Chapter 155 Borrowing Troops

Fifteen days later, Tian Rui and Yang Jian gathered once again outside Lei Xiang's immortal cave to wait. This time they were not kept waiting for long before the door of the modest dwelling opened automatically. Two figures walked out from within. Behind Lei Xiang was a middle-aged man with a face as hard as granite, his posture as upright as a javelin. Just who on earth could he be? With the expedition to the Hanging Island imminent, why was Lei Xiang involving an outsider at this juncture? Could this be reinforcements he had managed to secure?

After exchanging pleasantries, Lei Xiang invited the two inside the cave and introduced the newcomer: "This is my brother, Dugu Yixiao. He is also a newly advanced Golden Core cultivator, formerly an assassin belonging to the Fang division of the Laughter and Teeth organization. Furthermore, his wife is currently trapped on the Hanging Island. His presence will undoubtedly aid us greatly in this upcoming endeavor."

How could a newly advanced Golden Core cultivator possibly be of any help to them? Tian Rui and Yang Jian were deeply skeptical, but since Lei Xiang was leading this operation, it was not convenient for them to voice their objections. "When do we set off, then?"

Lei Xiang smiled faintly and replied, "We must wait a little longer. I need to pay a visit to someone and borrow something from him."

Tian Rui was the first to spring up in protest. "What? Who else do you need to visit? The headquarters of Laughter and Teeth was just thoroughly disrupted by us; they are like frightened birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring right now. If we do not press our advantage while the iron is hot and instead let this opportunity slip away, once they reorganize their defenses, we might never be able to complete our mission."

Lei Xiang waved his hand dismissively. "If we go now, we stand zero chance. Have you forgotten that it was solely thanks to your All-Remembering Pearl that we managed to survive last time? Besides, have you considered this: back at the Poro Sect, Decayed Tooth possessed Nascent Soul cultivation, yet when we fought him this time, he did not feel significantly stronger than us. Let us assume he has not yet fully recovered from his severe injuries, but what about Wisdom Tooth, who is on par with him? Could his cultivation realm also be identical to ours? Logically speaking, the protectors of Laughter and Teeth should at least be at the Nascent Soul level, not to mention the Tooth Patriarch, who has never even shown his face."

Tian Rui lowered her head in deep thought. What Lei Xiang said made a certain amount of sense. Perhaps Wisdom Tooth had been concealing his true strength, and the mysterious Tooth Patriarch would certainly be no less formidable than a protector elder. With just the four of them, they stood no chance of achieving victory. What was to be done then?

Lei Xiang smiled with absolute confidence. "That is precisely why I am going to borrow troops. If I can secure this loan this time, victory will be within our grasp. You two may wait here for my news."

Inside the grand assembly hall of the Poro Sect, Lei Xiang and Dugu Yixiao were leisurely sipping tea. Before long, Daoist Wubo walked in steadily with a treasured sword strapped across his back. "It is the utmost honor for our humble sect to receive the esteemed presence of Young Master Lei. You must linger here at my abode for a few more days this time."

Lei Xiang smiled and waved his hand. "Trust you have been well since we last met, Daoist. I am burdened with official duties and cannot stay long; I shall return tomorrow. Let us get straight to the point: we are preparing to deal with Laughter and Teeth, but our strength is insufficient, so I wish to borrow some troops from you. You know that eliminating Laughter and Teeth will also bring numerous benefits to your Poro Sect, so I hope you will lend your support."

Daoist Wubo narrowed his eyes, carefully weighing the implication behind Lei Xiang's words. "What are you saying, Young Master Lei? Even if it brought zero benefit to our sect, purely for the sake of your esteemed self, I would still offer my help. However, you know that the strength of our Poro Sect is not particularly outstanding. Cultivators in the early stages of the Golden Core realm are simply no match for Decayed Tooth. I am truly powerless to assist."

Lei Xiang's smile remained unchanged. "You need not be overly modest, Daoist. I am not asking to borrow your soldiers by the platoon or squad; I merely wish to borrow your caged beast for a temporary use. Would that be possible?"

Upon hearing that Lei Xiang wanted to borrow the Poro-Beast, Daoist Wubo could no longer maintain his composure. He hastily stood up and shook his head like a rattling drum. "No, no, absolutely not! Young Master Lei, you may borrow anything else, but absolutely not this ancient behemoth. Even if you were to kill this old man, it cannot be done."

Before coming here, Lei Xiang had braced himself for difficulties, but he had never expected Daoist Wubo to reject him point-blank with such unyielding firmness, leaving not the slightest room for negotiation. "I know this Poro-Beast is the supreme treasure of the Poro Sect, and I also know how extremely difficult it is to control. I only hope your esteemed sect could dispatch personnel to accompany us, and with your supreme Poro Divine Sword, your people would surely be able to subdue this creature. Once that is done, we could level the headquarters of Laughter and Teeth on the Hanging Island."

Daoist Wubo let out a sigh of lament. "You do not understand, Young Master Lei. It is not that I am unwilling to lend it to you, but rather that we truly have no way to control it. Once the seals are lifted, this creature will inevitably cause massive chaos. Even the few reclusive supreme existences across the continent might not be able to subdue it. With me saying this, you should understand: this beast's wild nature is hard to alter, and it is inherently ferocious. Back then, in order to deal with Decayed Tooth and preserve the Poro Sect, I used the supreme Poro Sword to open only the first seal, allowing the creature to recover one-third of its power while remaining unable to step a single half-step outside the Poro Sect. If all three layers of seals were to be unsealed, then I would become a sinner of the immortal cultivation world. I hope Young Master Lei can understand."

Could it really be that exaggerated?

Things having reached this stage, Lei Xiang knew there was no hope of borrowing it, and Daoist Wubo's demeanor did not seem to be a falsehood. "Then why doesn't your esteemed sect simply exterminate this beast instead of keeping it sealed? Wouldn't that leave endless future troubles?"

Lei Xiang's question struck at the very heart of the matter, causing Daoist Wubo's expression to turn troubled. "Young Master Lei is unaware; this beast has been sealed within our Poro Sect since the most ancient of times. By the time it was passed down to my generation, all of its secrets had long been lost. We only know the method to lift the seal and a dust-laden jade slip. My late master instructed me with his dying breath that unless absolutely forced by circumstances, this jade slip must never be unsealed, though I myself am unclear on the specific details."

Lei Xiang felt deeply disappointed. He had originally intended to leverage the power of the Poro-Beast to eradicate the headquarters of Laughter and Teeth on the Hanging Island in a single stroke, only to receive such a reply. It seemed he could only rely on his own devices. Consequently, he prepared to rise and take his leave. Daoist Wubo, however, repeatedly urged them to stay, preparing a lavish banquet of wine and food to host them. Amidst the banquet, Daoist Wubo hesitated repeatedly before finally transmitting his voice to Lei Xiang, revealing that the Poro Sect had one more reliance—namely, the Poro-Soldiers who guarded the Poro-Beast. If Lei Xiang had need of them, he could borrow a portion of those.

"Poro-Soldiers? How many can you lend me?"

"Well..." After a moment of hesitation, Daoist Wubo named a figure: "Thirty-two Poro-Soldiers."

"Thirty-two? You had better keep them for yourself. To deal with a Nascent Soul monster, let alone thirty-two, even thirty-two thousand Poro-Soldiers might not prove useful."

Daoist Wubo's old face flushed red. "Do not be displeased, Young Master Lei. Our Poro Sect only possesses a total of sixty-four Poro-Soldiers guarding the Poro-Beast. Furthermore, I may not have explained myself clearly: the Poro-Soldiers left behind by the immortals of the Poro Sect are a type of ancient puppet. Each individual soldier possesses combat capability equivalent to the early Golden Core level, coupled with a physique so resilient that in actual combat they are comparable to mid-stage Golden Core cultivators. These Poro-Soldiers possess no minds, meaning they feel absolutely no fear of death and can be deployed as suicide squads to charge the enemy lines."

A strange gleam appeared in Lei Xiang's eyes. If things were as Daoist Wubo described, these thirty-two Poro-Soldiers could be utilized as effectively as three thousand men—quite sufficient to hold off the guards of Laughter and Teeth. Coupled with the fact that Tian Rui's cultivation was approaching that of Decayed Tooth at his peak, and with himself and Yang Jian entangling Wisdom Tooth, plus the newly developed Four-Seven Immortal-Shooting Guns, they would still have a fighting chance. Therefore, he nodded and agreed to borrow the Poro-Soldiers.

Daoist Wubo felt a sense of relief wash over him. Back then, Lei Xiang had saved the Poro Sect, and now that he had come to borrow troops, he would have truly felt ashamed if he could not help. Now, all was well: without releasing the Poro-Beast to wreak havoc upon the populace, he could still fulfill Lei Xiang's need for troops. It was truly the best possible outcome. "However, Young Master Lei will need to wait a few days. The commander who manages these Poro-Soldiers is currently away from the sect and must return before they can be mobilized. It will take about one to two weeks. Does that suit you, Young Master Lei?"

Lei Xiang smiled and nodded. "That happens to give me the opportunity to borrow your esteemed domain for seclusion. Two weeks from now I shall emerge from seclusion, and regardless of how my cultivation progresses by then, I must head to the Hanging Island. I must ask the Daoist to take the trouble of arranging the Poro-Soldiers properly."