Hired

Luo Feng was somewhat surprised. The Jiujiang Marquis, who had previously been reluctant to make such an offer, was finally swayed by the abilities Luo Feng displayed during his confrontation with the Heart Shadow Sect. Such a substantial amount of universe sand was indeed crucial for Luo Feng.

"If the Marquis is willing to offer one billion universe sand, I naturally agree to join the Marquis' army," Luo Feng said.

"Hahaha, good!" The Jiujiang Marquis nodded in satisfaction. "Do you want the one billion universe sand transferred to your account at the Yan Feng Pavilion, or do you want it handed over to you directly?"

"Just give it to me directly," Luo Feng replied.

"Alright, I'll personally deliver it to you within three days," the Marquis promised, raising his cup to Morosa beside him. "Let's drink together!"

Luo Feng and Morosa raised their cups in unison.

"When this employment ends, it will be after the Heart Shadow Sect has completely withdrawn, correct?" Luo Feng asked. Given that the territories of the Liuyin Marquis and the Jiujiang Marquis were adjacent, even if this conflict ended, it was likely that there would be future provocations.

"The employment will end when the Heart Shadow Sect completely withdraws. The longest it will last is no more than ten eras!" the Jiujiang Marquis assured him.

Luo Feng understood and raised his cup, "To the Marquis!"

The Jiujiang Marquis was in high spirits. Although he had spent a significant sum, it had greatly strengthened his forces.

After the banquet ended, the Jiujiang Marquis ordered a servant, "Escort Luo He and his servant to their residence."

"Yes," the servant responded promptly.

Luo Feng and Morosa stood up and followed the servant to their temporary residence in the small city.

Once the building was empty, the Jiujiang Marquis sat alone.

"Father," a figure in blue stepped out from the shadows. He was a young man who bore a strong resemblance to the Marquis. "Spending a billion universe sand on this Luo He seems excessive. We only spent six hundred million universe sand to hire General Yue."

The Jiujiang Marquis glanced at his son and shook his head. "The strength Luo He displayed before wasn't worth such a high price. But in this recent battle, his Chaos-level peak willpower has proved invaluable on the battlefield."

"With him here, those hundred or so colossal mechanical treasures are practically neutralized, unable to rampage freely. If they encounter Luo He, even if they form a battle array, they'll be sent to their deaths," the Marquis explained.

The young man nodded in realization. "Indeed, the Six-Shadow Killing Formation was formed by six colossal mechanical treasures. In direct combat, they could have held Luo He at bay. But under the pressure of his willpower, five of the six treasures lost their ability to resist and were easily swept aside by Luo He."

"Willpower has a special effectiveness in large-scale battles," the Jiujiang Marquis mused. "For an Eternal True God to possess Chaos-level peak willpower... it's extraordinary! I've cultivated for countless eras, yet my willpower is only at the peak Chaos level."

The young man nodded. "With Luo He on our side, those colossal mechanical treasures will have to hide within their formations, significantly reducing their threat."

"And don't forget, he also has a servant. How can a servant stand idly by when his master is in danger?" the Marquis laughed. "We hired one and got another for free."

The young man agreed. With this in mind, the billion universe sand seemed well-spent.

"Father, when will we take action?" the young man asked.

"Our forces aren't sufficient yet. We'll wait a bit longer," the Jiujiang Marquis replied. He had already sent a divine power avatar to the capital to personally request reinforcements.

Originally, the power difference between the Liuyin Chaos State and the Jiujiang Chaos State wasn't significant. But the involvement of the Heart Shadow Sect, with its God-King-level foundation, had tipped the scales. The Jiujiang Marquis needed to secure additional support, as relying solely on Luo He and his servant wouldn't be enough.

Luo Feng and Morosa's temporary residence was a grand abode spanning over a hundred thousand kilometers, well-appointed and elegant.

In the cultivation chamber of the residence, Luo Feng sat cross-legged. A divine power avatar of Luo Feng descended within the Star Tower.

"Thank you, Lord Luo," said the many cultivators who had been rescued, gathered together.

"Everyone," Luo Feng addressed them, "My friendship with Brother Shang is deep, and when Old Qiu asked for my help, I only managed to rescue those in the nine blacksmith shops. I couldn't do anything for the other disciples of the Tianyan Sect."

There were many disciples of the Tianyan Sect scattered across various locations, and Luo Feng could only save those in the nine largest blacksmith shops.

"To save the nine blacksmith shops in the face of the Heart Shadow Sect is already a great favor to the disciples of the Tianyan Sect," said Uncle Qiu, a metal lifeform, who was visibly moved, feeling that Luo He had done too much for them.

"And to all the guests who were at the blacksmith shops," Luo Feng continued, "I took you out of Huyang City to protect you during the battle. If you wish to return to Huyang City, I will send you back after the war ends."

"We're not in a hurry."

"We're willing to follow you, Lord Luo."

"Lord Luo has shown us great kindness."

These guests, many of whom were Void True Gods and True Gods, struggled to survive in Huyang City. If they could associate themselves with Lord Luo He, it would be a stroke of great fortune.

After comforting the cultivators, Luo Feng met with the Dream Flower Pavilion Master, Aroya, and the Moyu family.

"Thank you, Lord Luo, for saving my life," the Dream Flower Pavilion Master said gratefully.

"It wasn't exactly a matter of life and death," Luo Feng smiled. "The Heart Shadow Sect likely wouldn't have killed you."

The Dream Flower Pavilion Master shook her head. "Someone like me, who only knows how to play musical illusions, would have lost all my treasures without your help. I might have even been captured by the Heart Shadow Sect's higher-ups and forced to be a court musician, or worse, a plaything."

If she had been willing to become a musician or a plaything, she wouldn't have come to Huyang City to open the Dream Flower Pavilion. Many powerful families were more than willing to take in Eternal True God-level musicians.

"You must continue to cultivate. Relying on yourself is the only long-term solution," Luo Feng advised.

"Is cultivation that easy?" The Dream Flower Pavilion Master sighed, while Aroya, standing beside her, felt even more complicated. As a Void True God of the Chiba Vine family, her musical illusions were far inferior to those of the Pavilion Master.

"As long as you keep accumulating, you will eventually gain something. Aroya, you must also work hard," Luo Feng said with a smile as he glanced at Aroya.

"Yes," Aroya nodded.

Luo Feng then turned to the Moyu family: Moyu Qingyan, Moyu Liewen, and the pregnant Moyu Yuchang.

"Thank you, Lord Luo, for saving our Moyu family," Moyu Liewen said gratefully.

Luo Feng sighed, "Moyu Liuxing was very clever, but it's unfortunate he met this disaster."

Moyu Yuchang was the most sorrowful at this moment. The death of her mentor, Shang Tianyan, had already been a massive blow, and now her husband, Moyu Liuxing, was also gone. The only thing keeping her going was the child in her womb, her last connection to this world.

"Thank you, Lord Luo, for avenging Liuxing," Moyu Yuchang said, her voice filled with gratitude.

In another layer of space within the Star Tower.

Luo Feng had walked a long road in his cultivation journey, witnessing countless joys and sorrows along the way. Even he had experienced many moments where he was powerless.

In the distance, several Chaos-layer creatures were joyfully flying about. These fifteen creatures, captured by Luo Feng over five eras, each contained complete Chaos Laws.

The fifteen Chaos-layer creatures belonged to six different species.

For example, the Silverlight species, of which Luo Feng had captured three, were composed of 108, 397, and 1,091 silver droplets, respectively. The other species each had their own characteristics.

Studying these creatures deepened Luo Feng's understanding of the Chaos Laws.

"So far, I've comprehended a total of sixteen Chaos-level techniques, and I can even combine them," Luo Feng thought. It was like some rare mechanical treasures that contained several Chaos-level techniques, which could be combined to significantly enhance their power.

"Despite accumulating so much, I still haven't grasped the Chaos Laws," Luo Feng felt the difficulty of his situation.

It was as if the Chaos Laws were right in front of him, clearly visible, yet when he reached out to touch them, they eluded him. He just couldn't fully comprehend them, always feeling like he was missing something.

"I'm so close."

"When I mastered ten Chaos-level techniques, I felt like I was just a step away from grasping the Chaos Laws. Now that I've mastered sixteen techniques, I still feel like I'm just a step away."

Luo Feng, with his extraordinary talent and a vast godly body, possessed a powerful soul! Combined with his God-King-level willpower, Luo Feng's comprehension speed was naturally very high.

Even so, comprehending the Chaos Laws felt grueling.

He always felt like he was just a step away.

"As long as I keep accumulating, I'll eventually succeed," Luo Feng thought as he sat down cross-legged, focusing on his comprehension.

Time passed day by day.

Huyang City gradually returned to peace, though the Void True Gods and Eternal True Gods within the city had been thoroughly plundered, leaving the Heart Shadow Sect with considerable profit.

In the highest mountain peak of the Chaos Armor District.

The Heart Shadow Sect Master and the eighteen elders gathered, all looking towards the City Lord's Mansion.

"Sect Master, shouldn't we take some casualties and break through the City Lord's Mansion?" one-eyed elder suggested.

"What's the rush?"

The Heart Shadow Sect Master stared at the distant City Lord's Mansion. "We have completely sealed off the City Lord's Mansion. They can't get out and pose no threat to us."

"The City Lord's Mansion is the core of Huyang City. This super-large city, built by generations of rulers, is a terrifying super-large mechanical city," the one-eyed elder said. "If a formation master takes control of this super-large mechanical city, they could wield immense power."

"Jiujiang Marquis will likely send a formation master to the City Lord's Mansion," the Heart Shadow Sect Master observed. "All we need to do is wait patiently and intercept them as they arrive."

By leaving the City Lord's Mansion intact, they could intercept any reinforcements.

"We've set up a grand formation that completely traps the City Lord's Mansion. Any formation masters who come to support them can be intercepted and killed. But I still think we should take the City Lord's Mansion early. That way, the Jiujiang Marquis won't be able to control Huyang City," the one-eyed elder argued.

Elder Xinyan spoke up, "I agree with the Sect Master. Intercepting formation masters is key! After attacking Huyang City, we'll have to take Xuyin City next. Eventually, we may even be forced to attack Jiujiang City!"

"There are three large cities, and it's unlikely the Jiujiang Marquis will be able to invite more than one top formation master from outside. Killing formation masters is far more important than taking the City Lord's Mansion," Elder Xinyan stated.

"Without formation masters, the three large cities pose no threat," the Heart Shadow Sect Master concluded.

Large cities were perfected over many generations, and even the previous divine kingdoms of the Yu Kingdom had fortified the cities.

Thus, each large city had extremely complex formations.

The higher the formation master's skill, the more power they could wield from a large city's formations. In terms of potential, it even surpassed the Heart Shadow Sect's "Great Destruction Formation."