Soon, a large contingent of monks entered the headquarters, led by three: Heavenly Thunder Chan Master, Sky Slaying Chan Master, and Sky Annihilation Chan Master.
"Young Master Su, I am ashamed," Sky Annihilation Chan Master sighed as soon as he saw Ye Yunfei. "Had I known the Eastern Wasteland Army would prove so fragile, I should have left Tianbai City with you back then and joined the Tianxuan Army sooner. I could have avoided that futile effort."
Indeed, in Tianbai City when Dongfang Bo was troubling Ye Yunfei and Lü Yugang, Sky Annihilation Chan Master had stepped forward to speak up for Ye Yunfei. However, he ultimately led his Great Thunderclap Monastery contingent to join the Eastern Wasteland Army. That army later suffered a crushing defeat against the Corpse World forces, and the Great Thunderclap Monastery's men also suffered casualties.
"It's not too late to join now. Welcome to the Tianxuan Army," Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
"Young Master Su, what's our next move? The Corpse World is running rampant across the Eastern Barrens, conquering or annihilating factions almost daily. Those who are wiped out have all their people slaughtered and their corpses taken away... it's a tragedy. The sooner we act, the better," Heavenly Thunder Chan Master said to Ye Yunfei.
"We will set off immediately," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought. "We will annihilate all Corpse World forces we encounter on our path and advance directly to the Zhao Family headquarters."
"Good!" Heavenly Thunder Chan Master nodded.
"Elder Ning, how many Life Palace Realm puppets do you have in your possession?" Ye Yunfei summoned Ning Zhongqi and asked.
"From initial stage to perfection, roughly over ten thousand. It hasn't been easy for us in the Puppet Hall these past days; I've been taking the disciples in and out of your spatial treasure to work day and night refining these puppets," Ning Zhongqi replied.
"Not bad at all. Your Puppet Hall has worked hard," Ye Yunfei said with a satisfied nod.
Indeed, Ning Zhongqi had frequently been taking his disciples into the Phantom Tower lately.
"As for Heavenly Sea Realm and Heavenly Position Realm puppets, I have about seventy to eighty thousand," Ning Zhongqi added. "They're all here."
With a wave of his hand, numerous small black cloth bags flew out, densely covering the ground before Ye Yunfei. Each bag contained many puppets. Ye Yunfei stored them all away.
Shortly after, a contingent arrived at the Ziwei Sect headquarters, and Ye Yunfei went out personally with the old wizard to greet them.
The Earth Core Race forces had arrived! To his pleasant surprise, Ye Yunfei discovered that the Earth Core Race's strength was no weaker than that of any major faction in the Eastern Barrens!
"Set out!" Half a day later, Ye Yunfei gave the order, and the mighty Tianxuan Army marched forth from the Ziwei Sect headquarters.
The Tianxuan Army was composed of forces from over a dozen factions, including the Ziwei Sect, Four Directions Trading House, Great Thunderclap Monastery, Clear Breeze Temple, Earth Kill, Earth Core Race, Lin Clan, Peach Moon Hermitage, and more! Each was a faction with impressive lineage and a cohort of powerful experts!
"Where has Young Master Su found all these powerful forces?" Heavenly Thunder Chan Master, Sky Slaying Chan Master, Sky Annihilation Chan Master, and other experts of the Great Thunderclap Monastery couldn't help but be secretly astonished as they observed the powerful comrades marching alongside them. Before coming, they had thought the so-called Tianxuan Army was merely composed of the Four Directions Trading House and Ziwei Sect; they hadn't expected this host of unfamiliar, powerful reinforcements!
Lü Yugang and the other Four Directions Trading House leaders had already known about them, so they weren't particularly surprised.
*RUMBLE!*
Before the Ziwei Sect headquarters, several dozen flying ships formed a daunting line. Squads of troops boarded the ships, then with a simultaneous tremor, the entire fleet shot into the sky, flying toward the distance.
The Tianxuan Army's campaign had officially begun!
"Report! Ahead lies Huangshi City. It has been occupied by Corpse World forces. All inhabitants of the city have been slaughtered. It is now a Corpse World outpost," a scout hurriedly reported, a little past noon the next day.
"Young Master Su, allow our Earth Kill to take the vanguard in this first battle! Consider it our gratitude for the kindness you've shown our organization!" An old man with unremarkable features but blazingly sharp eyes stepped forward from the ranks and addressed Ye Yunfei.
This old man was Hall Master Mu of Earth Kill!
"Hall Master Mu, you cannot have the credit for the first battle all to yourselves! Our Lin Clan requests to fight as well!" A scholarly-looking middle-aged man strode out, his voice clear. This man was the current Patriarch of the Lin Clan! The Lin Clan was once a great clan of the Eastern Barrens, said to be even stronger than the Zhao Family in ancient times. However, for some reason, they later withdrew from the world until Ye Yunfei recently invited them to emerge from seclusion.
"Patriarch Lin, are you contending with our Earth Kill for this merit?!" Hall Master Mu asked discontentedly.
"Haha, Hall Master Mu, Patriarch Lin, why not this: both of you take the field together and wipe out the Corpse World forces in Huangshi City. How about it?" Ye Yunfei suggested with a laugh. "Also, send these puppets in first. It'll minimize casualties."
With a wave of his hand, Ye Yunfei took out a batch of corpse sacks and released over ten thousand puppets, who stood in densely packed ranks before him.
"Alright. Since Young Master Su has spoken, we will proceed as you wish!" Hall Master Mu nodded in agreement.
Hall Master Mu led the Earth Kill forces, and the Lin Clan Patriarch led his clan's troops. Moving simultaneously, they charged toward the Huangshi City ahead. The over ten thousand puppets charged at the forefront of the formation, bristling with murderous intent.
"Who are you people?! This is territory of our Corpse World…" Three Dao Origin Realm experts from the Corpse World rushed out from Huangshi City. Seeing a large force surging toward them to attack, they were both shocked and enraged, letting out furious roars.
"Die!"
The experts of Earth Kill and the Lin Clan wasted absolutely no time on words; they charged straight at them and struck!
"Dare to provoke our Corpse World?! You are dead!" the Corpse World Dao Origin Realm experts roared.
More Corpse World soldiers poured out from Huangshi City like a tide. The two sides immediately clashed in fierce combat.
Although the Corpse World forces were powerful, they had been spreading their strength too thin, storming across the Eastern Barrens and capturing cities everywhere. The garrison in Huangshi City only consisted of those three Dao Origin Realm experts.
Under the combined assault of Earth Kill and Lin Clan experts, those three Dao Origin Realm masters couldn't hold out for long. One after another, they were slain.
"The life force and blood of these Dao Origin Realm experts must not go to waste," Ye Yunfei thought. Following his intent, his Blood Clan Clone rushed over and began devouring the lifeblood left by the three dead experts.
The rest of the Corpse World forces, under the onslaught of Earth Kill, the Lin Clan, and the over ten thousand puppets, quickly crumbled.
The corpse soldiers, refined from dead bodies, had no life or consciousness, so they fought fearlessly and with terrifying combat prowess. However, these puppets were the same! Thus, the corpse soldiers' advantage was completely negated by the ten thousand puppets.
Half an hour later.
"Young Master Su, the Corpse World forces in Huangshi City have been wiped out!" Hall Master Mu and the Lin Clan Patriarch returned to stand before Ye Yunfei.
"Excellent! Our Tianxuan Army's first battle starts with a success!" Ye Yunfei said with a pleased smile. "Next, we continue forward, sweeping across the Eastern Barrens! Annihilate every Corpse World force we encounter!"
After that, the Tianxuan Army advanced like a rolling avalanche, hunting down Corpse World troops everywhere across the Eastern Barrens. Wherever they went, ghostly wails and wolfish howls rose as they annihilated batch after batch of Corpse World forces!