Heavenly Dao Oath

Fuyun Immortal and Zhuanshui Pingqiu harbored immense resentment toward Ju Hua in their hearts. To put it bluntly, a significant portion of the reason they had ended up in such a predicament was because of him!

If Ju Hua hadn't hidden his strength at the start, they wouldn't have fled the battlefield; if he hadn't suddenly unleashed his power after they escaped, they wouldn't have been branded as deserters; and if he hadn't been so relentless, they wouldn't be in this current situation.

Of course, although Fuyun Immortal and Zhuanshui Pingqiu held countless grievances against Ju Hua, they dared not show even a hint of it now. Ju Hua not only held the moral high ground, but his status as the commander-in-chief of the Zhuanshui Clan was absolute. Most frustratingly for the pair, Ju Hua's strength had been personally verified by a Void-Refining God-Fiend.

They had absolutely no leverage to contend with Ju Hua; it could be said that their lives and deaths now rested entirely on his whim!

"Do the two of you have anything else to say?" Ju Hua asked indifferently.

"Fellow Daoist Ju Hua, I have something to say, but I ask that you dismiss those around us!" Fuyun Immortal spoke up.

"Unnecessary. If you have something to say, speak plainly!" Ju Hua replied directly.

Fuyun's face showed a trace of hesitation at Ju Hua's blunt refusal. However, after gritting his teeth, he retrieved a shimmering immortal sword and a token engraved with the mark of the Zhuanshui Clan from his storage treasure.

"Fellow Daoist Ju Hua, this is an immortal sword I obtained by chance. I have yet to find a suitable master for it. Since you are a Sword Immortal, I believe you will surely allow this blade to shine brilliantly!" Fuyun Immortal then pointed to the token and added: "You are surely no stranger to this, Fellow Daoist. Having just become a Loose Immortal, you must certainly require a large amount of Zhuanshui Clan contribution points to refine your cultivation."

Before Fuyun Immortal could finish, Ju Hua suddenly spoke: "Fuyun, you attempt to bribe your commander-in-chief; your crime is doubled. I think the punishment of total soul destruction alone is not enough for you—I must first let you experience the torments of purgatory!"

Ju Hua's words caused the smile on Fuyun Immortal's face to freeze instantly. He stood there holding the sword and token, trapped in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say.

Ignoring Fuyun's embarrassment, Ju Hua turned his gaze toward Zhuanshui Pingqiu.

"And you?" Ju Hua asked.

"I was wrong this time. I am willing to accept any punishment!" Zhuanshui Pingqiu's voice sounded slightly strange, though it would be hard to notice without listening closely.

"You are at least clever," Ju Hua sneered. He continued, "With a great war at hand, I can give you a chance to reform. As long as you swear a Heavenly Dao oath to serve as the vanguard for the army throughout the upcoming campaign against Autumn Mountain Great Marsh, I will spare you this once!"

Upon hearing Ju Hua's demand, the flicker of joy that had just risen in Zhuanshui Pingqiu's heart vanished by more than half.

Serving as the vanguard for the entire campaign—the request sounded trivial, but the place they were about to attack was Autumn Mountain Great Marsh!

The marsh was filled with perilous traps everywhere. As the vanguard, he would likely be plunged into a death trap at any moment! If it were for a short time, he might survive with good luck, but for a long duration? That was practically a death sentence!

Most crucially, if he swore a Heavenly Dao oath, he would have no opportunity to cheat. The Heavens could not be deceived; he might fool others, but he could not fool the Heavenly Dao!

Of course, although Zhuanshui Pingqiu felt a chill in his heart, he had no intention of refusing Ju Hua's demand. After all, even if he were to perish in this campaign, it would be infinitely better than having his soul destroyed. At the very least, he would still have a chance at reincarnation!

Seeing that Zhuanshui Pingqiu had escaped disaster so easily, Fuyun hurriedly added, "Fellow Daoist Ju Hua, I am also willing to swear a Heavenly Dao oath!"

"Very well."

Ju Hua nodded indifferently.

After Zhuanshui Pingqiu and Fuyun Immortal swore their Heavenly Dao oaths one after the other, Ju Hua dismissed them.

In truth, Ju Hua did not care at all about what became of these two!

After all, Ju Hua already possessed the strength of a million-year Loose Immortal. He did not doubt for a moment that he would advance further in the future; reaching the level of the Jiuhua Immortal or even surpassing him was only a matter of time—and perhaps not much time at that!

Forcing the two to swear the Heavenly Dao oath was purely for the sake of the Zhuanshui Clan's army.

With two top-tier Loose Immortals as the vanguard, the safety of the Zhuanshui army when entering the depths of Autumn Mountain Great Marsh would likely be elevated by a significant margin!

As the commander-in-chief, it was his duty to consider the army's welfare. Although Ju Hua had no interest in the position, since he held it, he would do his best.

After dismissing them, Ju Hua did not dwell on it; he closed his eyes and began to recall the recent battle.

Although he had not used his full strength or the sword dao fused with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth during the fight, he had utilized every bit of his insight into pure swordsmanship!

Though the battle was brief, it was a life-and-death struggle, and Ju Hua had gained much from it.

Ju Hua transformed his fingers into a sword, practicing move after move in the void. After a long while, he stopped.

"The speed of my enlightenment seems to have increased again. It is now basically certain that those specks of light are indeed related to my unusual talent!" Ju Hua pondered silently for a moment before shaking his head, deciding not to overthink it.

For three consecutive days, Ju Hua remained in his tent, cultivating while calmly waiting for the war that could break out at any moment.

However, the Jiuhua Immortal had not appeared since he last left, and the Zhuanshui army had received no orders to engage, as if the outside world were truly peaceful.

Yet, even though Ju Hua was inside the camp, the Loose Immortals responsible for intelligence kept him updated on the situation outside. Ju Hua knew very well that the outside world was far from calm; on the contrary, it was quite lively!

Aside from the Yinglong Army, the Zhuanshui Clan's forces were likely the first to arrive at Autumn Mountain Great Marsh. Not long after their arrival, the armies of other great clans—the Heishen, Baiji, Shaoyan, and Tiannong—had arrived one after another.

However, according to the intelligence gathered by the Zhuanshui Clan, some of these great clans' armies were intact, seemingly having never been attacked by God-Fiends, or at least the attacks had not caused them significant losses. Others, however, had suffered heavy casualties, making it obvious at a glance that they had paid a steep price!

Clearly, the God-Fiends within Autumn Mountain Great Marsh had not set an ambush only at Qianfeng Valley, and the Zhuanshui Clan was not the only unlucky one!