To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 819: Chapter 352 Hidden Cards Jiang Cheng_3

If he were to exhaust his magic power now, then the timeframe for this breakthrough would have to be postponed, following the time needed for the recovery of his magic power.

This is giving up the future for the present, and it’s a foreseeable future at that.

In summary,

Although Lu Yuan could use the Marsh Technique, the cost of using this spell is quite significant in a sense.

Or to put it more harshly,

Given the choice, he would probably prefer sacrificing tens of thousands of people instead of using this spell, saving that magic power for later.

After all, the deaths of tens of thousands can be made up for by Chu State after a year or two.

But without so much spiritual energy, Lu Yuan has no way to restore it.

Compared to renewable manpower, the presently nonrenewable spiritual energy is somehow more precious.

Reality is cruel but very much real.

“Therefore, the use of spells can only be listed as the last backup option, unless it really comes to a critical moment; otherwise, if things can be solved by ordinary people, let ordinary people handle them.

After all, this is just a war between worldly dynasties.

Mundane matters to the mundane, Immortal Techniques to the Immortals.

In The Age of Dharma Decline where Immortals are not revealed and all spirits have vanished, those who are transcendent should not interfere too much with the ordinary folk.” @@novelbin@@

Lu Yuan pondered and then buried this last option deep in his heart, hiding it away.

…

Sailing swiftly along the way, by noon, the navy finally arrived at the river bay outside Jiangxia City.

Standing at the bow looking into the distance, Jiangxia City stood on the bank of the Yangtze River, steering into the crescent-shaped bay and extending into a sprawling pier deep into the heart of the river, connecting with countless ships coming and going, facilitating the exchange of various goods.

As the third largest port in Dongting district, Jiangxia port’s pier is massive, capable of accommodating hundreds of ships at once, covering an area of over three miles. Inns and towers are numerous, and shops for receiving bulk goods are also established here, making the pier region bustling beyond compare.

Adjacent to the pier, stretching two miles northwest following the river bay, is also a deepwater port area.

This pier, however, is not open to the public but only contains naval vessels, exclusively for military use.

At this military pier, a fortress camp was also constructed, with various bunkers and watchtowers standing tall. Walls were built right from the bay, spreading inward and connecting to the walls of Jiangxia City, forming a barrier over seven miles long that blocked off the entire southern side of the city.

Therefore, once Lu Yuan led the navy into the military harbor, the sailors began steering the ships, docking one by one according to instructions, and stationed themselves within the waterside fortress.

He then led his generals and confidants directly up the city tower, heading from the water port towards Jiangxia City.

Jiangxia City is a mountain city.

At the very bottom, the mountain foot plain, is the outermost part of the city; apart from the mountain-nested north and west sides, the remaining east and south sides, like any normal city, are enclosed by a circle of city walls over ten miles long.

Inside the city are neatly planned streets, with commercial and residential areas both located here.

And moving inward from the outer city area towards the mid-mountain, some more particular and important buildings such as temples, Taoist temples, academies, and large estates are constructed.

At the mid-mountain area, there are various government institutions, offices, storerooms, barracks, and other core constructions.

In addition, numerous watchtowers were built in the mid-mountain area, especially near the river, where many platforms were laid out with a large number of catapults, ballistae, and other ranged weapons, amounting to hundreds.

With these long-range weapons, Jiangxia City, situated high in the mountains, could nearly blockade the hundred-meters-wide river outside, firmly guarding this region’s water surface.

Previously, Chu State’s navy was weak, but they could contain Ning People’s ships entering and exiting the borders precisely because of this critical riverside fortress.

Any Ning Country navy daring to enter this area had to face the attack of hundreds of catapults and ballistae, and under the downpour of stone and arrow rains, even if the Ning vessels managed to pass through these waters, they would have sunk dozens or hundreds of ships.

If a large number of archers are positioned in the mountain fortress, along with a fleet of ships and fleets upstream, the tripartite cooperation can hold off the Ning navy even if they outnumber the local forces by several times, and Chu could even defeat and repel them.

This is the reason Lu Yuan, despite knowing that Ning Country had amassed 150,000 naval forces and he only had 50,000, was still unafraid and led the navy here with confidence.

The mountain where Jiangxia City is located serves as an ever-unfailing fortress for Chu State on the southern bank of the river.

As long as this fortress is in hand, there’s no way for the Ning navy to cross a single step over the river.

Furthermore, on the land to the south of the riverbank, as long as Jiangxia City stands, Ning cannot hope to pass through this area.

Changsha, Hengyang, and other southern prefectures, Lu Yuan was not sure if Ning Country would attack.

But in the region of Yueyang, near the vicinity of Jiangxia City, within a radius of two or three hundred miles, this city is the most conspicuous core, an insurmountable natural barrier for anyone to bypass.

If Ning Country wishes to attack Chu from this route, they must take down Jiangxia City.

If the city does not fall, not only is the waterway impassable, but the land route is also hard to advance even half a step.

With this strong fortress, and the fifteen thousand soldiers within it for city defense,

Lu Yuan had the confidence that even if Ning’s main force of 400,000 was entirely wiped out, they would still be unable to capture this city.

However, the difficulty of a siege is high, and it’s unlikely the Ning people would be so unwise as to launch a direct assault.

Ultimately, how this battle unfolds will depend on the opponent’s decision.

But Lu Yuan was prepared, confident he could face all moves, now just waiting for the opponent to make their arrival.

On the twelfth day of the tenth month of the tenth year of Shenwu,

At this cusp of late autumn and early winter, racing against the first snowfall, Emperor Shenqiu of Ning hurriedly arrived below the city with the main force of 150,000 sailors and soldiers, joining the 50,000 vanguards that had arrived earlier.

By then, Ning Country had amassed a combined force of 200,000 troops by land and water near Jiangxia City.

Opposing them was Chu State’s great army of 150,000 by land and water.

Both sides’ leaders were present.

It was a classic confrontation: army against army, king against king, determining who would rise and who would fall.