The north wind howled bleakly, horses neighed.
"Hall Master, ahead lies Mie Que City, a major stronghold of the New Zhou." Three Thousand Demons sat atop his warhorse, introducing the city ahead to Shen Yi.
With one month as the deadline, Shen Yi had chosen to personally lead all five hundred thousand troops of the Supreme Hall, along with most of the sect's elite disciples, on this campaign against the New Zhou.
"The scouts reported that Mie Que City has three hundred thousand troops stationed within. Their commander is named Bei Gong Lie, and he is at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm."
Shen Yi gazed at the towering city in the distance and saw a figure standing atop its walls. That must have been Bei Gong Lie.
"Wait here. I'll go meet him!"
Shen Yi leaped into the air and, in the blink of an eye, had closed to within a hundred meters of Mie Que City.
Bei Gong Lie's expression tightened. He had long heard that Shen Yi was the foremost among Nascent Soul cultivators; only upon seeing him today did he realize the rumors were true.
"Though Shen Yi is powerful, this old man holds the city. It is not as though I cannot defeat him."
Bei Gong Lie pondered inwardly. Even if Shen Yi's cultivation crowns the world, marching to war is not a one-man affair.
"Rebel Shen Yi, you defy the Mandate of Heaven and raise troops in rebellion. Every man under heaven has the right to execute you!"
With Bei Gong Lie's command, a vast, majestic aura suddenly erupted from within Mie Que City and surged toward Shen Yi.
"I never expected there to be a hidden master within the city."
Shen Yi remained unruffled. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed