Chapter 48
Hong Yanshu's strategy was quickly put into action.
Imperial messengers rode day and night, delivering the Emperor's orders to every commander on the northern front.
Grand General Jin Zhou wasted no time.
The Crimson Empire no longer fought to hold every city.
Instead, they withdrew in an orderly fashion, taking every valuable resource with them.
Food granaries were emptied.
Military supplies were transported south.
Bridges were dismantled.
Roads through the mountains were blocked.
Whenever the Northern Alliance occupied a city, they found little more than empty streets and abandoned houses.
At the same time, Jin Zhou's army constantly harassed the enemy.
Supply convoys were ambushed.
Small military camps were attacked in the middle of the night before the imperial soldiers vanished into the forests.
The Northern Alliance was forced to remain on constant alert.
As the days passed, their advance became noticeably slower.
The casualties continued to mount.
Inside the command tent of the Northern Alliance, several rulers gathered around a large map.
Their expressions were grim.
The King of the Wolf Kingdom slammed his fist onto the table.
"Dammit!"
"We've captured cities..."
"But we've gained nothing!"
Another ruler gritted his teeth.
"Our food supplies are disappearing."
"Our soldiers are exhausted."
"They attack us every night and disappear before we can retaliate."
An elderly king narrowed his eyes.
"This Grand General Jin Zhou is far more troublesome than we expected."
The atmosphere inside the tent grew heavier.
After a long silence, one ruler finally spoke.
"If our main army continues advancing blindly, we'll continue suffering unnecessary losses."
Another king nodded.
"Then stop sending the main force first."
"We'll dispatch small reconnaissance units."
"They will scout the roads ahead."
"They'll search for ambushes and locate the enemy's movements."
The others quickly agreed.
"It is settled."
"From today onward, reconnaissance units will move ahead of the main army."
"They will clear the routes before the army advances."
Following the council's decision, the Northern Alliance altered its strategy.
Instead of relying solely on ordinary scouts, they began dispatching Qi Refinement Realm cultivators as reconnaissance units.
After all, a cultivator's senses far surpassed those of mortal soldiers.
They believed no ordinary army could threaten them.
However—
The reports that returned left the alliance stunned.
Inside the command tent, a scout knelt before the assembled rulers.
"Your Majesties!"
"Our reconnaissance teams have suffered unexpected resistance!"
The King of the Wolf Kingdom frowned.
"What happened?"
The scout lowered his head.
"The imperial soldiers suddenly became much stronger."
"They were able to contend against our Qi Refinement cultivators."
The rulers immediately ordered an investigation.
Several intelligence agents were dispatched.
Two weeks later, the truth finally came to light.
Inside the command tent, an intelligence officer unfolded a report.
"We have discovered the reason."
The hall fell silent.
"The Crimson Empire has equipped some of its elite soldiers with talismans."
The officer continued,
"One type temporarily enhances the user's physical strength, speed, and endurance."
"An ordinary mortal can briefly fight on equal footing with a Qi Refinement cultivator."
He then presented another report.
"They also possess explosive talismans."
"Once activated, they unleash an attack comparable to a 9th Qi Refinement Realm cultivator."
A murmur spread through the hall.
The intelligence officer quickly added,
"However, the enhancement talismans have a weakness."
"The effect lasts only about two hours."
"Once the time expires, the soldiers return to being ordinary mortals."
The rulers nodded.
At first glance, it seemed they had found the empire's weakness.
However, the officer continued.
"Although our cultivators ultimately prevailed..."
"The casualties were far higher than expected."
He paused before reporting the figures.
"On average, for every one Qi Refinement cultivator we lose..."
"The Crimson Empire loses nearly one hundred mortal soldiers."
The hall fell silent.
From a military perspective, the Northern Alliance had the advantage.
A single cultivator was worth far more than ordinary soldiers.
Yet even such an exchange left the rulers dissatisfied.
The King of the Wolf Kingdom slammed his fist onto the table.
"Damn the Crimson Empire!"
Another ruler cursed through gritted teeth.
"And damn Hong Se!"
"He disappeared decades ago, yet he's still causing us endless trouble!"
An elderly king snorted coldly.
"Even in his absence, the legacy he left behind continues to stand in our way."
"If not for those cursed talismans, our armies would have advanced much farther by now."
The rulers' expressions turned increasingly grim.
They had expected to crush the Crimson Empire with overwhelming force.
Instead, they found themselves constantly delayed by the preparations left behind by a man who had vanished long ago.
Hong Se himself was nowhere to be seen.
Yet his shadow still loomed over the battlefield, giving the Northern Alliance no small amount of trouble.
. . .
At the same time...
Inside the main command tent of the Crimson Empire.
A large map of the northern frontier lay spread across a wooden table.
Several generals and ministers surrounded it, their expressions grave.
At the head of the table stood Grand General Jin Zhou.
The atmosphere was heavy.
A military officer broke the silence.
"Grand General."
"Our talisman strategy has been effective."
"We've successfully slowed the Northern Alliance's advance."
"However..."
"Our casualties continue to rise."
The officer lowered his head.
"The enemy's cultivators are becoming more cautious."
"They no longer charge into our traps recklessly."
Another general stepped forward.
"Their reconnaissance units have begun probing our positions before the main army advances."
"Our ambushes are becoming less effective."
The tent fell silent.
Jin Zhou studied the map for a long moment before speaking.
"The enemy has adapted."
"They've learned the strengths and weaknesses of our talismans."
"Our advantage won't last forever."
A deputy general asked,
"Then what should our next move be, Grand General?"
Jin Zhou tapped several mountain passes on the map.
"We continue delaying them."
"Destroy every bridge they can use."
"Block the narrow passes."
"If necessary, collapse entire hillsides to prevent their advance."
He then looked toward another commander.
"Increase the patrols around our supply routes."
"The enemy's cultivator scouts will become more active."
"We cannot allow them to learn our troop movements."
The commander saluted.
"Understood!"
Another general frowned.
"But Grand General..."
"Our talisman stockpile is decreasing."
"The Founding Emperor left many talismans behind, but they are not infinite."
"If this war drags on..."
"We may exhaust our supply."
The commanders all looked toward Jin Zhou.
He remained silent for several moments.
Finally, he sighed.
"I know."
"The talismans can buy us time."
"But they cannot win this war."
His eyes drifted toward the map.
"We're waiting."
A general looked confused.
"Waiting for what?"
Jin Zhou replied calmly,
"Waiting for the Emperor to find another solution."
"Or..."
He paused before continuing.
"Waiting for the Zan Clan."
Everyone in the tent fell silent.
Although the Zan Clan had not officially joined the war, everyone in the empire knew they were the strongest cultivation family within the Crimson Empire.
If the Zan Clan chose to intervene...
The balance of the war could change overnight.
Jin Zhou slowly rolled up the map.
"Until then..."
"Our duty is simple."
"Hold the line."
"No matter the cost."
The generals straightened their backs and saluted in unison.
"Yes, Grand General!"
. . .
Meanwhile, inside the Patriarch's Residence of the Zan Clan...
Zan Yunxiao sat alone in the courtyard.
His thoughts drifted to the reward he had obtained after eliminating the five Nascent Soul cultivators.
"The Spiritual Flower Pot..."
With a thought, he retrieved the item from his system space.
A simple flower pot appeared in his hands.
At first glance, it looked ordinary.
There were no dazzling lights or imposing aura.
However, the moment it appeared.
A rich stream of spiritual energy quietly spread throughout the courtyard.
The surrounding spiritual qi immediately became denser.
The flowers and spirit herbs nearby swayed gently as if nourished by an invisible force.
Zan Yunxiao's eyes widened slightly.
"This..."
He carefully examined the flower pot.
The closer he held it, the more obvious the change became.
The spiritual energy it emitted was pure and continuous.
Unlike spirit stones, which were gradually consumed, the flower pot seemed to release spiritual energy endlessly.
Zan Yunxiao was genuinely shocked.
"This item actually emits spiritual energy!"
He immediately sat down cross-legged and began circulating the Zan Heaven Veiling Scripture.
The surrounding spiritual energy rapidly flowed into his body.
Compared to cultivating normally, the speed was noticeably faster.
After several breaths, Zan Yunxiao opened his eyes.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
If this treasure were placed inside the cultivation cave on the mountain, the surrounding spiritual energy would become even denser.
Not only would his own cultivation speed increase, but the disciples of the Zan Clan would also benefit from it.
Zan Yunxiao looked at the flower pot with satisfaction.
"A treasure that continuously gathers and emits spiritual energy..."
"This is worth far more than ordinary spirit stones."
He gently placed the Spiritual Flower Pot beside him.
As the spiritual energy continued to spread throughout the courtyard, a new thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
"If I place the seed of the World Tree inside this flower pot..."
"Will it finally begin to grow?"