Facing the three figures charging ferociously toward him, Bodhisattva Gala Tree formed hand seals, smoothing out spatial wrinkles and condensing a spatial prison before him to block the three Second-Rank Warriors.

Kou Yangzhou spun like a top, resembling a drill as his blade intent erupted, boring a gap in the spatial prison.

The ring of fire behind Asura’s head exploded as his back muscles bulged rapidly, every cell exerting force to drive his fist into the gap Kou Yangzhou had drilled.

The spatial prison shattered with a boom.

Xu Qi’an sprang forward, his green robe billowing as he crossed the Peace Blade and Nation-Stabilizing Sword in a slash.

During the process, streams of collective life force reinforced the blade edges.

Clang! The Peace Blade and Nation-Stabilizing Sword sparked brilliantly against Gala Tree’s chest, leaving two intersecting white marks.

Damn, he’s hard… Xu Qi’an cursed internally.

The next moment, Gala Tree’s fist punched through Xu Qi’an’s chest, pale golden blood spraying backward.

Even with perfected Vajra physique plus Monk Shenshu’s Asura bloodline, he still couldn’t block a First-Rank Bodhisattva’s punch, because this was a First-Rank who followed the warrior monk path.

Xu Qi’an dropped his weapons and wrapped his arms around Gala Tree’s right arm, flashing a grin.

Bang!

Gala Tree’s chest caved in – his first injury.

Jade Shatter!

Xu Qi’an returned all the damage Gala Tree had dealt him.

Kou Yangzhou gripped the Peace Blade, his entire being transforming into a sharp blade light that crashed toward Gala Tree’s chest. The Second-Rank Warrior’s blade intent tore through space, carrying the will to cleave through everything.

Boom… Gala Tree swung his arm, using Xu Qi’an like a club to smash into Kou Yangzhou. Like two meteors colliding, the energy wave boomed as both men were sent flying.

Tap tap tap!

Asura stepped through the void, seizing this opportunity like threading a needle. The fire ring behind his head contracted as a brilliant halo appeared.

He reached back to grab the halo, his fist instantly blazing with magnificent light.

Clang!

The full power of his Demon-Slaying Rank struck Gala Tree’s chest.

Asura’s fist successfully pierced through Gala Tree’s chest, avenging Xu Qi’an.

Finally broke through his defense… Kou Yangzhou and Xu Qi’an nearly wept with joy. From fighting outside Xun City until now, they had finally, finally broken through this latrine stone’s defense.

The “Immovable Wisdom King” manifestation’s key trait was in the word “immovable.”

When immobile, even the Supervisor couldn’t deal with Gala Tree, but once he moved, he lost the “Immovable Wisdom King’s” protection.

And without his Vajra manifestation, Gala Tree’s physical defense was that of a normal First Rank.

Xu Qi’an’s injury-trading Jade Shatter and Asura’s virtually invincible Second-Rank violent output successfully broke through Gala Tree’s defense.

Seeing Asura’s fist pierce Gala Tree’s chest, Ji Xuan and Xu Pingfeng’s brows twitched simultaneously.

This Buddhist sect’s strongest Bodhisattva had been wounded for the second time since entering the Central Plains.

It seemed like a bad omen.

Fury flashed in Gala Tree’s eyes as his palm-leaf-sized hand grabbed Asura’s head and lifted him.

He now resembled a muscle man, with knotted muscles bulging throughout his body.

“Crack!”

The sound of Asura’s skull fracturing rang out as pale golden blood flowed between Gala Tree’s fingers.

Boom boom, boom boom… Drum beats suddenly sounded, one after another, rapid as sudden rain.

Asura’s dark golden body took on an ink-black tinge as if painted with black ink.

He had released his Asura bloodline power.

The sound of his skull cracking ceased.

At this moment, Xu Qi’an dragged out after images, ghosting behind Gala Tree. Back-to-back with him, Xu Qi’an reverse-gripped the Nation-Stabilizing Sword and stabbed backward.

The Nation-Stabilizing Sword pierced Gala Tree’s chest, its properties combining with the Demon-Slaying Rank’s power to sear the wound.

Pain flashed across Gala Tree’s eyes. In five hundred years, this was the second time he had tasted pain – the last time was when the Supervisor pierced his head with the Confucian Saint’s carving knife.

Bang!

Before Xu Qi’an could withdraw his sword and retreat, Gala Tree’s backkick sent this upstart who dared wound him flying, then immediately swung Asura like a club toward the airborne Xu Qi’an.

The two ink-black forms collided as Xu Qi’an and Asura groaned, sharing the same thought:

This guy is hard!

Boom boom boom… Qi erupted from Gala Tree’s feet, each step seeming to land on solid ground with thunderous force.

He quickly caught up to the flying Xu Qi’an and Asura. His internal force exploding, he used fists, feet, elbows, and knees as weapons, beating them until bones broke and tendons snapped, pale golden blood raining down.

During this, Kou Yangzhou repeatedly tried to assist but was knocked away by Gala Tree’s fists or palms.

Crack crack!

Amid his fierce assault, Gala Tree’s form froze as bones shattered within him.

Xu Qi’an had used Jade Shatter to forcibly interrupt Gala Tree’s combination attacks.

Whoosh! Tyrannical blade intent pierced through Gala Tree’s unhealed chest. For a Second-Rank Warrior like Kou Yangzhou, Gala Tree’s momentary pause was practically a gift-wrapped opening.

Having his chest repeatedly pierced enraged Gala Tree. He spun and swung his arm in a horizontal sweep.

The old warrior ducked his head and then heard the sound of his skull being torn off.

Meanwhile, Xu Qi’an and Asura “reassembled” their broken arms and skulls, stuffed their spilled intestines back in, and as their injuries rapidly healed, they pounced on Gala Tree to share Kou Yangzhou’s pressure.

The four fought with thunderous “bangs,” heads occasionally flying off and legs being twisted away, the scene both bloody and violent.

Gala Tree punched Xu Qi’an with his left, and Asura with his right, while still stepping on Kou Yangzhou, fully displaying a First-Rank expert’s capabilities.

But his chest kept getting stabbed repeatedly, the combined power of the Demon-Slaying Rank and Nation-Stabilizing Sword’s properties making his injuries increasingly severe.

A beam of pure light shot from Xu Pingfeng’s chest, howling as it covered everyone’s heads. Simultaneously, the circular array at his feet expanded, attempting to encompass everyone.

He wanted to take this chance to deploy the Bronze Disc’s domain, isolating this space to prevent Xu Qi’an from commanding a collective life force.

The amplification from collective life force had transformed him from a newly-ascended Second-Rank Warrior into a peak expert with explosive power rivaling Asura’s. The two of them were the main force against Gala Tree.

If they could reduce Xu Qi’an to his original form, they could turn the tide.

Zhao Shou flicked his scholar’s cap and said heavily:

“Arrays are forbidden in this space!”

The expanding circular array hadn’t yet managed to encompass everyone before being forbidden by the local rules and reluctantly dissipating.

Rather than anger, Xu Pingfeng’s lips curved in satisfaction.

Suddenly, Ji Xuan, who had been at the battle’s edge, had somehow sneaked near Sun Xuanji. When Zhao Shou declared arrays forbidden, he decisively struck, closing in on Sun Xuanji.

An artificer unable to use arrays was little different from a lamb awaiting slaughter before a transcendent warrior.

Sun Xuanji’s pupils contracted violently. Without a warrior’s danger sense, he couldn’t detect threats in advance, but now every nerve and cell was transmitting danger signals.

Defensive items flew from his waist pouch – a bronze bell, a heart-protecting mirror, an iron shield… But these magical tools either couldn’t deploy in time or were torn apart by Ji Xuan’s warrior brutality as soon as they appeared.

Xu Pingfeng’s true goal wasn’t to deploy the Bronze Disc’s domain – with Zhao Shou, a great scholar, presiding, he had no chance to use the First Generation’s artifact.

Deploying the artifact was just a feint. His real target was Sun Xuanji.

Like Ji Xuan, Sun Xuanji was among the weakest transcendents present, the easiest to kill in one strike.

If they could kill Sun Xuanji, this battle wouldn’t be a total loss.

He had deduced that Zhao Shou would restrict arrays rather than artifacts since arrays were unique to artificers while artifacts included treasures and divine weapons.

Restricting artifacts would be like cutting off one of Xu Qi’an’s arms.

Bang bang bang!

After three magical tools exploded, Ji Xuan pressed forward unstoppably, his fist piercing Sun Xuanji’s chest.

Blood instantly dyed the white clothes red.

Just as Ji Xuan was about to finish off this Third-Rank artificer, he suddenly saw the other take out a black bundle of silk threads emanating toxic vapors.

The silk quickly wrapped around Ji Xuan, binding him together with Sun Xuanji.

Netherworld Silkworm Thread!

These were the excess threads from weaving the soul-summoning banners, refined by Sun Xuanji into a magical tool.

It had only two functions: binding enemies and deadly poison.

The Netherworld Silkworm’s toxin could harm transcendent warriors to some degree, though Sun Xuanji chose to use it not for its poison but for its tenacious properties.

He wanted to use it to entangle Ji Xuan.

With Ji Xuan’s cultivation, and without a divine weapon’s aid, he couldn’t break free of the Netherworld Silkworm Thread in the short term.

“Whoosh!”

Through the rushing wind, a rust-covered iron sword swept across the sea of clouds. Ji Xuan’s head exploded in the sword light, blood, flesh, and bone fragments spraying.

Luo Yueheng had made her second sword strike – Sword Control!

After losing his head, Ji Xuan’s body suddenly stiffened.

Sun Xuanji took the chance to untangle the Netherworld Silkworm Thread and retreat toward Zhao Shou.

He didn’t try to finish off Ji Xuan, because with an artificer’s weak body, a pierced chest was fatal – without immediate treatment, he would die before Ji Xuan.

Luo Yueheng formed a sword seal. The rust-covered iron sword wheeled in the air, shooting again toward Ji Xuan. With this strike, she intended to use the Heart Sword technique to destroy Ji Xuan’s primordial spirit.

Xu Pingfeng rode a plantain fan like a skateboard, light yet swift as he blocked in front of Ji Xuan.

His hands now wore gloves thin as cicada wings as he brazenly grabbed at Luo Yueheng’s flying sword.

Zzzz… With the sharp sound of iron grinding on a whetstone, the flying sword gradually advanced, piercing Xu Pingfeng’s chest and emerging from his back.

His gloves burned away to dust, the flesh of both hands dissolving to leave stark white bone.

This wasn’t just a sword wound – it carried Luo Yueheng’s all-penetrating sword qi.

For an artificer, such injuries might not be fatal but would severely diminish fighting capacity.

Yet Luo Yueheng showed no joy. Instead, her beautiful face changed slightly because she had lost control of her ancestral divine sword.

“Not a bad weapon. I’ll take it!”

Xu Pingfeng laughed.

He had instantly refined Luo Yueheng’s divine sword.

For a divine weapon without a spirit, refinement wasn’t difficult for someone of Xu Pingfeng’s rank – it was even easy.

“Take your dog-birthed mother! Give it back!”

From afar, Xu Qi’an roared, hurling the Peace Blade with all his might.

Luo Yueheng looked toward the sound, just in time to see Xu Qi’an’s head get smashed apart by Gala Tree after throwing the Peace Blade.

Dare to be distracted while facing a First-Rank Bodhisattva? Xu Pingfeng sneered, about to collect the Peace Blade as well, but Zhao Shou grabbed it first.

Xu Qi’an had thrown the blade at the Academy Director.

As Zhao Shou gripped the Peace Blade, golden lacquer lit up his brow, quickly spreading throughout his body.

He had learned Xu Qi’an’s Vajra Divine Skill.

Theoretically, if Zhao Shou’s rank was high enough, he could even learn Gala Tree’s Immovable Wisdom King manifestation.

With Vajra Divine Skill added, Zhao Shou gripped the Peace Blade and delivered a powerful downward slash at Xu Pingfeng.

Clang!

Xu Pingfeng raised his sword to block the Peace Blade’s direct chop, but how could his strength compare to the current Zhao Shou? His skeletal right hand instantly snapped, the divine sword flying from his grip.

At this moment, the headless Ji Xuan finally restored his primordial spirit, spinning to kick Zhao Shou away.

Seeing this, Xu Pingfeng let out a breath.

Though he hadn’t captured Luo Yueheng’s sword, he had achieved his goal of protecting Ji Xuan.

Though they had paid a heavy price.

At this moment, Gala Tree punched away the intercepting Asura and rushed to Ji Xuan and Xu Pingfeng’s side, saying heavily:

“Leave!”

Your Vajra manifestation is almost recovered… Xu Pingfeng’s gaze flickered, but he ultimately didn’t object, swiftly retreating with Ji Xuan.

Zhao Shou was tactful enough not to pursue. With Sun Xuanji gravely injured and Luo Yueheng unable to utilize her cultivation, rashly giving chase might cost the Confucian school its leader today.

“Huff… huff…”

Asura and Kou Yangzhou bent slightly, breathing heavily, blood and sweat soaking their tattered clothes.

“Xu Pingfeng, same place tomorrow for another fight, you coward!”

Xu Qi’an called out calmly.

Xu Pingfeng turned back, gazing deeply at him from far away.

Watching the three figures disappear, Xu Qi’an looked up at the clear blue sky, slowly exhaling.

Victory!

He had defeated Xu Pingfeng.

Fair and square, face to face, he had beaten Xu Pingfeng!

At this moment, he felt a certain shadow in his heart completely dissipate.

Xu Qi’an quickly collected his thoughts and flew to Sun Xuanji’s side, asking:

“Senior Brother Sun, how are you?”

The penetrating wound in Sun Xuanji’s chest had healed, though his face was slightly pale. He nodded:

“Don’t…”

“Don’t worry? Yeah, I know.” Xu Qi’an immediately relaxed.

It made sense – the Imperial Observatory was wealthy and powerful, surely they had plenty of pills that could revive the dead and regrow flesh. As long as he hadn’t died on the spot, Senior Brother Sun could probably survive by paying to win.

Sun Xuanji opened his mouth, looking troubled. That wasn’t what he meant to say.

Aren’t we going to pursue it?! Aren’t we going to hunt them down?

Senior Brother Sun suddenly missed Guardian Yuan.

“Here…”

Sun Xuanji somewhat unhappily took out a porcelain bottle, tossing it to Xu Qi’an while pointing at Asura and Kou Yangzhou.

Luo Yueheng stood coldly to one side.

Catching the bottle, Xu Qi’an had a thought. Abandoning the idea of feeding others first, he flew to Luo Yueheng and said gently:

“State Preceptor, are you injured?”

Luo Yueheng nodded slightly:

“It’s nothing.”

But I still need to feed you first… Xu Qi’an pulled out the cork, poured out the pills, and said:

“Thank you for your aid, State Preceptor.”

Only then was Luo Yueheng satisfied. After taking the pill, she dove down to retrieve her fallen divine sword.

Xu Qi’an took the chance to feed Kou Yangzhou and Asura, helping them recover their strength.

Asura gazed below the sea of clouds and said flatly:

“Whether this woman successfully transcends the tribulation will determine if we live or die.”

Xu Qi’an immediately understood his meaning and pondered:

“That will be a fierce battle.”

Although Operation Lotus Slaying was a great success and Great Feng would gain another Second-Rank expert, as long as the White Emperor returned to the Nine Provinces and joined forces with Gala Tree and Xu Pingfeng, they could still steamroll Great Feng.

Gala Tree’s strength was evident – this was what a First Rank meant.

Great Feng would struggle to defeat Yun Province without a First-Rank expert.

Luo Yueheng, just half a step from the Heaven Tribulation, had become the key factor.

Xu Pingfeng could certainly see this point, so he wouldn’t allow Luo Yueheng to smoothly transcend the tribulation.

Asura asked heavily:

“Are you confident?”

Xu Qi’an shook his head, then nodded:

“Fifty-fifty.”

He didn’t elaborate, instead turning to Zhao Shou:

“Director, are you returning to the capital?”

Zhao Shou grunted in assent:

“The capital needs a transcendent expert presiding.”

That’s what you say, but without you cheating at life, our chances of victory will plummet… Xu Qi’an was about to speak when he suddenly saw Zhao Shou split open.

His flesh cracked with spider web-like wounds, blood flowing freely.

“Suffered backlash.” Zhao Shou sighed, flicking his scholar’s cap:

“My wounds are all healed.”

The Vice-Sage’s cap flashed with pure light, and in the next second, Zhao Shou’s injuries recovered.

The Vice-Sage’s cap dulled, becoming an unremarkable scholar’s cap.

“I can use the Vice-Sage’s cap’s power to manifest words into reality, letting it bear the backlash. As long as the ‘requests’ aren’t too extreme, the cap can withstand it,” Zhao Shou explained with a smile.

Truly a cheat character… Xu Qi’an marveled internally.

Unaware of his thoughts, Zhao Shou continued:

“I understand your concerns. This matter is easily solved with the Imperial Observatory’s transmission scrolls.

“We can have Sun Xuanji inscribe transmission arrays in the capital and various cities of Yong Province, then create corresponding transmission jade tokens. This way, whether I’m supporting Yong Province or you’re returning to the capital, it’s instantaneous.”

Xu Qi’an’s eyes lit up.

Asura and Kou Yangzhou commented:

“An excellent plan.”

Sun Xuanji nodded:

“Doable!”

Asura transmitted to Xu Qi’an:

“When joining forces with Jin Lian to kill Black Lotus, something strange happened! The Earth Book seems to have a spirit.”

He told Xu Qi’an about the anomaly after the Earth Book fragments combined.

This… the Earth Book does have a spirit, I knew it, how could such a treasure not have one… Xu Qi’an transmitted back:

“Given Daoist Jin Lian’s personality, he probably won’t tell us the truth.”

Asura said:

“I thought of this possibility, so I’m consulting with you. If he conceals it, we’ll expel him from the Heaven and Earth Society and take the Earth Book.”

“You’re so devious!” Xu Qi’an said, then added:

“Not now though, we need him to help us defeat Yun Province first.”

Asura snorted:

“You’re so shameless.”

Luo Yueheng found her Human Path’s ancestral divine sword in a mountain hollow. After Xu Pingfeng’s refinement, its surface rust had disappeared, but its quality remained unchanged – still a peerless divine weapon.

After all, divine weapons were already the ceiling for magical tools. Treasures required destiny and couldn’t be refined by human power alone.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, carefully storing the divine sword.

The Human Path had only this one divine weapon – it would be too unfortunate to lose it.

If we had lost it, I could have taken Xu Qi’an’s blade to use… this thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

Luo Yueheng immediately frowned, remembering how she had deliberately maintained a cold expression when he hadn’t immediately shown concern for her. These girlish thoughts and behaviors had appeared in her.

…

Yun Province, Administrative Commissioner’s Office.

In the back hall, Xu Pingfeng, having taken medicine, watched flesh slowly regrow on his hands and said heavily:

“Black Lotus is gone, and the Devil Path’s demon cultivators have all been killed.”

In Yun Province, he was the ruler – a single thought told him the situation at the Criminal Investigation Commissioner’s Office.

Ji Xuan’s face immediately darkened.

Bodhisattva Gala Tree said flatly:

“No matter. We still have that god-demon descendant. Black Lotus was just icing on the cake – First-Rank experts are the key to victory. If I’m not mistaken, Luo Yueheng is close to ascending to Earthbound Immortal.”

“We won’t let her succeed.” Xu Pingfeng said, looking at Gala Tree:

“Why did we retreat?

“Your Vajra manifestation was almost recovered.”

From the earlier situation, if they had held on a bit longer, the tide could have turned.

But Xu Pingfeng knew Gala Tree wouldn’t retreat without reason.

Ji Xuan’s head had regrown, and he too looked at Gala Tree with confusion.

“Xu Qi’an has reached Second-Rank, entering the Dao Integration realm,” Gala Tree swept his gaze over the two:

“But in our earlier exchange, I couldn’t detect what his Dao was.”

Hearing this, Ji Xuan’s brows furrowed.

Xu Pingfeng pondered thoughtfully:

“That distance-ignoring, unavoidable strike was his Fourth-Rank intent. The injury return, he used in Sword Province. These were all pre-Integration abilities.”

Gala Tree said gravely:

“In the recent battle, Kou Yangzhou and Asura’s strength was greatly depleted, but him alone – no matter how I struck him, his energy never declined.”

He shook his head:

“No, more precisely, when his energy dropped to a certain level, it would suddenly surge. After several such cycles, his combat power had reached peak Second-Rank.

“If this trend continues before my Vajra manifestation recovers, he might touch the threshold of First-Rank power. In that case, you two would certainly die.”

Ji Xuan said with trepidation:

“Is this his Dao?”

Xu Pingfeng frowned deeply:

“It might not be all… No good, we must find a chance to investigate what abilities he gained in the Dao Integration realm.”

…

Night, Xun City barracks.

Iron pots were set up in the training ground, rich meat aromas drifting on the cold wind.

In the pots, broth boiled with pork, lamb, horse meat, and animal organs rolled in the hot soup.

Six soldiers gathered around each pot, sharing the food inside, eating with oil-slicked mouths.

Everyone’s faces glowed, both from the happiness of satisfied appetites and the joy of today’s great victory.

More importantly, they had finally shaken off the shadow of recent days and regained confidence.

“I used to always complain that Silver Badge Xu didn’t come to fight in Qing Province. If he’d come earlier, maybe we could have held Qing Province. Now I won’t complain – Silver Badge Xu surely had his reasons.”

“If Silver Badge Xu hadn’t come, some might have deserted. Now everyone has hope. Even if we die at Yun Province’s hands someday, it’ll be sacrificing for victory – we’re willing.”

“What’s wrong with a woman being emperor? In the future, whoever dares say a woman emperor will bring disaster, I’ll be the first to cut them down.”

“Say, what rank is Silver Badge Xu now? That blade strike today was amazing. No wonder he could kill three hundred thousand Shaman God Cult troops at Yuyang Pass with one man and one blade.”

“Nonsense, it wasn’t one man one blade, it was one strike killing three hundred thousand rebels. Look at today’s strike – that must be how Silver Badge Xu did it at Yuyang Pass.”

The soldiers talked with flying spittle.

Xun City, Prefecture Administrator’s mansion.

Yang Gong set up a feast in the courtyard, entertaining Yang Yan and other Fourth-Rank experts who had come to support Xun City, including various martial arts alliance chiefs and Li Lingsu’s Heaven and Earth Society members.

Li Miaozhen and Xiao Yuenu were the only two women.

After offering a toast, Yang Gong suddenly sighed:

“This scene would be perfect with one of Ningyan’s poems.”

But times had changed. Now probably no one would dare say at a feast:

I hear Silver Badge Xu has poetic talent, how about composing a poem?

Even inviting him to share a meal seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven.

None of the transcendent experts came tonight – they were either recovering from injuries, returning to the capital, or cultivating their energy.

Hearing this, Fu Jingmen turned to look at Xiao Yuenu beside him and smiled:

“Tower Master Xiao, back when he was still Sixth-Rank, Alliance Chief Cao suggested you marry him. Do you regret refusing now?”

Xiao Yuenu frowned, “Shut up!”

She raised her wine cup, lifting a corner of her veil to take a cultured sip, her gaze somewhat distant.

Li Lingsu had a lively personality. Because it was wartime, there were no singing girls or dancing girls for entertainment, making it somewhat boring.

He turned his attention to Guardian Yuan, the only beast clan member at the feast, standing out among the humans like a firefly in the night.

“Brother, what is your honored name?”

Li Lingsu held his wine cup, smiling as he moved closer.

Seeing this, Yang Gong quickly coughed and said:

“Friend Li…”

He wanted to warn Li Lingsu not to provoke this monkey.

Quick as lightning, Miao Youfang saw trouble coming and immediately slapped the table to interrupt Yang Gong, moving over to put an arm around Li Lingsu:

“Brother Li, let me introduce you, let me make the introductions.”