Chapter 400: The Final Time Personally Participating, Yanbei Army!

Amidst the Northern Wind's cavalry.

From within the Wan Army.

The seven men ahead showed no slackness.

To hunt Lu Chen, none dared to be careless.

Gao Wenxiao's heart surged with passion—if he could kill Lu Chen outright, he would become the true hero of the Northern Wind.

"Exterminate the twenty-year demon of the Northern Wind!"

His name would echo throughout the Northern Wind, and his status in the military would be unmatched.

The Northern Wind dared to penetrate deep into Yan territory because Ye Mu, the Marquis of Changping, had long intended to defect—secret letters had arrived.

Tuoba Shuyi received the news and immediately summoned court strategists to discuss.

Yet all regarded Ye Mu's defection with suspicion and guarded caution.

Who didn't know the Lu family army was an iron bloc, its twenty-six generals having followed the Young Protector through life and death?

Water cannot seep in; wind cannot scatter it!

Yet!

To prove his sincerity, Ye Mu ambushed and slaughtered the emissary delegations of four states, capturing all members of the Daqing and Han delegations and delivering them to the Northern Wind.

This act shocked the realm!

Though Tuoba Shuyi harbored doubts, he decided, for absolute safety, to dispatch thirty thousand iron cavalry, vast and imposing, southward to invade.

For caution's sake, he first sent ten thousand iron cavalry across the border to secretly meet Ye Mu.

Ye Mu not only handed over the four delegations but also offered his only son as a hostage to demonstrate his sincere allegiance.

He then led eight thousand elite personal guards, before the eyes of all, resolutely departed from the Marquis's mansion and marched northward.

Without Wang Fu's permission, no provincial troops may leave their territory.

This act was an undeniable declaration of his rebellious intent.

Ye Mu not only provided the Northern Wind with Lu Chen's marching route but also leaked classified military deployments, laying the groundwork for today's ambush.

Northern Wind spies confirmed without doubt the deep rift long existing between Ye Mu and the Wang Fu.

He maintained private troops, openly opposed Lu Chen's decisions, and cultivated factions within the army for personal gain.

Any one of these crimes was enough to see him beheaded.

Though Tuoba Shuyi harbored doubts, faced with this once-in-a-millennium chance to ambush Lu Chen, he would not let it slip.

If Yan lost Lu Chen, what was there to fear?

Thus, Tuoba Shuyi and Gao Wenxiao set an ambush at the border closest to the Northern Wind, and to ensure absolute certainty, they even barred Ye Mu from involvement.

They dispatched Northern Wind men disguised as Ye Mu to flee toward the Northern Wind royal court, to confuse the enemy.

The matter proceeded astonishingly smoothly, as if all unfolded exactly as planned.

Lu Chen, alone with two others, stepped into the prearranged "death zone," surrounded by heavy troops like iron walls and bronze ramparts.

A situation of ten-sided siege!

This operation was led by Tuoba Hongyan, the Northern Wind Crown Prince, who had prepared every possible contingency.

They knew Lu Chen and his brother were the supreme masters of the realm.

The mansion's martial guests had all been mobilized, including three martial grandmasters.

One even recommended two elite martial artists circulating within Northern Wind territory, adding further assurance.

At this moment, Tuoba Hongyan briefly felt an indescribable surge of heroic ambition.

A sense of "All heroes under heaven have entered my net!"

Yet!

Unlike Gao Wenxiao beside him, Tuoba Hongyan retained a deep-seated caution within.

He had endured the Battle of the Yellow River, the Zhongnan Campaign, the Daqing Imperial Palace coup, and the White Horse Alliance—each clash with Lu Chen left a profound impression.

This Northern Wind Crown Prince harbored an innate fear of Lu Chen.

Lu Chen had fought across three thousand li in his life and never suffered defeat; his fame was so great it struck terror into hearts.

Tuoba Hongyan gazed at the formidable cavalry beside him, archers with bows fully drawn, arrows raining down like a dark sky.

Thirteen thousand iron cavalry against three men, fresh and waiting, with eight thousand heavy infantry holding the rear.

With such an array, how could Lu Chen and his two companions possibly survive?

Tuoba Hongyan reined his warhorse, looking down from above at the three riders below.

One of them, a middle-aged man, wore a calm expression, as if utterly indifferent to the surrounding peril.

Tuoba Hongyan could not help but ask himself.

"Can a man like me truly kill Lu Shenzhou?"

Tuoba Hongyan glanced back at the border, clenched his fist, and coughed.

"Wenxiao, I suddenly feel severe abdominal pain. You shall temporarily command the troops in my stead."

His face hardened, his tone brooking no refusal.

"Seize the opportunity without delay—or I shall not spare you."

Gao Wenxiao readily agreed.

The Demon Master watched the Northern Wind Crown Prince and several personal guards ride away, a knowing smile curling at his lips.

He sat astride his horse, dressed as a scholar, yet his aura of a grandmaster's perfect ease could not be concealed; nearby martial experts dared not show the slightest disrespect.

Huang Dao gazed at the sky, where the "Forbidden Character" shimmered faintly.

A hawk cried out in midair, its call faint amid the dense thrum of bowstrings.

Huang Dao had already noticed—he flicked his finger lightly.

"Such a precious talisman—what a pity!"

……

……

Yu Ke wrestled with it several times, but ultimately dismissed it.

1. Simulate further. (Warning: Possible danger.)

After all, this is already the late stage of Lu Chen's current scenario—each reward is immense.

He made his choice directly.

2. Personally participate. (2/3) (Warning: No danger, possible unknown outcome—choose carefully.)

He used his final chance for personal participation.

With your choice made,

Yu Ke slowly closed his eyes, drawing on the experience of his two prior personal participations.

He felt the familiar "weightless" sensation, like boarding an aircraft.

This time, he was mentally prepared.

At this moment!

The Kunxu Cauldron awoke from slumber, trembling violently.

An invisible cauldron shadow, like a deep vortex, quietly expanded, slowly drawing Yu Ke into itself.

Yu Ke felt as if he had again stepped into chaotic emptiness—the space around him spun wildly, stars shifted, heaven and earth slowly inverted.

Again, that familiar "feeling!"

Twice before, a pair of vertical eyes had stared fixedly at him.

And that indescribable dizziness had unsettled his spirit, warping the world before him.

This time, it did not appear!

The great cauldron grew more ancient and solemn, emitting a deafening, chaotic roar.

This time, his entire body felt warm and comfortable—no discomfort at all.

"Hm?"

A Ding, you've upgraded the "Personal Participation" feature to a "premium experience package."

Yu Ke slowly opened his eyes.

He saw a different scene, within a dreamlike space.

In a small courtyard.

Beneath a wutong tree, a young boy, strikingly clear-faced, holding a scroll.

Studying diligently!

His voice was low, yet each word was clear and precise, like jade striking jade—resonant and strong.

"Heaven moves with vigor; the noble person strives unceasingly!"

It echoed in Yu Ke's ears.

When Yu Ke looked again, it vanished.

The great cauldron rang once more!

As if sounding from ancient antiquity, yet also from a distant future.

In this heart-stopping resonance!

Yu Ke felt his mind grow hazy, as if a deep, rich voice whispered:

"Heaven and earth, all directions—this is Yu. Past and present—this is Zhou."

This time, it was clearer than ever before.

Yu Ke calmly opened his eyes, and everything before him had changed.

He now stood upon an endless, boundless grassland.

Around him, iron cavalry surrounded him, their chilling aura pressing in.

In the sky, arrows rained down like a storm, dense and ferocious.

After enduring the final barrage of arrows, his spiritual energy was exhausted, and his protective barrier had been pierced through.

Horns blared, wind surged, and war drums thundered.

The heavy cavalry behind him charged forward, hooves pounding the earth with a rumble like distant thunder.

Shouts of men and neighs of horses intertwined into a chaotic symphony of battle.

Chains scraped, metal clashed, and faint, incessant sounds filled the air.

Yet,

What Yu Ke first felt was the warm, soft body in his arms.

He rode atop a horse, with a woman seated before him.

It should be Ji Qinxin, the top beauty in the simulation, breathtakingly gorgeous.

At this moment, their bodies were so close they seemed fused as one.

The woman's back pressed tightly against him, her entire form slumped against his chest, as if surrendering all her weight to him.

Ji Qinxin's slender shoulders trembled slightly, like a leaf caught in the wind—clearly terrified beyond measure.

Before him, such a vast army charged forward—there was no hope left.

She was still young, barely in her early twenties; though she had prepared herself, how could a girl truly face death with a calm heart?

Though Yu Ke did not know how this scenario would unfold, the choice prompt had assured him this time he would escape unscathed.

So, he could not help but speak: "We will win!"

His voice was gentle yet firm.

Hearing him, Ji Qinxin turned her head, her tear-filled eyes glistening.

Yu Ke saw her face—pale as pear blossoms wet with rain, a true paragon of beauty.

He nodded slightly to her, then stilled his mind, turned his horse, and faced the charging army.

Lu Yu said solemnly: "Brother, hold back for now and repel this wave."

"When they switch to their second charge, I'll break through their formation."

Yu Ke turned his head toward the white-robed youth beside him.

His Daoist robe fluttered in the wind, his dark locks dancing like ink.

Recalling their first meeting in the imperial palace ten years ago, he had not aged a day—still a youthful man in his twenties.

A red mole on his forehead made him appear even more refined and radiant.

His face showed no fear, only fierce battle intent and soaring confidence.

As if nothing in the world could halt his advance.

The youth treated danger as if it were flat ground, life and death held in contempt.

You suddenly realized—even among your peers, the Shenshao Sect's inner disciples Li Qingshui and Lan Yu—

Both were true prodigies of the sect, having ascended to the Third Heavenly Ladder.

As direct heirs of the Eight Inner Branches, they were destined to reach the True Person realm and shake an entire continent.

Lu Yu was no less than they!

With that,

Lu Yu spurred his horse forward, standing alone before Yu Ke, blocking the tidal wave of iron cavalry.

Watching Lu Yu's ever-present back, ever ahead,

Yu Ke involuntarily looked up at the sky, murmuring inwardly.

Is this world real—or false?

Within a single tripod, a world is contained!

Ji Qinxin wiped away her tears, her ears echoing your firm voice:

"We will win!"

Will we really win?

She felt doubt rising—she sensed you were different now.

In the past, your expression had always been as still as water. But now—

As she turned her head, she saw a faint smile on your lips, a new emotion in your gaze.

At that very moment!

The character " Jin " above his head ignited spontaneously, and spiritual energy surged back into his body.

Yu Ke felt the familiar spiritual energy, though much thinner than what he knew in the sect.

He began to consciously circulate it through his meridians; flames slowly rose from his palms.

The Art of Burning Heaven!

He was puzzled—this situation, which should have been dire, had been resolved so easily after his own direct involvement?

The first difficult problem had been solved so effortlessly?

Yu Ke prepared to spur his horse forward.

There was no retreat now—only break through the encirclement.

He prayed for change, but chose to carve out his own path to survival.

"Brother, fall back!"

Lu Yu sat astride his horse, and behind him, a black spiritual form began to coalesce—faceless, with three heads and six arms, as if appearing from nothingness, all arms outstretched like the "Heavenly Kings" in a night-shrouded temple.

The appearance of this spiritual form caused the front-line cavalry to stare in disbelief.

It had appeared out of thin air!

Yu Ke noticed the surrounding light dimming gradually, the world losing its colors, leaving only black and white.

An indescribable oppressive aura spread quietly, instilling dread.

Was this the effect of Lu Yu's inner realm influencing the outer world?

After the spiritual energy was unblocked, his external manifestation was this astonishing?

Yu Ke speculated inwardly—this external manifestation must be tied to Lu Yu's cultivation scripture.

Could the highest level of the "Primordial Scripture" truly manifest like this?

Yu Ke had intended to assist in battle, but after hearing Lu Yu's words, he paused briefly and wisely withdrew.

Lu Yu's current technique seemed to transcend this world.

"Brother, farther back."

Lu Yu's voice came again; Yu Ke obeyed without hesitation and retreated further.

Yu Ke stared at the black spiritual form—it did not resemble any deity of Daoism, but radiated a chilling, murderous aura that sent shivers down the spine.

Though its face was obscured, its true visage must be monstrous and terrifying.

Feeling this intense killing intent, Yu Ke's "Art of Burning Heaven" activated involuntarily, dispelling the bone-chilling cold.

Beside him, Ji Qinxin appeared unwell—dizzy, nauseous, and terrified.

Seeing this, Yu Ke immediately guided a trace of spiritual energy to shield her.

As the spiritual energy flowed in, Ji Qinxin gradually recovered, her complexion improving slightly.

Yu Ke stared at the black spiritual form, heavy as iron, crashing to the ground.

The warhorses ahead, overcome by terror, lost control—some knelt, their riders' souls seemingly stolen; chaos erupted, men and horses tumbled.

Lu Yu roared: "Break open!"

Like thunder exploding, it shook the soul.

The Demon Master watched silently from afar among the cavalry ranks.

He saw—

A black spiritual form over two zhang tall stood towering amid the armored cavalry; for the first time, his face showed shock.

Is this the external manifestation forged by "Martial Dao's True Intent"?

No wonder Xuantianzi had fallen to Lu Yu.

Power beyond this world!

Deep within the woods of Yuetangjiang, Huang Dao and Xie Mu found Xuantianzi prostrate on the ground, broken and unrecognizable.

His fate was obvious.

Xie Mu's lips twitched as he exclaimed: "How can we fight this?"

One man against ten thousand soldiers!

At that moment!

He involuntarily looked up and saw a tide of cavalry rolling toward them, banners flying.

The emblem was unmistakably that of the Yanbei Army.

(End of Chapter)