Patrol Captain

In mid-air, a tattered flag, about a foot in size, emitted a faint fluorescent glow, with sparks drifting in the air from the torn parts.

Pairs of eyes gleamed as they stared at the intercepted tattered flag!

No matter what kind of eye techniques or special abilities they used, the tattered flag, with its gold edges and black background, and incomplete patterns, lacked any powerful aura.

It's just an ordinary flag, nothing special!

Even if it were complete, it would still be a magical artifact they wouldn't even consider worthwhile, let alone a damaged one.

I thought it was some kind of treasure?
Some people couldn't help but show strange expressions.

Their gazes involuntarily turned to Jin Yushan and the others who had made the first move.

But then, beside Jin Yushan, a swordsman carrying a black cloth-wrapped knife and wearing a bamboo hat, and a burly man with a single reddish-yellow eyebrow, upon seeing the flag, looked greatly surprised, yet also excited, and blurted out…

"Fall the mountain flag!"

They were very familiar with this flag. After recognizing it, they looked surprised and exchanged glances.

Seeing the three of them looking quite shocked by the flag's origin, the others in the group asked them questions.
"Seventh Brother, what's wrong? What's the origin of this thing?"

"Eighth Brother, this looks like just a small, tattered flag, why are you all so surprised?"

The burly man, nicknamed Lao Ba, put his hands on his hips, glared, and immediately started cursing.

"You son of a bitch, you know nothing! The three of us went up Demon Mountain with this flag back then."

The burly man looked fierce and resentful, his tone revealing an undisguised arrogance.

"Show me some respect!"

The person asking the question was surprised, but not annoyed, knowing the guy's bad temper.

"You little brat, what's with the show of power? What's going on?"

At this moment, the old dragon-tiger at the front, clad in iron armor and exuding an aura as deep as the abyss, turned his head and gave a stern lecture.

After speaking, he waved his hand, his gaze falling on the man wearing a crown and a scholar's robe.

"Fine, Yushan, you can talk!"

Jin Yushan nodded, glanced at the fragments of the array flags floating in mid-air, his eyes still filled with surprise and uncertainty, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and spoke slowly, deliberately and solemnly.
"Grand Duke Jupiter, this flag may seem ordinary, but the identity it represents is far from simple."

"This flag is the battle flag of the Ninth Mountain Expeditionary Army of the Shu Region Pacification Division. It is a gold-edged mountain-patterned flag, and all soldiers of the Ninth Mountain Army carry it."

“We served in the army and we will not mistake you for someone else.”

"The appearance of the Ninth Mountain's array flag in this abyss of bones has greatly surprised the three of us."

The three were none other than Jade Kirin Jin Yushan, the Mountain-Shaking Tiger Hu Yanqing (known as the Eighth Brother), and Mad Saber Yuwen Guang!
The others who accompanied them were naturally the Thirteen Protectors of Tai Sui Mountain, but not all of them were present.

The one wearing silver iron armor and known as the Grand Duke is naturally the First Protector, Huyan Xiong!

Known as the Grand Duke Jupiter! The number one bandit in Yan!

Upon hearing Jin Yushan's words, Hu Yanxiong's grayish-white eyebrows narrowed, his voice hardened, and his tone carried a hint of mockery.

"Oh?"

"It's the army of that Ninth Mountain General who told you not to be bandits but to join the regular army!"

"You mean to say that all these generals have come here to kill their way out?"

Jin Yushan's brow twitched. Just breaking into the cemetery outside was extremely dangerous, let alone entering this strange place, where every step was fraught with danger. Here, even experts from the Heavenly Gate were just a piece of cake, and only martial arts masters had a slight chance of self-preservation.

Ordinary soldiers wouldn't have a chance to get in, let alone fight their way here.

But it's really strange that the Ninth Mountain Banner appeared here. And then I remembered the many heroic deeds my sworn brother had accomplished in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

So he only said four words.

"It's not impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanxiong raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"It seems you all hold that Lieutenant General in exceptional high regard."

“However, when we arrived, we heard that he was seriously injured.” Hu Yanxiong shook his head with his hands behind his back.

The old man was somewhat displeased when he said this.

As a notorious bandit, he had been at odds with the government his entire life. He never expected that his own gang would show such respect to a general of the imperial court and even become "regular troops" to help guard the town of Jin Guan. Among them was his grandson, Hu Yanqing!
He was quite surprised when he received the message from the celestial beings of Shu and rushed over.

It wasn't that he, the powerful figure, was narrow-minded; rather, having been a notorious bandit for so many years, he was already at odds with the imperial court. He was no saint either, with blood on his hands and having witnessed the petty scheming of the world, so he found this matter strange.

In his eyes, the imperial court was full of hypocrites, who were good at playing tricks and using his own people as pawns. Therefore, he was not interested in the Ninth Mountain General. Moreover, when Jin Yushan and his two companions wanted to inform this general who had been promoted to Imperial Inspector before entering the secret realm, he stopped them.

What's there to say!

While the group from Tai Sui Mountain were talking, someone actually made a move on the tattered mountain-felling flag.

There stood an old man with white hair and beard, riding a blue lion.
"This old Taoist priest has a method that can reveal the secrets of heaven!"

"Let's see what's going on."

This elderly man, with his ethereal appearance and youthful face despite his white hair, was none other than Tian Xuanzi, a powerful figure from the Longhu Mountain Daoist Court. He had previously braved the demon gates outside the ancestral mountain.

The date for the Luotian Grand Ritual, which the Daoist court would hold once every sixty years, was approaching. However, as news of the celestial beings in Shu spread, the various grotto-heavens that were originally going to Yuzhang to participate in the Luotian Grand Ritual all changed their routes and came to Shu instead, so the Luotian Grand Ritual had to be postponed.

As he spoke, the old Taoist priest himself slowly raised one hand and gently touched the mountain-felling flag.

The tattered mountain-felling flag stood upright, growing to about ten feet in size in the wind. The broken gold patterns on it lit up, and the flag fluttered as a strong wind howled.

Then, the old Taoist made a sword shape with his fingers and drew a circle in the air, and a Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol appeared in the air in front of him.

Then the old Taoist priest opened his mouth and blew a breath towards the Tai Chi diagram.

"go"

The black and white energies in the Tai Chi diagram burst forth instantly, one black and one white. The white energy transformed into a dragon, and the black energy into a tiger, emitting the roars of dragons and tigers, rushing towards the tattered mountain-felling flag in the distance.

In the blink of an eye, the dragon and tiger energies roared and crashed into the flag.

Then, the flag shook violently, and the black and white energies spun around the flag, like ink spreading in water, with a powerful aura that seemed to reach the heavens and the earth, and a scroll was unfurled in the void.

The scene begins in gray and white, with black dots spreading out like drops of ink falling into water. The black mist outlines the armor, while the white mist highlights the cold gleam of the iron armor. These armored warriors ride strange horses and carry flying banners, which are none other than the Mountain-Slaying Banner!

The armored figures formed by the black and white energies flew towards the giant demon corpse that had died in the valley, and above their heads was a huge phantom of a phoenix spirit.

“li”

A piercing shriek, sharp enough to tear eardrums, pierced through the painting.

In an instant, a dazzling spark ignited in the phoenix's illusory eye, and then, it spread like wildfire, quickly engulfing the entire painting.

In the painting, flames soared into the sky, horses neighed, and armor shone with dazzling golden light. With each draw of a sword, a flash of cold light appeared, dismantling the demonic corpse.

"These golden-clad warriors look like the Heavenly Army!" A person from the cave recognized the armor style of the Heavenly Army at a glance. After all, the Heavenly Army acted on behalf of Heaven and its reputation resounded throughout the Great Qian territory.

"No, that flag isn't it."

Someone spoke up and raised an objection.

"It's the Ninth Mountain Raiding Army!"

On the side of the Thirteen Protectors of Tai Sui Mountain, Jin Yushan, Hu Yanqing and the other two gave an affirmative answer. Although these mountain-climbing soldiers had changed into golden armor, their horses, their starting stance for drawing their swords, and their momentum remained unchanged.

The three of them were shocked, their eyes flashing with astonishment.

"They actually broke into this place? How is that possible?"

Recalling the perilous journey they had undertaken to break through, the sight of thousands of soldiers reaping demon corpses seemed almost unreal. "It was that great demon they slew!"

Jin Yushan and the other two immediately had their answer.

However, despite having chopped off chicken heads and burned yellow paper, the three still maintained sufficient reverence when addressing Chen Yuan.

At that moment, a commotion arose from all around.

"what is that?"

"A coffin!"

Within the phoenix's illusory form, there was a massive spirit coffin, quite eye-catching, with patterns flowing across it, but seemingly veiled by celestial secrets, making it difficult to see clearly!

In what appeared to be a painting of a crimson sea of ​​fire, golden divine weapons and a crimson coffin exuded an air of mystery.

"A phoenix phantom, a crimson spirit coffin—someone witnessed this scene when strange phenomena appeared here!"

"It is suspected to be the coffin of a celestial being!"

Someone stared intently at the crimson coffin in the painting, slowly opened their mouth, and their eyes flashed with intense light.

Then, the Daoist Dragon Tiger named Tian Xuanzi frowned and became solemn. He shouted, formed a sword incantation with his hands in front of his chest, and chanted a scripture, trying to discern the secrets of heaven.
"The ancient and mysterious diagram originated from the burning of the lamp. Within it lies the secret of heaven, and the wondrous script is formed. The spiritual breath of the nine heavens resonates with the heart. With utmost sincerity and reverence, the spirit tablet is like a deity. I now receive and uphold it, and universally transform into truth!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a bell rang from within the body of this powerful dragon-tiger. He raised an eyebrow and pointed his sword finger at the painting in the sky. With a swirl, black and white energies spun out and rushed towards the phoenix phantom in the painting, or more precisely, directly towards the spirit coffin inside.

"Edict!"

A decree was issued!

Like a thunderclap.

Thunder roared from the void, and the black and white energies swirled, rushing directly into the crimson world and towards the phoenix phantom, instantly freezing the crimson spirit coffin!
Then the black and white energies rotated and dispersed, as if reconstructing heaven and earth, erasing and eliminating the images inside, and re-rendering new images.

The Taoist dragon and tiger wanted to fix the spirit coffin in place, to peek into the secrets of heaven, and to find out where the spirit coffin was now.

At this moment, the powerful figures from all the various grotto-heavens stared intently at the changes on the screen, their breathing slowing down.

On that illusory scroll, time flowed by, the ink spreading and scattering, scattering and solidifying again.

Then, a furious roar of extreme resentment suddenly came from the painting.

"Ninth Mountain General"

"Even if my Holy Clan has to go to the heavens and the earth, I will kill you!"

The sound was not human; it was the howl of a demon.

It contained anger, resentment, and fear.
"Then I will kill you first!" A cold and indifferent voice came from the painting.

next moment,
There was a loud "boom".

Immediately afterwards, the scroll of yin and yang energies suddenly cracked open with golden fissures, which spread like cracks in ice.

Then, with a whoosh, an incomparably dazzling golden light suddenly appeared.

A gunshot rang out suddenly.

At this moment, the pupils of the powerful figures from all the various grotto-heavens shrank.

In mid-air, the ink painting was pierced by golden light.

Through the gaping hole, a huge bloody hole could be seen on the other side, on the head of a troll. On the other side of the bloody hole, a person wearing silver armor stood on a fire phoenix, pointing a spear with his eyes shining gold.

Like a ferocious god!

But the fierce-looking man's eyes darted around, surveying this area with disdain.

"boom"

The ink painting scroll in mid-air exploded with a deafening roar.

All the scenery vanished without a trace.

The Taoist dragon-tiger who was casting the spell shuddered, let out a muffled groan, and then a trace of pale golden blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

The powerful figures from all the various grotto-heavens gasped in shock upon seeing this scene.

"It's him!"

"Chen Yuan of Shu!"

Someone finally recognized him and exclaimed in surprise.

They come from out of town, so there are some basic things they need to know.

Chen Yuan, formerly the Ninth Mountain General and now the newly appointed Imperial Inspector of the Southwest Three Circuits, is an indispensable figure in Shu!
This person's strength is terrifying!
"This man actually led his troops into this place!"

"Just who is this ruthless person?"

"."

Meanwhile, the group from Tai Sui Mountain, led by the old chieftain Hu Yanxiong, felt a twitch in their eyelids and slowly narrowed their eyes.

"You guys were right."

"This general's cultivation level is probably about to reach the pinnacle of human cultivation, making him a true dragon among men."

Although Hu Yanxiong did not condense any qi flowers, he recognized the golden light. It seemed to be the innate primordial qi, which he had seen before.

"What?" The group was shocked, especially the trio led by Jin Yushan.

Reaching the pinnacle of human achievement signifies entering the level of a Martial Saint.

Jin Yushan and the other two looked at each other, thinking, "So, they will soon have a martial arts saint as their sworn brother?"
That's incredibly awesome!
Hu Yanqing, the Mountain-Shaking Tiger, a nine-foot-tall man, was now filled with excitement, his face flushed red.

Chen Yuan is awesome, which means he's awesome. He was the one who suggested burning yellow paper and beheading chickens.

And this time,
"whoosh"

Someone broke through the air and left, transforming into a rainbow.

One after another, streaks of light flew up.

"Follow that old Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain."

"He might be the first to find General Chen's location. If we meet up together, it will greatly increase our safety."

Grand Duke Huyan Xiong squinted as he watched a streak of blue light disappear before his eyes. He casually swept the nearby skeletons into dust, and then vanished from the spot.

Jin Yushan, Hu Yanqing, and the others, also filled with anticipation, each used their supernatural abilities to disappear from the spot.

Many people followed the old Taoist priest's direction.

About an hour later, they found a dry ravine filled with bones in this vast, immeasurably large black mountain.

There is also the remains of a great demon here!
Just like before, his flesh, skin, and armor were pulled away.

It was just fresher, with bits of meat still steaming on the bones.

"Look what is that?"

Someone soon discovered a series of large golden characters left on the cliff face in the mountain stream.

"It's dangerous down there; there's a slim chance of survival!"

"This is a warning left by that angel Chen Xun!" (End of Chapter)