Mountain Patrol Military Officer

As these unexpected guests from Beiliang prepared for their third exploration of Ancestor Mountain, and caused this disturbance,

nearby a large camp at the foot of the mountain, a Heavenly Gate Captain reported to a Red Armor General that someone had forcibly breached the mountain pass just now.

"All from Heavenly Gate? Seven or eight people in total, were you able to see the faces of those breaching the pass?"

Lu Ming, responsible for blocking the mountain, raised his eyebrows and grabbed the arm of the person reporting, and asked.

"The intruders suddenly charged, some faces were seen, some were unclear, unknown identities. The array was maintained well, and suddenly a red light of unknown origin broke it, allowing those people to slip inside," the Heavenly Gate Captain said.

Lu Ming released the captain, his eyes flashing with insight, pacing back and forth, he murmured, "This place hasn't seen any celestial materials nor earth treasures emerge, yet there are many disappearances, turning this into a perilous area, logically no one would want to come and still risk our capture."

As he spoke, he suddenly had an epiphany, seemed to guess who they might be; the General had hinted before, upon this realization, his eyebrows settled, and he spoke, "I understand!"

"Just continue to maintain the blockade, I need to visit The Overseers!"

"Yes!"

Lu Ming then swiftly headed out of the large camp, and as the curtain of the tent was lifted, the next moment, his figure vanished into the outside snowflakes.

........

"Colonel Chen is so trusting, isn't he afraid I might be adverse to you?"

High sky and vast clouds, above the cloud sea, a black flying boat cut through clouds and waves, rushing across the sky.

In the distance, a Great Sun hung high, the two stood at the bow, faces illuminated by golden light, Mu Yuntian, dressed in a purple Qilin robe, spoke with a deep tone.

The implication was that Chen Yuan was willing to follow his arrangements without objection.

"General Mu jests, I have no enmity with General Mu, sir is a high-ranking General, what reason would you have to be adverse to me!"

Beside him, Chen Yuan felt the mountains and lands beneath his feet, villages and towns passing under the flying boat like glimpses, his eyes slightly lowered, extended a finger to stir the cloud sea ahead of the boat, where fish formed of cloud energy were shooting and leaping within it, as if alive.

He casually displayed a small trick, speaking as his mouth curled into a smile, utterly unconcerned.

Mu Yuntian seeing Chen Yuan like this, certainly didn't believe these were his heartfelt words, yet his demeanor didn't seem feigned, prompting him to reassess his evaluation constantly.

Indeed a remarkable individual!

"Indeed!" Mu Yuntian nodded, "Yet Colonel Chen killed the Three Dao Patrol Angels, and still remains so composed, truly makes me see him in a new light; Your Majesty personally decreed to me, Colonel Chen, can you guess what Your Majesty said?"

Saying this, Mu Yuntian slanted a glance at Chen Yuan.

"Certainly to summon me quickly to the capital to see His Majesty, acknowledging my toil battling in Shu these days, perhaps even bestowing higher titles," saying this, Chen Yuan's eyes rose with an arc, "His Majesty's edict rings clearly in my ears, at that time even the city's people knew, saying His Majesty was wise!"

"Haha," Mu Yuntian laughed heartily, shaking the cloud sea.

At the same time, creaking sounds were heard, several windows opened, a few pairs of eyes couldn't help but peek out onto the deck to see what happened.

It was Xu Shaoqing and his entourage.

Seeing Mu Yuntian, the Three Qin General, who always showed no expression of joy or anger, cold but not indifferent, laughed heartily, they wondered what transpired between the two and peered with inquisitive eyes.

A few breaths later, the laughter ceased, Mu Yuntian turned his head, knowing a lot of news, everyone fully understood, aware of the cleverness of the words.

"Impressive, the court hasn't had an interesting person like Colonel Chen in a while!"

"I genuinely anticipate your arrival in the capital this time!"

"And wish to see what waves you stir in this stagnant court."

Chen Yuan, hearing the words of this General Mu, sensed a hint of depth despite shallow acquaintance, not knowing its depths, eyes glanced aside, not picking up the thread, said indifferently:

"General Mu indeed overestimates me, the court is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, what talk of stagnation, should I dare leap a bit higher, someone would come forward to strike me down."

"Currently, the situation with Demons in Shu is severe, I'm merely seeking a lifeline for our soldiers there!"

"I sometimes can't help but think, if some matters were addressed early by those Great Divine Power Users from Heaven and Earth, everything would be fine, everyone would live more easily."

Mu Yuntian understood what Chen Yuan was speaking of, with a swirl of his sleeve, his hands folded behind his back, eyes profound,

"I somewhat know some news about Shu, everything in the world follows its development rules, or rather everybody adheres to certain rules."

"Just like yesterday's battle, Qian Yunzi slain by you broke the rules; he dared act near Prefecture threatening ordinary citizens' safety, violating Heavenly Rules, and those breaking rules will be exterminated."

"With Demons invading Shu without mighty figures appearing to stop them, have you considered that perhaps it's due to some rules!"

"When Human Clan's Dragon and Tiger take action, there are Great Demons from the Devil Race appearing in turn; should it go higher, engaging higher realms, fitting Great Demons will emerge."

"Our rank places us as Dragon and Tiger, holding power that shakes the heavens and earth, capable of exterminating a large city with tens of thousands of people; beyond that, there are those at the absolute peak of Martial Arts, these individuals act, truly brings about ruin."

"I've heard some secrets, certain rules in the universe were set by these entities, restraining their actions, not allowing arbitrary intervention."

"And these individuals are detached from worldly affairs, exist beyond bounds, not knowing where they wander, merely leaving legends that are ethereal."

Mu Yuntian spoke of some secrets, allowing Chen Yuan to consider the larger picture in Shu from another angle.

This was something Chen Yuan hadn't heard earlier, indeed giving him a new perspective, he suddenly recalled some of his experiences from layers lifting in the Ten Thousand Mountains to emergence of Great Demons, mysterious coffin of General Mountain reviving, variances appearing in different regions.

This seemingly implied some logical reasoning within it.

Chen Yuan's eyes blazed with golden light, everything seeming coincidental, possessed some inevitability.

He looked at Mu Yuntian, rarely intrigued, "Has General Mu witnessed that vast Heaven and Earth?"

Mu Yuntian turned his head, paused then nodded, tone ethereal, "Reaching our step, power becomes a vassal to higher Martial Arts realms, seeking more Martial Arts resources to see a larger world, I once saw it as an ephemeral insect seeing the vast sky, perhaps during your Divine Capital journey, Colonel Chen might witness it."

Then, he meaningfully added,

"Should Colonel Chen return safely from Divine Capital this time, I would very much like to befriend you."

Chen Yuan's pupils contracted slightly but soon his face returned to normal.

This was his first discussion on cultivation and the next realm with an equally strong figure since advancing Dragon and Tiger ranks, feeling greatly rewarded.

Therefore, people must go out more, and make more friends.

"Greatly honored!"

Chen Yuan laughed heartily.

Mu Yuntian laughed heartily as well.

The laughter of two Dragon and Tigers shook the cloud sea, the genuineness or untruth in it, who can tell.

......

Time reached the next morning, Taiping County, Shu, Ancestor Mountain.

Now, snow reflected the night, still dark, just past midnight, everything fell silent, only the wind and snow fiercely blew.

Upon a hill, Beiliang's fierce General Wei Wu awaited a day, without hearing news from those dispatched inside.

Just like stones dropped into the sea, not a splash was seen.

"No need to wait!"

"Let's go."

In the wind and snow, Wei Wu spoke, his leopard eyes stared again at Ancestor Mountain, feeling completely different from daytime, pitch dark and lightless, like a giant beast lurking waiting to devour people.

Those people must have encountered trouble.

With that, snowflakes around his person swirled up, forming a whirl enclosing his followers behind.

Thereupon, their figures vanished into the wind and snow.