In the round-top military camp, Ling Xiaolan's wooden house.

"Mmm..."

With a slightly lazy hum, a figure sitting on several layers of soft cushions stretched lazily. Her beautiful figure, illuminated by the surrounding array light, fully demonstrated the beauty and softness of a woman.

Her cultivation realm was stable and had taken another small step forward, not far from becoming an immortal.

"Weird, when I'm with Brother Xiong... No, I should call him Brother Wu Wang, so as not to expose his identity as the Young Master of the North Wilderness. I have a lot more insights into cultivation than usual."

Why is that?

Ling Xiaolan was a little puzzled and sat there pondering. After half an hour, she shook her head slightly and murmured:

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "p𝑎wread.com".

"It's truly mysterious."

She stood up, her slender feet slowly extended from the edge of the bed, and her smooth legs were perfectly proportioned. With her feet half an inch off the ground, she lightly landed her toes, causing ripples in the air.

The waist of her long skirt was wrapped around in circles, and her chest was hidden under several layers of short and long shirts.

According to the dress code of the Mysterious Female Sect, it was acceptable to show the collarbone, but Ling Xiaolan still covered the skin around her neck completely with a soft and protective thin shirt.

Even the gaze of others was something she couldn't accept.

"I've been in seclusion for over three months. I wonder if Lin Qi has annoyed Brother Wu Wang."

She thought to herself and instinctively reached for her sword, only to realize that her jade bracelet was missing, reminding her that her storage treasure had been taken away.

She dispelled the formation barrier with a wave of her hand, pushed open the wooden door in front of her with her spiritual power, and lightly jumped out with graceful steps. But after walking just a few steps, she stopped and turned her head to look at the shimmering small lake not far away.

When did this scenery appear here?

On the lakeside, there was a somewhat conspicuous mansion standing there, without any formation covering it. The sound of silk and bamboo music could be heard from inside, and her spiritual sense swept over...

"What is this?"

Ling Xiaolan's eyes widened, and the corners of her mouth under the veil slightly pursed. She couldn't help but raise her hand to support her forehead.

What did she see?

In that courtyard, Xu Mu and seven or eight generals with strong auras were drinking and having fun together.

If she guessed correctly, this group of generals should be the leaders and deputy leaders of this place. The slightly old-looking Heavenly Immortal was the leader, and the other four men and three women were all True Immortals with formidable cultivation.

In the distance, several beautiful women and handsome men were dancing gracefully, while a few mortal elders were playing musical instruments on the side.

In the bamboo forest on the other side of the courtyard, Ji Mo was meditating in the corner, surrounded by a halo of immortality, indicating that he was about to break through.

But the scene that Ling Xiaolan couldn't understand the most was...

Wu Wang was reclining on a lounge chair, reading a book, with Lin Qi standing behind him, his face calm, holding a cup of tea, waiting quietly for Wu Wang to reach out his hand.

"Is there poison in the tea?"

Just as this thought arose in Ling Xiaolan's mind, Wu Wang reached out his hand and picked up the cup of tea, about to drink it.

"Brother Wu Wang!"

Ling Xiaolan shouted, and her figure soared into the sky. She pointed her sword at Wu Wang, and the sword energy almost brushed against his face!

The generals who were drinking and watching turned their heads, and Lin Qi's eyes widened as he was about to rush forward to "block the sword"!

But Wu Wang suddenly extended a finger, his movement natural and without any fancy techniques. His fingertip lightly touched the sword energy that Ling Xiaolan had released, easily shattering it.

A gentle breeze blew, causing the tea in Wu Wang's hand to ripple gently.

Wu Wang calmly lifted the teacup and took a sip, his mouth filled with a refreshing taste, and his expression relaxed.

Ling Xiaolan's figure floated down like a lotus flower, frowning as she looked at the teacup in Wu Wang's hand, blinking her eyes lightly.

"Is Fairy Ling worried that there is poison in my tea?"

"What do you mean by this, Fairy Ling?"

Lin Qi's forehead was full of black lines, his whole person engulfed in shadows, and his eyes flickered with a compelling divine light. "You dare to insult me like this! Would I use such despicable means to harm my teacher?"

Teacher?!

"Ah," Wu Wang smiled, "Fairy Ling has just made a breakthrough, and we were just playing around. I misspoke earlier."

"Yes, teacher, it was the disciple who went too far."

Lin Qi answered in a gentle voice.

"Go and cultivate," Wu Wang said, "Don't waste this precious time. Only by reaching the immortal realm can you truly ascend. You are now the hope of the Human Realm, don't disappoint the Emperor."

Lin Qi was deeply moved, nodded vigorously, bowed his head in a salute, and walked to Ji Mo's side.

Just as he sat down, Lin Qi took out a small notebook from his sleeve and wrote down today's "teacher's words" - Don't waste this precious time. Only by reaching the immortal realm can you truly ascend.

Ling Xiaolan floated to Wu Wang's side, her eyes filled with shock. She stared at Lin Qi for a while, then lowered her head to look at Wu Wang.

"Soul-capturing technique?"

"How is that possible?"

"Body-switching technique?"

"Fairy, please don't think of me like that. Lin Qi just wants to learn some principles of being a good person and the philosophy of knowledge from me."

Wu Wang summoned a lounge chair and cleaned it with his spiritual power.

"Sit."

Ling Xiaolan hesitated slightly, spread a layer of thick clouds, and let the clouds condense without dispersing before lying down.

Without a storage treasure, everything was inconvenient.Wu Wang gave some instructions to Xu Mu, who immediately called the guards. Before long, several storage treasures belonging to Ling Xiaolan were brought over, and they were indeed spotless.

Ling Xiaolan calmly pointed out a pure white flame and passed the storage treasures through it. She then took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped them before putting them on herself.

Wu Wang frowned as he watched.

Compared to his own strange illness caused by the Heavenly God, Ling Xiaolan's inherent cleanliness seemed to be more troublesome.

After all, his strange illness could be overcome as his strength grew.

But as Ling Xiaolan's cultivation increased, it would easily make her more guarded and her condition would worsen.

"What if she thinks that everything in this world is impure and unclean?" Wu Wang couldn't help but worry for her.

"Ling Fairy, why do you feel... that is, why are you so sensitive when it comes to interacting with people or touching natural objects?"

"It has been like this since I was young," Ling Xiaolan sighed lightly. "I know it's not appropriate. Others and I are the same, there is no concept of impurity or purity. But I find it difficult to convince myself to interact with others. It just feels... uncomfortable."

Wu Wang thought carefully but couldn't understand why. He could only wait until they left the military camp and search for relevant books to help her understand.

Ling Xiaolan asked again, "What happened to Lin Qi?"

Wu Wang transmitted his voice, "You can understand it as me defeating him."

"Defeated him?"

Ling Xiaolan couldn't help but tilt her head.

"Is he really that kind of person? These young masters should be proud and unwilling to submit, shouldn't they?"

Wu Wang smiled and didn't say anything, squinting his eyes as he continued to read the "Primary Formation: Three Delicacies Taoist's Annotations" carefully.

Ling Xiaolan sat or lay beside him, her beautiful figure appearing even more slender in the shade of the trees, a faint smile on her lips.

She turned her head slightly and looked at Wu Wang, her eyes filled with a hint of laughter, as she softly asked, "Wu Xiong... can I borrow your hand?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Wu Wang's left hand was already in front of her.

However, his hand was wrapped in a thick layer of ice, emitting a faint cold aura.

Ling Xiaolan took a deep breath and raised a finger, slowly reaching towards Wu Wang's palm, her eyebrows tightly furrowed.

On the first attempt, her finger was only half an inch away from the outer layer of ice, but it trembled slightly and moved back.

On the second and third attempts, she couldn't even break the record of being half an inch away. Each time, she was just a little short.

Forget it!

Ling Xiaolan looked inwardly at her spiritual platform, pursed her lips, and heard her master's worried words in her ears.

"Xiaolan, you must overcome this inner demon, otherwise it will become an obstacle to your cultivation as time goes on."

She took a deep breath.

Ling Xiaolan began to repeatedly tell herself that Wu Xiong was good, Wu Xiong was good. She looked at the palm in front of her as an ordinary block of ice, with a splash of lemon poured on top, just like the refreshing dessert she used to eat at home when she was a child.

She closed her eyes tightly, then quickly sat up, her pink tongue sticking out from the corner of her lips, and in a lightning-fast motion...

She lightly licked the ice.

Silence.

Wu Wang forgot to retract his hand and stared at Ling Xiaolan in a daze.

She blushed slightly, but quickly suppressed the blush and calmly lay back on the recliner, raising her hand to tidy her hair, thinking about how to end this situation.

In a corner of the bamboo forest, Ji Mo, who had woken up at some point, clenched his fists and tears streamed down his face. He raised his hand and punched Lin Qi's shoulder, filled with the satisfaction of an old father.

On the other hand, Lin Qi, who was meditating, punched his knee and cursed, "Damn it, that must be an ice block containing the principles of heaven and earth. I really want it to be me!"

"Ah~"

Wu Wang sighed softly, holding his left hand and murmured, "I am impure."

"Phew!"

Ling Xiaolan's face quickly turned red, but she calmly explained, "I'm just trying to find a way to overcome this problem. It's not that I have any improper thoughts towards Wu Xiong."

"Okay, okay."

Wu Wang nodded with a smile, dispelled the ice, and continued reading. He was about to say some encouraging words when a figure flew rapidly from the sky and landed directly in front of the stage, hastily shouting, "General! Secret order from the Benevolent Emperor's Pavilion!"

The generals who were drinking beside him suddenly lost their drunkenness and stood up energetically.

...

After a while, the singing and dancing in the courtyard stopped.

The musicians and dancers brought from the mortal city were sent away by the guards, and more than ten military generals gathered together. Wu Wang and the others listened from the side.

The old man with gray-white hair and wearing armor was named Zhong Lin. He was at the Heavenly Immortal realm in the early stage and was also the commander-in-chief stationed at the Wuchen Barracks. He placed a jade token on the table with a worried expression.

"Everyone has read the contents inside. Do you have any thoughts?"

The generals remained silent.

A young general asked in confusion, "Since it's a secret order, why did you let us all see it, Commander?"

Zhong Lin said, "This matter is of great importance. Everyone present is someone I can trust."

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow slightly and pondered in his heart.The content of the secret order was not complex, it was just a reminder for the soldiers stationed at Wu Chen to be on guard, as traces of the Evil Demons from the Ten Calamities Palace had been spotted nearby, and Lin Qi's whereabouts should have been exposed long ago.

Clearly, the Ten Calamities Palace was targeting Lin Qi, the holder of the Yan Emperor's Order.

Considering Zhong Lin's reaction at this moment, this secret order was definitely not the first one given by the Ren Emperor's Pavilion, it seemed to be a deliberate act of play.

A play for the four of them to watch?

There was no such necessity.

Among the four young people, two were sons of military families, their families were high-ranking officials, holding significant positions in the Human Realm. One was a saintess from one of the top ten immortal sects, the Mysterious Female Sect, which also had a strong influence in the Human Realm.

Only his identity as the head of the Demon Sect was relatively 'ordinary' on the surface.

If the possibility of a play for the four of them was ruled out, then Zhong Lin, the commander, was likely putting on a show for potential spies in the area.

Wu Wang glanced at Ling Xiaolan without changing his expression, and she also gave him a 'there might be a problem' look.

Then they heard Zhong Lin, the commander, say, "Young Master Lin Qi is the holder of the Human Emperor's Order, and also the beloved son of General Lin Nu. We must be careful and cannot make any mistakes."

Someone asked, "Will the experts from the Ren Emperor's Pavilion come to help?"

"They are already on their way," the old commander explained, "The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light, we must not let our guard down."

Xu Mu said, "From today on, we will strengthen our guard, and the large formation will not stop for a moment."

"Do we need to send out patrol teams to search within a radius of three hundred miles?"

"That's a good idea."

The old commander looked at the four of them, Wu Wang, and smiled, "Do you have any ideas?"

Wu Wang shook his head and looked at Ling Xiaolan, Ling Xiaolan slightly shook her head and looked at Ji Mo, Ji Mo stepped back half a step and pushed Lin Qi.

Lin Qi's mouth twitched, revealing a cold smile, and said indifferently:

"How could we cultivators be afraid of the likes of the Ten Calamities Palace? Just post a notice directly, let them come out and fight, one-on-one or group against group, we must make them come and go!"

Pop!

A spirit fruit was forcefully stuffed into Lin Qi's mouth by Ji Mo, Wu Wang repeatedly bowed his hands, saying "My apologies, my apologies."

The group of generals each showed a slight smile and began to discuss the follow-up arrangements.

Soon, the military camp here became busy, the originally leisurely atmosphere was instantly dried up by the tension, large groups of cultivators were on guard and patrolling everywhere, and the large formation was reinforced by several layers.

Xu Mu, who stayed to guard the four of them, explained the cause and effect of this matter to them through voice transmission.

Xu Mu said:

"The day Lin Qi got the Yan Emperor's Order, he appeared in the Ren Emperor's Pavilion without permission, and was targeted by the Ten Calamities Palace. The higher-ups thought that Lin Qi's temperament would make it difficult for him to keep a low profile, so they made a series of arrangements and responses.

The news I received is that the higher-ups want to use Lin Qi to lure out some of the high-level experts of the Ten Calamities Palace and severely damage the Ten Calamities Palace.

At this time, in the various human villages and towns outside the military camp, there are already a large number of experts lurking in the dark, waiting for the high-level experts of the Ten Calamities Palace to appear."

Wu Wang laughed and said, "I guess the Ten Calamities Palace is thinking the same way."

"Oh?" Xu Mu was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Ling Xiaolan also said, "Who is the bait and who is the fisherman, it's still hard to say at this point."

Ji Mo, however, held a different opinion: "No matter what, the number of experts from the Ren Emperor's Pavilion here must be several times, or even dozens of times, that of the Ten Calamities Palace."

Wu Wang thought of Wang Lin, and the drop of Qiong Qi's essence blood that had dissipated, and murmured, "What if the experts near us have to be transferred away?"

Ji Mo was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Lin Qi said, "Master is talking about luring the tiger away from the mountain, this is a common trick of the Ten Calamities Palace."

"It's not about luring the tiger away from the mountain."

Wu Wang pondered for a moment:

"I just tried to analyze the overall situation, and I felt a little uneasy in my heart. If something happens in the North or West at this time, and the Ren Emperor's Pavilion has to focus on the border instead of here, and has to transfer all the experts away.

Then we might really face a difficult problem."

Xu Mu asked, "What problem?"

Just as the word 'problem' fell, and before the sound of his voice had ended, the large formation here suddenly trembled slightly.

Everyone looked up at the sky, only to see that the original azure blue had become a bit dim, and large clouds were gathering from the north, with columns of light faintly appearing beneath the clouds.

Suddenly, everyone felt a wave of beast roars in their hearts, as if they were recorded in their blood, stirring up their sense of fear and powerlessness.

Wu Wang frowned slightly, staring at the north along with the large group of soldiers in the camp.

Ji Mo's voice trembled slightly, "What is that?"

Wu Wang said in a low voice, "The Great Wasteland, the Ten Evil Gods."

"It's a beast tide! A beast tide has appeared in the North! All troops prepare for battle!"

The military camp, which was already filled with tension, instantly boiled over. Under the gloomy sky in the north, thousands of miles away, streaks of light cut across the sky, racing south!

The jade symbols for transmitting messages were all urgently reporting!