Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Such things are not limited to Chongqing. In countless corners of China, countless courageous men are expressing their deep love for this land and their resolute protection of it in their own ways.

Large numbers of troops are assembling, countless young people are running around, and a tragic yet powerful force is gathering.

At the same time, the once quiet, peaceful, and detached Sanyi Gate suddenly had an air of impending doom.

The atmosphere in the main hall was solemn and dignified. Zuo Ruotong, dressed in a plain robe, stood quietly in front of the hall, her gaze sweeping over each disciple below the steps.

Those fellow disciples who were crippled due to their cultivation of the Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage but were later healed by Zhang Zhiwei stood solemnly among the crowd. Their eyes no longer held the dejection and despair of the past, but instead showed a firm determination to be reborn.

Zuo Ruotong spoke, her voice calm and firm:

"The Japanese pirates have invaded, and the nation is in peril. When the Japanese pirates first attacked, our founder of the Sanyi Sect followed General Qi Wuyi to fight against them and defend our coastal borders. Now, the Japanese pirates have returned, and their strength is even greater and their hearts even more vicious. As members of the Sanyi Sect, we cannot tarnish the reputation of our founder."

He paused, his gaze deepening, and continued, "These past few days, I've pondered this repeatedly. Perhaps I've been too restrictive of you all, and too restrictive of myself. How can one transcend the world without experiencing it? Instead of simply blocking things, I should guide and unblock them. Therefore, I intend to take my disciples down the mountain for some experience. Do you all have any suggestions?"

If it were according to his previous nature, he would never have participated in such mundane matters of killing and fighting, much less take his disciples to take such a huge risk. He would have preferred to stay on the mountain and cultivate, leaving worldly affairs to be handled by worldly people.

But these past few days of deep reflection have made him realize that while protecting his disciples under his wing may save their lives, it also stifles their spirit and drive.

True spiritual practice takes place not only within the temple gates, but also between heaven and earth, and through the trials and tribulations of the mundane world.

"Brother!"

Si Chong was the first to step forward. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zuo Ruotong and said in a deep voice, "The Japanese pirates have invaded, intending to destroy our divine land and annihilate our lineage! As a prestigious and righteous sect, our Sanyi Sect has no reason to stand idly by! Senior Brother's intention is also our intention!"

"We support our senior's idea!"

An old man with a weathered face but exceptionally bright eyes spoke loudly.

He was one of the junior disciples who ruined himself by practicing the Reverse Life Technique, but was later cured by Zhang Zhiwei.

Previously, within the Sanyi Sect, Zuo Ruotong's only remaining healthy junior brother was Si Chong. Now, however, a row of sprightly old men stood behind him.

Although these people were not very strong, their presence was like a shot in the arm, making Zuo Ruotong realize that he was not alone in his efforts.

"Senior brother, when are we going down the mountain? These old bones of mine can still fight a few more battles!"

Having stopped cultivating for decades, their skills may not be as refined as they once were, but the pride and spirit that belong to the Sanyi Sect have never faded.

Seeing the excited expressions on everyone's faces, Zuo Ruotong felt a little calmer and slowly began to speak:

"Since that is the case, from today onwards, anyone who wishes to follow me down the mountain to fight the Japanese pirates may register with Chengzhen. Those who do not wish to do so shall remain at the mountain gate to protect the lineage. The road ahead is uncertain, and life and death are unpredictable. I hope you will all take good care of yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Muxuan was the first to rush out from among the young disciples, clasped his hands in a deep fist salute to Zuo Ruotong, and said in a loud voice, "Master! Count me in!"

Immediately afterwards, Shuiyun and Changqing also stepped forward:
"And I!"

"Master, your disciple is also willing to go!"

In an instant, voices of response rose and fell within the hall. The young disciples were all filled with fervor, eager to rush down the mountain and fight the Japanese pirates to the death.

Chengzhen took out the paper and pen he had prepared beforehand and began to register the disciples who had signed up one by one.

Looking at the familiar names on the roster, Zuo Ruotong's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he sighed: his thoughts were not wrong. Everyone's enthusiasm for resisting the Japanese was so high. If they were to be suppressed, it would probably be the real harm to them.

After registration was completed, Zuo Ruotong stood up and said to everyone, "Those who are willing to go down the mountain, please gather at the training ground."

Soon, hundreds of disciples of the San Yi Sect gathered on the training ground, each with a solemn expression, awaiting instructions.

Zuo Ruotong stood at the front, her gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over everyone.

"I know that many of you are burning with anger right now, thinking about going down the mountain to kill the Japanese pirates and protect your homeland."

"This spirit is a good thing. But I must tell you, the battlefield is not the place for your usual sparring and duels. You will be facing a well-trained and well-equipped army, and extraordinary individuals who are equally skilled in the art of killing. Any negligence or carelessness on your part will cost you your lives."

"Therefore, although I have decided to go down the mountain to fight the Japanese pirates, I will not go immediately. As the saying goes, one should not fight a battle one is not sure of winning. Starting today, I will give you a month of special training."

"For the next month, we will not preach or learn about reversing death; we will only learn the simplest and most direct killing techniques, and how to kill the enemy while surviving!"

The disciples in the sect may be full of passion, but as the sect leader, he must be responsible for the lives of each disciple. Targeted training is absolutely necessary.

After all, most of the disciples of the Sanyi Sect cultivate diligently on the mountain and few travel the world. They lack experience in the martial arts world, so how can they cope with the ever-changing battlefield situation?
Zuo Ruotong's words instantly turned the originally excited atmosphere into a heavy and oppressive one, but at the same time, an even fiercer fighting spirit ignited in their eyes.

For the next month, the entire back mountain of Sanyi Gate was transformed into a brutal training ground.

Zuo Ruotong personally trained them, abandoning all fancy moves and only teaching them the most lethal attacks and the most effective evasion.

In order to make it as realistic as possible, he even invited several friends who were skilled in illusion to set up illusion arrays and simulate the most realistic battlefield environment, so that his disciples could repeatedly hone their character and killing skills in a hail of bullets and a sea of ​​corpses.

Meanwhile, on Longhu Mountain, the morning bells still rang out, but an unprecedented solemnity permeated the air.

Zhang Zhiwei stood atop Tianmen Peak, gazing at the northern sky. The mountain wind whipped his Taoist robes, making a rustling sound, but he remained motionless, like a sculpture that had merged with heaven and earth.

"Master." Fang Qianhe quietly came up behind him, his voice low.

"Mm," Zhang Zhiwei responded without turning around.

Fang Qianhe continued, "The latest battle report has spread throughout 'Jianghu Xiaozhan': Beiping and Tianjin have fallen one after another."

Zhang Zhiwei was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Understood."

"Many extraordinary figures in the martial arts world are heading north to fight against the Japanese pirates. However, although there are quite a few people going, they have not formed a unified alliance and are all fighting their own battles." Fang Qianhe's tone was tinged with anxiety.

Zhang Zhiwei nodded again, but did not speak.

Fang Qianhe hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, when are we going? Recently, many of my uncles and senior brothers have been asking about it." "You really want to go?" Zhang Zhiwei turned to look at his eldest disciple.

"The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen!" Fang Qianhe straightened his chest. "Recently, many people in the manor have been talking about carrying swords down the mountain to save the common people!"

"Are you really that determined?"

"Really!"

"If that's the case, why don't you go directly to the advisor to ask for permission, instead of coming to me?" Zhang Zhiwei asked with amusement.

Fang Qianhe scratched his head and said, "Maybe... I just think you're easier to talk to, Master."

Zhang Zhiwei smiled and said, "Alright, since everyone is of the same mind, I'll go talk to your advisor."

Fang Qianhe immediately beamed with joy.

Then, Zhang Zhiwei took a step forward, and his figure was already at the foot of Tianmen Peak. In a few flashes, he arrived at the Da Shangqing Palace.

At this moment, Zhang Jingqing was sitting in front of the octagonal red copper judgment table in the Great Master Hall.

The large table was covered with newspapers and secret letters from all over the country.

Clearly, this Celestial Master has been closely monitoring the recent turmoil in China.

"What are you doing here?" Zhang Jingqing asked without looking up as soon as Zhang Zhiwei entered the hall.

“Master, many people in the manor want to go down the mountain to fight the Japanese pirates!” Zhang Zhiwei got straight to the point.

Zhang Jingqing put down the letter in her hand, raised her head, and looked at him sharply: "If you want to go down the mountain, I won't stop you. But the others... do you know how fierce the battle is? How brutal the battlefield is?"

“I know! But…” Zhang Zhiwei paused, then continued, “Master, are you going to leave them on the mountain forever?”

Zhang Jingqing remained silent for a long time before finally shaking her head slowly and sighing: "No. I am just their master, not their boss. I will not force them to do anything. The reason I am not letting them go down the mountain is because I am worried that they may be acting impulsively and making the wrong choice."

"After all, most of them are inexperienced and do not know the cruelty of the battlefield. I want them to observe for a while longer. If they know the current situation, understand how many people have died, and how cruel the battlefield is, and still insist on coming down the mountain, then I will let them come down the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiwei finally understood his master's good intentions. He said, "Master, I understand your good intentions. However, I have an even better method for this matter."

"What method?" Zhang Jingqing asked.

"The Sanyi Sect also encountered the same situation. The Left Sect Master wrote to me for advice, and I gave him a suggestion: first, give the disciples a special battlefield training..." Zhang Zhiwei explained his idea in detail.

Zhang Jingqing's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this!
In this way, those disciples who are blinded by passion can understand the cruelty of the battlefield in advance and dispel unrealistic fantasies.

It also allows those disciples who are truly determined to leave the mountain and save the country to gain valuable experience in killing enemies and protecting themselves on the battlefield. This is truly killing two birds with one stone!
"That's a great idea!" Zhang Jingqing praised. "It's just that setting up this illusion array might be a bit troublesome, but it's not unsolvable."

“Master, I have a better idea about illusion arrays,” Zhang Zhiwei said with a smile.

"what idea?"

Zhang Zhiwei explained, “The Zhuge Village Wuhou School has a unique skill called the ‘Returning to Origin Formation.’ This formation can utilize the characteristics of the Three Wonders, Six Instruments, Eight Gates, and Eight Gods’ Yang Escape Returning to their original positions, allowing those who enter the formation to be spiritually connected and share the inner vision. The difficulty of this formation lies in its extreme reliance on the right timing, but since I can rotate the four plates, setting up this formation is very simple for me.”

“We can set up multiple Returning Origin Formations, allowing all the disciples who want to go to enter the formations. Then, I will construct a unified illusion for them to train in. Once they have gained rich battlefield experience and become seasoned veterans, we can let them descend the mountain. What do you think?”

After hearing Zhang Zhiwei's detailed plan, Zhang Jingqing slammed her hand on the table and laughed loudly, "Great! This is a great idea! Go and do it right away, the sooner the better! Hahahaha..."

Zhang Zhiwei smiled and was about to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Zhang Jingqing called out to him again, "I also want to ask, what is your opinion on the war situation in the north? Can we hold it?"

Zhang Zhiwei stopped in his tracks, turned to look at his master, and after a moment of silence, gave an answer that made Zhang Jingqing's heart sink:

"This disciple believes... we cannot hold out."

"Why?"

Zhang Jingqing was not surprised by this answer, because he himself had asked the same question with the same answer in mind.

Zhang Zhiwei said, "Fighting from south to north has always been difficult. But fighting from north to south..."

He walked to the huge map of China hanging in the main hall, pointed to the routes on it, and said:

“Master, you see, the Japanese pirates’ attack route is a classic one, from north to south. Throughout the thousands of years of Chinese history, more than 80% of the dynasties that unified the country advanced from north to south.”

“There are only a few exceptions, such as the Ming Dynasty, and these exceptions mostly depend on some special conditions, such as the corruption and division within the previous dynasty. But the Japanese pirates are different. They are now ambitious and have a unified goal.”

"If we are led by the nose by the Japanese pirates and put up layer upon layer of resistance on the northern plains according to their direction of attack, then we are using our weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths. The northern plains are flat and easy to advance, which is extremely advantageous for the Japanese pirates' mechanized troops. If we use our manpower and flesh to fight against the iron torrent, the result will only be a series of defeats, and we may even be in danger of being wiped out quickly."

Zhang Jingqing nodded and sighed, "I think so too. But... this is a calculated move! The Japanese pirate army is pressing in from here. We can't just retreat without a fight and hand over this vast territory to them, can we?"

His brows were furrowed; though he was a man of the world, he was deeply worried about this difficult situation.

“That’s true.” Zhang Zhiwei nodded. “So even if it’s difficult to fight, even if we can’t win, we still have to go. We can’t be cowardly before the battle even begins and retreat without a fight. If we lose even the courage to resist, then we’re not far from the destruction of our country.”

Is there any way to crack this?

After asking the question, Zhang Jingqing chuckled self-deprecatingly, realizing she had asked a foolish question. How could she ask Zhang Zhiwei such a strategic question? Although her apprentice was exceptionally skilled, he had always been a bit clueless in this regard.

But to his surprise, Zhang Zhiwei gave an immediate response this time.

"As for a solution, there is one."

Zhang Zhiwei said, "That means we shouldn't be led by the nose by the Japanese pirates. We should proactively open up a new battlefield, draw the main force of the Japanese pirates away from the north, and force them to change their original north-to-south attack route to an east-to-west attack!" (End of this chapter)