Ji Xia, Yan Yi, and their group proceeded unhurriedly along the roads of Zhouqing Kingdom. Qianqian and Shangluo, unable to walk further, were cradled gently in Ji Lin's arms. Exhausted from days of travel, the two children had fallen asleep on Ji Lin's shoulders.
Holding the children with utmost care, Ji Lin moved delicately, afraid to wake them. Consequently, the group's pace slowed even more.
Several times, Yan You and Yan Yi hesitated to speak but refrained, worried they might displease the silver-robed youth. Ji Xia, on the other hand, strolled leisurely, admiring the scenery along the way. Whenever a beast attacked, he would casually strike it down, appearing quite at ease.
"Look over there—that forest is the honeyfruit grove of Zhouqing Kingdom," Ji Xia suddenly said, pointing to a cluster of trees in the distance. Their yellowed leaves and withered state betrayed the signs of winter.
"It's already bitterly cold, well past the harvest season. The grove looks desolate now, but during the bountiful season, it produces countless honey-sweet fruits—a natural treasure trove," he explained, his expression tinged with satisfaction, as he introduced the grove to Su Yao, Yan You, and others who had never set foot in the region before.
Su Yao's eyes lit up with delight at his words. Her rabbit-eared tribe had an affinity for fruits and vegetables, which formed the staple of their diet. However, the disasters that had befallen Quanshe Kingdom in recent years had forced them to subsist on wild grass and tree bark, making life far from comfortable.
"A wonderful place, but it belongs to others," Yan Yi said dejectedly.
The situation on Jiangu Mountain was equally bleak. Barren and desolate, the mountain offered little fertile land. If not for their array of spiritual tools to cultivate wastelands and boost productivity, starvation would have been inevitable.
"Belongs to others?" Ji Xia's lips curled into a faint smile.
Suddenly, the ground trembled rhythmically, the sound growing louder as it neared. The vibrations reached Yan Yi's ears, making his face turn pale. He quickly addressed Ji Xia, "A large army is marching toward us!"
Yan You, spotting the dust clouds rising in the distance, spoke urgently, "It must be Zhouqing Kingdom's army! My lord, should we step aside? A force of this size could overwhelm even a Divine Realm master..."
"No need," Ji Xia replied, shaking his head. He turned to the drowsy Qianqian and Shangluo, offering a gentle smile as they stirred awake.
Nearby, Su Yao appeared tense. In the Boundless Wilds, humans and rabbit-eared tribes were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Encountering an army of foreign races often meant death. Even under Ji Xia's protection, she was uneasy about facing such a massive force.
Only Ji Lin, his eyes glinting faintly like two polished jades, watched the approaching dust cloud with curiosity.
The army advanced swiftly, closing the distance in mere moments. Soon, the outline of the soldiers emerged on the horizon.
From afar, Yan Yi and Yan You could sense the overwhelming spiritual energy emanating from the troops. It was a force of around three thousand soldiers, approaching rapidly.
"This army... Their strength is extraordinary!" Yan Yi exclaimed, his face growing increasingly grave.
He noticed that the thousand soldiers leading the charge all possessed power on par with him and Yan You.
"How is this possible? A thousand soldiers at the Seventh Heaven level?"
Exchanging incredulous glances with Yan You, they struggled to comprehend.
"This Zhouqing Kingdom... How could it be so powerful?"
They had heard from an elder on Jiangu Mountain that Zhouqing Kingdom, an old rival of Taicang, had only a limited number of powerful troops. Most of their forces barely reached the Sixth Heaven. How could an army of Seventh Heaven soldiers appear here?
Even if Zhouqing had conquered several neighboring kingdoms in the past decade, such rapid growth in power was unthinkable. The barrier between the Sixth and Seventh Heavens was immense. Without exceptional insight, no amount of resources could help one cross it.
Following the thousand Seventh Heaven soldiers were two thousand more, all at the Sixth Heaven level.
Yan You's brow furrowed as she whispered, "Two thousand Sixth Heaven soldiers... Such a powerful force could crush even a Divine Realm expert. My lord, we should avoid them..."
"Who said they belong to Zhouqing Kingdom?" Ji Xia turned his head, his stunningly handsome face breaking into a smile.
"Huh?"
Yan Yi, Yan You, and Su Yao froze in confusion.
A force marching within Zhouqing's borders—who else could they belong to?
As the army drew closer, they finally got a clear view of the soldiers.
"Is that Shiyang?" Yan You exclaimed, pointing to a towering figure marching beside a red-armored female general at the front of the troops.
Yan Yi squinted. It was indeed Shiyang!
"These soldiers... They're human!" Yan Yi gasped.
The oppressive spiritual energy of the troops had masked their appearance, but now it was clear—their faces were unmistakably human.
Su Yao, her weaker cultivation limiting her sight, had felt only an overwhelming pressure from the approaching army. Now, hearing Yan Yi's exclamation, she was bewildered.
Human soldiers? How could such a terrifying force consist of humans?
The answer came moments later.
The army halted three hundred feet from Ji Xia's group. At this closer range, Su Yao could finally discern their features.
These were indeed humans.
Yan Yi shifted his gaze from the troops to the red-armored female general leading them.
"That young general... She's at the Divine Realm!"
Yan You nodded silently, feeling a pang of despondency.
On Jiangu Mountain, she had always been hailed as a cultivation prodigy. At just twenty-three, she had reached the Seventh Heaven. But this young woman, who looked barely older than twenty, was not only more beautiful but also vastly more powerful.
Behind the general, other young faces dotted the army.
On Jiangu Mountain, Yan You's peers in the Seventh Heaven were considered elite. Here, they were ordinary soldiers—and perhaps even less remarkable.
"Are these troops from Taicang?" Su Yao asked softly, glancing at Ji Xia.
The question hung in the air as Yan Yi and Yan You also turned to Ji Xia, seeking answers.
Before Ji Xia could respond, the army stopped ten feet away.
The red-armored general knelt on one knee, facing Ji Xia's group.
In unison, three thousand soldiers knelt, their voices thunderous with reverence.
"Welcome back, Sovereign!"