Sun Moon Town
He reached out and checked the young man's breathing, confirming that he had simply fainted.
Dai Huabin casually took the identification tag and access manual from the other person's waist and quickly scanned them.
The manual records the changing of the guard schedule for each border post, as well as the basic passwords.
"We were pretty lucky."
Dai Huabin put the manual into his Storage Soul Tool, then lightly swiped his fingertip to summon the Undead Gate once more.
A gray portal flashed by, and Zhu Lu and Ice Empress were the first to jump out.
Ice Empress rubbed his shoulders and looked around.
"Finally out! There wasn't a single person talking inside. Xue'er just sat there meditating with her eyes closed. It was so boring!"
Snow Empress then walked out, looking completely composed.
"It's quiet inside, perfect for meditation."
As soon as Di Lingxi came out, she grabbed Dai Huabin's arm and shook it.
"We've arrived at the Sun Moon Empire? Why is this place so barren? There isn't even a decent fruit tree."
Zhu Lu looked down at the young Soul Engineer lying on the ground.
"Huabin, are these enemy patrolmen?"
Dai Huabin handed the ID card in his hand to Zhu Lu.
"We captured a prisoner and, incidentally, found out the shift change times for the sentries ahead."
Bi Ji walked out of the portal and waved her hand to dispel the lingering death aura around her.
"The metallic aura ahead is extremely strong, indicating that many high-level metallic artifacts are lurking nearby."
Dai Huabin nodded.
"Ahead lies a key border town of the Sun Moon Empire. We need to find an opportunity to change our clothes and sneak into the supply convoy behind us."
Ice Empress pursed their lips.
"Why go through all this trouble? Just fight your way through."
Dai Huabin tapped her on the forehead.
"It's easy to attack, but if we alert the higher-ups in Ming Capital, we won't be able to properly investigate the Soul Tool production line."
Di Lingxi covered her mouth and laughed.
"Exactly, Bing'er, can't you use your brain?"
Ice Empress's eyebrows furrowed, and he clenched his fists.
"Little golden retriever, are you asking for trouble?"
Snow Empress reached out and placed her hand on Ice Empress's shoulder, stopping the usual bickering.
"Getting down to business is the priority; listen to Dai Huabin."
Dai Huabin looked at the sky; the horizon was already turning a pale white.
"Let's go, hurry up and get through this defensive zone."
The morning light broke through the thin mist in the mountains and shone on the damp bluestone slabs.
Dai Huabin and his group of six avoided the main road and advanced along the dense forest on the side of the valley.
Thanks to the patrol schedule in the border defense manual, they avoided three large-scale searches led by the Five-Ring Soul King along the way.
Upon reaching the end of the valley, a hidden outpost built atop a cliff blocked their path.
The outpost was built entirely of solid black iron rock, with three level-six fixed-mount Soul Cannon neatly mounted on the gun emplacements, their dark muzzles blocking the entire narrow canyon passage.
Below the cannon, four Soul Guide Guardians were sitting around a stone table eating breakfast.
"This hidden sentry post is positioned too strategically; there's no way to get around it."
Zhu Lu bent down and pointed to the warning tripwires hanging above the canyon.
"Vibration-sensing Soul Tool have been installed on both sides of the rock walls; an alarm will sound if you step on them."
Ice Empress crossed their arms, eager to try.
"I froze the entire outpost into ice crystals with Extreme Cold Ice Seal, ensuring they wouldn't even have time to press the alarm."
Dai Huabin shook his head.
"The fixed-mount Soul Cannon has a self-destruct array inside. Once the temperature drops sharply and the core detonates, the sound can be heard thirty miles away."
Di Lingxi was squatting in the grass, playing with pulling weeds, when she casually replied.
"Then let me smash the hilltop down with one punch and bury them alive."
Dai Huabin glanced at her helplessly.
"Your punch was more powerful than Soul Cannon."
Bi Ji suggested softly.
"I can use the Emerald Soul-Soothing Domain to put them into a deep sleep a hundred meters away without triggering any Soul Power backlash."
"This method is feasible."
Dai Huabin immediately made the decision.
Bi Ji formed a hand seal, and a soft, emerald-green aura spread out like ripples on water, silently creeping up the ground and the vegetation.
The four guards at the cliff outpost froze in place as soon as they picked up their bowls of water.
The group of people tilted their heads to the side and slumped limply onto the stone table, emitting even snores.
Even the police array on the artillery platform did not produce any stress response.
"All done, let's go."
Dai Huabin gave a soft shout, pushed off with his feet, and was the first to leap onto the rock face.
Zhu Lu's figure moved like a wisp of green smoke, landing on the cannon platform right behind her.
She quickly checked the pulses of the four guards and nodded to Dai Huabin.
"They've all fallen asleep; they should be able to sleep for at least two hours."
Dai Huabin walked up to the three fixed-mount Soul Cannon and reached out to touch their cold metal casings.
The surface of the cannon is engraved with an extremely dense Energy-Gathering Formation, and the core is inlaid with a high-purity fire-elemental rare metal.
"Good stuff, take it and go."
Without any hesitation, Dai Huabin took out a set of professional tools from his Storage Soul Tool and began disassembling the core components.
Di Lingxi jumped onto the roof of the outpost and, watching Dai Huabin's skillful movements, couldn't help but complain.
"You, the young master of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, how come you're acting like a bandit, even stealing someone else's gate cannon?"
Ice Empress chimed in from the sidelines.
"Exactly, what a loser, treating a few pieces of scrap metal like treasures."
Without even looking up, Dai Huabin spun the carving knife in his hand rapidly, precisely removing a level-six energy core.
"What do you know? This is called capturing enemy supplies. We take them back to the academy's Soul Guidance Department to dismantle them, which can save a lot of research and development funds."
Snow Empress stood on the edge of the cliff, keeping watch, and smiled faintly upon hearing this.
"This thing is indeed quite lethal. If it were mass-produced and deployed to an army, ordinary Soul Master would have a hard time resisting it."
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Dai Huabin completely disassembled the three priceless fixed-mount Soul Cannon into parts, packed them all into his Storage Soul Tool.
The entire fortress suddenly became empty, leaving only a bare base.
Zhu Lu came out of the inner room, carrying several sets of clean Sun Moon Empire civilian clothes and travel permits.
"Huabin, we found some clothing belonging to the logistics staff inside the house."
Dai Huabin took the clothes and threw them to the crowd.
"Change into your new clothes. The important border town of the Sun Moon Empire, 'Blackwater City,' is just thirty miles ahead."
Everyone quickly changed into casual clothes.
Ice Empress tugged at her loose, coarse cloth dress, her face full of disgust.
"This fabric is so rough, it scratches."
Di Lingxi found it novel and spun around to show off her robe.
"Do I look good in this?"
Dai Huabin nodded perfunctorily.
"So pretty, so pretty, she looks like a village girl selling steamed buns."
Di Lingxi puffed out her cheeks in anger and raised her foot to stomp on Dai Huabin's shoe, but Dai Huabin easily dodged it.
After cleaning up the scene, the six men quickly descended the mountain.
After passing through the last canyon defense line, the view suddenly opened up.
The flat official road stretched forward, and on the distant horizon, a tall city built entirely of dark gray stones was faintly visible.
A long convoy of vehicles of various kinds was lined up at the city gate, and they were entering the city in an orderly manner.