If you die, I will be able to inherit your cultivation.

After a gallop, Zhou Ming was jolted and disoriented.

He had never ridden a horse for such a long time in both of his lives; his buttocks were so jolted so badly they almost didn't belong to him anymore.

After running for more than half an hour, Zhou Ming could no longer hold on and began to secretly circulate the magic power within his dantian.

A thin strand of spiritual energy separated from the Dao platform and slowly flowed into the two legs along the meridians. The sore muscles felt as if they were soaking in a basin of warm water, and the impact of the bumpy ride was mostly buffered by the spiritual energy.

At the same time, the muscle memory of riding horses from the predecessor is also gradually being awakened.

Knowing when to loosen the reins and when to tighten them, and how to use the waist and hips to absorb the force of the horse's undulating rhythm—things that originally required conscious thought gradually became instinctive.

With both factors combined, he was no longer in that disheveled state where he could be thrown off his horse at any moment. Although his posture was still inferior to that of those battle-hardened cavalrymen, at least he was no longer in pain.

After running for about two or three hours, the group stopped in front of a village, and everyone dismounted and changed horses.

The servants of the village were already waiting by the roadside with the prepared horses.

The young lady had clearly made meticulous arrangements in advance to make the journey.

They changed horses twice more, and it wasn't until nightfall that the group finally reached a treacherous mountain range.

Looking through the twilight at the continuous mountain range that stretched across the sky like a high wall, Zhou Ming secretly estimated that he had arrived at Duanyun Ridge.

Su Mingyue led the group along the mountain path.

The mountain is steep and the road is extremely narrow; at its widest point, it can barely accommodate two horses side by side.

On both sides are steep stone walls and dark, dense forests, and only a sliver of dark purple light remains above.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the narrow mountain path suddenly opened up.

A huge basin appeared before us, surrounded by mountains on all sides, covering an area of ​​several dozen miles. Under the cover of night, the outlines of farmland and the shimmering moonlight reflected on the water could be vaguely seen.

Nearly a hundred men stood guard at the entrance to the basin, their armor impeccable, and torches flickering in the night wind.

Upon seeing Su Mingyue and the others, the gatekeepers all knelt down on one knee to pay their respects.

After passing through the checkpoint and entering the basin, the scene before him was completely different from what Zhou Ming had imagined halfway through the journey.

The fields are crisscrossed and the irrigation ditches are clearly defined. Dim lights shine from the houses near and far, and wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys.

This place is not only a military camp, but also a self-sufficient, hidden stronghold.

The group continued riding for a while, and then a huge military camp appeared ahead.

The camp was built against the mountain, with walls constructed of sturdy logs and rammed earth. Torches stood on both sides of the gate, and soldiers on the watchtowers held powerful crossbows, their eyes scanning the night like those of hawks.

A group of people were already waiting outside the military camp. The leader was wearing iron armor and had a sword at his waist. When he saw Su Mingyue's cavalry coming from afar, he quickly went to meet them.

As soon as Su Mingyue dismounted, he knelt on one knee, and his entourage knelt down in unison, addressing him as "General".

Looking at the scene, Zhou Ming thought to himself, "It seems that the young lady's title of general is real, not just a nominal one."

Following Su Mingyue into the military camp, Zhou Ming quietly spread his divine sense.

His divine sense can now cover an area of ​​more than forty meters, which is several times stronger than when he first established his foundation.

As he scanned the tents with his divine sense, he saw that each tent housed a group of burly men. They were not resting; instead, they were all sitting cross-legged on their beds, muttering incantations.

Although he couldn't hear the specific syllables, Zhou Ming could tell from their lip movements and speaking speed.

They were all reciting the "Scripture of Crossing the World".

The causal chains above these people's heads are thick and solid, indicating that their cultivation level is definitely not low.

Upon arriving at the central tent, the camp was brightly lit, with a huge map hanging on the front, marking all the passes and cities of Youzhou and the three neighboring prefectures.

Su Mingyue sat down in the main seat, with several generals standing on either side.

She began to inquire about the training of the leaders and their soldiers.

"General, the ordinary soldiers have already reached the peak of the Skin Refining Realm, and are only one step away from reaching the Flesh Refining Realm."

"The generals' Qi cultivation is the same as the soldiers', but when combined with their physical cultivation, their combat power can reach the Bone Forging Realm."

Zhou Ming, who was listening nearby, was secretly alarmed.

Based on my observations using my divine sense, there are quite a few soldiers here.

All of them are at the peak of the Skin Refining Realm. This is a force to be reckoned with in the entire Youzhou and even the Great Xia Dynasty.

He subtly sensed the aura of the Bone Forging Realm martial artists, but found that their auras were not strong; he could easily crush them.

His Foundation Establishment cultivation level was probably already considered top-tier in the entire Great Xia Dynasty.

But cultivation is one thing, in terms of actual combat, he has never even killed a chicken with his own hands. When it comes to real life-or-death battles, he is probably no better than these veterans who came from the northern battlefield.

After a while, Su Mingyue dismissed the generals, leaving only her personal maids in the tent.

She looked up at Zhou Ming and asked:

"Do you think my soldiers can hold Youzhou?"

Although Zhou Ming had long known that these people had all cultivated the "Scripture of Crossing the World," he absolutely could not reveal it.

He imitated the generals, stepping forward and bowing respectfully: "Miss, may I ask how many soldiers there are? Have they ever seen blood?"

"More than 50,000 people," Su Mingyue said casually, as if she were reporting an ordinary number.

"They are all veterans from the northern battlefields."

Zhou Ming was silent for a moment: "Miss, if we're only talking about the immediate situation, these 50,000 men are barely enough to hold Youzhou."

"But with only these 50,000-plus people, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for long."

"If the Sect of All Beings overthrows the Great Xia, it won't be long before it sets its sights on Youzhou."

"At that time, those 50,000-plus people will probably..."

Zhou Ming glanced at Su Mingyue, and seeing that she was expressionless, he continued:

"Moreover, the Great Yuan Dynasty is also watching us closely. The Great Yuan will certainly not wait for Youzhou to be fully integrated before attacking."

"The Marquis has barely left, and the Yuan's light cavalry are probably already on their way."

"However, these 50,000 people are more than enough to protect themselves."

He didn't say anything more. With Su Mingyue's intelligence, he didn't need to explain every single word.

More than enough to protect themselves, meaning that if they only wanted to guard their own small territory and wait for the dust to settle before choosing sides, 50,000 men would be enough.

But Su Mingyue's mind was never on self-preservation, otherwise she wouldn't have brought him all this way here.

Su Mingyue glanced at him twice, lowered her head and remained silent for a while, then said something that Zhou Ming didn't expect:

"My father did indeed lead troops to defend the emperor, but he probably hasn't left Youzhou territory yet."

"Two hundred thousand troops remain on this border. If I can unite these two hundred thousand men, it will be more than enough to protect Youzhou, and even..." She didn't finish her sentence.