Chapter 278: The Shock of King Luo Hou: You've Already Killed Him? (16,000)

Invoking a deity can generally be divided into two types: one summons a Yin Spirit out to fight, with the Yin Spirit's form existing independently.

The other is possession.

Possession is further divided into multiple categories.

One category involves handing the body over completely to the Yin Spirit's control.

The Yin Spirit's insights and spells combine with the invoker's physical body, primal energy, and treasures to conduct battle.

One's own life soul goes completely idle, just watching.

The second type of possession has the invoker as the master, borrowing the Yin Spirit's divine power; for instance, a Sixth-Rank martial artist invoking a Yin Spirit can briefly possess a Pure Primal Golden Body.

If it is an alien Yin Spirit, one can also transform, with physical attributes comprehensively enhanced under the support of divine power.

What Zhao Xing chose at this moment was 【Possession】.

【Possession】 and 【Full Possession】 are both proxy fights; the difference lies in the degree, specifically whether control of the body is handed over completely.

Neither method involves memory reading.

Theoretically speaking, 【Full Possession】 can unleash greater combat power.

But Zhao Xing's personality dictates that he cannot possibly hand over complete control of his body.

Therefore, he chose the 【Possession】 method, which has weaker control and keeps himself as the master.

After Tianyang Zhenjun possessed him, he stood behind Zhao Xing like an enlarged version of the body, his hands overlapping with Zhao Xing's.

He impatiently flipped open the 【Yuan Yin Sacred Classic】.

"Rustle~"

In just an instant, Tianyang Zhenjun fully understood the function of the 【Yuan Yin Sacred Classic】.

"Hahaha, what a good thing."

"Dust to dust, earth to earth, Yin and Yang reverse and ascend, heroic spirits enter the realm, separate!"

Tianyang Zhenjun pointed a finger, and Zhao Xing's hand immediately raised toward the sky.

Immediately after, the four Yin Generals and forty thousand Yin Soldiers rushed back into the vortex channel at a speed faster than their arrival.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

"So refreshing, so this is the feeling of being the High Priest." Tianyang Zhenjun was as happy as a child.

After sending the Yin Soldiers back, he began flipping through pages with a rustling sound.

"Grand-Grandfather, how much power can you unleash?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Although my divided soul body is Second-Rank, my insights are fully inherited; with this treasure of yours, I can unleash ninety percent of its power. With a bit more research, mastering it completely won't be difficult."

"Then I'll go catch the rebels?"

"Go ahead and act boldly; with Grand-Grandfather here, a mere priest cannot turn the world upside down!"

"Got it!"

Hearing him say this, Zhao Xing immediately strode toward the temple.

Seeing Zhu Qingyou still shouting there, ordering Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals to catch Wu Xuanying, Zhao Xing couldn't help but tease, "Stop shouting, old buddy; the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals just left."

"Who are you?" Zhu Qingyou stared fiercely at Zhao Xing.

"Someone here to kill you."

"What did you do? Where are my Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals!" Clutching the Tiger Tally and Arrow in his hand, Zhu Qingyou couldn't help but shout, "What exactly did you do?!"

Zhu Qingyou's gaze fell on the figure behind Zhao Xing and the 【Yuan Yin Sacred Classic】 in his hand, and he was immediately greatly shocked: "Tianyang Zhenjun, a Ninth-Rank treasure?!"

"H-how is this possible?"

He could not believe his own eyes.

"A mere Fifth-Rank official, whose realm is only Fourth-Rank, actually managed to invoke a Second-Rank Yin Spirit for possession?"

"Even if he could invoke it, why can he maintain it for so long? Won't his soul and spirit collapse?"

A Fourth-Rank practitioner invoking a Second-Rank deity for full possession can barely sustain it for three or four breaths at most.

But look now; Zhao Xing is walking over leisurely, not in the slightest hurry, nowhere near looking strained. Moreover, he possesses a Ninth-Rank treasure, which makes Zhu Qingyou even more broken.

I don't even have one; on what grounds do you?

"What exactly is this person's background, that he can easily invoke the Second-Rank Golden Body of the former Grand Minister of Agriculture, and moreover holds a Ninth-Rank heavy treasure?" Yao Yuanchun was immensely shocked in his heart.

He was now a bit dazed; the strength of the enemy and the self were simply not on the same level.

Tianyang Zhenjun holds a Ninth-Rank treasure, can easily unleash the power of a heavy treasure, and the Deity Invoking Technique possesses the effect of separating the Yin and Yang realms!

"Kill him!" Zhu Qingyou's eyes immediately turned red.

He had no retreat left; now he could only gamble. If he could kill Zhao Xing and seize the Ninth-Rank treasure in his hand, perhaps there would still be a sliver of hope for survival.

"Xuanpo Moon Wolf General!"

"Nine Netherland Elephant General!"

"Lingtai Four Tiger Generals!"

"Appear!"

Zhu Qingyou and the five priests behind him immediately unleashed their trump cards; they had long since absorbed a portion of alien Yin Spirits.

"Grand-Grandfather, it's time to act," Zhao Xing said.

Rustle, the 【Yuan Yin Sacred Classic】 flipped.

"Here it comes!"

A pale blue talisman appeared; when it flew out of the 【Yuan Yin Sacred Classic】, it was only palm-sized, but after taking flight, in the blink of an eye, it covered the entire sky.

Pale blue light descended, like willow catkins, gently stroking the earth.

"Hiss~"

Upon touching these threads, all the summoned Yin Spirits became terrified.

"The God-Slaying Talisman! This is the God-Slaying Talisman!"

"Run!"

"Spare our lives! We were deceived by it into leaving the Yin Realm."

"Lord Tianyang, spare us! I am willing to return to the Yin Realm at once to face punishment. Please spare me!"

One of the wolf-headed Yin Gods was also at the early stage of the Second Rank.

But upon seeing Lord Tianyang, they were like facing their nemesis.

They were all original Yin Souls descending to the Yang World; if destroyed, they would be utterly annihilated.

"~"

Lord Tianyang paid them no heed at all, causing these Yin Gods to completely collapse, disintegrate, and turn into nothingness.

"Boy, this treasure of yours is truly useful," Lord Tianyang said.

"Grandmaster, you flatter me. Without this treasure, you could still easily annihilate them."

Zhao Xing was not merely flattering.

Although Lord Tianyang's Golden Body here was only at the early stage of the Second Rank, that wolf god's realm was even higher, at the mid-stage of the Second Rank.

But even within the same Second Rank, there was a huge gap!

What so-called General Xuanpo Moon Wolf, General Jiuying Dark Elephant, General Lingtai Four Tigers—were merely beasts.

In their lives, they did not even hold proper official positions.

Similar to mountain cats, spirit illusion goats, and howling sky dogs, they earned merit and received official posts and titles.

But in reality, they held no actual authority; they simply followed this path to rise, and after death, they became bodies of Yin Gods.

How could they compare to Fu Tianyang, who had served as the Grand Minister of Agriculture?

They couldn't compare; the incense and offerings they consumed were not on the same scale.

Their strength in life was not on the same level either.

Without the Primordial Yin Sacred Scripture, Lord Tianyang dealing with them would still be a crushing victory.

"Run!!"

Zhu Qingyou realized the situation was hopeless.

If they were instantly killed, how could they fight?

"Run?"

The phantom of Lord Tianyang sneered coldly.

The Hunyuan Heavenly Thunder Lock was immediately activated.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing immediately closed his eyes to comprehend.

Because what Fu Tianyang was casting was a minor success technique from the Profound Heaven Thunder Art: Prison Suppression Chapter, specifically the 【Hunyuan Thunder Lock】 that can be cast by those at the top tier of the Fourth Transformation to the top tier of the Sixth Transformation.

Zhao Xing did not know this move, but since Fu Tianyang was currently possessing him and using his own Yuan Qi to cast it,

he could naturally experience the insight behind the other party's casting of this move. "Zzzzt~"

The Lei Ting roamed over Zhu Qingyou and the others; incredibly complex lightning moved, forming a hoe pattern.

Zhu Qingyou and the others immediately had their bodies contorted into the strange shape of a hoe, fixed to the ground.

"Amazing, Grandmaster!"

"That is natural." Fu Tianyang nodded slightly.

Zhao Xing had also figured out the nature of his Grandmaster's Golden Body: he liked to hear good words!

"Brother Zhao, may I be the one to execute him?" Yao Yuanchun asked.

Zhao Xing tilted his head to look at Yao Yuanchun.

The latter spoke with a somewhat complex expression: "Zhu Qingyou was, after all, a Third Rank Priest. He guided me several times before. I wish to grant him some dignity."

Zhao Xing nodded.

"Swish~"

Yao Yuanchun appeared in front of Zhu Qingyou.

He looked at the immobilized Zhu Qingyou, then shook his hands, causing two fire seals to appear on Zhu Qingyou's forehead and the back of his head.

"Yu~"

Zhu Qingyou's soul was subsequently annihilated.

Looking at Zhu Qingyou's intact body, which looked as if he were sleeping, Yao Yuanchun sighed.

The situation was hopeless, yet he still dared to attempt escape.

Lord Zhu, you had the courage to rebel, but why did you not have the courage to die?

With the death of Zhu Qingyou and his faction, the constraints on Wu Xuanying were naturally lifted.

He hurriedly ran out of the main hall to inspect.

Discovering that Zhu Qingyou and the others were already dead, he let out a long breath of relief.

He scanned the surroundings for movement and immediately spotted Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun.

He knew Yao Yuanchun.

But who was the person beside Yao Yuanchun?

Upon looking closely, Wu Xuanying was immediately greatly shocked.

He hurriedly ran over very quickly.

"Greetings, Lord Tianyang!"

"Hmm." Lord Tianyang was entirely focused on the 【Primordial Yin Sacred Scripture】 and did not really want to pay him any attention.

Wu Xuanying felt very ashamed: "I am incompetent; I allowed Zhu Qingyou and others to rebel, nearly causing a great disaster. Please, Lord, punish me."

Fu Tianyang finally raised his head to look at him: "You still know you're incompetent? A Tongxuan Priest felled by a Tongyou Priest—have you been eating nothing but congee all this time?"

"If it weren't for this young man bringing forth my Golden Body, your fault today would be a death that a thousand deaths could not atone for!"

Wu Xuanying's heart trembled, and he immediately dropped to his knees with a thud.

Other Yin Spirits might not have been qualified to reprimand him so, but this was Tianyang Zhenjun, the former Grand Minister of Agriculture; he was truly a god-like existence, one who could truly punish him.

"I, Wu, am well aware of the gravity of my crimes and dare not shirk them." Wu Xuanying's attitude in admitting his fault was quite sincere.

Fu Tianyang snorted coldly and still ignored him.

Yet secretly, he transmitted his voice to Zhao Xing: "Grand-disciple, it is your turn to step forward. Your Grand-Grandmaster has already scolded him into a grandson; now it is your turn to play the good guy."

Zhao Xing had been wondering why Tianyang Zhenjun, who looked so harmonious, suddenly spoke with such a heavy tone.

So, he was just waiting for this.

Zhao Xing stepped forward to help Wu Xuanying up: "Zhenjun, you cannot be too harsh on Lord Wu."

"The incident happened suddenly; no one could have foreseen that Liang Wang would resort to despicable means to defect them."

"With chaos in the Yin Realm, Liang Wang also released evil Yin Spirits sealed away for many years, gaining their power. Figures like Zhu Zhai have greatly increased their strength; this is not a fault of battle."

Fu Tianyang's phantom finally looked at Wu Xuanying properly: "Hmph, then let this fault be recorded for now. Give him a chance to atone for his crimes with merit. Wu Xuanying, rise."

Wu Xuanying raised his head, gave Zhao Xing a grateful glance, then bowed again to Tianyang Zhenjun: "Thank you, Zhenjun, for your understanding. This humble official shall certainly atone for his crimes with merit."

Seeing the effect had been achieved, Fu Tianyang ended his possession and returned to the Golden Body.

Zhao Xing felt the Golden Body he was carrying become slightly lighter.

This time, summoning the deity cost him nothing; the consumption was drawn from his Grand-Grandmaster's Golden Body.

"May I ask this young brother's honorable surname and name, and what official post he holds?" Wu Xuanying cupped his hands toward Zhao Xing.

"Zhao Xing, courtesy name Chen'an. I am the Transport Commissioner of the Hundred Roads of Tianhe Prefecture, concurrently serving as the Patrol Commissioner for the Five Prefectures and Three Levels of Haizhou." Zhao Xing stated his identity.

Wu Xuanying nodded; this seemed to slightly explain why Zhao Xing could summon the Grand Minister of Agriculture deity.

Although he still had many doubts in his heart, it was not appropriate to ask further at this moment.

He then looked at Yao Yuanchun: "Yuanchun, you oversee the Society of Earth Gods. What is the situation there?"

Yao Yuanchun replied: "The Grand Minister of Agriculture's palace halls are mostly without unusual activity. The rebels have also been eliminated by me and Lord Zhao together."

Wu Xuanying said: "Now that Zhu Zhai is dead, the rest are insufficient to form a threat. Follow me into the Hall of Heroes to assemble the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals of Tianhe to suppress the rebellious Yin Spirits."

"Yes!" Yao Yuanchun clasped his fist.

"Lord Zhao." Wu Xuanying appeared very polite. "Since Lord Zhao has come from outside, do you know the situation outside?"

"The Transport Office is unharmed. The Prefect is currently engaged in a grand ritual debate. The City Defense Mechanism Office has not yet been seized, but Li Gan of the Martial Patrol Office has already received orders and departed."

The temple isolated the inside from the outside; Wu Xuanying did not know the situation outside.

But Zhao Xing did know, because he had a clone outside.

Hearing this, Wu Xuanying felt a relief in his heart; that meant chaos had not yet erupted.

He vaguely felt that this young official in front of him had played a significant role, so he cupped his hands and said: "Could you trouble yourself to report to the Prefect and the lords of each office? Tell them that I, Wu Xuanying, will clear the rebellion within the temple and restore it to peace within one day. Afterward, we will have the spare strength to assist and stabilize the situation in Fucheng."

"This is my duty; how can it be called trouble? Rather, it is Lord Wu who has worked hard." Zhao Xing cupped his hands and said, "Lord Wu, Lord Yao, I shall go now. Please take care."

"Take care."

Watching Zhao Xing and his clone depart quickly, Wu Xuanying suddenly remembered something: "This seems to be the Ten Thousand Methods Clone? Yes, it must be his disciple. No wonder he could summon Tianyang Zhenjun."

"My lord, what are you saying?" Yao Yuanchun asked in confusion. "What exactly is his background?"

"He is the disciple of Liu Wanfa." Wu Xuanying said. "His teacher, Liu Tianning, is the First Vice-Dean of the Shangluo Academy. This means he will become the next leader of the Benwo Sect, or even the next Grand Minister of Agriculture."

"I see." Yao Yuanchun understood. That Tianyang Zhenjun's Second-Rank Golden Body could be summoned by Zhao Xing now made sense.

Exiting the temple, Zhao Xing glanced back once.

He discovered that the vortex above the temple had indeed begun to shrink; the passage to the Yin Realm was closing.

"After closing this passage, the temple here will be considered pacified."

"Now, within the city, only the Prefect's side remains." Zhao Xing thought silently.

The City Defense Mechanism Office focuses on mechanisms, not people; that place would be easy to resolve.

Zhang Ping had let Ouyang Zhen and Zou Yong assist Li Gan, and they had already taken control of that place.

"We cannot wait for results from his side; time is precious now."

"The eleven garrisons stationed in each Juncheng must be resolved as soon as possible."

The temple visit had passed three double-hours; by the time he came out again, the sky had turned completely dark.

Zhang Ping had recovered quite a bit. Seeing Zhao Xing emerge safely and seeing the Yin Realm vortex above the temple shrink, he couldn't help but sigh with relief.

"Chen'an, how is the situation?"

"Lord Wu will resolve the temple's problems within one day." Zhao Xing said. "Lord Zhang, what is the situation in the various Juncheng?"

Nowadays, Zhang Ping held the highest official post here; he was originally only one rank below the Prefect.

Zhang Ping said: "Sixty percent of the Juncheng have responded, but forty percent of the counties have not yet given feedback."

"Most of those without feedback are garrison locations."

"Could it be that they have all rebelled?" Li Gan asked in surprise.

"Not necessarily rebelled." Zhang Ping shook his head.

"The effect of the Earth Mirror has weakened greatly, and sending messages via Yin Spirits has also lost its effect. Currently, we can only use relatively primitive methods for communication, so efficiency is relatively low."

Zhao Xing nodded. Liang Wang's defection campaign did not target just anyone.

The fortune Liang Wang could mobilize also had limits. Since the rebellion had just begun, at least officials of Fifth Rank were required.

Only then could they appear on the defection list of the Weaving Spirit Net.

At that time, the order transmitted by the Prefect, He Zhengchen, through the Earth Mirror was to summon all Fifth-Rank officials into the city.

As long as officials of Fifth Rank and above were controlled, the rebellion could be quelled.

The same logic applies: a rebellious general also needs time to reorganize the army and establish a firm foothold.

Zhao Xing, however, knows nothing of the situation outside and must wait for the Tianhe Fucheng Temple to resume operations first.

February 3rd, You hour.

The Yin Realm vortex of the temple had completely vanished.

Wu Xuanying and Yao Yuanchun walked out of the temple.

At this moment, the government office was still engaged in magical combat, and He Zhengchen had yet to emerge.

Seeing him emerge, Zhao Xing immediately bowed to the Golden Body of Tianyang Zhenjun, saying, "Please, Grandmaster, manifest your divine power."

"Disciple, what is the matter?" At that moment, the Golden Body opened its eyes.

"This disciple has two matters and requests Grandmaster's assistance."

"Speak."

"Please, Grandmaster, observe the government office and see whether He Zhengchen will achieve ultimate victory," Zhao Xing said.

If He Zhengchen cannot win, he cannot rest assured to go out and suppress the rebellion.

Losing Fucheng would be a grave offense.

"He Zhengchen holds the advantage; he will win sooner or later," Tianyang Zhenjun said.

This answer was much like Zhao Xing's guess.

So he continued:

"Could you please contact the Yin Gods of the Agricultural Offices in the various prefectures and counties of Tianhe Fucheng to investigate the situation of the eleven garrisons: who has rebelled and who has not?"

"Especially the Xia Wang of the twelve eastern prefectures of Tianhe Fucheng; he controls four garrisons. Has he made any moves?"

The Golden Body flickered with light, as if taking action.

Zhao Xing waited quietly.

The Golden Body of Tianyang Zhenjun was not merely a "Grandmaster enforcer," but also a source of intelligence.

Fu Tianyang could communicate with the gods of the Yin Realm, and at this time, in terms of intelligence, information from the Yang Realm was not necessarily as fast or comprehensive as that from the Yin Realm.

Within the territory of Great Zhou, there might be places not covered by the Earth Mirror, but there were no places not covered by temples.

Even by the roadside or in mountain hollows, there existed small shrines half a meter high.

"The Xia Wang has not accepted Liang Wang's imperial edict, but he has raised his own banner to rebel. He is currently reorganizing the twelve prefectures and four garrisons, purging the imperial court's supervising generals."

"Marquis Xinyang is dead; his army is now controlled by his Assistant Regional Commander, Yuan Xin, who has already accepted Liang Wang's imperial edict."

"As for the other six armies, three will absolutely not rebel: the Yuan Yu Army, the Yuan Kui Army, and the Yuan He Army."

"The other three have split and are currently fighting each other within their military camps, temporarily unable to break out of the 【Military Camp Formation Boundary】."

In such a short while, Tianyang Zhenjun had obtained so much intelligence, precisely because his incense burned everywhere and his believers were numerous.

Additionally, the subordinate Agricultural Yin Gods were mostly unaffected, so the transmission of orders and messages remained relatively smooth.

The reason for this was mainly that priests usually did not learn the "Agricultural God-Invoking Technique."

Except for the Military Agricultural Officials, the strength of the Civil Agricultural Officials was relatively weak.

Their combat power was inferior to other aspects; at the start of a rebellion, seizing power is the priority.

Who would think of farming and destroying the harmony of heaven and earth right from the start?

Even Liang Wang did not think so; he wanted a complete Haizhou, not a ruined Haizhou.

Only upon realizing it was impossible, and becoming bandits, would they need to wreak havoc indiscriminately to delay and block the pursuit of the imperial court's great army.

"Grandmaster, could you seize Wu Xuanying's authority and take command of the hundred thousand Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals?" Zhao Xing asked again.

"Previously it was not possible, but now it is," Tianyang Zhenjun said. "However, I do not recommend you do so. You, a Third-Rank Patrol Envoy, only command those below Third Rank. Taking command of the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals would violate the regulations."

"Liang Wang represents chaos, while the imperial court represents order. At this time, any sensitive action is inappropriate."

"Even if you commanded these hundred thousand Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals to pacify Tianhe Fucheng, at best it would be a case of merits offsetting faults. Worse, if Wu Xuanying resists, you would bear the fault."

Zhao Xing nodded; officials of the imperial court could never act as conveniently as rebels.

However, he had only asked casually; the hundred thousand Yin Soldiers of Tianhe were not within his considerations from the start. He had never thought he could summon his Grandmaster's Golden Body for help.

"Thank you, Grandmaster, for your guidance."

After asking, Zhao Xing immediately found Wu Xuanying and Zhang Ping to discuss, as only these two currently held the highest official ranks.

Soon, these two summoned the heads of the various offices.

Regarding martial artists, there was no Third Rank, only Li Gan, a Fourth-Rank City Guard General, because high-rank martial artists were mostly in the armies.

The Mechanism Office also had no high-rank officials, only Gongsun Yang, a Fourth-Rank Director.

Although the rank of the mechanical devices existing in Tianhe Fucheng was high, the operators did not require such a high rank.

Additionally, there were two others: Peng Yu, Dean of the Li Fire Dao Academy, Tianhe Branch;

and Xiao Han, Dean of the Bi Water Dao Academy, Tianhe Branch.

These two were also Third Rank, but their strength was merely average, belonging to the weak Third Rank.

Their role was simply to guard the two Dao Academy branches established in Tianhe Fucheng, manage the Li Fire Altar and the Bi You Cang Hai formation, and serve as transit stations for material transport.

Outside the scope of the Dao Academies, these two could not exert Third-Rank strength.

"My lords, what can now be confirmed is that the Xinyang Army has rebelled; the main general was killed, and the new rebellious general has already submitted to Liang Wang."

"Additionally, the Xia Wang has raised his banner to rebel."

Zhang Ping and Wu Xuanying were not surprised upon hearing this.

However, Gongsun Yang, Peng Yu, and Xiao Han were greatly frightened.

"The Xia Wang is a mid-stage Third-Rank martial artist, a king who fought his way out from the army."

"He is not particularly outstanding in other aspects, but in battle formations, he is extremely skilled!"

"The Xia Wang leading troops cannot be killed even by a Second-Rank expert."

Zhang Ping handed over a document: "Xia Wang has already sent the edict to Fucheng, demanding that He Zhengchen lead all officials to bow and pledge allegiance to him."

"Xia Wang also claims he controls fifty-six prefectures in the east and has already taken command of eight garrison armies."

"He boasts of having three million troops."

"He gives us half a month to consider, or he will lead his great army to attack."

Zhao Xing took the document and could not help but smile.

Blowing one's own horn is standard procedure for rebels; they all love to exaggerate their strength to make their power seem vast, deceiving the uninformed into defecting to them.

Gongsun Yang, Peng Yu, and Xiao Han looked on with great surprise, wondering why Wu Xuanying and Zhang Ping were treating Zhao Xing with such courtesy.

It seemed as though Zhao Xing and Wu Xuanying, Zhang Ping, were equals.

"What strategies do my lords propose?" Zhao Xing asked.

Zhang Ping and Wu Xuanying exchanged a glance, hesitating somewhat.

They had already guessed that Zhao Xing intended to mobilize troops to leave the city and quell the rebellion.

Wu Xuanying said, "We must hold Fucheng and not lose it. As long as Fucheng remains under the control of the imperial court, Tianhe Prefecture will not be in the hands of the rebel army, and the subordinate prefectures and counties will rise up in resistance."

"If the backbone is gone, then it is a total collapse."

Zhao Xing nodded: "Without compromising the city's defense, how many troops from the Tianhe Prefecture City Guard can be deployed?"

Li Gan pondered, "At most five thousand."

Zhang Ping said, "The Transport Office can only provide five hundred Military Farmers."

Wu Xuanying said, "Of the hundred thousand Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals of Tianhe, at most ten thousand Yin Soldiers and one Yin General can be spared to quell the rebellion. However, I can send Yao Yuanchun out."

Seeing Zhao Xing's gaze sweep over him, Gongsun Yang, though unaware of why Zhao Xing could speak so authoritatively to two Third Rank officials, answered honestly: "Without compromising the city's defense mechanisms and formation arrays, ten thousand Mid-Rank Mechanism Masters can be mobilized to pilot sky-ships, operate large siege engines, and break boundary formations."

"The Li Huo Dao Academy has no one available," Peng Yu shook his head.

"The Bi Shui Dao Academy is the same," Xiao Han added.

They truly had no one to mobilize.

The Ping Man War has raged until the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Era; most of the mobilizable Mid and High-Rank personnel have been conscripted by Liang Wang into the army, leaving only a small number of hands to maintain the operation of inland prefectures and counties.

If it were not so, Liang Wang would not have dared to rebel.

Zhao Xing nodded and looked at Zhang Ping: "Zhang, my lord, how many Tier Seven warships and large siege and boundary-breaking mechanisms does Fucheng have?"

"The Tianhe Transport Office has ample military supplies: five hundred Tier Seven warships and three million large city-breaking and boundary-breaking mechanism devices."

"As for other military supplies, counting only Tier Seven items, they are piled up like mountains."

Thus, Fucheng cannot be lost; Tianhe Prefecture is a massive depot for military supplies. Whoever captures it will see their power surge immediately.

Tianhe Prefecture has abundant supplies, more than enough to defend the city, but it is difficult to launch an expedition from the city to quell the rebellion because there are not enough personnel to operate these warships and great divine weapons.

Personnel and supplies are separated; originally, if facing an external enemy, the eleven garrison armies outside the city, supplemented by these military supplies, could reach another level.

If it were a war of attrition, it would be enough for these eleven armies to last thirty or fifty years.

But now it is an internal rebellion; with only the manpower of Fucheng, it is simply not enough.

"My lords, I wish to mobilize Li Gan and his five hundred City Guards; all five hundred of these men must be Fifth Rank."

"Li Gan, are you willing to go out of the city with me to quell the rebellion?" Zhao Xing asked.

"This subordinate is willing to go!" Li Gan immediately declared.

"Gongsun, my lord, I need to mobilize fifty Tier Seven warships; the large divine weapons and mechanisms on board must be equipped to full capacity."

"The Mechanism Masters need only be the minimum configuration capable of piloting them."

Gongsun Yang was surprised: "Zhao, my lord, you have only five hundred men; what do you need so many ships for?"

With fully equipped supplies, it looked less like going to quell a rebellion and more like taking these ships and supplies to defect to the enemy.

Zhao Xing smiled faintly; a shadow enveloped the great hall, and then countless clones appeared in the main hall.

"I possess the Ten Thousand Dharma Clones."

Gongsun Yang was startled and immediately understood. "No problem; I will prepare immediately."

In reality, although Zhao Xing's Ten Thousand Dharma Clones numbered only one hundred, he could also activate other straw men, such as the Valiant and the Holy Shield.

Although only the Ten Thousand Dharma Straw Men could cast top-tier spells, the other weaker single-spell straw men could reach fifty thousand!

The stronger the Yanshen Art, the more straw men there can be!

Controlling the weapons of these warships is certainly no problem!

"Wu, my lord, I do not want the Yin Soldiers and Yin Generals of Tianhe Prefecture; I only need Yao Yuanchun."

Wu Xuanying looked at Yao Yuanchun beside him; a flash of excitement passed through the latter's eyes.

"Very well, then I entrust Yuanchun to you."

Zhao Xing said, "The turmoil has just begun; the rebel traitors and false kings have not yet established a firm foothold. We must eliminate them as soon as possible!"

"Otherwise, once these people purge their opponents and spread chaos elsewhere, it will cause great turmoil."

"I ask my lords to guard Fucheng well, especially the passages of Bi Shui and Li Huo; they must not be lost."

Zhang Ping and Wu Xuanying solemnly declared, "If the rebel army wishes to enter the city, they must first step over my corpse!"

A moonless, windy night; a day for killing and setting fires.

On the night of the fourth day of the second month, Zhao Xing quietly mobilized fifty Tier Seven warships to leave the city; on board were Li Gan and five hundred City Guards.

Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen, and five hundred Military Farmers.

Two thousand five hundred Mechanism Masters.

Only one priest: Yao Yuanchun.

Originally, the Inspection Office should have had more personnel available, but Tianhe Prefecture is a military-administered prefecture; the Inspection Office, which supervises the military, has become a garrison commander, distributed among the various armies. They do not manage civil officials, because civil officials are supervised by the Censorate.

Do not look at Zhao Xing's small number of men now; he holds the status of an Inspector with authority over all civil and military officials below Third Rank. When he pacifies a region,

the number of people will grow the more he fights.

On the warship, Zhao Xing gazed at the intelligence within the Earth Mirror.

This was the detailed report sent by the Luo Wang.

It was more meticulous than what Tianyang Zhenjun had said, specifying names and locations.

That dense list of names, occasionally adding or removing entries, numbered over a hundred thousand; the density of the attached intelligence information was even more massive!

For someone slightly weaker, remembering this information was impossible; to select useful intelligence from it and then summarize and categorize it, only one who had cultivated the first layer of the Great Expansion Divine Art could manage.

Thus, the Luo Wang was willing to grant Zhao Xing such great authority because he had already mastered the first layer of the Great Expansion Divine Art. "In less than three days, a thousand four hundred and fifty-six 'Wangs' appeared in the Tianhe Prefecture?" Zhao Xing looked at this list.

"Even a Sixth Rank Count dares to usurp the title of Wang." Yao Yuanchun was nearby; as a priest who communicated with the Yin Spirits of the Yin Realm, he naturally could also obtain some intelligence.

"The Liang Wang truly gave them courage; even a Sixth Rank dares to call himself Wang!"

Zhao Xing chuckled lightly: "Some people were already tyrannizing the local areas; now that control is lost, of course they could not hold back."

"Where shall we start first?" Yao Yuanchun asked.

"In the entire Tianhe Prefecture, the greatest power is the Tianxia Wang; the others who call themselves Wang are mere grass-head Wangs, names that do not match reality," Zhao Xing said.

"Once the Tianxia Wang is eliminated, the other grass-head Wangs will be easy to handle."

"The Fucheng can also calmly deploy troops."

"With our small number of people, go to kill the Tianxia Wang?" Yao Yuanchun was stunned. "Brother Zhao, the Tianxia Commandery has been cultivated for several hundred years; can we succeed?"

"He is a Third Rank martial artist; within a battle formation, it is feared no one can kill him."

"Rest assured." Zhao Xing looked toward the distant night. "He cannot form a battle formation."

The Seventh Rank warship was very fast; in less than half a day, they arrived at the Tianxia Commandery.

"Stop!"

Zhao Xing ordered all warships to halt within the clouds.

"All warships, enter silent mode."

Fifty warships immediately hid entirely within the clouds.

Yao Yuanchun looked at Zhao Xing.

"Brother Yao, you monitor the movements around us."

After Zhao Xing finished speaking, he entered the cabin and lay down on the bed.

"Zu~"

He instantly entered the dream realm.

"Now, my Dream Realm is sufficient to cover the entire Tianxia Commandery." Zhao Xing looked at the Tianxia Commandery within the dream,

and smiled slightly.

Yao Yuanchun spoke correctly; if the Tianxia Wang were within a battle formation, he would be very difficult to kill.

But as long as Zhao Xing pruned away his Middle Realm backbone, his battle formation could not be deployed.

Then the Tianxia Wang would merely be an ordinary Third Rank mid-stage martial artist.

"The Tianxia Wang is Third Rank mid-stage; soldiers three major tiers below him cannot form a Qi-Blood battle formation with him. If only Third Rank mid-stage martial artists form the array, without the Fifth and Fourth Rank tiers to bridge them, it is like a small horse pulling a large cart; it achieves no amplification effect and instead hinders the Tianxia Wang himself."

"Therefore, as long as we kill all his subordinate middle-ranking generals, then come to kill him personally, it will be much easier."

"To achieve killing all of the Tianxia Wang's middle-ranking generals, only the Dream Walking Method will suffice."

Zhao Xing's dream realm began to expand rapidly, covering the Tianxia Commandery below.

The Dream Walking Method can achieve killing in dreams; currently, Zhao Xing cannot deal with High Ranks, he can only bully those with a lower realm than himself.

However, given his current soul strength, anyone below Third Rank is just a dish!

The Dream Realm is the casting foundation of the Dream Walking Method.

Now Zhao Xing can cover an entire commandery.

"It is now the Hour of Zi; most people are already asleep."

"However, many are still awake."

Within the Dream Realm, more than three thousand spheres floated in mid-air like bubbles.

The larger the bubble, the higher the realm; the darker the color, the deeper the entry into the dream; conversely, the lighter the color, the shallower the entry.

"Over three thousand Middle Ranks; their basic colors are very light, proving they have not entered the dream deeply." Zhao Xing watched.

"Thousand Li No Return!"

Zhao Xing immediately formed a hand seal; these three thousand-plus dream realms instantly turned pitch black as ink.

The Dream Walking Method: Thousand Li No Return!

People walking a thousand li is used to metaphorize the depth of entering a dream.

It differs from the Sleepy Worm; although both affect the soul, the Sleepy Worm is a life-soul parasite that feeds, while Thousand Li No Return creates multiple dream layers, making it impossible for people to wake easily.

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing drilled into one of the black bubbles.

Inside, a Fifth Rank general was having a beautiful dream of wearing a python robe and possessing a harem of concubines.

"Die!"

A knife appeared in Zhao Xing's hand, instantly manifesting behind this general.

"Pfft~"

Hand rose, knife fell, and the head hit the ground.

"Soul severed in the dream; when the soul dies, the Dao dissipates."

"This is the fastest method," Zhao Xing thought silently.

Once a person died, the black bubble also dissipated, and Zhao Xing reappeared in another dream realm.

During this time, another "Zhao Xing" always stood in the sky of the dream realm.

This is the anchor point for Dream-Walking, preventing oneself from getting lost in the dreams of experts and failing to distinguish dream from reality.

"Pupu pupu pupu pupu~"

Zhao Xing's speed was extremely fast; the ancestral technique of the Ancient Shen Sect produced terrifying effects.

Whether Fourth Rank or Sixth Rank, as long as their soul realm was lower than Zhao Xing's, none could resist.

Unable to call for help, and unable to escape.

They died silently within the dream.

It took only a quarter of an hour for these three thousand-plus mid-rank generals to all perish.

In reality, it was as if they had fallen into a deep sleep; their bodies still breathed instinctively, revealing no signs of anything amiss.

"The Dream Realm is the foundation of the Dream-Walking Method."

"Dream-Walking a thousand li is the movement speed within the dream."

"A Thousand Li Without Return intensifies the dream's strength."

"Soul-Slaying within the dream is the fastest method to kill enemies."

Zhao Xing gazed at the empty Dream Realm and could not help but marvel at the terror of the Dream-Walking Method.

"Legend has it that during the ancient Shen Sect era, an official of the Quangong named Wei Zheng, who cultivated the Dream-Walking Method, was summoned to the Imperial Palace to play chess with the Emperor; at that very moment, the Quangong happened to be under attack by the Dragon Clan."

"He could not decline the chess match with the Emperor and return to the Quangong. Thus, taking advantage of his lunch break, he cast the Dream-Walking Method to reach the Quangong ten thousand li away and slew the calamitous evil dragon."

"At the moment the evil dragon's soul died, its body shattered into countless pieces."

"My Dream-Walking Method can currently only encompass one commandery; after slaying a soul, it cannot affect the physical body in reality," Zhao Xing thought silently.

In the Era of Spiritual Qi, some martial arts experts had their seven physical souls merged with their spirit; merely slaying the fate soul did not count as a true death, as they could still be reborn through the residual soul within the physical body.

"Over three thousand people are dead, including ten Fourth Ranks, but at this moment, many people are still not asleep."

Falling asleep does not necessarily mean dreaming.

However, is the Dream-Walking Method such an inconvenient technique?

"The Sleepy Bug Method induces sleep; once asleep, one can cast 【Invite the Guest into the Dream】 from the Dream-Walking Method."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes and reappeared inside the cabin.

"Brother Yao, do you know the Invisibility Method?"

"I do," Yao Yuanchun nodded.

"Please escort me down," Zhao Xing said.

"Just stay at an altitude of three thousand meters."

"Very well." Yao Yuanchun nodded, then flew out of the Seventh-Rank warship alongside Zhao Xing, descending from an altitude of ten thousand meters.

The Sleepy Bug is now of the Top-Tier Technique level; its maximum casting distance can reach ten thousand meters.

However, to unleash the spell's maximum power, one must be within a distance of three thousand meters.

At this moment, all of Zhao Xing's Ten Thousand Techniques Avatars were within his own body, and the Seven Star Fate Souls had also merged into one.

When casting such a large-scale soul spell, it is difficult to cast other spells simultaneously, so he must have someone to guard him.

"That should be enough." Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun entered the three-thousand-meter altitude and stopped.

At this time, the sky was pitch black, and the wind howled.

Yao Yuanchun simply watched silently as Zhao Xing sat cross-legged in mid-air.

With his Heavenly Eye open, he could see the Tianxia Commandery below, with countless points of brilliant light constantly flying upward.

"Absorbing souls?" Yao Yuanchun's face changed drastically.

What kind of evil technique is this?

However, upon closer inspection, he realized he was mistaken.

For what flew up to the sky were tiny worms; although their nature was very similar to human Yin Spirits, they were not human Fate Souls.

"Are these Soul Worms?" As a Fourth-Rank Priest, Yao Yuanchun was well-versed in the Way of Souls and naturally knew that human Fate Souls contained many tiny worms.

But his research was not deep; he only knew these things existed but did not know what function they served.

"Zhao Chen'an, what exactly is your background? Such profound soul techniques, I have never even heard of them," Yao Yuanchun thought with immense surprise.

He originally believed his talent was extraordinary and that he could rank among the notable figures in Ping Haizhou, but seeing Zhao Xing today made him feel like a frog at the bottom of a well.

"After this, I will apply to become a Nine Provinces Traveling Official to travel the world; my knowledge is still too shallow," Yao Yuanchun thought silently.

Tianxia Commandery, east side of the Juncheng, Tianxia Wang Fu.

"Haa~" A bald, burly man named Chen Guang, of the exact Fourth Rank Upper, was cultivating within the residence, adapting to his new realm.

After the Tianxia Wang rebelled, he bestowed many treasures upon his subordinates to enhance their strength.

Chen Guang, as one of the Tianxia Wang's personal guard commanders, was currently digesting the 'Heavenly Spirit Origin Pill' he had taken yesterday.

"Haa~ What's wrong? Why am I so sleepy today?" Chen Guang yawned again.

"Could it be that after taking the medicine, my strength surged greatly, and combined with many days of busyness, I am just a bit exhausted?"

"No, I cannot sleep now; the Prince might summon me at any moment." Chen Guang circulated his qi and blood, forcing himself to stay alert.

But the sleepiness was too heavy, attacking again and again, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Chen Guang could choose to harm himself to continue resisting.

But this was not a fight against an enemy; who would harm themselves just to resist sleepiness? Wasn't that madness?

"Forget it, I'll just sleep for one double-hour." Chen Guang could no longer hold back; he instructed the guards standing outside the door, then lay down on a jade bed to rest.

"Invite the Guest into the Dream!" In a daze, Chen Guang seemed to hear a voice, but at this moment his consciousness was completely unclear.

Under the influence of the Top-Tier Technique Sleepy Bug and Invite the Guest into the Dream, he instantly entered the dream.

Tianxia Wang Fu.

"Starting from February 5th, the Tianxia Army's Divine Machine Camp, Divine Fire Camp, Divine Banner Camp, and Heavenly Dragon Camp will assemble at Tiannan Commandery.

"This Prince shall use Tian Nan Commandery as a foundation to bring the seventy-two commanderies south of Tianhe Prefecture into our grasp."

"Furthermore, the Yuan Kui Army is within this Prince's grasp. This is a great army composed purely of mechanical puppets, fearless of death, absolutely capable of unleashing immense power—. -Presumptuous!"

As he spoke, he suddenly slammed his fist onto the sand table, glaring angrily at the generals below.

For while he was speaking, three Fifth-Rank generals had been yawning frequently.

This was simply intolerable!

"Someone, drag them down for this Prince—-Hmm?"

Before the Tian Xia Wang could even mention what punishment to mete out, these three suddenly closed their eyes and toppled to the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

At the same time, in the sand table simulation hall, over half of the dozens of generals present began to yawn.

"Thump~ Thump~"

One after another, the generals suddenly collapsed into sleep.

In the time it took for the Tian Xia Wang to be stunned, half of them had fallen!

Now, even if he were as stupid as a pig, he would have noticed something was wrong.

"Everyone, circulate your Yuan Qi, stimulating the Zhongshu and Tianchong souls!" The Tian Xia Wang's voice was like an exploding thunderclap, ringing in the ears of the remaining people.

"General, I am so sleepy———"

"General, I, I can't hold on."

Even so, many Fourth-Rank generals, faces full of sleepiness, were simply unable to resist.

"Who is playing tricks with ghosts and gods!"

The Tian Xia Wang was both shocked and furious; he had never seen such a spell before.

"The Yuan Soul departs the body!"

The Tian Xia Wang stood motionless as a shadowy figure flew out from his body, sweeping over the life souls of the various generals.

He discovered their life souls were all wrapped in a black sphere.

"What? What spell is this? It can even make my Fourth-Rank generals fall into a dream!" The Tian Xia Wang was immensely shocked in his heart.

Here, there were layers of magical arrays blocking the way, yet someone had invaded silently?

"Wake up!!"

The Tian Xia Wang roared in anger, his life soul flashing with light.

Boom~

The sound exploded within the great hall.

Of the forty generals, half woke up immediately.

But the other half remained in deep sleep.

"Inviting the guest into the dream~~"

The lingering sound faded, and the Tian Xia Wang himself felt waves of sleepiness.

Startled in his heart, he immediately returned to his physical body.

"Swish"

He immediately flew upward toward the source of the sound.

At this moment, the Tian Xia Wang did not know that the half who had fallen asleep had already had their life souls killed.

Severing the soul within a dream differs from directly killing the life soul; it is a gradual process leading the soul toward extinction.

The Tian Xia Wang did not understand the Dao of Souls; he merely thought someone had cast some illusion spell, causing his subordinate generals to fall victim.

Was this not serious? If his mid-level generals were gone, how could he command a great army?

Therefore, he must find this person and eliminate them, even if he knew it might be a trap, he had to investigate.

"Indeed, it is still impossible to put a Third-Rank to sleep." In the sky, Zhao Xing opened his eyes. "However, this is enough."

"Brother Zhao, a powerful one is flying up from below." Yao Yuanchun immediately watched the area below with a tense expression.

"It is the Tian Xia Wang." Zhao Xing also rose to his feet. "Brother Yao, prepare for battle!"

Below at the Commandery Prince's Wang Fu, an ancient bronze war chariot, driven by the violent wind, shot up toward the sky.

The Tian Xia Wang, clad in battle armor, stood within the chariot, radiating Jin Guang.

Behind his chariot were fifteen personal guards, also riding bronze beast-head war chariots.

"Swish! Swish!"

Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun quickly flew upward.

"Where do you think you are running!"

The Tian Xia Wang roared, and the chariot swiftly gave chase.

This set of chariots was an Eighth-Tier treasure, capable of forming a magical array in mid-air, and its speed was extremely fast.

As long as he could catch up, he was one hundred percent certain he could trap and kill these two sneaky little thieves.

"Swish~"

Just as they were about to catch up, Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun suddenly erupted with a cloud of mist, accelerating upward and increasing the distance again, but at the same time, the auras of both Yao Yuanchun and Zhao Xing dropped a notch.

"Hmph, using forbidden arts to escape? Let's see how many times you can use them!" The Tian Xia Wang continued the pursuit.

In less than twenty breaths, the distance was narrowed again to within five hundred meters.

However, at this moment, another burst of mist erupted behind the two of them.

The distance was once again pulled back to one thousand meters.

"Almost caught up." The Tian Xia Wang felt the Yuan Qi of the two drop to half.

Two Fourth-Rank realms; how could he let them go easily?

Ten breaths later.

Zhao Xing once again deployed the "Step Beyond the Horizon," carrying Yao Yuanchun to increase the distance.

Xia Wang:

At this moment, Xia Wang felt exactly as the Blood Spirit Venerable had felt back then.

It clearly felt like he was about to catch up, yet how could they run away again?

Xia Wang, relying on his realm to crush them and emboldened by his own audacity, knew there might be a trick yet still pursued them like this.

This repeated more than ten times.

Finally, Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun stopped.

At this time, Xia Wang had also chased up to an altitude of thirty thousand meters.

"Boy, not running anymore?"

Xia Wang sneered at Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun.

"Open fire!"

Zhao Xing immediately gave the order.

"What?" Xia Wang was stunned. Open what fire?

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing smiled slightly, grabbed Yao Yuanchun, and as clouds and mist exploded and scattered, they vanished completely from Xia Wang's sight.

"What?" A flash of surprise crossed Xia Wang's eyes.

Because this time, he had completely lost his perception of Zhao Xing.

At the same time, fifty seventh-rank warships spewing flames appeared in the sky.

"What? Seventh-rank Hunyuan warships?!" Xia Wang's heart trembled violently. "And they have formed the Hunyuan Fire Formation! He thought he had surrounded Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun, only to find he had entered their own encirclement!"

"Charge quickly!"

Xia Wang immediately chose a direction and charged fiercely.

But, the encirclement had already taken shape.

Before Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun could escape, the red sky curtain had completely closed.

The fifty seventh-rank warships had all launched simultaneously even before Zhao Xing arrived.

On the gunwales were forty-nine black openings, each with a radius of three meters.

When Zhao Xing gave the order, a massive amount of viscous flames, like molten lava, immediately gushed out from within these openings.

"Boom Boom Boom~"

These flames did not blast directly at Xia Wang, but instead blasted into the gale layer at a position two thousand meters away from Xia Wang.

"Gurgle~"

The substantial flames seemed to climb upon the spatial fabric of the gale layer.

Centered on Xia Wang, a flame cage was formed!

Fire!

Fire!

Wherever the eye could see, there was fire everywhere!

Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun moved with extreme speed; the "Step Beyond the Horizon" was almost like teleportation as they ran out of the flame cage.

But Xia Wang and the personal guards behind him were a step too late, trapped within it.

"Xia Wang, do you recognize this Li Fire Cage?" Zhao Xing's voice rang out.

Xia Wang certainly recognized it!

He was from a military background and knew that Hunyuan warships were specifically used to surround and kill high-rank individuals.

Moreover, he could see that the scope of the Nanming Li Fire blockade was so vast, obviously indicating that the warships did not lack reserve materials!

With fifty warships, if they merely maintained the Li Fire Cage, it would be enough to burn for a whole year!

"Xia Wang, if you now destroy your own martial arts and surrender obediently, I can take the initiative to leave you one descendant."

Zhao Xing said.

"You have not yet committed any acts that harm heaven and earth; I presume your ancestral family still possesses the Death-Exemption Imperial Decree, so ensuring the survival of one direct line should be no problem."

"Hmph! A mere Li Fire Cage can at most trap this King; it cannot kill me," Xia Wang said. "You are in the territory of Tianxia Commandery; with this commotion happening now, how can you escape?"

"This King has a million-strong army and five thousand Fourth Rank generals!"

"Reinforcements from the six commanderies are rushing over; where can you run?"

"This King advises you to obediently remove the formation and rise up with this King; otherwise, when the great army arrives, you will die without a place to be buried!"

Xia Wang not only refused to surrender but threatened Zhao Xing instead.

"Hmph, unrepentant to the end. Then let us see whether your reinforcements arrive first, or whether you are refined first!"

Zhao Xing split off a clone to personally operate the warships.

A Hunyuan warship can only deploy one elemental formation at a time.

The Nanming Li Fire was specifically chosen because this location is at an altitude of thirty thousand meters.

The gale is violent; wind aids the fire, maximizing the power of the "Li Fire Cage."

This is the peak craftsmanship of the Great Zhou artificers; if Xia Wang had not kept his wits and known to ride out on an eighth-rank war chariot, he would have been burned to ash in less than half a double-hour.

However, at this moment, he could rely on his own eighth-rank lower-grade main war chariot and fifteen seventh-rank mid-grade auxiliary war chariots

to hold out within the world of flames.

"Brother Zhao, he really fell for it," Yao Yuanchun ran over, his face showing joy, finding it hard to believe that Xia Wang had truly chased out like this.

"Of course he fell for it. We are only Fourth Rank; he is Third Rank, bringing fifteen Fourth Ranks and an eighth-rank war chariot. Why wouldn't he chase?" Zhao Xing sneered. "If he lacked even this much courage, how would he dare to rebel?"

"Can we kill him?" Yao Yuanchun was not very proficient in formations; he had never been a soldier and was unfamiliar with the use of military warships.

"It's possible, but it requires time," Zhao Xing said. "He is cut off from all supplies within the Flame World."

"Every moment, he is consuming his own primal energy."

"And our warships have enough fuel to burn for a year."

This was the power of large-scale military machinery.

"As long as Xia Wang dares to enter without reinforcements, he will surely die."

"Brother Yao, I must operate the formation. Leave the few enemies to you," Zhao Xing said. "Even the Tianxia Commandery alone shouldn't have many powerful foes left."

"No problem," Yao Yuanchun said, clenching his fist. "Leave it to me!"

"Wait, listen to me first—"

The expression on Yao Yuanchun's face instantly became extremely vivid.

"Yes, I understand."

"Go!"

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, focused all his attention on Xia Wang within the Flame World.

Killing a King was a golden opportunity to gain renown; he absolutely could not let him escape.

Inside the Flame Cage, Xia Wang stood tall with his head held high. He was confident that a massive army would surely come to besiege Zhao Xing.

Indeed, events unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

Just one shichen later, commotion erupted outside.

"!"

"Boom, boom, boom~"

"Who goes there!"

"General!"

"Kill them!"

Outside, the cries of battle shook the heavens, as if ten thousand people had appeared ten thousand meters in the sky.

"Hahaha, someone has come!" Xia Wang could not help but laugh aloud. "Two little thieves, release this King immediately!"

"If you are willing to sever your own magical arts, this King might spare your lives!"

"Dream on!" Zhao Xing's voice appeared inside the Flame World, filled with shock and fury: "Xia Wang, you truly deserve to die, to have turned so many people against us!"

"Hmph, he who knows the times is a hero. Young man, I see you have both talent and courage. Why not submit to this King and achieve great things together?"

"Boom, boom, boom~"

The violent sounds once again drowned out the noise from the outside.

The first day passed entirely amidst the cries of battle.

Yet the Flame World remained unbreakable.

On the second day, the momentum grew even stronger.

The Flame World began to tremble, as if it might shatter at any moment.

By the third day, Xia Wang attempted to break through twice.

Yet he returned with no success.

At this point, the sounds from outside gradually weakened.

At midnight on the third day, Xia Wang finally realized something was wrong.

"How is it that for three days, there is thunder but no rain?"

"Two Fourth-Rank cultivators cannot possibly block the rescue of my hundreds of thousands of troops!"

"Damn it, I've fallen for this brat's cunning trap!" Xia Wang cried out in shock and fury.

Zhao Xing's move was exactly like slowly boiling a frog.

By the time Xia Wang realized it, he had no other choice left.

"Nine-Dragon War Chariot, explode for me!"

A flash of anger crossed Xia Wang's eyes as the war chariot beneath his feet suddenly rammed into a section of the Flame Cage.

The nine coiled dragons swayed, erupting with brilliant light.

Upon striking the Flame Cage, they exploded violently.

"~"

The Flame World was blasted open with a massive breach.

Violent fragments of the war chariot, carrying countless beams of light, scattered in all directions.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~" The eight Five-Element Warships also suffered heavy damage from this single collision.

"Go!"

Xia Wang immediately led his guards out through the breach.

Within the layer of violent Gao wind, clouds of dust erupted.

"Shi, shi, shi, shi, shi, shi~"

When Xia Wang emerged, he faced a hundred Zhao Xings, all pointing their fingers at him.

Behind one of the Zhao Xings stood the phantom image of an old man.

"Heavenly Thunder Finger!"

"What?!" Xia Wang had no time to dodge, for Zhao Xings were everywhere in all directions!

"Five Emperors Dragon Fist! Die!!" Xia Wang roared, punching toward Zhao Xing. His entire body merged into the fist shadow, which surged like a dragon straight at Zhao Xing's true form.

"Zzzzzzz~"

Of the ninety-eight Heavenly Thunder Fingers, ninety-seven struck the golden fist, leaving a small mark upon it.

A hole.

The final Heavenly Thunder Finger, however, appeared abruptly at Xia Wang's chest, striking Xia Wang directly.

The other ninety-seven were top-tier Three-Cycle Heavenly Thunder Fingers cast by Zhao Xing.

The final one, however, was cast by Tianyang Zhenjun.

"Plop~"

Ripples of purple spread across Xia Wang's armor; his Five Emperors Dragon Fist collapsed instantly.

The second ring of ripples turned black, dispersing Xia Wang's body-protecting Yuan Qi and converting it into the Heavenly Thunder Finger's own power.

After the two rings of ripples, the purple and black ripples strangely reversed, coalescing into a black vortex that spun and pierced through Xia Wang's chest.

"!"

Xia Wang's armor remained intact, yet his body exploded directly.

The fifteen guards behind him shattered along with him.

"Hoo-woo~~"

Within the Gales Layer, only seven war chariots and over a dozen suits of armor floated.

"Truly hard to kill." Zhao Xing watched the scene, withdrew his clone, and said, "He endured three days and three nights, yet after emerging to fight desperately, his power remains this great."

"Grand-disciple, he is after all a Prince of Great Zhou; possessing such strength is normal."

"Xia Wang excels in battle formations; the fifteen guards behind him never leave his side. Had you not tricked him into enduring three days and three nights in the Flame World, his combat power would have been even greater."

Zhao Xing nodded; there was still a gap between him and a Prince.

Although the Myriad Techniques Clones were numerous, the spells were merely top-tier First-Cycle level, and the original body was only Three-Cycle.

First to Third Cycle are merely the entry level of top-tier spells.

Yet Xia Wang is absolutely at the minor mastery level of top-tier Wu Ji.

His treasure equipment is no slouch either; as a Prince, having such a foundation is normal.

"All things considered, my ability to kill Xia Wang relied partly on favorable timing, terrain, and human support; it does not mean I can slay a Prince." Zhao Xing concluded.

But Yao Yuanchun beside him did not think so at all.

After seeing Zhao Xing kill Xia Wang in a single strike, his eyes bulged out.

If before he was merely curious about Zhao Xing, thinking his talent was strong enough, now Yao Yuanchun felt a bit afraid.

"Luring Xia Wang into the formation, then creating a disturbance outside for me; he calculated that Xia Wang would not dare to detonate the Eighth-Rank War Chariot to fight desperately from the start, thus giving the opponent hope, enduring three days and three nights with Xia Wang, causing his Yuan Qi to be excessively depleted."

"Finally breaking out of the formation, he had already positioned himself early, delivering a single strike to slay him—"

Yao Yuanchun could not help but shiver. "A demon, truly a demon, playing with a Prince as if he were in the palm of his hand."

"Brother Yao, your hard work." Zhao Xing walked over.

"Nowhere near it; this subordinate did nothing." Yao Yuanchun involuntarily straightened his posture, subconsciously referring to himself as "this subordinate," treating Zhao Xing as his superior.

In fact, Yao Yuanchun had overlooked one point.

That was that the Nanming Li Fire Great Array arranged by Zhao Xing could not possibly completely trap Xia Wang; previously asking Xia Wang whether he recognized this array was purely tactical deception.

Making Xia Wang first believe that he alone could not break the array, and that only detonating the Eighth-Rank War Chariot could allow escape.

Had he continued attacking the Great Array, three days and three nights would have been enough for him to find a flaw and escape.

After all, there were no skilled Mechanism Masters here; relying solely on Zhao Xing to operate the mechanism array? Old Master Zhao was merely a half-baked amateur at best.

Unfortunately, Xia Wang happened to be of military origin and understood the power of this Li Fire Great Array very well; during the three days, he hardly made any attempts.

"Yao Yuanchun, Li Gan, Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen, take three ships down and pacify Tianhe Commandery." Zhao Xing issued orders. "Identify those coerced; if there is resistance, kill without exception."

"Yes!"

After finishing all this, Zhao Xing took out the Earth Mirror and sent a message to Luo Wang, also updating Tianhe Prefecture's intelligence to prevent him from sending extra personnel.

Great Yuan Prefecture, at a high altitude.

Luo Wang, Xin Wang, and Anning Wang were discussing inside a war fortress.

Suddenly, Luo Wang took out the Earth Mirror, seemingly communicating with someone.

Xin Wang and Anning Wang paid no attention to this.

But immediately afterward, the two saw that Luo Wang's expression was not quite right.

"It is me—yes, Xia Wang has rebelled; he excels in battle formations and possesses high-rank treasures, so do not act rashly—what, you have already killed him?"