Ju Hua Makes a Move

Jiuhua Immortal suddenly spoke up, asking Ju Hua to step forward and give it a try. This was indeed a surprise, but Ju Hua did not hesitate; he simply nodded and walked down.

Ju Hua had intended to vie for this commander position from the very beginning.

For one, according to the consensus reached in the main military tent earlier, the commander of an army division was only responsible for troop arrangements and nothing else. It was a relatively leisurely post that would not require too much of his energy.

For another, serving as a commander was beneficial to the Zhuanshui Clan's forces. After all, the dangerous areas of the Autumn Mountain Great Marsh were graded; who went to the more perilous zones and who went to the safer ones was entirely up to the commander.

If he secured this position, no one could say anything if Ju Hua showed appropriate favoritism toward the Zhuanshui Clan's army during future campaigns.

Since it was something beneficial to his clan that he could manage, Ju Hua was more than willing to do it.

Since he had become a commander, he had to be responsible for his army!

The only reason Ju Hua hadn't acted earlier was that too many people had already stepped up; he had originally planned to wait until the crowd thinned out.

However, since Jiuhua Immortal had personally called his name, Ju Hua would not stand on ceremony!

Being personally named by Jiuhua Immortal naturally piqued the curiosity of the Loose Immortals present.

The "Zhuanshui" pattern on Ju Hua's robes was quite obvious, so the Loose Immortals present could naturally tell at a glance that he hailed from the Zhuanshui Clan.

As a top-tier clan in the Great Xia World, no one dared to look down on the Zhuanshui Clan. But as for Ju Hua... to be honest, even the least accomplished Loose Immortal present knew a few others, and powerful Void-Refining Godfiends like God Mountain were known by quite a few!

Yet, among so many people, not a single one recognized Ju Hua. The reason was simple: Ju Hua was too young!

Ju Hua had been a Loose Immortal for less than four years and had only been cultivating for three hundred years in total. While his talent was decent, it hadn't been so extraordinary as to make him a household name among other major clans. Given these factors, it would have been strange if they did know him!

Ignoring the curious and scrutinizing gazes, Ju Hua walked slowly to a spot not far from the hundred-foot-tall log. He rose slowly into the air, and at the same time, three immortal swords appeared before him.

Ju Hua's internal energy surged, and a massive amount of heaven and earth essence gathered rapidly. The three immortal swords instantly formed a Three Talents Sword Formation.

"Intercepting Kill Style!"

With a soft shout from Ju Hua, a blinding sword beam manifested in an instant and slashed fiercely against the massive log.

As the light faded, a sword mark appeared on the surface of the log, clearly deeper than all the marks left by the previous Loose Immortals.

"Hiss, this..."

In an instant, many Loose Immortals who had been watching for the spectacle were left stunned.

"Is this sword mark about as deep as the axe mark left by Fellow Daoist God Mountain just now?"

"What do you mean 'about as deep'? I remember very clearly—the depth of this sword mark is exactly the same as Fellow Daoist God Mountain's axe mark!"

"Exactly the same! How is that possible?"

"Is this Fellow Daoist Ju Hua doing this on purpose?"

"Doesn't that mean he was holding back? That his attack is actually much stronger than Fellow Daoist God Mountain's?"

"Fellow Daoist Ju Hua is clearly a Sword Immortal, so it's not strange for his attack to be stronger. But one thing is certain: this Fellow Daoist Ju Hua is at least on the same level as Fellow Daoist God Mountain!"

"I have never even heard of such a powerful Loose Immortal before..."

"Neither have I, but I've certainly witnessed it today!"

"Looking at Jiuhua Immortal, he probably knew of Fellow Daoist Ju Hua's strength all along! It's likely he had the candidates for the two army commanders in mind from the start, and this trial was just an opportunity for God Mountain and Ju Hua to showcase their strength."

"Mm, that makes sense! Still, since Fellow Daoist Ju Hua is from the Zhuanshui Clan, I am perfectly willing to follow his lead!"

"..."

Many Loose Immortals exchanged messages through telepathy. By then, Ju Hua had retracted his three immortal swords and walked back with a calm expression.

"Fellow Daoist Ju Hua is truly as formidable as his reputation suggests!" Jiuhua Immortal said with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Jiuhua is too kind. My meager skills are not worth mentioning compared to yours!" Ju Hua replied with a bow.

"Haha, you are too modest, Fellow Daoist Ju Hua. It seems the command of the second army division belongs to you!" Jiuhua Immortal laughed.

"Ju Hua will certainly not fail the mission!" Ju Hua promised with a solemn expression.

"Good. With your word, I am at ease." Jiuhua Immortal nodded with a smile, then turned to the crowd of Loose Immortals behind him.

"Fellow Daoists, is there anyone else who wishes to try?" Jiuhua Immortal asked.

"..."

The Loose Immortals were all silent. With God Mountain leading one division and Ju Hua the other, both were clearly a tier above them; it would be futile for them to try!

"Since no one else wishes to try, the commanders for the two army divisions shall be Fellow Daoist God Mountain and Fellow Daoist Ju Hua. What does everyone think?" Jiuhua Immortal asked.

"My Baiji Clan has no objections!"

A Loose Immortal who looked like a young man in white nodded directly.

He was Baiyun Immortal from the Baiji Clan. Although Ju Hua's sudden appearance had snatched the commander position from him, he did not mind. If his strength was insufficient, he would simply cultivate harder to catch up.

With Baiyun Immortal being the first to speak, the others did not hesitate and nodded in agreement. Given the vast gap in strength, they were naturally convinced.

Ju Hua, however, glanced at the young-looking Baiyun Immortal, feeling a rather strange sensation in his heart.

In Desolate Era, the Baiji Clan had a significant role, but much like the Shaoyan Clan, they appeared as antagonists.

The ancestor of the Baiji Clan, Baiji True Immortal, held a deep grudge against the Xia Emperor, yet he had always endured in silence, maintaining a very low profile. According to the descriptions in Desolate Era, the Baiji Clan would later openly raise the banner of rebellion, even serving as the primary ringleaders.

Although this event had yet to transpire and its veracity remained uncertain, recent occurrences had caused Ju Hua's trust in Desolate Era to rise significantly; he felt that this was nine times out of ten the truth.

With such matters weighing on his mind, he naturally felt a sense of peculiarity whenever he faced the Baiji Clan.

Of course, while Ju Hua felt strange inside, he did not show it on the surface. He was no fool; he couldn't just jump out now, point at Baiyun Immortal's nose, and declare that his Baiji Clan were traitors, could he?

If he were to do that, the Baiji Clan would certainly not let him off, and it was hard to say whether the Zhuanshui Clan would protect him—after all, Ju Hua was already a Loose Immortal, and it would be a death wish of his own making.

Most importantly, doing so would bring Ju Hua no benefit whatsoever. His feelings toward the Xia Emperor were merely those of deep respect; as for loyalty, he was still a long way off from that!