Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 334 Melon Girl's Self-Cultivation (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Sheng Yuanyao moved swiftly through the Gobi Desert, as fast as a cheetah.

An eagle soared overhead. Sheng Yuanyao concealed her presence, pressed herself against the rock below, and waited for the eagle to fly past before darting away.

Having served in the army for only three months, the already dashing and valiant general of the Demon Suppression Division has now shed his spoiled and arrogant demeanor, transforming like a spear.

The military is the best place to cultivate people. Even among the several oddballs in the Huo family, Huo Zhang was the most decent-looking, let alone Sheng Yuanyao, who already had a good foundation.

The aura of a third-grade cultivator was already faintly spreading from her body, on the verge of breaking through. Even without any special fortune, it would only take some time.

At least she has accumulated the experience and insights required to reach the Cloud Realm in the past three months. The bloodshed and trials she has experienced are incomparable to her limited training in the Demon Suppression Division of Xia Prefecture, and even more so to her time of neglecting the capital.

Although they were called brothers, Sheng Yuanyao knew why she could only be brothers with him; it wasn't out of arrogance or stubbornness.

Rather, there was no point in arguing.

Actually, she knew Lu Xingzhou even before Shen Tang... If Liu Yan'er isn't counted, Sheng Yuanyao was the first woman Lu Xingzhou met after leaving the Underworld.

But it was too late to know him earlier; back then, Lu Xingzhou was just a clever suspect in my eyes.

By the time I realized he was actually a nice person, I had already heard about his ambiguous relationship with Shen Tang. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but looking back now, it was probably the most bitter gossip I've ever heard.

Shen Tang is a princess, beautiful and talented. She reached the third rank early on, and she even wrote the information about her third rank in the Demon Suppression Division's report herself.

She and Lu Xingzhou supported each other through thick and thin, and helped each other redeem each other. Sheng Yuanyao witnessed Lu Xingzhou transform from a gloomy and scheming murderer into a cheerful person who even had the leisure to do some chivalrous things and help her investigate demons... Sheng Yuanyao knew that it was because of the changes brought about by Shen Tang.

Sheng Yuanyao knew there was no way to win, no matter what angle she looked at it from.

It's one thing if he can't compete with Shen Tang, but perhaps it's because outstanding people are always surrounded by outstanding people; everyone around him is so outstanding.

That green tea bitch Pei Chuyun, the legitimate daughter of the Pei family, has an impressive status... Even if she has another identity that is not something an ordinary person can match, the Holy Maiden of the Joyful Union Sect... That's all, her cultivation talent alone made Sheng Yuanyao's heart sink.

She casually beat up the top rookie without even showing her true skills. Then, a few days later, she also reached the third rank.

What's most terrifying is that such an outstanding woman, whom any woman would consider a formidable enemy, is shameless enough to cling to men all day long, wishing they would just shove him into her arms.

What the hell? How can I compete with a woman like that?
Then there's Dugu Qingli... the direct descendant of the Holy Land, and the only disciple of Tinglan Zhenren, the number one person in the world.

Compare to a hammer.

That was a true gathering of heroes, just like the poem he left in Qingyao Garden, "A hundred-foot-tall hero of this era."

She was just an ordinary young master from the capital, so why should she sit at the same table with these people?

Even Lu Xingzhou, whose cultivation was originally inferior to his own, saw his cultivation advance by leaps and bounds like a flying boat after his leg was healed. He even managed to beat up the number one rookie...

Sheng Yuanyao knew she couldn't beat Qi Tuizhi, so she didn't dare to challenge him.

She dared not challenge... Of all the opponents that Lu Xingzhou and the other two had taken turns defeating, she was the only one who dared not fight. Unbeknownst to her, she was the weakest among all those involved, including him.

What else can we say if we're not brothers?

They can only be brothers.

He's going out to undergo trials, and when he returns, he'll surely have improved. By then, I'm afraid I won't even be qualified to be his brother anymore.

My father said that the Sheng family's ancestral method was to serve in the military, and that its power was only truly revealed on the battlefield. The same applies to cultivation; one should seek enlightenment on the battlefield to achieve faster results.

Then go join the army.

I'll at least aim for the third rank before I see him again.

If we can compete then, we'll give it a shot; if not... then we'll remain brothers for life.

Ah Nuo said that female brothers are the most invincible existence...

In fact, at first, Sheng Yuanyao did not know what the military formations of the cultivation world should look like.

Logically speaking, once someone reaches the third rank or higher, they should be able to fly and teleport, so what role would their army play?
As it turns out, having more people makes a difference.

Even if a fourth-rank cultivator can't fly on their own, they can still fly using a magical artifact. If a hundred fourth-rank cultivators attack together, no third-rank cultivator can withstand them.

Moreover, the number of people on the northern frontier battlefield far exceeds several hundred thousand.

The number of people above the third rank is actually very small. Only a few hundred are included in the Heroes Ranking, although there are definitely more who cannot be included. Anyway, Sheng Yuanyao came here and met many completely unfamiliar third-rank people, only to realize that compiling the Heroes Ranking was a waste of time.

Editor-in-Chief Sheng expressed his dislike for the job he used to love.

However, even if there are many more, there is a limit. Moreover, most of the third-grade people in the world are distributed among various forces. Even if they all came to the Northern Frontier, what great use would they be on a battlefield with hundreds of thousands of people?
Flight restrictions are everywhere, and magic-suppressing traps are everywhere. Let alone a third-rank cultivator, even a second-rank or first-rank cultivator would perish here if they relied on their cultivation to act recklessly.

Only those at the Super Rank could move freely amidst such a vast army. The term "Super" signifies not only surpassing the rules of the Ninth Rank but also transcending the mortal realm. However, in the past few months, not only were Super Rank warriors nonexistent, but even First Rank warriors were extremely rare, mostly serving as commanders stationed at their headquarters. The wars were small-scale skirmishes, rarely reaching the level of sieges or territorial conquests. Sheng Yuanyao hadn't even encountered many Third Rank warriors in previous battles, making it an ideal training ground, and she was on the verge of breaking through to the Third Rank.

Just when we finally saw a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough, things suddenly took a turn for the worse recently.

The demon race has massively increased its troops, and powerful figures from various races have flocked to the border city like a tidal wave. Rumors have been made no attempt to conceal that the Demon Emperor himself has arrived, preparing to declare war on the Great Qian Dynasty.

As scouts, they needed to be even more aware of the enemy's movements these past few days, and Sheng Yuanyao, leading the scout battalion, naturally had to take on this responsibility. However, during a routine reconnaissance mission, they unexpectedly encountered a third-rank official on the other side.

Even a third-rank official is responsible for patrolling such trivial matters... I can't even sense how much powerful demonic energy is spreading in the distant city from afar.

Fortunately, Sheng Yuanyao made a quick decision and retreated from a great distance, but she was still almost caught up.

With a large influx of powerful demons, this battlefield seems beyond the capabilities of even fourth-rank cultivators...

Sheng Yuanyao didn't know how that great battle was fought back then. With super-ranked warriors participating and numerous first-rank battles, was there any room for those below the third rank to act? Could they just be cannon fodder...?

Do you want to withdraw?

Although Gua Mei is brave and fierce, she doesn't really have much loyalty to the emperor. Ever since she discovered that the emperor probably knew about the prefect's demon case, Sheng Yuanyao's loyalty to the Great Qian Dynasty has long since collapsed. That's why she returned to the capital to act like a spoiled brat... She would be willing to fight to the death for the safety of the human race, but if she's going to be cannon fodder for the emperor's game, then she'd better get as far away as possible.

Just as he was thinking about returning to his own city, he discovered that the city's security had changed.

On the surface, everything seemed normal, but the scout commander, who had been stationed there for more than three months, could smell something unusual even without using his nose. It was clear that things were relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside, and the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy.

The strange phenomena were concentrated at the general's residence, where the guards seemed to include unfamiliar faces.

Sheng Yuanyao subtly observed them out of the corner of her eye, but her steps led her to her superior's location.

The commander here is a member of the Huo family. After Huo Xingyuan retreated to the capital, he left his trusted confidants to be in charge of the northern frontier. There are several deputy commanders, all from different families. Sheng Yuanyao's direct superior is Zhao Jiayong, who is an old friend of Sheng Qingfeng. Therefore, Sheng Yuanyao's work in the scout battalion and intelligence battalion is something she likes to do, and of course, she has her elders helping her.

Seeing Sheng Yuanyao return, Zhao Jiayong breathed a long sigh of relief: "I was worried that you might be in danger... How dare you go out to scout alone?"

"Precisely because it is dangerous, it is more flexible to act alone. Don't worry, I'm not stupid. I'll run away if things go wrong."

"What good is it if you're stupid? Your strength is what it is! You're not even a third-rank soldier yet!" Zhao Jiayong said, "From today onwards, your scout battalion is no longer in operation."

I thought Sheng Yuanyao would get angry, but she just calmly said "Oh".

Zhao Jiayong looked her up and down for a while as if he didn't recognize her: "Why aren't you in a hurry?"

Originally, I was already planning to desert, so why would I be in such a hurry... Sheng Yuanyao didn't say that. She looked around and lowered her voice: "Of course it's because there are strong people to take my place. In the current situation, how can we fourth-rank soldiers handle this?"

Zhao Jiayong narrowed his eyes: "What do you know?"

"I want to ask Uncle Zhao what juicy gossip he's hiding from me first!"

"But I don't know either!" Zhao Jiayong stamped his foot. "Those bastards say it's a secret, but what secret can't even I, the General Who Pacifies Bandits, hear about? Are the Huo family trying to run a one-man show? How are we supposed to fight a war like this?!"

"This battle is not one that just anyone can fight." Sheng Yuanyao looked at Zhao Jiayong with some sympathy. She was a nobody, and her authority had been taken away. She could leave whenever she wanted, and at worst, she would be punished later as a deserter. Anyway, she had a powerful father to protect her. But Zhao Jiayong couldn't leave. He absolutely had to fight to the death here.

It's fine to fight to the death, but at least let him die knowing the truth. What kind of mess is this, leaving everyone in such a muddle? Even Zhao Jiayong, a second-rank general, didn't know what was going on!
Zhao Jiayong thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "Something's not right. Yuan Yao, you should immediately retreat to Guiyuan City to the side and rear, and be responsible for supervising the use and circulation of magical artifacts and talismans—if things don't look good, you can leave on your own."

Sheng Yuanyao was deeply moved: "Uncle Zhao..."

Zhao Jiayong thought she meant she was going to stay and die with her, so he said sternly, "This is a military order!"

Sheng Yuanyao said, "I will take good care of Zhao Erya."

Zhao Jiayong: "?"

Sheng Yuanyao pursed her lips, then suddenly lowered her voice: "Uncle Zhao, based on my twenty years of experience as a gossipmonger, this is probably, possibly, perhaps the emperor has arrived. You should be prepared."

Zhao Jiayong was stunned for a moment, then his face turned very ugly.

Before she could figure out what the emperor's arrival meant, Sheng Yuanyao added, "Furthermore, according to my scouting just now, the Demon Emperor is most likely in the city ahead, only seventy or eighty li away. If the Demon Emperor wants to attack the city, he can arrive in an instant. Yet, Lord Huo still hasn't brought the capital's troops to oversee the battle. What does that mean?"

"...meaning that if the Demon Emperor wants to take the city, he can do so at any time."

Before he could finish speaking, a dragon's roar suddenly came from afar, and an incomparably violent demonic aura approached from a distance, arriving in an instant.

"Demon Emperor!" Zhao Jiayong's expression changed drastically: "You must leave quickly! Before her gaze falls on you, retreat to Guiyuan City. It may be too late if you delay!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

PS: I'm sorry, I won't kiss you anymore, sob sob. Third update, please vote for me!
(End of this chapter)