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Chapter 115 The Normandy Offensive
Chen Xuan stood on the hillside, witnessing the battle alongside Xu Yuanqing and the members of the envoy group.

The addition of the cultivators had an immediate effect. Although the team of less than fifty could only operate on the edge of the battlefield, they restrained a large number of demons. They used their supernatural abilities, talismans, formations, and various Five Elements techniques in turn, and in the blink of an eye, they eliminated hundreds of demons.

"How was it? The cultivators from the Immortal Alliance didn't disappoint you, did they?" Xu Yuanqing chuckled and took a sip from his wine gourd. "When it comes to dealing with demons, each sect has its own strengths... For example, the Ascension Platform is quite knowledgeable about formations and is very suitable for large-scale battles."

However, what truly pleased him did not seem to be the monks' performance.

The whispers among the Immortal Alliance officials also confirmed this.

"This is wonderful! A place where monsters keep emerging means that the various sects no longer have to fight tooth and nail for the resources of the cave."

"Sigh... the work at the Immortal Alliance is going to be much easier now!"

"The Governor-General is truly farsighted, making the decision on the spot to allow Master Chen to establish a new clan."

"That's right, it's all thanks to Sect Leader Chen."

Although they tried to keep their voices down, the sound still reached Chen Xuan's ears on the sea breeze.

Pretending not to have heard their conversation, Chen Xuan asked Xu Yuanqing privately, "Is it rare for such a large influx of low-level demons to occur in areas under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance?"

"Of course, when the Tang Dynasty was nearing its end, there were several tragic incidents of demons running rampant. Since the cultivators came to power, it has become us chasing and killing the demons." Xu Yuanqing stroked his beard, saying with obvious pride, "You can find a hundred faults in the Immortal Alliance, but when it comes to maintaining peace under its rule and freeing the people from the threat of demons, the Immortal Alliance's contribution is unparalleled!"

It's clear that he's quite proud of this achievement.

"And now, the contributions you've made to the Immortal Alliance are unprecedented." Xu Yuanqing changed the subject, patted Chen Xuan on the shoulder, and said, "When the next governor is re-elected, would you be interested in taking a position in the Immortal Alliance Governor's Office? I can be your recommender."

Chen Xuan smiled and waved his hand, "Your Excellency is too kind."

“People say I like to act under the influence of alcohol and don’t follow the rules, but I actually know my limits and I don’t like to praise people indiscriminately.” He scoffed. “The various factions of the Immortal Alliance have made great contributions in expelling demons, but they have also become increasingly sensitive due to the issue of resource allocation. There are conflicts between large and small factions, conflicts between small and newly established factions, and conflicts between elders and newcomers within the factions themselves… The purpose of the Immortal Alliance at its inception was to mediate these conflicts, but in the end, it can only manage to cover up one problem at a time.”

"The news you brought a month ago gave me new hope, and what you did afterward not only did not disappoint me, but far exceeded the expectations of many people. In terms of resource development, you have really helped the Immortal Alliance a lot. What's wrong with becoming an Immortal Official in the Governor's Mansion? Whether you get selected or not is another matter. The Immortal Alliance has always valued talent highly, and being young is not a problem."

Xu Yuanqing rambled on and on, clearly showing he was serious.

But Chen Xuan remained unmoved.

The Immortal Alliance has limited control over sects, making it a fragmented organization. Its assistance to the ability shop is even less than that of Spicy Village. For other self-made cultivators, working for the Immortal Alliance might be a good place to develop connections, but Chen Xuan doesn't need that.

"I wonder how the Immortal Alliance views rogue cultivators?" He suddenly jumped to another question.

“Rogue cultivators?” Xu Yuanqing frowned. “Aren’t they just Qi Sensing cultivators who can’t even enter the sect? To the Immortal Alliance, they’re no different from ordinary people. However… there is one exception.”

"who?"

“A rogue cultivator who has betrayed his sect. Their sect identity has been stripped, and they are considered a type of rogue cultivator, but they are much more threatening than ordinary people. Usually, the sect that has this problem will send people to arrest them on its own. As long as you give a heads-up to the Immortal Alliance, the Immortal Alliance will not interfere.”

Chen Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Ajiu's master also falls into this category?

Judging from the siblings' description, the rogue cultivator did not seem to be an incompetent person.

"Is this a common occurrence?" "Not uncommon. Among the sects around Chang'an, there are about ten such cases every year. After all, many people only realize after joining a sect that their talent isn't as exceptional as they imagined. In the fierce competition, the resources they receive are pitifully small, leading to thoughts of defection." Xu Yuanqing looked at Chen Xuan with interest. "Sect Leader Chen seems quite concerned about this matter?"

Chen Xuan thought for a moment, then decided to take advantage of the current harmonious atmosphere and get straight to the point, "To be honest, Your Excellency, I do want to know about this. Our sect recently received two disciples, and when we inquired about their backgrounds, we discovered that they had previously studied under a rogue cultivator..."

Having observed him for so long, he was basically certain of one thing: Xu Yuanqing was an absolutely upright person. Although he came from the Ascension Platform, he always put himself in the position of the Grand Governor of the Immortal Alliance, thinking of all the cultivators of all sects. As an older generation cultivator, his attitude towards ordinary people was not particularly caring, but it was far from being one of dislike or rejection.

Xu Xuanling was also well-educated. She not only greeted her fellow disciples politely, but also treated the non-cultivators living in the manor, such as the translator of the mission or the servants temporarily hired by Chen Xuan, with peace and harmony.

It's highly unlikely that someone like that would plan a massacre targeting independent cultivators and ordinary citizens of Feng County.

Sure enough, after hearing his story, a shadow crossed Xu Yuanqing's face. "Outrageous! Even if that rogue cultivator is a traitor, orthodox cultivators should never take their anger out on ordinary people. Here's what we'll do: when we get back to Chang'an, I'll send someone to the Feng County government office to investigate and see if there are any wanted records for a rogue cultivator surnamed Ji."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Governor," Chen Xuan said immediately, cupping his hands in greeting. If the authorities could intervene, it would undoubtedly be much easier than investigating it himself.

"Don't worry, if this is true, I will definitely give your disciple justice!" Xu Yuanqing said resolutely.

Just then, the roar of artillery fire interrupted their conversation.

The situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.

Several warships that had washed ashore spread their sides wide, like geese suddenly spreading their wings to incubate their eggs. From the hulls crawled more than a dozen even larger monsters, which looked like a hybrid of crabs and sea scorpions, their backs not only covered in iron armor but also equipped with two ship cannons!

The shelling sound just now came from these demons!

Many small shrimps clung to their bodies, using their pincers and multiple legs to load ammunition into the cannon, firing a bursting shot in less than half a minute.

Even more outrageous, these demons' armor was adorned with white flags with red crosses, indicating that they belonged to the British army!
The moment Chen Xuan saw these monsters, the image of tanks instantly came to mind.

Armored, equipped with cannons, rampaging across the land—what else could it be but a tank? The biggest difference lies in the fact that its power doesn't come from machinery, but from a colossal living creature three meters tall and ten meters long!
He finally understood why the sea monsters, despite being able to swim, needed to be accompanied by a bunch of diving sailing warships—the latter serving as both warships and transport ships. The British had modified the monsters with steel, making them excessively heavy and requiring ships to transport them to the other side.

Firearms, firearms again!
Chen Xuan's feelings were rather complicated.

In battles between those with special abilities, gunfights are common, and now even the war between humans and demons has entered this realm. The appearance of tanks on the battlefield at this time is undoubtedly ahead of its time… a mobile long-range artillery turret, coupled with shotgun fire, can inflict devastating damage on densely packed troops hundreds of meters away.

The cultivators of the Immortal Alliance were no exception; they were still mortals with flesh and blood, and no matter how fast their reactions were, they could not avoid the rain of projectiles. They even knew very little about artillery, and when they saw a large demon appear, their first reaction was to form a battle formation rather than to retreat quickly.

After a volley of fire from more than twenty cannons, two cultivators lost their lives on the spot, and seven or eight others were seriously injured by the shrapnel. The outer line that they had been holding back was blasted open.

Xu Yuanqing couldn't sit still any longer. "Oh no! What kind of weapon is that? Sect Leader Chen, we can talk about your disciple's matter later. I must go and lend them a hand now!"

As the leader of the Immortal Alliance, he had no obligation to be responsible for the safety of cultivators from various sects. Slaying demons inherently carries a certain degree of danger; whether one wins or loses, whether one improves or perishes, depends entirely on individual skill. The real reason Xu Yuanqing couldn't stand idly by was that this was the Immortal Alliance's first battle since arriving in this foreign land. If they suffered a crushing defeat on their first attempt, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Immortal Alliance?
Chen Xuan quickly followed, "I'll go with you!"

"Excellent! With Sect Leader Chen's support, we will surely defeat these demons!" Xu Yuanqing shouted.

The two rushed to the beach one after the other. Xu Yuanqing struck first, tossing his wine jug into the air, the wine spraying out seemingly endlessly. Then he pulled out a stack of array talismans and casually tossed them in all directions—

"Formation: Drunken Army Breaker!"

(End of this chapter)