Chapter 792: Heading to the Battlefield

Leaving the main hall, Ye Chen stepped onto the void and landed on Yu Nu Peak.

As luck would have it, Chu Ling'er, Bi You, and Shangguan Han Yue were all there, seemingly having already received the news. Even Hu Wa and Xi Yan were present, especially Hu Wa, who was dressed in armor like a young general, looking full of energy and spirit.

Ye Chen smiled and said, "It seems you are all more eager than I am!" His gaze swept over Hu Wa, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Shangguan Yu'er chuckled and said, "This is my first time participating in a cultivator war, so I'm a bit excited."

Ye Chen scratched his ear and replied, "Just make sure you don't cry from fear."

Luo Xi giggled and said, "This is war, we understand."

Chu Ling'er glanced at Xuan Nu and the others, then sent a mental message to Ye Chen, "Are you sure you want them all to go? Their identities are quite sensitive. Don't let anything happen."

Ye Chen replied with a mental message and a smile, "Precisely because their identities are special, they need to be tempered through war. Without this experience, it will be difficult for them to stand on their own in the future. Don't worry, I have made arrangements, nothing will go wrong. I am very reliable."

Chu Ling'er rolled her eyes at him and sent back, "Reliable? I heard someone was caught red-handed peeking at someone bathing last night."

Ye Chen responded, "Stop making a fuss, it was a misunderstanding."

Chu Ling'er replied, "Like I would believe you."

As the two exchanged mental messages, Luo Xi suddenly let out a soft exclamation and looked in a certain direction, drawing everyone's attention.

They saw a figure emerge from the depths of Yu Nu Peak, dressed in black, with a cloak fluttering without a breeze. The figure wore a mask, radiating a chilling aura like a cold-blooded assassin, making it hard to look directly at them.

The most surprised was Chu Ling'er, who had no idea there was such a person on Yu Nu Peak. More importantly, she felt an unusually familiar sensation from the figure.

It wasn't just her; Shangguan Han Yue, Shangguan Yu'er, Xuan Nu, Luo Xi, and Bi You all felt the same, their beautiful eyes flickering with enigmatic expressions as they scrutinized the approaching Ji Ning Shuang.

Hu Wa respectfully bowed to Ji Ning Shuang and said, "Master."

The word "Master" left Chu Ling'er and the others stunned.

Then, as if adding fuel to the fire, Xi Yan chimed in, "Master's wife."

This shocked everyone, and their gazes turned in unison to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen coughed awkwardly and said, "Just take it as a joke, don't take it seriously." He shot a stern look at Xi Yan.

Xi Yan giggled, playfully sticking out her tongue.

Chu Ling'er narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "You are Ji Ning Shuang?" With her Tian Jie peak-level soul, she seemed to have seen through Ji Ning Shuang's identity, her tone laced with shock and surprise.

Upon hearing this, Bi You and Shangguan Han Yue sharply turned their eyes to the now-still Ji Ning Shuang, examining her from head to toe multiple times.

Ji Ning Shuang replied politely, her voice calm and somewhat cold, "I have seen the seniors."

Getting this direct confirmation from Ji Ning Shuang, Chu Ling'er furrowed her brows slightly and looked at Ye Chen.

Like her, Bi You and Shangguan Han Yue wore expressions of extreme confusion. If not for Ji Ning Shuang's appearance today, they would never have known about this matter, which seemed strangely suspicious on multiple levels.

Ye Chen just smiled slightly and said, "She is one of us now."

The women shifted their gazes from Ye Chen to Ji Ning Shuang, struggling to process the idea of "one of us." After all, this was the Xuan Ling Zhi Ti, the holy maiden of Zheng Yang Zong, the master of Zheng Yang's ninth branch hall, and the future leader of Zheng Yang Zong. How could they not be puzzled to hear that Ji Ning Shuang was on their side?

Moreover, Ji Ning Shuang's current attire was vastly different from her usual appearance, making her feel somewhat unfamiliar. It hadn't been long since they last saw her, yet the once pure and flawless holy maiden of Zheng Yang had transformed into a cold and alluring assassin.

Chu Ling'er sent another mental message to Ye Chen, her tone full of doubt, "What's going on with you?"

Ye Chen shrugged and replied mentally, "It's just the situation as it is. Some things aren't easy to explain right now. You just need to know that she's one of us now."

Chu Ling'er took a deep breath and looked at Ji Ning Shuang again, unable to help but sigh in amazement. She never would have imagined that Ye Chen would bring Ji Ning Shuang over, let alone that Ji Ning Shuang would become one of their own.

As the two continued their mental exchange, the atmosphere grew strangely tense. Ji Ning Shuang's arrival left Bi You and the others feeling oddly uneasy, a vague sensation they couldn't quite pinpoint.

Ye Chen coughed to break the silence and said, "Since everyone knows each other, I won't bother with introductions. Time is pressing, let's head out."

With that, he turned and stepped into the void of the high sky.

Ji Ning Shuang followed swiftly, her cloak fluttering as she moved like a ghost, her steps light but her speed terrifyingly fast.

Seeing this, Chu Ling'er and the others hurried after them, though they still felt a sense of unreality.

The journey was silent.

However, to address everyone's doubts, Ye Chen shared a mental summary of the night Ji Ning Shuang was pursued, sending it to Chu Ling'er and the others individually.

A couple of seconds later, the women all furrowed their brows, their eyes once again fixed on Ji Ning Shuang. If not for Ye Chen's account, they never would have known about such events. Now it made sense why Ji Ning Shuang was at Heng Yu Zong and why she had joined their side—everything had a reason.

While Chu Ling'er and the others were pondering, Ye Chen sent a mental message to the silent Ji Ning Shuang, "Originally, I didn't want you to join today's battle."

Ji Ning Shuang replied softly, as if understanding his intent, "I know what you mean. I'll do my best."

Ye Chen smiled mentally and said, "It's good that you understand." Of course, Ye Chen had his reasons for involving Ji Ning Shuang. As she had mentioned the night before, most of Zheng Yang Zong's people were innocent and shouldn't die—they were only enemies with Heng Yue due to their positions. Since they deserved to live, they should be spared.

His true intention was to incorporate Zheng Yang Zong's experts, and Ji Ning Shuang was the perfect person for this. As the former holy maiden, master of the ninth branch hall, and future leader of Zheng Yang Zong, she still held significant influence. If things went smoothly, the incorporated experts from Zheng Yang Zong could form a formidable cultivator army—this would be a win-win situation.

The silence stretched on for a long time.

After what felt like ages, the misty immortal realm of Qing Yun Zong finally came into view. Only then did the group descend into a cluster of mountains.

As soon as they landed, the hidden Yan Huang experts there bowed and said, "Holy Lord!"

Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively, then activated his Six Paths Immortal Wheel Eyes to survey the surroundings of Qing Yun Zong. He detected numerous deadly formations and barriers concealed in the shadows, along with the armies of Yan Huang, Heng Yue, and various great families. The sheer scale of it all made even his composure falter—it was a perfect trap, capable of annihilating Zheng Yang Zong's nine branch armies.

Ji Ning Shuang seemed to sense the hidden forces as well, and she said calmly, "I suppose I should feel grateful that if I were still the master of Zheng Yang's ninth branch hall right now, I'd be facing certain death tonight." As she spoke, if the king hadn't pursued her, she would still be the holy maiden of Zheng Yang Zong and the master of the ninth branch hall, participating in the battle as such—her fate would be all too predictable.

Ye Chen smiled and replied, "It's not as dramatic as you make it sound."

Ji Ning Shuang murmured softly, "Seeing this scene now, it feels like many things are no longer as confusing as I thought. The three sects' chaos, the mysterious destruction of so many families, the overturning of Zheng Yang Zong's intelligence network—it turns out the hidden hand orchestrating the grand scheme in Southern Chu was you."

Ye Chen shrugged casually and said, "It's not too late to realize that now."

As they spoke, Chu Ling'er said gravely, "They've arrived."

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The moment she finished, thunderous booms echoed from all directions around Qing Yun Zong. The sky was torn open, and waves of killing intent surged like an ocean, carrying a dense mass of figures.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Then came the sound of the earth splitting, as teams of ancient warriors armed with battle spears emerged from the ground. They formed neat square formations, like a black carpet spreading across the land. Their eyes were vacant, their expressions wooden—they were genuine Yin Ming armies.

In the mountains, Ye Chen furrowed his brow and muttered, "So many Yin Ming death generals. Just how many Yin Ming armies has the king refined?"