Patrol Captain

The six-colored divine tree, with its flowing radiance, shattered the chaotic energy and sent fierce winds swirling through the void.

Beneath the auspicious rays of light, Chen Yuan, his entire body radiating golden light, looked down at the stream of light rushing towards him. Among them were Old Man Dong and others, their faces covered in dust. As his gaze shifted, he noticed that some people were missing, and his expression darkened slightly.

His figure shrank into a golden dot in the void, then reappeared dozens of feet below, directly blocking Old Man Dong's path. He supported the man, who had suddenly slowed down and was unsteady on his feet.

"What happened?"

"Why are we short-handed!"

His voice was low and had a strange, metallic quality, which, combined with his bright gold pupils, made him quite captivating.

When Old Man Dong was grabbed by his hand, he felt as if he were being gripped by a giant pair of pincers, as if his dragon tendons and iron bones were about to be crushed. He let out strange cries of "oh oh oh," grimaced, and couldn't even speak.

Chen Yuan realized that he had just broken through and was not yet able to control his strength, so he let go.

At that moment, a voice rang out from the side.

"General Chen may not know this."

"General, on the fourth day after you broke through to the next level in your seclusion, a great change occurred in the black mountain deep in the forbidden area. The entire forbidden area collapsed, and we were also affected."

"We activated all the layers of restrictions with all our might in an attempt to resist, but when the collapse came, the outer restrictions quickly crumbled."

"Some of the armored warriors who were in charge of the restrictions were quickly affected, and we were unable to rescue them in time. After we were swept into the spatial rift, we persisted in operating the remaining restrictions to resist the spatial storm. However, as time went by, we gradually became powerless and could only be forced to hide in the spirit coffin for refuge, wandering in the spatial turbulence along with the array eye left by the general."

"Fortunately, the array's core and the spirit coffin are extraordinary and can withstand the erosion of the turbulent currents, thus preventing too many casualties and holding out until General Chen emerged from seclusion."

The speaker was articulate, calm, and powerful; he was a fellow Daoist from Wudao Mountain.

The other party explained clearly what happened after he went into seclusion.

In short, that burial ground exploded, space collapsed, and they were swept into spatial turbulence.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan's golden pupils contracted. The fact that the land of death had changed so quickly meant that the seal was completely broken and the passage to the lower realm that the white-robed king had mentioned had been opened!
This is why spatial collapse occurs?

but
"How long have I been in seclusion?"

He calmed down and realized something.

“The sun and moon have been obscured in this place for at least seven or eight days,” Yangshan said, bowing.

"So, we've been drifting in the spatial turbulence for three or four days since that place collapsed?"

Chen Yuan frowned and glanced at him.

Yangshan nodded. "That should be about right."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan immediately whispered, "Close your eyes."

After he finished speaking, the fleshy crease between Chen Yuan's eyebrows suddenly opened, emitting a resounding clang. Instantly, the world around him transformed into a glassy color.

At this moment, the light flowing through his third eye was no longer gold, but rather a shimmering, luminous glow.

Advance your Dharma Eye and cultivate your Third Eye!
The Heavenly Eye, with its penetrating insight into the Great Dao and its direct connection to the origin, is like the eye of heaven and earth.

Chen Yuan activated his Heavenly Eye, and a radiant light shot out, creating a powerful wind. He scanned the surrounding dark spatial turbulence, and the surrounding void began to show spiderweb-like colorful patterns, spreading outward into the unfathomable darkness.

In his eyes, at this moment, in the pitch-black darkness all around, there was nothing but chaos, darkness, and deathly silence.

If he hadn't been fully aware that he was awake, he would have thought he was still immersed in that ethereal and tranquil world.

The air was deathly quiet.

After a long pause, Chen Yuan lowered his head, lowered his eyes, frowned, and spoke.
"It's a bit troublesome!"

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the six men, including Old Man Dong, who were nearby.

They found Old Dong alone, blinking his eyes, which were brimming with tears and red-rimmed.

The others slowly opened their eyes.

"Mr. Dong, what's going on?"

Chen Yuan was puzzled.

"It's nothing. I'm just so happy to see you break through to Martial Saint!" Old Man Dong lied through his teeth, winking and making faces. In reality, when Chen Yuan opened his Heavenly Eye to survey the surroundings, he couldn't resist his curiosity and opened his eyes a crack. As a result, he was too close and was stung by the light. Now, it felt like he was being burned by fire.

As he spoke, he quickly wiped away his worthless tears with his sleeve, then asked in confusion, "But you should have already broken through to Martial Saint by now, right? This spatial storm shouldn't be able to harm you, should it?"

Old Dong's tone carried a hint of undisguised envy and longing.

His eyes were fixed on Chen Yuan.

Others were also curious about the result and were waiting for confirmation.

Chen Yuan nodded slowly, his lips moving slightly, "This general has indeed broken through to the Martial Saint realm."

"Currently, we could handle the spatial storms here, but..."

He paused here, the golden light in his eyes turning into specks of lacquer.

"According to Mr. Yangshan, we have been drifting in there for several days and do not know where we have drifted to."

"I just used my Heavenly Eye to investigate, but I didn't find any clues."

"What I'm worried about now is that we're drifting aimlessly in this spatial turbulence, losing our direction, and being completely banished and lost within it."

"At that time, no one knows what will happen. Not to mention what dangers are hidden in the spatial turbulence, we will be slowly worn down and killed."

He is not exaggerating.

Losing oneself in spatial turbulence, with no landmarks, is a certain death for an ordinary person.

For him, it also contained immense danger.

If you get trapped inside, you'll be completely helpless.

Upon hearing this, the others' expressions changed, but they remained calm and did not lose their composure.

"Hehe, Chen kid, you just said it was a bit troublesome, but you already have a plan in mind, don't you?"

Old Dong was a shrewd and witty man, and he could still laugh at a time like this.

Chen Yuan did not deny it.

"The bright moon beneath my feet is my divine treasure. It wanders through the void and leaves traces, but I can only try."

He wasn't sure, but it was feasible. He had just scanned the area with his Heavenly Eye and was able to detect these traces. Following these traces might lead him to the way back.

Several days have passed, and whether the previous traces are still there remains a big question mark.

"It's all up to General Chen to decide!"

None of them had any objections, and they also breathed a sigh of relief. If the sky were to fall, there would be someone tall enough to hold it up.

That's right, it's our Chen Wusheng.

Seeing that everyone was weak and listless, all because of his own sake, Chen Yuan's heart stirred slightly, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Gentlemen and soldiers, please rest for now,"

"Leave the rest to me!"

Having said that, he raised his hand and waved it towards the sky. The six-colored divine tree that swept across the void above swayed violently, and as its leaves clattered together, a mist of vital energy poured down, shimmering and falling upon the group, bringing a welcome relief to the exhausted people, like rain after a long drought. Whether it was the burial ground or this chaotic spatial current, both were places devoid of spiritual energy; every bit of vital energy used was precious, and many were already utterly exhausted.

So they all found a spot in the pit below, sat cross-legged, and began to receive the abundant vital energy to restore their bodies.

Chen Yuan, however, felt a jolt beneath his feet.

The "bright moon" below suddenly roared and trembled, its milky white light blazing brightly, and it began to move, chasing after the direction it had come from!

This created a white trail of flame in the turbulent void, as if it were wandering in the dark universe.

Above, the six-colored divine tree swayed continuously, its chaotic energy tearing through the violent qi, moving forward relentlessly!

Eight days later, a torrential downpour struck an ancient road leading from Liangzhou to Shu.

Large raindrops pounded on the treetops on both sides of the ancient road, making a crackling sound, like rain pattering on banana leaves.

Deep within the forests on both sides, mist and rain intertwined, shrouding the mountain path in a hazy veil. The pine trees on either side were whipped about by the fierce wind, their branches swaying wildly as if they might topple over at any moment.

"drive"

"drive"

"drive"

Amidst the rain and mist, the sound of horses being urged on could be heard, albeit with a slightly hurried tone.

Several fast horses galloped through the rain, emerging from a mountain path hidden by trees. The riders were dressed in straw raincoats and bamboo hats, all in close-fitting clothes, with weapons on their waists and hands, looking like trained martial artists.

Ahead lay fallen rocks and fallen trees, but as the cold light flashed, all the roadblocks were cleared away.

Immediately following, a rumbling sound arose, and several carriages rushed out, their wheels rolling over puddles and splashing up muddy water, which mingled with the dense rain to create a somber melody. The carriages seemed to be made of metal, engraved with arrays, emitting a faint glow, and remained remarkably stable on the bumpy mountain road despite the wind and rain.

The rain intensified, forming vertical curtains of water. The distant mountains were completely obscured by the white mist, with only occasional flashes of lightning briefly illuminating the mountain path ahead.

"Chief镖头 (Chang the镖头)".

"We need to find shelter from the rain quickly, this rain is unusually heavy."

Inside the carriage, shouts could be heard, but they were mostly drowned out by the sound of rain, and the edges of the tarpaulin inside the carriage were lifted by the wind.

"Almost there, just a few miles ahead. I remember there's a mountain pass where we can take shelter from the rain. Just hang in there a little longer."

The man in the straw raincoat leading the way echoed back, shouting.

With that sound, suddenly...

"Boom"

A thunderclap shook the sky, and a blinding flash of white lightning tore through the night.

The startled horse neighed wildly, came to a halt with a clatter, and reared up high.

"What is that?" someone exclaimed.

Amidst a flash of lightning, a not-too-intense flame descended from the sky through the rain ahead, struck by lightning, and fell into the misty rain.

This scene stunned the escorting guards, their eyes widening in surprise and doubt beneath their bamboo hats. They reined in their horses, hesitant to advance.

They are镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) who travel year-round in these deep mountains and forests, especially during torrential rains, making them most likely to attract the filth of the forest.

"Willow Head, this..."

The leader was a burly man with thick eyebrows, a prominent nose, and rough skin.

"Don't move."

"I gonna go see."

The镖头 (bodyguard) surnamed Chang gave a word, then leaped into the air like a swallow, spreading his arms wide to hold a knife, silently probing the path ahead in the torrential rain.

Soon, the镖头 (bodyguard/escort) had traveled several hundred meters and quickly spotted his target. Despite the torrential rain, a fire was still burning there, setting the trees ablaze. Through the strange light...

He cautiously moved closer to that side.

His heart pounded in the downpour, his other hand gripped the knife hilt tightly, and his eyes were alert.

Just, the next second.

A figure suddenly appeared in front of me, directly facing me.

Liu Biaotou's eyes snapped open, his face twitching rapidly. What kind of eyes were those? Golden pupils, and a third eye between his brows, exuding the fierce aura of a ferocious beast.

Having spent years escorting goods, he had developed a remarkable courage, but at this moment, for some reason, fear overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

"what!"

A scream filled with fear rang out in the torrential rain.

Upon hearing the commotion, the escort team paled, the guards drew their swords as if facing a formidable enemy, and cries of alarm rang out from the carriages, from men, women, and children.

Just a dozen or so breaths later, two figures emerged from the rain and mist.

The镖头 (bodyguard/escort) who had gone to scout ahead came out, a stiff smile on his face.
"Don't be nervous."

"Young hero, I say I encountered a problem while traversing the void and have come to ask for directions!"

As he spoke, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) winked at the other镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) and shook his head slightly.

This means, do not act rashly.

The other bodyguards looked at each other, then at the young man following behind Chief Chang, whose silver armor was in tatters and whose pale gold eyes filled them with awe, leaving them speechless.

After a short while, at the foot of a mountain pass, torrential rain poured down from the stone roof above, where two bonfires were lit to provide shelter from the wind and rain.

On one side were the master's family, a group of seven or eight people including the master and his servants, who were merchants traveling to Shu to trade goods. On the other side were five or six bodyguards from a company called Taiping Escort Agency in Yinping City. The leader, surnamed Chang, possessed martial arts cultivation at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

"You asked about the direction of Shu. Could it be that you were on your way to support the Liangzhou army in Shu, but the journey was long and you got separated from the main army?"

"I see that you are dressed in armor, which is quite extraordinary. You must be a member of the military."

Chang Zhong, the leader of the镖头 (bodyguards), seemed to realize that the suddenly appearing young man meant them no harm, and started a conversation.

Of course, the feeling he had just experienced left a deep impression on him. They couldn't afford to offend this person either, so they had to treat him well and then respectfully send him away.

This young man was none other than Chen Yuan, who had been wandering in the spatial turbulence for almost half a month.

He was unlucky, too. While chasing the previous marks, he encountered the blood-red spatial storm of that forbidden area in the spatial turbulence. It contained terrifying energy that almost sucked them all in. He had to use a lot of effort to get out. Then, he found an opportunity to break through the spatial barrier and return here. It was quite a bumpy ride.

Upon hearing the words "Liangzhou Army" and "support," Chen Yuan became very sensitive, his gaze sharpening.
When did Northern Liang send troops to support Shu?

When Chang Biaotou was stared at like that by Chen Yuan, he quickly revealed the truth.

"It's been several days now, and things have turned upside down in Sichuan."

"I heard that a huge hole appeared in the sky there, and people fell down from the sky."

"There are countless skeletons that have occupied all the cities in Shu."

"It's terrifying."

"Many people are rushing there now." (End of Chapter)