Chapter 845: Genuine and Authentic

Three Forks, Underground City, Earth Market.

Qiao Yi finished writing a letter and called out: “Shang You, take this—”

He held the letter, paused for a moment, and said nothing.

Nian Shangyou had long vanished; he disappeared in Duoque Mountain (Qunying Mountain), most likely killed in battle.

He put the letter back on the desk, sat silently for a long while, then called out: “General He!”

He Jiaqing entered from the doorway.

The Prince of Anshun recommended He Jiaqing as Vanguard Commander; Qiao Yi said He Jiaqing still needed training. The Prince of Anshun, growing impatient, directly sent He Jiaqing to Qiao Yi’s side, insisting he be trained under him.

The Prince’s intent was clear: he was telling Qiao Yi he intended to promote his own man, and he was asking whether Qiao Yi would grant him this favor.

The position of Vanguard Commander was out of the question—Qiao Yi still didn’t trust He Jiaqing. Since the Prince of Anshun had sent him, Qiao Yi kept him as a menial.

He Jiaqing was adaptable and truly accepted the role willingly, doing everything: delivering messages, relaying orders, sweeping, preparing meals, guarding—anything required.

Unlike Nian Shangyou, this menial had no authority to discuss military or political affairs with Qiao Yi; he could only stand outside, listen for orders, and carry them out.

Qiao Yi admired He Jiaqing for this: Shu Wanjuan had once been fiercely loyal to Qiao Yi, but if Shu Wanjuan had been given this task,

he would have refused outright. Yet He Jiaqing not only accepted it, but performed it diligently and conscientiously.

Qiao Yi handed the letter to He Jiaqing and ordered him to deliver it to the Vanguard Camp.

Watching He Jiaqing’s back, Qiao Yi fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly: “After all, he’s a thief. Let’s see how long you can hide.”

Three Forks, Sea Market.

Six earth-carrying ships sailed across the sea; ahead, a line of warships halted them, and a group of naval soldiers boarded to inspect.

These sailors were from the Shang Kingdom’s navy. Dan Buda stopped the ship and, alongside Chu Shaoqiang, stood at the bow like two humble, honest boatmen, perfectly obedient.

Many laborers on other ships also stood quietly—they weren’t living people, but clay figures molded by the Heavenly Maiden.

Chu Shaoqiang appeared calm, but his heart was about to leap from his chest.

Dan Buda looked nervous, yet inside he felt utterly at ease—not a single bead of sweat broke out until the sailors left the ship.

Chu Shaoqiang marveled: “You’re really not afraid?”

“What’s there to fear?” Dan Buda picked up an orange, peeled it, and ate a segment. “We’re not thieves—we’re fencing stolen goods. Fencing is business. I’ve never been afraid when fencing—business must be legitimate, no hiding or sneaking!”

Chu Shaoqiang glanced at the sea, where many other ships were visible: “All ships traveling from Exchange Island to the port carry troops. Only our ship carries earth. Isn’t it too conspicuous to dock like this?”

Dan Buda shook her head: “Ever since the Earth Market and Sea Market opened in the Underground City, exchanging earth has been tradition. Transporting earth from Exchange Island to the Earth Market is natural. Unless Qiao Yi has banned earth exchange, no one will stop us.”

Chu Shaoqiang asked: “What if Qiao Yi bans earth exchange?”

Dan Buda glared at Chu Shaoqiang: “If he banned it, how could we have made it this far? Those soldiers just now wouldn’t have let us pass!”

The six ships sailed straight to the port. Chu Er slipped off the ship and, under Li Banfeng’s cover, returned alone to the Human Market.

Yuan Miaoping and the projector used an illusion to leave the ship floating on the sea, then released six carts from within and headed toward the Earth Market.

Along the way to the Earth Market, checkpoints still appeared. One soldier, seeing the earth-carrying carts, grew suspicious: “Aren’t all earth carts now used for troop transport? Why are these still carrying earth?”

Another soldier saw nothing unusual: “Don’t you eat? The Underground City will be ours. Without earth exchange, we can’t grow food—we’d have to eat coal.”

“Coal isn’t inedible—it fills you up!”

“We ate coal at home, and now we’re in Pulu Province and still eating coal? Why bother fighting so hard?”

“I’m just worried about these carts—”

“Master Qiao never banned earth transport. Earlier, with so many troops arriving, we used ships and carts for troop movement. Now that troop numbers have dropped, we’ve freed up some ships and carts for earth. Isn’t that normal? Why worry?”

The six carts were delivered to the fields, and Dan Buda personally unloaded the earth.

Six carts of earth covered thousands of acres!

Though the Earth Market was vast, so much new earth piled high—some mounds over ten feet tall—would inevitably draw suspicion.

Chu Shaoqiang turned pale: “How can we hide so much earth?”

Dan Buda wasn’t worried at all. She found a temple amid a towering earth mound. Li Banfeng sat at its center, and tens of thousands of Dao Laogui had burrowed into the soil.

Dan Buda said to Li Banfeng: “We’ve reached the Earth Market. Bring out that bitch to cover it up.”

Li Banfeng summoned the Heavenly Maiden and Yuan Miaoping.

Dan Buda stuck out her tongue: “You only needed to call Yuan Miaoping—who said I wanted her?”

Yuan Miaoping gazed at the endless earth, extending her antennae: “Thank goodness this is the Earth Market. In any other place, I couldn’t have concealed it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help,” said the Heavenly Maiden, brushing her hair aside, drawing a bucket of water, mixing it with soil, and shaping a small house.

Li Banfeng knew the area had Zhai Xiu techniques, but this house was far too crude: “Can this even serve as a dwelling?”

The Heavenly Maiden stared at the earthen house, unsure how to answer: “It can, and it can’t. For now, this house has no foundation and lacks spiritual essence—it absolutely cannot serve as a dwelling.

But over time, as spiritual essence is gradually restored, the foundation will form naturally, and it will slowly become a proper dwelling—perhaps even develop a Zhai Spirit.”

The Heavenly Maiden swiftly activated her technique. Li Banfeng thought she was about to create a boundary and hurried to stop her: “Not yet.”

The Heavenly Maiden did not form a boundary: “In this battle, I follow your orders. When you set the time, I’ll create the boundary. When I receive your command, I’ll trigger it.

The technique I just used is called ‘Disdainful Indifference.’ Originally a Dao Sect’s innate talent, it evolved into a Cloud Technique after refinement.”

As a Yun-6 Zhai Xiu, Li Banfeng understood the Heavenly Maiden’s meaning: this Cloud Technique functioned similarly to the Zhai Xiu’s innate talent of being overlooked—Zhai Xiu could make themselves ignored, or make people and objects around them ignored.

The Heavenly Maiden pushed this talent to its limit, causing a specific type of object within a region to be overlooked.

The soil in this area was overlooked—not because it couldn’t be seen, but because passersby would consider it normal for the Earth Market to have earth, unworthy of notice.

Li Banfeng found this fascinating. He looked around; the surrounding soil showed no tangible change, yet the terrifying power of the technique lay precisely in its lack of change.

If Li Banfeng had merely passed through this field on a country road without intent to investigate, he would never have noticed anything unusual.

“Teach me this technique someday.”

The Heavenly Maiden nodded: “I can teach you, but this technique has limited use. To use Disdainful Indifference, it must be applied reasonably.

We can conceal this earth because the Earth Market is supposed to have earth—so soil is easy to hide. But if we brought an entire mountain here, the deception would collapse.

Not even a pile of rocks could be fully concealed. Most rocks are covered by soil, but the ones that stick out still require Yuan Miaoping’s intervention.”

The Heavenly Maiden lifted Yuan Miaoping and moved swiftly between the fields. Where rocks couldn’t be covered, she had Chu Shaoqiang grind their surfaces flat,

then used the smoothed surfaces as screens to project images.

Li Banfeng, still uneasy, swapped in A Yu from Hulucun.

A Yu marked visible flaws, and Yuan Miaoping repaired them.

Li Banfeng found Lv Huazi in a cave.

As the Lord of Bing Xiu, Lv Shu Gong had his own influence on Dao Laogui Ridge. He commanded over twenty thousand Dao Laogui, all capable fighters, but Lv Huazi and Li Banfeng hadn’t yet finalized their deal.

“Old Seven, you pay three fen, I contribute three fen of effort; you pay seven fen, I contribute seven fen. That’s our business rule.” He could fight, but different tactics meant different prices—Lv Shu Gong refused to bargain.

Li Banfeng frowned: “Your price is too high!”

“High? I think it’s fair!” Lv Huazi paused, eyes red, face filled with sorrow and anguish, and said to Li Banfeng: “Forget the distant past. Just consider Cui Ti!

Cui Ti was a sensible child, talented and diligent in cultivation. I fed him drop by drop with my own blood-turned-pus to raise him to Cloud Level—you saw this yourself!

How precious is my pus? Now, for your sake, how much will I expend? Do the math yourself—is my price too high?”

Li Banfeng still thought the deal unfair: “Not all pus is the same. The pus you gave Cui Ti was pure essence. This time, you won’t even be using proper material!”

“Don’t you know what I’m using? Didn’t I demonstrate it already?” Lv Huazi extended his arm, found a fully matured abscess,

squeezed out a glob of white pus, and held it toward Li Banfeng: “Come, taste it. See if it’s the right quality.”

Li Banfeng kicked Lv Huazi: “Why would I taste that? Keep your pus stored. Don’t fool around—we already don’t have enough.”

Lv Huazi grinned: “Deal settled?”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “Not yet. We’ll decide when the battle begins!”

Lv Huazi grew impatient: “You’re so indecisive! The Peddler always closed deals on the spot!”

No matter what he said, Li Banfeng remained silent.

These days, Li Banfeng realized a problem: many situations the Peddler faced had no solution.

A Yu helped the Heavenly Maiden and Yuan Miaoping conceal the loose Dao Laogui Ridge, then joined Li Banfeng and Zhao Xiao in the Earth Market to inspect every camp’s deployment.

This was the final reconnaissance before battle. All three were utterly vigilant.

At eight p.m., the three returned to the loose Dao Laogui Ridge, preparing to deploy.

Zhao Xiao stood in the center of the earth mound, spat out a giant horn. Steam continuously spewed from its mouth, yet no sound was heard.

Yun-Cloud Technique of the Sound Cultivator: Great Sound is Silent.

This sound had direction: those meant to hear it heard it deafeningly loud; those not meant to hear heard nothing—unless they were an extremely powerful Kuixiu .

Soon, the earth beneath surged and churned, and over ten thousand Dao Laogui emerged from the soil.

They formed a circle, silently watching the Dao Laogui War God.

Li Banfeng wore a black suit, black shirt, black top hat, and held a feather duster. Amid Niangzi’s ancient war chant, he danced a war dance.

A Yu still didn’t understand: “Can Dao Laogui understand Zhao Xiao’s war chant?”

The Heavenly Maiden felt no issue: “Art is universal. I sense courage and conviction in this song.”

A Yu glanced at the projector, then turned to the Heavenly Maiden: “Don’t learn to speak like that movie machine—he films everything. He’s shameless.”

When the dance ended, Li Banfeng nodded to the Heavenly Maiden.

Now, prepare the boundary.

The Heavenly Maiden closed her eyes, stood straight. Soon, her body slowly rose into the air.

Cold winds blew in waves; her long hair fluttered as she slowly sensed the boundaries of the Earth Market.

A Yu flew beside her, helping her refine the boundary details around the Earth Market. Creating the boundary required not only immense power but precise control.

After several hours, the Heavenly Maiden opened her eyes and nodded slightly to Li Banfeng: “Boundary complete. Ready to activate at any time.”

It was not yet time to activate the boundary, but delay could not be prolonged.

This boundary was created in a short time—maintaining both power and precision drained the Heavenly Maiden’s strength continuously, whether activated or not.

Li Banfeng activated the Technique of Solitary Shadow, summoning twelve Earthly Branch shadows, each carrying ten Zhaixiu shadows, leading a thousand Dao-Lao Ghosts, each acting independently.

Banfengzi led a thousand Dao-Lao Ghosts for over twenty li, faintly spotting a Totem Army encampment; it was not large, but according to the map, this camp should house over five thousand soldiers.

Banfengzi immediately split the thousand Dao-Lao Ghosts into ten squads, each to assault a different part of the enemy camp.

Each of the ten squads had distinct routes and missions, all pre-planned by Zhao Xiaowan.

Banfengzi led over a hundred elite Dao-Lao Ghosts forward, approaching the enemy camp to within three li—then he could go no further.

His Zhaixiu talent was excellent, and he could protect those around him, but this was an enemy encampment—patrols, sentries, and watchtowers were everywhere; with his abilities alone, he could not sneak a hundred Dao-Lao Ghosts inside undetected.

Zhao Xiaowan had prepared the tactic in advance: all hundred Dao-Lao Ghosts burrowed underground.

Banfengzi lay flat against the ground, waiting silently. Soon, movement stirred within the camp.

Banfeng Yi was assigned to lure the enemy—he led over a hundred Lvxiu shadows into the enemy camp, killed two Totem soldiers, then turned and fled.

With Broken Path Clearing and Unimpeded Passage, the Lvxiu shadows could flee at will—the Totem soldiers could not effectively block them.

Banfeng Yi ran toward Banfengzi’s position, with hundreds of Totem soldiers chasing hard behind.

When he reached the designated spot, Banfeng Yi did not pause a moment—he led the shadows straight toward the next camp.

Banfengzi let out a long howl; over a hundred Dao-Lao Ghosts burst from the earth and clashed with the Totem soldiers.

In individual combat, Dao-Lao Ghosts were far weaker than Totem soldiers, but their bodies were tough, holding their ground for a long time.

The Totem soldiers inside the camp rushed reinforcements; the Dao-Lao Ghosts hidden nearby emerged one by one, ambushing every relief force.

The Totem Army gradually sent out over three thousand men; after more than half an hour of fighting, the thousand Dao-Lao Ghosts who launched the raid were nearly annihilated.

The Totem Army lost about a hundred men; the rest suffered only minor wounds. Given their physical resilience, these injuries were negligible. After the battle, the camp commander wrote a report and sent it to Qiao Yi.

The twelve Earthly Branch shadows, each leading a force, attacked twelve Totem Army camps. Each camp was hit by ten squads, and over a hundred squads each had unique tactics—all individually crafted by Zhao Xiaowan.

The tactics were flawlessly designed, but after the raids ended, over ten thousand Dao-Lao Ghosts were reduced to mere remnants, while the Totem Army suffered little loss—this battle appeared to be a defeat.

Yet when Qiao Yi received the battle reports from all camps, he realized disaster was imminent.

“Why are Dao-Lao Ghosts appearing at San Tou Cha? Why are they in Tu Shi? Who let them in!” Qiao Yi demanded of He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing looked bewildered, claiming he had no knowledge of it.

He served only Qiao Yi, not the entire army; reconnaissance and scouts were not under his command—this was not his fault.

Qiao Yi ordered He Jiaqing to inspect each camp. He Jiaqing left Qiao Yi’s quarters and dispatched his men to investigate all encampments.

He Jiaqing truly did not know the cause, but he knew the consequences.

Being wounded by Dao-Lao Ghosts was not merely a matter of injury—he would never approach any camp that had been attacked by them.

Soon, his men returned with reports: soldiers across all camps were suffering from vomiting, dizziness, and oozing, rotting wounds.

When the reports reached Qiao Yi, he did not hesitate—he immediately asked He Jiaqing: “How is the Dangkou Camp?”

The Dangkou Camp referred to the New Dangkou Camp, formed by merging trained Cuohuo Camp troops with Totem Army elites.

Unlike the scattered Totem camps, the Dangkou Camp was stationed at the center of Tu Shi, heavily fortified, and never left its grounds without Qiao Yi’s orders.

He Jiaqing replied briefly: “The Dangkou Camp has not been attacked; no soldiers within have shown symptoms.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yi immediately ordered He Jiaqing: “Command the Dangkou Camp to assemble and march to the harbor—evacuate Tu Shi immediately.”

He abandoned the Totem Army—Qiao Yi now cared only for preserving the Dangkou Camp.

He Jiaqing departed, but Qiao Yi remained uneasy—he sent over a dozen more messengers to deliver the order to the Dangkou Camp.

Some thought Qiao Yi overly cautious—sending so many messengers for an order was excessive.

He Jiaqing did not agree: the Dao-Lao Ghosts had brought plague to Tu Shi—any urgency now was justified.

When Cui Ti carried Dao-Lao Ghosts, they wiped out Qian Liang Fang in a single night, and shortly after, they destroyed De Song Cliff.

If Qiao Yi moved even slightly slower, the Dangkou Camp could vanish at any moment. Fortunately, the Dangkou troops were well-trained and assembled in under half an hour.

Qiao Yi summoned He Jiaqing again: “Order all other camps to hold their positions—no one is to leave without authorization.”

This meant leaving the other soldiers to die in place, preventing them from spreading the plague.

Qiao Yi led the Dangkou Camp on the march immediately toward the harbor.

The naval forces were already arranging ships at the harbor. Upon learning Qiao Yi had arrived, the naval commander Lu Tangsheng hurried ashore to greet him—but after taking only a few steps, Lu Tangsheng suddenly stopped.

Before him, the sand on the ground seemed altered—a patch of ash stretched along the shore in both directions.

Qiao Yi also sensed something wrong—he ordered a Xiu to fire arrows as a test. The arrows flew a hundred paces, then dissolved into smoke and vanished.

“The Boundary!” Lu Tangsheng cried in horror, wanting to explain but dared not advance a step—he stood frozen and shouted: “My lord, I’ve been on duty at the harbor all night—I saw nothing unusual before!”

Lu Tangsheng truly had seen nothing, because the Boundary had just activated.

Li Banfeng stood nearby, watching, waiting for Qiao Yi’s next move.

Qiao Yi fell silent for a long while—he had deduced that the entire Tu Shi was now enclosed by the Boundary.

Yet Qiao Yi did not panic—he immediately ordered a retreat to San Li Pu, turning the army around and marching back toward Tu Shi.

Lu Tangsheng stood on the shore, unsure what to do next.

Ahead lay the Boundary—he could not follow them into Tu Shi; he could only remain at the harbor, continuing to arrange ships.

Watching the army head for San Li Pu, Li Banfeng knew what Qiao Yi intended—there was a well there, and inside it lay a passage, the only exit from Tu Shi.

Li Banfeng pulled out a simple telephone and contacted Chu Er: “Tell Old Train to prepare and come to the harbor—seize the Neizhou Navy.”

Chu Er swiftly delivered the message. Li Banfeng then retrieved the Yuan Miao Screen from his personal dwelling: “Tell Lü Huazi to go to San Li Pu and notify everyone to set up an ambush there.”

The Yuan Miao Screen delivered the message instantly. Li Banfeng then summoned Tian Nü: “Use the Golden Chamber Hidden Beauty technique to mold clay figures, impersonate messengers, and deliver letters to every camp—claim that Qiao Yi is retreating from San Li Pu! Order them to bring all wounded and evacuate with the Dangkou Camp!”

Tian Nü calculated the distances to each camp: “Making messengers is easy, but time is tight—I fear they won’t run fast enough.”

Li Banfeng summoned over a dozen Lvxiu shadows: “Each of you carry one messenger—run as if your life depends on it!”

Tian Nü fashioned several messengers, yet still felt uneasy: “Qiao Yi’s messengers are mostly familiar faces—I’m sending strangers,

I fear they won’t be believed.”

“They’ll believe it!” Li Banfeng was certain. “The plague has spread through every camp—those still alive have one foot in the grave. Now someone offers them a path to survival—will they not take it?”

San Li Pu was over seventy li from the harbor. The Dangkou troops marched swiftly; after over an hour, they were less than five li from San Li Pu.

The vanguard suddenly halted—there were Kuixiu among them who noticed fresh soil, and in abundance—fresh soil lay beneath nearly every soldier’s feet, from front to rear.

Tian Nü’s heart tightened—the ambush had been too rushed; the pits were hidden, but the soil was not.

Fresh soil meant someone had dug pits—given the quantity, the ground had been riddled with them.

Where had all these pits come from?

Qiao Yi knew Dao-Lao Ghosts burrowed underground, as Totem soldiers did as well.

If Dao-Lao Ghosts now erupted from beneath, the entire army could be infected.

Li Banfeng had prepared to have the Dao-Lao Ghosts emerge and fight—when suddenly Qiao Yi ordered: “Form the Thousand-Man Strength Array!”

The Dangkou troops were highly disciplined; on most terrain, they could form an unshakable formation, and a solid formation could temporarily resist the plague.

Tian Nü shook her head at Li Banfeng, signaling him not to act rashly—under the array’s enhancement, releasing the Dao-Lao Ghosts now

would be suicide—they could not possibly harm the Dangkou troops.

Qiao Yi’s response was timely, but the critical question remained: what could he do after forming the array?

Stand there indefinitely?

The plague was spreading through Tu Shi—no one knew when it would reach this spot.

Prince Anshun grew frantic: “Lord Qiao, what good is standing in formation? Hurry to San Li Pu—that’s the priority!”

Qiao Yi hesitated.

The Thousand-Man Strength Array had a marching formation, but its defensive power was far weaker than a stationary one. If they marched now, Dao-Lao Ghosts could erupt from underground, infecting countless soldiers.

But standing still was no solution either.

Li Banfeng stood by, watching, waiting for the Dangkou troops to move—once they did, the Dao-Lao Ghosts would emerge and release their contagion.

After a moment, Qiao Yi ordered: “The vanguard, burrow underground—kill the Dao-Lao Ghosts.”

This move stunned Prince Anshun—and stunned Li Banfeng.

Prince Anshun thought it absurd: Dao-Lao Ghosts were creatures to avoid—why fight them?

The vanguard hesitated upon receiving the order; many soldiers had heard rumors and did not wish to die.

Qiao Yi issued another command: “Those who disobey—executed on the spot!”

Prince Anshun urged: “Lord Qiao, if you push too hard, morale will collapse!”

The prince’s concern was valid—the vanguard consisted of Totem soldiers, whose loyalty could not be compared to the Cuohuo Camp. Qiao Yi also feared mutiny.

But he had no choice.

“Your Highness, the number of Dao-Lao Ghosts is limited.”

Upon hearing this, Prince Anshun understood Qiao Yi’s intent—he was sacrificing the vanguard.

Of fifty thousand Dangkou troops, over ten thousand were in the vanguard—let them dig underground and kill every Dao-Lao Ghost. Let those ten thousand die.

Once the Dao-Lao Ghosts are wiped out, the remaining thirty thousand will be saved!

This tactic exceeded Li Banfeng and Zhao Xiaowan’s expectations.

Totem soldiers could be replaced; Dao-Lao Ghosts, once killed, were gone forever. If we fail to annihilate the Dangkou Camp, this war is lost!

Under military coercion, the vanguard burrowed underground. The center and rear formations held firm, waiting for the Dao-Lao Ghosts to be exterminated before advancing.

Layer upon layer of blood seeped from the ground—the Dao-Lao Ghosts, weaker than Totem soldiers, were slaughtered in moments.

In desperation, Li Banfeng shattered the Boundary, took his personal dwelling, and charged into the Dangkou Camp’s center.

His personal dwelling would disrupt the formation, creating an opening for the Dao-Lao Ghosts.

Li Banfeng repeatedly used East Run West Run, forcing key soldiers out of position.

The Five Rooms Maiden swallowed several officers one after another.

Zhao Xiaowan murmured softly, disrupting communication and coordination among the soldiers.

Hong Ying continuously used Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers to disrupt the Dangkou Army’s formation as much as possible.

Jiu’er embedded her own magical array within the Thousand-Man Force Array, steadily weakening the enemy army’s defenses.

The family was Moqi enough, and their tactics seemed effective, but they couldn’t hold out long—before the solidly formed Dangkou Army, they could die at any moment.

Tian Nü waited for an opening to approach Qiao Yi, planning to kill him first.

A Yu blocked Tian Nü from behind: “There are too many Nian Xiu around Qiao Yi. If you’re not thinking clearly, getting any closer will drive you mad.”

“Mad? Good—I’ll avenge him!” Tian Nü shoved A Yu aside and charged forward; Yuan Miaoping rushed ahead and plunged into the enemy ranks.

The image on the screen instantly twisted, hundreds of channels crammed onto a single frame.

In the center of the image, Yuan Miaoping trembled, her face pale, on the verge of collapse.

But soon, the twisted, chaotic image split into hundreds of small screens, each displaying a separate program, each program representing a Nian Xiu’s output thought.

Yuan Miaoping forcibly organized the chaotic thoughts.

“Next is the midnight special program—welcome, viewers!” Yuan Miaoping bit her ponytail and began rapidly swapping positions among the small screens.

The surrounding Nian Xiu first stared blankly, then their actions grew chaotic; some soldiers even began attacking each other.

Yuan Miaoping, single-handedly, forcibly redirected the Nian Xiu’s mental output onto one another.

“Now’s the chance!” A Yu warned. Tian Nü immediately charged toward Qiao Yi.

The other soldiers didn’t sense Tian Nü’s presence at all; by the time she reached Qiao Yi’s side, a long knife appeared in her hand, slashing toward his neck.

Crack!

Qiao Yi’s neck didn’t break—a soldier’s neck did, and all three heads tumbled to the ground.

Tian Nü froze, then snapped back to awareness: this was the Thousand-Man Force Array’s trait.

The Thousand-Man Force Array actively protected its commander; Qiao Yi stood at the core of the formation, and the array used others’ lives to preserve his.

Tian Nü scanned the surroundings and saw Qiao Yi now at the rear edge of the army.

Now he was no longer at the core—the Thousand-Man Force Array couldn’t protect him.

Tian Nü approached Qiao Yi again; dozens of long knives drew from their scabbards, aiming to chop him into pulp.

Under the chaotic blades, many soldiers were indeed chopped into pulp—but Qiao Yi slipped away again.

He Jiaqing used a Dao Xiu technique, Stealing the Beam and Replacing the Pillar, to swap Qiao Yi’s position.

Since noticing the Nian Xiu’s abnormal behavior, He Jiaqing had been on guard; when he saw Qiao Yi suddenly change position, he knew someone powerful was targeting him.

He didn’t sense Tian Nü approaching, nor did he observe her strike—only by instinct as a Dao Xiu, he moved Qiao Yi away first.

This swap moved him farther—Qiao Yi went from the rear line straight to the front line.

Tian Nü’s whereabouts were exposed; she was surrounded by the Dangkou Army and could no longer assassinate Qiao Yi—but Qiao Yi’s position was now poor: he was too close to Dao Laogui.

Pus and blood kept surging from the ground; He Jiaqing dragged Qiao Yi in frantic evasion when Li Banfeng let out a series of muffled roars—the Dao Laogui hidden underground all leapt out at once.

The Nian Xiu formation collapsed, and with Li Banfeng’s repeated assaults, the Thousand-Man Force Array as a whole began to loosen.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Banfeng unleashed the Dao Laogui, preparing for a bloody clash with the enemy army.

Most of the Dangkou Army still held formation; releasing the Dao Laogui now still wouldn’t defeat them—but Li Banfeng still had another card up his sleeve.

Lü Huazi burst from the earth and leapt straight toward He Jiaqing.

The moment they met, He Jiaqing considered leaving Qiao Yi right there.

After all these days, He Jiaqing’s cultivation had improved significantly, yet he still didn’t want to see the Green Water Bow.

“Jiaqing, how long has it been since we last met?” Green Water Bow flung a handful of pus at He Jiaqing’s face as a greeting.

He Jiaqing dodged quickly, but Qiao Yi couldn’t avoid it—his body was splattered with pus.

Li Banfeng shouted to Green Water Bow: “Huazi, let’s do business! You give your full strength, I pay you full price!”

“Perfect!” Green Huazi laughed loudly, glanced back at the Dao Laogui emerging from the earth, and gave the charge order.

Most of the Dangkou Army held formation; only a few soldiers were wounded by the Dao Laogui—the situation looked grim, but Green Huazi was confident.

He ran back to He Jiaqing, grinning: “Do you know what happens to someone wounded by a Dao Laogui?”

“They’ll contract an epidemic,” He Jiaqing quickly stepped back—he didn’t know why Green Huazi was asking this.

Green Water Bow shook his head: “It’s not just an epidemic.”

He Jiaqing thought for a moment: “They’ll turn into Dao Laogui within three to five days.”

Green Huazi nodded: “Don’t you think three to five days is too long?”

He Jiaqing froze: “What do you mean?”

Green Huazi smiled at He Jiaqing: “Cui Ti was my best student—not just because of his talent, but because he liked to think deeply about problems.”

I’ve known for a long time that Dao Laogui are remnants of the previous dynasty; when he studied ancient incantations, I learned a lot alongside him.”

There’s still much more knowledge here I can’t explain now—not just incantations, but also Nei A’mikan witchcraft. Cui Ti’s Dao sect drew from witchcraft.”

You only need to know one thing: three to five days is too long. I think now is the perfect time!”

Green Huazi flung a splash of pus onto the wounded Dangkou soldiers.

About two minutes later, their bodies rapidly swelled and twisted; limbs and facial features degenerated into three-headed Dao Laogui He Jiaqing had never seen before.

Li Banfeng shouted from afar: “Huazi, I knew you were a promising kid!”

He Jiaqing stared in shock at Green Water Bow.

Green Water Bow grinned at He Jiaqing: “I think I’m pretty promising too. Becoming a Dao Laogui isn’t bad—why don’t you try it?”

As he spoke, Green Water’s body lifted into the air, darting everywhere; thick pus rained down like rain.

PS: Shala bows deeply, thanking all readers for their heartfelt support.

Thank you to the patron 20220925000831128 for your strong support of “The Lord of Pro.”