Chương 154: Transferred to the Military

"I am the head of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, appointed by the imperial court. On behalf of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, I am willing to relinquish the temple!"

Yu Zhengnan walked calmly to Yun Hao's side, gently supporting him, and looked at the crowd opposite him with piercing eyes.

"They do know how to adapt to the times."

The white-bearded old Taoist looked at Yu Zhengnan with some appreciation and said with a faint smile, "The Qingcheng Sect has been divided into the Taoist Sect and the Sword Sect since ancient times, but it is not as clearly divided as in other places. I suppose you are already clear about our identities."

"With our return, the two factions will naturally merge into one, which is also tacitly approved by your court."

Master Yu listened silently, chanting the name of the Heavenly Venerable, and shook his head sadly, saying, "Do not mention the matter of merging sects again. We will give up this mountain gate, and we only ask that you masters allow us to descend the mountain."

"Oh, do you know how magnificent the return of Qingcheng will be? If we miss this opportunity, it won't be so easy to merge the factions again."

"Please, Master, for the sake of our shared lineage, let us descend the mountain."

Yu Zhengnan bowed slightly, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow.

"Very well, a forced relationship won't be happy. You may do as you please, but the ancient objects and books in these mountains must be left behind."

"Okay... that works!"

Yu Zhengnan hesitated only once before agreeing.

"Senior brother!"

Yun Hao was extremely anxious.

Yu Zhengnan shook his head, grabbed his robe, and was about to leave the main hall.

Outside the hall, there were also Taoist disciples who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Yu Zhengnan glanced at the disciples below the steps and announced loudly, "Today, the Qingcheng Sect has returned, and my Qingcheng Sword Sect will no longer occupy this precious land. Disciples who wish to follow, please gather at the mountain gate in half an hour and come down the mountain with me."

After saying that, Yu Zhengnan and his companion went straight back to their residence and began packing their things.

The disciples who rushed over from outside looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

At this moment, the white-bearded old Taoist priest stepped forward and said loudly:

"The imperial court has agreed to our return. If you wish to stay, our Qingcheng Sect will treat you all equally and impart our supreme martial arts skills to you!"

After saying this, he spread out one hand, palm facing upward, and a ray of light rose from his palm. Suddenly, the light intensified, revealing a winding, coiling fire dragon that illuminated the entire Taoist temple.

"this……"

The disciples were astonished. What kind of martial art was this? The dragon was so lifelike! It was incredible!

This is absolutely unbelievable!

"We are willing to stay!"

A small group of disciples, their eyes filled with fanaticism, bowed their heads in agreement.

Many disciples showed a struggle in their eyes. After hesitating for a moment, most of them turned and left the square.

Half an hour later.

Outside the mountain gate, Yu Zhengnan looked at the more than twenty disciples behind him carrying large and small bags, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Excellent, excellent!"

"Walk!"

Yu Zhengnan strode down the mountain.

Most of these disciples were core disciples who had experienced the demon's cleansing of the mountain and were taught the Dharma by Zhao Rui.

Of the young disciples who were forcibly sent in by the imperial court, only one boy named Du Xin came along.

The young Taoist priest, looking back at the familiar mountain gate with a sorrowful expression, had tears welling up in his eyes.

He couldn't understand why they had to give up their own mountain gate.

Doesn't the imperial court care?

Doesn't the police care?

"Young Elder, where are you? They've already taken over our mountain gate!"

The setting sun cast its last rays across the mountain path, casting long shadows of the Taoist priests.

at the same time.

In the heart of the Central Plains, there are many sects such as Kongtong, Shaolin, Emei, Huashan, and Taishan.

Suddenly, a large group of martial artists from the same sect or school appeared.

These people not only possessed unfathomable martial arts skills, but also knew the secrets of their sects from hundreds of years ago like the back of their hand. In fact, according to seniority, they were several generations above the current elders of various sects.

These people not only had impeccable political backgrounds, but were also recognized by the imperial court, which even tacitly approved of their faction.

Many sects, even if unwilling, are intimidated by the other party's power or for other considerations.

Reluctantly, they opted to merge the two groups.

There are also sects like Emei and Kongtong, which have a long history and have long-standing connections. They not only do not object, but also gladly accept and happily merge with the sect.

Shaolin Temple is an exception.

Perhaps it is because there has been a historical precedent of families dividing their property.

This time, Shaolin has split up again.

Some monks refused to be merged and, led by Elder Huinan, traveled to Fujian to join the Fujian Shaolin Temple.

Besides the famous sects, there are also some small sects or martial arts families that have been lost for a long time, and some of them have returned.

Such as the Tang Clan and the Hunyuan Yiqi Clan.

With the widespread adoption of martial arts and the sudden changes in sects, the entire martial arts world has been transformed.

……

A military camp in a border region.

Zhao Rui received Yu Zhengnan's message of joy, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Knowing some information about the Ruins of Return, he naturally understood the origins of these people.

They are all descendants of sects that entered Guixu from the Central Plains more than 500 years ago.

If we're talking about impeccable political credentials, they definitely have more authority.

After all, they are the legitimate members of the Qingcheng Sect.

But as Yu Zhengnan said, the Qingcheng Sword Sect of today was rebuilt from ruins decades ago.

Although they have a connection, they are now two different sects.

He, Yu Zhengnan, is currently in charge of the Qingcheng Sword Sect. He certainly doesn't have the courage to resist the Qingcheng Sect's merger, but he also doesn't want the Qingcheng Sword Sect to disappear from his hands.

Therefore, abandoning the mountain gate and sacrificing the land to retain the people was the only thing he could do.

From now on, we can only take it one step at a time.

He, Yu Zhengnan, didn't know whether he was right or wrong.

After receiving the message, Zhao Rui remained silent.

To be honest, he has a deep affection for Qingcheng Mountain. How should I put it? It's just that we click!

This situation was something he truly hadn't anticipated.

According to Yun Hao, this group of people are extremely skilled in martial arts, and some of them are suspected to be at the Dharma Aspect realm or even higher.

He tried his best, but could only stop his opponent for a hundred moves.

"Did they reach a consensus with the imperial court?"

Zhao Rui thought about it more deeply. Could it be that the imperial court used artillery fire to bombard the land, not only to stop the Guixu people's attack, but also to give these sects a warning and demonstrate their strength?

Furthermore, the Guixu people withdrew to Central Asia after being hit by artillery fire, and have been in a state of contraction recently.

Could it be related to the harassment and counterattack by the sects in Guixu?

"What a mess!"

Zhao Rui sighed. In his previous life, he was just a retired table tennis player, and in this life, he was just an ordinary college student.

Although I live in Dongqi Province, I'm still far from being good at politics.

"The martial arts skills I have are still the most reliable!"

Zhao Rui cleared his mind of all distracting thoughts, opened his right hand, and a flame shot into the air, slowly burning.

Since the spiritual energy permeated the world, these moves that were impossible in the past are now easily accomplished.

In the past, no matter how skilled you were in martial arts, you couldn't keep the flame burning in your palm for long; at most, you could unleash a powerful palm strike.

But now, enveloped in spiritual energy, let alone burning in his palm, he can send his fiery palm flying tens of meters, forming a wall of fire.

All of this is thanks to the rich spiritual energy in the air.

Moreover, these flames are not ordinary flames; they burn spiritual energy. In fact, it could be said that they are not burning at all, but rather spiritual energy transformed into a special form similar to plasma.

It is more powerful, has a higher temperature, and is more controllable.

Zhao Rui clenched his fist, instantly extinguishing the raging flames in his palm.

"Reporting to the commander! Soldier Han Zhihai reporting for duty."

"Soldier Wang Bin reporting for duty!"

"Soldier Cui reporting for duty!..."

Before long, twenty soldiers jogged over from the door and saluted Zhao Rui in unison.

"Well, this teaching period will only last for one month. You must study hard and practice diligently to achieve something."

"Yes, Commander!"

More than twenty people responded in unison, their voices extremely loud.

Zhao Rui smiled and gestured for everyone to gather at the training ground in front.

These were all martial arts elites he had selected from the military camp. They had learned martial arts techniques that were passed down in the military camp, techniques that he had never copied.

Since we're already in the military camp, it would be a waste not to take advantage of this opportunity.

Of course, he will definitely teach with his heart.

It depends on the individual and how much they can improve.

Zhao Rui, who is known for his tendency to "give advice," has finally returned to a familiar territory.

This is far better than having him lead his troops on patrols, constantly on guard against small groups of enemies from Guixu.

Fulfilling days always fly by.

A month or so passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, he had just finished eating in the cafeteria when he received a call from Wang Zhanshan.

It is said that Cai Zhengyang and Wang Dalong have both broken through to the Grandmaster realm.

In addition, many students have broken through to the ninth level of martial arts.

The teams advanced one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

As a result, his cultivation level, which had been stagnant for a long time, also broke through.

Wang Zhanshan's words couldn't hide his joy.

"This is inevitable. In the future, the Grandmaster realm will no longer be an insurmountable barrier. More and more people will break through to this realm."

Zhao Rui said with a smile.

"So, everyone on the Ruins of Return has this level of strength?"

Wang Zhanshan was taken aback.

"More or less, but not that exaggerated. After all, a Grandmaster is not something an ordinary martial artist can achieve. It's just that there are fewer obstacles to overcome."

Zhao Rui explained.

"Hmm, I don't know if this situation is good or bad. When are you coming back?"

"It will take another eight or nine months. By then, there will be more Grandmaster-level experts in the army, which may shorten the service period for us civilians."

"Um."

After exchanging information for a while, Wang Zhanshan hung up the phone.

Shortly after the phone call ended, the guards came running over.

He arrived breathlessly with astonishing news.

"Guixu has made contact with the imperial court and reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement..."

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Rui was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.

The war has finally ended.

Although it's unclear how long this will last, at least there's a good sign.

Perhaps, these masters will be transferred away from the front lines.

Sure enough, his transfer order arrived just a few days after the information was sent.

He was transferred to the military to serve as a martial arts instructor.

Zhao Rui received the message and was slightly speechless. If he had known this would happen, why did he gather the soldiers in advance?

That's unnecessary.

The following day, Zhao Rui, reluctant to part with Qiu Tong and other comrades, rode in a jeep to the military headquarters.

The military headquarters had been here before, so it wasn't unfamiliar to them.

Following the instructions, Zhao Rui found the department where the report was to be submitted. He pushed open the door and saw Liu Huaijin, who was ahead of him, already processing the reporting procedures.

"Hey, Zhao Rui, you've been transferred here too."

Liu Huaijin grinned at Zhao Rui, revealing a large set of teeth.

Since he deserted last time, the two of them haven't really had any contact.

But since they are acquaintances, I still have to be perfunctory.

"Yes. I just arrived," Zhao Rui replied.

"I heard it's a new battlefield martial art that the imperial court recently acquired. They're short of grandmasters in the army, so they sent us to help."

Liu Huaijin knows quite a lot.

"Battlefield martial arts?"

This was the first time Zhao Rui had ever heard of this kind of martial art.

"Yes, it's said to be a combined attack technique. Not only is it highly destructive when used by a single person, but multiple people can also cooperate to unleash a level of power far exceeding their individual strength."

"Oh? That's quite interesting!"

Zhao Rui raised an eyebrow.

The two talked as they went through the registration process.

The person handling the paperwork was a beautiful female soldier. Seeing that Zhao Rui was so young yet already a Grandmaster, she couldn't help but take a second look at his file and discovered that he was also a graduate of a prestigious university.

And she's not even twenty years old yet.

He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "How did you cultivate? You're so amazing!"

"I just practice year after year, I don't know."

Zhao Rui replied simply.

"Could you teach me? Recently, the military has required us civilian staff to practice martial arts as well."

The female soldier pouted slightly and said with a hint of frustration.

Unlike frontline troops, military headquarters have logistics and bases, so there are also female soldiers and civilian personnel.

"Sure, when it's my turn to teach, you can practice along with them!"

Zhao Rui said frankly.

The female soldier was speechless for a moment. If I were learning from the main force, would I need to ask you?

Another girl next to him covered her mouth and giggled, saying to Zhao Rui, "Little brother, you're a bit of a straight man!"

Zhao Rui's face twitched. Well, he'd only been in the army for a few months and he'd already become a straight man.

He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Sister, if you want to take private lessons, of course you can. It's not expensive. Just treat me to a big meal."

"Really? Okay, it's a deal."

The female soldier who spoke first immediately exclaimed excitedly.

"Then I'll treat you to a meal too."

Another female soldier chimed in, joining in the fun.

"no problem."

Zhao Rui smiled and agreed, and also added their contact information.

Liu Huaijin watched Zhao Rui flirting with the girl and couldn't help but shake his head, wishing he had been born at this time!

After reporting in and completing the registration procedures, Zhao Rui and Liu Huai entered and left the office building and headed to their dormitory.

These masters all have their own single rooms, which are quite large, typically two-bedroom apartments with a kitchen and a dining room.

It has complete electrical facilities.

After putting away his luggage, Zhao Rui began tidying up the room. Before he could finish, his phone rang.

When I picked it up, I realized it was the girl who had left her phone number earlier—no, I should say the older sister.

"Sister Qingmei, is something the matter?"

"I'll treat you to a meal, you haven't forgotten so quickly, have you?"

"Um, no need."

"Stop fussing! Come on, Feiyan and I will be waiting for you at the door!"

"All right!"

Zhao Rui did not refuse.

It's not easy to see female soldiers in the army.

After quickly tidying up, Zhao Rui went downstairs and immediately saw the two female soldiers from before, dressed in civilian clothes, waiting downstairs.

"Where should we eat? Can we go out?"

Zhao Rui asked curiously.

"There's no way we can get out. We'll stay in the cafeteria; the food is very cheap!"

The female soldier named Qingmei giggled.

"Okay, I've been tricked. I thought we were going out for a fancy meal!"

Zhao Rui shrugged and smiled.

"We only get one chance to go out once a week, and we have to report it and go through a review process."

"Really? How many people are in our military? How many are female soldiers?"

"What? Isn't having the two of us with you enough?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)