Sage of Humanity

However, when you think about it, it's not surprising. The battlefield marking of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge is exchanged from the Hall of Battle Merits. Although it only lasts for four hours, it still has its intended effect.

In a way, it is a true battlefield marking of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge.

Passing through the restriction monitoring of Ten Thousand Demons City is naturally not a problem.

The woman must have visited Ten Thousand Demons City many times, and she flew in one direction with familiarity.

In no time, they landed in a small courtyard.

She turned to Tong Shuyao: "I'll heal my wounds first, you two can go on your own." As she said this, she gave Tong Shuyao a look.

"Yes, Master Uncle!" Tong Shuyao responded respectfully, understanding the hint.

After the woman left, Tong Shuyao looked at Lu Ye: "Junior Brother Taibai, since it's your first time here in Ten Thousand Demons City, shall I show you around?"

Lu Ye was about to refuse, but then reconsidered and nodded, "Alright, I'll trouble Senior Sister Tong then."

"Let's go, no need to be polite."

The situation in Ten Thousand Demons City is not much different from that in Haotian City. At this stage, the number of cultivators in Ten Thousand Demons City is not too many, which is normal.

Occasionally, you can see figures of strong cultivators in the Divine Sea Realm flying back and forth.

Tong Shuyao led Lu Ye around Ten Thousand Demons City for a while before she spoke, "Junior Brother Taibai, although you come from the Unparalleled Continent, now that you've arrived in the Nine Provinces and joined Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, you should eventually join the provincial guard. Upon entering, you can build your career and earn battle merits. The sooner, the better."

She had previously received a hint from the woman, as her purpose here was to monitor Lu Ye and also find a way to persuade him.

For herself, she naturally hoped that this Junior Brother Li Taibai could join the provincial guard and serve under Master Uncle.

Although with the woman's means and cultivation, she could force Lu Ye to join the provincial guard, it's always better to have him agree willingly.

"Senior Sister Tong is right." Lu Ye responded verbally, but he was contemplating. In this situation, it seemed impossible to leave easily, which was quite troublesome.

Tong Shuyao was sticking to him like a leech, not leaving him at all. If he made any rash moves, she would likely inform the woman immediately.

Wondering silently: "Ten Thousand Demons Ridge is full of talents, why does your Master Uncle specifically want me?"

"My Master Uncle has sharp eyes!" Tong Shuyao laughed, her face slightly red. She couldn't possibly tell Lu Ye it was because she pleaded.

Lu Ye thought it was because he'd performed well and caught the eye of the Divine Sea Realm woman, not realizing it was his handsome looks causing trouble.

Tong Shuyao and the woman, though in a master and niece relationship, were actually close like mother and daughter. Previously in the tent, Tong Shuyao had pleaded for this, and the woman naturally agreed.

Adding that Lu Ye had indeed performed well and had enough cultivation, joining the provincial guard was more than sufficient.

Initially, she thought that by personally inviting him, Lu Ye would be immensely grateful, but to her surprise, he didn't give a direct response, making her quite displeased.

"I'd like to visit the Heaven's Augury Hall to buy some cultivation necessities. Could Senior Sister Tong accompany me?" Lu Ye asked.

"This way." Tong Shuyao, with her hands behind her back, hopped ahead cheerfully, looking in a very good mood, seemingly unaffected by the death of a few True Lake cultivators earlier.

They soon arrived at a Heaven's Augury Hall, where Lu Ye placed his hand on the Heaven's Augury Pillar, entered the Hall of Battle Merits, and exchanged for a refill of a battlefield marking of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge.

Only then did his heart settle.

As he walked out of the Heaven's Augury Hall, he saw Tong Shuyao waiting, and he approached her, saying, "Senior Sister Tong, please inform your Master Uncle that I am willing to join the provincial guard and serve under her command."

He realized that since some things couldn't be avoided, he must face them head-on.

Moreover, from another perspective, this may not be a bad thing.

If he could indeed join the provincial guard of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, it would make it easier to gather intelligence on their side, and at certain times, it could be unexpectedly useful.

Ordinarily, the Haotian Alliance would go through great lengths to plant a spy in Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, but the opportunity here was readily available, and not utilizing it would be a waste.

"Really?" Tong Shuyao was visibly pleased.

Lu Ye nodded, "Really."

"That's great, but you'll have to wait for two days. Master Uncle is healing; I'll inform her the first moment she's out."

On the way back, Tong Shuyao's mood was even more cheerful, singing little tunes with a smile that didn't leave her face.

Back at the courtyard, they each rested.

During the next two days, Tong Shuyao frequently sought out Lu Ye, much to his resignation.

Two days later, the woman emerged from her healing, and Tong Shuyao indeed reported Lu Ye's willingness to join the provincial guard at the first opportunity. The woman's gaze towards Lu Ye then softened considerably, and she called out, "Follow me."

Lu Ye had previously had the experience of joining a provincial guard on the Haotian Alliance side, but he didn't expect to go through it again so soon, this time joining the provincial guard of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge.

The procedure wasn't much different from the Haotian Alliance's side.

First, go to the Recruitment Department for registration and receive a guard token, then use the battle merit panel to calculate battle merits and determine rank.

Logically, verifying one's identity is necessary for registration. For Nine Provinces cultivators, this is not difficult and can be clarified with a few messages.

But for the identity of Li Taibai, who hails from the Unparalleled Continent and is an independent cultivator with no evidence, it's very challenging for the Recruitment Department to verify.

With the woman as a guarantor, the matter was left unresolved.

As for the identity of Li Taibai, naturally, it hadn't accrued any battle merit, so when Lu Ye activated the battlefield marking of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge and tested it on the battle merit panel, it showed a white glow.

Logically, Lu Ye could only start from the most basic rank of foot soldier.

But since Lu Ye had the cultivation of the True Lake Realm, he was granted the rank of Major.

This rule is the same as over at the Haotian Alliance; the realm of a True Lake cultivator is evident, and at the very least, they are a Major. Of course, if Lu Ye wants to be promoted further in military rank, he will need to accumulate a basic amount of battle merit.

Following the woman out of the Recruitment Department, Lu Ye's feelings were complex.

This situation turned out to be quite a mess...

Now, he technically had two official identities: one was as Lu Ye of the Righteous Blood Sect, and the second was as the independent cultivator Li Taibai from the Unparalleled Continent.

A record also appeared in the battlefield marking of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, because when Lu Ye focused his mind to probe it, the battlefield marking unexpectedly fed back some information.

Name: Li Taibai.

Identity: Independent cultivator from the Unparalleled Continent.

Cultivation: True Lake Level 3.

Location: Ten Thousand Demons City.

Merit: Zero.

Battle merit: Zero.

Previously, when Lu Ye examined his battlefield marking of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, there were no records at all, but now there were, clearly recognized by Heaven's Augury.

"Let's go; follow me back to the mountain pass." The woman called out, and this time, she did not make Lu Ye and Tong Shuyao fly but instead deployed a Flying Spirit Artifact, carrying the two out of Ten Thousand Demons City.

Normally, upon entering the provincial guard with their cultivation, the Department of Appointments would transfer them to a particular mountain pass.

But the woman was in the Divine Sea Realm and held a significant status in Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, so requesting a person from the Department of Appointments was naturally no problem. Thus Lu Ye joined the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge provincial guard, becoming one of her subordinates.

"I am Lin Yue, the Mountain Pass Chief of the Dark Moon Forest Pass under the Bright Jade Checkpoint. From now on, you will serve under me. Once we reach the mountain pass, I will bestow upon you the position of an errand officer. You and Yao'er will support each other from now on. If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask Yao'er." Lin Yue spoke.

It was only at this moment that Lu Ye learned the woman's name. Inwardly, he wondered if there really was such a role as an errand officer. When Yiyi had previously obtained this position from Nian Yuexian, Lu Ye had thought it was casually bestowed upon her. Now it seemed there truly was such a role.

"Thank you, Senior, for your care." Lu Ye bowed.

"Call me My Lord." Tong Shuyao tugged at Lu Ye's sleeve.

"Thank you, My Lord." Lu Ye complied readily.

Tong Shuyao then asked, "Master Uncle, is that wicked woman still in Liyuan? Will we encounter her?"

Lin Yue shook her head and said, "She's no longer there. News recently came; she has already fought her way out of Liyuan and returned to Cangyan Mountain Pass."

"She's truly formidable," Tong Shuyao praised.

Lu Ye's expression remained calm. He had already contacted Nian Yuexian once before, knowing her current situation. Nian Yuexian also inquired about his whereabouts and situation, but Lu Ye refrained from divulging, not because of anything specific, but to avoid causing her worry. He only mentioned that he had encountered some opportunities and would return a bit later.

Nian Yuexian didn't suspect anything; though concerned about Lu Ye's safety, she couldn't delve deeper into Liyuan.

Flying swiftly along the way, they encountered peace and quiet. Liyuan, previously bustling due to Nian Yuexian's presence, had settled into silence with her departure.

The many flying swords that had emerged from the secret realm of the Sword Weapon Sect mostly now had owners.

A strong cultivator in the Divine Sea Realm flew very fast, even if Lin Yue wasn't in a hurry. From leaving Ten Thousand Demons City, it took just two to three Shichen to reach the Dark Moon Forest Pass.

In Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, the Dark Moon Forest Pass belonged to the Bright Jade Checkpoint, while the corresponding side of the Haotian Alliance was the Sky Gate Checkpoint.

The two battle lines of the great factions faced each other from afar, entangled in endless conflict for many years.

From a distance, one could see the activity of cultivators within the city. Compared to the dilapidated state of Cangyan Mountain City, this place was far more lively.

In the two great factions, there were numerous mountain passes. Each pass had a city defense, and stationed within were three to five thousand cultivators, except for the desolate Cangyan Mountain Pass. For decades, only Nian Yuexian stood alone there, solitary.

Of course, this was due to Nian Yuexian's formidable strength.

Her abilities were ample enough to be a checkpoint lord, but since she did not favor power struggles and had her own persistence, she remained stationed at Cangyan Mountain Pass.

The recent arrival of Lu Ye brought some vitality to Cangyan Mountain Pass.

As they descended into the Dark Moon Forest Pass, cultivators immediately approached them, reporting on the recent days' troop movements and various situations.

Tong Shuyao and Lu Ye followed behind Lin Yue, step by step, silently listening to orders.

After a moment, Lin Yue waved her hand, and the cultivators who came to report retreated respectfully.

Turning around, Lin Yue instructed Tong Shuyao, "Take him down to settle in."

"Yes," acknowledged Tong Shuyao.