian.
Behind him were two female Taoists, their aura like sweet rain, gentle in appearance, instantly inspiring trust and affection.
As for the few others trailing behind, they were wandering cultivators or even demonic cultivators, standing far in the corners, seemingly unwilling to associate with the three.
Zhang Tianxiang was a man of discernment. He immediately assumed a sincere posture: “Esteemed cultivators, do you have any advice for me?”
“Hehe… To break the Taibai Sword Formation is simple…”
Wu Hexian spoke casually: “I have a formation called the Fire Dragon Formation, which happens to be the nemesis of the Taibai Sword Formation!”
“We two sisters may not have the means to defeat the enemy, but we are skilled in medicine. We possess a terrestrial treasure known as the Jiutian Ganlin Vase, capable of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bones. Any wound from blades or arrows can heal within three days of applying it…”
The two female cultivators spoke gently.
Zhang Tianxiang was overjoyed: “In that case, great rewards await you!”
“Hehe…”
Wu Hexian cackled: “I have no interest in your gold and silver. I only require a daily offering of the blood of a pig or cow. How about that?”
He thought silently: “I possess the Yuan Ci Qi Sha Gourd. The great tribulation has just begun, not yet fully erupted. This is the perfect time to kill and complete my karmic trial. Otherwise, once Dao Lords and ancient gods start fighting later, it will be truly apocalyptic. It will be too late to take advantage of the chaos then…”
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