Atop the pass walls, countless Border Army Dao soldiers watched with complicated expressions. They had long since heard of Qing Chen.
He was said to be a ruthless governor-general who dared to hand out money, distribute treasures, and kill.
And just such a ruthless man was what their northwestern border passes lacked.
"Governor-General Qing..." Somewhere on the pass wall, a middle-aged Foundation Establishment centurion murmured, his voice reaching the ears of several Dao soldiers beside him.
"He's finally here." A young Dao soldier beside him actually showed a trace of anticipation in his eyes. "Lately, I keep hearing he's recruiting troops across the provinces, and he's handing out plenty of spirit stones and medicinal pills."
Another old soldier said nothing, merely staring at the black-robed figure drawing ever closer, the wind and snow etching the wrinkles on his face still deeper.
He thought of a son of his who had died beneath the northern wall decades ago. Even now, the Five Great Army Commanders had offered no word of a counterattack.
If this Governor-General Qing could truly set the Northwestern Circuit right...
Outside Yanmen Pass, Qing Chen flew higher and higher, letting everyone see him clearly.
That powerful confidence all but burst forth: one man could stand against a million soldiers.
When Qing Chen came within ten thousand zhang of Yanmen Pass's outer formation, a deep rumble suddenly resounded throughout the mighty pass.
It was not the sound of the gates opening, but the successive sounds of a fifth-tier formation verifying his authority.
Layers of blue-black formation light rose from the pass walls, transforming into countless runes that surged toward Qing Chen.
Even a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator caught in such formation light would likely have his aura greatly diminished in an instant, crushed beneath the might of a million