Severed Cloud Pass and Fallen Star Plain
Before I even reached the ship's side, I could hear a series of suppressed sounds coming from ahead.
"Yongzhou has become like this..."
"No wonder they were in such a hurry to send people. A day's delay, and who knows how many more people would have died."
"These are all the blood of the people of Xicheng."
Lu Feng and Su Ying squeezed to the side of the ship and looked down.
Beneath the clouds, a shocking scene unfolds across the vast land.
Villages were burned down, fertile fields were reduced to ashes, and vast swathes of forest were uprooted.
Further away, wisps of smoke could be seen rising, but they were not the smoke of human cooking, but the embers of a battlefield.
Along the mountain path and riverbank, dark red bloodstains could be seen at intervals.
Some were already dry and blackened, while others still gleamed damply in the morning sun.
Lu Feng watched quietly for a long time.
His fist clenched slowly, his knuckles making a soft cracking sound.
An unprecedented anger rose from his chest, burning his internal organs.
This anger is different from the murderous intent when provoked, and also different from the competitive spirit during a contest.
"Sooner or later, I will kill all these monsters."
Su Ying spoke, her voice trembling without her even realizing it.
Yes, it will.
Lu Feng's voice was soft, but firm.
This was the first time he had felt murderous intent not for merit, not for Origin Crystal, and not for system rewards.
All he wanted to do was wipe these monsters off this land.
"We have arrived in Yongzhou, as you all have seen."
Song Xuanji's voice came from the bow of the ship, sounding heavier than usual.
"Next, the various departments will act together with the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau. Specific tasks will be assigned to you later. Each completed task will yield corresponding merits and rewards."
"Rest assured, senior, we will do our utmost to drive these beasts out of Yongzhou!"
"Yes! We won't go back until we've wiped them all out!"
Everyone echoed in agreement.
Lu Feng remained silent, simply gazing at his feet.
The Wind-Breaking Boat flew for another half an hour before the scenery below gradually improved.
The green hills and clear waters have reappeared, and the villages are once again inhabited.
This area has not yet been affected by the war, but the signs of martial law are already clearly visible.
The city walls were covered with sentry posts, and checkpoints were set up at intervals along the official road. The faces of the people coming and going were filled with repression and unease.
It wasn't until the Wind-Breaking Boat slowly landed in front of a majestic city that everyone saw the large banner erected at the city gate— the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau.
"Arrive."
After the Wind-Breaking Boat landed steadily, an elderly man with long eyebrows and white hair was already waiting below.
Seeing everyone disembark, he stepped forward and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.
"I am Qin Bailian, and I greet you all. Thank you for coming from afar to provide assistance!"
"Brother Qin, there's no need for such formalities."
Song Xuanji waved his hand, his tone lacking its usual politeness.
"How is the situation now?"
Qin Bailian glanced at Song Xuanji, then at Xiao Tianqi and Lu Qingshan beside him. Seeing the unusually serious expressions on the faces of the key figures, he seemed relieved and sighed:
"It's a long story. I originally intended to settle you all in first before explaining in detail, but..."
"No need."
Xiao Tianqi interrupted him.
"Let's discuss the battle situation first, then we'll talk about lodging. The disciples can settle in first; the rest of us will go to the council hall."
Qin Bailian nodded.
He glanced at Lu Qingshan, then at Song Xuanji, and seeing that both of them nodded slightly, he summoned several disciples and gave them instructions in a deep voice:
"Bring the geniuses from each department to their lodgings, and do not neglect them under any circumstances. If anything goes wrong, you will be held accountable."
"Yes!"
The disciples responded in unison.
"My name is Lei Ming. Please follow me."
The leader was a tall, dark-skinned boy who smiled, revealing a set of white teeth and looking quite dashing.
"Lei Ming? You're Lei Ming from the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau?"
Jiang Han stepped out from the crowd and gave the other person a somewhat surprised look.
"He's actually broken through to the Early Grandmaster."
"This must be Senior Brother Jiang Han from the South City Demon-Slaying Bureau, right?" Lei Ming asked with a smile, bowing slightly.
"I heard that Senior Brother won third place in the Hua Jin Realm of this competition. Congratulations!"
"Oh? You know me?" Jiang Han raised an eyebrow.
"Before participating in the Five-City Grand Competition, I knew a little about you all." Lei Ming smiled frankly.
"They are all outstanding individuals among their peers; it's hard not to recognize them. Everyone, please follow me."
Lei Ming led the group through the front courtyard of the fortified village and headed towards their lodgings.
The architectural style along the way is different from that of North City and Central Province, with walls mostly made of gray and white rock.
Upon arriving at the accommodation area, Lei Ming assigned each person a cave dwelling.
Lu Feng and Su Ying still share adjacent rooms, just like they did in North City and Central Province.
"The conditions are basic and not as good as headquarters, please bear with us."
Lei Ming clasped his hands in a fist salute and said a few words, then led the other disciples to continue making arrangements.
Lu Feng pushed open the door and entered the cave.
The furnishings were indeed simple: a living room, a bedroom, and a tiny corner for cultivation, but it was clean.
He had just closed the door and was about to sit down to meditate when the token at his waist began to vibrate.
When Lu Feng and Su Ying arrived at the council hall, most of the other disciples had already arrived.
The main hall was brightly lit. Xiao Tianqi, Lu Qingshan, Qin Bailian, and other heads of various departments sat on both sides, with their respective disciples standing behind them.
Lu Feng and Su Ying quickly walked up behind Xiao Tianqi and stood still. Xiao Tianqi glanced at them slightly and gestured for them to join the ranks.
After a while, everyone finally arrived.
Song Xuanji glanced around and stood up.
"After discussions among us, we have decided that everyone will head to the border early tomorrow morning. Each of you will lead a ten-person squad."
The hall was quiet, and everyone was listening attentively.
Each team consists of one demon slayer and eight demon guards.
As Song Xuanji spoke, he waved his sleeve, and dozens of streams of light flew out from his sleeve, landing precisely in the hands of each disciple.
Lu Feng caught it and saw that it was a completely black token, slightly heavy in his hand, with fine array patterns engraved on the surface, and only the number 0 on the front.
"This is a points token. It can be activated by dripping blood into it. After that, for every monster you kill, the token will automatically record the corresponding points based on the monster's rank."
You can also earn points by completing tasks!
The final ranking in this competition will be based solely on points.
He paused, then said in a deep voice, "The competition will be held in two battlefields. Severed Cloud Pass will be attended by disciples at the Hua Jin level. Fallen Star Plain will be attended by disciples at the Grandmaster level."
As soon as he finished speaking, a low commotion arose in the hall.
Like Lu Feng and Su Ying, many people's first reaction was to look at their fellow disciples.
Su Ying turned her head away and whispered, "Wouldn't that mean we'd have to break up?"
"It's just splitting up to fight, not a matter of life and death." Lu Feng smiled.
"Besides, the two battlefields aren't far apart. If you miss me, Senior Sister, just fly over."
Su Ying rolled her eyes at him, but didn't refute him.