Chapter 115: Arrival at the Ancient Battlefield of Changping

After sipping the spiritual tea and exchanging a few casual words, Li Yunfei got straight to the point.

“Senior Wang, I have come today firstly to deliver beast meat to the academy, and secondly, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Wang Zhiwu glanced at Zhang Ziying and smiled. “Brother He has already mentioned it to me. You wish for Ziying to graduate early so she can train alongside you. Given your cultivation and foundation, that’s naturally no problem.”

“But Ziying is a key disciple of Zixiao. This matter still requires Ziwei’s approval. I must follow protocol and report upward first. Only after Ziwei’s consent can I process her graduation.”

Li Yunfei nodded calmly. “That’s understandable. However, I intend to join Zixiao and have heard that the Changping Ancient Battlefield is in dire straits. I must depart immediately with Brother He to assist and, in the process, meet Ziwei to finalize my induction.”

“I respectfully ask for your permission to take Yingzi away first. Once the situation at Changping stabilizes, we will return to complete the formalities. Would this be acceptable?”

He made it clear that he was about to head to the Changping Ancient Battlefield and had no time to wait here.

Resolving the undead crisis was the nation’s paramount concern, and the Changping Ancient Battlefield was critical. The sooner he went, the sooner he could contribute. Naturally, Wang Zhiwu found it difficult to refuse.

Indeed, after a brief pause, Wang Zhiwu nodded. “Very well. Since you are going to see Ziwei anyway, I trust she will have no objections after meeting you.”

He then looked at Zhang Ziying with a smile. “In that case, Ziying, pack your things and go with Yunfei. Train diligently; do not disappoint the nation’s hopes for you.”

Zhang Ziying stood happily and bowed slightly to Wang Zhiwu. “Thank you, Director. I will train hard and never slack off. I will go pack now.”

“Go ahead.”

With a smile in her eyes, Zhang Ziying glanced at Li Yunfei and briskly turned toward her dormitory.

Li Yunfei expressed his gratitude. “Thank you for your kindness, Senior.”

“No need for thanks,” Wang Zhiwu replied with a wave of his hand. Then he smiled at He Ming. “These two young people are extraordinarily gifted and brilliant. They are destined to be a divine couple, envied by all.”

“Hehehe…”

...

Zhang Ziying quickly packed her belongings, which were few—just some casual clothes, no cosmetics, all fitting into a small travel bag.

When she was a police officer, she rarely wore makeup. Since beginning her cultivation, it was as if she had been reborn, her natural beauty enhanced; makeup would only spoil her innate charm.

Since entering the academy, she seldom wore casual clothes, mostly dressed in the white youth Zhongshan uniform.

But now, having left the academy, she need not wear the uniform except for formal occasions or gatherings of Zixiao members.

Once ready, Li Yunfei took his leave with He Ming, driving to the Zixiao branch in Baling.

Every prefectural-level district hosts a Zixiao branch equipped with helicopters to quickly deploy personnel throughout the area.

He Ming, a member of the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches, holds the highest authority and can summon helicopters at any time.

The helicopters used by Zixiao are not ordinary military aircraft but are code-named “Cloud Dragon,” model WZ-45 (fictional), heavily armed and fast.

They cruise at 520 km/h, can reach a top speed of 558 km/h, and have a maximum range of 1680 km, surpassing earlier models like the “Thunderbolt” WZ-10 and “Black Whirlwind” WZ-19.

Although both He Ming and Li Yunfei can fly by sword, the straight-line distance from Baling to the Changping Ancient Battlefield is over 700 kilometers. Flying there personally would leave them drained of spiritual power upon arrival.

Taking the helicopter is slower but still fast. The time saved allows for some restoration of cultivation, enough for several round trips by helicopter.

At the Xiangshan District Baling branch, He Ming explained the situation, and the branch leader promptly instructed the pilots to prepare.

The Zixiao helicopters stand out with their purple-gold paint scheme, unlike the military green of army aircraft.

On both sides of the fuselage are inscribed Bagua diagrams and talisman arrays, consecrated by Zixiao masters to dispel evil spirits, ward off ghosts, and defend against certain energy attacks.

The pilots and ground crew quickly completed pre-flight preparations. He Ming led Li Yunfei and the others aboard. Before boarding, Li Yunfei waved to store away his car.

The storage capacity was undeniable; it would be revealed sooner or later, so he might as well show it openly.

He repeated the same explanation about the internal spatial storage, dismissing He Ming’s assumption that he possessed secret arts like “pocket dimensions.”

Magical arts can be taught and learned; innate abilities cannot.

The helicopter flew steadily. After more than an hour, Zhang Ziying suddenly pointed ahead.

“Da Fei, look.”

Li Yunfei turned and focused, inwardly startled. He muttered, “Such dense tainted energy, gathered into a cloud, turning this place into a realm of the dead.”

Ahead, dark clouds shrouded a vast area, spanning at least several hundred square kilometers, blotting out the sunlight completely.

These were no rain clouds but clouds of yin energy, malevolent qi, and other foul vapors rising skyward.

Within this shroud, yang energy was nearly absent, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was thoroughly corrupted.

Living cultivators within this zone must spend far more time and effort to refine spiritual energy, with diminished returns.

Conversely, practitioners of demonic and ghostly paths, zombies, and specters found their cultivation greatly enhanced in such places.

He Ming explained, “This is a classic case of quantitative change leading to qualitative change. The local magnetic field has been utterly altered by the massive numbers of yin soldiers and ghost generals. The world of the living is becoming a nether realm.”

“If they are not contained and allowed to roam freely, slaughtering the living, more souls will be assimilated, and the yin realm will gradually expand, encroaching upon the living world.”

“Ultimately, the entire Blue Earth Star will be enveloped in these dark clouds, transformed completely into a ghost domain.”

The group felt a chill at He Ming’s grim words. The consequences were terrifying, but thankfully, the nation had Zixiao.

Curious, Zhang Ziying asked, “How does Zixiao prevent the yin soldiers and ghost generals from spreading?”

He Ming sighed. “We must thank Ziwei’s foresight. At the early stages of the ancient battlefield’s mutation, the awakening yin soldiers were few, and no dark cloud had formed yet.”

“They stayed underground during the day and avoided appearing at night, not wanting to alert cultivators.”

“But the increasing yin energy attracted countless wandering souls and wild ghosts, eventually alerting Zixiao.”

“After a personal inspection, Ziwei decisively relocated nearby residents and erected massive formations to completely isolate the ancient battlefield area. Look down there.”

Li Yunfei, Zhang Ziying, and Honghong all peered out the window. When they saw the scene below, they were deeply shaken.