Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's inquiry, everyone hesitated and instinctively turned their gazes to Wang Boan, who was seated at the head of the table.
Wang Boan chuckled, "The strong ones who returned from Tianhuang are stationed at the other two military cities and will be here tonight to meet with the National Master."
The Great Ming imperial court had three military cities under its command. Wang Boan was stationed at the main city, with the remaining two cities manned by members of the Great Ming imperial court in collaboration with the Witch Deity Teaching and the powerful ones from Heart Moon Lake, to guard against sudden attacks from the Demon Race.
Of course, whether this reason was true or not, it didn't seem worthwhile to discuss publically.
Upon hearing this reason, Pei Xuanjing smiled slightly, unimpressed.
Xue Hanyi, sitting on the side, scoffed, "Still putting on airs!"
At his deliberately provoking words, the expressions of those present varied. However, it could be observed that most people's attention was fixated on Pei Xuanjing.
After all, as the strongest person currently in the world, it seemed somewhat inappropriate for the other party not to meet Pei Xuanjing upon his arrival, no matter what.
"No matter, we will wait until tonight then," Pei Xuanjing chuckled.
Xue Hanyi laughed lightly, no longer speaking.
Admittedly, his words just now had been meant to provoke, but more than that, they reflected his disdain for the posturing of those two groups.
According to him, the powerful ones dispatched by both the Witch Deity Teaching and Heart Moon Lake were roughly at his level, at most attaining the Third Level of the Spirit Realm and definitely not exceeding the Fourth Level of the Spirit Realm.
While such powerful individuals might seem formidable compared to others, in Pei Xuanjing's eyes, they amounted to nothing. Only Xue Hanyi, who had sparred with Pei Xuanjing, truly understood how powerful he was.
"Having returned to the Ancestral Land for so many years and still failing to recognize reality, it seems this time neither Heart Moon Lake nor the Witch Deity Teaching sent particularly remarkable people." Xue Hanyi sent a message to Xue Hanyue sitting beside him.
Xue Hanyue asked in confusion, "Why do you say that, brother?"
Xue Hanyi scoffed, "If they had refused to cooperate after returning, that would have been acceptable. But now they have shown willingness to cooperate, and then they put on this show upon Pei Xuanjing's arrival today. They're worried about losing face, like trying to keep the appearance of a brothel while still wanting to erect a monument of chastity."
Xue Hanyi might currently be a defeated rival under Pei Xuanjing, but he had nevertheless gained clear insight into the current situation.
In the Ancestral Land right now, Pei Xuanjing not only possessed transcendental power, but he also had immense influence. Unless a warrior arrived from the Sky Wasteland who could suppress Pei Xuanjing, there was simply no way to shake the current balance.
The fact that the people from the Witch Deity Teaching and Heart Moon Lake returned and did not directly conflict with Pei Xuanjing's party was great news and signalled a promising start.
Unfortunately, their actions today were a significant misstep in Xue Hanyi's view; they remained too preoccupied with maintaining their own dignity.
In Xue Hanyi's estimation, the top priority now was to ingratiate themselves with Pei Xuanjing and establish a collaborative relationship. Perhaps even the return of the Xue ancient country in the future might offer opportunities for full cooperation with Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing was unaware that he held such a position in Xue Hanyi's eyes. After mingling with the crowd for a while, he followed Wang Boan and left the room.
The departure of the two wasn't surprising to anyone, for the matters they were to discuss next were not something the others could participate in.
The two moved to another place, Wang Boan's study.
Once they were seated, Pei Xuanjing opened the conversation by complimenting, "Although Sir was unable to attend the gathering at Shenxiao Mountain that day, I assumed it was not because Sir was unable to enter the Spirit Realm, but rather because Sir chose not to. Now that Sir has demonstrated his power, it is clear that my assumption was correct."
Indeed, even though Bai Xiaosheng had mentioned in his message that Wang Boan had not entered the Spirit Realm, Pei Xuanjing had thought otherwise. Thus, he still extended an invitation. Unfortunately, Wang Boan had declined the invitation, citing being too occupied with military affairs.
Wang Boan, not sure why Pei Xuanjing regarded him in such a different light, laughed, "You flatter me, I had been simply fortunate."
After some small talk, Wang Boan took the initiative to bring up the subject, "The purpose of my invitation, I presume you have guessed!"
"I came here straight away after leaving seclusion, which is intended to resolve this matter." Pei Xuanjing replied with a smile, "With the continuous arrival of strong ones from Tianhuang, there's no time to delay any further."
"Indeed!" Wang Boan nodded.
"I presume you already have a foolproof plan, please share it unreservedly." Pei Xuanjing suggested.
He guessed that Wang Boan's invitation was to discuss how to deploy troops to deal with the Demon Race outside the border, and that was his reason for coming too.
Now that Wang Boan has ideas, he will naturally follow them, after all, even though he was powerful, his military strategy and formation skills were inadequate.
Pei Xuanjing was not the kind of person who believes he can micro-manage everything, so each has his specialty, and this matter should be left to professionals!
"Alright!" Wang Boan did not hesitate either.
His private invitation to Pei Xuanjing was exactly to discuss this matter, considering the latter's status as a national guru and a strong figure. If their opinions clash and sparks a dispute, it would inevitably cause ripples.
Therefore, to maintain stability, they need to reach consensus.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's attitude naturally made Wang Boan happy.
"Regarding how to annihilate those demonic beasts, I've had a rough plan for a long time, but it has not been executed due to the inability to deal with the strong figures of the Demon Race." Wang Boan said with a smile to Pei Xuanjing: "But today, with your presence, that worry is certainly unnecessary."
Pei Xuanjing laughed and waited for him to continue.
Next, Wang Boan explained his plan one by one, and Pei Xuanjing listened attentively.
At night, within the City Lord's Mansion, the lights were bright. Besides some necessary generals and strongmen, most of the powerful people were gathered here.
Although Pei Xuanjing had come here quietly, the news had still leaked out, and the Noble Alliance, Outsiders' Alliance, the Buddhist School, and the Demonic Cult had each sent their strongmen.
"Master, let me introduce you." Wang Boan pointed at a man and a woman in front of him and said to Pei Xuanjing.
"Ha ha, you don't need to introduce them, sir. I can guess that these two must be the powerhouses who descended from Tianhuang, Mu Xianzi from Heart Moon Lake and Mr. Wu from the Witch Deity Teaching!" Pei Xuanjing laughed and said: "I, Pei Xuanjing, have seen both."
"Mu Binghua greets the national guru."
"I, Wu, have greeted the national guru."
The man and woman, the woman was curvaceous, with a beautiful face and a cool persona which added a touch of sanctity.
The man was ordinary-looking, with a hoarse voice, and was dressed in a black robe.
"These days must have been difficult for both of you. If it weren't for your assistance, I'm afraid millions of soldiers would have been harmed by the Demon Race, causing a catastrophic disaster." Pei Xuanjing spoke in a serious tone.
"National Guru, you flatter us. If we stood idly by as part of the human race, would we not be laughed at by the Demon Race?"
Both repeatedly declined the compliment.
Xue Hanyi, standing to the side, had eyes flashing with uncertainty, wondering what the two were thinking. He looked coldly at the two people. He knew Mu Binghua, the prodigy disciple of Heart Moon Lake, but he was somewhat puzzled by Mr. Wu from the Witch Deity Teaching, as he had never heard of him before.
Pei Xuanjing nodded at them, and directly said, "I want to assist and deploy troops to wipe out the Demon Race, I wonder if the two of you would assist me."
There was no elaborate introduction, it was plain and straightforward.
Both of them were stunned, not expecting Pei Xuanjing to be so direct.
Not only them, everyone around was shocked by Pei Xuanjing's decisive words, their thoughts in turmoil.
Flags flying, drums beating ceaselessly.
Gathering hundreds of thousands of soldiers together was an impressive sight. The boundless elite soldiers gathered together, the surging killing intent and Blood Qi converged together, even the sky changed its color.
Even if Pei Xuanjing didn't understand how to command soldiers, looking at this hundreds of thousands of troops in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of heroism. He praised Wang Boan, "Your command of the troops, I fear, is not inferior to the famous generals of the military school."
Wang Boan's left hand was on the hilt of his sword at his waist, and his right hand gently stroked his long beard. Hearing Pei Xuanjing's praise, his face also showed a hint of color.
After all, no matter what, being able to receive vocal praise from Pei Xuanjing, who's the best in the world, is recognition.
He modestly said, "Grandmaster is too kind, this old man has only achieved a little, he cannot be compared to the wise men of the military school."
Pei Xuanjing shook his head, "The commander is being overly modest. In the future, you need only write about military strategies and spread them around the world, and there will surely be a place for you in the Martial Temple."
He wasn't flattering, it was truly heartfelt.
Considering the other person's identity, born from the Confucian Gate, starting the Heart Teachings, and managing to command the troops to eliminate the Former Yuan and expanding territory by a thousand miles, such achievements would certainly earn him great fame.
Wang Boan just smiled and didn't say anything.
"Brother, these soldiers, despite being slightly weaker, are worthy of being called elite just based on their momentum." Xue Hanyue told Xue Hanyi.
Xue Hanyi stood to one side, looking at the densely packed soldiers, feeling the iron-blooded atmosphere, he also couldn't help but nod, "Indeed, it's worthy of the dynasty that can suppress the world in our Ancestral Land. It's clear that there are competent people in this dynasty."
Being from the Xue ancient country, they knew far more about soldiers than Mu Binghua from the Heart Moon Lake and Mr. Wu from the Witch Deity Teaching.
It can be said that the reason a kingdom can stand proud, aside from a strong force that can suppress the nation's fate, the other is the army made up of soldiers that seem insignificant.
For any dynasty or empire, as long as ordinary soldiers are still brave, and the generals haven't degenerated, the dynasty or empire can stand tall. Even if there's occasionally an incompetent emperor, it can still guarantee the prosperity of the dynasty or empire.
He couldn't really appreciate the Great Ming Empire of the Ancestral Land. After all, as the royal family and the imperial court, their power is taken away by big forces like Pei Xuanjing, which means the empire has started to decline.
In his view, the existence of this empire is just because those forces need the name of an empire.
But now, seeing this hundreds of thousands of troops, his thinking changed immediately. These hundreds of thousands of troops form an unmatched power in the Ancestral Land where there are not many powerful people in the Spirit Realm.
Even if the Heaven and Earth recover in the future, and our ancient races return, the Great Ming imperial court only needs to retain these hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, and it will not necessarily not have a place there.
Just as Xue Hanyi was planning in secret, he heard Wang Boan's loud voice:
"Today, the demons suddenly attacked, acting unjustly and feeding on the human race… Today, I, your commander, am ordered by His Majesty to destroy the demonic beasts and return peace to the human race."
"Annihilate the demonic beasts!"
"Annihilate the demonic beasts!"
A roar that seemed to shake the heavens rose, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of martial artists were indignant. The noise shook the sky, the heaven shook, the earth trembled!
"Depart!"
At Wang Boan's command, hundreds of thousands of troops set off.
This was just one of the armies, and this expedition was a war of extermination. Apart from a portion of soldiers who were left behind, the rest of the army poured out in full force.
Moreover, there were also the strong representatives of various powers gathered within these nine military cities, as well as the martial artists who had gathered from everywhere.
Ordinary martial artists wanting to hunt demonic beasts would have to rely on forming groups and venturing stealthily, which was not without its risks. Once they attracted the attention of large numbers of demonic beasts and got surrounded, it would be easy for them to get trapped and difficult to escape.
But with a large army leading the way this time, their pressure was significantly reduced, and they naturally had no inhibitions. After all, the risks involved in this were much smaller than hunting demonic beasts on their own, and the rewards were much greater.
Furthermore, after Pei Xuanjing and representatives from other Taoist factions had finished their discussions and the news that a military city would be allocated for ordinary martial artists was circulated, it drew the gratitude of countless martial artists and led them to join this war.
The millions of martial artists gathered in the nine military cities swarmed out, making it impossible for the numerous demonic beasts outside the border to maintain a large numerical advantage.
Of course, there were pros and cons. Such a massive operation was impossible to conceal. The moment they began to gather the troops, the strong beings of the Demon Race had already received the news.
Within the gathering place of the Demon Race, several strong beings of the Demon Race were assembled, their expressions solemn.
At this moment, there were eight Demon Race beings at the Spirit Realm gathered here, three at the Spirit Realm Third Level, and the rest were all at the Spirit Realm Second Layer.
"The human race is attacking, what should we do now?" The one who spoke was a strong being from the Eagle Tribe, Eagle Seventeen. He too had received news of Pei Xuanjing and the others mobilizing their troops through the influence of the eagles.
The rest of the powerful beings in the Demon Race turned their eyes towards a petite young man, General Bei.
The majority of demons who had descended this time belonged primarily to the Eagle and Wolf Clans. According to the rules of the Demon Race, where the strong are respected, the most powerful Wolf King was the leader.
However, since the most powerful Wolf King was currently in seclusion, the role of military strategist fell to General Bei.
Upon hearing this news, General Bei's eyes whirled around, flashing with brilliance and he fell silent.
Truth be told, these demons indigenous to the Tianhuang World didn't have a clear understanding of the concept of their ancestral land.
This time, the strong beings of the Demon Race sent them back with orders to occupy a piece of territory and prepare for the arrival of their tribe's powerful beings in the future.
Unexpectedly, their timing of arrival was so fortuitous that it coincided with their descent onto a human tribe in the plains.
These human tribes actually worshipped the Wolf Clan. Unlike the fear and hatred the humans of the Tianhuang World felt towards them, they instead prayed for their help to resist the other human tribes.
As for the civil strife among the humans, they, the demons, were naturally happy to see it unfold and didn't refuse at all, resulting in hundreds of thousands of members of the Wolf Clan battling the human armies.
Then, after His Highness Wolf King leveraged these humble humans to understand this world, he decisively chose to usurp their homes and eat them, using this place to establish a territory for the Demon Race and cultivate demonic beasts.
It should be noted that within the secret methods of the Demon Race, one method of awakening the wisdom of ordinary demonic beasts involves using the essence of human flesh and blood.
Originally, their plan was to await the awakening of more demonic beasts using the essence of these humans' flesh and blood, train more demonic beasts, then attack and slaughter the human race along the way, using war to sustain the war, and grab more living space for the Demon Race.
However, what they did not expect was that their plan was hindered just as it had begun.
First, a great demon at the Spirit Realm Second Layer who infiltrated to assassinate the commander of the human army was killed instead. Following that was the despicable return of a powerful human who disrupted their plans.
A moment later, General Bei asked, "Do you know why the humans are sending troops this time? Could it be that some powerful being has come from the human race?"
The Demon Race and the human race had been calm for over half a year without any major wars, both sides temporarily waiting for the right opportunity. It was because of this that His Highness Wolf King began his seclusion.
For the humans to suddenly send troops this time, something must have happened.
Could it be that another powerful human descended from the Sky Wasteland?
So many years have passed, and it would make sense if another strong human showed up.
"We have received no such news." Eagle Seventeen shook his head and said, "According to the information sent back by people under my command, it seems that the human named Pei Xuanjing, who is claimed to be the most powerful in the world, has re-emerged!"
"Hmm!" General Bei's eyes slightly chilled, his heart sinking.
Although they had never seen Pei Xuanjing, they had heard of his name from the tribespeople. The name of this man, considered as the number one in the human ancestral land, was far from unfamiliar.
Leaving everything else aside, just thinking about four or five years ago, at the Shenxiao Mountain, Pei Xuanjing had subdued two powerful beings from the Xue ancient country, demonstrating a strength like that of the Fifth Order. It was impossible not to regard him with caution.
A rank of the Fifth Order equates to a cultivator who had at least reached the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm. Such a powerful being would rule unchallenged even in the Sky Wasteland, even more so in this newly restored ancestral land.
"This could get tricky," muttered General Bei to himself.
The peace enjoyed by the human race recently was due to their inferiority to the Demon Race in terms of top combat strength. Now that Pei Xuanjing has re-emerged, even if his strength has not improved by a single bit, it would prove enough to make up for that drawback. In that case, their sudden attack is not surprising.
However, for the Demon Race, this is not good news because the current balance of power has been broken.
"We should invite His Highness Wolf King to come out of seclusion," one of the Great Demons suggested.
Information from Wang Bo'an and his people was a bit lacking. They only understood the strength of the demon troops in action, but they didn't know that the real leader Wolf King didn't participate in the fight this time.
His Highness Wolf King, within the Demon Race, anyone referred to as "Your Highness" belongs to one of the Demon Kings, who are at least of the Fifth Order or a powerful entity at the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm.
From the perspective of the Great Demons, only if the Wolf King comes out of seclusion could they stand against Pei Xuanjing, who is possibly a Fifth Order entity. Otherwise, their situation would become very desperate.
"His Highness Wolf King's seclusion concerns significant matters and must not be disturbed." General Bei shook his head in refusal.
It must be said that, whether it is thanks to Wang Bo'an's clever planning or just luck, the timing of his attack is very awkward for many of the Demon Race's powerful beings.
However, General Bei is clear that disrupting the Wolf King's seclusion, which is paramount now, would not be allowed under any circumstances. Thus, he made up his mind to reject the idea.
"But if that's the case, we might not be able to hold on for long," Eagle Seventeen frowned.
Their most powerful beings were only at the Spirit Realm Third Level, equivalent to the Fourth Order Peak. It won't be easy to resist Pei Xuanjing, who is likely of the Fifth Order. It's even possible that they could lose their lives.
The other Great Demons also nodded. The matter of the Demon King was important, but they couldn't risk their lives for it.
None of the other Great Demons agreed with the idea. Although they are all currently following the orders of the Wolf King, they wouldn't risk their lives for him.
"No matter what, His Highness Wolf King must not be disturbed during his seclusion!" General Bei's expression remained cold, reaffirming his point.
This is the difference between the human race and the Demon Race. Although the members of the Demon Race are from the same group, in name only, they truly only trust members of their own kind. Ultimately, it's a matter of survival of the fittest.
Despite respecting the Wolf King, the only reason they do so is because of orders from the higher-ups of the Demon Race. Even if these Great Demons truly made a mistake, their own kind would need to punish them, not the Wolf King.
General Bei felt powerless about this.
Seeing General Bei's firm refusal, the other Great Demons silently turned their gazes elsewhere, each lost in their own thoughts.
Seeing this, General Bei felt compelled to say, "Gentlemen, the owner of the prairie we currently occupy is the descendant of the previous dynasty of the Divine Continent human race. Although the previous empire has crumbled, this descendant still retains a lot of the human race's Qi Luck."
"Interestingly, the previous human empire even worshipped the Wolf Clan as a totem, which is extremely fortunate. If His Highness Wolf King could refine this Qi Luck into his own, his strength would surely escalate to a higher level, which would be of great benefit to our next plans."
It's quite a coincidence, Former Yuan originated from the prairie, where they had always revered the wolf as a totem. Even after ruling the Central Plains and establishing a dynasty, their faith in the Wolf Clan never wavered.
Therefore, after the remnants of Former Yuan fled to the prairie, the Qi Luck they left behind took on the form of a wolf totem, which was undoubtedly very much in line with the Wolf King.
If the Wolf King could refine this human Qi Luck into his own, his power would surely increase a great deal. It would be a great benefit to the Demon Race and perhaps even help him become the most powerful Demon King in the world.
The rest of the Great Demons remained silent, but it was clear from their eyes that they agreed with General Bei's point.
However, even if this plan works out, the greatest beneficiary would be the Wolf King. They would hardly gain anything. Even when the powerful beings of the Demon Race return, most of the credit will go to the Wolf King with little left for them.
Seeing this, General Bei realized that unless he came up with something valuable to offer, these demons would never fully support the Wolf King. He gritted his teeth and revealed a big secret.
"While exterminating the descendants of the empire, His Highness Wolf King and I discovered a big secret."
On hearing this, all the Great Demons turned their attention to General Bei. They were drawn in by his statement.
General Bei took a deep breath, looked around, and spoke solemnly, "Near this prairie that we occupy, there is a spiritual vein!"
A spiritual vein!
There was indeed a spiritual vein. The remaining Great Demons immediately brightened up, their eyes bursting with eager light, and some even stood up!
"Are you telling the truth?"
"What grade of spiritual vein is it?"
"Even the lowest-level spiritual vein is a good thing for us. If we could occupy it, we would very likely be able to change our destinies."
General Bei raised his hand to stop the discussion among the demons, and directly gave the answer: "According to His Highness Wolf King, it's a top-level spiritual vein. And what's more, it might even be a dragon vein, enriched with Qi Luck."
The spiritual vein is a mineral vein formed from the crystallization of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. This type of mineral vein can draw together the essence Qi of heaven and earth, forming an excellent cultivation treasure.
The dragon vein, on the other hand, is even more precious than the spiritual vein.
A dragon vein is more desirable than a spiritual vein because it contains Qi Luck. This vein is one of the scarce ways to store Qi Luck
Founding a school or a sect isn't something pulled out of thin air, there have to be specific conditions to be met.