The General's Path, With Peculiar Methods

With the formation's core destroyed by Li Yueying, the previously normal kitchen, which had been thoroughly checked, underwent a massive transformation in an instant.

Vines coiled around the cellar entrance. Peering down, they saw piles upon piles of white bones, gleaming ominously.

It was clear that the Demon folk hiding beneath the Spring Full Pavilion had harmed many people in their daily lives.

"To see a scene like this in Chaotian Capital, right under the Demon Subduing Bureau's nose," Liu Yong said, his expression heavy and his mood deeply suppressed.

Every single bone in this cellar was a silent testament to their incompetence and dereliction of duty as Demon Subduing Captains.

Allowing such a malignant tumor to fester in Chaotian Capital for so long.

"Brother Liu, don't overthink it for now. Let's go down and take a look," Qin Ben suggested.

Liu Yong nodded. "Yueying, prepare a Signal Arrow. Just in case. If something happens to us down here, at least the other Demon Subduing Captains in the Bureau won't be completely in the dark."

Signal Arrows were a unique communication method of the Demon Subduing Bureau that could be remotely activated.

Once deployed, the user could immediately cause a Signal Arrow, even one far away, to emit a skyward plume of smoke as a warning.

After Li Yueying finished setting it up, Liu Yong took the lead and descended, with Ning Xiu following closely behind.

This cellar was clearly no ordinary place; it might even lead to another world.

If any danger arose, he could also lend Liu Yong a hand.

Stepping down the wooden ladder, Ning Xiu could see that the entire cellar was permeated with an Evil Qi so deep it was almost black. Anyone without a corresponding method to dispel the Evil Qi entering their body would likely experience various discomforts after staying here for a while.

Ning Xiu and the other three were all at the eighth or ninth rank in their respective paths, each possessing their own countermeasures, allowing them to disregard the Evil Qi.

Crack!

Stepping on the thick layer of bones, Ning Xiu quickly discovered a hidden opening in a corner.

This opening extended deeper underground, and it was impossible to tell where it led.

However, it was evident that the Demon folk hiding here must be located somewhere below.

"Everyone, don't be impatient. From now on, I'll lead the way," Qin Ben said, looking into the seemingly endless tunnel.

Ning Xiu's eyes immediately filled with curiosity upon hearing this.

The path Qin Ben had chosen was the 'General's Path.'

Those who followed the General's Path had to enlist in the army, fight on the battlefield, and earn significant military merit.

Once they had honed their 'Military Heart' and 'Military Soul,' they would officially enter the Ninth Rank and could be promoted to General, leading troops into battle.

At this point, those on the General's Path had two options:

One, continue to remain on the battlefield, fighting against the Demon Country's armies.

Two, return and join the Demon Subduing Bureau to carry out various missions.

Therefore, if one were to be precise, Ning Xiu and the others should address Qin Ben as General Qin.

Before this, Ning Xiu had only heard about the divine abilities of the General's Path, never having witnessed a practitioner of the General's Path in action. Tonight, however, he was about to have his eyes opened.

"Then it's up to you," Liu Yong agreed with a nod.

Qin Ben then took out a triangular flag, about the size of his palm, with a yellow background and a red border, from his bosom.

In the center of the flag, a dark, mysterious character 'Run' was embroidered, giving it a very imposing appearance.

"Wolf Pack Squad, form up!" Qin Ben shouted, raising the flag.

Instantly, a gentle breeze stirred from all directions, and with a faint blue light accompanied by a shimmering glow, five tall soldiers, wearing wolf-head helmets, wolf-patterned armor, and wielding wolf-tooth clubs, emerged from the blue light and glow.

They lined up in a single file in front of Qin Ben.

The faces of these five Wolf Pack Soldiers were completely obscured by their helmets, making it impossible to discern their true appearances.

However, one could clearly feel the murderous aura and battle-hardened pressure emanating from them.

"Form the Wild Goose Formation and scout ahead," Qin Ben commanded.

Upon hearing the order, the five Wolf Pack Soldiers transformed into a 'V' shaped formation: one person in the first rank, two in the second, and two in the third. They then moved forward into the opening.

Ning Xiu marveled at this sight.

These five Wolf Pack Soldiers were Qin Ben's Military Soul. As long as Qin Ben was alive, these soul soldiers would be immortal and indestructible.

The type of Military Soul honed by a General's Path practitioner would vary depending on their disposition.

Loyal and honest individuals would often manifest as Great Shield Guards.

Generous and righteous individuals would become swordsmen or axemen.

Calm and collected individuals might manifest as archers or crossbowmen.

Impulsive and reckless individuals were often seen as cavalry or spearmen.

Of course, there were also some unusual and novel Military Soul troop types, like Qin Ben's Wolf Pack Soldiers.

Furthermore, there were three ranks within the General's Path:

The ninth to seventh ranks were the lower three grades, designated as 'Squads,' with five soul soldiers.

Six to four are the middle three ranks, with the title of Battalion and a Military Soul of a thousand men.

Three to one are the upper three ranks, with the title of Army and a Military Soul of ten thousand men.

Once one reaches the realm of the upper three ranks, they truly become the legendary one person who is an army.

The Military Soul is immortal and indestructible, making it the most suitable for scouting ahead.

Following the five Wolf Pack Soldiers into the cave entrance, Ning Xiu and the other three soon disappeared into the depths of the passage.

As the green patterns on Han Wan'er's body increased, Steward Chu's heart gradually felt increasingly uneasy.

Especially the ghost face totem on her chest, which became more lifelike as the vital energy of living people was continuously injected into it.

It seemed as if it could fly out as a real ghost face at any moment.

Seeing that the pond accumulated over many years was almost empty, Han Wan'er still showed no signs of waking up.

Steward Chu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Regarding the Sect Master, for some reason, he highly valued Wu Huannian, even sending someone with a message half a year ago.

He instructed her to bring Wu Huannian out of Chaotian Capital no matter what, dead or alive.

And whether Han Wan'er could be resurrected was the key to her being able to bring Wu Huannian out of Chaotian Capital.

Even someone of royal blood like Marquis Wu Yi could easily abandon his status, willingly fall into degeneracy, and not hesitate to accept help from the Black Heaven Gate.

In this world, besides Han Wan'er, his weakness, no one else could influence Wu Huannian.

If Han Wan'er failed to be resurrected according to the plan, with Wu Huannian's nature of loving his wife dearly, he would definitely choose to stay in Chaotian Capital and be buried with Han Wan'er.

Under Steward Chu's anxious gaze, all the vital energy of the living people entered Han Wan'er's body through the water column.

The pond was completely emptied, and the ice coffin supporting Han Wan'er also fell onto the stone surface.

In an instant, this female corpse, which had been dead for many years and should have been buried, suddenly opened her eyes, and her body slowly stood up from the ice coffin.

"It's really successful!" Steward Chu's expression was shocked.

Years of effort, success tonight!

Although the Sect Master of the Black Heaven Gate had a method for resurrection, no one had personally witnessed it, and its truthfulness was still debatable.

After all, resurrection was an ultimate divine ability, something even immortals might not be able to achieve.

And at this very moment, having personally witnessed Han Wan'er's resurrection, Steward Chu couldn't express how shocked she was.

Turning the impossible into the possible, who exactly is the Sect Master?!

Han Wan'er looked around with vacant eyes, her expression extremely indifferent.

Just as Steward Chu was about to speak and explain the current situation to her, Han Wan'er's expression suddenly turned extremely ferocious.

She leaped directly out of the ice coffin and pounced on a nearby Demon who was closest to her.

"Ah!!!"

The Demon had no time to react before its throat was bitten off by the newly resurrected Han Wan'er.

At the same time, she opened her mouth, latched onto the wound, and began to frantically devour the warm blood.

Steward Chu swallowed back all the words she was about to say.

If it were truly Han Wan'er, the wife of Marquis Wu Yi, she would naturally not behave like this.

Seeing this, Steward Chu began to understand somewhat.

She had indeed succeeded in resurrecting Han Wan'er, but it was likely not the true Han Wan'er who had been resurrected.

But what did it matter? What Marquis Wu Yi had asked the Black Heaven Gate for back then was simply to bring his wife back to life.

"Go inform Marquis Wu Yi that preparations to escape Chaotian Capital can begin." Allowing Han Wan'er to continue devouring the dying disciple of the Black Heaven Gate, Steward Chu turned and said to another person.

After walking about twenty zhang in the passage, it had been quiet all the way, with no Demon attacks.

This made Ning Xiu and the others even more vigilant; the greater the calm, the greater the conspiracy hidden behind it.

"Even for Demons, it's not easy to create such a hiding place underground in Spring Full Pavilion. Combined with the concealment formation outside, it's no wonder they've been able to hide in Spring Full Pavilion without being detected by the Demon Subduing Bureau," Li Yueying said.

"I'm more curious about what purpose these Demons are hiding in Chaotian Capital for, without fear of death," Qin Ben replied.

Suddenly, Ning Xiu, standing on the left side of the formation, inexplicably threw the Startling Thunder Hammer in his hand with great force.

The hammer instantly turned into a meteor, smashing towards an empty space ahead where there was nothing.

As Qin Ben and the others looked on in confusion, the Startling Thunder Hammer actually paused in mid-air for about a breath.

With a sudden scream, the Startling Thunder Hammer fell to the ground.

[Killed Demon, Universal Proficiency +200]

A Demon covered in crystal fish scales suddenly appeared on the ground. Its skull was shattered, and blood and brains splattered everywhere, clearly having been killed by a single blow from the Startling Thunder Hammer.

"It's a disguised Demon!" Li Yueying glanced at Ning Xiu in surprise. "The Demon was right beside us, and I didn't detect anything."

"Ning Xiu, how did you discover it?" Qin Ben and Liu Yong also looked on with curiosity.

"I cultivate a Pupil Technique that can observe Evil Qi. The density of Evil Qi where this fellow appeared was significantly different from other areas. I didn't actually know it was a Demon, so I just swung my hammer on a hunch, and surprisingly, I hit the jackpot," Ning Xiu chuckled.

He walked over to pick up the Startling Thunder Hammer and was about to retreat when he saw three figures suddenly emerge from the distance of the passage.

These three were completely shrouded in black cloaks, their appearances unclear, but their bodies were extremely thin and long, making them quite conspicuous.

The moment these three appeared, Qin Ben immediately waved his flag and ordered, "Attack."

Five Wolf Pack Soldiers then charged out, wielding their mace-like weapons, rushing towards the three.

Soon, the two sides engaged in battle. The Demons' hands, hidden beneath their cloaks, were as long as knives and incredibly sharp.

Even when they clashed with the Wolf Pack Soldiers' mace-like weapons, they showed no inferiority.

Despite being outnumbered five to three, they couldn't gain the upper hand at all. Instead, they were even slightly suppressing the three Demons.

Qin Ben's expression immediately soured. He was seen to shout in a low voice, "Wolf Pack Like Wind."

A wolf head pattern then appeared three feet above his head, emitting a wave of blue ripples that spread outwards in all directions.

Empowered by the ripples, Ning Xiu could see that the five Wolf Pack Soldiers' speed and agility had clearly improved by several levels.

The tide of battle turned in an instant. Within a few breaths, one of the Demons carelessly fell to a mace-like weapon, smashed to death.

"Is this what they call Military Heart?" Ning Xiu asked, looking at the wolf head pattern above Qin Ben's head.

"Precisely," Qin Ben nodded in agreement.

The Military Heart of a General's Path user can bestow various buffs upon the Military Soul.

Some people's Military Hearts strengthen the Military Soul's power, while others strengthen its physique.

Some people's Military Hearts strengthen the Military Soul's agility, just like Qin Ben's Military Heart, 'Wolf Pack Like Wind.'

With the Military Heart's enhancement, the five Wolf Pack Soldiers' strength instantly surged. The remaining two Demons were no match for them and soon met the same fate as the one that was smashed to pieces.

After eliminating the Demons, the four of them quickly increased their pace. The end of the passage soon appeared before their eyes.

It was a cave filled with vines. The most striking sight was the dried-up pool in the center of the cave.

And the beautiful woman covered in green markings standing in the ice coffin within the pool.

"Huh!" Liu Yong exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the woman with the ghost face totem on her chest, "How could it be her?!"

"Brother Liu, you know her?"

"Who is this woman?"

Liu Yong's voice trembled slightly, "Marquis Wu Yi's wife, who passed away many years ago, Madam Han."

Madam Han had been dead for many years; this was known to all the citizens of Chaotian Capital.

In everyone's memory, Madam Han had long been buried and at peace. How could she possibly appear here now?

Ning Xiu's gaze, meanwhile, was fixed on the few Demons holding Spirit Gathering Banners by the pool.

The design of these Spirit Gathering Banners was exactly the same as the ones he had brought back from Wendeng County. Could these two matters be related?

Before anyone could think further, Han Wan'er was seen leaping forward, grabbing a Demon by the pool and biting into it, the scene extremely bloody.

Marquis Wu Yi... Madam Han... Demons hidden beneath Spring Full Pavilion...

In an instant, several seemingly unrelated pieces of information automatically connected into a clear line of thought in the minds of Ning Xiu and the other three.

Spring Full Pavilion harboring Demons; Marquis Wu Yi must be orchestrating this, and his goal is for the deceased Madam Han.

"Act. Leave one alive from each group to be taken back for interrogation. Execute all other Demons on the spot."

The situation had reached this point; everything that needed to be discovered had been. Caught red-handed, there was no need for further observation.

Liu Yong, as the temporary team leader, drew his saber and shouted, immediately taking the lead and charging towards a Demon.

Steward Chu, having just finished giving orders, turned back to see the four Demon Subduing Captains in Mysterious Silver Lock Armor emerging from the cave entrance, clearly indicating that the disciples she had sent out to resist had all been defeated.

With the situation as it was, the means they had prepared to escape Chaotian Capital would have to be activated early.

Now that the Demon Subduing Bureau had discovered their hidden formation, after tonight, the lockdown and investigation of the entire Chaotian Capital would reach an unprecedented level.

If they didn't escape tonight, they might never have another chance. They had to hurry.

"Hold them off. Kill them if you can," Steward Chu rushed towards Han Wan'er, pulling her away from the blood-drained Demon, intending to take her away from this place.

Han Wan'er was the biggest leverage for controlling Marquis Wu Yi. Without bringing this woman, Marquis Wu Yi would not willingly leave Chaotian Capital with them.

If Steward Chu failed to bring Wu Huannian back to the Black Heaven Gate, she couldn't even imagine how the mysterious Sect Master would punish her.

The moment Steward Chu grabbed Han Wan'er's arm, Han Wan'er turned and bit at her.

This person had absorbed the vital essence of countless living people, so much so that it had condensed into a liquid-like substance in the pool.

This situation was extremely rare. It was estimated that besides the Black Heaven Gate Sect Master and the hidden powerhouses of the Demon Subduing Bureau, No one could explain what Han Wan'er would eventually become.

Steward Chu frowned displeasedly, grabbed Han Wan'er's cheek, forcibly held her jaw, then picked her up forcefully and ran towards another direction of the cave.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows. These Demons had been hiding here for many years, so they naturally wouldn't leave only one passage in and out.

Since a Demon Subduing Captain had found their way here, it would be meaningless to kill them all. They believed other Demon Subduing Captains would soon find the Spring Full Pavilion.

Starting tonight, Chaotian Capital would no longer be a safe place. They had to seize the opportunity to escape.

With this thought, Steward Chu had no intention of continuing the fight, leaving the other disciples to tangle with Ning Xiu and the others.

"We can't let that demon take Madam Han and escape. She's the only proof of Marquis Wu Yi's corruption halfway through his term. Who will pursue them?"

Qin Ben drew his saber and engaged three demons who were blocking his path, shouting as he fought.

Looking across the battlefield, Liu Yong, Li Yueying, and Ning Xiu were all surrounded by multiple demons. Breaking through in a short time to chase Steward Chu would likely not be easy.

After all, the numerous demons here were all the remnants the Black Heaven Gate had arranged within Chaotian Capital.

"I'll go."

Ning Xiu's body suddenly swelled, his already tall frame growing another foot.

This caused the Mysterious Silver Lock Armor, which had been somewhat loose, to instantly become ill-fitting.

Heavenly King Vajra Art!

With his body enlarged, the Startling Thunder Hammer in his hand felt significantly lighter.

Ning Xiu swung it with great force, madly activating the Great Sun Profound Scripture, and used brute strength to repel two demons with a single blow.

Seizing this opening, Ning Xiu broke out of the encirclement and rapidly pursued in the direction Steward Chu had fled.

The demons, seeing this, quickly followed, creating a strange scene of demons chasing Ning Xiu, and Ning Xiu chasing the demons.

"Whoa, what kind of technique is that?"

Seeing Ning Xiu's height suddenly increase by a foot before his very eyes, turning him into a small giant in the blink of an eye, Qin Ben's eyes widened like copper bells, his face filled with disbelief.

However, the current situation did not allow him to be distracted. The demons left behind to cover their retreat were all formidable.

Being surrounded by multiple demons, Qin Ben quickly summoned back the five Wolf Pack Soldiers before he could fight his opponents to a standstill.

This was fortunate, as Qin Daorong had killed many demons during his raid on the Spring Full Pavilion last time, significantly reducing the number of Steward Chu's subordinates.

Otherwise, the number of demons Qin Ben and the others were facing would have been even more troublesome.

The moment the demons closed in, Li Yueying decisively activated the Signal Arrow she had left outside.

Instantly, a pillar of crimson smoke shot up from within the Spring Full Pavilion, standing tall like a celestial pillar within Chaotian Capital, visible from all directions.

Countless Demon Subduing Captains immediately sprang into action.