Chapter 165 The Crimson Sky Army

Tianque City is located at the foot of the Wandao Sword Sect's mountain gate, built in reliance on the Immortal Sect, with a grand scale and unparalleled prosperity.

The city is a mixture of Cultivators and Mortals, with restaurants, marketplaces, auction houses, and dueling arenas; even the Spiritual Qi is several times richer than in ordinary mundane cities.

Most Cultivators in the city are primarily sword-wielding, making it a gathering place for Sword Cultivators.

Mu Changge strolled through the city appearing casual, but his perception was quietly spreading out, keeping an eye on news from all directions (after all, this could be considered his first time leaving the Sect).

Although he did not deliberately inquire (as the efficiency was too slow), teahouses, wine shops, and street stalls in the marketplace were always the places where news circulated the fastest.

Soon, strings of news, big and small, were passed back, and among the many pieces of information, one name—'Chixiao Army'—was mixed into the many anecdotes and secrets of the cultivation world.

'Have you heard? Within the territory of the Great Yan Dynasty to the north, a force called the Chixiao Army has recently emerged, making quite a fuss and causing quite a stir!'

'More than just a fuss! It is said they are specifically going against the Great Yan Dynasty's officials and cultivation families, robbing the rich to help the poor? Hmph, in my opinion, it's the budding signs of rebellion!'

'Shh! Watch your tongue! Although the Great Yan Dynasty cannot compare to our Xuan Sword Pavilion, it is still a Dynasty with a thousand-year Legacy, with a Mid Spirit Severing stage Old Ancestor sitting in the country, and more than a handful of Nascent Soul immortals, so its Foundation is not shallow. For this Chixiao Army to dare to beard the tiger, they must have some reliance?'

'Reliance? What reliance could they have? They are just a group of oppressed Loose Cultivators and Mortals who cannot survive gathered together, having learned some shallow Cultivation Technique, engaging in petty theft and dog-stealing acts; they cannot amount to anything. If the Great Yan Dynasty were not concerned about the reactions of several cultivation Schools within its territory, they would have sent a large army to annihilate them long ago.'

'That may not be so; I heard there are experts in the Chixiao Army, and the few leaders are said to be discards from large Sects, with unpredictable movements and evil Cultivation Techniques; the Great Yan Dynasty has suffered losses after several encirclements...'

Mu Changge heard similar discussions several times in different places.

Initially, he did not pay attention; in the cultivation world, the changing of dynasties and the rise and fall of forces are common occurrences, and a small rebel army was not yet worthy of his attention.

However, when he heard the name 'Great Yan Dynasty' again, the image of his good brother Lu Ming taking him to the Magic Treasure Pavilion at the Heavenly Demon Sect involuntarily surfaced in his mind, where he inadvertently saw items similar to modern stockings.

According to the information, that thing seemed to have been invented and made by a prince of the Great Qin Dynasty.

Great Qin Dynasty...

Mu Changge's footsteps paused slightly, and his eyes deepened.

He remembered that the layout of this world was that the four giant Immortal Sects (Wandao Sword Sect, Xuantian Sect, Yaochi Holy Land, Mount Sumeru) dominated the four directions, and above the four Immortal Sects, there was a mysterious and transcendent force that stood above all Sects and dynasties, rarely appearing in the world.

And that behemoth-like Great Qin Dynasty was said to have intricate connections with this transcendent force, being the most prosperous Mortal Dynasty within its sphere of influence, also having Cultivators involved, with an unfathomable Foundation.

'The Great Yan Dynasty... seems to be in the southeast direction of the Great Qin Dynasty, considered one of its vassal states?' Mu Changge rubbed his chin, thoughtful.

A thought sprouted in his heart like weeds.

He would certainly clash with the Child of Fortune of this Dynasty's royal family, but the Great Qin's waters were deep and involved too much; intervening directly was too risky.

If he could first plant a nail in its surrounding vassal states and foster a force that listened entirely to him, and then plan slowly, wouldn't that be better?

This Chixiao Army sounded like a good seedling.

'Has a rebellious bone, has demands, is in a bad situation, and is in urgent need of external help...' Mu Changge's eyes flickered with a dark light, and the corners of his mouth hooked into a playful arc, 'It suits my wishes perfectly.'

He did not continue to wander aimlessly in Tianque City; with a turn of his figure, he swept towards the north outside the city.

Based on the scattered information he gathered along the way, combined with the powerful deduction and insight capabilities brought by Super Comprehension, he quickly locked onto several possible activity areas of the Chixiao Army, followed the vine to find the melon, and found one of their secret strongholds, from which he obtained more core information.

Three days later, deep in a desolate mountain range on the border of the Great Yan Dynasty, a valley hidden by a natural Formation was concealed.

The buildings in the valley were rough, the atmosphere was murderous, and this was the most important secret headquarters of the Chixiao Army today.

At this moment, in the largest stone hall in the center of the valley, the atmosphere was heavy.

More than a dozen men and women dressed in rough cloth or leather armor, with varying strengths of Aura, sat on both sides, and three people sat at the head, who were the core leaders of the Chixiao Army.

The one in the middle was a middle-aged man with a weathered face and eyes sharp as a hawk, with Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, the great leader of the Chixiao Army, Li Feng.

On the left was an old man with one eye and a sinister Aura, the strategist Gui Yan, with Middle Stage Golden Core cultivation.

On the right was a beautiful woman with Evil Qi between her brows, the third leader Hong Sha, with Early Nascent Soul stage cultivation.

'...The Dynasty's Zhenyue Army is gathering at the border. According to scouts, at least three Mid Spirit Severing stage consultants are accompanying them, along with several generals at the Peak of Foundation Establishment. This time, they are playing for real.' Gui Yan's voice was hoarse as he placed a Jade Slip of intelligence on the rough stone table.

There was a silence in the hall, and the oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating.

The Chixiao Army seemed to make a big fuss, but in reality, its Foundation was shallow, relying entirely on a burst of bloody courage and flexible and mobile tactics to maneuver.

Facing the regular army of the Dynasty, especially the elite equipped with Cultivator power, a direct confrontation was no different from throwing an egg against a rock.

'Fear a bird! At worst, we fight them! Killing one is enough, killing two is a profit!' A burly man with a bloated face slapped the table and stood up, his voice like a bell; he was a fierce general of the Chixiao Army.

'Fight? With what do we fight? The highest cultivation among our brothers is only Late Nascent Soul Stage; now three Nascent Soul Cultivators have come from the opposite side. If they pin down the Big Brother, I'm afraid others could slap us to death in a pile with one palm!' Someone said pessimistically.

'Are we just going to watch them annihilate us? Have the brothers who died over the years died in vain?' Someone was unwilling.

Li Feng frowned, his fingers unconsciously gripping the armrest of the stone chair. He knew the situation was critical, but where was the way out?

Relying on other forces? Who would offend the Great Yan Dynasty, which might have a giant Sect standing behind it, for the sake of their little power?

Just as the emotions of arguing, despair, and unwillingness were intertwined in the hall, and the atmosphere dropped to freezing point—

'Hum!'

The space in the center of the stone hall rippled like water without warning.

Two figures, like ghosts, appeared out of thin air!

The visitors were a man and a woman; the man wore a mysterious black robe with gold trim, his posture was tall and straight, his face was handsome to the point of being eerie, especially a pair of deep eyes that seemed to be able to absorb people's souls.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, with no fluctuations of Qi leaking from his body, yet a palpitating majesty and mystery permeated from him, instantly shrouding the entire stone hall.

It was Mu Changge who had restored his original appearance as Xiao Ming! He had never appeared in the Righteous Path territory with his true face, and at this moment, no one could recognize him.

'Who is it?!'

'Enemy attack!'

Just as everyone in the hall was shocked by the black-robed man who appeared out of thin air and almost drew their weapons.

In the shadow beside the black-robed man, a slender and graceful figure stood silently half a step behind the man.

That was a woman.

A long dress flowing like the night, with a hem not made of thick fabric, but of layers upon layers of extremely thin black gauze woven from unknown materials.

On the black gauze, large, weird, and magnificent patterns were embroidered with dark silver and deep purple threads, the edges of the petals shimmering faintly in the dim light, as if they were alive and trembling slightly with her breathing.

The style of the long dress was peculiar, tightly wrapping the upper body, outlining a breathtaking, almost perfect waist and hip curve, suddenly tightening under the towering Peaks, and then opening up at the waist, forming a fishtail-like trailing hem.

However, the most eye-catching thing was that the long dress was slit high from the root of the thighs on both sides; as she walked, two slender, straight, and blindingly fair jade legs appeared and disappeared, the leg shape was perfect without flaws, and the skin, set off by the black clothes, was like fine mutton-fat white jade, or the cold moonlight cleared from the deep sea.

She wore no shoes on her feet; a pair of jade feet were slender and well-proportioned, the arches were beautiful, the ten toes were like shells, and the nails were painted with a dark purple color the same as the embroidery on the dress.

She just stood quietly by the black-robed man's side, lowering her eyelashes slightly, like an inanimate, exquisitely carved dark elf statue, out of place with the rough and oppressive environment around her, yet strangely bringing a heavier and more suffocating sense of oppression.

'Master,' her voice sounded, ethereal and ethereal, like an echo from a distant valley, with a trace of coldness like jade clashing, the words were very light, but clearly entered everyone's ears, 'Should I kill them?'

Her gaze slowly swept over the Chixiao Army crowd in the hall who were facing a great enemy with pale faces. The gaze was calm and waveless, as if she was not looking at a group of living people, but a pile of weeds or ants waiting to be inspected.

Finally, her gaze fell back on the black-robed man (Xiao Ming) in front of her, tilted her head slightly, and showed an expression of waiting for praise on her face.

'Take him down!'

The crowd in the hall paused first, then was shocked; Li Feng, Gui Yan, and Hong Sha stood up instantly, their spiritual power erupted, their weapons drawn, and they shouted sharply.

The guards at the door didn't even notice? How did this person get in?

However, responding to them was Mu Changge's calm and waveless, yet unquestionable majestic voice, which exploded in everyone's heart like thunder:

'Submit, or, die.'

Before the words fell, a terrifying pressure as vast as the abyss and the sea descended like substance! (He didn't want to waste time for some small fry).

'Plop!' 'Plop!'

Everyone's legs went soft, and they knelt on the ground one after another, unable to even raise their heads, as if they were not facing a person, but a god who had descended into the Mortal world!

'Nascent Soul... no, more than that!' Gui Yan's single eye was full of horror. He felt it the most deeply; the level of this pressure far exceeded any Golden Core Cultivator he had ever seen, and it was even more unfathomable than the rumored Nascent Soul pressure!

'Arrogant! A person who hides his head and shows his tail dares to let my Chixiao Army submit? Go to hell!' The burly man with a bloated face had the most explosive temper. Although he was shocked by the pressure, his ferocity was stimulated. He roared, and his Middle Stage Golden Core spiritual power exploded without reservation, lifting a mountain-opening giant axe, turning into a gust of wind, and chopping down towards Mu Changge (Xiao Ming)!

The axe wind was sharp, enough to crack monuments and split stones!

He was a famous fierce general in the Chixiao Army. This axe was struck with anger, and its power was amazing. Even an ordinary Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator would not dare to take it head-on.

However, facing this violent blow, Mu Changge didn't even lift his eyelids. He just casually raised his palm and flicked it gently towards the whistling giant axe.

'Pop.'

A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.

The aggressive burly man, along with the giant axe in his hand and the spiritual power that erupted from his whole body, was hit by an invisible giant hammer, flew backward at a faster speed than when he came, and slammed into the thick stone wall!

'Boom!'

The stone wall was hit with a dent, and cracks spread like spider webs. The burly man was embedded in the wall, blood sprayed wildly from his mouth, his vitality quickly dissipated in his eyes, and the giant axe in his hand broke inch by inch and fell to the ground with a clatter.

Middle Stage Golden Core, killed in one blow! No one even saw how Mu Changge made the move!

Quiet! Deathly silence!

Everyone was stunned by this terrifying scene. The fierce general of the Middle Stage Golden Core was crushed to death like an ant in front of this mysterious man!

'Who else wants to try?' Mu Changge slowly withdrew his hand, straightened his cuffs, and his gaze calmly swept over the crowd in the hall, finally falling on the three leaders who were barely supporting themselves.

The gaze was calm, yet as deep as an abyss, without any trace of human emotion, as if looking at a group of insignificant bugs.

'Gulp.' Someone swallowed hard.

Gui Yan's face was as pale as paper, Li Feng's forehead veins burst, but he dared not make any movement. Hong Sha bit her red lips, her beautiful eyes full of fear.

The gap was too big! Big enough to make people despair!

'Your Excellency... who exactly are you? Why do you want to make things difficult for my Chixiao Army?' Li Feng suppressed the fear in his heart and asked hoarsely.

The other party's strength was unfathomable, but he didn't seem to kill immediately. Perhaps there was room for maneuver?

'Who I am, you don't need to know for now.' Mu Changge said lightly, his wrist flipped, and several Storage Rings appeared in his palm, which he threw onto the stone table.

'In here, there are enough resources for all of you to Cultivate to the Nascent Soul or even the Soul Transformation Stage, including Medicinal Pill, Spirit Stone, Cultivation Technique, and Magical Artifact, everything is available.'

What?!

Everyone's breathing stagnated, and their eyes were instantly attracted by those few rings.

Resources to Cultivate to the Nascent Soul or even the Soul Transformation Stage? For these Loose Cultivators and Mortal rebel armies struggling at the bottom, this was simply an unimaginable huge Treasure Trove!

'This...' Li Feng's pupils contracted, and he was suspicious.

You must know that there is never a free lunch in the world. Give a stick and then give a sweet date? What exactly does this person want to do?

'My requirements are very simple.' Mu Changge's voice sounded again, not loud, but clearly entered everyone's ears, 'From now on, you, and the forces you have established, need to believe in me, regard me as the only True God, and offer your absolute loyalty and faith.'

'Even if you overthrow the Great Yan in the future, or even... the Great Qin, and establish a new Dynasty, I will still be your supreme faith, the only controller behind your Dynasty.'

'You only need to know that by obeying me and believing in me, you can get everything you want—power, resources, and even... the whole world.' Mu Changge paused, a flash of unpredictable light in his eyes, 'I will pave the way for you behind you and fan the flames. The Great Yan Dynasty is just the beginning. Your goal should be to gradually control the surrounding dynasties and finally... achieve unification.'

The ambition in his words made everyone gasp.

Unification? Wouldn't that mean... destroying all surrounding dynasties? This is simply daydreaming! But it was said from the mouth of this mysterious person, but it carried a palpitating, seemingly natural self-confidence.

'Absurd! Just because you speak empty words, you want us to treat you as a god and sell our lives for you? Who knows if you are a spy sent by the Great Yan Dynasty, or if you have other intentions!' Hong Sha couldn't help but speak out.

She had a strong personality. Although she feared the other party's strength, she was even more unwilling to be manipulated by others like this.

Mu Changge glanced at her, and that look made Hong Sha feel like she had fallen into an ice cellar.

'Questioning requires a price. Are you... worthy?' He said lightly.