Chapter 270: Mingque

In an instant.

The autumn water sword qi, icy and sharp, surged forward.

It immobilized the squad leader on the spot!

Autumn Water, though not as sharp as Han Guang.

Yet as a spiritual essence treasure, it possesses a peculiar trait: it can seal spiritual essence unexpectedly.

The squad leader activated the “Awaken Spirit Array,” and his spiritual energy surged violently.

But at this very moment.

Faced with Autumn Water’s sealing, his body twisted wildly.

Yet he could not move an inch!

The sword light, ferocious and fierce, flashed into his pupils.

“Such a massive influx of spiritual energy—and this was just his casual strike!”

The squad leader’s heart froze with terror; his final thought flashed through his mind.

Then his vision darkened, and consciousness vanished.

Boom!

Autumn Water sliced through like a blade cutting paper, shredding him apart.

It tore his body into countless fragments!

Whether the “Awaken Spirit Array,” or the specially made combat suit.

Even the protective talisman hanging around his neck.

All were obliterated into dust by Autumn Water, offering not the slightest protection!

Seeing this scene.

The other squad members nearby trembled violently, without hesitation, all pulled out communicators, summoning protective light shields around them, and turned to flee toward the airship!

They had realized that this Earthling was terrifyingly powerful—completely beyond their match.

Staying here would only mean certain death!

Even the squad leader who activated the “Awaken Spirit Array” had been slain in a single sword strike.

In their eyes.

Such terrifying power could rival the Divine Palace Realm!

“Stay.”

Jiang Jian spoke softly.

The next second.

The autumn water sword in his hand dissolved into light and vanished.

In its place.

Was a black wooden staff.

At that moment.

The squad members had already boarded the airship, frantically activating it, heading toward the sky rift where the massive Mercury warship loomed overhead!

Jiang Jian raised the Earth Store Cane and made a light slash.

The exquisitely ornate wooden staff instantly revealed specks of black starlight, sinking into nothingness.

In the blink of an eye.

Several hundred meters away.

On the rapidly ascending airship, all squad members froze in expression!

Their pupils lost focus; their souls quietly dissolved.

Their slender bodies stiffened, one after another tumbling from the airship’s edge, falling into the mountain cliffs and dense forest.

Jiang Jian lifted his head, gazing at the shrinking airship, flipped his palm, and retracted the Earth Store Cane.

Activating this treasure consumed a small amount of divine soul energy.

He estimated internally.

Based on the divine soul energy he could currently access.

The Earth Store Cane could be used approximately three times.

Even against an ordinary Divine Palace Realm cultivator, it could suppress their soul for a short time, stripping them of combat ability!

“Thank you for saving us!”

A demon approached, eyes filled with gratitude.

More spirit creatures of flowers and birds descended, their expressions solemn, bowing to Jiang Jian: “Thank you!”

Mingque Mountain was an unofficial citizen settlement.

Its inhabitants were mostly demons and spirit creatures.

The squad that had descended from the warship.

Had slaughtered nearly a hundred mountain dwellers in a short time!

The event had come suddenly.

Other mountain spirit creatures had no time to flee far.

Seeing the horrific slaughter of the demonic spirits.

They fell into despair, closing their eyes to await death.

Now, having survived the disaster, their emotions surged wildly; they gathered close, all thanking Jiang Jian.

“If not for you, we’d all be dead here!”

“Thank you!”

“Are you from the White Night Pavilion?”

“I heard the White Night Pavilion belongs to the Imperial Star Palace, and only accepts beings from White Night Prefecture—conditions are extremely strict!”

“How can one join the White Night Pavilion?!”

Amid the clamor and chatter.

Many demons had bloodshot eyes, fists clenched tightly, filled with hatred.

Clearly.

Among those slaughtered earlier were their blood relatives.

Jiang Jian shook his head slightly, about to speak.

Above the sky.

A flyer and a small warship descended one after the other.

“That’s the White Night Prefecture’s escort warship!”

A demon, gazing at the warship, looked delighted.

Although White Night Prefecture officials were usually unfriendly toward unofficial citizens.

Yet now, seeing the prefecture’s escort warship.

These Mingque Mountain demons still felt a sense of relief.

“White Night Prefecture’s northern border: Mingque Mountain infiltrated by a warship squad. Unofficial citizens dead: 68. Squad’s whereabouts currently unknown!”

The escort warship’s hatch opened; a soldier with a rifle stood at the door, scanning with his visor, instantly tallying the casualties.

He pulled out his identity device, tapped repeatedly, and began reporting.

Meanwhile.

From the opposite flyer came a scornful voice: “The prefecture’s all fools—those warship squad members are all dead, yet you’re still reporting them as missing? You’re utterly stupid!”

Unprovoked insult.

The rifleman’s face darkened, but he dared not retaliate, muttering: “Sir, what basis do you have for judging the squad members dead?”

As a prefecture official.

Within White Night Prefecture, he had always acted recklessly, fearing nothing.

But the flyer opposite belonged to the newly formed “White Night Pavilion.”

The White Night Pavilion was a subordinate structure of the Imperial Star Palace.

Its director was none other than the White Night Prefect himself!

A group of Spring Source Realm prodigies had been gradually recruited into it, holding the official title of “Cultivator.”

According to the Earth-Mars Joint Accord.

During wartime, the Imperial Star Palace superseded all alliances and federations.

It represented the supreme authority of both planets!

Even the lowest-ranking “Cultivator” in any Imperial Star Palace pavilion, merely by holding its official rank, was far beyond the reach of any prefecture official to offend.

“Still denying you’re a fool? I saw it with my own eyes—do I need to judge?”

The cultivator sneered, raised his wrist, and waved the gray glasses in his hand.

“The combat gear issued by the prefecture? Ancient junk from years ago—short range, low frequency, pure garbage.”

Hearing this.

The rifleman instinctively reached up, touched his worn-out visor, and wore a sullen expression, no longer daring to argue.

The cultivator scoffed, leapt down from the flyer, landing beside Jiang Jian, his expression softening: “You single-handedly slew seven Mercury scum—no matter how much reward you get, I won’t envy you.”

Above, the sky rift stretched across several prefectures.

Baiye Mansion is precisely one of them.

The affected mansion domains acted swiftly; even before the Yuxing Palace’s notice, they organized their subordinate pavilions and dispatched cultivators to intercept.

During wartime, lunar and terrestrial resources were overwhelmingly channeled toward the Yuxing Palace.

Killing a water-star lifeform yields massive rewards!

This time, the Ba Xia Demon Lord suddenly struck, smashing a crack into the planetary barrier and sending massive warships into the surface realm, attempting to create chaos.

Yet the Yuxing Palace cultivators, far from fearing, were each filled with exhilaration.

They understood perfectly well.

At the same cultivation level, water-star lifeforms had limited power.

In the early stages of war,

these warship squads that had descended into the surface realm and caused chaos were nothing but abundant spiritual resources for them!

After all,

aside from the Divine Palace realm, only those who could enter the Yuxing Palace automatically.

Spring Quan realm lifeforms, if they wished to join and obtain the “Cultivator” official rank, had to endure extremely stringent screening!

After countless filters,

every Yuxing Palace cultivator was a formidable individual!

Even so,

a complete warship squad still required three to four cultivators to eliminate without heavy casualties.

To this cultivator’s eyes,

Jiang Jian activated a powerful trump card and single-handedly annihilated an entire squad.

His combat power was nearly comparable to that of an “Elder”!

“Huh, that’s not right!”

The cultivator studied Jiang Jian and suddenly spoke, “You’re not an official of Baiye Pavilion!?”

At first, he assumed

Jiang Jian was like himself—a “Cultivator” official of Baiye Pavilion.

Baiye Pavilion had not existed for long.

And it was still actively recruiting lifeforms.

Many officials within it did not even know one another.

But after using his identity device to summon and review the records, he discovered the white-robed youth before him was not listed among Baiye Pavilion’s officials—not even as a “Cultivator”!

“No.”

Jiang Jian’s expression remained calm; he said no more, oriented himself, and walked straight toward Chang’an Mansion.

“Wait!”

The cultivator called out to Jiang Jian, “Many warship squads have landed over there—it’s extremely dangerous!”

Water-star warships stretched across the sky.

Nearly half of those squads had descended near Chang’an Mansion!

In other words,

that direction held tens of thousands of water-star lifeforms!

At the same time,

it was also the site of the fiercest defensive battles!

Not only “Cultivators,”

but even many “Elders,”

and even several “Deputy Pavilion Masters,”

had been dispatched to intercept the warship squads!

The official ranks within the Yuxing Palace’s subordinate pavilions were strictly hierarchical.

The first-rank “Cultivators” were held by lifeforms with deep foundational strength from the Spring Quan realm.

The second-rank “Elders” were all the absolute peak of the Spring Quan realm.

And the third-rank “Deputy Pavilion Masters,”

as well as the fourth-rank “Patrol Domain Envoys,”

could only be held by those of the Divine Palace realm!

(End of Chapter)