The Formation at Tiebi Pass was finally finished. Watching that thick, five-colored shimmering light barrier rise, the stone in Fang Hao’s heart finally fell to the ground.

He brushed the dust off his hands, just about to catch his breath and chat with Little Grandson and the others, when the Guest Elder token at his waist began to buzz again.

He took it out and saw it was a message from Steward Mu Chengen, telling him to quickly return to the Luoxia City assembly hall, saying there was an urgent matter to discuss.

"Great, more work." Fang Hao curled his lips and muttered to himself. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Since Steward Mu had named him personally, it definitely wasn’t anything good; it was likely another hot potato.

He gave a few instructions to Little Grandson and the apprentices, telling them to keep an eye on the Formation’s operation and report immediately if anything went wrong.

Then, he summoned his Flying Sword and leisurely flew back.

Returning to Luoxia City, the city was much quieter than it had been a few days ago.

The battle was over, the pass had been recaptured, and the soldiers on the streets didn’t look as tense; occasionally, one could see two or three gathered together, bragging and joking.

The wounded soldier camp was still bustling with people, but the howling had decreased somewhat.

The smell of blood in the air had faded a bit, but it could still be smelled.

Fang Hao didn’t delay and headed straight for the inner city’s assembly hall.

Guards were still stationed outside the hall; after checking his token, they let him in.

As soon as he entered the hall, good heavens, there were quite a few people.

Commander Lei, General Li, and several unfamiliar Golden Core Cultivators were all there, looking like military generals.

Master Zhao and several other high-ranking Guest Elders had also arrived, sitting there with solemn expressions.

The atmosphere in the hall was no lighter than before the battle; instead, there was a sense of oppression, like a storm about to break.

Fang Hao was a new face, and his cultivation was at the bottom here, so he didn’t push forward. He found a corner in the back to sit, watching his nose, nose watching his heart, and waited.

He waited for a long while, but Steward Mu Chengen still hadn’t arrived.

No one in the hall spoke loudly; everyone was chatting in small groups in low voices. The content was unclear, but looking at their expressions, it probably wasn’t good news.

Fang Hao felt like a cat was scratching at his heart; he was a bit curious and a bit uneasy.

He secretly sized up those unfamiliar Golden Core generals; each had heavy Evil Qi, their eyes like hawks, clearly battle-hardened warriors who had fought on the borders for years.

Even Commander Lei’s Aura seemed weaker in front of them.

"It seems something big really happened, otherwise these fierce border generals wouldn’t have been recalled." Fang Hao pondered.

The situation at Black Wind Canyon had just calmed down; could it be that fighting had broken out elsewhere?

After waiting for another stick of incense’s time, footsteps finally sounded outside the hall.

Everyone perked up and straightened their posture.

Steward Mu Chengen walked in slowly; he still had that lean, refined appearance, with no expression on his face, but his eyes were sharper than usual.

Behind him followed a man, none other than Cloud Crane, who had been fighting earth-shatteringly in the sky a few days ago.

The old Immortal Master had changed into a clean Daoist robe and looked ethereal, but there was a trace of imperceptible fatigue between his brows.

Once the two big shots arrived, the hall immediately fell silent.

Mu Chengen walked to the main seat and sat down, his gaze sweeping across the room. It paused slightly on Fang Hao, and he nodded slightly, acknowledging him.

Fang Hao quickly bowed his head in return.

"Everyone," Mu Chengen began, his voice steady yet carrying an inherent authority, "In the battle of Black Wind Canyon, thanks to the soldiers’ efforts and everyone’s unity, we temporarily repelled the enemy and recovered the lost territory. For this battle, those who contributed will definitely be rewarded by the Prince’s Mansion."

He first affirmed their achievements, but then his tone shifted, becoming heavy: "However, the situation is not optimistic. We have just received an urgent report from the front line: the Great Qin Empire did not stake everything on the Black Wind Canyon front this time. Their main force, personally led by the Great Qin Crown Prince Ying Si, launched a fierce attack three days ago on our Qingzhou northern stronghold, ’Iron Rock City’!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a low gasp of surprise echoed through the hall! Even Commander Lei and General Li changed expressions!

Fang Hao’s heart also "thumped." Iron Rock City! That was the gateway to northern Qingzhou, even more important than Luoxia City!

If Iron Rock City were lost, the Great Qin army could drive straight in, threatening the hinterland of Qingzhou, and even Tianqing City would be directly threatened! This was much more serious than the fall of Black Wind Canyon!

Mu Chengen continued: "The defenders of Iron Rock City are fighting with blood and sweat, but the enemy is powerful and has a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator suppressing the Formation; the situation is extremely critical! The Prince has already personally gone to the northern border to take command, but urgent reinforcements are needed!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone again, finally landing on the generals led by Commander Lei and the Guest Elders like Master Zhao: "The Prince has ordered to draw elite troops from the western front to rush to reinforce Iron Rock City! Lei Bao!"

"This general is here!" Commander Lei stood up abruptly and cupped his hands in response.

"I order you to immediately assemble your elite troops and withdraw some garrison troops from Luoxia City to form a reinforcement legion. You will serve as the deputy general; set off immediately and head north to Iron Rock City!"

"This general obeys!" Commander Lei’s voice was loud, his eyes burning with Battle Intent.

"Master Zhao." Mu Chengen looked at Master Zhao again.

"This old man is here." Master Zhao stood up.

"You will lead the Prince’s Mansion Guest Elders, select experts in Formation, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining to accompany the army north, ensure logistics, and assist in defending the city."

"This old man accepts the order." Master Zhao cupped his hands.

After arranging these things, Mu Chengen’s gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep over Fang Hao sitting in the corner again. He pondered for a moment and said: "The path of Formation is particularly critical. Iron Rock City is a thousand-year-old majestic city; its city-protecting Formation is incredibly profound but has fallen into disrepair over the years. This time, it will likely need extensive repair and reinforcement. Guest Official Ning."

Fang Hao didn’t expect to be named; he was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up: "Subordinate is here."

"You have considerable talent in the path of Formation, and your previous performance was also quite good." Mu Chengen looked at him, his tone flat. "This time, heading north, you will be assigned under Master Zhao to assist in inspecting and reinforcing the Iron Rock City defensive Formation. Any questions?"

Fang Hao complained bitterly in his heart. Great, just climbed out of one fire pit, and now he has to jump into a bigger one! The battle at Iron Rock City is a main force decisive battle, and there’s a Late Nascent Soul Stage old monster! It’s much more dangerous than here at Black Wind Canyon! If this job goes wrong, he’ll lose his life there.

But could he say he wouldn’t go? Obviously not. The Prince’s Mansion had issued an order, and at such a critical moment, retreating meant deserting before the battle, and he wouldn’t be able to survive in Qingzhou in the future.

He could only bite the bullet and cup his hands: "Subordinate obeys! I will definitely do my best!"

Mu Chengen nodded, stopped looking at him, and began to issue more detailed instructions, allocating supplies, setting departure times, and so on.

Fang Hao sat back in his chair, his heart in turmoil. Northern border... Iron Rock City... Late Nascent Soul Stage... These troubles were really getting bigger one after another.

He touched the Guest Elder token in his bosom, feeling that this thing was becoming increasingly hot to handle.

"Sigh, take it one step at a time." He sighed, knowing that this trip north was likely more dangerous than the Secret Realm and Black Wind Canyon combined. But now that things had come to this, he could only grit his teeth and go. Fortunately, this time he was moving with the main force and was responsible for the relatively rear-guard Formation maintenance. As long as he wasn’t charging at the very front and was careful, he should... maybe... possibly... be able to survive, right?

He could only console himself like this.