Nine Thousand Miles Hunt! . . .
Cha Eun Xiao swiftly grasped the full extent of Wenren Jianyin's intentions. He immediately set his troops to prepare heavy clothing and other warming attire. In a single night, over a dozen vats of water, infused with dan beads to provide warmth, were heated to prepare the soldiers for the impending battle. Yet, none of his soldiers truly understood the purpose of these preparations.
It was reasonable for them to be perplexed. After all, why would anyone equip themselves with heavy clothing when they knew a massive fire was to be ignited? They mistakenly believed that warmth wouldn't be an issue with a roaring fire in the vicinity.
However, the Western Army had stockpiled a wealth of resources, even if a significant number of their men had perished. Iron Peak held the distinction of being a vital bastion for the Kingdom of Chen, brimming with assorted supplies. Consequently, they obeyed Cha Eun Xiao's instructions, gathering the items he had ordered.
Despite their compliance, they were plagued by confusion. They couldn't fathom what strategy their Commander was hatching.
Cha Eun Xiao, however, was crystal clear on the course he was charting. He was resolute in his conviction that his actions were spot on. This devastating fire would be insurmountable for anyone else in the world, but not for him. He held in his possession the means to suppress any blaze—the Cosmic Hades.
At the height of the conflagration, Cha Eun Xiao unleashed the formidable power of the Cosmic Hades. Following this, he employed five pieces of Spiritual Jade, stirring the ferocious extreme cold qi residing within the Cosmic Hades. It was the second time this power was unleashed—the first resulted in the creation of an ice mountain outside Chen-Xing City, which endured for ten thousand years, earning it a place in the annals of world wonders.
Cosmic Hades had the incredible capacity to conjure an ice mountain in the middle of summer, and now, fueled by several times more Spiritual Jade than previously, it efficiently extinguished the flames. Cha Eun Xiao had never harbored any doubts about the plan. His confidence was unshakable.
And so, the fire was vanquished. Within a short span, the surrounding area, stretching for several kilometers, was frozen solid. Cha Eun Xiao had indeed etched his name into history with this miraculous feat.
Cosmic Hades bore the primary responsibility for the deed, with Cha Eun Xiao orchestrating the strategy. Together, they secured victory for the Kingdom of Chen in the battle against the Kingdom of Lan-Feng. His army surged forth in a final onslaught, while the soldiers of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng were plunged into despair.
How could they possibly contend with Cha Eun Xiao's might?
As Cha Eun Xiao initiated the attack, he promptly withdrew the Cosmic Hades into his private space. If he hadn't, the entire battleground would have been transformed into a colossal ice mountain, much like the one outside Chen-Xing City.
Even after reclaiming the Cosmic Hades, the profound coldness didn't abate. The two mountains flanking the battlefield had transformed into eternal ice mountains, destined to endure for ten thousand years. Cha Eun Xiao had infused five hundred pieces of Spiritual Jade into the effort this time, an amount many times greater than before. As his own strength had increased substantially, he was more than capable of enduring the reverse effects of the extreme cold qi.
Cha Eun Xiao and his compatriots stormed into the encampment of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng, brandishing their weapons as they cried out, "Kill!" Swords and axes gleamed, their radiance reaching the skies.
Following their lead, the main force of Cha Eun Xiao's army surged forward, overwhelming the Kingdom of Lan-Feng's troops. Resistance was scant, and it was a brutal, one-sided massacre. The once-organized force of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng crumbled into chaos, its soldiers fleeing in disarray.
At this juncture, even the presence of Cha Nantian himself or an assembly of renowned generals from the Kingdom of Lan-Feng would not have altered the outcome. It was as though the heavens had cast a decree that obliterated every vestige of their confidence. The Kingdom of Lan-Feng's forces were crumbling, and Cha Eun Xiao found himself leading his army of one hundred and thirty men in relentless pursuit. Their battle cries and lethal strikes reverberated with unwavering intensity, showing no respite.
Cha Eun Xiao understood that he could not afford to grant their adversaries even a moment of reprieve. If Wenren Jianyin were given a single day to regroup, his scattered soldiers would be transformed into a formidable army once more. Thus, Cha Eun Xiao's pursuit was relentless, a ceaseless hunt that continued until his foes could no longer endure.
With this steadfast resolve in mind, Cha Eun Xiao's army left a trail of severed heads and spilled enemy blood in their wake. It was an opportunity for the Kingdom of Chen's forces, especially the survivors of the Western Army, to vent their pent-up anger and resentment, nurtured over six long months.
Chasing nearly a million men with a force of one hundred and thirty thousand was nothing short of extraordinary. Such a feat, especially one where a renowned historical general like Cha Eun Xiao was on the losing side, seemed improbable. Yet, against all odds, a miracle had materialized.
The pursuit persisted for seven days and seven nights. Cha Eun Xiao's forces trailed the retreating enemy until they arrived at a town, where their adversaries showed no intention of stopping. They pressed onward through the town, and Cha Eun Xiao's forces followed suit, continuing their relentless chase. The town's defending general, unable to orchestrate a coherent defense, had his own soldiers thrown into disarray as they became entangled with the fleeing army. Consequently, he had no choice but to unite his troops with the retreating forces.
This pattern repeated as another town fell to Cha Eun Xiao's forces. The soldiers of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng were granted no opportunity to fight; their sole task was to tail the million-strong exodus and abandon the towns that were theirs to defend.
Seven days and seven nights of relentless pursuit had driven one hundred and thirty thousand men to expel the Kingdom of Lan-Feng from the Kingdom of Chen's territory. They had recaptured the territories that had slipped from Wu Gonglie's grasp.
Though they had taken control of several towns that were originally part of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng, their pursuit reached its culmination when they reached the protective borders of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng, the formidable Sky Nerve City. Not due to any lack of desire to advance further, but rather sheer exhaustion.
Seven days of unrelenting pursuit, sustained by mere sips of water when thirst crept in and quick bites to quell hunger, even as they ran. When sleepiness threatened to overtake them, they resorted to cutting themselves with their own sharp blades to stave off exhaustion.