"Hey, where is Beiyang City... and where is Orion's army?" A group of sword cultivators from the Wenjian Sect looked around in confusion.
"Wait a minute, let me grab someone and ask." One of them, a man with a goatee, suggested calmly. He promptly pulled over an old man who happened to be passing by.
The old man gulped nervously, his face pale. "Who... who are you?"
"Old man, don't be afraid. We are monks from the Wenjian Sect, a well-known and upright sect. We won't harm you," the goatee man reassured him. "I just want to ask, where is the army from Beiyang City that was visible earlier?"
Seeing that these men meant no harm, the old man's expression softened slightly. "Oh, that army. They left just before the incense burned out. It's a shame you missed them."
Hearing this, one of the sword cultivators sighed. "Too late..." But with Orion's army gone, they had to keep moving. Their mission was to reach Yizhou before Orion's forces did and support the Zhou Imperial Army.
As they were preparing to leave, someone asked casually, "Old man, do you know which direction that army went?"
The old man, seeming eager to talk, replied, "Oh, they left through the North City Gate, heading north, I believe. When those cavalrymen galloped, the earth shook like a dragon had turned over. And those soldiers... they were so silent and serious, like ghostly figures."
His words made the Wenjian Sect cultivators exchange puzzled looks. "North...? But Yizhou is to the south. Why is Orion's army heading north?" an elder wondered aloud.
"Old man, are you sure the army headed north?" another asked.
The old man smirked. "I didn't dare to follow them, but I'm certain they left through the north gate. If they're heading north, you can still catch up."
Following the old man's directions, the sword cultivators headed north and soon spotted a marching army heading northwest. The sight of hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers moving in formation was intimidating.
"That must be Orion's army," one of them said. But seeing the army heading in the opposite direction left them confused. Their orders were to go to Yizhou to assist the Forbidden Army in resisting Orion's attack. Yizhou was south of Beiyang City, yet Orion's army was heading northwest.
"What should we do? Should we report this to the sect leader? What if Orion is trying to mislead us and strike elsewhere?" someone suggested.
They quickly reported the news to Ling Yunfeng, who frowned upon hearing it. Orion's movement was unexpected. "To the northwest...?" Ling Yunfeng muttered, his eyes scanning the map. He noticed that Orion was heading towards the mountainous region bordering Yizhou in the northwest, a route not suited for large armies.
"Northwest... Could it be...?" Ling Yunfeng's expression changed suddenly. "Wenjian Sect!" The realization hit him—Orion might be targeting their sect. "Damn it! Orion might be planning to attack Wenjian Sect!"
Ling Yunfeng urgently communicated with the Great Elder, "Great Elder, don't go to Yizhou yet. Return to the sect immediately! Orion might be aiming for us!"
The Great Elder and the others were shocked. "That Orion dares to target Wenjian Sect first? How audacious!" Furious, one of the elders exclaimed, "Let's kill them all!"
But the Great Elder intervened, "No! We have six Half-Saints here, but even so, attacking an organized army of hundreds of thousands is too risky." He reminded them that organized armies possess military souls, an invisible force that can suppress even powerful cultivators. Charging recklessly could lead to their downfall.
Reluctantly, the group decided to return to their sect. As they prepared to leave, the Great Elder noticed something off. A sense of impending danger loomed over him. "We need to leave, now!" he ordered urgently.
But before they could move, one of the cultivators stammered, "Great Elder... I'm afraid we can't leave!"
The Great Elder turned, his eyes widening as a massive sword light, blocking out the sun, filled his vision, rapidly approaching them.