The following day passed without incidents. By noon, after crossing the last ridge of the mountain range, the land beyond finally revealed itself
The Long Empire
From their elevated vantage point, the capital unfolded like a celestial painting carved into the heart of the mountains. Towering walls encircled the city, their surfaces engraved with ancient formation patterns that shimmered faintly under the sun. Elegant pagodas pierced the skyline, layered roofs curved like phoenix wings, banners of gold and deep crimson fluttering proudly despite the scars of war
Beyond the outer walls stretched a broad plain once fertile and prosperous, fed by streams descending from the mountains. Terraced farms and irrigation channels could still be seen
But the beauty was wounded
The plain was riddled with craters of varying depths. Entire sections of farmland lay barren, soil overturned and blackened. Irrigation canals had collapsed. Wooden watchtowers stood broken or half-burned. What should have been a thriving agricultural belt now resembled a battlefield that had never fully healed
Those who had never seen the Long Empire before stood in silent awe
Even damaged, it dwarfed every small city they had known
Yet the silence among the elders carried no admiration, only concern
" I shall proceed ahead " Long Zan said slowly " Little Zhelan, guide them safely from here "
" Yes, Grandfather " Long Zhelan replied respectfully, bowing her head slightly
Long Zan's figure lifted from the ground, robes fluttering like drifting clouds as he soared toward the capital
Long Zhelan turned gracefully to the group. Though her face was hidden behind her veil, her posture remained dignified " We advance "
Behind them stretched a convoy of no fewer than twelve heavy carriages. Each was reinforced with ironwood frames and spirit-inscribed metal rims. Some carried sacks of grain and dried rations; others were loaded with crates of medicinal herbs, weapon racks, armor sets, and sealed chests containing spiritual gems. Cultivators walked alongside them in disciplined formation, hands resting on sword hilts or spear shafts.
Eight Half-Step Spiritual Lord elders escorted the caravan personally. Thirty additional cultivators of the Spirit Ocean and Spiritual Body realms formed protective flanks
Their numbers were respectable.
But the land around them told a harsher story
" So they assault the Empire this frequently? " Dakon asked quietly to Elder Tai
Elder Tai nodded gravely " They do not show themselves. The Nine Nether Sects send reanimated corpses and stitched abominations instead. They aim to exhaust us, bleed the civilians dry before launching their true strike. And regrettably… it is working. Our food reserves have halved "
Dakon's gaze drifted to the empty farms ' Starve the people to break their morale and then strike, how a cowardly way to act, but it's still effective '
As they descended toward the plains, the evidence of war grew more grotesque
Scattered across the roadside were the remains of destroyed undead and twisted constructs
Some corpses were once human, limbs elongated unnaturally, bones protruding through decayed flesh, black veins webbing across pallid skin. Others were monstrous conglomerations: two torsos fused at the spine; three arms grafted onto one shoulder; multiple heads attached to a single swollen body, mouths frozen in silent screams. Their flesh appeared stitched together crudely, yet bound by dark spiritual threads that still faintly pulsed.
The younger cultivators stiffened at the sight; they knew that many of these abominations had once been people. Children. Farmers or Cultivators
" Shameless demonic sects! " One elder spat " To profane the dead so brazenly! "
Dakon observed silently ' No intact corpses of soldiers. The fallen of the Empire must have been retrieved '
The enemy's creations were left behind like discarded tools
When they finally reached the outer gates, the full extent of the wall's damage became visible. Deep claw marks gouged into stone blocks. Sections bore blackened scorch marks from corrosive energy. Formation arrays had been hastily patched in places, glowing unevenly
A unit of imperial guards stood at the entrance
They wore dark-blue lamellar armor layered over black silk inner robes, embroidered with golden dragon motifs across their breastplates. Each carried a long spear or a curved dao at their side. Their helmets bore horsehair crests, though several were cracked or dented. Fatigue shadowed their eyes. Bandages wrapped around forearms and necks. Some bore healing salves that had yet to fully dry
They straightened immediately upon recognizing Long Zhelan
" Princess! " The captain called out, striking his spear butt against the ground in salute " This subordinate greets Your Highness! "
The other guards bowed in unison despite their visible exhaustion
Long Zhelan inclined her head gracefully " It is good to see you still standing, Captain. Has His Majesty returned? "
The Captain's smile faltered slightly " Reporting to Your Highness, the Emperor hasn't yet returned. Nor has His Highness the Crown Prince "
A brief silence followed " I see " She replied calmly " Escort the convoy inside at once. Prioritize the grain "
Then a shout erupted from atop the wall " Enemies approaching from the southern plain! " Making every head turn
Across the scarred fields, a dark tide advanced
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of undead surged forward, accompanied by grotesque abominations. A thick purple miasma rolled behind them like storm clouds dragging across the earth.
Some of the larger creatures towered above the trees, colossal masses of fused flesh, dozens of limbs moving independently. Eyes blinked randomly across their bodies. One creature dragged itself forward on a forest of arms, while multiple torsos protruded from its back, wailing silently.
The ground trembled as the guards tightened their grips on their weapons, fatigue instantly replaced by resolve
Long Zhelan raised her hand decisively " Inform my grandfather. Move the carriages inside the city immediately. Close secondary gates "
" Yes, Your Highness! " The Captain said
Then she turned " Elders, with me— "
But before she could finish *SWOOSH* A streak of blue light shot past her, Dakon
Azure aura erupted around him, sharp and violent ' Let me see how much that train strengthen me '
Twin spheres of condensed blue ki formed in his palms as he accelerated toward the incoming horde. At the last moment, he leapt skyward, ascending above the battlefield
Behind him, the elders stared in shock " Why is he charging alone?! " one almost yelled in disbelif
Her veil concealed her expression, but her eyes showed amazement as she watched Dakon rise above the battlefield like a comet launching from the ground
---------------------------------
Far beyond the charging tide of corpses, atop a low ridge shrouded in drifting miasma, stood a formation of cultivators clad in black.
Their robes were not simple cloth but layers of dark silk stitched with faint crimson talismans. The hems were embroidered with twisting skull motifs and coiling serpents. Iron bells, no larger than fingernails, hung from their sleeves and waists, chiming faintly with every movement. Thin strands of ghostly smoke leaked from beneath their hoods, revealing glimpses of pale faces marked with black ritual lines carved into skin.
At their center stood a tall man whose robe was lined with silver thread forming an inverted lotus, its petals dripping downward like blood. His eyes were long and narrow, irises tinged with a murky violet sheen
Behind them, the monstrous horde surged forward
The black-robed cultivators watched with cold amusement
" A little bit more… " The leader murmured, lips curling. " The patriarch needs this distraction "
His gaze followed the advancing corpses, voice lowering into something almost tender " Even if they slaughter these… they are gifts from our sect. Inside each body is saturated with Corpse-Refining Miasma. The moment they fall— " He tapped a finger lightly against his sleeve " —they burst "
A ripple of soft laughter passed through the group, but suddenly one of the younger disciples stiffened " What is that? " Every hood tilted upward
Above the battlefield, a streak of blue light pierced the sky
Dakon was high over the plain. The energy gathered around his body in layered currents, spiraling upward in luminous streams
In each hand, a sphere of condensed ki formed; they were not small, they pulsed like miniature suns.
The leader narrowed his eyes " Hmph. A lone fool " One disciple sneered " Charging alone? Even if the horde doesn't tear him apart, the miasma will corrode his whole body "
" Arrogant fool " Another added disdainfully
Above them, Dakon's expression remained calm as he extended his arms forward, the twin spheres split and split again and again as they fall two the ground
In the span of a single breath, dozens became hundreds
Azure lights fell from the sky like stars falling in broad daylight. Each sphere hummed with compressed power, the air around them distorting from the sheer density of energy.
The black-robed cultivators' laughter faded " …What? "
The spheres rained down in a storm of blue fire, humming softly until the first impact shattered the earth *BOOM*
A column of fire erupted skyward, vaporizing dozens of corpses instantly. Before the shockwave finished expanding *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
The plain transformed into an inferno
Explosions chained into one another in perfect succession. It wasn't chaotic. It was orchestrated devastation. Each detonation ignited the next before the previous one fully dissipated, forming a continuous sea of roaring light.
From the ridge, the black-robed men watched as their horde disappeared beneath blinding brilliance.
The shockwaves flattened what remained of the already ruined farmland. Firestorms spiraled upward, devouring not only flesh and bone but the very miasma saturating the battlefield.
The Corpse-Refining Miasma ignited, but instead of spreading, it burned
The fierce explosions consumed the poisonous fog mid-expansion, erasing it before it could bloom into its lethal cloud. The air trembled violently as dark energy was purified by overwhelming force.
The disciples' expressions changed. Amusement turned to disbelief, and disbelief twisted into unease
The explosions continued for several seconds, each one shaking the ridge beneath their feet
Then, silence, the smoke rolled across the plain. Dust drifted slowly downward like black snow
As the haze thinned, the devastation revealed itself
Where thousands of undead had charged moments ago, there was now only scorched earth and smoldering craters. Charred bone fragments littered the ground, already turning to ash.
Less than a hundred figures remained standing—the abominations.
Even they were maimed—limbs blown off, torsos split open, stitched flesh hanging in torn strands. Their grotesque bodies trembled unsteadily, barely intact.
And the miasma, it was gone. Burned away completely
The wind moved freely across the plain for the first time since the horde had appeared.
The ridge fell into suffocating silence as the sound of one disciple swallowing saliva was the only sound audible
Another one took an involuntary step back
The leader's violet eyes widened slightly, just slightly, before narrowing into something far colder " Who… " His jaw tightened, teeth grinding. The bells at his sleeve trembled violently from the killing intent leaking into the air " Who is that bastard? "