Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 105 Wu Hengyu and Yu Li in the Great Cave Heaven
In the 34th year of the Tianli era, Wu Fei was traveling north and passed through Donghua County. As he accompanied the imperial envoy's entourage, he looked out at the brightly lit camp of the Wu family army's northern route army and Wu Hengyu's unique domineering and murderous aura, and nodded.

What Wu Fei couldn't let go of were the miners and soldiers he had recruited in Donghua County and their families. Now that his older brother was there, their safety was guaranteed. If the "Returning Home Corps" in Changcheng dared to send thugs to harass them again, Wu Hengyu would tear them to shreds.

As for the main camp in Donghua County, Wu Fei knew that the soldiers he had brought with him must be dying to see him off. If they knew he was passing by, a whole bunch of them would definitely want to see him off.

But! Wu Fei: I'm supposed to be a hostage! Should I go see my own brothers, or run to the military camp? Who knows if the emperor might have some ulterior motives.

In response, Wu Fei glanced at Gong Qian, clearly afraid that he would misunderstand, and pretended not to recognize the headquarters.

After walking twenty kilometers, Wu Fei confirmed that no one from the main camp had arrived. Knowing that Wu Hengyu had restrained his men, he remarked, "At least you have some brains."

If Wu Hengyu doesn't restrain him, Wu Fei is certain that soldiers will come out of the camp to chase after him.

Wu Fei knew all too well the factional struggles within the Northern Route Army; both the aristocratic faction and the commoner faction had their own agendas. —As long as Wu Fei appeared, the officers he had once led would surely come and cause trouble.

...leaving quietly...

A day earlier, Wu Hengyu was in the Donghua County camp when a personal guard came to report: "General, the imperial envoy on his southern tour has arrived in Chencheng."

Wu Hengyu nodded: "Oh, I know about that. The one who went to the Southern Frontier last year—" He paused. Wu Hengyu stared at the messenger and asked: "Was there any banner of my Wu family in the imperial envoy's entourage?" The messenger replied: "Yes, it is said that General Yuan Chang was in the entourage, saying that he was going to Yaodu. But we have not been able to get any information. The entourage did not allow us to get close."

Next, Wu Hengyu waited for Wu Fei in the camp and prepared a welcoming banquet. However, in the end, the two were no more than twenty miles apart, and their mounts could sense each other, but they looked at each other as if separated by an insurmountable chasm. He did not see Wu Fei.

Wu Hengyu looked very displeased. He wanted to order his men to block the imperial envoy's procession, but then he realized what was going on! — Wu Fei's failure to greet him was a show for the court.

Wu Hengyu silently ended the banquet, and after a long while, he sighed and said, "It seems like everyone is surrounding the moon, but how many people are truly shining on me?"

The woman who was clearing away the dishes looked up. This woman was none other than Yu Li, who had dragon horns hidden in her hair.

Yu Li poured wine and said, "Embarking on this journey across the world is the path of a solitary wanderer."

Wu Hengyu put his arm around her waist: "Oh, was it the same when you were king of Yunmengze?"

Yu Li smiled broadly: "Fortunately, I was captured by the general and freed from these constraints."

Wu Hengyu stared at her and slowly said, "Although you are my confidante, you are not my brother." — A distant memory surged into his mind. Back then, he was still a hegemon, but on the road to kingship, none of his brothers were capable.

He looked at Yu, recalling a distant memory of confronting that old rogue, capturing the rogue's father, only to be mocked for "taking a share of the spoils." He also thought of how, in his later desperate situation, she, to prevent him from falling into that rogue's hands and to spare him the shame of being unable to protect his beloved concubine, committed suicide beforehand.

Yu Li played the zither to entertain Wu Hengyu.

…Wu Fei was unaware of Wu Hengyu's true purpose in coming here…

Wu Hengyu's army is currently deployed on the mountain to the east, ready to undertake some action.

At this moment, in this large army, the bows carried by the archers emitted a faint white light, which came from the material of the bow.

The bowstring was made from the tendons of a spirit dragon from the Great Swamp. As for this "spirit dragon," it was actually a finless porpoise from Wu Fei's memory.

However, the finless porpoises here are larger than those I've seen in my previous life; the larger ones are four or five meters long and can easily capsize a small boat. As for the number of these "spirit dragons," they are everywhere in the entire marsh, like cattle and sheep on the grassland. They are clearly not rare or unusual.

Come to think of it, in their past lives, if it weren't for humans—ecosystem monsters who drain streams to irrigate farmland, sail mechanical ships through major rivers, and simultaneously dump waste—freshwater niches would be far more fertile than marine niches.

Back to the present, this tendon can unleash a force of nearly a thousand pounds. It cannot be pulled open by ordinary means. Only when the archer circulates the appropriate martial energy can the bowstring be drawn.

As for this martial energy, it was the Carp Leaping Force that Wu Hengyu passed on to the soldiers in the camp. Although this skill was rudimentary, it was still an internal energy technique, and it would take two years of practice to see results. In Wu Hengyu's sect, such techniques were all kept on the first floor of the outer sect's scripture pavilion, allowing disciples to learn them at will, but no one paid any attention to them, since martial energy was far less affected by the suppression of malevolent energy in mortal battles than spiritual energy.

Because on the mountain, who wouldn't want to learn higher-level spiritual magic? And these kinds of techniques are learned quickly on the mountain because in the past, spiritual energy was scarce in the mortal world, making it difficult to make progress or break through a level even after decades, so they were rarely seen in the military.

With the evil moon hanging high in the sky and the celestial spiritual veins being absorbed, the spiritual energy in the world was mixed with the atmosphere, making these kinds of cultivation techniques as easy to learn as they were during the ancient Cheng Dynasty. In addition, now that Wu Fei has purchased enough herbs and jade resources in Lingjiang, the "ambitious" and "ambitious" squad leaders under Wu Hengyu have begun to start a trend of "self-improvement" in the army.

Every morning during their practice, streams of martial energy rippled through the air as the group made their moves.

Nowadays, those in the Wu family's Northern Route Army who practice the "Carp Leaping Strength" all come from families of at least humble origins and are mostly literate. Therefore, it's clear that the recruitment and maintenance costs for these archers are about four times that of ordinary archers. Of course, the range of this giant bow can reach 220 paces, 1.5 times that of an ordinary elite archer. As for its armor-piercing power? Its terminal velocity can still maintain a high speed of 50 meters per second.

Unlike Wu Fei's Southern Route Army, which pursued quantity and formed economically viable troops, the Northern Route Wu Family Army followed an "elite" system.

…below the stern "feather" military flag…

Two days later, Wu Hengyu looked at the lake and marshland, with Yu Li beside him. Yu Li said to Wu Hengyu, "It's right there." Yu Li unfolded a map, marking the center of Yunmeng Marsh.

Why did Yu Li occupy Yunmeng Marsh several years ago? Why did her spaceships remain stationary there?

At the time, no one knew, and even after Yu Li became a prisoner, she remained silent for a long time. Only now, having fully settled down within the Wu family, has she finally revealed the secrets hidden deep within Yunmeng Marsh.

There is a large cave in Yunmengze that leads directly to five large lakes downstream of the Yangtze River.

As for Yu Li, she is still one tribulation away from transforming into a dragon. Beneath these five great lakes are five treasures from the ancient Da Cheng era. However, nowadays, with the evil moon in the sky, demons are guarding every space connected by this great cave.

Before the Wu family army suppressed the rebellion, she had already obtained four divine artifacts. The first was the Jiao Wei Qin (Burnt Tail Qin), which, according to legend, was made from a branch of a towering tree that was struck by lightning.

The second one is the Sacred Dragon Scale; this is a reverse scale that Yinglong shed, and it was also stuck to Yu Li's chest.

The third one is the Zongyun Belt; it belongs to the end of the Da Cheng era. When a certain god was young, he bumped into a wicked dragon in the East Sea and extracted its tendons to use as a belt.

The fourth one is a dragon ball, which can transform a person into a dragon after swallowing it, but—Yu Li has not yet survived his final tribulation, so he cannot use it.

As for the fifth one, which is what Yu Li didn't get, it's a Dragon Blood Flower.

The four children born to Yu Li and Wu Hengyu all have some unusual characteristics. Only by collecting rare treasures can their dragon bloodline be made like that of the Haotian Dragon Bloodline, "able to stir up clouds and mist when large, and to hide their form when small."

So Wu Hengyu led his troops over to carry out one last mission.

As the army entered the core of Yunmeng Marsh aboard dragon boats, the former aquatic immigrants knelt in worship upon seeing Yu Li. Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time, they still remembered her legacy. Yu Li couldn't help but look at Wu Hengyu. Wu Hengyu said, "From now on, if these lake dwellers wish to be protected, as long as they are willing to be registered, I will accept them."

Yu Li: "General, your kindness is immense. On behalf of the people of the lake region, I thank you."

Wu Hengyu looked at her tenderly and hugged her again, showing affection among these aquatic people.

At the same time, the clouds and mist in Yunmengze began to swirl, and a deep passage appeared in the lake.

...The army traverses the dividing line...

After the entire army entered the Great Cave Heaven, they discovered that it was another world entirely, where the sky was a reflection of a lake. And the land beneath their feet was a gloomy, marshy land.

Looking at the ever-changing lake above, Wu Hengyu asked Yu Li, "Where is this?"

Yu Li: "Above are five large lakes. General, you can choose to touch one of them by flying up and touching it."

After saying that, Yu Li raised her hand and released a burst of dragon power into the sky, causing ripples to spread across the sky like the surface of a lake.

He then further explained, "Within this vast grotto-heaven, all the lakes are connected, allowing the army to appear anywhere on the five lakes downstream of the great river. This place was the training ground established by the ancient Jie Sect."

Wu Hengyu: "Besides you, who else knows?"

Yu Li: "The blue evil moon in the sky knows, but it has no way to get in; my sister Pu'e also knows, but she is not good at swimming."

Just as the discussion was taking place, something happened directly in front of the entire army. Beams of dark light fell from the ripples above, and after they fell, a large number of fish leaped out of the lake and then devoured the dark light, but they quickly turned into monsters.

After entering this "vast cave connected by the lake," these monsters instinctively sought out blood and food. Their noses darted around, seemingly trying to discern fresh blood from the stench emanating from their companions. Having identified the direction of the blood, they excitedly rushed towards the army, but upon seeing them and sensing the overwhelming murderous aura, they immediately turned and fled.

As a volley of arrows rained down, the monsters were transformed into hedgehogs.

As Wu Hengyu rode up on horseback, he used his Starry Sky Spear to lift the monsters lying in the water plants. Yu Li explained, "These are spirits corrupted by the strange power of the mountains and marshes; some are bandits on the water, and some are wild beasts addicted to eating people; however, after being corrupted to the extreme, they will fall. And these? Because the world is corrupted by the Evil Moon, there are demons causing trouble everywhere, and these demons will roam into the Great Cave Heaven."

Wu Hengyu nodded and said to his personal guards, "Please have my sect members come over here."

As Wu Hengyu finished speaking, Yu Li tactfully put on her veil and stood aside.

Bai Renfeng and the other five cultivators arrived and took their seats after greeting Wu Hengyu. It was their first time visiting this underwater grotto-heaven, and they were quite curious about everything here. Although it was their first time, they could all recognize some of the aquatic plants and medicinal herbs, as well as the attributes of the demons and monsters.

Wu Hengyu pointed to the ripples on the lake surface that were constantly emitting a black light and asked them a question. Han Jiangxue, with her excellent memory, immediately recalled the "List of Demons and Monsters Under Heaven" that she had seen in the sect's library. This list was updated every ten years and included all demons and monsters that had seized the original territories of righteous gods in the mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes. It was for the disciples who went out to subdue demons and monsters to use as a reference.

Han Jiangxue: "That's located in the Huai Marsh of Wuxu County. There's an island in this marshland, locally known as 'Black Mountain.' A demon there calls himself the Black Mountain Ancestor."

She used her water mirror technique to reveal the situation. A gloomy mist shrouded Black Mountain, obscuring the sun even at midday. This mist would begin to spread and engulf merchants who strayed into the foot of the mountain at dusk. Those swallowed by the mist would become servants of the Black Mountain Demon, their faces pale, half-human and half-ghost, building villages in the area. At the most inauspicious times, a hundred ghosts would rampage through the county's roads.

Qinglin asked, "Shouldn't that be Shangling Sect territory? Why aren't they doing anything about it?"

Bai Renfeng: "Tens of thousands of bandits have gathered here, forcibly seizing the mountain's energy and claiming kingship. It's difficult for immortals to overcome this round of malevolent energy. So we can only let it go, unless the imperial court sends an army to attack."

Zhu Yanming asked like a fool, "Then why didn't the local governor send a large army to wipe them out!"

Huang Yao: "This place is dangerous and full of water. Even if the court sweeps it away, within a few years, there will still be bandits who take up arms here, oppress fishermen, and wreak havoc on the world. Eventually, under the strange influence of the mountains and rivers, they will become monsters because they crave blood."

Wu Hengyu: "If the imperial court doesn't act, we will. I implore my fellow disciples to come and help me!"

The five monks responded in unison: It is our duty to eradicate demons.

Then he began to ride his sword through the air towards the rippling lake above.

These immortal disciples infiltrated as scouts to find a foothold for the army; the army needed a flat area to deploy.

Yu Li looked up at the five disciples of the immortal sect; just as Wu Hengyu thought she was about to praise his fellow disciples as outstanding individuals, Yu Li said, "The lineage of your fellow disciples is not complete."

Wu Hengyu: "What?"

Yu Li: "Before the Great Yao, there were many powerful beings in this world, but now they have obviously all left."

…revealing the truth…

The lineage of Qinghua Sect was founded two thousand years ago by a Taoist who came from the south, and it has now been passed down for more than thirty generations of disciples. In the Great Dao, it is not actually an ancient immortal sect, but the leadership of Qinghua Sect has been passed down through generations. The sect's founder has some connection with the ancient Kunlun lineage, and its lineage belongs to a branch within a branch.

The Taoist Qingyuan may not have learned everything in his early years, but as his cultivation deepened, he filled in the missing parts with his own understanding, which was then continuously developed by later generations.

Currently, it is also possible to perform the following techniques: communicating with spirits, exorcising deities, carrying mountains, blocking water, borrowing wind, spreading fog, praying for clear skies and rain, sitting on fire, entering water, concealing the sun, controlling the wind, boiling stones, spitting flames, swallowing knives, and creating a potted heaven.

As for the great supernatural powers of the Kunlun lineage's orthodox Taoist tradition, such as manipulating creation, reversing yin and yang, shifting stars and changing constellations, turning back the heavens and the sun, summoning rain and wind, shaking mountains and earth, riding the clouds and soaring through the mist, and dividing rivers into land, they were completely lost after the immortals ascended to heaven ten thousand years ago.

The same applies to all major sects. Each sect has only picked up a portion of the lineage. If they want to deduce the authentic Daoist methods, they still need the dynasty to grant them official status and to use the divination power of mountains and rivers to make up for the missing parts of the lineage.

Yu Li looked at Wu Hengyu and said, "You just addressed them as senior brothers and junior brothers?"

Wu Hengyu nodded: "The sect has not yet removed me from its Daoist register."

Yu Li nodded and said, "It seems your sect hopes that you can make a difference in the path of divinity during this great calamity."

Wu Hengyu: What is "Shinto"?
Yu Li was also surprised: "Don't you know? During the last great calamity, the famous generals of the era of great upheavals were all appointed as city gods and mountain gods."

Then Yu Li said, "There's nothing wrong with the divine path. Your fellow disciples' cultivation of the immortal path is incomplete. If they can't ascend to other planets in a hundred years, they'll have to disintegrate. And right now, with the evil moon in the sky, all ascensions are a hoax."

(End of this chapter)