"Hahaha..."
Suddenly, the Zuo General on horseback burst into laughter, his voice hearty and exceptionally loud, echoing throughout the entire iron mine.
"Good lad, truly a good lad, you have some guts!"
His gaze once again fell on Jiang Shi, revealing a hint of peculiar expression.
With his cultivation realm, he could see at a glance that Jiang Shi's recent move did not contain any power; it was purely a physical attack.
How could such a frail lad possess such immense physical strength?
Simply astounding!
Absolutely a budding fierce warrior!
If kept in the army and properly trained, he would undoubtedly become an unrivaled pioneer over time!
Chi Huo Daoist, Xiong Kaishan, Liu Si, Li San, and others involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xiong Kaishan, Chi Huo Daoist, today you switch defenses, immediately head to headquarters for orders. Oh, Xiong Kaishan, bring Jiang Shi along, the General also wants to see this lad!"
The Zuo General pointed with his large knife and laughed as he spoke.
"Yes, General!"
Xiong Kaishan spoke respectfully.
The Zuo General urged his horse forward, laughing, "Lad, pure physical strength alone amounts to nothing, training power is the true way!"
"Thank you for your guidance, General."
Jiang Shi cupped his fists.
The Zuo General continued no further.
"Move quickly, take food and water, leave the rest, return to headquarters immediately!"
Xiong Kaishan said.
Instantly, everyone started bustling about.
The journey from here to headquarters took another two days.
Along the way, Jiang Shi's body again felt a tingly sensation, and upon checking the panel, he saw his reputation value increase by another 150 points.
Reaching 720 points.
Simultaneously, his strength surged by another 200 pounds, reaching a total of 5800 pounds.
Now, he was practically a human-shaped beast, with unmatched power in every casual motion.
By the morning of the third day, the group finally neared headquarters.
In the forefront, a massive camp appeared, adorned with flags, exuding a chilling aura, the air thick with killing intent, bustling with people.
Aside from members of the Red Flame Army clad in crimson armor.
The camp's outskirts were teeming with Jianghu individuals, dressed in various clothes, wielding different weapons.
The entire scene was chaotic, buzzing, starkly contrasting the strict order of the inner Red Flame Army, giving a distinct impression of a ragtag gathering.
"Chi Huo Senior Brother!"
A group of Daoists approached, led by the previous Chi Long Daoist.
"Junior Brother."
Chi Huo Daoist nodded lightly and asked, "How are you doing?"
"A while ago, a chaotic battle occurred, claiming dozens of lives."
Chi Long Daoist's expression shifted.
"Same on my side."
Chi Huo Daoist responded, "By the way, I've just taken a new Inner Sect Disciple named Jiang Shi."
"Disciple Jiang Shi greets the elder."
Jiang Shi immediately bowed.
"A new Inner Sect Disciple?"
Chi Long Daoist immediately looked puzzled.
"Yes, this Jiang Shi is exceptional; he has innate divine power and can match the eighth level of Entering Strength without training any power."
Elder Chi Huo whispered.
"What?"
Chi Long Daoist looked at Jiang Shi with astonishment, hardly believing.
A match for the eighth level of Entering Strength without training any power?
Is this a joke?
"I've already written to the Sect Leader about the specifics, let's take good care of Jiang Shi during this time, ensuring no accidents happen to him. Although his talent is somewhat mediocre, with earnest cultivation, his future achievements will definitely not fall short of yours and mine."
Elder Chi Huo advised.
"Alright, I will."
Chi Long Daoist responded in shock.
Innate divine power, rare even among millions.
It actually appeared in their Zhenwu Temple?
"Brother Jiang Shi, let's go, accompany me to meet the General."
Xiong Kaishan smiled.
"Yes, General."
Jiang Shi nodded, then glanced at Elder Chi Huo and Chi Long Daoist, saying, "Elder, I'm heading off."
"Hmm."
The two nodded lightly.
Jiang Shi and Xiong Kaishan departed from the area one after the other.
The deeper they went, the more they felt the distinctiveness of the Red Flame Army.
Indeed, the Court's formal army and those Jianghu Sects quickly formed teams, differ greatly, a powerful invisible will coalescing, bringing a significant sense of pressure.
After walking for quite a long time, a giant tent finally appeared ahead.
The law was strict and cold, heavily guarded by soldiers.
It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to get close, even by a fraction.
"Brother Jiang, wait here. I'll go in and report first."
Bear Mountain said.
"Alright!"
Jiang Shi nodded.
Xiong Kaishan walked straight inside and soon came out again, saying, "Brother Jiang, the General has summoned you in."
Jiang Shi immediately followed behind.
Upon entering the large tent, he immediately felt a palpable, invisible oppression spread out.
The tent was densely packed, with more than a dozen shadows sitting inside. One fierce, sharp gaze after another, like blades, were directed at him.
Especially at the very center, a middle-aged man in a cyan robe with a fair complexion and three long strands of beard on his chin was seated.
His gaze was deep and boundless, like a bottomless vortex, giving people a feeling of unfathomable depth.
"I am Jiang Shi, greeting the General!"
Jiang Shi cupped his hands and said.
"Hmm, I heard you have innate divine power and not long ago singlehandedly executed nearly a hundred rebels?"
The fair-skinned man in the cyan robe spoke calmly, looking at Jiang Shi.
"Yes."
Jiang Shi replied.
"Hmph, you don't even know how to blush when lying!"
Suddenly, a cold laugh came from the side.
A young general in silver robes and armor looked disdainful and said, "I've seen many who claimed to have innate divine power, but in the end, none could withstand a single blow. They're just boasting. Even if you're reporting fake military achievements, at least make them somewhat believable."
Bearing a changed expression, Bear Mountain shouted, "Zhang Shan, what do you mean? Do you think I'm lying?"
The young general in silver robes and armor sneered but said nothing.
"Executing nearly a hundred rebels counts as significant merit according to military achievements. Jiang Shi, what reward would you like?"
The man in the cyan robe looked attentively at Jiang Shi and spoke calmly.
"General, please wait!"
The young general in silver once again barked, "I severely doubt Jiang Shi's battle achievements, and I believe General Bear and his lot are colluding in a cover-up!"
"Zhang Shan!"
Xiong Kaishan angrily shouted, "The fact that Jiang Shi has innate divine power has already been personally tested by Zuo General, and yet you still dare to doubt?"
"Even if he has innate divine power, so what? Having innate divine power doesn't mean he can really fight a hundred single-handedly!"
The young general in silver mocked coldly.
"You..."
Xiong Kaishan was furious, realizing he was losing face.
Jiang Shi was his recommendation. Now Zhang Shan's suspicion of Jiang Shi essentially questioned him as well.
Zhang Shan always opposed him, and now even dared to heavily obstruct in this matter.
"That's enough."
The man in the blue robe, seated as the primary authority, waved his hand and spoke calmly, "We are all on the same side, no need to make faces red and ears hot, and risk becoming a joke. Regardless, Bear Mountain has contributions in guarding the iron mine, which deserves ample rewards. Jiang Shi has also made significant contributions by killing foes, and both will be rewarded. Someone, bring ten Entering Strength Pills and ten Recovery Pills for Jiang Shi. As for Xiong Kaishan, his merits will be recorded for now, and upon settling the rebel forces, merits and rewards will be discussed accordingly!"
"Thank you, General!"
Xiong Kaishan cupped his fists and said.
Jiang Shi also cupped his fists accordingly.
The young general, Zhang Shan, let out a cold snort but said no more.
Soon, a soldier walked in with a silver tray from outside.
On it were two jade bottles placed side by side, which were then presented to Jiang Shi.
Bear Mountain showed a look of immense envy on his side.
Jiang Shi accepted the jade bottles and immediately expressed his gratitude again.
"Jiang Shi, the situation in the Desolate State remains dire and unpredictable, so I hope you will perform well henceforth, and not squander these two bottles of pills."
The cyan-robed General, Yang Hongtian, spoke softly.
"Yes, General."
"You may go."
Yang Hongtian said blandly.
Jiang Shi cupped his fists once more and immediately withdrew from the place.
Only Bear Mountain remained behind.
Soon, the entire large tent began discussing other military affairs.
"How was it, Jiang Shi, did General Yang make things difficult for you?"
Chi Huo Daoist quickly walked over, asking.
"No, and I was even rewarded with two bottles of pills."
Jiang Shi replied.
"That's good."
Elder Chi Huo nodded gently, taking Jiang Shi aside, and whispered, "I've heard that General Yang is notoriously unpredictable, smiling and jesting one moment, and suddenly going berserk the next. So, when interacting with him, you must be very cautious."
"I will be. By the way, Elder, how should I use these pills?"
Jiang Shi asked.
···
Do continue reading～