Chapter 773 (2): A Prelude

Yue Hongling dropped the topic and instead asked, “How strong is Timur?”

“In terms of divine sense alone, I am about half a step behind him,” Zhao Changhe admitted. “But divine sense is just one aspect. If we really fight, the gap will likely be larger. Still, it’s not an insurmountable difference. I can take him on.”

Yue Hongling nodded and murmured, “First on the Ranking of Heaven...”

Indeed, regardless of how much the blind woman may have influenced the rankings between Timur and Bo’e, Timur still held the top spot. He was the officially recognized number one of the present age, standing just beneath the ancient gods and demons.

It was a title cloaked in endless prestige. The one who ranked first on the Ranking of Man was seen as a ruler among mortals. The first on the Ranking of Earth was regarded as the threshold between man and god. And as for the first on the Ranking of Heaven?

Even though the resurgence of gods and demons had somewhat diluted the significance of this ranking, to the vast majority of people, it remained an untouchable peak, a height beyond reach.

Even Zhao Changhe, who was constantly exposed to the terrifying presence of the blind woman, could not completely ignore the weight of that title.

As for Yue Hongling, a battle with the first on the Ranking of Heaven carried more meaning than the war itself.

“Back to the matter at hand,” Zhao Changhe said with a grin. “Now that Timur has repelled my probing, he’ll definitely start making moves. Did the sword qi you planted in their Sacred Mountain and royal court pick up on anything?”

Yue Hongling regretfully shook her head. “The range is too small, and the placement was slightly off. I’ve gained almost nothing. Honestly, I feel like planting that sword qi was a complete waste of effort.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “Preparation is never a waste. Not everything we set in motion will bear fruit, but at least our previous judgment was correct. Timur is indeed heading in our direction.”

“Which means General Huangfu’s forces are likely to face ambushes. And these so-called ambushes... might not follow the typical rules of engagement.”

* * *

It was not just a possibility that they would disregard the rules but a certainty.

With the collapse of wartime conventions and the world slipping further into chaos, Zhao Changhe was already contemplating the terrifying possibility of Tngri itself launching massacres across the land once fully restored.

Even in a weakened state, unable to spread its influence across all of the divine land, it could still descend upon the entirety of the region housing the northern barbarians, whether it was in the deserts or the Grasslands. Tngri’s range was vastly larger than Zhao Changhe could ever reach with his own powers.

Divine descents were the most indefensible form of attack. Ordinarily, they would not be used against ordinary soldiers. But without the reinforcement of the subterranean sky, Zhao Changhe himself had no means of providing remote support across thousands of li.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Yongxian led his troops through the Gobi Desert, moving in disciplined order under the guidance of experienced scouts, pressing steadily northward.

People say that traversing the desert is a deadly challenge, but in reality, it’s not that extreme. Much of the terrain in Gobi is not pure sand; in parts of it, you could even gallop a horse. Of course, it could not compare to the open plains of the Grasslands, so progress was slower. After several days, Huangfu Yongxian’s forces had only just entered the outskirts of the Gobi.

While sand-filled winds blew across their faces, the weather remained cool, and sandstorms were uncommon this time of year. Conditions were relatively favorable for marching.

But as Huangfu Yongxian rode his horse at a steady pace, he began to sense a shift. The gentle dust blowing across his face suddenly intensified, and moments later, a massive sandstorm rose up, engulfing the sky like a roaring ocean.

Tens of thousands of soldiers stood dumbfounded, staring at the approaching tempest. There was not even time to turn and flee.

An elderly shepherd from Batu’s tribe cried out in panic, “No! This is impossible! A sandstorm shouldn’t happen during this season!”

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Another shepherd quickly fell to his knees, bowing deeply to the ground. “This is divine punishment! This is divine punishment... The wrath of Tngri! Please, have mercy on us...!”

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the sandstorm descended upon them. There was no divine response to their desperate prayers. The force of nature was beyond mortal resistance. Even Huangfu Yongxian, who was on the Ranking of Earth, was powerless against it.

However, the expected disaster did not strike.

The soldiers looked up in astonishment and saw that the arid Gobi around them was suddenly permeated by gentle moisture, as if a transparent veil of water had enveloped them, preventing even a single grain of sand from invading.

A massive projection of a tortoise manifested, its illusory form shielding the entire area. It felt as though the entire army was marching under the protection of a giant tortoise shell.

Some even noticed that, within the tortoise’s domain, the barren Gobi was beginning to show signs of life. Green sprouts emerged along the edges of the desert, suggesting that this place might gradually transform into an oasis.

Over the past few months, the efforts of the Four Idols Cult had not been in vain. Huangfu Qing, leveraging her status as Huangfu Yongxian’s daughter, had subtly spread the teachings among the Yanmen garrison for years. Now, countless soldiers of the Four Idols Cult erupted in ecstatic cheers. “This is the blessing of our Black Tortoise! Who does the barbarian god think he is?!”

Even the Batu tribesmen were struck dumb, and other non-believers in the army were equally astonished.

As Zhao Changhe said, this war was essentially a battle of faith, a divine conflict that had long since transcended the old template of tribal warfare. This clash of miracles completely overturned the common understanding of warfare, reshaping the entire landscape of the conflict.

Suddenly, a streak of light shot in from the northeast, hurtling straight toward the tortoise projection.

A supple whip gracefully unfurled, twisting like a serpent and wrapping the streak of light layer by layer, binding it in midair.

The light flickered, revealing the solemn visage of a god-like figure. His expression was heavy. “Black Tortoise...”

From the void, Lady Three appeared with a serene smile. “Esteemed god, long time no see.”

The two had crossed paths once before, during the time when Tngri’s soul fragment was obliterated by Xia Longyuan overseas—a moment Lady Three had witnessed in its entirety.

But her words, “long time no see,” seemed to carry more weight than just that one encounter...

Although Lady Three did not inherit any of the ancient Black Tortoise’s memories per se, her mastery of their techniques and knowledge was fairly complete. In ancient times, Black Tortoise and Tngri had both been active in the northern regions, and their battles had been numerous.

“Heh...” Tngri spoke indifferently, “The Black Tortoise of the ancient era was steady and unyielding. Though we were enemies, I held a deep respect for him. But times change, and the old have passed. Now, all that remains are charlatans and pretenders, flaunting their charm, serving men under the guise of divinity, and deluding themselves into thinking they can replace those of the past. I imagine my old rival wouldn’t recognize you from beyond the grave. At the very least, I do not.”

Lady Three was unbothered by being called a flirt. Instead, she gave a lazy smile. “I enjoy serving my man. What’s it to you? And don’t act like you were Black Tortoise’s close confidant. The Four Idols Cult has preserved his legacy far more completely than you might think. Would you like to hear what Black Tortoise truly thought of you?”

Tngri remained impassive. “Worthy rivals do not speak ill of one another. I doubt Black Tortoise had anything negative to say about me.”

Lady Three’s smile deepened. “You’re right. He had no ill words for you. In fact, he even admitted you had some backbone, that you were a true warrior. However... he also thought your vision was pitifully narrow, like a wild monkey squabbling in the mountains. Every time he fought you, he felt it was beneath him.”

Tngri fell silent. “...A pity then, that when the world collapsed, it was the one who claimed to have greater vision who perished, while I remain.”

Lady Three shook her head. “Black Tortoise is not merely a being. It is a concept, an embodiment of an entire civilization’s will. As long as that civilization endures, Black Tortoise endures. It does not require your recognition. On the other hand, if you were to die, what would remain of the tngri[1]? Your followers don’t even have a concrete image of their god. Their faith is tied to nothing but a crude axe. How absurd. Even more ridiculous... that axe isn’t even yours. You’re just someone else’s pawn, and you don’t even realize it.”

Tngri scoffed, unwilling to entertain her argument. “To those of us you mock as wild monkeys in the mountains, none of this philosophical nonsense matters. We recognize only one truth, and that is victory and defeat. I am merely a soul fragment here today, but let’s see if a woman who claims to have inherited Black Tortoise’s power can even withstand my soul fragment. Then we’ll see who the real joke is.”

Lady Three chuckled and said,. “The moment you chose to appear as a mere soul fragment, you had already lost.”

Boom!

Thunder roared across the sky.

Daylight turned to night as lightning lashed across the heavens, streaking across the sky in a thousand-li storm.

The Black Tortoise projection expanded, its shell absorbing the raging bolts without leaving a single mark.

Amid the chaos of flashing lightning, a graceful and voluptuous figure moved like a serpent, weaving through the storm. With a sudden flick of her whip, a streak of violet lightning split across the battlefield, striking toward the projection of the god overhead.

Huangfu Yongxian watched in silence, his composed expression betraying no emotion.

He had not expected the northern campaign to begin with a clash between Tngri and Black Tortoise. But the words of the latter resonated with him.

Tngri had only sent a soul fragment, meaning that the true battle was happening elsewhere. This at least confirmed that his daughter’s prediction had been correct. The real front lines lay in the east.

“We seem to have been underestimated,” Huangfu Yongxian remarked, turning to Cui Yuanyong with a wry smile. “The sky darkens, the sands rage... Are you afraid?”

Cui Yuanyong spat to the side. “Afraid? Anyone who’s afraid is a piece of shit!”

“Good.” Huangfu Yongxian cracked his whip forward. “They think this will slow our advance? Ridiculous. I refuse to be stopped. All forces, press forward! Within three days, we shall reach the royal court!”

1. This is basically like the pantheon of Mongolian gods or the highest class of deities. I’ll be differentiating the god Tngri and the gods tngri through capitalization. ☜