Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Early that morning, the protective barrier outside the cave was struck by a regular knocking sound.

Qingyouzi scanned the area with his divine sense and saw a middle-aged cultivator dressed in the moon-white Daoist robe of the Heavenly Immortal City standing respectfully outside the door. He was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, with a square face and a humble demeanor.

With a flick of his sleeve, the cave door opened silently.

The cultivator entered the cave and, upon seeing Qing Youzi sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, immediately bowed deeply.

"This junior, Mo Xuanjun, an elder of Tianxian City, pays his respects to Senior Qingyou. I apologize for my intrusion in visiting you."

His voice was steady and his manners were impeccable.

Qingyouzi nodded slightly:

"Elder Mo, there's no need for such formalities."

Mo Xuanjun straightened up and got straight to the point, taking out a pale blue jade slip from his robes and presenting it with both hands:

"This is a specially made communication jade slip by the Allied Forces, personally supervised by Elder Jiang. The jade slip has nine layers of restrictions, with the innermost layer directly connecting to Elder Jiang; the other layers can contact other elders of the Heavenly Immortal City, or fellow Nascent Soul cultivators who have joined the Allied Forces. Messages such as battle reports, mission assignments, and emergency requests for assistance are all transmitted through this slip."

He then untied a storage bag from his waist:

"There are 10,000 spirit stones in the bag, half of your first year's offering. The remaining half will be distributed after you arrive at your post. There is also a spare jade slip, and..."

He paused, then took out a three-inch-tall bronze lamp. The lamp had a simple and unadorned design, its wick unlit, emanating a faint chill.

"One Soul Lamp. Please drip a drop of your essence blood into it, Senior. In this way, Heavenly Immortal City can sense your safety at any time, and provide timely rescue if danger arises. I, the junior, must also use this lamp to restore my life."

Qingyouzi took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

The jade slip has an intricate internal structure, with nine layers of interlocking divine sense restrictions, each corresponding to a different communication range. At its core, a faint light emanates, unmistakably Jiang Taiyuan's aura. The spare jade slip is identical in form, but its light is slightly dimmer.

He then looked at the soul lamp and examined it carefully. The lamp body had no dark patterns, the lamp oil was clear, and the wick was made of common "soul-nourishing grass." It was indeed free of any sinister restrictions such as tracking or curses; it was just an ordinary life-sensing artifact.

"Why not gather everyone in the main hall to assign tasks, instead of using this method to contact them individually?"

Qingyouzi raised her eyes and asked.

Mo Xuanjun respectfully replied, "This was a special instruction from the Grand Elder. Individual contact serves several purposes: first, it allows for the assignment of tasks based on each senior's strengths; second, it ensures that battle updates reach individuals directly, avoiding delays; and thirdly…"

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice:

"It can prevent internal Allied information from being leaked, and also prevent others from knowing the locations and mission details of our predecessors, thus reducing the chance of spies causing trouble."

Upon hearing this, Qingyouzi lightly tapped the stone platform with his fingers, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"They're afraid... a rat might have infiltrated our ranks. They're certainly meticulous."

He said no more, and squeezed out a drop of bright red blood from his fingertip, which dripped into the lamp.

A drop of blood fell into the lamp oil and instantly dissolved. The bronze lamp body trembled slightly, and the wick ignited without a flame, rising into a pale golden flame that burned quietly, illuminating the lamp with a warm glow.

Qingyouzi could sense that a faint trace of his life essence had become connected to the lamp. If the lamp went out, it meant his death; if the flame weakened, it meant he was seriously injured or his magical power was greatly diminished.

Mo Xuanjun carefully accepted the soul lamp, placed it in a specially made jade box, and bowed again:

"In that case, I will return to report. Take care, senior, and await further instructions."

Having said that, he left the cave and transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the distance.

For the next year, all was calm.

Qingyouzi rarely leaves his cave, except for regularly purchasing fire-attribute materials needed for the Crimson Fire Demon Insects.

The communication jade slip remained silent, except for a brief "Northern Border War Report" sent at the beginning of each month, recording news of small-scale border conflicts, unusual movements of the demon race, and other trivial matters.

The breeding of Crimson Fire Demon Insects made considerable progress this year.

With the abundant resources, all five thousand demonic insects have entered their juvenile stage. Their carapaces are crimson red like flames, and their wings generate scorching air currents when they flap. The strength of an individual insect is roughly equivalent to the late stage of Qi Refining, and more than a dozen have reached the Foundation Establishment level. However, when the swarm attacks together, they can already threaten a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Qingyouzi was quite satisfied with this. Cultivating such spirit insects was not easy; to achieve this scale in three or four years was already quite remarkable.

He would occasionally browse the purchase or transaction information posted by other Nascent Soul cultivators through the jade slips. Although he did not make any purchases, it broadened his horizons and gave him a clearer understanding of the circulation of resources at the Nascent Soul level in the Southern Profound Continent.

He even felt like he had traveled through the world of cultivation for hundreds of years and was browsing online shopping platforms on his phone.

The calm lasted until the following spring.

On this day, the jade slip containing the message suddenly vibrated.

Qingyouzi probed with his divine sense, and Mo Xuanjun's respectful voice came from the bamboo slip:

"Senior Qingyou, by order of the Grand Elder, I have already brought this year's offerings to the outside of the manor. There are other tasks to be assigned; please give your instructions."

The cave door opened, and Mo Xuanjun stepped in, bowing meticulously as always, and presented a storage bag.

The bag contained ten thousand spirit stones, just like last year.

"Senior," Mo Xuanjun said solemnly, "according to the Allied Forces' overall plan, you will be assigned to 'Zhenhai Pass' for defense. This pass is located on the northeastern edge of the Endless Sea, adjacent to the sea area where the demon race is active, and its location is crucial."

He took out a mission jade slip:

"Accompanying the senior is Senior Wen Tao, who is also at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. In addition, there are ten Golden Core cultivators, one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and one thousand Qi Refining cultivators, for a total of one thousand one hundred and twelve people. Three days later at Chen Shi (7-9 AM), they will gather at the 'Cloud Emerging Platform' in the east of Tianxian City and travel there by flying boat."

Qingyouzi took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense.

Mission description: Assist in the defense of Zhenhai Customs, patrol the three-thousand-mile sea area under its jurisdiction, prevent the infiltration of the demon race, and provide support to surrounding islands when necessary. The time limit is tentatively set at three years, and rotation may be implemented depending on the combat situation upon expiration.

At the end of the jade slip was a list of personnel, with Wen Tao's name at the top, followed by brief information on ten Golden Core cultivators.

Six were directly under the jurisdiction of Heavenly Immortal City, and four came from affiliated sects. Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators were listed by number only, without their names.

"This junior is Mo Xuanjun," the middle-aged cultivator bowed slightly, "I will be accompanying you this time, responsible for liaison, logistics, and paperwork. Please feel free to ask if you have any needs, senior."

Qingyouzi glanced at him.

While nominally "assisting," they were in reality military supervisors. This was an open secret among both sides.

"Thank you for your trouble, Elder Mo." He said calmly, "See you at Chuyuntai in three days."

"This junior takes his leave."

After Mo Xuanjun left, Qing Youzi sat quietly for a moment, then got up and walked towards the insect chamber.

On the crimson wood, swarms of insects buzzed.

With a flick of his sleeve, more than five thousand crimson fire demon insects swirled up like crimson clouds and disappeared into a specially made spirit insect pouch at his waist.

"It's time to... stretch my legs a bit."

Three days later, at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

East of Tianxian City, at Chuyuntai.

This platform is built atop a solitary peak thousands of feet high, amidst surging seas of clouds, where twelve giant flying boats float silently.

The boat is over a hundred feet long, with ironwood as its frame and covered with black iron scales. The bow is carved with a ferocious beast head, and the two sides have giant sails with flowing spiritual light, making it magnificent.

When Qingyouzi landed on the platform, hundreds of cultivators were already lined up and waiting.

Ten Golden Core cultivators stood at the head of the line, and upon seeing Qing Youzi arrive, they all bowed.

"Greetings, Senior Qingyou!"

Their voices were synchronized and well-trained.

Qingyouzi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over them.

The cultivators in the queue were of varying ages. The youngest Qi Refining disciple was only sixteen or seventeen years old, with a mixture of trepidation and excitement in his eyes as he left home for the first time. The older Foundation Establishment cultivators, on the other hand, had calm expressions and occasionally looked towards the distant sea with solemn eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Qingyou."

A gentle voice came from the side.

Qingyouzi turned his head and saw a middle-aged cultivator in a blue robe walking slowly towards him. He had a refined appearance and a calm demeanor. He was Wen Tao, the one recorded in the jade slip.

"Fellow Daoist Wen," Qingyouzi said, bowing.

"I hope you will take good care of me on this journey," Wen Tao said with a gentle smile. "The situation at Zhenhai Pass is complicated, and the demon race has been making frequent unusual moves lately. Only by working together can we ensure our safety."

The two exchanged a few words briefly before Mo Xuanjun strode over:

"Seniors, the personnel have been counted, and the airship is ready. Please board."

Qingyouzi and Wentao were the first to board the largest airship in the center. The deck was spacious, with three levels of cabins, capable of accommodating five hundred people.

Ten Golden Core cultivators, one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and one thousand Qi Refining cultivators boarded the remaining flying ships in turn. The twelve giant ships slowly rose into the air, their sails billowing and spiritual light flowing, leaving twelve long trails of clouds in the morning light.

At the bow of the boat, Qingyouzi stood leaning against the railing.

Below, the Celestial City receded into the distance, transforming into a faint glimmer of light in the sea of ​​clouds. Ahead lay an endless expanse of azure sea, where thunderclouds faintly gathered where the water met the sky.

Mo Xuanjun stood slightly behind him and whispered:

"The journey to Zhenhaiguan will take seven days by air. If we encounter any small-scale demon harassment during this time, the airship's formation will be sufficient to handle it. Senior may go to the cabin to cultivate in peace."

Qingyouzi nodded slightly, but her gaze was fixed on the northeast.

That's the direction of Zhenhaiguan.

This is also the place he will be guarding for the next three years.

The flying boat pierced through the clouds and sped away.

Behind them, the Celestial City disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds.