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Chapter 187: Stop Fighting, Brother Zhao, We're on the Same Side!
🕑 Added 2024-10-31 16:42:32 +0000 UTCUpon entering Fire Dragon Pass, the defenses became noticeably more relaxed.
The reasoning was simple: if the pass itself couldn’t stop an enemy, then no amount of reinforcement behind it would help, as nothing could compare to the defenses of the mighty pass.
This was especially true after Liao Rulong’s and Wen Shaoyang’s forces launched a feigned attack recently. Not only did they fail to make any progress, but they also lost dozens of men. After retreating a thousand miles back to Zhiyou City, the defending forces became even more lax.
Of course, this was all relative. Given the wartime situation, the level of alertness was still several notches higher than usual.
Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Yu Ziqi, and Long Xiao, disguised as the commanders, passed through five checkpoints without incident.
Thanks to Zhao Xing’s Soul Binding Straw Puppet, which had captured the life souls of the four commanders, they were able to read their recent memories. Even when questioned, they handled it with ease.
However, when they reached the final checkpoint—how to gain entry to the Earth Fire Lotus plantation—they hit a snag.
"Loba, Xuba, Howe, and Lahe are all commanders of the outer defensive zones," Zhao Xing explained. "The plantation is a completely separate system. We can't proceed any further under these identities."
In the ruins where they had gathered, the group was discussing their next move.
"Our only option is to kill four people who have access to the Earth Fire Lotus plantation and replace them," Zhao Xing added.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s kill them!" Long Xiao said, brandishing his fists.
"The problem is we don’t know who to kill," Zhao Xing replied. "None of the commanders whose memories we’ve accessed are familiar with anyone from the plantation. They're from entirely different systems."
"So, we have to wait until someone from inside comes out, or new people enter," Chen Shijie said.
"Is there no better way?" Chen Shijie asked.
Zhao Xing shook his head. At this point, even his experience from his past life wasn’t much help—back then, people would sacrifice lives to lure someone out and take advantage of the confusion.
But now, with only one life to spare, they had to be more careful.
As long as they got what they came for, escaping would be easier. They could flee deeper into Fire Demon Tribe territory and avoid retracing their steps.
"Let’s wait. There's no rush—we still have time," Zhao Xing said. He knew the straw puppets placed at the underground checkpoints would buy them some time.
At that moment, the minotaur Ye Chongxian was leading Xia Jing and Guan Junyang, disguised as Fire Demon Tribe members, toward the Earth Fire Lotus plantation.
"Your Highness, don’t say anything when we get there. Let me handle everything," Ye Chongxian whispered.
Xia Jing nodded slightly. "Understood."
The three walked in silence, Xia Jing and Guan Junyang keeping their heads slightly lowered.
The Earth Fire Lotus plantation was one of Xia Jing’s primary objectives for this mission.
Ye Chongxian, having served as a commander for many years, had been responsible for personnel transfers within Fire Dragon Pass.
As they approached the plantation, Xia Jing suddenly halted, tilting his head slightly.
"What is it?" Ye Chongxian asked.
"Nothing," Xia Jing replied, frowning. "Maybe I'm just nervous, but I felt a hint of killing intent."
Ye Chongxian scanned the surroundings but found nothing unusual. "This area used to be a residential zone, but it was destroyed by an underground fire explosion. Maybe you're sensing lingering spirits or resentment from the dead."
"Perhaps." Xia Jing nodded. "Let’s keep moving."
Soon, they arrived at the entrance.
It was a wide tunnel, slanting downward into the ground, with an entrance over ten meters wide.
"Pabo, hey, my good brother!" Ye Chongxian called out cheerfully as he approached the Fire Demon Tribe commander guarding the entrance.
"Yali Duo, are these the two illegitimate children you mentioned?" Pabo crossed his arms, smirking. "They don’t look much like you. Are their bloodlines pure?"
Facing Pabo’s teasing, Ye Chongxian forced a smile. "I’m from the Bull Demon Tribe, but their mother is pure Fire Demon Tribe, so they take after her."
Pabo lazily replied, "They look a bit weak. Can they withstand the heat down below? Don’t waste my time."
Pabo was clearly stalling, likely angling for more bribes.
Cursing him inwardly, Ye Chongxian had prepared for this. He pulled out another pouch from his robes and handed it over. "Please take good care of them, Pabo."
Weighing the pouch, Pabo’s expression brightened. "Did you teach them the rules?"
"Of course, of course. They’re good kids—won’t cause you any trouble."
"Alright, let them in."
Meanwhile, in the ruins outside the Earth Fire Lotus cave...
"Why didn’t you let me act just now?" Yu Ziqi asked. Zhao Xing’s Soul Binding Straw Puppet could read memories, so even if they only captured three people, it would be enough to learn more.
"We can’t make a move," Zhao Xing shook his head. "That minotaur might be weak, but the Fire Demon Tribe member behind him, though only an Eighth Rank, is no simple character."
"I only used my Hawk Eye technique to observe, but he seemed to notice."
"How can you tell?" Yu Ziqi asked.
"Instinct," Zhao Xing replied. "He’s probably the son of someone important, here to inspect the Earth Fire Lotus. Either that, or he has some kind of treasure. In any case, he’s likely to see through our disguise."
Chen Shijie nodded. "I had the same feeling."
"The son of someone important?" Long Xiao licked his lips. "Perfect! We can chop him up on our way out."
"You only think about chopping things up," Yu Ziqi sneered. "Can’t you use your brain for once?"
This time, Zhao Xing shook his head. "This person is dangerous. If we don’t run into him, fine. But if we do, and he notices anything off, we need to kill him first, or we risk being exposed."
"Understood," the others agreed.
After waiting for nearly two hours, Zhao Xing’s group finally got their chance.
A simply dressed Fire Demon Tribe member passed by the ruined buildings.
A shadow silently rushed up behind him, covering his mouth and dragging him into the shadows.
"Mmm! Mmm?!"
The Fire Demon Tribe member, an Eighth Rank, was swiftly dragged into the darkness.
"Shh~"
Before he could react, his throat was slit.
His last sight was of someone removing his clothes, with three familiar figures standing nearby—his own brothers.
"Why is my brother killing me?" he wondered before his consciousness faded away.
"Got him. This guy, Sangma, is one of the Earth Fire Lotus caretakers."
"He and Jisang, Sangmu, and Sang’er are all brothers."
Zhao Xing dusted off his hands, binding the soul into a straw puppet.
"Fire Demon Tribe sure is fertile. A single birth produces eight children," Long Xiao commented, curling his lip. "Barbarians, through and through."
"They resemble beasts more than humans. Trying to assimilate these tribes is pointless," Yu Ziqi said.
Zhao Xing remained silent. Each era had its policies. During the Taizu period, people didn’t hold such strong opinions about the barbarians. In fact, during Emperor Wen’s reign, there was a push for integration.
But by Emperor Jing’s time, the rhetoric had shifted back to viewing them as foreigners.
The efforts to assimilate the barbarians were never smooth—after all, it was hard for Da Zhou’s citizens to consider a bull-headed or horse-bodied creature as one of their own.
"Transform!"
Zhao Xing shook his head, then transformed into Sangma.
"Once we’re inside, don’t speak if you can avoid it. I’ll handle the talking," Zhao Xing instructed.
"If we run into anyone familiar, play it by ear—avoid fighting if possible."
"Understood."
Entering the lava cave, they found a long tunnel. Despite the wards set up to block the heat, the air inside was stiflingly hot.
As soon as Zhao Xing and the others entered, they felt their mouths go dry.
"The Flame Mountain Range really is a natural barrier—it’s unbearable," Long Xiao muttered, breathing heavily.
Despite their high cultivation levels, they were disguised as Eighth Rank individuals, meaning they had to display the corresponding level of strength.
For a Da Zhou Eighth Rank martial artist, entering these caves would be intolerable.
Only the Fire Demon Tribe, born and raised in this harsh environment, had the skin and bodies to withstand the heat.
"Even a Seventh Rank without protection couldn’t cross the Flame Mountain," Chen Shijie observed, scanning his surroundings. He was here partly to assess the conditions of the Flame Mountain Range.
His conclusion: without protective gear, there was no crossing it.
"What’s that?" Yu Ziqi asked, nodding toward the left side of the cave wall.
"Lava crystals. They’re quite valuable, worth ten points per pound," Zhao Xing explained. "Fire element spellcasters need them. But this is just a scattered deposit—there’s no real mine here, and it’s hard to extract."
As they ventured deeper into the cave, the temperature steadily increased.
The deeper they went, the more intense the heat became.
The cave was vast and, contrary to what one might expect, quite well-lit.
The cave walls were studded with multi-colored crystals, shining brightly.
These were low-grade lava crystals.
After walking for half an hour, the terrain leveled out, and ahead of them, a lava river came into view.
"We’ve arrived!" Long Xiao and Yu Ziqi were excited. This was the lava river!
"Not quite," Zhao Xing shook his head. "This is just the low-temperature zone."
"See that sign? The Earth Fire Lotus, being a Fifth Rank treasure, is in the high-temperature zone. We just need to follow the signs down."
The group continued downward.
"Bloop, bloop."
Bubbles occasionally rose from the lava river.
Along the way, many Eighth Rank Fire Demon Tribe miners were busy collecting lava crystals and transporting them.
"This is the mining area," Zhao Xing whispered. "Some crystals are used to make weapons, while others are mixed into the soil to accelerate the growth of fire-element plants."
The sound of mining echoed throughout the cave.
Zhao Xing’s group quickly moved through the mining area.
Suddenly, the cave brightened.
Above them, the ceiling sparkled like a sky full of stars.
High-concentration lava crystals embedded in the ceiling glowed brilliantly.
"We’re here—the Earth Fire Cultivation Formation."
"We’ve arrived!" Zhao Xing said, excitement in his voice.
Last time he was here was in his previous life, so in a way, this felt like revisiting an old haunt.
"Look, that’s the Earth Fire Lotus!" Zhao Xing pointed toward the lava river.
The river ahead slowed, forming a molten lake, where red lotus flowers bloomed on the surface.
"This lake was artificially created using a formation," Zhao Xing explained. "But the Earth Fire Lotus growing here is only at the Third Rank."
Yu Ziqi asked, "Are the Third Rank seeds enough?"
Chen Shijie looked to Zhao Xing. He didn’t have the ability to force plants to break through their growth limits.
"To be safe, we’ll need Fourth Rank lotus seeds," Zhao Xing said. "Let’s also collect some from the Third and Fifth Ranks."
The conditions for cultivating Earth Fire Lotus were harsh. Even with his advanced Sublime Primordial technique, they had to be cautious.
"Chen Shijie and I will handle the stealing. You two go carry supplies," Zhao Xing said, waving his hand.
The four split up. Long Xiao and Yu Ziqi began loading crates with lava crystals and transporting them across the bridge to the lotus plantation—part of their cover.
"Huff, huff."
Long Xiao and Yu Ziqi panted as they worked.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie quietly began gathering seeds in the lotus plantation.
The Third Rank plantation was crowded, but it was mostly filled with laborers.
No one noticed Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie’s discreet actions.
In no time, they had gathered over a hundred seeds and stored them in a box.
"Is it safe to store them like this?" Chen Shijie asked.
"Yes, the seeds are highly durable. This box, made of lava crystal, is perfect for storing them," Zhao Xing explained. "Plus, moving these crates won’t raise suspicion since that’s what we’re supposed to be doing."
"Time to move to the Fourth Rank area."
"Let’s be cautious."
The group moved deeper into the cave, soon encountering a warning sign:
[Warning: Ahead is the Fourth Rank Earth Fire Lotus Lake. Fire Demon Tribe members not in the late stages of the Spirit Bridge Realm, proceed with caution.]
They ignored the sign and continued forward.
In the Fourth Rank lake area, the group resumed their work. Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie continued discreetly collecting seeds.
The lake was vast, and people were scattered around. In the stifling heat, no one paid attention to two figures sneaking seeds into a box.
They only took one or two seeds from each plant, making their thefts as inconspicuous as picking a single grain of rice from a barrel.
"We’ve got enough Fourth Rank seeds. Time for the Fifth Rank area," Zhao Xing said.
"Let’s go."
Things were going smoothly, but the moment they entered the Fifth Rank area, they ran into trouble.
A Fire Demon Tribe commander suddenly blocked Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie’s path. "Hold it. Which lord do you serve under? I don’t recognize you."
"We were sent by Lord Yuehai," Zhao Xing replied. "We just recently advanced to the Earth Fiend Stage and were ordered to work here at the Fifth Rank lake."
"Oh?" The commander eyed Zhao Xing suspiciously but saw nothing amiss. He waved them on. "Go ahead."
Muttering under his breath, the commander added, "Why are there so many new commanders today? Wait!"
Just as Zhao Xing’s group passed him, the commander called out again, "You said Lord Yuehai sent you. Where’s your authorization?"
Chen Shijie’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Zhao Xing, unfazed, replied, "We came in a hurry and didn’t bring it with us."
The commander grew more vigilant. "No authorization, huh? Then you must know the passphrase, right?!"
A passphrase?
There’s a passphrase?!
Zhao Xing froze.
Of all the possibilities he’d accounted for, this was one detail he had overlooked.
The souls he had captured weren’t high-ranking enough to know that entry to the Fifth Rank lake required a passphrase.
Even in his previous life, Zhao Xing hadn’t known there was a passphrase system.
Could it be that the rules had changed over time?
"Shh~"
Seeing Zhao Xing hesitate, the commander reached for something on his belt.
Both Yu Ziqi and Long Xiao, seasoned fighters, reacted instantly. The moment they saw the commander making a move, they struck.
Two blades flashed—one pierced his chest, the other his forehead.
"Ugh!"
The commander clutched his throat, collapsing to the ground.
Zhao Xing quickly kicked the body into the lava river.
"Glug~"
The molten river quickly consumed the unlucky commander, leaving no trace behind.
"Do you think anyone noticed?" Zhao Xing asked, his heart pounding.
"Doesn’t seem like it," Chen Shijie replied, scanning the area. "This spot is a bit isolated."
"We need to move quickly. Without a passphrase, we’re bound to run into trouble sooner or later," Long Xiao said.
"Right." Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie quickly moved deeper toward the lotus lake.
But as they turned the corner, they ran into two more commanders.
And they recognized them.
It was none other than the two men they had seen earlier being led into the cave by the minotaur.
But weren’t they only Eighth Rank?
How did Eighth Rank cultivators get this deep into the Fifth Rank area?
"Stop! Where’s your authorization?" Zhao Xing demanded, taking the initiative.
Better to ask first than be asked.
Xia Jing and Guan Junyang froze, holding a crate between them. Everything had been going smoothly until now. They hadn’t expected to be questioned just as they were about to leave the Fifth Rank Earth Fire Lotus area.
They had no authorization.
But like Zhao Xing, they also knew how to handle the situation.
Xia Jing stepped forward and said, "We’ve just been promoted. We were in such a hurry we forgot to bring it."
Zhao Xing frowned. "No authorization? Then what’s the passphrase?"
Xia Jing froze.
There’s a passphrase?!
He narrowed his eyes and took a few steps forward. "Please, sir, let me explain..."
Zhao Xing, sensing the tension and seeing Xia Jing’s movement, felt a surge of danger. His instincts screamed at him, and he immediately leaped backward.
"Swish!"
In that split second, two flashes of light—one from a sword, the other from a saber—lit up the cave.
The sword belonged to Long Xiao; the saber to Xia Jing.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew as the sword and saber clashed, sending Long Xiao’s flying sword recoiling. Xia Jing, too, was shaken, and the crate strapped to his back fell to the ground.
His blood surged, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Since when did the Fire Demon Tribe have a Seventh Rank sword cultivator this strong?!
"Kill him!" Zhao Xing shouted angrily.
Damn it! He had just ambushed someone, only to be ambushed in return. If not for his Soul Binding Straw Puppet’s premonition, that blow might have severely injured, if not killed, him.
"Take out the sword cultivator first!" Xia Jing ordered Guan Junyang.
Both Xia Jing and Guan Junyang, confident in their combat skills, had no intention of retreating.
They completely ignored Chen Shijie, Zhao Xing, and Yu Ziqi, focusing all their attacks on Long Xiao.
"Shh~"
Green fur suddenly sprouted from Long Xiao’s palms, throwing his sword technique off balance. His flying sword veered off course and shot into the lava lake.
At the same time, Zhao Xing unleashed his Soaring Serpent Transformation, sending it hurtling toward Xia Jing.
Yu Ziqi’s four flying swords followed, aimed at Xia Jing and Guan Junyang.
Chen Shijie, too, joined the fray, sending a fiery chain snaking up from the ground to bind Guan Junyang.
Both sides were aiming to take down their opponents as quickly and quietly as possible.
"What?!" Xia Jing was shocked. The seemingly unremarkable Yu Ziqi was a sword cultivator capable of controlling four flying swords.
Another sword cultivator?!
And the two others—the speed and power of their spells were incredible!
"Wait, that technique—!"
Xia Jing pointed at Yu Ziqi’s flying swords, using his Azure Dragon Essence Breaking Finger to deflect them.
But then, his heart suddenly twisted, and scales began to grow on his neck.
His internal organs felt like they were shifting positions.
This was the power of Zhao Xing’s Soaring Serpent Transformation!
"Stop fighting, Brother Zhao! We’re on the same side!" Xia Jing shouted urgently.
"Huh? Hold on!" Zhao Xing, confused, called for a ceasefire. He pulled back his Thunder Summoning technique, which instead struck Xia Jing’s leg, causing him to stumble.
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