That evening, Chen Mu and his companions returned to Absolute Sword City in a shaky spaceship.
" Elder Qing, your disciple Chen Mu has come to pay his respects!"
After returning to the inn, the first thing Chen Mu did was to pay his respects to Elder Qing Xue.
With a creak, the door opened.
Elder Qing Xue opened the door, but her face was full of worry, as if she had something on her mind.
Chen Mu, with his sharp eyes, noticed that Bai Jinglong, the Snow-Taming City, was actually in Elder Qing's room, but Bai Jinglong's expression was just as solemn.
"You came to see me because you need something?"
Elder Qing Xue controlled her expression and asked coldly.
"Yes! This disciple just discovered some news about the Otherworldly Demon outside and wanted to report it to the elder."
After Chen Mu finished speaking, Elder Qing Xue's expression changed, and she quickly asked.
What news is it?
Chen Mu glanced at Elder Qing Xue in surprise and asked for confirmation.
"Say it here?"
Elder Qing Xue then realized her lapse in decorum, stepped aside to let Chen Mu in.
"Come in, come in and talk!"
After entering the room, Chen Mu greeted Bai Jinglong with a cupped-hand salute.
"Greetings, Lord Bai!"
Bai Jinglong forced a smile, which served as a response to Chen Mu.
" Chen Mu, tell me first, what information did you get about the Otherworldly Demon?"
After Elder Qing Xue closed the door, she asked somewhat anxiously.
"Reporting to the elder, today we are going to the Black Earth Forest to hunt down the Otherworldly Demon..."
Chen Mu briefly recounted what had happened in the Black Earth Forest, and then, after he mentioned the information he had obtained from the Demon General, Bai Jinglong and Elder Qing Xue's expressions turned grim.
"It seems there are definitely spies within Absolute Sword City! The situation is very unfavorable for us now. Lord Bai, has the imperial court sent any news? Have they sent reinforcements?"
Elder Qing Xue looked excited.
"Hehe, the defenses at Wind Sea Pass were just breached. I used my communication jade token to contact the higher-ups, and the order I received was to defend the city to the death. I heard that the Sixth Prince has already been sent to lead troops over."
Bai Jinglong smiled, a hint of mockery in his expression.
"I've dealt with that sixth prince before, and he might even lend a hand if it's a favorable battle."
However, given the current situation, he can't possibly arrive immediately. He'll only appear after the Otherworldly Demon have expended enough of their forces.
He looked at Elder Qing Xue and emphasized his words.
"Therefore, we can only rely on ourselves now! At least until half of the Otherworldly Demon army that has charged in is dead, we will definitely be fighting alone!"
With a loud slam, Elder Qing Xue slammed her hand on the table, her face contorted with rage.
"Damn it! How could they do such a thing?"
"I think you Heaven-Questioning Pavilion, know just as much about how the Empire operates as I do!"
Bai Jinglong sighed, sat down, and gently tapped the table.
"The most important thing now is to find the spies who are colluding with the Otherworldly Demon! As for the Otherworldly Demon army that came in through Wind Sea Pass, they may not attack us."
I have already gathered my forces, and with our city walls to rely on, we actually have the strength to fight. There's no need to be overly pessimistic.
The two talked as if no one else was around, completely ignoring Chen Mu's presence.
Chen Mu carefully considered their conversation and roughly figured out what was going on.
Wind Sea Pass is a border city located at the westernmost edge of the Haotian Empire. It is on the front line of the battle against the Otherworldly Demon and is not far from Absolute Sword City, about a thousand kilometers away.
According to Bai Jinglong, Wind Sea Pass has been breached by the Otherworldly Demon, and Otherworldly Demon army has already stormed in.
Chen Mu felt a sense of foreboding. Given the current situation, the Absolute Sword City military would likely summon cultivators from within the city to assist in defending it.
Once conscripted, if they dare to escape, they will be branded as deserters and hunted down by the imperial court.
However, the announcement has not been released yet. Perhaps if I lead Mingye and the others to escape overnight, I can avoid getting involved in this matter.
Thinking of this, Chen Mu coughed lightly, drawing their attention.
" Elder Qing, I have finished reporting the information. I will take my leave now."
Elder Qing Xue glanced at him and nodded.
"You may leave now! Your information was very useful; I will remember your contribution."
But remember, don't tell anyone what you just heard, or I'll make sure you regret it.
"Yes! This disciple will certainly remember!"
Chen Mu bowed respectfully, then turned and left.
"Wait!"
Bai Jinglong's words sent Chen Mu's mood plummeting from its peak.
"Lord Bai, is there anything else?"
Chen Mu turned around and asked with a forced smile.
Bai Jinglong smiled coldly, as if he had seen through what Bai Jinglong was thinking.
"Don't even think about running away! If any disciple of the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion leaves, I will report it to the imperial court as treason!"
"Yes!"
Chen Mu clasped his hands in indignation, then turned and left.
Back in his room, Chen Mu immediately summoned Mingye and the others to his room to discuss countermeasures.
"Judging from Bai Jinglong's reaction, the Otherworldly Demon Army must have just breached Wind Sea Pass this morning. Their advance speed won't be as fast as our individual actions, so we should have about ten days to prepare."
Chen Mu unfolded a detailed map of the area around Absolute Sword City and said earnestly.
"Looking at the map, there are five cities that can be reached by passing through Wind Sea Pass. The distance to our Wind Sea Pass is moderate, so it is difficult to determine whether the Otherworldly Demon army will attack Absolute Sword City this time."
But we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom. If they do not attack our Absolute Sword City, then of course everyone will be happy. But if they do attack and Absolute Sword City cannot be defended, then we will have no way to escape.
Therefore, we must come up with a foolproof plan.
Chen Duo, who was listening from the side and was getting sleepy, retorted with dissatisfaction.
"Brother, this time the Otherworldly Demon army is led by King Level. How can cultivators like us, who haven't even reached the True Spirit Realm, possibly shake the overall situation?"
I think we should let Elder Qing Xue and the others worry about it. At most, we'll just have to kill a few more Demon General on the battlefield.
Although Chen Duo's words were quite discouraging, everyone had to admit that they were indeed true.
Throughout history, the strongest have been the decisive factor in battles between two armies. Of course, a large number of strong individuals can also pose a threat to the strong, but these four individuals are not likely to have a significant impact.
But Chen Mu didn't think so. He remained silent for a while before speaking.
"Actually, I have been researching various Rune Artifacts that can bring victory on the battlefield for the past year."
Although much research is still in progress, I believe that the current findings are more than enough to reverse the outcome of this localized battle.
As he spoke, Chen Mu took out a small, exquisitely designed mechanical figure from his storage ring.
This mechanical figure resembles a hedgehog, its entire body covered in long, round gun barrels, seemingly born solely for war.