Chapter 158: Chapter 156: Squad Leader Zhouyang [Subscription Requested]

Zhouyang didn’t know how to describe his current mood.

This world doesn’t have a lunar calendar, so it certainly wasn’t because he didn’t check the calendar before going out that he’s this unlucky.

Perhaps it’s because he exhausted his luck after making a fortune in the Broken Cloud Mountain Range!

He wasn’t unaware of the risk of a “Beast Tide” attack. It’s just that ever since he entered the city, he hadn’t observed any anxiety among the cultivators in Liuyun Immortal City. All the shops were operating normally, creating an illusion that led him to believe that a “Beast Tide” was nothing significant to the powerful Zhenyue Immortal City.

Moreover, he had only planned to stay for three days. According to the intelligence shared with Dong Jianping on the way here, Dong Jianping had judged that the Beast Tide wouldn’t happen for a few more days.

But the current situation told him that Dong Jianping’s judgment was clearly unreliable, and Zhenyue Immortal City wasn’t indifferent to the impact of the “Beast Tide.” The cultivators remaining in the city should have known about the lockdown in advance, choosing to stay to take part in the defense against the “Beast Tide.”

After all, although a “Beast Tide” is dangerous, it also holds countless opportunities.

From past experiences, any middle-to-low tier cultivator who survives the “Beast Tide” assault can multiply their assets several times over, which is quite tempting for some ambitious cultivators.

Zhouyang had already made a significant fortune in the Broken Cloud Mountain Range, and he was extremely unwilling to stay and slay demon beasts, especially since he wasn’t even a cultivator of the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, and didn’t need to bear the responsibility of defending this land.

Unfortunately, under the circumstances, regardless of what thoughts a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him had in mind, he could only stay obediently in the Immortal Inn awaiting the so-called scheduling from the City Lord’s Mansion.

After another day of waiting, a team of eleven Zhenyue Immortal City Defense Army cultivators, all wearing magical artifact armor, arrived at the inn where he was staying.

Among these eleven Defense Army cultivators, aside from the leader who was at the Third-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivation, all others had Late-Stage Qi Cultivation. When they appeared, they stood in two rows outside the inn’s entrance. Then the captain walked inside and announced the City Lord’s Mansion’s order.

“By order of the City Lord, all cultivators in the inn, regardless of cultivation level, are temporarily conscripted into the Third Battalion of the city wall defense. Now, please follow me to the Third Battalion’s camp for reorganization and training!”

The leading cultivator, wearing Tier Three Lower Grade Magical Artifact Armor, held a yellow cloth proclamation and, after reading it, pulled the proclamation towards Zhouyang and the others in the inn, allowing them to clearly see the shimmering City Lord’s Mansion Dharma Seal mark beside the proclamation.

Zhouyang had never seen that Dharma Seal mark before, but judging by the expressions of other cultivators in the inn, it was obviously not a fake.

Therefore, when he saw the innkeeper and staff start packing up and leaving, he had no choice but to follow the crowd out of the inn. Together they were escorted by the Defense Army cultivators to some camp under the city wall for reorganization and training.

Upon arriving at the so-called Third Battalion camp, a structure similar to a mortal military camp, the Defense Army cultivators who escorted Zhouyang and others turned around and left.

By then, this camp, covering thousands of acres, had gathered over a thousand cultivators, just like Zhouyang, who had been temporarily conscripted.

Among these cultivators, some had Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivation, while others had Fifth and Sixth Layers of Qi Cultivation. Some were loose cultivators, some came from certain sects or clans, while others were shopkeepers and staff from city businesses.

Before a “Beast Tide,” everyone is equal.

At this moment, seeing Zhouyang and his batch arrive, the cultivators who came first immediately turned their attention towards them. Some, who were acquainted with the cultivators from the inn, called out to them to communicate secretly with familiar faces.

Zhouyang had thought he didn’t know many people in Zhenyue Immortal City, and wouldn’t be approached by anyone. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to find a quiet place to wait for the real leaders to come out and organize, a voice suddenly entered his ear.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, we meet again!”

He followed the voice and saw Dong Jianping, who had brought him to Zhenyue Immortal City before leaving on his own, looking at him with a complex expression.

Beside Dong Jianping was an old woman at the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation and several young men and women, all at Qi Cultivation Stage, looking at him curiously.

He remembered Dong Jianping mentioned that his family was now living in Zhenyue Immortal City, so these people must be the cultivators from his family.

Well, mortals in Zhenyue Immortal City don’t need to contribute to resisting the “Beast Tide,” because if even the cultivators can’t withstand the “Beast Tide,” mortals would only face certain death.

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Dong. Were you conscripted too?”

Zhouyang smiled slightly, stepping forward to greet and chat with Dong Jianping.

“Conscripted? You could say that! But we stayed voluntarily to resist the Beast Tide!”

Dong Jianping smiled, not fully agreeing with Zhouyang’s words.

Having lived in Zhenyue Immortal City for decades, he already knew about the city lockdown during a Beast Tide, so his family indeed stayed voluntarily to resist the “Beast Tide.”

Zhouyang’s face showed astonishment, seemingly not expecting Dong Jianping’s family to have such noble consciousness.

However, the friendship between them wasn’t deep, so he didn’t say much about it. Instead, he changed the topic and asked, “Since Fellow Daoist Dong is staying with your entire family, you must have anticipated and prepared for the current situation. Could you tell me what preparations should I make next?”

“That’s a good question, Fellow Daoist Zhou,” Dong Jianping said, “From what I know, soon a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator arranged by the City Lord’s Mansion will arrive here to consolidate and reorganize us. Given your cultivation and mine, we should be able to serve as a squad leader. Then, we will lead Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivators in practicing magic salvos, learning the use of the [Demon-Hunting Divine Crossbow], and understanding various commands.”

Dong Jianping, not withholding any information, immediately shared what he knew with Zhouyang.

Then, observing Zhouyang’s pensive look, he continued, “You should be aware, if the intensity of the demon beast attack isn’t strong, the City Defense Array of the Immortal City won’t be activated. So, even casting magic from the high vantage of the city wall is extremely dangerous. Perhaps we can cooperate to hunt some Tier Three Demon Beasts that might reach the walls!”

“Oh, do the demon beasts hunted during city defense belong to us?”

Zhouyang’s face jerked with surprise as he looked at Dong Jianping and asked.

Dong Jianping promptly replied, “Of course. Otherwise, why would the City Lord’s Mansion draft us without offering us a spirit talisman or a magical artifact? Why would we put in effort to eliminate the beasts?”

“In that case, I agree with Fellow Daoist Dong’s proposal.”

Zhouyang nodded, immediately and readily accepting Dong Jianping’s proposal.

The thought of possessing all demon beasts hunted during city defense was indeed tempting to him.

He himself was a Tier Three Lower Grade Artifact Refiner. If he could hunt down more Tier Three Demon Beasts in the city defense battles, he would have the materials needed to advance his Artifact Refining Skill level.

As expected, as Dong Jianping mentioned, once the number of cultivators in the military camp reached around one thousand four or five hundred, a silver sword light flew straight from the mountaintop of Zhenyue Immortal City toward the camp. A powerful aura emanated from the sword light, instantly silencing all conversations within the camp.

“I am Jia Yunzhen, of Loose Cultivator origin, at the Fifth-Layer of the Purple Mansion Stage, now appointed by the City Lord as the commander of the third battalion for city wall defense. From this moment, regardless of your previous identities, until the beast tide subsides, you are all temporarily under my command!”

“Simultaneously, from this moment onward, should anyone defy my orders, do not blame me for being merciless under my sword!”

“Now, all Foundation Establishment Cultivators come to the General Selection Platform, there are matters I need to instruct you on!”

With a dignified and loud voice, the owner of the sword light spoke. When the light landed, it revealed a white-haired elder clad in silver battle armor on the General Selection Platform.

Zhouyang looked at this white-haired elder, his face slightly changing. From this elder, he felt an intense Blood Evil Qi.

Such a dense Blood Evil Qi indicated that this elder was either a Demon Cultivator from the Blood Slaughter Demon Sect or one of those Killing Stars who had committed countless slaughters.

As for what kind of person the white-haired elder truly was, given his current position, it was already beyond doubt.

He immediately exchanged a glance with Dong Jianping beside him, and both obediently followed orders to step up onto the General Selection Platform. The other Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the crowd did the same without exception.

In the end, counting everyone together, there were actually sixty-three Foundation Establishment Cultivators among their over one thousand people!

“Very well, from now on, you are all squad leaders of the Third Battalion for city wall defense. Next, each of you will select your squad members. You may choose no more than thirty people and no less than ten!”

“Once you’ve selected your members, you will have an hour to become familiar with each other. After one hour, you will need to lead your squad members and follow me onto the city wall, where you’ll train in city defense tactics as I teach you!”

On the General Selection Platform, Jia Yunzhen’s sharp gaze swept across Zhouyang and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Without wasting words, he directly issued his instructions in the form of orders.

Under such a gaze from the Killing Star enshrouded in Evil Qi, Zhouyang and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators dared not breathe too heavily. Like responding puppets, they merely echoed back “Yes” in unison.

Seeing this, Jia Yunzhen finally revealed a slight look of satisfaction on his face.

He knew all too well that the City Lord of Zhenyue Immortal City had assigned him, a Fifth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator, to lead over a thousand temporarily drafted personnel because of the Blood Evil Qi he had cultivated through years of hunting demon beasts.

Although this Blood Evil Qi had nearly severed his path in cultivation, it also afforded him treatment beyond his cultivation level.

In everyday situations, even some Late-Stage Purple Mansion Cultivators wouldn’t dare be disrespectful in his presence, having sensed the intense Blood Evil Qi he bore.

To use this to intimidate a group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators now was, naturally, a piece of cake.

With a light wave of his hand, he coldly said, “Go down and choose your people!”