CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: THE FIRST COMMANDER IN THE PRESENCE OF WOMEN’S COUNTRY!

One moment he was chatting with the Human Emperor about everything under the sun, listening to the Human Emperor discuss arrangements for after his passing—cough—reminding himself to be cautious of this and that person.

The next moment, the sky spun and the earth turned, Heaven and Earth revolved, and he was sent directly into the bathtub of the Women’s country.

This experience could honestly fill a book, and I’d call it "Young Master’s Marvelous Adventure," Wu Wang thought.

Looking at it from another angle, the Human Emperor, despite his overwhelming strength, was shackled by the limitation of his lifespan. This showed that in the Great Wilderness World, the right to speak still lay in the hands of those powerful Divine Spirits from the ancient war of gods. For living beings to seek longevity... was there anything more difficult?

"Do all you men possess such great strength?"

Wu Wang was suddenly interrupted by a question from nearby. When he turned his head, he saw a pair of large, bright, shining eyes.

The owner of these eyes had removed her armor and was wearing a loose brown dress. She was leaning forward, almost lying on the table, staring hard at him from three feet away.

That expression, Wu Wang mused, reminds me of myself as a child, seeing my reflection for the first time when I went to the zoo to see the monkeys.

Wu Wang cleared his throat and said, "Strength isn’t a matter of gender; it mainly depends on personal training."

The female General rolled up her sleeves excitedly and declared firmly, "Come on! Let’s arm-wrestle!"

Wu Wang smiled. "General, we have only just met. Men and women should maintain a respectful distance; it’s not appropriate for us to have physical contact."

"What’s wrong with that? How is arm-wrestling considered physical contact?"

The female General glared, planted her left foot on a nearby stool, withdrew her right arm from her sleeve, unfastened the cloth buttons of her collar to expose her shoulder, and exuded an air of bravado.

Her face couldn’t be called beautiful, but it was pleasant. Her eyebrows were a bit thick, her face somewhat round, yet her figure was lean, without an iota of excess flesh, giving her a unique allure.

Unfortunately, Wu Wang had seen countless women of this type since he was young, so he felt no stirrings at this moment.

The female General was quite dissatisfied with Wu Wang’s reserve. She snorted coldly and said, "Since that’s the case, I won’t trouble you... Just take off your clothes and let me have a look!"

Wu Wang was speechless.

Is this the Women’s country or a country of hooligans?

"You must be joking, General," Wu Wang said earnestly. "Aren’t you curious how I came to be here?"

"Oh, right," the female General said, staring at Wu Wang with puzzlement. "How did you end up in my cave residence, and inside my bathtub, no less?"

Wu Wang cleared his throat again and said slowly, "It’s a long story. It should be kept brief, but it’s quite complex, so I can only offer a simple explanation."

"I was just passing through."

"If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave immediately and depart from the borders of your esteemed country."

Wu Wang stood up and gave the female General a Daoist bow.

"I apologize for my earlier intrusion. Please forgive my impertinence, General."

With that said, Wu Wang gently waved his folding fan. He appeared relaxed on the surface as he made his way toward the cave entrance, yet he was fully alert, focusing his entire spiritual mind on the female general.

Naturally, he was probing.

The female General blinked, reached out, and the spear beside her instantly flew into her grasp.

"Hold on! You stay right there!" she yelled.

Wu Wang shook his head with a smile. Tiny sparks of starlight twinkled beneath his feet, and his form trailed distorted lines of light as he swiftly passed through the cave’s ’living room’ and ’entryway’, reaching the faintly glowing cave entrance.

It was a simple Protective Array that had blocked Wu Wang’s Spiritual Sense from probing outside. This Formation probably originated from the Human Domain and wasn’t too profound. The rings on Wu Wang’s palms flickered with light, one black and one white aura mingling within the Formation.

The light on the doors flickered a few times before fading on its own. Wu Wang then easily pulled open the two large, vermilion-painted doors.

"Farew—"

WHOOSH, WHOOSH WHOOSH!

The rustle of armor was perfectly synchronized!

Arrows gleaming with a cold light filled Wu Wang’s vision!

Rows of longbows, at various heights and distances, were fully drawn. The uniformly dressed female archers, their expressions stern, were also glaring at Wu Wang. They wore simple leather armor on their upper bodies, with no protection at their waists. Below, they wore leather miniskirts, with matching boots, gloves, and ponytails.

Too bad Brother Ji isn’t here.

At first glance, Wu Wang noticed several rather beautiful archers.

If I’m not mistaken, he thought, the strings of these fully drawn longbows must be made from the tendons of Fierce Beasts over three hundred years old. Their killing power must be considerable. Hidden within these slender arms lies astonishing strength!

Fortunately, Wu Wang was fully clothed, so the visual shock to them was far less than what their general had experienced. Although quite surprised, there was no accidental discharge of weapons.

With a composed smile, Wu Wang slowly closed the residence doors and turned his head to look at the female general not far behind, who was shouldering her spear.

The latter stood tall and proud, winking playfully as she said with satisfaction, "Farewell to what?"

"Tell me your name, beautiful General." Wu Wang offered a somewhat friendly smile.

"Humph! I am Feng Ge, Premier General of Her Majesty’s Imperial Guard in the Women’s country! And who are you? What do you do in the Human Domain?"

Wu Wang replied, "I... am a cultivator from the Clear Wind and Moon Sect. I cultivate in the mountains and hold no official position in the Human Domain."

"A loose cultivator?" Feng Ge’s eyes lit up. "So, you’re not anyone important in the Human Domain, right?"

Wu Wang couldn’t help but think of the ’wonderful times’ he had spent with Elder Shennong over the past few months. He gave an awkward chuckle. "I’m just an ordinary cultivator, that’s all."

Feng Ge took two steps forward, spear in hand, and said excitedly, "How ordinary? If—and I mean *if*—you were to die here, no one would come seeking revenge, right? Hmm? Hmm?"

Wu Wang stared.

What’s with this woman? That sudden golden glow around her? And that ferocious expression? Isn’t her excitement a bit... odd? She’s not just a hooligan; she’s practically a pervert!

But I must say, this female general possesses an impressive ’aura’; the strength of the Premier General of Her Majesty’s Imperial Guard of the Women’s country was truly not to be underestimated.

"What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?" Wu Wang’s expression turned slightly sterner as he spoke calmly. "You are powerful, but I too have some tricks up my sleeve. It’s just that I feel guilty for intruding here so suddenly and would rather not resort to violence with you. Are you implying you intend to take my life?"

"Hey, friend, you’ve misunderstood!" Feng Ge tossed her spear aside, put her hands on her hips, and roared with laughter. "I was just speaking hypothetically; don’t take it to heart! HAHAHA! How many people are in your Clear Wind and Moon Sect? Do you have any legendary Immortals? What’s your Sect Leader’s cultivation level?"

Wu Wang was speechless again.

"Fellow Daoist," Wu Wang said, circulating his cultivation. Wisps of aura began to undulate around him. Thanks to Elder Shennong’s aid—that enlightening infusion of power—his cultivation had already entered the Condensation Establishment Realm. However, his realm wasn’t particularly stable, and his aura was consequently somewhat erratic.

Feng Ge took one look. Oh? This fellow’s aura is so weak... Her eyes gleamed even more brightly.

Wu Wang’s thoughts raced. Joking aside, he held deep respect for Elder Shennong in his heart. Elder Shennong had sent him to the Women’s country, even using a Great Divine Power to transport him directly here. There had to be a profound reason for it.

’A rebellion is about to break out there.’

If he could help the Women’s country in some way, Wu Wang wouldn’t mind lending a hand. More importantly, he wanted to know why Elder Shennong was so concerned about the Women’s country. Perhaps there were some lifestyle issues of the Great Wilderness Human Emperor involved!

With the Crystal Ball hovering nearby, Wu Wang had already formulated a general plan and prepared several escape routes as backup.

Business is business, but if my life is endangered, that’s a completely different price.

Wu Wang quickly composed himself, his eyes gaining a touch of cold indifference. He said calmly, "Whatever you want, just lay it out."

Feng Ge chuckled and sidled closer, reaching out to sling an arm around Wu Wang’s shoulders. Wu Wang, however, sidestepped, his form gracefully drifting back several zhang, leaving her grasping at air.

Feng Ge laughed. "Hey, don’t be shy! Our Women’s country is known for its warm hospitality. We haven’t seen a man in hundreds of years, so seeing you makes us feel... exceptionally cordial. Shall we get friendly first?"

She patted her chest forcefully, producing a sound like thumping on a steel plate.

Not a ripple to be seen, flat as a board, Wu Wang thought.

"Don’t you dare come any closer!" Wu Wang rebuked. "Or I’ll flatten your cave residence!"

"Don’t be afraid; I won’t do anything to you. Although our Women’s country has no men, we still know that men need our protection and love. WAHAHA! How could I not understand how to cherish the fairer sex?"

Feng Ge continued to advance, while Wu Wang kept retreating. As they engaged in this chase, dark lines gradually creased Wu Wang’s forehead.

"Stop!" Wu Wang snapped. "What on earth do you want!?"

Feng Ge wiped a trickle of drool from the corner of her mouth and grinned. "You suddenly appeared in my cave residence. I’ll pardon your trespass if you let me get to know you. Isn’t that reasonable?"

"Let’s fight then," Wu Wang declared firmly. "If I lose to you, I’ll naturally follow your arrangements. But if you lose to me, you have to let me leave this place!"

Feng Ge was overjoyed.

Wu Wang immediately added, "But whether I win or lose, you absolutely must not have any physical contact with me."

Feng Ge blinked. "Why is the Human Domain so conservative?" she asked, puzzled.

Wu Wang’s face glowed with a righteous light, and he seemed to stand much taller in that moment. "The upbringing I received from childhood does not permit such wanton behavior."

Feng Ge’s eyes filled with admiration. "Could you be one of those legendary paragons of male chastity? Such men must be rare even in the Human Domain... If he were presented to Her Majesty, she would surely be overjoyed."

Wu Wang secretly raised an eyebrow.

Moments later, Wu Wang found himself sitting on the ground with a heavy sigh, looking rather dejected. The spear rested on his shoulder, though it was pointed well away from his neck.

As expected, he thought. Without using the Praying Star Technique, I’m still a novice.

Feng Ge said proudly, "How about that? Convinced? You’re really quite weak."

Wu Wang stubbornly turned his head to the side, his mind analyzing Feng Ge’s actual strength.

If he played some of his trump cards and focused solely on escaping, Feng Ge probably wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Feng Ge glanced at her cave residence, now tattered from the fight, then grandly waved her hand and commanded, "Men! Prepare the carriage! Notify the capital immediately! This general has captured a man and will present him to Her Majesty at once!"

Wu Wang was dumbfounded.

I never thought I’d see the day I’d be offered up as a gift. Oh well, having received so many benefits from Elder Shennong, what’s the harm in sorting out his backyard for him?

He silently reinforced the Ice Crystal film covering his entire body. Holding a dagger to his own neck as the residence doors opened, he stated firmly, "As per our agreement, I’ll follow your arrangements. But if anyone touches me, I’ll die right here!"

The archers, who had been about to rush forward, looked at each other in dismay.

Feng Ge couldn’t help but scratch her brow. "Everyone, stay three feet away from him!" she called out. "Don’t make him uncomfortable. This is a legendary man!"

"A man?"

"That’s a man?!"

"He doesn’t look much different from our General. Just as flat-chested."

A slight commotion rippled through the archers. A group of women surrounded Wu Wang, examining him with eyes full of novelty, yet each used her arms to keep those beside her at bay, not daring to get too close.

Wu Wang frowned deeply, extending his Spiritual Sense beyond the cave residence to observe the surroundings.

It was a valley flanked by towering, forested mountains. The cave residence was carved into the base of a cliff on one side.

Soon, a ’marvelous sight’ outside the valley captured Wu Wang’s attention.

It was noon, and a seemingly endless, thin membrane stretched across the land, separating Heaven and Earth. The film shimmered with a faint, seven-colored light. At its base lay a river, hundreds of zhang wide, its waters turbulent.

Beyond the river, on the other side of the thin membrane, stood a Huge Beast resembling a wild boar. Its body was entirely encased in stone, like a sculpture wrought by the uncanny skill of nature.

Yet, even though the membrane could obstruct Spiritual Sense, Wu Wang could still feel the terrifying life force contained within the Huge Beast.

Petrified, living Huge Beasts... a boundless barrier... a wide river...

After Feng Ge had him placed on a carriage, Wu Wang secretly used the Praying Star Technique to observe the surrounding region. An image of the land for several hundred li around appeared in his mind.

Even so, he could only see a corner of the barrier and a dozen or so petrified Huge Beasts scattered unevenly outside it. From a bird’s-eye view, the river seemed to form a perfect circle on the land, as if drawn with a giant compass.

A kingdom enveloped by a thousand-li barrier? How much Spiritual Power would such a barrier consume? It could likely only be the work of a Divine Spirit.

Feng Ge kept her word, and the discipline of the Women’s country’s army wasn’t bad.

As Wu Wang, surrounded by a group of archers, was led out of the cave residence and onto the carriage, all the women from the valley encampment surged forward. Yet, none dared to come within three feet of him.

Feng Ge proudly showed off the man she had captured to her subordinates, gave a few orders regarding the valley’s defenses, and then, with over a hundred light cavalry escorting Wu Wang’s carriage, they departed. They sped from the riverbank, out of the valley, and along a wide road, hurtling towards the center of the thousand-li barrier.

While his mind remained tense, Wu Wang sorted through the information he had gathered.

He was likely at the border of the Women’s country. His encounter with Feng Ge, the Premier General of Her Majesty’s Imperial Guard, was probably arranged by Elder Shennong.

But why would Feng Ge, a general of the Imperial Guard, be stationed at the border? There could only be a few possibilities...

"Hey, what was your name again?" Feng Ge, riding a handsome white stallion beside the carriage, shouted loudly.

Wu Wang kept the dagger pressed to his neck. He grunted, "Wu Wang. That’s my Daoist title."

"Don’t you have a given name?"

"My Daoist title is sufficient. We cultivators have already detached ourselves from the mundane world."

"Alright, Wu Wang, Wu Wang," Feng Ge said, her round eyes brimming with curiosity. "Hey, how do you men have children?"

Wu Wang was torn between laughter and tears. He corrected her, "Men cannot give birth to children."

"Then how do you achieve Reproduction?"

Wu Wang replied in all seriousness, "Through the consummation of marriage, the union of man and woman, the harmony of Yin and Yang, and a ten-month gestation, the child is born to the pregnant woman."

Feng Ge looked puzzled. "Strange. Then how come we can get pregnant just by bathing?"

"That is the origin of your Women’s country," Wu Wang’s voice softened slightly. "I, too, have heard tales of your Women’s country. It’s said you have a sacred pool, and women who bathe in it can conceive. All offspring are female, generation after generation."

"HEHE," Feng Ge chuckled, turning her head to glance back the way they came, likely at the barrier. "Is our Women’s country well-known in the outside world?"

"Quite famous," Wu Wang said. "But very few can find the Women’s country. Can you not leave?"

"We can’t leave." Feng Ge shook her head. "Now that you’re here, you might as well settle in. With that barrier, no one can leave! But don’t worry. As the only man in the country—or so I thought—your fate will be decided by the Queen. HEHE, the treatment will surely be excellent!"

A young woman nearby reminded her, "General, I haven’t had a chance to report this. Just before we departed, word came from the capital: another man has been captured there."

"Really?!" Feng Ge’s eyes widened. "So mine isn’t the only one? Does this mean the great merit I was about to claim has flown away?"

Another man? At this exact time? Could Elder Shennong have brought him here too?

A sudden, ominous premonition bloomed in Wu Wang’s heart.