To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 810: Chapter 349 Decisive Battle Begins_3

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And with his current cultivation progressing, gathering two levels of Qi, it will be a matter of just a year or two.

Gathering three Qi, at most, won’t exceed thirty years.

This is still because the Heavenly and Earthly Aura is thin. Otherwise, with the characteristics of the Way of Control Pneuma, if it were the ancient times, reaching the level of gathering three Qi would take only a few years.

In this Age of Dharma Decline, for cultivators, it’s truly a cage, driving one to despair.

No wonder Mo Li and the others, knowing well the uncertain path to Ascension, still embarked on this unknown journey without any hesitation.

…

On the ninth day of the ninth month in the tenth year of Shenwu, Feishuang Tao left Dongting and set out toward the Northern Dark City.

On the thirteenth of September, a spy in Yuzhang Prefecture reported that a large ship had left Tianluo Mountain, sailed out of Pengli Lake, and headed down the river.

A few days later, messages arrived from Yuhua Mountain of Yong State, Tian’an Mountain of Qing State, and Panlong Mountain that small squads had left the three passes and sailed away in ships.

At the same time.

The countries of the Nine Provinces, during this period, all hastened their various activities, making many preparations and precautions.

Within Yang State, Ning, Su, Song, and the states of Nanhai were especially active, with troops and horses being mobilized in quick succession, all indications of an impending great war.

And in Chu State.

On the twenty-fifth of September, the sky was clear, and the weather was warm and sunny.

Outside the walls of Baling, Lu Yuan officially ascended the platform to appoint generals, in front of all the army commanders, he granted the title of General of Cavalry to his avatar, Qingyunzi, and ordered the formation of the Southern Expedition Military Expedition. He appointed Qingyunzi as the Commander, with the Lord of Kunhai, Li Xiong, serving as the deputy.

He then declared that the Southern Sea Country had betrayed the alliance covenant, colluded with Ning Country, and plotted against Great Chu, acts unforgivable.

He commanded the two to lead the army southwards, to subdue the alliance-breaking Southern Sea Country.

After this edict was read aloud before the army, it was immediately dispatched across the world, proclaiming the matter to all.

Instantly, the whole of Baling was abuzz.

The spies from various countries remaining in Baling soon learned of this event, and then used all kinds of methods at an extremely fast speed to convey the news back to their countries.

In the midst of this turmoil, Qingyunzi and Li Xiong, leading their personal guard and light cavalry, set out at night toward the main camp at the front line.

This time, the army of the Southern Expedition Military Expedition had been raised months in advance. Comprising a hundred thousand vassal troops along with sixty thousand of the Forbidden Army as the main force, the total strength of the army was one hundred and sixty thousand. They had already been positioned at the front lines in Lingnan.

The expenses for the front-line troops, as well as civilian workers and Village Braves, were also fully prepared.

At this moment, all that was left was for the Commanders, both principal and deputy, to arrive, which would allow them to swiftly mobilize the Military Expedition and lead the army southwards.

Thus, after barely a day, once Qingyunzi and Li Xiong reached the Military Expedition at the front line, by the second day, a vanguard force of fifty thousand troops, under the leadership of Li Xiong, mightily marched south.

Formally crossing the borders between Chu and Southern Sea and pressing into Lingnan.

The Southern Sea Country was momentarily shaken, and wherever the Chu soldiers passed, the locals surrendered without resistance.

The Lord of Southern Sea, struck with terror, could only gather his troops. In addition to an army of a hundred thousand already assembled in his capital, he hastily conscripted another fifty thousand people, holding steadfast within the capital city and refusing to venture out.

He also sent out Messengers one after another, rushing to Song, Su, and Ning Countries, requesting reinforcements.

The smoke of war instantaneously ignited across Lingnan’s land and quickly spread in all directions.

…

Pengli main camp.

A swift boat cut through the river waters, speeding downstream, and quickly conveyed the developments from Baling back.

Once the news reached the camp, Shen Qiu, who was reviewing documents, instantly dropped the brush in his hand and stood up straight.

“Pass the order for the generals to come to the tent for discussion immediately,” he said.

Shen Qiu’s face showed a hint of excitement as he quickly gave orders to his guards on either side.

After ascending the throne and ruling for ten years, journeying with the imperial convoy to the west, and waiting for several months,

the moment for a decisive battle with Chu State had finally arrived.

So, upon hearing that Chu State had already mobilized troops against Southern Sea Country, Shen Qiu immediately summoned his generals, intending to declare war on Chu State.

Yang State could not accommodate two overlords, and there had to be a battle between Chu and Ning.

After this battle, the victor will sweep through Yang State, unifying Jiangnan.

The loser, however, will be utterly defeated and lose everything.

Shen Qiu had staked everything he had, and now was the moment when the battlefield would decide life and death.

Jianwu, the eleventh year, the first day of October.

Upon receiving news of Chu State’s military action and confirming that a great war had already broken out in Lingnan, that Chu and South Sea had engaged in battle, and that the Southern Sea Country had sent Messengers asking for assistance,

On this day, Shen Qiu, the Heavenly Son of Ning Country, likewise built an altar outside the Pengli camp, prayed to Heaven, and declared that Chu State’s tyranny was unforgivable for unprovoked attacks on the vassal state of the Celestial Empire and that military intervention was necessary.

Subsequently, he appointed Shangguan Ming, the Marquis of Wucheng, as the Southern Expedition Grand General and Marquis of Wuyang, Yuan Yi, as the deputy, ordering them to form the Southern Expedition Military Expedition, leading a hundred thousand troops to march south and rescue the Southern Sea Country.

Furthermore, he gave orders to Martial Proclamation Marquis Yang Jing, far away in Xiangyang, to serve as the Northern Expedition Grand General, with Marquis of Wuyi, Li Tai, as his deputy. Together, they were to form the Northern Expedition Military Expedition, commanding fifty thousand naval forces and fifty thousand infantry and cavalry from the Ning Country’s Xiangyang Prefecture, to assault Chu Country’s Xiangyang Prefecture.

At the same time, Shen Qiu, assuming the role of Commander himself, formed the Western Expedition Military Expedition, leading the remaining five Martial Marquises and fifty thousand naval forces and three hundred and fifty thousand infantry and cavalry as the main force, assaulting Chu Country’s Dongting Prefecture with the aim of capturing the Chu Capital, Baling.

Soon, Ning Country’s three-front army totaling six hundred thousand land and sea troops marched mightily to subdue Chu Country.

As the news spread, Yang State was shaken, and the neighboring countries were shaken.

By the time this ripple reached Lingnan, Song Country’s ruler Xie Ning proceeded northward, meeting once again with King Su Xuan Ge, and the two nations pledged together once more.

After the pledge, on the spot, the two monarchs read out Chu Country’s list of crimes, enumerating various acts of tyranny, and after a blood oath with wine, they collectively informed the world, announcing a campaign against the tyrannical Chu.

Immediately thereafter, Song Country dispatched seventy thousand troops, Su Country dispatched thirty thousand, and the two nations combined forces of one hundred thousand, with Xie Ning as the main commander of the army and Su Xuan Ge as his deputy, announcing their Northern Expedition to subdue Chu Country.

The armies of the two countries crossed the Five Ridges and headed straight for Chu Country’s Lingling Prefecture in Dongting, initiating the conflict.

In just half a month, warfare engulfed Song, Su, Ning, and Southern Sea – four states surrounding Chu Country were caught up in war.

A million-strong army from the five nations swiftly mobilized, encircling Chu Country’s Southern Expedition and triggering a decisive battle.

From then on, the great war that enveloped Yang State officially began.

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