Chapter 300 Internal and external difficulties
As night fell, the flames and shouts from the front lines had already merged into a red glow on the horizon, like a nightmare that lingered all night.

Li Qingyun originally wanted to take advantage of this brief opportunity to consolidate the seal, but was disrupted by urgent reports again and again: the outer gods and the Yuxu Palace’s troops actually launched offensives on several different battlefields at the same time, alarming the spirit world and the god world. The army was transferred to all directions, and the defense system was riddled with holes, which was about to completely dismantle the human world.

In the command tent in the center of the military camp, a green lamp flickered like a candle in the wind.

He Xiangu, Mu Guiying and several generals gathered in front of the map, looking solemn. All they could hear were reports coming one after another:
“Report! A demonic water tide suddenly appeared in the Nightmare Gorge in the north. It seems that the tentacles of an alien god are stirring the core of the mountain range. The water is rushing across the three towns, and the people are unable to seek help in time!”

“Report! A powerful god led a group of remnants of Yuxu Palace to run rampant in Chuzhou. They cast a spell to lure tens of thousands of civilians into the sacrificial formation. The army was blocked by a large group of bone demons when it was dispatched, resulting in heavy casualties!”

“Report! The cracks in the spirit world have shaken the borders of the divine world. Several mountain gates have seen strange phenomena. Demonic groups from all walks of life are constantly invading. The forces of gods, immortals, Taoists and Buddhas are all overwhelmed…”

The accumulation of bad news was like a series of thunders exploding on the top of the command tent, causing everyone to be in chaos.

If Li Qingyun had not been sitting in the main seat, everyone would have probably lost their minds.

But even so, Mu Guiying and He Xiangu frequently turned their gazes to the true God, waiting for his decision.

But his face was pale, as if he was trying hard to endure the pain of the seal being torn apart.

The air seemed to be stagnant, and the spreading despair made the fire in the tent seem cold.

Li Qingyun’s fingers holding the scabbard were trembling slightly.

He knew very well that if he forced himself into battle again, the seal would be even closer to collapse.

But if he does not take action, the barrier of the three realms will not be able to withstand any more trouble. If another city or pond is lost in the wars in various places, it is likely to lead to a complete defeat.

The “trap” formed by the leaders of the outer gods, instigated by the powerful men of Yuxu Palace, is trapping him in this dead end where he can neither advance nor retreat.

He Xiangu spoke in a low voice:
“Qingyun, the situation is so critical, but we cannot save the northern water demon tide and the Chuzhou sacrificial array at the same time. We have limited manpower, what do you think we should choose?”

Li Qingyun was silent.

The seal inside his body kept tearing his meridians apart. He tried to suppress the darkness with his spiritual power, but he didn’t have the confidence he had before.

Sweat rolled down his forehead, but he still tried to keep his voice steady:

“The foreign gods are stirring up trouble in the northern waters, trying to force us to divide our forces; and in Chuzhou, a ‘sub-god’ is personally leading the expedition, and I’m afraid there will be large-scale sacrifices. If we choose one place to break through, the other will surely fall into disaster.”

Mu Guiying frowned:
“Is there no way to have it both ways?”

She knew there was no answer to this question, but she couldn’t help asking.

The water demon tide in the north destroyed the city, and the people of Chuzhou sacrificed themselves. The loss of either side would mean countless deaths and injuries.

Everyone relies on Li Qingyun, but his seal is about to be broken and he can’t protect himself.

This is an unsolvable chess game.

Li Qingyun closed his eyes and meditated for a short time, with a wave of fear in his heart: if he had the strength to spare, he could have rushed alone to save the north, and then led his army to break Chuzhou as a sacrifice, but now the seal was broken, and it would be painful to the bone if he moved the knife. If he was not careful, “Ji” would take the opportunity to seize his life.

The gray whispers from the depths of the palace were like mocking nightingales, lingering in the depths of my consciousness.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and the soldiers outside the tent issued an order:
“Reporting to the Lord, the water demon tide in the north has breached the Dragon Dike. If the people ten miles away do not have help, they will all be enslaved by the minions of the foreign gods. There was also a bloody light in Chuzhou late at night, and the strange Taoist formation seemed to have reached the completion stage!”

The trembling voice of the announcement made the atmosphere in the camp even more tormented.

He Xiangu and Mu Guiying looked at each other and sighed bitterly:
“It seems that when comparing the two evils, we can only choose the more serious one.”

They cast anxious eyes at Li Qingyun, waiting for his decision.

The night wind blew the tent, as if a dark hand was stirring people’s hearts from outside.

Li Qingyun slowly opened his eyes, put out his hand to suppress the pain in his heart, and tried hard not to tremble.

Then he looked up at the map and saw the black symbols representing the crises in various places were densely packed, like a spider web entangling every important road in the world.

He suddenly had an idea: the Taoist gods of Yuxu Palace and the leaders of the foreign gods probably wanted to take advantage of his weakness of being unable to focus on one thing while neglecting another, and tear the human world apart completely.

If he goes to the north in person, Chuzhou will be in great trouble; if he defends Chuzhou, the north will fall.

It really hinders the overall situation and is murderous at every step.

There was dead silence in the tent, except for the sound of the flickering flames.

Li Qingyun stood up suddenly, with a cold light flashing in his eyes:

“Fairy He, lead 3,000 elite soldiers to the north immediately to stop the water demon tide; Marshal Mu, follow me to attack the lair of Yuxu Palace in Chuzhou.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the scabbard and said:
“If my seal fails, you, Marshal, will take charge of the overall situation… If necessary, force a retreat. Don’t make unnecessary sacrifices.”

He Xiangu felt sad, but she accepted the order solemnly.

Mu Guiying bit her lip and nodded:
“rest assured.”

But she also realized that after this division of forces, Li Qingyun would personally lead an expedition to Yuxu Palace again, most likely to face the deep control of the outer gods.

The danger of the seal is like a knife edge. If it gets out of control, not only will Li Qingyun be destroyed, but the surrounding soldiers will also be in danger.

But they had no other choice.

The decision was made, and the army set out at dawn in the rain.

That grand scene was shrouded in gloom and sorrow. The mud splashed on the ground by the horses’ hooves seemed to roar in everyone’s hearts.

Li Qingyun and Mu Guiying led only a few thousand people on a rapid march to Chuzhou. During the days of rushing, they were constantly harassed by sporadic monsters, or they saw the empty shells of sacrificed people wandering in the wilderness like zombies, which was creepy and further proved that the secret activities of Yuxu Palace had reached a crazy level.

During this journey, Li Qingyun’s seal became more and more unstable.

Sometimes, when he was halfway through the journey, he suddenly felt chest tightness and coughed up blood, and gray mist crawled out from his fingertips.

Seeing this, Mu Guiying rushed over to help him, but he stubbornly pushed her away, leaving only a sharp look:
“Don’t make it public, I can still hold on…”

After saying that, he forced the mist back into his body.

The soldiers standing by were terrified: the gray fog clearly had a strange touch like a dark abyss. If left unchecked, who knew if it would instantly turn Li Qingyun into a monster?
Before reaching Chuzhou, many spies brought bad news: time and space disturbance occurred a hundred miles outside the city, as if with the powerful blessing of an alien god, the Taoist magic circle and the distorted power of the alien god were perfectly combined, causing the surrounding mountains and rivers to deform again.

Some people who were fleeing were trapped in it and lost their way. Some fell into the space rift after taking only three steps and were unable to escape.

Facing the bad news that kept coming, Li Qingyun gritted his teeth and ordered as always:
“Speed ​​up and make sure we reach the outskirts of Chuzhou City in two days.”

The soldiers could all sense the murderous intent in his tone, like a wounded tiger, who chose to hold his head high and fight to the death even as his wounds bled.

However, every time night fell, he fell into the pain of the seal many times and almost fainted several times. Fortunately, Mu Guiying rescued him quickly and maintained superficial stability.

What made him even more depressed was that the outer god’s disorder of time and space did not directly block his route, but seemed to lure the enemy, constantly forcing him to detour or rescue the remaining civilians in order to waste time.

While he was running back and forth, the gods in Yuxu Palace could continue to offer sacrifices leisurely, allowing the power of the foreign gods to accumulate rapidly.

In just a few days, the barrier between the three realms was torn further. Li Qingyun could clearly feel that the spiritual world was suffering from the same disasters and catastrophes, and the divine world was also being invaded massively. Therefore, many old gods secluded themselves to protect themselves and dared not interfere in the rise and fall of the human world.

This is also the reason why the war has dragged on until now and no gods from the upper realm have come to rescue.

This external battlefield constraint makes the human world more isolated.

Li Qingyun heard sad stories again and again: a city somewhere disappeared in the evil formation of Yuxu Palace, and tens of thousands of souls turned into nutrients for foreign gods; a waterway somewhere was split open by a strange tide, and the river water destroyed fertile fields and then flowed back into the cracks, as if the whole world was twisted by a huge whirlpool.

He could only lead more than a thousand soldiers to chase in the mountains. He could save one place but could not protect more.

After this series of running around, Li Qingyun’s seal became more and more damaged.

In the middle of the night, he would often be half awake and half asleep, feeling the gray fog spreading into a turbid ocean in his mind. In the dilapidated hallway, “Silence” turned into a vague human figure, making a hoarse teasing sound to him:

“The Outer Gods have taken control of the Three Realms. No matter how hard you fight, it will be in vain. It is better to give up your stubbornness and accept my power.”

Every time he heard it, he felt like his heart was breaking and he had to hold back to avoid losing control in the military camp.

The situation is like a noose that is getting tighter and tighter. The world urgently needs Li Qingyun to take out his sword, but the risk of him going astray due to the seal has doubled.

The gods of Yuxu Palace and the leaders of the outer gods were also well aware of this, and deliberately used multi-line battles to contain him, causing him to run around everywhere, consuming his lifespan and spiritual power, and approaching the limit of the seal.

Everything seemed like a carefully planned game. As long as Li Qingyun could increase his combat power a little more, he would be one step closer to breaking out of the “Ji” cage.

Finally, when they were approaching the border of Chuzhou, Li Qingyun and his army of more than a thousand monks were once again attacked by a large-scale attack from foreign gods.

Among those monsters there were not only mountain-shaped beasts, but also legions of the undead from the spirit world: ghost cavalry in pitch-black armor charging in droves, with bows and arrows and roaring evil spirits filling the sky.

The earth trembled and the mountains cracked, as if it was the end of the world.

If this shocking battle had happened in the past, Li Qingyun would have only needed to draw his sword to fight back and the situation would have been settled in an instant.

But now, he hesitated for a moment when drawing his sword, and the seal had already crossed the critical red line.

Mu Guiying and Yang Paifeng saw him gritting his teeth and holding the knife, but with cold sweat on his forehead, they knew he was making a life-or-death decision, and shouted, “Qingyun! Hold the seal first, we will hold out for a while!”

The two men rode out on horseback and led the warriors to fight against the monster tide, but they were outnumbered and hundreds of heroes suffered heavy casualties.

In a moment, blood flowed like a river, flags were broken, the entire army was struggling to hold on, and was on the verge of collapse.

Li Qingyun felt a pain in his heart as he watched the bone demon smash the formation and the wicked spirits tear the soldiers apart.

He couldn’t bear to watch his men being wiped out, so he had to draw his sword to save them no matter how painful it was to seal them.

But at that moment, when he was about to rush forward with the knife in his hand, a sudden and violent impact on his chest almost knocked him backwards.

He thrust the knife into the ground and held himself up tightly. Black and white appeared before his eyes, and the seal was almost completely broken.

Gray fog rose above the ground, and hateful ridicule echoed in my ears:

“If you continue to use force, you will be under my control…”

Faced with this dilemma, his mind almost collapsed, and he growled:
“Everyone, stand back and let me…”

Before he finished speaking, a large group of ghost knights had already rushed into the center of the army. Mu Guiying and Yang Paifeng were blocked and could no longer go back to protect them. The screams of the remaining soldiers shook the earth, the smell of blood was overwhelming, and the ground seemed to have turned into purgatory.

In this situation, Li Qingyun could no longer hesitate and had to draw his sword and attack, otherwise his entire army would be defeated.

He didn’t care about the pain of his torn chest, and suddenly mobilized a bit of power from deep within the palace, forcing the knife’s force to the limit.

The seal shook violently, and a gray-black mist immediately climbed up his right arm, making him look half-demonized, with a face as terrifying as a ghost.

But the blade immediately burst into dazzling golden and white, and the raging sword energy swept across the battlefield, tearing through the dozens of meters long formation of the group of ghost soldiers and knights. Flesh and blood tangled, lightning and fire ran rampant, and in an instant, bones were shattered and souls were shattered. It was a horrible sight.

When the soldiers saw that he was almost half-grey but his sword was blazing fiercely, they were all shocked and cheered.

Mu Guiying also saw it from afar, and couldn’t help feeling a chill in her heart: if Li Qingyun really used up his supernatural powers at the risk of his life, it meant that the seal would not last too long.

“Fire Marshal” Yang Paifeng took the opportunity to lead his team to break through the demon cavalry, and quickly cooperated with Li Qingyun to defeat the monster tide.

In an instant, a large number of vengeful spirits dispersed like the wind, and the remaining monsters fled in all directions in fear. The human front temporarily retained its bloody victory.

However, after the battle, Li Qingyun could no longer bear the pain surging in his body. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, splashing the ground with a strong corrosive smell.

He supported himself on one knee, his breathing extremely disordered.

The golden light in his eyes dimmed, and a gray mist crept up to his face, which made Yang Paifeng and Mu Guiying panic:
“grown ups!”

Li Qingyun took a deep breath and waved his hand to tell them not to come closer:

“I… am fine… gather the troops quickly, and don’t let the remnants of the evil attack you…”

The voice was so hoarse that it seemed to come from hell.

He tried hard not to let “Ji” show up and take over his body, but cold sweat was already oozing out of his back and his heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to burst.

Seeing the soldiers starting to sort out the corpses and the formation according to his instructions, he slowly let out a sigh of relief, but he knew that his seal had reached the point where the last thread was broken.

The wind blew up the broken swords and guns, the dust swirled, and the corpses on the ground were stained with black and red blood.

The dim sky made everything seem even more sad.

Half of Li Qingyun’s body was still on the verge of gray corrosion. His face showed pain, but his mind was determined: the external battle was endlessly restraining him, and he had no time to breathe.

They had just won a battle, but the gods from Yuxu Palace and other outer gods were still waiting in Chuzhou ahead, and a bigger killing might be brewing.

He had no choice but to keep moving forward, even if the seal would be broken with the next swing of the sword.

As the blood-red setting sun fell behind the mountain, the ruthless face of Master Huanglong and the hideous shadow of the Lord of the Underworld seemed to emerge in the dim glow, both sneering at him coldly.

Li Qingyun smiled bitterly helplessly: The leaders of the outer gods and the Taoist rebels really grasped the weakness of his seal and used successive battlefield distractions to weaken his strength.

He had no choice but to continue swinging his sword to kill the enemies on the edge of this thousand-foot cliff, but this also continued to consume the last tension of the seal.

When Mu Guiying returned from collecting troops, she saw him sitting cross-legged on a pile of broken shields, breathing heavily, like a silent statue.

She couldn’t help but whisper:

“Qingyun, if you continue like this, it will only…” “Stop.”

He raised his eyes and briefly stopped her from speaking, a trace of fatigue on his face:
“General, please stop talking. I don’t want to discuss the seal anymore.”

Her heart ached, but she said nothing more and could only retreat.

She knew that he was most afraid of others seeing him weak, and she just wanted to concentrate all her will to maintain her sanity.

Once the seal was completely broken, he was afraid that he would be the first to turn into a giant beast more terrifying than all the Outer Gods.

So, the night deepened again.

The darkness in the distance made it difficult to see clearly, but one could vaguely hear the roar of a monster in the distance.

Li Qingyun was lying on a tattered tiger skin, looking up at the sky. The noise in his sea of ​​consciousness kept roaring, like the wailing of thousands of ghosts, and like the sound of the collapse of broken walls of a palace.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the gray fog lingering, as if he saw himself transformed into a black shadow and working hand in hand with the leader of the Outer Gods to destroy the human world.

Is that an illusion of “silence” or the deepest fear in my heart?

He didn’t want to think about it anymore, so he struggled to sit up and face the cold wind.

Sometimes Yang Paifeng passed by the tent, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Seeing that the adult was so lonely, he did not dare to disturb him.

The surroundings were silent, with only the ominous whistles in the wind, indicating that the gods of Yuxu Palace or the outer gods would launch the next conspiracy at any time.

If Li Qingyun can no longer fight, the collapse of the world will be imminent.

This is the restraint of the external battle, which is linked layer by layer like a dragnet.

Every battle, every sacrifice, every crack and change forces Li Qingyun to draw his sword and fight back, and also gradually pushes the seal towards its end.

Faced with such a blatant conspiracy, he had no way out. He could only, like a lone wolf forced into a desperate situation, suppress the growl of the beast within, and fight to the death with the external enemy.

After all, there are still tens of millions of lives in the world counting on him. Emperor Renzong and his ministers are counting on him to turn the tide. He Xiangu and Mu Guiying have repeatedly risked their lives to follow him. How dare he retreat?
If he falls, the barrier between the three realms will be completely destroyed by the outer gods and Yuxu Palace in an instant, and the world will return to chaos – how terrifying it is.

There seemed to be a dark tide in the wind beating against the night sky.

Li Qingyun looked bleak, but there was a flame of sadness burning in his eyes.

Even if “Silence” is waiting for an opportunity to strike, even if the seal is about to collapse, he will continue to move to the next battlefield.

But he knew in his heart that this brief moment of silence was just an illusion, and a more violent conflict would probably erupt the next time swords clashed.

Can I still bear it?

When the gray light of dawn shone through the gaps in the tent, Li Qingyun slowly stood up. His body was still convulsing, but he had to continue leading his troops forward.

He pushed open the door of the tent and saw thousands of soldiers already ready for battle. Everyone looked tired, but they also had some kind of eager expectation for him.

He walked past them silently, his figure was thin, but with unspeakable majesty.

Someone wanted to step forward and ask, “Are you feeling okay?”, but was rejected by him with a look.

A moment later, the bugle call sounded and the team set off to head deeper into the area.

Amid the rising yellow sand, Li Qingyun felt the piercing pain in his chest again.

He didn’t let anyone notice, he just shouted silently in his heart:
“Hold on for a little longer… Even if blood splatters on the spot, we must hold on…”

Because he knew very well: the ultimate battle was about to come, the conspiracy of the outer gods and the Taoists was unstoppable, and the seal that was hanging by a thread on his life might also be breaking at the same moment.

That moment is the turning point of life and death where everything comes together or separates.

He remembered what He Xiangu had asked him.

“Can you still swing the knife like before?”

He remained silent, but his sword-wielding spirit was unextinguished. At least at this moment, he could still kill all the enemies that blocked his way.

Then, he whipped his horse whip and led the team across the wilderness and mountains. In the distance, the scorching sun rose into the sky, stained with gunpowder smoke and dust on the ancient road.

The scenery is cold and magnificent, yet shrouded in urgency and silence.

Because everyone can see that the world is no longer able to bear any more war, but the external war has just reached a dangerous climax. The killing plan of the strong men of Yuxu Palace and the leaders of the outer gods covers every bloody road, trapping Li Qingyun deeply in a maze.

In the face of this overwhelming crisis, the fragility of the seal became increasingly apparent. He nearly fainted several times, but he stubbornly held on.

He was thinking that perhaps the end of this road would be the real battle of “unity and division”: a life-and-death struggle with the outer gods, and an inevitable confrontation with “silence”.

When all the conspiracies and tricks are about to show their fangs, can he keep his heart and avert the disaster of the destruction of the palace?
No one can give the answer except himself.

The sun gradually rises, casting a long, slanted shadow.

Li Qingyun looked at his horse’s shadow and his human shadow stretched into two blurred shapes on the ground, and couldn’t help but fall into a trance for a moment: Does that foreshadow the shared shadow of himself and “silence”?

There was no escape to the outer wilderness, and there was no escape for him, the inner prisoner, so he could only keep moving forward, carrying out the deepest fateful appointment that he was unwilling to face.

The clanging sounds of swords faded away, leaving behind an inexplicable silence.

There seemed to be a faint sneer floating in the silence: the outer gods occupied the laws of the three realms, and the Yuxu Palace plotted to gain the faith of all directions. All the blood loss and sacrifice of everyone became an oppression to the seal of Li Qingyun.

If he takes one more step, he might be forced to completely unlock the palace chains, and at that time, the moment “Ji” breaks the seal might be the moment when he is completely possessed by another body.

He rode his horse in silence, holding the knife against his waist.

The wind whistled past my ears, bringing with it a sense of desolation and solemnity.

Looking around, there was no one around, and only one voice was surging in the bottom of his soul: the time is coming, this external battle is not over yet, and it may even be just the prelude to a greater impact.

The sealing rope could be cut at any time…That moment might be the most violent storm in which Li Qingyun and “Silence” would confront each other completely.

He had no way to escape, only the blade remained indestructible, and he guarded the last hope of the world with his weak but tenacious will.

When the blood moon rises and thousands of souls wail, he will step onto the final battlefield. Perhaps his body has already been torn to pieces, or perhaps he will become one with “silence”.

The army was endless, and he was at the front of the team, rushing towards an unknown outcome, quietly enduring the restraint of the outer gods and the mockery of fate.

The earth was silent, and the sky seemed to be watching this desperate journey; in the turbulent times, he was like a lone shadow on a mountain, stuck in the center of the storm.

If the seal collapses, the dust will settle, and no one can predict whether the world will sink or rise.

Yellow sand rose up suddenly, and rolling dust engulfed the last figures of the team. Only the gray fog flashed and disappeared beside Li Qingyun, following him like a shadow, and together with the external war, continued to force him into a desperate situation step by step.

……

(End of this chapter)