The battlefield was a tumultuous scene, swirling with chaos and the air was thick with the stench of blood. The clash of swords and the thunderous roars of battle echoed through the air, creating a symphony of violence that resonated throughout the mountain.
On the front, Sect Leader Nie led the troops with a stern expression and a commanding voice, ensuring their attacks hit their mark and their defenses held strong. From behind him came Nie Mingjue who carved his way through the enemy lines with his mighty saber. He swung his blade at every enemy that made its way towards him, slicing into their flesh with every stroke, cutting down foes with ease. His presence alone inspired his troops, who fought alongside him, matching his ferocity and aggressiveness.
On the right side of the battlefield, Lan Xichen conducted his forces with unwavering calmness amidst the chaos. His movements were like a dance, every step deliberate and calculated. His sword struck with lethal precision, finding its mark with ease.
Jiang Cheng, on the left wing, fought with a burning intensity. For once, his yelling was useful. His voice boomed across the field, rallying his troops and instilling in them the will to fight on. Jiang Fengmian could not help but feel proud of his son's ability to lead confidently as he fought along with the rest of Yunmeng Jiang's disciples.
In the center and on the flanks, the combined forces of the cultivation clans fought bravely and valiantly against Wen Ruohan's underlings the rest of the various clans fought with equal valor. Their collective strength became a wall of resilience against the enemy onslaught and the war scene became a spectacle of bravery and sacrifice. And though the odds seemed insurmountable, they pressed on. The clash of weapons echoed through the mountains, reverberating into the heavens.
However, the enemy's sheer numbers posed a formidable challenge The fact that they recruited beasts into their ranks meant that they had more than just brute strength. And Wen cultivators were certainly no weaklings, especially those high-level elites. The battle grew more intense. Each side pushes forward aggressively with reckless abandon. They fought fiercely and tirelessly, their only focus being victory. The ground was littered with fallen comrades, their lifeless bodies a testament to the brutality of war.
As the battle raged on, Nie Huaisang's mind raced, strategizing with every move and adjusting the battle formations accordingly as he observed from a distance with a binocular (Xiao Zhan's invention). He directed the forces under his command, orchestrating their attacks with tactical precision. But even with their combined might, the weight of the enemy's onslaught threatened to overwhelm them.
"It looks like our forces aren't going to be enough," Nie Huaisang muttered worriedly. "If this keeps up, we'll lose the upper hand soon!"
He scanned the battlefield, seeking out his brother, only to see an explosion coming from the topmost part of the Scorching Sun palace. It shook the ground beneath them and sent shivers up Nie Huaisang's spine.
"What happened there?!" he gasped, alarmed by the sudden commotion.
*****
Five minutes earlier...
"You dare stand against me?!" Wen Ruohan's voice boomed throughout the area.
Xiao Zhan sighed, shaking his head as he answered, "How come both father and son said the same thing as an opening speech?"
Wen Ruohan's eyes flashed red with rage at Xiao Zhan's disrespect, the veins in his neck bulging angrily and with a yell, he launched another powerful attack. "How did you get in here?!" He seethed through gritted teeth. "How did you get past my wards? What kind of trick did you play?"
Xiao Zhan replied calmly, "Well, your son told me everything about this place." He paused to smile, "Thanks to him, it was pretty easy to disable everything in our path."
At that comment, Wen Ruohan roared in anger once again, throwing a wave of energy towards Xiao Zhan's direction. "Wen Chao? He told you?! How dare he betray me! I will kill him!"
"You want to kill your own son? Tsk tsk." Xiao Zhan evaded it easily and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "How very heartless." He remarked.
That statement was enough to send Wen Ruohan reeling. He snarled menacingly. "You're dead."
"I heard that statement quite a few times now." Xiao Zhan retorted, unimpressed by Wen Ruohan's threat. "But as you can see... I'm still alive."
The older male scowled darkly, "Cocky brat." His glare intensified and he raised his hand, trying to pull Xiao Zhan towards him. One of Wen Ruohan's abilities was telekinesis and that was the power that made him different than other cultivators.
Xiao Zhan quickly whistled a sharp note and the energy of resentment that was surrounding him, formed sharp spikes that poked through the ground, aiming at Wen Ruohan and causing him to stop.
Wen Ruohan reacted quickly with a wave of spiritual energy and the spikes shattered into small fragments which then dissolved into the atmosphere like ash in water.
"You! You are using a forbidden sorcery, aren't you?" Wen Ruohan pointed at Xiao Zhan accusingly.
Xiao Zhan nodded his head with a wry smile on his face, "A forbidden sorcery, huh?" He mused, tilting his head. "Yeah, so what?" He asked nonchalantly.
"How shameful!" Wen Ruohan sneered. "You have no respect to the rules of cultivation."
"Rules?" Xiao Zhan scoffed derisively. "You are not qualified to talk about rules! You and your entire family have been corrupted to the point where you've forgotten the value of life! You stepped on others and killed people for no reason! You are despicable!" he yelled at Wen Ruohan. "You are the lowest of the lowest scums. Don't give me bullshit about rules!"
At those words, Wen Ruohan felt his rage grow, his face turning a shade of purple and his power surging through him like a raging inferno. "Impudent! Let's make an example of you!" He extended his hands outward, sending a massive shot of energy toward Xiao Zhan. But before the energy could reach its target, an enormous blue sword glare met it in the middle. A bright light illuminated the battleground, bathing the area in a blinding aura.
Lan Wangji glared up at Wen Ruohan with his golden eyes narrowed dangerously as he stood before Xiao Zhan protectively, shielding his beloved with his body, and blocking all of the incoming attacks. In return, the energy dissipated and disappeared, revealing a furious-looking Wen Ruohan.
"You..." He seethed with venom. With a roar, he unleashed a flurry of energy projectiles, each one more ferocious than the last.
Lan Wangji and Xiao Zhan moved in perfect synchrony like a perfect harmonization of Yin and Yang had their swords up in front of them as they blocked the incoming onslaughts, their movements fluid and precise. The collision of energy produced a violent explosion, sending shockwaves in all directions and causing a violent tremor to run through the ground and threatening to collapse beneath them.
As the explosion subsided, the two emerged unscathed. Lan Wangji's icy glare met Wen Ruohan's fiery gaze while Xiao Zhan's calm demeanor masked his strategic brilliance, his every move calculated to exploit his enemy's weaknesses. He was rousing Wen Ruohan's temper for the purpose of draining his Golden Core reserve faster and at the same time, to provoke the tyrant until he makes a mistake.
Wen Ruohan was furious at how the other refused to back down, the look on his face filled with hatred. He lifted his arm again, ready to send another wave of energy but this time towards the Second Jade of Lan.
Lan Wangji blocked it with his sword glare causing sparks to fly everywhere. His stance faltered ever so slightly, but he remained steady and steadfast.
"Lan Zhan, let's coordinate our attacks." Xiao Zhan said, taking a stance.
"Mn." was all Lan Wangji said before he adjusted his form accordingly.
They both threw a volley of sword glares in Wen Ruohan's general direction. At the same time, there were red lightnings arcing between the relentless assault, and Wen Ruohan was forced to leap backward, evading every spike that was chasing him. With the intensity and frequency of the attacks, he was forced onto the defensive. He formed a shield of energy around him to deflect the worst of their combined attacks. The attacks hit the shield, causing ripples across the energy shield before they dissipated like mist in the sunlight.
The duo looked like they were dancing around Wen Ruohan, forcing him to take the fight outside his palace. Wen Ruohan's anger grew higher, and he released a powerful blast of energy from his hands, blasting the two back several feet away. He finally took out his sword, brandishing it fiercely as he began to take them seriously.
"You insolent bastards!" Wen Ruohan hissed between clenched teeth. "You are the first to make me use my full powers here! Do you think you can stop me? Just die already!"
With his sword in hand, he launched himself towards the duo, sending his sword glare slashing through the air. Lan Wangji dodged the incoming attack by leaping upwards, his legs twisting to absorb the momentum from the dive. In the moment before Wen Ruohan turned to follow up on Xiao Zhan, he threw a sharp stab of energy towards him.
Xiao Zhan swiftly encapsulated himself with the dark fog of resentful energy, forming a thick layer of protection around himself.
"Wei Ying." Lan Wangji landed next to him, Bichen glowing brightly in his hand. "He's a tough one."
Xiao Zhan nodded in agreement, the tendrils dissipating after they absorbed all his attacks.
He had enough of being in defense now. "I am going to use everything I've got now, Lan Zhan." He said.
Lan Wangji's expression hardened slightly. He knew that it was necessary for Wei Ying to use all his skills and abilities now to ensure the victory of this battle. This was a decisive battle, a fight for survival for the whole cultivation world. But the risk was high. If Wei Ying used too much spiritual energy or pushed his limits too far...
"Don't worry. I have you with me, right?" Xiao Zhan smiled.
"Mn." Lan Wangji acknowledged. "We will defeat him together."
A fierce grin crossed Xiao Zhan's features at those words. They had come far since they first met and they had grown way stronger than he could have ever imagined.
"Good." Xiao Zhan replied confidently, turning his attention to the battle in front of him. "Let's show them just what we're capable of."
Lan Wangji took a step forward like a formidable tank, his feet planted firmly on the ground. The force of the wind picked up around them and his robes fluttered behind him. His golden core pulsed beneath his skin, fueling the Qi flow inside him.
Behind him, a fierce, murderous aura emanated from Xiao Zhan's body. His black hair billowed around him, dancing like a living being. His eyes were shining brightly in crimson color.
Soon, the earth began to shake violently with the amount of energy Xiao Zhan was unleashing, causing massive tremors to ripple across the entire area. And it was followed by a high-pitched shrill flowing out of the black flute, and the red tassel swung with the breeze as the melody of death began to echo in the air around them.
Wen Ruohan was momentarily stunned as he watched the field filled with fierce corpses, rising from the ground from the cracks in the earth with the help of the resentful energy coursing through their bodies. Among them were his own fallen soldiers, who were killed during the battle just moments ago and started to turn on his men. He knew now, he had underestimated the two young men. He raised his guard up, acknowledging they were not to be trifled with; these people were strong indeed. But it was too late of a realization.
Within seconds, he too was surrounded by Xiao Zhan's trained legion of undead soldiers. The vicious spirits bared their fangs towards him as they launched their attack relentlessly. It was not helping that Lan Wangji constantly rained him blow after blow with his Bichen.
Wen Ruohan had never fought a fight of such intensity before, and he didn't know whether to feel impressed or pissed off. Whichever it was, he decided to concentrate on getting rid of these pesky teenagers instead. These two were a real threat.
The fight dragged on for days, each side fighting furiously, sending wave after wave of energy flying everywhere. Wen Ruohan was starting to lose control over his temper. The fierce corpses were like an endless tide that continued to rise and fall against each other. Even if he destroyed ten, another ten would come rushing in and replace them. It seemed like a game of cat and mouse. His attacks couldn't reach the man in black at all as the one in white would always appear in time to block any incoming attacks.
Wen Ruohan could feel his spiritual energy getting sapped like never before. It wasn't enough to drain him entirely of his spiritual energy, but the constant use had begun to take its toll.
Lan Wangji saw the opportunity for an opening and took it. He shoot a translucent string from his sleeve in Wen Ruohan's direction, wrapping it around his ankle and pulling him down, throwing him onto the ground.
With the distraction that was created by the sudden movement, the rest of Xiao Zhan's army closed in to surround Wen Ruohan. They closed in like sharks attracted to blood and their claws sank into Wen Ruohan's arms and torso, piercing through his robes.
"Damn it!" Wen Ruohan cursed, struggling desperately to free himself from the grasping zombies and to break free of the deadly grasp.
One of them, which was holding Wen Ruohan down, grabbed hold of Wen Ruohan's left arm and started ripping through flesh. Blood splattered across his face and the smell of iron hit his nostrils.
In his anger and frustration, Wen Ruohan released all of his cultivation energy and sent a powerful blast of spiritual energy directly into the zombie that was holding onto his severed arm, blasting the horde of undead apart and sending bits of flesh and bone flying. As the horde scattered in all directions, he stood up again.
"How dare you?!" Wen Ruohan snarled at Xiao Zhan who stood in front of him with a face devoid of emotion. Blood flowed like water from his wound and his face was red from the exertion of using his full power.
"This is your end, Wen Ruohan." Xiao Zhan stated, looking straight into his eyes coldly.
Before Wen Ruohan could react, he felt a sharp pain piercing through his heart from the back. He forgot for a second that Lan Wangji was there and silently slipped behind him, stabbing Wen Ruohan with his sword without a word before pulling it out.
Blood spurted from Wen Ruohan's mouth and he collapsed onto the ground like a leaf. His breathing was shallow and rapid, his body convulsing once in a while, as his life left him.
After delivering the fatal blow, Lan Wangji stepped back, his eyes staring impassively at Wen Ruohan's lifeless body. His eyes then shifted to his lover who was playing a short melody, retracting his control over all the resentful beings in the area.
Xiao Zhan then staggered back, clutching tightly on his chest. He had spent almost all his spiritual energy by now and was only just able to hold on for a few seconds before falling to his knees. The backlash of absorbing too much resentful energy began to affect him and he coughed a mouthful of blood.
Lan Wangji quickly rushed over to Xiao Zhan and helped support him. He lowered him gently onto the ground and looked at him anxiously. He noticed how pale Xiao Zhan's usually vibrant cheeks and lips had become.
Xiao Zhan let out a weak chuckle as he gazed into Lan Wangji's worried gaze. He reached up and cupped Lan Wangji's face tenderly, a faint smile gracing his lips as he spoke softly. "Lan Zhan... I'm seriously exhausted." He muttered faintly. "I'm going to take a break."
Lan Wangji nodded in acceptance, pressing a soft kiss on Xiao Zhan's forehead. "Rest. I'll handle things for now."
"Alright." Xiao Zhan murmured, his eyes closing slowly before fading completely away.
******
The Sunshot Campaign was over. The bloody battlefield, once painted with the struggles of war, now lay barren and quiet. The scent of death and decay lingered in the air, a haunting reminder of the price paid for victory. They won the war completely after fighting endlessly for a week with the remaining Wen clan cultivators who eventually waved a white flag after realizing the futility of trying to stand against them and surrender themselves.
The Wen clan remnants, having lost so many, were now kept under strict surveillance of Qinghe Nie sects. Fulfilling Xiao Zhan's wish prior to the war, no one was allowed to harm any of the non-cultivators, the elderly, and the children. They were placed in a separate sanctuary where they were put under Wen Qing's care.
The aftermath of the war also brought a new era of peace to the cultivation world. People rejoiced as they were free from the oppressive rule of the Qishan Wen sect. But amidst the jubilation of victory, there was one figure that remained still, lying sound asleep on the bed.
Xiao Zhan had yet to regain consciousness since he passed out after they defeated Wen Ruohan.
Lan Wangji sat beside him; his gaze filled with concern as he gently stroked Xiao Zhan's cheek with his fingers.
"He's still not awake yet?" Wen Qing's voice broke the silence as she stood in the doorway, his gaze shifting between the two figures.
Lan Wangji shook his head, his voice quiet and filled with worry. "No."
The severe spiritual energy depletion combined with the backlash after taking in so much resentful energy caused his body to be unable to recover fast. Xiao Zhan was in a state where he was physically fragile at the moment.
Wen Qing sighed at the sight of the man watching his other half with a downcast expression. She made her way into the room and placed a bowl of medicinal soup on the table next to the bed. "You need to replenish your energy too, Hanguang-jun." Wen Qing said. "You've been injecting your energy into him nonstop. If you continue doing so, there is a possibility you'll collapse too."
Hanguang-jun. Just like Xiao Zhan said, he received the title after the war was finalized. Lan Wangji couldn't wait to hear Xiao Zhan talk about it in his usual energetic manner; in a teasing tone while giggling brightly. He missed his Wei Ying.
Lan Wangji took Xiao Zhan's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing his fingertips tenderly as he watched the man's chest rise and fall. "Wei Ying." He whispered, "Wake up soon."
********
A/N: It's Wei Wuxian's birthday today! So, this piece below is made specially to commemorate this day!