Cultivating To Immortality

Deputy General Luo’s voice was steady and cold. The blood mist in the air, unprotected by Spiritual Qi, was swept away by the strong wind, vanishing without a trace.

Just moments ago, three lively Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators were now gone from this world.

The three of them didn’t even have a chance to resist, turning to ash in an instant.

A monstrous wave of shock and terror surged in everyone’s hearts.

Golden Core Realm!?

That oppressive aura felt like a mountain pressing down. Although most of it had been restrained, the lingering Qi still made the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present feel their breathing slow and their Spiritual Qi circulation difficult.

The Qi Refining Cultivators, in particular, turned pale, almost collapsing to the ground.

A suffocating silence enveloped the massive training ground; only the battle flag on the high platform flapped, its sound particularly jarring.

Scattered blood mist, carried by the wind, splattered onto the battle flag.

Everyone finally saw the ancient character.

Qin.

The Cultivator team was momentarily chaotic but was then forced into silence. Song Yan stood among them, his eyes showing not only shock but also confusion.

"This Deputy General Luo, with Golden Core Realm strength, is merely a Deputy General..."

This thought flashed like lightning.

The overwhelming power he displayed had already astonished everyone, but what made Song Yan even more awestruck was the "General Bai" he mentioned.

To make a Golden Core battle general serve as a subordinate, that General Bai’s Realm... The changes in this ancient battlefield relic of the Immortal Dynasty were far beyond imagination.

Were there even living Golden Cores within the relic, and perhaps... even Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators?

This completely overturned the predictions of him, Sheng Nian, and all other Cultivators who had entered to explore.

In typical relics, one would encounter only inanimate mechanisms, remnant spirits, or resources.

Living armies, this was the first time.

An illusion?

If an illusion could instantly suppress and kill three Late Stage Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators, what level of Formation would that be?

His Divine Sense swept over the surrounding Cultivators who had been teleported here with him.

Aside from a few who managed to maintain a semblance of composure, most people’s faces showed confusion and fear.

Facing a Golden Core who could casually wipe them out, and the incomprehensible commander behind him, any resistance was meaningless.

They had originally come to seek treasures, but unexpectedly, they now seemed to have become soldiers on a battlefield.

At this moment, Deputy General Luo’s aura slowly receded, and the phantom of the long spear in his hand also vanished with a flick.

His sharp gaze once again swept over this dozen-strong "motley crew," and his brows furrowed even deeper.

There weren’t many people, only a dozen or so. Besides a few scattered Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators, only a few Middle Stage and Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators barely caught his eye.

Overall, they were not weak.

However, firstly, there were too few people, and secondly, he simply didn’t trust them and wasn’t willing to spare his attention to lead them.

"Hmph!" A muffled snort, undisguised contempt and impatience: "A bunch of good-for-nothings."

Deputy General Luo waved his hand, turned, and walked forward, speaking in a deep voice.

"Listen up!"

"This is the Tiger Wolf Army’s Vanguard Camp’s muster ground! I am Luo Zheng, Deputy General of the Vanguard Camp! By General Bai’s order, we are marching to suppress the rebellion!"

"No matter where you come from, or what kind of scoundrels you are, since you have been conscripted here, you are soldiers."

"Military orders are like mountains; those who disobey will be executed!"

He slowly walked in front of Song Yan and the others, looking at them with a deep voice: "What is your name, what Dao do you cultivate, and what is your Realm?"

The Cultivator he was looking at felt a mix of anxiety and uncertainty, unsure if this was a blessing or a curse.

"Chen Li, Daoist Qi Refining, Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm."

"Wu Caidie, Daoist Qi Refining, Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm."

"Wei Zhi, Daoist Qi Refining, Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm."

Luo Zheng’s gaze swept over the three of them. That scrutiny seemed capable of penetrating their flesh and bones, leaving their Aptitude and Foundation completely exposed.

Luo Zheng’s expression grew increasingly displeased.

One had a superficial Foundation, clearly built up by Medicinal Pills.

One’s voice and demeanor were weak, as if she hadn’t eaten enough.

The last one was reluctantly decent, but his eyes darted around, his thoughts unsettled.

He shook his head slightly and moved on to the next person.

This young man was tall and slender, with an upright posture, and something on his back.

"You?"

"Song Yesheng, Sword Cultivator, Early Stage Foundation Establishment Realm."

Song Yan had originally intended to give a false name, but in this strange and unpredictable ancient battlefield, standing before him was a Golden Core Cultivator.

Any inappropriate action could lead to unnecessary trouble or even death.

If he concealed anything and it was discovered, he would likely suffer the same fate as those three.

Thus, he simply reported his courtesy name, which didn’t count as concealment.

As his words fell, they drew the attention of the dozen or so Cultivators.

Although they were trembling and dared not whisper to each other at this moment, their gazes still fell upon the young man.

Luo Zheng’s gaze swept over, this time lingering on Song Yan for an extremely brief moment.

Such a young Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, his future was limitless.

He instinctively felt that this young man’s eyes were remarkably calm, completely different from the panic of those around him.

However, he wasn’t in the mood to delve deeper, simply assuming he was either scared silly or had a decent Heart-Nature.

"Our Tiger Wolf Army’s small temple cannot accommodate you great Buddhas. For now, we cannot accept you, so you shall form your own squad."

"We are very short of Deputy Commanders, so you all... although your Aptitude is crude and your Foundation shallow, it’s better than nothing!"

Luo Zheng’s voice even carried a sense of helplessness: "For now, you Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators are granted the rank of ’Deputy Commander’! If there are any mistakes, you will be immediately replaced and demoted to a laborer!"

Then he turned his gaze to the Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, including Song Yan: "You all are granted the rank of ’Captain’!"

"Qi Refining Cultivators, you will be assigned to each Captain’s command as foot soldiers!"

The orders were delivered coldly.

The Qi Refining Cultivators turned pale. Under the deterrence of the Golden Core Cultivator, they didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.

They could only tremble, each standing behind the assigned Early Stage Foundation Establishment Captains.

"I don’t have time for you to adapt. Go, each of you, collect your identity tokens and military supplies!"

"Gather here in half an hour! Those who are late will receive thirty lashes!"

With that, Luo Zheng no longer paid attention to these new recruits, whom he considered burdens, and turned to walk towards the orderly military Formation nearby.

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a great pardon, yet they dared not truly relax, immediately surging towards the stone house.

The stone house was quite simple, with only a numb-faced, obscure-aura old soldier responsible for distributing items.

"Captain, Song Yesheng."

Song Yan reported his name. The old soldier didn’t even lift his eyelids, throwing him a military token and a few other items.

The so-called identity token was a rough, gray, unknown metal plate, with the ferocious characters "Tiger Wolf" carved on the front, and simply engraved with his name and position on the back.

It felt cold and heavy in his hand, faintly exuding a hint of Evil Qi.

A folded cloth armor.

A small cloth bag, containing five shiny black Medicinal Pills. A slight sniff revealed a strange odor.

However, Song Yan vaguely sensed the violent energy contained within them.

"Marching Pills."

They seemed to be inferior Medicinal Pills for replenishing Spiritual Qi and vital Qi.

Finally, there was a crude scroll of beast skin, on which the Tiger Wolf Army Marching Regulations" were written in ancient seal script, so brief it was appalling.

Though the words were few, their strictness made even a person of Song Yan’s firm resolve secretly click his tongue.

"Immortal Qin, Tiger Wolf Army..."

Song Yan murmured.

How did it sound... somewhat familiar, where had he heard of it... a canyon, a temporary encampment.

The night was deep, and bonfires flickered.

The temporary squad of over a dozen people, composed entirely of foreign Cultivators like Song Yan, was assigned to guard this location.

They were not involved in suppressing the rebel army, but merely followed other teams, stationed in this canyon.

This place was relatively remote compared to the canyon pass, so it was unlikely that anything would happen.

Although Luo Zheng claimed he had no time to manage them, he still sent a personal attendant to "watch" them.

"General Wang, where did these rebels come from?"

The Cultivator named Chen Li asked with a fawning smile, "They even made General Luo come in person..."

The personal attendant beside Deputy General Luo was also just a Deputy Commander, named Wang Shengguang.

This attendant, Wang, was naturally not as stern as Deputy General Luo. After some interaction, he turned out to be a quite amiable person.

He repeatedly waved his hand: "I can’t bear the title of General."

Wang Shengguang pondered for a moment: "That rebel leader was originally Deputy General Luo’s colleague, and one of General Bai’s right-hand men."

"Later, due to a certain battle, he disagreed with General Bai’s decisions and had some disputes with General Luo, creating a rift. He then led some soldiers and defected."

"I only heard these things from old soldiers in the army; the specific details are not very clear."

Chen Li suddenly understood: "So that’s how it is... Is that rebel leader also a Golden Core Realm Cultivator?"

Wang Shengguang shook his head: "He used to be, but before his defection, his Battle Intent seemed to have been damaged, and he only had the combat power of a False Core."

"In the past, the war was tense, and General Bai and Deputy General Luo, out of old sentiment, never took action against him."

"Now..."

The dozen or so outsiders were all stationed around the temporary encampment.

"Sister, let’s not talk about seeking treasures now. How do we leave this place?"

The atmosphere within the Tiger Wolf Army was suffocating, making Wu Yun somewhat unbearable.

His gaze swept over the few people around him.

Wu Caidie, holding a Jade Slip, said, "A Yun, don’t be impatient."

"No one expected this change in the relic. We must at least ensure our own safety first."

Wei Zhi smiled honestly: "Yes, A Yun, listen to your sister. There’s no use in rushing; it’s better to wait and see."

Wu Yun scoffed disdainfully at Wei Zhi.

He looked at a figure not far away.

He murmured, "I never expected that in a barbaric place like Chu, there would be such a young Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator."

Wu Caidie and Wei Zhi, hearing this, also looked at the person at the edge of the camp.

Wu Caidie shook her head: "You don’t have to think so little of others."

"Even in a desolate place like Yue, it’s not difficult to cultivate a ’Genius’ by pouring all of a sect’s resources into Medicinal Pills and Spiritual objects."

"It’s not strange for Chu to have one or two."

Song Yan sat alone in a corner, caressing the Sword Sect Jade Chapter in his hand.

"I can’t even teleport... What kind of place is this?"

He pondered, looking at Deputy Commander Wang Shengguang, golden light slowly emerging in his eyes.

Observing the Void.

"These people’s Physical Bodies have no vitality, but their Spiritual Qi flow is very pure..."

"Aside from that, they are no different from ordinary Cultivators."

How peculiar.

He wondered how Gou Sheng was doing.

Was he also caught in this battlefield?

Or did he encounter another opportunity?

Song Yan had indeed heard of this Immortal Qin Tiger Wolf Army.

In Changping, he once heard a few local Cultivators talk about the legend of Ghost Mountain.

Legend has it that Changping’s Spiritual Qi was polluted because of an ancient Immortal Dynasty war.

At that time, several Immortal Dynasties wanted to annex each other, leading to frequent wars and countless fallen Cultivators.

But what was most astonishing was the battle of Changping.

The specific details were only passed down by word of mouth among the elderly. They only knew that during the bloody battle between the two sides, one side suffered a great defeat. In a single day, over four hundred thousand defeated and surrendered Cultivators were massacred in the Corpse Bone Abyss.

This also caused the defeated Immortal Dynasty to never recover, and it soon perished.

If some kind-hearted people first heard of this, they might feel that slaughtering surrendered generals was against heavenly principles.

But on the battlefield, there was only one truth: the victor lives, the loser dies.

If Song Yan remembered correctly, the ones who committed such an act seemed to be the Immortal Qin Tiger Wolf Army.

"Immortal Qin..."

According to Sheng Nian’s investigations over the years, this battlefield was originally where three armies belonging to different Immortal Dynasties had once clashed.

One of the Immortal Dynasties was Sui, and the Tiger Wolf Army he was currently with belonged to Qin.

He wondered what the name of the third Immortal Dynasty was.

His gaze fell on the Cultivators who had entered this relic with him.

Including himself, there were seven Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators.

The remaining eight were all Qi Refining Cultivators.

The original three Late Stage Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators had been suppressed and killed by Deputy General Luo with a single spear. Now, the highest cultivation was the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator, Chen Li.

But Song Yan’s focus was not on him, but on the small group of three.

Earlier, when Deputy General Luo was mustering the troops, he learned their names.

On the way from the military camp to this canyon, he heard Chen Li talking to them, and roughly understood their relationship.

The female Cultivator and the young Cultivator were siblings, and the other person was a close friend.

Wu Caidie and Wei Zhi were both Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators, while Wu Yun was Early Stage.

What concerned Song Yan most was that these three should not be local Cultivators of Chu, yet they had traveled thousands of miles to get here.

These three must have some understanding of this relic.

Perhaps these few people would know how to break the current strange situation.

Just as he was pondering, he heard a commotion from afar.

Before everyone could react, they heard the muffled sound of a horn from a distance.

At the edge of the camp, Song Yan stood up from a rock.

Everyone else also entered a state of readiness.

A strong Killing Intent was surging towards this place.

"Enemy attack!" Wang Shengguang’s expression changed: "It’s the rebels!"

Under the encirclement of such a powerful army, if the rebels in this canyon wanted to break through, the most suitable place would naturally be their position.

Weak in troops, lax in defense.

This was quite normal.

What truly puzzled everyone was how, with Deputy General Luo personally taking action, such a small group of rebels could still slip through.

"Kill!"

"Break through here and go home!"

"Those who block me die!"

The roars rapidly approached, figures flickered, and the mist was stirred by violent Spiritual Qi currents.

A remnant of the rebel army, numbering about a hundred.

Covered in blood, their armor shattered, their eyes burned with madness and a will to survive.

Like Vicious Beasts, they charged desperately towards this place!

They had clearly discovered this weakly defended area, guarded by new recruits, and were now making a desperate, all-out effort to break through from here.