Star Martial Soaring Cloud

Why are ghost soldiers so sensitive to hostility?

Wang Xiao and his two companions were only acting out of instinct, and their mere display of hostility provoked their fury.

The general who committed suicide, and the vanished scenes of battle, have provided the best explanation.

This city, and its people, have endured too much covetousness and too much bloodshed.

Countless alien races attempted to conquer and enslave this land, tearing it apart from the map of Kyushu.

They fought against them, battled them, and fought them to the death.

Generation after generation, year after year, that vigilance against hostility has long been etched into our bones and blood, forged into an indestructible instinct.

Even as wandering souls, they never forgot—forgot the battle, forgot the protection, forgot the homeland of Kyushu that nurtured them.

Like the vast majority of people in Kyushu, they possess both the warm hospitality of "Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?"—openly embracing Wang Xiao and his two companions who had no hostility; and the unyielding spirit of "I laugh as I brandish my sword at the sky, my heart and soul remain with the Kunlun Mountains"—their heads may be severed, their blood may flow, but their original aspiration to protect Kyushu will never change.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath, slowly bent down, and bowed deeply to the empty city wall.

Su Qinhe and Yan Zixi followed closely behind, bowing respectfully.

The three shadows overlapped in the sunlight, falling onto the broken bluestone path.

The wind stopped.

The gray snow has all fallen.

The ancient city was completely silent.

Just like when Wang Xiao and his two companions first entered the city—there were no human voices, no living creatures, only the ever-operating array and dormant memories.

Cultivators are also mortals, with their own emotions and desires, and their own beliefs etched in their hearts.

Wang Xiao and the other two all came from Kyushu. Facing these ancestors who had forged the backbone of Kyushu with their blood and flesh, they were all deeply moved and filled with awe.

Without such a group of guardians who have followed one after another, where would Kyushu be today?

Today, there is still a group of people who have taken up the banner and will left behind by them, and continue to move forward without stopping.

In the future, there will be another group of people who will dedicate themselves to the bright future of Kyushu, even unto death.

This is the spark that ignites the Nine Provinces, the foundation upon which the Nine Provinces have endured for millennia and been passed down to this day.

"Let's go." Wang Xiao straightened up, her voice slightly hoarse from the excitement in her heart.

The three turned around and slowly walked out of the city along the streets swept by the ghostly soldiers.

Footsteps echoed through the empty city, the same rhythm as when they arrived, but everyone's state of mind was completely different.

After leaving the city, the three walked in silence for a while.

Without the ghostly soldiers blocking their way, they instinctively quickened their pace, but the shock and heaviness of the ancient city made the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.

"Lu Yang, what are you thinking about?" Su Qinhe spoke first, her gentle tone breaking the silence.

Wang Xiao did not answer immediately, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she was repeatedly sorting out the confusion in her heart.

"This Demon Island is such a large place, it was clearly once part of the Nine Provinces, so why is there not a single word about it in the Nine Provinces' records?" He spoke slowly, his tone full of confusion. "Logically speaking, your Wind and Rain Pavilion has a profound history, so you should have relevant records. To say that we are the first people to discover that the Demon Island originated from the Nine Provinces, I simply do not believe it."

Previously, cultivators who entered the island were unable to break through the miasma wall to enter the central region. They could only make wild guesses based on the scattered clues from the outer region and could never be certain that the Demon Island was once part of Kyushu territory.

But those lingering memories of the ghostly soldiers...

The blond-haired, blue-eyed alien race, the monster with five eyes, and the overwhelming black army were so clear and real, not an illusion.

How could there be no record of such a momentous event as the separation of the Demon Island from Kyushu?

What happened on Demon Island that caused it to wander aimlessly through the world and become a dangerous place?

"We don't know either." Su Qinhe shook her head gently, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Perhaps it's because Sister Yan and I aren't at a high enough level to access the most core texts of Fengyuxuan."

"It's also possible that there's some unspeakable secret hidden behind this, deliberately concealed by someone." Yan Zixi's tone became exceptionally serious. "Think about it carefully. The Demon Island descends upon Kyushu every hundred years. After so many cycles, haven't other cultivators broken through the miasma barrier and entered the Central Region like us? Haven't any of them discovered this ancient city and seen these memory scenes?"

Wang Xiao suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Yan Zixi is right.

The Demon Island has descended upon Kyushu several times, and there are always cultivators with profound cultivation and exceptional luck who are able to break through the miasma and enter the Central Region.

Didn't any of those people discover these secrets?

But why is there not a single word or phrase recorded in the ancient books of Kyushu?

Unless, someone is deliberately concealing these secrets and doesn't want them to be known to the world.

"It's also possible that they did discover it, but didn't leave Demon Island alive!" Su Qinhe disagreed with Yan Zixi's guess, adding, "When they entered the island, the restrictions on Demon Island hadn't loosened yet, and cultivators couldn't break through to the Dragon Gate Divine Realm. Even if some of them managed to stay on Demon Island, they probably wouldn't survive long in this dangerous place!"

"Where did those blond-haired, blue-eyed aliens, and those monsters with five eyes, come from?" Wang Xiao asked another question. "And what force were those aliens whose appearances were indistinct and who completely occupied the ancient city?"

"The Wind and Rain Pavilion does have some scattered records of the blond-haired, blue-eyed, and five-eyed alien races," Yan Zixi continued, slowly saying, "They come from a more distant realm and call themselves 'the people of the gods.' At the end of the Daqing Dynasty, they invaded the Nine Provinces, occupied parts of the territory, and committed all sorts of atrocities, including burning, killing, and looting. However, they later experienced internal strife, and coupled with the fact that they were too far from the Nine Provinces and faced supply difficulties, they had no time to attend to this place and could only retreat to their own territory."

Su Qinhe continued, "Back then, Fusang colluded with them and even studied under them. After they retreated, Fusang seized the opportunity to annex most of their territory and influence around Kyushu, and then launched a large-scale invasion of Kyushu, nearly destroying it. Fortunately, the First Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty stepped forward, turned the tide, and saved Kyushu. Since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, news of the blond-haired, blue-eyed, and five-eyed alien races has been scarce! It is said that after the internal strife ended, they still had designs on Kyushu, but the First Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty kept them at bay!"

Wang Xiao was silent for a moment, then asked, "What was the name of the First Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty? He achieved such unparalleled feats, why was his name not even recorded?"

"The surname has been preserved; it's Ge," Su Qinhe said softly, a hint of regret in her voice. "The specific given name is indeed not recorded. It is said that fifty years ago, a tremendous upheaval occurred in the Great Qian Dynasty, and since then, the name of the First Emperor of Great Qian has vanished into thin air—as if it had been directly erased from everyone's memory, leaving only the title 'First Emperor of Great Qian.'"

Fifty years ago.

It was fifty years ago again.

Wang Xiao's brows furrowed even more, and the confusion in her heart grew even deeper.

What exactly happened fifty years ago?

The Confucian sage vanished into thin air, and the name of the First Emperor of the Qianlong Emperor was erased...

Is all of this really just a coincidence?

"Do you know Seven Star Mountain?" Wang Xiao suddenly looked up, a hint of barely perceptible expectation in his eyes. "It's the Seven Star Mountain, the origin of martial arts, where 'martial arts originated from the Seven Stars'."

Su Qinhe and Yan Zixi exchanged a glance and shook their heads simultaneously, their eyes filled with confusion.

Wang Xiao's heart sank instantly.

He knew he had asked an unnecessary question.

Xuan Yuan Hong on Keli Mountain clearly knew about Qixing Mountain; he had personally said something like "the little guy from Qixing Mountain."

Could it be because the Xuanyuan family, as a former royal family, possesses some royal court secrets that are inaccessible to others?

But what about Master and fellow disciples?

They always said, "All martial arts under heaven originated from Seven Stars," in a natural and confident tone, which made him firmly believe that Seven Star Mountain was a sacred place known to all cultivators in the world.

But now he realizes that this is not the case.

He even realized that his master and fellow disciples had been too "hands-off" with him in his cultivation, teaching him in a too-pure way—he knew nothing about the details of advancing in cultivation; he didn't recognize the items in the cellar, he didn't recognize the city's protective formation, and he was even completely ignorant of the basic common sense that Demon Island was off-limits to flying.

Could it be that my master and fellow disciples are frauds?

But his own strength was by no means fake; Li Guang and Senior Brother Song Qing were also genuine experts at the Divine Sense Void Realm, and none of this could be faked.

So, are the master and senior brothers deliberately hiding something from me?

It seems that once I leave Demon Island, I must return to Seven Star Mountain to ask my master in person.

Wang Xiao gathered her scattered thoughts, asked no more questions, and took the lead in stepping forward.

The three continued on their way and soon left the ancient city's territory. However, the no-fly zone was still in effect, making them wonder if the entire central region of the Demon Island was inaccessible by air.

The scene outside the city was completely different from that inside. It had less of the desolation and deathly atmosphere and more of the liveliness of everyday life, yet it also exuded an eerie peace.

Vast fields of farmland stretch out before you, crisscrossed by ridges.

Some fields are planted with unknown crops that have long since withered and rotted, completely swallowed up by weeds; other fields are planted with golden wheat, the heavy ears of wheat swaying gently in the breeze, it is harvest season, but no one will ever come to harvest them.

"What a pity." Yan Zixi reached out and stroked a stalk of wheat, the plump grains rolling off her fingers. Her tone was full of regret. "Such good crops..."

Su Qinhe squatted down, parted a clump of weeds, and revealed the moist and fertile soil underneath.

In the soil, an earthworm is slowly wriggling, and several other unidentified small insects are crawling around.

She gently reached out and nudged the insects, which scattered in fright.

"There's no miasma here, no strange beasts, the soil is fertile, and the water is plentiful." She stood up, looked around, and said with a hint of melancholy, "If it weren't for the invasion of those alien races, this place would have been a paradise."

Wang Xiao didn't speak, but walked silently, his gaze sweeping over the seemingly vibrant yet lifeless farmland.

At the end of the field ridge, there is a narrow dirt road, with colorful wildflowers growing on both sides—white, yellow, and purple—scattered here and there, swaying gently in the breeze, a truly beautiful sight.

Several butterflies fluttered among the flowers, the patterns on their wings shimmering in the sunlight, lively and beautiful.

A butterfly slowly flew to Yan Zixi, circled her fingertips a few times, and then gently landed on her fingertips.

Yan Zixi stopped and carefully raised her hand to take a closer look.

The butterfly's wings are light blue with a thin gold trim, and are dotted with a few white spots, like stars scattered in the night sky.

Its antennae trembled gently, and its wings opened and closed as if it were breathing slowly; it looked incredibly cute.

"So beautiful." Yan Zixi sighed softly, her eyes softening.

The butterfly lingered on her fingertip for a moment before fluttering away and disappearing into the depths of the flowers.

Yan Zixi watched it disappear into the distance, a faint smile still lingering on her lips.

The three continued forward, enjoying the birdsong and fragrant flowers, a gentle breeze on their faces, and a warm and cozy atmosphere.

If it weren't for the distant, hazy mountain range that constantly reminded them of their purpose, this place would truly seem like a paradise on earth.

They walked like this for four days.

Over the course of four days, they traversed fields of golden wheat, crossed clear rivers, and climbed hill after hill.

The scenery along the way remained almost unchanged.

There are always golden ears of wheat, always tangled weeds, always fluttering butterflies, and occasionally a few unknown birds fly overhead, chirping a few times before disappearing into the horizon.

Everything seemed so normal, so strangely normal.

The inexplicable unease in Wang Xiao's heart grew stronger and stronger.

He abruptly stopped, frowned, and slowly scanned his surroundings, trying to find a flaw in the unchanging scenery.

"Lu Yang, what's wrong?" Su Qinhe noticed his unusual behavior and quickly asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Don't you guys feel...?" Wang Xiao's gaze shifted from the distant mountains to the wheat field beside him, then settled on the fluttering butterflies. His voice was low and serious, "...is something wrong?"

Yan Zixi also stopped in her tracks. She looked around carefully and then looked up at the sky.

The sky was clear and the breeze was gentle; everything was in perfect order.

She shook her head, her tone somewhat puzzled: "Nothing's wrong, is it? The road stretches out beneath my feet, the mountains are getting closer, the sky is bright, a gentle breeze is blowing, everything is normal."

"It's just too normal." Wang Xiao lowered her voice even further, her eyes becoming increasingly sharp. "Have we been gone for several days already?"

"Four days," Su Qinhe answered without hesitation.

"Four days." Wang Xiao slowly repeated the two words, his tone full of solemnity. "In those four days, how many wheat fields did we cross? How many rivers did we ford? How many hills did we climb?"

Su Qinhe and Yan Zixi exchanged a glance and were both stunned.

During those four days, they were so focused on getting there that they never bothered to count the numbers.

"I... I didn't count." Su Qinhe's voice was a little weak, and she subconsciously turned her head to look at the wheat field by the roadside.

The golden wheat ears swayed gently in the wind, just like every other wheat field they had seen in the past four days.

She crouched down to examine the shape of the wheat ears carefully, then stood up and looked at the low hill in the distance—the outline of the hill, the weeds growing on it, and even the cluster of bright purple flowers at its foot all exuded a familiar feeling that made her heart pound.

"That hill..." Her voice was strained, tinged with disbelief, "Didn't we pass by here three days ago?"

Yan Zixi's expression changed instantly, her usual ease vanished completely, replaced by deep astonishment.

She walked quickly to the side of the road, bent down, and picked up a stone.

The stone has a very unique shape, resembling a pebble that has been washed by flowing water for many years. It has a straight natural crack on its surface, making it highly recognizable.

She gripped the stone tightly, then quickly walked a few steps away and bent down to grope in the grass.

A moment later, she picked up another stone and placed the two stones together with trembling hands.

The exact same shape, the exact same cracks, even the surface texture are exactly the same.

Her voice was hoarse: "Impossible... We were clearly moving forward, how could... how could we be back here?"

Wang Xiao remained silent, his face terribly grim.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his divine sense spread out, sweeping in all directions and covering an area of ​​several hundred feet in radius.

Wheat fields, hills, rivers, butterflies, weeds... everything is incredibly real, everything carries a vibrant life force, and everything is functioning normally.

But the more real it is, the more bizarre it becomes.

He clearly realized that every detail of this land, which he thought was "new," completely overlapped with the place they had passed through three days ago.

The bent stalk of wheat by the edge of the field, the neatly arranged pebbles in the stream, and even the pale blue butterfly in the flowerbed—their flight path was exactly the same as I remembered.

They didn't take a single step forward.

This four-day trek was nothing more than a self-deceiving cycle.

They've been going around in circles.