Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

On the ninth day of the eleventh month of the fifth year of Changwu, in Guangning City, Liaodong.

At this moment, the military stronghold, which is 180 miles long and wide and 180 feet high, is filled with banners and densely packed with fierce soldiers.

Red and yellow energy curtains floated in the air, hanging down strands of energy ribbons of different colors, forming an oval light shield; fierce crossbows were placed on the crenellations of the city wall, their thick arrows gleaming with a captivating luster; soldiers in armor, carrying swords and bows, stood in formation inside the crenellations; moats and barricades covered the ground below the city wall, and watchtowers and arrow towers were densely packed all around, truly an impregnable fortress.

When the scouts in the watchtower blew the horn signaling the arrival of reinforcements, a deafening cheer erupted:

"Reinforcements have arrived, their military might is overwhelming!"

"A resounding victory! A complete triumph!"

The General's Mansion, the council hall.

Zhao Mingshan ordered the White Tiger Hall of the command tent to be raised, and summoned all officers of the rank of Qianzong and above in the military city, as well as the generals of the Beijing garrison who had just arrived, such as Niu Jizong and Chen Ruiwen, to discuss military matters.

Zhao Mingshan and Niu Jizong stood directly in front of the table where the maps were displayed, exchanging whispers. The rest of the crowd discussed amongst themselves, and Jia Tang was also pulled into the discussion by his colleagues.

After guarding the border for more than a year and a half, Jia Tang finally realized what time period they were in.

The various tribes and ethnic groups are now roughly in the early 17th century of the previous world, but they are also somewhat different.

Because of the fall of the previous Ming dynasty, the Nurgan Regional Military Commission gradually fell into chaos, and various ethnic groups in the Liaodong region rose up. They even entered the pass and captured people to enrich their tribes, and their development was faster than in the previous dynasty.

During the reign of the founding emperor of the Great Zhao Dynasty, the Great Wall was rebuilt to defend against enemies outside the pass. During the reign of Emperor Chongwu, the Great Zhao army reached the southwestern part of the Liaodong Hetao region, defended against the Sancha River, and repaired the Liaodong Great Wall that the Ming Dynasty had not completed, extending to the Hetao region.

Places like Haizhou, Gaizhou, Shenyang, and Fushun from the previous era are now under the rule of various Jurchen tribes. Only Fuzhou and Jinzhou are separated from Liaodong by Jurchen tribes and are mutually dependent.

Furthermore, due to the drastic changes in the world, the nascent firearms became useless, and recent improvements have all failed. Therefore, the Liaodong battlefield at this moment relies purely on force.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, Zhao Mingshan slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Silence!"

After everyone quieted down, Zhao Mingshan looked around and said loudly, "Gentlemen, the imperial reinforcements have arrived at the vanguard and will be followed soon. Our forces have surpassed those of the Tartars, and our morale is high. The army is ready to fight. I have discussed with the General of the Vanguard and decided to name our army the 'Great Zhao Liaodong Expeditionary Army,' with a total of 200,000 infantry and cavalry."

"Our army is divided into two routes, east and west: the eastern route is led by me, with 50,000 troops from the town and the four guards of Guangning, left and right, and central. It is further divided into two parts, the right and the four guards. The right part is under the command of Cao Zhao, the deputy commander of my town and the Earl of Andong. It will set out from Zhenyibao and attack Daqingbao directly. The left part is led by me, with troops from the town. It will attack the Tartar positions at Dajingbao from Wazigu."

"The western route was overseen by the General Who Conquered the Barbarians, who led five armies and three thousand two battalions to reinforce sixty thousand soldiers. He also controlled the four guards of Yizhou, Guangning, and the left and right garrisons, as well as their subordinate troops. He also divided the troops into two parts, left and right, and set out from Yizhou City to the northwest, passing through Gouhezhai and Dakangbao, and directly attacking the two forts of Daning."

"The rest of the troops must strictly guard their respective fortresses and passes, and must not let their guard down."

"From this moment forward, small groups from various tribes will take turns harassing the enemy camp day and night, and drive the Tartars out of the Liaodong Great Wall in one fell swoop."

After Zhao Mingshan finished explaining his strategy in one breath, his sharp gaze swept across everyone's faces, and he said in a deep voice: "Generals, this battle is a battle that will determine the fate of Liaodong. I hope that you will all fight to the death to serve your country. A true man should die on the battlefield and be rewarded for his wife and children."

The generals rose solemnly and shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Just then, the mournful screams of the soldiers on duty rang out from outside: "Cultivators are under attack!"

The expressions of everyone inside the tent changed drastically. They quickly got up, left the command tent, and rushed to the city wall.

A crimson blade of energy, about eight zhang long, descended from the sky and slammed into the colorful curtain.

"Bang!"

The collision of blood energy and primordial energy was like a thunderclap exploding above Guangning City.

"Having heard that the Great Zhao reinforcements have arrived, I, the Khan, have come to welcome them. Han people, accept the blessings from the Wolf God!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man wearing a golden Mongolian robe with brocade trim, a felt hat on his head, and a necklace of red and green gemstones around his neck slowly floated up from the mountains and forests in front of him. His body was covered in a swirling aura, and he then repeatedly swung his sword to slash at the protective light barrier, causing it to rumble and sway.

The defensive formation is divided into defense and containment, which can condense vital energy into a light membrane to repel enemies from the outside and trap and kill them from within. The strength of the light membrane depends on whether it is single-phase or multi-phase and the rank of the formation flag.

A first-order single-phase defensive formation can withstand a full-force internal attack for an hour; with each additional phase, its power doubles.

The defensive formation of Guangning City is ranked as a top-tier first-class formation, but there is no earth vein beneath the city. The formation requires spirit stones provided by the imperial court to activate, and the alien race is blocked at the front line. The formation is only a simple defense with about 20% of its power. Unexpectedly, Lin Danhan took advantage of the loophole and almost broke through it.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Mingshan's eyes sharpened, and he raised his head to signal Cao Zhao, who was at the late stage of the first rank, to prepare for the battle.

Because second-tier cultivators can cultivate supernatural powers with a wide killing range, forty years ago, all races in the world and Emperor Chongwu jointly agreed that second-tier cultivators should not easily engage in combat, and those who violate this agreement would be jointly attacked.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Cao Zhaowu's body surged with blue qi as he flew through the air to meet the enemy, shouting: "You dog-bastard, you're really courting death!"

Cao Zhao rushed out of the defensive formation and instantly engaged Lin Danhan in battle. The blue and blood-red sword energies of both sides clashed and reflected each other, causing waves of energy to surge in the air. The shattered sword energies flew in all directions, causing the hills below to crack and collapse, and dust to fly everywhere.

After exchanging thirty or forty blows, Cao Zhao suddenly noticed a glimmer of joy in his eyes. He saw that Lin Danhan's protective aura was somewhat weak near his left waist. Without thinking, he unleashed a torrent of protective aura, making the azure aura on his longsword even more profound. With a change of move, he slashed hard at Lin Danhan's left waist, producing a loud 'bang'.

Cao Zhao looked astonished. It wasn't the sound of blades tearing through flesh; he had fallen into a trap.

Lin Danhan grinned maliciously, his left hand, shrouded in blood-red energy, gripping Cao Zhao's right shoulder tightly. The collision of the blood and blue energy produced a hissing sound, a testament to the corrosive nature of the alien race's blood energy.

Lin Danhan raised his long sword high in his right hand and slashed down fiercely at Cao Zhao's neck.

Cao Zhao's expression hardened. He first raised his left hand, unleashing a surge of intense qi to block the blade. Then, the crystal-clear essence blood in his dantian burst open instantly, and the intense blood qi rushed into his stomach and into his mouth through his martial meridians. He leaned back and inhaled deeply, his chest swelling like a bellows. He opened his mouth and spat out a blood-blue qi arrow that shot straight towards Lin Danhan's throat like lightning.

Essence blood is the condensed essence of blood and qi that a martial artist can only obtain after tempering their internal organs more than three times. The blood and qi produced by a burst of blood is equivalent to 30% of the total blood and qi in the body; using it will severely damage one's vital energy and shorten one's lifespan.

Lin Danhan's expression was solemn. The long sword that had just slashed down was actually a feint. In an instant, it was pulled to the front of his throat and blocked the blood-blue arrow with a "clang". The huge force caused him to stumble backward, and the first-level mid-grade Yuan weapon was covered with cracks.

Cao Zhao's aura erupted, his martial blood surged, and he leaped forward to press his advantage, his hands slashing incessantly, unleashing streaks of deep blue blade energy that slashed out, causing Lin Danhan to roar in fury.

The crowd on the city wall watched as the two men in mid-air rose and fell, their fortunes shifting, and the tension between them gradually eased.

Suddenly, Jia Tang's eyes narrowed as he noticed a figure rapidly moving through the swirling earth and wood in the forest below.

Before he could think any further, Jia Tang's dantian qi, which had broken through the outer qi barrier a few days earlier by using the Tiger Talisman to refine his internal organs, suddenly erupted, and his figure vanished instantly.

The adjutant Duan Kailin, who was standing nearby, also noticed the strangeness in the mountains and forests. Just as he was about to take to the air to provide support, he discovered that Jia Tang had taken the lead.

Duan Kailin paused, then slowly descended, asking Niu Jizong, "Was that General Jia just now?"

Old Niu and Chen Ruiwen exchanged bewildered glances, exclaiming in surprise, "Damn it, did Tiger fly away?"

Chen Ruiwen clicked his tongue and sighed, "Old Niu, have you wasted the last few decades of your life?"

"roll!"

On the other side, Cao Zhao unleashed a dozen or so sword energies, each seven or eight feet long, that blotted out the sky and descended upon Hu Duntu, causing his protective energy to gradually weaken, leaving only a faint blue aura emanating from his body.

Seeing the long sword coming towards him, Lin Danhan did not retreat but advanced. Blood suddenly burst from his dantian, and scarlet blood energy gathered in front of him, continuously blocking the sword energy that was slashing at him.

Cao Zhao looked at the enemy chieftain with the gate wide open, gritted his teeth, and once again summoned his blue aura. He suddenly closed in and swung his long sword in a wide arc.

Just as he swung his sword and before he could generate any new strength, a seven-zhang-long (approximately 33 meters) blood-red arrow suddenly flew out from the forest below, and a man dressed in a purple Mongolian robe and wearing a wolf-tail hat leaped into the air, heading straight for Cao Zhao.

Cao Zhao's pupils contracted, and he was about to unleash his Bloodlust Defense again, hoping that his colleagues would come to his aid soon.

"roar!"

Suddenly, a crimson-gold tiger's head appeared between heaven and earth, its ferocious maw biting down on the arrow and swallowing it with a muffled thunderous sound. The golden and bloody energy exploded violently, and the shockwaves swept across the clouds.

Following closely behind, Jia Tang, clad in a golden tiger armor with mountain patterns and surrounded by crimson-gold energy on his face and limbs, appeared like a celestial being. He repeatedly swung his sword from a distance, and five-zhang-long crimson-gold sword energy swept across the sky and slashed at the purple-robed man.

"Illusory Qi Transformation?"

Upon seeing this, many of the generals of the Great Zhao and the enemy leaders exclaimed in surprise.

During the Blood Refining stage, when the Blood Qi of a high-level martial blood cultivator is fully transformed into Qi in the mid-first stage, they can transform the Qi into a weapon form and begin to experience the power of a second-stage cultivator's divine abilities.

This is why the major powers were terrified that the three Jia family generals had tempered their bodies and blood into golden forms.

The character "金" (gold) signifies that those in the Mortal Refinement Realm have undergone numerous refinements, and once they embark on the path to Immortality, they become incomparably brave and powerful.

The magnitude of the Qi, Literary Qi, and Evil Qi generated by a cultivator at another level depends on the number of times their internal organs have been tempered. After entering each level, each level is nine in number, and there is no difference in the number of tempering times during the mortal refining period. The only difference is the number of levels one can cultivate to.

Zhao Mingshan looked at the distant mountains and forests and said with a smile, "That's excellent. We now have another fierce general comparable to the late stage of the first tier."

"That's very true."