Chapter 46
Three months passed quickly.
The envoy of the Northern Alliance finally returned from the Crimson Empire.
Inside the alliance's council hall, the rulers gathered once more.
The atmosphere was tense.
The envoy stepped forward and respectfully presented the imperial reply.
The King of the Wolf Kingdom immediately grabbed the scroll.
As he read its contents, his expression darkened.
Then.
Bang!
The table before him shattered.
"Arrogant!"
His furious roar echoed throughout the hall.
The other rulers quickly took turns reading the reply.
Their expressions became equally ugly.
The message from Emperor Hong Yuanji was simple.
The Crimson Empire would never surrender.
Furthermore, the emperor declared that the Northern Alliance would be destroyed if they dared invade.
To the proud rulers of the alliance, this was nothing short of humiliation.
A king sneered.
"A newly crowned emperor dares threaten us?"
Another ruler laughed coldly.
"He truly believes the Crimson Empire can stop us."
The elderly king slowly stood.
"Enough."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"The time for negotiations has ended."
"The armies shall march."
No one objected.
The rulers had already prepared for this outcome.
Soon, military orders spread throughout the north.
War drums echoed across countless kingdoms and tribes.
Hundreds thousands of soldiers began mobilizing.
Cavalry gathered on the endless plains.
Supply caravans stretched for miles.
Cultivators hired by the alliance assembled alongside the armies.
Qi Refinement cultivators.
Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Golden Core experts.
Even the five Nascent Soul cultivators accepted by the alliance began moving toward the battlefield.
The greatest war in recent history had begun.
. . .
At the northern border of the Crimson Empire.
The invasion came like a tidal wave.
Boom!
City walls trembled beneath siege weapons.
Thousands of arrows darkened the sky.
The defenders fought desperately.
Yet the first border city fell after only three days.
The alliance banner was raised above the city walls.
Then the second city fell.
Then the third.
The armies of the Northern Alliance advanced rapidly.
Refugees fled southward in panic.
Smoke rose from countless settlements.
News of defeat spread throughout the empire.
Fear began to take root among the people.
The alliance commanders laughed triumphantly.
"The Crimson Empire is weaker than expected."
"Continue advancing!"
For a time, it seemed as if nothing could stop them.
However.
As they pushed deeper into imperial territory, resistance became increasingly fierce.
Supply routes were attacked.
Scouts vanished.
Ambushes occurred almost daily.
The man responsible for all of it was none other than Grand General Jin Zhou.
Despite his cultivation being only at the 5th Qi Refinement Realm, decades of military experience allowed him to repeatedly slow the alliance's advance.
The Northern Alliance could take cities.
But every step forward cost them blood.
Inside the command tent of the alliance, several generals gritted their teeth.
"That old fox again!"
"He attacked our supplies last night!"
Another commander slammed his fist onto the table.
"If this continues, our advance will become slower and slower."
Yet Jin Zhou's efforts could only delay the inevitable.
The Northern Alliance still possessed overwhelming numbers.
And behind them stood powerful cultivators who had not yet entered the battlefield.
. . .
Inside the Imperial Court, the atmosphere was heavy.
Urgent reports arrived one after another.
Every report carried grim news from the northern front.
Several border cities had already fallen.
Countless refugees were fleeing south.
The ministers' expressions were ugly.
One military official stepped forward and slammed a report onto the floor.
"Your Majesty!"
"The Northern Alliance has captured another city!"
"They continue to advance deeper into imperial territory!"
Another minister clenched his fists.
"Those barbarians are too arrogant!"
"They dare invade our lands!"
A third official angrily added,
"We should mobilize more troops immediately!"
The court instantly erupted into discussion.
Some advocated reinforcing the frontlines.
Others proposed conscription.
Some even suggested abandoning the outer territories to preserve the empire's core strength.
The arguments continued for nearly an hour.
Throughout the entire discussion, Hong Yuanji remained silent.
His eyes calmly examined the battlefield maps spread before him.
Finally, Hong Yanshu stepped forward beside him.
His expression was solemn.
"Your Majesty."
"Perhaps it is time."
The hall gradually quieted.
Hong Yuanji raised an eyebrow.
"Time for what?"
The minister took a deep breath.
"The talismans left behind by Founding Emperor Hong Se."
The moment those words were spoken.
The entire court became silent.
The founding emperor.
The legendary ruler who had vanished.
Although Hong Se had abdicated the throne long ago, he had left behind numerous treasures for future generations.
Among them were defensive talismans.
Talismans personally crafted by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
A military general immediately nodded.
"Those talismans are powerful enough to reinforce city formations."
"If deployed properly, they could significantly strengthen our defenses."
Another minister agreed.
"The remaining northern cities could hold much longer."
"They would buy valuable time for our armies."
Hong Yuanji fell into thought.
He naturally knew about those talismans.
They were one of the empire's emergency reserves.
Using them now meant revealing one of the empire's hidden cards.
But the situation at the front had become increasingly dangerous.
After a moment, Hong Yuanji spoke firmly.
"Approved."
The court immediately became energized.
The ministers straightened their backs.
Hong Yuanji continued.
"Deploy the talismans to all major northern cities."
"Prioritize cities protecting major supply routes."
"Ensure none fall into enemy hands."
The officials immediately bowed.
"We obey Your Majesty!"
Orders were quickly dispatched.
Imperial messengers departed from the capital at full speed.
One after another, the precious talismans were transported north.
Several days later.
Northern Front.
A city commander carefully activated several talismans.
A golden barrier emerged around the city walls.
Runes illuminated the entire fortress.
The defensive formation immediately strengthened several times over.
The soldiers stared in amazement.
"What incredible power."
"Is this truly a treasure left behind by the Founding Emperor?"
The commander smiled.
"The empire has not forgotten us."
Similar scenes occurred throughout the northern region.
One city after another activated Hong Se's defensive talismans.
Soon, the advancing armies of the Northern Alliance encountered unexpected resistance.
Their siege weapons became less effective.
Their assaults suffered heavier casualties.
The pace of their invasion noticeably slowed.
Far away within the Imperial Palace, Hong Yuanji received the latest reports.
For the first time in weeks, a faint smile appeared on his face.
The legacy left behind by his ancestor was still protecting the empire.
Yet Hong Yuanji knew this was only a temporary solution.
Talismans could buy time.
They could not win the war.
. . .
In the northern region
A lone figure stood in the sky overlooking the armies of the Northern Alliance.
His robes fluttered in the wind.
His aura was completely concealed.
No cultivator below could detect his presence.
It was none other than Zan Yunxiao.
Originally, he had intended to remain in seclusion and continue cultivating.
However.
A familiar mechanical voice had interrupted his cultivation several days ago.
Ding! Mission issued.
Option 1: Destroy a Demonic Sect.
Reward: 120 years of cultivation.
Option 2: Kill the five Nascent Soul cultivators of the Northern Alliance.
Reward: Spiritual Flower Pot.
When Zan Yunxiao first saw the mission, his expression became strange.
"A Spiritual Flower Pot?"
He had never heard of such an item before.
Compared to one hundred and twenty years of cultivation, the reward sounded rather ordinary.
Yet based on his experience with the system, seemingly useless rewards often turned out to be extraordinary treasures.
More importantly.
The five Nascent Soul cultivators were participating in the war against the Crimson Empire.
Since the mission aligned with the interests of the Zan Clan, choosing was easy.
Thus, Zan Yunxiao selected Option 2.
Now, floating above the Northern Alliance, Zan Yunxiao opened the All-Seeing Eye.
A transparent panel appeared before him.
Countless pieces of information flooded his vision.
Kingdoms.
Armies.
Cultivators.
Cities.
Everything within range was rapidly analyzed by the system.
Before focusing on the mission targets, Zan Yunxiao decided to inspect the Northern Alliance's overall strength.
After all, this was his first time personally entering enemy territory.
What if there was some hidden old monster lurking in the shadows?
His gaze swept through the countless information panels.
One by one, powerful cultivators were identified.
Zan Yunxiao carefully checked each of them.
After several moments, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Good."
"There's nobody stronger than me."
Although he was already a Soul Transformation cultivator, he still preferred caution.
The white dragon of Zinnia Planet had taught him a valuable lesson.
Never assume you are the strongest.
Satisfied with the results, Zan Yunxiao continued his search.
Soon, five targets appeared before him.
Target One: 5th Nascent Soul Realm.
Target Two: 4th Nascent Soul Realm.
Target Three: 3rd Nascent Soul Realm.
Target Four: 2nd Nascent Soul Realm.
Target Five: 1st Nascent Soul Realm.
The information panels hovered before his eyes.
Zan Yunxiao stared at them calmly.
Back when he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, facing five experts of the same realm would have been extremely troublesome.
But now.
He had already stepped into the Soul Transformation Realm.
The difference between the two realms was like the difference between heaven and earth.
To him, these five Nascent Soul cultivators were no different from the Demon King he had previously annihilated.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"This mission is easier than I expected."