Chaotic World Book

The one leading the troops eastward was Li Boping himself commanding the large army, and Cui Wenjing, who was stationed there, had considerable forces as well. This was the garrison mobilized from Jiangnan and Jianghuai, though they were unaccustomed to the local conditions. Assisting in the defense of Hangu Pass, however, was not too problematic. Tang Buqi and Wan Dongliu were both present, along with Cui Yuanyang and the entire Yang Family, creating a truly formidable assembly of troops.

Without either side possessing Imperial Realm powers, this situation would most closely resemble historical large-scale warfare, making a swift resolution impossible.

However, Li Boping did not intend to remain in a deadlock with Cui Wenjing.

Regardless of the outcome of the Northern Border battle, if Zhao Changhe returned victorious, Guanglong would surely fall; if the nomads won and marched south, he would be reduced to a subordinate position. Neither outcome was in his interest.

The only beneficial scenario was to seize the opportunity during the decisive battle at the Northern Border, while results were still uncertain, to quickly invade the Central Plains and consolidate his position. By then, neither the returning Great Han army nor the advancing nomads could do anything about him.

But to quickly break through Hangu Pass, an Imperial Realm God Demon would be essential; otherwise, relying solely on warfare was a fantasy, it wasn't that easy.

Yet even with Imperial Realm God Demons, their impact seemed not as imagined.

Desolate Calamity blushed with frustration in the camp, suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Li Boping was alarmed: "Sir, why are you injured?"

"Qinghe Sword..." Desolate Calamity recalled the icy eyes of a round-faced little girl from a moment ago, feeling a lingering fear.

Never expected, the anchor of the opposing side was not Cui Wenjing, but rather his youngest daughter who had just recently come of age and married, or more bluntly, the fully powered Qinghe Sword!

Mountain and River Four Swords, stabilize this world.

This was crafted by Piaomiao back in the day, specifically created to suppress Desolate Calamity and his counterparts representing the destructive Demon God by using a Divine Sword, a perfect counter!

Additionally, that little girl's cultivation was somewhat odd.

On the surface, she seemed barely to have broken through to the Second Layer Secret Treasure, but for some reason, Desolate Calamity's Divine Arts felt as if they had hit a wall, almost causing his spirit to dissipate.

Was it the Qinghe Sword providing protection for its owner? Why did it not seem quite like that...

"General Li, please don't be anxious, I'll try again." Desolate Calamity adjusted his breath slightly and attempted once more.

This time, his casting did not target the military camp but aimed at the common soldiers on the periphery.

Desolate Calamity represented desolation and withering; he originally could cause the enemy's forces to wither and weaken entirely, turning fertile lands into wastelands, and the more so, the greater his cultivation would grow, by this natural opposite, was his way. Previously at Qinghe facing Zhao Changhe, the latter with his overwhelmingly vigorous Qi and Blood cultivation, coupled with swordsmanship support, was unshaken. This was Zhao Changhe's own specialized and robust Qi and Blood training with body refining strength fending it off, which was understandable.

But this time, how to put it... it was as if a drop of ink attempted to soak a piece of white paper and seemed successful and effective. Yet upon changing the perspective, that white paper appeared as endless rivers and mountains, and a drop of ink falling on it wasn't even noticeable at all, couldn't even see where it landed. Striving desperately to spread, but only ending in despair.

It was even more humiliating than a cup of water on a burning cart, akin to a tiny insect against vast mountains.

A pair of cold eyes appeared before him again.

"Piaomiao!" Desolate Calamity shouted hoarsely, his entire body sprung up in the tent with a "bang", drenched in sweat, as if he had woken from a nightmare.

Li Boping and others exchanged bewildered glances, completely clueless about what just happened.

Desolate Calamity panted heavily and urgently said: "This battle is unmanageable, unless the Lord intervenes personally... if it truly is her, then apart from Emperor Ye and the Lord, no one else in the world can oppose her!"

The Lord...

Desolate Calamity's Lord, referring to Jiuyou.

Jiuyou had subdued these demons representing various chaotic elements, bringing them under his command and also brought under some like Feng Yin who sought only the Heavenly Book, which is why they were all helping Li Boping.

"You saw clearly?" A voice echoed in the void from Jiuyou: "Are you sure it's Piaomiao?"

Desolate Calamity, breathing heavily, replied: "No, not entirely sure; if it were truly Piaomiao, I probably wouldn't have returned. More likely, it's still the imagery of the Qinghe Sword... but, but I cannot break the protection of the Qinghe Sword."

"Actually... if it truly were Piaomiao, that should indeed be something to rejoice about..." Jiuyou chuckled softly, murmuring: "It better be."

With his words, Jiuyou lightly snapped his fingers: "If it's only the Qinghe Sword, then I can render it temporarily ineffective."

Over there, Cui Yuanyang was in the camp participating in a military council, when Cui Wenjing suddenly sensed something: "Yangyang, what happened just now?"

Cui Yuanyang scratched her head: "I felt like there was a fly bothering me, so I swatted it away."

The generals: "..."

Just as they were speaking, Cui Yuanyang's expression changed slightly: "Qinghe? Qinghe?"

Cui Wenjing stood abruptly: "What is it?"

"I don't know, it's like Qinghe suddenly fell asleep again..." Cui Yuanyang was anxious: "This shouldn't be!"

"It's merely a brief return to slumber, after all, a sword is still just a sword." A black-clad woman's shadow appeared abruptly in the military tent, examining Cui Yuanyang with interest, up and down: "Tsk, quite similar..."

If Zhao Changhe were present, he would note that Jiuyou he saw in Chang'an didn't even demonstrate half the presence being shown here.

This was Jiuyou in full form, descending from beyond Kunlun.

Cui Yuanyang turned pale, shouting loudly: "Who are you!"

Jiuyou replied with a smile: "I'm your dear sister..."

Cui Wenjing suddenly interjected: "This is the Miss from the Li family, said to have pursued King Zhao, crying to be taken as a concubine."

Jiuyou: "?"

Cui Yuanyang's previously pale face quickly changed, pointing and yelling: "Fox spirit, shameless! The Li family, with nobles for generations, have no shame!"

Jiuyou really couldn't be bothered to argue with the little girl, disrupting his backyard wasn't her intention... She leisurely waved her hand: "Yes, yes, the properly wedded little lady, come with me, let's see how much he cherishes you."

As she spoke, Cui Yuanyang suddenly felt herself lifted by an invisible hand, floating involuntarily.

But the next moment, she felt quickly at ease, as if the invisible force was countered by someone.

Looking up, she saw Jiuyou's shadow in the void ascending to the sky: "You finally intervened, my dear sister."

Cui Yuanyang seemed to catch a glimpse of a face quite similar to Jiuyou's, lurking in the void, eyes gently closed, silently observing.

Cui Yuanyang's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Why... even towards Jiuyou, she didn't harbor this... sense of intense displeasure, this urge to hit her?