Nanyuan City.
People here knew nothing about what was happening in the Great Xia Prefecture.
Outside the academy, on top of a tall building.
The woman didn't show up. A middle-aged man was standing with an old man with grey hair, looking into the distance at the Nanyuan Secondary Academy.
"Hall Master Chen, I didn't expect it would be you coming here this time..."
The middle-aged man forced a smile, somewhat trying to please.
"Yeah."
The old man didn't say much. He looked into the distance below, frowned slightly, and after a while, he said, "Wuhen, do you think there's a trap?"
"A trap?"
The man paused for a moment and then slowly said, "I'm not sure. However, currently in Nanyuan, there are indeed only two cultivators at the Soaring Realm. As for the City Guards, the Centurion hasn't broken through to the Soaring Realm. I'm certain of that."
"Is that so?"
The old man didn't say anything more, but his brows remained tightly furrowed.
This mission made him feel a bit uneasy.
Firstly, the commotion was too big.
Secondly, Nanyuan was already prepared. In the past, under such circumstances, the mission would have been cancelled.
But this time, it wasn't.
The instruction from above was to continue!
As for the Great Xia Prefecture, there would be no reinforcements. That was the answer given from above, quite definite, certain that no reinforcements from the Great Xia Prefecture would come.
There was also a third point. In fact, they weren't familiar with the Great Xia Prefecture.
The main areas where the Ten Thousand Races Sect had been active before weren't in the Great Xia Prefecture. Although they did have some forces here, they didn't have a deep enough understanding of the Great Xia Prefecture. Launching the plan so rashly was a bit of a risk.
Given the nature of the people above, when dispatching cultivators at the Soaring Realm, or even multiple ones at that realm, there must have been a lot of preparations beforehand.
"Wuhen, you've stayed in Nanyuan for many years. Are there any powerful cultivators at the Myriad Stones Realm in Nanyuan who can fight above their levels?"
"Probably not?"
The middle-aged man said, "Anyway, I've never heard of any. If there were, they should have gone to the All-Heavens Battlefield or the Great Xia Prefecture. No one would stay in Nanyuan. There are some at the Thousand Jun Realm. That Su Long from the Demon Suppressing Army before could fight above his level against opponents at the Myriad Stones Realm, but that was just at the Myriad Stones Realm."
"Su Long?"
"A veteran of the Demon Suppressing Army. He's already gone to the All-Heavens Battlefield."
"Oh, the Demon Suppressing Army... The troops led by Xia Longwu back then. Over the years, they've made a name for themselves on the All-Heavens Battlefield. They've risen from a second-tier legion to a first-tier legion. There are quite a few powerful ones among them."
The old man also had a good understanding of the front line. After thinking for a while, he asked again, "Are there many veterans from the front-line legions who have retired in the city?"
"Not too many. And they're all quite old. There aren't many in their prime. No more than 300, and they're scattered all over Nanyuan."
"We have to be on guard against these people too!" The old man said in a deep voice. "These veterans who have been on the All-Heavens Battlefield and managed to retire alive are all those who have lived a life on the edge of danger. Tell our people below to be careful and pay attention."
"Understood!"
The old man looked at the sky and didn't say anything more.
After a while, a flash of fire appeared outside the city. Inside the city, a hundred-man City Guard unit quickly rushed towards the outside of the city.
The middle-aged man said joyfully, "Another hundred-man team has gone. There are less than five hundred City Guards left!"
However, the old man was still frowning. "Be careful!"
Knowing that it might be a tactic to lure the tiger away from the mountain, Nanyuan still sent a large number of City Guards outside the city to wipe out the people from the Ten Thousand Races Sect. Was it because of confidence, or... were they really forced into a corner?
"There are less than half of the City Guards left. Over 300 are guarding the City Lord's Mansion. The rest are almost all gathered near the Nanyuan Academy. The streets are full of people from the Wind Catching Hall..."
The old man looked around in the distance and made a judgment. Around the Nanyuan Academy, there were about 200 City Guards, less than 100 people from the Wind Catching Hall, 260 instructors plus the academy guards, and the people from the Dragon Martial Guards hadn't left. Altogether, there were less than 600 people at the Thousand Jun Realm or above.
As for the students, they were ignored.
There couldn't be anyone at the Thousand Jun Realm among them.
Among them, there were two at the Soaring Realm. Adding the ones at the Myriad Stones Realm and the Dragon Martial Guards, there were less than 15. The rest were all at the Thousand Jun Realm.
In fact, there was only one person at the Soaring Realm. The City Lord, Wu Wenhai, was still at the City Lord's Mansion and it would take some time for him to come here. The old man still counted him in, after all, it wasn't too far away.
"Are all our people here?"
"Yes!"
The man quickly replied, "The Hall Master has gone to meet them. They're all elites. There are 30 people at the Myriad Stones Realm, and the rest are all at the high level of the Thousand Jun Realm, 300 people! Those below the high level of the Thousand Jun Realm are creating chaos outside the city."
300 elites at the seventh level or above of the Thousand Jun Realm, and 30 people at the Myriad Stones Realm!
The old man made a judgment. Today, six cities were launching attacks, and there were even more people in other places.
That meant that more than 2,000 cultivators at the seventh level of the Thousand Jun Realm, over 200 at the Myriad Stones Realm, and probably more than 20 at the Soaring Realm were dispatched!
Such a force was enough to form a ten-thousand-man legion.
"All forces are mobilized... The Tianyi Divine Sect has put out all its assets accumulated over the years!"
The old man felt a bit uneasy and even a bit tremulous in his heart.
There were many sects within the Ten Thousand Races Sect, and the Tianyi Divine Sect was one of the relatively powerful ones. After all, it had allied itself with one of the divine races.
But even so, pouring in so much power at once, plus the forces to block the reinforcements from the Great Xia Prefecture, this was almost all the power of the Tianyi Divine Sect.
Throwing it all out at once, weren't they afraid that the Tianyi Divine Sect would be completely wiped out?
Those creating chaos and killing on the periphery were all from some cannon fodder sects. It didn't matter if they died. But this time, the ones dispatched were real elite believers. The two were still different.
"The mission offers a lot of merit points. But just to slaughter these students, it doesn't seem worth going to such lengths. What on earth are those above thinking?"
The old man frowned, feeling that it was a bit of a loss outweighing the gain.
Unfortunately, he didn't have access to that level.
"Forget it. We can only hope that everything goes smoothly. Then we'll quickly withdraw and hide our tracks."
It would take some time for the more than 300 sect believers to gather. In a small city like Nanyuan, gathering over 300 people needed to be done bit by bit. This wasn't the Great Xia Prefecture where hundreds of people could be brought in directly without anyone caring.
"We'll start the operation in half an hour. Pass the order down. Finish the battle within three minutes. Five minutes later, everyone must withdraw completely. After leaving the city, disperse and flee. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
The man quickly replied and then disappeared soon to inform all parties.
After the man left, the old man looked at the Nanyuan Secondary Academy again and murmured, "The Great Xia Prefecture... Is it really unable to send out even a few cultivators at the Soaring Realm?"
...
"Ayu!"
Chen Hao was squatting at the entrance of the cafeteria with Su Yu at that moment, looking around nervously and whispering, "What are we doing here? Just now, an instructor was shouting for each class to gather. There will be an academy meeting after school. Aren't we going?"
"No."
Su Yu was holding a knife in his hand and said softly, "It's safer with fewer people. With more people... it's a bit dangerous."
"Huh?"
Chen Hao was puzzled. Su Yu whispered, "Stop talking nonsense. Something might happen today. People from the Ten Thousand Races Sect might come! Let's just stay here. There are fewer people around here..."
"No, Ayu, you said... People from the Ten Thousand Races Sect are coming? Then we should quickly go and join the instructors. We're just at the Kaiyuan Realm, not the Thousand Jun Realm..."
Chen Hao got anxious all of a sudden.
He wasn't that scared, though.
The academy had conducted drills before. Situations like encountering people from the Ten Thousand Races Sect and going to the All-Heavens Battlefield had all been explained and drilled.
At this time, they should go and join the instructors.
The instructors would protect them.
"There are too few instructors. Most of them have to go and fight. Only a small number will be left to protect the students. At most, three or five instructors from each class will stay to protect the students. There are so many students in each class. If we really encounter danger, they won't be able to protect everyone..."
Su Yu said softly, "Fewer people to protect means less pressure."
"But... if we encounter them... Ayu... Let's go back!"
Chen Hao was really getting anxious.
Su Yu smiled and said, "Don't worry. Two students wandering around randomly, both at the Kaiyuan Realm. The powerful ones won't even bother to look at us."
"But if we encounter someone at the Thousand Jun Realm, we'll die..."
"So, we'll try our best to hide well. If we really encounter enemies..."
Su Yu looked up at Chen Hao. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Really when we encounter them, you start cursing, curse them crazily, make them come and kill you first. Let's not stand together, one on the left and one on the right. When they come to kill you, they definitely won't be on guard against me, a little student..."
Chen Hao was at a loss. How cruel!
You want to die after me. That's so cruel!
"I'll go and kill him!"
"..."
Chen Hao's face fell. Are you kidding? You're only at the third level of the Kaiyuan Realm. It's hard for you to break through the opponent's defense. And you want to kill someone? Are you crazy?
"If you trust me, then do it like this! We can't go to the Prefecture Chief's side at this time. Going there would just cause trouble. We can't go to our class either. Going there would also cause trouble. We're too weak. At this time, we'd be easy targets..."
"Then the other classmates are also targets. Why don't we call them to hide together..."
"Idiot, how can so many people hide? If they run around randomly, they'll really die. We still have a chance."
Su Yu wasn't too scared either. His father had often talked about killing the Ten Thousand Races. The ultimate goal of the academy was also to teach them to kill the people from the Ten Thousand Races. There was nothing to be afraid of.
He was just a bit nervous. This was the first time he was really encountering enemies. He was afraid that he would be so scared that his legs would go weak at that time.
Once Chen Hao really started cursing and the enemy went to kill him, what if his legs went weak?
Also, what if there were two enemies?
What if there were three?
"It'll be okay. The powerful ones will surely deal with the powerful ones. Searching for scattered students in the academy is surely something that the weaker ones will do. Because the students are too weak. Without reaching the Thousand Jun Realm, there's no need to search in groups."
"If one person can do it, there's no reason for three or five people to do it."
"The academy is not small. If they really want to search in groups, they'd have to send thousands of people in. I don't believe they can sneak in thousands of people. That would be too stupid of Nanyuan."
"Moreover, if there were really that many people, even if we stayed with the teachers, we'd still be doomed. There probably won't be such a situation."
Su Yu judged in his heart, dragged Chen Hao into the cafeteria, found a corner, and whispered, "You hide here, shivering. Squat down. If only one person comes, you make some noise by yourself. If two people come... then run! Run for your life!"
There was a small door in this place through which they could run out. Chen Hao quickly nodded. "What about you?"
Su Yu pointed to a small corner beside them. "I'll hide there. Don't look this way, or you'll get me killed. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
Chen Hao immediately nodded. Then he still said with a sad face, "Ayu, why don't... we go and find my dad instead."
"Nonsense. Going out alone at this time is just looking for death!"
Su Yu cursed softly. "I don't know the specific arrangements. However, your dad and the others probably have tasks too. Don't think about those useless things. Pray that I won't have weak legs later. Otherwise, you're doomed!"
"Ayu, are you going to kill someone?"
Chen Hao said with a sad face, "You can't do it. Why don't I hide and ambush them instead?"
"You?"
Su Yu didn't bother to pay attention to him. He took a deep breath. "It's hard for you to break through the opponent's defense. Just watch me! Besides, according to the rules, if we can really kill a guy from the Ten Thousand Races Sect, Haozi, you'll have a chance to enter the War Academy!"
As soon as these words came out, Chen Hao's eyes instantly lit up!
He had been a bit scared just now and had forgotten about this.
Right, the academy had regulations. If one could really kill a guy from the Ten Thousand Races Sect and prove his identity, points could be added.
Of course, this rule hadn't been used for many years because the students were all at the Kaiyuan Realm. How could they kill the guys from the Ten Thousand Races Sect?
It was even hard to poison them to death.
Of course, there were geniuses who had done it before. But would a genius care about adding points?
"Ayu... Could it be that... you're doing this for me..."
Chen Hao was so touched!
Ayu was actually willing to risk his life to let him enter the War Academy. He was so touched that he was almost on the verge of crying.
Su Yu rolled his eyes. What are you thinking?
I just think that it's really safer for the two of us to hide here. At this time, being in a crowd would make us a bigger target. Of course, if we really kill the opponent, we'll talk about it then.
Su Yu wasn't even sure if he could claim that he killed the person. He was just at the Kaiyuan Realm. How could he have killed someone?
"However, if the opportunity is right and we really kill one, create a scene and let Haozi add points and enter the War Academy. That's not impossible either."
It was almost impossible for someone at the Kaiyuan Realm to kill someone at the Thousand Jun Realm. Almost, which meant it was still possible.
People at the Thousand Jun Realm weren't invincible. If they were careless and got their necks chopped off by someone, they'd still die.
As for why the guys from the Ten Thousand Races Sect at the Thousand Jun Realm were so stupid... Go and ask the dead. How would Su Yu know?
"Then it's best not to use the tearing skill. Kill him with a knife!"
Su Yu grasped the knife in his hand. At that time, with his hands full of strength, if he chopped the opponent to death with one knife and the opponent didn't run, there was a good chance of success.
Would someone at the Thousand Jun Realm run when encountering an ambush by someone at the Kaiyuan Realm?
Most likely not!
Just as he was thinking, suddenly, a loud shout came from outside: "Students, gather! Those who haven't gathered, hide on the spot!"
"The enemy is attacking! The beasts from the Ten Thousand Races Sect are here!"
"Don't panic! Follow the instructors' orders! Form a lock-circle formation to protect yourselves!"
"Close the doors! All instructors, meet the enemy!"
"Guards, gather!"
"City Guards, Wind Catching Hall, charge!"
"Kill!"
With a series of angry shouts, in an instant, the entire Nanyuan Academy sprang into action.
At this moment, Su Yu wasn't scared. He was a bit nervous and also felt his blood boiling. He just wasn't scared. He believed that the teachers could win. He had an uncontrollable impulse to go out and see how the teachers killed the enemies.
When his father was at home, he often told him about the glorious days, about legions of ten thousand or even a hundred thousand people charging and killing enemies, killing until corpses were everywhere, blood flowing like rivers, making the All-Heavens tremble!
On the All-Heavens Battlefield, wherever the Human Race's blade pointed, they were invincible!
"I really want... to go and see!"
Su Yu was a bit impulsive. Chen Hao was even more impulsive than him. He grasped his knife tightly and had a bit of an urge to rush out. Soon, he suppressed that thought. He was afraid of getting Su Yu killed.
"Kill!"
When the close combat began, the sound of weapons clashing instantly echoed throughout the academy.
Apart from the shouts of "Kill!", there was hardly any other sound. During a war, nothing else was needed. One just had to follow orders.
...
Outside the teaching building of the Nanyuan Academy.
Hundreds of people from both sides immediately started the slaughter the moment they made contact, without any verbal exchanges.
A ten-man team of the Dragon Martial Guards, led by the Squad Leader Xia Bing, instantly surrounded the old man at the fourth level of the Soaring Realm.
Xia Bing, at the second level of the Soaring Realm, was wearing a golden helmet and holding a long knife. Without any sign of fear, he let out a muffled shout: "Form a formation and attack!"
The ten men quickly surrounded the old man, and ten long knives cut through the air. The battle began!
Wu Wenhai, the city lord who had originally been stationed at the City Lord's Mansion, rose into the air from the top of the building in the next moment. He was also holding a long knife and rushed towards that woman in the blink of an eye.
"Wu Wenhai, you've come to seek your own death!"
The woman shouted harshly. Wu Wenhai was really here. Fortunately, they had expected this before.
The middle-aged man named Wuhen, seeing that the two Soaring Realm cultivators were entangled and even the people from the Dragon Martial Guards were held back at this moment, was instantly overjoyed. Without caring about others, he rushed straight towards Liu Wenyan in the distance.
"Your opponent is me!"
"And me too!"
Instantly, two men charged out.
One was holding a knife, and the other was holding a sword.
"Zhang Yun, Zeng Hua!"
The middle-aged man called out their names and snorted coldly. He knew them. They were the Centurion of the City Guards and the Hall Master of the Wind Catching Hall, both at the ninth level of the Myriad Stones Realm.
However, how could they be a match for someone at the Soaring Realm!
"Kill!"
The two of them didn't waste any words. There was nothing to communicate with the bastards of the Ten Thousand Races Sect. They would just kill them first!
"Bang!"
A crisp sound of weapons colliding rang out. In the next moment, Wuhen rose into the air, leaped over the two of them, and rushed straight towards Liu Wenyan in the rear. There were still quite a number of instructors at the Thousand Jun Realm over there.
Today's target wasn't to kill the city lord, nor the cultivators at the Soaring Realm, nor these two high-ranking officials in Nanyuan.
It was the geniuses of the academy, the kind of "fires of civilization" like Liu Wenyan.
They were the valuable ones!
In front of Liu Wenyan, several instructors at the Thousand Jun Realm were about to charge out with their knives. The two powerful cultivators at the ninth level of the Myriad Stones Realm behind them also reacted extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, they broke through the air, leaped up by stomping on the ground, and Zhang Yun shot out like a projectile, slashing his knife at Wuhen who was in the air.
"Step over our corpses first!"
With a loud shout, the two of them surrounded Wuhen again.
"Seeking death!"
The two cultivators at the ninth level of the Myriad Stones Realm fought desperately. Wuhen was only at the second level of the Soaring Realm, and his flying height wasn't high enough. So he had to land instantly and start fighting with the two of them.
Otherwise, in the air, he would easily become a target.
...
"Master Liu, please leave first..."
The several instructors protecting Liu Wenyan quickly pulled the old man to leave, but Liu Wenyan didn't move. Looking around at the fighting everywhere, he couldn't help but curse: "They really think highly of Nanyuan. Those bastards in the Great Xia Prefecture surely know that there are quite a few cultivators at the Soaring Realm. They must have sent reinforcements to other cities but not to us!"
Everyone was a bit puzzled, but there was no time to ask.
Liu Wenyan continued to curse, "They believe so much that I can succeed? What if I don't succeed? They're just joking with people's lives. Don't let me find out who gave the order, or I'll kill him!"
Some people in the Great Xia Prefecture believed that he could manifest his will today. The key was... what if he didn't succeed in manifesting it?
Liu Wenyan kept muttering, grumbling, and cursing, losing his usual refined and elegant demeanor as a scholar.
"I'm the most useless one. How could I be sure to succeed? They trust me too much. I'm just a good-for-nothing. Don't you all know that? Otherwise, why would I have been expelled..."
Liu Wenyan mumbled to himself, feeling a bit sad.
If I weren't so useless, how could I still not be able to manifest it at my age? I want to do it too, but... it's really so difficult.
"You guys are so cruel. You're forcing me with the lives of the people in the academy..."
"I knew it. You guys are heartless. If I really manifest it, I'll be the first to take revenge on you guys..."
Liu Wenyan continued to mutter. At this moment, golden light appeared above his head, his body trembled, and his feet gradually began to leave the ground.
The expressions of the people around him changed slightly. In the distance, the Prefecture Chief, who was fighting with others, showed a smile. "Old guy, it seems you can't succeed without being pushed. From today on... there will be one more cultivator at the Soaring Realm!"
"Those at the Myriad Stones Realm, stop chasing and come here quickly!"
Wuhen roared loudly. He saw this and his face showed a look of shock. He angrily shouted: "Come quickly and kill these two bastards!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several cultivators at the Myriad Stones Realm broke through the air and rushed over.
Wuhen also instantly got rid of the two people and charged towards Liu Wenyan. He couldn't let this old guy manifest his will and step into the Soaring Realm. Otherwise, even if they killed some students today, the completion degree of the mission would be greatly reduced.