Marquis of Martial Achievement

No snow tonight.

On the boundless, dark Snow Plain, campfires dotted the landscape like stars among the endless white tents, their embers warming everything around them.

In this Utterdark Lands, there is no day or night, but it is essential to ensure that the soldiers get enough rest to maintain their fighting strength.

The specially made snow-sheltered tents fit perfectly, keeping out the icy cold of the Utterdark Lands. The vast camp was completely silent, save for the crunching of snow underfoot by the night patrol soldiers and the soft murmur of their conversations.

suddenly,

The tranquility beneath the sky was shattered by a streak of light that pierced through the air.

The sonic boom caused by the piercing air echoed in the distant sky, but as it approached the Beifeng camp, the beam of light gradually slowed down, eventually arriving silently above the tents.

The newcomer was middle-aged, dressed in a purple official robe for transporting grain, and exuded an undisguised, extremely profound aura.

Grandmaster.

The reaction within the Beifeng Feng camp was swift; almost instantly, two even more unfathomable experts took to the air and blocked the intruder's path.

One man and one woman.

The man was dressed in brocade robes and fine clothes, had a hooked nose, and his eyes looked rather sinister.

The woman had an ordinary face, but her elaborate, off-the-shoulder palace dress swayed gracefully, unable to conceal its allure.

Two Origin Beginning.

Even with his Origin Beginning cultivation level, the hook-nosed man remained quite polite to the visitor, bowing and making a gesture of respect.

"The grain and money trough."

Qianliangcao chuckled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand:

"Mr. Liu, Miss Wang, I have important news to report to the Marquis."

As rare talents in the army, these individuals might not be close friends in private, but having been on their journey north for several months, they should at least know each other's names.

The woman on the other side glanced at Qian Caoliang, then hesitated slightly:

"I recall that the supplies for this period were delivered by the Grain Keeper three days ago. The next delivery should be some time away. May I ask what brings the Grain Keeper here in person?"

Because the Barbarian Tribe Holy City had exhausted its main forces, it was extremely vulnerable. When it was captured, a large amount of supplies stored within the Holy City had not yet been destroyed.

Aside from the Barbarian Tribe ' utterly depraved hoard of flesh and blood, there were also mountains of various winter provisions.

This also became the basis for Marquis of Martial Achievement to continue his northward campaign to eliminate the enemy completely, and the Barbarian Tribe Holy City directly served as a transit point for supplies, where a large amount of baggage was stored.

The main force, lightly equipped, made a long-distance raid, while supplies were continuously transported to the front lines by high-ranking grain officials via Sumeru Ring.

Qianliangcang glanced back southwards, a hint of lingering fear flashing across his face:

"It concerns His Highness, so I had no choice but to come."

"Your Highness?"

The two Origin Beginning exchanged a glance, both with a hint of doubt in their eyes.

There are many people in the world who can be called Your Highness, but in this context, only Princess Wu Yuan is worthy of the title "Your Wu Yuan".

The problem is, shouldn't Princess Wu Yuan be entangled with the main force of the Barbarian Tribe within the Great Yan territory at this moment?

The two men looked toward the grain trough where the official in purple robes stood, waiting for the other to speak next.

However, Qian Liangcao didn't offer any explanation, only smiling at them.

After a brief eye contact, the man with the hooked nose roughly understood what the other person meant.

The Origin Beginning experts have already successfully entered the true noble class of the Great Yan Dynasty, but some things are not judged solely by cultivation level.

Cultivation level is a symbol of status, but there are some statuses that cultivation level cannot reach.

They are not qualified.

"Call"

Exhaling a puff of white mist, a sigh escaped from the deep-set eyes of the hooked-nosed man, who then bowed slightly to the side.

"In that case, please proceed with the grain and money storage. The Marquis should be reading in the main account at this time."

After saying this, the three fell silent and flew together towards the center of the camp.

However, the hook-nosed man and the woman in the palace dress showed no intention of going inside the commander's tent together.

With the military in preparation for war, they, as two elite soldiers on duty, need to continuously patrol the area around the camp to prevent surprise attacks by the barbarians.

Although the Barbarian Tribe were no longer a threat, no matter was too small in the army.

Back then, His Highness Wu Yuan once led a great victory at Nine Dragon Mountain, where a thousand elite Soul Condensation warriors launched a surprise attack on a Barbarian Tribe tribe with a force of tens of thousands, causing its defeat.

A single, unexpected attack could trigger a mutiny within the army, leading to a chain reaction of defeats.

"."

Standing outside the commander's tent, Qian Liangcao watched the two Origin Beginning disappear from sight before slowly withdrawing his gaze. He straightened his official robes and bowed respectfully.

"Qian Yushu has important business to discuss with the Marquis."

The commander's tent was large and imposing, but there were no soldiers guarding it.

For Marquis of Martial Achievement, the guards at the gate were basically just for show, a facade.

If it's unnecessary, then abolish it.

A few breaths after the words were spoken, a slightly aged voice calmly and serenely rang out:

Come in.

Qianliangcao straightened his official robes again, reached out and pulled back the curtain, and slowly walked in.

Because it was during a raid, the commander's tent was furnished very simply.

There were no elaborate sand table formations displayed; only a simple marching map was laid out on a round table in the center.

Upon closer inspection, the map was marked with military secrets, all indicating recently discovered locations of barbarian hideouts and their approximate numbers.

Aside from that, the only other furnishing inside the tent was a low banquet table carved with Coiled Dragon at the far end.

This was something bestowed upon Marquis of Martial Achievement by the Emperor, and he used it for decades, always carrying it with him on his military journeys.

Without daring to look up at the armored elder sitting cross-legged behind the banquet table, Qian Liangcao walked closer, bowed deeply, and without uttering a word, spoke simply and clearly:

"My lord, His Highness Wu Yuan arrived at the Barbarian Tribe Holy City four days ago."

"Qingyan... has arrived in the Utterdark Lands?"

A murmur came, and then the clerk, whose eyes were lowered, heard the rustling sound of books being placed on the table. The slightly aged voice of Marquis of Martial Achievement carried a thoughtful tone:

"Is this related to the Source Qi fluctuations transmitted from underground ten days ago?"

The person in charge of money and grain hesitated slightly before saying:

"This humble servant is unaware, but Your Barbarian King who has attained sainthood."

Before the words were finished,

The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly turned tense, Bright Pattern Lamp on and off.

Seeing this, the sound from the grain trough immediately quickened slightly, no longer daring to keep them in suspense:

"But he has already been killed by His Highness in battle. However, His Highness seems to be seriously injured, and the three battalions within the Barbarian Tribe Holy City are no longer capable of fighting."

The Bright Pattern Lamp returned to normal, but Marquis of Martial Achievement did not reply immediately. The sound of his fingertips lightly tapping the table echoed inside the tent.

"Tap tap. Tap."

Count interest,

Marquis of Martial Achievement's voice carried a hint of hesitation:

"You mean, Qingyan killed the Sage with an army of ten thousand?"

"Yes."

"."

For a moment, the main tent was completely silent.

After a while.

"Good."

Marquis of Martial Achievement seemed to have finally digested this information, a faint smile playing on his lips, his brows and hair gleaming with strength.

"Not bad, not bad! Qingyan is quite good! Once the Barbarian King is eliminated, the rest are nothing but chickens and dogs."

"It seems our soldiers can return ahead of schedule."

As he spoke, Marquis of Martial Achievement paused for a moment, his voice softening considerably:

"So, you've come here to ask for help?"

He left half a town of the Beifeng Army in the Barbarian Tribe Holy City because the Barbarian Tribe contained a large amount of supplies. If these supplies were lost, the nearly 100,000 Beifeng Army deep in enemy Holy City would be cut off from food.

An army of 100,000 men ran out of food in the Utterdark Lands, thousands of miles outside the borders of the Great Yan.

Qianliangcao felt relieved and quickly replied:

"That's only one thing. There's another matter that requires your decision, Lord Marquis."

"Oh? Tell me."

"Your Highness brought back a Transcendent Realm Mortal Shedding capable of standing up to a Saint. The Barbarian King was killed by Your Highness together with that Mortal Shedding expert, and..."

At this point, Qianliangcao suddenly realized he couldn't continue.

They were not to speak of His Highness's private affairs, let alone in front of the Marquis, who had watched His Highness grow up.

However, unexpectedly, Marquis of Martial Achievement's voice did not carry much anger; instead, he went along with his words and said:

"Moreover, this Mortal Shedding has a close relationship with Qingyan?"

Qianliangcao inwardly cursed himself for being too talkative, but at this moment he could only bite the bullet and say:

"Yes, that Mortal Shedding used His Highness's personal belongings."

"Do not be nervous."

Marquis of Martial Achievement's voice was calm, as if deep in thought, "Given Qingyan's personality, since he has agreed to the marriage agreement between His Majesty and that old scoundrel's third son, it is unlikely that he will break the agreement."

Upon hearing this, Qian Liangcao subconsciously glanced at Marquis of Martial Achievement behind the desk, only to find that the other man's wrinkled face showed no anger, but rather a hint of curiosity.

Upon seeing the gaze directed towards the grain trough, Marquis of Martial Achievement breathed a sigh of relief:

"Now that you mention it, Yu Shu, I'm quite curious about that Mortal Shedding."

As he spoke,

After a moment's thought, Marquis of Martial Achievement slowly rose from the futon behind the low, dragon-carved table, his voice infused with Source Qi, echoing outwards:

"Mu Ziqing, convey my military order: the First Garrison and the Mystical Mechanism Battalion, start cooking and immediately follow me south to the Holy City."

The Barbarian Tribe Holy City, the side rooms are silent.

"Well"

A sigh.

Sitting on the unusually large stone couch, Xu Yuan looked down at his palms in a daze.

Clench, release, clench again, release again.

Feeling a sense of weakness and powerlessness wash over him, he suddenly let out a long sigh.

His power was gone.

Although he was prepared, he was somewhat frustrated by his weakness upon returning to the Soul Condensation Realm after experiencing the power of the Mortal Shedding.

What are you doing?

Suddenly, Li Qingyan's voice came from the other side of the room. "Half an hour has passed, and you've been sighing the whole time. You should have used that time to stabilize your cultivation level."

Xu Yuan smacked his lips and subconsciously turned around to look in the direction the sound came from, but all he could see was darkness.

Her vision and hearing, which were originally crystal clear, are now so blurred that even her outline cannot be seen without circulating one's Cultivation Method.

"Well"

He sighed again, softly.

After losing his Mortal Shedding body, his return to the Soul Condensation made him yearn for the almost unparalleled power he once possessed.

It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

At the very least,

Let him go back to the capital, beat up Xu Changge to get revenge, and then lose him again, that would be fine too.

Thinking,

"Well"

"." Li Qingyan.

In less than half an hour, he sighed hundreds of times.

Even with Li Qingyan's composure, he couldn't withstand the intense, almost overflowing resentment emanating from the dead man.

Taking a deep breath, Li Qingyan slowly stood up and walked straight outside.

The Lotus Boots trod the ground softly, almost silently.

It wasn't until the wooden door creaked open that Xu Yuan realized the woman beside him had left, and he instinctively spoke up:

Where are you going?

"Breathable."

Li Qingyan stood at the doorway, glanced back, and snorted softly, "If I don't leave now, I'll be suffocated by someone's resentment."

"."

Upon hearing this, a bloodthirsty glint appeared in Xu Yuan's eyes. Taking in his surroundings, he slowly stood up.

I'll go with you.

"If you sigh again and disturb me, don't blame me for being impolite."

Under her fierce gaze, Xu Yuan was forced to begin sorting out his feelings of disappointment.

Soon, however, he found, to his own good, that his body was much stronger than before.

From the perspective of a Soul Condensation expert.

His internal Source Qi reserves have increased by nearly half, and his foundation is more solid. If numerical values existed in this world, he would be at least twice as strong as he was before.

Moreover, he can still use his Spirit Sight as a half- Strange Ghost Walker.

However, this thing consumes a great deal of energy, and with his current cultivation level, he simply cannot sustain it for long.

If he were to face a fourth-grade Nascent Soul Body Fusion who practices military formations now, he would be virtually invincible, and he might even be able to put up a fight against someone who cultivates Qi.

As he pondered, Xu Yuan felt somewhat better. He slowly walked to Li Qingyan's side and whispered:

Let's go.

Li Qingyan pursed her lips, looked at his face where the marks were no longer etched, and suddenly whispered words of comfort:

"Actually, with your Changtian, Changtian, reaching the Mortal Shedding is only a matter of time, perhaps in twenty years."

"Twenty years?"

"Hmm, only twenty."

"Well"

"." Li Qingyan.

Clenching his fist, Li Qingyan forced out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Xu Changtian, if you dare to sigh again, I won't be polite."

Xu Yuan looked at her, a trace of sorrow appearing in his bloodshot eyes, his voice low and somber:

"I was forced to become Strange Ghost in the Underground Palace."

"."

Li Qingyan's eye twitched, and she raised her hand to interrupt, "Alright, alright, I understand."

Xu Yuan grinned upon hearing this:

"Alright, let's go out. It's been three days, you should go and handle some military affairs. Quite a few soldiers were killed or wounded in battle."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan raised his hand as if to strike the chassis.

Li Qingyan's eyes, which seemed to be filled with stars, narrowed instantly.

A hint of sadness immediately flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes.

Li Qingyan breathed heavily, gave a soft groan, and looked away.

Snap

The warm, soft touch on his fingertips offered Xu Yuan a little comfort, but it also reminded him of something, and he suddenly asked:

"By the way, Qingyan, I remember you made a promise to me before."

"We need to get on with our military duties immediately."

Li Qingyan interrupted him abruptly, stepped over the threshold into the courtyard, and strode away without looking back.

"."

Xu Yuan opened his mouth.

He's so stupid to have believed that woman's nonsense.

With a sudden step, Xu Yuan instinctively tried to teleport behind the wicked woman who had toyed with his feelings.

Then,

'Thump.'

A figure landed directly in the silver sand, which was half a meter deep, inside the courtyard.

"."

Li Qingyan subconsciously turned around, a hint of doubt in her eyes, then seemed to understand something, sighed, and walked to the hole, looking at him under the snow:

"With such a big incident happening here, Uncle Mu could head south at any moment. Do you want to expose yourself in front of him?"

As he spoke,

A slight smile played on her lips as she bent her slender waist and reached out her hand to him.

"Once we leave this Barbarian Tribe Holy City, I will not go back on my word, if Changtian, you are willing."

"."

Xu Yuan, who was stuck in the snow, looked at her, reached out and grabbed her outstretched wrist, pulling her up from the snow with a whoosh. He then brushed the snow off his clothes.

"Whether it works or not, you'll know once you try."

"Very well, then I will look forward to it."

After saying that, the two walked together out of the courtyard.

As Li Qingyan reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly raised an eyebrow, stopped in his tracks, and looked up at the sky.

Xu Yuan subconsciously looked up as well.

Pitch blackness enveloped everything. The headless figure that had stood in the sky for days seemed to have exhausted all its Source Qi and was silently falling towards the ground.