Patrol Captain

At the foot of Yunding Mountain, on the training ground of the Ninth Mountain, black flags with gold borders fluttered in the wind, creating a noisy atmosphere.

The road leading down the mountain from the drill ground was packed with young men who had come to enlist in the army. A mix of coarse cloth jackets and fine clothes mingled among them as they participated in the recruitment assessment. Many gasped at the sight of so many people on the Ninth Mountain; some gave up and went to other mountains, while others secretly cheered themselves on, filled with an indescribable excitement, a sense of pride that heroes would rise from their ranks!
On the training ground, flags fluttered, and three areas were designated for recruitment assessments, also known as passing three tests.

The first test was simple: dozens of stone locks, each weighing a thousand pounds, were placed on the field. The examiners were burly men, bare-armed and clad in skirts of armor, their bronze skin covered in scars—veterans of the Ninth Mountain. One of them stepped onto the field, lifted two stone locks with both hands, then held them overhead with effortless ease. His gaze swept around the area, and he declared in a deep voice, "If you can lift these locks overhead with the strength of two oxen and stand firmly for five breaths, you are qualified to wear the Ninth Mountain's black armor!"

Five breaths later, the veteran threw the stone lock in his hand. It landed on the ground, shaking the earth and creating two craters. To be able to lift a thousand pounds overhead with both arms requires at least the strength of a peak-stage Body Tempering cultivator.

"I'll go!" One by one, figures stepped onto the stage.

Soon, some people succeeded, while others made it seem effortless, eliciting gasps of amazement.

But most people ultimately failed. Some couldn't even lift the stone weight, while others gritted their teeth and persevered with trembling hands, even risking internal injuries and biting their lips until they bled, but in the end, they still failed.

"Pass!"

"fail"

"fail"

"fail."

Once the first group passed the first test, everyone was overjoyed, as it meant they were qualified to enter the Ninth Mountain. They were all eager to try their luck and headed to the second test.

Upon reaching the second stage, many of these people were suddenly confronted with a change in their surroundings. On the martial arts stage, which was shrouded in five light shields, there was a circle of iron cages made of fine steel, and inside the iron cages were ferocious and hideous demons!
There was a Bingxie, two zhang tall, with white fur and a red face, resembling a ferocious ape, its limbs chained and its eyes glowing red; a Feiyi, with a human head and a snake's body, in its first form; a Yehu, with green skin, four claws, green eyes, and white fur on its head; and a Lushu, with tiger skin, a horse's body, a donkey's face, and two zhang in size.
These were none other than the demons of the Ten Thousand Mountains. Their demonic aura was almost all within the Qi Refining Realm of the human race, but their intelligence was dulled, and they retained most of their demonic nature. Each of them shone with ferocity, and the chains rattled loudly as they clashed, emitting bursts of roars.

Each of these demons had a gold-edged mountain banner stuck in its body!

The assessment was overseen by a dozen or so armored warriors from the Ninth Mountain, clad in blue armor, who floated above the training grounds. One of them announced the rules in a stern voice.
"I searched the Ninth Mountain to subdue demons, felled mountains and destroyed temples, and fought with demons. The second test was to test my courage."

"The challenger may choose any demon on the field to fight. The winner is the one who kills the demon on the spot or takes the small flag from the demon's body."

"Whoever captures a flag may ride on the small flag, lead ten men, and receive a salary of three shi (a unit of dry measure)."

"Whoever captures three flags in succession shall be appointed as a captain, leading fifty men, with a salary of seven shi (a unit of grain), and shall enter the third pass!"

"This level involves great danger. If you make a mistake, you may be seriously injured or even killed. If you are not confident, you should think carefully before making a decision and not risk your life. If you encounter danger on the field, you can shout to surrender in time. We will take action, but we will judge the challenger as a failure."

"Now, let's begin!"

Upon hearing this, many who had passed the first test changed their expressions slightly. They were directly fighting against demons and monsters, and there was a risk of death. Although they could admit defeat, it would be a great injustice if they were killed by the demons before they could even shout it out. Looking at the ferocity of the demons in the cage, many people hesitated and had the thought of retreating.

But still, a number of figures leaped into the arena without hesitation, choosing to directly confront the demons.

"crash"

As the chains were broken, demons were released from their iron cages, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, stirring up a stench as they charged toward the figures on the field, eliciting gasps of alarm.

Soon, the second training ground saw a battle between humans and demons, though the scenes were quite different.

Some fought the demons, but after only a few moves, their minds were quickly overwhelmed by the demons' ferocity, and they were injured. In their terror, they hurriedly shouted "I surrender," prompting the blue-armored figure in charge of the formation to intervene. Others fought the demons and, after a bloody battle, killed them on the spot and seized the Mountain-Slaying Flag, igniting the passion of the audience. Even more impressively, some challenged the highest difficulty of the second level, fighting three demons at once, astonishing everyone with their skills and eliciting gasps of amazement.

As time passed, figures shone brightly on the stage, drawing whispers from the audience.

"There are quite a few people who can seize three flags in a row. The aura these people exude is that of a Body Profound Realm expert, and there are even several Heavenly Gate Realm experts among them."

"Huh? Even experts from the Heavenly Gate are joining the army? Is it really that popular?" someone exclaimed.

"Look at this! Whose mountain gate is this? Didn't you see how many of us are fighting tooth and nail to get into the Ninth Mountain and become soldiers? Once we're in the Ninth Mountain, we're soldiers under that general. We can walk around with our heads held high. Even though we're far away, just being under that Martial Saint General is prestigious. What's the Heavenly Gate? I wouldn't be surprised if even a great martial arts master like Musashi appeared." Someone hummed, cupping his hands towards the summit of the Ninth Mountain, looking quite proud.

"."

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the second stage, people gradually began to attempt the third stage. Upon reaching this stage, 99% of those who applied to join the army were eliminated.

After all, only those who pass the second level, which is the most difficult, and who slay demons and capture three flags are qualified to enter the third level. Those who can enter this level are basically at the third level of martial arts, with a cultivation level of Body Profound or above, and have mastered a supernatural power or even higher.

The third level has only three arenas. This time, the guardians are not demons, but three armored figures standing on the arenas.

All three were clad in heavy blue armor, the armor plates layered like fish scales, the shoulder armor cast in the shape of an angry tiger's head, gleaming coldly, with dark red bloodstains remaining in the seams of the armor. The three stood firmly in the center of the arena, as immovable as mountains, and two shallow dents were pressed into the place where the heavy armor contacted the surface of the arena.

Three small mountain-chopping flags were planted on his back, hanging down along his shoulder armor, like a fierce beast poised to pounce. His eyebrows and eyes were like cold knives, and his whole body was full of murderous aura. It was the ruthlessness that had been tempered in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and the sharpness that had been honed in countless battles with demonic beasts.

Just like three swords drawn from their sheaths!

Upon arriving at the third checkpoint, the group felt as if they were facing a bloodthirsty tiger or wolf, even more ferocious than a demon, when they saw the three heavily armored warriors clad in blue armor. Their eyes were somewhat frightening.

They knew that these were the true elites of the Ninth Mountain, each with a fierce aura and a strong sense of oppression, even more dangerous than the demons they felt. Some of them didn't even dare to look them in the eye.

Facing the challengers, one of the guardians on the arena swept his gaze like a knife, and spoke in a muffled voice.
"The rules for the third round are simple: defeat the three of us, no matter what methods you use."

"The winner will receive the salary of a captain and will be able to lead a thousand troops in the future!"

These words instantly ignited the fervor in the eyes of those present. Ninth Mountain was remarkably bold, employing extraordinary measures during this special period. No need for accumulating military merits; it was simple, brutal, and everything depended on strength. Everyone who came here wanted to earn their place through their own abilities, to fight for fame and fortune in this chaotic world, especially under the tutelage of the towering Ninth Mountain.

"I'll do it!"

"Me too."

Soon, three people excitedly stepped onto the three arenas.

The fastest he managed to last was only three moves, and the longest he could endure was before being knocked off the stage.

Three more people went.

They were blasted down again!

The process repeated itself for several rounds, but no one managed to win the challenge.

Among them were many experts at the peak of the Body Profound Realm, who were defeated after only a few moves.

"Damn it, they didn't even use any supernatural powers, how are they so strong!" One of the challengers looked like he'd seen a ghost. These blue-armored warriors hadn't used any supernatural powers; it was just a simple sword strike, yet they couldn't defend themselves and exposed weaknesses. Even if they used their supernatural powers, they would still be defeated. "Nonsense, don't be fooled by simple sword strikes. These people have honed their skills countless times on the battlefield. Every move is a killing technique that instills fear. Once fear arises, weaknesses appear, and even those with deeper cultivation will lose." Someone saw through the trick and praised them inwardly. As expected of the elite of the Ninth Mountain, just their presence alone exuded pressure.

If they knew that the true elite of Ninth Mountain were still on their way, I wonder what they would think.

"I, Yue, have learned a great lesson!"

"I'll come too."

"Zhao will not shirk his responsibility, haha."

Soon, several outstanding young men stepped onto the stage.

"Yue Sanjian, Mei Changqing, Zhao Xihu, and three of the Seven Heroes of Sichuan—even they've come."

"It's them. I've heard of them. I heard they were among the first group of independent martial arts practitioners to support the front lines back then, and they made a great name for themselves. They are highly skilled."

"I heard that they followed the example of the 'Seven Heroes of Weiyuan' back then, slaying demons and monsters, and establishing a great reputation in the Chuanzhong Pass at that time. They were truly renowned figures."

"Why are there only three people here?!"

"."

Amidst the discussions, on the arena, the three fought fiercely with the blue-armored defender for dozens of rounds until a Dao soldier appeared, forcing the three Heavenly Gate experts to use their Dao soldiers to finally win.

"Concession!"

All three passed the test.

Then, more laughter erupted, and three more people came up on stage, sparking discussion among the audience.

It turned out that the other three members of the Seven Heroes of Sichuan had appeared and stepped onto the arena. This time, the three guards were also replaced by three other fierce warriors in blue armor.

These three passed!
This moment was the talk of the town, sparking heated discussions among those present. Six of the Seven Heroes of Sichuan had arrived, and the remaining one was presumably also there. Everyone's eyes turned to him, and there was a sense that the atmosphere had been ignited. It was reminiscent of wandering knights vying to join the army, to make a name for themselves, and to fight their way through countless trials and tribulations.

After the six people passed the test, they shouted towards the back of the crowd below the stage.

"Brother Gongsun, we're just waiting for you!"

Soon, a figure shrouded in black robes, carrying a sword box on his back, slowly walked out from the crowd and then leaped onto the central arena.

"Please advise!"

Then, a clear sword sound rang out from the sword case.

Not long after, Gongsun Wuji successfully passed the test and reunited with his six friends.

They became the first group to pass all three trials, and the seven of them gathered at the Ninth Mountain, which would surely become a legendary tale, making them extremely happy.

Just as they were envisioning the future, a messenger came down from the Ninth Mountain, saw the seven men on the reviewing stand, and spoke to them.

"You seven have all passed the three trials. Follow me. Master Gongsun has summoned you!"

The seven men exchanged glances. They were honored to be summoned, so they must be some important figure. However, they had never heard of such a person from the Ninth Mountain before. They knew the reputation of the cavalrymen from the Ninth Mountain.

"May I ask, who is this Mr. Gongsun?"

The older of the seven men, surnamed Yue, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the messenger, showing utmost courtesy and not daring to underestimate him.

The messenger said, "Mr. Gongsun is here on the orders of my general to temporarily assume the authority of the entire Yunding Mountain Circuit. Do not inquire about anything else, just follow me!"

Upon hearing this, the seven people were immediately taken aback.

The soldier's words implied that this Mr. Gongsun was a man of great importance, acting on the orders of the Martial Saint General of the Ninth Mountain to command the current Daofu Division.

"Then we shall respectfully accept your offer!" The seven exchanged glances, naturally not refusing, but feeling both nervous and excited.

Being summoned by such an important figure made them feel flattered and their minds began to wander.

And so, the messenger led the way, holding the restriction token in his hand, and led the seven heroes of Sichuan, including Gongsun Wuji, toward the summit of the Ninth Mountain.

Upon reaching the summit, the Ninth Mountain Central Hall was surrounded by heavily armored figures, exuding an aura of majesty. Even though the seven were at the Heavenly Gate Realm, they couldn't help but tense up.

"This is the Zhonglang Hall of my Ninth Mountain. I remind you all to stay close to me and not to go astray. This place represents the general's majesty."

Upon hearing this, the seven men were startled, their hearts filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. This was the legendary Ninth Mountain Zhonglang Palace, the residence of the Martial Saint General when he served as Zhonglang General. The thought that they were fortunate enough to set foot in such a place made them feel a little unsteady on their feet, but they remembered the words of the armored soldier leading the way and followed closely behind.

Soon, they followed the messenger through the corridors and alleys to the main hall of the Zhonglang Hall, and then, under his guidance, entered the hall.

"Mr. Gongsun, the person has been brought."

The messenger waved and reported to a figure standing in the hall.

The Seven Heroes of Sichuan who followed them in also bowed and saluted.

"I have met Mr. Gongsun."

In the center of the main hall, a figure dressed in a white Confucian robe stood with his back to the newcomer.

At this moment, the figure turned around. He was dressed in a scholar's robe, had a goatee, and had a refined appearance, but his eyes exuded an air of authority.

It was Gongsun Yang, who had removed his armor and was now dressed in ordinary clothes.

Gongsun Yang is now in charge of the Yunding Mountain Circuit, and the large-scale recruitment of soldiers is an order issued from him.

Of course, he was acting on orders from his own general.

He turned around, a smile on his face, his gaze sweeping over the seven figures before finally settling on Gongsun Wuji, who was dressed in black. He spoke with a smile.
"I never expected to meet the general's old friend on the Ninth Mountain. Time really flies!" (End of Chapter)