An expedition against the great demon

True Person Zhihua introduced the Myriad Phenomena Golden Wheel, Zhou Wuji, but then realized that this person was setting a trap again.

As True Person person, it's perfectly reasonable for him to be ordered around, and he wouldn't be able to refuse.

Not to mention that the True Person in question treated him very well, and he couldn't refuse even unreasonable requests.

But what this person said gave Zhou Wuji a bad feeling.

However, the bait was too tempting to resist.

If True Person Zhihua wasn't lying to him, then by learning the Myriad Phenomena Golden Wheel, he could not only cultivate all seven meridian methods, but also practice all the methods under heaven.

He may not have the aptitude for cultivation, but he can use the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment to accumulate resources.

If one could truly master all the various methods in the world, ascending to immortality would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?

Zhou Wuji couldn't resist any longer. "True Person, I want to try."

Seeing Zhou Wuji's bitter and resolute expression, as if he were ready to risk his life, True Person Zhihua couldn't help but smile gently, "You don't need to look so distressed. Although this matter is difficult, it's ultimately a good thing..."

Zhihua and beautiful, and her smile was even more radiant. Even though Zhou Wuji had no romantic feelings for Zhihua, he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback when he saw her.

The winter sun shone warmly, a cool breeze swept by, and the bamboo shadows swayed outside the courtyard. The female cultivator opposite her smiled brightly and gently, adding a touch of radiance and beauty to the winter day.

"Clouds resemble garments, flowers resemble faces..."

Zhou Wuji suddenly thought of this line, and he had to admit, Li Bai knew how to praise people; it was indeed true.

But he didn't have the guts to say it; it sounded too flirtatious, even though he was only admiring Zhihua's beauty at that moment and had no other intentions.

True Person Zhihua, with his magnanimity, did not care about Zhou Wuji's minor rudeness.

She suppressed her smile and said calmly, "The sect leader has very strict requirements for selecting True Disciple in all aspects."

"You come from a very humble background; you originally had absolutely no hope. But, anything is possible with effort."

True Person Zhihua calmly said, "This matter is quite complicated and requires careful consideration. Don't rush it."

She paused for a moment and then said, "However, if you master the Myriad Phenomena Golden Wheel and become the sect leader or Celestial Master, you must promise me three things."

Zhou Wuji replied without hesitation, "By the Northern Emperor, if I master the Myriad Phenomena Golden Wheel and achieve something, I will fulfill the three things the True Person spoke of, no matter what."

"Happy."

With True Person Zhihua conjured two porcelain bowls and a jar of wine on the stone table.

She took the wine jar, broke the seal, and poured two large bowls of wine into it.

The wine is slightly yellow with a reddish tinge and has a rich aroma; it appears to be a type of yellow rice wine.

"Cheers." True Person Zhihua seemed quite interested, raising his wine bowl to indicate that he would drink it first.

Zhou Wuji also drank it all in one gulp.

The wine was slightly spicy, but the aftertaste was mellow and fragrant. After drinking a bowl of wine, his Qi and Blood became very active, and his True Qi became more agile.

This wine, infused with some unknown spiritual substance, actually has the magical effect of enhancing Qi and Blood and regulating True Qi.

Zhou Wuji, being adept at handling affairs, took the initiative to pick up the wine jar, filled it with wine, and then drank two bowls with True Person Zhihua.

As the effects of the alcohol took hold, True Person Zhihua's cheeks flushed slightly, while Zhou Wuji fared even worse, his ears and neck turning red.

The alcohol was incredibly potent; even his Army-Breaking Sword couldn't neutralize it. His Qi and Blood were boiling like fire, and he felt as if he were on fire.

True Person Zhihua saw that Zhou Wuji in a sorry state, she couldn't help but laugh and swept the wine jar away with a flick of her sleeve.

"This wine is made by soaking the gall of a red snake, and is called Fire Dragon. It's quite potent, so drink it sparingly."

She said, "You're a little drunk today, let's talk business tomorrow."

Before Zhou Wuji speak, True Person Zhihua had already drifted away.

Zhou Wuji clutched his slightly dizzy head. This was the first time he had experienced dizziness and burning eyes since he had achieved success in his cultivation, as if he were seriously ill...

He returned to his room, his legs feeling a little weak. He first circulated the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture, then activated the Army-Breaking Sword.

After repeating this cycle three times, the effects of the alcohol were reduced by two or three-tenths, and I felt less uncomfortable.

No need to worry about the Xie Household plotting against him, True Person Zhihua Lower Court. Zhou Wuji tilted his head back and fell.

When he woke up again, it was already completely dark outside. He estimated it was around midnight, having slept for six hours.

But he felt energetic and Qi and Blood. After glancing at the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, he found that his True Qi had increased by a hundred points and his Divine Sense had increased by ten points.

Three bowls of wine are probably equivalent to ten days of his spiritual practice.

That's not all; what's truly remarkable is its ability to enhance Divine Sense.

Besides these, there should be some other benefits. It's just that he's too physically strong, and a few bowls of wine are unlikely to have much effect.

Zhou Wuji recalled what True Person Zhihua had said today. His mind was particularly clear now, and after pondering it repeatedly, he had come to understand its meaning.

True Person Zhihua only said he had a way to help him, but he wasn't very confident.

The promises he made were things very, very far in the future, so there was no need to worry about them.

This commitment is not subject to any strict constraints.

If it really comes to that, the balance of power will shift, True Person Zhihua won't be able to force him to do anything...

What's truly strange is that True Person Zhihua invited him to drink.

It's understandable that the carefree and unrestrained True Person Zhihua, in high spirits, treated him to several bowls of strong liquor as a celebration or a kind of ritual.

However, Zhou Wuji thought of the precepts in the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, one of which forbade drinking alcohol...

Perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps it was a test... Zhou Wuji's gaze grew increasingly profound as he pondered...

The next morning, True Person Zhihua came again.

"I went to see Xie Shidao yesterday. They will enter Dream Marsh again in December to wipe out Lord of Yunmeng."

"This powerful demon is becoming increasingly unstable. The imperial court has also issued a strict order to eliminate Lord of Yunmeng as soon as possible. On the other hand, Xie Shidao also wants to avenge his father."

"I told Xie Shidao about Bai Ya, and he takes it very seriously. If you can find anything by following this lead, it will be a great achievement for you."

True Person Zhihua spoke quite seriously. If there were indeed spies colluding with Lord of Yunmeng, they might leak the secret of the army's impending expedition, which would be no small matter.

Dream Marsh is a secret realm in itself, while the Yunze outside is sealed off by a magic array set up by the Lower Court.

No one can freely enter or leave Yunze. Let alone cross Yunze to deliver messages, which would involve facing all sorts of powerful demons—how dangerous!

The Bai Ya could easily pass through the magic array and traverse the Yunze, making it undoubtedly the best messenger.

Killing the Bai Ya would be enough to sever Lord of Yunmeng's connection with the outside world in a short period of time.

Even if news of the army's attack leaks out, the Fire Phoenix Army at least knows that there are spies within their ranks and that Lord of Yunmeng may have made preparations, allowing them to make adjustments in advance.

For the Fire Phoenix Army, the matter of the Bai Ya is still very important.

Zhou Wuji nodded outwardly, but he didn't really care about the credit.

Even if the reward could be fulfilled, since he doesn't work in the military, this achievement wouldn't mean much to him.

He actually wanted to hear more from True Person Zhihua about the Myriad Phenomena Golden Wheel and her specific plans.

For example, what to do in the first step, what to do in the second step, so that he knows how to coordinate.

Facing Zhou Wuji's expectant gaze, True Person Zhihua calmly said, "Very well, let's get down to business."

"To become True Disciple leader, one must first have a good background, at least being a direct descendant of one of the seven lineages."

"Second, you need to have exceptional talent. Third, you need to have outstanding experience."

True Person Zhihua, holding up his long, jade-like fingers, said, "A good background means loyalty and reliability, and it means never betraying someone."

"Good talent means a higher potential for the future. A distinguished resume represents the ability to get things done."

"You should understand that having high cultivation level and being able to get things done are not the same thing."

She looked at Zhou Wuji and said, "You are a disciple of the Lower Court, your background is far inferior."

"His talent is good, but compared to some of the sect's geniuses, he is still somewhat inferior."

"Those guys who are around your age are already firmly at the Fourth Rank, and almost all of them will be able to advance to the Third Rank before they turn thirty."

"Your only advantage is your intelligence and courage; you're capable of getting things done. Those geniuses from privileged backgrounds are all too naive and unlikely to achieve great things."

True Person Zhihua said, "What you need to do now is to accumulate experience so that the sect leader can see you and everyone in the sect can see you."

"You did very well in Yunyang, building a reputation, receiving awards from the Heavenly Master's Manor, bringing glory to the sect, and demonstrating your abilities to me. But that's not enough!"

She said to Zhou Wuji, "The Fire Phoenix Army's expedition to Dream Marsh is a major event."

"To be able to participate in this is an extremely prestigious qualification."

True Person Zhihua looked at Zhou Wuji with a serious expression and asked, "I will be going to Dream Marsh with the army. Would you like to come along?"

"I am willing to follow the True Person to slay the great demon, to kill the great demon in Dream Marsh, and to bring a hundred years of peace to Yunze!" Zhou Wuji readily agreed, his tone even more impassioned.

He didn't really want to go; if the army suffered another defeat, he might not be able to return.

Even if the Fire Phoenix Army could annihilate Lord of Yunmeng, war is dangerous and fraught with peril. In such an earth-shattering battle, could a mere Sixth Rank cultivator and martial artist truly guarantee his safety?

But True Person Zhihua asked him to accompany him, and he couldn't refuse. Not to mention he also wanted the Myriad Phenomena Golden Wheel.

Just as True Person Zhihua said, entering Dream Marsh to exterminate the great demon is a very important qualification.

If this trip were without any danger, how could it be considered a qualified experience!

He had assumed that True Person Zhihua had some ingenious plan to enable him to quickly become the True Disciple disciple.

I never expected True Person Zhihua's plan to be so simple, direct, and even crude...

Zhou Wuji came to terms with it; following the army to slay demons was also a good opportunity for him to improve his cultivation.

True Person Zhihua was very satisfied with Zhou Wuji's attitude, and even more so with Zhou Wuji's choice of words, which were truly exceptional in style and extremely magnanimous.

She clapped her hands in praise, "Slaying the great demon in Dream Marsh and ushering in a century of peace in Yunze —such heroism, such magnanimity, truly worthy of the name Sword Lord!"

True Person Zhihua laughed again, "If the sect leader were here, he would be swayed by your bold words. What a pity..."

Zhou Wuji forced a smile.

True Person Zhihua left quickly. Zhou Wuji was very curious about the Lingming Peak cave abode, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Given True Person Zhihua's personality, he would likely tell him once the matter of the cave abode was truly resolved.

The fact that they're not saying anything proves this isn't over yet...

Zhou Wuji returned to the Demon-Expelling Hall and first went to see the hall master Yiming.

Yiming saw that Zhou Wuji had come out of seclusion so quickly, he didn't ask anything, but simply told him to do his job well.

Zhou Wuji was relieved. Yiming was a master of the Army-Breaking Lineage, and no one could tell that he had changed his physical condition so drastically after switching to the Army-Breaking Sword.

It is evident that the changes the Army-Breaking Sword brought to his body were primarily internal.

On the other hand, it also shows that Yiming is indeed not very good, and is far inferior to True Person Zhihua.

Zhou Wuji had just returned to his room when Yang Tie Ying, hearing the commotion, ran over.

Seeing his master emerge from seclusion, Yang Tie Ying was overjoyed. "Master, you're finally back! We had to change shifts while you were gone. There were two idiots who kept trying to talk to Uncle Wuming. I gave them a good scolding!"

"Well done!" Zhou Wuji praised him generously, this apprentice had grown up and knew what he should do.

He thought for a moment, then took out a box of Second-Transmutation Purple Qi Pill and handed it to Yang Tie Ying, saying, "This is a reward for you."

Yang Tie Ying grinned foolishly, "This is what I should do, Master. How could I accept a reward from you?"

That's what he said, but he was clutching the medicine box very tightly.

Zhou Wuji laughed heartily, greatly pleased; this was truly his disciple.

You can speak eloquently, but you can't miss out on the benefits.

At noon, Wuming went to the dining hall for lunch, he saw Zhou Wuji and his eyes lit up. He immediately sat down next to Zhou Wuji.

Chatting was forbidden in the dining hall, Wuming was perfectly happy just sitting next to Zhou Wuji, without having to say a word.

In the afternoon, Zhou Wuji went to see Daoist Yizhen again. Daoist Yizhen was slightly surprised to see him emerge from seclusion so quickly, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Out of consideration for Zhou Wuji, Daoist Yizhen did not arrange for him to participate in the rotation of the magic array.

Although he rarely chatted with Zhou Wuji in private, he valued Zhou Wuji highly, which had nothing to do with Wuming.

After considering it for a moment, Zhou Wuji revealed the news to Daoist Yizhen: the Fire Phoenix Army was about to enter Dream Marsh.

This is actually an extremely important message; strictly speaking, he leaked military secrets.

However, he believed in Daoist Yizhen, and also believed that Daoist Yizhen was very tight-lipped.

"Such a thing actually happened." Daoist Yizhen was greatly surprised. The Demon-Expelling Hall was responsible for maintaining the magic array and blocking the demons of Yunze. This matter was closely related to them, yet the Fire Phoenix Army had not informed them at all.

Zhou Wuji reminded him, "This matter is important; Senior Uncle should prepare in advance."

The Demon-Expelling Hall must have a complete winter duty schedule, but the Fire Phoenix Army's direct Dream Marsh will have a huge impact.

Daoist Yizhen hesitated. If this was true, adjustments would be needed to address issues such as the distribution of elixirs, Law Artifact artifacts and talismans, personnel rotation, and the maintenance of the magic array.

The problem was that Yiming hadn't said anything, so he couldn't make any adjustments on his own.

Zhou Wuji said, "The army has entered Dream Marsh; we don't know what the situation will be like. Wuming's cultivation is too weak; for now, let her go to Yunze City first."

"That's the safest approach."

Daoist Yizhen suddenly realized that this was what Zhou Wuji wanted to say, but he had been preoccupied with official business and hadn't understood Zhou Wuji's meaning. Zhou Wuji could only speak frankly...

The old Daoist priest felt a little ashamed; he hadn't even realized this. Zhou Wuji's method was indeed prudent.

Even if the army is routed, Yunze City has high walls and many people, so it should be able to hold out. The situation in the Lower Court is less certain.

Moreover, as the head of the Demon-Expelling Hall at that time, he couldn't very Wuming arrange for Wuming to run away first... leaving in advance would have solved the problem.

That very day, Daoist Yizhen sent Wuming to Yunze City. Wuming was very reluctant to leave, so Zhou Wuji took her to the Pei Household in Yunze City and told her to stay at home for a while.

Wuming knew nothing at all, and when they parted, she even told Zhou Wuji to come and see her when he had time...

With Wuming settled, Zhou Wuji breathed a sigh of relief. As for his disciple, it would be fine for him to stay in the Lower Court.

If even the Lower Court can't hold on, then there's nothing more to say.

In early December, Zhi'en convened a grand meeting at the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall. Apart from the cultivators on duty for the magic array, everyone from the Lower Court was present.

Zhi'en publicly announced that the Fire Phoenix Army was about to enter Dream Marsh to annihilate the great demon Lord of Yunmeng.

The members of the Lower Court were all greatly shocked, but due to the strict discipline of the Lower Court, no one dared to make a fuss.

Zhi'en then said that the Lower Court would send a team to accompany the army into Dream Marsh.

The crowd grew even more uneasy. Yunze was already extremely dangerous, let alone Dream Marsh. For a moment, many people lowered their heads, fearing that they would be chosen...

Zhi'en observed the expressions on everyone's faces and announced loudly, "This time, forty-nine people from the Demon-Expelling Hall and Tianxuan Hall will be selected to accompany the army."

He flicked his whisk and addressed Zhou Wuji, who was standing at the front, saying, "Wuji."

Zhou Wuji strode forward.

Zhi'en En handed Zhou Wuji a Heavenly Pivot Token in front of everyone. "This is my Heavenly Pivot Token. You will be in charge of everyone in Dream Marsh from now on."

Zhou Wuji accepted the Heavenly Pivot Token with both hands and responded in a deep voice.

All eyes of the people in Cloud Marsh Lower Court were on Zhou Wuji, their faces filled with surprise, confusion, and doubt...

In recent months, Zhou Wuji has gained considerable fame in the Lower Court, but he still cannot compare with the heads of the various halls and the hall masters.

Such an important task was actually entrusted to a junior Zhou Wuji?!