The outer-city pass encircled the inner-city pass. It was 2.5 kilometers in diameter, and the city wall was 300 feet tall.
“That’s the World Entrance.” Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue saw it.
Inside the towering inner-city pass was a World Entrance—roughly a kilometer long and a quarter-kilometer wide! Through the World Entrance, one could see the Demon Realm vaguely.
Liu Qiyue looked down and spoke via voice transmission, “For the next three years, this will be our battlefield.”
“Yes.” Meng Chuan nodded.
Many people lived in North River Pass. Hundreds of thousands of people lived south of North River Pass. Lesser demons capable of flight slipped through the cracks at North River Pass and would pose a threat to the surrounding village forts. Therefore, there weren’t any large forts for dozens of kilometers. The forts were all at North River Pass! Human Godfiends mainly dealt with demon monarchs. They couldn’t deal with all the demons.
To mortals, North River Pass was relatively safe. It was much safer than ordinary forts outside of North River Pass. In order to continue the sustained fight on the battlefield, there was a need for many mortals. There were over 20,000 mortal soldiers stationed here perpetually; 30,000 people were in charge of logistics, and over 5000 craftsmen populated their ranks. There were also personnel that provided medical help, delivered grain, etc.
With a high population, there would naturally be commerce. North River Pass was prosperous.
Whoosh.
The giant fiery-red bird swooped down.
In a brothel’s quiet loft at North River Pass, a handsome red-robed man lay in the arms of a beautiful courtesan. He drank as he took in the scenery outside the window.
Oh? The red-robed man suddenly sat up straight and looked at the giant fiery-red bird from afar.
He immediately saw Marquis Southcloud on the giant fiery-red bird’s back. He also saw five other Godfiends.
Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue are here? The red-robed man smiled and returned back to the courtesan’s arms, continuing to enjoy himself.
In a garden at North River Pass, several plum blossoms had already bloomed.
A woman sat cross-legged with two swords placed on her lap. As she breathed, black and white energy emerged from her nostrils and fused with the two swords on her lap. The two swords also released a sword aura that the woman sucked back into her body.
Huh?
The woman opened her eyes—her gaze was as sharp as swords. As she stared at the giant fiery-red bird that swooped down from the sky, her gaze stopped on Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue. Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue are here? Meng Chuan will fight alongside me in the future. Is he trustworthy?
…
The giant fiery-red bird’s arrival attracted the attention of many Godfiends in North River Pass.
Whoosh. The giant fiery-red bird landed within General Manor.
“Greetings, Uncle-Master.”
A thin man from General Manor came to receive him. His face was somewhat wrinkled, and he looked rather old.
The five Godfiend disciples and Marquis Southcloud jumped off. Marquis Southcloud smiled and said, “Meng Chuan, Liu Qiyue, let me introduce you. This is North River Pass’s Defense General Zhang Yunhu.”
“Greetings, Senior Brother Zhang.” Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue bowed.
Zhang Yunhu was North River Pass’s Defense General! He had been fighting his entire life and had been on many battlefields. Now, he was a general of a medium-sized city pass. It was clear that Archean Mountain trusted him! He had made plenty of contributions and had been conferred the title of earl. Among the original ten Great Solar Godfiends in North River Pass, only Zhang Yunhu had been conferred the title of earl. His strength was also the greatest.
“Haha, I’ve long been waiting for the two of you to come.” Zhang Yunhu looked at Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue, his eyes glowing with a child’s excitement. “I never even imagined having two juniors who have perfected transcendent-grade Godfiend bodies here. By sending you to me, Mountain Lord has made life a lot easier for me.”
“The two of us don’t have any battle experience. We still need your guidance, Senior Brother,” said Meng Chuan.
“Experience comes with time, but there’s no way to cheat strength.” Zhang Yunhu laughed.
“They are here? They are here?” A loud voice rang out. A fat man ran over with a little fatty in his arms. He immediately bowed respectfully to Marquis Southcloud. “Greetings, Uncle-Master.”
Marquis Southcloud nodded slightly.
The fat man’s smile was sincere as he looked at Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue. “My name is Fan Cheng. I’ve been down the mountain for over twenty years. However, I heard that there’s a couple on Archean Mountain that makes one envious when you see them. They have perfected-grade Godfiend bodies. I never expected to fight alongside you. I’m really happy. Oh, this is my son, Fivekilo Fan! He was five kilograms when he was born. He kept clamoring about meeting the new Uncle-Master and Aunt-Master.”
The fat child’s eyes lit up as he looked at Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue curiously.
“Fivekilo Fan. This name is really interesting.” Liu Qiyue waved her hand and summoned some sand and flames. The sand slowly melted in the flames and eventually solidified. It turned into a tiny sculpture of the little fatty. “I didn’t prepare any gifts. Here’s a trinket for you.” She handed the little sculpture to the little fatty.
The little fatty happily received it and immediately thanked her, “Thank you, Aunt-Master.”
Meng Chuan was embarrassed. He didn’t make any preparations, nor was he as capable as Liu Qiyue.
“Alright. Junior Brother Fan, have fun with your son. I still have some business to attend to,” said Zhang Yunhu with a smile.
“Alright. I’ll treat the two of you to a meal in the future. My wife’s cooking is especially delicious.” The fat man smiled as he carried his son away.
“Definitely,” replied Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue.
Fan Cheng was one of the deputy generals at North River Pass!
Those who could be deputy generals at medium-sized city passes were considered experts among Great Solar Godfiends. In the future, they would be Liu Qiyue and Meng Chuan’s comrades.
“Junior Sister Liu, other junior brothers, and sisters. Have some rest first,” said Zhang Yunhu with a smile. “Junior Brother Meng and I have some business to discuss with Uncle-Master.”
“Okay.” Liu Qiyue and the others nodded. Under the warm reception of the housekeeper, they went elsewhere to rest.
Meng Chuan was somewhat puzzled as he followed Zhang Yunhu and Marquis Southcloud to a nearby hall.
The three of them sat down. Marquis Southcloud said, “Meng Chuan, other than being a deputy general at North River Pass, you have another duty.”
“Another duty?” Meng Chuan was puzzled.
“Yes.” Marquis Southcloud nodded and took out a white square token. He casually tossed it at him, and the white jade token floated to Meng Chuan’s side. After receiving it, he saw that the front of the token had the word “Patrol,” while the back had a rather complicated map. It was a map of 18 surrounding prefectures within 500 kilometers of North River pass.
Marquis Southcloud said, “You are much faster than Marquis Godfiends. Your speed can match a Regis Godfiend’s! Therefore, you are to be a Patroller. With North River Pass at the center, you will patrol these 18 prefectures! If there are any pleas for help within the 18 prefectures, your token will alert you. You must head there as fast as possible and rescue them.
“Usually, it would already be too late when Marquis Godfiends rush over to cities that are being attacked or city passes that are being breached. You are much faster than Marquis Godfiends. You can reinforce these prefectures much faster than us. We would take an hour to reach these prefectures, but you would only take ten minutes. The faster you are, the less damage the demons can cause. You can save more lives and even turn the tables.”
“I understand.” Meng
Chuan took the token and thought of Eastcalm Prefecture.
Back when Eastcalm Prefecture was invaded by demons, there would’ve been fewer deaths if powerful Godfiends could arrive quickly. However, there were just too few Marquis and Regis Godfiends. They needed to guard important areas, and couldn’t leave without reason. Only two or three Regis Godfiends roamed the world freely. There was no way for them to help the vast Great Zhou Dynasty.
“Your strength is enough to resolve an ordinary demon invasion. You can play a huge role in any battle that doesn’t require Marquis or Regis Godfiends,” said Marquis Southcloud. “You will receive 100,000 credits every year as a Patroller. If you succeed in protecting various areas, you will also be rewarded.”
Chapter 138 - Integrating With One Another
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Zhang Yunhu smiled as well. “Usually, only Marquis and Regis Godfiends take on the Patroller position. There aren’t many Great Solar Godfiends that can be Patrollers.”
“Meng Chuan, remember this. Once you finish reinforcing a place, immediately return to North River Pass,” Marquis Southcloud said.
“Yes,” replied Meng Chuan. He knew that he became a Patroller because of his speed that matched a Regis Godfiend’s.
The 18 prefectures around North River Pass were in three different States.
“The demons only attack North River Pass two or three times a year,” said Zhang Yunhu. “Junior Brother Meng, you will only need to reinforce places once or twice a year. It will take two hours at most every time! I doubt that attacks will happen on the same day. Junior Brother Meng, we can still hold on if we are a little more cautious.”
“Yes, get Ge Cong and Wu Zixiu to prepare quickly. I need to go to another city pass,” instructed Marquis Southcloud.
“Alright, they’ve long been prepared.” Zhang Yunhu nodded.
…
Moments later, Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue sent Marquis Southcloud and company off.
Marquis Southcloud brought the three other Godfiend disciples and two more Godfiends, Ge Cong, and Wu Zixiu—who were being deployed elsewhere since Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue arrived at North River Pass.
“You are both stronger than us,” said Wu Zixiu when he left. “It’s good that you’ve come to North River Pass. Senior Sister Yu, Junior Sister Mu, and Senior Brother Shi are a little odd, but you can trust them with your lives.”
“Understood.” Meng Chuan nodded.
Wu Zixiu was a sharpshooter. He had a golden divine rune between his brows.
Meng Chuan had cultivated Lightning Runes. They were on his back, increasing his lightning’s power greatly. Liu Qiyue also had a Phoenix rune on her back.
“We’ll be leaving then.”
“Haha, we’re finally a bit closer to our homeland.” The two laughed as they boarded the giant fiery-red bird’s back.
“Let’s go.” Marquis Southcloud gently patted the bird’s neck. The bird immediately soared into the sky and flew southeast.
…
“I heard that you requested to live in the same mansion, so I’ve arranged that.” Zhang Yunhu grinned and stood in front of a luxurious manor. “How is it? Not bad, huh?”
Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue nodded in satisfaction.
North River Pass’s outer city walls could be seen behind the mansion! Godfiend residences in North River Pass were close to the outer city walls. Once the drums sounded, Godfiends would be able to reach the inner-city walls quickly.
“Rest for now. Come to my place tonight. I’ve prepared a banquet. All the Godfiends at North River Pass will attend,” said Zhang Yunhu with a smile. “It’s for everyone to know each other.”
“Alright.” Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue nodded.
Stewards and servants managed the manor. They were hired by the imperial government to serve Godfiends. The stewards and servants were extremely diligent.
…
That night, at North River Pass’s General Manor.
A total of 31 Godfiends gathered. General Zhang Yunhu, the nine deputy generals—Meng Chuan, Liu Qiyue, Fan Cheng, Shi Xiu, Yu Chiyan, Mu Qing, Yang Xingwu, Qiu Qi, and Feng Qianfan—and 21 commanders were North River Pass’s main force.
Meng Chuan held a cup—filled with alcohol—and chatted with the Godfiends, familiarizing himself with them.
The Godfiends at North River Pass had their own duties.
Two deputy generals—Qiu Qi and Feng Qianfan—led 19 ordinary Godfiends and mortal soldiers to fend off mortal demons and weak demon monarchs. Although Qiu Qi and Feng Qianfan were also Great Solar Godfiends, they were outer sect disciples. They were middle-grade Godfiends, and they were slightly inferior to the other deputy generals. In terms of strength, they were much weaker. However, they had rich experience in leading an army. Therefore, they were in charge of fending off ordinary demons and weak demon monarchs!
Zhang Yunhu, the seven other deputy generals, and two sharpshooter commanders were all Archean Mountain disciples. They were the main force that dealt with third Firmament demon monarchs!
“Ah Chuan.” Liu Qiyue sat with Meng Chuan and said via voice transmission, “Senior Brother Zhang has a straightforward personality. He looks like he’s easy to get along with.”
Meng Chuan agreed when he looked at Zhang Yunhu—who was flushed red thanks to the alcohol. Zhang Yunhu had a charm that made everyone around him trust him! He was indeed a veteran general.
“Senior Brother Fan Cheng and Senior Sister Yang Xingwu are both good-tempered people,” said Liu Qiyue. “Senior Brother Shi Xiu, Senior Sister Yu Chiyan, and Senior Sister Mu Qing are somewhat special.”
Meng Chuan nodded slightly.
“Junior Brother Meng.” The white-robed Shi Xiu, who was drinking wine, said with a laugh, “From now on, we will work together to kill enemies. From tomorrow onwards, let’s train together. We don’t want to show flaws on the battlefield due to poor teamwork.”
“Of course.” Meng Chuan nodded.
Shi Xiu’s gaze turned a little sinister. It was said that Shi Xiu was very unbridled. He always stayed in places of revelry. He cultivated the Sanguine Divine Body—the most painful Godfiend Body to cultivate. Meng Chuan had been alarmed by just the Godfiend body’s description. However, Shi Xiu had successfully cultivated it and had even reached the Great Solar realm. One could imagine how much pain he had experienced.
“Me too. Let’s practice together.” Senior Sister Mu Qing—who carried two swords on her back as she sat—said coldly, “I don’t want anyone to lose their lives because of you, Meng Chuan.”
“The two of you are underestimating Junior Brother Meng too much.” Yu Chiyan covered her mouth and laughed. Her laughter was very gentle, and it carried a stunning charm. “Junior Brother Meng is a perfected Lightning Devastator Fiend Body expert, one that appears once every few centuries. When we are killing demon monarchs, having Junior Brother Meng will probably make things easier.”
Senior Sister Yu Chiyan cultivated the Mirage Fiend Body! Every medium-sized city pass had a Godfiend that cultivated the Mirage Fiend Body. This was because such a Godfiend could control the enemy’s consciousness! Even if they couldn’t control demon monarchs, they could provide interference. In a life-and-death battle, they were of great help.
“Let’s train together. Let’s train together.” Shi Xiu was very pleased. “Junior Brother Meng, Junior Sister Mu doesn’t even bother talking with me when I usually visit her. It’s all thanks to you.”
“I’ll train with Meng Chuan. You aren’t included.” Senior Sister Mu Qing continued coldly, “I’m afraid that Meng Chuan’ll burden me. You? You’ve been on the battlefield for far longer than me. There’s no need for you to practice teamwork with me.”
Shi Xiu’s expression immediately turned bitter. “Alright, I’ll just watch from the side.”
Mu Qing snorted coldly.
Meng Chuan blinked. He could sense that Shi Xiu, Yu Chiyan, and Mu Qing’s relationship wasn’t ordinary.
&nbs
p; “It’s good to train and work on our teamwork. Everyone should do it together,” said Zhang Yunhu with a smile. “Frequent practice will make us more proficient on the battlefield and reduce our mistakes. You can’t be blindly confident just because you are strong! On the battlefield, we have to rely on our collective strength! It’s not about fighting alone. Do you think you can defeat hundreds of demon monarchs alone?”
Meng Chuan nodded.
Once a large battle occurred at a medium-sized city pass, they would often face hundreds of demon monarchs. They only had 31 Godfiends! However, these battles still depended on an individual’s strength. For example, Meng Chuan could wipe out ten third Firmament demon monarchs alone. As a sharpshooter, Liu Qiyue was even more terrifying. As for General Zhang Yunhu, he was stronger than both Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue. After all, he was a Godfiend who had long reached the Realm of Dao. In terms of his weapon arts, he was comparable to Marquis Godfiends.
Mu Qing, Shi Xiu, Fang Cheng, Yu Chiyan, and Yang Xingwu were all rather powerful. When they worked together, their might soared due to their synergy with one another. With eight Great Solar Godfiends working together, crushing 30 third Firmament demon monarchs was very easy. However, demons would sometimes gather many third Firmament demon monarch elites. It would be dangerous if they encountered such a group.
Of course, a medium-sized city pass had many defensive measures! If the demons sent too many elites, it was very likely that they would be killed by the humans instead! It was also possible that the humans were unable to hold the city pass and end up defeated.
This was war! The outcome was unpredictable.
…
The stable World Entrance was located in North River Pass’s inner-city. Mortal soldiers patrolled it daily.
A true large-scale assault only happened two or three times a year. This was because each attack led to tragic outcomes! At the very least, a large number of mortal demons were slaughtered each time. The humans’ goal was to ensure that no mortal demons could escape North River Pass!
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