Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"Rumble..."

The terrifying, bottomless fissure, like an obedient beast, began to slowly close! The rock walls and soil on both sides moved closer, squeezed, and merged together at an abnormal speed! In just a few breaths, the terrifying fissure that had swallowed more than 200,000 soldiers completely disappeared, and the ground returned to its flat state, as if the hellish scene had never happened.

Only... on that newly closed, slightly new-colored ground, large patches of dark red, viscous liquid were visibly seeping out from deep underground, gurgling silently, quickly staining the land for miles around, emitting an intense, nauseating stench of blood!

That was the blood of more than 200,000 Indian soldiers! Their flesh, bones, and souls were all transformed into the most primal nourishment and blood mud under the terrifying pressure of the closing earth, and were eternally suppressed beneath this snow-covered city!
The city of Fengxue was saved from danger. On the main battlefield outside the city, without the support of this surprise force and the distraction of the retreating troops, the main force of the Indian Buddhist army would inevitably fall into an even more passive position.

The Taoist priest slowly descended from the sky, still standing on the edge of the land he had "sealed" shut, which was now seeping blood.

He looked down at the dark red, damp ground beneath his feet. His charred, withered face was expressionless, except for a chilling indifference that flickered deep within his weathered eyes.

He spoke again, his voice not loud, yet it seemed to carry the heavy echo of the earth, clearly reaching the ears of every survivor.

"Those who offend China..."

"He deserves to be trampled underfoot by thousands of people here for all eternity."

With his unparalleled supernatural power of "opening the heavens and splitting the earth, burying ten thousand armies", Huaxia Daoren not only instantly reversed the critical situation of the annihilation of 300,000 elite troops in Fengxue City and the imminent fall of the city, but the almost mythical power he displayed and the profound legend of protecting China for five thousand years were like injecting all the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty with a stimulant that far surpassed any elixir!
The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Snowstorm City, and even reached the main battlefield outside the city, where a fierce battle was still raging, through special communication methods.

Inside the city, the surviving soldiers, the righteous men who had gathered from all over, and the "neighbors" and "old gentlemen" who had just shown their skills all looked at that charred and thin figure who seemed to be able to support the heavens and the earth, their eyes filled with unparalleled respect and fervor.

The morale, which had been somewhat low due to the sudden attack and heavy casualties, erupted like a volcano, shooting straight into the sky!
"The Daoist Master has manifested! Heaven blesses the Great Tang!!"

"The guardians of China are here! What do we have to fear from those bald monks from India?!"

"Brothers! Kill! Avenge our fallen comrades! Cheer for the Daoist Master!!"

The deafening roars and cheers resounded from every corner of the Snowstorm City, converging into a powerful fighting spirit of unyielding spirit and united will!

This fighting spirit, along with the terrifying scene of over 200,000 Indian elite troops being instantly annihilated and the earth seeping into a boundless sea of ​​blood, was also clearly reflected in the eyes of the main force of the Indian Buddhist Kingdom outside the city. Through some secret method, it was transmitted to the hearts of every Indian general and even ordinary Buddhist soldier.

At first, I was incredulous and bewildered.

Witnessing three hundred thousand elite cavalrymen disappear into the suddenly splitting and closing earth as if swallowed by an invisible giant mouth, followed by a shocking sea of ​​blood seeping from that land... this was completely beyond their understanding of "ordinary warfare"!

Then came a deep-seated fear and unease.

"What...what kind of power is that?!"

"Was it divine punishment? Or... did the Tang Dynasty invite a real deity?!"

"Wasn't it supposed to be just a war between mortal dynasties? Why is someone like this interfering?!"

"Three hundred thousand people! Gone in the blink of an eye... What kind of war are we fighting?"

Panic spread like a plague through the massive Indian army.

They couldn't understand why a war aimed at "punishing" a mortal dynasty and seizing the foundation of faith would attract intervention comparable to the divine interventions of ancient myths and legends. They also couldn't understand why the Tang Dynasty was able to summon those reclusive mountain demons and hermit ancestors with increasingly frightening names.

Was the Tang Dynasty imperial family truly so wealthy that they could command these powerful figures with unimaginable sums of money? Yet the expressions in the eyes of those powerful individuals clearly indicated that they were not merely after profit…

What made them feel most powerless and desperate was the heart-stopping cohesion displayed by the entire Tang Dynasty.

It was not just the army's obedience to orders, but also the deep-seated shared hatred and unwavering determination to protect the enemy from the very depths of their souls, from emperors to commoners, from cultivators to mortals, from youthful vigor to old age, when faced with foreign invasion!

It was as if they were not guarding a city or a dynasty, but a "home" and "belief" that they all recognized and were willing to give everything for! This invisible yet real power made the invaders feel more terrified and confused than any sword or spear.

Many Indian soldiers had already developed a strong desire to retreat.

Can this war still be fought? How can it be fought?
"Ha ha ha ha!!"

On the battlefield outside the city, Yuchi Gong, who was wielding a long-handled sword and leading the charge, naturally felt the surge in morale of his own side and the wavering of the enemy's morale.

As he cleaved an Indian general and his mount in two while attempting a sneak attack, he channeled his inner energy and unleashed a deafening burst of maniacal laughter and mockery.

"You bald monks from India! Do you see this?! This is the consequence of offending my Great Tang! You ignored our warnings and insisted on raising an army to invade, slaughtering our border cities and killing our people! Do you regret it now? Do you feel fear?! How can you petty villains so easily insult the might of my Great Tang?! Today, I will make sure you never return, and you will pay for your blood debt!!"

His words were like igniting the last fire.

"A blood debt must be paid in blood!!"

"No one will return!!" "Kill! Kill! Kill—!!!"

A million Tang soldiers shouted in unison, their voices sweeping across the battlefield like a tsunami! Although their total numbers were still nearly 20% fewer than the 1.2 million troops of the Indian army, every Tang soldier's eyes burned with the fire of war, and the killing intent and determination emanating from their bodies seemed to solidify, forming a phantom image of thousands of horses galloping behind them!

That kind of imposing presence hardly seemed like that of a numerically inferior side. It was as if they had millions of soldiers standing behind them, carrying the will and fury of the entire dynasty and even the entire clan!

In contrast, the Indian army was initially intimidated by the eerie and terrifying scene of destruction within the city, causing their morale to waver. Now, they were further stunned by the sudden and almost frenzied charge of the Tang army, causing many of their frontline troops to hesitate and become confused for a brief period.

They even developed an absurd illusion—who was the one with the greater numbers and the advantage? Why did those million people on the other side seem more like a monstrous flood than their 1.2 million?

"Hold on! Hold on for me! Form a protective array! Protect yourselves with Buddha's light!!"

The Indian front commanders shouted themselves hoarse, trying to regain their footing.

However, with morale shifting, the balance of the war has begun to tilt.

"boom--!!"

The crimson and golden torrents collided fiercely once again, but this time, the outcome was completely different! The Tang army, as if injected with adrenaline, launched an unparalleled offensive, completely abandoning defense and fighting to the death, exchanging wounds for wounds! In particular, the cultivators and martial artists from the common people brought their individual bravery to the extreme, often disrupting a small section of the Buddhist army's battle formation single-handedly!

Swords flashed, spells roared, and blood and flesh flew everywhere! The battlefield was completely plunged into a bloody massacre! Blood and gore filled the surrounding dozens of miles, and thousands of lives were lost every moment.

The Indian army's original strategy was to use its main force to contain the Tang army while sending 300,000 elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Snowstorm City, creating a pincer movement that would break through the center. Now, the entire elite force has been annihilated, and Snowstorm City has not only failed to fall but has become a graveyard for their own elite troops, further fueling the Tang army's boundless fighting spirit! This meticulously planned surprise attack has ironically become the beginning of their own defeat!
The Tang army fought with increasing ferocity, like tigers unleashed from their cages, forcing the Indian army to retreat and become disorganized. Although the Indian army still outnumbered its troops, their morale had collapsed, and their command was in disarray due to the pressure on the front lines and the dramatic changes in the rear. Many units fought independently, making it difficult to form an effective united front against the enemy.

Finally, when a key position on the left flank of the Indian army was breached by an elite vanguard force personally led by Yuchi Gong, creating a huge gap in the entire battle line and putting them at risk of being cut off and surrounded, a shrill and urgent gong sounded in the center of the Indian army!
"Clang clang clang clang—!!"

The signal to retreat echoed across the battlefield.

The various Indian tribes, already suffering immense hardship and heavy losses, were relieved upon hearing the news. They disregarded everything else and abandoned the battle, retreating in disarray to their rear camps like a receding tide. Many troops even abandoned their heavy baggage and wounded soldiers, hoping only to escape this horrific killing field as quickly as possible.

The Tang army pursued the enemy for a while, but under Yuchi Gong's command, they did not blindly advance. Instead, taking advantage of the enemy's retreat, they quickly consolidated their lines, rescued the wounded, and seized spoils of war. A deafening cheer erupted once again from the Tang army's positions, lasting for a long time.

The first battle ended with the Indian Buddhist army retreating on its own initiative, and the Tang Dynasty won a great victory!
The post-war inventory revealed a glorious, yet also shocking, outcome.

The Indian Buddhist Kingdom mobilized an army of 1.5 million. In just one day of fierce fighting, plus the 300,000 cavalrymen who were buried by the Chinese Taoists in the Snowstorm City, the total number of casualties exceeded 600,000!
Among them, the 300,000 elite cavalrymen, on whom high hopes were placed, were almost completely annihilated, unable to even mount a decent resistance, and buried in the ground! On the Tang side, although the fighting was fierce and casualties were considerable, the total loss was less than 100,000, most of whom were brave civilians and low-level cultivators who fought on the front lines. The casualty ratio between the two sides reached an astonishing six to one!

When the battle report was presented to the Indian general who was stationed at the Golden Lotus Fortress in the rear, this battle-hardened and originally confident old general turned ashen-faced, his hand holding the report trembled violently, and he could hardly believe his eyes.

"Six... six hundred thousand?! In a single day?! Three hundred thousand cavalry... gone?!"

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, filled with unbearable pain and bewilderment.

This casualty ratio cannot be described as a "defeat"; it is an utter and complete annihilation! It is a huge loss that is enough to shake the foundations of the nation and even cause a tremor in the Western Paradise!

What suffocated him even more was another message that his spies risked their lives to send back.

Within the Tang Dynasty, a full-scale war mobilization is underway with astonishing efficiency! Countless cultivators and martial artists who have achieved mastery of their skills, regardless of their previous identities—perhaps a street sweeper or a canteen cook—are being mobilized.

They might be old men sunbathing at the village entrance, or teachers teaching at the academy—inspired by the imperial edict and the supreme belief in "defending the country and protecting the home," they are continuously converging on the direction of Snowstorm City from all over the Southern Continent through teleportation arrays, flying boats, and even on foot!
Preliminary estimates suggest that the number of "soldiers" currently en route, all possessing at least the Qi Refining Realm cultivation level, has already reached several million! Once the mobilization is fully completed, the total force is likely to exceed ten million! Moreover, this army of ten million is not a ragtag bunch forcibly conscripted, but rather "righteous soldiers" who truly identify with the Tang Dynasty and are willing to fight to protect their homeland!
Even more terrifying is that, under this atmosphere of shared hatred and the blessing of a certain belief, the cultivation of many participants improved in a short period of time, forming a snowballing force of enormous combat power!
"The whole nation is a soldier, and everyone is of one mind!" These eight words struck the heart of the Indian general like a heavy hammer.

He presented this devastating news, along with the report of the crushing defeat, to the Buddhas and Arhats accompanying the army.

When those Buddhas and Arhats who were originally high above, thinking they were only there to "supervise the battle" or "guard against the enemy's extraordinary power," saw the shocking casualty figures and heard about the Tang Dynasty's incredible mobilization capabilities and the will of the entire nation, they all fell into a long silence. For the first time, obvious solemnity, astonishment, and even... a trace of self-doubt appeared on their dignified faces.

They began to doubt whether they truly understood the Southern Continent they regarded as their "ancestral home," whether they truly comprehended the seemingly weak yet always capable of unleashing astonishing resilience and creativity of the "human race," and whether this war was truly still under their control.
Inside the snow-covered city, in the temporary imperial palace.

The joy of the first victory did not make Li Shimin relax in the slightest.

He knew full well that this was just the beginning, the first claw that the Western Paradise had extended. The Buddhist kingdom of India had deep roots, and the Western Paradise would not let this go easily.

"Issue my decree!"

Li Shimin's sharp eyes swept over the assembled officials in the hall.

"Reward the troops and provide generous compensation for the wounded and the injured! But the troops must not slacken their efforts and must intensify preparations, repair city defenses, and stockpile food and weapons! Reinforcements are arriving in droves, and we must make sure to receive and reorganize them properly!"

He walked to the huge map of the border between Jambudvipa and Aparagodaniya, pointed his finger heavily at the location of the Golden Lotus Fortress, and spoke with a resolute voice, carrying an unprecedented domineering and determined air.

"This battle is not for a temporary victory, nor is it to drive out the bandits! What I want is for the world of tomorrow to belong entirely to China! The Buddhist kingdom of India has betrayed its faith and slaughtered my people. Its country is inhumane, and its religion is unjust! It must be attacked!"
They must be destroyed! I will devour their land, take their people, and let the red flag of my Great Tang fly high over the skies of Xiniu Hezhou! Our human race should break free from the constraints of gods and Buddhas, take control of our own destiny, and embrace the world, instead of being content with a corner of the earth! (End of Chapter)