To fight, or not to fight?

The question was simple, yet it was enough to shake one’s soul.

But who could provide an answer?

Grand General Guo said, “If we fight, I fear those old monsters of the Demon Race will awaken from their slumber. But if we don’t, the Demon Race will only become more aggressive. How can our Human Race endlessly endure?”

This was precisely what made the situation so difficult.

The Demon Race was testing the waters, pushing forward step by step. They, too, were desperate to know: more than seven hundred years had passed since the founding of the Great Zhou, so how many of the founding Martial Saints were still alive?

Grand Governor Zhou Lingtao, who guarded the Demon Suppression Pass, was actually of a younger generation compared to the Martial Saints from the Immortal Dynasty’s founding. Yet, Zhou Lingtao already looked exceedingly old.

Years of guarding the border and facing down Demon Saints day and night had placed an unimaginable amount of pressure on Zhou Lingtao.

A Martial Saint’s lifespan was between five hundred and eight hundred years. Zhou Lingtao was now over five hundred. Who knew how much longer he could hold on?

Of course, Grand General Guo would not mention these things directly to Song Ciwan.

Zhou Lingtao was the linchpin of the Demon Suppression Pass. The fact that he was aging was a secret that could absolutely not be spread.

But some things didn’t need to be spelled out.

Song Ciwan pondered for a moment before bringing up another key point. “Grand General Guo, during my travels and Cultivation, I have heard from senior Medical Cultivators that the reason a Martial Artist’s lifespan is much shorter than a Cultivator’s is twofold. First, Cultivators cultivate not only themselves but also the heavens and earth, allowing them to draw a great deal from the world. This replenishes both life and spirit, following an eternal Dao.”

“Martial Artists, on the other hand, focus solely on themselves. During their Cultivation, they constantly push the limits of the human body, which easily leads to hidden injuries. Furthermore, the True Intent of Martial Arts is incomparably domineering. The stronger the True Intent, the more easily it damages one’s foundation and Divine Soul. This is a Dao of self-harm.”

“Therefore, if a Martial Artist wishes to extend their life, besides using various Longevity Pills and Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, repairing their hidden injuries is also a viable path.”

This was an extremely critical point. Grand General Guo’s gaze locked onto Song Ciwan as he immediately replied, “That is indeed the case! However, the higher a Martial Artist’s Cultivation, the harder it is to repair their hidden injuries. These injuries are buried deep within one’s foundation and are very different from ordinary battle wounds.”

“The Six-star Medical Cultivator at the Demon Suppression Pass can treat my ordinary injuries and ailments, but even he cannot fully repair the damage to my foundation!”

After saying this, although Grand General Guo didn’t speak the words aloud, his meaning was clear. He was asking: ‘Then, Xing Lan, can you?’

Could she?

Song Ciwan didn’t know.

She was currently a Five-star Medical Cultivator. As for whether she could reach Six-star and treat injuries at the Grandmaster and Celestial Immortal Level, the answer was still the same—she had no idea.

She didn’t even know if she could treat their ordinary injuries, let alone repairing foundations and hidden injuries. That was even more uncertain.

On the training grounds, two Medical Cultivators were still treating the injuries of the red-clothed soldiers, while the victorious blue-clothed team stood to the side, watching.

Although the two teams had fought viciously during the spar, they were ultimately not true enemies, but brothers-in-arms. So after the match ended, the blue-clothed team was actually concerned about the red-clothed team’s injuries.

Just then, Commander Liu and Wen Tingyu slid their chairs back over to Guo Wanjun and Song Ciwan. Guo Wanjun glanced at Wen Tingyu, then back at Commander Liu, and suddenly burst out laughing.

“You two!” Grand General Guo pointed to his left and right. “The two of you… one once made it onto the Celestial Pride List, and the other, while a late bloomer, was still a renowned figure under my command.”

“And now? Got ants in your pants? Can’t sit still? Scurrying around with your chairs like three-year-olds. Xing Lan is several decades younger than you, and even she has been sitting still this whole time. Have you no shame?”

Grand General Guo’s speech was surprisingly crude and blunt.

It didn’t match his status, but it fit his brawny, bear-like appearance quite well.

Commander Liu scratched his face, his plump features arranged in an endearing smile. “It is a little embarrassing, but Grand General, you should be aware of your own strength! That palm strike of yours… you really can’t blame General Wen and me for not being able to take it!”

“And don’t compare us to Xing Lan Fairy. There’s no comparison at all! Aren’t you just trying to embarrass us?”

Commander Liu’s art of flattery was top-tier. Who wouldn’t be pleased by his praise?

At least, when Grand General Guo heard it, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud again.

The heavy atmosphere from their earlier conversation dissipated, and the rapport between them naturally grew closer.

Once people became familiar with each other, it was easier to talk.

After Grand General Guo finished laughing, Commander Liu chuckled and rubbed his round, plump forehead. He leaned toward Song Ciwan and said, “Xing Lan Fairy, the suffering caused by hidden injuries is a truly difficult hurdle for us Martial Artists to overcome.”

“Too many hidden injuries can also make breakthroughs difficult. If you’re not busy, I wonder if you could take a look at me? I am now ninety-three, and my Martial Arts Cultivation has been stuck in the Late Stage of the Innate Acupoint Fusion Realm for seventeen years!”

“Sigh. I can’t achieve a Harmonious Union of my Acupoints. I’m afraid I’ll be stuck here until my hair turns white, with nothing left but regrets.”

His expression was disarmingly earnest, his tone comically pitiful, stirring one’s sympathy.

But Song Ciwan immediately thought to herself: ‘It’s here!’

From the moment she stepped onto this training ground to her conversation with the Grand General, the time for her true test had finally arrived.

If Song Ciwan wanted to keep a low profile, now would be the time to find a way to humbly decline.

But she had no intention of keeping a low profile. Her goal was clear. She wanted more resources, a greater voice, and a path toward something more permanent, more far-reaching!

It wasn’t just about competing for a spot on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List; she also had to find a way to gradually reveal her knowledge of the Ancient Divine Insect Race to the Human Race’s upper echelons.

The conflict between Humans and Demons was certainly a grave issue, but the Ancient Divine Insect Race could not be ignored because of it.

It was precisely because they faced the Demon Race in front and the Ancient Divine Insect Race behind that the Human Race’s survival was so precarious.

As a Human, no one could stand alone and remain unaffected.

Now, the opportunity had been handed directly to her!

Song Ciwan extended a hand and said, “If Commander Liu doesn’t mind, I am free right now.”

On the high platform, the white-robed young woman’s face was cool and distant, but her eyes held a faint smile. As the sunlight fell upon her, it seemed to coat her in a dazzling layer of divinity.

The gesture of extending her hand seemed incredibly powerful.

Commander Liu glanced at Guo Wanjun. Seeing the Grand General give a slight nod, he immediately stood up and trotted over to Song Ciwan, his round body bouncing with each step.

Commander Liu was still grinning like a Maitreya Buddha. “Xing Lan Fairy, I will look forward to it, then.”

Song Ciwan said, “I can’t make any guarantees. Please wait a moment, Commander Liu.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand and tapped lightly. An Observation Talisman was drawn in the Void. With a flick, the Talisman drifted down and settled into Commander Liu’s body.

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