Chapter 1081

Chapter 1081: Westward Expedition (Part 1)

The westernmost nation, Great Qin, has emerged as Great Zhou’s newest adversary.

This foe surpasses both the former Dayan and Da Qi in terms of territory, population, and military might.

Its foundation is far more profound than that of the newly established Great Zhou!

Aside from a handful of distant traders, the previous Da Liang had no contact with Great Qin, knowing only that this nation lay tens of thousands of miles away, separated by endless mountain ranges and the vast Gobi Desert.

When the ambitious Great Zhou sought to build a unified empire, a clash with the far western Great Qin occurred—unexpectedly, yet inevitably.

The war between the two sides first erupted on the western border of Da Qi.

Initially, Great Qin dispatched small teams of riders to infiltrate the border, gathering intelligence and harassing the outer regions of the western frontier.

However, the scale of the invasion quickly escalated, eventually forming entire legions.

The people of Great Qin are composed of the Hua Clan and the Xi Clan. The Hua Clan shares a common ancestry with the Yan and Qi people, bearing 100% of the same roots.

The Xi Clan, on the other hand, evolved from the native indigenous population, displaying distinct physical differences from the Hua Clan, akin to the differences between Europeans and Asians in Wang Chen’s past life.

The establishment of Great Qin is the culmination of millennia of warfare, marked by rises and falls, and the absorption of countless nations and tribes.

As a result, the people of Great Qin are fiercely brave and skilled in combat, with formidable individual fighting prowess and their own martial arts system.

Within their territory, there are even hundreds of Dao Palaces, emphasizing the strategic use of spells in warfare.

Moreover, the Great Qin army is equipped with cannons and flintguns. While their technology lags behind that of Great Zhou, they are advancing at a rapid pace.

The upper echelons of Great Zhou speculate that Great Qin’s cannon and flintgun manufacturing techniques were likely inherited from exiled Yan and Qi individuals.

They swiftly absorbed and applied this knowledge!

This nation’s potential is immeasurable.

Recognizing the grave threat posed by Great Qin, Wu Zhao had no choice but to muster a large army and lead the charge northward, even as domestic stability remained incomplete.

Currently, the Empress resides in the former territory of Da Qi, alongside Ling Zhiyuan, confronting the advancing Great Qin forces.

The war between the two sides has persisted for over half a year.

Despite holding advantages in new war technologies such as cannons and flintguns, Great Qin’s military strength far exceeds that of Great Zhou, with their cavalry being particularly formidable. Consequently, Great Zhou has been forced into a defensive stance, and the situation is dire.

Despite the grim circumstances, defending the few fortresses on the western border has not proven insurmountable.

However, the Great Zhou army has clashed with the Great Qin forces multiple times, and even Ling Zhiyuan himself has struggled to gain the upper hand.

Among the enemy ranks are super-strong warriors capable of rivaling him!

The invaders of Hanhai County hail from a complex background.

The Dao Palace Side previously captured several enemy combatants, extracting valuable intelligence through spells.

The main forces of the intruders consist of several major tribes from the southwestern regions of the former Great Yan. After the fall of Dayan, they swiftly submitted to Wu Zhao, pleading for mercy and thus retaining their territories and wealth.

This was largely due to the rapid collapse of Dayan; Great Zhou would require decades to fully assimilate it, and thus, they extended favorable treatment to these local powers willing to submit.

Otherwise, a forceful conquest would have risked inciting widespread resistance, with costs too great to bear.

However, these major tribes were only superficially loyal; when Wu Zhao led the charge northward to confront Great Qin, they immediately began to stir unrest, colluding with remnants of the Yan Kingdom to brazenly invade Hanhai.

The enemy army numbered over three hundred thousand, yet their commander was neither a tribal leader nor a Yan individual.

It is a noble from Great Qin!

The reason these tribes dare to stir up a storm of rebellion is that they have the support of Great Qin behind them.

Great Qin not only provides funds and equipment but also dispatches powerful experts like Strongest and military officers to assist and command the rebel forces.

Their primary objective is to capture Hanhai Dao Palace and destroy the remains of Grandmaster Wang Chen, who is revered as supreme in the hearts of the people of Great Zhou!

After seizing Hanhai Dao Palace, the rebels plan to attack Hanhai City, causing turmoil in the southern district of Great Zhou to divert the attention of Wu Zhao and Ling Zhiyuan in the north.

It must be said, this strategy is quite cunning.

By leveraging the remnants of Yan Kingdom, Great Qin can inflict significant trouble upon Great Zhou.

However, they never anticipated that Wang Chen would actually return to life!

“Fortunately, you returned just in time.”

Xi Jun smiled lightly: “I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime.”

She expressed what she hadn’t said earlier, then contentedly held Wang Chen’s hand against her cheek.

Wang Chen lovingly bent down and kissed her forehead, saying, “You rest well; leave the rest to me.”

“Mm.”

Xi Jun nodded and yawned.

Her injuries had not yet healed, and she was very weak. Speaking so much had already exhausted her.

After a moment, she fell into a deep sleep.

Wang Chen sat quietly beside her for a long time before cautiously withdrawing his hand.

Not all ruthless people are true heroes; how can a man not care for his loved ones!

Unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to leave Xi Jun in Cangqing.

But to take Xi Jun ascending to the upper realm, Wang Chen must first reach the Yuan Ying realm and gain a deeper understanding of this world.

Let’s take it slow.

As Wang Chen walked out of the room, the people waiting in the corridor bowed in unison, “Grandmaster!”

“No need for such formalities!”

Wang Chen waved his hand impatiently, pointing at a few female Daoists, “You are responsible for taking care of the Grand Celestial Master. Report anything to me promptly.”

The female Daoists quickly lowered their heads, “Yes.”

Wang Chen then addressed the officer who had brought him, “Let’s go to Hanhai City.”

The officer’s face lit up with excitement: “At your command!”

Although the guard strength at Dao Palace was nearly depleted, with only a few hundred warriors remaining capable of battle, having witnessed Wang Chen single-handedly sweep through the enemy army, he saw no issue with this order.

In fact, he felt a surge of excitement!

Wang Chen took out a pill bottle and handed it to the nearby female doctor, “This contains Healing Pills. Dissolve one elixir in a jar of water and let all the injured drink it.”

After a pause, he added, “Those with severe injuries should drink more!”

Even if the world’s rules suppress the pill’s effects, a spirit pill from Haotian Realm is not something ordinary people can endure.

Xi Jun, being at the cultivation level of Grand Celestial Master, can take one without issue, but the soldiers must dilute it.

The female doctor, with a mix of reverence and fear, accepted the pill bottle with both hands: “Understood.”

Wang Chen nodded slightly and then left the side hall with the officer.

He entrusted the task of organizing personnel to him while he ascended the palace wall to assess the situation at Hanhai City.

Wooh—

Just as Wang Chen reached the top, he heard a mournful and low horn sound echoing from afar.

The Enemy Army besieging Hanhai City began to retreat.