The Earth Ghost nodded silently.
Tian Shuang patted his chest, "Please rest assured, sect! Who am I, Tian Shuang? How many times have I completed such tasks, don’t I understand the key points?"
"Walking outside with the Earth Ghost, since we represent the sect, we will definitely consider the bigger picture. Please rest a thousandfold assured!!"
Tian Shuang was quite straightforward, making a promise on the spot.
The Nascent Soul level fellow disciple, seeing their firm expressions, then took out a Jade Slip, "Here are the task details. If you have any doubts, please feel free to speak."
Heaven and Earth Ghosts invested their Divine Sense, checking the content inside.
The Earth Ghost raised his eyebrow, "Flying Cloud Country, Dragon Loach Mountain?"
Tian Shuang: "If we are to go abroad, is the road pass ready? After all, our reputations precede us, both being standouts at the Nascent Soul Level."
The Earth Ghost nodded, assisting, "Without a road pass, it might provoke the vigilance and response of the Flying Cloud Country."
The Nascent Soul level fellow disciple shook his head, "You two are representing the sect and secretly redeeming people from the other side. How can you use a road pass or such things? How can you openly enter and exit national borders?"
The Earth Ghost nodded again, "I understand now."
Tian Shuang laughed heartily, "Rest assured, we will surely handle this matter well!"
Liangzhu Country.
The Upper General Mansion.
Mu Lan had been in closed-door cultivation for over a month; now she reached the last critical moment of her practice.
The female general sat cross-legged, her mind sinking into her Dantian, where two army types confronted each other.
The Red Flower Army type was massive, resembling a king flower. On the other side, the Blood Tide Crossbow Soldiers’ type was closely knit, particularly tenacious.
"The timing is ripe." Mu Lan immersed her entire mind into the Red Flower Army type.
In an instant, she arrived in a city. Countless petals overlapped like armor, forming a flower armor city. Stems and veins like lances stretched out in all directions. When Mu Lan ascended the city wall, the heart of the flower was like a red gold military flag, fluttering in the wind.
Meanwhile, the representation of the Blood Tide Crossbow Soldiers’ type was a low surrounding river embankment.
Behind the embankment, the roaring tides hid squads of blood-armored crossbow guards, their crossbow mechanisms gleamed coldly like fish backs, bowstrings lightly quivering like rain strands, poised for release, with their momentum concentrated like iron.
Without a Main General, no military flag appeared in the ranks of the Blood Tide Crossbow Soldiers.
Mu Lan’s expression was solemn to the extreme, slowly raising her hand.
In her Dantian, the Red Flower Dharma Image moved its enormous body, soaring into the sky, directly enveloping the Blood Tide Crossbow Army type.
Reflected before Mu Lan’s eyes, the distance between the Red Flower city and the blood embankment was suddenly closed, launching a fierce battle.
The Blood Tide Crossbow Soldiers in the front row knelt, while those in the back raised crossbows, tens of thousands of arrows simultaneously drew, with the sound of crossbows merging. Countless arrows, like torrential rain, with cold glints on their tips, pierced through flowers and waves, riddling the flower armor city walls with holes.
Even though Mu Lan had deeply understood the Blood Tide Crossbow Army type during her closed-door bitter cultivation, she couldn’t help but be slightly shocked by the powerful offensive that this army type unleashed at this moment.
The military flag behind Mu Lan shook violently, and a brand new city wall was erected, while numerous red flower buds spawned and spread over the blood embankment, covering it entirely.
Mu Lan commanded the Red Flower Dharma Image, while the Blood Tide Crossbow Army type was without command. The gap between them was qualitative!
More than two hours later.
The Red Flower Army type completely swallowed the Blood Tide Crossbow Army type; amidst the fierce battle, it was also the process of erosion, quenching, and fusion.
The newly born Red Flower Army type was even more powerful, its previous pale red hue becoming deeper, heavier, as if having undergone a baptism of blood and fire.
The tip of every petal became extraordinarily sharp, like an arrow.
"I succeeded!"
Mu Lan’s cross-legged body trembled slightly, slowly opening her eyes.
At that moment, a streak of blood-red brilliance flashed in the depths of her eyes.
Mu Lan immediately sensed, instinctively looking north.
In her perception, far in the north, there were two small clusters of Red Flower Army type power, very faint, vaguely echoing with her own army type.
The sense quickly vanished without a trace, but Mu Lan had already grasped it.
"This is the power of the Red Flower Dharma Image. It should be those two micro Dharma Images I captured from Lin You and Wu Hen and handed over to Young Master Ning Zhuo."
"Strange, how could they support for so long? Under normal circumstances, half a month would be enough to exhaust them."
Mu Lan instantly thought of an answer.
"Yes."
"During this closed-door cultivation, to successfully integrate the Blood Tide Crossbow Army type, I enhanced the Red Flower Army type in advance with National Power Bricks."
"The original source strengthened, so the external Dharma Image power also enhanced, becoming more durable."
"I wonder how Young Master Ning Zhuo is doing. Is traveling outside more exciting than being in the Thousand Peak Forest?"
"And... has any other woman appeared beside him?"
Mu Lan indulged in a brief thought, then promptly collected her thoughts.
She was never the kind of naive girl, shifting her thoughts to the main topic, "The Thousand Peak Forest campaign failed, but because of my meritorious service, I stabilized the Upper General Mansion."
"The military achievements weren’t much. But... Prince Qiming gifted me the Blood Tide Crossbow Army type."
Prince Qiming is quite old, holding an esteemed position within Liangzhu Country, almost never engaging in ordinary state affairs.
This sudden gift of an army type to Mu Lan shocked the entire Liangzhu political arena.
Mu Lan barely stabilized the Upper General Mansion’s situation due to her merit. Prince Qiming’s support signified his favor towards the Upper General Mansion, dramatically altering Mu Lan’s position.
Now, no faction or high-level figure, even the Monarch, dares to underestimate the Upper General Mansion.
Mu Lan was deeply puzzled by Prince Qiming’s actions and immediately raised the question.
Prince Qiming explained to her: his eyes saw light, and through a Divination, he concluded—supporting the Upper General Mansion benefits Liangzhu Country.
Prince Qiming didn’t possess any legacy of Divination or destiny, but he had a peculiar innate skill called Night Ends Light Blindness.
Born blind, Prince Qiming saw only darkness. But whenever light appeared in darkness, he would have certain premonitions, sensing critical choices at the moment, which would significantly impact the future.
"In any case, as of now, it’s a good thing for my Upper General Mansion."
"As for the cost to be paid in the future, we’ll talk about that later."
Mu Lan pushed open the stone door of the Cultivation Room.
The foundational value of the Red Flower Army type had greatly increased, and now she had a brand new army type. She was eager to start training troops immediately, to cultivate the Blood Tide Crossbow Soldiers and enhance the entire Red Flower Camp’s strength.
Myriad Images Sect.
Today was very lively.
Because the enrollment for the Feiyun Conference was taking place.
From his position up in the clouds, Ning Zhuo could see the line stretching from the mountaintop down to the foot of the mountain.
The registration area at the top of the mountain was surrounded and crowded.
Outer disciples, Inner Sect disciples, etc., all relied on their sect identity to cut the line openly, causing the chaos.
The real queues were formed by those at the bottom of the mountain.
"Brother Ning!" Shen Xi arrived just in time and met up with Ning Zhuo.
Behind him, naturally, was his cousin, Su Lingkou.
He had connections.
Ning Zhuo nodded and landed directly at the top of the mountain with Shen Xi.
The registration point was just a makeshift grass shed.
The cultivator sat down again, took the Jade Slip, inscribed the name Ning Zhuo on the Token, and then stood up and respectfully handed the Token to Ning Zhuo.
"Daoist Fellow Ning, here you go."
Ning Zhuo accepted the token, nodding his thanks.
The cultivator continued, "I wish you good luck in the competition, especially since spots are limited this time and the situation is quite fierce."
Ning Zhuo smiled faintly, "Thank you very much."
When the token was handed over to Shen Xi, the latter was slightly surprised. "You’re not participating, Brother Ning?"
"Of course not, Shen Family has raised you well. I am here to accompany you this time."
Shen Xi immediately clasped his fist in gratitude, "Thank you, truly, Brother Ning."