After the fall of Jishun Pass, King Luohou suffered significant losses.
This was due to his bet with Lord Lingde, which started on the 10th of November, around the time Liu Tianning had just arrived at the war zone.
The wager between King Luohou and Lord Lingde was that Zhao Xing would solve the issue and capture Jishun Pass within forty days.
However, Jishun Pass was only taken at the end of December.
"Hahaha, Luohou, I'll gladly accept these two seventh-rank divine weapons!" Lord Lingde laughed heartily. "Thanks a lot."
King Luohou's face twitched, utterly speechless.
While Zhao Xing's performance met his expectations, the capture of Jishun Pass was still a few days slower than anticipated.
"If you had bet on two months, Lingde would have lost," commented Lord Tianyan, shaking his head. "Too bad, just a few days off."
"A few days late is still late. A wager is a wager," King Luohou replied. "The resistance at Jishun Pass was slightly more intense than I expected."
"Look at the intelligence report from Yingyuan Prefecture. Without Zhao Xing's remarkable performance, capturing Jishun Pass would likely have taken until next year."
Lord Tianyan and Lord Lingde glanced at the report and noticed the extraordinary details.
Zhao Xing had supplied military provisions far beyond what was expected.
This allowed the Six-Army Alliance to launch relentless assaults in the final month, with the Hunyuan Warships attacking continuously, especially during the last half of the month.
Without sufficient logistical support, Jishun Pass would indeed have taken until the following year to fall, as King Luohou had predicted.
"But why did the Shenwei Army suddenly stop fighting?" Lord Lingde asked, puzzled.
"Commander Liao Rulong had a conflict with Yi Yue," King Luohou explained sternly. "Liao Rulong missed a critical opportunity, stopped the pursuit halfway, and had a huge argument with Yi Yue. Even Qi Yuanjun and Nangong Ye parted ways with them."
"Having partners that are too strong is not always a good thing; they were bound to split eventually," remarked Lord Tianyan. "But Liao Rulong is quite fortunate. A ceasefire might be declared soon. At this point, pursuing further won't earn much more battle merit, and the risks outweigh the rewards."
"Ceasefire?" Lord Lingde and King Luohou turned to Lord Tianyan. "How do you know?"
"I'm just speculating, no confirmed news yet," Lord Tianyan replied thoughtfully.
"If a ceasefire is indeed imminent, stopping the pursuit now is indeed the safest choice," King Luohou agreed.
If a high-level battle were to break out, high-ranking experts would enter the field, preparing for the front lines.
At that time, there would inevitably be a chaotic period, during which both sides might no longer strictly adhere to the rule that higher-ranked cultivators shouldn't attack lower-ranked ones.
They could accidentally run into regions where high-ranked experts were present, which would result in casualties without gaining any battle merits.
Even if they didn't encounter high-ranking experts, once the order to retreat came, all their efforts would be for naught.
"Luohou, it seems I might lose to you this time," Lord Tianyan said with a sigh. If the ceasefire were declared now, both Xia Jing and Zhao Xing would not yet reach the rank of second-class marquis.
It seemed Emperor Jing was more impatient than expected. The military training hadn't even lasted long before he was ready to initiate a true war.
At Jishun Pass, in a secluded courtyard.
"Inner Five Elements World, destiny is my destiny, fortune is my fortune, life is my life."
"The balance of yin and yang, the Five Elements World—ultimately, Self School holds the key to the ultimate path," Zhao Xing mused.
By now, it was the first month of the eighteenth year of the Jingxin Era. After the capture of Jishun Pass, the Shenwei Army, Xuanjia Army, and Zhenhai Army had begun their rest and recovery on the spot.
With nothing much to do in Tonghuo City, Zhao Xing had come to Jishun Pass to cultivate.
The area within a hundred li of Jishun Pass had been restructured.
Its damage wasn't as severe as that of Fire Dragon Pass, and the Xuantian Sect's Yin Five Elements Grand Array was still operational. Only the barrier in the southern section remained irreparable.
In the midst of the Yin Five Elements Array, Zhao Xing deepened his understanding of the Yin-Yang Self Technique and the Five-Finger Fate Technique.
Liu Tianning had taught him about high-level illusion arrays, which involved the profound principles of yin, yang, and the Five Elements.
Additionally, his mastery of the Self Straw Puppet, combining the five techniques into one, was essentially a simplified version of the Five Elements Unity.
Now, within the Xuantian Sect's grand array, Zhao Xing was experiencing a rare and profound Yin Five Elements Formation, gaining even more insight.
"Five-Finger Fate Technique involves harnessing the Inner Five Elements to synchronize with the larger Five Elements of the world."
"By calculating the fate of my Inner World, I am, in effect, calculating my own fate."
"I can even vaguely sense how long I will live," Zhao Xing thought.
His extended lifespan had reached 150 years, granted by consuming various spiritual essences and enhancing his luck.
But how long could he, as a Seventh Rank Earth Fiend cultivator, live? Not quite 150 years.
Wasn't cultivation supposed to extend one's life?
In fact, it wasn't that simple.
At lower ranks, extending one's lifespan effectively was nearly impossible.
In relation to the vast restrictions of the universe, these low-level cultivators were insignificant.
"In the era of Primordial Qi, the shackles of destiny were the hardest rules of the universe to break. Every living being had a predetermined lifespan dictated by those rules."
"Even the strongest cultivators found it difficult to break these shackles. Even the emperors of fortune dynasties could only live for a thousand years."
"After the revival of spiritual energy, the world underwent dramatic changes, entering the era of spiritual energy. The upper limit of lifespan increased, and the lifespans of all beings followed suit."
"In ancient times, the Xuanhuang Continent also experienced a spiritual energy era. Gigantic creatures roamed the land—animals, plants, everything was massive. Even a single blade of grass could live for an eternity. What is considered a rare treasure now was commonplace back then."
"After the era of catastrophes, the world's essence degraded to the level of Primordial Qi. Everything shrank in size, and the upper limit of lifespan decreased accordingly."
Whenever Zhao Xing was promoted, he would see visions of towering giants in the imperial court, especially Emperor Jing, whose massive stature indicated a far superior destiny, enabling him to live much longer.
Zhao Xing began calculating how long he would have to live to see the hope of immortality.
"There's still nineteen years left in the Jingxin Era. After the Jingxin Era, comes the Era of Great Peace and the Era of Eternal Peace, lasting for 158 years total, during which Emperor Jing will pass away."
"This means Emperor Jing has about 177 years left."
"Following Emperor Jing is Emperor Wu, who lived for 1,020 years, breaking the emperor's lifespan limit of the fortune dynasty, but still unable to advance further."
"After Emperor Wu came Emperor Yuan, marking the beginning of internal and external turmoil in the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as the Era of Catastrophes. Over fifteen emperors reigned, each with an average lifespan of a little over a hundred years. Collectively, this period lasted about 1,700 years."
"Then, finally comes the revival of spiritual energy. So, I need to live for another 3,000 years," Zhao Xing thought. "The road to immortality is indeed long."
"But I must take it one step at a time. First, I need to achieve my goal of reaching Fifth Rank during Emperor Jing's reign."
"Currently, I have 1.6 million battle merits, placing me forty-fifth on the Seventh Rank merit leaderboard."
"My temporary position in the Shenwei Army doesn't count. My official rank is Lower Seventh Rank."
"I've been with Liao Rulong's unit in the Shenwei Army, and we've yet to suffer a single defeat."
"With my merits, a promotion of at least three ranks is certain, which should elevate me to Upper Sixth Rank."
"Chen Shijie and Long Xiao started with higher positions, so they should reach Sixth Rank."
"My 1.6 million battle merits won't advance my title further. I'll remain a third-class marquis. Although it's not a military marquis title, even a common marquis can receive 160,000 mu of lower-grade farmland and a fief of 1,600 households."
"My civil title should be Fifth-Level Grand Consultant, allowing me to participate in key decision-making in a county and give advice at the prefecture level."
"My honorary rank should reach Sixth Rank, which, in addition to my salary, should grant an annual bonus of around 300,000 merit points."
Military merit bonuses are calculated in military merit points because the bonuses come from the military realm.
After Great Zhou conquers new territories, part of the tax revenue from these lands is allocated to reward meritorious soldiers with honorary ranks.
The military is undoubtedly the wealthiest class in Great Zhou, which is why soldiers are so eager to expand the empire.
Even after retirement, their honorary ranks still provide them with a third to half of their in-service bonuses.
Zhao Xing's honorary and civil titles weren't very high because he had exchanged his earlier million merits for a Yin Spirit slot.
"If nothing unexpected happens, a ceasefire will be called in February, and the entire Southern Barbarian battlefield will begin withdrawing troops. By March, the rewards will be granted."
"Next comes the mutation at Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, where a large number of heavenly treasures will begin to emerge," Zhao Xing pondered over the upcoming events.
"The explosion of heavenly treasures will last for about half a year. By September, the polar reversals will occur, with ten suns in the sky, bringing about a world-shattering disaster."
"In October of the same year, Emperor Jing will reopen the mid- and lower-tier battlefields, continuing his military training strategy."
"From then on, the war will continue until the twenty-eighth year of the Jingxin Era, when mid-tier forces will be introduced, with the highest being Fourth Rank. From the twenty-ninth to the thirty-fifth years, the war will escalate, with forces from Third Rank to First Rank joining in."
"In the thirty-fifth year, following a military defeat, King Liang will collude with sects and Southern Barbarian forces, leading a rebellion. By the thirty-seventh year, the rebellion will be crushed, and the war will end. After that, the Era of Great Peace will begin, with Emperor Jing focusing on producing heirs, and the Era of Eternal Peace will see the establishment of a successor."
"The window of opportunity in the Southern Barbarian Battlefield will remain open after the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, but I need to carefully navigate it. Otherwise, I'll be stuck."
Zhao Xing knew that if his rank were too high, escaping the battlefield would be nearly impossible. After all, the military wasn't a place where one could come and go as they pleased.
Promotions were granted for the purpose of service, and there were only a few specific moments when one could withdraw.
If he missed those opportunities, Zhao Xing would be forced to continue fighting and eventually get caught up in the mid- to high-level battlefields, where he would be little more than cannon fodder.
Great Zhou was full of talented individuals like Liu Tianning, Fan Zhaoli, Lu Bang, and Dan Tai Ming, all of whom had been at the fifth or fourth ranks for hundreds of years.
There simply wasn't any room for Zhao Xing to rise. Even Lu Yuanwei, the son of fate, was nearly killed in a later battle and barely managed to maintain his position as a Lower Fifth Rank official.
If that could happen to Lu Yuanwei, the risks for everyone else were even greater.
"I'll enjoy the rewards I deserve and avoid the disasters I can. Right now, I'm not strong enough, and my rank is too low. I need to eliminate any greed in my heart and not delude myself into thinking I can influence the overall war situation."
Cultivating Five-Finger Fate Technique had given Zhao Xing a clear warning. He had suffered backlash just from calculating the fate of Jishun Pass and Chen Shijie's destiny, so involving himself in the entire Southern Barbarian War was out of the question.
Although Derivation Three's luck was quite good, there were many people stronger than Zhao Xing as the war dragged on.
Take Lu Yuanwei, for example. Zhao Xing estimated that his luck had reached Derivation Six!
After all, Lu Yuanwei came from Luliang Prefecture, and the surname "Lu" belonged to another branch of a royal family. Lu Yuanwei was born with great fortune!
Comparing himself to Lu Yuanwei made Zhao Xing realize just how dangerous the mid- to high-tier battlefields would be.
"The goal during Emperor Jing's reign is to grow. Right now, neither my connections, strength, nor fortune have matured yet. Emperor Jing doesn't hold any great fate, so this is not the time for me to rise to prominence."
Having sorted out his thoughts and plans, Zhao Xing closed his eyes and stored his memories deep within his soul using the Great Dream Spring and Autumn technique.
These memories wouldn't surface unless triggered by critical moments or during specific safe times for reflection.
In the Era of Primordial Qi, soul-searching techniques were extremely rare. Even something as forbidden as the Soul Binding Straw Puppet could only capture memories from the past few days. Nevertheless, Zhao Xing remained cautious, just in case.
For the next few days, Zhao Xing focused on cultivating techniques within Jishun Pass.
Most of his energy was directed toward refining the Self Straw Puppet, as this technique had endless applications, and mastering it was akin to mastering many different techniques.
On the 4th of January, the Fortune Fleet arrived at Jishun Pass.
Lu Tingzhi wanted to discuss their "shared interests" with Zhao Xing, but upon hearing that Zhao Xing was in seclusion, he left.
Both Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, having amassed over a million battle merits, exchanged them for Yin Spirit slots, completing the Heavenly Soul transfer ritual.
Xia Jing, however, didn't follow suit, as his father had already achieved great military accomplishments, which had provided blessings for his descendants. As the heir, Xia Jing was already entitled to such benefits.
Wen Shaoyang also didn't opt for a Yin Spirit slot, while Jiang Ming and Li Que didn't yet qualify due to their less impressive performances. They hadn't earned as many battle merits at Jishun Pass as they had at Fire Dragon Pass.
By the 12th of January, Qi Yuanjun, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye launched an unsuccessful attack. The Yin Spirit General, Dragon Yang Daoist, and Linggui City counterattacked, causing the three armies to lose over a thousand men.
Blinded by greed and without proper logistical support, the three commanders finally realized that the Holy Spirit King's Court troops were no pushovers. Most of their previous success had come thanks to Zhao Xing's logistical support, creating the illusion of an easy victory.
However, this incident soured the relationship between the three armies and Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang.
They believed that if Liao Rulong had continued the pursuit with Zhao Xing's logistical support, they wouldn't have suffered defeat at Linggui City.
Especially Yi Yue, who, after retreating, filed a report with the northern main army, publicly lambasting Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang as incompetents.
He reserved praise only for Zhao Xing, describing him as a talent that Liao Rulong didn't deserve.
While Qi Yuanjun and Nangong Ye weren't as extreme, they also downgraded their assessments of Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang in their official reports.
However, their evaluations remained relatively objective.
They acknowledged that the Shenwei Army was indeed a formidable force, and spoke highly of Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, and Zhao Xing. However, they criticized Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang for being indecisive and missing critical opportunities.
In the Hujiao Army, Wei Hong laughed as he read the letter from his friend, Yi Yue.
Yi Yue's assault had failed, and he had lost over 120,000 battle merits. Naturally, he was eager to vent his frustrations to his friend.
"If what Yi Yue said is true, then Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang definitely don't deserve the praise they've been getting," Wei Hong mused.
After the capture of Fire Dragon Pass, the primary credit had gone to Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang.
Most of Zhao Xing's fame stemmed from his defeat of Qian Shougang.
As the commanders, Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang had received the bulk of the praise at first.
However, as word spread among the three powerful armies, their reputations began to decline.
"That bastard Yi Yue! How dare he speak of me like that!" Liao Rulong raged inside the City Lord's Mansion at Jishun Pass, tearing the letter in his hands to shreds.
In his report to the Yuanhua Army, Yi Yue had straightforwardly called him a coward, an incompetent, and a fool who missed crucial opportunities. And that was the official report. In his personal letters, Yi Yue's words were even more scathing!
One could only imagine how furious Liao Rulong had been when he read the report.
"Curse him! I'm a Sixth Rank Commander! He's only Seventh Rank, and yet he has the audacity to act like my superior, judging me as if I'm beneath him? I'll never forgive him!" Liao Rulong shouted.
Pu Zhong, however, remained calm. Once Liao Rulong had finished venting, he spoke: "Yi Yue is a straightforward person. At least he insulted you openly, rather than scheming behind your back."
"You're defending him now?" Liao Rulong snapped, though his anger had subsided somewhat.
It wasn't uncommon for alliances to break down, especially when one side was significantly stronger than the other.
And though Pu Zhong's words made sense, Liao Rulong still couldn't stomach the insult.
"Fine. We'll just never work with him again," Pu Zhong consoled him. "You're Sixth Rank, after all. Show him that you can be the bigger man."
"Say nothing in return and don't try to explain yourself. That will prove your magnanimity."
Zhao Xing also learned about Yi Yue's failed attack and how he had berated Liao Rulong.
"This hot-headed guy really scolded the wrong person," Zhao Xing chuckled. "It was me who persuaded Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing—their opinions carried a lot of weight—so that's why Liao Rulong decided not to pursue further."
"If he's going to curse someone, he should curse me, not praise me."
However, as the commander, Liao Rulong had to bear both the praise and the criticism.
As a mere captain, Zhao Xing was far removed from such scrutiny.
On the 20th of January, rumors of a ceasefire began to circulate within the army.
On the 21st, both Yang An and Jia Pu issued formal orders to Liao Rulong's and Wen Shaoyang's units, forbidding them from advancing further.
From the 21st to the 24th of January, high-ranking experts appeared on all fronts in the Fire Demon Tribe's territory, both from the enemy's side and Great Zhou's.
On this day, Zhao Xing emerged from his subterranean seclusion, dispatching a straw puppet on a flying ship to scout east of Jishun Pass, using his Heavenly Eye technique.
Four hundred li to the east of Jishun Pass, he saw numerous large cities shrouded in thick clouds of yin energy and dark clouds that wouldn't dissipate.
Massive ghostly giants, each a thousand meters tall and wielding huge axes, stood ominously in the distance.
After a brief glance, Zhao Xing's Self Straw Puppet nearly disintegrated, and he was forced to retreat swiftly.
Meanwhile, Great Zhou's own high-ranking experts had also arrived on the battlefield.
Yang An, a Fourth Rank general, personally arrived at Jishun Pass, accompanied by the Fourth Rank strategist Jia Pu and eight Fifth Rank vanguard generals.
Xuanjia Army had also sent reinforcements, with Marquis Mingwei dispatching his deputy general, Zhang Jue, a Fourth Rank general.
Additionally, Li Yuanzhen, a Military Shennong of Fourth Rank, had arrived.
There were also seven other Fifth Rank experts, including priests, strategists, warriors, and mages.
Although the Xuanjia Army had only a little over ten thousand men, Xia Jing's special status had prompted Marquis Mingwei to send exceptionally strong reinforcements.
Furthermore, both Liu Tianning and Fan Zhaoli had arrived in person.
Liu Tianning came voluntarily, while Fan Zhaoli had been requested by Lord Tian.
The most notable figures, however, were Liu Tianning of the Judicial Yin God Division and Li Yuanzhen of the Xuanjia Army.
As Zhao Xing's straw puppet returned, he saw Liu Tianning riding on the clouds. In an instant, he swept up all the scouts and patrol boats, including Zhao Xing, and tossed them fifty li back.
"Whoosh~" In that moment, the gust of wind carried over a thousand men fifty li back.
At the same time, Liu Tianning raised a hand and pointed forward. His voice echoed through the sky with the wind: "The boundary for the ceasefire is set here. Cross this line, and you will be slain without mercy!"
Boom!
The ground surged like ocean waves, casting a shadow over dozens of li. The shadow soon emitted a faint glow.
Towering trees shot up from the ground, each over five hundred meters tall!
They shimmered brilliantly on the battlefield—some trees crackled with thunder, others spewed flames. As a strong practitioner of the Self School, Liu Tianning's display of power stunned everyone.
"All seventh-rank plant warriors!" Zhao Xing's brow twitched. "Old Liu may only hold the rank of Fifth Rank, but his strength is far beyond that."
Li Yuanzhen, riding on the Cloud Rain Tower Ship, followed closely behind. He raised a hand, and the dark clouds scattered, letting sunlight shine through.
A pale green Seasonal Qi Command floated in the sky, dispersing the distant dark clouds.
"The Start of Spring Command, altering the weather over a thousand li, balancing the yin and yang energies of the region. He must have reached the 'Stable Domain'."
Even from a great distance, Zhao Xing could feel the vitality of spring. The ground, once corrupted by yin energy and devoid of life, now had a faint hint of green.
Li Yuanzhen had transformed the land!
As Zhao Xing observed Li Yuanzhen and Liu Tianning, he thought, "Old Liu is truly formidable. Li Yuanzhen is Fourth Rank and is expected to reach Second Rank in the future. But looking at this now, Old Liu's power doesn't fall short of Li Yuanzhen's at all."
"With their arrival, the ceasefire is now truly in effect. It seems this timeline hasn't changed."
In February of the eighteenth year of the Jingxin Era, all battle zones across the Southern Barbarian front entered a ceasefire.
The Four Royal Courts, the Five Great Cave-Heavens, and the various military corps all halted their conflicts, delineating defensive boundaries and establishing buffer zones.
Numerous mid- to high-level experts took over the battlefield, creating a tense stalemate.
Meanwhile, the mid- and lower-level forces began slowly withdrawing from the battle.
Zhao Xing also boarded a ship and crossed the Canglan River, returning to the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven in the Military Realm on the 14th of February.
On the 16th of February, each of the Five Great Cave-Heavens erected a Heavenly Heart Hall.
The Jing Emperor's awards were bestowed starting from the 16th of February.
All warriors who had earned merits during the war, regardless of rank, would have their contributions recognized, with the rewards ceremony extending into March.
At the Yang City base of the Shenwei Army in the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven.
Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, and Yu Ziqi were all waiting in the camp.
Suddenly, a pillar of golden light descended from the golden palace in the sky, spiraling with coiling dragons and enveloping the four of them.
"It's here," the four exchanged glances and quickly stepped into the golden light, before being pulled up by an immense force, flying toward the palace in the sky.