Chapter 1752 - 883: Desperate Lone Swan, Misfortunes Never Come Alone (Part 2)

Fate or misfortune, Li Yan was unsure, and now he couldn’t afford to ponder these matters.

Thinking of this, he composed himself and looked at everyone, calmly saying:

"I’ll go."

As soon as he spoke, the expressions of everyone varied.

Gao Zhenxiong was naturally filled with excitement and joy. Last night’s battle had caused severe losses to the army, with many of the Mystical Sect’s high priests and sages sacrificed, leaving only some ordinary disciples. Now, the only one with a chance to break through was Li Yan.

However, he also knew the dangers of this move, so he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Sha Lifei and the others, however, wore faces full of concern, wanting to stop him.

"No need to persuade."

Before they could speak, Li Yan stood tall, "The army’s provisions are insufficient for five days, and even if the Fu Xi Formation can block the Evil God, it can’t stop those pirate experts, who will undoubtedly continue to ambush us."

"My Escape Technique should be able to avoid the enemies. It’s you all who need to be constantly cautious."

Everyone knew he was right, so they no longer tried to stop him.

Then, under the gaze of all, Li Yan found a relatively secluded spot and directly used the North Emperor Mysterious Water Escape, complemented by the Dragon and Snake Card, disappearing into the blizzard...

...

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, in the heart of the Divine State.

Almost at the same time the Liaodong army fell into despair, trouble arose here as well.

Qingyao Mountain, anciently known as "The Emperor’s Secret City," now lies within the boundaries of Yu State.

According to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," the Yellow Emperor once gathered here with a hundred deities, deemed an ancient Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

Yet now, it was merely an unremarkable mound of earth and stone amidst the Western Henan Hills.

Farmers who had tilled the land for generations at the foot of the mountain were busy turning the soil for spring planting.

Suddenly, the yellow earth beneath their feet boiled and heaved like it was being cooked!

A muffled rumble exploded from beneath the earth, the ridges cracked, and the houses crumbled like toy blocks.

More frighteningly, from the split earth fissures gushed muddy black water, carrying countless corpse-like white remains. Wherever it went, vegetation withered to black instantly, livestock screamed and fell, black blood streaming from their mouths and noses...

...

The Yunmeng Swamp’s former site, once shrouded in vast mists and waves, now crisscrossed with paths.

The clerk at Jingzhou Prefecture was checking the Fish Scale Register when suddenly felt the ground quiver, beams and pillars groaning.

Outside the window, the flat paddy fields seemed to be turned over by an invisible giant plow, deep ravines instantly swallowing farmhouses and water wheels. Murky silt spouted from the fissures, rolling through countless twisted, fish-like yet not fish, snake-like yet not snake monsters, screeching like crying infants as they swam among the surviving villages.

Some villagers captured and ate them, but all who were tainted became mindless, ceaselessly dancing madly.

Mount Huaiji, anciently known as Southern Guardian, now Jiangsu and Zhejiang Shaoxing.

The sacred mountain where Yu the Great cast the tripod and Emperor Qin carved stones, now its incense offerings dwindled.

The craftsmen quarrying in Shanyin were wielding iron rods.

Suddenly, the entire cliff emitted a dragon-like lament!

Huge rock bodies collapsed, revealing a deep, rune-filled cave within the mountainside.

Cold astral winds carried piercing metallic screeches from the cave, within them the faint shadows of armored and armed ancient soldiers, their faceless forms silently patrolling.

Wherever they passed, humans and beasts instantly stiffened, their flesh and vital essence inhaled into the cave like green smoke.

Kongtong Mountain, Wenda Palace bell tone resonated.

A rock slab called "Immortal Chessboard," long forgotten by tourists, suddenly split open into a deep chasm. The bottom was not stone but churning mud blood-red like magma.

In the mud, a giant stone sphere surfaced, like a single eye laced with crimson veins, coldly scanning the human world.

Whoever met its gaze, monk, priest, or common folk, immediately fell into boundless illusion, laughing maniacally or wailing self-harmingly, with their corporeal blood and Primordial Energy visibly depleting...

...

The Capital, Qintian Bureau’s Observatory.

The cold wind swept past the eaved edge of copper bells, creating an urgent and clear chime.

The leader of the Xuan Sacrificial Officer Pei Zongti stood with his hands behind his back, his face darker than the night sky.

Beside the mirror, several high priests from the Mystical Sect looked ashen, their fingers rapidly calculating, sweat beads rolling off their foreheads.

"Master!"

An official responsible for monitoring the Earth Vein spiritual machine trembled in voice, "The source of Earth Qi confusion... is not a single earthquake! These eruption points... appear chaotic, yet their energies are interconnected... forming a... a node of an ancient array! This array pattern... this array pattern..."

"Absolute... Heaven... Earth... Link!"

Pei Zongti almost gritted his teeth, uttering word by word.

As the surrounding people heard this, each of them gasped in shock, their faces turning deathly pale.

"Emperor Zhuanxu... the secret Great Array that separates humans and gods!"

An elderly Taoist with white hair spoke in a dry voice, "It’s said to be spread across the Divine State, based on the ancient Cave Heaven Blessed Land, sealing off the direct passage between the Dharma Realm and the Human World."

"Previously, the Twelve Primordial Spirits discovered the Jianmu destruction in Lingnan. We searched everywhere, but unfortunately, due to the passage of time, no one knows the exact location anymore. We can only vigilantly guard the Cave Heaven Blessed Land."

"Who would have thought, it would be in these places..."

...

Imperial Palace, inside Yangxin Hall.

"Outrageous!!"

The Imperial Desk was struck with such force that a crack appeared in the fine purple sandalwood.

Emperor Xiao Qixuan’s eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently.

"Even before Goryeo is pacified, internal demons arise again!"

"Has the vast Divine Land Mysterious Sect all turned into clay and wood figures?!"

The emperor’s furious roars echoed in the hall, while the eunuchs and palace maids prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling in fear.

He suddenly turned, his eyes blazing with fierce flames, "Zhao Changsheng! Jianmu! Pirates! As long as these fiends live, the nation will know no peace!"

"Issue a decree! Order the Denglai Navy and Minzhe Navy to dispatch all tower ships, requisition civilian ships, and gather elite forces! I will personally lead an expedition to flatten the Three Islands of Japan and uproot that nest of evil entirely!"

"Your Majesty! This must not be!"

The Grand Secretary, his hair and beard bristling, nearly threw himself before the Imperial Desk, "The sea routes are perilous, beyond human capability to resist!"

"Last time, to suppress that Yin Yang Reversal Array in Goryeo, the Xuan Sacrificial Officer already used Secret Techniques to forcibly twist the Astral Bane Qi of Liaodong with the power of the Dragon Vein. This act shook the Heaven and Earth Gang Sha, and now the backlash has manifested."

"Within the Four Seas, the Astral Bane is unbalanced, Yin and Yang clashing violently! On the seas, storms have already turned the skies dark, great ships shatter upon touch, how can mere mortal flesh withstand it? Crossing the sea now isn’t a conquest; it’s sending thousands of soldiers into the Dragon King’s City of Unjust Death, Your Majesty!"

Dead silence filled the hall.

The emperor’s wild rage was brutally extinguished by this harsh reality.

He sank back into the dragon throne, his fingers deeply pressing into his forehead.

Indeed, he had also seen the secret reports from the coastal states:

Massive black waves like walls, ordinary sea vessels capsizing like paper boats less than a hundred miles from port.

This is not divine wrath, but the violent backlash after forcing the laws of heaven and earth to twist!

"Then... what do you suggest?" The emperor’s voice was thick with exhaustion and reluctance.

"Your Majesty,"

The Grand Secretary raised his head, his eyes filled with a do-or-die determination, "Land route! Only the land route!"

"Gather formidable troops to join with the Liaodong Iron Cavalry to quickly quell the Goryeo havoc."

"From there, set sail to avoid the sea storms."

The emperor closed his eyes for a long while, finally squeezing out a single word through clenched teeth: "Approved."

The massive war machine, under the emperor’s command, began to whirl maniacally.

Orders to mobilize troops and requisition grain flew out from the Capital like snowflakes.

On the official road to Shanhai Pass, dust clouds shaded the sky.

The firearms soldiers of the Capital Camp Divine Machine Camp trudged heavily through the mire with their bird guns and new gun carriages; the armored hoofbeats of the iron cavalry from Xuanfu and Datong roared like thunder; civilian laborers recruited from Yu State and Qi and Lu pushed loaded carts of provisions and supplies, merging into an endless torrent.

Everyone’s focus was directed toward a single target: Liaodong!

Yet, disaster strikes not singly, and moreover, it was a conspiracy that had been brewing for centuries...

...

Shanhai Pass, Zhen Dong Tower.

The newly appointed General of Pacifying the Barbarians had just seen off another batch of allied officers headed to the front lines.

The Personal Soldier Commander hurriedly burst in, his voice filled with incredulous terror:

"General! Urgent report over eight hundred miles!"

"The night couriers from outside the border fought tooth and nail to report back! The allied forces of the Rashka Duchy, led by Cossack Cavalry, accompanied by the rebel Buriat and Kerqin Tribe, claiming two hundred thousand iron cavalry, have breached the former borders of Nebuch and Yakesa!"

"Judging from the banners... almost every duchy of Rashka has dispatched troops!"

"What?!"

The General of Pacifying the Barbarians whirled around, the Vermilion Pen in his hand falling with a sharp "snap"...