Secular world: My destiny has no taboos

Chapter 536 Chapter 546: Sacred Mountain

As Lin Beixuan defeated the old shaman and others, the barbarian army's offensive was also affected. They took the initiative to abandon their strategy of continuing to attack Jiamen Pass, and their lines mysteriously contracted backward.

This unexpectedly allowed Jiamen Pass, which should have been completely breached today, to be defended.

The news that Jiamen Pass had single-handedly fought three powerful barbarian warriors, resulting in one death, one injury, and one escape, quickly spread from Li Jin and his companions.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Jiamen Pass and quickly extended outwards.

The soldiers, who had been demoralized by the northern barbarian army, received a shot of adrenaline, which roused them.

On the official road leading to Jiamen Pass, among the large contingent of Northern Expeditionary Army troops from various dynasties, Huo Jun frowned as he stared at the letter in his hand, somewhat puzzled.

"Who is this person? Why are they helping us?"

Several important military officers next to Huo Jun were also completely bewildered, not understanding what was going on.

"I heard that since that day, the barbarian army's lines have been retreating, and now they have retreated all the way to Yaodu."

"This is truly unbelievable. Was this a deliberate retreat by the barbarian army after learning of our Northern Expeditionary Army's arrival, or is it really because of that person?"

"How can one person repel an army of ten thousand? Even a celestial being couldn't do that!"

"But the fact that the other party single-handedly defeated three powerful barbarian immortals and mortal gods is probably undeniable. Many soldiers who were defending Jiamen Pass witnessed it."

They were all very grateful to this man, saying that if it weren't for him, Jiamen Pass wouldn't have been able to be defended, and they would probably all be dead.

……

Many generals were discussing among themselves, filled with great doubt about this suddenly appearing immortal.

The combat strength of two armies in battle is actually different from that of individual humans, immortals, and gods. It is rare for two armies to fight each other on the battlefield. Most of the time, the army crushes the enemy with overwhelming force.

Only when the strength of the two armies is roughly equal will they send out their immortal beings to fight.

Ultimately, however, it still comes down to the overall strength of both armies, and they will inevitably clash and fight each other.

But this strange phenomenon has left everyone baffled.

There is no doubt that the barbarian army will retreat.

But they should have been driven back by them, not this inexplicable incident.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and a messenger came in to report, "General, the men have arrived."

Huo Jun put down the letter in his hand and looked up: "Let him in."

Not long after, Li Jin walked in from outside the tent.

This was the first time Li Jin had seen so many high-ranking generals. When he was at Zhenbeiguan, he was just a squad leader, which was not considered a high rank. He had only seen the generals of Zhenbeiguan from afar a few times.

However, today, he saw up close the highest general of the Northern Expeditionary Army, a genuine immortal, and there was not a single high-ranking general in the camp who was below the Divine Realm.

Li Jin took a deep breath and gave a military order to the crowd: "Your subordinate greets all generals!"

After he finished speaking, he stood quietly in place, waiting for the other party to ask him questions.

He knew why he had been summoned and had already prepared his response in his mind.

As expected, the leading immortal general remained silent for a moment before staring at him and asking a question.

"You were one of the witnesses to that battle?"

Li Jin slightly raised his head and glanced at Huo Jun, who was in a superior position.

Huo Jun was tall and burly, with a scar on his cheek that ran from the corner of his eye to his chin. His skin was wheat-colored, and his bulging muscles stretched his robes high. Sitting there, he looked like a ferocious beast from the wilderness, with fierce and sharp eyes.

Li Jin became even more respectful: "Yes, I witnessed that battle with my own eyes."

"Please give us a brief description first."

"Yes!"

Li Jin cleared his throat and vividly described what had happened that day, using adjectives throughout.

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent frowned repeatedly, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

"Is he really that strong?"

To be honest, they knew that each individual soldier in the barbarian army was usually stronger than the soldiers in their own army.

This is due to the cold climate and harsh living conditions in northern Xinjiang, and it cannot be remedied.

In addition, the barbarians are far stronger and more physically robust than ordinary people from a young age, so the dynasties in history could only barely fight them by using numbers and advanced equipment.

After rising from a large base to a human immortal, although the gap in strength will narrow, the combat power between the two sides will at most be evenly matched.

From the scene described by Li Jin, what they saw was the other side overwhelming the barbarian people, gods, and immortals with a domineering attitude.

In the past, they wouldn't have even dared to imagine such a scene.

Huo Jun said calmly, "You're saying the conflict between them started because those few barbarian experts blocked his way?"

Li Jin nodded: "Yes, it seems that the man was going to pass through the rear of the barbarian army's formation, so the old shaman of the barbarian tribe tried to stop him, and a conflict ensued."

The expressions on the faces of the generals nearby were rather strange: "This...it's because of this?"

"Why is the barbarian army constantly retreating? They've even withdrawn to the vicinity of Yaodu now?"

"I don't know about that." Li Jin shook his head with difficulty, and after hesitating for a moment, he said, "However, I guess it is very likely related to that Human Immortal expert, since the direction he went was the same as the route the barbarian army retreated."

"Okay, let's get down!"

Huo Jun waved his hand, signaling Li Jin to step down.

After Li Jin left, Huo Jun said to his generals, "Although we don't know who he is, it's a good thing for us. If he can force the barbarian army to keep shrinking their battle lines, we can follow behind him and take the opportunity to reclaim the lost territory."

"If the army continues to advance, it would be best for us to drive the barbarian army out of Longzhou without losing a single soldier."

At this moment, someone said, "In that case, should we inform His Majesty?"

Huo Jun frowned: "Of course you must report the truth. Don't try to hide military information or take credit for yourself."

"Things are not what they used to be, and Your Majesty is not the same Your Majesty as before. Put away your thoughts."

Huo Jun spoke his last sentence seriously, addressing someone present.

Ever since Emperor Lixi led his men to slaughter the court, leaving a bloodbath, no one in the court dared to disobey Emperor Lixi's decisions.

He was a general trained by Emperor Lixi and was loyal to him, but not all of his generals were.

After all, they had spent time together, and he didn't want to personally chop off their heads later.

After Huo Jun uttered these words, many generals were startled and immediately displayed the appropriate attitude. They knew that with the current internal and external troubles, they had only escaped Emperor Li Xi's purging because of this; in a peaceful and prosperous era, they would probably have lost their heads long ago.

After all, the current emperor is quite bloodthirsty.

After Huo Jun issued a series of military orders, the entire Northern Expeditionary Army began to move.

The barbarian army kept retreating their battle lines, and they followed behind Lin Beixuan, advancing from Yaodu to Shuoyang, and then to Tonggu Pass. Behind Tonggu Pass was Zhenbei Pass, which the barbarian army had finally managed to break through.

……

As the weather grew colder, everything around us was covered in a layer of frost. The swirling, cold mist was dreamlike and ethereal, and the whole world seemed to quiet down. The clear air of the sky and the turbid air of the earth mingled together, creating a desolate and ethereal scene.

Inside Tonggu Pass, in the barbarian army's camp.

A group of barbarians, as tall as iron towers, were having a heated discussion.

"Do we really have to keep retreating?"

“If we continue to retreat like this, we will return to the northern frontier. What will be the point of all the manpower and resources we have wasted on this trip south? Our tribesmen are waiting for us to bring back the riches of past dynasties.”

"If you ask me, we should just gather a large army to meet the enemy. With just him alone, how could my tens of thousands of barbarian troops possibly be no match for him?"

……

The barbarian camp was noisy and chaotic. Each barbarian general had a very deep voice, and when they were mixed together, it was like muffled thunder in dry land, rumbling incessantly.

"enough!"

Just then, the barbarian chieftain, Dokoye, slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang.

This immediately silenced everyone around, and the camp fell quiet in an instant.

"Priest, tell me what to do!" Dokoye said with a hint of weariness on his face.

These past few days have been the most exhausting time of his life.

The reason lies in the people who keep coming towards their barbarian army formation.

Two days ago, the old shaman brought back the heavily injured Ironclad Warrior, and he had a vague sense of foreboding. Now, that premonition is slowly becoming a reality.

Upon hearing this, the old shaman leaned on his cane and slowly walked forward, his voice somewhat hoarse, saying, "These past two days, the general has personally sent mortal gods to negotiate, but their attitude remains very tough, and they even attacked and seriously injured two of our mortal gods again."

Their real target isn't our barbarian army; I think we should let them in.

"No!"

These words were immediately rejected by the majority of people in the camp.

"Our rear is crucial to our barbarian tribe's southward expansion and unification of dynasties, and must not be exposed to outsiders."

"The current dynasties are not the same as those of decades ago. This is the best opportunity to unify the people of the past dynasties. We only need to defeat the past dynasties, and the ancestral shrine can completely occupy this remaining dragon vein, ushering in an era of development and growth for our barbarian tribe."

The old shaman retorted, "The ancestral shrine was severely injured in a battle with that divine monkey decades ago. Although it successfully suppressed the monkey, it still required a lot of power to stabilize the seal and prevent the monkey from escaping."

Although the current dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles, the Ziwei Emperor shines brightly, clearly indicating that he is no ordinary person, not to mention the rebellious forces within the country.

The Purple Maiden Goddess, the Evil Spirit True Lord, and the newly risen Northern Underworld Lord—we must be cautious in dealing with any of these people. If we get too close and force them to unite, it will be very detrimental to our barbarian tribe.

Even the person blocking our way is enough to give us a headache; we can't think of a good solution.

A barbarian general, bound in iron chains and exuding murderous intent, said, "Just lead the army and crush him. He can't stop us."

The old shaman sighed: "Of course I know he can't stop us, but what if we anger him and instead of confronting us head-on, he keeps attacking us?"

"Then bring out the ancestral shrine and kill him directly!" the barbarian general said viciously.

The old shaman shook his head helplessly, feeling that he couldn't explain things to this simpleton in front of him.

The ancestral shrine is their sacred object and totem, a place of worship and devotion for all members of their tribe, and their most powerful god.

The old shaman believed that as long as the ancestral shrine intervened, it would surely kill that person.

However, killing the opponent would inevitably require expending the power of the ancestral shrine. If the suppressed and sealed divine monkey were to break through the seal, the barbarian tribe would be in an even more dangerous situation.

These barbarian generals came south this time hoping to take the opportunity to unify the dynasties, but the old shaman did not think so. He knew that with the foundation and strength of the dynasties, they had not yet completely reached their end, otherwise they would not have driven the barbarians to the harsh northern frontier for so many years.

"Now is not the time!"

Once the old shaman understood this, he said directly to Dokoye, "If you are unwilling to give way to him, I suggest we retreat to the northern frontier first and wait for another time."

"This raid south has been enough for my barbarian tribe to develop for a while."

Upon hearing this, Duokuoye frowned.

In fact, he shared the same idea as most of the barbarian soldiers: since they had already marched south and occupied so many places, it was the best time to press on Jingzhou and put more pressure on that emperor of the past dynasties.

Although he knew it would be difficult for the barbarians to conquer the past dynasties, they could still take the opportunity to gain more benefits. He did not want to leave so easily, especially since he had been forced to retreat by one person who had driven back his entire barbarian army.

“I already know the priest’s idea, but if we retreat without even fighting, it will have a great impact on the morale of our barbarian army.”

"If he wants to attack and kill us, then let him!"

Although Dokoye was not a human immortal, he exuded an aura even stronger than that of the old shaman, the kind of aura that came from someone in a high position who held the power of life and death over countless people.

The old shaman knew he couldn't persuade these people, so he reluctantly stepped back and said, "I will protect the ancestral shrine."

The next day.

The barbarian army gathered in front of Tonggu Pass and waited until the sun rose, when they saw a figure emerging from the cold mist on the distant horizon.

"call--"

Lin Beixuan let out a long sigh and stared at the spirit monkey shrine in his hand.

At this moment, the halo on the monkey shrine flickered, and an unknown aura, like a wisp of smoke, drifted into the barbarian army's tent.

After observing for the past few days, Lin Beixuan has basically confirmed that Shenhou's clues are likely related to the barbarians.

"I never expected that the Monkey, one of the twelve zodiac gods, would be associated with the barbarians."

Lin Beixuan put away the shrine and looked at the barbarian army that was preparing for battle ahead.

At this moment, a vast military force had gathered above the barbarian army.

The army's imposing force was like an ancient and desolate sacred mountain, causing the space to tremble uncomfortably and the air to become viscous. Even before Lin Beixuan got close, he could already feel the terrifying pressure ahead.

"This army is much stronger than the Northern Underworld Army. It is indeed much weaker than these armies that have been through many battles in the secular world."

Lin Beixuan looked up at the ancient sacred mountain, feeling as if his bones and blood were under immense pressure every moment.

What should I do if I can't beat them?
(End of this chapter)