Hearing the Chief of Staff say 'he' had arrived, Zhou Fangzun knew who it was.
But he couldn't help but feel a sense of daze.
The first time he knew of his existence, he was merely a minor Profound Realm martial artist.
The first time he saw him, he was an Earth Realm martial artist, and in front of him, he had killed his confidant, Xi Butui.
The second time, the third time…
When was the last time they met?
Times had changed.
The present was different from the past. He was now a Venerable Realm great power, capable of killing a half-step Dao Integration cultivator with a single arrow, a chasm of existence that he, even with all his might, could not contend with.
Now, he was a colossal figure of the demonic path, his every move capable of stirring up storms. Ordinary people could not even mention his name. Powerful individuals from other nations retreated upon hearing his name, giving him a chance to breathe and live a few more days.
Lost in thought, Chen Jiuyang, clad in dragon-embroidered robes, calmly stepped into his tent.
Zhou Fangzun looked at him and smiled faintly:
"Long time no see."
"Indeed," Chen Jiuyang looked at Zhou Fangzun's severe injuries, his oil running dry, and couldn't help but sigh.
For the past few decades, the Five Kings of the Dragon Kingdom were the most powerful on the surface.
But with the resurgence of the great era, the landscape had changed drastically in just a few years.
This once revered King of Zhennan was now nearing his end.
With a slight movement of his finger, Zhou Fangzun gently placed a cup of tea before Chen Jiuyang, smiling as he said:
"Have some tea."
"This is tea from Jixia Academy. The Emperor of Yan only gets a few taels of allocation per year. I've been the King of Zhennan for thirty years to get this much."
Chen Jiuyang smiled and said, "Then you've truly paid a heavy price."
The two spoke calmly, with no trace of their past life-and-death enmity.
Zhou Fangzun said, "These things cannot be brought with you when you're born, nor taken with you when you die. It's time to enjoy them."
Chen Jiuyang replied, "That's true."
Zhou Fangzun smiled and said, "I heard you now have both a son and a daughter. How do you find life?"
Chen Jiuyang's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "It's still incomplete."
Zhou Fangzun nodded slowly and said, "I didn't think you would come."
"How could I not come?" Chen Jiuyang said slowly, "Although there were conflicts in between, now that things are clear, you were not at fault. It's a good thing to be able to come and send off an old friend on his final journey."
"You sent your Queen to notify me, and I will protect them. You asked me to come here, do you want me to protect the Zhennan Army?"
Zhou Fangzun was silent for a moment, then said, "Although I am using you, I am the King of Zhennan of the Dragon Kingdom. The lives of a hundred thousand soldiers, the families of a hundred thousand soldiers, cannot be destroyed by my hand."
Chen Jiuyang said, "I am now a person of the martial world. Entrusting a hundred thousand people to me is not quite appropriate…"
"Did you request support from the Five Great Sacred Lands? Penglai is not far from here."
Mentioning Penglai, Zhou Fangzun's face showed anger: "Them? Let's not mention them!"
Chen Jiuyang said, "It seems there are still more wise people in this world. You seem to have guessed something."
Zhou Fangzun looked astonished, then said, "If I don't die, how can I appease them and force them to mobilize their forces?"
Chen Jiuyang said, "This matter, let's not mention it…"
Seeing Zhou Fangzun's demeanor, he felt a surge of admiration. After holding a high position for so many years, he was still willing to sacrifice his life to stabilize the situation.
In recent days, too many Human Kings of the Dragon Kingdom had been killed or injured. Only when the Human Kings of the Dragon Kingdom were completely depleted would the Five Great Sacred Lands be forced to act. And only when the people of the Five Great Sacred Lands were depleted to a certain extent would the Emperor of Yan plan to reveal the whereabouts of the Garrison Commanders.
But he was truly curious, what kind of power did the Garrison Commander system possess that could sweep away the Five Great Sacred Lands and replace the Sword Bearer and King-sealing systems.
Chen Jiuyang picked up his teacup and said, "I have come today to bid farewell to you, my old friend."
After speaking, Chen Jiuyang drank the tea in one gulp, then rose and left Zhou Fangzun's tent.
Outside the Zhennan Army, a luxurious RV converted from a bus was parked.
Chen Jiuyang temporarily resided there.
The Southern Territory was not far from Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Chen Jiuyang sat in the RV, looking at the scenery outside the window, lost in thought.
The benevolent should not wield military power and disrupt the overall situation.
Originally, Chen Jiuyang wanted to avoid witnessing this scene, but Zhou Fangzun's request for him to come stirred ripples in his heart.
"Where are the Left and Right Guardians?"
Chen Jiuyang called out softly.
From the darkness, the Left and Right Guardians of the True Demon Sect emerged.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
The two Return to Void stage great powers respectfully said.
Chen Jiuyang asked, "How is the task I issued previously proceeding?"
The Left Guardian replied, "Reporting to the Sect Master, it is proceeding smoothly. Those who do not comply will be executed by the Grand Elder of the Punishment Hall."
Chen Jiuyang asked, "How many people are still out there executing these tasks?"
The Left Guardian replied, "There are about a thousand disciples and elders, but they are almost unable to hold on and are ready to surrender."
"Surrender?"
Chen Jiuyang's eyes were calm, and he said, "No need."
"Immediately issue an order for them to rush here and deal with the battlefield here."
"I will oversee the battle here. Whether they live or die depends on their own fortune."
The Left Guardian's eyelids twitched: "Yes, Sect Master. Your subordinate will go and convey your divine decree immediately!"
With a flick of his finger, a single sentence decided the fate of a thousand cultivators and martial artists.
This is the master of a sect!
Then, Chen Jiuyang closed his eyes and began to refine the golden elixir, while simultaneously pondering and comprehending the Four Symbols of the Heavenly Intent of the Military Path.
Time ticked by.
Until four or five in the morning the next day, the Zhennan Army sounded the assembly horn. Facing them were enemies organized by various foreign aristocratic families, including martial artists, ninjas, ability users, and more.
Chen Jiuyang slowly opened his eyes. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but think of something.
Why were there so many cultivation systems on Earth?
Not to mention the immortal path.
The martial path was divided into several paths: divine might like a prison, supernatural powers invincible, and military path unparalleled.
There were also the Gu Clan, the Confucian system, the Taoist system, the Buddhist system…
These were only the cultivation systems present in the Dragon Kingdom.
As for foreign countries, there were more than a dozen cultivation systems.
In the Lesser Immortal Realm, there was only the immortal path or the martial path.
Patriarch 'Sleepless' once said that the mortal world of Earth was the thirty-second layer of the thirty-three heavens, close to the Immortal Realm.
There were also many secrets Chen Jiuyang did not know.
Putting these aside for now, on the shore, besides the Zhennan Army, there were also over a thousand people from the True Demon Sect.
The lowest were outer disciples, followed by inner disciples, true disciples, and elders. Although their attire differed, they all bore the mark of the True Demon Sect.
Each of them looked solemn and heavy-hearted.
They were dissatisfied with Chen Jiuyang's rule and had violated the rules he had set.
But Chen Jiuyang was not someone to be trifled with.
As the Zhennan Army engaged the enemy, these thousand people from the True Demon Sect also joined the battlefield.
Mercy does not command troops, and kindness does not join the army.
The miserable screams, the unwillingness of life before its end.
Chen Jiuyang watched this scene calmly, his emotions undisturbed, and asked:
"Who is the formidable enemy that the King of Zhennan is facing?"
The Right Guardian, who had intended to plead for the disciples and elders of the sect, saw Chen Jiuyang's expressionless face and abandoned the idea, respectfully replying:
"The Lighthouse Country's A-class ability user, Scarlet Eye."