Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

Chapter 673 Unknown Land; War Resumed

In a land burning with scorching fury, towering volcanoes punctuated the landscape with their ominous rumblings, belching forth plumes of smoke and ash. The air itself quivered with heat, creating a suffocating atmosphere that seemed to smother the very essence of life.

Rivers of molten fire snaked across the land. These torrents of liquid flame carved violent paths of destruction, devouring all in their wake with voracious hunger. The sizzling heat radiating from the rivers created a shimmering mirage, distorting the surrounding landscape into a nightmarish dreamscape.

The land itself bore the scars of relentless turmoil. Jagged rock formations, born from the volcanic fury, jutted out from the desolate terrain like the gnarled fingers of vengeful spirits. The ground crackled and groaned underfoot, revealing molten fissures that spewed forth noxious gases and sulfurous fumes. The very essence of life seemed to wither away, leaving behind an oppressive aura of desolation.

Suddenly, as if to contrast this hellish land, a bloodied, pink-haired woman appeared out of thin air, holding her stub of a hand. 

"Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!" She wailed like a madman, "...That bitch! She… She dared to put me in this state?! THAT MORTAL?!" 

Her eyes were bloodshot as if she had truly become crazy, killing intent wildly radiating around her.

"AARRRGH!!" She roared in rage, pain, and frustration, her aura like a blazing beacon in the otherwise desolate area.

"Fuck the mission! Fuck everything!! I'M GOING TO KILL THOSE TWO!" 

The humiliation she felt from being pummeled by Aelina, combined with the scathing words that had dug up old scars, put Sue Ming in an unstable mental state. It was partly for this reason that the 'Master' hardly ever saw her. 

Once he conquered her mind and soul, he only bed her a single time before throwing her away. For someone who was so weak-willed, there was no satisfaction in doing anymore. 

Thus, as soon as she became his 'concubine', he tossed her into a random Mortal World with some techniques and resources, only contacting her every so often. 

She knew it… She knew she was just another one of his trophies, but…

"...I'll definitely have my revenge!" She shouted, taking out a pill. She shoved it in her mouth to help stop the bleeding and heal some of her internal injuries but immediately noticed that the effects weren't taking place.

That's when she sensed that Aelina's Qi was still in her body, wreaking havoc and slowing down the healing process.

Her lips sunk into a deep frown, and she had the suppress the urge to scream and curse so as not to worsen her injuries. 

However, because she was so distracted, she failed to notice large, red, muscular figures approaching from the distance with massive rock spears.

As soon as those beings were within range of Sue Ming, the one in the lead growled to its subordinates and pointed at the unknown pink figure.

"RAAAAAA!"

They screamed, launching their spears at her with superhuman strength. There was no Qi around those spears, but the force behind each one of them was unordinary for pure brute strength.

Hearing their scream, Sue Ming glanced over, only to find a swarm of spears closing in on her position.

"What the fuck?!" She swung her hand, blowing away the spears, before finally catching sight of her attackers. Her face morphed into disgust as she witnessed a bunch of large, naked creatures quickly approaching her.

Now that they had distracted her, she finally caught a glimpse of her surroundings.

"Hm?" Her eyes widened, and she immediately sent out her Divine Sense to survey the area. However, no matter how far it stretched, she didn't spot anything remotely similar to the Western Continent. 

It was all just a barren wasteland filled with unknown, disgusting creatures.

"Where the hell am I?!"

***

Four days had passed since Cyrus had declared his intention to march on the next Battle Maiden Branch Sect. So, it had been a week since Aelina had saved and rewarded the survivors of the last battle.

[A/N: Again, sorry for the mix-up in the timeline. If I could go back and fix it, I would, but unfortunately, Webnovel won't let me do that. Again, I'm starting where I left off at the end of Chapter 670. Making it about a week since the last battle between the two Sects and Aelina's fight with Sue Ming.]

When the dawn of the fourth day broke, the silhouette of a mountainous bowl appeared before the Crimson Slayer Sect army. This was where the next Battle Maiden Branch Sect was located inside that bowl. 

It wasn't quite as imposing as the one that Mira fought with. However, its natural defenses made it a formidable area to invade. Even Cyrus, with his overwhelming army, was hesitant to charge up those mountains. 

Who knows what sort of traps, ambushes, and formations lie waiting for them? 

What also made it difficult to break through was the fact that the bowl was exceptionally large. Even with his army, surrounding it completely is a terrible idea. Should he do that, his forces would be spread too thin, something that those damned Battle Maidens could exploit.

However, on the flip side, charging straight through one area wasn't the smartest as the Battle Maiden Sect could always flee and then pincer them in a choke point as they invaded.

Under these circumstances, Cyrus needed to strategize carefully. The thought of failing to siege the Branch Sect was not an option. His eyes gleamed with an icy determination, overlooking the terrain with his generals, surveying the land for any potential path of attack.

"Their position is indeed formidable," Cyrus grumbled, his brows knitted together in deep thought. "Their strategic location utilizes the natural defenses well. We cannot afford a head-on confrontation, or else the losses will be too severe for what little we'll gain."

"Sect Master," one of his generals, an Elder, spoke up, a man of imposing build and stern face, "we have a solid number of men. We can send small troops around the perimeter to test their defenses. They could act as a diversion, creating opportunities for a larger force to penetrate their stronghold."

Cyrus gave the man a considering look. "That's a risky move, Langdon. If we send in small troops, they could get wiped out quickly."

"That is indeed the case, Sect Master," Langdon nodded, expecting Cyrus to say something like that, "However, if we don't test their defenses and scan for traps, we won't know their capabilities."

The other Elders nodded in agreement, their expressions solemn.

"Then, we shall implement the diversion strategy. We mustn't rush in without caution. Remember, every life lost is a blow to our own strength. We will do our best to minimize casualties," Cyrus finally decided. 

What he was saying wasn't wrong, either. The death of a disciple was a loss in their total strength. While their numbers might be in the millions, it wasn't like they could turn around and wait a few dozen years to train up a new batch of disciples. Nor could they somehow fetch more from somewhere.

The plan was set into motion. Small detachments were sent out, carefully maneuvering around the perimeter of the mountainous bowl, testing the Battle Maiden Sect's defenses. The Crimson Slayer Sect knew well enough that this battle wouldn't be won purely by brute force this time. They needed wit, strategy, and above all, a united front to overcome this challenge.