Chapter 213: Heading Toward the Demon Zone

Xima Sacred Mountain, Fan South region.

The spring here is bright, the trees provide shade, and countless flowers are in full bloom.

After months of looking at snowy mountain meadows, seeing green trees and red flowers again stirred a wanderer's feeling of returning home in his heart.

Everyone jumped off the flying boat, lined up, and then marched in step into an open camp.

In the center of the camp, a group of casually dressed girls and youths gathered in small clusters, chatting idly.

Strange!

This isn't a military camp at all; it's clearly a park.

What does Old Li want to send us soldiers here for?

Zhang Xingyu muttered a silent complaint in his heart.

His gaze swept over the crowd, then settled on a fat man.

Why is Zhu Xiaopang also here?

At that moment, he was happily chatting with a few girls.

Seeing the unit pass, the girls stood up and kept waving at the soldiers in the formation.

Zhu Xiaopang stood up reluctantly.

He glanced at the marching unit, then waved his hands excitedly.

"Brother Xingyu, Brother Xingyu, I'm here!"

Zhang Xingyu waved at Zhu Dafu.

He was about to reply when the leading Major beside him whispered, "Keep marching, mind your military bearing!"

Zhang Xingyu silently lowered his hand and continued marching forward.

At that moment, a girl clutching fresh flowers sprinted toward Zhang Xingyu.

What does this mean? Giving me flowers?

Zhang Xingyu blinked smugly.

Looks like my charm is still quite strong!

The girl ran to Zhang Xingyu's side, and he extended his hands.

But the next moment, his hands stopped in midair.

The girl hurried in front of the Major and thrust the flowers into his hands.

What the heck?

Zhang Xingyu awkwardly lowered his hands and kept marching forward.

When the unit reached the camp's center, the leading Major announced the unit's disbandment.

Zhang Xingyu retraced his steps and finally found Zhu Dafu amid a swirl of colorful skirts.

Ignoring Zhu Dafu's loud protest, Zhang Xingyu firmly pulled him out of the pile of rouge.

"Brother Xingyu, can't you wait? I'm having a great chat with the girls!"

"What are you doing? Forgetting friends for a pretty face?"

"Oh. No, I'm on a mission."

"What mission? Flirting with the girls?"

"No. We're carrying out a mission of military‑civilian unity. See those girls? They're victims of war. The Moyu invaded their homes, killed their parents, brothers and sisters. War left them with deep psychological trauma. What we must do is untie their emotional knots, dispel the demonic shadows in their hearts, and let joy and sunshine bathe them again."

"Didn't expect your woman‑chasing to be so noble."

Zhang Xingyu stopped probing the issue and instead chatted with Zhu Dafu about each other's recent circumstances over the past months.

Zhu Dafu said that after finishing basic training, he was assigned to a logistics company, responsible for refining pills for the army.

Soon after, Snow Eagle came to their unit to select candidates, and he signed up.

"With your build, how could they agree to let you join Snow Eagle?"

"It's not joining Snow Eagle, it's the selection. All disciples of our Immortal Sect can take the selection," Zhu Dafu said smugly.

Zhang Xingyu lightly tapped his head and said, "Zhu Xiaopang, why are you showing off? You're just a disciple of the Immortal Sect; what's there to brag about?"

Zhu Dafu rubbed his head grievance‑filled, "Brother Xingyu, don't be like this. You keep tapping my head; you'll make me stupid."

Zhang Xingyu glanced at him, "You kid, if you don't get tapped, you won't remember anything."

Zhu Dafu and his group have been at this camp for three days.

This place used to be a small mountain village of the Xihe Niu Prefecture, Minuo Kingdom.

Later, the demon race seized the place, looted all its supplies, and forced the villagers to the Moyu to serve as slaves.

Three months ago, the Southern Zhanzhou Volunteer Immortal Army launched a winter offensive, reclaimed the area, and turned it into a supply camp for the Volunteer Immortal Army.

After resting here for two days, the Volunteer Immortal Army's special operations brigade, the "Snow Eagle" unit, began its selection test.

A total of 220 volunteers participated in the selection, forming fifty‑six squads through a "voluntary grouping" method.

Zhang Xingyu, Zhu Dafu, and Nan Qi Yun formed a team.

Nan Qi Yun is the leading Major who arrived with Zhang Xingyu.

He looks refined and conducts himself with meticulous precision.

It is said that he was originally a battalion commander of a main combat unit. For unknown reasons, he gave up the comfortable post to join the "Snow Eagle" selection.

Nan Qi Yun holds the highest rank, and no one wanted to team up with him; seeing his plight, Zhang Xingyu generously accepted him.

The units gradually set out.

This test is extremely harsh; participants must reach Helan City at the north foot of Xima Sacred Mountain within ten days.

According to Snow Eagle commander Li Longyun, "The route and method are unrestricted; if you can arrive at Helan City within ten days, you are a Snow Eagle. If you can't, return to where you came from."

Xima Sacred Mountain stretches from south to north for over a hundred thousand li, with most of its area covered by endless white snow in uninhabited zones.

XimaShengshan has an average elevation of 22,000 kilometers, its main peak Hamuleitefeng is 35,555 meters high, making it the highest peak of Xuantiandalu, said to be a place even immortals cannot fly over.

Within ten days, several hundred thousand li.

Even with sword flight, flying in a straight line, one must fly over ten thousand li a day, at least six to seven hundred li per hour.

Ten days of nonstop flight—this difficulty is somewhat great.

Zhang Xingyu glanced at Zhu Dafu beside him and canceled the plan to travel by sword flight.

Sword flight won't work; we can try renting a flying vessel instead.

However, in Xiganiuzhou, flying vessels are strategic resources, all controlled by the bigwigs of the Volunteer Immortal Army.

Unless one has connections, it's very hard to obtain one.

I really miss the Xuanyuan No. 1. If I had my own private aircraft like that, why would I be worrying so much?

"Lieutenant Colonel Brother, do you have connections to get a high‑class flying vessel?" Zhang Xingyu asked Nanqi Yun.

Nanqi Yun shook his head.

"What about the marching route—any ideas?" Zhang Xingyu asked again.

Nanqi Yun nodded, then sketched a simple outline on the ground with a stone.

"Here is where we are, here is XimaShengshan, here is the destination HelanCheng. To reach HelanCheng on time, the shortest route is the Yihe‑Dama‑Shanzhi line. However, this route is currently under the control of the demon clan; the Yihe, Dama, and Shanzhi regions are all demon‑occupied zones, and the risk is high."

Zhang Xingyu nodded, looking toward Zhu Dafu.

"Dare or not?"

"Dare!"