Splash, splash, splash~~~~
Time passed. The tide was now at its final peak, and the waves along the shore rose higher and higher.
The raging waves crashed against the rocky mountain, sending spray dozens of zhang into the air.
Boom~~~~
Another giant wave surged in.
Its crest seemed about to topple the entire mountain.
"Now." Zhou Hao's eyes narrowed. The countless staff shadows around him abruptly converged, and the countless gale vortices suddenly stopped.
Then he swung his staff.
Whoosh!
A streak of azure light shot from the Copper Staff in Zhou Hao's hand, like a giant blade of wind. The howling sea breeze and the towering wave surging toward him both froze in midair.
Boom~~~~
The wave that had rushed toward the mountain split down the middle, then crashed to the ground.
The Howling Gale and Splitting Wind and Slashing Waves of the Chaotic Cloak Staff Technique!
At last, he had mastered them!
"If I fight Yuan Lie again, even without relying on the Blue Flower Mist to raise my level, these two staff techniques alone will be enough to deal with him."
Zhou Hao's eyes brimmed with excitement. He was even more amazed by the watery vapor produced when the Sea of Consciousness Blue Flower devoured his essence energy.
To comprehend two techniques from the Chaotic Cloak Staff Technique in a single night—and grasp a trace of the true meaning of the Dao of Gale—when Yuan Lie had practiced for decades without understanding its true essence, was simply a fantasy to other cultivators.
Even those legendary reincarnated immortals, who had been Earth Immortals or Loose Immortals in their past lives and were now cultivating anew after reincarnating, made rapid progress in understanding the Dao only because they recovered fragments of their past insights.
It was absolutely impossible for anyone else to comprehend the true meaning of an unfamiliar Dao as quickly as Zhou Hao had.
For ordinary people, comprehending the Dao of Heaven and Earth was like a blind man feeling an elephant. But before the heaven-defying Sea of Consciousness Blue Flower, it was as if Zhou Hao's path to understanding the Dao were blocked only by a thin veil—one he could easily pierce.
"Those Nine Cloud Seal Secret Patterns... were they formed naturally, or did some mighty being create them?"
The more Zhou Hao realized how heaven-defying the Sea of Consciousness Blue Flower was, the deeper his doubts grew.
In his view, the Blue Flower in his sea of consciousness—including the Blue Flower Space—seemed less like a heaven-defying treasure and more like a cultivation system that surpassed the qi refining and body refining he practiced.
The watery vapor and mist produced by the Blue Flower were another, more advanced form of power, surpassing true essence and divine power. It was an essential leap to a higher level.
"Whatever it is, it's inside me. If I want to seek longevity and the Dao in this Wilderness World one day, it may well be my greatest support." Zhou Hao muttered to himself, then smiled.
He had only just entered the Xiantian realm. He hadn't even opened his Purple Mansion and become a true cultivator yet, so thinking about longevity now was getting a little ahead of himself.
Still, on the long road of cultivation, it was only right to set one's sights high.
Even if he fell short in the end, he would still have surpassed ordinary cultivators by far.
Having read half of the original novel in his previous life, Zhou Hao had a far broader outlook on the future than most cultivators.
"All right, it's about time."
The Solar Star was rising.
The distant horizon had already begun to glow red.
It was time for the Green Flood Dragon Army's monthly martial competition.
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
The drums at the army camp's Drill Ground made the earth tremble faintly.
Zhou Hao raced all the way from outside the city and finally reached the North Gate of Jade Dragon City's outer city before the third round of drums ended.
Unlike the area beyond the West Gate, where commoners gathered and a market had sprung up, the entire area beyond the North Gate was a Drill Ground for the Green Flood Dragon Army.
While he was still some distance from the Drill Ground, Zhou Hao spotted the ordinary soldiers of the Green Flood Dragon Army already assembled in formation.
Two enormous formations stood on either side of the Drill Ground. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers filled the area, but not a single sound disturbed the silence.
"Brother Zhou Hao, I've finally been able to catch you. Today's a big day for you—why did you come so late?"
As soon as Zhou Hao reached the edge of the Drill Ground, Zhao Hu, who had been waiting there, hurried over to greet him.
"A big day?" Zhou Hao was speechless.
The way he put it, you'd think I was getting married.
"They're forming a new Xiantian Battalion squad this time. The new squad leader will be chosen from among the squad leaders of the four existing squads, as well as the newcomers who've joined the Xiantian Battalion and reached the late Xiantian stage."
Zhao Hu spoke rapidly. "Boss Cao was worried you wouldn't know the others' backgrounds and might be at a disadvantage, so he asked me to give you this."
As he spoke, Zhao Hu took out a roll of beast hide and pressed it into Zhou Hao's hands.
"Where's Cao Rong?" Zhou Hao looked around the Drill Ground. One figure after another was arriving from inside and outside the city, all of them Xiantian Lifeforms coming to take part in the competition.
Of the four-man group he knew, only Zhao Hu had arrived. The other three, Cao Rong, Yang Qiong, and Miao Ying, were nowhere to be seen.
"Boss Cao was summoned to headquarters last night with the other three squad leaders," Zhao Hu said. "Yang Qiong and Miao Ying are both squad leaders. Since they have a chance to compete for the new position, they're each making preparations."
Zhou Hao nodded.
Of the four, Cao Rong was the strongest. He was a peak Xiantian Lifeform and a squad leader in the Xiantian Battalion. Yang Qiong and Miao Ying were both at the late Xiantian stage and served as squad leaders in the battalion, each in charge of twenty-five Xiantian Lifeforms.
Only Zhao Hu was a squad corporal at the middle Xiantian stage. But because the Yi Wood Green Spirit Body he cultivated was especially suited to defense and survival, he was famous in the Xiantian Battalion as someone who just wouldn't die. He was still among the very best of the squad corporals, and could not be underestimated.
Zhou Hao followed Zhao Hu toward the Drill Ground, unrolling the beast hide for a quick glance as they walked.
"Why aren't Yang Qiong and Miao Ying on here?"
The beast hide was densely covered in tiny writing. Besides information on the other late-stage Xiantian experts among the newcomers, it also listed the powerful veterans in the Xiantian Battalion who served as squad leaders.
But there was no information on Yang Qiong or Miao Ying.
"They were on it at first, but those two had them removed," Zhao Hu said with a dismissive curl of his lips. "They said they were already weaker than you. If they let you know everything about them, they'd have no chance at all."
Zhou Hao smiled.
Knowing yourself and your opponent might guarantee a hundred victories, but the most important thing... was still your own strength.
"I'll leave you here. The newcomers are gathered over there. Just stand with them and wait." Zhao Hu pointed to a group of over a hundred people gathered in a corner of the Drill Ground.
"Okay." Zhou Hao nodded and put away the beast hide.
With the strength of his soul, he had long been able to remember anything at a glance. In the few steps it had taken him to walk there, he had already memorized all the information on the hide.
"Who's that? I haven't seen him before."
"Is he a newcomer too?"
The newcomers who had already arrived saw an unfamiliar man being escorted over by an old soldier and began whispering among themselves.
The longest-serving among them had joined the Xiantian Battalion nearly half a year ago, while the newest had been there for almost a month. Although they had yet to be assigned to the existing squads, they often crossed paths at the army camp or in the inner city and were at least acquainted with one another.
"Brother, I haven't seen you around before. When did you join the Xiantian Battalion?" asked an exceptionally burly man.
His face was covered in stubble, and his eyes were wide as bronze bells. He looked like a black bear standing upright.
"I just joined yesterday." Seeing that there were fewer people around him, Zhou Hao walked over and stopped beside him.
"Yesterday?" The burly man's eyes widened. "You really got lucky. Unlike us, we've been waiting here for months just to get a new squad formed."
"It's not as if your pay was cut, and no one stopped you from taking army assignments. What's there to complain about?" said a petite figure beside the burly man.
Only when she spoke did Zhou Hao realize that she was a slender, pretty young woman with above-average looks.
"My name is Shangguan Yu, and this is my older brother, Shangguan Yun," the woman said, introducing the burly man before turning to Zhou Hao. "May I ask your name?"
"Zhou Hao."
So these were the Shangguan siblings. Looking at the two siblings, so different in build and appearance, Zhou Hao immediately matched them to the information he had just memorized.
Among all the newcomers this time, six were late-stage Xiantian experts or stronger. The two siblings were among them.
"Look, the deputy generals and squad leaders are here."
Shangguan Yu was about to say something when Shangguan Yun suddenly looked toward the inner city. Following his gaze, Zhou Hao turned to look.
A huge black canopy, like a dark cloud, was flying over from the direction of Jade Dragon City's inner city.
"Purple Mansion cultivators." Zhou Hao's eyes lit up.
A magical treasure capable of carrying people through the air had to be at least an entry-grade treasure. Only Purple Mansion cultivators could refine one.
This was the first time Zhou Hao had seen Purple Mansion cultivators since arriving in this world, so he looked closely.
At the front of the black canopy stood two figures clad in purple armor. One was an old man with silver hair and sharp eyes; the other was a burly man whose body and face gleamed with a metallic sheen, as if he had been cast from metal.
Behind them were four figures in black armor, three men and one woman. Cao Rong was among them.
"Why has Cao Rong changed his armor?"
Zhou Hao knew that everyone in the Green Flood Dragon Army, from the Xiantian Battalion to the ordinary soldiers, wore standard-issue Dao Soldier Armor. The armor worn by the Xiantian Lifeforms in the Xiantian Battalion was decorated with a complete flood dragon, distinguishing them from ordinary Post-Heaven soldiers.
But in essence, there was no difference between them. Both were Dao Soldier Armor.
Dao soldiers were a common military force of the Great Xia Dynasty.
The armor worn by every Dao soldier was covered in runes that let the soldiers combine their strength into a single whole.
Not only could they join their attacks, they could also unite their defenses. The Dao Soldier Armor of the Green Flood Dragon Army, for example, could make up to nine soldiers function as one.
Once united, nine peak Post-Heaven Green Flood Dragon Army soldiers could even fight against an early-stage Xiantian Lifeform.
But Master Jingzhi had told Zhou Hao that the Green Flood Dragon Army's Dao Soldier Armor was the lowest grade, meant for Post-Heaven Lifeforms. Dao Soldier Armor that could let Xiantian Lifeforms combine their strength was unavailable to ordinary powers; even Jade Dragon City didn't have any.
Could they be forming a new squad today and reequipping the entire Xiantian Battalion as well? Giving them Dao Soldier Armor made for Xiantian Lifeforms? Watching the two Purple Mansion cultivators and the four squad leaders in their antique armor, Zhou Hao couldn't help wondering.
No wonder Master Jingzhi had said Jade Dragon City wasn't as peaceful as it seemed. It looked as if something major was about to happen.
The black canopy descended before the viewing platform at the front of the Drill Ground. The two deputy generals and four squad leaders stepped down, after which the old man put the canopy away.
"Greetings, my lord!" A low voice suddenly came from the ordinary soldiers of the Green Flood Dragon Army.
With a clatter, the ten thousand peak Post-Heaven soldiers in the two formations dropped to one knee in unison and shouted, "Greetings, my lord!"
The Xiantian Lifeforms of the Xiantian Battalion bowed along with them, but did not kneel.
"Rise," said the silver-haired deputy general.
All ten thousand Green Flood Dragon Army soldiers rose together.
"Why isn't the general here?" Shangguan Yun muttered beside them. "I've never seen the Myriad Phenomena True Person before."
"Be patient!" Shangguan Yu chided him softly. "The orders said the general would come, so he'll definitely come. Stop talking."
Zhou Hao was amused. The younger sister, despite her petite appearance, seemed to be the one in charge. It was rather amusing.
Just then,
the silver-haired deputy general standing on the viewing platform bowed slightly and called out, "We welcome the general!"
"We welcome the general!" The burly, metal-skinned man and the four squad leaders joined the Xiantian Battalion in bowing at the front of the viewing platform.
"We welcome the general!" The ten thousand Green Flood Dragon Army soldiers dropped to one knee once more.
"He's here, he's here." Still bent over, Shangguan Yun secretly sent a voice transmission to Zhou Hao and Shangguan Yu.
Whoosh~~~
The entire Drill Ground suddenly changed from day to night.
In the darkness, countless brilliant stars hung high in the sky, gathering together like a mighty, surging river.
Brilliant starlight shrouded heaven and earth, falling over everyone on the Drill Ground. Everyone felt their bodies grow heavy, as if the starlight could crush them with ease at the slightest pressure.
The starry vision came and went in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the Drill Ground had changed from night back to day, and the countless stars had vanished. Everything felt like a dream.
Yet the earth-shaking sensation of being enveloped by that starlight had been branded deep in everyone's hearts.
"Starry Myriad Phenomena... So this is the Myriad Phenomena True Person." Looking at the blue-robed, long-haired man flying through the air on the wind in the distance, Zhou Hao's heart filled with longing.
Thanks to my old pal Qiuran Ke for the 1,500-point tip.
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Suifeng thanks all my old pals!
Before you continue