Very moist

This massive army halted at the border between Yunzhou and Qingzhou. Ahead, by the official road, stood a monument inscribed with the words "Qingzhou".

Ji Xuan spurred his horse and charged out of the formation. With a clatter of hooves, he reached the front of the central formation, turned his head, and looked at the commander-in-chief sitting majestically on horseback beneath the banner. He smiled and said:

"General Qi, do you think our 60,000 elite troops, plus 30,000 militia, are enough to oversee the execution?"

Qi Guangbo, the commander-in-chief of the rebel army in Yunzhou, looked up at the sky and said calmly:

"Our enemy has never been the supervisor."

He has clear and handsome features and a deep "Chuan" pattern between his eyebrows.

Ji Xuan also looked up at the sky, then looked away and smiled:

"Sir, you have remained hidden for fifteen years, your vast knowledge unseen, like a brocade robe worn in the dark, gold concealed in plain sleeves. But soon, the entire Central Plains and even the whole of China will know your great name."

Qi Guangbo was Ji Xuan's mentor. Although he was not well-known in the Nine Provinces, he possessed extraordinary talent.

Qi Guangbo was born into a prominent family in Yunzhou. He learned martial arts from a young age and possessed exceptional talent. By the age of seventeen, he had reached the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm. However, for some unknown reason, he suddenly developed an extremely disappointed opinion about Martial Dao.

Vulgar!

He then abandoned martial arts to study, and at the age of twenty-three, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. He then shook his head and commented on his studies:

Non-Self cup of tea!

Then came seven years of unbridled pleasure, indulging in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, frequenting brothels and doing all sorts of things that most people wouldn't do.

His family couldn't stand it anymore and, wanting to temper his character and teach him to be a good person, they sent him to the army.

Who would have thought that Qi Guangbo would fall in love with military life on his very first day in the army, summarizing it in two words:

Interesting!

He subsequently distinguished himself in several bandit suppression campaigns and was promoted by the Yunzhou Military Command, rising two ranks within a year.

At that time, Xu Pingfeng had just achieved a small goal in his life—stealing the fate of the Great Feng Kingdom!

They are pursuing their second smaller goal: to identify talent and cultivate trusted confidants.

He was quickly noticed by Xu Pingfeng, who approached him but did not immediately express his intention to recruit him. Instead, Xu Pingfeng conducted a simulation exercise with him.

The simulation is based on the Battle of Shanhai Pass, which took place five years ago and will undoubtedly leave a significant mark on history.

Xu Pingfeng commands the two major forces of Great Feng and the Buddhist Kingdom, while Qi Guangbo leads the Witch God Sect, the Northern and Southern Demon Race, the Northern Barbarian Clan, and the Gu Clan.

The first time, Qi Guangbo only lasted half an hour before being forced into a desperate situation where he ran out of ammunition and food.

The two agreed to fight again in two weeks.

The second time, Qi Guangbo persisted for two hours.

The two agreed to fight again in three months.

A year later, Qi Guangbo persisted until the decisive battle at Shanhai Pass, but was ultimately defeated; he failed to defeat Xu Pingfeng.

Xu Pingfeng then said:

The one who defeated you Non-Self, but Wei Yuan.

"Come with me to Qianlong City. Within twenty years, I will make you his opponent on the battlefield."

Qi Guangbo joined Qianlong City without hesitation and began a fifteen-year period of dedicated cultivation.

He almost single-handedly built up the current army of Qianlong City, invented more than a dozen tactics, and under his reforms, the army of Qianlong City was rid of its long-standing problems and became a truly fierce and powerful force.

Qi Guangbo reined in his horse, raised his head to look north, and murmured:

"The imperial advisor lied to me."

Wei Yuan is dead; what use would it be to give him the power of commander-in-chief?

What do you mean by that, sir?

Ji Xuan was unaware of the agreement between Qi Guangbo and Xu Pingfeng from years ago.

Qi Guangbo shook his head slightly, glanced at the student, and said:

"Zi Su is now at the Transcendent Realm. In the vast land of Kyushu, there are only a handful of Transcendent Realm cultivators of this age. Today's uprising is your chance to make a name for yourself."

"Then, sir, how do I compare to Xu Ningyan?" Ji Xuan asked in a deep voice.

Qi Guangbo said calmly, "Diligence can make up for lack of talent."

Ji Xuan was momentarily speechless, then smiled wryly, "Sir, you are truly outspoken and don't mince words."

Qi Guangbo countered, "How do you think I compare to Wei Yuan?"

Ji Xuan did not answer.

Qi Guangbo didn't seem to care, and his tone remained calm throughout:

"The Art of War says, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.' Zisu, only by facing yourself squarely can you understand the situation."

"Xu Qi'an is stronger than you. He surpasses you in every aspect, including talent, combat strength, and methods. If you were to face him one-on-one, you would surely die."

"But there is never absolute fairness in the world, and you still have a chance. You have already stepped into the realm of the extraordinary, and even if you are not quite there yet, as long as you are on the same level, it means there is still a possibility."

Ji Xuan nodded slowly. "This student understands."

Qi Guangbo did not respond, but looked at his deputy beside him and said:

"Forward, all troops!"

The adjutant relayed the order to the drummers with a command flag, and instantly the drums thundered. The 90,000-strong army advanced in an orderly fashion and entered the territory of Qingzhou.

Just then, the sky began to churn, and the clouds visibly coalesced into a giant hand, slamming down towards the rebels.

As the palm struck down, the power of the entire world seemed to be mobilized.

The warhorses were startled, the soldiers were terrified, and the army's formation immediately broke into chaos. In particular, the militia at the rear, a motley crew, were so frightened by this strange sight that their legs went weak.

At that time, above the 90,000-strong army, one formation after another was formed, layer upon layer, with large formations covering smaller ones, and smaller formations forming large ones.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Beneath the giant hand formed by the clouds and mist, the formations collapsed one by one, and the clear light, like fireworks, exploded above the army's heads.

The moment the layers of formations shattered, a golden light rose from the army, transforming into a golden body with twelve arms, holding various Law Artifact, a blazing ring of fire burning on the back of its head, and a red flame mark between its brows.

This golden figure seemed to be supporting an ancient giant that was about to topple the sky, with twelve pairs of arms supporting the slowly descending giant palm.

After a brief stalemate, the giant hand formed by the clouds seemed to have run out of steam, or perhaps it was no match for the golden body in the struggle, and it collapsed with a roar.

Above the sea of clouds, two figures, one in white and one in gold, flew through the air and stopped at a certain spot.

It was Xu Pingfeng and the Gara Tree Bodhisattva, who was wearing a kasaya and had half his chest exposed.

Xu Pingfeng, with his elegant demeanor and flowing white robes, stood above the sea of clouds, like a banished immortal.

The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree had a solemn expression, and his bulging muscles displayed his impressive strength. A ring of fire burned behind his head, bringing intense heat.

Simply standing there, their aura was as towering as a mountain and as vast as the sea, symbolizing power.

Opposite the two was the white-haired, white-bearded supervisor, who was carrying an octagonal bronze plate. The back of the plate was engraved with the sun, moon, mountains and rivers, while the front was engraved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

"Compared to the first generation five hundred years ago, your strength is far inferior."

Gara Tree scrutinized the supervisor and made a calm assessment.

"That's natural!"

Xu Pingfeng smiled gently, "In the early days, although there were incompetent rulers and treacherous officials causing chaos, the foundation of the Great Feng Dynasty was still intact, and it remained at its peak. But now, the Great Feng has first lost half of its national fortune, and then experienced Wei Yuan's eastern expedition and the cold disaster that swept across the Central Plains."

"Teacher Jianzheng's current strength is probably less than half of his peak."

The supervisor, expressionless, manipulated the Heavenly Secrets Disc and slowly said:

"It's been five hundred years since we've really gotten serious. Let's play a bit."

Chen Xiao saw Xu Yinluo's younger sister on the deck again. She was doing a horse stance with a very serious expression on her face.

It actually looks rather cute.

With nothing else to do, Chen Xiao leaned against the cabin, arms crossed, and watched from the sidelines.

It took at least 15 minutes to tell.

"Wow, that's impressive." Chen Xiao was surprised. When he arrived, the child was practicing horse stance, and it must have been for more than fifteen minutes. To be able to practice horse stance for more than fifteen minutes at such a young age shows that the child has an extremely solid foundation in martial arts.

Chen Xiao thought to himself, "No wonder she's Xu Yinluo's sister."

So he began to speak:

"This child Essence Refining Realm?"

He asked the girl from Southern Frontier who was eating a cornbread bun next to him.

Lina glanced back at him. "Qi Refining Realm, I suppose."

She was referring to combat strength. In the early stages, the Power Gu has no internal energy, only brute force.

"He boasts without thinking!" Chen Xiao, straightforward by nature, said in a deep voice:

"I've never seen a six or seven-year-old Qi Refining Realm before. Xu Yinluo also steadily progressed through the Essence Refining Realm before breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm at the age of nineteen."

Lina said while munching on a cornbread bun, "She's at the Qi Refining Realm. You can spar with her if you don't believe me."

Chen Xiao immediately found a soldier who was at the initial stage of the Essence Refining Realm. Because he was no longer a virgin, he would reach the Peak Essence Refining in this lifetime.

"Go and lend this child a hand, but be careful not to hurt him."

Chen Xiao gave instructions.

"Yes!"

The soldier looked helpless; he didn't want to play with the children, but he could refuse when ordered by his superior.

He strode up to the little one, patted his belly, and said, "Little one, hit here."

The little boy glanced at his master, and Lina nodded. "If you win, you'll get cornbread to eat."

The little boy's eyes lit up, and he threw a punch without hesitation.

Bang!

The soldier was thrown out and crashed heavily into the bulkhead next to Chen Xiao. He clutched his stomach, curled up on the ground, and vomited a lot of bile.

Chen Xiao was dumbfounded, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

"Awesome! I'll give it a try!"

Chen Xiao strode towards Xu Lingyin, intending to use his internal energy to test his brute strength against the child.

Xu Erlang was sitting at his desk, studying a military treatise while also examining a map of Qingzhou.

"Bang bang."

A knock came at the door, and a soldier called out from outside:

"Lord Xu, your sister is fighting with her colleagues."

"What?"

Xu Erlang was shocked and hurriedly dropped the military treatise. He rushed out the door, shouting angrily, "What's going on? Who dares to bully my sister?"

The soldier said cautiously, "Yes, it's your sister who's bullying people."

Xu Erlang strode out of the cabin and onto the deck.

On the deck, dozens of soldiers lay sprawled about, Xu Lingyin stood alone, like an invincible female general on the battlefield.

"Vomit"

A short, stocky middle-aged general, vomiting bile, struggled to his feet and shouted:

"Help me up, I can still fight."

The soldiers, clutching their stomachs, pulled and tugged at him, earnestly trying to persuade him:

"Boss, stop hitting her. If you keep hitting her, you'll throw up your dinner from last night. This child is Xu Yinluo's sister; it's not worth fighting her to the death."

The middle-aged general was clearly out of control; he shoved his soldier forcefully and shouted:

"I can still fight, I can still fight, ugh."

Xu Cijiu stood at the cabin door, silently covering her face.

In the remote village far from the main road, the rising sun dyed the mountaintops red. Li Miaozhen stood on a low wall, holding a bloody head in her hand, looking down at the bandits composed of more than two hundred refugees below.

"Your leader has been killed by me. Now I'm giving you two choices: one is to follow me and you'll have food and drink from now on; the other is to be buried with this guy."

She raised her head to indicate this, then with her other hand she pulled out fragments of the Earth Book and poured out bags of grain.

A bandit dressed in plain clothes boldly walked over, used a blunt knife to cut open the sack, and with a hiss, the unhulled grains poured out from the crack.

"It's rice, it's rice!"

Cheers erupted.

"Heroine, we are willing to follow you."

"From now on, you'll be our boss."

The refugees who had become bandits talked all at once.

For refugees, as long as they can fill their stomachs, they don't care who their leader is. Similarly, as long as they can fill their stomachs, it doesn't matter whether they kill people or not.

Their motive for murder and robbery was simply to fill their stomachs.

Those who seized the opportunity to rise up and establish their own independent regimes were not part of the grassroots during times of chaos.

Li Miaozhen nodded in satisfaction and said:

"If you are my subordinate, you must abide by my rules. From this day forward, you must not rob the people or harm the innocent."

"We only rob wealthy but heartless merchants and corrupt officials who prey on the people."

"Anyone who breaks the rules will be killed without mercy!"

In the caves of Southern Frontier.

Ah~

With a scream, Ye Ji tensed up, her alluring face contorted slightly, and the commotion that had lasted for an hour ceased, leaving everything calm.

A long-separated couple, reunited, lay side by side on the bed, one enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking, the other entering a state of blissful tranquility.

"It's been many days, and Miss Fuxiang's skills are as superb as ever."

Xu Qi'an exclaimed in admiration.

Night Princess spat and said reproachfully:

"It's been so long, why haven't you shown me your amazing skill of falling asleep the moment your head hits the pillow?"

She even remembered the little things from when they first met. Women really are all petty, and demons are no exception. Xu Qi'an winked and said:

"Back then, I didn't know that Miss Fuxiang was made of water—no, she was made of spring rain."

Yoru blinked. "What kind of statement is that?"

Xu Qi'an, with the beauty in his arms, spoke eloquently, "This is a classical allusion: 'A light rain on the street is as soft as butter; the grass appears green from afar but is barely visible up close.'"

After lying down for a while, Ye Ji said contentedly:

"Let me help you bathe, my lord."

"No rush, allow me to fight a few more rounds."

The bed curtains began to sway, and the thin blanket rose and fell.

Outside the cave, the little white fox crouched by the campfire.

"Why is Elder Bai Ji out?"

Protector Hongying asked in surprise.

Bai Ji said sweetly, "Sister Ye Ji said she had important matters to discuss with Xu Yinluo and kicked me out. Actually, they were mating and wouldn't let me watch."

Miao Youfang was dumbfounded, and suddenly he understood why Li Lingsu and Xu Qi'an disliked each other so much.

Their lovers are all over Kyushu.

Hongying's voice suddenly rose. "Mating? Elder Yeji and Xu Yinluo."

He was heartbroken, believing that Elder Ye Ji had seduced him with her body to gain Xu Qi'an's help.

Bai Ji, in her most innocent childish voice, uttered the most vulgar words. "When Sister Ye Ji was in the capital, she mated with Xu Yinluo every day."

It turned out to be her old lover. Hongying suddenly realized and turned to look at Miao Youfang: "Brother Miao, what's going on?"

How would I know? Back then, before I joined his gang, Miao Youfang said, "This is Xu Yinluo's private matter, and I shouldn't say too much."

In the bathtub, soaking in the icy water, Xu Qi'an held a protective talisman in his hand and transmitted his voice through his Primordial Spirit:

"Imperial Preceptor, I am Xu Qi'an."

I am Xu Lang, the love of your life.

After sending this message, Xu Qi'an felt quite conflicted.

He recalled several personalities that had caused him great psychological trauma, such as the lustful personality who believed that lust was emptiness, and the yandere personality who was always ready with a hatchet.