Yan Wujiu felt a sudden, inexplicable throbbing and chill in his heart.
As if sensing something, he subconsciously reached into his robe and pulled out an ancient tortoise shell that had been nurtured for many years.
That was a divination tool passed down from his sect, which he was given to him on the day he joined the Tianyan Sect.
The moment my fingertips touched the surface of the tortoise shell, I heard an extremely faint "click" sound.
Looking down, I saw that a fine crack had appeared out of nowhere on the tortoise shell.
Yan Wujiu's eyes were deep and dark, like thick ink that could not be dissolved, with an indescribable dark emotion surging within.
The technique that Master Yunmiao used to desperately break through to the first-grade realm was secretly provided by him, and the two had long been inextricably linked by cause and effect.
Even if they are separated by thousands of miles, if the advisor succeeds and stirs up the energy of heaven and earth, he should have some kind of feeling.
However, instead of the expected resonance between heaven and earth, they were met with a deductive force that arrived from afar.
Like a bone-deep infection, it precisely targeted him.
Yan Wujiu's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
Even if he was given a chance, it wouldn't be of any use...
Was it simply that time waits for no one, or that fate was against him, and in the end, all his efforts were in vain?
Yan Wujiu was dressed as an ordinary citizen of the North, wearing a faded gray cotton robe with a cloth belt casually tied around his waist.
His hair was slightly disheveled and wrapped under a thick, old felt hat; his face was rough, and he was easily overlooked in the crowd.
The courtyard was secluded and quiet, with firewood piled up in the corner and an unfinished wicker basket next to the stone steps, suggesting that someone had lived there for a long time.
On the clay stove next to it was an earthenware pot, inside which millet porridge was bubbling and emitting the most ordinary aroma of food.
Yan Wujiu let the tortoise shell in his hand shatter inch by inch, eventually turning into dust that flowed down between his fingers.
It was as if his relationship with the Tianyan Sect had vanished without a trace, not even the last vestige of hope.
He then stood up and expressionlessly dusted off the dust on his sleeves.
Then he strode out of the courtyard without a trace of lingering.
...
Outside Zhenbei Pass, inside the main tent of the Shuofeng Dynasty's army.
The lieutenant bowed and clasped his hands in a solemn voice:
"General, the hour of Si (9-11 AM) has arrived."
The eldest prince, Xiao Shiyao, had a somber expression.
Two days ago, he received an urgent secret decree from his father, delivered by a golden eagle.
The imperial edict was unusually harsh, explicitly demanding that he launch a full-scale attack on Zhenbeiguan at exactly 1:00 AM today.
Such precision down to the exact hour is truly unheard of.
The Shuofeng Army is renowned throughout the land for its light cavalry, specializing in field raids and relying on its swift speed and arrows to defeat the enemy.
Conquering cities and seizing strongholds, especially formidable passes like Zhenbeiguan, was not their forte.
A forced attack would result in extremely heavy casualties, and using the corpses of soldiers to fill the city walls would be an unwise move.
The most crucial point is that he was completely unable to grasp the deeper meaning behind his father's actions.
This was nothing short of a high-stakes gamble, with the stakes being the lives of countless soldiers in the north.
"Has there been any unusual activity at Zhenbeiguan recently?"
Xiao Shiyao asked in a deep voice, trying to find any reason to disobey this absurd decree.
The lieutenant lowered his head, his voice growing even deeper:
"Reporting to the General, there is nothing unusual. The defenses at the pass are as usual, and the patrol frequency has not increased."
Xiao Shiyao closed his eyes, struggling internally.
The emperor's command was absolute. He slammed his hand on the heavy wooden table in front of him, making a dull thud. He had finally made up his mind, his voice slightly hoarse:
"Order! Assemble the entire army and proceed with the plan... to attack the city!"
"yes!"
The lieutenant accepted the order and strode out.
The camp of the Shuofeng army instantly resembled a giant beast awakening, with horns blaring and war drums beating, and the massive war machine began to operate.
Such a large-scale disturbance immediately aroused the high alert of the garrison at Zhenbei Pass.
"Enemy attack! Light the signal fire! Light the signal fire immediately!"
On the walls of the barbican, the soldiers on lookout shouted themselves hoarse.
One after another, plumes of black smoke rose into the sky, and the desolate and urgent sound of horns instantly resounded throughout the entire fortress.
Upon hearing this, the people inside the pass were immediately thrown into a state of panic.
People screamed and shoved each other, running home like a flock of frightened sheep.
The streets were quickly placed under martial law, and squads of heavily armored soldiers ran past with grim faces, their heavy footsteps striking the hearts of everyone present.
Inside the outer city wall, Yan Wujiu strode towards the city gate, moving against the panicked flow of people like a rock cutting through waves.
Strangely, neither the fleeing civilians nor the soldiers maintaining order seemed to be able to see his presence at all.
Even if someone runs towards him, no one notices his presence.
He moved as if he were in an empty place, and went straight to the barbican, which was far less fortified than the main gate.
The operation of a formidable pass relies not only on elite soldiers but also on a large number of civilians undertaking logistical and miscellaneous tasks.
In addition, the two countries have been at peace for many years, and this barbican attached to Zhenbeiguan has long since developed into a large-scale, densely populated area.
For this reason, the defensive capabilities of its city gates are far inferior to those of the main city gate of Zhenbeiguan, which can be described as an impregnable fortress.
Finally, Yan Wujiu gently placed his palm on the city gate, which was made of thick wood covered with iron sheets.
With the full force of a third-grade cultivator, true energy surged out like a violent torrent!
The city gate immediately groaned under the strain and trembled violently.
The sheet metal on the surface was twisted and deformed, and the internal wooden structure emitted a teeth-grinding cracking sound.
Immediately afterwards, to the horrified gaze of the surrounding guards, a deafening roar erupted as the heavy city gate was smashed open as if struck by an invisible giant hammer.
It turned into countless fragments and wood chips, and collapsed with a crash!
"What happened?"
"The city gate! Why has the city gate collapsed!"
"Quickly, enemy attack! It's an enemy attack!"
The surrounding garrison was immediately thrown into great chaos.
Terrified shouts, chaotic footsteps, and the sound of weapons being drawn filled the air.
They simply couldn't understand why the perfectly good city gate would suddenly collapse on its own.
...
At the main camp of the Shuofeng army, the eldest prince Xiao Shiyao had just put on his armor and mounted his warhorse, and the entire army had completed its initial mobilization.
"Report—!"
A scout charged forward on horseback, his voice distorted with shock and excitement.
"General! The barbican gate... the barbican gate collapsed by itself!"
What?
Xiao Shiyao's pupils suddenly contracted.
Could it be a trap?
This can be combined with the Emperor's eerie secret edict, which was accurate to the exact hour...
In a flash, without hesitation, he swung his hand sharply:
"A golden opportunity! Vanguard, advance across the entire front!"
"yes!"
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