“Destroy the Confucian legacy? Xu Pingfeng, I’ll end you right now!”

Xu Qi’an flicked his thumb, making the Nation-Stabilizing Sword ring out. He instantly collapsed all his qi channels and suppressed his emotions, readying the Jade Shatter technique.

“Clang!”

The Nation-Stabilizing Sword struck out, a flash of golden sword light appearing and vanishing.

With Xu Qi’an’s current physical condition, he could unleash multiple Jade Shatters at full power without worrying about exhaustion after a single strike. This was thanks to the tremendous recovery ability granted by being a Second-Rank Warrior.

In the next moment, the golden sword light appeared on Ji Xuan’s chest. The sword drawn toward Xu Pingfeng had been a feint – his true target was Ji Xuan all along. Always pick the easier target!

Simultaneously, Sun Xuanji stomped his foot, causing multiple circular arrays to encompass Ji Xuan. Among them were lightning arrays crackling with electric arcs, blazing fire arrays, and golden spirit arrays gleaming with cutting white light.

Kou Yangzhou’s figure appeared ghost-like behind Ji Xuan, his Peace Blade slashing down at the neck.

Zhao Shou called out: “This blade’s power shall multiply!”

The Peace Blade erupted with intense light.

A deadly trap!

Ji Xuan, a Third-Rank Warrior, instantly found himself targeted by Great Feng’s transcendent experts.

His danger sense completely failed to activate. Not until Xu Qi’an’s sword intent struck his chest did he realize the Jade Shatter was meant for him.

A warrior’s danger sense naturally failed because Xu Qi’an had used the Heaven Insect’s Star-Shifting technique to mask the strike’s presence.

Ji Xuan made no move to dodge, seemingly accepting his fate. Meanwhile, the Gala Tree and Xu Pingfeng vanished from their positions and reappeared around Ji Xuan.

The Gala Tree calmly formed hand seals, his Immovable Wisdom King manifestation mimicking the movements behind him.

The spatial wrinkles instantly smoothed out, not even allowing a thread of wind through.

The sword light that had struck Ji Xuan’s chest was forcefully extinguished before it could explode. Sun Xuanji’s arrays froze in place like an ink painting.

Behind Ji Xuan, Kou Yangzhou’s attempted beheading was frozen as if caught in a binding spell.

A single spell had neutralized the attacks of multiple transcendent experts – this was the power of a First-Rank Bodhisattva.

Even after losing one Vajra manifestation, the Gala Tree remained among the First Rank.

After neutralizing the assault with his “Immovable Wisdom King” manifestation, the Gala Tree turned and swept toward the old warrior. His arm, thicker than a woman’s waist, swung heavily toward Kou Yangzhou.

During this process, circles of pure light appeared on Kou Yangzhou’s left and right, extending chains of condensed light that bound his hands and feet.

If this punch connected, Kou Yangzhou’s physical form would certainly be obliterated.

A Second-Rank Warrior’s body obviously couldn’t withstand a First-Rank Bodhisattva’s attack.

Xu Pingfeng and the Gala Tree coordinated perfectly, instantly reversing the situation.

The best way to save Kou Yangzhou now would be to use a transmission scroll to remove him.

They want to force me to modify the rules and remove the “teleportation forbidden” restriction here… Zhao Shou’s mind stirred, instantly understanding Xu Pingfeng and the Gala Tree’s intentions.

In that instant, Zhao Shou had a countermeasure. There was no time to communicate mentally with Xu Qi’an and the others, so he chose to trust his companions.

Zhao Shou stepped forward, using his finger as a brush to draw an array of patterns in the air.

Two identical arrays appeared behind the Gala Tree Bodhisattva, extending four chains of pure light that wrapped around his punching arm.

This was the ability of a Fifth-Rank Scholar in the Confucian path.

It allowed him to “learn” enemy techniques and record them on paper. Though weaker than the original, the difference wasn’t too great.

At Zhao Shou’s level, he no longer needed paper – a single thought was enough to learn… no, to study techniques.

As the light chains entangled the Gala Tree, the Peace Blade freed itself from Kou Yangzhou’s grip, making swishing sounds as it cut through his robe. The blade tip lifted the torn robe over Kou Yangzhou’s head.

This cast the robe’s shadow over Kou Yangzhou.

The shadow instantly expanded, taking Xu Qi’an’s form and blocking in front of Kou Yangzhou. His sleeves suddenly billowed as his hands clasped at his lower abdomen, condensing streams of collective life force into an imploding sphere between his palms.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The chains binding the Gala Tree’s right arm snapped one by one, unable to restrain the terrifying strength of a First-Rank Bodhisattva. But they had served their purpose, buying precious breathing room for Kou Yangzhou and time for Xu Qi’an to provide support.

Xu Qi’an’s arm muscles bulged – Strength Insect: Berserk!

He pushed out the sphere of compressed collective life force with all his might, meeting the Gala Tree’s iron fist.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

As sword intent erupted, the old warrior also broke free of his binding chains. He pressed his hands against Xu Qi’an’s back as qi suddenly surged.

Boom!

Like the explosion of a massive bomb, rippling energy waves spread out, blasting vacuum hundreds of zhang wide through the layered sea of clouds.

Xu Pingfeng, Ji Xuan, Zhao Shou, Sun Xuanji, and Luo Yueheng – all five transcendent experts were forced to retreat.

This first round of rapidly exchanged killing moves was truly a battle of immortals.

Both Ji Xuan and Kou Yangzhou had walked to the edge of death.

“Restricting teleportation here to prevent our escape – was it to buy time for your allies in Qing Province?”

Ji Xuan, his back drenched in cold sweat, flicked his sword and sneered:

“In at most a quarter hour, Bodhisattva Gala Tree’s Vajra divine power will recover. Then we’ll see how you die. Xu Qi’an, do you think numbers can make up for the gap in rank? Ridiculous!”

He spoke the truth. Though Xu Qi’an’s sword strike outside Xun City had been earth-shattering, it still couldn’t compare to a single cut from the Confucian Saint’s soul.

If they kept dragging this out until the Gala Tree Bodhisattva’s Vajra manifestation recovered, at least a few of Great Feng’s transcendent experts would die.

This time, he and the State Preceptor wouldn’t coldly observe to probe for trump cards.

They wouldn’t give Xu Qi’an time to gather power for that one sword strike.

…

Outside Qing Province City.

Asura looked at the ruddy-faced Daoist Jin Lian:

“Won’t Daoist come with me to Xun City to help?”

Daoist Jin Lian shook his head:

“This poor Daoist will first refine the Black Lotus and recover my cultivation. As for Xun City, your help alone should suffice. The White Emperor hasn’t appeared yet, perhaps it’s not in the Nine Provinces. But since it’s allied with Xu Pingfeng, it won’t stand idly by.

“For now, we can only have this poor Daoist recover cultivation and make up for our insufficient battle strength with Second-Rank numbers.”

Once he replenished himself and returned to Second-Rank, Great Feng’s forces would have four Second-Rank experts.

The White Emperor, that descendant of gods and demons, would certainly return to the Nine Provinces. That would be the true life-and-death battle.

Asura nodded, then looked at the four people behind Jin Lian:

“What about you?”

Li Miaozhen replied without hesitation:

“Of course, we’re going to Xun City.”

Chu Yuanzhen and the others nodded in agreement.

Since they’d come this far, they couldn’t miss the chance to kill enemies.

Asura nodded slightly:

“I’ll go ahead to provide support.”

With a boom, he launched into the sky like a cannonball, becoming a black dot in an instant before vanishing into the sea of clouds.

…

Xu Qi’an said expressionlessly:

“Before that happens, I’ll kill you first!”

Ji Xuan sneered:

“I return those same words to you…”

Before he finished speaking, thunderous sonic booms rang out. The clouds split as a figure like a meteor violently crashed toward Ji Xuan.

Who is it?! Ji Xuan’s expression changed slightly.

He had no time to think, thrusting his sword forward as scorching qi distorted the air.

Crack!

The weapon infused with transcendent warrior qi shattered instantly. Ji Xuan felt an overwhelmingly tyrannical force transfer through the sword handle into his wrist. His tiger’s mouth split first, followed by his sword arm exploding.

That figure, like an unstoppable siege engine, sent Ji Xuan flying.

As the ring of fire exploded, Asura grabbed Ji Xuan’s ankle, pulling him back to deliver a series of attacks against this Third-Rank Warrior.

Ji Xuan’s free left foot kicked hard at Asura’s face, feeling like it had struck a divine weapon.

Crack!

Asura crushed his ankle, then decisively retreated.

Whoosh… Space trembled as wrinkles smoothed out, not letting even a thread of wind through.

Fortunately, Asura had retreated quickly, or he would have faced the same danger as Kou Yangzhou earlier.

“You’ve arrived!”

Xu Qi’an grinned, his smile brighter than ever before.

Asura grunted in acknowledgment, stepping through the void to slowly walk to Great Feng’s transcendent ranks.

Luo Yueheng and the others also breathed sighs of relief.

The operation in Qing Province had succeeded.

On the other side, Ji Xuan’s crushed ankle bones regenerated, but blood continued seeping out. Some terrifying force seemed to constantly erode the wound, preventing healing.

If not for Bodhisattva Gala Tree’s aid, I would have died within ten moves… Ji Xuan felt a chill in his heart.

At the same time, he realized Asura’s appearance meant the Black Lotus had fallen.

Yun Province had lost a Second-Rank transcendent expert.

Xu Pingfeng had long anticipated Black Lotus’s death. With his cunning and personality, he showed no emotional reaction now, his face merely darkening slightly.

“Xu Pingfeng, didn’t you always plan for your enemies? Did you anticipate this day?”

Xu Qi’an wouldn’t let him off, quickly taking the chance to mock:

“What kind of State Preceptor are you? Pah!”

“Asura!” The Gala Tree said heavily:

“You dare betray me and betray the Buddhist path!”

Asura sneered:

“What, did you think I sold my life to Buddhism? The hatred of my clan’s extinction, the vengeance for my father’s murder – I’ll settle accounts with Buddhism one by one.”

“How did you turn your back on Buddhism?”

“Take a guess!” Asura laughed.

The Gala Tree Bodhisattva gazed at him deeply, taking a deep breath:

“Fine, today I’ll clean house!”

His nine-chi tall form expanded again, blood qi piercing the heavens as the entire space trembled.

“Come on then!”

Asura, Xu Qi’an, and Kou Yangzhou simultaneously pounced toward the Gala Tree, the scene seeming to freeze!

…

Xun City.

On the bullet-riddled wall stained with blood and scorch marks, Xu Er’lang heard the retreat horns of the Yun Province army.

Large numbers of enemy troops fled in panic, leaving behind countless corpses.

The wall’s cannons continued firing, dealing heavy blows to the retreating enemy forces.

Xu Er’lang looked away from the corpses of enemies and defenders covering the wall, letting out a relieved breath.

“It seems Xu Ningyan and the others have finished their battle.”

Chu Yuanzhen walked to his side, supporting the swaying Xu Er’lang.

Xu Er’lang pondered for a moment:

“From what we can see, did Big Brother win?”

Li Lingsu appeared beside the two, snickering:

“Hard to say. Maybe it’s a draw. The Yun Province forces still have one First-Rank expert who hasn’t fought. Great Feng’s situation remains precarious.”

Xu Er’lang glanced at him, not very familiar with this follower of his brother’s.

He was also, rarely, someone who could rival Xu Er’lang in appearance – another “beauty.”

Gradually, the cannon fire ceased as the enemy forces moved out of range.

The wall’s defenders stopped firing. Gripping their weapons, they began cheering loudly.

In the defenders’ minds, they had won this battle.

The enemy had gathered tens of thousands of troops, approached the city, deployed transcendent experts, and attacked fiercely.

Now they fled in disarray, clearly meaning Silver Badge Xu had won victory on another battlefield.

Since the Qing Province’s fall, this was the first major victory. This battle at Xun City would surely spread throughout Yong Province.

Listening to the defenders’ cheers, Xu Er’lang felt somewhat gratified:

“When news of this battle reaches the capital, those who were unwilling to accept it in their hearts will have to submit to fate. Princess Huaiqing’s ascension to the throne is the trend of the times.”

Conversely, if Xun City had fallen, Huaiqing’s ascension would have become ammunition for critics and a source of doubt and controversy among the common people and all under heaven.