Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Patrol
 

Walking on the country path, Wang Chen looked back.

He had already covered some distance from the Yi Ten Defense Area, but he could still see the faint white brilliance of the Daylight Column emanating from the lookout tower, like a lighthouse in the darkness, bringing people a warm hope.

“Keep up.”

The team’s deputy, Guo Ping, said from behind, “Don’t fall behind.”

Tonight was the Night Patrol Team’s first patrol, with Yao Mingjie leading the way at the front, and seven new night watchmen, including Wang Chen, closely following him.

Guo Ping was responsible for bringing up the rear.

“Yes.”

Wang Chen withdrew his gaze, continuing his walk without stopping.

If the Cloud Sun Sect were considered a country, then the Combat Hall would be its armed forces, and the Punishment Hall would be its judicial system.

The Guard Hall, on the other hand, was akin to the police force, responsible for the security work within the mountain gate area.

As for the Defense Area, it was similar to a local police station.

The night watchmen affiliated with the Defense Area were equivalent to patrolling policemen.

These were all official positions.

The temporarily conscripted Wang Chen and the others could at best be considered auxiliary police.

Newbies on night duty had varying feelings.

Some were excited and thrilled, others were uneasy and apprehensive, and some were extremely cautious…

Yao Mingjie, the team leader, didn’t care about the rookies’ emotions.

He strode ahead, and after covering some distance, he raised his hand to cast a brightness technique.

The Spiritual Light soared, illuminating a large area around them.

Then Guo Ping quickened his pace to catch up and explained to everyone that it was to scout for evil wraiths and magical creatures lurking in the darkness.

Compared to the tight-lipped Yao Mingjie, this deputy chattered non-stop along the way.

It made him seem somewhat talkative.

In fact, most of the content he talked about was recorded in “Night Watch Discourse.”

Some members grew impatient, letting it go in one ear and out the other.

But Wang Chen took it to heart.

He saw it as a review.

There are two main dangers that night watchmen may encounter—thief cultivators and evil wraiths!

Firstly, the thief cultivators.

The Outer Domain was fraught with danger, and most Loose Cultivators lived hard and precarious lives.

Many Loose Cultivators, in order to survive, resorted to banditry, robbing homes and terrorizing the countryside.

These Thief Cultivators didn’t dare to cause trouble in the heavily defended Immortal City, so they sneaked into the peripheral regions of the mountain gate to plunder the farmers.

Now, with the summer harvest imminent, it was the time when Thief Cultivators started to grow active.

Thief Cultivators were often fierce and aggressive, as well as extremely cunning, making them very difficult enemies.

Although the Fourth Night Patrol Team consisted of nine members, aside from Yao Mingjie and Guo Ping, the rest severely lacked combat experience; the consequences would be unpredictable if a fight broke out.

Secondly, the evil wraiths.

The evil wraiths of the Mountain and Sea Realm were mainly divided into Wandering, Grievance, Fiend, and Fierce ranks.

The most common were Wandering Rank evil wraiths, equivalent to Qi Cultivation disciples.

But evil wraiths were bizarre and unpredictably strange.

If handled improperly, a single Wandering Rank evil wraith could wipe out an entire Night Patrol Team, which was not unusual.

There had been no lack of such incidents in the past.

What was even more frightening was that evil wraiths could advance in rank by devouring a cultivator’s mana, vital essence, and soul.

For cultivators, evil wraiths were undoubtedly the most terrifying enemies!

And here, far from Cloud Mountain City, although the Fixed Sun bell chimes could still be heard, its deterrent power was already very weak.

The Fixed Sun bell only rang once every two hours.

Some evil wraiths would take advantage of this fact to move in and out of the mountain gate, causing harm and mischief!

All of these needed to be vigilantly guarded against by the Night Patrol Team and night watchmen.

Yao Mingjie moved along, stopping from time to time, and led the team for dozens of miles until they finally reached the boundary of the mountain gate.

The Cloud Sun Sect’s mountain gate was divided into inner and outer parts.

The Inner Mountain Gate belonged to the core territory, protected by a massive Mountain-Protecting Array and with a Golden Core True Person in charge.

It was as secure as a fortress.

The Outer Mountain Gate covered an enormous area, with hundreds of thousands of mu of Spirit Fields and forests carved out for the Outer Sect disciples to cultivate and breed.

The lengthy borders connecting to the Outer Domain were essentially guarded by dozens of Defense Areas.

So, the idea of completely barring the invasion of thieves and Evil Wraiths was simply impossible.

When Wang Chen followed the others up the hill.

The vast plains, forests, and a surging river ahead suddenly came into view.

Stars draping the wide plains, the moon surging with the big river’s flow!

This scene evoked the lines of the poet Du Fu in Wang Chen’s mind.

Guo Ping sighed, “Ahead lies the Outer Domain.”

The Outer Domain!

For Wang Chen, this name was both familiar and strange.

So close at hand, yet seemingly so far away.

The original owner of the body had lived for seventeen years, never once leaving the mountain gate area from birth to the moment Wang Chen took over.

And he had never seen the landscapes of the Outer Domain.

If not for being replaced by Wang Chen’s soul.

Then his future, barring any unforeseen twists, would probably be as a lifelong Spiritual Plant Farmer.

Barely pushing his Qi Cultivation to the sixth or seventh level, marrying a hard-working, simple wife, having children, and struggling through the rest of his life.

“It’s done.”

Just as Wang Chen was lost in thought, Yao Mingjie suddenly spoke up.

In his eyes, looking towards the Outer Domain, there was a deep wariness.

The team returned the way they had come.

By the time they got back to Yi Ten Defense Area, the sky had already begun to lighten.

The fourth Night Patrol Team had completed its first patrol mission, and the rookie night watchmen each returned to their homes.

Several young cultivators yawned, looking somewhat displeased.

Running back and forth all night, they hadn’t even seen a rabbit, let alone fought against Evil Wraiths or bandits.

They had been hoping to earn merits.

How dull!

Wang Chen, on the other hand, hoped that every night would be just as peaceful, much better than anything else.

Over the next few days, the fourth Night Patrol Team patrolled back and forth within their assigned area and encountered no situations.

Many of the new members consequently slacked off and could not bring themselves to be spirited during patrols.

But Wang Chen did not let his guard down.

Perhaps it was just a feeling, but on several occasions during the night patrols, Wang Chen felt as though someone was secretly watching him.

When he vigilantly searched the surroundings, he found nothing.

The Outer Mountain Gate of the Cloud Sun Sect had been very calm lately, so calm that it seemed like a stagnant pool without a ripple.

But intuition told Wang Chen that beneath this calm surface, there lurked undercurrents he could not perceive!

It was precisely this intuition that kept Wang Chen from becoming complacent; instead, he seized every moment to improve his own strength.

He resumed the cultivation of the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Method, pushing the Vajra Fist and Spirit Light Shield Armor to the limits of the entry level.

He also studied the Fire Crow Technique, striving to master it in the shortest possible time.

Ten days after being conscripted into the fourth Night Patrol Team, just when the White Jade Rice in the Spirit Fields was about to be harvested, Wang Chen, as usual, followed the team out on patrol at night.

In the deep of the night, the team moved forward in silence, even the usually talkative Guo Ping kept his mouth shut.

The continuous nightly patrols had left many members feeling mentally exhausted.

Even walking had become lethargic.

However, accidents often occur when people are most relaxed.

It suddenly happened!

Chi!

As the squad was nearing the border, a crossbow arrow, glinting with a cold sheen, suddenly pierced the air.

Instantly penetrating the neck of a young cultivator!

“Enemy attack!”

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