War is divided into two kinds: one that does not follow the rules and one that does.
A war without rules involves using Thirty-Six Stratagems, various deceptive techniques, massacring civilians, flooding cities, launching nuclear bombs, bombing enemy dams, releasing poison gas, and so on—utilizing every ans to kill the enemy. The aim is to achieve military victory, which is above all else.
The other kind of war adheres to rules.
In the era of Spring and Autumn, wars between two countries would agree on the location, agree on the number of participants, and notify each other before the battle ensued. When enemies were wounded, they would be allowed to return, and captured elderly would be released.
When the enemy retreated, pursuit was to be symbolic at most, stopping after fifty steps.
Recently, in a certain war, carpet bombing was prohibited as it would harm civilians; attacking civilian infrastructure in cities, cutting off water and electricity, were not allowed.
Wars that emphasize rules do so because observing rules can control the scale of the war and prevent its loss of control.
Such wars are not fought for victory but for political purposes, social influence, or so economic benefits.
This is the difference between small n and big n.
Small n think only of winning the war and make efforts towards that end, without considering other matters.
Big n, on the other hand, consider what benefits and interests the war can bring, as well as the losses it might incur.
For the sake of interests, they will control the war’s scale, intensity, and duration, and sotis even willingly lose the war if it brings huge benefits.
This is a gap in outlook.
Similarly, the number of Nascent Soul of the Demon Race in the Hundred Thousand Mountains far exceeds that of the Human Race. If the Demon Race united, combining their strength, they could easily conquer Chu Country.
But in the actual war situation, the Demon Race cannot unite as one.
Demons of each lineage and tribes have different interests and demands.
In the eyes of those big figures, exterminating the Human Race and capturing Chu Country is not the first priority; the primary concern is the interest of their own tribe and themselves.
Imagine conquering Chu Country but severely injuring their own Demon Race, only to be wiped out by neighboring Demon Races—it would be a huge loss indeed.
Therefore, under various constraints, both sides persist in conflict.
Yet they are more inclined to follow rules.
Under Tieling Pass, large battles frequently occur.
These battles, rather than being wars, are more like competitions.
Both sides agree on the ti, battlefield, and number of participants, then dispatch corresponding cultivators outside the pass city, engaging in intense combat.
There are solo duels and team brawls.
In the clashes, both sides highly value martial ethics.
Such bloody combats have been conducted thousands, even tens of thousands of tis.
In these clashes, countless cultivators have been slain, yet so geniuses have also risen.
...
Standing atop the city wall, Lu Xuanji observed for a mont and then vanished.
Returning to the Cave Mansion, he continued refining the Nascent Soul Pill.
Ti passed, and the battle at Tieling Pass continued, with both sides engaging and fiercely fighting.
After ten years.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
At this mont, a terrifying bell tolled, emitting a violent sound!
The bell vibrated continuously, delivering an ear-shattering sound.
It rang nine tis in succession, with a rapid rhythm.
Lu Xuanji, who had intended to continue retreating into seclusion, was alard upon hearing the bell and walked out of the Cave Mansion.
He proceeded to the grand hall.
One figure after another, the previously secluded Nascent Soul Cultivators gathered together, assembling within a quarter of an hour.
Many Golden Core Cultivators also gathered here, forming a congregation of talents.
Simultaneously, nurous arrays at Tieling Pass were being activated, one after another until about one-third were operational.
With the activation of a third of the arrays, the defense of Tieling Pass increased layer by layer, transforming into a giant turtle shell with remarkable defensive strength, capable of withstanding a hundred Nascent Soul Cultivators’ consecutive bombardnts;
Even if a Divinity Transformation Cultivator attacked the arrays of Tieling Pass, it would still take an hour to breach them and penetrate the city.
Jin Xi sat on the throne, in the leading position, and said, "Everyone, we have a problem. Not long ago, ilin Pass fell. In ilin Pass, there were twenty Nascent Soul Cultivators, five hundred Golden Core Cultivators, and more than thirty thousand Purple Mansion Cultivators— countless cultivators of other ranks, yet it still fell."
"Recently, the Demon Race gathered a hundred Nascent Soul Cultivators, deploying nurous cultivators, and used five Fifth Grade Array-breaking Pearls to tear the grand array, leading to the fall of ilin Pass."
Jin Xi spoke, relaying the battle report from ilin Pass.
The territory of Chu Country is vast and imnse. To prevent the Demon Race from invading, eighteen large cities were established along the border, serving like nails as the frontline of defense against the Demon Race.
Ordinary Qi Cultivation Demon Beasts, Foundation Establishnt Demon Beasts, Purple Mansion Demon Beasts, etc., could bypass the city’s defenses, invade the heartlands of Chu Country, forming nurous beast tides, creating imnse disasters for Chu Country. As for Golden Core Cultivators and willing cultivators, they dare not invade the heartlands of Chu Country.
This is because doing so would trap them in Human Race ambushes and gang attacks.
On the border, eighteen cities serve as alerts and sieves, intercepting most of the Demon Race, making the elite Demons wary of danger, not daring to penetrate the heartlands of Chu Country; only sending so lower-level cultivators, so cannon-fodder Demon Beasts, etc., to the heartlands of Chu Country for looting and slaughter.
ilin Pass was one such city.
Although ilin Pass had defensive arrays and many experts for suppression, it still fell, which is sowhat shocking.
"How dare they?"
Thick Earth True Monarch frowned and said.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this mont, the grand array of Tieling Pass was under attack.
The destructive force, wave after wave, began striking here.
"Everyone, return to your positions, operate the grand array, and prepare for battle!" Jin Xi said, "If you don’t want Tieling Pass to fall and beco the second great city massacred by the Demon Race, then fight to the death!"
With that, Jin Xi disappeared.
The other Nascent Soul Cultivators also vanished.
Lu Xuanji likewise disappeared, going to a certain position to start operating the array.
Within Tieling Pass, there were over a hundred thousand arrays, with higher cultivation levels commanding more arrays. Various cultivators controlled the arrays separately, and as the arrays operated, it was like a massive grindstone turning.
Lu Xuanji focused and looked out, watching beyond the city.
The Demon Race began their assault, with intensifying fervor.
Outside the city, more than a hundred and twenty Nascent Soul Cultivators gathered, jointly wielding a great axe.
On the great axe were carvings of Divine Dragons, Demon Gods, and sinister runes, with evil qi surging within them.
"Demon God Axe!"
Seeing this great axe, Lu Xuanji’s pupils constricted, a flash of astonishnt crossing his eyes.
The Demon God Axe was a Sixth Grade Spirit Treasure of unparalleled power.
An ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator with weak cultivation naturally couldn’t wield this axe.
But when a hundred and twenty Nascent Soul Great Demons united, this axe erupted with a destructive light.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The great axe continued to grow, reaching a length of a hundred ters.
With the accompanying destructive sound of the axe, the great axe struck down on the city wall.
...
PS: There are only two updates today.
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