Chapter 112: The Sunken Hook and the Submerged Sword (Almost Reached Ten Thousand Updates—Please Subscribe)

By the ancient Qing River, outside the Crescent Moon Formation.

Chen Jian’s body crashed heavily onto the ground, dust scattering with the wind, quickly revealing his bloodstained back and a body briefly twitching in pain.

Wu Gang’s eyes sharpened. It’s done!

“We won! We won!”

The people within the formation cheered excitedly.

Yesterday, when Chen Gou had charged forward, some had tried to stop him from entering the formation, but no one could get close to him. Those who tried were either wounded or killed, too harrowing to witness.

Today, a cultivator from Luyang Academy arrived, and the situation immediately reversed!

“Cough, cough,”

Chen Jian spat out blood and tried to rise, but Wu Gang would not give him a moment’s respite. Seeing Chen Jian stir, he leapt above him, charging his fist full of violent yellow spiritual energy, ready to strike down!

Whoosh!

Chen Jian gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as he jumped out of the pit. He was already in a sorry state, his momentum greatly diminished. “Damn one-armed man, striking so viciously!”

Wu Gang slowly stood. Chen Jian had not fully evaded that last punch; the spiritual energy had struck his back, though he barely escaped the final explosion in time.

“You’re no match for me.”

Chen Jian knew this well. His back was burning painfully. He took a slight step back, his eyes darting as he scanned the surroundings.

Wu Gang reached out, and with a swift sound, the steel blade returned to his hand. “In such urgent times, can you even think of an escape route?”

A quick and decisive victory was always Wu Gang’s strategy—and he could not afford to let this man go. A guardian-level cultivator like him, if released, could kill countless more.

Huh?

Bai Qing inside the formation murmured in confusion. Wu Gang’s figure seemed to blur… and then vanished?

Pfft!

Chen Jian’s face froze in shock as he realized a blade was already plunged into his chest, and Wu Gang was right behind him!

From that moment on, there was no more daylight for Chen Jian.

Wu Gang withdrew his blade, and Chen Jian collapsed heavily, silent but for the hot blood dripping from the wound.

“Chen Jian is dead!”

“Mighty, sir!”

This was cause for celebration—they had withstood the first wave—but also reason for concern. Wu Gang sensed his spiritual energy and saw that Chen Jian, after all a guardian, had pushed him so hard that he had already consumed sixty percent of his energy in a short time. He could only hope no one else would come today. Still, at this moment, his heart surged with excitement.

Bai Qing tossed a water pouch over. “Sir, you’ve worked hard. Have a drink!”

“Thanks!” Wu Gang raised his hand to catch it, smiling confidently. But as he took a big gulp, he suddenly spat it out. “Is this wine?”

Everyone was stunned, then burst into laughter. “At a time like this, one should drink wine!”

“Having slain Chen Jian, let us raise a cup in celebration!”

Wu Gang thought, actually, that wasn’t a bad idea.

“Sir, leave the watch duties to us. You’ve just been through a fierce battle; you should rest well.”

But at that moment, several heard the crisp snap of branches in the woods. Wu Gang said nothing, but Bai Qing moved. “It’s the Li army. Follow me—we must strike out! We can’t let them bring news of Chen Jian’s death back so quickly!”

Several figures sprang up from where they stood.

Indeed, some scattered soldiers hid in the forest. Around the outskirts of the ancient Qing River, spies lurked everywhere. Usually, they stayed still, only shifting under the cover of night, making them hard to detect.

But now Chen Jian was dead, and a cultivator from Luyang Academy had appeared—this was a critical matter, causing urgent action.

Before Bai Qing gave chase, Wu Gang whispered a number to him.

From his spiritual energy readings, there were eight in total.

“Hurry back to Fenggu Pass. I’ll hold the rear!”

Faintly, the panicked voices of Li soldiers could be heard.

Soon came screams, piercing and terrifying, enough to make one’s skull ache. One young man remained in the formation, his face pale with terror, nervously swallowing.

When Wu Gang killed, at least there was no dismemberment. But Bai Qing, leading the pursuit, cut wherever he could—arms, heads, thighs—body parts flying through the air. It was brutal.

That damn Bai Qing even collected eight heads and brought them back, tossing them on the ground. “Sir, none missing!”

Wu Gang had just recently graduated from the academy, though stronger now.

His face turned pale. “Alright, I understand.”

Meanwhile, the child beside him suddenly vomited with a wail.

Only at such times does one truly appreciate the blessing of peace.

Beyond Desheng Pass, the evening glow burned red like blood, stretching endlessly over the mountain range at the horizon. Looking up at the crimson sky, Chen Mingguang’s heart grew heavier.

Birds and beasts fled the forest, crows soared into the sky.

“Mingguang!”

“Seventh Princess.” There was no one else around, so he called out.

“Are you worried about Wu Gang?”

Chen Mingguang remained silent, pointing ahead. “General He says the Li army will attack the city within three days at most. When that happens, they will surely crush the ancient Qing River.”

The walls of Desheng Pass could only hold back ordinary soldiers; high-level cultivators could not be stopped. So the two generals, along with guardian-level cultivators like themselves, were conserving their energy. The mountain defense array outside the pass had already been activated.

Chen Mingguang sat upon a rock before Desheng Pass, seemingly hoping someone would return—even just one.

“That child came looking for you. I’m leaving.”

The Seventh Princess seemed unsure what else to say.

“Child?” Chen Mingguang glanced back, recognizing the boy who had always been with Wu Gang. After Wu Gang left, the child had no one else to turn to but him.

“What is it?” Chen Mingguang asked.

Under the glow of sunset, the child’s dark face seemed flushed red, only his black eyes still lively.

“This was drawn by Sister Caiye. Look,” the boy, Xiao Sha, unfolded the scroll in his hand.

Chen Mingguang’s gaze faltered. The painting had no colors, only ink outlines. It depicted five from Luyang Academy entering Desheng Pass.

That day, they rode high horses, coming from Luyang, naturally greeted by admiring soldiers.

At the forefront was Shu Le, calm-faced, sword in hand, her long skirt billowing—like a fairy. She was now missing.

In the painting, Gu Yi curiously surveyed the soldiers. The young man looked spirited and handsome, clearly a refined youth from the capital.

“Why did Caiye paint this?”

Xiao Sha replied, “The lords from Luyang Academy fought and sacrificed for Desheng Pass. Though they’re gone, we must not forget them. Sister Caiye said this painting should be hung up so everyone remembers, honors, and is grateful.”

Chen Mingguang wanted to scold him. Life and death were still uncertain—what was there to remember? But seeing the boy’s earnest intentions, he held back.

Xiao Sha fell silent beside him.

As the sunset darkened, Chen Mingguang spoke, “When we were at Luyang Academy, we once taught a rich scoundrel who bullied good women a lesson.”

“We?”

“Wu Gang and I. Luyang Academy didn’t just teach knowledge and cultivation but also morals. One day, we went out and saw a rich man harassing a woman on Trade Street. Neither Wu Gang nor I could stand it, so we stepped in.”

“Later… we learned the man had powerful backing and thought it acceptable to bully a few students. The vice dean cared for us but didn’t defend us, nor did he support that scoundrel—he only gave us a verbal reprimand. Later, that man, unable to vent his anger, sought revenge in secret.”

“Back then, our cultivation wasn’t as strong as now. Unable to defeat the experts he hired, we hid within the academy. This frustrated the vice dean greatly; he scolded us for cowardice. Reluctantly, Wu Gang and I left. We still couldn’t win, so we fought and fled at the same time. Gradually, we developed a tacit understanding. I told him that once we reached the battlefield, we would fight together and be invincible.”

Though a child, Xiao Sha understood all this.

“I want to join Luyang Academy, learn skills, and fight alongside everyone.”

Chen Mingguang wiped tears that had yet to fall, smiling. “That’s not for me to decide; you must pass the academy’s entrance exam.”

“I know! I’ve always told myself I have to live to take that test!” Xiao Sha scratched his head. “But after all these years trying, I don’t even know what the exam covers. Where have all the lords of Luyang Academy gone?”

Chen Mingguang explained, “There’s an attic in Luyang Academy that records the names of every student who died. Most are there. Every year, about thirty students die; over half are recorded there. Do you still want to go?”

He asked this last question with a smile, but Xiao Sha did not smile.

“I do,” the boy said seriously. He never expected to live long.

Now even children had grown accustomed to life and death.

Chen Mingguang gradually understood why people here always spoke of living—it was the thing they lacked most.

These thoughts unsettled him but also stirred resolve. Beneath the sunset, his gaze hardened.

“We must kill the enemy!”

…

Shu Le had never expected to leave the Great Rain Palace so easily. Once out, she flew swiftly south, encountering dangers along the way, for cultivators from the Li nation were also streaming south in large numbers.

This confirmed for her that the war had begun.

Traveling quickly toward Desheng Pass meant flying in the open sky, which was easier to detect. Moving slowly and stealthily was safer, but her heart was restless.

After some hesitation, she chose to walk slowly for a while, then could no longer resist and took to the air, planning to bypass Fenggu Pass.

With her Return-to-Simplicity境界 strength, only the Great Rain Palace’s pavilion master or a general-level figure would threaten her; others were insignificant.

Perhaps she went too slowly, but no one caught up.

Before nightfall, Shu Le had crossed Fenggu Pass, beyond which Li soldiers and cultivators appeared more frequently.

She even overheard some news.

It concerned the daylight Chen Jian, a guardian-level expert in the Li army, leader of over a thousand troops, a respected figure. Shu Le knew of the crescent moon Chen Gou and daylight Chen Jian nicknames.

Two soldiers' conversation revealed that Chen Jian had charged into the ancient Qing River formation during the day and had not returned, with no news from him. Something was off.

Upon reporting, his brother Chen Gou immediately set out.

Shu Le followed silently, hidden in the shadows.

She clearly heard that Chen Gou and Chen Jian had rushed into the ancient Qing River formation.

In the dense forest, Chen Gou, with a sickle-shaped iron hook strapped to his back, darted swiftly among ancient trees. Unlike his calm younger brother, Chen Gou was hot-tempered.

As they moved further from Fenggu Pass, he remained unaware that death had already come for him.

Whoosh!

“Hm?”

Chen Gou’s eyes, covered by cloth leaving only his gaze visible, caught sight of a graceful pink silhouette descending slowly. “Who goes there?!”

Spiritual energy stirred leaves in the air; elegance masked hidden killing intent.

“Luyang Academy, Shu Le.”

“Luyang Academy?!” Chen Gou and Chen Jian were both in the army, while Shu Le and her companions had just left Luyang Academy to venture out, unknown in the martial world.

Thus, the name Luyang Academy carried more weight than Shu Le herself.

Chen Gou’s heart suddenly filled with a bad premonition. “Chen Jian went in and didn’t come back. So Luyang Academy interfered! Tell me, what have you done to him?”

“I’ve seen how much stronger Li people can be—arrogant and unreasonable,” Shu Le murmured, as if talking to herself. “So, I have no intention of reasoning with you.”

Chen Gou gripped his weapon tightly.

But he was only a guardian, while Shu Le’s realm was higher.

And the gap was significant.

Most guardians never break through to Return-to-Simplicity境界 in their lifetime.

Hum!

Shu Le’s brows barely flickered as a powerful pink spiritual energy descended from the sky, enveloping Chen Gou and rendering him nearly immobile.

“Return-to-Simplicity境界!” Chen Gou’s heart filled with dread and despair. “You’re truly Return-to-Simplicity境界!”

“You’re one of Li army’s core fighters,” Shu Le approached step by step.

With each step, the pressure she exerted increased. When she was about three meters away, Chen Gou struggled and howled desperately but couldn’t even rise.

“Tell me, how many Return-to-Simplicity境界 are inside Fenggu Pass? And what’s your plan?”

“Ah!”

Chen Gou’s body was fully controlled by Shu Le’s spiritual energy. Yet he refused to give up completely. He exerted all his strength, pushing his energy to the limit to rise, to at least launch one attack!

Shu Le saw his intent. Her brows barely moved as a torrent of spiritual energy poured into his body.

“Pfft…”

Chen Gou screamed, blood staining the ground.

“Consider yourself unlucky to be caught. Aren’t you going to answer me?”

Chen Gou grinned despairingly. “Night Chen Gou, Day Chen Jian. Between my brother and me, I’m the less liked one. But… I’m still Li’s cultivator. How could I betray my comrades!”

“I only regret that I died here before killing a single enemy! I hate that I can’t break through to Return-to-Simplicity境界!”

Shu Le’s pupils widened slightly. She recalled what Gu Yi had said—though enemies, from their perspective, they were doing the right thing.

Bang!

She closed her eyes and pushed out a palm, striking Chen Gou’s chest fiercely.

“Come back with me to Desheng Pass.”

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