Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

Chapter 72 The Figure on the Sword Viewing Platform_1

Linjiang Prefecture, Qingfeng Mountain.

Viewing Sword Gorge.

Dozens of robust demon horses, never resting day or night, were beating their hooves, stirring up clouds of dust.

Accompanied by a long sigh.

The colonel, wearing a black cloak, dismounted and looked toward the neatly arranged row of tents ahead.

It was early morning, and the campfires, damp with dew, crackled among the blackened coals, sending up wisps of white smoke.

About a dozen Golden Eagle Commandants' corpses had been collected together, each with sword wounds covering their bodies, skin split, flesh torn, bones visible.

Hong Lei led a demon horse, his eyelids twitching slightly.

If the outer camp colonels were more like wandering heroes from the pugilistic world, skilled in joint investigations and case handling, then the inner camp colonels were military, forming the Demon Suppressing Grand Array with scores of men, pushing through the demon lairs as if cutting through bamboo.

Any casualties indicated that the situation had almost spiraled out of control.

Perhaps hearing the sound of horse hooves.

A young man, also draped in a cloak but embroidered with a golden eagle on his shoulder, walked out of the tent.

Your journey continues with empire

He appeared to be at least ten years younger than Hong Lei.

His right arm was wrapped in a bandage, his complexion pale, his breath weak and floating.

He frowned, slightly displeased, "Why have you only arrived now?"

"I was just about to ask you, Colonel Zhao," Hong Lei replied, a chill in his voice as his other hand rested on his sword scabbard, "I gave you forty men to guard Viewing Sword Gorge, just to prevent Qingfeng Disciples from leaving the mountain without permission, and this is how you guard it?"

As he spoke, his gaze turned to the more than ten corpses.

Viewing Sword Gorge was a high cliff, the terrain perilous, easy to defend and hard to attack. If Qingfeng Disciples wanted to come down, every move could not escape the Demon-suppression Bureau's notice.

With any unusual activity, there would be enough time to report to superiors and request support.

"I'm not accustomed to sitting here daydreaming,"

Zhao Kanglin raised his eyebrows with scorn, sneered, "If that Nu Jian old man hadn't suddenly appeared, I would have led my men to charge through and reach General Chen, and for that feat, I should be recognized with a great merit."

Upon hearing this, Hong Lei barely suppressed the urge to slap him.

He looked up toward the high cliff.

There, at the edge of the precipice, sat a figure in gray clothes, legs crossed, thin silver hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, eyes slightly closed, face gaunt, both palms laid out on his knees, holding an unremarkable iron sword.

Elder Nu Jian of Qingfeng Sect, a celebrated swordsman of Jade Liquid Perfection years ago in Qingzhou, esteemed in reputation.

If not for old age and a declined constitution, having lived over three hundred years, fearing failure and unwilling to waste the precious Sword Pool Solidifying Pill opportunity, he actually had a chance to achieve the Condensation Elixir Realm.

"I may be injured, but he too has taken a hidden blow, and it will take him ten days and a half month to recover,"

Zhao Kanglin's eyes brimmed with self-satisfaction.

Of noble heritage, he had employed his family's secret technique; with his cultivation at Jade Liquid Middle Stage, he had exchanged injuries with a venerable figure of the pugilistic world, managing to escape unscathed, a fact he could proudly boast about to anyone.

Seeing his exuberant spirit.

The expressions of the Golden Eagle Commandants in the tent and the outer camp colonel mounted on the demon horse, all turned sour.

"..."

Shen Yi held the reins as usual.

So this was the reason they had been urgently transferred here.

"Ha, credited with merit," Hong Lei cracked a smile, giving the other a deep look, "You'd better prepare yourself for a whipping when you get back."

"You!" Zhao Kanglin gritted his teeth; if not for a slight stroke of bad luck, and urgently needing more troops to station here,

An outer camp colonel dared to speak to him in such a way—an unruly character.

Hong Lei ignored him further and turned around, "Outer camp disciples, dismount!"

More than forty men dismounted in unison.

Hong Lei walked past them one by one, "We parted in a hurry earlier, without time for chat. Most of you are not under my command, I'm Hong Lei, I've served as a colonel in the Demon-suppression Bureau for sixty years, my cultivation at Jade Liquid Middle Stage, always working for General Chen... yes, that's the elder, Chen Qiankun, currently on the top of Qingfeng Mountain."

"I know you all hold resentment, having to clean up the mess for those fools who've gone stupid in Qingzhou."

"Rest assured, as long as you don't make any mistakes, once we return, each of you will be credited with a merit of the Condensation Elixir Realm."

Upon hearing this, excitement finally surfaced on the faces of many colonels.

One must understand that to ascend from one stripe to two stripes, if it involves a supernatural calamity of the Jade Liquid Realm, you'd have to participate five times, and to rise from two stripes to three stripes, it takes more than twenty times.

And participating in a supernatural calamity of the Condensation Elixir Realm, when converted, would at least be equivalent to twenty times that of the Jade Liquid Realm.

Moreover, though this time it's said to be the Condensation Elixir Realm, they actually wouldn't need to lift a finger, they just had to guard this mountain for General Chen Qiankun.

"You'll be rewarded with three bottles of Precious Medicines, unlimited choice of Initial Realm Superior Martial Arts, and one volume of Jade Liquid Realm Inferior Martial Arts."

"Three years' salary, two months' leave."

As Hong Lei stretched out his palm.

Let alone the others, even Shen Yi's gaze showed a slight change.

The Demon-suppression Bureau might be tough, but when they give, they give generously.

Back in Baiyun County, these things were beyond their wildest dreams, but now everyone had a share.

"And what you have to do, is to keep watch over this long cliff for me."

Hong Lei spoke gravely, lowering his palm, he approached the first person: "What is your surname and name, and what realm are you at?"

"Liu Daqian, late stage of the Initial Realm, skilled with the blade."

"Wang Meng, late stage of the Initial Realm, somewhat versed in fist and palm techniques."

"Dai Bing, in the Initial Stage of the Jade Liquid Realm, I... use the sword."

Hong Lei's steps faltered slightly, his gaze lingering on the woman's sleeve for a moment, where three cloud patterns were quite eye-catching.

A Jade Liquid Early Stage so young was naturally not a nobody.

He casually reached towards the long sword at her waist, Dai Bing wore a complicated expression and took a half step back, her hand guarding the sword.

Hong Lei pulled at the corner of his mouth thoughtfully.

Then he moved on to the next person.

The youth had a tall and straight stature, with a black Ceremonial Blade slung diagonally at his waist and wore a dark robe that seemed tailor-made for him.

His features were handsome and upright, with his only flaw perhaps being his somewhat pale complexion; otherwise, it was hard to find any other faults.

His eyes swept over the two cloud patterns on the other party's sleeve, and Hong Lei asked in a slower tone, "Initial Realm Perfection?"

Shen Yi shook his head, replying indifferently, "Jade Liquid Realm."

As his words settled, there was a stir among the colonels.

Although they were all well-informed youths from Qingzhou, generally speaking, if one could break through to the Jade Liquid Realm at the age of seventy or eighty, they would be considered a master who could hold sway in a family.

A thirty-something-year-old at the Jade Liquid Early Stage could only be from a first-rate sect with deep heritage, coupled with exceptional talent.

Even if the other party maintained a youthful appearance and was in reality forty years old, it was still extremely shocking.

Of course, what was most unacceptable was,

That such individuals had appeared one after another, after only asking a few people.

"..."

Hong Lei was momentarily taken aback, then suddenly remembered the other's face.

In that small courtyard, stood disciples of the General and Miss Li from a prominent family, two experts, and beside them was a potbellied brute; although he seemed to have weak energy, being able to stand with them, he must be someone with a name and a background, just hiding his capabilities well.

Similarly, it wasn't surprising that the person before him possessed such strength.

The other party clearly had the power to decline, but still followed him to Qingfeng Mountain. A young talent should indeed act in such a manner.

Pondering over this, Hong Lei's expression warmed a lot, "Don't worry, it's just guarding the cliff. Patriarch Chen hasn't truly started to act against the Qingfeng Sect or drawn his sword in earnest. As long as they hand over that person, we'll naturally sound the retreat and return to our garrison."

"Just don't be like those spoiled young masters at home, with a mind like that of a pig, despite being over forty years old."