Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 351: Marching towards the abyss

The scale of the assembled force became even more apparent as the final counts were called out, with seven thousand men standing in disciplined formation, 4 thousand soldiers and 3 thousand cultivators. Banners fluttered above them to mark divisions and allied houses, and the understanding lingered among them all that more forces would join as the army advanced deeper into contested lands.

Lucas guided his horse toward the flank where his own selected squad was positioned, separating slightly from the central command without drawing attention, his movements deliberate and calm, while the ice belle floated lazily at his side, her small presence oddly comforting amid the vast machinery of war.

He dismounted briefly and approached Jennifer first, the silver haired healer already checking the straps of her pack with focused efficiency.

"You look prepared," Lucas said with a small nod, his tone warm but firm.

Jennifer inclined her head respectfully. "Thanks to you," she replied. "The potions are secured and the formation we discussed is clear. I will remain close enough to reach everyone quickly."

"That is all I ask," Lucas answered. "Do not overextend yourself, even if things become chaotic."

She smiled faintly. "A healer who rushes blindly is no healer at all."

Lucas then turned to Bartho, whose presence alone seemed to steady the rest of the squad, the ascendant cultivator standing tall with his arms folded, his eyes sharp and unyielding.

"Vice leader," Lucas said, acknowledging him openly.

Bartho gave a firm nod. "The squad understands its role. No one here is under any illusion about survival rates, yet none have stepped back."

"That resolve is exactly why you were chosen," Lucas replied. "Hold the line when needed, retreat only when ordered, and trust the gauntlets when the core is active."

"They already do," Bartho said evenly. "The power is frightening, but it is also clear. We will not waste it."

Lucas turned then to the rest of the twelve, his gaze moving from face to face, men and women alike meeting his eyes with steady resolve.

"You all know why you are here," he said calmly. "There will be no glory promised and no guarantees given. What I can promise is that every decision I make will be to give us the highest chance to survive and complete our objective."

One of the cultivators spoke up, her voice firm. "That is enough for us."

The others nodded in agreement, and Lucas felt a quiet certainty settle within him.

As he remounted his horse and guided it back into position beside his squad, a clear authoritative voice rang out across the field.

"Advance formation," Commander Alexander called, his voice amplified by Qi and discipline alike.

The command rippled outward instantly, officers repeating the order down the lines, banners shifting, boots stamping in unison, and hooves beginning to move as the army transitioned from stillness into motion.

Drums sounded in a steady rhythm, not rushed yet not slow, setting the pace as seven thousand men began to march forward together, the ground trembling faintly beneath their synchronized steps.

Lucas took one last glance toward the central command where the king rode at the forefront, then faced forward once more, his expression composed, his mind sharp, and his senses attuned to the battlefield that awaited them ahead.

Beside him, the ice belle hovered quietly, unusually silent, as if even she understood that the path they had chosen could no longer be turned away from, and so the army moved as one, advancing steadily toward the coming war.

The army pushed steadily northward, banners leaning into the cold wind as the land itself slowly changed, the air growing thinner and sharper with every mile that carried them closer to Lechia and Rus, places whose names now carried the weight of ruin, siege, and uncounted deaths.

As they rode, Captain Varran moved his horse closer to Lucas, his eyes sweeping the distant horizon before settling on the faint dark line far ahead.

"The Abyss," Varran said quietly. "We will reach its edge within a week at this pace."

Lucas nodded, his gaze calm. "I expected as much."

Bartho, riding just behind, leaned forward slightly. "Crossing it with an army this size will be troublesome. Even flying cultivators would struggle to escort everyone safely."

Jennifer added from the other side, her voice thoughtful rather than fearful. "The winds there tear Qi apart. Healing in the middle of that would be nearly impossible."

Lucas listened to them all before speaking, his tone steady. "That is why we will not rely on flight or brute force alone."

At that moment, a faint crystalline laugh echoed beside him, and the ice belle drifted higher, spinning lazily in the air as if the conversation amused her.

"The big darkness again," she said, puffing out her cheeks. "It is noisy."

Varran blinked and glanced at her, then back at Lucas. "You intend to use her."

Lucas reached out and gently tapped the ice belle on the forehead with one finger. "Only if she agrees."

She crossed her tiny arms, pretending to think for a moment, then grinned. "If they give me food after, I will help."

Bartho let out a short breath of disbelief. "A spirit bargaining in the middle of a war march."

"She knows her worth," Lucas replied calmly.

He then turned his attention back to the group. "We have more than enough powerful cultivators. By amplifying her pure essence through formation arrays and shared Qi output, we can create a stable frozen passage across the Abyss, layered and reinforced, protected from the chaotic winds."

Jennifer frowned slightly. "That would require precise control. Too much output and the formation shatters. Too little and the winds devour it."

Lucas met her eyes. "Which is why I will personally oversee it, we will use her ice domain energy and my ice domain energy to establish a passage.

Varran studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Then it will work."

The ice belle twirled happily, already imagining herself at the center of attention. "I will make it pretty too," she declared. "Not just boring ice."

Lucas allowed himself a faint smile before looking forward again, the vast northern lands stretching endlessly ahead of them, the Abyss waiting like an open wound in the world, and beyond it, war, blood, and decisions that would shape the fate of kingdoms.

The army continued its march without slowing, thousands of hearts beating toward the same uncertain future, confident that when they reached the edge of the impossible, they would not stop there.