On the fifteenth of May, thirty li outside Chaoge City.
The Heavenly Dragon Legion's base is surrounded by mountains and protected by array formations. Unless someone with a cultivation level of at least Great Luo Golden Immortal deliberately looks for it, no one will discover this place.
On this day, tens of thousands of soldiers stood in neat rows, their blood and qi forming a flying dragon phantom above the battle formation. Yin Shou, dressed in military uniform, rode a black dragon horse and stood in front of the battle formation. Behind him was Jiang Wenhuan, who looked excited, as well as Dan Chenzi and Xuan Tianzong, who had been given life by Li Daoyi.
On a high platform, Emperor Yi, Wen Zhong, Kong Xuan, Shang Rong, Bigan and others looked at the army in shock.
Kong Xuan, in particular, was extremely proud of his status, but now, looking at the army in front of him, he couldn't help but show surprise.
"Such powerful qi and blood, combined with the battle formation, even a Great Luo would have to drink away the Northwest," Kong Xuan praised.
"General, your insight is excellent. Indeed, these 50,000 men are proficient in more than a dozen battle formations, which are extremely powerful. Moreover, each of them is very strong, and dealing with those demons is a piece of cake for them," Wen Zhong nodded.
"Grand Tutor, you are indeed impressive. I did not expect you to have mastered such a battle formation." Kong Xuan looked at Wen Zhong with admiration. In his opinion, such a formation must have been created by Wen Zhong.
"Haha, General Kong, you think too highly of me. This formation was not taught by me."
"Oh? Who is that expert?" Kong Xuan asked in confusion.
"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough," Wen Zhong said, keeping everyone in suspense.
"Hoho..."
Just then, Yin Shou shouted loudly from below.
"Hoho..." The entire Heavenly Dragon Legion shouted in unison.
The sound of the crowd shook the entire valley, and the people on the high platform also felt the tremors beneath their feet.
"Great..." Kong Xuan couldn't help but shout out his approval.
Emperor Yi slowly stepped forward and extended his hand.
Shang Rong, standing behind him, immediately raised a golden token and handed it over.
Emperor Yi took the token, examined it carefully, and then shouted down.
"Yin Shou accepts the order."
Yin Shou rode forward.
"Your subject obeys."
"Today I hereby appoint you as the Grand Marshal for the Expedition to the North Sea, leading the Heavenly Dragon Legion on this expedition. You are authorized to act as you see fit in all matters during the expedition. With this decree, any lord of the North Sea who disobeys may be killed," Emperor Yi said in a deep voice. He then tossed the token high into the air.
Yin Shou reached out his hand towards the token in the air, and the token was enveloped by an invisible force and flew into his hand.
"Your subject obeys the order," Yin Shou said, holding the token and clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"Remember, I hereby promise that the day you return victorious will be the day I abdicate." Emperor Yi then dropped a bombshell, leaving everyone around him in shock.
Upon hearing this, Yin Shou looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with tears of emotion. This was his father's unwavering trust in him; how could he not be moved?
"Father..."
"Go, I will be waiting for your triumphant return in Chaoge." Di Yi nodded with a smile.
"Understood."
"Everyone, march on!"
"Hoho..."
The army then left the valley in an orderly fashion, and apart from the sound of their synchronized footsteps, there was no other noise, truly demonstrating that orders were obeyed without question.
"Your Majesty, the army has already set out. When do you think we should go to the Nuwa Temple to offer our prayers?" Shang Rong stepped forward and asked in a low voice.
According to past practice, one should first offer sacrifices at the Nuwa Temple before setting out on a campaign. However, to be on the safe side, Emperor Yi, on Wen Zhong's advice, decided to act first and report later, sending out troops first and then offering sacrifices at the Nuwa Temple.
"No rush, let's wait until Shou'er and the others are halfway through their march, hmm... let's set it for half a month from now," Di Yi said after thinking for a moment.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make preparations as soon as I return to the city," Shang Rong nodded in response.
In Chaoge City, the lives of the people were not affected by the army's expedition. Chaoge City continued to thrive, and some slaves even used their wages to buy things on the street. At this time, the people of Chaoge City no longer looked at the slaves differently. After all, the number of slaves was very large, and they were also a potential consumer group. No one would turn down money.
At this moment, a carriage was slowly traveling on the road. The carriage was decorated with a qilin pattern on the outside. It was Wen Zhong's carriage. Wherever it passed, everyone lowered their heads and cast respectful glances.
"The Grand Tutor is indeed deeply loved by the people."
Inside the carriage, Kong Xuan turned his gaze from the window and spoke to Wen Zhong.
Kong Xuan entered the Shang Dynasty as an official not only because of the Black Bird, but also because he wanted to use the Shang Dynasty's fortune to help him break through. In the Shang Dynasty, apart from the emperor, he had a little respect for him. He admired Wen Zhong, whose cultivation was far inferior to his own, and they had been friends for decades. This was extremely rare for the proud Kong Xuan, and it also proved that Kong Xuan recognized Wen Zhong's personal charm.
"Haha, you flatter me." Wen Zhong laughed.
Then Wen Zhong's eyes darted around as if he had thought of something.
"General, you've been back in the capital for several days now. I've been busy with the campaign and haven't had a chance to catch up with you properly. Why don't we have the honor of going to the Zhutianlou restaurant for a meal?" Wen Zhong said, looking at Kong Xuan sitting opposite him.
"The Tower of All Heavens?" Kong Xuan was taken aback, and couldn't help but recall the tall building he had seen on the day he entered the city, as well as the red-clad female immortal.
“Indeed, the food here is renowned far and wide. Every time I go, I linger and never want to leave. The wine there is also extraordinary, truly divine brew,” Wen Zhong continued, his eyes even revealing longing.
Kong Xuan became even more curious upon hearing this.
"Oh, how could I refuse such high praise from you? Hahaha," Kong Xuan laughed.
Soon, the carriage stopped behind the Zhutian Tower. A servant ran around to the front door, and after a while, a ripple appeared on the wall behind the Zhutian Tower, and a door slowly appeared.
"Wow, what an exquisite formation!" Kong Xuan's eyes lit up immediately.
Immediately afterwards, a figure walked out. Kong Xuan recognized her at a glance as the red-clad fairy he had seen that day.
"Grand Tutor," Dongfang Bubai said softly to Wen Zhong.
"Haha, it's been a long time, Miss Dongfang." Wen Zhong smiled and cupped his hands in a very polite manner.
"So it's General Kong." Dongfang Bubai then looked at Kong Xuan and said.
"This young lady from the East is the manager of this restaurant," Wen Zhong introduced.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist." Kong Xuan nodded. The other party was also a Daoist cultivator, and seemed to be quite familiar with Wen Zhong, so he addressed him as fellow Daoist with great respect.
"Please, both of you." Dongfang Bubai stepped aside.
The two then went inside. As soon as they entered, Kong Xuan showed a hint of surprise, because the three of them instantly arrived at a luxuriously decorated hall. Looking out from the window on the side, it was not the first floor.
"This is the eighth floor," Wen Zhong said softly, seemingly understanding the other person's confusion.
Sure enough, Kong Xuan walked to the bedside, looked down at the street outside, and realized that he had indeed arrived at a very high place.
"Such exquisite spatial power! I didn't even sense it." Kong Xuan was shocked. He was a peak Quasi-Saint. Although he suppressed his cultivation to avoid trouble, his perception hadn't disappeared.
"Please make yourselves at home, I'll go and arrange it right away. Please wait a moment," Dongfang said softly, before his figure slowly disappeared.
"How about it? I was just like you the first time I came, hahaha." Wen Zhong couldn't help but laugh when he saw Kong Xuan's blank expression. He then walked to the table, picked up the teapot that had been prepared, and poured tea into each other's cups.
"Let me tell you, this Tower of All Heavens has nine floors in total. The first six floors are open to the public normally, but the seventh and eighth floors can only be entered through special means, as you just saw," Wen Zhong said slowly. After speaking, he picked up his tea and took a sip, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
At this moment, Kong Xuan had not yet fully recovered from his shock. Unlike Wen Zhong, who was perhaps only surprised by the wonder of this place, Kong Xuan knew the secrets hidden within. Many people had mastered spatial techniques, but it was difficult to teleport a quasi-saint like him without his knowledge.
"Come, come, have some tea, have some tea. This tea is good stuff," Wen Zhong said hurriedly.
Kong Xuan then composed himself and walked over.
"Grand Tutor, who exactly is the owner of this place?" Kong Xuan asked directly as soon as he sat down.
Kong Xuan had met Dongfang Bubai. Although she was remarkable, she was merely a minor True Immortal and naturally lacked the ability to achieve this. Therefore, Kong Xuan was certain that there was a true master behind this restaurant.
"You want to know?" Wen Zhong asked mysteriously, holding up his teacup.
"I would like to hear the details." Kong Xuan nodded. Observing Wen Zhong's expression, he became more and more certain that there was a great person hidden here.
Just then, a chubby little hand appeared on the table and reached for the snacks.
"Heave-ho."
"..."
The two were immediately taken aback.
"Mengmeng." Wen Zhong was the first to come to his senses and called out to the petite and adorable figure.
Kong Xuan stared at the child in shock. How did this child appear? It was so sudden; he hadn't noticed anything at all.
"Shh..."
Mengmeng secretly looked around, then gestured with her little hands.
"Keep your voice down, I sneaked out." the little guy whispered.
"Okay, okay," Wen Zhong quickly replied.
"Old man, what have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you for months," Mengmeng said, stuffing a snack into her mouth.
"Haha, not at all, not at all. I'm not as busy as you, esteemed person. I've heard that everyone in the entire Chaoge City knows your name, Miss Mengmeng!" Wen Zhong laughed.
"Hehe, it's just an empty name, nothing more." The little girl said with a mature air, looking quite adorable.
"Huh? It's you."
Then Mengmeng looked at Kong Xuan, who was in a daze.
"Huh? Mengmeng, do you know him?" Wen Zhong asked.
“I saw him enter the city that day, upstairs,” Mengmeng said, pointing upwards.
"Hmm, you're a little peacock," Mengmeng said, dropping a bombshell.
"..."
Wen Zhong was immediately shocked. He and the entire court only knew that Kong Xuan was a highly skilled cultivator, but they had no idea that his true identity was actually a peacock? Why hadn't his divine eyes seen it at all?
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