Chapter 248

At that moment, a noise from above caught Yang Lingrui’s attention.

He raised his eyes to the sky and witnessed golden lights shooting out from the colorful clouds like cannonballs toward various battlefields.

Whenever they pinpointed the location of an Eastern Wilderness Condensing Essence cultivator, these golden streaks would directly charge at their targets before exploding in bursts of golden radiance.

Observing this, Yang Lingrui’s brows twitched slightly, and an unusual glint flashed in his eyes.

His reaction wasn’t due to pity for their deaths, but rather because the residual energy from the explosions suggested these beings differed from regular cultivators—they appeared more like ordinary mortals.

Noticing his confusion, Murong Qiuhan explained, "Most are mortals with Murong bloodlines who gained their cultivation realm through the Dynasty’s Secret Method."

"Our Murong Family’s blessed land of colorful clouds contains a Transformative Ability. Those Practicing Secret Methods can shed mortality to become celestial beings—at the cost of their lifespan."

"While remaining within the blessed land, they function like normal cultivators. But once they leave, their lifespan drains hundreds or even thousands of times faster."

Yang Lingrui gradually grasped the situation as Murong Qiuhan spoke.

A blessed land ranked higher than ordinary cave abodes, each possessing unique rules.

The Tiger-Chasing Dynasty’s blessed land of colorful clouds served as the Murong Family’s stronghold—while the royal main branch operated externally, all other branches resided within this realm.

The sole middle three realm cultivator of the dynasty, the National Master, governed this blessed land.

Never opened to outsiders, no Murong Family members beyond the royal main branch had ever been seen in the outside world.

In this realm, through special rules and secret methods, anyone could cultivate and pursue their own Dao.

Though Murong Qiuhan omitted certain details, Yang Lingrui didn’t press further.

These matters concerned the Tiger-Chasing Dynasty’s core secrets, and he had no desire to invite trouble through excessive curiosity.

"My thanks for your explanation, Princess."

"More thanks? Three expressions of gratitude for one meeting seems excessive."

Murong Qiuhan gathered swirling golden light around herself as she began floating upward.

"Your injuries healed?"

"Fully recovered."

"Good! Don your battle robes and follow this princess into combat!"

Yang Lingrui nodded. Soon afterward, two golden streaks soared skyward, charging toward the Eastern Wilderness forces.

With the blessed land’s emergence and the secret method-practicing Murong clansmen joining the frontlines, the Tiger-Chasing faction gained strength to confront the Eastern Wilderness directly.

After days of intense fighting, the Great Prince of the Eastern Wilderness’ retreat orders reached all fronts, prompting the three Eastern Wilderness battle lines to withdraw.

The Tiger-Chasing forces, spearheaded by the charging Murong clansmen, launched relentless pursuit.

What began as tactical withdrawals soon collapsed into chaotic routs across Eastern Wilderness ranks.

Entire units broke from central command, fleeing rearward at every opportunity.

This infuriated Eastern Wilderness commanders. When they tried executing deserters as examples, they discovered even their executioners had fled—dark humor underscoring their desperation.

Only then did the generals realize their cause was lost beyond recovery.

The fleeing troops and personnel were too numerous. If all were punished by military law, over one-third of the Eastern Wilderness forces would lose their heads.

Forced by circumstance, commanders ordered the abandonment of defensive positions, instructing all units to escape swiftly.

What followed became a relentless series of victories for the Tiger-Chasing army. The Eastern Wilderness forces only offered token resistance in scattered clashes before throwing down their weapons and fleeing.

While advantageous for Tiger-Chasing, this situation spelled disaster for civilians and local factions in the eastern region of the southwest.

The true calamity came not from Tiger-Chasing’s advance, but from the retreating Eastern Wilderness troops.

Repeated defeats drained their fighting spirit, twisting their minds with new thoughts:

"Why leave supplies for Tiger-Chasing when we can take them home?"

"Exactly! If we don’t claim these goods, our enemies will!"

"Well said! This land won’t be our responsibility anymore."

Weapons in hand, their dark impulses surfaced. Soldiers became bandits in the blink of an eye.

In many ways, this marked a return to old habits. During Eastern Wilderness’s era of fragmentation, most troops had rampaged like common thieves.

"Surrender all valuables!"

"You dare resist? Everything here – your possessions, even your lives – belongs to the great Eastern Wilderness!"

"Load everything! Horses, grain, and… women! Take them all!"

"Captain, our carts are full. What about the rest?"

"Burn it! Better ashes than leaving supplies for Tiger-Chasing!"

Initially, only a few units behaved thus. But when no punishments followed, others imitated freely.

Soon even Condensing Essence and Spirit Communication Realm cultivators joined the looting.

When everyone’s guilty, no one gets punished. Why be the only fool playing fair?

An orderly retreat devolved into wanton destruction.

No village, town, or sect escaped untouched.

Eastern Wilderness forces left only flames and Wails in their wake.

Arriving Tiger-Chasing troops burned with righteous anger.

"Cowards! Useless in battle but skilled at pillaging!"

Frontline reports delighted Prince Murong Tianyang. The Eastern Wilderness forces’ stupidity surpassed all expectations.

They’d handed him perfect propaganda to win public support.

Murong Tianyang immediately slowed his army’s advance while organizing supply convoys from the rear.

Tiger-Chasing soldiers halted at every settlement to aid disaster-stricken civilians and assist rebuilding efforts.

The contrast with Eastern Wilderness’s cruelty couldn’t be sharper.

Locals who’d believed Eastern Wilderness propaganda about Tiger-Chasing tyranny now saw the truth.

Eastern Wilderness’s lies burned away like the villages they’d torched.

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