The sergeants immediately cheered loudly, their hearts burning with excitement at the thought of obtaining another treasure. The earlier sense of unease and strangeness vanished without a trace.

“Everyone, go back. The Tiger Roar Battalion will stand guard here.”

“Yes, sir!”

Brian Cooper frowned, wanting to say something, but Jason Clark slapped him on the back: “Stop overthinking it. The Commander is a dignified cultivator at the Mingjian Realm—do you really think you know better than him, kid? Don’t scare yourself. Go back to sleep.”

At the mention of sleep, Eric King immediately agreed.

Brian Cooper was the last to leave. He turned back to glance at the golden rune imperial edict outside the raging black flames. That thing seemed to be faintly drifting, but didn’t appear dangerous. Proud Tiger Soldier had already retreated to the war fortress and was sleeping soundly. Brian Cooper shook his head and muttered to himself, “Maybe I really am overthinking it.”

Huangtai Fortress returned to its calm once more. Only those battalion commanders responsible for breaking the Minor Sumeru Realm were still busy.

Brian Cooper’s squad happened to have the day off. Ethan Hill slipped away quietly at dusk. Jason Clark cursed under his breath, “Useless. What’s so fun about women? The real thrill is in battles between men.”

Eric King really wanted to move farther away from him, but since he was already lying down, he was too lazy to bother.

Brian Cooper practiced for a while with the Zhou Tian ancient coin, and before he knew it, night had fallen. He looked up and could faintly see the dark red glow of the heavenly fire outside the fortress through the window, like divine blood!

He was suddenly seized by a wave of restlessness: this is the cultivation world—anything could happen! He quietly got up. Eric King was snoring like thunder, his fat body rising and falling with each breath. Jason Clark had chains wrapped around his arm, hugging that black clawed blade, sleeping like the dead.

Chapter 0008: The Imperial Edict Arrives! (Middle)

Brian Cooper practiced for a while with the Zhou Tian ancient coin, and before he knew it, night had fallen. He looked up and could faintly see the dark red glow of the heavenly fire outside the fortress through the window, like divine blood!

He was suddenly seized by a wave of restlessness: this is the cultivation world—anything could happen! He quietly got up. Eric King was snoring like thunder, his fat body rising and falling with each breath. Jason Clark had chains wrapped around his arm, hugging that black clawed blade, sleeping like the dead.

Having spent a long time in the Wolf Soldier Battalion, Brian Cooper had picked up quite a few tricks. He wasn’t exactly a master thief, but it was no problem for him to quietly lift the wallets of these two completely defenseless guys.

……

The Commander resided in the Bing Tai Mansion, located just south of the center of the fortress. To the east were several rows of barracks, housing his personal Tiger Roar Battalion. Normally, the sentries at the Bing Tai Mansion were all from the Tiger Roar Battalion, strictly ensuring the Commander’s safety.

The Bing Tai Mansion was also the nerve center of the entire Huangtai Fortress. The whole fortress—including the border formation that extended out to encompass twelve beacon towers—was controlled by a great seal in the Bing Tai Mansion, in coordination with the tiger tally in Proud Tiger Soldier’s hand.

Within the Bing Tai Mansion’s cultivation chamber, the underground formation was linked to the entire border formation, able to gather the world’s spiritual energy drawn in by the formation for cultivation use—this was the privilege of the border town’s Commander.

Proud Tiger Soldier cultivated for at least two hours every day. In his position, both cultivation and military strategy were equally important. As a martial cultivator, he could not afford to slack off.

Tonight, before he realized it, midnight had passed. Suddenly, he sensed the concentration of spiritual energy outside his body drop sharply. Although it was still decent, it was nowhere near the feeling inside the formation.

He opened his eyes in surprise, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

During cultivation, all six senses were closed. As he opened his eyes, his senses returned, and he felt waves of bone-chilling darkness all around him. He heard the howling mountain winds like ghosts wailing, sensed malicious presences lurking near and far, barely restraining themselves from pouncing on him to tear him apart and devour him, and saw a vast, boundless world of ghosts and monsters!

“Divine Cinders Mountain—Forbidden Domain!” Proud Tiger Soldier growled in a low voice, instantly unleashing his spiritual power. Blazing white light burst from his body, and he slowly rose, like a brilliant sun hanging in the sky!

In the surrounding darkness, the rampaging insects and wild beasts charging at him shrieked and howled in pain as the light struck them, retreating in agony. Proud Tiger Soldier let out a cold laugh, the light on his body instantly dimming. Then, with both hands gathered in his sleeves, a faint yellow light appeared, spinning with a whoosh and transforming into a peculiar ancient bronze bell.

He clenched his fist like iron and suddenly let out a low roar, slamming a heavy punch onto his own magical treasure.

“Clang—”

The sound was piercing and intense, transforming into a surge of violent energy that swept in all directions, tearing at every soul around. The spirits of the insects and beasts floated out of their bodies, swaying like candle flames in the wind.

They collapsed in agony. The weaker ones died on the spot, blood streaming from their seven orifices, while the stronger ones lost the ability to attack for the moment.

Proud Tiger Soldier, together with his magical treasure, silently disappeared. After casting an illusion spell, he used earth escape to sink underground.

He had presided over Huangtai Fortress for many years and never panicked in battle, but now, after a brief moment of safety, his mind was in turmoil: What on earth is going on? That bizarre heavenly fire, the inexplicable imperial edict—did they really have an effect?