Dongli City

The world spun. As if crossing the river of time, darkness and light alternated before his eyes. Space shifted and intertwined. A beam of light flashed. When Su Yu opened his eyes the next instant, everything before him had changed. Dots of starlight shone everywhere, as though he had stepped into the cosmic cosmos. It was neither day nor night. On the All-Heavens Battlefield, day and night were often difficult to distinguish. Starlight shone eternally. There was no blazing sun, yet countless stars illuminated the entire battlefield. Amid the daze, some of the teleported newcomers vomited from vertigo, while those who had been here before were already used to it. Su Yu was unaffected; the strain of teleportation was manageable. While they were still dazed, someone barked in their ears, "Line up! Get your command tokens ready! Those on military business have priority..." Su Yu suppressed the excitement in his chest and looked up at the night sky. Truly a magnificent sky. Looking around, he could not see much beyond an endless expanse of barracks—the garrison of this station. Around them, squads of armored soldiers patrolled in all directions. Su Yu and the others currently stood on a massive formation disc, somewhat resembling an Eight Trigrams diagram. Ahead, several Shanhai Realm experts were verifying their identities. A dual inspection was conducted across the Human Realm and the All-Heavens Battlefield to prevent All-Races Cult infiltration and military espionage. At the same time, sweeps of willpower from Sun Moon Realm experts blanketed the area, brushing over everyone. They made no deep investigation, but even a cursory sweep from a Sun Moon expert was generally hard to evade. *No Invincible is scanning?* Su Yu could not be sure. His sensing jade detected nothing either—though at this moment, the jade was utterly chaotic. With so many powerhouses around, it was densely packed with glowing dots, to the point that Su Yu did not even bother looking at it. Looking was pointless anyway; the surrounding experts were staring straight at them, standing right in plain sight. There was nothing to probe. The officer inspecting identities wore armor and a steel helm crested with blood-red plumage. As some officers checked credentials, one shouted, "Some among you are here for the first time! I'll keep this brief! "Upon arriving at the All-Heavens Battlefield, there are three paths! "First, enlistment! For experts sent by the various prefectures to garrison here, report directly to your corresponding barracks and do not wander off! "Second, those who came to harvest resources and try their luck, but lack the strength to venture out alone, go to the All-Heavens Office! Many like you are waiting there to form teams for missions. Naturally, the military will provide a degree of protection there, charge a certain fee, and reserve the right to conscript you during times of warfare! "Third, free agents! Lone wanderers! Such individuals may not linger within the military grounds. Depart swiftly. You may rest and reorganize at frontline rest stops, but trespassing into military barracks is forbidden. Violators will be executed!" After shouting those words, the red-plumed officer added in a grim, chilling tone, "This is one of the base camps for the Human Realm battlefield, a garrison zone for rear troops. Lingering is strictly prohibited. However, ahead lies a small city used for trade and lodging. You may not loiter around base camp; you may enter the city ahead to rest." ... After listing the rules, a divine gleam flashed in his eyes as he surveyed Su Yu and the crowd. "Lastly, one more reminder: once you are here, killing one another is forbidden! Regardless of your feuds or grudges! If you truly want to kill someone, roll out to the front lines! Beyond the defense zone, kill to your heart's content! Outside the Vanguard Camp's perimeter, even if you bash each other's brains out, no one will bat an eye!" Beyond the Vanguard Camp's area lay the true exterior of the human defense line. Once out there, the human race had no jurisdiction anyway. That was other races' territory. Of course, even within the human defense zone, the Eastern War Zone was so staggering in size that not everything could be policed. Having announced the basic rules, the identity checks resumed. Su Yu sensed quietly and detected no one scanning him. He did not know if King Daqin was absent, had no interest in bothering with minor fry like them, or had scanned him quietly without his knowledge. In any case, Su Yu felt nothing. Today was the day of King Daqin's inspection and conferral of awards to the soldiers, though he did not know whether the king had arrived yet. While he was pondering this, someone in the crowd whispered, "General, wasn't it said that Lord King Daqin would inspect the barracks today? We made a point of coming today just to catch a glimpse of King Daqin..." At those words, even without seeing the inspecting officer's face, one could feel a surge of delight and reverence from him. His voice lost its chill and carried a smile. "Did you think His Majesty King Daqin's inspection means radiating brilliant light so everyone knows he has arrived? At this very moment, His Excellency might already be in the barracks—you just haven't seen him." Some sighed with regret; they had hoped to see King Daqin in person. Ever since the All-Heavens Battlefield opened, he had guarded it for nearly four hundred years. While other Invincibles could rotate off duty, he rarely ever did. If King Daqin were not on the battlefield, the military's morale would falter. For the entire Human Realm, the Invincible commanding the highest prestige was none other than King Daqin. Su Yu felt both a touch of regret and relief. It was best that no Invincible scanned him. Of course, if King Daqin truly came, Su Yu also wished to behold his glorious presence; the man was the anchor of the human race. A pity he could not suppress all Invincibles; otherwise, with humanity unified, none of the current nonsense would exist. He was a powerhouse even among Invincibles, yet still could not suppress multiple Invincibles single-handedly. Soon, the inspection reached Su Yu. Those ahead of him had not left yet, having split into several groups to be escorted out separately later. The Shanhai officer checked his command token. He soon said, "Cui Lang, first stage of the Lingyun Realm, native of the Great Ming Prefecture, armamentsmith... Not bad. The army is short on armamentsmiths right now. Any interest in enlisting?" Su Yu hastily shook his head. "No, too restricting. I'd rather roam the martial world a bit." Toward an armamentsmith, the officer remained fairly polite and chuckled. "Roam the martial world? Mind you don't lose your head. Enlisting might restrict your freedom, but your safety is assured." At that moment, someone who had traveled with them whispered a reminder, "Milord, Master Cui is on the verge of entering the Earth rank. Earlier, he forged a weapon with seventy-two golden lines." "Hm?" That detail had not yet appeared in the records; news from within the Human Realm did not reach the All-Heavens Battlefield so swiftly. The Shanhai officer looked surprised. A quasi-Earth armamentsmith! This was urgently needed talent! Without wasting words, he said briskly, "If you ever decide to enlist, you're welcome at the recruitment office anytime! Even if you have no wish to join the military, you can take up forging commissions at the frontline Mission Office to supply weapons to experts. That still counts as contributing to humanity. Of course, you won't be shortchanged on what you're owed." "Thank you. I understand." The Shanhai officer was reasonably courteous. After a further check, he soon said, "You came once before, but that was years ago. You might not know the current situation. Places that were safe back then might not be safe now. Before venturing out, you'd best inquire about the situation in the city ahead and get your bearings." Su Yu nodded again. He was more than willing to accept well-meant advice. Besides, he had never been here once. After a brief thought, Su Yu asked, "My Great Ming Prefecture's Highness Zhu Hongwen also came to the All-Heavens Battlefield. General, do you know where he is? I'd like to pay Highness Hongwen a visit later." "Him?" The Shanhai officer pondered for a moment. "I truly don't know that. Once you get out there, you can ask around. I'm not very clear on the garrison deployments of the various prefectures." Such matters belonged to the higher-ups. People like Cui Lang, who casually talked about visiting princes, were actually rare even on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Su Yu had not realized that even in his disguise as Cui Lang, his status was exceptionally high. A disciple of a Sun Moon expert and an armamentsmith—ordinary people could never match that in a lifetime. "All right! Thank you, General!" Su Yu said no more and joined the waiting crowd ahead. Soon, these lone travelers would be escorted out to a small city outside the barracks named Dongli City. Once past that city, one left the base camp and officially departed the Human Realm. Hence, Dongli City—the City of Eastern Departure. From then on, unless returning to the Human Realm, they would not be permitted back into the base camp area. Even exiting the All-Heavens Battlefield required filing reports. Back then, when Hong Tan departed, he had been intercepted right here. Su Yu was unaware of this. Of course, had he known, his only thought would likely have been: *Shanhai isn't a big deal; there are so many of them here.* Others naturally did not know his thoughts. Su Yu had seen too much—he had met Invincibles and Sun Moons, and countless Shanhai experts—so he considered Shanhai unremarkable. But in reality, Shanhai Realm experts were top powerhouses anywhere. They were numerous here only because this was the corridor connecting the base camp to the Human Realm. And he, a Lingyun Realm armamentsmith and Civilization Master, was also considered a top powerhouse in the eyes of others. Among those who arrived with him, there were even Wanshi cultivators, plenty of Tengkong cultivators, and very few in the Lingyun Realm. ... While Su Yu was waiting to be escorted to Dongli City, in a magnificent military hall amid the surrounding barracks, King Daqin arrived to confer honors on officers and soldiers who had distinguished themselves recently. At this moment, King Daqin was no longer stern and icy. His long hair was tied back, and he wore a green robe. On his chisel-carved face, he forced a slight smile. Toward these meritorious soldiers, he usually offered a smile as encouragement. Of course, the soldiers dared not even look him in the eye; overwhelmed with excitement, they harbored no other thoughts. As for whether King Daqin smiled or not, only ghosts would know. Having finished conferring the honors, King Daqin's gaze flickered slightly as he glanced toward the All-Heavens portal in the rear. Walls, obstacles, and formations could not hinder his sight. In his eyes, the scene beside the portal surfaced. He glanced over. Newcomers entering the All-Heavens Battlefield was no grand event. Sometimes an Invincible would scan them, sometimes not, unless the portal trembled to signify a powerhouse's entry—and to King Daqin and his peers, a powerhouse was Sun Moon at the very least. At this moment, he merely felt curious; a certain aura seemed to be fluctuating, a minute fluctuation. Sweeping his gaze over the newcomers, Su Yu entered his view the next instant. In King Daqin's eyes, Cui Lang's appearance surfaced first. In the blink of an eye, Cui Lang's image twisted, and moments later, Su Yu's true features were revealed. "..." King Daqin found it slightly odd. A mere Lingyun had quite the nerve—knowing that Eternal Realm experts might be present here, yet daring to conceal his identity. He was stronger than other Invincibles; with just a distant glance, he saw straight through every disguise. Observing a moment longer, he caught some of the dialogue and spotted Su Yu's command token. Thoughts turned in his mind, and shortly after, he understood completely. Su Yu! Quite the bold one! Unable to sit still in the Human Realm, he had come to tour the All-Heavens Battlefield? Fair enough. The rear was embroiled in endless strife; it was time he came out to see the world. Staying in the Human Realm indefinitely would twist him sooner or later. Having looked, King Daqin paid it no more mind. If he was here, so be it. He was not about to make special arrangements or assign protection for Su Yu. Out here, geniuses had their own way of surviving, and the mediocre had theirs. Invincibles were extraordinarily important; he would never assign an Invincible to protect Su Yu, nor even a Sun Moon. If one truly feared death, one should not come. He looked closely once more. At this moment, a faint golden glow faintly radiated from Su Yu, very dim. King Daqin raised an eyebrow. Was that... a treasure or something? A legacy key? A relic treasure? Seeking to investigate deeper, a gleam flashed through his eyes, revealing an object resembling a stone monument. King Daqin's brows raised slightly, and he chuckled in disbelief. What brazen audacity! Wasn't that the divine character battle technique monument? This fellow... just how reckless was the Great Xia Prefecture's Multiple Divine Characters Faction? If Xia Chen knew, even if he weren't dead, he would probably die of sheer rage. To entrust such a critical treasure so casually to a Lingyun, who then brought it straight to the All-Heavens Battlefield? In the next instant... King Daqin frowned. Atop that monument, something was vaguely sprawled. "I..." King Daqin instantly felt a headache coming on. Even someone like him could hardly resist the urge to kick the brat right back! "Is this... the Ancient Devouring God Race?" King Daqin's head throbbed. He seemed to recall something from hundreds of years ago—a colossal fur ball whose form flickered in and out of sight. That day, during an epic battle of Invincibles, that massive fur ball flashed by, and an Invincible of the god race... pathetically discovered all his divine characters were gone, and his sea of will was nearly eaten away. And then, he was slain. That was probably the most miserable death of any Invincible! "Did I mistake it?" He looked again, but could no longer probe deeper. Probing any further would disturb the boy's sea of will, which was unnecessary. *Sigh!* King Daqin sighed inwardly. He truly felt like kicking this kid back to the Human Realm. To venture out carrying this thing—what reckless courage! The Ancient Devouring God Race... had this race reappeared too? *Was it what Hong Tan captured back then?* He cast his mind back. Probably. That idiot Hong Tan dared to drag anything back. *It's probably nothing. This little creature must have escaped long ago. If they were going to search for it, they would have done so already. There hasn't been any commotion lately.* King Daqin pondered and assessed the situation: the danger was minimal. The realm of this creature probably had its passage opened by accident, allowing it to escape. Of course, he was not particularly afraid. He was no Civilization Master; he was a warrior—a pinnacle warrior, an Invincible ranked near the top across the myriad realms. Even if that giant fur ball truly showed up, King Daqin was confident he could take it down. He was merely helpless at how Su Yu, at such a young age on his first visit, carried things that induced such taboo dread. After looking a few times, he looked away. Soon, something occurred to him. Looking toward Chen Long in the crowd, King Daqin forced an awkward smile onto his face and said, "General Chen Long." "Milord!" Chen Long hastily looked up and saluted with an expression full of adoration. "This general is here!" "No need to be so restrained." King Daqin gave a faint smile, yet it felt awkward. With an inward sigh, he reined the smile back in. The several Sun Moon experts beside him had long averted their eyes, not daring to look at his smile. Once he returned to cold indifference, the entire hall seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Several Sun Moons even grumbled inwardly: His Majesty King Daqin had better not smile. His smile was truly bloodcurdling! It was better when he remained cold. When someone who didn't know how to smile forced one, it looked... downright terrifying. King Daqin restored his cold demeanor, though his voice was not overly chilly as he spoke, "General Chen, over the years you have repeatedly achieved battle merits, amassing substantial honors. In a dozen-odd years, you rose step by step from an ordinary soldier. The commander of the Demon Suppression Army wishes to retire and return to the Great Xia Prefecture... Great Xia wants to promote Huang Teng to take charge of the Demon Suppression Army. I do not interfere in such matters; I merely suggest that while Huang Teng can serve as supreme commander, General Chen could strive to become the vanguard general. When it comes to charging the enemy lines, General Chen is far more adept." Chen Long chuckled honestly. "I will strive for it! My strength is still a bit lacking, but I'll definitely give it my all! Huang Teng has talent, but to be frank, we aren't completely at ease leaving hundreds of thousands of army brothers in his hands!" Many in the hall chuckled. Military officers were straightforward. What Chen Long said made sense. Strong as Huang Teng was, he might not know how to lead an army. Having talent and individual strength did not mean one knew how to wage war. King Daqin also cracked a brief smile that vanished before anyone could catch it. He said, "Over by Dongli City, a quasi-Earth armamentsmith seems to have arrived. For your recent merits, you are granted permission to recruit him first, to provide top-notch weapons for the soldiers under your command." "A quasi-Earth armamentsmith?" Chen Long's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "Milord, then can I... can I head over right now? Otherwise, those bastards guarding the portal will soon notify their respective legions, and someone will be competing with me in no time!" King Daqin smiled again and nodded slightly. "Go on. Perhaps it is also time someone forged an Earth weapon for you." "Thank you, Milord!" Chen Long was overjoyed. Earth armamentsmiths were truly scarce. Some were in the Human Realm, while only a small number were at the front line. After all, Earth armamentsmiths were national treasures who could not be casually dragged to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Across the entire battlefield, aside from King Tianzhu, very few legions had an Earth armamentsmith. In total, there were fewer than twenty Earth armamentsmiths on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Between the thirty-six prefectures, on average, they could not even get one each. The Great Xia Prefecture had only one Earth armamentsmith, who naturally would not come to the All-Heavens Battlefield. Even if Old Chen wanted to come, Marquis Xia would never allow it. If the soldiers of the Demon Suppression Army wanted weapons, they had to apply through the rear. Of course, there were several unaffiliated Earth armamentsmiths at the base camp, but those bastards charged terrifyingly high prices every time they forged weapons. A quasi-Earth armamentsmith! In his excitement, Chen Long forgot all about etiquette with King Daqin. First come, first served! Offering quick greetings to several generals, he dashed out of the hall and, in the blink of an eye, rode off on a massive heavenly steed. Once he left, someone in the hall whispered, "Milord, Chen Long is only in the Shanhai Realm; he may struggle to persuade the other party. Why not let me recruit him..." "You?" King Daqin said flatly, "Tianzhu's second disciple is already in your army, so what more are you trying to recruit? The Demon Suppression Army's armaments are mediocre. If they can recruit an Earth armamentsmith, it will boost their strength. If you recruit him, what will you do—worship him like an ancestor?" "..." Several Sun Moon experts fell silent, feeling quite helpless at his retort. What a pity! Still, someone asked curiously, "Milord, who came to the battlefield? A quasi-Earth armamentsmith... could it be Lord King Tianzhu's eighth disciple?" "No." King Daqin did not elaborate, saying calmly, "Cultivate diligently, everyone. I look forward to seeing you next time, rendering meritorious service for the human race!" With those words, King Daqin vanished from the hall. Once he departed, some of the soldiers finally breathed long sighs of relief and muttered, "Did His Majesty King Daqin just smile? I didn't dare look. I heard his smile is terrifying." "Yeah, I didn't dare look either. My squad leader is the bold one; last time King Daqin conferred merits, he actually looked and claimed King Daqin smiled at him. Just now, I didn't dare raise my head at all..." "Neither did I. His Majesty even patted my shoulder! I'm planning to send this uniform back home to show my son how incredible his old man is! This uniform, even for one thousand merit points... no, ten thousand merit points, I won't sell!" "Would you sell for twenty thousand?" "Sold!" "..." Listening to their banter, the Sun Moon generals chuckled helplessly. A bunch of uncouth brutes! Still, they did not mind listening to talk about King Daqin. While they dared not speak of it themselves, hearing others say it was rather satisfying, and King Daqin would not make things difficult for these meritorious soldiers. After the soldiers discussed it for a while, a Sun Moon general in the crowd sighed, "His Lordship really did that. When a quasi-Earth armamentsmith arrives, everyone should compete on merit, yet he deliberately let that kid Chen Long get a head start!" "He might not manage to recruit him. Everyone, how about we go have a look together? Battles have increased recently; even if he doesn't forge weapons, helping to repair them would be great. A quasi-Earth armamentsmith should be able to repair Earth weapons, right?" "Should be no problem!" The group walked out one after another. Going to take a look was good; perhaps they could pick up a lucky bargain! ... Meanwhile, Su Yu and over twenty others walked forward under the lead of several soldiers. Because Su Yu was a quasi-Earth armamentsmith, the Lingyun guide was very polite, chatting amicably with him along the way. "Master Cui hails from the Great Ming Prefecture?" "Indeed." Su Yu smiled brightly, looking around and remarking, "It's quite different from when I came a few years back." "It is a bit different," the Lingyun expert smiled and said. "Security has tightened recently. The All-Heavens Battlefield has been rather turbulent lately. "Our base camp is relatively calm, but battles break out frequently at the front lines. I heard that dozens of experts have died in the Vanguard Camp these past few days. If Master Cui wishes to venture out, I suggest not traveling too far. Sticking to the surrounding areas is best; the front lines are far too dangerous." "I will." Su Yu nodded and smiled. "General, I heard that some small realms have opened recently. Do you know where they are?" "Well... the opening of small realms is business for the higher-ups." The Lingyun said helplessly, "Master Cui, I honestly don't know. However, within the garrison area of the Great Song Prefecture's Tianbo Army, where I serve, it seems a small realm has opened. Would Master Cui like to take a look over there? I can arrange someone to escort you." Su Yu chuckled. "Brother, your recruitment technique is quite unique. I merely asked a question, and you've already pushed me toward the Great Song Prefecture." "Hahaha..." The officer beside him laughed as well, soon adding, "Master Cui, once your status as a quasi-Earth armamentsmith is known, people will soon come to recruit you. Of course, my rank is low, and I can't offer terms, but lately, every legion urgently needs armamentsmiths. Master Cui might want to consider the Tianbo Army." Su Yu nodded slightly with a smile. "I will. But let me settle in first. I'll be staying for a while and am in no hurry to return." "That's great, then." The officer breathed a sigh of relief. With a quasi-Earth armamentsmith around, it was always worth trying to build ties; having him forge some Profound weapons for everyone would be wonderful. ... Su Yu said no more, gazing openly in all directions. On the All-Heavens Battlefield, starlight glittered. It was not intensely bright, but neither was it dim. The road they walked was a designated corridor, so they could not see much. Walking for over ten minutes at a brisk pace, they had just stepped out of the military barracks and passed through a tall perimeter wall. Over a dozen li beyond the wall stood a small city. That was Dongli City. It was not magnificent, yet appeared bustling; even from a dozen li away, the clamor from within could be heard. Exiting the barracks, Su Yu looked around again. Broad roads stretched in all directions. Outside the barracks, people came and went—mostly soldiers, with wounded troops retreating in groups. Earth dragon beasts were plentiful here, serving as transport teams. On the All-Heavens Battlefield, earth dragon beasts were the most practical mounts. As for other things like cars, they could run here as long as there was source qi, but there was no point; they were too slow and too easily damaged. Su Yu glanced around and spotted several base stations—not communication towers, but voice-transmission relay stations. Without them, voice-transmission talismans would not work. Observing this, Su Yu nodded slightly. This meant communication was still guaranteed within the human encampments. The group boarded an earth dragon carriage, swiftly heading toward Dongli City nearby. In a few minutes, they neared Dongli City, where the clamor of voices surged. At the city gates, it was uproarious. "The Great Zhou Prefecture's top second-line legion, the Dousheng Army, is recruiting! Tengkong Realm and above may sign up, generous compensation! Civilization Masters get priority; armamentsmiths, alchemists, beast tamers, and divine talisman masters all receive premium benefits!" "The Great Ming Prefecture's Tiandao Army is recruiting! Those who can fight, come forward!" "The Great Shang Prefecture's elite legion, the Xuanhuo Army, is recruiting! Must obey military commands—those who don't fear death, step right up!" "The Demon Hunting Corps is recruiting! Going deep into the front lines to hunt demons! Any warriors with over 108 acupoints opened and body-tempering past eighteen cast rings? Weaklings, step aside!" "The God Slaughtering Corps is recruiting! Slaying gods and slaughtering demons! Looking for warriors with an acupoint strength exceeding 5,000 acupoints! Serious inquiries only!" ... Waves of shouting rolled on. Su Yu found it fascinating, though on the surface, he acted completely seasoned, looking as if he had seen it all before. Right at this moment, someone riding a white heavenly steed galloped over from behind. Spotting the earth dragon carriage carrying Su Yu and his companions, the rider called out, "Chen Long of the Demon Suppression Army, by order of King Daqin, conscripts Cui Lang of the Great Ming Prefecture into service for the Demon Suppression Army!" "..." Su Yu froze for a moment. Someone from the Demon Suppression Army? The Great Song Lingyun guide's expression changed, and he could not help cursing, "General Chen Long, don't you fucking fabricate military orders! Why would His Majesty King Daqin issue a forced conscription order like that?" Countless people around them looked over instantly. Chen Long remained unperturbed and shouted, "Don't misunderstand! King Daqin meant that the Demon Suppression Army's armaments are heavily damaged, so he asked me to invite Cui Lang to assist the army—not forced conscription! But since King Daqin said so, Master Cui, please! I invite you to the Demon Suppression Army for a chat!" "..." Nearby onlookers cursed under their breath. Who were they trying to fool! Right then, someone laughed from behind, "Chen Long, King Daqin told you to find a way to recruit him yourself, not forcefully conscript him. Don't brandish a chicken feather as an arrow of authority. You sure have some nerve." Chen Long maintained a straight face and looked toward the passengers in the carriage, slightly perplexed. Which one was Cui Lang? He didn't recognize him! There didn't seem to be many experts either; the strongest was only at the Lingyun Realm—namely, Su Yu. Was it him? So young? Su Yu's mind stirred. Someone from the Demon Suppression Army. He had actually been fretting over how to make contact with his father, and here he had run into someone from the Demon Suppression Army right away. And... King Daqin! Thoughts raced through Su Yu's mind. King Daqin had sent a general from the Demon Suppression Army to recruit him. Had King Daqin seen through his disguise, or even known his true identity, and intentionally sent Chen Long? He couldn't help overthinking it! The coincidence was too striking. The moment he arrived, King Daqin had a Demon Suppression Army general recruit him—why not another legion? Though thoughts surged, Su Yu did not let it show. Hearing the offer, he said languidly, "I have no interest in garrisoning with the military. Please suit yourself, General Chen, I have other matters to attend to!" Agreeing too easily would make him seem too pliable, especially when the Great Ming Prefecture hadn't even approached him yet. With that, he smiled and said, "Let's enter the city and settle down first. Much obliged, General!" He spoke to the Great Song officer, who said nothing more and urged the carriage into the city at full speed. Run! Settle Cui Lang down first! Once they left, Chen Long was left speechless. Turning back to glance at the Sun Moon experts pursuing him, he felt utterly gloomy. Those bastards! I almost bluffed him, all right? Damn it, now things were troublesome. Without paying a price, this wouldn't work. The problem was, he was poor, Great Xia was poor, and the Demon Suppression Army didn't have much money either. Gloomy as he was, Chen Long quickly entered the city. Whatever, he had to try. Also, the kid was so young—was he truly a quasi-Earth armamentsmith? With doubt and skepticism, he quickly entered the city, planning to look up Cui Lang's file first to figure out how to recruit him and what he needed. The Demon Suppression Army had an outpost in Dongli City as well. What's more, the current outpost commander in Dongli City was none other than his elder brother, Su Long. Su Long had not wanted to spend all day cooped up in the base camp barracks, so he recently applied for a transfer to Dongli City; it wasn't far anyway. *I can visit Big Brother while I'm at it!* With this thought, Chen Long headed toward the outpost. As for Cui Lang, they could talk after checking his records. ... At this moment, Su Yu's emotions fluctuated slightly. The Demon Suppression Army... Dad... Was his father in the base camp? How could he meet him? It had been over a year. He didn't know how his father was doing or what strength he possessed now. Sigh, a 36-acupoint Wanshi, even if he had reached Tengkong by now, would still go down in a single punch. His father was in far too much danger here!