Several days later, a convoy of cargo ships traveled up a tributary of the Seine River, reaching a perilous grand canyon deep within the Highlands.
Countless crude tents filled the grand canyon. Part of the army Arthur had forcibly conscripted was stationed here, awaiting the provisions to be delivered later. These soldiers, who only a few months ago had been farmers, shop clerks, and petty townsfolk, stood chattering on the riverbank, clutching their weapons blankly as they watched groups upon groups of mercenaries in fine armor disembark from the cargo ships.
Relying on the two rare treasures, the Phantom God Puppet and the Heaven-Confounding Pendant, Long Yan had disguised himself as a robust elderly human and stood at the prow of a large cargo ship, baring his fangs at the soldiers on shore. They did not even possess human-rank strength, and at best could be considered sturdy men.
He spat contemptuously into the rushing river, then used his fingernails to pull a tough strip of sinew from between his teeth.
"With this bunch of dead meat, they dare launch an expedition into the Fourth Abyss? Heh, those little fellows in the Fourth Abyss may not have particularly pure bloodlines, but the noble blood of us evil ghosts still runs through their veins! Any one of their youths has earth-rank combat strength, while every adult is at least at the peak of the earth rank, if not the lower heaven rank!"
"With this pack of trash, they dare set foot in the Fourth Abyss?"
The dozens of descendants Long Yan had brought along imitated his pose one by one, bare-chested with their arms folded across their chests, sizing up the North Sea army on shore with vicious gazes. In their eyes, these soldiers were not soldiers at all; they were no