Sha Po Lang

"Kill!"

Five or six riders charged like a storm, and as they got close, they let out a unified roar.

The military aura and blood fiend surged upwards, causing Wu Ming's brow to furrow.

"A mere five or six people's blood fiend, and you think you can break me? Bring on a squad first!"

Yu Shaojun let out a wild laugh, his bright pearl shimmering with an earth-yellow light as it sank into the ground.

Thump thump!

The ground rippled, and five or six stone pillars shot out, resembling spears and halberds, forming a killing formation, waiting for the enemy cavalry to fall into their trap.

"Look at my blade!"

Who knew the Fang Soldier leader would just sneer, suddenly draw his long saber, and slash forward!

Hum!

With this slash, the surroundings seemed to freeze. Amidst the vast starry sky, a massive malevolent star emitted its light, drawn to the layer of mysterious light on the Warlord, descending and transforming into a power of augmentation.

With a single slash, empowered by Star Power, it transformed into a sharp blade light!

"This is... a Martial Artist with Destiny Returns to Stars? No, it's similar but not quite!"

A cry of surprise came from Xiao Di, standing beside Wu Ming.

Chii!

Amidst the flashing blade light, the original stone pillars shattered one by one, turning into dust in the starlight.

Wu Ming also wanted to complain, "What the heck... are the mere corporals and squad leaders here all on the same level as Wu Tiehu? Are you kidding me?"

He possessed the technique of observing Qi, so he could naturally see that the Fang Soldier commander was only surrounded by wisps of starlight, and his martial arts were merely Internal Strengthening, comparable to Wu Tiehu.

However, the visible starlight was empowering him, making the strength he unleashed at this moment almost comparable to a Martial Artist of Innate or even Gang Qi level!

This was due to the overwhelming power of Star Power in this world.

If Wu Tiehu were swapped here, as long as his natal star remained, he could achieve the same. Of course, if this Fang Soldier were taken to Great Zhou, he wouldn't be able to do it even if he risked his life.

'This world is rich in Star Essence, so individuals with various Destiny Returns to Stars, or even those with just a trace of aura, can unleash their strength more effectively?'

In almost an instant, Wu Ming grasped the essence of this world: "Moonlight Power is abundant, and there shouldn't be too many strange creatures..."

"Die!"

In mere moments, three riders broke through the obstacles, their faces twisted in grim smiles. With a wave of their hands, the heads of two newcomers flew off, blood gushing like a spring.

"What are you waiting for? Attack together!"

Xiao Jidu roared, instantly soaring into the air. He moved like a phantom, appearing behind a rider and sweeping his right leg. This Fang Soldier, skilled in martial arts, blocked with both arms.

Crack!

A scream of pain, his arm bone snapped, and he fell from his horse.

"Fire arrows!"

The other two cavalrymen immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, both skilled in mounted archery!

Whoosh whoosh!

Two arrows shot out rapidly. Wu Ming dodged them, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He also lunged forward, his figure a blur. His claws elongated, grabbing a Fang Soldier by the neck and lifting him up. With a casual toss, the Fang Soldier's fate was unknown.

"Ant, you have successfully angered me!"

On the other side, Yu Shaojun roared in anger. Four golden runes appeared within the bright pearl in his hand, transforming into four golden-armored divine figures who surrounded the Fang Soldier leader.

"You dare to rebel? I am a Fang Soldier under the Lie Shan Commandery of the Nine Mountains Army..."

Clearly, the Fang Soldier's previous act of channeling Star Power was a powerful killing move, effective against evil arts. But upon seeing Yu Shaojun, he merely stirred slightly before appearing calm again, immediately invoking his backing.

"Divine generals, obey my command, kill them!"

Yu Shaojun waved his hand. The four golden-armored generals roared, wielding golden pestles, iron clubs, and other heavy weapons as they smashed down. Instantly, flesh and blood turned to paste, a gruesome sight.

"Hurry and leave!"

The remaining Fang Soldiers finally lost their spirit and shouted as they tried to flee.

"We can't let them escape!"

Wu Ming's eyes flickered, and he immediately called out.

"Haha, don't worry!"

Xiao Jidu turned into a black streak and pursued them. He unleashed his Gale God Legs, truly moving as fast as a raging wind and a galloping horse.

Early morning.

The sunlight in this world was not intense; one could even faintly see the stars.

Several people had left the outskirts of the village early and found a small pond to recuperate.

The grass was lush, and the lake water was as green as jade.

Several warhorses leisurely grazed on the grass, while Wu Ming and the others stared at the leather armor, bows, and arrows on the ground, exchanging uneasy glances.

"Zhang Lie, Fang Soldier under the Nine Mountains Army's Lie Shan Commandery!"

Wu Ming toyed with a waist token in his hand, a wry smile on his face. "I never imagined... our mission was to support Li Rubi, yet we ended up killing one of his Fang Soldiers first..."

"This is terrible..."

Xiao Jidu clutched his head. "In times of war and chaos, what does the death of a few Fang Soldiers matter? No one saw it anyway. But with Fang Soldiers this defiant and military discipline so lax, it's a microcosm of our mission. This is going to be a hellish level of difficulty..."

"There's no need to be so pessimistic... After all, these soldiers are still very strong..."

A newcomer stammered, his previous performance having been subpar. He mustered his courage, but it didn't garner much attention.

It was Xiao Di who explained, "Fiefdom Fang Soldiers are the private troops of the Warlord and various commanders – elite soldiers! Their Consumption is ten times that of ordinary soldiers! Those with such quality are one in a hundred..."

"Meaning, in the entire Nine Mountains Army, there are only a few hundred such individuals... If there were truly ten thousand, the world would fall into chaos!"

Wu Ming continued, causing the newcomer's face to flush crimson as he retreated to the side.

"I'd like to ask Miss Xiao Di, how is 'Destiny Returns to Stars' interpreted?"

Xiao Jidu asked with great interest.

"Destiny Returns to Stars..."

Xiao Di pondered for a moment. "This refers to the stars in the heavens aligning with destiny. Legend has it that in times of turmoil, there are always those with heavenly mandates. Civil Officials and Warlords whose 'Destiny Returns to Stars' are reincarnated to assist the true dragon in stabilizing the realm. Among them, the most famous are the Left Assistant Star and the Right Assistant Star, as well as the Wen Qu Star and the Wu Qu Star... According to ancient texts, the Fang Soldier we just saw only had a trace of stellar destiny, not a true 'Destiny Returns to Stars' Warlord!"

As she spoke, a hint of worry reappeared on her face. "It's said that these General Stars, the closer they are to danger, the more their innate stars will protect them. If they truly possess stellar destiny, there might even be a rare phenomenon of 'Daytime Star Appears'. Upon death, they will inevitably be accompanied by the spectacle of a falling star, transforming into a meteor... Of course, it's even more terrifying here..."

Wu Ming and the others looked up, seeing the faint outlines of stars visible even in broad daylight. They exchanged bewildered glances, quite speechless.

"Huh? Destiny Returns to Stars... Hearing you say that, I think I remember something..."

Xiao Jidu squatted down, running his hands through his hair. "A long time ago, I think I heard a similar rumor. It was about the Great Zhou's number one rebel, Huang Jie. It seemed he was also a reincarnation of some star!"

"Sha Po Lang!!"

Yu Shaojun, who had been silent by the side the entire time, suddenly spoke. "Rebel King Huang Jie, his destiny is Sha Po Lang! When it appears, the world descends into chaos!"

As he spoke, a hint of fervor flickered in his eyes.

"Indeed! Huang Jie, who plunged the Great Zhou into chaos and threw the world into disarray, possessed the true destiny of the Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf stars, with Zi Wei presiding over his fate and the Four Cardinal Directions aligning. This formed the 'Sha Po Lang' configuration, ultimately bringing disaster to the Great Zhou!"

Xiao Di took a deep breath. "Seven Killings is the thief who disrupts the Nine Provinces, Army Breaker is the general who conquers the world, and Greedy Wolf is the treacherous and cunning scholar. Once these three stars gather, the world will inevitably change hands, and it cannot be reversed!"

Wu Ming, hearing this secret for the first time, gasped in shock.

To possess even one of Army Breaker, Seven Killings, or Greedy Wolf meant being a peerless general who could traverse the world. Even a trace of stellar destiny was enough to transform an ordinary person.

What kind of terrifying might would it be for the true destiny of these three ferocious stars to converge in one person?

Even a true Dragon Emperor would likely feel a sense of apprehension.

"I actually hope that Li Rubi is a reincarnation of Sha Po Lang, Huang Jie!" Wu Ming's eyes flashed, and he chuckled.

"Impossible!"

Xiao Di stated directly. "If this person truly possessed the Sha Po Lang configuration, they would be invincible in this world. The entire realm would fall into chaos, far beyond merely causing trouble in one province... However, that his destiny returns to the stars is certain!"

"A true general with a malevolent star presiding over their fate, as long as they command an army and are protected by military aura, Sha Qi, and stellar destiny, they are virtually invulnerable to any attack, unless..."

Xiao Di murmured the last few words so softly that they were barely audible, but Wu Ming's ears twitched.

"Alright! Our mission requires us to join the Nine Mountains Army now!"

After resting for a while and eating their rations, Wu Ming clapped his hands and suggested.

"How do we join?"

Xiao Jidu asked with interest.

"It's very simple... The Nine Mountains Army at this time, while said to have tens of thousands of soldiers, is actually just a band of mountain bandits. They also have to deal with the imperial army's encirclement. Do you really think they have strict regulations? We just need to show up and say we want to join!"

Wu Ming chuckled.

"Bandits? Join?" Xiao Jidu's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh. "Right, that's the way!"

"It's just..." Wu Ming glanced at Yu Shaojun and stopped speaking.

The implication was clear: if they still wore such flashy attire, heading into a bandit's lair would be tantamount to seeking death.

Yu Shaojun's face twitched. He indifferently flicked his sleeve. "This place is fine. Let's part ways here!"

With that, he strode away, disappearing in an instant as if employing a technique to shrink the ground.

"Hey... Wait!"

Xiao Jidu got up and chased several yards, only to return dejectedly. "Heavens! With teammates like this, our mission is doomed..."

Wu Ming's eyes flickered.

In their previous mission, the difficulty was lower, but Tu Yanghao, Zheng Qian, and even Shan Lan and Ling Guhong were all experts with their own unique skills.

But this time, even among the newcomers, only Xiao Di could be slightly anticipated, which couldn't help but make him ponder.

Could it be that the share of powerful individuals was taken by Yu Shaojun, or perhaps someone else in the team?

"Then let's set off!"

The new recruit from before, Yuan Tai, went to fetch the horses.

"Wait!"

Wu Ming flicked his fingers, sending a few pebbles flying. The warhorse yelped in pain and bolted away.

"What are you doing?"

These were fine warhorses, each worth over a hundred taels of silver. Yuan Tai was extremely fond of them and yelled out now.

"You want to ride them to join the army?"

Wu Ming looked at him as if he were a monster. "Didn't you see the brand on them? If you steal someone's warhorse and then ride it to join up, you might die without even knowing how..."

Yuan Tai's face flushed red upon hearing this, and he wished he could disappear into the ground.