The Fire Phoenix Army

Wuming was overjoyed to hear that Zhou Wuji from Cloud Dragon Lower Court had come to visit, and he couldn't wait to come and meet him.

She never expected that Zhou Wuji would bring a female cultivator with him.

Wuming felt a chill in his heart, followed by a bitter taste in his mouth, and he was speechless.

When Zhou Wuji saw Wuming's somewhat aggrieved expression, he knew that Wuming had misunderstood.

Along the way, he and Wuleng discussed Swordsmanship and got along very well, even becoming close friends.

But he didn't have much romantic interest in Wuleng; he just wanted to be good friends.

Wuming he had held hands and kissed on the cheek, naturally held a different place in his heart.

After a long separation, seeing that Wuming and sound, he was very gratified and happy.

Zhou Wuji stood up to greet Wuming: "Junior Sister, it's been a long time."

Hearing Zhou Wuji's gentle greeting, Wuming burst into tears.

She nodded quickly. "Senior brother, it's been so long!"

Zhou Wuji walked over and took Wuming's hand. He smiled at Wuming and then looked at Wuleng: "Let me introduce you. This is Wuleng, the junior sister of the Yuheng Lineage of the Upper Court. Her Swordsmanship is superb."

"They've come to train with me at the Cloud Marsh Lower Court."

Wuming held Zhou Wuji's hand, her face immediately turned bright red. All her grievances vanished, replaced by pure joy and sweetness. She barely paid attention to what Zhou Wuji was saying.

Anyway, this female cultivator and her senior brother don't have any special relationship, and that's enough.

Zhou Wuji then introduced Wuleng: "Wuming is the beloved daughter of Yizhen Master Yizhen. Yizhen helped me receive my ordination and is my guide on the path of cultivation."

In just a few words, Zhou Wuji had made the relationship clear.

Wuleng understood the importance of the transmission of ordination and also saw that Zhou Wuji and Wuming had a very close relationship.

She believed she had no other feelings for Wuji Brother Zhou Wuji, but seeing him with another female cultivator still made her feel uneasy.

But she was always calm and reserved, and remained polite and Wuming in her greetings.

Wuming managed to calm down, and she broke free from Zhou Wuji's hand and greeted Wuling with Wuleng hands.

Yang Tie Ying watched eagerly from the side. Once the two female cultivators had spoken, he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "Disciple Shangbing greets Uncle Wuming."

"The Shangbing has arrived too, please dispense with the formalities." Wuming naturally recognized her simple-minded disciple Zhou Wuji, and she smiled as she used her whisk to shoo Yang Tie Ying away.

In her heart, these were family, and she treated them with much more affection.

Wuming was overjoyed to learn that Zhou Wuji and the others would be staying at Cloud Marsh Lower Court for an extended period.

She had been there for several months and was familiar with the surroundings, so she immediately led the group to the Demon-Expelling Hall for accommodation.

"My father is now the head of the Demon-Expelling Hall, in charge of slaying demons and monsters. He would be very happy if you could come and help."

Although Wuming wanted to talk to Zhou Wuji more, she also knew proper etiquette, so she first escorted Wuleng to the Tianxuan Hall.

All the female cultivators of Cloud Marsh Lower Court lived in the Tianxuan Hall, and she was no exception.

"Yunze is a harsh place, and female cultivators are extremely rare. Senior Sister, you can stay next door to me in a private, quiet room. Feel free to contact me if you need anything..."

Wuleng carried a lot of luggage, Wuming enthusiastically helped him.

Without Zhou Wuji, Wuming passionate, and Wuleng gradually opened up as well.

She found that Wuming was quite simple-minded and didn't mean to exclude or suppress her, nor was he sarcastic or mean-spirited. In fact, she was much easier to get along with than the senior and junior sisters in the Upper Court.

The two chatted for a while, and as dusk approached, Wuming took Wuleng to find Zhou Wuji.

Led by Wuming person, the four of them went to the dining hall for a meal.

The dining hall was quite large, enough to accommodate one or two hundred people eating together. There were people specifically in charge of distributing the food, and everyone received the same amount.

Two dishes and a soup, with white rice and steamed buns as the two staple foods.

Zhou Wuji had special meals prepared for him at the Cloud Dragon Lower Court; each hall had its own food. Those with money ate the best, and those without ate the worst.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a large dining hall. The Daoist priests were very solemn while eating, and no one spoke.

Many of the Daoist priests exuded a strong and capable air, like soldiers in an army camp.

It is obvious that Cloud Marsh Lower Court has strict laws and regulations, but its atmosphere is very different from that of Cloud Dragon Lower Court.

Fortunately, the food was good: sliced beef mixed with cucumber and seasoned with dogwood, stir-fried bean sprouts, egg drop soup, and a small dish of pickled radish.

Throughout his journey, Zhou Wuji rarely ate out. The higher his cultivation level, the less willing he was to take risks.

The food was simple yet delicious, and it was filling. Zhou Wuji was quite satisfied with it.

Zhou Wuji and the others were all unfamiliar faces, but Zhou Wuji exceptionally handsome and had a lofty demeanor. Coupled with his elegant and Wuleng appearance, he truly attracted the attention of many people.

Even if the Daoists were curious, they would only glance at them and never look at them again. No one came over to strike up a conversation.

After the meal, Wuming escorted Wuleng back to the quiet room of the Tianxuan Hall, and then she seized the opportunity to talk to Zhou Wuji.

The Demon-Expelling Hall goes out all day to slay demons and monsters, which is very dangerous. So the rooms they live in are spacious and comfortable, and each person has a private room.

"Senior brother, the Cloud Marsh Lower Court is strictly managed and governed by strict laws. After 7 PM, no one can move around freely. Female cultivators and male cultivators are not allowed to meet."

Wuming said softly, "Although Abbot Zhi'en is a senior of the Heavenly Pivot Lineage, he will not give special treatment to the disciples of Tianshu."

"Since you are here to gain experience, you must abide by the rules here."

Knowing that Zhou Wuji was carefree and somewhat impulsive, she gave him special instructions to prevent her senior brother from suffering losses as a result.

"Oh, I know." Zhou Wuji understood Wuming's good intentions; since he was visiting someone else's territory, he naturally had to abide by their rules.

He actually really likes to follow the rules, unless it's specifically targeted at him.

Time was short, and although Wuming had a lot to say, he had to go back first.

Zhou Wuji saw Wuming at the door. He stood in the courtyard of the Demon-Expelling Hall, silently surveying the surrounding layout.

The Demon-Expelling Hall has a main hall, which enshrines Marshal Tianpeng. However, the hall is not of a high enough level to enshrine the North Pole Heavenly Emperor.

The main hall is flanked by side rooms, arranged in orderly rows, totaling more than ten rows of rooms.

These rooms are naturally divided into different areas, forming different living areas.

The buildings are scattered along the hillside, occupying a large area.

His residence was in the second row of side rooms, a fairly good location. The floor was paved with heavy, blue square stones, which were worn smooth and had a certain history.

It was late August, and the sun had long since set, leaving the sky dark and gloomy.

From this vantage point, one can see a vast marshland ahead, though it is mostly obscured by dense clouds.

Having been here for only half a day, Zhou Wuji discovered that the cloud formations at Cloud Marsh Lower Court were truly abundant, and the spiritual energy here was indeed more plentiful, about 30% to 40% higher than that at Cloud Dragon Lower Court.

Having 30-40% more spiritual energy does not mean that the cultivator can inhale or exhale 30-40% more spiritual energy; it is not a conversion relationship.

However, abundant spiritual energy makes it easier to cultivate oneself through breathing exercises, including alchemy and talisman making, all of which involve guiding the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to manifest, and one will benefit from them.

It is conceivable that the soil here must be extremely fertile, with an abundance of spirit medicine herbs and rare substances, and perhaps even some special minerals.

For cultivators, Cloud Marsh Lower Court can be considered a blessed land. No wonder Daoist Yizhen insisted on coming here despite the danger.

Zhou Wuji was surveying his surroundings when someone pushed open the door of a side room and came out. Seeing that Zhou Wuji was a complete stranger, the person immediately called out, "Who are you, fellow Daoist?"

This person wore a Hunyuan crown, had a long and thin face, narrow eyes, and a slender build. He wore a dark blue Daoist robe and had a long sword at his waist.

His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, naturally revealing a shrewd and powerful aura.

"This humble Daoist priest, Zhou Wuji, comes from the Cloud Dragon Lower Court."

Zhou Wuji smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. He then showed the man the Heavenly Pivot Token he was carrying, asking, "May I ask how you are addressed, friend?"

"My name is Xie Wuying, a deacon of the Demon-Expelling Court." The thin Daoist's expression softened considerably upon seeing the Heavenly Pivot Token.

Xie Wuying asked with some curiosity, "What are you doing all the way to Yunze, fellow Daoist?"

"I came here to hone my cultivation." Zhou Wuji replied casually upon first meeting this person.

Xie Wuying glanced at the White Rainbow Sword hanging at Zhou Wuji's waist, and even through the scabbard, he felt it was a fine sword.

"Fellow Daoist, your sword looks quite extraordinary. Would you be willing to take a look?"

Zhou Wuji shook his head; how could he easily let others see his sword?

He chatted with Wuleng the whole way, Wuleng didn't dare to ask to see his sword. It would be too presumptuous for this Daoist to ask to see his sword on their first meeting.

"The sword was a gift from my elders; it's not appropriate for outsiders to see it."

"I apologize for being presumptuous."

Xie Wuying smiled and was about to say something when she saw Daoist Yizhen's sword float over. Zhou Wuji bowed and greeted him, "Senior Uncle."

Daoist Yizhen laughed heartily, "Wuji, what brings you here?"

Seeing an old friend, Daoist Yizhen was indeed very happy. He saw Xie Wuying was also there, so he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Xie Wuying, being quite sensible, bowed and withdrew.

Daoist Yizhen waved to Zhou Wuji: "Come to my room, let's have a good talk."

As the head of the Demon-Expelling Hall, Daoist Yizhen lived at the highest point, in three rooms, simply furnished yet very clean.

The young Daoist priest came over to brew tea and serve fresh fruit, then quietly slipped away.

Zhou Wuji sized up Daoist Yizhen. He hadn't seen him for several months, and the man had clearly lost a lot of weight. His face now had more defined features, and he also looked more stern.

Clearly, Daoist Yizhen has made great progress in his cultivation.

He briefly explained the situation at Cloud Dragon Lower Court, and said that True Person Zhihua had sent him here for training.

"True Person Zhihua her young age, her cultivation is extremely profound, and she is also very capable and decisive in her actions. Her arrangement for you to come here shows how much she values you."

Daoist Yizhen spoke of True Person Zhihua with great admiration. Being so experienced, he didn't ask since Zhou Wuji hadn't explained the details.

Zhou Wuji inquired about the situation at Cloud Marsh Lower Court, Daoist Yizhen answered him diligently.

"Cloud Marsh Lower Court is next to Yunze. Yunze hundreds of miles long, and it is full of wetlands and waters. Clouds and mist rise all day long, hence the name Yunze."

"Yunze is nothing special, the real problem is that within Yunze lies Dream Marsh, Dream Marsh is so vast that it stretches for thousands of miles..."

Zhou Wuji was somewhat surprised; Yunmeng Marsh was that big?!

The problem is that Yunmeng Marsh is located between the two counties of Chunan and Chubei. If it is too vast and huge, it will directly separate the two counties of Chunan and Chubei.

"Dream Marsh is as illusory as a dream; to be precise, it should be described as a vast, open secret realm, and Yunze is the exit from Dream Marsh..."

Daoist Yizhen had been here for several months and had figured out the situation. He patiently explained it to Zhou Wuji.

It turns out that Dream Marsh has always been a secret realm, occupied by a powerful demon.

Previously, with Yunze serving as a barrier, the two sides lived in peace, and the imperial court did not interfere with the great demons within Dream Marsh.

For some reason, the monsters of Dream Marsh have been causing trouble frequently in recent years.

The imperial court could not tolerate this and sent the Fire Phoenix Army into Dream Marsh to exterminate the demons, but they suffered a crushing defeat.

When the imperial envoy arrived to deal with the situation, his methods were too harsh and ruthless, which triggered a mutiny.

Several thousand deserters scattered throughout Chunan and Chubei, sparking unrest in various regions.

The monsters of Dream Marsh have become increasingly arrogant, frequently entering Yunze and posing a significant threat to Yunze City.

The purpose of establishing the Cloud Marsh Lower Court was to guard Yunze.

As a result, Yunze naturally faced immense pressure, and recently, cultivators have frequently been killed or injured...

Zhou Wuji then realized that the mutinous soldiers he had killed had actually come from Yunmeng Marsh.

The fact that the Dream Marsh demon was so powerful, even the imperial court couldn't do anything about it, made him even more wary.

"You don't need to worry. Great demons are born from the spiritual energy of the secret realm and cannot leave it, just like fish cannot leave the water."

"Only the smaller demons, though greatly affected, will not be in mortal danger."

Daoist Yizhen said, "Most of them are just monsters like pigs, deer, wolves, dogs, and tigers, but there are also snakes, toads, and various poisonous insects."

"The most troublesome are the invisible ghosts and spirits, which hide in the clouds and can easily catch you if you're not careful."

"As long as we guard the Big Dipper Demon-Subduing Grand Formation at the exit of Yunze, even if a few scattered demons break out, the threat won't be significant."

Zhou Wuji asked, "Who is this Xie Wuying?"

"He's Xie Household the Fire Phoenix Army. He's currently cultivating in the Lower Court, but he's quite direct in his speech and actions; he's not exactly a bad person."

Daoist Yizhen warned again, "The Xie Household loves to win over cultivators, and their methods are crude and direct. Be careful in Yunze, and don't get involved with them..."