We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? Chapter 389: It Seems Heaven Wants Me to Be Buried Here

The subsequent day saw Qin Jingsu directing a colossal force of two hundred thousand soldiers to fortify Caiyun City.

These formidable troops comprised the elite Northern Frontier legions, assets previously allocated to Qin Jingsu by Xiao Mo.

Remarkably, many among this contingent were seasoned veterans who had once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Xiao Mo at Yanmen Pass, bringing invaluable experience in urban defense.

Regarding Xiao Mo, he marshalled the remaining army, launching a direct, unyielding assault towards Yaoqin City!

Though Xiao Mo and Qin Jingsu had not explicitly stipulated a timeframe, Xiao Mo fully trusted in Qin Jingsu's unwavering dedication to defending the city, while Qin Jingsu, in turn, had absolute faith in Xiao Mo's commitment to accelerating the conquest through any means necessary!

Upon receiving intelligence regarding Xiao Mo's calculated strategy, the Jin Kingdom's sovereign exhibited a flicker of apprehension, yet recognized this critical juncture as a golden opportunity.

The Jin Kingdom's ruler consequently issued stringent directives for cities like Yaoqin City to impede Xiao Mo's advance by any means, while simultaneously mustering allied armies from various Jin lords to converge and assail Caiyun City!

Their ultimate objective was clear: if they could successfully seize Caiyun City, eliminate the Crown Prince of the Qin Kingdom, and subsequently trap Xiao Mo's expeditionary force, the Qin Kingdom would face inevitable ruin!

However, the path from contemplation to execution often reveals stark difficulties, as many seemingly straightforward plans prove exceptionally challenging in practice!

Concurrently, as Crown Prince Qin Jingsu valiantly defended Caiyun City, he shared the hardships of his troops, enduring the same rations and living conditions, remaining perpetually vigilant atop the city ramparts without a moment's lapse in his diligence.

Furthermore, with the Crown Prince personally leading the charge and commanding two hundred thousand elite warriors, a profound sense of unity permeated Caiyun City, binding every inhabitant.

Moreover, their acute understanding of Caiyun City's strategic significance fostered a collective resolve, with nearly every soul prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice within its walls!

Nevertheless, as reinforcements from the various Jin Kingdom lords began to arrive from all directions, the adversarial pressure mounting against Qin Jingsu intensified exponentially.

This pivotal confrontation, which held the potential to profoundly shape the future of the four involved kingdoms, compelled these lords to launch relentless assaults on the city, disregarding the cost.

Regardless of the casualties incurred, any action that could even marginally weaken Caiyun City's defensive bulwark was deemed a worthy endeavor.

Two months elapsed, and Xiao Mo's army stood a mere thirty li from the Jin Kingdom's regal capital!

A wave of profound consternation swept through the Jin Kingdom's royal court. The sheer velocity of Xiao Mo's offensive had exceeded all expectations.

A segment within the Jin Kingdom's court began to advocate for capitulation once more. However, the majority of the Jin Kingdom's officials displayed remarkable fortitude.

The voices calling for surrender were swiftly silenced.

The Jin Kingdom's sovereign issued a resolute command: defend the capital until the very last breath!

Xiao Mo, expecting a different outcome, had not anticipated the Jin Kingdom's ruler would ultimately refuse to yield.

Xiao Mo promptly established a field encampment, allowing his troops a single day of respite while conferring with his military strategists on methods for breaching the capital's defenses.

The subsequent dawn saw Xiao Mo personally spearheading the charge against the city.

Meanwhile, at the precipice of Caiyun City, following extensive deliberation among the assembled Jin Kingdom lords, a coordinated, all-encompassing assault was once again unleashed upon the besieged defenses.

Both belligerent forces were engaged in a desperate race against time, each acutely aware of the catastrophic consequences of falling behind.

Under Xiao Mo's relentless onslaught, the Jin Kingdom capital's formidable protective formation had been substantially degraded. Xiao Mo had even orchestrated a feigned retreat at one point during the campaign.

The Jin Kingdom's ruler, having repeatedly repelled the attackers, began to believe he had successfully shattered Xiao Mo's aura of invincibility, a notion that filled him with considerable internal jubilation.

Consequently, the Jin Kingdom's ruler made the fateful decision to order a pursuit of the retreating forces.

This decision, however, led directly into Xiao Mo's meticulously laid ambush.

Not only did Xiao Mo orchestrate a devastating rout of the Jin Kingdom army, compelling them to scatter in disarray, but he also exploited the ensuing chaos to rend a substantial breach in the Jin Kingdom's defensive formation, crucially denying them any opportunity to mend the ravaged shield.

Xiao Mo, seizing the initiative, commanded his forces to engage in uninterrupted assaults, both day and night, progressively widening the chasm in the capital's failing defenses.

"Just a little more! Merely a bit further!"

Xiao Mo's eyes, flushed with intense exertion, remained fixed upon the shimmering formation above the city walls, his grip tightening instinctively on his formidable spear.

If granted an additional half-month, he was certain he could achieve the complete subjugation of the Jin Kingdom!

This time, he vowed, not a single member of the Jin Kingdom's royal lineage would be permitted to survive.

The reason was simple: the Jin Kingdom had not yet been entirely brought under his dominion.

Only through the complete eradication of the royal family would the disparate lords be rendered incapable of consolidating into a unified opposition.

Like scattered sand, he could then dismantle them piece by piece.

Following the conquest of the Jin Kingdom's capital and the annihilation of its royal bloodline, he would immediately divert his forces to relieve Caiyun City!

However, the circumstances confronting Caiyun City were not nearly as favorable as they had been previously.

Qin Jingsu had maintained an impeccable record, committing no tactical errors.

He resolutely maintained the city's defenses, opting for a strategy of steadfast endurance!

No matter how much the enemy provoked him, it was futile, but what Qin Jingsu hadn't foreseen was the incredibly weak protective formation of Caiyun City.

This formation, meant for a vital pass, should never have been so fragile.

Furthermore, even before the Qin Kingdom's forces arrived, the City Lord had already abandoned the city, fleeing. Little did they know that this neglect over years meant the formation was, if not entirely broken, then like a corroded, ancient blade!

Adding to the urgency, the attack was sudden, and no one had anticipated the Zhao Kingdom's battlefield defeat, plunging the Jin Kingdom's front lines into a desperate gamble.

Consequently, the army spent merely a day in Caiyun City before pushing onward, completely bypassing any inspection of the formation.

It was only now that Qin Jingsu grasped the reason behind the former Caiyun City Lord's flight, even towards the demon clan's territory.

The core issue was that he had absconded with all the spirit stones and heavenly materials and earthly treasures vital for maintaining the protective formation. Thus, he vanished without a trace!

Upon discovering this, despite his immense fury, Qin Jingsu devised meticulous strategies, striving to minimize the formation's energy consumption. However, merely five days later, the formation inevitably crumbled.

The collapse of Caiyun City's formation sent the Jin Kingdom lords surging forward with the ferocity of beasts scenting fresh blood!

They craved the Qin Kingdom's First Prince's head!

Such a feat would be an achievement beyond compare!

Recognizing the dire hopelessness of the situation, Qin Jingsu marshaled his remaining one hundred fifty thousand troops, leading them out of the city for a final stand!

Yet, the enemy forces outnumbered Qin Jingsu's by more than fourfold, and the number of Upper Three Realms cultivators among them far surpassed his own.

After an arduous engagement lasting two days and two nights, Qin Jingsu guided his beleaguered army back into Caiyun City.

Within Caiyun City's confines, Qin Jingsu employed tactical divisions, launching continuous guerrilla assaults against the Jin Kingdom army.

While Qin Jingsu's tactics proved incredibly effective in stalling the Jin Kingdom's advance.

Alas, Caiyun City was simply too confined.

Moreover, once the Jin Kingdom army seized control of Caiyun City's protective formation, even in its shattered state, formation masters managed to adapt it to detect enemy movements!

Three days hence, understanding the futility of further resistance, Qin Jingsu led his troops in a strategic withdrawal from Caiyun City.

Qin Jingsu's objective was to retreat to Yaoqin City and continue the defense, but how could the pursuing Jin Kingdom army grant him such an opportunity?

The Jin Kingdom forces harried them relentlessly, initiating multiple encirclement attempts against Qin Jingsu.

Though Qin Jingsu managed to break through each trap, the cost was cripplingly severe.

From the original two hundred thousand soldiers, a mere thirty thousand remained.

"What lies ahead?"

Qin Jingsu weakly inquired of the deputy general at his side.

"Reporting to the General, the path ahead leads to a plain within Jin Kingdom territory known as Shuling," the deputy general replied.

"Shuling... Su Ling (to be buried)."

A grim smile touched Qin Jingsu's lips.

"It appears the Heavens decree that I shall be buried here."