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Yihan must have seen my fear and worry, which is why he wanted to kiss away the sorrow between my brows. Who knew that he would be aroused by me and become burning with desire, yet he couldn't do anything to me. Thinking of that helpless and depressed face, I can't help but laugh.

Suddenly, Yihan and I froze at the same time, straightening up abruptly, startling the soldiers nearby.

I frowned and listened intently for a while, then looked at Yihan with shock and even horror: "You heard it too?"

Yi Han nodded solemnly: "The number is at least four thousand."

"Feilian and the others still won't let us go?" I clenched my fists, wishing I could punch a tree trunk to vent my anger, but I knew that would only make me lose my temper and injure my wrist. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The soldiers around me had all woken up and looked at Yihan and me with slight suspicion, but there was no panic. Their eyes were full of trust and loyalty to me. They truly deserved to be the best Li Luo soldiers in the Shura Dark Camp.

I finally calmed down under that intense gaze and said in a deep voice, "Buying, take ten men to scout within a five-mile radius ahead. Remember to be careful and don't alert the enemy."

Bu Ying's expression changed slightly: "They still attacked?"

I nodded helplessly, and waited until Busing Shadow silently led his men away before giving my second order: "Qin Wu, lead a hundred men to quickly scout the surrounding terrain. I need you to give me a detailed report within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, on how many valleys, streams, waterfalls, and even caves there are here, understand?"

"Yes, young master!" Qin Wu replied in a low voice and hurriedly left with a hundred men.

"Qiluo!" I turned and glanced around. This was the actual border of the Purple Cloud Mountains. The weather was cold and dry, and the trees were much sparser, but the grass was still green, the streams murmured, and the rocks were rugged—it could be considered a valley. I said calmly, "I can only give you five hundred men. No matter what method or strategy you use, you must hold off the enemy army for half an hour when they arrive. After half an hour, regardless of success or failure, you must retreat. Can you do that?"

Qi Luo hesitated for a moment, then her eyes lit up with a determined light: "Qi Luo vows to fulfill Young Master's request, even at the cost of her life."

I forced a smile, wanting to suggest that if we were truly outmatched, running away was the best option, but I couldn't bring myself to speak. It was because if Qiluo and the five hundred Liluo soldiers leading the vanguard didn't fight with a do-or-die determination, their complete annihilation would be inevitable. And the only one capable of accomplishing this task was Qiluo, who, though not particularly intelligent, possessed an unwavering and indomitable spirit.

After Qiluo led her troops away, there were not many of Liluo's soldiers left. I took a few steps forward, stood in front of Yunyan, and held her slightly cold hand. We both felt a pang of sorrow, as if we had been separated by time, and gazed at each other in the dim light of the stars in the dark night.

"Yunyan," I said softly, "I know you don't have any medicine on you right now, and I don't have much either. If I let you use what you have on hand, how long would it take you to concoct the most effective poison?"

Yunyan looked around, and after a moment, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly: "Although the trees here are beautiful, there are not many medicinal herbs, and we need so many. If they are poisonous when eaten, I can refine them within an hour; but if they are medicinal powders or poisonous gases, it will take at least two hours from collection to successful refinement, and the effect is not guaranteed."

I hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "Time is of the essence, and we can't worry about the results now. I'll select a few dozen skilled climbers to serve you and protect you, but I can only give you two hours at most. Otherwise, we'll both end up buried here."

Upon hearing this, Yunyan laughed and said, "Let's bury the bones then, but I wonder if you will be buried with me or with your Wind Guardian?"

Next update: May 4th

Sweat dripped down my face. I said the third volume was nearing its end, so... I mean, so the angst was about to start...^_^

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Chapter 27 Putting Them in a Deadly Situation (Part 2)

Chapter 27 Putting Them in a Deadly Situation (Part 2)

Upon hearing this, Yunyan laughed and said, "Let's bury the bones then, but I wonder if you will be buried with me or with your Wind Guardian?"

My face flushed slightly, and I was about to retaliate when she jumped back a few steps and shouted, "Those of you who think you're good at climbing and recognizing herbs, come with me! Twenty will be enough, don't make too many!"

After Yunyan left, I ordered them to light torches. With war imminent, there was no need to worry about being exposed. I glanced around at the remaining five hundred-odd Li Luo soldiers. They showed neither unease nor joy at being left behind; their expressions were calm and trusting as they looked at me. It was as if they had always believed that as long as I was there, no matter how unequal the odds, we would not lose.

I took a deep breath and looked up to see Bu Ying appear in my line of sight with a grave expression. I nodded slightly. I knew that Jin Yaobing had indeed arrived, and their marching speed was immeasurable. A decisive battle, the most brutal battle I had fought since becoming the young prime minister, was about to erupt.

I scanned each face before me, faces I would never remember in the future, yet which were now deeply etched in my memory, and slowly proclaimed: “I have no grand words to inspire you, nor can I say that this battle will be won, or that you will emerge unscathed. However, I can tell you clearly.”

Her slender fingers pointed one by one in the direction where Luo Jun had just left: "The brothers who have fought alongside you all this time, their lives, their efforts, their future will all be in your hands. They will use their blood to buy you precious time, they will use their lives to bring you hope of victory, and what should you give them in return?"

"Fight!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs. At the same time, the sounds of close combat came from the front.

"We must fight!" The shouts and oaths grew even more impassioned and resolute, revealing an unwavering determination and pride. "Fight for ourselves! Fight for our lord! Fight for our brothers!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!!" The fervent shouts filled the entire valley, even the clashes of weapons across the mountains and fields could not drown it out.

A cool, sweat-free hand grasped my trembling, icy hand, and warmth slowly spread through me. Yi Han pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, "Are you planning to set up an array?"

Only Yi Han could perceive my trembling and vulnerability when I appeared calm and composed, yet was actually filled with worry and fear, and then offer me support and warmth at the right time. Leaning against him, I finally felt at ease and sighed, "I know that without a top expert leading the formation, you can't set up the Kuiyang Formation. But without the formation, in this secluded valley, with its steep cliffs and coastline, we have no way to retreat."

I paused, then looked at the soldiers who had fallen silent and were awaiting my instructions. I continued in a low voice, “For a long time, I have been studying the Three Beginnings Formation, which is simpler than the Eight Trigrams but not much less powerful, but I have never been able to grasp its essence. It was only when I combined it with the principles of your Heavenly Star Flowing Sword Sect’s Kui Yang Formation that I made a breakthrough. One begets two, two begets three, and three begets the origin of all things. This is the origin of Wuji begetting Taiji, and Yin and Yang begetting all things. Therefore, around this Three Beginnings Formation, only the three gates of shock, injury, and death should be opened.”

Yi Han was startled and stared at me with wide eyes: "Opening only three gates means..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but I understood what he meant. The so-called Qimen Dunjia formation, in order to trap others, first traps oneself. Therefore, no matter how unfathomable and powerful the formation is, it must leave a way out and an opening; otherwise, while trapping others, one will be trapped and die first.

A slight smile played on my lips as I said calmly, “The first is life, the second is death, and the third is annihilation. The Gate of Life will open at the very center of the Three Origins Formation, the strongest point, and also the weakest. So, Yihan, from the moment when millions of troops were trapped by five hundred Li Luo soldiers until Yun Yan released the poison gas, whether you can hold the Gate of Life and prevent anyone from breaking through will be the key to victory or defeat.”

I gently smoothed the wrinkles between his brows and said softly, "Don't worry about me. Yunyan is right here with me. Even if commanding really exhausts me, my life won't be in danger. Buying can also protect me. We came together, so we'll definitely go back together."

Yi Han looked at me intently, his dark green eyes flashing intermittently. Then, disregarding the bloody battle ahead and the attention of millions, he pulled me into his arms with such force that he seemed to want to meld me into his body.

Standing on high ground directing the battle, I could clearly see that the war was far more brutal and bloody than I had imagined. I don't know how Qiluo managed to hold off an army of five thousand with only three hundred soldiers. All I could hear were the screams of charging souls, and all I could see were heads surging across the green hills in the hazy twilight, with blood filling the sky.

Then, after an unknown amount of time, the Jin Yao Army, clad in dark yellow armor, finally broke through the defenses. Was Qi Luo safe? How many of the three hundred Li Luo soldiers remained? Did the survivors know to retreat, or were they blinded by rage and fighting desperately?

I couldn't dwell on these things, because the yellow army had already charged into the Three Origins Formation set up by the black Li Luo army. They immediately realized something was wrong; the once orderly ranks became chaotic, and those with weak wills began to charge wildly. The Golden Radiance Army soldiers in the formation were either killed by their comrades or assassinated by the elusive Li Luo army.

The Golden Glory soldiers outside the formation were all terrified and dared not take a step. I raised the brocade banner and suddenly waved it down. The Three Origins Formation moved at a speed that was imperceptible to the naked eye, instantly enveloping the Golden Glory soldiers outside the formation, and the slaughter began again.

As I expected, General Jin Yao, realizing he was in dire straits, calmed down and sternly rebuked the soldiers who were still barely conscious, urging them to stop their wavering. He even personally killed dozens of crazed Jin Yao soldiers before all the soldiers calmed down and began a desperate charge to break through the enemy lines.

From a distance, I didn't recognize this Jin Yao general, but judging from his clothes, he seemed to be one of Lü Shaojun's men. Jin Yao didn't have many truly capable commanders; Yang Qian, though a fierce general, wasn't a threat. If there was anyone who could truly put me on guard, it was Lü Shaojun, with whom I had a fairly good relationship during my time in Jin Yao.

In the sixth year of Jinyao, I almost stole the limelight from Lü Shaojun, but he never felt anxious or resentful. He diligently fulfilled his duty of protecting the country and resisting foreign aggression, and thus gained the unanimous recognition of all the soldiers in Jinyao.

He and I are completely different generals. I excel at offense, he excels at defense; I use ingenious and unconventional strategies, he marches with composure and pragmatism. He and his generals, who are neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat, seem to be bound by rules and regulations, yet remain unyielding. They will surely be my most troublesome opponents in the future.

As expected, the general's composure and the soldiers' loyalty and bravery finally led them to the Gate of Life after countless casualties in their assaults on the Gates of Shock, Wound, and Death. But how could Yi Han be so easily dealt with?

Back then, even before his martial arts had reached their full potential and he hadn't yet reached the Innate Realm, he was already able to hold off ten thousand men in the Crimson Valley. How much more so now that he's only one step away from the Innate Realm of Non-Action? In fact, the only person who could guard the Life Gate of the Three Beginnings Formation must be Yi Han.

Within the Three Origins Formation, only the Gate of Death provides a path to the Gate of Life, but it can only accommodate three or fewer people at a time. The pitiful Golden Radiance Soldiers, though numbering in the millions, could not swarm forward and were instead toyed with by Yi Han like cutting melons and vegetables. Moreover, the weakest point is always the strongest, meaning the formation around the Gate of Life is the most powerful. If it weren't for Yi Han's unwavering resolve and breakthrough to the Innate Dustless Realm, an ordinary person would likely go mad after killing just a few.