Hearing Huan Yi's words, Ying Bu sneered, "Do you know why Xiang Yan is coming out of the city to fight?"
"It's because he wants to lure you in and make you take the bait, engaging in battle voluntarily."
"Once you march out to meet him, Xiang Yan will send his troops to pin you down. When your supply lines are cut off, and you are in desperate need of provisions, you will find none. There will be no reinforcements, and your retreat will be blocked by Mi Qi."
"You should be able to figure out what the outcome will be, right?"
Upon hearing this, Huan Yi's expression changed.
"Impossible."
"Changping Lord's family is all in Qin. How could he dare to betray the state?"
"Besides, he is the grandfather of the Crown Prince!" Li Xin, standing nearby, still couldn't believe it.
But Huan Yi fell into deep thought.
From what Ying Bu had just said, everything suddenly became clear.
"No wonder, no wonder..."
"I originally thought Xiang Yan would never abandon the advantage of defending the city to face us head-on."
"After all, Qin is the attacking force here. If they lose their defensive advantage, they lose their foundation."
"But now I see if we engage the Chu army in battle, they will pin us down relentlessly."
"Our army only carries provisions for less than ten days. If Mi Qi has indeed betrayed us and cut off our supplies, we are doomed." Huan Yi muttered, finally believing Ying Bu's words.
Thinking back to when he had just arrived at Chen Ying City, Mi Qi had been eager to take charge of logistical matters. Moreover, all of the supplies transported from Qin were stored there, under Mi Qi's command.
In other words, the vital supply line of the Hangu Camp was already in Mi Qi's hands.
"Could it be that the Supreme General had anticipated Mi Qi's betrayal from the start?"
Recalling how Zhao Feng had specifically reminded him in Xianyang to keep a close eye on the supply logistics, Huan Yi finally understood everything.
"General, do you believe him?"
"There was no token or proof from Lord Wu'an. This man simply appeared out of nowhere. If he were an enemy, wouldn't that be dangerous for us?" Li Xin remained cautious.
"If he had intended to assassinate me, he could have done so when he entered the hall."
"But he didn't he came to deliver a message instead."
"And more importantly"
"Telling us this information how could it possibly harm us?" Huan Yi said calmly.
"Then, General, what do you intend to do?" Li Xin looked up at him.
"Mi Qi has betrayed us, but he does not know that we are aware of it."
"In that case, we shall turn the tables on him."
"We will exterminate this traitor in one fell swoop." A murderous glint appeared in Huan Yi's eyes.
"Awaiting your orders, General!" Li Xin bowed deeply.
"First, drive all Chu civilians out of Danyang City."
"Then..."
Huan Yi proceeded to give his orders to Li Xin.
Zhao Residence in Shacheng
"Master, we have just received a message via carrier pigeon."
"Ying Bu has already informed Supreme General Huan Yi." Zhang Ming reported respectfully.
"Very good."
"Now, let's see how Huan Yi handles the situation." Zhao Feng nodded in satisfaction.
"But, Master..."
"Ying Bu has never revealed himself to outsiders before. With nothing but his word, will Huan Yi believe him?"
"After all, this is a matter of royal kin betraying the state it's hard to believe." Zhang Ming hesitated.
"Huan Yi is a smart man."
"He knows exactly what must be done."
"If he wants to prevent his entire camp from being wiped out, he will seize this opportunity." Zhao Feng chuckled, showing no concern about whether Huan Yi would believe it or not.
Even if he were in Huan Yi's place if someone suddenly brought such a crucial report Zhao Feng would still take it seriously.
After all, the success or failure of an entire army rested on the decisions of a single general.
"Oh, and Master"
"Another report Han Xi has gathered a large number of refugees within the borders of Yunzhong City."
"Generals Zhang Han and Tu Sui have been secretly escorting them, without drawing outside attention." Zhang Ming continued.
"How many people?"
Zhao Feng immediately asked.
"More than ten thousand have gathered already." Zhang Ming replied.
"In just over a month, they have gathered so many..."
"Indeed, the one thing this era lacks is not people."
"It is people who can no longer survive."
Zhao Feng also sighed with emotion.
"Has Yan Ting gathered the personnel?" Zhao Feng snapped back to reality and asked.
"All five hundred people have been assembled and are now waiting for you in the underground chamber."
"In addition, we have prepared a large supply of grain, crop seeds, and various plant seeds," Zhang Ming immediately reported.
"Let's go."
Zhao Feng wasted no time.
Now that Han Xi had gathered so many people, they would serve as the first batch of original inhabitants in the small world.
The ones managing them would be the shadow guards of Yan Ting under his command.
Zhang Ming immediately followed behind Zhao Feng.
They walked into the main hall.
With a wave of his hand
A hidden cabinet door opened, revealing a passage.
Zhao Feng stepped inside.
The underground chamber was vast and well-constructed.
Yan Ting did not only consist of assassins; it also had master craftsmen, including experts in tunnel excavation.
"The Lord has arrived!"
Zhang Ming announced loudly.
Immediately
The shadow guards in the stone chamber gathered.
"We greet the Lord!"
All the shadow guards knelt and saluted Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng glanced around and nodded. "Rise."
"Thank you, my Lord."
The shadow guards responded in unison, looking at Zhao Feng with eyes filled with reverence.
"Do you know why I have summoned you here?" Zhao Feng asked with a faint smile.
"The Lord's command is the decree of Yan Ting!"
"We, the Shadowless of Yan Ting, pledge our lives in loyalty to the Lord!"
All the shadow guards spoke in unison.
Among them were both men and women, yet each one exuded an air of deadly resolve and absolute loyalty to Zhao Feng.
They had been raised by Yan Ting from childhood, indoctrinated with unwavering devotion to Zhao Feng.
It was Zhao Feng who had given them food and shelter. Without him, they would never have survived.
"Your mission is to travel to another world and govern it on my behalf."
"Now"
"I need all of you to completely relax, without any resistance. Only then can you enter that world," Zhao Feng instructed.
"We pledge our lives to serve the Lord!"
All five hundred shadow guards declared in unison.
Zhao Feng wasted no further words.
His divine sense spread out, enveloping all five hundred Yan Ting shadow guards.
He then activated the small world
Instantly
All five hundred shadow guards vanished from the stone chamber.
The once-crowded chamber was now empty.
The shadow guards on duty nearby witnessed the scene with utter astonishment, their respect and reverence for Zhao Feng growing even stronger.
"My Lord"
"Did they enter another world?" Zhang Ming asked, his face filled with amazement.
As one of Zhao Feng's earliest followers, he dared to voice his curiosity.
"Do you want to see for yourself?" Zhao Feng asked with a smile.
"Is that possible?" Zhang Ming asked eagerly.
"Relax completely. Do not resist."
"Understood," Zhang Ming replied, immediately letting his body relax.
With a thought
Zhao Feng pulled him into the small world.
Inside the small world
All five hundred shadow guards stood in awe, looking around in amazement.
"Where is this?"
"What dense spiritual energy!"
"This is even richer than the energy in our base!"
"Could this truly be the other world that the Lord spoke of?"
"With such abundant spiritual energy, I can soon break through to the Innate Realm!"
…
The shadow guards were all stunned.
The world around them seemed newly born
Serene and untouched, with only the sounds of wind and flowing water.
"My goodness"
"The Lord sent us to another world!"
Zhang Ming exclaimed as he observed his surroundings in astonishment.
"This world belongs to me."
"You are the first beings to exist here."
"In the future, more and more people will enter this world. You will be responsible for governing it on my behalf."
At that moment
Zhao Feng's voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"This entire world belongs to the Lord?"
"The Lord is truly an immortal!"
"The Lord is the very definition of a celestial being!"
"We pledge our undying loyalty to the Lord!"
…
All the shadow guards knelt on the ground in reverence.
At that moment
"Roar!"
A thunderous dragon's roar resounded through the sky!
A massive black dragon soared overhead, its terrifying dragon might shaking the heavens.
At once
Everyone looked up into the sky.
"A dragon!"
"A legendary dragon!"
"This world has dragons!"
They were all utterly shocked.
"This black dragon is my mount."
"It will not harm you."
"All the water in this world was created by its divine powers," Zhao Feng's voice explained.
"The Lord is almighty!"
All the shadow guards bowed in worship.
"Alright, take your time to adjust here."
"The food and lumber have been prepared. You will need to manage the rest on your own."
As Zhao Feng finished speaking
A large amount of grain and timber flew toward the shadow guards.
In this small world, Zhao Feng was like a god, possessing absolute control over everything.
"I've been staying at home for quite some time. It's time to visit Ghost Valley."
"This time, I will travel alone."
"With the Black Dragon's aerial flight ability, I can reach Wei Land's Ghost Valley in just over an hour."
"The Black Dragon has grown so large, yet I have never ridden it in flight before."
Looking at the Black Dragon, now radiating an aura of terrifying hostility and immense power, Zhao Feng's eyes were filled with anticipation.
Nightfall.
Zhao Feng left the secret chamber.
He instructed Zhang Ming to guard the hall's exterior, telling him that he would be in seclusion for a few days.
Then
Zhao Feng ascended into the sky.
He didn't use any flight techniques but instead relied on the pure True Essence of his Divine Sense Realm to remain airborne.
"Black Dragon."
With a single thought from Zhao Feng
A massive dragon shadow emerged in the sky.
Its colossal body exuded a terrifying pressure.
Zhao Feng moved midair and landed directly on the dragon's head.
Once only the size of half a person, the dragon was now over ten meters long.
"Go."
"To Wei Land."
Zhao Feng pointed forward.
Without hesitation, the Black Dragon swung its massive body and soared through the air.
In an instant
It had already traveled a hundred meters.
Its speed was ten times faster than Zhao Feng's flight ability.
"As expected of a dragon."
"Its presence is overwhelming."
"The Eastern Divine Dragon is the pinnacle of aesthetic grandeur."
"But having a Western dragon in the future wouldn't be bad either why not both? A dragon knight would be even better."
"Flying on a dragon truly, I, Zhao Feng, am the first in Shenzhou to achieve this!" Zhao Feng chuckled to himself.
Under the night sky
No one knew.
A Black Dragon streaked across the heavens, tearing through the air at incredible speed.
Wei Land was separated from the dunes by thousands of miles.
By deep night
A little over two hours had passed.
On a mountain peak
Shrouded in mist and clouds
Guiguzi suddenly opened his eyes, gazing into the distance.
"What terrifying hostility."
"What incredible speed."
"This velocity surpasses even that of an ordinary Earth Immortal."
Guiguzi stared into the void, murmuring to himself.
The next moment
It was as if something clicked in his mind.
"Could it be Zhao Feng?"
"But even if he has reached the Returning Void level of spiritual cultivation, he still shouldn't be capable of such terrifying speed..." A hint of astonishment surfaced in Guiguzi's heart.
Then
Guiguzi waved his hand.
In the darkness
The great formation that had been concealing the entire Ghost Valley Mountain Range flickered with waves of radiant light.
After a brief moment, a portion of the formation opened right in the path of the rapidly approaching entity.
Outside the formation.
Zhao Feng stood atop the dragon's head.
In that instant
He sensed the presence of a formation ahead.
"As expected."
"This is the aura of a formation."
"A martial artist? Or could it truly be one of the legendary cultivators?"
"They exist!"
The moment he saw the formation
A look of joy spread across Zhao Feng's face.
He had searched for answers for so long, trying to find evidence of cultivators in the land of Shenzhou.
But no matter where he looked, there were none to be found. It seemed as if cultivation itself didn't exist in Shenzhou.
Now, he had finally found proof.
"The legendary Guiguzi is a cultivator."
"Wei Liao was right."
"There were never any fellow disciples in Ghost Valley Guiguzi has always been alone."
"As long as I meet him, all my questions will be answered."
"Why is there no trace of cultivators in Shenzhou despite its abundant spiritual energy?"
"This trip was truly worth it!" Zhao Feng smiled.
All the answers, all the mysteries
Perhaps, upon entering Ghost Valley, he would finally uncover them.
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