Achieving the Dao from the Hundred Schools of Thought

Wu Zixu's next words, however, plunged Prince Di's heart into despair.

"First they use their power to intimidate people, then they lure them with benefits."

"Without losing a single soldier, several competitors were eliminated."

"Warfare is based on deception! He's certainly mastered the art of war!"

"This child is not bad!"

……

At Tiger Hill, Zhao Xiuwen had 800 men under his command at this time, and no more were added.

During this time, several members of prominent families also arrived. Seeing that Zhao Xiuwen had eight hundred men under his command, along with two chariots, they were surprised to find that he was accompanied by two chariots.

In comparison, realizing they were no match, they all retreated.

This is the most convenient way to enter Tiger Hill, but there are other routes as well.

At worst, we'll just give up first place to Zhao Xiuwen!

Eight hundred people cleared the way in succession, and the road ahead was finally opened.

Zhao Xiuwen waved his hand.

The army is setting off!

The deeper you go into Tiger Hill, the more remarkable it becomes.

The outer perimeter still has a semblance of human habitation, but once you go inside, it's a completely different scene.

Towering trees are everywhere, their lush canopies blocking out the sun, making the world seem as if it has turned into a dark green.

The area around the tree was covered with weeds and moss. A gentle breeze carried the scent of summer mixed with the earthy smell of the soil into the air.

Of these, mosquitoes are the most difficult to deal with.

Zhao Xiuwen and Zhuang Weiyang, who were trailing far behind, were fine; under the illumination of the inner fire, mosquitoes could not get close.

The soldiers under his command were in a bad mood.

Only Zhao Xiuwen's own hundred soldiers were able to remain unaffected and maintain vigilance.

The remaining seven hundred men were all less effective in combat.

Zhao Xiuwen sighed helplessly, summoned the squad leader, and gave the order:

"Go and make the arrangements. My soldiers will be in charge of guarding and protecting the chariots! The rest of you, go and scout ahead!"

"promise!"

The sergeant received the order and assigned tasks, and the soldiers who received the orders all changed their expressions.

"Are they using my soldiers as expendable resources?!"

"Are mortals venturing into Tiger Hill to send us to our deaths?"

Faced with the questioning of the crowd, Zhao Xiuwen did not turn his head, but simply waved his hand.

"Zzzzt!"

The long sword was drawn, and everyone fell silent.

……

The army advanced in an orderly manner, and some ferocious beasts gradually revealed their tracks.

The black bear, five or six meters tall, bared its teeth and claws, trying to charge into the battle, but Zhao Xiuwen easily killed it with a bow and arrow.

"As expected, Zhao Xiuwen's art is archery!"

"Judging from this, his bow has also reached the next level!"

Zhuang Weiyang watched as Zhao Xiuwen killed the enemy, remaining hidden on the outskirts of the army, as steady as Mount Tai.

The two-zhang-tall black bear looked terrifying, but it hadn't actually reached the next level yet—it had only just broken through the racial restrictions, its bestial nature hadn't been extinguished, and it posed no real threat.

Even if you return from the hunt, the merits you can calculate are limited.

The demon race is different from humans.

Humanity's breakthroughs rely on the guidance of predecessors and the gradual accumulation of knowledge and experience.

For a mortal demon to break through a realm, it must overcome racial restrictions, shed its bestial nature, temper its body, consume the essence of mountains and rivers, and absorb the radiance of the sun and moon.

"No rush, Zhao Xiuwen has already begun to determine the location that absorbs and emits lunar essence."

"A place teeming with spiritual energy is sure to be haunted by evil spirits!"

"Let's wait and see."

Zhuang Weiyang, like a seasoned hunter, followed Zhao Xiuwen's army, advancing step by step into Tiger Hill.

Along the way, there were white tigers three zhang long, cheetahs as black as ink, and giant pythons thicker than trees...

They were all shot dead by Zhao Xiuwen with his bow.

Zhuang Weiyang's most concerned chariot, however, was not fired even once.

"Stop! Be on alert!"

Upon reaching a rocky cliff, Zhao Xiuwen dismounted and ordered his soldiers to stand guard.

Without the scouring of a waterfall, the stone walls are smooth as jade, standing out from their surroundings.

Looking up, the stone wall seemed to be incredibly high, extending from another peak.

There weren't many large trees around the stone wall, but the environment was somewhat similar to the outside world...

Deep within Tiger Hill, this very normalcy is actually quite strange!

Zhao Xiuwen suddenly sensed something and turned to look at the dense forest in the distance. A series of chaotic footsteps followed by the sound of a large tree being knocked down came from there.

The sound grew louder as it approached, and Zhao Xiuwen instinctively gripped the bow in his hand...

"Hmph—!"

"Form ranks! Form ranks quickly!"

A wild boar about ten feet tall emerged from the dense forest. The soldiers hurriedly formed ranks, but they all involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Xiuwen had already shot down so many ferocious beasts with a single arrow, let alone this wild boar that was ten feet tall.

"Oh no!" Zhuang Weiyang, who was in the distance, saw that everyone was relaxing and felt a sense of foreboding.

Judging from its aura, this wild boar has already begun to break through its limits.

Once the wild boar's height is reduced to a normal range, it can enter the territory!

"Buzz—!"

Zhao Xiuwen understood that this wild boar was not to be underestimated, so he drew his bow to its full extent and shot an arrow straight at the boar's eye.

Faced with the attack, a cunning glint flashed in the wild boar's eyes. With a swift roll, it plunged into the enemy formation, crushing several soldiers as it dodged the attack!

Seeing this situation, Zhao Xiuwen showed no sign of panic.

So what if wild boars invade human settlements?

He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot it out, piercing through several soldiers and embedding it in the neck of a wild boar.

The wild boar immediately bled profusely!

"General Zhao..."

"Shut up! Stay alert! There are more monsters behind us!"

The wild boar howled incessantly, its ferocity escalating as it continued to rampage.

In the distance, several howls rang out, as if trying to soothe the injured wild boar...

"Wild boars live in groups, and a lone wild boar is definitely not the strongest."

"Let's see how many demons come next!"

The soft rustling of leaves, accompanied by steady footsteps, marked the emergence of three humanoid beings from the dense forest.

It was a three-headed demon that had entered the territory!

The two demons were burly and nine feet tall, dressed in animal skins to cover their vital parts.

If you don't look at his face, he's no different from any other strong man.

Looking up, the difference between wild demons and demons in groups becomes apparent.

These two were not fully transformed; they had fan-shaped ears, pig-like noses, and interlocking fangs in their mouths—they were truly terrifying.

The strangest of all was the leader of the demons.

This demon was dressed in coarse cloth, had the demeanor of an ordinary person, and walked with a steady gait.

The only thing that reveals its "demon" identity is its nose.

This demon has an extremely long nose that droops down to its chest, resembling an elephant's trunk, making it look extremely strange.

The demon leader angrily scanned its surroundings until it saw Zhao Xiuwen's chariot, at which point it regained its senses.

The demon leader clasped his hands in a salute and looked at Zhao Xiuwen, saying:

"Young master, why did you harm my mother? My mother has not yet attained human form and her wild nature is hard to change. If she has offended you, please forgive her!"

As the leader bowed, he gestured with his eyes for the two demons behind him to disperse.

Zhao Xiuwen remained unfazed and said loudly, "You were born of this pig? That's strange. How can a pig give birth to an elephant? Haha!"

As Zhao Xiuwen laughed, he subtly activated his archery skills, and the two "cumbersome" war chariots along the way turned their cannons and aimed at the demon leader!

A flash of red light appeared in the demon leader's eyes, and he said again:

"My lord, why be so wary of me? I have already attained human form and shed my beastly nature. I have also participated in several Wu military exercises in this Tiger Hill!"

"As luck would have it, my mother was cultivating when she encountered the general fighting demons, which led to a misunderstanding."

"How about this... I know the whereabouts of several demons from the First Realm. I will report this to you, young master. I beg you to spare my mother and fulfill my filial duty."

Zhao Xiuwen pondered for a moment, then lowered the cannon barrel of the tank slightly and smiled:

"Very well! Considering your filial piety, I, this young master, will spare your life!"

"My King of Wu values ​​filial piety above all else; I believe he will understand my sin of releasing animals!"

Zhuang Weiyang hid in the bushes and saw that this human and demon were both cunning and scheming, and cursed them inwardly.

What filial piety? Isn't it just fear of war chariots?

What do you mean by releasing them? We're just not confident we can kill these three demons.

"How can we not fight back..." Zhuang Weiyang used her magic to activate wind magic, blowing the soldiers aside to prevent accidental injury.

Then, the wind and fire solidified into a long blue spear in the air, which pierced straight into the wounded wild boar.

At the same time, Zhuang Weiyang jumped out of the weeds and said loudly:

"Brother Zhao, why waste your breath on this little demon?"

"Just kill them!"