The Chen Ancestor Arrives, and Demons Are Born

Gathering his thoughts, Qiu Yan turned and asked, "How much longer until the cavalry arrives?"

Qiu Yi estimated slightly and replied, "It shouldn't take more than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea!"

"A cup of tea? We still have some time." Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded, his gaze darting around as he memorized the surrounding terrain.

The area around the mound is flat and there isn't even a forest. It's simply unrealistic for more than a thousand people to hide within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

However, the crisis has been temporarily averted, and both attackers have been suppressed. If the current military conflict can achieve something, it would be an unexpected bonus; even if it fails, it is simply an inevitable defeat.

"General, we must not be careless. You were able to formulate a complete military system and orders in a short time, but the attackers, who can lead troops to charge, are certainly not simple. They are probably no less capable than you, General."

Qiu Yi stood up from the ground and spoke solemnly, his body also gradually solidifying into armor.

However, what Qiu Yan cared about was the meaning behind his words.

"Judging from what he said, the cavalry that came galloping in was also led by an outsider, who is very likely one of the people at this banquet. I can quickly formulate military systems and command methods, but that person did more than that and even led troops on a march. The difference in ability is obvious. It is surprising that there is such a knowledgeable person about military affairs at this banquet."

As he pondered, a thought struck him. He squinted at Qiu Yi and asked, "Since you don't even have a name, why do you have other information in your memories?"

Qiu Yi was not surprised and calmly replied, "Reporting to the General, my memories are not from personal experience, but from numerous records in books."

"Recorded by a clerk? So the origin of this scene is still that Military Miscellany, only a person surnamed Lin added some things to it, making it look the way it is now."

As the thought crossed his mind, Qiu Yan looked at Qiu Yi again and found that the armor on the other man's body had already taken shape.

Wearing tall boots, greaves around his calves, a scepter belt tied around his waist, and gold-lacquered iron armor, with a braided sash around his chest, arm guards, and shoulder drapes, and a bronze helmet, he looked imposing and majestic. His entire demeanor had changed!

Looking at the soldiers behind him, their armor was also barely complete. But they were clearly different from Qiu Yi's. They wore hemp shoes, had travel belts tied around their calves, and were also wearing iron armor. They also had fur sleeves and hats on their heads. In terms of appearance, they were far inferior to Qiu Yi's, but they were obviously practical.

However, the soldiers' expressionless faces gave Qiu Yan a sense of gloom and oppressive atmosphere, which also made him start to have some thoughts.

"My thoughts materialized into armor; these suits of armor seem similar to some battle armor I remember..."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan took a deep breath, preparing to fight back. Qiu Yi stepped forward and said, "Please, General, put on your armor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining thousand-plus people shouted in unison, "Please, General, put on your uniform!"

The sound shook the heavens!

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan nodded slightly. A series of crackling sounds followed as pieces of armor flew towards him.

Cloud-patterned boots, greaves, scepter belt, robe bellyband, mountain-shaped armor...

These parts fit him up on their own from bottom to top. Once all the parts were on, a helmet flew over and put on his head. With the straps tightened, Qiu Yan had transformed into a different person, wearing armor and a sword at his waist, looking heroic and dashing!

At the same time, the cool armor against his skin invigorated Qiu Yan, deepening his connection with the Prosperity Capital Will and causing his senses to expand rapidly, enveloping more than a thousand soldiers.

The next moment, the Heart Fire shifted, with the people as the foundation, Scholar Forest as the pillars, and the high-rise as the commanding height. From the outside, bricks and tiles appeared, each one gleaming with a cold light, like weapons!

"Hmm? The connection with the Prosperity Capital Will has deepened! It seems I might break through to the second step at any moment, and then merge with the City Will! In that case, this misfortune has turned into a blessing in disguise. If I can break through, then this trip will have been worthwhile!"

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan gripped the sword hilt with one hand and formed a hand seal with the other, secretly channeling his Divine Ability, but there was no change in his surroundings.

He narrowed his eyes. "Although I can levitate, I can't use Dao Arts or Divine Ability. Or rather, with my cultivation level, it's difficult for me to use Divine Ability. In this case, my personal combat strength is negligible. I can only rely on these soldiers and generals. Facing cavalry..."

Qiu Yan suddenly had a flash of Spiritual Light.

"When my soul was in Scholar Forest, I visualized real objects. Now, here, armor can be generated out of thin air, just like in Scholar Forest. I wonder..." With a change of heart, he tried to visualize horses.

As soon as he thought this, the light and shadow around him distorted, and the outline of a tall horse appeared out of thin air, slowly becoming clearer. However, its flesh and bones were disordered, and after two breaths, the flesh collapsed and dissipated without taking shape!

"As expected, it's still the same. Without knowing the specific structure, one cannot truly visualize it. Horses are living beings with complex flesh and blood. Without prior understanding, it's difficult to form a coherent image. Therefore, the method of fighting horse against horse is unusable. I wonder how the attackers obtained their warhorses. But let's not dwell on that. The most urgent task is to find a way to fight horse against horse!"

Qiu Yan's mind was filled with fragments of military strategy, but he couldn't find any practical application. These strategies could only be used for planning and mastering tactics, but they were insufficient when it came to specific tactical command. This was also because he had not come into contact with a systematic military strategy.

Then, his thoughts shifted, and he recalled information he had encountered in his previous life, with the word "tripwire" popping into his mind.

"This tripwire has a simple structure. It can be quickly formed by analyzing and interpreting it with the Incense Faith. Once it is visualized, distribute it to the soldiers and set it up as soon as possible. We must race against time!"

The ground around them trembled more and more frequently, dust billowed in the distance like a curtain, and the wind howled. Time was running out.

Gazing intently into the distance, one could already make out a faint outline amidst the dust; the person at the head was none other than the examinee named "Ye Yun"!

This top scholar from Southern Ridges Circuit, dressed in Brightlight Armor and holding a long sword high, led the way, followed by a group of riders, moving at breakneck speed!

"It was him...!"

Upon recognizing the person, Qiu Yan was slightly surprised, but he quickly composed himself. In his mind, the Incense Faith had already analyzed and reconstructed the shape of the tripwire. The next step was to visualize it and then use the terrain to set up a trap. However, before he could make a move, the surrounding scenery suddenly fluctuated, and Qiu Yan froze on the spot, letting out a soft exclamation.

Then, the light and shadow distorted, his body swayed, his Divine Soul became ethereal, his vision spun rapidly, and he couldn't help but close his eyes. When he opened them again, he was back in the main hall of the villa!

However, the radiant light that once filled the hall had vanished, replaced by an old man standing in the center of the hall.

The man was dressed simply, like an old man by the roadside, but in Qiu Yan's perception, he seemed like a bottomless abyss, giving the illusion that he was drawing all the light into his body.

The sandalwood box was in the old man's hand, the lid was already closed, and the light no longer flowed out. This was the reason why Qiu Yan's Divine Soul had returned. Just now, the Incense Faith left in his physical body had detected the old man's arrival.

At the same time, the others also opened their eyes. After being covered by the light, they had all been Soul Seizing into the book and experienced a series of events. Their bodies were frozen in place. Now that they had come to their senses, they all looked confused. Even Pang Qianru and Ji Zheng had blank expressions and unfocused eyes.

"These people are still in a daze; their souls haven't fully returned to their places!" Qiu Yan noticed the clue at a glance, then turned his gaze to the old man.

The old man, dressed in a loose robe, had a dignified face. Although he was smiling, he still exuded a sense of gravity. He noticed Qiu Yan's gaze, nodded slightly, and praised, "Truly worthy of being a great scholar Literary Staining of Examination Papers, you are not affected by my soul-suppressing technique."

"Huh?" Qiu Yan looked surprised, not expecting that the old man would expose his secret in the examination room.

"No need to be surprised," the old man looked you up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement. "The day you Literary Staining of Examination Papers, there was only a change in your Fortune, but no unusual phenomena. I already guessed that it was probably because you possess Divine Ability powers. Seeing you today, it is indeed so. However, I did not expect that you could actually make contact with the Prosperity Capital Will, and that your thoughts could penetrate so deeply into the Human Path, comprehending it to such a level. It is truly astonishing. Even in the Continent the Human Path is most prosperous, there are probably not many people who can achieve this! However, your physique seems to have declined slightly..."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, a sense of apprehension rising within him, a warning even more profound than when he faced those two peak Fourth Realm figures!

"Rest assured, I have no ill intentions towards you," the old man shook his head, his smile unchanged. "Strictly speaking, you and I have a connection. Two of my descendants are related to you. Oh, I forgot to mention, my surname is Chen, and I am the ancestor of the Chen Household of Prosperity Capital."

"Surname Chen, the Chen Household Prosperity Capital?" Qiu Yan's eyelids twitched, and two names flashed through his mind—

Chen Jing, Chen Yun.

After a flurry of thoughts, he quickly calmed down, knowing that overthinking was pointless when facing such an unfathomable figure. He took a deep breath, cupped his hands in greeting, and tentatively asked, "May I ask what brings Elder Chen here today?"

The Household Ancestor Chen nodded slightly, raising his hand to shake the sandalwood box. "I sensed the anomaly here and rushed over, intending to drive away those two cultivators, but I unexpectedly encountered you and discovered the secret of this object. You little rascals are quite bold. This box contains a shocking secret, one that even we would treat with utmost care, yet you operated it so casually. If I hadn't intervened in time, everyone present in this hall and courtyard would have been trapped in the Soul Book, never to be free again! Can you guess what the consequences would have been?"

As he spoke, he put the box into his sleeve.

"This thing is too dangerous. I'll keep it for now. You'd better forget about today's events, or there will be trouble later. The things covered in this book are far beyond your current level. If you want to participate, you'll have to wait at least several decades."

Seeing the old man's actions, Qiu Yan's heart stirred. He hadn't expected things to end this way. A battle on the Sand Battlefield was about to unfold, but it was ending in a disappointing way.

"But that's fine too, hmm?"

As Qiu Yan was pondering this, his Divine Soul suddenly stirred, and an Outer Demon manifested within his soul, lunging towards his Heart Fire!

"This is a strange Heart Demon! When did this Heart Demon invade my soul?"

On the other side, the old man seemed oblivious, and instead said, "After the results are announced, I have something to discuss with you. For now, let's clean up this mess first." With that, he abruptly waved his sleeve.

Suddenly, a fierce wind howled! (To be continued...)

ps: Thanks to "Wuditian" for the reward!