A man suddenly appeared, seeming to have lurked in Chu Prefecture for a long time, waiting for this moment to seize the Nation Stabilizing Sword.
He wore a green robe, his jet-black hair tied up with a crude jade hairpin. Though his face was ordinary, as he gripped the Nation Stabilizing Sword and faced the six supreme experts alone, his calm demeanor and wild, unbridled gaze naturally commanded respect from all who beheld him. This was a figure who could contend with six top-tier masters.
“Damn it! Not only is the King of the Northern Frontier refining blood pills, but he’s also arranged so many contingencies, gathering several top experts to ambush me and Zhu Jiu…” The leader of the Qingyan Sect’s face changed dramatically as he retreated several steps, and then extended his palm.
A vortex of energy erupted from his palm, and from the distant city walls, an array of weapons – some broken, some intact – converged towards Jili Zhigu like a school of fish.
With a hiss, the swarm of steel weapons melted into bright red liquid iron upon contact with the vortex. The molten iron continuously condensed, purifying itself and reforming into a massive sword as large as a door, too big for an ordinary person to wield.
“Does the Great Feng Imperial Family have another high-grade martial artist? Did they ascend after the Battle of Shanhai Pass? Impossible, the Great Feng Imperial Family doesn’t have such a figure. But if you’re not from the imperial family, how can you possibly wield the Nation Stabilizing Sword?” Zhu Jiu, the giant python, slithered its serpentine body, toppling houses as it raised itself at the edge of the city wall, warily observing the man in green.
Zhu Jiu had voiced everyone’s thoughts, and they all turned their gaze toward the young man in green. But their response was met with silence.
The shaman, his body brimming with blood energy and a phantom war soul floating above his head, immediately cast a divination. Afterward, he found the King of the Northern Frontier, Jili Zhigu, Zhu Jiu, and the Earthly Sect Patriarch all looking at him.
The high-grade shaman opened his mouth slowly and said, “I can’t divine anything. He has an artifact that shields his fate.”
An artifact that shields fate?
The gathered experts scrutinized the man in green, filled with trepidation and increasingly curious about his identity.
“He has the aura of a Ground Book fragment. He’s the owner of a Ground Book fragment…” Suddenly, from the center of the black lotus, the viscous, pus-like black humanoid sensed a familiar aura. The petroleum-like liquid pushed him out of the lotus to stand in midair. With malice-filled eyes fixed on Xu Qi An, he roared:
“Who are you? Who are you…”
The gathered experts were stunned, somewhat bewildered by the Earthly Sect Patriarch’s attitude. From his words, it seemed he both knew and didn’t know this person.
The high-grade shaman frowned and asked, “You know him? What’s his background?”
The black figure ignored him, his gaze locked onto Xu Qi An with a mix of corruption and malice. Looking down from above, he roared, “Where is the Golden Lotus? Where is the Golden Lotus?”
Golden Lotus?!
Isn’t he the Golden Lotus, the one who fell into demonic cultivation? The high-grade shaman furrowed his brow.
Not only had this person picked up the Nation Stabilizing Sword, but he also seemed to have a great connection to the Earthly Sect. Judging by the Earthly Sect Patriarch’s attitude, he appeared to be an enemy rather than a friend… Jili Zhigu and Zhu Jiu, unfamiliar with the Earthly Sect’s secrets, found the identity of this uninvited guest increasingly mysterious.
The woman in the white dress stared at him intently, also becoming interested in this matter. She was unaware of any connection between Xu Qi An and the Earthly Sect Patriarch.
At this moment, Xu Qi An spoke slowly: “Golden Lotus once implored me to help him clean house and slay the demonic patriarch. I didn’t refuse, only saying that when I had leisure time in the future, I would naturally help him. Golden Lotus gladly agreed.”
“!”
The black figure abruptly retreated dozens of zhang, glaring at him fiercely like a beast eyeing its prey, yet wary of the hunter’s strength.
The Black Lotus is the Earthly Sect Patriarch, a peak second-grade expert. Yet this man spoke so casually about “cleaning house”… Zhu Jiu and Jili Zhigu’s hearts sank. As powerful as they were, they didn’t dare to be the least bit careless.
It wasn’t just because the opponent held the Nation Stabilizing Sword, but also because of his mysterious strength that made the two Northern powerhouses feel troubled.
Is he not just boasting? Hmm, judging by Black Lotus’s attitude, it seems Golden Lotus hasn’t completely fallen into demonic ways. Although I don’t know exactly what happened, if the Golden Lotus that Black Lotus mentioned pleaded with this mysterious expert, it means he truly has such strength… Thinking of this, the high-grade shaman felt a sense of crisis rising within him.
Every shaman skilled in divination loses their sense of security when they finds events developing beyond what their divinations foretell.
…
The intense battle had stopped, and the commotion here had drawn the attention of surviving jianghu warriors and city guards within the city.
As the main city of a prefecture, Chu Prefecture had seen an influx of countless jianghu figures over the past month. Although a large portion had died in the recent battle, a small number still survived.
Chu Prefecture was vast, and they couldn’t see the battle scene, but the terrifying shockwaves had suddenly ceased, returning to calm, which led to speculation among the survivors.
“Is it, is it over? Who won, the barbarians or the King of the Northern Frontier?”
“The King of the Northern Frontier. If he had lost, none of us would be alive.”
“Should we go take a look?”
“Do you have a death wish? By the way, what’s going on with the civilians in Chu Prefecture?”
The barbarian cavalry and demonic troops were entangled with the Great Feng army, but the battle wasn’t particularly fierce. The city walls had already been breached, and their respective leaders and princes were engaged in fierce combat within the city.
They no longer needed to fight to the death, but rather mutually restrain each other.
Even battle-hardened veterans or fierce barbarians cherish their lives and avoid needless sacrifice.
Therefore, soldiers from all sides could spare attention to observe the situation within the city.
Que Yongxiu stood on the city wall, somewhat uneasily watching the suddenly appeared man in green. He couldn’t tell if it was the other’s attire, extremely similar to Wei Yuan’s style, that instinctively made him wary.
Or if it was because the intervention of a high-grade expert would bring many unstable factors.
Probably both.
“Chu Prefecture must be reduced to ruins, and the survivors in the city must die, including the envoys. Only then can I cover up the truth about the massacre? As long as there’s no evidence, with the King of the Northern Frontier protecting me, plus my status as a first-rank duke, a descendant of a founding general, and my merits in guarding the northern border these years, even Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen can’t do anything to me.
“I hope everything goes according to plan. Who exactly is this person, and why can he pick up the Nation Stabilizing Sword? Does the imperial family have such an expert? I don’t know what his attitude is. Hmm, Prince Huai is a prince of Great Feng, his ascension to the second grade is more important than anything. Since this person can pick up the Nation Stabilizing Sword, it shows he’s on Great Feng’s side.
“He will surely be pleased with the King of the Northern Frontier’s breakthrough and offer support.”
Que Yongxiu’s thoughts flickered, constantly analyzing the pros and cons.
On the other side, Yang Yan leaped onto the roof ridge, gazing far into the distance at the battlefield.
With his eyesight, even from such a great distance, he could see the changes in the scene, see that unknown man in green grasping the Nation Stabilizing Sword.
Yang Yan stared at that figure, his eyes showing obvious bewilderment.
“Constable Yang, what’s happening? Why has the fighting stopped? What do you see?” the Deputy Chief of the Justice Ministry shouted from below the roof.
The guards and soldiers in the envoy’s entourage were on high alert, watching in all directions to prevent any demons, barbarians, or even the King of the Northern Frontier’s soldiers from attacking.
Yang Yan withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “A mysterious expert has appeared. He’s holding the Nation Stabilizing Sword.”
“What?”
The two Imperial Censors and the Deputy Chief of the Justice Ministry were startled.
When did the Nation Stabilizing Sword appear in Chu Prefecture? Wasn’t it always in the Eternal Mountain River Temple suppressing the nation’s fortune?
And a mysterious expert grasped the Nation Stabilizing Sword?
How is that possible?
Years ago, when Emperor Yuanjing personally handed the Nation Stabilizing Sword to the King of the Northern Frontier, it was not only because he was already an unparalleled warrior at the time, but also because non-royal family members couldn’t gain the sword’s recognition.
The Nation Stabilizing Sword was the personal weapon of Great Feng’s founding emperor, accompanying him in conquering the four directions, gradually condensing Great Feng’s fortune.
The divine sword has a spirit of its own.
“Then, then who is that person?” the Deputy Chief of the Justice Ministry asked tremblingly.
Yang Yan shook his head and said softly, “He… reminds me of Lord Wei from back then, Lord Wei during the Battle of Shanhai Pass.”
After saying this, he fell silent, offering no further explanation.
“Is this mysterious expert friend or foe?” asked Imperial Censor Liu.
“I don’t know,” Yang Yan shook his head, then added:
“But since he can pick up the Nation Stabilizing Sword, perhaps, perhaps he’s one of the King of the Northern Frontier’s backup plans.”
The Deputy Chief of the Justice Ministry’s eyes dimmed.
Imperial Censor Liu gritted his teeth and said, “So, the massacre was planned long ago, just to give Prince Huai a push, to help him ascend to the second grade. For this, they would deploy the Nation Stabilizing Sword and sacrifice 380,000 civilians.
“380,000 people ah, they have parents and children, they are wives and husbands, children and elders, and just like that they’re dead, all dead…
“How can this be, how can this be, this official cannot accept it!”
Witnessing the scene of civilians in the city being sacrificed was infinitely more impactful than reading about it in official documents.
It had almost become Imperial Censor Liu’s heart demon.
…
The King of the Northern Frontier narrowed his eyes, then smiled and said:
“You’ve come at just the right time, breaking our stalemate. The demon and barbarian tribes of the North have repeatedly harassed our Great Feng’s borders, burning, killing, and looting. Now is a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity. Kill them, and Great Feng’s northern border will be forever peaceful.”
He didn’t care who the other person was for now, but since he could gain the Nation Stabilizing Sword’s recognition, he couldn’t possibly be from the demon or barbarian tribes.
He tried to stir up hatred, using the old grudges between Great Feng and the two tribes to persuade this mysterious expert to join forces with him and kill Jili Zhigu and Zhu Jiu first.
As for the matter of the massacre, he would think of a way to retrieve the Nation Stabilizing Sword later.
Hearing the King of the Northern Frontier’s words, Jili Zhigu and Zhu Jiu were on high alert, shifting most of their attention to Xu Qi An, wary of him attacking with the Nation Stabilizing Sword.
“I’ve come to kill you!”
The young man in green’s subsequent words made the peak experts present pause, revealing shocked expressions.
The smile on the King of the Northern Frontier’s face slowly faded as he stared sharply at him. “What did you say?”
Xu Qi An ignored him, slowly floating into the air, condensing high above. Then, a pitch-black rune, like a flame, appeared on his forehead.
His body began to expand, tearing his clothes, revealing skin of an inhuman jet-black color as if forged from dark iron, filled with explosive power.
At this moment, Xu Qi An was more evil than the Earthly Sect Patriarch, his entire body burning with black magical flames, like a god or demon.
“This, this… who on earth is this?”
The high-grade shaman’s face was filled with shock.
When did the Nine Provinces produce such a peak martial artist?
On the city walls, in the city, the surviving jianghu figures, the entangled barbarians, the northern soldiers, and the demon tribes all simultaneously felt this evil and powerful force.
It almost made them unable to hold their weapons, with thoughts of fleeing rising in their hearts.
“King of the Northern Frontier, you deserve death!”
In the air, wreathed in black flames, god-like and demon-like, Xu Qi An’s voice rolled like thunder, as if it were a command pronounced by a heavenly god.
“King of the Northern Frontier, for your selfish desire to ascend to the second grade, you’ve slaughtered 380,000 civilians in Chu Prefecture. Lives are dying because of you.
“The northern civilians respect and love you, revering you like a god, believing it was you who protected the borders, sparing the civilians from the iron hooves of the barbarians. But how have you treated them?
“You colluded with the Witch God Cult, turning them into walking corpses, using the Witch God Cult’s secret methods to refine their blood essence over a month. Such atrocities are unforgivable crimes.
“King of the Northern Frontier, can you face the Great Feng civilians who adore you? Can you face the founding emperor who established the nation through hardship? Can you face the spirits of past ancestors, can you face those 300,000 wronged souls?
“You beast.”
Each accusation resounded through the clouds.
As Xu Qi An spoke these words, flashes of memory crossed his mind: civilians falling to the ground with arrows in their bodies, crying and begging for mercy, only to have daggers pierce their hearts.
The image of passionate scholars shouting questions loudly, then being brutally murdered, their eyes still fixed on their killers even in death.
Those gazes, desperate and indignant.
The desperate and painful eyes of a young mother, shielding her child beneath her body, unable to protect them as both she and her child were stabbed through.
The face of Deputy Governor Zheng’s second son, crying in pain before his death, and the image of Zheng Xinghuai wailing in grief.
Wronged souls screamed, roared, and wept bitterly.
Xu Qi An’s worldview teetered on the brink of collapse amidst the wails of the vengeful spirits. If he hadn’t killed the King of the Northern Frontier today, he would never find peace.
…
Tens of thousands of northern soldiers began to stir, doubting if they had heard correctly.
“Did he say the King of the Northern Frontier massacred the city? He said the civilians of Chu Prefecture were killed by the King of the Northern Frontier colluding with the Witch God Cult?”
“That’s impossible. The civilians in Chu Prefecture were fine before. They only died when the barbarians and demon tribes attacked the city. It was them who used some vicious sorcery to kill all the civilians in the city.”
The discussions spread among the soldiers, echoing back and forth.
Some cursed loudly, some were bewildered, and others excitedly defended the King of the Northern Frontier, unable to accept such a reality.
Limited by their status and knowledge, the lower-ranking soldiers had no idea about the King of the Northern Frontier’s schemes, let alone the secrets of refining blood pills. Even though they had just witnessed the strange phenomena in the city, they lacked the insight to understand what they had seen.
The soldiers who carried out the massacre that day were actually corpse soldiers under the high-grade shaman’s control.
The Witch God Cult could manipulate corpses and souls, stimulate blood energy, and naturally possessed methods to refine blood essence. However, the prerequisite was that those people must already be dead; the living couldn’t be controlled by shamans.
Using corpse control methods to refine blood essence was both covert and safe, which is why it wasn’t discovered by the barbarian and demon tribes. Even the sorcerers were deceived.
After all, shamans inherently had the ability to interfere with fate and destiny.
Even the civilians who had already died had their souls sealed within their bodies, only realizing they were dead when the blood pills were completed.
How could low-ranking soldiers understand such profound mysteries?
Apart from these soldiers, the surviving jianghu figures listened to the accusations in a daze.
Then strong doubts arose, believing that the overwhelmingly fierce expert was slandering the King of the Northern Frontier.
The King of the Northern Frontier had guarded the borders for over a decade, resisting the barbarians and protecting the territory. He was Great Feng’s strongest martial artist. His achievements were known to all under heaven.
Suddenly, a mysterious expert appeared, accusing the King of the Northern Frontier of massacring a city. No one would believe it.
“Nonsense! I truly hope the King of the Northern Frontier can slay him.”
“If the situation becomes dire, we commoners should also do our part for Chu Prefecture. The people of Chu are not afraid of death.”
“But that person is holding the Nation Stabilizing Sword. I’ve heard that only members of the royal family can be recognized by it. Could what he’s saying be true…”
…
“Well said! He’s speaking what’s in my heart. Prince or not, such atrocities are no different from those of beasts,” Imperial Censor Liu exclaimed, trembling with excitement, spittle flying:
“This person must be a hidden expert of our Great Feng royal family. He’s come to carry out heaven’s will and punish the King of the Northern Frontier.”
“Speaking one’s mind indeed! If sacrificing civilians is the price for a second-grade expert, then our Great Feng deserves to perish. The King of the Northern Frontier was wrong, gravely wrong,” the Deputy Chief of the Justice Ministry said indignantly.
The civil officials never expected that a powerful expert would actually stand up to condemn the King of the Northern Frontier, expose his crimes, and declare his intention to execute him.
Although they hadn’t been good people for many years, at this moment, when this mysterious expert berated the King of the Northern Frontier, they felt a joy that “evil cannot triumph over good.”
“Civilians can die in wars, die at the hands of barbarians and demons. At worst, we can kill them back. Today he massacres one of our Great Feng cities, tomorrow our Great Feng will annihilate one of their tribes. We’re sworn enemies with no end but death.”
Captain Chen clenched his fists, gritting his teeth:
“But civilians shouldn’t die at the hands of the King of the Northern Frontier. They believed until their deaths that he was Great Feng’s pillar, the hero protecting them. Yet this hero swung the butcher’s knife at them, extracting their blood essence just so he could ascend to the second grade. How tragic!
“How could the King of the Northern Frontier bring himself to do this? He’s a dog thief, a cold-blooded, heartless beast.”
Martial artists have their own code of honor. Captain Chen completely disregarded the other’s princely status, feeling that the King of the Northern Frontier deserved death.
As for what would happen to the northern border after the King of the Northern Frontier’s death.
Hah, a prince who could sacrifice an entire city for his personal desires—if he doesn’t die now, are we waiting for him to ascend to the first grade and sacrifice ten cities?
Though the barbarians burn, kill, and plunder, they’ve killed fewer people than the King of the Northern Frontier.
After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the barbarians recuperated for over a decade, then repeatedly invaded the borders, but only in small-scale raids. No large-scale wars occurred.
And the King of the Northern Frontier?
380,000 civilians, killed just like that, a city massacred on a whim.
In the future, if he wants to ascend to the first grade, what then?
Others understood this reasoning as well, which is why the Deputy Chief of the Justice Ministry, in his grief, said fiercely: he hoped the barbarians would win this battle.
…
The King of the Northern Frontier’s expression remained unchanged as he said loudly, “Who are you, sir? Why do you spout such vicious slander against me?”
Que Yongxiu’s face changed, suddenly gripping his sword hilt tightly. This person was an enemy, not a friend, and had come to kill Prince Huai.
“Damn it, damn it, he deserves to die. Where did this dog come from, why does he want to ruin my plans, ruin Prince Huai’s plans?” Que Yongxiu was furious.
Hearing the King of the Northern Frontier’s words, Que Yongxiu had a thought. He stepped onto the battlement and shouted, “Soldiers, everything today is a plot by the demon and barbarian tribes. They want to harm our King of the Northern Frontier.”
Hearing this, the northern soldiers suddenly understood, filled with righteous indignation.
“The demon tribe and barbarians not only want to harm the King of the Northern Frontier but also want to sully his reputation. Hateful! I wish we could kill all these vermin.”
“The King of the Northern Frontier has guarded the border for years without returning to the capital. He’s the hero in our hearts. Everyone, don’t be fooled by that person.”
“The King of the Northern Frontier cannot die. He’s Great Feng’s god of war. Great Feng needs him, the people need him.”
“We swear to protect the King of the Northern Frontier to the death.”
The northern soldiers’ blood was roused. At worst, they would die, using their bodies to pave an escape route for the King of the Northern Frontier.
At this moment, high in the sky, Xu Qi An threw the Nation Stabilizing Sword in his hand, letting it plunge into the ground with a “clang.”
“King of the Northern Frontier, the Nation Stabilizing Sword has a spirit. It can discern loyalty and treachery, recognize people’s hearts. If you have a clear conscience, then ask it if it chooses you.”
Xu Qi An faintly heard the sword’s cry, as if complaining grievously, complaining that he had abandoned it.
At this instant, the distant curses suddenly stopped.
The soldiers standing on the city walls looked down, staring intently at the distant King of the Northern Frontier and the Nation Stabilizing Sword, not daring to blink.
The soldiers below the walls couldn’t see, and they were anxious, wishing they could sprout wings and fly to the top of the walls.
At this time, except for a few scattered battles still continuing, most people had stopped fighting. Barbarians, demons, and Great Feng soldiers all maintained a wary distance from each other while dividing their attention to watch.
The Nation Stabilizing Sword only recognizes fortune, not people. As a prince of Great Feng, my reputation still stands, so my fortune remains. How could I possibly be unable to use the Nation Stabilizing Sword… The King of the Northern Frontier’s lips curled as he reached out towards the founding emperor’s sword.
His energy connected with the sword hilt, about to pull it out.
Seeing this, Zhu Jiu, Jili Zhigu, and the woman in white slightly changed their expressions, instinctively wanting to stop him. However, they had retreated too far earlier and were now too distant.
It was too late to stop him now.
“Hum hum…”
Suddenly, the bronze sword emitted a faint golden light, actually shaking off the Prince Huai’s energy connection, not allowing him to touch it.
The Nation Stabilizing Sword had rejected Prince Huai…
Jili Zhigu and Zhu Jiu exchanged a glance, transmitting their thoughts across the distance:
“This person’s identity is unknown, but his background is more extraordinary than imagined. Don’t be careless. Even if he’s targeting the King of the Northern Frontier, he likely won’t spare us either.”
“Whether the King of the Northern Frontier lives or dies is irrelevant. Seizing the blood pill is the purpose of our journey.”
In the center of the lotus, the pitch-black figure stared at Xu Qi An with suspicion. This person’s fortune was indeed deep, but he wasn’t someone with great destiny. How could he make the Nation Stabilizing Sword discard Prince Huai like an old shoe?
“King of the Northern Frontier, who exactly is he? Your royal family had such an expert hidden? Is he one of your Great Feng royal ancestors?” The high-grade shaman was startled.
It had been many years since he last felt a chill down his spine.
The King of the Northern Frontier’s face turned ashen as he said in a deep voice, “From the founding emperor to Emperor Wuzong, which peak martial artist could live for so long? He’s not a member of our royal family.”
As he spoke, his figure flashed, appearing before the Nation Stabilizing Sword, reaching out to pull it.
“Hum!”
The faint golden light instantly exploded, waves of energy surged like a tidal wave, pushing the King of the Northern Frontier back. Streams of sword energy shot at the third-grade martial artist’s body, sparking intensely.
The Nation Stabilizing Sword… this divine weapon that suppressed Great Feng’s fortune, this divine weapon that had accompanied the King of the Northern Frontier in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, slaying countless enemy chieftains.
Actually, due to the King of the Northern Frontier’s approach, it produced such an extreme reaction.
On the distant city walls, an uproar broke out.
At this moment, there were over ten thousand soldiers on the city walls. They saw this scene from afar, saw the Nation Stabilizing Sword reject the King of the Northern Frontier, resisting his touch.
In the hearts of the soldiers, it felt as if something had collapsed.
“What did I just see? I must be under some illusion. I saw the Nation Stabilizing Sword rejecting the King of the Northern Frontier.”
“The King of the Northern Frontier… did he really massacre the city?”
“This isn’t real, this isn’t real.”
Weapons clattered to the ground as many soldiers clutched their heads in pain, muttering to themselves. Some refused to believe what they had seen, harshly questioning their comrades beside them, hoping for a different answer.
But they found their comrades had already broken down.
Their beliefs had collapsed.
The Nation Stabilizing Sword was Great Feng’s divine weapon, passed down from the founding emperor. In the eyes of the military, its status was supremely revered.
Years ago, during the Battle of Shanhai Pass, His Majesty the Emperor held a grand ancestral ceremony, personally taking out the Nation Stabilizing Sword and bestowing it upon the King of the Northern Frontier.
This piece of history was still circulated in the military, often discussed with relish, becoming part of the King of the Northern Frontier’s many glories.
It was precisely because of this that the scene of the Nation Stabilizing Sword rejecting the King of the Northern Frontier dealt an unbearable blow to the soldiers.
The soldiers below the city walls couldn’t see that far. When the uproar sounded above their heads, countless people looked up, and then, what they heard was not cheering, but cries of despair.
What they saw was not the smiling faces of their comrades, but faces twisted in anguish.
This…
The truth was easy to guess. The Nation Stabilizing Sword had made its choice, and this choice was a huge blow to them.
It meant that everything the mysterious expert in the sky had said was true. The Nation Stabilizing Sword had rejected the King of the Northern Frontier because he had committed unforgivable crimes.
He had massacred Great Feng’s civilians, and he had lost the support of the Nation Stabilizing Sword.
“When man abandons morality, heaven punishes him. King of the Northern Frontier, today is the day of your death.”
Xu Qi An plunged downward, wrapped in boundless rage, trailing overwhelming demonic flames.
Whoosh…
The Nation Stabilizing Sword automatically flew up, placing itself in Xu Qi An’s hand. He appeared domineering and arrogant, majestic and awe-inspiring, like a god or demon… though in reality, he was just a voice actor.
The Nation Stabilizing Sword erupted with dazzling golden light, fiercely slashing towards the King of the Northern Frontier.
This top martial artist of Great Feng, his face grim, showed no fear of the sword’s edge as he countered with his long blade.
“Boom!”
As if hundreds of cannons had exploded, terrifying shockwaves swept everything away, destroying all in their path, blowing away even the collapsed ruins of surrounding houses.
Soldiers looking down from the city walls clearly saw a circular wave of energy expand outward in ripples. Everything it touched was reduced to dust.
This scene could only be described as a natural disaster.
The long blade in the King of the Northern Frontier’s hand disintegrated. This was a top-grade magical weapon forged by the Bureau of Astronomy and Calendar, able to cut iron like mud, incredibly tough, capable of displaying its sharpness even in third-grade level battles, slicing through enemies.
But under the Nation Stabilizing Sword, it was as fragile as paper.
The crimson giant python seized the opportunity, its vertical eye on its forehead rotating to shoot out a beam of black light, faster than lightning, quicker than thought, striking the King of the Northern Frontier.
The King’s body inevitably stiffened, his joints seizing up as he watched helplessly as the bronze sword fell.
“Die!”
From afar, the shaman suddenly extended his hand towards Xu Qi An, clenching it forcefully.
Death Curse.
The immortal body wreathed in demonic flames seemed to take a hit, suffering some damage, interrupting the chopping motion.
The King of the Northern Frontier seized the chance to strike, throwing over a hundred punches in an instant. The fist shadows were so dense that due to their speed, the hundred punches sounded as one: Bang!
Xu Qi An flew back like a cannonball, his chest slightly concave, recovering to its original shape in an instant.
Nine fox tails spread out behind Xu Qi An in the high sky like a barrier blocking out heaven and earth, halting his backward momentum.
Just as he steadied himself in midair, a whooshing sound came from below. A black, viscous liquid, like an oil geyser, surged upward with a corrosive, polluting force, splashing towards Xu Qi An.
Boom boom boom… The green giant began to run wildly, suddenly leaping up like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit, attacking the black lotus.
The giant sword in his hand transformed into a dazzling sun, striking down with all his might.
The black lotus collapsed under the irresistible sword energy, turning into wisps of black smoke, reforming in the distance.
The ground of Chu Prefecture, under this sword strike, cracked open for miles, forming a bottomless chasm.
“I hate it when people punch me.”
This time it was Shen Shu’s own voice.
Behind the black magical body, twelve not-quite-real pitch-black arms grew out, muscles knotted, each arm clenching a fist.
All twelve fists fell simultaneously, their force as fast as afterimages.
Each punch created a crater several zhang wide in the ground.
The King of the Northern Frontier moved as fast as lightning, sometimes charging forward, sometimes swerving, relying on a martial artist’s instincts to avoid each fist.
Both sides engaged in intense, chaotic combat in the city. Due to the imbalance in numbers, it was no longer one-on-one combat, but rather focused on coordination between allies.
Spells from various systems crisscrossed, coming and going, leaving almost no intact place in the entire Chu Prefecture.
Houses turned to ruins, ruins became deep pits, rivers changed course, and ponds were filled in.
Since the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Nine Provinces had been at peace for twenty years. This was the first time a battle of this scale had occurred.
For these experts who stood nearly at the peak, a human city could be leveled in just one battle.
At this moment, Jili Zhigu took advantage of his “allies” engaging the opponents to leap towards the blood pill, picking up this drug containing enormous life essence from the ruins.
“A blood pill condensed from the life essence of my Great Feng people, how dare a barbarian like you touch it?”
Xu Qi An was the first to attack, his sword striking the green giant’s arm, revealing white bone and causing the green giant to roar in pain.
Blood, red with a tinge of blue, gushed out like a fountain, a shocking sight.
This sword strike nearly severed the third-grade martial artist’s arm, its power extraordinary.
If only the Confucian sage’s chisel wasn’t far away in the capital, sealed by the academy, I could take on ten of them… Xu Qi An lamented inwardly.
The blood pill soared skyward, and nine fox tails curled towards it. The giant python lunged with its crimson body, blocking out the sky as if intending to swallow the blood pill in one gulp.
The King of the Northern Frontier, the Earthly Sect Patriarch’s avatar, and the shaman all moved to seize the blood pill.
“Crack…”
Under the contest of multiple parties, the blood pill shattered on the spot, splitting into seven small fragments.
Without any hesitation, Zhu Jiu and Jili Zhigu swallowed the blood pill fragments. Their injuries were fully healed, their auras rapidly climbing, their physiques and energy actually improving to a higher level.
At this point, the shaman could only absorb blood energy to maintain his condition and deal with the subsequent battle.
The King of the Northern Frontier’s face was gloomy, veins bulging on his forehead, his anger about to erupt.
This was supposed to be his opportunity, everything he had painstakingly planned, but now others had taken a share.
Now, not only had he lost his princess consort, but even the blood pill was gone.
He had truly lost both the wife and the troops.
The King of the Northern Frontier threw the blood pill into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it, his jaw muscles bulging as if he were eating not the blood pill, but Xu Qi An.
“Master… these, these are all the blood essence of my Great Feng people.” Xu Qi An communicated inwardly with Shen Shu, instinctively resistant to swallowing the blood pill.
“I have a secret technique that can burn the immortal body, allowing power to briefly reach its peak, but it requires vast amounts of blood essence as fuel. It will help you end this battle early.”
Xu Qi An’s heart stirred: “Is it the peak of your mortal life?”
Shen Shu was silent for a moment: “No, but it’s enough to deal with them… Also, I’m not dead.”
Xu Qi An stared at the blood pill in his hand, a phrase flashing through his mind: The dragon-slaying youth will eventually become a demon.
Seeing his silence, Shen Shu hesitated no longer and swallowed the blood pill fragment.
“Such powerful energy, truly worthy of a blood pill refined from 380,000 people. Tsk tsk, King of the Northern Frontier, why don’t you tell me the secret technique for refining blood pills? We can massacre cities together and ascend to the second grade together, how about it?”
Jili Zhigu stretched, feeling the immense energy spread through his body, his mood reaching a peak of joy.
“Indeed!”
Zhu Jiu spoke in human language, teasing: “We two don’t know how to refine such blood pills. Randomly devouring living beings at most provides nourishment, not this kind of effect. And you, King of the Northern Frontier, can secretly massacre one city alone, but any more and you’d be slaughtered by the Supervising Censor. Why don’t the three of us join forces to refine a second, a third blood pill, how about it?”
As it spoke, it writhed its serpentine body, as if itching unbearably, about to shed its skin.
The high-grade shaman sneered: “We’ll see who comes out on top.”
The woman in the white dress glanced at Xu Qi An and giggled: “This sovereign will play with you a bit longer.”
The Earthly Sect Patriarch disdained to speak further. The blood pill was of little use to him; he hadn’t consumed it but had hidden it away. After all, this was just an avatar, and he had already obtained what he wanted:
The evil of massacring a city!
He had profited no matter what, and didn’t mind fighting another battle with them.
After consuming the blood pill, the auras of all parties surged, each brimming with confidence.
Having surpassed their own peaks, even their fear of the Nation Stabilizing Sword was greatly reduced.
The King of the Northern Frontier tore off his armor, revealing a bronze-colored physique, and said calmly:
“This king has also broken through to the peak of this life. Since the blood pill has been divided equally, your goals have been achieved. Zhu Jiu, Jili Zhigu, why don’t we join forces to eliminate this fellow first?”
Jili Zhigu and Zhu Jiu immediately looked towards Xu Qi An, their three eyes flowing with deep wariness.
The King of the Northern Frontier was diverting trouble, sharing the pressure with them.
But this was an obvious ploy.
This person’s background was mysterious, able to wield the Nation Stabilizing Sword. In the previous battle, he had shown hostility towards them as well. If the King of the Northern Frontier died under the Nation Stabilizing Sword, it was easy to imagine that they would be his next target.
And the existence of the Nation Stabilizing Sword posed a substantial lethal threat to them, enormously dangerous.
In contrast, the King of the Northern Frontier had already been rejected by the Nation Stabilizing Sword, and his strength was no greater than theirs, posing little threat.
Zhu Jiu and Jili Zhigu exchanged a glance and grinned ferociously: “Agreed.”
The corner of the King of the Northern Frontier’s mouth twitched, his smile grim: “Alliance formed.”
After killing this person and reclaiming the Nation Stabilizing Sword, I’ll join forces with the King of the Northern Frontier to slay Zhu Jiu. If we don’t eliminate this hidden danger, the King of the Northern Frontier is likely to die, and Zhu Jiu can’t be killed… After weighing the options internally, the high-grade shaman compromised.
In an instant, the King of the Northern Frontier, the shaman, the Black Lotus, Zhu Jiu, and Jili Zhigu all turned their gaze towards Xu Qi An.
The five great experts reached an unspoken agreement to kill this person together.
The changes in the situation caught the observing soldiers, spies, and military experts on the city walls off guard.
The soldiers looked with complex gazes at the mysterious figure standing alone, holding the Nation Stabilizing Sword.
The woman in the white dress didn’t interfere, rising higher with an attitude of watching from the sidelines.
Her enchanting eyes fixed on Xu Qi An, seeming both joyful and sorrowful.
Shen Shu, it’s time to reveal a glimpse of your true battle prowess.