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Chapter 556, Someone Came Through the Back Door

"Form ranks!"

At a single command, the thousand-strong army formation roared into action.

Hua Changxi took a deep breath and stepped into that crimson expanse once more.

She deliberately suppressed her inner resistance, forcing herself to feel the breath and spiritual energy flow of the nine hundred and ninety-nine people, like forming a hundred-man army formation.

She tried her best to keep up with the rhythm, and her spiritual energy also worked hard to flow into the great formation.

"Bang~"

"Bang~"

"Bang~"

Time and time again, it failed.

It wasn't that my movements were wrong, that I lacked spiritual power, or that my reaction was even a beat too slow.

Each time, Hua Changxi followed the Vermilion Bird Army in her actions, but she could never truly integrate with them in spirit. There was always an invisible barrier between her and the other 999 Vermilion Bird Army members.

She could mimic their steps, synchronize with their spiritual power, and even suppress her own aura to match the rhythm of the formation.

But she couldn't truly 'let go' of herself.

Whenever she tried to fully immerse herself in that crimson ocean, a voice deep within her whispered: If she were to merge with the Vermilion Bird Army, Hua Changxi would cease to exist.

As soon as the thought arose, fear coiled around her like a venomous snake, causing her to instinctively retreat, resist, and hold back at the most crucial moment of fusion.

Military formations cannot afford to hold back in the slightest.

"Again."

Hua Changxi gritted her teeth and got up, trying hard to suppress the fear in her heart.

The more you suppress fear, the stronger the backlash will be.

Whenever the army formation was about to be completed and the thousands of people were about to merge, she would 'see' herself gradually dissolving in a crimson expanse, her outline blurring, her consciousness fading, like a drop of ink falling into the sea, never to be found again.

So, she instinctively wanted to grab onto something.

Then, boom!

The repulsive force erupted again, and she was violently thrown out of the army formation.

After hundreds of failures, Hua Changxi lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky above, which was reddened by the firelight.

She really can't achieve complete 'selflessness'.

At least, not right now.

Hua Changxi has always been someone who rises to the challenge and becomes stronger when faced with adversity. But this time, facing a thousand-strong army that required her to be integrated with the other nine hundred and ninety-nine Vermilion Bird soldiers in both behavior and spirit, she felt no fighting spirit whatsoever. Only a surging tide of thoughts of retreat engulfed her.

If she were to encounter an external enemy, she might force herself to overcome her mental barriers, but now, her enemy is herself.

After much contemplation, she decided to 'let go' of herself.

It's not about giving up, but about clearly understanding that some challenges can't be overcome by simply gritting your teeth and forcing your way through.

Hua Changxi stood up, looked at the thousand-man army formation, and withdrew from Flaming Mountain without continuing.

After leaving Flaming Mountain, Hua Changxi returned directly to Lingguang Palace.

"Two months"

Hua Changxi asked Yun You about recent events and learned that she had stayed in the Flaming Mountains for two months.

In the past, when she returned from outside, she would usually go straight to the main hall to review the events, refine pills, or handle other matters.

This time, however, she did not return to the main hall. Instead, she changed her attire, donned the Vermilion Bird Army armor, and went to the martial arts training ground.

She wanted to see up close how the Vermilion Bird Army trained, and if possible, she wanted to participate in the training herself.

The Vermilion Bird Army in the Flaming Mountain Army Formation is formed from spiritual energy, and its mechanical nature is simple. It would definitely be more difficult for real people to train them.

On the training ground, tens of thousands of Vermilion Bird soldiers are practicing in formation.

From the most basic three-person formation to the imposing thousand-person killing formation, various military formations alternate and change, rising and falling like breathing.

A surge of spiritual energy coursed across the plaza like a tide, and the unified shouts of battle soared into the sky, causing even the clouds in mid-air to tremble slightly.

Hua Changxi hid in the shadows in a corner of the square, quietly watching all of this.

She looked very carefully.

The military drills were not without their challenges; formations frequently collapsed due to the mistakes of a single person.

Those soldiers who cannot obey orders or who stubbornly retain their strong individuality, like her, often become the bottlenecks in the operation of the formation, making it difficult for the formation to take shape or to unleash its strongest power.

But more often, they are those perfectly formed military formations that have already taken shape.

Among those blurry yet similar figures in red armor, there was no abrupt sharpness, no hesitant steps.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their breathing resonated in unison, as if they were truly just countless incarnations of the same immense will.

In that crimson ocean, there is no "I", only "we".

Just as Hua Changxi was engrossed in watching, a burning gaze suddenly fell upon her. She looked up and saw Duan Jishan, the head of the Martial Arts Hall, staring at her with a face full of anger.

"Hey soldier, come here!"

A thunderous roar suddenly shattered the tense atmosphere in the square.

The tens of thousands of Vermilion Bird soldiers, who had been engrossed in their drills, suddenly stopped and looked in the direction of the sound. Tens of thousands of sharp gazes fell on Hua Changxi in the corner. Startled by this display, Hua Changxi was slightly taken aback but did not move.

"I'm talking to you, come here!" Duan Jishan pointed at Hua Changxi, his eyes glaring angrily.

Hua Changxi subconsciously raised her hand to touch the mask covering her face, a hint of hesitation flashing through her mind, but she still took a step forward.

Seeing her slow, dawdling pace, Duan Jishan's already suppressed anger flared up even more, and he shouted gruffly, "Are you a tortoise? Run faster!"

Hua Changxi took a deep breath, suppressed the awkwardness in her heart, and jogged to Duan Jishan's side.

Duan Jishan frowned, looked her up and down, and questioned her in an unpleasant tone, "Why are you wearing a mask for no reason? Are you ashamed to be seen by others?"

Hua Changxi choked on her words: "...My face feels a little uncomfortable." Uncomfortable to be seen by others.

Upon hearing this reason, Duan Jishan assumed that her face was injured. Although the annoyance in his eyes subsided slightly, he did not dwell on the matter. However, he was clearly very dissatisfied with Hua Changxi's actions just now, and continued to interrogate her with a cold face: "What were you doing hiding over there? Why didn't you join the drills?"

Hua Changxi slightly raised her eyes to meet his gaze and replied calmly, "I'm late. Everyone has already joined the drills, and I don't know which group I should join."

Upon hearing this, Duan Jishan's brows furrowed sharply.

He sized up the masked, suspicious-looking soldier before him, his eyes instantly filled with scrutiny and wariness. He said coldly, "Go to Centurion Qin's line."

Hua Changxi had no idea which one was Qin Centurion, and stood frozen in place, pondering how to respond.

Seeing her slow reaction, Duan Jishan's wariness deepened. He impatiently pointed to a group of a hundred men not far away and shouted sternly, "That one over there! Go now!"

Hua Changxi no longer hesitated and jogged toward the hundred-man formation he had pointed out.

The centurion Qin was training in the Hundred-Man Crimson Flame Arrow Formation.

Hua Changxi had practiced in the Flaming Mountain a hundred times and was familiar with each position. With a glance, he entered the formation to fill the vacancy.

Upon seeing this, Duan Jishan frowned, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Form ranks!"

With Hua Changxi's arrival, the previously seamless Crimson Flame Arrow Formation began to show obvious signs of stagnation.

Hua Changxi sensed it and immediately took a deep breath, learning from his experience in Flaming Mountain, and forcibly merged himself into the flow of the great formation.

Qin's centurion was extremely strict in managing his troops and was well-versed in the art of commanding soldiers. His centurion unit was renowned throughout the army for its strict discipline and unwavering unity in action and movement.

Hua Changxi joined in, but even though she tried her best to fit in, it was like a drop of oil being forcibly poured into boiling water.

As a result, the originally unified crimson spiritual energy suddenly became violent, directly repelling this force that did not belong to the great formation.

Hua Changxi felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer in the chest, and her whole body flew backward uncontrollably.

The synchronized footsteps around them abruptly stopped.

The once imposing formation of a hundred men collapsed instantly because of this one person's disconnection.

The ninety-nine Vermilion Bird soldiers stopped what they were doing, turned around, and stared intently at her lying on the ground with a cold, indifferent look, as if she were an alien.

There was no mockery, no angry shouts, only a suffocating silence and a silent rejection.

Hua Changxi regained his footing almost immediately after leaving the battle formation.

Although she didn't embarrass herself, she felt very upset seeing everyone's undisguised rejection.

"I don't know you guys well yet, let's have another round!"

Hua Changxi strode into the army formation.

Qin, the centurion, glanced at Duan Jishan, and only continued the drill after Duan Jishan nodded.

"Bang~"

Hua Changxi was dumped again.

"I refuse to believe it, let's try again!"

Duan Jishan stopped Hua Changxi, who wanted to rejoin the army, saying, "I made a mistake in the assignment. You should start training in a three-person formation."

Hua Changxi's eyes widened: "A three-person formation?!"

Duan Jishan ignored Hua Changxi and casually pointed to two people: "Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen, you two come and practice with her."

"A three-man formation isn't enough? Give me some time, and I think I can handle a hundred-man formation."

Hua Changxi didn't want to start practicing from the three-person formation, feeling it was a waste of time. She wanted Duan Jishan to change his mind, so she didn't notice the astonishment on the faces of the people in the square when they heard the names Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen.

Even Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen themselves were quite surprised by Duan Jishan's arrangement.

Duan Jishan looked at Hua Changxi, who was clearly unwilling to follow orders, and asked, "What is the first rule of the Vermilion Bird Army?"

Hua Changxi: "...Obey orders."

Duan Jishan: "Since you know, then you should follow the arrangements."

Hua Changxi choked, unable to say anything more. She looked at the Vermilion Bird Army in the square. She didn't recognize Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen, so she could only wait for the two of them to come over.

Her reaction immediately drew a flurry of glances from the crowd.

"Who is this person? The hall master actually had Commander Ye and Commander Yan spar with her."

Ye Liyue and Yan Guichen exchanged a glance and walked towards Hua Changxi. (End of Chapter)