This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 184 A Battle That Decides the Fate
The two ghostly entities at opposite ends of the valley chose to retreat directly, without even making any contact with Zhuang Lin.

Moreover, they moved extremely fast, disappearing into the mist at both ends of the valley in an instant, so fast that even Zhuang Lin could not detect them.

Above the valley, Xi Miao also landed beside Zhuang Lin. He glanced at the two sections of the valley and was not surprised by the rapid disappearance of the ghosts.

"There should be two large-scale ghost realms in this area, and they are very bold."

Xi Miao's words did not surprise Zhuang Lin at all. He had heard about the chaos of the Netherworld before, but the situation just now was somewhat exaggerated. What was below was an army. The blood and evil aura of the army was something that ordinary ghosts could not approach, which also showed the ferocity of the ghost realm here.

"How audacious!"

"Although they run very fast, following this river should lead us to the underworld where they are. However, it would be inappropriate for you to interfere, sir. This matter is rather troublesome and sensitive, and may even involve the laws of heaven. It would be best to let the people of the underworld handle it themselves."

The underworld is mostly characterized by unique terrain, and rivers serve as fast lanes within it, as well as common entrances to the underworld.

The dispute in this valley is essentially a conflict between two ghostly realms, and is essentially a struggle for resources, except that the resources here might be ghosts.

Xi Miao's words implied that she believed Zhuang Lin was capable of finding the Ghost Realm, but the matter was not as simple as it seemed, and it was inappropriate to attack directly.

"A celestial realm that exists in name only?"

Zhuang Lin made a sarcastic remark, but Xi Miao immediately responded with a remark.

"The Celestial Realm exists in name only, but the Heavenly Laws are not!"

In name, many gods are related to the celestial realm, including rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, other lands, and even human affairs. These gods may have their own personalities, but their divinity is part of the laws of heaven, and they naturally need to abide by these laws.

Therefore, the celestial realm exists in name only, but the laws of heaven still govern the mortal world.

However, Zhuang Lin no longer felt any extraordinary awe towards this, not only because he was not from this world, but also because he had gained many new understandings from his second breakthrough, and more importantly because he had had relatively deep contact with the True Path.

In reality, the True Daoist sect is both the most superstitious about Heaven and the least superstitious about Heaven. The so-called "severing the connection between Heaven and Earth" means to shatter the Heavenly Palace, which will naturally open up the path to immortality.

Although most cultivators in the world thought this was unlikely, after all, the time when the Heavenly Realm was no longer open was long after the True Dharma was severed, and even Zhuang Lin felt that it couldn't be that simple, Zhuang Lin was still very interested in this concept of the True Way.

Of course, this doesn't mean Zhuang Lin can ignore the so-called Heavenly Laws. It just means that some rules are not unbreakable. He believes that cultivators in the world understand this, and Xi Miao beside him also understands it. That's why she said it was rather troublesome and sensitive, rather than saying it was impossible.

For every desire to break something, there is a desire to uphold it. For example, the ideals of the True Way are in stark opposition within the cultivation world, led by many gods and Buddhas.

These issues even led to fierce conflicts in the past, but things are relatively calm now.

"Don't worry, I'm not that reckless. Today, I'll just focus on today's business."

As Zhuang Lin spoke, he looked down into the valley. If it weren't for him and Xi Miao being there, this army might have suffered heavy losses tonight due to this unexpected event.
-
In the valley, Yin Ji, who had been kneeling on one knee and pounding the ground with his knife, took a while to recover. His personal guards had also gathered around him.

"General, are you alright?"

"It's nothing serious."

As Yin Ji spoke, he struggled to his feet, and others rushed over to help him. As his internal energy circulated, the warmth in his body intensified.

"Are there any casualties in the army?"

"The brothers are mostly unharmed, except for being a little frightened. General, what was that just now?"

Although Yin Ji was also still shaken, he was, after all, the commander of the army and could not show his fear. He then spoke sternly.

"They are nothing but demons and monsters. As long as my army remains intact, the evil aura within the army will be enough to deter them. Furthermore, we are under the protection of Heaven. Just like before, pass on my orders to organize supplies, gather the horses, and set off immediately to get away from this place before resting!"

"promise!"

Soldiers immediately went to relay the order, and Yin Ji looked up at the valley. He couldn't see anything there, but the feeling of light he had just experienced was still very strong. Could it just be moonlight?
Yin Ji looked up at the sky again. The bright moon was high in the sky, and there were no clouds. If many people in the army had not experienced it firsthand, they would probably think that everything just now was an illusion.

The army moved out again, and after leaving the valley and traveling some distance, Yin Ji realized something was wrong.

The terrifying moment in the valley made many soldiers suspicious and fearful, and even the slightest sound would make them tremble with fear.

Although Yin Ji, who was riding on horseback, was also wary of ghosts and monsters, he was more concerned about the overall situation. Then, he changed his mind and immediately ordered his men to spread the theory in the army.

An hour later, the sentiment in the army had completely changed.

With Yin Ji's belated additions, the soldiers were convinced that they had just fought and successfully repelled the ghosts and monsters using their own military aura, and that the army was also protected by the national fortune of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Perhaps some people had some doubts at first, but after the news spread in the army, a unified misconception gradually formed. Furthermore, Yin Ji claimed that he had defeated the ghost general, which was something that the soldiers in the army were willing to believe.

As the public came to believe this explanation, morale soared, and the nighttime anxieties quickly dissipated.

This ability to transform the doubts of his generals into morale and motivation demonstrates Yin Ji's extraordinary qualities. After several days of careful marching, he would raid small enemy groups when necessary to obtain supplies. After several more days, Yin Ji's army had gradually and completely passed through the area ravaged by the Zhai Wei army.

Just as Yin Ji had predicted, although the Dingling and Xianbei attacked together, they each had their own interests and their relationship was far from close.

On a small hill, several scouts with considerable martial arts skills lay in the bushes, gazing into the distance. The city of Luoyang was right in front of them.

The city is far from Luoyang, and the sounds of battle from there cannot reach us. However, the weather is good and the visibility is clear. We can still vaguely see that Luoyang is surrounded on three sides, with the continuous camps almost forming a huge arc.

Because it was too far away to see clearly, we could only estimate the size of the camp. The Xianbei army probably numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Moreover, these Hu people are different from the Han people; the proportion of soldiers capable of fighting is higher, and there may even be hundreds of thousands of them who are skilled in riding and archery.

"We've finally arrived." "Wow, there are so many people!"

"Would you like to come a little closer?"

"No, if we get any closer, we might encounter Xianbei scouts. The general said we mustn't alert them!"

"Go and inform the general!"

"Ok!"

Several scouts carefully observed the area, and after a long while, Yin Ji led some men away from the main camp to personally arrive at the location of the small hill.

Seeing that the area as far as the eye could see was filled with tents, Yin Ji gasped slightly. It was only because Luoyang was a high and fortified city, and General Zhu had personally led the troops to defend it from the very beginning, that it would have been breached long ago.

"General, what should we do? Should we try to contact the people inside Luoyang to help us enter the city?"

When his adjutant asked this question, Yin Ji gently shook his head.

"Even if we manage to get into the city, won't we all be besieged? The city might have enough food for its own use, but with more of us, it might be difficult. If we're going to do it, we should do it big!"

When Yin Ji said this, those around him already understood what he meant.

Sure enough, Yin Ji turned to look at the crowd.

"Pass on my orders: prepare oil canisters and torches, and let the soldiers rest immediately. After dark, they will be gagged and bells removed, and prepare to launch a night raid on the camp to set it on fire and kill the enemy. Tell the brothers that we can defeat ghosts, let alone humans!"

"Then, should we try to notify those in Luoyang so that we can provide support, since there are quite a few Xianbei people there?"

"No need. General Zhu is a veteran of our dynasty. He is certainly on high alert. If there is any unusual activity in the camp outside the city, the old general will definitely take action. There is no need for us to risk sending a message!"

"Furthermore, tonight all those who possess weapons must mobilize; victory or defeat hinges on this!"

Yin Ji's expression was serious, yet it also subtly revealed a sense of excitement.

"Subordinates take orders!"

That night, Yin Ji and some of the most skilled warriors in the army took the lead and went ahead to eliminate the Xianbei scouts by using bows and arrows or close combat, thus buying time for their main army to approach.

Including some civilian laborers and soldiers, Yin Ji gathered more than 30,000 intact troops and launched a surprise attack on the Yan army camp at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) that day.
-
In Luoyang, General Zhu Xu, who slept in his armor under the city wall at night, was suddenly awakened by a battle cry and immediately rushed to the top of the city wall.

At this moment, the garrison on Luoyang City had already been alerted, and everyone was staring in astonishment at the enemy camp outside the city.

Outside, shouts of battle shook the heavens, the sound of horses' hooves filled the air with dust, and several parts of the enemy camp had already caught fire, with the flames and shouts of battle continuing to spread.
"General, is the camp under attack?"

"It's burning!"

"Could it be a scam?"

Zhu Xu's heart pounded wildly. He circulated his inner energy and looked around at the distance. He saw fighting in two directions, and people were setting fires everywhere. The place was in complete chaos. This could not have been done by a few people deliberately staging it.

"It's not a trap; our imperial reinforcements have arrived!—Issue my order: quickly muster your troops and march out of the city, charging through the east and north gates, storming into the enemy camp, and beating the drums—"

This is a golden opportunity; it would be best to win this battle and decide the fate of the world!

Zhu Xu practically roared the order, and then drums resounded throughout Luoyang.

"Knock knock knock knock knock."

It didn't take long at all; the Luoyang garrison, which had been sleeping in their armor, had already rushed out of the city with their respective commanders.

Originally, Yin Ji planned to attack the camp from two directions, but with Zhu Xu's support, it became a four-pronged attack, throwing the entire Xianbei camp into complete chaos.
(End of this chapter)