Chapter 200

"Marquis of Feicheng?"

On the dragon throne, Emperor Jingwu indeed showed hesitation.

The senior ministers in front, seeing this, immediately understood that Emperor Jingwu indeed had doubts about the Marquis of Feicheng.

At this moment, another official in red robes stepped forward from the ranks.

"Your Majesty, this humble official recommends Marquis of Hancheng, Gu Chen. Gu Junshi leads troops with skill, pacifies the southwest; if he were to go, he would surely crush the rebels in one stroke!"

Other officials were all murmuring, among them a purple-robed senior minister stepped forward and said.

"Your Majesty, Marquis of Hancheng, Gu Chen has long served in the border armies; though he has military achievements, now the northern and southern Chu have heavy troops stationed at the nation's gate; if we change commanders at this time, we fear losing one to gain another, giving Chu an opportunity!"

This was Grand Marshal Wang Huan, who nominally commands all the troops of the world.

Emperor Jingwu lightly nodded; Marquis of Hancheng, Gu Chen, was indeed unsuitable for transfer.

The emperor could not help but ask.

"Grand Marshal, whom do you think should be sent to replace General Yang the Elder?"

This Grand Marshal pondered slightly, then said: "Your Majesty, this humble official recommends Wang You!"

Wang You is his third son.

Compared to the several elderly generals recommended earlier, Wang You is much younger, yet equally renowned for military exploits; these years he has campaigned in all directions, subduing the four barbarians.

However, constrained by the Wang clan's already great power, Wang Huan merely recalled Wang You, appointing him an ordinary marquis to rest in the capital.

Seeing the gazes of the other senior ministers upon him, Wang Huan spoke in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, although Wang You is this old minister's beloved son, in recommending the worthy one does not avoid kin; Zi Hou will surely be willing to serve the state in battle, exterminate the rebels!"

Wang You, courtesy name Zi Hou!

On the dragon throne, Emperor Jingwu heard this and laughed aloud.

"Haha, good, Grand Marshal Wang's words indeed meet my heart; our dynasty has always promoted the worthy; Cheng Wu Marquis, among the martial officials of the court, can indeed be called a fierce general, and moreover possesses the talent to command the three armies; this time, let Cheng Wu Marquis take command and lead the expedition, replacing the Marquis of Tongcheng!"

"This old minister thanks Your Majesty for favoring my son; I am willing to have Zi Hou pledge a military oath: victorious return or no return to court!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingwu nodded slightly.

"Later, I will order the astral platform's external scholars to accompany you; this time we will surely exterminate those heretical demons and external paths in one stroke!"

Emperor Jingwu mentioned those heretical demons and external paths, and slammed his palm hard upon the imperial desk.

……

When the news arrived in court, Zhang Jian was at that moment in his mansion seeing Bai Xianyang.

Regarding Bai Xianyang's request, Zhang Jian refused.

But regarding the request of Tiexin Daoist, Zhang Jian agreed.

Tiexin Daoist is unlike other sect elders.

Tiexin Daoist had recently plotted for the Red Flower Lady; he saw it, and naturally repaid kindness with kindness.

As for the other sect elders, whether male or female is unknown, so there is no need to agree.

Furthermore, Tiexin Daoist revealed that these people are not diehard allies of the Slay Demon lineage; most are merely ordinary acquaintances, so there is even less need to agree.

If one wants his ink treasure, that is fine; let him come in person.

At this moment, Bai Xianyang gazed at Zhang Jian's entire body; her eyes seemed to gleam with spiritual light; she could not help but ask: "Young sir, has your elixir qi become full?"

"You actually can see that!"

Zhang Jian looked at Bai Xianyang with some astonishment.

At this time he had cultivated the Golden Lotus Hidden Breath method; even facing a True Person of the Primordial Spirit, they might not necessarily see through his reality.

How could Bai Xianyang see it!

Bai Xianyang shook her head and said: "Young sir has cultivated a very marvelous concealment method; I cannot see clearly, but young sir's bearing is changing, very like the elders within the sect whose golden elixir qi is full!"

"..."

Zhang Jian's eyes moved, and a trace of realization appeared in his pupils.

Changes in one's realm, the flesh receiving blood and vital energy, the body receiving tempering by magical power—indeed will produce corresponding changes.

He is indeed dwelling in the mundane world, with few cultivators around him; many details have not yet been properly handled.

Encountering some meticulous cultivators, it is inevitable to discover some changes.

But since he now knows, Zhang Jian indeed knows how to adjust later.

Zhang Jian nodded and smiled: "Indeed, my golden elixir is complete and round!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xianyang's eyes brightened.

"Then the breakthrough to Spirit Transformation is imminent!"

"Young sir, do you need to return to the sect to break through?"

She asked with concern:

"The sect has complete formations and various breakthrough conditions; it will surely be flawless!"

Zhang Jian pondered slightly, then refused, saying with a smile:

"Breaking the elixir and attaining Spirit Transformation is not difficult for me; I have full preparation!"

Zhang Jian prepared to carry out the elixir-breaking and Spirit Transformation in the ancestral hall of his mansion; there the Zhang ancestors provide protection, so there is also no need to worry about accidents.

As for the wind and fire tribulations, Zhang Jian already had them in mind.

Carefully calculated, his elixir-breaking and Spirit Transformation will certainly not be as dangerous as that of other cultivators.

Bai Xianyang's eyes turned, and then she said: "Young sir, then Xianyang will guard the law for you!"

"Good!"

Zhang Jian thought it over, and at that moment also did not refuse.

However, his breakthrough is not now; he is still practicing some water-milled effort, waiting for the preliminary stabilization of the technique model of the State and Path Diagram.

However, Zhang Jian later mentioned that the Dongshen Temple had taken an interest in Zhang Yi, so he instructed the Beheading Demon Peak to send a Daoist disciple ahead to establish a formal relationship, avoiding trouble.

Bai Xianyin immediately patted her chest and agreed upon hearing this.

"Young master, rest assured—I'll handle this. The Dongshen Temple still wants to snatch our Shen Mountain Dao lineage's disciples—fat chance!"

……

Returning to the Observation Terrace, Zhang Jian resumed his routine of shuttling between two points, and he also received the war report sent back by the court.

The court's suppression of bandits was not going well, which was indeed somewhat unexpected to him.

But he believed it was only temporary.

With his discovery in Dongling, Zhang Jian dared not underestimate the depth of the Great Qian court.

However, the disappearance of the Jingming Daoist still made Zhang Jian feel surprised.

Before departing, the Jingming Daoist had been armed to the teeth, yet he still encountered unforeseen danger.

Additionally, Zhang Jian felt a faint strangeness in his heart.

Looking closely, in the northern and southern prefectures of the Great Qian court, those heretical sects were stirring up trouble one after another.

They did not seem merely to be at odds with the Dongshen Temple; there appeared to be some kind of hidden inner connection.

They did not look like isolated entities; on the contrary, they seemed to share a common purpose.

As if they were being linked together!

Like peeling away bit by bit the influence the Dongshen Temple had left in the localities, and gradually moving the larger situation.

Zhang Jian did not know whether this was his own illusion.

But regardless of whether it was or not, for him, the current plan was simply to wait quietly for the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the State to take shape.

As long as his cultivation continued to grow, he would eventually achieve his and the Zhang family's goal.

……

Two and a half months passed quietly.

For Zhang Jian, these two and a half months were but a fleeting moment, but for the many demons and monsters within the Demon-Suppressing Tower, it felt like years dragging by.

Especially the demons below the sixth level, whom Zhang Jian manipulated one by one using the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the State—though unharmed, their spirits suffered severe damage.

For a time, many became honest.

Zhang Jian also relied on these demons to deduce the law, finally completing the successful 1.0 version of the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the State technique, transforming it into a Golden Core-level technique.

Although it is a Golden Core-level technique, it can still trap Yin Spirits, wondrous and magnificent.

Though it does not claim to form a world of its own, it is nonetheless as real as illusory, deeply grasping the profundity of the State Dao, especially in suppressing a single path—extremely effective.

However, to truly transform it into a genuine void law realm of its own still requires a long time.

But Zhang Jian is already satisfied.

Upon the initial completion of this technique, the Map of Mountains, Rivers, and the State, he returned to the small shrine in the Zhuangyuan mansion, preparing to undergo the Wind and Fire Tribulation, to break the elixir and ascend to spirit.