Bright Sword: I don’t want to be the king!

Chapter 166: News, Cao Geng's Ambition

As the leader of the cultivators, it was only a matter of time before the more than 900 elite cultivators under Cao Geng grew into a battle formation as powerful as it was back then.

Of course, Cao Geng was committed to expanding his own training army, but he also did not forget the importance of consolidating the Qingfengling training base.

Because he was determined to achieve long-term cultivation and reproduction in the Qingfeng Mountain Range, Cao Geng naturally did not dare to slack off in the construction of the Qingfeng Ridge cultivation base.

Since he took control of Qingfeng Ridge, the original simple defense system consisted of only eight wooden guardhouses, which were set up on both sides of the four major gates in the east, west, south, and north. However, while Cao Geng was recruiting monks and strengthening his forces, he also increased the number of guardhouses in Qingfeng Ridge by more than three times, making the entire stronghold a 360-degree seamless defense.

It is worth mentioning that the eight guardhouses in Qingfengling were simple defense facilities built of native trees. However, Cao Geng made a decisive decision to transform all these guardhouses into solid spiritual stone buildings, which are extremely solid and impregnable.

In addition, the underground of Qingfeng Ridge is densely covered with secret passages that extend in all directions, and Cao Geng personally protects them with magic arrays. Once attacked by the enemy, the disciples in Qingfeng Ridge can reach any guard tower in an instant through the secret tunnels and fight together. Even if the enemy attempts to use the bird magic weapon to launch a low-altitude raid, the aerial restrictions set by Cao Geng are enough to make them return empty-handed, and turn them into flying puppets with no ability to fight back.

Although Qingfeng Ridge is located in a remote area and its geographical location is not as good as Xiaweidi Village or Huaian City previously occupied by Cao Geng, its open terrain makes it easy to observe the dynamics of all directions. Once the news of any force is leaked, Qingfeng Ridge can quickly capture the clues.

In addition, Qingfeng Ridge is close to many villages, and there are dozens of villages scattered within a radius of thirty miles. This also enables Cao Geng to gather a large number of monks more quickly. Today, his more than 900 elite monks have achieved success thanks to this regional advantage.

However, while he was accumulating strength, Cao Geng did not stop searching for the whereabouts of his two missing comrades, Ding Wei and Zhao Gang. More than half a month had passed, and there was still no news of the two. Cao Geng was very confused about this. After all, Zhao Gang and Ding Wei were well-known figures in the northwest of Shanxi. How could they suddenly disappear without a trace?

On this day, Cao Geng's intelligence network suddenly sent back a piece of news about the two missing persons...

It turned out that on this day, the team of monks under Cao Geng had just finished a routine combat exercise and successfully cleared out an enemy training camp entrenched in a village near Qingfeng Mountain.

In this fierce battle between immortals and demons, in order to ensure the safety of his new monks, Cao Geng still assigned Wei Yuanying, who had a high level of cultivation, to be the first to go out and meet the enemy.

At first, there were no changes from the beginning to the middle of the game.

However, Wei Yuanying and his companions later obtained a surprising piece of information from the defeated demon soldiers and the evil army that defected: in Wangjiagang, 200 miles southwest of Qingfeng Mountain where Cao Geng was stationed, there were reportedly traces of two powerful men, Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan...

In fact, Cao Geng had been tracking the whereabouts of Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan for a long time.

As soon as Wei Yuanying learned of this information, he quickly dealt with the matters on the battlefield, led his disciples back to Qingfeng Mountain, and reported this important news to Cao Geng.

When Cao Geng heard this, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

According to the intelligence brought back by Wei Yuanying, Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan seemed to be trapped in the Wangjiagang puppet army at this moment, and were forced to build a protective artillery for a group of traitors!

After learning about this, Cao Geng was shocked: "How could Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan fall into the hands of these puppet troops?"

After all, in the vast area of ​​northwest Shanxi, Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan are both famous and powerful people.

When the merits are rewarded after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in the future, both of them will be canonized as immortal kings.

Even if we look at the entire Chinese continent, the two of them are influential figures who are feared by all.

But now, these two future leaders of the immortal world have fallen to the point of being captured and forced to serve by a group of evil sects and monsters in Wangjiagang. It is really unbelievable.

"How can this be true?"

At first, Cao Geng found this quite incredible and even thought it was so bizarre that it was almost absurd.

However, on second thought, it has been about a month since he teamed up with Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan to successfully destroy the demon clan's supply base.

Given how much Cao Geng cared about Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan, if the two were still growing and becoming stronger, he should have received news about them long ago.

However, this was the first time Cao Geng learned about Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan in a whole month.

It is not difficult to speculate that after defeating the demon clan's supply point, Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan led their remnants to be captured by the evil sect's puppet army in Wangjiagang and forced to build artillery positions. This inference seems reasonable.

After careful analysis by Wei Yuanying, he was convinced that the information conveyed by that group of evil sects was mostly true.

"Captain, what should we do next?"

Immediately afterwards, Wei Yuanying asked Cao Geng for countermeasures.

This was the first time they had obtained definite clues about the two leaders, Ding Xuanji and Zhao Gangyuan, and the clues seemed quite reliable.

Wei Yuanying thought that the Three Immortals Regiment he was in had been searching for Captain Ding Xuanji and Political Commissar Zhao Gangyuan for such a long time. Given Captain Cao Geng's character, he would definitely send troops to rescue the two leaders without hesitation.

Although he didn't know why Captain Cao Geng was so determined to find Captain Ding Xuanji and Political Commissar Zhao, as long as it was the captain's order, Wei Yuanying would carry it out without hesitation.

As expected -

Just as Wei Xingkong finished speaking, Cao Xuanqing's voice also sounded at the right time.

Cao Xuanqing's tone contained a hint of joy, and he said: "Captain Ding Yuanshan and Political Commissar Zhao Lingxiao are both rare and outstanding talents in our cultivation world. Now they are in danger, and our three new sects have just learned of this news. We must step forward and not stand idly by."

Then, before Wei Xingkong could respond, Cao Xuanqing revealed his true intention of searching for Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao during this period of time.

"Junior Brother Xingkong, do you know why I have been following Captain Ding Yuanshan and Political Commissar Zhao Lingxiao recently?" Cao Xuanqing stared at Wei Xingkong with a meaningful smile on his face.

"Ever since Captain Ding Yuanshan and Political Commissar Zhao Lingxiao and our three new sects went through the battle to eliminate the evil Japanese pirates, it is obvious that their independent sects have not yet accumulated enough strength. At this moment, our three new sects are in their heyday. If we can let Captain Ding Yuanshan and Political Commissar Zhao Lingxiao temporarily stay in our three new sects, I think they will not refuse..."

Yes, this is the fundamental reason why Cao Xuanqing has spared no effort to find Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao.

Even though Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao are now the leader and deputy leader of an independent sect personally appointed by the top leaders of the Cultivation Alliance, Cao Xuanqing still covets these two people who are very important even in the original work of "Sword Breaks the Nine Heavens".

According to Cao Xuanqing's idea, he wants to create an invincible and powerful team in the world of "Sword Breaks the Nine Heavens". Naturally, Cao Xuanqing hopes to recruit talents such as Li Changhe, the Northwest Shanxi Iron Triangle, Zhao Lingxiao and Chu Yunxiang.

Now, of the key characters in the original novel of "Sword Breaks the Nine Heavens", only two disciples, Wei Xingkong and Kong Lingqi, are serving by his side.

Cao Xuanqing originally felt that it was difficult to recruit Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao to join his own sect. However, now that Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao were imprisoned by the evil Japanese pirates, they were forced to build a defense tower, and their independent sect was severely damaged. This gave Cao Xuanqing a great opportunity to recruit them into the three new sects.

Of course, Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao were appointed as the leaders of independent sects by the Cultivation Alliance. As a leader of the same level, Cao Xuanqing was not qualified to forcefully recruit these two generals into the New Three Sects. However, if Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao stayed in the New Three Sects for a long time and were reluctant to leave, the situation would be different.

Cao Xuanqing has great confidence in the fighting power of his own hands and the foundation accumulated over this period of time. He believes that when Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao see the strength of the three new sects, they will be shocked. At the same time, he also believes that with the existing resources and potential of the three new sects, it is not difficult to retain Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao.

But before retaining them, Cao Xuanqing still needs to find a way to get Ding Yuanshan and Zhao Lingxiao to stay in the three emerging sects temporarily.