Chapter 164: Transfer to Jiangzhou City

"Yes," Zhang Yunhu nodded.

"It was fine to prepare in secret before, but once the population starts migrating, the demons will surely discover it quickly," Marquis Tianxing said. "Their past attacks on medium-sized fortresses weren't strong because they deliberately kept us guarding these fortresses, causing Godfiends to continuously fall in battle. Once a sufficient number of Godfiends have died, it will be difficult for us to stop them from entering."

Zhang Yunhu replied, "But to protect the people, as long as the losses are within acceptable limits, we will endure. The demon race is indeed cunning."

"Once the great migration begins, they are likely to intensify their attacks. Currently, seven or eight elite Demon Kings are working together; this could easily escalate to thirty elite Demon Kings attacking, possibly with five or six possessing demonic divine powers," Marquis Tianxing stated. "They could easily destroy North River Pass and wipe out the hundreds of thousands of people in North River Pass who wish to migrate."

Meng Chuan and Zhang Yunhu nodded.

"Therefore, I will personally guard it," Marquis Tianxing said calmly. "When they launch their full-scale attack, I will kill every single one that comes!"

"Alright."

Meng Chuan and Zhang Yunhu exchanged glances, excitement in their eyes. Archean Mountain indeed had a detailed plan.

Marquis Godfiends are much more formidable. Even if Meng Chuan used all his methods, utilizing his primordial spirit to channel true essence within his body, and then employing forbidden Godfiend techniques, he would only reach the threshold of a Marquis Godfiend, and even then, he'd be at the very bottom of that tier. Any Marquis Godfiend could easily suppress him, and even a slightly more ordinary Godfiend could defeat him in a single direct blow.

Of course, Meng Chuan could choose to flee!

For human Godfiends, transitioning from the Great Solar realm to the Darkstar realm (Marquis) is a massive leap. Other cultivation systems generally don't experience such a significant increase in power.

For instance, among demons, Demon Kings in the first three stages are comparable to human Godfiends. However, fourth-stage Demon Kings are generally a step below Marquis Godfiends. Of course, some monstrously powerful individuals exist among fourth-stage Demon Kings, but their average strength is still inferior.

Another example is the Skyfiend lineage, a cultivation method created by demons for human traitors, which is even weaker than the Demon King lineage.

Therefore, Skyfiends...

Their overall strength is weaker. Only a handful are truly remarkable.

Human Marquis Godfiends, however, are collectively powerful. Upon breakthrough, a 'Marquis Godfiend' gains a very unique 'Darkstar Domain,' which is a potent defensive ability and a powerful means of fighting against multiple opponents.

Even the weakest Marquis Godfiend has the confidence to suppress dozens of elite third-stage Demon Kings.

A normal Marquis Godfiend can easily sweep through and eliminate dozens of elite third-stage Demon Kings. Furthermore, among Archean Mountain's Marquis Godfiends, very few are at the bottom tier of strength; only two recently ascended Marquis Godfiends broke through using 'Superior Godfiend Bodies.' Those with 'Transcendent Godfiend Bodies,' for example, reach the common strength of a normal Marquis Godfiend as soon as they break through.

"All medium-sized fortresses will be guarded by Marquis Godfiends or powerful artifacts to ensure absolute security," Marquis Tianxing said, looking at Meng Chuan and Zhang Yunhu. "However, many important locations across the land, such as province capitals, lack Marquis Godfiend garrisons."

Meng Chuan and Zhang Yunhu felt a tightening in their chests.

Province capitals are major cities, and in the past, they were always garrisoned by Marquis Godfiends, who could also provide timely aid to surrounding cities. Now that Marquis Godfiends are being massively deployed to guard medium-sized fortresses, what will happen to the major cities?

"The province and prefecture capitals have their own arrangements," Marquis Tianxing said. "Of North River Pass's original garrison Godfiends—Zhang Yunhu, Meng Chuan, Yu Chiyan, Yang Xingwu, Mu Qing, and Shi Xiu—all six of you will be transferred in the coming days, each with separate assignments. Fan Cheng, Liu Qiyue, and many ordinary Godfiends will remain at North River Pass to assist me."

Marquis Tianxing is, after all, only one person. While he will deal with the elite Demon Kings, large numbers of second-stage Demon Kings and countless other demons will still need to be fended off by Godfiends.

"All six of us are being transferred?" Meng Chuan was startled.

"Don't worry, it's just for the year of the great migration," Marquis Tianxing said with a smile. "After a year, North River Pass will be completely abandoned, and my disciple Liu Qiyue can reunite with you."

"That's not what I meant," Meng Chuan quickly said.

"Haha, get ready then," Marquis Tianxing chuckled. "Archean Mountain also has defensive arrangements for all cities across the land. You each have your destinations; await your transfer orders at any time."

That night, Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue chatted in bed.

"Master is guarding North River Pass, and all six of you are being transferred elsewhere?" Liu Qiyue asked, surprised.

There was no need to keep the garrison rotation a secret from Liu Qiyue. After all, they would be leaving consecutively in the coming days.

"Many matters involve classified information, so it's not appropriate for me to elaborate. Marquis Tianxing will tell you what you need to know. And don't worry, we'll be together again in a year," Meng Chuan said. He largely agreed with the arrangement; medium-sized fortresses were now very safe! With Marquis Tianxing present, Liu Qiyue would only need to easily handle ordinary second-stage Demon Kings. As for third-stage Demon Kings? No matter how many came, Marquis Tianxing would kill them all!

"Mhm," Liu Qiyue nodded.

In the following days, Zhang Yunhu, Yu Chiyan, Yang Xingwu, Mu Qing, and Shi Xiu successively received their transfer orders, departing in three groups. Zhang Yunhu left with Yang Xingwu, Yu Chiyan with Mu Qing, and Shi Xiu traveled alone.

All departed discreetly!

Even the Godfiends' residences were heavily guarded to prevent Skyfiend Gate spies from investigating.

Meng Chuan, by contrast, received his transfer order the latest, only on the thirteenth day of the second month.

"A'Chuan, please be careful," Liu Qiyue said, deeply worried.

"We'll see each other again in a year," Meng Chuan said, smiling at his wife. He then turned and leaped onto the back of a flying creature in the courtyard.

"Brother Meng, we're departing," said a second-stage Godfiend on the flying creature's back. He specialized in illusions and skillfully employed them to alter the surrounding scenery, making the flying creature and the two Godfiends completely invisible to others.

The flying creature immediately soared into the sky. Meng Chuan looked at his wife, who stood in the courtyard gazing up, and sighed softly.

As a Godfiend, his life was not entirely his own. When separation was necessary, they could only separate.

Sitting on the flying creature's back, looking at the boundless clouds below, Meng Chuan took the sealed transfer order from his robes.

"Transferred to Jiang Province City?" Meng Chuan read the contents of the confidential letter, his heart still somewhat shaken.

The entire Great Zhou Dynasty had only twenty-three provinces, and their capitals were all first-rate major cities, each with populations in the millions.

This time, he was being transferred to the provincial capital of Jiang Province, where he would need to be stationed for one year.

It was only as dawn broke that the flying creature arrived at Jiang Province City, eleven thousand li away.

In Jiang Province City, within an unremarkable wealthy merchant's residence.

The flying creature landed quietly, concealed by illusions, making it completely invisible to others.

"Someone's here."

Two figures stood waiting in the courtyard, watching the young Meng Chuan leap down from the flying creature.

"A young man?" Both elderly men smiled.

"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Brother Yang." Seeing the two, Meng Chuan immediately saluted. He knew that three Godfiends were responsible for guarding Jiang Province City, but he hadn't known who the other two were beforehand.

"Junior Brother Meng, let's first verify our tokens," the white-haired elder said, taking out a blue token with the Jiang Province emblem from his robes. The other burly elder also produced a token, and Meng Chuan likewise took out the token he had received with his transfer order.

Their three tokens were also distinct.

The white-haired elder smiled. "It seems the three of us will be responsible for guarding the city for the next year. According to Archean Mountain's arrangements, I will oversee the garrison duties."

"We will follow Senior Brother Zhang's command," the burly elder and Meng Chuan both said.

The white-haired elder nodded. "Let's briefly state our individual strengths and specializations for better planning. I'll go first. I cultivate the 'Indestructible Divine Body,' a Transcendent Godfiend Body, and have achieved Great Completion in the Dao Realm! Unfortunately, my divine body has aged too much to become a Marquis Godfiend, but I still possess the threshold strength of a Marquis Godfiend, and I excel most in domains."

Meng Chuan was secretly astonished.

He knew that, on average, each batch of disciples at Archean Mountain had about two who cultivated Transcendent Godfiend Bodies, but the vast majority of these Transcendent Godfiend Body disciples could not become Marquis Godfiends.

For instance, Senior Brother Zhang Junfeng reached the 'Dao Realm' at one hundred and eighteen years old, but only condensed his primordial spirit at one hundred and fifty, by which point his body was extremely aged, making it impossible for him to become a Marquis. Now, he is very old, but he has achieved 'Great Completion in the Dao Realm,' a higher cultivation level than newly ascended Marquises. However, because he hasn't broken through, his normal strength is only considered to be at the Marquis threshold.

The Indestructible Divine Body is the most proficient in domains among the twelve types of Godfiend Bodies.

Senior Brother Zhang's domain was strong enough to suppress part of a Marquis Godfiend's power. This was truly the strongest type among Great Solar Godfiends, extremely rare even within Archean Mountain.

"I cultivate the 'Great Strength Fiend Body,'" the burly elder Yang Fang said with a smile. "I'm not as skilled as Senior Brother Zhang; I've only reached the Dao Realm. However, the Great Strength Fiend Body excels most in close combat, and I also possess the threshold strength of a Marquis Godfiend in direct confrontation."

The two of them then looked at Meng Chuan.