[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-119":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon Lies Hidden",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289417,4477,"Chapter 119: The Great Battle Begins","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-119",119,"\u003Cp>\"Dig the trenches like this—if the blood curse descends, retreat to other areas. As long as we lure the Wu Yu clan into the trench network, we’ll neutralize their advantages. All we need now is to buy time; if we survive their first assault, we’ll have a chance!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yun Feifei and Xu Waner both felt there were still issues—what if the Wu Yu clan refused to enter the trenches? Couldn’t they just stand above and fight us? But before they could question it, Wei Yuan said: \"It’s decided! Let’s begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Wei Yuan had decided, Yun Feifei and Xu Waner, though puzzled, had to obey—perhaps the Gaoshu of Tai Chu Palace had deeper intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They followed Wei Yuan’s orders, gathering all the defectors and assigning each a task. Dozens of cultivators were baffled by the command, but remembering that the Gaoshu of Tai Chu Palace must have a reason, they obediently began digging ditches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan glanced at Xu Wenwu’s build and abandoned the idea of making him dig, saying: \"Stay here and think harder—see if you can come up with something useful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenwu was stunned by the trust and immediately sat down to ponder deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan rose into the air and saw nearly a hundred cultivators scattered across the land, working furiously—even Foundation Establishment cultivators were digging. Yun Feifei and Xu Waner spared no spiritual power; each spell cleared a square of mud and stone several feet across.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu Yu clan’s common warriors moved like lightning, agile and swift, able to skim across swamp water. They excelled in curse arts and poison, not physical strength. Luring them into the trenches would restrict their speed and force them into close combat in confined spaces—this was Wei Yuan’s reasoning to convince them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was another reason: Wei Yuan realized he could no longer let those retainers rest—they had to be given something to do. They had followed him initially out of passion and awe of his power, but now some were wavering, remembering the Xu family’s might and their terrifying methods. Already, small groups were whispering, plotting how to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Yuan had to find them a task quickly, to keep them from dwelling on such thoughts. At the very least, he needed to bind them to his chariot first. Fortunately, the recovery speed under Jia Mu Sheng Xuan had increased, so this group could dig longer than normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan called Yun Feifei over and told her to tour the surrounding towns, warning them that the Wu Yu army was approaching, summoning all cultivators to reinforce the defenses, and dispersing non-cultivators into the wilderness to hide until the Wu Yu army withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yun Feifei flew off without pause. An hour later, she returned with over a hundred cultivators—including a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators. Though all were low-tier and none had reached mid-stage, they were still a significant force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Yun Feifei, several hundred who had completed Body Casting were on their way; they couldn’t fly and weren’t as fast as those who had fully perfected Body Casting, so they would arrive gradually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Yun Feifei, rumors spread that a Tai Chu Palace cultivator had appeared, decisively planted a boundary stone and reopened this region. The people of nearby towns wept with joy and spread the news, countless eager to come aid in defense. But since the Wu clan’s blood curse was deadly to ordinary people, Yun Feifei had refused to let them come, selecting only those who had completed Body Casting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these people, Wei Yuan felt slightly more confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the next several hours, cultivators arrived in waves. Yun Feifei and Xu Waner gathered them into several squads and sent them all to dig trenches. After hours of continuous digging, the ground now bore ten layers of trenches, forming a vast spiderweb. Yun Feifei appointed captains and lieutenants for each squad and assigned initial combat zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this lull, Wei Yuan communicated carefully with Qing Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boundary stone’s transformation of heaven and earth was not instantaneous—it expanded gradually from the stone’s center until reaching its limit. A normal boundary stone expanded half a li per day; Qing Ming expanded ten li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yuan’s mind stirred—he ordered Qing Ming to contract its domain. Instantly, the poisonous mists and dampness surged back, returning the surroundings to their former state. Wei Yuan then expanded the domain again; this time, the transformation was far faster—within minutes, the land became a pure human realm. Meanwhile, in his spiritual core, he remained active, shaping stones into flying swords and lining them around Yu Shan. Hours passed, and he had forged over a hundred flying swords. He felt a pang of regret—he had written too cautiously to Xiao Yu. He should have written: “My newly formed Foundation Establishment has crafted a hundred immortal swords—dare you come to see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While still preparing, a pillar of smoke rose in the distance—it was Yun Feifei’s alarm device. Small Wu Yu patrols might infiltrate, but large forces could not slip through unseen—they would trigger the alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smoke was still two hundred li away. Wei Yuan communicated with Qing Ming and retracted the boundary domain; moments later, the land was again choked with damp, poisonous mist. Hundreds of cultivators now stood ready on their positions, faces tense yet blazing with resolve to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of them never believed they could win—they knew there was no escape. Since someone had planted the boundary stone, they might as well fight to the death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High above, Wei Yuan stood beside a dozen carefully chosen cultivators—all physically robust, capable of charging in heavy armor. Beside him stood a horse: its entire body was crimson, with only its hooves marked by patches of white and blue, standing nearly ten feet tall, immensely powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This horse had originally belonged to Xu Wenwu, but after two of Wei Yuan’s blessings had left a trace unrecalled, the horse had visibly strengthened—it was now a renowned specimen among mortal steeds, unmistakably extraordinary. Wei Yuan needed a mount for his charge, so he took it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far on the horizon, a vast black cloud rolled toward them, its depths glowing faintly with blood-red light—the sign of the Wu Yu army’s arrival. A middle-aged man gazed at the blood-cloud, his face grim: “Look at that cloud—the Wu clan has at least ten thousand warriors, and a Great Witch among them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another man sneered: “Scared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man roared: “Who here isn’t ready to die? Your words are meaningless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s expression turned serious: “I apologize—I wrongly accused you, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man grunted: “No need. Let’s see who kills more when the battle begins!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cloud surged forward in an instant. Beneath it stretched a vast, dark army of Wu Yu warriors. In the center stood a massive platform, atop which sat a throne. A Great Witch, entirely wrapped in black robes, sat upon it, flanked by dozens of curse-wielders and generals, each wreathed in blood aura. At each corner of the platform rose a towering fire pillar, their bowls burning with eerie green flames, continuously casting invisible substances into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Witch gazed toward the ruins of Lan Shen Palace and saw a faint, pale spiritual qi rising—still weak, struggling desperately against the surrounding ink-green miasma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Witch roared in fury: “So they’ve planted a boundary stone! How bold! But it’s just been planted—no domain formed yet. There are many strong offerings hidden there—go, bring them all back! When this battle ends, I shall offer them to heaven immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Witch’s voice was low and rasping, accompanied by a constant hissing, as if countless insects rubbed their wings. At his command, the front line of four thousand Wu warriors surged forward, crawling like a swarm across the earth, crashing into the ruins of Lan Shen Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange, grotesque Wu warriors sprinted at full speed, faster than galloping horses. As the first row neared the trenches, they leapt into the air, diving straight into the human lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1344,"2026-06-20T03:38:27.933Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d8924871b0c9e3143e5447af6d7eed272f3e3cff900eb96f088e4ad1a1b2fc08","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-120","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-118",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]