120: Folks, it’s time to go back home!

Outside the pass, the sun rose as usual.

In a mountain forest by the Nu River, the morning mist hung heavy.

From a cave hidden halfway up the mountain, faint whimpering sounds could be heard.

Deep within the winding cave, a faint firelight was visible.

Looking closer, a fire was burning, and about ten people with sallow faces sat around it.

Most of them were elderly, children, and women, with few young adults.

Most of these people stared blankly at an old woman with graying temples, who was clutching a bundle of clothes, rubbing it against her face, and sobbing in a low murmur.

The old woman's son had gone out hunting yesterday and had not returned.

He was either eaten by a wild beast in the mountains or encountered a Devil.

There were many Essence Spirits and fierce beasts in the mountains.

They had grown numb to such occurrences.

Many people who had fled into the mountains with them had disappeared in the same way.

Why would they rather hide in these mountains, infested with wild beasts and Essence Spirits, than go outside?

Because there were things more terrifying than wild beasts and Essence Spirits outside!

The old woman's suppressed sobs echoed in the cave, and everyone remained silently subdued.

The air was filled with suppression, and despair, like slowly waiting for death, filled everyone's eyes.

Just then, a faint echo came from outside the cave.

“Folks!”

“By order of the Baidi City Zhonglang General!”

“The menace of the Devil Cult’s Human Devils has been completely eradicated!”

“Everyone can return home!”

“You can return home!”

“Return home!”

“……”

The sound echoed in the cave.

And it grew louder and louder.

Everyone heard these words, and their originally numb and hollow eyes were like a large stone thrown into still water, suddenly rippling with layers of waves.

Immediately, everyone stood up, and their bodies, weakened from long hunger, somehow erupted with powerful energy upon hearing the words “folks,” rushing out of the cave in a scramble.

They rushed out of the cave, looking in the direction of the sound, and from their elevated vantage point, they saw a swift horse on the distant Nu River, galloping across the water.

On it, a heavily armored warrior, spurring his horse and cracking his whip, shouted loudly in the local dialect of Shu along both banks of the river:

“Folks!”

“Time to go home!”

“Time to go home!”

This was destined to be a scene that these common people would never forget!

Many people watched, their eyes filled with hot tears.

Finally, they could go home!

“Let’s go, home!”

At this moment, in Baidi City, swift horses and flying Sky Eagles, carrying Fu Gate soldiers, rushed out towards the lands beyond the pass amidst shouts.

Soon after, the command to return home echoed throughout the mountains.

Return home!

Immediately, outside the pass, countless people emerged from various locations in the mountain forests upon hearing the commotion.

Waterfalls, caves, volcanoes, treetops, swamps…

They were like weeds in a chaotic world, but these weeds struggled, strived, and lived tenaciously.

Soon, across the mountains and lands outside the pass, small streams of people converged, then formed a vast ocean, heading in different directions.

Baidi City, Sky Patrol Division headquarters.

At this time, the headquarters was almost empty, except for the guards on duty; almost everyone else had been dispatched.

Some went to spread the command, some were sent to clear the battlefield, and some went to track down any remaining Devil Cult remnants along various routes…

After a major battle, there were too many aspects to handle.

And at the Sky Patrol Division, in a room filled with ancient charm at the Zhonglang General’s residence, Chen Yuan was meditating cross-legged.

A series of battles and killings, especially the too frequent use of the Dharma Eye’s golden light, left him feeling somewhat drained, and with his Physical Body injured, his body needed to recuperate.

At this moment, a layer of vibrant green spiritual light flickered on the wound on his right shoulder, where it had been severed by the White Tiger, and a cool, refreshing sensation flowed beneath his skin.

Chen Yuan could feel granulation tissue growing rapidly, promoting wound healing.

This was a Medicinal Pill for healing injuries, the Clear Jade Pill, which Xiang Qingtian had specifically retrieved from the Weapon Repository.

Half an hour later, Chen Yuan opened his eyes, a golden light flashing across them.

His brows relaxed for a moment, and he raised one hand.

A black and green light quickly condensed in his palm and rapidly extended into the form of a Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Spear.

Soon, his Dao Soldier appeared in his hand.

The spear shaft trembled.

The Evil Qi was fierce.

The black and green spear shaft appeared even more substantial, and the blood-colored patterns on the sharp points of the Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Spear became more intense; even Chen Yuan felt a chilling sense of a blade approaching when he held it.

Dao Soldiers needed to be nurtured.

They could be stored within the Physical Body and tempered through the true meaning of Cultivation Technique.

Or by melting stronger Geng Jin materials to enhance their power.

His Dao Soldier, forged with numerous Geng Jin materials, was incredibly sturdy and sharp, and with the inclusion of the Thirty-Six Mountains’ Dao Seed, it weighed over ten thousand jun.

Several battles later, this Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Spear had proven its effectiveness, being invincible.

And after consecutively slaying several Heavenly Gate Devils, Chen Yuan could clearly feel that the power of this Dao Soldier was growing stronger.

Killing enemies and shedding blood seemed to be the simplest and most brutal way to enhance a Dao Soldier!

He carefully stroked the spear shaft, satisfaction flickering in his eyes; then, he put the spear away, and it instantly transformed into a ball of light, disappearing into his palm.

At this moment, his Niwan Palace vibrated, and a thought flashed through his mind.

“Chen Yuan: Ninth Mountain Zhonglang General

Realm: Fourth Heavenly Gate (Dao Soldier Realm)

Luck Points: 753

Cultivation Techniques: Dragon Subduing Post (Perfection), Demon Subduing Fist (Perfection), Taoist Internal Scripture Diagram (Perfection), Seventy-two Earthly Fiends (3/72)

Spells: Animal Creation, Demon Subduing Fist

Divine Abilities: Food Consumption, Dharma Eye (cultivable), Swordsmanship, Mountain Carrying, Demon Nine Transformations (Mountain Monarch, Ox Demon)

Dao Soldier: Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Spear”

The information flowing on the Tiger Talisman had already defaulted his identity to “Ninth Mountain Zhonglang General.”

Looking at his Luck Points, they had reached over seven hundred.

Having killed so many Devils and Human Devils along the way, Chen Yuan was not surprised.

Thinking of this, Chen Yuan waved his sleeve, and several clusters of spiritual light flew out, hovering before him, revealing the figures within.

One, two, three, four, five, six…

There were six clusters in total, tightly wrapped in a layer of golden light.

All were Fourth Heavenly Gate essences.

Zhen, Gǔdiāo, Fei Yi, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise.

The first three were true Devils.

As for the latter, they were three Human Devils.

He had the Divine Ability of Demon Nine Transformations, which was perfect for refining the first three Devils, and he had sent the Physical Bodies of Zhen and Fei Yi to Qingshan County through a passage.

He figured that with the added power of the Fourth Heavenly Gate's Devil transformations, the amplification of this Divine Ability would have a qualitative improvement.

Thinking this, the golden light in Chen Yuan’s eyes instantly condensed into a golden speck, then two fine golden lines shot into the two clusters of essence from Fei Yi and Gǔdiāo, completely erasing the consciousness of these two Devils.

Then, the golden light in his eyes receded, and he put the three Devil essences into his sleeve; subsequently, his gaze became stern as he looked at the remaining three Human Devil essences, his eyes emitting a piercing cold light.