Wealth moves the heart.
Chen Jiuyang asked Qingchuan Yiguang, "He won't betray you?"
"Lord Mizuki is a child I personally trained in my youth. He is loyal to me, and I trust him completely," Qingchuan Yiguang said with a solemn expression.
"Even if he betrays me, a mere Heavenly Realm expert can be killed."
Qingchuan Yiguang could not refuse the temptation of immortality offered by the immortal path. His current demeanor was repulsive, but it was Chen Jiuyang's only option to escape his predicament and leave Japan.
If Qingchuan Yiguang were to directly escort him back to the Dragon Country, they would inevitably be intercepted by the Five Great Sacred Lands.
...
Dragon Country.
Outside Meteorite Cliff.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The bell rang, and then the entire marketplace outside the forbidden zone erupted in chaos.
Su Ying'an was woken up, "What's happening?"
The one who woke him was Lieutenant Colonel Feng Shanhai. "Demonic beasts and corrupted alien races are about to emerge from Meteorite Cliff."
"That means people will die..." Su Ying'an was stunned. He hadn't been in the army for long.
Feng Shanhai cursed, "Where is there a war without casualties? Hurry up and get dressed, put on your armor, and come with me to the mess hall to eat and grab your gear."
Su Ying'an was momentarily dazed, then jolted awake. He put on his padded jacket and black steel feather armor, and followed Feng Shanhai out of the barracks.
Outside Meteorite Cliff, chaos had already broken out, with many people fleeing for their lives.
Upon arriving at the mess hall, a large number of soldiers were eating in silence, bowls in hand.
A sense of grim determination permeated the air.
Su Ying'an took his meal tray and his eyes lit up. "There's fish and meat. Plenty of good food today."
"This might be our last meal. Wouldn't they give us plenty of good food?" Feng Shanhai said irritably, then subtly nudged Su Ying'an's tray from underneath.
All the fish meat on Su Ying'an's plate ended up on his. Only a little oil and broth, along with vegetables and rice, remained.
Su Ying'an was furious, "You bastard, you stole my meat again! This is our last meal, and you're pushing it too far!"
"Stop the nonsense. I saved your life. Eat up," Feng Shanhai said.
"Have you got the Azure Python Longsword and all twelve Divine Fire Thunderstones?"
"Got them."
"Then let's go."
The cultivators of higher status in the marketplace retreated first, followed by the wealthy and powerful. Only then would commoners and ordinary people be evacuated.
Feng Shanhai led Su Ying'an to the city wall and grumbled, "Damn it, it'll take at least two days for all these people to retreat. The common folk will have to wait until the third day."
Su Ying'an looked at the terrifying curtain of rain. "Old Feng, do you think the demonic beasts will really attack? Can we hold them?"
"Who are you calling Old Feng? This is wartime, you have to call me Lieutenant Colonel. Whether we can hold them or not, just do your job. If you dare to desert, I'll be the first to cut you down."
"Go to hell. I am a son of the great Hua Xia. I will not be a deserter!" Su Ying'an rolled his eyes.
"That's good. Otherwise, I would have picked up an ungrateful wretch."
"Woooo!!!"
The assembly horn sounded, followed by a voice as deep as an abyss echoing in the sky:
"All soldiers, assemble at the training ground within half an incense stick's time. Violators will be dealt with by military law!"
Feng Shanhai grabbed Su Ying'an by the collar of his back and, like picking up a chick, lifted him and jumped off the city wall, heading towards the training ground.
At the training ground, densely packed warriors in black steel feather armor stood, their strength varying.
The atmosphere was somber and grim.
A middle-aged man holding a Fang Tian Hua Ji, tall and imposing, walked onto the training platform. Even from a distance, Su Ying'an could feel the man's intense aura of blood and power, like an abyss.
"Demonic beasts are attacking. All soldiers, listen to my orders: the military order is to ensure the evacuation of the civilians outside Meteorite Cliff. I have requested reinforcements from higher command! Deserters will be killed without mercy!"
"If I fall, the Colonel becomes the General. If the Colonel falls, the Lieutenant Colonel becomes the General. If the Lieutenant Colonel falls, the Sergeant becomes the General! We can die, but we cannot lose our ground. Do you understand!"
"Might! Might! Might!" Over ten thousand soldiers roared in unison, their battle spirit soaring!
"Disperse!"
...
The Five Great Sacred Lands.
The Forbidden City.
They had received news from Meteorite Cliff.
Five individuals sat around a jade table.
"There's been a change at Meteorite Cliff. It seems the Myriad Races' demonic beasts are attempting to emerge. Could it be that the demonic beasts can no longer suppress that being from the Immortal Realm?"
"Meteorite Cliff has been stable for so long. This anomaly suggests they want to occupy a territory to tread the ancient emperor's path."
"According to intelligence, some cultivators have detected that hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts are about to appear within Meteorite Cliff. If these demonic beasts are allowed to emerge, it will cause considerable casualties."
"What are your thoughts on how to handle this?"
"Our grand plan to ascend to the Immortal Realm is currently blocked. The war between righteous and demonic factions has begun, and we also have to guard the borders. Unless we act ourselves, how can we spare personnel to eliminate the demons?"
"Then let that brat Yan Fengyun go. It's time to force him to reveal himself for the small actions he's been undertaking behind our backs."
"As for the lives of mortals, what concern is that of ours?"
"In that case, issue an order for the Sacred Land disciples to remain in place according to the original plan. As for the demonic disaster at Meteorite Cliff, let them handle it themselves."
...
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
The cannons fired incessantly.
Each artillery shell fired could kill several demonic beasts, but it was far from enough. They were dense, like an endless swarm, numbering at least hundreds of thousands.
And how many soldiers were there outside Meteorite Cliff?
The General sighed to the Colonel, "It seems we can't hold them."
The Colonel replied, "Yes, we can't hold them."
The General said in a low voice, "Have the soldiers hold the city. I will try to alleviate the situation."
"This place is left to you."
The Colonel managed a wry smile and said, "I've toiled for twenty years and finally become a General. Don't worry."
The General turned his head away, not daring to look at his face, but patted his shoulder. Then, he picked up his Fang Tian Hua Ji and leaped forward, "Special Operations Company, follow me! Might!"
The General's Special Operations Company consisted of five hundred men. Seeing the General charge towards the endless tide of beasts, they all shouted, "Might! Might! Might!"
Five hundred men followed the General into the demonic tide.
The Colonel's lips trembled as he said, "I am now the General. All soldiers, listen to my orders! Defend the line to the death!"
"Might!"
Sometimes, the living suffer more than the dead. You can only abandon all hope and embrace death.
...
Japan.
The far north. Here, like Meteorite Cliff, the sky was filled with snow, and the cold was extreme.
There was an airport here.
Qingchuan Yiguang and Chen Jiuyang slowly walked into the airport. According to their deal, Qingchuan Yiguang was preparing to send Chen Jiuyang out of Japan to the Tsarist combat nation.
However.
As soon as the two stepped into the airport, there were no passengers inside. Instead, there were hundreds of people with considerable strength, including members of the Divine Assembly, the Japanese Imperial Family, and personnel from the Lighthouse Nation's Alpha unit.
The leader, the Divine Assembly's Alliance Leader, Katada Shuichiro, looked at Qingchuan Yiguang with disappointment. "You have disappointed me. You colluded with the enemy from within."
Qingchuan Yiguang glanced at Matsushita Mizuki standing behind the Alliance Leader. He took a deep breath, suddenly drew his sword, and slashed at Chen Jiuyang behind him:
"Sect Leader Chen, I apologize. The deal is off."
"You will die here today."