147: Chapter 147 Qi Tianchen Fights Alone Against Ye Dingzhi Who Has Become a Demon!

The snow rainbow silk changed infinitely in her hands, capable of both restraining the enemy and providing timely support to her companions, effectively serving as everyone's rear guard.

As for Li Hanyi, just as Mo Qixuan found an opening and was about to strike Lei Mengsha with heavy force, she unleashed a Shattering Star Fist, forcing him to retreat.

The moment Mo Qixuan saw Li Hanyi, his face changed drastically, and his expression became extremely wary.

He surveyed his surroundings and quickly noticed those figures that were exceptionally conspicuous amidst the chaotic troops.

The battlefield was chaotic with figures crossing paths, but these few individuals struck fiercely, their Aura astonishing; it was difficult not to notice them.

Mo Qixuan's heart sank—could He have arrived?

With apprehension in his heart, facing Li Hanyi's torrential offensive, his rhythm became completely disrupted, and he retreated step by step.

The Yue Maiden Sword Technique was inherently swift and sharp; combined with Li Hanyi's unparalleled Sword Intent, even if Mo Qixuan reacted, it was hard to quickly reverse the situation.

Marquis Ziyi watched, dumbfounded—where did this little girl pop up from? He was equal in strength to Mo Qixuan, yet now he was being suppressed by a young woman; it was simply unbelievable!

Lei Mengsha was shaken when he saw Li Hanyi arrive, but he immediately guessed—Su Rui must be nearby.

His twin fists ignited with blazing Internal Energy; the scorching air waves distorted the space as he lunged directly toward Marquis Ziyi.

Xiao Ruofeng stood not far away, holding the Hao Que Sword, executing the Nation-Splitting Sword Style, forcing several Dark River Elders to retreat continuously, almost unable to defend themselves.

On the hilltop, Su Rui stood watching the battle, his brows slightly furrowed, shaking his head gently, seemingly with a hint of regret.

Initially, he thought this duel hid profound mysteries or perhaps involved clever strategies.

But the more he watched, the more disappointed he became—it was clearly a clash of brute force, a messy brawl, entirely dependent on who had higher cultivation to decide the victor.

This was the result of the Jianghu habits being too prevalent in Northern Li, even infecting military conduct.

However, thinking it over, most of these Northern Li generals hadn't practiced martial arts or joined the army from childhood; they originated from martial arts families and followed the Jianghu path, so it was understandable.

Zhu Yuyan, however, felt it was perfectly normal.

What was wrong with it?

“It’s not entirely wrong, but this style of fighting, in a way, appears cleaner,” Su Rui said with a hint of sarcasm. “At least they aren't playing mind games on the battlefield; all their scheming is reserved for Jianghu disputes.”

Zhu Yuyan was stunned for a moment, then understood, a strange look flashing in her eyes.

“You mean... they have no strategy?”

“Strategy?” Empress Wu chuckled, covering her mouth, and placed her hand on Zhu Yuyan’s shoulder, her smile unwavering.

Zhu Yuyan frowned and tried to shake her off, but the other woman held her steady. Restrained by Su Rui being nearby, she could only endure silently.

“Northern Li’s military strength far surpasses the Mo Cult’s, and not all of it has been committed to the battlefield yet.

They only need to divide their forces to maneuver around and attack from both front and rear, and the enemy army will collapse instantly,” Empress Wu said, her smile fading as she spoke seriously.

Zhu Yuyan was shocked—it was that simple?

She turned to look at Su Rui, who slowly nodded.

“If no one interferes, this plan is feasible and sufficient to break the enemy formation.”

“Then both commanders are truly incompetent!”

Zhu Yuyan disparaged others aloud, but in reality, she was unwilling to admit that she hadn't thought of it moments ago.

“But the Mo Cult side seems completely unconcerned, as if they already have something to rely on,” Empress Wu’s gaze flickered.

“Ye Dingzhi has entered the Demonic Path; his temperament has changed drastically, so his actions are naturally different from the past,”

Zhu Yuyan had fought Ye Dingzhi before and knew deeply that he was no longer the same person.

“No wonder,” Empress Wu nodded. “When the commander is like this, the subordinates’ style naturally follows suit.”

“Northern Li’s military strategy has always relied heavily on masters holding the line; perhaps this is related,” Su Rui said gravely. “The Martial Forest of Northern Li excels above all other nations; perhaps this is one of the Foundations of its state.”

Empress Wu nodded slightly: “Jianghu people mostly avoid the imperial court, fearing entanglement. Whether it’s the Great Tang, Great Ming, or even our Great Zhou, it’s all the same.

But Northern Li is the exception, which led to the current situation today.”

When masters engage at the front, they can indeed turn the tide and open up the situation instantly.

“Because of this, they rely on this approach even more. But this time... State Preceptor and the others probably won't last much longer,”

Su Rui gazed into the distance, his expression solemn.

Luo Xian and Yue Qing could not see the battle clearly, while Ye Ruoyi bit her lip tightly, her eyes red, but stubbornly refusing to cry; only anxiety remained in her large eyes as she searched for her father’s figure.

Zhu Yuyan and Empress Wu followed Su Rui’s gaze and saw a corner of the battle where Internal Energy surged like a violent storm.

Jin Xuan was ultimately defeated, heavily injured, and retreated from the battlefield, her figure staggering.

State Preceptor was fighting the demonized Ye Dingzhi alone, retreating step by step; the situation was extremely perilous.

Only Tyrant and Zhuo Qing were still able to contend, trading blows, evenly matched for the time being.

Suddenly, Su Rui’s eyes sharpened, and he abruptly turned toward the back of the mountain.

He saw thousands of Mo Cult soldiers quietly flanking along the mountain ridge, rapidly closing in.

He murmured, “So that’s how it is...”

As Su Rui began to move, Empress Wu and the others sensed something amiss and simultaneously turned to look, seeing figures moving in the distance.

Everyone’s expression immediately became subtle.

They had just been discussing the matter, and now the Mo Cult had quietly made its move.

It seemed the other side wasn't entirely foolish.

In the Mo Cult formation, Young Master Yu sighed softly and shook his head.

His thoughts were far beyond those of these straightforward individuals.

But after spending a long time together, he had actually picked up a bit of this direct style; thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh again.

It was merely a probe; he didn't care how many people died at the top level.

This joint expedition with Heaven Beyond Heaven was purely because he was bored and looking for some excitement.

“Northern Li is likely going to suffer a bit this time.”

Unlike Northern Li, the Mo Cult already had thin troop numbers. Sending thousands of men to maneuver and encircle now might not succeed and could instead alert the enemy.

Once exposed, the contest between the two sides would no longer be just about fighting, but also about strategy.

Su Rui’s thoughts stirred; with a wave of his sleeve, the earth trembled, and several sets of blue stone chairs rose from the ground as the soil churned.

This action caused Empress Wu’s gaze to flicker, a hint of amazement passing through her eyes.

This no longer resembled ordinary martial arts techniques; it was more like the legendary Five Elements sorcery of the Daoist Sect.

Su Rui sat down, propping his cheek with one hand, leaning on the armrest of the stone chair, quietly observing the battlefield situation.

The key now rested entirely on whether State Preceptor could hold on.

If he retreated, once Ye Dingzhi joined the fray, the battle situation might reverse;

but if State Preceptor could persist longer, the Mo Cult’s forces were already insufficient, and once casualties mounted without reinforcements, this Eastern Expedition would ultimately become unsustainable.

However, Baili Dongjun was still en route; how would Northern Li endure this period?

Just as he was pondering, Su Rui suddenly felt a strange fluctuation in the atmosphere, his gaze condensed, and he looked into the distance.

A figure in black, holding an umbrella, sped toward them like a fleeting shadow, arriving in the blink of an eye.

A flash of sword light struck directly at Ye Dingzhi’s throat.

Unfortunately, Su Muyu's cultivation was still shallow. Before she could truly intervene in the battle, she was sent flying by a palm strike from Ye Dingzhi.

Immediately following her, a gaunt old man arrived, stepping through the air.

His palms moved, emanating a sinister green glow; without uttering a word, he lunged forward.

This person's Internal Energy was bizarre; he had actually stepped into the Half-Step Divine Roaming Realm.

“The Grand Elder of the Dark River?”

Su Rui was slightly startled, then realized. Only the master of the Dark River could use the Yama Palm.

It seemed the Dark River was truly determined to prevent Heaven Beyond Heaven from succeeding, even sending their leader personally, almost using all their strength.

Indeed, moments later, a large number of black-clad assassins burst out from all directions, their methods ruthless, every move fatal.

Although they were not the main target of the Mo Cult, the pressure on them was lighter, and their numbers were small, yet they stirred up considerable waves on the battlefield.

It was just a pity that this Grand Elder had only recently entered the Half-Step Divine Roaming Realm; his strength was far inferior to State Preceptor's.

The two of them combined still retreated step by step.

After fighting fiercely for over an hour, State Preceptor was finally wounded and withdrew, while Zhuo Qing and the Dark River Head also retreated separately.

On the battlefield, the remaining soldiers were gathered up; corpses littered the ground.

That flanking Mo Cult contingent, just as Su Rui predicted, caused some minor chaos behind the Northern Li army.

However, the disparity in troop strength was too great; they ultimately failed to reverse the overall situation.

Instead, Ye Eagle reacted swiftly, personally leading the elite troops to surround them, annihilating all several thousand soldiers; not a single one escaped.

The two armies ceased fighting and returned to their respective camps, leaving behind only blood, gore, broken armor, and blades.

Both sides suffered heavy losses in this battle, which was particularly brutal.

In comparison, the Mo Cult, already weaker in numbers, suffered even heavier casualties.

But in the duels between masters, the Mo Cult experts who cultivated Demonic Techniques and were accustomed to slaughter clearly held greater deterrent power.

After the women returned, Su Rui glanced over them slightly and noticed that Sikong Qianluo, who had been the most eager initially, now looked the gloomiest.

She wasn't injured—she possessed the divine technique passed down by Su Rui, so ordinary attacks could barely approach her.

It was because she had just tasted slaughter and had killed many enemies, and her heart found it difficult to bear momentarily.

Although the others also felt discomfort, they were still able to maintain their composure.

But facing the brutality of the battlefield truly exceeded their imagination.

Su Rui said no more, waved his hand to gather everyone, and instantly departed.

What they needed most now was a period of peaceful rest.

The Imperial Palace of Tianqi City.

Emperor Mingde felt slightly relieved after hearing the frontline war reports.

The situation was still within a controllable range.

The Mo Cult could not afford this.

With the ebb and flow of power, they absolutely could not sustain many more large-scale campaigns like this.

Just as he was about to rest, a guard hurried into the hall, presenting a secret letter with both hands.

Jin Xian took it, verified it was correct, and respectfully handed it over.

Emperor Mingde broke the seal and read it; his face changed drastically.

“The Thirty-Six Outer Regions are assembling troops again?”

Emperor Mingde’s face changed drastically upon hearing this news.

It was important to remember that the army stationed at Heaven Beyond Heaven was assembled by Ye Dingzhi integrating the Thirty-Six Outer Regions.

And now it seemed their activities had never stopped; on the contrary, they were escalating.

Now that Ye Dingzhi personally led a large army to the gates of Tianqi City, the situation had reached a critical juncture.

And the various Outer Region forces, seeing an opportunity, how could they let such a golden chance slip by? Northern Li was wealthy and stable, far surpassing their own cold and barren homeland.

The climate was mild, fertile lands were abundant, and the territory was vast—enough for them to divide and establish a foothold.

Such a heaven-sent opportunity, who would easily let it go?