Chapter 1 The Eastern Demise

Shuntian Prefecture. Celestial Master Zhang sensed a massive national fortune suddenly vanish. It was almost severing Jianzhou from the Great Ming mainland, entrenched near Liaodong—the Tatar Tuman, also where the Tatar royal court had set up its tents.

"The Eastern Court... is destroyed?"

Although the Eastern Court's national fortune wasn't much or large, it had existed for a very long time. It had been nearly a hundred years since the Eastern Court moved to the vicinity of Liaodong. During this time, although powerful Khans had emerged from both Southern and Northern Mongolia, none had been able to completely control the Eastern Court.

Now, this powerful force, like an iron nail deeply embedded in the Liaodong border, had simply vanished?

It wasn't just Celestial Master Zhang.

Nor was it just the various Mongolian tribes of Southern and Northern Mongolia.

Joseon. The heavenly deity Arahabaki now managed affairs there. He sensed a long-standing national fortune disappear in the distant west. Within the Jianzhou Guard, the various shamanic spirit mediums of Changbai Mountain, as well as the shamans living within Jianzhou, also sensed the disappearance of the Eastern Court. They were even more astonished, because Nurhaci had once considered conquering the Eastern Court, and had clashed with them many times to demonstrate the bravery of the Jianzhou Guard.

But now, the court was destroyed?

Overseas in Japan, even within the closed-off sacred nation, Xu Fu sensed the disappearance of a nation.

After all, the Eastern Court once had the glorious history of the Yuan Dynasty, and its national fortune was deeply intertwined with that of the Central Plains.

"Is it starting? Countries are constantly being destroyed. Who will be next?"

When the winds of epochal change arrived, there were always countries that would be destroyed at this time for various reasons.

There weren't many countries in the East, mainly because the Great Ming's size was too enormous. For a long time, the Central Plains dynasty's continuous unification for thousands of years had firmly controlled the entire Eastern land in its own hands, and even the current vassal states of Annam and Joseon were once part of their vast territory in some eras.

The enormous national power squeezed the surrounding weak states, making it difficult for too many small countries to be born on this land.

"Therefore, even Japan, Joseon, Annam, or Southern and Northern Mongolia, the Eastern Court... none of them are as large as the Great Ming. In the eyes of the Great Ming, perhaps we really are small countries."

"But if placed in the entire human realm, this is definitely not a small word."

"Once a certain force is destroyed, after its Qi and fortune dissipate, large areas of vacant land will inevitably appear... It has been a long time since I have seen such a thing happen."

In the area where the Eastern Court was destroyed, no other country's national fortune participated. Shuntian Prefecture of the Great Ming was closest to the Eastern Court, so among all the forces, it made a decision in the first instance.

"This isn't called snatching! This is called recovering the old Tang territory!"

"Let Li Chengliang dispatch the Liaodong Iron Cavalry to immediately occupy the Eastern Court!"

Li Chengliang had recently been reinstated. Although he was old and the incident of a white-haired man sending off a black-haired man had occurred, causing him to become increasingly haggard, as if he would die at any moment, the old general's mobility was still very high. After receiving the order from Shuntian, he dispatched the Liaodong Iron Cavalry almost immediately, heading towards the area of the Eastern Court.

At the same time, the Mongolian army of Northern Mongolia also ignited, heading to the Eastern Court area to conquer!

The Mongolian reaction in Southern Mongolia was relatively slow, but troops were also being deployed within a few days. At the same time, an army was marching out of Changbai Mountain, marching secretly, rushing to the Eastern Court area day and night!

Rumble!

The sound of cannons shook the battlefield. Although a little late, because the Liaodong Iron Cavalry had set off the earliest, Li Chengliang ordered people to transport the cannons together. When they arrived near the Eastern Court area, they discovered the Eastern Court leaders heading south. These people immediately sold out information and loudly stated that they were willing to join the Ming Dynasty!

Li Chengliang was suspicious when he heard this, but the situation was urgent and he couldn't think too much. These court leaders told him that the Northern Mongolian army had already appeared where the court was established, less than fifteen li away!

Ming scouts went to investigate, and it didn't take too long!

The two sides had suddenly met and engaged in an encounter!

The cannons spewed flames, and the Northern Mongolian cavalry were blown to pieces. New weapons began to be equipped, Xunlei chong (Rapid Thunder Muskets) were equipped to the infantry, and fierce firepower suppressed forward. With the support of the "Beehive" (rocket launchers) and Shenhuo feiya (Divine Fire Flying Crows), the battlefield suddenly became as lively as the New Year. Gunsmoke and blood flowers danced together, and thunder and lightning fell from the sky!

"The Ming Dynasty's firearms have changed!"

Before this year, no one had ever seen anything like the Xunlei chong. In addition to this, there were even more strange weapons. The "Beehive" and Shenhuo feiya were already outdated products. The Ming soldiers behind the Xunlei chong soldiers each held a long gun, held it up flat, and stood in a line to stand forward.

The era of firing lines had arrived. The Rumi muskets were put into large-scale combat for the first time and achieved extraordinary results. The technical level of matchlock guns was an era higher than that of hand cannons, and Northern Mongolia, which was still in a nomadic state, was no match for such fierce firepower.

"Expand the Erzi Formation!"

A Ming Dynasty general shouted loudly.

In the Erzi Formation, each hundred people formed a horizontal line during the formation, with three horizontal lines in the front row and three horizontal lines in the back row.

In specific battles, the progressive chain method was adopted. The captain guided the team to the combat position for shooting in turn. After shooting, they did not retreat. If the enemy army approached, the spear team next to the gun team would engage the enemy, and the gun team would continue to shoot. If the enemy army was defeated, the captain would continue to guide the shooting.

"Franks guns cover!"

"Load the meteor cannons!"

Some cavalry wanted to rely on their speed to rush to the front and forcibly charge the formation. The meteor cannons were lifted up behind them. Even if they didn't hit, they could scare the horses. Then came the supplementary shooting of various backward firearms. The old-fashioned three-eyed cannons had not yet reached the point where they were useless. They were used to supplement firepower during the gaps in the loading of advanced weapons.

Even if someone really broke through the fire net and came to the front, the three-eyed cannon, this old thing, could transform into a wolf's fang club and engage in close combat.

"Retreat, retreat quickly!"

The Northern Mongolian leaders watched as the cavalry fell from their horses in rows like leeks. Compared to the hundred-step range of bows and arrows, the Rumi muskets could accurately hit targets from three or four hundred steps away, which was simply amazing!

And once someone wanted to use divine power, those ordinary firearms would immediately spew out thunder!

"There are mages' talismans! There are talismans on these firearms! You can't use divine power and magic!"

The shamans' faces changed drastically. Some people were struck into the sky by the Five Thunder Talismans and exploded into pieces. The power of one Thunder Talisman might not be enough to kill them, but dozens of guns hitting a mage were enough for him to feel the majesty of the Thunder Department.

"Xunlei chong soldiers cover the Rumi muskets, push forward, the cavalry bypass from both sides, bring the three-eyed cannons to charge the formation at any time!"

"Franks cannons don't stop shooting, bombarding until the barrels explode!"

The messenger soldiers ran barefoot through the battlefield like flying, carrying bursts of thunder and fire. All those who delivered orders in the army were given the Thunder Department's "Decree" divine position, known as Thunder Ghosts.

The Decree God's saying, "Hurry, hurry, as the decree commands," was to let this little god of the Thunder Department deliver information and send it to the high-level heavenly gods to achieve the effect of magical command.

At first, it was a small number of vanguard tribes who began to flee.

But soon, under the advancement of firepower, the small-scale escape turned into a large-scale rout!

"Why are you running! How can the court fall into the hands of the Ming people!"

The leaders behind them blew their beards and glared, demanding that the people in front were not allowed to retreat, but they were strongly protested by those who retreated. They stretched out their arms and showed the places where they had been injured by arrows and firearms. They were bloody and blurry. It was good to be hit in the arm, but some people were directly carried down. Although they were alive now, they had been hit in a vital part and would not live long.

"If we move forward, we will die in vain. No matter how we fill it, there are not enough lives to fill!"

They couldn't charge, couldn't bypass, couldn't resist, and couldn't defend.

Regardless of offense or defense, there was no way. They were simply living targets. The dead people were like wheat cut off by a sickle, being thrown to the ground in bundles!

Boom boom boom!

The war progressed to the pursuit stage. The Northern Mongolian army retreated in a panic, but not long after they left the battlefield, leaving behind tens of thousands of corpses, the Southern Mongolian army arrived. Although Northern and Southern Mongolia did not recognize each other, they were now going to unite against the outside world and attack the Ming army.

The Ming Dynasty also learned about the merger of Southern and Northern Mongolia. Although they suppressed the first offensive with powerful firepower and preserved the existing territory, many firearms had also been scrapped due to excessive shooting.

Without the suppression of a large number of firearms, the other party's shamans would be able to support themselves again, and various strange spells would fill the battlefield. The Ming army would face a dilemma.

"New military supplies are not so easy to arrive."

Fighting a war is about money, food, and logistics. Now that the logistics are interrupted, although it was considered a tough battle, the Southern Mongolians came too fast.

Li Chengliang's gray hair appeared somewhat yellow under the light, like withered grass and trees that were about to wither in autumn, as if he would swallow his last breath at any time. He was mentally weakened, but he also wanted to do something in this war for the last time, which could be regarded as comforting the spirit of his son in heaven.

He had been fighting wars all these years. The Joseon War lasted for seven years and invested hundreds of thousands of troops. The Bozhou Rebellion and the Ningxia War also cost a lot of money, food, and troops. The Three Great Campaigns almost emptied the national treasury. Therefore, the previous plan to leave a large number of troops in Joseon to cultivate fields also took into account the idea of easing domestic pressure.

At this time, the ancestral laws that military households could only be soldiers and agricultural households could only farm were all thrown away. At least Li Chengliang felt that the current court was like this. As for those censors, they had lost their past momentum of fighting against the heavens and the earth. They did not dare to say a word about what the emperor wanted to do, for fear of being thrown onto the battlefield as cannon fodder.

This country is crazy.

Not just this country.

The countries of the entire world are on the verge of madness.

The era that should have been quiet and allowed the people of various countries to recuperate did not come, but instead a more intense vortex of battle appeared.

Fortunately, the court now has additional methods to supply a large amount of military food... The various gods, demons, and ghosts summoned by the Fengshen Decree are not vegetarians. Not only are they showing their spirits everywhere in Shuntian City, but they must also show their magical powers in logistics.

If there is no money, someone will turn stones into gold.

If there is no food, someone will make flowers bloom in an instant.

If there is no iron, someone will turn the ground into steel.

If there is a drought somewhere, let the Jiaolong (Flood Dragon) travel through the rivers to the estuary, and the Wind and Rain Gods stir up water vapor to make clouds and rain.

If there is an earthquake somewhere, let the Mountain Gods and Land Gods go to move mountains and rocks, and some people will cook stones into fish.

The things that many cultivators and gods, demons, and ghosts want are very big, but also very small! Some seek a cultivation environment, some want the guidance of the Celestial Master, and some want the national fortune to rest with the country. In the past, the court had to consider whether to give it to you, but now, even if you don't want it, you will be forcibly arrested and stuffed to you! Just to get you to work!

Every country is rushing for the last time.

The past year has passed.

There are nineteen years left before the descent of the immortals!

Several days later, the war reopened!

The Southern and Northern Mongolian tribes formed a joint army of 100,000 people, with great momentum and unstoppable power. After the event, both parties discussed dividing the Eastern Court's territory, with the Southern Mongols taking 70% and the Northern Mongols taking 30%. After all, most of the 100,000 people were Southern Mongolian troops.

The Ming army here recruited the former Eastern Court troops who had surrendered. Mongolian cavalry had always been favored by the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, there would not have been establishments such as the Doyan Three Guards. Skilled cavalry combined with firearms could exert great lethality!

"Shamans, the time has come to overturn earth, water, fire, and wind!"

Mongolian shamanism has been passed down from ancient times to the present, and has not been squeezed out by Esoteric Buddhism. Naturally, it also has its own unique features. After discovering that the suppression of firearms has decreased, the shamans are energetic and begin to show their magical powers!

"Why don't the masters of Esoteric Buddhism come to help?"

"The masters on our side all say that the Great Buddha has issued an order not to act rashly!"

"Is that so? What a coincidence! The masters on our side also said the same!"

The monks of Esoteric Buddhism were all ordered by the Buddhist cultivators under Vajrapani not to participate in the battles of the human world. This was a forced order, and the news of the previous death of the red-robed old monk was also brought to them, which made them panic. They knew that there were beings in the human world who could kill them like killing chickens, and who were not subject to the control of the Heavenly Heart.

There are few immortals in the human world, but once they are encountered, it is a disaster for ordinary cultivators who have not yet ascended to the position of immortals and Buddhas, and who have no protection from the shadows of immortals and Buddhas.

It is known that there are two immortals standing on the side of the Ming Dynasty. In order not to cause the next conflict, the Tibetan monks did not dare to participate in the war, but they were still unwilling, so they taught the shamans some secret mantras.

"So don't worry, our Southern Mongolian shamans all have the skills to break the power of the gods and break the firearms!"

"You Northern Mongolian shamans should retreat!"

The Southern Mongolian leaders were full of confidence in this battle, and the Southern Mongolian shamans were indeed becoming the main force in the war!

They chanted secret mantras together, causing the thunder magic in the firearms to fail. The Ming army's firearms instantly lost the blessing of the thunder curses, and their lethality was greatly reduced!

"The beasts in the mountains, come and help us!"

The beasts in the mountains appeared under the summons of the shamans. Some of the beasts had already transformed into demons and were extremely ferocious. Accompanied by the Southern Mongolian shamans' spells, they rushed from all directions as if they were being mind-controlled. Obviously, they had already been captured by the Southern Mongolian shamans and released together at this moment.

These beasts were like they had been brainwashed. They dared to face the cannons that spewed flames and had deafening sounds. They lost their fear and became crazy things that only knew how to fight. The Ming army's spearmen and shieldmen resisted around them, waving spears and wolf's fang clubs, constantly killing the rushing beasts, but the number of beasts still did not decrease!

"How many beasts did these guys catch?"

Even the Ming army's generals gasped in cold air when they saw the phenomenon of the beast tide that was absolutely impossible to occur in nature. This was a scene that completely reversed the nature of heaven and earth. At least all the populations that existed in the mountains and land within ten years were pulled out!

"The shaman is the envoy of the spirits of the mountains and rivers. The mountain is the bridge between heaven, earth, man, and god, and has the greatest spirituality in the world!"

The shamans shouted loudly!

"It's not just beasts!"

"Flames are born out of thin air!"

The shamans danced strange dances and chanted strange witchcraft spells. Raging fires rose from the ground, filling the battlefield with thick smoke and flames!

"Fire comes from the heavenly realm. It is the most sacred, clean, and intimate. It can wash away all filth and drive away demons!"

The shamans were triumphant.

The Ming army was in a difficult situation, but at this time, dragon roars suddenly sounded between heaven and earth.

Li Chengliang, wearing a helmet, looked at the two scholars who had rushed from Shuntian day and night, nodded and said:

"I'm counting on you two."

"Leave it to us."

Feng Menglong and Liu Mengyin arrived at the court on the night of the previous two days, and they were carrying a book of gods and ghosts on this trip!

"Many gods and cultivators in the Joseon battlefield, as well as those who were enshrined by His Majesty after their deaths in battle, have been recorded. After our artistic processing, although only the first volume has been written now, with the help of the Shuntain people's willingness, most of it can be manifested!"

The people were very interested in this newly printed book of gods and ghosts. The strong desire to read the next volume gathered together and formed a huge vortex of willingness.

Feng Menglong took a deep breath, and he and Liu Mengyin used their righteous Qi to activate the book and opened it in their hands.

As soon as the book was opened, the wind and clouds changed, and streams of clouds turned into breath, floating from every page of the book into the sky!

"The gods show their holiness, and the heavenly soldiers return to their positions!"

In an instant, countless phantoms descended from the sky, and the dragons roared, bringing a group of heavenly soldiers and generals to descend into the world!