When the Fire Phoenix Army first entered the Dream Marsh, they experienced a series of fierce battles, killing many ferocious Demon Beast, but inevitably suffering casualties among their soldiers.
Fortunately, Zhou Wuji and his men rescued and brought back the wounded, which was excellent news for the entire Fire Phoenix Army.
Although the rumors of a living god were exaggerated, they could greatly boost the morale of the lower-ranking soldiers.
The attack on Dream Marsh went more smoothly than anyone had anticipated.
Many soldiers had participated in the last Battle of Dream Marsh, and that defeat left a deep impression on many.
Many people had mixed feelings about returning to Yunze this time, wanting to avenge their previous defeats but also fearing a repeat of the past.
The initial victory was a minor triumph, and everything went smoothly, greatly boosting the morale of the Fire Phoenix Army.
When it was time for dinner that evening, although the army was keeping quiet, most of the soldiers had excited expressions on their faces.
Zhou Wuji did not observe what the soldiers were saying or whether they were discussing his miraculous methods of saving people. Instead, he used his Six Yang Dharma Eye to observe the invisible Qi and Blood power gathered by the army.
Upon entering the Dream Marsh, the Fire Phoenix Army was undoubtedly suppressed by the dense Spiritual Qi of the secret realm, and their invisible Qi and Blood power was greatly reduced.
Although the army was resting after the meal, their concentrated Qi and Blood and blood energy became even stronger.
The invisible Qi and Blood that gathered inside and outside the military camp rose into the sky like crimson flames, reaching a height of hundreds of feet.
Clearly, changes in morale have a significant, even fundamental, impact on the cohesion and fighting Qi and Blood of an army.
Zhou Wuji believed that such a large army was capable of directly confronting any powerful individual in the world.
Three thousand elite soldiers may not seem like many, but in reality, the weakest of these soldiers are all at the Manifest Force Jin level, and the number of Hidden Force levels is countless.
They possessed superior armor and weapons, highly skilled combat techniques, and strength and agility far exceeding that of ordinary people.
This large army can be said to be the elite force cultivated by the Xie Household over hundreds of years, the best of the best.
An army that can easily number in the tens or hundreds of thousands may not actually have half of its soldiers capable of fighting.
Not to mention such elite troops, there might not be one in ten soldiers.
The elite soldiers were treated far better than ordinary soldiers. Their armor, weapons, daily pay, food supplies, and other expenses added up to a huge amount.
No truly powerful military has a very large number of personnel.
Such an elite army would be an extremely powerful force anywhere it is deployed.
It is precisely because a powerful army can defeat strong individuals and powerful monsters that it can maintain the stability of the dynasty and preserve order.
Zhou Wuji felt this made sense; if a group or organization cannot fight against an individual, then the group or organization loses its meaning and will inevitably collapse.
He knew of the power of martial artists before, but it was only after joining the army on this expedition that he truly witnessed its might.
Of course, once one's cultivation reaches the True Person Zhihua, as long as they are not entangled by experts, they can simply watch the army fly away into the distance.
No matter how powerful an army is, it doesn't have many options against someone of this level.
Lord of Yunmeng is said to be Third Rank great demon, so he should be able to fly, right?
Zhou Wuji became curious again: what methods did the Fire Phoenix Army have to deal with Lord of Yunmeng?
Unfortunately, his status was ultimately too low; True Person Zhihua wouldn't say these things, and Xie Lingyun certainly wouldn't.
Fortunately, he didn't waste his time; at least he gained some reputation within the military.
Most importantly, I witnessed the fighting style of a large army and understood the fundamental reason for its strength...
The next day, the army broke camp and set off, with Zhou Wuji leading a large group of cultivators at the rear.
In terms of safety, the central camp is definitely the safest. However, the Qi and Blood and blood power gathered in the central camp is too strong. Ordinary cultivators simply cannot circulate their True Qi, and their Divine Sense will be severely suppressed. Over time, their Divine Sense may even collapse, leading to death.
Zhou Wuji has mastered the Army-Breaking Sword, and his martial arts level has reached the Sixth Rank. He is perfect in both internal and external aspects. As long as he does not release his Divine Sense, he will not be suppressed by the Qi and Blood and qi of the army.
Lower-level cultivators are not immune. After all, there are very few people like Yang Tie Ying and Li Ruyi who have cultivated Hidden Force. Moreover, Yang Tie Ying and the others are also affected, but they can still withstand it with their strong bodies by suppressing their True Qi.
As the army marched forward, they encountered more and more monsters.
Despite their superior equipment and disciplined battle formation, the Fire Phoenix Army still suffered casualties when faced with attacks from various demonic creatures both in the sky and on the ground.
The injured were all sent to Zhou Wuji, and after their conditions were stabilized, they were placed under the special protection of a team of people.
With a large number of wounded trailing behind, the Fire Phoenix Army's marching speed was getting slower and slower.
On the seventh day after venturing deep into the Dream Marsh, there were already more than a hundred wounded, and their injuries were all quite serious.
The large number of wounded soldiers slowed the army's advance.
Xie Shidao, the commander of the Fire Phoenix Army, found the True Person Zhihua, and Zhou Wuji, as the True Person's attendant, also arrived at the central command tent.
It was called a large tent, but it was actually only slightly larger than a regular tent. Inside, there was just a desk, a chair, and a wooden bed; the furnishings were very simple.
Zhou Wuji also got a close look at Xie Shidao, the commander of the army. He had the narrow eyes of the Xie Household, long eyebrows like swords, a thick beard under his chin, wore crimson scale armor, was of medium build, and looked very elegant and composed.
Xie Shidao also noticed the young Daoist behind True Person Zhihua and knew that this was the divine physician Zhou Wuji. He praised him warmly.
Zhou Wuji found this commander to be so gentle, which was very different from the image of a decisive and ruthless commander he had imagined.
He was slightly surprised, and immediately offered a few polite and modest words.
"Master Zhou possesses miraculous skills to bring the dead back to life, and everyone in the army is deeply grateful."
Xie Shidao then changed the subject. "However, more than a hundred wounded soldiers cannot fight if they continue to follow the main army, and they will encounter various dangers."
"This place is only a little over a hundred miles from the Cangwu Ancient Tree; if we go any further, we will enter the Tree Palace area."
"I've decided to leave the wounded here, with two teams of a hundred men each to guard them. Master Zhou and many other cultivators will also stay here."
Xie Shidao looked at True Person Zhihua: "What is your opinion, True Person?"
True Person Zhihua pondered for a moment and then said, "Let's do as the commander says."
Emerging from the central command tent, Zhou Wuji said, " True Person, I want to see what the great demon looks like. We're already here, what's the point of stopping here?"
"I didn't realize you enjoyed joining in the fun." True Person Zhihua glanced at Zhou Wuji with a half-smile, his bright eyes filled with amusement.
Zhou Wuji hurriedly pledged his loyalty. "I wish to serve the True Person!"
True Person Zhihua smiled and said, "Don't worry, you have already made a great contribution on this trip. Xie Shidao will personally write to the imperial court to commend you."
She paused for a moment and then said, " The Cangwu Ancient Tree is over a thousand feet tall, with its roots spreading over hundreds of miles, forming a vast Law Domain."
"Speaking of the Cangwu Ancient Tree alone, it should have originated from the very source of dreams, making it far more powerful than Lord of Yunmeng. Fortunately, this thing has no sentience."
"Only a massive army, with its combined energy blazing like fire, could break through the Law Domain. Any other cultivator, even one far surpassing Lord of Yunmeng in cultivation, wouldn't be able to find him within the Lord of Yunmeng Cangwu Tree Palace..."
The ancient tree, over a thousand feet tall, is like a mountain. Such a huge ancient tree occupies a radius of hundreds of miles, forming its own Law Domain. What a magnificent sight that must be!
Zhou Wuji felt a longing for these things. But when he heard what True Person Zhihua meant, it was clear that he had no intention of taking him inside.
True Person Zhihua said to Zhou Wuji, "If Xie Shidao can find Lord of Yunmeng, we can win this battle."
"If they cannot find it, no matter how strong the army's energy is, it will not last ten days as it is constantly being depleted in the Cangwu Tree Palace."
"At that time, the army could only retreat in disarray. If Lord of Yunmeng had launched an ambush, it might have resulted in another major defeat."
True Person Zhihua said solemnly, " The Xie Household is betting everything in this battle; if they don't win, they will die."
Why bother joining in the fun? Just wait outside.
Zhou Wuji nodded hurriedly. "I will follow your instructions True Person!"
He then asked with some concern, "What will happen to you, True Person, if we suffer a crushing defeat?"
True Person Zhihua calmly replied, "I have my own way of escaping. I can't possibly die with the Xie Household."
She added, "Be alert. If anything seems amiss, take the others and leave. Don't just stand there foolishly."
"Yes," Zhou Wuji replied softly.
Back at the camp where the Lower Court was stationed, Zhou Wuji had mixed feelings. He had thought that the army was in high spirits and had a sure chance of victory.
After all that fuss, it turns out the Xie Household is going to fight to the death.
Xie Shidao, who appears calm and composed, is actually a gambler!
Seeing Zhou Wuji deep in thought, Yang Tie Ying asked, "Master, what's wrong?"
"It's alright, we'll stay here tomorrow and guard these wounded."
Zhou Wuji instructed, "Without the protection of the large army, and with so many monsters in Dream Marsh, we must be on high alert."
"You also need to be more vigilant. Stop loitering around aimlessly and do something productive."
"Yes, yes..." Yang Tie Ying was scolded by his master, and although his face turned red, he dared not argue.
He hasn't done anything productive these past few days; he just wanders around aimlessly, finding everything fascinating.
People knew he was Zhou Wuji's disciple and treated him with great courtesy. He appreciated this, and whenever he encountered someone he didn't know, he would simply introduce his master and he would always receive a warm welcome.
Master must have seen it Heavenly Capital, but he's just too lazy to say anything to it.
The army set off the next day, leaving behind two hundred-man squads, a group of wounded, and many cultivators from the Lower Court.
The two commanders who managed the hundred-man team were named Xie Yunjing and Wang Xing.
The two were very polite to Zhou Wuji. After discussing it with him, they decided to rebuild the camp and construct some new fortifications in the distance.
The main task was to dig trenches, clearly demarcate the camp area, place chevaux-de-frise around the perimeter, cut down trees to build fences, and spread caltrops around the fences.
When True Person Zhihua left, he left behind a considerable amount of supplies, enough for them to stay here for more than a month.
Xie Yunjing and Wang Xing were both capable and serious in their work. In just one day, the camp had already taken shape.
Zhou Wuji ignored all of that and gathered all the cultivators together, explaining the precautions to them and forbidding them from leaving the camp without permission.
In just a few days, Zhou Wuji had established his authority through his powerful Law Technique. At his command, everyone responded in unison.
The wounded are in stable condition, so the cultivator doesn't really need to do anything, just change their dressings periodically...
With nothing else to do, Zhou Wuji circulated his qi and regulated his breathing in his own tent, occasionally using the Big Dipper as Eyes to observe the situation ahead.
As his Divine Sense increased, his Big Dipper as Eyes could see up to two hundred miles away. This was actually an extremely large range.
However, the farther you look, the more your True Qi and Divine Sense are consumed.
Although the Spiritual Qi in the Yunze Secret Realm is abundant, the condensed cloud energy is quite peculiar. Zhou Wuji tried several times, and the cloud energy here would strongly interfere with the Big Dipper as Eyes.
Xie Shidao said that this place was only a hundred miles away from the Cangwu Tree Palace, but when Zhou Wuji looked with the Big Dipper as Eyes, he could only see a vast expanse of white.
He could only vaguely see the dense vitality permeating the depths of the white mist; that must be the so-called Cangwu Ancient Tree, right?
Zhou Wuji glanced at it, and 60% of his True Qi was already depleted. He didn't dare to look any longer.
Even in the Dream Marsh, one must remain vigilant at all times.
His True Qi and Divine Sense would naturally recover, taking one or two hours. Zhou Wuji wasn't in a hurry; he would wait until he was fully recovered before taking another look...
The army entered the Cangwu Tree Palace, and then vanished without a trace, as if a stone had sunk into the sea.
The people stationed at the camp were all somewhat anxious, but there was nothing they could do but continuously strengthen the camp's defenses and prepare for any eventuality.
On the third night after the army left, Zhou Wuji, as usual, patrolled the area around the camp.
He couldn't see much at the Cangwu Tree Palace, so he didn't waste his energy. He'd rather patrol the area around the camp.
As the Big Dipper Seven Stars shone brightly in the depths of the night sky, Zhou Wuji "saw" clusters of life-giving lights shimmering around the camp, some of which were quite powerful.
A chill ran through him. "Oh no..."