Late at night.
The mountain forest was silent.
On a modest-sized hill, buildings stood scattered in orderly rows.
This hill was home to the Five Swords Sect.
As the night deepened, a thin mist rose through the forest and shrouded the Five Swords Sect.
Beneath the cover of night, the Five Swords Sect gradually fell quiet, with only a few wavering sounds drifting through the woods on the mountain wind.
Suddenly.
At the distant foot of the mountain, torches wound toward the Five Swords Sect like a long serpent.
By the torchlight, rows of black armor gleamed with cold radiance.
At the center of the long column, several squads of soldiers carried Star-Chasing Ballistae as long as an arm across their backs.
This weapon was one of Great Xia's most strictly prohibited contraband items.
Any individual or faction caught privately concealing a Star-Chasing Ballista would face the death penalty.
The Star-Chasing Ballista was known as a standard-issue military weapon capable of threatening Grandmasters.
Fitted with special bolts, it could pierce armor and easily break through true essence and astral force.
Its speed was even close to the speed of sound. Thus, by the time one heard the bolt tearing through the air, there would be little time left to react.
That was why the Star-Chasing Ballista was said to possess the power to threaten Grandmasters.
Its formidable effects had led the imperial court to classify it as a forbidden weapon. Neither non-court entities nor non-military forces were permitted to equip it.
This force marching beneath the cover of night had several squads of Star-Chasing Ballista soldiers. That alone showed that it was an elite force of the military.
If they were not truly elite troops, how could they have squads equipped with Star-Chasing Ballistae marching at the center of their