Chapter 238: Master of Fallen God Peak

"How old is that Eighth Imperial Prince?" Master Sikong asked casually.

The hundred-household officer delivering the report thought for a moment, then hesitated and said:

"About... twenty."

Upon hearing this, Sikong Xuan, whose head was covered in white hair, could not help but frown.

At that moment, a golden flame rose again from the direction of Hundred Refinements City, suddenly illuminating the distant horizon.

Sikong Xuan looked up, and a trace of surprise and doubt appeared in his cloudy eyes as he said:

"According to Fu Qiwen, that Eighth Imperial Prince defeated the Peak Master of Hundred Refinements Peak, Zheng Yunfeng, with a single move. Only a short while has passed since then; which great figure of Fallen God Peak has he taken down now?"

However, how could the hundred-household officer before him answer his question? He could only stare blankly at the dazzling golden light in the sky.

To be honest, although the matter of the fake prince had long spread across all the provinces, the Eighth Imperial Prince's identity had only been acknowledged a short while ago; those with closed-off news channels did not even know such a thing existed.

He had only learned of this matter from idle chatter among other colleagues, yet this was an imperial prince with absolutely no presence and no foundation.

Yet he had gone to Hundred Refinements City alone, and with a single move had taken down a Peak Master who even made the Commandant my lord troubled.

At this moment, he only felt that everything was unreal, as if he were dreaming.

"Could it be that I feel the suppression of Fallen God Peak is a nine-deaths-to-one-life situation, and the pressure has caused hallucinations? Am I dreaming of a master saving the Brocade Sky Guard?"

The young hundred-household officer thought thus in his heart, and immediately pinched his arm.

At this time, the former Commandant Sikong Xuan glanced at the other party, then shook his head and sighed:

"It has faded. Indeed, the bond has faded. With such a trump card, he still concealed it and did not tell this old man. The relationship between that boy Fu Qiwen and me, his adoptive father, has ultimately become estranged."

Hearing this, the hundred-household officer, who felt obvious pain and then revealed a face full of surprise, came to his senses. Next, he hurriedly performed a bow, about to say some good words for the Commandant my lord to avoid any rift arising between the two before him.

However, the next moment, Sikong Xuan, not waiting for him to speak, suddenly changed his tone and commanded in a deep voice:

"Pass down my order: attack Yulan City ahead of schedule. This opportunity is rare; you must win a quick battle and capture Yulan Peak."

The hundred-household officer was slightly stunned; his gaze fell upon the other party's old face full of solemnity. Immediately, his expression became stern, and he said no more, but hurried down to pass the order.

At this time, Sikong Xuan's eyes were dark and unclear. He then looked up toward the direction of the main peak of Fallen God Peak, remained silent for a moment, and murmured:

"That boy Qiwen has given this old man a surprise. I originally thought I would not see the day your sect is destroyed before I die, but this time there might truly be a slim chance to fulfill my wish."

Apart from this, the other two forces of the Brocade Sky Guard attacking Fallen God Peak also successively received Fu Qiwen's message.

The two leading generals were both hidden masters of the Great Li Court; one of them had once been called "Xuan Shuang Blade Tyrant" on the Jianghu, ranked among the three top masters of the Great Li Brocade Sky Guard thirty years ago, then vanished from sight and remained in the Imperial Capital to cultivate in secret.

The other had once been equally famous on the Great Li Jianghu; he was the Marquis Longshan, known on the Jianghu as "Iron Arm Azure Dragon."

Marquis Longshan had once entered the Brocade Sky Guard to earn merit in order to retain the title passed down by his ancestors; he had received a favor from Fu Qiwen, and this expedition to suppress Fallen God Peak was also to repay that kindness.

And within the fourth peak force attacking Fallen God Peak, there were even other sect reinforcements that Fu Qiwen had recruited to deal with Fallen God Peak.

None of these sects had any irreconcilable death grudge with Fallen God Peak; they had previously been hiding and lying low in deep mountains and ancient forests, and were among the very few sects that heard Great Li was going to deal with Fallen God Peak and were willing to act.

However, although these sects had secretly accumulated some strength, they were clearly unable to compare with a Jianghu giant like Fallen God Peak.

They knew deeply that relying on their own strength to deal with Fallen God Peak was basically impossible; therefore, although none of them were optimistic about the Brocade Sky Guard's suppression plan this time.

But this was the only chance they had seen in so many years to see hope for revenge; even if they ultimately failed, they still wanted to try.

Otherwise, they might never encounter such an excellent opportunity again in their lives.

"Good, good, good! Great Li has such masters; perhaps we can truly capture Fallen God Peak this time. Even if we cannot annihilate them, we will surely make them suffer heavy losses and cripple their strength!"

In a mountain forest, the Sect Master of Lingjiu Sect, Gu Shengfeng, stroked his beard and laughed loudly.

Behind him, dozens of experts from his sect all showed bright light in their eyes; one by one, their morale was high, and killing intent overflowed!

After learning Fu Qiwen's message, plus witnessing the signal rising from Hundred Refinements City with their own eyes, there was no doubt that a blazing fire of hope had ignited in their hearts at this moment.

Several decades ago, Lingjiu Sect had angered certain great figures of Fallen God Peak by paying one-tenth less tribute, and the sect was destroyed by them on that pretext.

The younger generation of disciples under Gu Shengfeng had only survived by luck thanks to the desperate protection of the sect elders and a host of senior elders.

For these decades, they had cultivated diligently day and night, thinking of revenge against Fallen God Peak at all times.

But with the growth of their martial arts cultivation and the passage of time, they not only failed to see hope for revenge, but instead became increasingly aware of the terror and immovability of Fallen God Peak.

With the strength of these people, even if just a few elders from any one of the Nine Peaks acted, they could annihilate Lingjiu Sect completely.

Originally, they thought they would never be able to avenge their sect elders in this life, but the Great Li Brocade Sky Guard undoubtedly gave them a glimmer of hope, and now, that Great Li Eighth Imperial Prince has shown them even more hope.

How could their hearts not be excited and stirred by this?

"Although I am only just learning that the Eighth Imperial Prince newly acknowledged by Your Majesty possesses such terrifying martial arts cultivation, I suppose Lord Fu would not lie about this matter."

Marquis Longshan spoke thoughtfully; although in his heart he still found it hard to believe that the young imperial prince Li Musheng had defeated the Peak Master of Hundred Refinements Peak with a single move.

But after glancing around at the Jianghu experts, including Lingjiu Sect, and the entire Brocade Sky Guard, he resolutely ordered to advance the attack plan and attack the predetermined targets while seizing this opportunity.

Fallen God Peak, main peak.

A thousand-ren cliff, like a giant sword severing the sky, pierced straight into the clouds; the rock body was a mysterious black iron bone forged from meteoric iron and earth-fire, while twelve bronze chains, each as thick as a giant python, coiled around the mountain's waist.

The main hall at the peak, "Fallen God Hall," was supported by nineteen golden pillars; its red walls and golden tiles were majestic and towering, shining brilliantly under the light of surrounding lamp posts and fires.

In the night, the weather at the peak was a sea of clouds steaming upward, but at this moment, an old man in plain clothes was sitting cross-legged in mid-air, suspended above Fallen God Hall.

He was surrounded by streams of green cloud qi, and his own aura seemed to merge into the heavens and earth.

And the next moment, the old man suddenly opened his eyes.

In an instant, purple lightning flashed through his eyes; immediately, thunderous thunder that shook the heavens rang out above Fallen God Peak, and snakes of lightning formed within the clouds, as if about to become a Thunder Pool.

"Has my eldest disciple encountered trouble?"

The old man, residing among the clouds, looked down toward the direction of Hundred Refinements City; he could clearly see that there a most dazzling golden firework had bloomed from the darkness, emitting incomparably brilliant light.

Next, a blurred figure appeared as if out of thin air, slowly manifesting before the old man.

She was a young woman with a head of green hair, about twenty years of age, wearing a long emerald-green dress; her appearance was beautiful, her skin like congealed jade Bai Yu, and between her eyebrows and eyes lingered a thread of cold air.

The young woman glanced at the old man before her; those eyes appeared extremely cold. Her pupils were not pure black, but rather resembled cracks in a glacier that had not yet fully melted; when looking at people, it was as if a layer of foggy ice always separated them.

At this moment, the woman spoke with extreme indifference, as if devoid of any emotion:

"Just now, three juniors returned to the peak to report that Zheng Yunfeng of Hundred Refinement Peak was killed in a single strike by someone. As for your senior disciple, he has gone to investigate the situation."

Speaking thus, the woman in green paused, then glanced toward Hundred Refinement City in the distant darkness.

By now, the golden light rising from there had gradually dispersed, and the entire sky had returned to darkness.

Seeing this, the woman in green narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly:

"However, judging from the current situation, your senior disciple must have met with disaster."

Hearing this, the old man seated in the void furrowed his brows slightly and said:

"Has anyone been sent to assist? If aid arrives in time, given my senior disciple's talent and divine abilities, there might still be a sliver of hope for survival."

"Naturally, someone has been sent."

The woman in green nodded and said:

"Master Chihuo has already gone. Whether he can save your senior disciple remains unclear."

The green qi surrounding the old man swayed slightly; then he glanced at the woman in green before pondering:

"If Master Chihuo's going is not enough, then send Master Heishan to assist. With the two of them, the 'Luo Shen Venerables', taking action, I reckon that even if that person's martial arts cultivation is overwhelmingly strong, he will have absolutely no chance of victory."

The woman in green stood upon the void, slowly shook her head, and said coldly:

"You misunderstand my meaning. What I mean is, by the time Master Chihuo arrives, your senior disciple may already have been killed by someone."

The old man raised his eyes slightly, gazing at the woman before him, and said:

"If my disciple is dead, it would be a great pity. People with the aptitude for 'Dual Cultivation of Divinity and Martial Arts' like us are hard to find. Moreover, he consumed so much divine blood, only for it all to be wasted in vain."

"It will not be wasted."

The woman in green's beautiful face remained expressionless as she spoke in a voice devoid of any fluctuation:

"The divine blood within your senior disciple's corpse will naturally be consumed by Master Chihuo. Of course, if you continue to send Master Heishan, your senior disciple's corpse will be divided between the two of them."

Hearing this, the old man looked at the woman in green, whose expression was emotionless yet earnest, and sighed helplessly.

He pondered briefly but chose not to continue discussing this matter with the other party, then condensed his voice into a sound transmission that fell into a certain location within the main peak.

Soon, a burly old man in black clothes stepped out from a courtyard within the peak, hovering in the night sky.

The old man in black had a vertical crease on his forehead carved deep like a knife, while horizontal creases were fine and dense like a fishing net; he wore a gray-white beard and a pair of hemp sandals on his feet.

He looked up toward the peak's summit. Seeing the old man seated in the void nod slightly to him, the old man in black said nothing more. The true qi around him suddenly scattered, and his entire body plummeted straight downward.

In the blink of an eye, the old man in black fell to the base of the peak, yet he caused not the slightest damage to the ground at the mountain's foot.

At the instant he fell from the sky to the ground, rock peaks sprouted from the ground like bamboo shoots, effortlessly supporting his form. Without using any martial true qi, all force was dissipated.

Then, the old man in black took a step spanning three zhang, leaving behind rock paths that slowly faded along the mountain road, disappearing toward the direction of Hundred Refinement City.

Watching the faintly departing figure of the old man in black below, the Zhang Sect of Luo Shen Peak, hovering above the peak, wore a thoughtful expression, then furrowed his brows and muttered to himself:

"To kill Yunfeng in a single strike, which ancient immortal did the Great Li Imperial Palace send this time?"

The Great Li Imperial Dynasty has stood for a hundred years, ruling nineteen provinces. Even though Luo Shen Peak is one of the four great sects of the martial world, it will not underestimate the other party in the slightest.

It was just that the Zhang Sect of Luo Shen Peak did not expect that Emperor Yuanwu of Great Li would truly disregard the four surrounding nations and the other three great sects of the martial world waiting to profit like a fisherman, and have the heart to strike against Luo Shen Peak.

"If the Great Li court truly exhausts all its strength to annihilate our Luo Shen Peak, then we will have no choice but to flee in defeat. But the Great Li court would also kill eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of its own, ending up no better off."

"Emperor Yuanwu should not be so foolish as to make such a decision that harms others without benefiting himself. Moreover, from the current situation, it seems only the Great Li Tianjin Guard has struck against Luo Shen Peak."

The Zhang Sect of Luo Shen Peak spoke slowly. The green qi around him began to generate threads of purple Lei Ting, then a barely perceptible killing intent surfaced.

He turned to look at the woman in green before him, who had never left since the beginning, and said in a deep voice:

"This means that the person in Hundred Refinement City is the Great Li Tianjin Guard's only trump card. Once he is dealt with, the rest are merely a mob, nothing to worry about."

Hearing this, the woman in green glanced coldly at the old man and said:

"What you say is not without reason, but I hope you do not become like your senior disciple. Overconfidence is not a good thing."

The Zhang Sect of Luo Shen Peak furrowed his brows slightly but said nothing more. He glanced toward the direction of Hundred Refinement City and left only this sentence:

"Inform me once there is a result."

Then, the seated figure vanished into the clouds.

For a moment, a cloud vortex churned within the sea of clouds, with threads of snake-like lightning arcs wandering along its edges, while the deep interior of the clouds emitted thunder like the forging of iron.

Seeing this, the woman in green merely indifferently withdrew her gaze. Then, her slender figure vanished from the spot into thin air.

Not long after, Li Musheng, seated atop the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, suddenly felt something. He withdrew his thoughts from the perfected Green Dragon Cangming Scripture and gazed toward the night sky outside Hundred Refinement City.

The hemp-clad old man and Lin Xun'er, hidden on a nearby wine tower, both felt a stir in their hearts and immediately looked in the direction of Li Musheng's gaze.

They saw only a point of firelight, like a green bean, at the edge of the pitch-black mountain range far outside the city, approaching rapidly from afar.

Gradually, that firelight, which had originally appeared extremely tiny, grew larger in their line of sight, becoming increasingly brilliant and dazzling, illuminating the night sky crimson like scalding magma, as if approaching with unbearable high temperatures.

(End of this chapter)