"Heaven-Wave City?" Quinn and the others' expressions changed slightly—they felt as if they'd just escaped the wolves only to fall into the tiger's jaws.
The Filial and Righteous General smiled, "Redcrest Mountain Sect's Spirit Command Seals are indeed impressive. Heaven-Wave City is attacking the opposite bank; if a demon god joins the fight, our soldiers will suffer far fewer casualties. Lin Ding, go with them."
The general quickly responded in affirmation.
The Filial and Righteous General waved his hand, signaling the army to march on. Quinn and the others stood respectfully, waiting for the army to pass. The general, Lin Ding, smiled, "Brothers, let's head to Heaven-Wave City."
Quinn kept his composure and said, "Commander Lin, after you."
Lin Ding laughed, "Your Redcrest Mountain Sect has achieved a great feat. Though only a handful of you remain, you can summon a demon god to aid in battle. One day you'll surely rebuild your sect and shine again. Though you're young, your extraordinary skills truly impress me."
Quinn burst out laughing, his face beaming. "Thank you for your kind words, General. By the way, you look quite young but your cultivation is profound. May I ask, what realm have you reached?"
"Peak of the Seven Stars Realm. But breaking through to the Heaven-Man Realm has always eluded me."
Lin Ding sighed, "The Heaven-Man Realm is difficult indeed. But with the chaos in the world now, we must act in heaven's stead, set the court right, and eliminate the traitorous Imperial Preceptor. This is a chance—perhaps I can use it to break through. You all may be young, but you should seize this opportunity too."
Seeing their confusion, he grew solemn: "Since ancient times, war breeds heroes. The greater the turmoil, the easier it is to advance. Why? Because the strong contend, ideas clash, and all kinds of divine arts and daos emerge, broadening your horizons and sharpening your resolve. The pressure of powerful foes and life-and-death pushes you forward. For example, your Redcrest Mountain Sect's Spirit Command Seals—who would use such arts in peaceful times? Only in chaos do they come into play, and that's how progress happens."
Shen Wanyun and the others found his words very convincing.
This time, niche arts like the Spirit Command Seals truly opened their eyes. Even after Redcrest Mountain Sect was wiped out, the surviving disciples could still summon a demon god to fight—and that demon god's power was terrifying.
Such an unremarkable art could unleash such astonishing might—it left them truly shaken.
And the Soul-Calling Rite was also an unremarkable art, without much power. Even when they saw it in the Heavenly Records Tower, they barely glanced at it before tossing it aside, never studying it in depth.
In terms of power, there are thousands of arts and divine abilities in the Heavenly Records Tower far stronger than these two minor arts.
But it was precisely the Soul-Calling Rite, seemingly low-level, that changed the course of battle—causing officials like Yu Yuan Chuyu to suffer heavy losses and putting Lizhou at risk.
Soul-Calling Rite and Spirit Command Seals have no inherent power, but when used in the right place, these niche arts can be more potent than a thousand troops!
Though Commander Lin Ding was an enemy, his insight and vision surpassed theirs.
But that only made them feel even more pressured. Commander Lin Ding's knowledge and vision were above theirs, and his strength outmatched them. If he noticed any clue on the way, they might all die without a grave!
And even if Commander Lin Ding didn't spot any flaws, if they failed to summon the demon god in Heaven-Wave City, they'd still be dead.
Even if they managed to summon a demon god and slaughter the Everpeace army, they'd still be doomed once they returned to the capital.
No matter how they looked at it, death was inevitable.
"If the few of us suddenly strike and go all out, could we kill this Seven Stars Realm expert?"
Quinn calculated silently and found the odds slim—unless he could get the Dragon-Qilin to help. But with the Dragon-Qilin's docile nature, getting him to risk his life would be difficult.
"We managed to ambush and kill thirteen spell-artists—how can we not handle a single Seven Stars Realm expert?"
Quinn's eyes flickered. They'd traveled over ten li when suddenly the sound of battle erupted—a bandit gang charged at them. These bandits weren't weak; their leader was a spell-artist, and the rest were all martial artists and masters.
The group was about to fight when Commander Lin Ding laughed, "No need. They're just petty thieves—let them come."
As the bandits closed in, Commander Lin Ding raised his hand and struck with a single palm. Thunder exploded from his palm, and with a deafening boom and a flash of white light, the dozen bandits' bodies burst apart—even their spell-artist leader was blown to pieces, dying on the spot.
"Palm Thunder—classic battle technique!"
Quinn's heart skipped a beat—this was trouble. Against a battle-technique expert, ambushes were useless. All of them were only at the Five Luminaries Realm; even if they attacked together, it would barely scratch Commander Lin Ding, let alone hurt him.
Anxious, they had no choice but to follow Commander Lin Ding toward Heaven-Wave City.
Quinn asked, "Commander Lin, may I ask—what's the Filial and Righteous General's background?"
Commander Lin Ding showed respect. "The Filial and Righteous General is the crown prince of Righteouskeep Kingdom. After Righteouskeep was annexed by Everpeace, the king was made a foreign-surname prince, and the Filial and Righteous General became the Heir Prince of Righteouskeep. Now, with the Imperial Preceptor's chaos, it's his chance—maybe he can restore his kingdom. Heaven-Wave City is just ahead."
Ahead, the mountains along the Yong River were steep, forcing the river to bend around them. Heaven-Wave City was built among the peaks jutting into the river, with cliffs below and the rapids crashing against the rocks, sending up thunderous waves.
The shattered waves soared into the sky, sparkling like jade and pearl, as if countless white jade beads rained down from the clouds.
Waves crashing into the clouds, reaching the heavens—that's how Heaven-Wave City got its name.
Right now, Heaven-Wave City was packed with rebel troops, staring across the river at the Everpeace army—ready to strike at any moment.
Commander Lin Ding led them into Heaven-Wave City. "The one guarding this place is a cult-master-level figure—the Dragon King of the Dragon Tamer Sect! You've heard of him, right? The Dragon King's own skills aren't top-tier, but he raises a flood-dragon that's a real monster—it can take down Life-and-Death Realm experts with ease. Oh, and that's the Dragon King's son up ahead—Drake Dandy."
The city gate's guard was a flamboyant young man in gaudy robes and heavy makeup—none other than Drake Dandy, the Dragon Tamer Sect's young master.
Commander Lin Ding brought Quinn and the others forward to greet him. Drake Dandy returned the salute, but when he saw Quinn, he paused. "This guy looks familiar... Where have I seen him before?"