Chapter 185: "How Can I Build the Black Abyss Army with These Idiots?!"
To the south of the Black Corner Region, a stretch of azure skies held faint traces of white figures gradually emerging from the clouds.
Upon closer inspection, the figures turned out to be a group of people clad in armor, riding four winged unicorns. They looked majestic and imposing, akin to divine soldiers descending from the heavens.
At the forefront were a man and a woman.
The man, dressed in fitted combat attire, had flowing long hair that gave him a slightly odd appearance. His face wasn't as strikingly handsome as Lu Bu's, nor did it carry Xiao Yan's understated charm. Yet, it exuded a strange and compelling air of authority that drew people to trust him.
The woman had delicate features, her slender frame clad in similar combat attire. Her figure was lithe yet curvaceous, and her long hair was tied up neatly. A straight blade rested on her back, adding to her valiant and heroic aura, no less striking than her male counterpart.
"Second Commander, why do you think the Soul Hall suddenly sent two Heavenly Protectors to the Black Corner Region?" the woman asked.
The Northwest Continent was unlike Central Plains; the spiritual energy here was sparse, and strong Dou Zun experts were rare. Those who did exist were typically the patriarchs or ancestral figures of major forces pillars of their respective organizations who seldom left their domains.
Two Heavenly Protectors, however, could practically run rampant across the Northwest Continent. If not outright invincible, they would certainly face very few opponents capable of restraining them.
Moreover, Heavenly Protectors were no common commodity. A single Soul Hall branch in the Northwest Continent usually had one Honored Elder in command, assisted by around nine or ten Heavenly Protectors.
Day to day soul collection operations were typically handled by Earthly and Human tier Protectors, while Heavenly Protectors primarily assisted the Honored Elder in managing the branch.
"Who knows?" Gu Zhen replied with a faint smile. "Fourth Commander, isn't that precisely why we were sent to the Black Corner Region in the first place?"
At this time, Gu Zhen was not yet the Grand Commander of the Black Abyss Army, but he wasn't far from it either.
"Heh… If I recall correctly, isn't that Xiao clan boy Miss's 'favorite friend' also in the Black Corner Region right now?" The woman, addressed as Fourth Commander Gu Luan, grinned mischievously at Gu Zhen, clearly eager for gossip.
"Gu Luan, have you forgotten something?" Gu Zhen replied, exasperated. "I already have someone I like. I don't harbor any such feelings for Miss."
"Uh…" Gu Luan froze, her smile stiffening. She had been so preoccupied with gossip that she had completely overlooked one crucial fact: her target of teasing wasn't even interested.
"Great… Looks like this trip is going to be boring," Gu Luan sighed, her disappointment palpable.
"Gu Luan, do you know why Miss specifically chose the two of us for this mission?" Gu Zhen asked with a chuckle, undeterred by her lack of enthusiasm.
"What else could it be?" Gu Luan spread her hands. "Xiao Yan is in the Black Corner Region, obviously. If Miss had sent Lin Xiu, Yang Hao, Ling Quan, or Gu Yao instead, they'd have brought an army to crush Xiao Yan long ago."
"Hahaha…" Gu Zhen chuckled softly. "That's only part of the reason. Miss sees Xiao Yan as her husband, not her subordinate. She doesn't care about the hostility those brats in the clan harbor toward him."
"Miss firmly believes that Xiao Yan can handle such matters himself. In fact, if he can't resolve them, then he isn't worthy of her admiration in the first place."
"So… Miss sent us purely for the mission?" Gu Luan rubbed her chin, pondering aloud. The two Heavenly Protectors they were tracking were indeed stronger than them individually. But if they combined forces and employed their battle formations, taking down the two Protectors wasn't entirely out of reach.
As long as no unforeseen complications arose, victory was within their grasp.
And if complications did arise? Well, this was the Northwest Continent what complications could there be? Unless a Dou Sheng appeared, nothing could really be considered a surprise.
And if a Dou Sheng did show up? Hah, as if the Gu Clan lacked powerful experts of their own!
"Have you forgotten that Miss also mentioned another person currently in the Black Corner Region?" Gu Zhen added with a sly smile, his previously calm demeanor tinged with mischief.
"Oh… You mean our Eighth Commander, that guy called Lu Bu?" Gu Luan suddenly remembered, her expression turning odd.
"Why do I feel like Miss has a grudge against him? She hardly ever mentions Xiao Yan within the clan but goes out of her way to praise Lu Bu. She even went so far as to overrule opposition to retain his position as Eighth Commander…"
"And what if they do have a grudge?" Gu Zhen shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe Miss just wants us to cause trouble for him or drag him into this mess of a mission."
"Uh… Wait a second. Now I'm curious about what might've happened between him and Miss!" Gu Luan's initial shock quickly gave way to excitement as she zeroed in on the potential gossip.
"…" Gu Zhen was speechless.
He had spent so much effort analyzing the situation, speculating on Miss's intentions, and strategizing for their mission, all in hopes of fostering a collaborative discussion. Yet all Gu Luan cared about was gossip?
"Sigh…" Gu Zhen let out a long sigh, raising his head toward the sky.
The commanders of the Black Abyss Army were hopeless some were busy competing for attention, others obsessed with meaningless drama. Was there no one else who shared his dedication to their mission?
"How am I supposed to build a proper Black Abyss Army with these clowns?!" Gu Zhen fumed internally.
Inner Academy, Secret Chamber
Whoosh, whoosh!
The blue flames of the Green Lotus Core Flame roared as they meticulously burned through every corner of the secret chamber, leaving no trace behind.
As the cleansing fire swept through, the lingering scent in the chamber gradually dissipated, vanishing without a trace.
Lu Bu wiped the sweat off his brow and exhaled deeply. As impressive as it had been to subdue the Queen, cleaning up afterward…
Sigh. If it weren't for the possibility of Zi Yan discovering something, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Ahem… That was Medusa's idea, of course.
Medusa was well aware of how attached Zi Yan was to Lu Bu, and for now, she had no intention of explaining her relationship with him. She preferred to keep things under wraps for the time being.
As for when to make things public? It wouldn't be a problem. Once they returned to the Jia Ma Empire, Yun Yun and Lu Bu's relationship would undoubtedly come to light first. Medusa planned to wait for Yun Yun and Zi Yan to meet and inevitably argue before stepping in to resolve the conflict.
By then, she could smoothly reveal her own relationship with Lu Bu, ensuring it felt neither abrupt nor awkward.
Medusa smirked at her own cleverness. Everything was perfectly planned.
After tidying up the secret chamber and removing the array formations, Lu Bu extended his senses, only to discover that Zi Yan was no longer in her small courtyard.
"Out gathering herbs again?" Lu Bu muttered, stretching his body and feeling thoroughly refreshed.
After giving it some thought, he headed toward the Sacred Gate. He and Medusa had been "training" for several days. A little balance between work and rest was in order; focusing solely on cultivation wouldn't yield the best results.
Moreover, having reached the peak of Dou Wang, it was time for him to search for an opportunity to break through to Dou Huang.
As he strolled toward the Sacred Gate, Lu Bu observed its flourishing state. With the addition of pill related rewards and ample fire energy resources, the organization had grown stronger and wealthier.
The Sacred Gate was now the undisputed top faction within the Inner Academy, overshadowing Lin Xiuya's Wolf Fang and all other forces. Only Lin Yan's Alchemist Guild could barely keep up and even that was thanks to support from the academy's elders.
Yet, as Lu Bu wandered around the Sacred Gate, he came to an amusing realization: it didn't seem to need him at all.
All he had to do was sit back and let the pill revenue and fire energy roll in.
Lu Bu was speechless. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? The faction he had personally established… didn't even need him?
Still, no matter how he felt about it, it was clear that the Sacred Gate didn't require his intervention at the moment.
"So… I guess I'll just go train," Lu Bu muttered, shrugging before turning to leave. Just as he was about to step away, however, he ran into Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, who had just returned.
"Huh? Your auras…" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow. Both of them had advanced again. Nalan Yanran appeared to be around a five star Dou Ling, while Xiao Yan seemed to have reached the third star of Dou Wang.
"Yeah, we leveled up. Whoops, it happened again," Xiao Yan said, spreading his hands in mock helplessness. "We were just cultivating, and before I knew it, I'd broken through again. Honestly, I don't even know how it happened."
Lu Bu: "…"
The grin on your face is almost splitting your head in two, and your ears can't even hide how pleased you are!
"Looks like you found some pretty good stuff in that ancient battleground," Lu Bu said in a dry tone. He didn't know exactly what Xiao Yan had obtained, but judging by the results, it probably wouldn't be of much use to himself now. So, he didn't dwell on it.
"Oh, nothing much just some heavenly treasures here and there," Xiao Yan replied with an exaggeratedly modest wave of his hand, his tone dripping with false humility.
Beside him, Nalan Yanran covered her mouth as she laughed softly. To be honest, she herself hadn't expected her progress to be so rapid. She had barely broken through to the third star of Dou Ling not long ago, and now she was already at five stars.
Reflecting on her achievements, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for her decisions. Her earlier impulsiveness may have seemed rash at the time, but in hindsight, the choices she made were undoubtedly correct.
Her father in the Jia Ma Empire had cultivated diligently for over fifty years, yet his strength was only at the same level she had now reached in a fraction of that time.
"Ah… congratulations," Lu Bu said with a laugh, though his tone was completely nonchalant.
"…"
Xiao Yan's smile faltered for a moment. It felt as if he'd just punched a cloud. He had been hoping to see Lu Bu show an expression of bitter envy, one that screamed, "Watching Xiao Yan level up hurts worse than dropping a realm myself." But that reaction never came.
Just then, Lu Bu quietly released a sliver of his aura. The peak Dou Wang energy surged forth, overwhelming Xiao Yan.
"You… you…" Xiao Yan stared, dumbfounded. Wasn't Lu Bu an eight star Dou Wang? How had he suddenly reached the peak of Dou Wang?
"Oh, my apologies," Lu Bu said with an apologetic expression, his tone brimming with fake sincerity. "I've been trying to figure out how to break through to Dou Huang, and I accidentally let my aura leak. My bad, Xiao Yan. I really didn't mean for this to happen."
Xiao Yan's face twitched, clearly skeptical. Not intentional? Who would believe that?
"How are you leveling up so quickly again?" Xiao Yan asked bitterly, his tone tinged with envy. Seeing Lu Bu advance made him feel as though he'd dropped a rank himself!
"Well, if you can find treasures in a secret realm, why can't I?" Lu Bu chuckled gleefully.
Even Nalan Yanran couldn't hide the jealousy in her eyes this time. Back when they were in the Jia Ma Holy City, they had all been Dou Shi. Now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, Lu Bu was on the verge of becoming a Dou Huang!
The thought stung. Achieving Dou Huang was once the pinnacle of Nalan Yanran's lifelong aspirations. Although her goals had since shifted higher, seeing someone her age about to step into the realm of Dou Huang so quickly inevitably stirred a sense of envy within her.
"Forget it. I'm not talking to you anymore," Xiao Yan grumbled. Grabbing Nalan Yanran's hand, he led her toward the small pavilion where their group of six resided.
With only a few days left before the Strong Ranking Tournament, Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran decided to take it easy. They wouldn't spend the time cultivating; instead, they planned to relax, chat, and explore the Inner Academy together.
After spending so much time in the academy rushing to and from training sessions, it was a rare opportunity for them to slow down and appreciate their surroundings.
Watching the two leave, Lu Bu shrugged. Lightning flickered beneath his feet, and in a flash, he soared into the sky.
Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well focus on his cultivation. The sooner he broke through to Dou Huang, the sooner he could return to the Jia Ma Empire… and see Xiao Yi Xian again.
But just as Lu Bu left, a mentor rushed into the area, looking anxious.
"Xiao Yan, where's Lu Bu?" the mentor asked urgently.
"He just left," Xiao Yan replied, shrugging. "That guy's fast catching up to him might be tough."
"In that case, you'll have to come with me," the mentor said solemnly. "A group of mentors and academy students were ambushed while carrying out a mission outside the Inner Academy. Two of the mentors are currently missing. We're gathering people to search for them."
"Someone in the Black Corner Region dared to attack Jia Nan Academy?" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, his tone growing cold.
Ever since the academy crushed the Black Alliance, it had become an unshakable force in the Black Corner Region. Nobody dared to provoke its students, to the extent that training expeditions now often yielded fewer results due to the lack of danger.
"We don't know yet," the mentor said with a shake of his head. "Based on the evidence at the scene, it seems like a robbery. The attackers didn't harm the students but looted their possessions. However, the disappearance of two mentors suggests the culprits weren't entirely restrained."
"It's likely the work of locals from the Black Corner Region. They fear our strength and know our limits, so they wouldn't dare harm students but clearly had no reservations about targeting mentors."
"Alright. I'll come with you," Xiao Yan said, nodding in agreement. Turning to Nalan Yanran, he added, "I'll be gone for a few days. I'll see you when I get back."
"Okay," Nalan Yanran replied with a soft smile. "Once the tournament ends, let's explore the academy together."
Xiao Yan waved as he followed the mentor, their figures disappearing into the distance.
Black Corner Region, a dark cave
Within the shadowy depths, two pairs of crimson eyes glowed faintly once more.
"That man was tough, but we managed to extract some information. It's a little different from what I expected…"
"I've got some details as well. Let's compare notes."
"Han Feng was killed by a boy named Xiao Yan. Though he's only a Dou Wang, he displayed strength comparable to that of a Dou Zong."
The other pair of crimson eyes flickered briefly before speaking again: "Han Feng's soul was seized by a Dou Zun level spirit. His fate is unknown."
"Protector Xuan also participated but was defeated by a Dou Wang boy. He, too, was captured by that same Dou Zun spirit."
"…"
The two crimson eyed figures fell silent, exchanging glances before one asked cautiously, "Do you think we're dealing with one person or two?"
"Their words were vague, and both of them were stubbornly resistant. We'll need to capture more of Jia Nan Academy's people to verify."
"Agreed. Let's continue capturing targets. But… about this Dou Zun spirit…"
"What are you thinking?"
"Do you remember why Han Feng came to the Black Corner Region?"
"There were rumors that Yao Chen was somewhere in the Northwest Continent… Are you suggesting that spirit is Yao Chen?"
"The academy's Death Spirit Tree doesn't display Han Feng's corpse… And besides, how could the declining Xiao Clan produce a fourth tier alchemist?"
"Heh heh heh… That old bastard. Looks like we're about to strike gold!" The Soul Hall protector's voice carried a sharp edge of excitement.
"For now, we won't report this. If the Honored Elder gets involved, all the credit will go to them instead of us."
"Agreed… ke ke ke…"
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen