In less than two months.

Xiao Mo traveled day and night, leading the great army to Qi State’s battlefield.

When Xiahou Nan saw that Xiao Mo had arrived, he finally breathed easier.

But Xiahou Nan also knew that since the Frost King had come, this long war that had dragged on until now was also about to be brought to an end.

After the whole army rested and reorganized for seven days, Xiao Mo had also come to fully understand Qi State’s situation.

Xiao Mo sent a flying-sword letter to Li Jing and Zhao Guang, telling them they no longer needed to garrison the cities. From now on, they could lead the army to attack Zhao State.

At the same time, Xiao Mo also led the army to engage Qi State head-on in a direct confrontation.

This first great battle had no plots or tricks. Everything was open and aboveboard—face-to-face slaughter.

Ten-Thousand Islands State’s “Stabilizing-the-State Grand General” Han Gan and Gu Fei held the line for the allied armies of Qi State and Ten-Thousand Islands State, facing Xiao Mo in a standoff.

Xiao Mo sat his horse at the front of the battle formation.

The instant Xiao Mo put on an asura mask, the other four hundred thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry and one million two hundred thousand Northern Wasteland elite heavy-armored troops all put on masks at the same time.

A million iron asura faces glinted with cold light, and the killing aura on the battlefield grew ever heavier.

From beneath those iron faces, the eyes of the million-strong army were all brimming with murderous intent, as if they would pay any price to tear the enemy apart and chew them to pieces!

“Truly an army of tigers and wolves!”

Ten-Thousand Islands State’s Stabilizing-the-State Grand General Han Gan had originally looked down on Qin’s so-called Frost King, believing it was nothing more than momentum the previous Northern Pacification King had built for him.

But the moment he saw the bearing of the Northern Wasteland army, he no longer dared to underestimate them.

“Where is Qin’s army?!”

Xiao Mo’s voice swept across the battlefield.

“Here!” the million-strong army shouted in unison, the roar shaking the sky.

“Charge and kill with me!!”

Xiao Mo thrust his long spear forward and was the first to surge ahead. Tight on his heels came the four hundred thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry.

The remaining million Northern Wasteland troops, all clad in heavy armor, also charged forward into the formation.

Those sect cultivators who had enlisted in Qin also charged out at the same time.

“Kill!”

Ten-Thousand Islands State’s Stabilizing-the-State Grand General Han Gan and Qi State’s grand general Gu Fei drew their long swords and pointed forward, and their armored cavalry and armies charged out together!

On the battlefield, both army formations and formation arrays had already taken shape.

The collisions of armored cavalry, the hacking and killing between army formations, the clashes of formation arrays, and the paired battles to the death between cultivators.

One soldier after another, one cultivator after another, fell into pools of blood.

In this battle, Ten-Thousand Islands State had also paid a steep price, sending out every ounce of its elite.

With Ten-Thousand Islands State’s army supporting them, Qi State and Qin were evenly matched.

But the further the battle dragged on, the more the gap in overall strength and in the commanders themselves began to show.

After fighting for two days, Qin’s army had seized a decisive advantage, and the battle line kept pushing forward.

Han Gan and Gu Fei both sensed that something was wrong.

Even if unwilling, they could only sound the gongs and withdraw the troops.

Xiao Mo personally led the army in pursuit for more than twenty li before stopping.

In the days that followed, Xiao Mo’s army shifted from defense to offense and began attacking cities.

The main front was still under Xiao Mo’s command. Beyond that, Xiao Mo split off two additional forces—three routes in total—advancing into Qi State.

On Zhao State’s side, the Qin army led by Li Jing and Zhao Guang also began to exert force, launching fierce attacks against Zhao State.

Fang Weiming and Liu Xing led their troops as they broke in from what had originally been Jin territory into Zhao State’s borders, joining Li Jing and Zhao Guang to attack Zhao.

Because Flowing-Flame State and Creek-Valley State dispatched large numbers of demon-race cultivators to support Zhao State, the battlefield within Zhao State fell into a stalemate, with both sides trading wins and losses across battles large and small.

After losing several great battles in a row, Qi State’s morale sank lower and lower.

Ten-Thousand Islands State was already hesitating over whether it should continue supporting Qi State.

Even though the grand promise Qi State had painted was indeed tempting—to divide the world of myriad arts together—

as things stood, taking even a single bite of that promise would not be easy.

And to rouse the court and steady the ministers, Xiao Mo frequently sent reports of victory back to the imperial capital.

Qin Siyao also kept close watch on the battlefield and personally oversaw logistics.

Pills, military pay, provisions—everything could only arrive early. There could be no delays. Any violator would be executed.

Under no circumstances could the front lines be affected.

It was also during the period of Xiao Mo’s campaign that Qin Siyao once again went to persuade Zhou Ruoxi to move into the imperial palace and live with her.

But Zhou Ruoxi still refused.

Qin Siyao knew her mother-in-law did not like life within the deep palace, and she truly could not force her.

Even so, no matter how busy Qin Siyao was, she would go visit her mother-in-law every two days.

Her mother-in-law’s body was growing worse and worse. Even after using many methods and seeing many physician-cultivators, there was still no real improvement.

But Qin Siyao still did not give up, sending people to search for physician-cultivators across the realm to come and treat her mother-in-law.

This day, Qin Siyao invited the current ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ leading figure of the physician path—the only physician-cultivator at the late Immortal Realm.

“Physician Li, how is my mother-in-law’s body, truly?”

After Li Que came out of Zhou Ruoxi’s room, Qin Siyao asked anxiously.

“Alas.”

Li Que stroked his whitening beard and shook his head.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Madam Zhou is not ill.”

“Not ill?” Qin Siyao froze slightly.

“Yes. Madam Zhou is not ill, but ‘fate.’”

Li Que continued his explanation.

“Among those in the Foundation Establishment realm, when there is no sickness or pain, one cultivator can live two hundred years, yet another can live only one hundred and fifty.

If it is so even for cultivators, how much more so for mortals?

Some mortals can live one hundred and twenty years and are called long-lived marvels, but some mortals, even without illness, can only live sixty or seventy years.

This is fate.

It is what the Daoists call a fixed number.

Madam Zhou’s fortune is now at its end. Any spirit medicine will be of no use.

What I can do is only to prescribe a few formulas so Madam Zhou may feel a bit better—nothing more.”

Listening to Li Que’s words, Qin Siyao stood there blankly, gripping her sleeve tight, staring dully toward the room.

After a long time, Qin Siyao nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Physician Li.”

“Your Majesty is too courteous.”

Li Que clasped his hands in salute and turned to go write the prescription.

After Li Que left, Qin Siyao took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions so she would not show grief, then pushed open the door and walked into the room. “Mother, how do you feel?”

“Mother is naturally still fine.” Zhou Ruoxi smiled. “What did that Physician Li say?”

Qin Siyao lowered her head slightly, but soon lifted it again and smiled. “That Physician Li said your body has no serious issue. He wrote you a prescription, and gradually there will be improvement.”

Hearing Qin Siyao’s words, Madam Zhou’s lips curved faintly. She only nodded. “Mm. I understand.”

Qin Siyao pressed her lips together, then sat by her mother-in-law’s side. “Mother, let’s not talk about that. These days my husband has been sending report after report of victory from the battlefield.

Especially in the great battle not long ago—my husband achieved union with the Dao on the battlefield and entered the Jade-Polished Realm. It greatly lifted the army’s morale.

I’ll read you this report of victory.”

As she spoke, Qin Siyao took out the letter sent from the front lines and read it to her mother-in-law word by word.

Zhou Ruoxi listened attentively, nodding at times, smiling at times.

After Qin Siyao finished reading, a trace of tenderness flashed through Zhou Ruoxi’s eyes. “As long as Mo is safe, that’s enough.”

“My husband is well in every way, and my husband will soon wipe out Qi State and Zhao State and return to the capital to visit you.” Qin Siyao held Zhou Ruoxi’s small hand and said gently.

“Is that so? Mo will be back soon?”

Zhou Ruoxi looked out the window and smiled.

“That’s wonderful. Mo will be back soon...”

“Yes.”

Qin Siyao followed her mother-in-law’s gaze into the distance.

“My husband will be back soon...”