The Storm That Swept the World

After being routed at the Hengduan Mountains, Li Shiwen lost all his official positions and honors.

At the beginning of this war, he had participated as an ordinary soldier. But first, he was exceptionally brave and had distinguished himself many times since the war started. Second, as North Chu kept losing and generals kept dying, he had actually become a general.

Now that Xuanqin and North Chu were in a stalemate, with few battles, Li Shiwen was responsible for defending Wuyi City.

When Qin Ran and Li Shiyin found him, he was inspecting the city walls with a contingent of troops.

...He did keep Qin Ran's words in mind, inspecting the area around Wuyi City daily to prevent enemy forces from establishing positions nearby.

Qin Ran called him over and said, "We went to the Xuanqin camp today and secured the Yuanying stage cultivators from Boundless Sword Sect. Xuanqin won't attack the city in the short term."

"You went to the Xuanqin camp?" Li Shiwen frowned. He looked at Qin Ran and Li Shiyin standing side by side, both looking relaxed. He asked, "Were you hurt?"

"How could we be hurt?" Li Shiyin went to his side and brushed the snow off his armor, bragging, "I'm so powerful, it was them who got hurt, right!"

Hearing this, Li Shiwen glanced at her, too lazy to respond.

"There really were no injuries. I know my limits," Qin Ran said with a smile.

Li Shiwen believed Qin Ran's words. He nodded, reassured.

After a pause, he looked at Qin Ran and still asked, "I'm just a minor general now, not involved in military affairs. Why tell me all this intelligence? You could have reported it directly to the Commander-in-Chief. I'll still have to relay it to him later."

Last time, Qin Ran had also told him the crucial intelligence that Xuanqin was determined to conquer North Chu, not just stop at it.

Li Shiwen was a little puzzled.

"We're of the same generation, so it's easier to talk..." Qin Ran coughed and said frankly, "The Commander-in-Chief makes me nervous. There's no particular reason."

"Ah?" Hearing this, Li Shiwen was dumbfounded.

In his mind, Qin Ran was a transcendent, saintly figure. At least he had the bearing of a strategist with excellent plans who commanded thousands of miles from his tent. He had imagined dark reasons why Qin Ran didn't want to meet with Li Zhan.

But he never expected this reason!

Reacting, he suddenly realized he had unconsciously overlooked Qin Ran's age due to his cultivator status. He had always thought Qin Ran was much older. But now it struck him that Qin Ran was only a few years older.

Looking at Qin Ran again - hair in a topknot, refined scholar's garb, standing in the snow - he was just a youth.

Li Shiwen didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Hey, daddy's scary. Who likes talking to him?" Li Shiyin chimed in at this time.

Hearing this, Li Shiwen also felt it made sense. Although he had his own family now, with a child, he still found Li Zhan very intimidating.

"With Shiyin guarding Wuyi City, Xuanqin won't attack before spring," Qin Ran said, leaning against the wall. "Because her sword intent-infused aura is still too much for them."

Li Shiwen looked at the towering purple starry sword aura before the city gate, amazed once again. He knew his sister was formidable, but each time, she showed him she was even more formidable than he realized.

"This sword aura and intent, it's really powerful, right?" he asked.

"Sword aura is quite common. Most swordsmen with a bit of talent can comprehend it. Sword intent is rarer but not that rare," Qin Ran said with a smile. "But sword intent reinforcing sword aura is less common."

Li Shiyin patted Li Shiwen on the shoulder and leaned on him, gazing at the sword aura outside the city, proud of herself. "Now you know how powerful I am!"

"Yes, yes, you're the most powerful," Li Shiwen said perfunctorily.

Light flurries were falling from the hazy sky. The lone starry sword aura seemed to emanate an ancient bleakness amidst the snow.

Qin Ran looked up at the snow drifting down from the leaden sky and suddenly sighed, "But no matter how powerful Shiyin is, she can only ensure they won't attack the city before spring, not make them retreat. Even if we wait until next spring when they attack, the situation would still be dire."

"His Majesty has sent envoys to Great Yan and Yan Han. They're all highly capable people..." Li Shiwen said. "With your intelligence, I believe the enemy will retreat soon. Wuyi City will have reinforcements soon."

"That's just one aspect..." Qin Ran said. "The other key point is, if the stalemate drags on, Xuanqin will definitely send more cultivators from Cloud Heaven Sect, certainly Yuanying sword cultivators.

"So we're on a time limit," he sighed. "Before spring, before Cloud Heaven Sect sends Yuanying sword cultivators, this is actually our window to attack, our chance to break the deadlock. If we miss this opportunity, North Chu will be in danger."

Qin Ran had turned two Yuanying cultivators from Boundless Sword Sect, who would sabotage Xuanqin's first two attacks. But when Cloud Heaven Sect sent more Yuanying cultivators, they would certainly withdraw.

By then, it would be impossible to defend. Qin Ran would likely use the pretext of deceiving those two Boundless Sword Sect cultivators to deceive other sects to make a move.

He knew it would spur North Chu's other sects to act. But by then, North Chu would probably already be finished.

Qin Ran turned, looking out from the ramparts, and sighed, "All the world knows Xuanqin is ambitious, with plans to conquer the land under heaven. But in the end, they were unable to stop Xuanqin from destroying their countries. Xuanqin conquered them one by one and unified the realm.

"Was Xuanqin's power greater than all six countries combined? No.

"You could call this the trend of the times, historical inevitability.

"But you could also call it a domino effect, an avalanche. Have you seen an avalanche? Snow accumulates bit by bit, rolls down the mountain, getting bigger and fiercer, finally becoming an irresistible torrent."

He reached out his hand to catch the falling snowflakes. "Xuanqin conquering North Chu is the first snowflake, the beginning of the avalanche. Once Xuanqin crosses Wuyi City, the momentum will be set, the situation fixed. The avalanche downward cannot be stopped - not just North Chu, the other five countries in this land of immortals will not be able to stop it either."

"Wuyi City is the crux for Xuanqin's emperor in this game. He will expend everything on it!" The snowflakes melted in his hand. "And the most wonderful thing is, this point is unknown to others in the immortal legacy realm. The lofty immortal sects don't care at all right now.

"This is an opportune sneak attack, yet also an obvious play. "

Li Shiwen suddenly couldn't follow what Qin Ran was saying. He only vaguely understood Wuyi City was critical.

Frowning, he asked, "Are you saying Wuyi City is destined to fall?"

"No, I'm saying victory lies in seizing the moment," Qin Ran turned his palm downward. "There's only one way to win - suppress Xuanqin before they gain momentum!"

Snow flurried down from the leaden sky. Qin Ran stood atop the city, reaching out his hand, pressing down with his palm. The world was in his hands.