Chapter 25: The Great Battle

Under the cover of night, after Qin Jue secured 10 victory points, this minor skirmish of a night raid—a trap within a trap—came to an end. Xiao Wushan and his men proved they had no ties to Black Mountain Stronghold, while incidentally earning a bit of military merit.

The next day, having successfully thwarted the schemes of Black Mountain Stronghold, Qingfeng Stronghold finally decided to advance. The main force followed the mountain road until they reached the gates of Black Mountain Stronghold. The stronghold was situated atop a cliff, accessible only by a single mountain path, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Most importantly, the gate of Black Mountain Stronghold was a massive defensive wall, far more resilient than any ordinary gate. Consequently, Qingfeng Stronghold did not rush into a direct assault; instead, they set up camp on the flat ground at the foot of the mountain, blocking the only entrance and exit. It appeared they were prepared for a war of attrition.

However, in Qin Jue’s view, the enemy had likely anticipated this, and the food supplies within the fortress were probably sufficient to last a long time. Yet, that very night, chaos erupted within Black Mountain Stronghold. Fire filled the sky, and the commotion was deafening! Shortly after, news spread through the ranks: all three of Black Mountain Stronghold’s granaries had been burned.

Qin Jue was slightly startled upon hearing this. In military campaigns, food supplies are of the utmost importance and are usually heavily guarded, making them difficult for an enemy to destroy. Especially when two armies are at a standoff, the opponent would surely have deployed elite forces to protect them. Yet, Qingfeng Stronghold had managed to burn the supplies with ease. The strategy behind this was truly formidable. Qin Jue did not know how they had achieved it, but he knew that after tonight, Black Mountain Stronghold would soon be forced to sally forth and fight. Martial artists consume a vast amount of energy, and if they did not want to starve to death, they had to take the initiative.

Qingfeng Stronghold realized this as well. The entire army went on high alert. The "Heavenly Crafts" battalion constructed a large number of defensive obstacles, such as caltrops and chevaux-de-frise. Meanwhile, the Vanguard battalion, acting as the main force, took up positions halfway up the mountain, using the surrounding thickets as cover, waiting for the right moment to strike. The remaining archer battalion took to the trees on either side, ready to provide support at any time.

Inside Black Mountain Stronghold, the two consecutive incidents with their supplies made them realize that they had already been thoroughly infiltrated. They had no choice left but to face their enemies head-on.

Five days later, as the first light of dawn touched the sky, the restless Black Mountain Stronghold finally decided to attack. As the gates swung open, countless fully armed martial artists marched out, forming ranks under a fluttering banner that looked quite imposing. Initially, the number of men in Black Mountain Stronghold had exceeded that of Qingfeng Stronghold; although they had suffered heavy losses since, they still possessed over eight hundred martial artists. Excluding the few dozen left to guard the walls, the remaining seven hundred were deployed in full force.

For Black Mountain Stronghold, this was the final stand. If they won, they might have a glimmer of hope; if they lost, they would starve to death regardless. On the ramparts, the Chieftain of Black Mountain Stronghold looked down at the army below, his expression extremely grim. In the battle of tactics, he had been utterly defeated. However, with the numbers being relatively even, the outcome was still uncertain.

Seeing the enemy emerge from the stronghold, the commander of the archer battalion gave the order: "Fire!" The archers, who had been waiting for the signal, drew their bows and released their strings. In an instant, arrows rained down.

"Kill!" Over seven hundred martial artists charged through the arrow fire, creating a stunning display of momentum.

Halfway up the mountain, the soldiers of the Vanguard battalion were already prepared. Seeing the enemy rush toward them, Commander Wang Zhong immediately ordered, "Charge!" Several hundred men burst from the shrubbery on both sides, plunging into the enemy lines.

On the left, Wu Mi led his troops, charging at the forefront and colliding with the first wave of enemies. As a second-tier martial artist, his prowess was terrifying; he struck down several enemies the moment he engaged. However, he was quickly pinned down by an opposing second-tier martial artist.

Amidst the chaos, Qin Jue also took the lead, his straight blade whistling through the air as he struck at an enemy. On the battlefield, the vast majority of soldiers were around the first or second tier. Thus, as a third-tier master, Qin Jue easily dispatched an opponent with his first strike.

[Congratulations, Host, for killing an enemy. You have gained 1 victory point!]

Meanwhile, Xiao Wushan and the others followed closely without hesitation. They were well-trained; in the blink of an eye, they formed a tight, triangular wedge formation behind Qin Jue. The teammates on the left and right, agile and armed with shields and short blades, engaged the enemies on the flanks. The team members in the rear held long spears, keeping a close watch on the battle. Whenever a teammate was in danger or an enemy approached, they would thrust their spears forward to force the opponent back.

The terrain was relatively open this time, which was better suited for small-unit coordination. The formation they had practiced for so long finally found its true purpose. With the help of his teammates, Qin Jue did not need to worry about threats from the sides or the rear, allowing him to focus solely on the slaughter ahead. He moved like a hot knife through butter, unstoppable, his straight blade swift and fierce, each swing imbued with immense power. Where the blade passed, blood splattered, and enemies fell one after another.

Seeing this, a third-tier master charged toward him with a long spear, attempting to block his path. Qin Jue did not dodge, but instead met the charge head-on.

"Clang!"

The two weapons collided, producing a deafening sound and a spray of sparks. The martial artist’s expression changed instantly! He felt a surge of immense force, and his long spear was jarred from his grasp and sent flying. Before he could react, Qin Jue’s blade had already arrived.

*Squelch!*

The sharp edge sliced across his neck. The martial artist’s eyes widened in disbelief as he slowly collapsed.

[Congratulations, Host, for killing an enemy. You have gained 1 victory point!]

Just then, another martial artist tried to launch a sneak attack from the side. Before he could even get close, he was intercepted by Xiao Wushan and the other teammates. Qin Jue took a quick glance and continued his charge, following Wu Mi, hoping to seize the higher ground. Only by attacking from above could they gain the advantage and slay more foes.

At the top of a towering tree, Great General Gao Yue stood holding a long spear, his gaze deep as he observed the situation on the battlefield. The reason he had not personally joined the fray today was twofold: first, to temper his soldiers, and second, to wait for the Chieftain of Black Mountain Stronghold to reveal himself. Black Mountain Stronghold prided itself on being the premier bandits of Lishan, entirely due to this man, who was a master of the third tier at its peak, possessing profound strength. If he could capture him for his own use, it would be ideal; if not, he could not allow the tiger to return to the mountains.

On the battlefield, the slaughter was incredibly brutal. In the blink of an eye, the ground was littered with corpses and ran red with blood. Qingfeng Stronghold moved forward steadily, relying on the coordination of their small units to press the advantage. Conversely, while the martial artists of Black Mountain Stronghold were individually strong, their lack of teamwork was evident. Before long, the army that had once charged with such ferocity was forced into a retreat.

On the ramparts, the Chieftain of Black Mountain Stronghold witnessed this and slammed his fist against the stone wall with a thud, filled with rage. He immediately issued an order: hold the position at all costs, do not allow the enemy to draw near, or face execution! Receiving this order, the martial artists of Black Mountain Stronghold had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue the charge.

By now, Wu Mi and his troops had already broken through to the clearing in front of the stronghold walls, which made them the primary targets. Countless martial artists swarmed toward them, and among them, three third-tier masters set their sights on the fiercely fighting Qin Jue.