98: The Emperor's tutor's wisdom is almost supernatural!

Inside the Commander's Residence, the atmosphere was extremely heavy.

"Imperial Tutor!"

Marquis Zhenbei's expression was very grim.

"Something happened in the infirmary! The wounds of those injured soldiers, who had just been treated by you, have started to fester again! And... and it's even worse than before!"

"Also, the Spiritual Qi in the city... the Spiritual Qi is becoming thin and turbid!"

"The Cultivators we sent to investigate found that the Spiritual Qi within a hundred-mile radius has the same problem! Our brothers can't even meditate to recover anymore!"

Li Hu and Wang Bao, among others, also looked anxious.

This move by the Demon Army was a complete undermining.

It was more vicious and despair-inducing than a direct assault on the city!

This was tantamount to silently killing every person in the city!

The flame of hope that had just ignited...

seemed like it could be extinguished at any moment by this silent poison.

Facing everyone's panic, Chen Xu's face remained calm.

He had already noticed the change in Spiritual Qi.

He walked into the courtyard of the Commander's Residence, drew a bucket of water from the well.

The water was as black as ink, emitting a nauseating stench.

He stretched out a finger, dipped a drop, and sniffed it at the tip of his nose.

Then, he walked to the corner of the wall, picked up a pinch of withered soil, and gently crushed it between his fingertips.

"Spirit-Severing Demonic Soil."

The next moment, Chen Xu spoke faintly.

"A tactic of the Myriad Poisons Sect, specifically used to contaminate Spiritual Veins and cut off all vitality. They want to turn Heavenly Wolf Pass into a dead city."

Marquis Zhenbei and the others felt their hearts sink; it was indeed a sinister scheme of the Demonic Path!

"Imperial Tutor, then... then what should we do?"

Wang Bao was sweating profusely with anxiety; he didn't want to be poisoned to death here.

Chen Xu did not answer.

He turned and walked into the main hall, summoning all the generals for a meeting.

Looking at the anxious faces below, Chen Xu's expression was indifferent.

With a wave of his hand, immediately, piles of jade bottles and Formation Plates appeared in the center of the main hall.

They formed a small mountain.

A rich medicinal fragrance and Spiritual Power fluctuations instantly filled the entire hall.

"These are Spirit Cleansing Pills and Spirit Gathering Formation Plates."

Chen Xu spoke calmly: "Distribute the Medicinal Pills; one pill daily can ensure Cultivators are immune to all poisons. Arrange the Formation Plates throughout the city to temporarily purify the air and gather Spiritual Qi."

Looking at the mountain of Medicinal Pills and Formation Plates, Marquis Zhenbei and the others were all stunned.

Especially those Formation Plates, each one glowed with spiritual light, clearly indicating a high grade.

Such a grand gesture!

How deep were the reserves of this Imperial Tutor?

Their originally panicked hearts, in the face of these mountain-like resources, miraculously calmed down.

"Thank you, Imperial Tutor!" Marquis Zhenbei bowed excitedly.

"No need."

Chen Xu waved his hand slightly, his eyes, however, sharpened: "These are only temporary measures. The Medicinal Pills and Formation Plates will eventually run out."

The hearts that had just settled down instantly tensed up again.

Yes, this was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

As long as the source of pollution remained, they were just waiting for death.

Seeing everyone's expressions turn solemn again, a cold smile appeared on Chen Xu's lips.

"The enemy wants to wear us down, to force us to die here."

"This just goes to show that they also aren't completely confident of a decisive victory through a strong attack. Or rather, they are unwilling to pay a huge price to chew on this hard bone of ours."

"Since that's the case, we cannot be led by the nose."

As soon as these words were spoken, Marquis Zhenbei, Li Hu, and the others were invigorated!

That's right!

The Imperial Tutor is right!

The reason the enemy used such a sinister trick was precisely because they were afraid!

Afraid of the Star Guards' sharpness!

"He fights his way, I fight mine."

Chen Xu slowly rose and walked to the giant sand table map.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He stretched out his hand, and under the suspicious gazes of all the generals, pointed to an inconspicuous marker point a hundred miles behind the Demon Army's main camp.

Black Wind Gorge!

"He wants to cut off our lifeline, so we will cut off his lifeblood first!"

Chen Xu's voice was resolute.

The generals were all stunned upon hearing this.

They followed the direction of Chen Xu's finger, their faces filled with confusion.

Black Wind Gorge?

What kind of place was that?

In their memory, it was just a desolate, uninhabited rocky gorge, with treacherous terrain and fierce gales.

Not even birds could fly through it.

Let alone stationing troops, even Yao Beasts wouldn't nest there.

How could such a godforsaken place be the "lifeblood" of a million-strong Demon Army?

Li Hu, as a veteran general, was intimately familiar with the geography of the northern region.

He pondered for a long time but couldn't think of any strategic value for Black Wind Gorge.

He bravely cupped his hands and asked, "Reporting to the Imperial Tutor, this subordinate is dull. This Black Wind Gorge... seems to be just a desolate place. Why would the Demon Army..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Are we mistaken?

Chen Xu withdrew his finger, turned around, and calmly swept his gaze over everyone.

"You only know one aspect, not the other."

He walked to the sand table, picked up a pointer, and lightly tapped on the Demon Army's camp, which stretched for a hundred miles.

"A million-strong Demon Army, with men eating and horses consuming, the daily consumption of supplies is an astronomical figure. Especially their weapons called demon fiend cannons, each shot requires a large amount of special crystals."

"Such a massive amount of supplies cannot appear out of thin air. There must be a hidden supply line, continuously supporting them."

Chen Xu's pointer slowly moved from the Demon Army's main camp, all the way north, finally stopping at the entrance of Black Wind Gorge.

"Their supply line didn't follow the official road, nor did it follow mountain paths. Instead, it went underground."

"Underground?!"

The generals exclaimed in surprise, their faces filled with disbelief.

To open a transport tunnel hundreds of miles long underground?

What a massive undertaking!

"Indeed."

A hint of approval flashed in Chen Xu's eyes: "The Myriad Poisons Sect is best at controlling various burrowing Yao Insects and mechanical Puppets. Building a tunnel underground is not difficult for them."

"And Black Wind Gorge, its geological structure is special; deep underground, there is a natural molten lava underground river."

"They are precisely using the heat of the molten lava underground river to establish a huge underground workshop, producing and transporting energy crystals for the demon fiend cannons on the front line."

"Black Wind Gorge is the heart of their underground supply line!"

As Chen Xu slowly explained.

A clear network map was laid out before everyone.

Inside the main hall, there was dead silence.

Marquis Zhenbei, Li Hu, Wang Bao... all the generals, were all as if struck by lightning.

Standing there in a daze.

They looked at Chen Xu, their eyes, apart from shock, were filled only with endless awe.

Too terrifying!

This Imperial Tutor, not only possessed heaven-defying cultivation and used troops like a god.

He even knew the enemy's core secrets hidden a hundred miles underground.

He knew it all like the back of his hand!

Is this... is this still a human?

This was simply an omniscient and omnipotent deity!

"Imperial Tutor... how... how did you know all this?"

Marquis Zhenbei's voice trembled.

Chen Xu smiled faintly, but did not answer.

He naturally wouldn't say that this intelligence came from the bits and pieces he had obtained from Heavenly Corpse Venerable's memories.

Combined with the analysis of the flow of Demonic Qi on the battlefield by the Purple Pupils of Delusion Breaking.

The final result deduced.

He simply tapped the pointer heavily on the model of Black Wind Gorge.

"Now, do you still think Black Wind Gorge is not important?"

"Alright, you may all withdraw."

Chen Xu did not explain further, directly issuing an order for them to leave.

"Distribute Medicinal Pills, maintain morale, and guard the city walls well."

"As for the rest, there's no need to ask."

"This..."

Marquis Zhenbei and the others exchanged glances, wanting to say something more.

But when their eyes met Chen Xu's.

All words were stuck in their throats.

Those eyes were too calm.

So calm it made one's heart palpitate.

As if the million-strong Demon Army outside the city and their heaven-defying poisonous schemes were all mere ants in his eyes.

..."Yes, we obey."

Finally, Marquis Zhenbei and the others could only bow respectfully and withdraw from the Commander's Residence.

Inside the main hall, silence returned.

Chen Xu slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the roof, looking towards the desolate mountain range to the north, shrouded in Demonic Qi.

A smile once again curved at the corner of his lips.

Want to wear me down?

Then let's see who dies first... The night was as deep as ink.

In the study of the Commander's Residence, candlelight flickered.

Chen Xu stood quietly before the map, his finger gently tapping on the words "Black Wind Gorge."

"Tap."

"Tap."

"Tap."

The rhythmic tapping sound was exceptionally clear in the silent night.

Suddenly.

A ripple appeared in the space behind him.

A figure, as if emerging from the shadows.

Appeared silently within the study.

The newcomer wore a green Daoist robe, with white hair and beard, and a lean, refined face, possessing a touch of an immortal-like aura.

But upon closer inspection, one would notice the sharp glint, like a sword, that occasionally flashed in his half-open eyes!

It was none other than Daoist Yuqing, one of the guest elders enshrined by the Chen family.

And after these few years of Chen Xu's cultivation without regard for cost.

At this time, Daoist Yuqing had already entered the Golden Core Stage of cultivation.

Not only that, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching the Late Golden Core Stage.

Of course, Daoist Yuqing at this time was also an absolutely secret force in Chen Xu's hands.

The leader of the Tiangang Squad.

"Greetings, Patriarch."

Daoist Yuqing respectfully bowed to Chen Xu's back.

In his heart, Chen Xu's identity.

First, he was the Patriarch of the Chen family, and only then, the Imperial Tutor of the Great Feng Dynasty.

"You've arrived."

Chen Xu did not turn around, his voice calm.

He pointed to Black Wind Gorge on the map and spoke directly.

"Your mission is here."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yuqing immediately stepped forward, his gaze falling upon the map.

When he clearly saw the words "Black Wind Gorge."

A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

He was quite familiar with the geography of the northern region; in his early years as a Loose Cultivator, he had also traveled through the northern region.

In his impression... this place was nothing more than a desolate, barren land, without any value.

However, he did not ask.

He only trusted the Patriarch.

Chen Xu seemed to have seen through his thoughts and said calmly: "This place is the lifeblood of the Demon Army."

"The provisions for their million-strong army, and all the ammunition for their demon fiend cannons, are hidden here."

"I want you to lead your men and burn it... to ashes."

As soon as these words were spoken, Daoist Yuqing's brow slightly raised.

The lifeblood of the Demon Army?

Hidden in such a secret, desolate place?

Patriarch... how did the Patriarch know this?!

Such a top military secret, perhaps even some high-ranking members of the Demon Army.

May not all know!

Yet the Patriarch, far away in Heavenly Wolf Pass, knew it all like the back of his hand, as if he had seen it with his own eyes!

Omniscient and omnipotent!

"The Family Head's divine foresight is truly admirable, Old Daoist is impressed!"

He praised him from the bottom of his heart.

Chen Xu was noncommittal, simply flipping his wrist.

A Storage Pouch appeared out of thin air and landed in his hand.

"Inside are thirty-six Shadow-Weave Magical Robes and one hundred and eight Blazing Sun Divine Fire Talismans."

"The Magical Robes can conceal all your auras."

"The Divine Fire Talismans are specifically designed to counter Devilish Qi; once detonated, the fire will spread like a prairie fire, unquenchable unless a Nascent Soul Cultivator intervenes."

Daoist Yuqing took the light-as-a-feather Storage Pouch.

His Divine Thought probed inside.

The next second, his breathing suddenly hitched!

Inside the Storage Pouch, thirty-six Magical Robes, as thin as cicada wings and flowing with a dark radiance, lay quietly.

Each one exuded the fluctuations of a top-grade Magical Artifact!

And next to the Magical Robes, one hundred and eight jade talismans, entirely crimson-gold and engraved with complex divine patterns.

They formed a small mountain!

Each jade talisman contained a violent fiery Spiritual Qi that made even him, a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, feel a jolt of alarm!

Blazing Sun Divine Fire Talisman!

This was a legendary secret talisman unique to ancient Sects!

A single one would be enough to cause countless Golden Core Cultivators to frantically bid for it at an auction!

It was priceless!

Yet, the Family Head produced one hundred and eight of them in one go!

And those thirty-six top-grade Magical Artifact-level stealth Magical Robes!

The Family Head's reserves were indeed beyond his imagination!

"This trip must succeed, no failure is allowed."

Chen Xu's voice pulled him back from his shock.

"I want Black Wind Gorge to be utterly barren."

"Can you do it?"

Daoist Yuqing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

He solemnly placed the Storage Pouch into his bosom.

Facing Chen Xu, he knelt on one knee!

"Family Head, rest assured!"

"With such divine objects assisting us, if the mission fails..."

"This Old Daoist will bring his head to you!"

As his voice fell, his figure once again transformed into a ripple.

Disappearing within the study... At midnight, the night was at its darkest.

In an unknown corner of the Heavenly Wolf Pass city wall.

Thirty-six dark figures, like ghosts, quietly gathered.

Each of them had their aura restrained, their figures upright, as if they had merged with the darkness.

They were the sharp blade forged by Chen Xu himself, the Tiangang Squad!

All thirty-six of them were, without exception, Golden Core Cultivators!

If this force were to be known, it would be enough to shake the entire Cultivation World!

Within a Dynasty, such a terrifying force of Cultivators was hidden!

Daoist Yuqing appeared before everyone.

This kind of power was comparable to the Qingyun Immortal Sect.

He didn't waste words.

He immediately distributed the Magical Robes and Divine Fire Talismans from the Storage Pouch.

"These are the Shadow-Weave Magical Robes and 'Blazing Sun Divine Fire Talismans' bestowed by the Family Head."

When the other thirty-five Golden Core Cultivators saw the divine objects in their hands.

Everyone's faces.

Showed the same look of shock as Daoist Yuqing!

"Heavens! Top-grade Magical Artifact-level stealth Magical Robes!"

"This... Is this the Blazing Sun Divine Fire Talisman? Am I seeing things? The Family Head actually has so many?"

"Family Head is mighty!"

After a brief moment of shock, a surge of fanaticism welled up in everyone's hearts!

With such divine objects in hand, how could a great undertaking not succeed?

They looked towards the Commander's Residence, their eyes filled with awe and reverence.

"Put on your Magical Robes and depart immediately!"

Daoist Yuqing gave the order.

The thirty-six immediately draped the cicada-wing-thin Magical Robes over their bodies.

A faint glow flashed on the Magical Robes, and the thirty-six figures, along with all their auras, Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

Even their scent and shadows, disappeared without a trace in an instant.

As if they had never appeared.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Thirty-six streaks of light shot into the sky, silently crossing the city wall and merging into the vast night.

Their speed was extreme, traversing the rugged mountains rapidly, yet without stirring a single breath of wind.

Not a single fallen leaf was disturbed.

Along the way, they encountered a patrol of Demonic Path Cultivators riding three-headed demon hounds.

Those few demon hounds, with their incredibly sensitive sense of smell, growled uneasily in the direction the Tiangang Squad had passed, their nostrils constantly twitching.

But no matter how they searched, they couldn't find any traces.

Eventually, they were impatiently kicked away by the Demonic Path Cultivators and continued on their way.

The Tiangang Squad, just like that, swaggered past right under their noses.

Just before dawn.

Black Wind Gorge was reached.

The thirty-six people lay in ambush on the mountain peak opposite the gorge, looking down.

They saw that the entire gorge had been forcibly transformed into a massive war workshop!

Inside the gorge, lights blazed, and heat waves rolled.

Countless Demonic Path Cultivators and enslaved laborers were at huge furnaces, throwing chunks of Ore into them.

Refining them into black crystals.

More Demonic Path Cultivators, like ants, carried boxes of supplies and refined crystals into several huge warehouses built into the mountain.

The defense seemed strict, with sentry posts everywhere.

But under Daoist Yuqing's Divine Thought probe, he found that the place was outwardly strict but inwardly lax.

Most of them were low-level Demonic Path Cultivators at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Stage.

Only two Early Golden Core Stage demon generals were truly stationed there.

At this moment, those two demon generals were in the largest tent in the center of the gorge.

Embracing several female Cultivators, drinking heavily, having a grand time.

In their view, Black Wind Gorge was located a hundred li deep in the Demon Army's territory, and the surrounding areas were all desolate.

It was simply impossible for Great Feng Dynasty Cultivators to sneak in here.

This was simply the safest cushy job in the world.

"Hmph, fools."

A cold sneer appeared on Daoist Yuqing's lips.

The Family Head's judgment was spot on!

He immediately issued combat orders to everyone via Divine Thought.

"Earth Element Group, infiltrate the warehouses and set up the Divine Fire Talismans."

"The rest, set up a killing formation, surround the main tent, and prepare for decapitation!"

"Act!"

At his command, several Golden Core Cultivators skilled in earth遁術 (Earth Escape Spell), their figures flickered, and like water droplets merging into the earth.

They disappeared from their original spots.

The others quietly fanned out, setting up a net around the main tent...

Inside the huge warehouse, it was dark and damp.

Mountains of provisions gave off a musty smell.

Next to them were neatly stacked black crystals, each exuding an ominous Devilish Qi.

A Demonic Path Cultivator guard yawned, leaning against the wall and dozing off.

He didn't notice that right beneath his feet in the soil.

Several figures, like swimming fish, silently infiltrated.

The Cultivators of the Earth Element Group moved like lightning.

They placed Blazing Sun Divine Fire Talismans one by one inside the load-bearing structures of the warehouse, as well as within the piles of provisions and crystals.

The entire process was silent.

After the setup was complete, they quietly retreated.

Outside the gorge, on the mountain peak.

Daoist Yuqing watched everything get ready, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He slowly raised his hand and formed a hand seal.

"The time has come."

"Rise!"

The moment his voice fell.

Boom!!!

A muffled roar suddenly came from deep underground in the warehouse!

Then, as if igniting a powder keg!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of earth-shattering explosions roared throughout Black Wind Gorge!

The earth trembled violently, as if a dragon had turned over!

Those huge warehouses, like balloons inflated from within, had their mountain walls suddenly bulge outwards.

Cracking into countless hideous fissures!

The next second!

Crimson-gold flames, like a volcanic eruption, tore through the warehouse roofs.

Transforming into several terrifying hundred-zhang-high pillars of fire that shot straight into the sky!

The flames were overbearing and blazing!

Like small suns, slowly rising in the gorge!

The entire night was instantly illuminated as bright as day!

"Ah—!!!"

Screams of agony echoed through the sky!

Countless Demonic Path Cultivators in their sleep.

Were instantly vaporized by the terrifying high temperature!

The mountains of provisions and demon fiend crystals became the best fuel for this Blazing Sun Divine Fire!

Fire fed by wind, wind boosting fire's might!

In just a few breaths, the entire Black Wind Gorge.

Had turned into a golden sea of fire!

That divine fire, specifically designed to counter Devilish Qi, once it touched something, it was like a maggot in the bone, impossible to extinguish!

Countless Demonic Path Cultivators wailed and rolled in the sea of fire.

Eventually turning into charred corpses!

"What's going on?!"

"Enemy attack!!"

Inside the tents, the two Golden Core demon generals, startled by the sudden drastic change, were completely sobered up.

They rushed out of their tents, disheveled, and what they saw.

Was a scene like purgatory.

"Bastards! Who is it? Who did this?!"

One demon general, both shocked and enraged, roared towards the sky.

However, his roar abruptly stopped.

Because, around him, at some unknown point, more than thirty figures exuding terrifying auras had appeared.

Chilling killing intent locked onto them tightly.

The anger on the faces of the two demon generals was instantly replaced by fear!

Their pupils suddenly constricted!

"Golden... Golden Core Cultivators?!"

"Thirty-six... No! This is impossible!"

They never dreamed that in their own stronghold, thirty-six Golden Core Cultivators would appear out of thin air!

This was even more absurd than Great Feng Dynasty Cultivators attacking their stronghold!

"Kill!"

Daoist Yuqing couldn't be bothered to waste words with them, and immediately gave the order.

The next second.

Thirty-six Golden Core Cultivators attacked simultaneously!

Sword light! Lightning Spells! Ice cones! Fire Dragons!

Overwhelming attacks instantly completely engulfed the two demon generals!

They didn't even manage to send out a distress signal before they were torn to shreds by the torrent of violent Spells, their Divine Souls utterly destroyed!

"Mission complete!"

"Retreat!"

After killing the two, Daoist Yuqing did not linger, immediately issuing the order to retreat.

The thirty-six figures once again turned into ghosts, disappearing into the soaring flames.

From the start of the attack to the retreat, the entire process did not exceed half an hour!

Leaving behind only this sea of fire that incinerated all things, and the desperate wails of countless Demonic Path Cultivators.