"Who is the new Commander? Let him come out and give us an explanation!"

"How can he dismiss us all as soon as he arrives!? The Defense Division isn't run solely by his Riverside Sect."

"Exactly! We could have accepted a new Commander from the Riverside Sect, but... what have we done wrong to be dismissed and lose our monthly salaries?"

"Is he looking down on cultivators of humble origins like us, just because he comes from a prominent sect?"

"Listen here, Shen lad..."

"If we don't get an explanation today, don't blame us for tearing down the Defense Division!"

"..."

Under the leadership of five Qi Gathering Realm cultivators, the other dismissed cultivators continued to clamor. There was even a sign that someone might make the first move to dismantle the Defense Division.

Like left and right door guardians, Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu, both Body Tempering Realm cultivators, guarded the entrance of the Defense Division. Although they managed to prevent an intrusion, they were under immense pressure. Beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads.

"Hasn't Mr. Tian gone to inform the Commander? Why hasn't Master Shen shown up yet?"

"With such a commotion, how could a Commander of his cultivation level not be aware? I'm afraid he…" Zhu Dahai didn't finish his sentence, but Ji Gu understood his unspoken meaning.

Zhu Dahai felt that this Master Shen might be getting cold feet about facing this situation.

Then, Ji Gu heard Zhu Dahai's Divine Sense transmission: "Master Shen's cultivation level should be at Layer V of the Qi Gathering Realm."

"Look at the Qi Gathering Realm cultivators causing trouble: one is at Layer VI, and another is at Layer VII."

"The other three aren't much weaker than Master Shen in terms of realm!"

"Not to mention there are more than twenty Body Tempering Realm cultivators. Working together, they could even kill a middle-stage Qi Gathering Realm cultivator."

"If Master Shen dares to come out, I'm afraid he'll be attacked the moment he shows his face."

Sigh... I thought he had some ability. Turns out, he's no better than the last two Commanders. Another one who overestimates his capabilities!

Although Ji Gu sensed Shen Mo was different from the previous two Commanders, he couldn't think of anything to refute Zhu Dahai at this moment. He could only remain sullen-faced and silent.

Currently, they were the only two Body Tempering Realm cultivators in the entire Defense Division. No matter how diligently they performed their duties, they could not stop the troublemakers led by the five Qi Gathering Realm cultivators.

In the next instant, Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu were sent flying into the Defense Division's main courtyard by a powerful force. They didn't even see which Qi Gathering Realm cultivator had attacked!

"Fellow Daoists, since that Shen lad doesn't want to give us an explanation, we don't need to be polite!"

"Smash what needs smashing, move what needs moving! Don't leave him a single brick or Spirit Stone!"

Even a wrecked ship has some good iron left. Although the Hongye City Defense Division was dilapidated, if one searched hard enough, they could still find something of value. These troublemaking cultivators intended to dismantle the simple Formations, empty the Treasure Hall, and tear down all the buildings. This way, they could not only teach the new Commander a lesson but also compensate for their lost monthly salaries.

Just as they were about to make their move, a terrifying sword intent suddenly rose from within the Defense Division.

"Universal Wrath Tide!"

Following a cold, low shout, sword Qi surged forth. The cultivators who had barged into the Defense Division stumbled uncontrollably, as if facing a raging tidal wave.

The leading five Qi Gathering Realm cultivators reacted quickly. They quickly took out Flying Swords, magic artifacts, talismans, and similar items. They either cast magic or used these external objects to try and neutralize the turbulent sword Qi.

"BANG!"

"BANG!"

"BANG!"

One after another, the talismans, magical techniques, and their own sword Qi all shattered. Their bodies, along with the magic artifacts they had deployed, were sent tumbling backward as if struck by a massive wave.

As for the Body Tempering Realm cultivators, it was even worse. Without the slightest ability to resist, they were blasted out of the Defense Division's main courtyard by the sword Qi, one after another!

Only Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu remained in the courtyard, watching this scene in utter shock.

They couldn't understand why this sword style was so powerful. Nearly thirty cultivators were present; among them, two were no weaker than Master Shen, and the other three were also Qi Gathering Realm cultivators. Faced with this sword style, they were utterly powerless to resist, not even for a single exchange!

What was even more incomprehensible was that Master Shen had unleashed such terrifying sword Qi with apparent ease, as if it weighed nothing. A single sword strike sent nearly thirty cultivators flying, yet Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu themselves were completely unharmed, not even a hair out of place!

Zhu Dahai and Ji Gu exchanged a look, both seeing the unconcealable shock on each other's faces. It wasn't just them; the cultivators from local factions who were secretly observing were also stunned.

After a brief silence, Divine Sense transmissions and talisman messages flew back and forth with increasing fervor.

"This is the strength of a Riverside Sect Elite Disciple? Senior Tian, you're from the Riverside Sect, can you explain this to us?"

"Such strength, such Skills... I fear no one beneath the Spirit Sea Realm could restrain him."

"But this Master Shen only has a cultivation of Qi Gathering Realm Layer V. If he were to advance to the late-stage Qi Gathering Realm, could he actually slay Spirit Sea Realm cultivators?"

"That's not necessarily true! You cannot comprehend the power of the Spirit Sea Realm unless you've reached it. No matter how strong a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator is, they can only dominate those at the same level!"

"So what? With such strength, if he wants to consolidate power and supervise the grain supply, can you stop him?"

"What's there to fear? Don't the Tian Clan, Gold Toad Tower, and Thriving Gold Sect all have Spirit Sea Realm Seniors? Can a mere Qi Gathering Realm cultivator really overturn the heavens?"

Patriarch Tian, Tian Hong of the Tian Clan, maintained a calm expression as he faced the barrage of inquiries via Divine Sense and talisman messages. After Tian Kang and Shi Xiaoqian had tested Shen Mo, he already knew this young man's Skills were formidable. Now that he wanted to rally the various factions to continue sidelining the Defense Division, he had to respond.

"This Master Shen is no ordinary disciple!"

"He hails from Stars Peak of the Riverside Sect. Although he didn't become Zhou Shili's direct disciple, he has earned his favor."

"If my intelligence is accurate, he should have also mastered Zhou Shili's famous magical technique, the Constellation Great Hand Seal."

"Furthermore, at the Tianshan Grand Selection, this young man defeated all the prodigies from the Five Great Sects."

"He even ascended 736 steps of the Immortal Staircase..."

"He broke the record for ascending the Immortal Staircase previously set by Fairy Pei Yu and has been hailed as a cultivation genius seen only once in decades!"

"I've said all this not to make you feel discouraged."

"Rather, it's to make you all understand that this young man must not be treated as an ordinary Qi Gathering Realm cultivator!"

"If we are careless and allow him to restore the prestige of the Hongye City Defense Division, we will no longer be able to live as leisurely as we do today."

The response from Patriarch Tian naturally stirred another wave of astonishment. Soon, many influential figures from various factions declared their intention to stand with local powers like the Tian Clan, Gold Toad Tower, and Thriving Gold Sect. Their aim was to drive this Master Shen back to the Riverside Sect!

However, who could truly guess their real thoughts? Even Tian Hong didn't expect all the cultivation families within the city and the small immortal sects outside it to actually present a united front. If they could truly achieve such unity, the Five Great Sects wouldn't have needed to establish a Defense Division garrison in Hongye City during the Heavenly Demon invasion a hundred years ago!

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