Chapter 60: The Final March
The northern front of Dawnriver stretched into a terrifying, foreboding expanse. It was no longer a patch of wilderness, but a colossal, fortified bastion belonging to the Ironfang Kingdom, a scarred landscape dominated by hastily constructed stone walls and jagged outcrops. The late afternoon sun, a weak, coppery disc in the hazy sky, cast a dim, golden hue over the war-torn earth. Every watchtower bristled with menacing sentries clad in dark, heavy armor, their qi signatures pulsing like steady, hostile heartbeats.
Lin Xuan, his entire being focused into a silent, lethal instrument, moved through this frontier like a shadow passing over stone. The vast power of his 9th Layer Qi Transformation flowed into the Abyssal Lotus Step, allowing his form to glide effortlessly over the uneven ground. His movements were so fluid, his control over his own qi emission so precise, that he was virtually indistinguishable from a trick of the light.
A rustle of dry weeds. A faint smell of stale blood and cheap Ironfang liquor.
His crimson eyes were sharp with reconnaissance intent, absorbing every detail of the Ravencrest Clan's fortifications—the strategic placement of qi-infused caltrops, the slight wobble in the sentry line, the exact pacing of the 5th Layer Qi Transformation patrols.
"We need their weaknesses," he murmured, his voice a low, self-directed whisper that was instantly swallowed by the wind. "Every detail counts. A fortress only falls when its foundation is flawed."
As he crept closer to the main defensive line, a shift in the air caught his attention—a flicker of an eye, a tightening of a burly guard's grip on his spear. Spotted. The guard, a veteran with a thick, calloused neck, lunged with a guttural roar, his spear charged with crude, heavy qi. Lin Xuan sidestepped with the effortless grace of a master swordsman dodging a clumsy child. In the same motion, he countered not with a weapon, but with a precise qi burst from his palm—a small, focused detonation aimed at the guard's solar plexus. The man's armor clattered as he hit the ground, stunned and gasping.
"Stay down," Lin Xuan commanded, moving past the downed man without a wasted glance. He had the map in his mind now, every defense cataloged, every weakness marked.
He rejoined the main allied forces, which were already organizing a colossal movement—the final, massive march.
Leading the vanguard was Liu Yue. Her cultivation had solidified, establishing her firmly at the 8th Layer of Qi Transformation. She was a field commander, her snowflake mark blazing with brilliant power. Using the Frost Phoenix Cry, she secured a critical path through a complex stretch of outer defenses. The icy qi formed a devastating, frozen corridor that turned a chaotic field of traps and beasts into an orderly, crystalline killing zone, ensuring the army's momentum.
Liu Yang, operating with newfound confidence at the 6th Layer of Qi Gathering, served as the army's forward scout and skirmisher. His blood-forged glaive was a blur of crimson and steel as he neutralized any small, desperate pockets of Ironfang resistance. "The path is clear, Senior Sister!" he reported back, his young face set with the grim intensity of his duty. "The vanguard can advance at full speed!"
In the command center, Ji Yunjing, now at the peak of the 4th Layer Profound Heavenly Realm, deployed the massed ranks of the Azure River Guards. His voice, deep and resonant, was laced with an authority earned through blood and crisis.
"For Dawnriver—press the advantage! Leave nothing in our wake! Today, we break them!" he called, his command echoing through the columns of marching men, the finality of the words settling deep into their hearts.
Bai Ningxue, her cultivation having also peaked at the 9th Layer of Qi Transformation, moved in the army's wake. Her Thousand Lotus Seal Art provided a serene yet powerful fortress, sealing the remnants of enemy qi to prevent any spiritual counter-attack. But as they marched, she paused, her eyes wide with a cold, unnatural dread.
A pulse. A wave of darkness so profound, so utterly wrong, washed over her senses from the far north. It was not the chaotic demonic qi of the Bloodshade Abyss, nor the brutal force of the Ironfang General. It was something ancient, something that touched the deep, forbidden places of the soul.
"There's something dark ahead—be wary," she warned, her tone calm and low, yet utterly alert. "It feels like... a tomb. A force that shouldn't exist in this domain."
At the final pre-siege war council, the tent was tense with the clink of armor and the low murmur of strategy. Lin Xuan, standing over the campaign map, ignored the successful breach. His crimson eyes were fixed on Bai Ningxue's warning.
"We broke their defense, but this is the calm before the true storm," he stated, his voice quiet, drawing the full attention of every commander. He pointed to the Ironfang capital, a massive, imposing fortress looming on the map. "We siege their heart next. Bai Ningxue's detection of the Black Tomb influence is real. It means the enemy has a terrifying backer. We must move now, before that power fully awakens."
Liu Yue, her resolve firm and her eyes alert, placed her hand on his shoulder in their familiar gesture of shared fate. "We'll be ready, Senior Brother. Together, we take the capital. No tomb, black or otherwise, will stand in our way."
The army of Dawnriver and Veilmoon Sect moved as one, a vast, determined river of steel and spiritual power flowing towards the final confrontation. The future of the kingdom rested on the strength of this march.