Chapter 47
While observing the Northern Alliance through the All-Seeing Eye, a question suddenly surfaced in Zan Yunxiao's mind.
"Why are they so determined to conquer the Crimson Empire?"
The alliance had already occupied several border cities.
Yet they continued pouring troops and cultivators into the war as if the empire possessed something they absolutely had to obtain.
Curious, Zan Yunxiao activated the All-Seeing Eye once more and focused on one of the alliance's rulers.
A stream of information appeared before him.
Among the countless records was the true reason behind the invasion.
The Northern Alliance's lands were poor in cultivation resources.
Some kingdoms possessed only a few low-grade spiritual stone veins.
Others had no spiritual stone mines at all.
Cultivators there advanced slowly due to the severe lack of resources.
However, what shocked Zan Yunxiao was the next piece of information.
The Crimson Empire possessed numerous high-quality spiritual stone veins buried beneath its vast territory.
Most of them had yet to be discovered.
Zan Yunxiao's eyes widened slightly.
"So many spiritual veins..."
He had not expected the empire to be sitting atop such enormous wealth.
His thoughts immediately drifted to Hong Se.
"Did Hong Se not know about these spiritual veins?"
After a moment of consideration, he slowly shook his head.
"It seems he didn't."
"If he had discovered them, the empire's cultivation world would have developed far beyond its current state."
Instead, it appeared that the neighboring countries had somehow uncovered clues to the hidden spiritual veins first.
That explained everything.
The Northern Alliance was not invading merely to seize territory.
Their true objective was the untapped cultivation resources hidden beneath the Crimson Empire.
"So that's why they're so desperate..."
Zan Yunxiao finally understood.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"This All-Seeing Eye is truly convenient."
"It can even reveal their plans and motives."
"If I didn't have this function..."
"I would have had to capture one of their leaders and interrogate him."
He clicked his tongue.
"What a hassle that would have been."
Closing the information panel, Zan Yunxiao looked toward one of the five Nascent Soul cultivators marked by the system.
His expression gradually turned calm.
"Their ambitions end here."
With a single step, his figure disappeared into the sky, silently making his way toward his first target.
The next moment.
He silently appeared inside one of the Northern Alliance's military camps.
This was the residence of one of the five Nascent Soul cultivators hired by the alliance.
Surprisingly, there were no guards stationed outside the tent.
Zan Yunxiao understood why.
A Nascent Soul cultivator was already considered an old monster.
To ordinary soldiers and even Foundation Establishment cultivators, protecting such an expert was unnecessary.
Who would dare assassinate a Nascent Soul cultivator in the middle of an army camp?
Unfortunately for them.
Today, someone had come.
Thanks to the Heaven Veiling Scripture, Zan Yunxiao concealed every trace of his presence.
No spiritual fluctuation. No killing intent. No footsteps.
It was as though he did not exist.
Inside the tent, an elderly man sat cross-legged, quietly cultivating.
His aura belonged to the 5th Nascent Soul Realm.
Completely unaware that death had already entered his tent.
Zan Yunxiao slowly drew the Heaven Moonveil Sword from his system space.
The blade left its sheath without making the slightest sound.
He looked at the old cultivator for a brief moment.
Without another thought.
Zan Yunxiao swung his sword.
A silver sword light flashed.
It was so fast that the space itself seemed to distort.
The elderly cultivator suddenly felt an overwhelming chill.
His eyes snapped open.
"Wha—"
Before he could finish speaking.
Slash!
The sword light swept across his neck.
His head separated cleanly from his body.
His Nascent Soul had not even had the chance to escape before the Heaven Moonveil Sword's sword intent completely annihilated it.
Not a sound escaped the tent.
The body slowly collapsed onto the ground.
Everything happened in less than a single breath.
Outside, the soldiers continued patrolling as though nothing had happened.
None of them sensed that the strongest cultivator in their camp had already fallen.
Zan Yunxiao calmly returned the Heaven Moonveil Sword to its sheath.
He glanced at the corpse before speaking indifferently.
"One down."
Then his figure gradually faded into nothingness.
By the time the tent flap swayed gently in the wind.
Zan Yunxiao was already on his way to his second target.
Meanwhile, the Northern Alliance remained completely unaware that one of its five Nascent Soul cultivators had been silently erased from existence.
After eliminating the last of the five Nascent Soul cultivators, Zan Yunxiao stood silently in the sky.
His spiritual sense swept across the battlefield one final time.
There were no more Nascent Soul cultivators remaining within the Northern Alliance.
At that moment, the familiar mechanical voice of the system echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the mission.]
[Reward obtained:] Spiritual Flower Pot.
A flower pot, ancient and covered with mysterious runes, appeared inside his system space.
Zan Yunxiao merely glanced at it before putting it aside.
"I'll examine it later."
His current priority was elsewhere.
He looked toward the distant battlefield where countless soldiers continued fighting.
A thought crossed his mind.
"The five Nascent Soul cultivators are gone."
"The Northern Alliance's greatest military threat has been eliminated."
With the strongest enemies removed, the battlefield had become much safer for cultivators of the Zan Clan.
Another idea soon formed in his mind.
"The disciples have been cultivating peacefully for too long."
"They lack real combat experience."
"No matter how talented they are, flowers raised inside a greenhouse cannot withstand a storm."
"Cultivators who have never experienced life-and-death battles will not survive future calamities."
Zan Yunxiao nodded to himself.
"This war is the perfect opportunity."
He decided that after returning to the Zan Clan, he would send a group of disciples to the battlefield.
Not to seek glory.
Nor to recklessly charge into enemy lines.
But to temper themselves through real combat.
Only those who experienced the cruelty of war could become true cultivators.
With his decision made, his figure vanished from the skies above the Northern Alliance.
. . .
Inside the Imperial Palace of the Crimson Empire.
The morning court was unusually tense.
Civil officials and military generals stood on opposite sides of the grand hall.
At the center sat Emperor Hong Yuanji, listening quietly.
A military minister stepped forward and cupped his fists.
"Your Majesty!"
"The Northern Alliance has recruited numerous rogue cultivators."
"Our soldiers have reported encountering cultivators on the battlefield. Although most are only at the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment Realms, they have already caused considerable casualties."
"I propose that the empire recruit rogue cultivators as well."
Several military officials immediately agreed.
"This minister supports the proposal!"
"With cultivators fighting alongside our armies, we can better resist the enemy."
Before the proposal could gain further support, an elderly civil minister stepped forward.
"I object."
The hall gradually fell silent.
He looked around before speaking.
"Rogue cultivators seek profit above all else."
"If we wish to recruit them..."
"What exactly can the empire offer?"
The ministers exchanged glances.
Another official sighed.
"We possess no cultivation techniques."
"Our empire's cultivation inheritance consists only of the talismans left behind by Founding Emperor Hong Se."
Another minister continued,
"As for spirit stones..."
He shook his head bitterly.
"The empire has no spirit stone mines."
"Our treasury cannot afford to pay cultivators with resources we do not possess."
The military officials fell silent.
Everything the civil ministers said was true.
The Crimson Empire's strength lay in its disciplined armies and Hong Se's talisman inheritance. Not in cultivation resources.
At the head of the hall, Hong Yuanji quietly listened to the debate.
After a long moment, his gaze shifted toward the person standing beside the throne.
Hong Yanshu.
The young Prime Minister had remained silent from the beginning.
Hong Yuanji looked at him, his eyes carrying a clear meaning.
"Yanshu... what is your solution?"
Understanding immediately, Hong Yanshu stepped forward.
The court gradually fell silent.
He calmly swept his gaze across the ministers before speaking.
"Your Majesty."
"My fellow ministers."
"I have a plan"
Every pair of eyes turned toward Hong Yanshu.
The young Prime Minister stood calmly, his expression composed.
He slowly unfolded a map of the northern frontier and placed it on the table before the throne.
Hong Yuanji leaned forward slightly.
"What is your plan?"
Hong Yanshu pointed at the occupied border cities.
"We cannot match the Northern Alliance in cultivators."
"We have neither cultivation techniques nor spirit stones to recruit rogue cultivators."
"Therefore..."
"We must win by exhausting the enemy."
The ministers exchanged puzzled glances.
A military general frowned.
"Prime Minister, what do you mean?"
Hong Yanshu calmly explained.
"The Northern Alliance has crossed hundreds of kilometers to invade our empire."
"The farther they advance, the longer their supply lines become."
"If we cannot defeat them head-on..."
"Then we shall make every step they take cost them dearly."
He pointed toward several mountain passes and forests.
"We abandon unnecessary ground."
"But before retreating, we destroy food stores, bridges, and roads."
"The enemy will gain cities..."
"But they will gain empty cities."
Another minister's eyes lit up.
Hong Yanshu continued.
"Grand General Jin Zhou will continue harassing their supply lines."
"Our armies will avoid decisive battles."
"Instead, we will launch surprise attacks."
"Strike."
"Retreat."
"Strike again."
"We will force them to remain constantly on guard."
"They will never know when our soldiers will appear."
A veteran general nodded repeatedly.
"This..."
"This will greatly increase their casualties."
Hong Yanshu nodded.
"Exactly."
"Our objective is not to destroy the Northern Alliance in one battle."
"It is to bleed them dry."
"Every sack of grain they lose."
"Every supply convoy we destroy."
"Every soldier they bury."
"Will weaken their invasion."
He looked toward Emperor Hong Yuanji.
"If they insist on invading the Crimson Empire..."
"Then let every mile they advance be paid for with blood."
The ministers finally understood.
Hong Yanshu's strategy was not one of glorious victories.
It was a war of attrition.
A cruel strategy that would slowly grind down the Northern Alliance until they could no longer sustain the invasion.
Hong Yuanji looked at his cousin with admiration.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Excellent."
"I approve this strategy."
He stood from the Dragon Throne.
"Immediately issue orders to Grand General Jin Zhou."
"Carry out Prime Minister Hong Yanshu's plan."
The ministers bowed in unison.
"We obey Your Majesty!"