To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 802: Chapter 347 Confrontation Timing

June 10th.

As envoys continued to travel back and forth, after extensive communication, the rulers of Su and Song, each leading their chariots, arrived at the border between the two countries. Outside a small city named Hongbi, they constructed an altar to offer sacrifices to the heavens and announced their oath, formalizing their alliance.

Subsequently, both countries withdrew the heavy troops stationed at the border, leaving only the county soldiers to maintain order, no longer viewing each other with hostility.

Su Country also dispatched fifty thousand elite troops to officially enter the territory of Song Country. After joining forces with the Divine Sword Army of Song, a combined force of seventy thousand elite soldiers marched northward and stationed themselves in Cangwu Prefecture, the northern gateway of Yulin County.

The intentions of the two countries were clear—to unite in order to withstand the heavy pressure of Chu State.

This was like a signal.

Fueled by the actions of the united army of Su and Song, Southern Sea Country finally spirited up, calling for draftees everywhere within the nation. They mustered fifty thousand robust men, along with the original fifty thousand standing troops, creating an army a hundred thousand strong.

However, this hundred-thousand-strong army did not march northward like Su and Song, intent on meeting the enemy beyond their own borders.

They were directly stationed within the capital, Nanhai City, resolute in their determination to hold fast, showing no inclination to venture out.

Then there was Ning Country.

After meeting with several envoys from Southern Sea Country one after the other, Shen Qiu, the Heavenly Son of Ning, used the unrest in the Southern Border and the frequent disturbances by petty villains as an excuse for the need to suppress them with force.

Therefore, Jianwu, the Heavenly Son, announced he would officially embark on a western tour. Accompanied by fifty thousand of the forbidden army, they grandiosely set out for Yuzhang to inspect the various battalions and horses there. With the might of his formidable army, he aimed to deter the disloyal hearts across the world.

Indeed.

The “petty villains” referred to by Ning are, without much thought, none other than Chu State.

And the western tour of Shen Qiu is also clearly aimed at Chu State.

Although the pretext was to inspect the troops.

But as everyone knows, whenever a large army is dispatched, the generals must count the soldiers, inspect the troops, sacrifice to Heaven, and bolster morale.

With the Heavenly Son of Ning arriving in Yuzhang Prefecture, it could very well be that in the midst of inspection, he might suddenly announce his personal command, leading hundreds of thousands of troops on a Western Expedition.

This was highly possible.

After all, with the arrival of Shen Qiu, sixty thousand troops of Ning had already gathered at the border between Ning and Chu. In addition, including the Heavenly Son himself, there were ten Inborn Grandmasters.

One could say that aside from the troops stationed in the local prefectures and those defending against Liang at the Northern Border,

all the mobile military forces of Ning that could be mobilized were concentrated above the border of Chu Ning.

If the battle began, it would be a nation-engulfing war against Chu without any reserves.

Such an attitude demonstrated that Ning was prepared to go to war and to fight a war that could engulf the entire nation.

And with subsequent troop movements by Su, Song, Southern Sea, and Ning, by this time, a combined force of seven hundred seventy thousand troops from various countries had amassed on Chu’s eastern and southern frontiers at the border.

These forces, without exception, harbored hostility towards Chu and were subtly united against it.

If Chu dared to attack any one of them, the remaining three would undoubtedly pounce from all sides, biting into Chu.

This was akin to pulling one hair and moving the whole body; there was no avoiding it.

From this, one could see just how much pressure Chu’s continuous expansion in recent years had brought upon the surrounding countries.

It could compel sworn enemies like Su and Song, eternal foes like Su and Ning, to set aside past grievances and unite against a common adversary.

If spoken of, Lu Yuan would be remembered throughout history.

…

With the countries united, they tacitly formed a coalition against Chu State.

Yet, the clouds of war did not ignite immediately.

The oppressive atmosphere, apart from continuing to envelop the entirety of Yangzhou, was still brewing.

Although the outside world speculated and even concluded that Chu was going to launch a Southern Expedition,

in fact, Lu Yuan was not in much of a hurry for this great war.

The reason was simple.

The time was not yet ripe, or to put it another way, he was not entirely confident.

Not being confident did not mean that he lacked faith in his ability to cope with the pressure from Ning while sending out troops for a Southern Expedition.

Although Ning was formidable now, with fourteen Inborns and an expanded army of eight hundred thousand,

these were not enough to dismay Lu Yuan.

Chu State also had ten Inborns by now, and the standing army had already expanded to six hundred seventy thousand, in addition to Li Xiong and the hundred thousand troops from vassal states under his command.

With such strength, it was not much different from that of Ning.

If they truly went to battle, relying on the strength of Lu Yuan and his two avatars, Chu would have an edge over Ning in terms of powerful forces.

Supported by an equally sized standing army, Lu Yuan was entirely confident that he could repel any potential attacks from Ning while also pursuing the Southern Expedition.

Therefore, Ning was not a concern.

What truly caused him dread was the Nine States Immortal Gate led by the Purple Cloud Taoist Master.

In today’s world, Lu Yuan stood among that small echelon at the very top. To outsiders, that meant he was at the level of a Dao master.

But being at the Dao master level didn’t mean he could rest easy without concern.

In Ning, on the same level, there was the Purple Cloud Taoist Master.

Moreover, within the Purple Cloud Dao, there were also numerous cultivators with magic power.

All these individuals had sufficient strength to pose a threat to Lu Yuan’s safety.

Now with Purple Cloud Dao clearly standing with Ning, if Lu Yuan were to act against Ning or engage in battle with them, it was uncertain whether these cultivators would intervene directly to aid in fighting against him.

This scenario was quite likely to happen.

Thinking of possibly facing all the cultivators of an Immortal Sect, even with all his confidence, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but feel the situation was thorny and dreadworthy.