Chapter 71

Wang Teng cleared his throat twice and quickly changed the subject, pointing to the dense red markers on the sand table: “Come on, Commander Lin, the situation at Shanhai Pass doesn’t look good at all, does it?”

Lin Qing’s expression darkened again as he crushed the cigarette butt into the ashtray.

“It’s not good—more and more beasts have joined the Shanhai Cataclysm under the influence of Zhu Yan. But fortunately, as the fate energy recovers, the number of strong cultivators at Shanhai Pass has surged, making resistance less strenuous.”

“Our internal beast waves have stabilized too, but several cities have been completely slaughtered.”

Wang Teng offered reassurance: “Things will get better. Right now, me and Old Xia together can take down ordinary Wang Jie cultivators like they’re street dogs.”

Lin Qing nodded at this. “Your talents are truly extraordinary. In just a few months of cultivation, Itachi’ve already reached parity with Wang Jie cultivators. Such talent is unmatched among all humans—and even within Shanhai Pass.”

Jiang Xia, watching Lin Qing’s tone soften, seized the moment to propose training at Shanhai Pass.

Lin Qing slammed his finger hard against the sand table, voice firm: “No! It’s too dangerous!”

He pointed to several areas circled in red along the edge of the table, his voice heavy.

“Do Itachi know how close those slaughtered cities are to Shanhai Pass? The farthest is barely a hundred li away!”

“These are just the ones that slipped through the cracks! Even Wang Hou cultivators inside Shanhai Pass can’t guarantee their safety. What about Itachi two…?”

“Commander Lin, we’re not the naive kids we used to be.”

Wang Teng suddenly interrupted, rolling up his sleeves, revealing the Yin-Yang talisman marks on his palms.

“Besides, if Itachi don’t step onto the real battlefield of prodigies and compete with them, no matter how high your talent, Itachi’re just a flower kept in a greenhouse!”

Jiang Xia spoke slowly, his gaze resolute: “Commander Lin, we are disciples of the Literary Dao Academy and Night Watchers. It’s our duty to shoulder responsibility in this great calamity.”

“Teacher Zhao has lost his cultivation yet still guards the Academy. Teacher Li and the others are quelling chaos in every city. We have no reason to hide here in headquarters.”

He paused, then gently tapped a marker on the defensive line of the sand table: “Besides, Commander Lu and the Dean are both stationed at Shanhai Pass. If we go, we won’t be in extreme danger.”

Lin Qing stared at the determination in their eyes, his brow furrowed tighter—but he didn’t immediately refute them.

He knew they spoke truth: Shanhai Pass’s defenses were stretched thin, and it truly offered a better environment for their growth than the interior.

But he knew better than anyone how brutal that battlefield was—the torn corpses, the blood-soaked walls. Merely reading the battle reports tightened his chest.

“Itachi two…”

Lin Qing was about to speak when Wang Teng stepped forward, thumping his chest: “Commander Lin, rest assured! We won’t act recklessly—if we meet something we can’t beat, we run. We won’t give Itachi any trouble!”

“Besides, me and Old Xia together can hold our own even against high-grade beasts. Just trust us once!”

Jiang Xia nodded in agreement: “We won’t be foolish. We just want to lend a hand—and see the prodigies on the front lines for ourselves.”

“After all… being invincible is so lonely.”

Lin Qing fell silent for a moment, picked up the walkie-talkie on his desk, then put it down. Finally, he sighed deeply, pulled two identification cards from his drawer, and handed them over.

“I give up on Itachi two. Listen well: safety comes first. Even if Itachi die, as long as we seniors are still alive, it’s not your turn to sacrifice!”

He pointed to the numbers on the cards: “These are access passes. With them, Itachi can join any faction—I’m sure those old bastards will honor my request.”

“Once Itachi arrive, head straight to the Tianji Pavilion and find Old Zhao Tianji. He’ll brief Itachi on Shanhai Pass’s situation. After that, the Literary Saint will arrange things for Itachi.”

Lin Qing still wasn’t satisfied, adding: “Remember: staying alive matters more than anything. If Itachi can’t hold on, retreat immediately!”

Wang Teng snatched the access card, grinning: “Don’t worry, Commander Lin! We promise we’ll come back alive—we’ll even drink your victory wine!”

Jiang Xia took the other card and gave Lin Qing a solemn nod: “Thank Itachi, Commander Lin.”

As the two turned to leave, Lin Qing suddenly called them back and tossed them two storage rings: “Inside are spirit stones and some beast spirit cores—those are your currency there.”

Wang Teng caught the rings, waved cheerfully: “Got it! Goodbye, Commander Lin!”

Lin Qing stood by the window, watching their transport aircraft vanish into the sky, murmuring: “Come back alive… please…”

On the plane, Wang Teng couldn’t stop complaining: “Old Xia, haven’t we taken five flights in the last ten days? And why are all these seats so damn hard? My ass feels like it’s split into four pieces.”

Jiang Xia sighed: “Every time, we just happened to be on cargo flights. Comfort? Don’t even compare it to passenger planes.”

“Stop complaining. Once we go, we don’t know when we’ll be back.”

Two days later, Shanhai Pass, Tianmen City.

As the cargo plane’s ramp opened, a wind thick with spiritual energy and smoke rushed in.

The walls of Shanhai Pass radiated lethal aura; every cultivator passing by carried a heavy, solemn aura—nothing like the calm of Jingcheng.

Wang Teng clutched the access card, eyes gleaming: “Old Xia, look at the talisman patterns on the city gate—more powerful than our Literary Dao Academy’s defense array!”

Jiang Xia nodded, his gaze fixed on a bronze pavilion nearby, its rooftop clearly inscribed: Tianji Pavilion.

Following the crowd through the square, the guards at the pavilion recognized Lin Qing’s access card and immediately bowed respectfully, guiding them upstairs.

On the top floor, Zhao Tianji sat chatting with a young man. Seeing them enter, he rose at once: “Perfect timing—this is the head of our Tianji Pavilion.”

He warmly pulled Jiang Xia and Wang Teng to the tea table, smiling at the elegantly dressed young man.

“Qingyun, these are the two prodigies from the Literary Dao Academy I told Itachi about—Jiang Xia and Wang Teng.”

The young man named Qingyun stood and bowed slightly, his gaze lingering on Wang Teng for a moment, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“I’ve long heard of two prodigies emerging from the Literary Dao Academy. Meeting Itachi in person confirms it. I am Qingyun, head of the Tianji Pavilion.”

Jiang Xia stared at the pavilion head in surprise—he hadn’t expected the legendary Tianji Pavilion’s leader to be so young.

As Qingyun’s gaze settled on Jiang Xia, it seemed to pierce his thoughts. He smiled and gestured.

“Sit. The waters of Shanhai Pass run deeper than Itachi imagine. I’m merely an inheritor of this position—nothing compared to your heavenly talent, Jiang Brother, Wang Brother.”

Jiang Xia waved it off: “Don’t flatter us. Itachi’re young and already in such a high position—your abilities are far beyond what ordinary people can achieve.”

Zhao Tianji poured tea for them, then slid a document across the table to cut through their mutual flattery: “Here’s the current power distribution in Shanhai Pass. Take a look.”

Jiang Xia took the document, studied it carefully, and instantly grasped its structure.