We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 205 Demonic Martial Arts and Great Zhou Join Forces, Northern Lands Fall (10,000 words)

Qiu Wuyai was too happy too soon.

Not only did he fail, but he also went astray, losing his mind and becoming completely demonic.

Su Chen and Zhu Yan were too happy too soon.

Demonization is not death; on the contrary, it makes Qiu Wuyai even more terrifying.

Furthermore, Qiu Wuyai had already absorbed a large amount of martial artists' blood, resulting in his current realm being not only at the Gathering Yuan stage, but even surpassing it.

His strength is actually greater than that of an ordinary Qi Gathering Warrior.

Because after this transformation, Qiu Wuyai was no longer a human, but a mindless monster.

He was not afraid of pain, nor was he afraid of death.

Whether you are a normal martial artist or a demon blood martial artist, you need long-term accumulation of strength and top-notch luck to maintain your peak combat power.

But Qiu Wuyai is different; he is always at his peak combat strength.

Every move can unleash the most terrifying attack power.

Therefore, when Qiu Wuyai charged forward, the overwhelming killing intent made the two of them look extremely solemn.

Neither of them dared to be careless.

"My benefactor, let's do it together!"

Zhu Yan said in a deep voice, then stepped on the ground to keep his distance from Su Chen.

Su Chen nodded and dodged Qiu Wuyai's bull-like charge attack with a quick movement.

Roar!
A hoarse roar erupted from his throat, venting his rage.

His pupils reflected Su Chen's image.

Although he had lost his mind, he felt extremely displeased with the person in front of him and wished he could tear him to pieces.

Why is this guy always targeting our benefactor?

Zhu Yan tried several times to attract Qiu Wuyai's attention, but Qiu Wuyai kept pestering Su Chen and wouldn't even look at him.

Before he knew it, Su Chen had already fought several hundred rounds with Qiu Wuyai.

Having completely transformed into a mastiff, Qiu Wuyai made rapid progress in strength, speed, and reaction awareness.

Su Chen was completely suppressed.

Zhu Yan only watched for a short while before taking action.

Without Qiu Wuyai's interference, he had no need to hold back and went all out from the start.

A surge of immense Yuan energy condensed between his palms, transforming into a triangular spike that began to spin rapidly.

With a furious shout from Zhu Yan, the two extremely sharp triangular spikes transformed into two streaks of light, falling off in the blink of an eye and sweeping towards Qiu Wuyai with the force of a whirlwind.

Roar!
Sensing the energy fluctuations coming from behind him, Qiu Wuyai's charging figure suddenly stopped.

He turned his head to look, and two blinding flames rapidly enlarged in his pupils, engulfing his entire body in an instant.

A piercing scream, like a thunderclap, resounded throughout the surrounding area, shaking the very foundations of the place.

The moment the two spinning triangular spikes struck Qiu Wuyai's body, they burst into dazzling sparks, which rained down like a gentle rain, illuminating the night sky.

That thick fur was originally a very good protective armor.

Now it has become the fuse, and the moment it came into contact with the flames, it ignited like a raging inferno.

In an instant, Qiu Wuyai was scorched like a giant fireball, and a faint aroma of meat wafted out from within the fireball.

Roar!
However, even in such a miserable state, Qiu Wuyai still refused to let Su Chen go.

Those dark, cold eyes fixed on Su Chen once again.

With a hysterical roar, Qiu Wuyai, bathed in flames, charged headlong towards Su Chen.

"My benefactor, get out of the way!" Zhu Yan exclaimed in panic, not expecting Qiu Wuyai to be so resilient.

Without Zhu Yan needing to remind him, Su Chen had already made preparations in advance.

Faced with the insane Qiu Wuyai, Su Chen clearly had no intention of getting entangled with him.

He was like a gentle breeze, easily avoiding Qiu Wuyai's collision.

"Again?"

Qiu Wuyai was not like a mastiff, but rather like a wild bull, relentlessly charging at Su Chen.

Su Chen, like a bullfighter, dodged Qiu Wuyai's attacks time and time again.

Soon, Su Chen noticed that Qiu Wuyai's aura had weakened somewhat, indicating that Zhu Yan's Yuan Power Flame had caused him significant injuries.

Seeing that Qiu Wuyai was still unwilling to give up, Su Chen's eyes flashed with a cold light, and a fierce intent surged within him.

Sword Drawing Technique!
Without the slightest hesitation, Su Chen, who had been preparing for nearly a quarter of an hour, finally found an opportunity to unleash his sword-drawing technique.

The steel sword at his waist seemed to hear the cry in Su Chen's heart, and it trembled as Su Chen gripped the hilt.

A sting.

With a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, he drew the sword, raised it high, and then brought it down heavily.

A dazzling river of blades swept down into the void ahead.

The blade's edge was stretched infinitely, resembling a forty-meter-long sword, slashing down diagonally.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment; the raging Qiu Wuyai suddenly stopped, frozen in place.

Click click click.

Suddenly, a sound like porcelain shattering rang out in the air, and Qiu Wuyai's burning body shattered at that moment.

Minced meat and fresh blood flew everywhere, scattering in all directions.

Even though he had witnessed it many times, Zhu Yan was still amazed by Su Chen's brilliant strike.

This time is no exception.

The power of that strike was truly terrifying.

Qiu Wuyai's body exploded, his life force extinguished, he was dead beyond any hope of survival.

"I have never seen a demon blood warrior who has lost his mind before. Seeing it with my own eyes this time is truly terrifying. No wonder the Great Zhou and Great Qian have done everything they can to wipe out the Demon Martial Sect. The existence of such a force undoubtedly makes all warriors uneasy."

Looking at Qiu Wuyai's corpse, Zhu Yan sighed.

Su Chen nodded, his eyes still filled with lingering fear.

"Let's see what he left behind." Su Chen turned to the place where Qiu Wuyai had bathed before.

There were Qiu Wuyai's clothes and some other personal belongings piled up there.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan began to search for the letter. After a moment, he said, "My benefactor, there is a secret letter here."

A note was found among Qiu Wuyai's clothes. He opened it and read it.

The two of them stared at each other in silence.

“I can’t understand it. This seems to be the script of the Great Zhou Dynasty.” Zhu Yan looked at Su Chen.

Su Chen also shook his head: "Don't look at me, I don't understand it either."

The scripts of the Great Zhou and the Great Qian are completely different. Su Chen had never seen the script of the Great Zhou, so he naturally did not recognize it.

"What about this?"

"Put it away and take it back to Qian Ruyuan so he can verify it," Su Chen said decisively.

Zhu Yan nodded.

The two quickly finished their search, and apart from the secret letter, Qiu Wuyai had nothing of interest to them.

"Let's go!"

Su Chen said something softly, and the two left.

The wind passed without a trace, burying everything here.

Silent all night.

The next day, Su Chen informed Qian Ruyuan of the matter and also specified the location, leaving it for Qian Ruyuan to verify the truth of the matter in person.

"This is a secret letter obtained from Qiu Wuyai. The contents are written in the Great Zhou script, and you will need to find a professional to decipher it."

Su Chen took out the secret letter he had obtained last night and handed it to Qian Ruyuan.

Qian Ruyuan took a look and nodded, saying, "It is indeed the script of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Fortunately, I have someone in my household who understands the script of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I will have someone take a look."

Su Chen didn't expect that the person Qian Ruyuan had brought was Qian Xingyue.

Qian Ruyuan briefly explained the situation, and Qian Xingyue nodded and began to read it.

Neither Qian Ruyuan nor Su Chen spoke, but looked at Qian Xingyue, whose expression grew increasingly solemn.

Suddenly, as if she had seen something extraordinary, her hands trembled violently.

"What's written on it?" Qian Ruyuan asked curiously.

Qian Xingyue took a deep breath and said with a solemn expression, "It says on the document that the Demon Martial Sect has joined forces with the Great Zhou to deal with the Great Qian!"

"What?!" Qian Ruyuan was shocked upon hearing this.

Su Chen's expression also changed suddenly.

The Great Zhou and the Demon Martial Sect are irreconcilable enemies. Who would have thought that they had secretly joined forces and were now preparing to deal with the Great Qian together!
This is definitely not good news for the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Moreover, they plan to take advantage of the resident envoys' closure of the border, first pacify the northern region, then destroy Donglin Prefecture, and use this as a springboard to advance into Yuandu Prefecture."

Qian Xingyue continued, her pretty face frosty, she knew the seriousness of the matter.

Qian Ruyuan's face turned completely ugly.

News came from the front lines just two days ago that most of Kitasato had fallen.

The army sent by Donglin Prefecture to support the front lines retreated to the border cities to resist the Great Zhou army.

Emperor Qian was furious and once again ordered the heads of the various prefectures to send troops to provide support, not to reclaim the territory, but to stabilize the current situation.

Once the new army has assembled, we will send troops out to reclaim the lost territory.

Unexpectedly, the situation deteriorated faster than anticipated. This turmoil in the North was actually caused by the Demon Martial Sect and the Great Zhou Dynasty working together.

Doesn't this mean that the Great Zhou royal family is the real supporter of the Demon Martial Sect?

The so-called demon blood warriors are very likely to have been trained by the Great Zhou royal family.

They only fabricated the Demon Martial Sect to deceive other forces.

"The Great Zhou royal family is truly cunning!" Qian Ruyuan said through gritted teeth after figuring it out.

In order to conquer the Great Qian, the Great Zhou even went so far as to use its own warriors as test subjects to cultivate demon blood warriors.

Even Qian Ruyuan couldn't help but feel uneasy about such methods.

"May I ask, what is a resident envoy?"

Su Chen remained silent for a long time before breaking the silence and looking at Qian Xingyue to ask.

The moment Qian Xingyue's gaze met Su Chen's, she was momentarily dazed. She composed herself and looked at Qian Ruyuan.

"The so-called resident envoys are messengers sent by the superior deity to supervise and collect tributes from the country."

They are high above others and usually don't concern themselves with worldly affairs. As long as it doesn't interfere with their collection of state tributes, they won't participate in anything.

If the Great Zhou were to destroy the Great Qian, as long as the Great Zhou were willing to bear the due tribute, the envoy stationed in the country would not pursue the matter.

The only guarantee is that the Great Zhou must not merge with the Great Qian and combine their territories.

The Great Zhou could only send its own people to reside in the Great Qian, replace the Qian Emperor, and become the new emperor.

Then they were put in charge of the administration, and annual tributes were submitted to the emperor and the resident envoys.

Qian Ruyuan knew that Su Chen didn't understand, so he explained it in detail.

"Why is there such a rule?" Su Chen pressed for an answer.

Qian Ruyuan shook his head: "It's not something I know, it's a rule from the upper sect."

Su Chen remained silent for a moment, then asked, "What's the situation at the front?"

"The North is almost lost. I have already ordered the army to retreat to the border town to resist the Great Zhou, but right now..."

Qian Ruyuan sighed. If this news was true, the situation was probably not optimistic.

Once the North falls completely, the Great Zhou will join forces with the Demon Martial Sect to attack the Eastern Lin Prefecture, with the Border City as the first line of defense bearing the brunt.

It would be impossible to defend Bian Shang City with only the warriors and soldiers previously sent out.

Thinking of this, Qian Ruyuan stood up and said solemnly, "Su Chen, please keep this matter a secret. I need to report this to Emperor Qian."

Su Chen nodded, feeling a little flustered.

Qian Xingyue seemed to see through Su Chen's thoughts, pursed her lips, and then asked, "Are you worried about Li Mo?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Ruyuan stopped and looked at Su Chen.

He forgot that Su Chen had a friend in the Bian Mall.

Su Chen glanced at Qian Xingyue with surprise, then nodded.

"Don't worry, Li Mo is fine for now," Qian Xingyue said softly.

Su Chen stood up, cupped his hands in thanks to Qian Xingyue, and expressed his gratitude.

Not only was Qian Ruyuan anxious about this matter, but Su Chen was also anxious. Just because things were alright for the time being did not mean that things would be alright in the future.

Given the current situation, I'm afraid something bad will happen sooner or later.

Before Qian Xingyue could offer any further words of comfort, Su Chen bid farewell to the two of them.

Regardless of the final outcome of the Great Qian Dynasty, he needs to ensure the safety of his relatives and friends.

After leaving Dafeng City, Su Chen returned to the Qiao residence and asked the servants if they had received any recent letters from Li Mo.

After learning that there was none, he went to the Zhang residence again, worried that Zhang Wan'er would become suspicious, so he asked her indirectly, but there was still no answer.

When they returned to the Qiao residence, Zhu Yan found Su Chen.

"This is a token sent by Qian Ruyuan. He said it might be useful if you go to Bian Shang City."

Zhu Yan took out a token, somewhat curious, "What happened? Why are you suddenly going to the border market?"

The border mall is the front line, where a battle is currently raging.

Why is Su Chen going at this time? Is he being sent to the front lines?

“I have a senior brother who is on the front lines.”

Su Chen briefly explained the situation, "I might be going to the border market in the next few days, and I might need your help..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Yan nodded and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me."

"By the way, since you're already at the Qiao residence, why don't you bring Xiaoyue and the others over to stay for a while?" Su Chen suddenly suggested.

Zhu Yan smiled and declined, saying, "I've already parted ways with Xiaoyue, so I'd better not, to avoid adding to my sorrow."

"By the way, benefactor, when are you setting off?" Zhu Yan asked after a pause.

"Tonight."

"So urgent?"

Su Chen nodded. The sooner the better.

It was actually much more urgent than Zhu Yan had imagined; Su Chen set off directly in the afternoon.

……

Night falls.

A mountain forest outside the border shopping mall.

An army lies hidden in the mountains, waiting for its chance to strike.

Rumble.

The faint sound of wheels rolling came from not far away, gradually getting closer, and at the end of the line of sight, the shadow of a grain transport team could be vaguely seen.

Upon seeing this group of people, the soldiers hiding in the shadows held their breath and dared not reveal a single sound.

As the carriage rolled forward, the crowd's eyes grew brighter.

"stop!"

Just then, a cold shout suddenly rang out, and Li Mo, who was personally leading the grain transport team, stopped in his tracks.

His gaze swept ahead. The mountain road was narrow, and the trees on both sides were tall and dense. Coupled with the unease rising in his heart, he became suspicious.

Seeing Li Mo's expression of being on high alert, the soldiers behind him drew their swords and looked around.

Seeing that they were less than twenty meters away from their ambush site, Li Mo suddenly stopped halfway.

A hint of anger flashed across Han Yun's face. This guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes is really meticulous!

Suddenly, Han Yun saw that Li Mo had sent people to scout ahead, and he could no longer hold back, shouting, "Charge!"

At a command, the soldiers lying in ambush on both sides of the mountain road rushed out.

"Protect food!"

Li Mo shouted loudly, drew his steel knife, and charged out first.

His figure disappeared into the ranks of the Great Zhou soldiers, and blood blossoms quickly sprayed out around him.

"You brat, you're looking for death!"

Han Yun was furious when he saw Li Mo kill his subordinate in the blink of an eye. He grabbed his two whips and brought them down.

boom!
Li Mo had anticipated this and remained calm. He wrapped his sword around the blade, reached out to grab it, but his hand suddenly retracted.

It turned out that the silver whip had sharp barbs on it, which were extremely sharp and easily cut through his palm.

"Take this!" Han Yun sneered upon seeing this, and another whip fell with the sound, raising clouds of dust.

Suddenly, a sound that pierced the air rang out.

Li Mo dared not be careless and took several steps back to dodge.

However, in Han Yun's hands, the double whips were like two agile snakes, and with the movement of his arms, he gradually approached Li Mo.

Fortunately, the trees around him provided cover, which allowed Li Mo to avoid being whipped.

Boom boom boom!
However, the double whips were extremely powerful, and Han Yun's arm strength was even greater. He easily broke a tree the size of a bowl with just the double whips.

Every time he swung up and came down, it terrified Li Mo.

Li Mo was able to retreat, but his men were unable to. In the blink of an eye, more than ten of his men died under the silver whip.

This filled Li Mo with grief and indignation. Although he had only spent less than a month with these subordinates, they had already developed a deep bond.

"stop."

When he saw Han Yun about to attack his subordinates again, Li Mo shouted angrily and went to meet him head-on.

Fierce fighting broke out on one side and on the other.

The raiding soldiers led by Han Yun were far stronger than Li Mo's escort team, and their numbers were almost twice that of Li Mo's team.

With such a disparity in strength, Li Mo's team suffered a series of defeats.

In less than half an hour, most of Li Mo's soldiers were killed, and the grain wagons were captured by Han Yun's troops.

After hundreds of rounds of fighting, Li Mo was exhausted. Han Yun was far stronger than him, and he was no match for Han Yun at all.

Han Yun did not intend to kill him immediately, but toyed with him as if he were a monkey.

"Brother Li, let's go!"

Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out; it was one of Li Mo's lieutenants, hacked to death by a flurry of blows.

Even on his deathbed, he didn't forget to remind Li Mo to go first.

"Old Liu!" Li Mo shouted when he saw this, his eyebrows furrowed and a surge of anger welling up in his heart.

He cleaved the silver whip in two with a single stroke and charged angrily at the soldiers.

"Heh, you want to lay a hand on my men? Did you ask me first?" Han Yun sneered as he saw this.

Just as she was about to kill Li Mo, she suddenly trembled, and a strong sense of crisis enveloped her.

Before she could make a move, Han Yun heard a sharp sound of something cutting through the air.

Wow!
A ghostly figure suddenly appeared behind them, wielding knives in both hands, slashing down with overwhelming force.

At the critical moment, Han Yun dodged to the side, but was still struck by the steel blade, and his armor shattered.

This strike was extremely powerful; it not only shattered the outer armor but also cracked the soft armor.

This surprised Han Yun greatly, because even those at the Blood Transformation Realm couldn't break through this chainmail, yet it was cleaved open by this single strike.

Fortunately, there was a layer of soft armor inside, and the steel blade was embedded in the soft armor, which neutralized the fierce force, and he was not injured.

"what?"

Even Ma Chen hadn't expected that this tough woman not only had outer armor, but also two layers of armor underneath: a layer of chainmail and a layer of soft armor.

Judging by his burly appearance, just how afraid of death must he be!
So much so that even his full-force strike couldn't break through her defenses.

"You bastard!" Han Yun was furious, having narrowly escaped injury. However, Ma Chen had no intention of engaging in a prolonged confrontation. He withdrew, leaped, grabbed Li Mo, and vanished into the forest in the blink of an eye.

"Chase!"

……

"Military camp ahead, unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering!"

The border town was quite far from Dafeng City, more than 500 li away, but Su Chen arrived in just two days.

Before even entering the military camp, Su Chen was intercepted by soldiers outside. Without saying a word, he showed the token given to him by the prefect.

Before long, a lieutenant general came out, took the token, examined it for a few moments, and said, "General Li Cheng has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."

As Su Chen was leaving the manor, Qian Ruyuan sent a message by carrier pigeon to Li Cheng, the garrison commander of Bian Shang City.

Li Chengben thought that even if Su Chen was fast on his feet, it would still take him several days. He never expected that Su Chen would arrive in less than half a day after he received the message from the manor lord.

Upon seeing Su Chen, Li Cheng stood up to greet him, his smile carrying a hint of respect.

Whether it was the lord's high regard for Su Chen or Su Chen's own strength, it was enough for him to show respect.

"Young friend Su, the Lord of the Manor has already informed me of the matter. Li Mo was sent out to transport grain the day before yesterday, and he should be back today."

He remembered Li Mo; he was a guy with mediocre martial arts skills but who was extremely hardworking.

Su Chen nodded, "As long as I can get there today, that's fine."

He looked at Li Cheng and asked, "The Lord of the Prefecture should have already informed you about the secret alliance between the Demon Martial Sect and the Great Zhou, right?"

When this matter was mentioned, Li Cheng's face showed a rare solemnity.

Besides the matter of Su Chen, the letter emphasized the collusion between the Demon Martial Sect and the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This was beyond his expectations.

He struggled to defend against the iron cavalry of the Great Zhou, and the added pressure from the madmen of the Demon Martial Sect only exacerbated his situation.

I have absolutely no confidence.

But for now, all we can do is hold on until the lord's reinforcements arrive.

"General, news has come from the rear that more than ten grain transport teams have been attacked and the grain has been seized by the Great Zhou."

After chatting with Su Chen for a while, Li Cheng got up and left. As he walked out of the tent, he saw his deputy general rushing over.

"What about Li Mo's grain transport team?" Li Cheng asked, his expression changing upon hearing this, his brows furrowed.

The lieutenant nodded: "They were also attacked; their fate is uncertain."

The two spoke in very low voices and deliberately kept their distance from the tent, not afraid that Su Chen would hear them.

This news, however, left Li Cheng feeling troubled.

He was already furious that his food had been taken away, and now that Li Mo had disappeared, he was even more at a loss as to how to explain it to Su Chen.

"Find him! Send men to search immediately! We must find him alive or dead!"

A moment later, Li Cheng gave the order, and the deputy general was ordered to leave.

"Where is Li Mo's grain transport route?"

Li Cheng frowned and left, when a voice suddenly rang out from behind him. He turned around and saw Su Chen standing behind him with an expressionless face.

His heart skipped a beat, knowing that Su Chen had overheard his conversation with the deputy general.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face, but it was hidden by his dark expression. He remained silent for a while before forcing himself to say, "In the southwest direction."

Su Chen did not respond, but nodded and turned to leave.

The pressure that had been pressing down on him suddenly lessened. Li Cheng watched Su Chen's departing figure with lingering fear, his gaze complex.

Holding the token, Su Chen walked out of the military camp without any hindrance. As soon as he left the camp, he headed southwest.

Forest.

“Li Mo, I’ve only known you for less than a month, yet I’ve saved you five times, and this is the sixth time. It seems Su Chen was right to ask me to protect you.”

This was the sixth time Ma Chen had saved Li Mo. After saving him so many times, the two had become quite familiar with each other, and Ma Chen had also learned Su Chen's real name from Li Mo.

"hiss!"

Li Mo's face was somewhat pale, and the pain caused by the medicine dissolving into his wound made him gasp involuntarily.

"Alright, the old wound hasn't healed before you've added a new one," Ma Chen said with a smile after finishing bandaging Li Mo.

"Thank you," Li Mo said gratefully.

Ma Chen waved his hand and said, "If you really want to thank me, then don't take on such a dangerous mission."

Although the grain was only a small portion of the supplies, the fact that the cultivators at the Refining Internal Organs Realm were there to escort it was a great use of their limited resources.

Li Mo remained silent. There was a shortage of capable generals in the army, and he was valued by his superiors, which was why he was assigned to transport grain.

Otherwise, how could such an important matter be led by a martial arts practitioner specializing in dirty tricks?

Unfortunately, this grain transport mission failed. Not only did they lose tens of thousands of kilograms of grain, but the entire army was wiped out, with only he surviving.

"Oh no, that tomboy is chasing us again, we need to get out of here!"

Suddenly, Ma Chen heard light footsteps not far away. His expression changed slightly, and he turned to leave with Li Mo on his back.

"who?"

Just then, a cold shout suddenly rang out.

Immediately, Ma Chen saw a burly figure stepping through the forest and striking out with a palm strike from thin air towards the two of them. Instantly, a terrifying burst of Yuan energy pierced through the air and struck.

"Move the Blood to the Fifth Realm!"

Ma Chen's gaze sharpened. Knowing he was no match for the opponent, he didn't try to take the attack head-on. Instead, he sidestepped and dodged the attack.

Then, he focused his energy in his dantian, let out a soft shout, and his feet moved like a gentle breeze, disappearing in the blink of an eye at the end of the shadowy figure.

"Don't chase."

The burly man stopped his men from chasing after him. Ma Chen was fast enough that even he couldn't catch up, let alone his men.

After a short rest, the burly man led his troops away. With their mission accomplished, it was time to return and rejoin the main army.

"Han Jun, what are you doing here?"

They hadn't gone far when the burly man saw an acquaintance.

Upon seeing the burly man, Han Yun was slightly taken aback, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Have you seen two people from the Great Qian Dynasty?"

"I saw them, but they got away."

The burly man then noticed Han Yun's injury. He was surprised, wondering if it was the work of those two.
Han Yun nodded and walked away.

The burly man called out to Han Yun, reminding him, "Don't forget, the general is still waiting for us."

"I know. I'll get back as soon as I kill those two," Han Yun said before disappearing into the darkness.

The burly man shook his head after hearing this, paid no attention, and continued on his way.

After traveling an unknown distance, just as they were about to leave the mountains and forests, a figure suddenly came into view.

He was startled and demanded, "Who goes there?"

The figure seemed not to hear his words, and continued straight ahead at an incredible speed.

"Do it!"

At the command of the burly man, the archers who had been waiting in the wings raised their bows and aimed at the figure.

In an instant, arrows rained down.

However, the figure was unusually agile. Facing the barrage of arrows, it not only did not dodge, but instead increased its speed.

"Yuan power is for martial artists who have opened their meridians!"

The burly man was horrified when he saw the Yuan energy barrier around the figure, and his face immediately turned pale with fear.

Just then, a cold voice rang out: "They are from the Great Zhou."

As soon as the voice faded, Su Chen's figure appeared in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, his palm was holding a slender, transparent column, which shot out as he flicked his wrist.

"what!"

The moment the pillar, as thick as an arm, detached from Su Chen's palm, it instantly transformed into hundreds of golden needles in mid-air, forming a net of golden needles.

It shot towards the burly man and his companions in an overwhelming barrage.

It's difficult to discern with the naked eye, let alone react.

In less than a few breaths, screams of agony came from ahead.

One by one, the soldiers of the Great Zhou fell, but the burly man had no time to feel sorry for them.

Although he managed to dodge the golden needles with his own strength, the feeling of being shrouded in death became increasingly pronounced.

run!
Without the slightest hesitation, the burly man turned tail and ran away.

Upon seeing the burly man abandoning his soldiers and fleeing, Su Chen snorted coldly and leaped after him.

The burly man was only at the Blood Transformation Realm; how could he possibly escape Su Chen's clutches?

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Su Chen struck the burly man with a palm, sending him flying backward, coughing up blood.

"Tell me, have you seen any of the grain transport convoys from the Great Qian Dynasty?"

Su Chen did not kill the other party, but came up to him and questioned him.

Upon hearing this, the burly man shook his head and said, "No, no..."

Before he could finish speaking, he sensed a change in Su Chen's expression and a wave of killing intent washing over him.

He changed his expression with the fastest speed he had ever seen, saying, "Yes, I see it."

"Did you see it or not?" Su Chen stopped what he was doing and asked with a frown.

"The grain transport team of Daqian was wiped out, but two escaped and ran in that direction."

The burly man pointed behind him and said in a trembling voice.

Click.

His response was a swift and decisive palm strike from Su Chen.

Upon receiving the news that Li Mo was not dead, Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief and then quickly left.

"No way, another expert has arrived."

Just when Ma Chen thought he had shaken off the tomboy Han Yun and was temporarily safe, he sensed an even more terrifying aura approaching from ahead.

This made him tense.

Because he felt that under this aura, he was like a small boat in a storm, so small and fragile.

"Ma Chen, don't worry about me, just run ahead," Li Mo said.

With Ma Chen's speed, running away would be easy, but carrying this burden made it difficult for him to shake off the Great Zhou warriors.

It is still unknown how many people the Great Zhou warriors have sent out; they have already encountered two Great Zhou forces.

Although each time they escaped danger unscathed, as long as they remained in these mountains and forests, it was impossible to avoid danger every time.

Li Mo didn't want to implicate Ma Chen, so he wanted him to leave first.

Ma Chen was naturally unwilling, but as long as he didn't encounter a martial artist with the Meridian Opening Realm, he wasn't worried.

Sensing that presence getting closer, Ma Chen once again carried Li Mo away.

"This guy is chasing after us."

Not long after, Ma Chen was shocked to find that his opponent was getting closer and closer to him.

"Hehe, finally caught you two!"

Suddenly, a sinister laugh rang out.

Ma Chen's pupils contracted as a burly figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

"It's that tomboy!"

Looking at Han Yun ahead, Ma Chen's expression hardened.

Han Yun gave a sinister smile, then stepped forward and attacked, flanking Ma Chen and Li Mo with the terrifying figure behind him.

Looking around, Ma Chen randomly chose a direction and ran off.

But he grew increasingly anxious; the person behind him was definitely a martial artist who had reached the Meridian Opening stage.

Moreover, the other party is very likely a martial artist from the Great Zhou Dynasty, who is now targeting the two of them and relentlessly pursuing them.

Regardless of whether taking Li Mo with him to escape affected his speed, even if he were alone, he might not be able to escape unscathed from a martial artist who had reached the Meridian Opening stage.

Especially since the opponent's speed is far superior to his own.

If things continue like this, it's only a matter of time before he and Li Mo are caught.

"Damn it, I'm at the Blood Refining Second Realm, and Li Mo is only at the Internal Organ Refining Realm. What's wrong with the Great Zhou? They actually sent a Meridian Opening Realm warrior to hunt us down!"

Ma Chen cursed inwardly, thinking he was not worthy of such an honor.

boom!
But at that moment, a shrill scream suddenly came from behind him. The deafening noise made Li Mo turn around and look.

"what happened?"

Ma Chen also heard the commotion, but he was too busy escaping to look back, so he could only ask Li Mo.

Li Mo was stunned for a moment, and what appeared before him was a bizarre scene of a skinny boy beating up a tough girl.

"Wait, Ma Chen, something seems wrong. They've started fighting."

Fighting?

Ma Chen was taken aback upon hearing this, slowed down, and glanced back. Sure enough, there was the scene of the martial artist who had opened the meridians beating up Han Yun.

What's happening here?
He was a little confused. Were they not in cahoots?

"Oh no, that guy is chasing after us."

Han Yun didn't last long against that figure; in the blink of an eye, the other person was chasing after them.

"Don't run, that's my junior brother!"

As Su Chen approached, Li Mo saw his appearance clearly and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Su Chen?

Ma Chen paused, wondering how it could be Su Chen.

But Li Mo wouldn't deceive himself. He turned around with a puzzled look on his face, only to find an unfamiliar face in front of him.

Su Chen spoke up: "Ma Chen, stop running, it's me."

Hearing this, Ma Chen dispelled his doubts and asked uncertainly, "Are you Su Chen?"

Su Chen nodded, and Li Mo spoke up at the right moment to confirm his identity: "Junior brother, what brings you here?"

Ma Chen stopped and let Su Chen approach.

"I heard about you from Li Cheng, so I came here," Su Chen replied with a smile.

Seeing that Li Mo was injured, Su Chen's smile froze slightly.

Just as Ma Chen was about to put Li Mo down, he suddenly sensed a dangerous aura surrounding him and immediately snapped back to continue carrying Li Mo on his back.

"Are you alright?" Su Chen asked.

Li Mo shook his head: "I'm fine, thanks to Ma Chen for saving me."

The sense of danger quickly disappeared, to the point that Ma Chen thought he was hallucinating.

"It's good that you're alright. Let's go back now," Su Chen said.

Li Mo nodded.

Suddenly, Ma Chen stopped, frowned, and asked, "Wait, are you really Su Chen?"

His eyes held a scrutinizing look.

He remembered that when the two parted, Su Chen had only reached the Blood Transformation Realm, so how come he had suddenly become the Meridian Opening Realm?
No, this is very wrong!

"What's wrong?" Li Mo noticed the strange atmosphere and couldn't help but ask.

Ma Chen lowered his voice and reminded him, "This person in front of us is at the Meridian Opening Realm. How could Su Chen's cultivation be so fast?"

The sound might be inaudible to others, but it was crystal clear to Su Chen.

He coughed lightly: "I just entered the Meridian Opening Realm a few days ago."

Li Mo and Ma Chen: "..."

The two looked at each other speechlessly.

Ma Chen only believed it after Su Chen revealed part of the Pure Yuan Scripture.

There was another moment of silence between the two.

Su Chen didn't mind and gave the two of them plenty of time to adjust.

After a long while, the two came to their senses, and Su Chen said, "Let's go."

On the way back, Su Chen told Li Mo the purpose of his visit, that he wanted to take him back.

Li Mo was unwilling, but Su Chen said there was no room for discussion.

In the end, Li Mo compromised.

However, he planned to say goodbye to Li Cheng before returning, and Su Chen agreed.

……

Great Zhou military camp.

"The sect leader sent word that Qiu Wuyai was defeated. Qian Ruyuan not only survived, but also expanded his power with the help of soldiers from the Liang, Chu, and Luo clans. He has already dispatched a large number of troops to support Bian Shang City."

A cloaked man appeared in the tent of Zhou Bian, the commander of the Great Zhou army. His deep voice echoed in the tent, revealing a hint of anger.

Zhou Bian was tall and imposing. Upon hearing this, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and he remained silent.

The cloaked man continued, "The sect leader's idea is that you take the lead, and I will assist you, in order to take over Bian Shang City within three days."

"What's your plan?" Zhou Bian finally asked.

Bian Shang City is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it has abundant food supplies. Faced with the provocations of the Great Zhou army, it remains unmoved and seems to be preparing for a protracted war.

Unable to break through after a prolonged siege, they had no choice but to give up.

Bian Mall can afford to wait, but Zhou Bian cannot.

He planned to take a risky move, and it all depended on whether Yao Zhizhang agreed.

“The old method. I’ll take action tonight and kill Li Cheng directly. Then, without a leader, you can attack the city,” Yao Zhizhang replied.

Zhou Bian had the same idea, and he asked again, "Do you need me to send someone to support you?"

Li Cheng was different from those cowards in the north; he was brave and resourceful, and he was willing to die for his country.

He was worried that Yao Zhizhang might be ambushed after breaking into the enemy camp, hence this question.

Yao Zhizhang shook his head: "No need. You know nothing about my strength. Just wait for good news."

After saying this, he leaped away and disappeared in the flickering candlelight.

……

Li Cheng was relieved to see Li Mo return safely and invited the three of them into the camp for a meal.

Although he had already eaten there once, he still accompanied him as a sign of respect.

Su Chen took the opportunity to inform Li Cheng that he was going to take Li Mo away. Li Cheng was already prepared and, although reluctant, agreed.

The food in the military camp wasn't very good, but to Su Chen's surprise, there was even meat from exotic beasts.

It is said to have been sold by merchants from the Great Zhou Dynasty to the Great Qian Dynasty, and the price was very high.

After eating it, Su Chen discovered that the meat of the exotic beast seemed to contain a strange energy that was very beneficial to martial artists.

Long-term use might enhance a martial artist's strength.

No wonder the overall national strength of the martial artists of the Great Zhou Dynasty is greater than that of the Great Qian Dynasty; the meat of this exotic beast alone can widen the gap by a large margin.

After eating and drinking their fill, Li Mo went back to pack his things, while Su Chen planned to rush back to the city that very night.

"Junior brother, I'm going to say goodbye to General Li," Li Mo said after he finished packing and met up with Su Chen.

Su Chen nodded.

The two remained where they were and waited.

"Something's wrong! There's an assassin!"

Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced through the military camp.

Su Chen and Ma Chen exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, they hurriedly headed towards Li Cheng's camp.

boom!
Just outside the tent, a disheveled figure burst through the tent flap and fell heavily to the ground.

The two looked closely and were shocked to see that it was Li Mo!
(End of this chapter)