From the numerous documents in the Demon Slayer Division’s database, Li Hai learned that Xia Meng was the abbreviation for Xia Yi Meng (Chivalrous Alliance).
This so-called Xia Yi Meng (Chivalrous Alliance) had existed for a period even longer than the Great Jing Dynasty itself.
According to the documents, this covenant-based organization, jointly established by various sects, had its earliest Prototype traceable back to the early era of the Pre-Xuan States, over three thousand years ago.
However, it was not until the establishment of Da Xuan (Great Xuan), which adopted the principle of imperial supremacy and began to severely suppress various sects and rogue Martial Artists within its borders, that this loose and weak Alliance organization rapidly grew strong within just a century or so.
It strengthened by absorbing many sects and Martial Artists who had fled from Da Xuan (Great Xuan), becoming powerful enough to even contend with Da Xuan (Great Xuan) for a time.
Thus, from then on, the vast southwestern border region of Da Xuan (Great Xuan) was completely occupied by the Xia Yi Meng (Chivalrous Alliance), becoming a territory without a nation or emperor, ruled purely by a group of Martial Dao powerhouses.
Coincidentally, the Great Jing, which overthrew Da Xuan (Great Xuan), also maintained imperial supremacy during its imperial era.
It decreed that any Martial Artist in the populace who did not serve the Jing Dynasty would be considered rebellious.
If they refused to surrender, they would face continuous pursuit and assassination until death.
This harsh situation only eased somewhat after the Great Jing entered the era of co-ruling kings.
However, the room for easing was still generally limited.
Martial Artists within the Jing Dynasty still needed to register with relevant departments, and their daily lives were subject to various treaties and regulations.
More importantly, in the Great Jing after the co-ruling kings era, all Martial Artists who wished to pass on their Legacy were only permitted to do so within their blood-related Family, not allowing it to expand into sect organizations; otherwise, they would be annihilated by the army.
If one did not wish to be restricted by these rules, there were only two paths to take.
One was to join one of the eight official departments related to military force: the four major military regions of the Jing Dynasty, the Special Operations Division, the Military Intelligence Division, the Divine Armory, or the Demon Slayer Division.
From then on, they could obtain a certain number of 'killing quotas' annually and could more conveniently learn and teach various Martial Arts.
The second path was to directly leave the Great Jing and flee into the Xia Alliance Chaotic Land, to embrace that belligerent Martial Artist society.
In fact, throughout the Great Jing's thousand-year history, many Martial Artists did just that.
Some were uninhibited and loved freedom, primarily refusing to be controlled, and thus eventually chose to enter that Chaotic Land.
Others, however, violated laws and committed crimes but did not wish to face justice and punishment, so they reluctantly fled the Great Jing and entered the Xia Meng (Chivalrous Alliance) territory.
In summary, despite all that was said, Li Hai still knew little about the true situation within the Xia Alliance Chaotic Land and did not understand it very well.
This was simply because the numerous documents in the Demon Slayer Division's database contained very little intelligence about the interior of the Chaotic Land.
They merely vaguely recorded that the people of the Xia Meng (Chivalrous Alliance) were very resistant to, and even hostile towards, the Great Jing.
It also recorded that the Heaven's Heart, Earth's Will, essence Qi, and spiritual energy of that region were completely different from those of the Jing Dynasty.
Therefore, the Heaven and Earth rules and natural ecology within the Xia Meng (Chivalrous Alliance) territory might also be completely different from the Great Jing.
“Completely different—”
Inside the Bì Luò Tian Zhou (Azurefall Sky Ark), Li Hai, sitting in a chair, mused, “How different will it be? Hmm, there must be quite a few Martial Dao Grandmasters in this Xia Alliance Chaotic Land, right?
There might even be Eternal Overlords, otherwise, how could this group of Xia Meng (Chivalrous Alliance) Martial Artists possibly contend with Da Xuan (Great Xuan) and the Great Jing?”
While he was deep in thought, the Bì Luò Tian Zhou (Azurefall Sky Ark) slowly descended and hovered in the vast sky.
He immediately knew that he had arrived at his destination.
Bao Lan Sheng (Azure Blue Province), southwest.
In the continuous mountain ranges, approximately 4,700 li from the edge of the Xia Alliance Chaotic Land, at the plaza in front of a severely damaged building complex.
The tall and imposing Qiu Zheng Long, leader of the main Demon Slayer Division, was currently standing quietly in the plaza with a group of Demon Slayer Commandants, their expressions solemn and silent, as if awaiting the arrival of a great figure.
The reason for such solemnity was that the great figure who was to arrive today was none other than Young Military Supervisor Li Hai, who currently held immense power within the Demon Slayer Division and was also called the Number One Martial Dao Grandmaster in the world by many.
While waiting for Li Hai, the Demon Slayer Commandants of Bao Lan Sheng (Azure Blue Province) felt a mix of heavy worry and fearful unease.
As a result, the atmosphere of the entire plaza became much more somber and stagnant for a time.
And in this heavy atmosphere, the Bì Luò Tian Zhou (Azurefall Sky Ark) slowly descended from the sky, steadily landing and docking at the far end of the plaza.
Immediately, Li Hai, with his hands behind his back and an expressionless face, slowly walked out from a portal on the surface of the Sky Ark.
At the same time, over a hundred armored strong men, all of Steel Grade, also disembarked orderly from other portals of the Sky Ark.
After disembarking, they silently lined up behind Li Hai, following him step by step towards Qiu Zheng Long and the others.
Upon seeing so many Steel Grade Martial Artists appear simultaneously, the members of the Bao Lan Sheng (Azure Blue Province) Demon Slayer Division branch, led by Qiu Zheng Long, immediately showed slight changes in expression and shock in their eyes.
They were shocked by where this Young Military Supervisor found so many Steel Grade private soldiers?
Their number was even greater than all the Steel Grade Martial Artists in the entire Bao Lan Sheng (Azure Blue Province) Demon Slayer Division branch.
But this group did not know that these private soldiers were not 'found' at all; instead, Li Hai had mass-produced them through the Dege Gong during this period.
As for the chosen individuals, they were precisely the people from Niujiao Town in Longshan.
Since that day when Li Hai pulled them back from the Yellow Springs Road to the human world, the tens of thousands of common people in Niujiao Town and even Zhou Family Fortress had held him in the utmost respect and adoration, and were tearfully grateful to the extreme, even willing to serve him like oxen and horses.
So when Li Hai himself returned to Niujiao Town and expressed his intention to recruit a hundred young adults as private soldiers, the entire town went completely wild.
They were not only ecstatic to be able to live within the Great Jing, but even more so to be able to serve and repay Li Hai under his command.
Thus, in just one day, after intense competition, a hundred young adults finally emerged victorious.
Under the extremely envious gazes of everyone else, they boarded the Bì Luò Tian Zhou (Azurefall Sky Ark) with their families.
They traveled with Li Hai to Da Jing Zhong Jing (Great Jing, Central Capital), and in the following days, each of them underwent a complete transformation, ascending to the Steel Grade Martial Artist level, which they had never dared to imagine before.
And upon reaching Qiu Zheng Long, Li Hai, without waiting for the other party to utter a single word, coldly issued a command to the hundred Steel Grade Martial Artists from Niujiao Town behind him:
“Arrest this Qiu Zheng Long for me!”
Upon hearing Li Hai's command, the hundred Martial Artists surged forward without hesitation.
They surrounded the bewildered Qiu Zheng Long and, completely unafraid of his formidable Thousand Army Grade strength, stepped forward one by one with shackles and ropes, quickly binding him on the spot.
