Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"The safety of Great Chen now rests in the hands of the aging general!" The King descended from the grand hall, personally helped Sun Ping to his feet, and immediately decreed to confer upon him the title of Great General, giving him command over all the forces in Fengjing.

Fengjing City, being the Capital, actually had a substantial standing army. Sun Ping was no incompetent, and upon receiving the imperial edict, he began to reform the army decisively.

First, he dismissed all the old, weak, sick, and disabled from the military ranks, and then ordered officials from all the major Noble Families in the city to dispatch their servants to the ranks, threatening them with charges of collusion with the enemy if they refused.

Everyone was clear that the aging general had resolved to face death. Who would dare to cause trouble at such a time? Thus, aiming to avert disaster by loss of wealth, they sent their servants to join the army one after another.

Sun Ping disrupted the order of these Noble Family servants within the ranks and distributed the remaining treasury funds among the soldiers to boost their morale. In less than half a day, this haphazardly assembled force actually started to look respectable.

He then ordered that all the oxen within the city be conscripted, draping them in cotton quilts soaked in tung oil, and binding dry straw to their tails, readying everything. The old general then came before the Imperial Palace, bowed respectfully several times, mounted his horse without looking back, and headed out of the city.

"Why bother, now that the overall situation has deteriorated? Why must the old general stake the lives of his entire family?"

"Perhaps this is what's called a cornerstone. We, after all, cannot bring ourselves to do the same." Although they did not agree with the old general's choice internally, they couldn't help but admire him.

In fact, it is at these moments of peril that such individuals stand out, some sacrificing themselves, some pleading for the people, some trying to save a falling house; these people we call heroes.

Liu Qingyun, leading the great army, stared at the majestic Fengjing City, awaiting the final battle. He believed that the Great Chen Dynasty would not sit by and await its demise so easily.

Soon, the hefty gates made a creaking sound, the vast doors opened, but instead of the grand force Liu Qingyun had been longing for, what came charging out were flaming, crazed oxen.

With their tails on fire, the agony had driven them mad, knowing only to charge blindly forward. Sharp blades were tied to their deadly horns, glinting coldly in the sunlight.

The speed of the crazed oxen herd was incredibly fast, and they quickly charged to the forefront of the Chu Army. The soldiers, who had never seen such a sight, were somewhat frightened. Plus, with these crazed oxen charging heedlessly, they knocked soldiers over like dominoes, with countless men dying upon their horns.

Now was the time to demonstrate the role of a great commander. Liu Qingyun kept his composure, issuing orders calmly, and the army formation quickly changed, taking the shape of a pocket, progressively diminishing the impact of the crazed oxen. Meanwhile, he spurred his horse and brandished his Long Spear, leading a charge against the Great Chen Army following the crazed herd.

A general is the backbone of an army, and Liu Qingyun's cool and even countercharge immediately lifted the spirits of the Chu Army. The soldiers stepped out of their initial fear and started executing military orders in an orderly fashion.

Watching his Fire Oxen Formation fail to achieve the expected results, Sun Ping's heart sank instantly. He knew the key was the element of surprise; if only he could disrupt the enemy's footing, there was hope to snatch victory. However, Liu Qingyun's stellar performance shattered his illusions, planting seeds of despair in his heart.

Liu Qingyun on his white horse with a Silver Spear charged into the Great Chen Army, like a Primordial Chaos behemoth, with no one able to withstand even a single round against him. The troops of Fengjing, long neglected in their drills and only accustomed to winning when the wind was at their back, now faced Liu Qingyun's valor and dared not advance.

Thus, a strange scene emerged on the battlefield: Liu Qingyun alone pressed the entire military formation into retreat. Seeing this, Sun Ping knew that he must contain Liu Qingyun's charge; otherwise, once his soldiers' morale was completely obliterated, all would be lost.

He waved the battle flag and summoned his most elite troops from under his command to confront Liu Qingyun.

However, by then Liu Qingyun had become unstoppable, with starlight beginning to shimmer around him. A man, his horse, and his spear—charging formations, slaying generals, seizing flags, his advance was relentless.

The Great Chen Soldiers were suppressed by his momentum, exchanging glances and hesitating, not daring to move forward. Liu Qingyun, on the other hand, was in a state of extraordinary excitement, with his mana circulating rapidly inside him, yet his mind was exceptionally clear.

Past memories flashed through his mind: his own youthful frolics and mischief, his parents' earnest teachings, the desolation of his family's destruction, and finally, the scene froze on Lu Yu in a green robe within that small courtyard, seemingly still with a warm smile.

He couldn't help but roar, and suddenly, a star appeared in the clear sky above, radiating dazzling starlight.

Silver starlight poured into Liu Qingyun's body like flowing water. He felt as though he had inexhaustible strength within him, fighting ferociously as if a long spear made of starlight manifested behind him.

"Heavenly Gate Foundation Establishment!" Liu Qingyun knew exactly what was happening to him. The cultivation technique that appeared in his mind was the best proof that after establishing his foundation, he felt like he had boundless energy.

At that moment, Liu Qingyun on the battlefield was an invincible force, cutting through the Great Chen Army's formation and planting the seeds of fear in the hearts of the soldiers.

These hastily assembled troops had already been terrified by Liu Qingyun's might, and now they had completely lost the will to fight, starting to flee. Meanwhile, the Chu Army had caught up behind Liu Qingyun, and Sun Ping, seeing this, knew that the situation was beyond recovery.

The old general looked back one last time at the majestic Fengjing City, and with a desolate smile, said, "I, Sun Ping, have given it my all. Who would have expected fate to be so cruel? Your Majesty, your servant has fulfilled his loyalty!" With those words, he drew his sword and took his own life, his blood splattering far and wide, a renowned general thus fell.

As a general, he had managed to build a respectable army in a short period of time and had surprisingly deployed the Fire Oxen Formation. If successful, the Fire Oxen charging would disrupt the Chu Army's footing. His army, largely consisting of noble families' servants and prisoners, were not cut out for adverse battles, but they could manage if the battle was in their favor.

Once the main force followed up to expand the victory, a great triumph could be hoped for.

But he had not counted on encountering a figure like Liu Qingyun, not only impeccable in command but whose combat power was practically cheating—solo charging through the ranks and breaking a thousand soldiers was the stuff of legends, something this old general had never seen in his many years of life.

With the general dead, the rest naturally lost their desire to fight and surrendered one after another. Liu Qingyun, looking at the old general's corpse, remained silent. He remembered this general, one of the few in the imperial court who had spoken up for his father at the time, but unfortunately, by then the old general had already been sidelined at home, with no weight to his words.

Gently closing the old man's eyes and removing his bloodstained cloak, he draped it over the already cold corpse of the old man, and said dispassionately, "Take good care of the old general's body. After the great battle ends, see to it that he is buried properly."