Chapter 325: Anyang Keeps Its Promise
Clusters of flames exploded—so brilliant and beautiful—yet the outcome they brought was utterly different from ordinary bombs, a far more brutal result.
The unprepared soldiers of Cai State were instantly engulfed in a sea of fire; clusters of flames burst forth, sparks danced through the sky—beautiful, yet deadly.
A single spark landed on a rock, and the rock began to burn;
A single spark fell on swords and armor, and they began to glow red;
A single spark touched the surface of water, and the river began to burn;
A single spark landed on a human body… say no more.
The bombs falling from the sky seemed endless—six to seven hundred fully loaded planes dropped four to five thousand large incendiary bombs in one go; the flames spread madly. Each bomb that hit the ground was like a released demon, and ordinary Qi Refining cultivators screamed in agony.
Only some elite Qi Refining cultivators with slightly higher cultivation could barely endure the pain and use a bit of magic to extinguish the flames on their bodies. However, even if the flames were extinguished, it was only temporary; because the attack had only just begun.
The planes in the sky quickly disappeared; but the earth was still burning, and the city walls were still burning.
The Grand Marshal and Grand Commandant of Cai State, Luo Guanjie, watched the flames rage wildly, his face twitching—yet another new form of attack. Fortunately, ordinary incendiary bombs posed limited threat to cultivators; as long as a spell was cast, the fire could be extinguished.
Whether it was earth-type or ice-type magic, they could temporarily extinguish the flames.
But there was a crucial problem—the burning substances did not disappear. Instead, they lay dormant. If a new source of ignition appeared, these substances would reignite. Moreover, spells had time limits—once the spell’s effect ended, the materials would reemerge.
Although the first batch of four to five thousand incendiary bombs brought panic to Cai State, the actual damage was not too great. But this was just the first batch of incendiary bombs!
Luo Guanjie looked at the injured and screaming soldiers around him, his brows furrowed. Based on what he knew of Anyang, if they had developed this new type of incendiary bomb, there was no way they only had one batch. More were sure to follow—because Li Xian always emphasized the power of industry.
The incendiary bombs ended temporarily, but the artillery bombardment on both sides continued ceaselessly. The armor-piercing shells from Anyang inflicted devastating losses on Cai State’s side.
Of Wang Qisheng’s thirty thousand elite troops sent on a surprise assault, only a little over three thousand made it back to Cai State’s lines, each in utter disarray—some were even missing arms or legs, relying solely on their last breath of spiritual energy to survive.
Across the smoke-wreathed battlefield, Luo Guanjie and Yan Zhengqing gazed at each other from afar. In the distance, Yan Zhengqing said, “This is only the beginning!”
The war raged on, artillery thundered endlessly. Yan Zhengqing’s voice was muffled by the explosions, but Luo Guanjie could still discern his words amid the chaos.
Soon, Anyang’s planes returned. As expected, another round of four to five thousand incendiary bombs. This time, Cai State’s army was more prepared, so the losses were not significant. However, Luo Guanjie, the generals of Cai State, and even many soldiers began to feel anxious.
Waves of incendiary bombs were dropped. Though the flames were extinguished with spells, as more and more bombs fell, the consequences were bound to become unimaginable.
And now, those unforeseen consequences were beginning to appear.
Luo Guanjie saw the result with his own eyes. A bomb exploded on the city wall. The flames that had just been extinguished by magic were instantly reawakened. Within the bomb’s blast radius—dozens of meters—the fire reignited. It took tremendous effort to put out the flames again.
Then another bomb exploded, and the fire rose again. The soldiers were busy fighting the fire. After just two or three cycles, some Qi Refining soldiers were already exhausted.
“This can’t go on!” Luo Guanjie’s worry surged like a flood.
Anyang had launched a proactive attack, but its army had not left the border wall. Instead, they used artillery and aircraft to take the initiative—this style of warfare left Luo Guanjie completely unable to adapt. As he struggled with the situation, the planes returned a third time!
Crackling—another wave of incendiary bombs. Finally, some sections of the fire could no longer be suppressed. After three consecutive bombardments, several parts of the city wall were ablaze. The flames burned so fiercely they turned the stone red. The extreme heat even damaged the city’s protective formations—array after array shattered under the heat, their spiritual light dissipating into the air.
“Should we send out the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators to extinguish the fire?” A disheveled Wang Qisheng cautiously offered a suggestion.
“Or maybe retreat—this war is unwinnable!” That was Lu Chenggang’s proposal. General Lu turned pale at the sight of the “fireballs” rolling madly across the ground.
Luo Guanjie clenched his fists, veins bulging. He clenched them, then released them—clearly weighing a difficult decision. With the war in this state, sometimes bold action was necessary. The best course now:
“Mobilize five hundred thousand troops, go all-in, and smash through Anyang’s border defense in one blow.” A strategist beside Luo Guanjie suggested.
Wang Qisheng objected slightly, “Such a desperate gamble is risky. If Anyang manages to stall us, we may suffer heavy losses.”
Luo Guanjie lowered his eyes. The continuous explosions and crackling flames around him seemed to fade into the distance. At this crucial moment, Luo Guanjie displayed the essential qualities of a commander: calm under pressure and clear thinking.
After a long pause, Luo Guanjie suddenly opened his eyes. “We have no retreat left! We’ve lost every previous war against Anyang. Now that we’re raising five hundred thousand troops again, there is no reason for failure.
There’s no time to delay. Our soldiers’ morale is crumbling fast—we must strike quickly.
And since Anyang declared their intent to ‘wipe us out,’ it’s clearly not just talk.
Pass the order: all troops are to abandon the border defenses. Launch a full assault—a battle to the death!
Anyang’s only weakness is their limited manpower. A full assault gives us hope of victory—and it lets us seize the initiative before Li Yulong’s army can react.
Also, inform all troops: after breaking into Anyang, there will be three days of unrestricted looting!”
Three days of unrestricted looting essentially meant a massacre. It was a cruel order, but also the most effective one to stimulate the soldiers’ morale. At this juncture—after repeated defeats—only such unscrupulous incentives could rekindle their fighting spirit.
The planes returned a fourth time, dropping another wave of incendiary bombs. With four waves accumulated, suppression was no longer possible. The flames raged uncontrollably—thousands of exhausted soldiers were consumed by the fire. Panic spread. Death ran rampant…
A nauseating stench rose into the sky—the smell of scorched flesh and blood was unbearable. Incendiary bombs were truly the most inhumane weapon. Faced with endless war, greed, and aggression, Li Xian was furious—if this continued, Anyang would be dragged into collapse. Especially with the ever-encroaching Cai State, Li Xian had decided to show no more mercy.
Since they cannot be made to respect us, let them learn to fear us!
The planes in the sky had already left, preparing for a fifth wave of attacks; in the distance, the artillery fire had not ceased. Anyang’s latest armor-piercing shells had completely exposed the vulnerabilities in the Cai State’s defenses, causing heavy casualties.
Bombardment, flames, and death were slowly consuming the morale of the Cai State’s army. The tide of war had completely turned.
At this moment, the high command of the Cai State made a decision: “Anyang truly intends to wipe us out. We cannot sit and wait! Now, the entire army will launch a full-scale assault and take Anyang in one blow. Once the city falls, we’ll loot, kill, and burn for three days—half of whatever is seized will belong to the taker!”
Such an order was the most effective in stirring the soldiers’ confidence. Under the pressure of death and fear, the Cai State’s soldiers erupted immediately. Driven by terror and hatred, and lured by the fantasy of plundering and massacring Anyang, the soldiers were like demons unleashed.
The Cai State’s 500,000-strong army, along with former border troops and various civilian laborers, numbered over 600,000. They surged out of the border pass in a mighty wave, fully abandoning the border defenses and any route of retreat. This strategy was not advocated in military doctrines—but in some situations, it was the only right choice, like now.
Rather than wear down Anyang with attrition, it was better to go mad now—push the Cai soldiers to their limit, and force Anyang to its limit too. Both sides would battle to the death under extreme pressure. They would use their numerical superiority to crush Anyang!
Over 600,000 troops charged. In an instant, the narrow borderland between Anyang and the Cai State was filled with a sea of people. Spanning dozens of miles in both length and breadth, it was a writhing mass of heads. On such a vast battlefield, the thousands of incendiary and artillery shells dropped caused only limited casualties—relative to the army’s overall fighting strength.
On the border wall of Anyang’s Great Wall, Yan Zhengqing’s face finally grew serious. This attack from the Cai State had indeed struck at Anyang’s weakness: the lack of manpower.
However, Anyang had long been prepared. Watching the approaching flood of enemy troops, Yan Zhengqing issued a new order:
Prepare the autocannons and machine guns. Prepare the Ten Thousand Swords Formation!
The Ten Thousand Swords Formation, acquired from the Jin Kingdom, was finally going to bare its fangs in Anyang.
As the Cai army surged like a tidal wave, 9,300 Foundation Establishment cultivators formed the array base, with 300 Core Formation cultivators as the formation cores—all ready.
Ten thousand people, ten thousand flying swords of magical artifact grade, each person holding a bottle of elixir in their mouth: this was a liquid-essence potion made from liquefied spiritual energy, capable of quickly replenishing their true energy.
Compared to pill-based medicines, liquid elixirs absorbed much faster. However, they were not as easy to carry.
Ahead of them surged the vast waves of Cai State soldiers; in the sky, more than 100,000 elite troops had taken flight.
Anyang’s side had readied its machine guns and cannons. Artillery continued to roar, each blast inflicting visible casualties.
Overhead, the planes returned for a fifth run, dropping four to five thousand incendiary bombs in a crackling storm, then immediately turned back to prepare for a sixth attack.
Above the walls of Anyang, tens of thousands of cultivators also soared into the sky. At the center of them all was the terrifying Ten Thousand Swords Formation. Tens of thousands of cultivators stood in formation, tens of thousands of icy, gleaming flying swords flashed ominously. A murderous aura enveloped a ten-mile radius!
“The Ten Thousand Swords Formation! A complete formation!” From afar, Cai State’s Grand Marshal and Grand Commandant Luo Guanjie’s expression turned to panic. Fortunately, he had prepared: “Order all aircraft to take off—we must bomb the Ten Thousand Swords Formation. We cannot let it activate successfully!”
Grand Marshal Luo knew well the horror of the Ten Thousand Swords Formation. The Jin Kingdom had become the number one power in eastern Yingzhou precisely due to this formation and the Eight Desolate Heaven-Sealing Formation. Of the two, the offensive Ten Thousand Swords Formation was especially critical.
Hundreds of the Cai State’s small, slender planes took off. Against a fully formed Ten Thousand Swords Formation, only high-altitude bombing from several kilometers up could inflict meaningful damage.
But just as the Cai State’s aircraft lifted into the air, over a dozen silver-gray dots suddenly appeared from Anyang’s side, rapidly seizing control of the high altitude.
Supersonic and subsonic jets were finally deployed. As the Cai State’s hundreds of propeller planes just began to emerge from their hiding spots and lift off, those silver-gray “spirits” had already arrived in the sky.
Then came their rolls and dives. Like swimming dragons or falling stars, the silver-gray jets swooped upon the rear of the Cai State’s forces, slaughtering the newly airborne planes.
Whoosh—over a dozen silver-gray jets sliced across the Cai army’s rear like flying swords. Under their autocannon fire, over a hundred planes were instantly reduced to a trembling thirty or so survivors.
But when these lucky survivors finally reached cruising altitude, the silver-gray jets returned. The remaining thirty-plus planes had no time to evade—they were utterly annihilated, leaving only fragments to fall from the sky.
After eliminating the enemy aircraft, the dozen or so of Anyang’s latest jets did not return to base. Instead, they charged directly at the Cai army. Flying from east to west and back again, they strafed the troops in sweeping runs. Each pass of the ruthless autocannons left a fresh, bloody red carpet across the ground.
This was no longer war. This was slaughter!
But the Cai army, with no way to retreat, could only grit their teeth and charge forward.
Yan Zhengqing coldly watched the approaching army. When they came within a kilometer, he gave the order: “Autocannons and machine guns—open fire. Artillery—do not stop.”
Gunfire erupted. The charging Cai soldiers fell like stalks of wheat, rows upon rows. Blood flowed instantly across the ground. But the forces behind continued pressing forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades.
The jets that had strafed three times withdrew to reload; meanwhile, Anyang’s large fleet of propeller planes returned for the sixth time, dropping another four to five thousand incendiary bombs.
Death, and more death—finally, fear began to spread among the Cai soldiers. The battlefield had entirely changed. Victory would come only through carnage. At the edges of the battlefield, deserters began to appear.
These deserters believed that amidst such a large-scale battle, Anyang couldn’t possibly spare attention for a few fleeing men. Though Anyang had made some threats about total annihilation before the war began, no one had taken it seriously. After all, with tens of thousands fleeing, how could Anyang hunt down every last one?
But reality was brutal. Yes, Anyang’s military didn’t have the capacity to chase down deserters across the mountains—but Anyang had adventurers and mercenary groups!
The moment they saw deserters, these adventurers and small mercenary groups charged in. “Kill! A head of a cultivator below sixth-stage Qi Refining is worth 10 taels of gold. Seventh stage and above is worth 20. A centurion’s head is worth 50 taels. A captain’s head—1,000 taels. A deputy general’s head is worth 10,000 taels! Five deputy generals’ heads can be exchanged for a bottle of Foundation Establishment Elixir!”
Pitiful Cai soldiers—most of the deserters were no cultivators. But the adventurers and mercenary groups registered in Anyang were rarely weak!
To register, one had to pay a 10-tael gold deposit—something ordinary people couldn’t afford. That alone filtered out the incapable. And those who dared come to the battlefield to collect heads were certainly not weak. Among them were even Foundation Establishment and Core Formation experts.
Anyang was fulfilling its promise—to exterminate them all.
Just as Li Xian had said: to avoid offending many, one must offend one person deeply. Now, the same principle applied. To avoid offending many countries, Anyang would crush one—Cai—without mercy, as a warning to all. If they really slaughtered all 500,000 of Cai’s main force, plus the 100,000+ laborers and conscripts, then perhaps the other nations would learn to temper their greed and ambition in future dealings with Anyang.