About three thousand li from the Zhuanshui Clan's territory stood a towering mountain known as Jueling Mountain!
After choosing his treasures, Ju Hua left the Immortal Abode and flew straight toward Jueling Mountain on a cloud.
Ju Hua did not go to say goodbye to Zhuanshui Qiu again. This was no parting of life and death; the farewell three days ago had been more than enough. Now that his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, Ju Hua was highly confident he could emerge from this war unscathed!
Ju Hua flew on his cloud, and soon, he spotted the majestic Jueling Mountain in the distance.
Ju Hua's eyesight was astonishing. Almost the instant he saw Jueling Mountain, he also spotted the densely packed figures standing atop its peak.
Every one of them wore regulation black armor, arranged in squads of a hundred. Their fierce presence lent the already desolate mountaintop an even more murderous air.
These were the Zhuanshui Clan's troops: the Black Armor Profound Army.
The Black Armor Profound Army was primarily composed of Primordial Spirit Daoists. Every ordinary soldier in its ranks was a Primordial Spirit Daoist, and most were even among the very best of their kind.
The commander of a Black Armor Profound Army unit was usually a Loose Immortal.
With a Loose Immortal commanding the unit and the power of its formation behind it, even an ordinary top-tier Loose Immortal would not dare to face it head-on. If the commander's cultivation was a little higher, the unit could even forcibly suppress some top-tier Loose Immortals.
Ju Hua did not hesitate. He sped up, and soon landed atop Jueling Mountain.
"Cousin Ju Hua, it's been over half a year, and you're as impressive as ever!" Zhuanshui Qing said with a genial smile as Ju Hua landed before him. He had come to see the army off.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Clan Chief," Ju Hua said, clasping his hands.
"There's still some time before the three-day deadline. I only just arrived myself!" Zhuanshui Qing smiled, then handed Ju Hua a bamboo tube.
"Cousin Ju Hua, this is the roster for the army setting out on this campaign. Keep it safe!"
Ju Hua took the bamboo tube and scanned it with his divine sense. A flicker of surprise appeared on his face.
"Clan Chief, these are a full hundred complete Black Armor Profound Army units?" Ju Hua asked, unable to believe it.
A hundred Black Armor Profound Army units represented the combat strength of at least a hundred top-tier Loose Immortals. If such a force could be brought together, even ordinary Celestial Immortals would likely give it a wide berth.
Given the Zhuanshui Clan's strength, it was hardly surprising they could dispatch such an army. But were they really going to put him in command?
Had Zhuanshui Pingqiu been so eager for the position of commander because he had known about this from the start?
"Cousin, you seem surprised?" Zhuanshui Qing asked with a smile.
"I am. I didn't expect the clan to send out such a large force!" Ju Hua nodded, then asked, "Clan Chief, where is Emperor Xia planning to attack this time?"
"Autumn Mountain Great Marsh." Zhuanshui Qing named the place, his expression solemn.
"Autumn Mountain Great Marsh?" Ju Hua's expression shifted slightly.
When the Three Realms first came into being, the Human Race migrated from the Ancient World to the various Great Worlds. To survive and seize resources, they fought one battle after another against the God-Fiends born within the Three Realms.
The Great Xia World was no exception. In those days, clans descended from the ancient Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, such as the Xiamang Clan and the Zhuanshui Clan, waged fierce battles against the God-Fiends born within the Great Xia World. After one battle after another, the Human Race gradually gained the upper hand and seized control of the Great Xia World.
However, the surviving God-Fiends had not been completely wiped out. They had merely retreated to one desolate place after another.
After defeating the God-Fiends, the great clans began fighting among themselves for control of the Great World. The Zhuanshui Clan took part, but in the end, the Xiamang Clan emerged as the ultimate victor.
At last, this Great World was officially named the Great Xia World.
Having conquered the other clans, Emperor Xia naturally would not spare the God-Fiends who had escaped by sheer luck. So he continually raised armies and launched one war after another against the God-Fiends who had retreated to scattered strongholds.
This process went on for countless years, and the Human Race gradually occupied the Great Xia World's territory, leaving the God-Fiends with fewer and fewer places to live.
Autumn Mountain Great Marsh was one of the few remaining God-Fiend habitats. What's more, among the many God-Fiend habitats, its strength ranked near the top!
Leaving aside the God-Fiends in hiding, there were eight clans in Autumn Mountain Great Marsh alone, and the chieftains of all eight were true Void-Return Fiendgods.
Void-Return Fiendgods were generally comparable to Celestial Immortals. Eight Void-Return Fiendgods meant nearly eight Celestial Immortal-level combatants.
Furthermore, Autumn Mountain Great Marsh was treacherous terrain, riddled with natural hazards. The God-Fiends had held out there for countless years and knew every perilous spot like the backs of their hands. If the army charged in rashly, they would have to stay on guard at every moment against the God-Fiends using that deadly terrain to ambush them!
"Cousin Ju Hua, there's no need to worry. The Celestial Immortal ancestors of the various clans will also accompany the army. When the need arises, they'll naturally come to our aid," Zhuanshui Qing said casually.
"So our Zhuanshui Clan is sending a Celestial Immortal ancestor too?" Ju Hua asked.
"Yes." Zhuanshui Qing nodded without hesitation.
"Which ancestor?" Ju Hua asked.
"Ancestor Tianyang." Zhuanshui Qing smiled. Then he handed Ju Hua two Message Tokens.
"Cousin, one of these is your token of command, and the other belongs to Ancestor Tianyang. If an emergency arises, you can use it to contact him," Zhuanshui Qing said.
"Mm."
Ju Hua nodded and put away both Message Tokens.
The hundred Black Armor Profound Army units meant that a hundred Loose Immortals were joining the campaign.
Only a small number of these Loose Immortals belonged to the Zhuanshui Clan. Most were guest Loose Immortals or Loose Immortals from tribes affiliated with the Zhuanshui Clan.
Ju Hua was still young. He had only heard the names of most of these Loose Immortals, and some were complete strangers to him!
Zhuanshui Qing seemed to understand this, so throughout their conversation, he made a point of introducing the powerful Loose Immortals Ju Hua ought to keep an eye on.
Among the Loose Immortals sent by the Zhuanshui Clan itself, only Ju Hua and Zhuanshui Pingqiu were top-tier. Among the outsiders and guest Loose Immortals, only two were top-tier as well: the guest Loose Immortal "Immortal Fuyun" and "Qing Muling" of the Qingmu Clan.
Like Zhuanshui Pingqiu, Immortal Fuyun was an old-timer who had lived for a hundred thousand years. Qing Muling, on the other hand, was a genius of the Qingmu Clan. Though she had failed her tribulation, she was only a little over ten thousand years old.
Besides the top-tier Loose Immortals, Zhuanshui Qing also took care to introduce several other guest Loose Immortals who were similarly formidable and known for being reliable.
Ju Hua would be commanding this army, so he took Zhuanshui Qing's advice very seriously and committed it to memory. Gradually, he gained a fairly clear picture of the force setting out on the campaign.
PS: The signed contract has been sent out. Invest now and earn a wave of Qidian Coins!