The main hall of the Guiyuan Temple was closed, with its large gate tightly shut.

  "Hiss~~" The sound of the six lanterns burning was very clear in the grand hall, and the atmosphere inside the grand hall had completely solidified. Many people's foreheads were covered with sweat, some faces were pale, and some fists were clenched... Even among the high-ranking officials of the Guiyuan Sect, under the pressure of the impending attack on Qinghu Island, everyone was very tense.

  "Look at you all! What have you become?" Zhuge Yuanhong said in anger.

  Inside the grand hall, a group of people suddenly looked towards their leader 'Zhuge Yuanhong'.

  "The people of Qinghu Island haven't even arrived, and you're all already scared like this! Why don't we just surrender directly instead of fighting?" Zhuge Yuanhong's cold gaze swept over the crowd. "All of you elders, protectors, commanders, and leaders, tell me! If we surrender, will Qinghu Island let us live?"

  Silence!

  A group of people clearly knew that Qinghu Island wanted to unify the entire Yangzhou. If they really came to kill, it was absolutely impossible to let a large number of powerful people from Guiyuan Sect live well. Perhaps the low-level characters could be spared, but the elites and high-ranking officials of Guiyuan Sect would definitely be killed by Qinghu Island to avoid future troubles!

  "Come on, who's afraid of whom?" A burly man with a long beard shouted, "We belong to the Return to the Origin Sect, and there are 800,000 city guards in Jiangning City! 60,000 black armors! More than 10,000 core disciples, tens of thousands of outer disciples. With so many people, I'll die defending the inner city of the Return to the Origin Sect. I don't believe that Qinghu Island can be breached so easily!"

  The second leader of the Black Armor Army, 'Pang Shan', spoke in a coarse and metallic voice: "My father, uncles, grandfathers, and all my ancestors are in the Guiyuan Sect! One sentence - if the sect is destroyed, I, Pang Shan, will be the first to die!" Pang Shan's eyes were slightly red, as if he was about to devour someone.

  "Ha! Old Pang is a real man!" An elderly man with a head full of silver hair laughed, "I, Fang's family descendant, also swear to live and die with the sect!"

  "Kill! Killing one is just enough, killing two is a profit."

  ……

  Inside the grand hall, many men with surnames of noble blood gnashed their teeth and shouted. On the vast land of the nine states, life and death were everywhere to be seen. Those who could become high-ranking officials were almost all people with noble blood and courage. At first, they thought of the terrifying scene of their sect being destroyed and were afraid, but after being afraid, they went mad!

  Death also makes Qinghu Island uncomfortable!

  The Guiyuan Sect has been established in Jiangning Prefecture for over a thousand years, and many families have served the sect for generations, such as the Feng family, the Pang family, the Zhuge family, etc. The children of these families have been indoctrinated from a young age to fight for the sect! For generations, the conviction of sharing life and death with the sect has long been deeply rooted in their souls!

  If you betray your sect, you will be ridiculed and despised by the world. But if you fight to the death for your sect, even if you die, others will still give you a thumbs up!

  The sect raised you, gave you internal energy secrets, and gave you status...

  But when it comes down to it, you have to fight for your sect!

  "Good!" Zhuge Yuanhong looked at everyone and burst out laughing, "None of the disciples under me, the founder of the Yuan Sect, are afraid to die!"

  "A big scar on his forehead, what's he afraid of?" The robust man with a full beard also shouted.

  "Brother said it well." Zhuge Yuanhong smiled and said, "Since our ancestor created the Return to the Origin Sect over a thousand years ago, no one has been able to destroy it. Not even Qing Hu Island! I can tell you all now... as long as you listen to my arrangements, I dare say that Qing Hu Island will not be able to destroy the Return to the Origin Sect!"

  Everyone looked at the sect master 'Zhuge Yuanhong' in surprise.

  "Master, where did you get this confidence from?" Teng Qing Shan was also very surprised.

  "'Guī Yuán Zhū Gě' (Returning to the Origin), his wisdom is known throughout the world. If an ordinary person said those words, everyone present would think it's just boasting. But since it was the Sect Master 'Zhū Gě Yuān Hóng' who said this, although it's a bit unbelievable, everyone in their hearts somewhat believed it——perhaps, the Sect Master can really protect the Guī Yuán Sect!"

  Zhuge Yuanhong is the Dinghai Shen Zhen of the Return to the Origin Sect!

  Under everyone's gaze, Zhuge Yuanhong smiled, with a confident smile that seemed to say everything was under his control!

  "A bloody battle, one must be prepared to die." Zhuge Yuanhong swept his gaze over the crowd.

  Teng Qing Shan's blood was boiling in his heart... Slaughter? He had never been afraid of slaughter! From the age of seven in his past life, he had spent his days in slaughter. If one were to say that no one could do better than Teng Qing Shan at both preserving his own life amidst a thousand soldiers and horses while also killing enemies, it would be an accurate assessment.

  "Of course, now Qinghu Island is just open and dominates Xuyang County and Tiannan County. It's not said that we want to destroy the Return to Yuan Sect and the Iron Clothes Gate." Zhuge Yuanhong smiled and said, "So, everyone can slightly relax now. Hmm... I'll set up a banquet in this great hall at noon today."

  "Today, everyone stayed in the main hall," said Zhuge Yuanhong. "In my inference, if Qinghu Island wants to take action against me and the Return to the Origin Sect, it should be today. If no one is sent out today... I estimate that we will have to wait for many days."

  Everyone nodded, and they didn't relax at all because of Zhuge Yuanhong's words.

  Everyone understands that Qinghu Island is likely to be extremely high-handed.

  ……

  The high-ranking members of the Guiyuan Sect were all gathered in the grand hall, ready to receive orders from the sect leader at any moment. Everyone was chatting with each other while also anxiously waiting... At noon, a group of people ate lunch inside the grand hall.

  In the afternoon, the snow stopped.

  The sky and the earth were filled with a white light, and the grand hall was shining brightly. However, while chatting, the high-ranking members of the Guiyuan Sect were all paying attention to the outside, waiting for news to arrive. Many guardians and commanders took deep breaths, closed their eyes to meditate, or even gently knocked on their heads.

  Obviously, the anxious waiting has produced an invisible mental pressure that has made everyone spiritually unbearable.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The swift footsteps quickly came from outside the main hall, and in almost an instant, all the elders, guardians, and leaders inside the main hall turned their heads to look outside, only to see that gray-robed middle-aged man with a solemn face rushing into the Return to Origin Sect's main hall.

  "Whoa!" Many people in the hall couldn't help but stand up.

  "The Lord." The middle-aged man in gray immediately handed over the rolled-up secret letter to the lord, "Zhuge Yuanhong".

  Zhuge Yuanhong furrowed his brow and carefully read this secret letter.

  Everyone in the grand hall held their breath, staring at Zhuge Yuanhong... No one knew what was written in this secret letter. The grand hall was silent for a moment, probably even the sound of a needle falling could be heard.

  "Crack!" The sound of the lamp burning made many people in the great hall tremble with fear.

  Zhuge Yuanhong stared at this secret letter for a long time...

  "How long are you going to stare?" Teng Qing Shan was also affected by the atmosphere, feeling stifled as if he was suffocating. He stared at his master, Zhuge Yuan Hong.

  Finally——

  Zhuge Yuanhong's line of sight moved away from the secret letter, looked up at everyone, and immediately stood up.

  Zhuge Yuanhong wore a loose white robe, his hair disheveled, but at this moment, he stood before the sect leader's seat, his aura sharp as an unsheathed sword. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he said calmly, "Prepare for battle!"

  Quiet!

  In the grand hall, silence reigned, 'Prepare for war', the words of the Sect Master 'Zhuge Yuanhong' seemed calm, yet they made everyone present seem to see a scene of thousands of soldiers and horses slaughtering each other. This was not an ordinary battle, but a life-and-death struggle for the survival of the Guiyuan Sect!

  "Hmm!" The two law enforcement elders stood up.

  Huh! Teng Qing Shan stood up.

  Pang Shan, Zang Feng, Guan Lu and other elderly people also stood up, the rest of the marshals and protectors also stood up one by one, all seemingly very calm.

  From this morning till now, I have been waiting for more than three hours!

  Three hours of torture, everyone still had a glimmer of hope, hoping that Qinghu Island would not go to war. Everyone was anxiously waiting, suffering from unprecedented torture. When the words "Prepare for battle" finally came out of the mouth of the sect master "Zhuge Yuanhong", everyone suddenly calmed down.

  The result is out - war!

  No choice!

  "According to the news, the two million Silver Python Army stationed on the border of Xuyang County in Qinghu Island has set out and is heading straight for Chuguang County! Among them, the first-rate masters are unknown." Zhuge Yuanhong said calmly, "Obviously, what Qinghu Island is aiming at is to destroy the Iron Armor Sect first, and then destroy my Return to the Origin Sect!"

  Everyone was secretly shocked.

  Twenty thousand Silver Serpent Army? The Silver Serpent Army is comparable to the Black Armor Army, and the Black Armor Army only has six thousand. To destroy the Iron Robe Sect, they actually sent out twenty thousand! Moreover, the number of innate strongmen is still unknown. This is still the first wave discovered! No one knows whether there will be a second wave of troops.

  "I expect Qinghu Island has already dispatched troops to deal with the Yuanguan Sect, it's just that the news hasn't reached me yet." Zhuge Yuanhong's voice remained calm.

  "Teng Qing Shan, Pang Shan, Yan Chang Lao, listen to orders!" Zhuge Yuanhong's gaze swept across.

  Wow!

  Teng Qing Shan, Pang Shan, and the white-haired old man who was one of the two guardians originally stood up.

  "You three, lead my Black Armor Army's First and Second Legions, a total of 3,000 men, to hurry to the southernmost 'Yanjiang City' of my Jiangning Prefecture at the fastest speed! Lead the city garrison of Yanjiang City to defend Yanjiang City!" Zhuge Yuanhong ordered.

  "Understood!"

  The three of them all clasped their hands together and said in unison.

  ……

  The whole Black Armor Army camp was boiling, and the soldiers of the First and Second Legions could only say two words to their families who lived together before immediately putting on heavy armor, riding war horses, holding weapons, and quickly gathering in the drill ground.

  From Zhuge Yuanhong's previous order, to Teng Qingshan and Pangshan to pass on the order, gathering scattered soldiers from various places, and reassembling, it didn't take half a time.

  Heijia Army Military Camp.

  A vast and dense formation, three thousand Black Armor Army soldiers all rode war horses, each forming a square array. Some were long spear arrays, some were battle knife shield arrays, and some were bow and arrow hand arrays... The three thousand Black Armor Army soldiers seemed like a dormant giant beast, not making a single sound.

  Teng Qing Shan wore a suit of heavy black iron armor, with a helmet on his head and a revolving spear in hand, riding a black stallion! Teng Qing Shan glanced into the distance, where his sister Qing Yu was.

  Teng Qing Shan, Pang Shan and Yan Zhang Lao were all riding their warhorses, looking ahead at the Sect Master 'Zhuge Yuan Hong'.

  "Qingshan, you are the first leader, this trip is with you as the main one!" Zhuge Yuanhong entrusted, "You also have to listen to your Shifu and Yan Changlao's opinions."

  "Yes." Teng Qing Shan replied.

  "Alright, let's set off." Zhuge Yuanhong said solemnly.

  Hong Qing Shan cracked the reins, turned his horse's head around, raised his wheel-turning spear and shouted loudly: "Depart!" The sound echoed through the entire school field.

  Rumble...

  The three thousand Black Armor Army began to depart in an orderly manner, forming a long black dragon that advanced continuously towards the North Gate. The momentum of the Black Armor Army was majestic and powerful, every soldier knew that this time would be a great battle, as a soldier of the Black Armor Army... at the most brilliant moment, it is the time of bloody battle!

  "This battle, I don't know how many people can return." Teng Qing Shan also moved slowly.

  "Brother Teng!" A urgent voice came over.

  Teng Qing Shan turned his head to look, and saw that behind the black armored soldiers, Zhuge Qing was standing in front of Qing Yu, waving his hand repeatedly, with a worried expression on his face, shouting "I've been waiting for you to come back!"

  Hong Qingshan's heart trembled involuntarily, but he simply waved his left hand and continued to follow the army as it departed in a majestic and powerful manner.

  （）