Chapter 133: There Was No Choice Before

Xu Zhe and his companions traveled for five days and five nights to reach the border of the Southern Heaven Continent from the Putuo Holy Land.

Yet, they were met with an obstruction.

The checkpoint was heavily guarded by elite troops. Even Qu Hongxiu’s identity held no weight, and they were promptly blocked by the Vermilion Bird Army. Xu Zhe initially suspected that Chu Xiaotong had deliberately orchestrated this to stop him, but after listening to the guards' explanation, he learned that the front-line situation had suffered another defeat, leading to a sudden escalation in tension.

"It is no secret now; the news will be announced shortly. The second line of defense at the front was breached by the Demon Clan last night. Martial God Chu issued an order overnight to halt all conscription and strictly forbade anyone from passing the checkpoint into the war zone," stated a general guarding the gate.

The general, surnamed Zhuo, was at the Unity Stage. He appeared to be middle-aged and expressionless, but his brows were furrowed with deep anxiety and frustration, as if he were worried for his comrades and eager to return to the front line to fight.

"That shouldn't be possible. How could the second line of defense be breached so quickly?"

Qu Hongxiu looked lost and disbelieving. "The second line of defense far surpassed the first in both military strength and geographical advantage, and it was guarded by numerous Unity Stage officers. How could the Demon Clan have broken through?"

"Little Martial God, I didn't believe it either when I received the news, but military orders are absolute. Without the command of Martial God Chu, I cannot let you pass," General Zhuo said solemnly. As his gaze drifted, he caught sight of Xu Zhe and offered a slight nod of respect.

After all, Xu Zhe was a renowned genius who had displayed astonishing feats in less than half a year since his awakening, leaving a deep impression on many powerful figures.

"General Zhuo, since the situation at the front is critical, there should be room for flexibility. To be honest, we know how the Demon Clan achieved their victory, and we have a way to counter it. We must hurry to assist," Xu Zhe said, cupping his hands in a salute.

"Genius Xu, my apologies, but as I said, military orders are absolute. The best I can do is immediately send a messenger to the front to relay your words to Martial God Chu," General Zhuo replied. He seemed genuinely anxious and immediately dispatched someone to depart.

This left Xu Zhe at a loss.

If he forced his way through, it would cause conflict. General Zhuo was just a man doing his duty, and he meant no harm. If he injured the soldiers, it would be improper. However, waiting for the message to reach Chu Xiaotong and receiving a response could take an unknown amount of time. In the current situation, time was the one thing they could not afford to lose.

"Uncle Xu, let's wait for a moment. We truly cannot pass the checkpoint right now," Qu Hongxiu said, walking over and gently tugging at his sleeve as if she had something else to discuss.

Xu Zhe nodded and turned to walk away with her, Gu Jia'er following closely behind.

Once they were in a secluded spot, Qu Hongxiu spoke: "I think I know why my master issued this order. The second line of defense was breached so quickly—I fear there are spies hidden within the Vermilion Bird Army."

"I suspected that as well; that explains the excessive caution. They must have infiltrated along with the newly conscripted soldiers," Gu Jia'er added.

"I don't think it's that simple," Xu Zhe shook his head. "As you said, the second line of defense shouldn't have been breached so easily. The issue isn't necessarily just about spies; it is highly likely that they utilized a different type of battle formation."

"That doesn't make sense. If the Demon Clan used a battle formation, why would Chu Xiaotong stop the conscription and forbid anyone from heading to the front?" Gu Jia'er asked, puzzled.

"To my knowledge, aside from the 'efficiency-type' battle formations I mentioned earlier, there are several others designed to target the human heart," Xu Zhe said softly. "For example, there is a mid-tier formation called 'Sowing Discord'."

He had tinkered with the Sowing Discord formation over a thousand years ago in the Firmament Realm. He had even tested it, causing two long-time friendly sects to nearly turn into mortal enemies; it only ended after an Immortal Emperor family intervened to clear up the misunderstanding. Since then, the formation had become infamous, studied by many factions, and eventually classified into its own category. Given the suspicion of spies at the front, Xu Zhe was more inclined to believe the Demon Clan had used a Sowing Discord formation, causing the human forces to turn on each other and mistake their own for spies.

"Sowing Discord?" Gu Jia'er was stunned. "A scheme to sow discord? A dirty trick like that can be turned into a battle formation?"

"You are mistaken. Sowing Discord is a form of wisdom, strategy, and tactics. It is not 'dirty'," Xu Zhe retorted, though he felt a sudden pang of guilt.

Gu Jia'er and Qu Hongxiu did not notice his strange expression. They were still reeling from what he had said. The efficiency-type formations were one thing, but that tactics themselves could be turned into formations was unheard of. Where did these ideas come from? Why had the Qingci Continent never heard of such things in all these years? Yet, this newcomer, Xu Zhe, seemed to know them so well.

"Where exactly did you learn all this?" Gu Jia'er couldn't help but ask.

"A friend told me," Xu Zhe replied calmly. *I consider my past life a friend, so that’s reasonable, right? Not really a lie.*

"Tch, fine, don't tell me then," Gu Jia'er rolled her eyes and stopped pressing.

"How about you wait for news here? I'll sneak in myself. I feel like if we drag this out, the situation will only get worse." Xu Zhe couldn't sit still; his heart was with the soldiers at the front.

"No, Uncle Xu, you mustn't wander off. Once you pass the checkpoint, you enter the borderlands. The front line is very far from here. If you don't know the way, you'll easily get lost, which would be an even greater waste of time," Qu Hongxiu urged.

The borderlands were far more vast than the four great continents, and most of it was an endless, desolate desert where even cultivators could easily lose their way.

"How about this: since you are the only one who can use that shape-shifting technique to alter your aura, you should be able to blend in. We will draw you a map; if you follow the markers, you can find the Vermilion Bird Army camp," Gu Jia'er suggested.

"That will have to do," Xu Zhe agreed.

Qu Hongxiu had no choice but to agree. The two quickly drew a simple but clear map with distinct directional markers. Xu Zhe tucked it away and walked with them to a corner of the checkpoint. After observing the patrol routes for a long time, he waited for the right moment. With Gu Jia'er and Qu Hongxiu creating a distraction, Xu Zhe knocked out a soldier at the back of a patrol, used his technique to mimic the soldier's appearance and aura, and seamlessly joined the ranks.

It went smoothly. After passing the checkpoint, he slipped away from the patrol, transformed into a blur, and darted into the distance.

Before long, he was deep in the borderlands. The landscape was barren, with sparse vegetation and scattered, withered wood. Cold winds blew, carrying traces of toxic miasma—an environment incomparable to the four great continents. Xu Zhe didn't stop to admire the scenery, following the map and pushing forward at high speed.

Five days later, he finally spotted signs of human activity in the distance.

Among the rows of tents, soldiers in red armor patrolled with extreme vigilance.

"Finally here. Looking at this… it seems the front line has stabilized."

Xu Zhe observed for a moment, sighed with relief, and headed straight for the camp. Chu Xiaotong was surely at the front, but according to Qu Hongxiu, one needed a guide from the Vermilion Bird Army to reach the actual front line to avoid dangerous areas and traps. She hadn't been able to map the subsequent route.

Qu Hongxiu had offered two options: appear as himself and explain his purpose, or disguise himself as her and lead a unit forward. He rejected the latter. *Cross-dressing? Out of the question! I was forced to do that before, but now I only want to be a man.*

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Xu Zhe's presence immediately caught the attention of a patrol.

Ignoring them, Xu Zhe dashed forward until he was clearly visible, then landed and commanded in a booming voice: "51st Battalion, prepare to depart with me immediately to reinforce the front!"

"M-Martial God Chu?" The soldiers widened their eyes in disbelief. *How is Martial God Chu here? Isn't she at the front? How could she have come from the direction of the Southern Heaven Continent?*

"This is an avatar of mine," Xu Zhe said coldly, his eyes filled with an imposing aura that suppressed the entire area. "Why are you still standing there? Lead the way!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers, finally snapped out of their shock, confirmed his aura and cultivation were indeed that of the Martial God. Without further thought, they hurried back toward the camp. Xu Zhe followed with long, confident strides.

Soon, other officers remaining in the camp arrived upon hearing the news. They hadn't heard of Chu Xiaotong having an avatar, but such things were often the secrets of powerful experts. However, when they arrived, they found nothing—the "avatar of Martial God Chu" was nowhere to be found.

The 51st Battalion had already been spurred into action by Xu Zhe’s decisive command, launching their flying ships and heading directly toward the front line.