Black Armor Profound Army and Autumn Mountain Great Marsh

About three thousand miles from the Zhuanshui Clan's ancestral grounds stands a colossal peak that pierces the heavens: Jueling Mountain.

After selecting his treasures, Ju Hua departed the immortal estate and rode a cloud directly toward Jueling Mountain.

Ju Hua did not go to bid farewell to Zhuanshui Qiu again; this was not a life-or-death parting, and the goodbye three days ago had been sufficient. With his strength having surged, Ju Hua was highly confident he could emerge from this war unscathed.

Ju Hua rode his cloud the entire way, and soon, the majestic Jueling Mountain came into view in the distance.

Ju Hua possessed extraordinary eyesight; almost the moment he spotted Jueling Mountain, he also saw the dense crowd of figures standing atop its summit.

Each of these figures wore standard-issue black armor, organized into squads of one hundred. Their sharp, imposing aura added a layer of grim lethality to the already desolate mountaintop.

These were the troops of the Zhuanshui Clan: the Black Armor Profound Army.

The core of the Black Armor Profound Army was composed of Primordial Spirit Daoists. Within the ranks, every ordinary soldier was a Primordial Spirit Daoist, and most were even the elite among them.

The leader of each Black Armor Profound Army squad was typically a Loose Immortal.

With a Loose Immortal commanding such a squad and utilizing the power of battle formations, even ordinary top-tier Loose Immortals would not dare to meet them head-on. If the leader's cultivation level were slightly higher, they could even forcibly suppress some top-tier Loose Immortals.

Ju Hua did not hesitate. He increased his speed and soon descended onto the summit of Jueling Mountain.

"Clan Brother Ju Hua, it has been over half a year, and you are as dashing as ever!" Seeing Ju Hua land before him, Zhuanshui Qing, who had come to see the army off, said with a smile.

"I have kept the Clan Head waiting!" Ju Hua said, cupping his hands in salute.

"There is still some time before the three-day deadline; I have only just arrived myself," Zhuanshui Qing replied with a smile. He then handed a bamboo tube to Ju Hua. "Clan Brother Ju Hua, this is the roster for the expeditionary army. Keep it safe."

Ju Hua took the bamboo tube and scanned it with his divine sense. A moment later, a look of shock appeared on his face.

"Clan Head, is this truly one hundred complete squads of the Black Armor Profound Army?" Ju Hua asked, finding it hard to believe.

One hundred squads of the Black Armor Profound Army represented the combat power of at least one hundred top-tier Loose Immortals. If such a force were integrated, even ordinary Celestial Immortals would likely have to give them a wide berth.

Given the strength of the Zhuanshui Clan, it was not surprising they could field such an army, but for them to appoint him as the commander-in-chief?

Had Zhuanshui Pingqiu been so eager for the position of commander because he knew about this from the start?

"Clan Brother seems surprised?" Zhuanshui Qing asked with a smile.

"I am! I did not expect the clan to mobilize so much power!" Ju Hua nodded and asked, "Clan Head, where does the Xia Emperor intend to strike this time?"

"Autumn Mountain Great Marsh!" Zhuanshui Qing spoke the name with a solemn expression.

"The Autumn Mountain Great Marsh?" Ju Hua's expression shifted slightly.

At the dawn of the Three Realms, humanity migrated from the primordial world into various Great Worlds. To survive and compete for resources, humans engaged in battle after battle against the Gods and Demons born within the Three Realms.

The Great Xia World was no exception. Back then, clans like the Xiamang Clan and the Zhuanshui Clan—descended from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of antiquity—each waged fierce campaigns against the Gods and Demons born within the Great Xia World. After countless battles, humanity gradually gained the upper hand and secured dominion over the Great Xia World.

However, the remnants of the Gods and Demons were not completely wiped out; they merely retreated into various desolate, remote regions.

At that time, the great clans that had emerged victorious in the war against the Gods and Demons began a struggle for the rule of this Great World. The Zhuanshui Clan participated as well, though the Xiamang Clan ultimately became the final victor.

In the end, this Great World was officially named the Great Xia World.

Having conquered the other clans, the Xia Emperor naturally would not let the surviving Gods and Demons escape. Thus, he continuously conscripted troops, launching war after war against the Gods and Demons who had retreated to their various strongholds.

This process continued for countless years, and the territory of the Great Xia World was gradually occupied by humanity, leaving the habitats of the Gods and Demons increasingly scarce.

The Autumn Mountain Great Marsh was one of the few remaining habitats for Gods and Demons, and among the many such places, the strength of the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh ranked near the top.

Setting aside the hidden Gods and Demons, the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh openly boasted eight great clans, and the leaders of these eight clans were all true Void-Refining Gods and Demons.

Void-Refining Gods and Demons were generally comparable to Celestial Immortals; eight of them represented the combat power of eight Celestial Immortals.

Furthermore, the terrain of the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh was treacherous, filled with natural death traps everywhere. Having held this ground for countless years, these Gods and Demons knew the environment like the back of their hands. If they were to charge in rashly, they would have to be constantly vigilant against the Gods and Demons using the hostile environment to ambush them.

"Clan Brother Ju Hua need not worry. The Celestial Immortal ancestors of the various great clans will also accompany the army. When necessary, the Celestial Immortal ancestors will naturally appear to assist," Zhuanshui Qing said nonchalantly.

"Does this mean our Zhuanshui Clan has also dispatched a Celestial Immortal ancestor?" Ju Hua asked.

"Correct," Zhuanshui Qing nodded without hesitation.

"May I ask which ancestor it is?" Ju Hua asked.

"It is Tianyang Ancestor," Zhuanshui Qing said with a smile. He then handed two talismans to Ju Hua. "Clan Brother, these two talismans: one is your token as commander-in-chief, and the other is the talisman of Tianyang Ancestor. Should an emergency arise, you may use this to contact him."

"Understood."

Ju Hua nodded and tucked the two talismans away.

One hundred squads of the Black Armor Profound Army meant that there were one hundred Loose Immortals in this expeditionary force.

Only a small portion of these Loose Immortals belonged to the Zhuanshui Clan; the majority were guest Loose Immortals or those from tribes affiliated with the Zhuanshui Clan.

Ju Hua was young, after all, and he had only heard the names of most of these Loose Immortals—some he hadn't even heard of at all.

Zhuanshui Qing likely anticipated this, so during their subsequent casual conversation, he intentionally or otherwise introduced the powerful Loose Immortals that Ju Hua needed to pay attention to.

Among the Loose Immortals sent by the Zhuanshui Clan itself, the only ones who reached the level of top-tier Loose Immortals were Ju Hua and Zhuanshui Pingqiu. Among the guest and external Loose Immortals, there were also only two who reached that level: one was the guest Loose Immortal "Fuyun Immortal," and the other was "Qing Muling" from the Qingmu Clan.

Fuyun Immortal, like Zhuanshui Pingqiu, was an old fellow who had lived for one hundred thousand years, while Qing Muling was a genius of the Qingmu Clan; although she had failed her tribulation, she was only a little over ten thousand years old.

In addition to the top-tier Loose Immortals, Zhuanshui Qing also highlighted several other guest Loose Immortals who possessed remarkable strength and were known for their reliability.

Ju Hua would be commanding this army, so he took Zhuanshui Qing's reminders to heart. Gradually, he gained a clearer understanding of the army he was to lead.