Chapter 215: Revised - 215 A Small Battle

Netherworld, Yelan Mountain.

Lu Zheng arrived at Yelan Mountain and saw the flags waving and camps stretching across the mountain.

"Younger Brother Lu!"

"Brother Xin!" Lu Zheng looked up the mountain in surprise, "As soon as I entered the Netherworld, I saw many patrolling Ghost Soldiers. Looking at Yelan Mountain, I’m afraid there are more than just those eight hundred soldiers now?"

Xin Zhanting laughed heartily, "After capturing Yelan Mountain, the Court replenished me with three thousand troops! Now, the City God Temple has five hundred soldiers, and the remaining three thousand and five hundred troops are all stationed at Yelan Mountain!"

Lu Zheng nodded. When he had previously come to see Xin Zhanting, they had always met at the City God Temple. He had no idea Xin Zhanting had developed Yelan Mountain to this level.

"With so many reinforcements, is there another ghostly threat attacking Yelan Mountain?"

"Of course!" Xin Zhanting was filled with excitement, "One from Broken Blade Mountain, one from Chaotic Corpse Pool, every seven days a small skirmish, every half month a large battle."

Lu Zheng and Xin Zhanting reached halfway up Yelan Mountain and followed Xin Zhanting’s gesture to look over...

"I don’t see anything?" Hu Zhou interrupted.

"Of course not now, I was just pointing out directions." Xin Zhanting chuckled, "To the north is Broken Blade Mountain, to the east is Chaotic Corpse Pool, one has a Ghost General from a previous dynasty, the other a Nameless Giant Corpse. They both have hundreds of years of Dao Practice. Luckily with Madam Shen’s Incense and Candle Qi, I haven’t suffered at all, haha!"

"Let’s go drink!"

...

"Younger Brother Lu, you’ve brought your wife and disciple today, is something the matter?"

Lu Zheng nodded, first letting Hu Zhou pay respects to Xin Zhanting, as his "Tiger Roar Saber" legacy originated from him.

Xin Zhanting waved his hand repeatedly, "I’ve always said you can pass it on freely, what’s it got to do with me, what’s there to thank!"

However, Hu Zhou insisted on bowing, and Lu Zheng relayed his matters.

"So, I thought since so many experts are in the City God Temple, he could freely practice his Sword Technique, become familiar with his power, and control his Demon Power early."

"No problem! The Ghost Soldiers stationed at the City God Temple are only training anyway, sparring with your disciple could be beneficial." Xin Zhanting chuckled, "Honestly, I never expected my ’Tiger Roar Saber’ to reach this level."

"I didn’t expect it either." Lu Zheng shrugged.

Hu Zhou watched his master and the City God General drinking and feasting, feeling quite envious.

Just then, dark clouds pressed down on the city.

"Report!"

A messenger called from outside, "There’s a Ghost Soldier invasion from Broken Blade Mountain!"

"Again?" Xin Zhanting’s eyes gleamed, "It’s about time!"

"Younger Brother Lu, would you like to watch the battle from the front?"

"Is it convenient?"

"It’s convenient, why wouldn’t it be?"

"Should we combine forces and eliminate their leader?" Lu Zheng asked.

Xin Zhanting blinked and pondered for a moment, "Let’s not. It’s too far, the Court lacks power to reach deep into the Netherworld, and too deep an involvement may provoke resistance from the Ghost Realm. Moreover, truly powerful ghosts wouldn’t covet the mortal world."

Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed, and he nodded.

The high-end power of the Great Jing Dynasty wasn’t weak, but its large territory had many opponents. So as long as they blocked lower-level Netherworld forces from invading the mortal world, they wouldn’t press too hard.

After all, the ghosts’ roots were in the Netherworld, and the more immediate threat to the Great Jing Dynasty was in the mortal world.

Of course, should the mortal world become united with no threats, the Great Jing Dynasty wouldn’t sit idly by regarding the presence of local Netherworld forces.

Suffice it to say, various forces maintained a dynamic balance.

Wow, even the Xianxia World has politics!

So, Xin Zhanting’s mission was to defend Yelan Mountain and form a strategic position with the Yin-Yang Road at the Tonglin County City God Temple, ensuring no Netherworld Ghosts cause chaos in the mortal world through Tonglin County.

As for the ghosts from Broken Blade Mountain, killing them would only see them replaced, so keeping them as barriers against others was better.

Just like Yelan Mountain, which once helped the City God Temple fend off Broken Blade Mountain and Chaotic Corpse Pool; the power dynamics in the Netherworld are more complicated than in the mortal world.

The clearest example is that Broken Blade Mountain and Chaotic Corpse Pool never attack Yelan Mountain simultaneously.

...

Lu Zheng, with Liu Qingyan, stayed with Xin Zhanting in the central camp and watched as the vanguard Ghost Soldiers under a vice general’s lead engaged the opposing side.

Hundreds of soldiers were locked in combat.

Yes, soldiers fought soldiers, generals fought generals; it was lively but hardly deadly.

"Of course, if hundreds died each battle, my forces wouldn’t last this long?"

"Mas... Master..." Hu Zhou looked at Lu Zheng, eyes shining.

Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, glanced at the battlefield, and asked Xin Zhanting, "Can he join in?"

"Sure." Xin Zhanting nodded, "Let’s see if the opposition sends a master."

So Lu Zheng nodded to Hu Zhou, who excitedly charged out with his saber.

"Roar!"

With a tiger’s roar, a fierce tiger formed from Demon Power and Blood Qi roared out, blasting an enemy Ghost General away.

"Half-Demon!"

"Tiger Demon!"

"Where did this living person come from?"

"Xin Zhanting, what a shameless move!"

"Hmph, only ten years of Dao Practice, I’ll take him on!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Cough, cough, I must say, this kid doesn’t have high Dao Practice, but he’s got some skills in a fight."

A moment later, Hu Zhou repelled three ghosts, but was beaten and coughed up blood by the fourth, hurriedly retreating back to the central camp.

"Good, not bad." Lu Zheng nodded, "You still know how to retreat."

Hu Zhou, "..."

Do I look that dumb?

After half a day’s battle, both sides sounded the retreat, and Lu Zheng watched the opposing formation withdraw orderly like a tide, vanishing into the Netherworld’s blue-black mist.

Is that it?

Returning to Yelan Mountain, having arranged Hu Zhou’s training matters at the City God Temple with Xin Zhanting, Lu Zheng left with Liu Qingyan and Hu Zhou.

"Mas... Master?" Hu Zhou looked at Lu Zheng, hesitating to speak.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking, training with the Ghost Soldiers won’t be as effective as actual battles, right?" Hu Zhou mumbled.

"Hmm?" Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed, he asked sternly, "What do you want to do? Do you want to follow General Xin to war in the Netherworld?"

Hu Zhou gulped, "Can I?"

"You could... perhaps!"

Lu Zheng flicked Hu Zhou’s forehead with a finger, "How much Dao Practice do you have to desire entering the Netherworld directly? Are you tired of living?"

"I..."

"You, a living person, are too conspicuous. Your Blood Qi and energy would benefit ghosts with over a hundred years of Dao Practice, and should a powerful ghost target you, they could crush you with a single slap!"

"Oh..."

"When you can defeat the City God Temple’s vice general in ten moves, only then can you freely enter the Netherworld."

Hu Zhou wailed, "But the vice general has a hundred years of Dao Practice!"

"You know that, and yet you’re excited? The others tread cautiously in the Netherworld; what are you so eager about?"

"Hehe, alas, he will never reach that time, nor will any of you..."