Everyone looked at each other, completely won over by Su Xie at that moment. After all, in the army, they respected whoever had the greatest strength.
Before long, Su Xie had taught everyone the secret techniques to control the grand formation one by one.
Night fell.
Snow continued to fall, blanketing all the ramparts of the Heavenly Pass in white, turning the fortress into a world of silver.
*Dong!*
Suddenly, the resounding beat of a war drum echoed across the field!
All the soldiers assumed combat readiness, and the battle officially commenced!
***
### Chapter 28: Vanguard Battle, A Clash of Morale
Night.
Outside the Heavenly Pass, countless warhorses charged forward!
The entire earth trembled!
On the city tower, both Su Xie and Qin Ying were clad in armor, gazing solemnly into the distance.
Amidst the swirling snow, wave after wave of Liang chariots rolled forward, leaving deep, heavy wheel tracks in the snow-covered ground.
Looking as far as the eye could see, the fifty thousand Liang troops formed a dense, pitch-black sea. Every soldier marched forward with thunderous footsteps and unstoppable morale, creating the overwhelming visual impression of dark clouds pressing down to crush the city.
Inside the Heavenly Pass, faced with the overwhelming momentum of the advancing enemy, countless soldiers began to breathe in short, rapid gasps.
"Ha-ha! Listen up, soldiers of Liang! Make sure you take the Heavenly Pass today at all costs!"
"Whoever is the first to break into the Heavenly Pass, I will immediately promote three ranks and reward him with ten thousand liang of silver!"
Amidst the Liang forces, a middle-aged man clad in golden armor stood atop a chariot, laughing heartily with a booming voice.
He was none other than Liu Beifeng, the grand general of Liang dispatched to attack the Heavenly Pass!
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Hearing Liu Beifeng's rousing words, countless Liang soldiers grew immensely excited, cheering him on as if pumped full of adrenaline, their morale soaring higher and higher!
"Who will go?"
Liu Beifeng exuded a stern authority as he swept his gaze across his subordinate generals and shouted.
"General, this subordinate is willing to go! Let me serve as the vanguard and turn those Desolate Country soldiers upside down!"
At that moment, a young general in white robes stepped forward, smiling with an arrogant expression.
"Very well!"
Liu Beifeng gave a slight nod.
The white-robed young general mounted a spirit steed with a side leap, stepped heavily into the air, and charged toward the main gate of the Heavenly Pass.
"Hahaha! Scum of Desolate Country, do any of you dare to come out and fight?"
Momently, the white-robed young general brandished a massive saber, spurred his spirit steed, and galloped right up to the front of the Heavenly Pass.
"Audacious!"
"I'll come and meet you!"
Instantly, the gates of the Heavenly Pass swung open, and a general rushed out, thrusting forward with a long spear to engage him.
Yet, in merely the blink of an eye, the white-robed young general swung his saber and fiercely batted the spear aside!
*Splatter!*
With a single flash, that general's head was instantly severed!
"Hahaha! Your Desolate Country generals are nothing more than stray mutts. Killing you is just like slaughtering dogs—so utterly boring!"
The white-robed young general sneered derisively.
"Hahaha! Are the soldiers of Desolate Country really this fragile? They're nothing more than sickly weaklings, utterly unable to withstand a single blow!"
Behind him, countless Liang soldiers roared with laughter, their morale skyrocketing even further!
Witnessing this, Qin Ying's expression turned cold as she glanced at her assembled soldiers and officers.
"Commander, this fellow is too arrogant! Please allow this subordinate to go out and crush his spirit!"
At that moment, Commander Black Tiger was filled with fierce indignation and immediately requested to sortie and do battle.
"You are no match for him. This person has likely reached the true Spirit Gathering Realm."
Su Xie narrowed his eyes, assessed the white-robed young general's cultivation level, and immediately pointed it out.
Hearing this, Commander Black Tiger wore an unconvinced expression: "Win or lose, I still have to fight! The morale of this vanguard battle must never be lost!"
"Black Tiger, stand down for now. Let the experts from my commandery prince's estate go first."
Qin Ying cast a glance outside the pass.
"Understood, Commander."
Faced with the military order, Black Tiger did not dare to disobey, and ultimately retreated while gritting his teeth.
Soon, a streak of light shot outward.
An elderly man from the commandery prince's estate flew out.
"Old man, tired of living?"
Seeing the old man hovering in mid-air before him, the white-robed young general's gaze was filled with disdain. Driving his spirit steed into the air, he slashed down with his saber.
That strike was sweeping and ferocious!
The old man let out a cold snort, unleashing his full battle prowess as the oppressive aura of the Spirit Gathering Realm surged outward!
Yet, the speed of that saber strike was simply too fast!
Before the old man could even execute his martial skill, he was slain in mid-air by a single slash, blood spraying violently through the sky!
"Hahaha! These are the mighty experts of your commandery prince's estate? Truly incapable of taking a single blow!"
The white-robed young general's arrogance grew increasingly unbridled.
It made Commander Black Tiger grind his teeth in rage.
On the city wall, countless Desolate Country soldiers burned with fiery fury in their eyes!
Just as Qin Ying furrowed her brow, a figure suddenly shot out from the Heavenly Pass!
"Look everyone, it's Commander Su!"
A soldier exclaimed in surprise.
Before anyone could react, Su Xie raised a longsword and descended right in front of the white-robed young general.
"It's him!"
At the rear of the Liang army, Ziling said with an angry expression.
"So this is the brat?"
True Man Purple Sword narrowed his eyes, a murderous intent gradually welling up within his gaze as he looked at Su Xie.
Outside the Heavenly Pass, seeing Su Xie step into the arena, the white-robed young general curled his lips into a scornful smile. "Tsk, tsk. Has Desolate Country truly run out of men, sending a mere Xiantian Realm ant to throw away his life?"
"You look down on me?"
The white-robed young general remained arrogant, standing atop his spirit steed and looking at Su Xie as if gazing at a dead man.
*Boom!*
Su Xie could not be bothered to waste words with him. He raised his hand and slashed out with a single sword strike.
"What? You're actually a sword cultivator?!"
Seeing Su Xie's continuous stream of sword qi, the white-robed young general's expression shifted, and he casually countered with a horizontal slash of his saber.
*Clang!*
A resounding collision of weapons echoed through the air, driving the white-robed young general back step after step.
Su Xie did not stop; holding his sword, he executed the Sword Silent in the Mortal World technique!
Faced with this sudden and devastating sword skill, the white-robed young general was caught completely off guard. With no time to worry about anything else, he instantly spurred his spirit steed and leaped into the air!
*Roar!*
The spirit steed suddenly stomped upward into the void, letting out a miserable whinny before Su Xie sliced it cleanly in half with a single sword strike!
As blood sprayed everywhere, the white-robed young general burned with fury. Leveraging his airborne momentum, he unleashed a terrifying saber force, hurtling downward in a dive to viciously hack at the top of Su Xie's head!
"A Single Sword Slashes the Heavenly Gate!"
A fierce, violent glint flashed in Su Xie's eyes. Sword qi surged across his grasp, and he delivered an unmatched, slashing blow!
*Splatter!*
This sword strike was as fast as lightning; before the white-robed young general could even make contact, he was killed on the spot in mid-air!
"How is this possible?!"
On the Liang side, Liu Beifeng's expression darkened.
"That brat just now actually executed two consecutive sword skills!"
True Man Purple Sword stared fixedly at Su Xie, a trace of greed involuntarily welling up on his face.
You must know, laymen watch the excitement, while experts watch the technique. As someone deeply versed in Sword Dao, he was abundantly clear just how tyrannical and powerful those two sword skills unleashed by Su Xie truly were!
If he could learn them, his strength would undoubtedly reach the next level!
"Commander Su! Well done!"
"Commander Su is bound to win!"
Inside the Heavenly Pass, the soldiers cheered for Su Xie one after another.
In an instant, the low morale of the Desolate Country soldiers abruptly began to surge upward!
"Hmph, impudent brat! Let me come and crush your arrogance!"
*Whoosh, whoosh!*
On the Liang side, another general flew out, wielding a large halberd and brandishing it in the air with tremendous might!
"It's Liu Beifeng's deputy general, Xu Cangzhi!"
Old Man Ning said with a solemn expression.
"Can that kid really pull this off? This Xu Cangzhi has already reached the peak of the Spirit Gathering Realm, and his strength is on par with Old Man Bai."
Commander Black Tiger spoke in a deep voice.
Although he disliked Su Xie, he still hoped that Su Xie could establish the morale of Desolate Country in this vanguard battle.
***
### Chapter 29: I Can Paint My Face with Flower Petals, Or Hack Through the Frosty Light in Iron Armor
"With Deputy General Xu making a move, that brat is a dead man!"
On the Liang side, countless soldiers shouted viciously.
Xu Cangzhi looked at Su Xie with haughty disdain. Unleashing his full battle prowess, violent spiritual energy ravaged the heavens and earth. Gripping his great halberd, he slashed straight toward Su Xie's head.
*Clang!*
Su Xie retreated backward, the sword in his hand flashing with an extreme, icy radiance as it violently collided with the halberd!
Faced with the mountain-crushing force of the incoming halberd strike, Su Xie's expression remained as calm as an ancient well. Refusing to engage in a brute-force contest, he slid his footsteps downward the moment he caught the blow, smoothly slipping past the attack.
"Dodge? Let's see how long you can hide!"
Xu Cangzhi attacked with ruthless viciousness, launching another heavy halberd strike without giving Su Xie a moment to breathe.
"Floating Cloud Step!"
A cold glint flashed in Su Xie's eyes, and he evaded like the wind.
"Scoundrel! Do you only know how to dodge? Go to hell!"
After missing repeatedly, Xu Cangzhi lost his patience and increased his output of force, causing the surrounding earth to tremble violently.
In the snow, countless shards of ice splashed in all directions!
"It's time!"
Seeing this, Su Xie abruptly leaped up, his hands continuously forming hand seals: "Dragon-Elephant Grand Formation, rise for me!"
As those words left his mouth—
*Aargh!*
*Boom!*
A dragon's roar and an elephant's trumpeting echoed across the heavens and earth!
Instantly, a golden formation rapidly rose beneath Xu Cangzhi's feet, trapping him firmly in place like a inescapable net of heaven and earth!
"What? A Tier 4 grand formation?!"
Witnessing this startling scene, Xu Cangzhi's expression shifted drastically. No matter what methods he employed, he found himself utterly unable to shatter the barrier of the formation.
"Ha-ha! Desolate Country will triumph!"
"Commander Su is bound to win!"
At that moment, the morale of the Desolate Country army soared once again, directly suppressing the morale of the Liang forces!
"Damn it! Since when did such a genius emerge within Desolate Country?!"
Liu Beifeng's expression was gloomy, and a fatal intent toward Su Xie had already formed in his heart.
"Deputy General Xu, we're coming to help you!"
At that moment, several more deputy generals were dispatched from the Liang side, going all out to kill Su Xie.
"Hmph! Did you truly think my Desolate Country had no one left?!"
Seeing this, Qin Ying let out a cold cry, raising her red-tasseled spear to charge and slaughter the enemy.
Immediately afterward, Old Man Bai, Commander Black Tiger, and the others also rapidly sortied from the pass, engaging in fierce combat with those Liang generals.
Seeing Su Xie forming hand seals with his fingers, intending to suppress and execute Xu Cangzhi, Liu Beifeng flew into a furious rage: "Brat, how dare you!"
"What is there not to dare?"
Su Xie showed no fear whatsoever toward his threat, raising his hand to drive the grand formation and viciously suppressing Xu Cangzhi down onto the ground!
"Charge! Attack the pass with full force!"
Liu Beifeng shouted angrily, and the fifty thousand Liang troops behind him launched a full-scale assault.
"Release arrows! Release arrows!"
Seeing countless chariots charging toward them, the various garrison generals on the Heavenly Pass quickly waved their hands. Row after row of archers sprang to their feet, drawing their bows in unison!
*Whoosh, whoosh—*
In an instant, ten thousand arrows were fired simultaneously!
Dense flights of arrows filled the entire firmament, shooting forth amidst a flashing, icy glare!
"I ask you all to make your move!"
Liu Beifeng shouted toward the rear.
Instantly, dozens of streaks of light burst forth.
These individuals were all powerful experts who had come to assist the Liang state!
They stepped into the void, walking toward the Heavenly Pass step by step. With a flick of their sleeves, surging spiritual energy distorted the space around them!
With just a few waves of their hands, they snapped all those flying arrows in mid-air!
"Old Man Bai, Black Tiger, fall back into the pass immediately and make sure you hold the other gates!"
Qin Ying spoke in a cold voice, her spear flashing as she obliterated an enemy general ahead of her.
"Understood, Commander!"
"Where are the Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry?"
Qin Ying gripped her spear, fighting her way forward step by step.
"We are here!"
The fortress gates swung wide open, rapidly releasing a unit of black-armored iron cavalry!
Three thousand black-armored soldiers gripped their reins, hoisted silver war-halberds, and spurred their blazing spirit steeds as they leaped upward into the air in unison!
With that single leap, the endless void trembled, erupting with a mighty, sweeping momentum!
"Hold the main gate and follow me to slay the enemy!"
Exuding stern authority, Qin Ying mounted a spirit steed and charged into battle with her spear raised.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The three thousand Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry followed closely behind, charging at maximum speed.
One had to admit that the Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry were each and every one of them brave and skilled in battle. With just a single charge, they rapidly smashed through the massive Liang chariots!
However, Liu Beifeng, who was commanding from the rear of the Liang army, smiled with contempt: "Did you really think only your Desolate Country was allowed to have heavy cavalry?"
"Great Liang Iron Cavalry, charge! Capture all the gates of the Heavenly Pass with full force!"
With a single order from Liu Beifeng, he orchestrated the battle with effortless mastery.
"Battle!"
The sound of war drums echoed, and a massive surge of heavy cavalry rapidly emerged from every gate of the Heavenly Pass!
"Damn it! The intelligence was wrong! The Liang army actually deployed ten thousand Great Liang Iron Cavalry!"
On the right flank of the Heavenly Pass, Commander Black Tiger's expression turned unsightly as he issued desperate orders for the garrison troops to hold the main gates of this sector!
"Not good! The Great Liang Iron Cavalry have been deployed on my side as well!"
On the left flank of the pass, Old Man Bai's expression also shifted, and he immediately led a troop of soldiers to hold the line at all costs.
You must know that the Great Liang Iron Cavalry were the counterparts to their Desolate Country heavy cavalry!
In terms of combat effectiveness, they were not the least bit inferior to the Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry, especially when matched in numbers. For a time, the garrison commanders at every single gate found it difficult to hold their ground!
"Commander, fall back! Retreat!"
Watching as the Heavenly Pass teetered on the brink of falling, a Desolate Country garrison commander rushed over.
"We cannot retreat! Even if it means the entire army is wiped out, you must hold the line to the death!"
Qin Ying's voice trembled slightly. Amidst the continuous slaughter, she fought alone with her spear, leading the Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry straight into the midst of the enemy army.
At this moment, her three thousand strands of dark hair hung loosely in disarray, and the silver armor on her body had already been slashed by the enemy, riddling it with countless cracks.
With a single thrust of her spear, she pierced through the enemy soldier before her!
Crimson blood stained her fair and delicate countenance, yet she still chose to charge forward without a shred of hesitation!
She knew this: she could never afford to retreat in this battle!
Behind her lay tens of millions of common folk. Once the Heavenly Pass fell, given the brutal methods of the Liang army, every single city inside the pass would inevitably be washed in blood!
"Hahaha! What a magnificent Princess of Beiwu!"
"What a pity that you are merely a woman. You should have spent your time playing the zither, playing chess, practicing calligraphy, or painting, instead of brandishing spears and sabers here. How utterly overestimating your own capabilities!"
"On this battlefield, I am the true ruler!"
Watching the valiant Qin Ying fighting fiercely in the distance, Liu Beifeng sneered repeatedly; victory was already within his grasp!
"So what if I am a woman? Has this spear of mine ever fallen short of you men?"
Qin Ying's posture radiated a heroic spirit possessed solely by women. With a thunderous roar, her spear struck down an enemy general ahead of her.
"I can paint my face with flower petals, and I can also hack through the frosty light in iron armor! Who says women are inferior to men?!"
Facing the tens of thousands of enemy troops, Qin Ying bit her lower lip, brandishing the longsword—wait, the long spear—in her hands. With every thrust came a flash of light, and with every flash of light, a Liang soldier was obliterated!
"Careful!"
Just as an enemy general lunged from behind Qin Ying, the figure of Su Xie suddenly burst out from the midst of the troops.
With a single sword strike, he killed the assailant on the spot!
"All of this should come to an end."
Su Xie glanced at Qin Ying, whose body was covered in wounds. His expression instantly turned icy cold, and he rose into the air, flicking the longsword in his hand toward the sky as it flashed with a blinding, sky-shrouding radiance!
"Activate the grand formation techniques I taught you earlier to repel the enemy!"
"Understood, Commander Su!"
On the city wall of the Heavenly Pass, those garrison commanders suddenly came to a realization. Channeling their spiritual energy in unison, they activated the grand formation techniques Su Xie had previously handed over to them!
*Hum!*
Suddenly, just as the Great Liang Iron Cavalry were on the verge of breaching every gate, one golden grand formation after another rapidly rose above the portals, giving the enemy a rude awakening!
"What? An entire array of Tier 4 grand formations?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Witnessing this, Liu Beifeng frowned, completely unprepared for the hidden hand the Desolate Army had kept up their sleeve!
"Heh, Tier 4 grand formations? So be it. Let this deity make a move and shatter your final hope!"
At that moment, the imposing figure of True Man Purple Sword abruptly materialized on the battlefield.
***
### Chapter 30: Dominating the Heavens and Earth, A Single Sword Shatters Thirty Thousand Armored Troops!
*Whoosh, whoosh!*
The next moment, True Man Purple Sword stepped into the void, his entire body erupting with terrifying fluctuations as he charged toward the right flank of the Heavenly Pass.
"A true Spirit Mansion Realm Expert?"
Su Xie's pupils involuntarily contracted.
"So what if you have Tier 4 grand formations? In this battle, my Liang state will triumph!"
At the rear of the Liang army, Liu Beifeng spoke with absolute certainty; he had already locked down the victory for this battle.
*Rumble!*
True Man Purple Sword raised his hand and slashed out with a single sword strike.
That sword strike was exceedingly fierce, carrying several violent hurricanes that shattered the Tier 4 grand formation on the right flank of the pass in one fell swoop!
"Dragon-Elephant Grand Formations, assemble!"
Su Xie let out a cold cry, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. In an instant, all the Dragon-Elephant Grand Formations he had previously laid down throughout the Heavenly Pass were linked together into a single, brilliantly radiant new grand formation!
This formation was known as the Dragon-Elephant God-Suppressing Formation, a grand formation Su Xie had frequently utilized back when he was the Devouring Heaven Dragon Emperor in his past life.
Although the manpower currently driving this formation was exceedingly weak, it was still sufficient to reach a quasi-Tier 5 grade!
*Boom!*
No matter how many times True Man Purple Sword continued to swing his sword, he could not shake it by even a fraction!
Afterward, he cast his gaze toward Su Xie not far away, a murderous intent welling up in his eyes: "Was it all you playing tricks behind the scenes? Since that's the case, I'll kill you first before breaking this formation!"
As his words fell, True Man Purple Sword transformed into a streak of light, his body shrouded in endless sword qi as he locked onto Su Xie and charged straight for him.
"Su Xie, run!"
Seeing him charge, Qin Ying turned pale, raising her red-tasseled spear to charge forward in an attempt to block True Man Purple Sword and buy Su Xie a glimmer of a chance to escape.
"Run? Do you really think either of you can escape?"
True Man Purple Sword sneered derisively, his fingers forming hand seals as he released a torrent of fierce sword qi that instantly sealed off the space surrounding Su Xie.
"The one who should be running is you!"
Su Xie let out a cold snort, reached out to grab Qin Ying, and pulled her into his embrace.
True Man Purple Sword shook his head, a trace of greed lingering in his gaze as he looked at Su Xie: "Brat, even at this point, you still want to play the hero saving the beauty? How about this: hand over the techniques for those two sword skills from earlier, and this deity can spare both your lives!"
"Are you worthy?"
Su Xie spat out those words with a completely expressionless face, and three small flying swords instantly materialized in his palm.
These were precisely the three life-saving trump cards Old Man Ning had given him upon parting that day.
"If you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeiture, then this deity will send the two of you to the Western Paradise!"