Chapter 290

A year passed; Zhao Xing paid almost no attention to external affairs. Even regarding the actions of his clones, he deliberately forgot them to avoid affecting his cultivation.

Now that his cultivation had ended, he closed his eyes again, and those deliberately forgotten memories rapidly surfaced.

"In the tenth month of the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Era, the evacuation plan already involved over one hundred million people."

"In the twelfth month of the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Era, Chancellor Liu Si was executed by waist-cutting. The effect of the Wei Shen Luo weakened significantly, the Black Dragon fortune declined, and even a large number of Yin Gods no longer obeyed Liang Wang's orders."

"The shelter plan also radiated across twelve commanderies, covering over one billion people."

One billion commoners seemed like a lot, but actually, when scattered across twelve commanderies, they were not that many.

"At this scale, growth has slowed down," Zhao Xing thought inwardly.

"First, there is insufficient manpower and resources to continue expanding."

"Second, the government and other noble families are also doing this; it is not just us."

"Third, in the second month of the thirty-sixth year of the Jingxin Era, Liang Wang completely tore off the mask."

"He listed Emperor Jing's ten great crimes: harming brothers and sisters, massacring ministers, violating ancestral laws, mistreating the people, disrespecting heroic spirits, employing reckless ministers, launching unjust wars, breaking his word, and indulging in beauty—he essentially treated Emperor Jing as a tyrant to be overthrown."

"In the third month, Liang Wang extensively arrested civil and military officials. According to the list on the Heaven's Fortune Gold List, he captured a total of three thousand five hundred and fifty-two people."

"On the twenty-fifth day of the third month, the Nine Heavens Ying Yuan Prefecture declared war. He branded these civil and military officials who refused to submit as traitors aiding the wicked; over three thousand were beheaded, and their blood was used to sacrifice the Black Dragon Flag!"

"Under his command were the Black Dragon, Oracle, Tian Cang, Ming Wang, and Haotian five great legions."

"Among them, three legions were the original elites of Great Zhou, while Ming Wang and Haotian were respectively filled by the Southern Barbarian Wang Ting, the Eastern Barbarian tribes, the Eastern Sea aquatic clans, and the four major forces of demonic sect cultivators. Combined with the feudal kings in nineteen provinces who responded to him, he claimed to have one million high-grade realm cultivators!"

"In early April, Liang Wang rashly dispatched three major battalions, intending to march out of Ping Haizhou through the five passages of the Soldier Realm!"

"Intelligence states that Liang Wang's advance route is Lvliangzhou, Daoyuanzhou, Yuanzhou, Guanglingzhou, and then to Tian Yongzhou."

"At this time, Li Boqian had also appeared."

Zhao Xing put down the intelligence and closed his eyes.

"This is Liang Wang's final madness."

"He can only go all in, luring the Southern Barbarian Wang Ting and the Fangwaizong Sect into Ping Haizhou to cause widespread destruction and absorb Great Zhou's fortune."

"He completely abandoned his identity as a descendant of the Ji family, wanting only to completely split the world and return the nineteen provinces to the era of ten thousand states."

"However, less than half a year after he marched out of Ping Haizhou, he would be killed. The remaining rebel kings and foreign forces were also completely extinguished in the thirty-seventh year of the Jingxin Era."

"My plan should now reach the third stage."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, a flash of excited red light passing through his pupils.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

"At this stage, the more I kill, the greater the rewards!"

"A huge number of feudal kings are waiting for me to raid their families!"

"Those feudal kings must definitely have spiritual qi items in their hands!"

"And the Fangwaizong Sect and the Southern Barbarian Wang Ting are also fat meat; even if I only gnaw off a small piece, it will be enough to make me drip with oil."

"Go!"

Zhao Xing ordered all his clones to quickly fly out of the Star Palace.

Over a thousand top-tier Dharma bodies were completely released by him.

In the blink of an eye, the Star Platform was empty.

Zhao Xing's original body, however, was completely empty, his thoughts returning to silence.

At this moment, his original body's soul power was actually the weakest!

If all the clones were annihilated, Zhao Xing would be left with only a single-star life soul, and repairing it would be very troublesome.

However, compared to the benefits, this was completely worth it!

As long as the original body does not die, recovery is just a matter of time.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"

The clones either burrowed underground, flew into the sky, or teleported.

The original body arrived at the Star Palace's treasury and opened the warehouse specifically for storing Yuan Soul Liquid.

"King Tianyan's entire stock of Yuan Soul Liquid has been emptied by me."

"But he probably won't mind, right?"

"At worst, I can go to the Yin Realm later to scavenge some and return it to him."

Zhao Xing muttered.

"Clatter~"

He dragged all the boxes containing Yuan Soul Liquid to another pool.

"Splash~"

All the Yuan Soul Liquid was poured into the pool.

"A total of ninety-seven thousand cubic meters of Yuan Soul Liquid."

"With this Yuan Soul Liquid as a supplement, I can disregard the death of clones."

"If lost, they can be immediately replenished through the Yuan Soul Pool, and then a new body can be created."

Splash~

Zhao Xing immediately jumped down.

Datong Prefecture, Xi'er Commandery.

In the sunny fifth month, the various regions of Xi'er Commandery were filled with overgrown weeds, the autumn wind was bleak, and the scene was one of ruin.

"Rustle, rustle~"

Zhao Xing emerged from a willow tree and looked far towards the direction of Xi'er Commandery City.

"Xi'er Commandery——"

Zhao Xing stroked his right hand.

The arm bone of his right hand was made from two segments of Seventh-Rank Geng Metal Divine Wood.

Inside it was stored the Green Dragon Sword Qi of Yang An.

After the Supreme Dharma Body was cultivated, he had the High-Grade Dharma Body meet the Supreme Dharma Body to transfer the sword qi.

The Soul-Devouring Dharma Body naturally possessed the effect of the Guardian Straw Man.

Nourished by the Geng Metal Divine Wood, the two Green Dragon Sword Qi grew even stronger.

"The only two Green Dragon Sword Qi remaining in the world." Zhao Xing touched his right arm, "My Lord, today I will use them to avenge you and repay your karma."

The first thing Zhao Xing did after emerging from seclusion was to avenge Yang An! This was also the wish of Long Xiao and Chen Shijie.

Since Liang Wang rebelled, the specific details of Yang An's death were dug up.

Back then, Yang An rushed to Yin You Mountain because he received a plea for help from Wu Hou Luo Zhen.

He and Yang An were sworn brothers, yet he used Yang An's betrayal as a token of loyalty to defect to Liang Wang.

Ultimately, this caused Yang An, a peerless genius, to fall into a desperate situation.

Now, Luo Zhen has been enfeoffed as Xier Wang by Liang Wang and has also reached the peak Third Rank realm.

Ironically, Liang Wang also let him guard Xier Commandery.

This was precisely the military garrison town where the Divine Might Army was stationed back then.

Although the person who killed Yang An was a Southern Barbarian Earth Shaman, in war between two armies, each serves their own lord; a general has long been prepared for death.

If he had died by the enemy's hand, it would be one thing, but to be killed by one's own people, Zhao Xing now felt a strong killing intent toward Xier Wang Luo Zhen.

"I will use Yang An's sword qi to end you."

Buzz—Zhao Xing re-entered the ground, then lurked toward Xier Commandery.

Within thirty li of the city walls, there were military forts and sentry posts everywhere, with elite guard teams patrolling above and below.

In the underground space, a Fourth-Rank Sorcerer was sitting cross-legged in meditation.

Suddenly, "Hm?"

The Fourth-Rank Sorcerer suddenly yawned.

"Why am I so sleepy."

"It must be because I played too hard with Lady Liu last night."

"That slut was really exciting———"

Thinking of this, the Fourth-Rank Sorcerer lay down on the bed with a lecherous expression to sleep.

"Hoo~"

A gentle breeze appeared, and Zhao Xing materialized in the underground dwelling.

He stood by the bed, silently watching the sleeping sorcerer.

Then a wisp of soul force entered the Fourth-Rank Sorcerer's body.

"So your name is Luo Le, Luo Zhen's nephew."

When a person is dreaming, the content of the dream naturally reveals a lot of information about them.

Zhao Xing quickly learned this person's identity information.

He stripped Luo Le of his clothes and personal items.

"Hoo—"

A flame of Lesser Yang burned.

Soon, Luo Le vanished from this world.

"Illusion Body Technique, Transform!"

Zhao Xing shifted his form and instantly turned into Luo Le's appearance.

He then put on Luo Le's clothes and carried his personal items.

"Only a High-Grade cultivator can see through my Illusion Body Technique."

"Combined with the identity, I can enter Xiercheng without obstruction."

Zhao Xing immediately walked out of the underground space and emerged above ground.

He openly flew toward Xier Commandery with a squad of clones.

Upon entering the city defense formation, the defending general stopped and asked, "Marquis Luo, why have you returned to the city?"

"I have urgent matters to report to my uncle; let me in quickly!" Zhao Xing tossed up the token.

"Y-yes." The defending general glanced at the token, then looked at the guards behind him, and finally smiled broadly, "Please, enter."

He was also Fourth-Rank, but compared to Luo Le, their status was worlds apart; he dared not offend him.

Watching Luo Le enter quickly with his people, the general's eyes held some contempt: "What urgent matter? He must have gone to play with women, hmph."

After entering the city, Zhao Xing headed toward the City Lord's Mansion; flying within the city was forbidden, and he dared not be too conspicuous.

"Xier Wang Luo Zhen is at the peak Third Rank; his combat power should match his realm," Zhao Xing thought silently.

"He is a martial artist who cultivates the Supreme Wu Ji 'Overbearing Blade' and has mastered 【Blazing Sun Overbearing Blade Slash】 and 【Black Water Overbearing Blade Slash】."

"However, he has cultivated the Wu Ji at most to the Supreme Four-Turn level; he has not mastered the complete Third-Rank Water and Fire True Intent, let alone reached the point of distorting rules, otherwise Liang Wang would not have enfeoffed him only as Xier Wang but given him three Lord Cities."

Mastering the complete Third-Rank Water and Fire True Intent was the level of the martial artist who previously assassinated Zhao Xing, Jin Ye Wang.

Distorting rules is the level of a genius like Ye Ye Yukong, the Master of Moon Bright Mansion.

Ye Ye Yukong can already create his own Supreme Secret Arts and is not inferior even against Second-Rank cultivators.

However, the Second-Rank Heavenly Fortune Realm requires sufficiently powerful fortune to support it.

Ye Ye Yukong did not have enough fortune to support him entering the Second-Rank realm.

Under Emperor Jing, the greater the power one holds, the greater the responsibility one must bear.

Of course, this was also because Ye Ye Yukong himself was unwilling; during the time he spent with him, Zhao Xing would often hear Ye Ye Yukong boast:

"If I wanted to take the initiative to do more? Your Majesty would immediately strengthen my fortune, promoting me to Second Rank.

"But I am rather lazy, and I do not submit to Liang Wang, so I did not fight in that campaign to pacify the Man back then.

"If they sent me to be the Ruling King, I would find it troublesome."

Undoubtedly, Ye Ye Yukong's martial arts talent was of the first tier; Long Xiao was also of this level.

They both possessed top-tier comprehension, super combat awareness, and firm willpower, along with amplification from serendipitous secret arts; for instance, Long Xiao had consumed many spiritual treasures: Dragon Whale Blood and Fate-Soul Fish.

The second tier was like Jin Ye Wang: talent was upper-class, and after decades of bitter training, one could easily master the True Meaning of the Five Elements, greatly increasing the power of Wu Ji, but serendipity was average, having consumed no extra treasures.

The third tier was the standard level of Great Zhou; one only looked at how many transformations a spell or Wu Ji had reached, not whether one had mastered the True Meaning or possessed special secret art amplification.

The worst were the "Weak Third Rank" forcibly raised by fortune.

This group had only reached the Third Rank realm; their Wu Ji and spells were merely at a high-grade level.

Zhao Xing made a dual judgment through intelligence and Luo Le's impression.

Xi Er Wang was a standard Third Rank realm.

He was already considered capable on Liang Wang's side, after all, most were Weak Third Rank; true geniuses were few who followed Liang Wang into rebellion.

The Xi Er Commandery Prefecture was no longer its original appearance.

Along the way, Zhao Xing saw no familiar place.

Luo Zhen seemed unwilling to leave any trace of Yang An's mark.

At this moment, few people entered or exited the Commandery Prefecture.

Zhao Xing specifically chose the beginning of the Hai hour to arrive at the Commandery Prefecture; few martial generals were entering or exiting.

"Le'er, why have you come?"

Luo Zhen was looking at a sand table in the main hall; sensing a familiar aura approaching, he asked subconsciously.

"Didn't I order you to garrison outside the city?"

However, the next moment, Luo Zhen frowned.

Because his peripheral vision glanced at his nephew Luo Le, familiar yet carrying a hint of strangeness.

The eight guards following behind were also somewhat strange.

"Le'er, you———"

It is now! Cannot wait any longer!

Zhao Xing instantly erupted; the eight clones behind him, disguised as guards, immediately launched an attack on Xi Er Wang Luo Zhen. "Boom!" Luo Zhen's reaction was almost instinctive; powerful qi energy exploded instantly. His mind hadn't reacted, but his body had already responded.

The Flame Fire Golden Body radiated brilliance; blood and qi swept over his entire body like flames!

"Pfft!"

Luo Zhen felt excruciating pain in three places on his body.

A blade!

He subconsciously wanted to draw his blade; as a general, he was very cautious, basically keeping his blade never leaving his person.

But when his hand touched, he touched the earth.

His two hands were already severed at the shoulders.

Spikes and bizarre scales grew from the severed ends, sealing off his yuan energy circulation.

Yet Luo Zhen's blade still unsheathed!

After breaking through to the Pure Yuan realm, whether a mage or a martial arts practitioner, any body part could cast skills, controlling objects from a distance.

"Boom!"

Blazing Sun Dominating Blade Slash!

A wave of fiery red blade qi instantly covered the vision ahead.

The blade qi was massive, fully sufficient to cover Zhao Xing's nine clones.

The effect, however, was unsatisfactory; using yuan energy to substitute for a hand and wield a blade to cast Wu Ji was ultimately inferior to using the physical body.

At the moment of counterattack, Luo Zhen judged that the Dominating Blade he had just unleashed could not threaten the opponent at all. Run!

Luo Zhen instantly made the choice most beneficial to himself.

"!"

The roof collapsed before he could move.

Boundless Underground Palace!

The heavy pressure made Luo Zhen feel a chill in his heart.

He tried to cast his blade technique a second time.

However, he discovered his blade was below.

He himself was also below.

Luo Zhen was startled; only then did he realize his yuan soul had detached from his body at some unknown time.

"Clang!"

A belated bell sound echoed in his mind.

In fact, this was already the ninth one!

But for the previous eight, Luo Zhen had not heard them at all.

"You... who are you."

Luo Zhen struggled to look at the nine figures surrounding his soul.

His yuan soul could no longer re-enter his body.

Because at the instant the house collapsed, his physical body had sunk into the ground.

Soul and spirit separated; Zhao Xing hid his physical body deep underground!

The reply was a long, azure dragon of sword qi.

"Aaaah~~"

The supreme yang and unyielding azure dragon sword qi struck; Luo Zhen suddenly understood.

"Marquis Yuan, so it is—you—you have come to avenge him."

Yang An indeed regarded Luo Zhen as a close friend.

He had even told Luo Zhen about the matter of sending sword qi.

"Aaaah~"

After the long dragon of sword qi passed, Luo Zhen in mid-air vanished completely.

The physical body underground, under the immense pressure of the earth veins, turned to mud; only a set of golden bones remained unbroken.

The azure dragon returned, merging into Zhao Xing's body.

"Only half remains."

Zhao Xing flexed his wrist, sensing the strength of the sword qi.

"Someone is coming."

Sensing the others approaching rapidly, Zhao Xing felt no panic; with his speed and the technique 'Foot of the Sky, Mile of the Earth', few within the Third Rank could catch him.

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing sent a clone flying into the sky to draw attention.

Immediately after, the other clones activated the invisibility technique and began swiftly looting the mansion of Xi Er Wang Luo Zhen.

From Luo Le's dream, Zhao Xing discovered that Luo Le greatly envied a secret treasury of Luo Zhen.

Xi Er Wang Luo Zhen, though only of standard Third Rank strength.

Yet his wealth far exceeded that of the Third Rank.

Because after he pledged allegiance to Liang Wang, he followed him in fighting the various southern barbarian tribes, gaining a share of many spoils of war.

Upon returning to Great Zhou, he acted as Liang Wang's dog, harming other noble families, and thus looted another wave.

Luo Le envied it; naturally, Zhao Xing would not let it pass.

"This is the place."

Zhao Xing concealed himself beneath a rockery and discovered a secret chamber.

The thick stone door was heavily fortified and even arranged with a counter-concealment array.

"The strength is average; it mainly triggers alarms and counter-concealment to prevent theft, not to prevent a direct raid," Zhao Xing glanced and noted.

The logic was simple: Luo Zhen was a martial artist, so he mainly feared someone stealing his treasures.

Fear a raid? If an enemy strong enough to break in and kill him directly arrived, no matter how strong the treasury's defenses were set, they would be useless.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Heavenly Thunder Finger easily shattered the treasury.

"Crash~"

Inside, boxes piled like mountains; shelves held many weapons, even mechanical warhorses; the style of the treasures was diverse, mostly reflecting southern barbarian aesthetics.

"Just this?"

Zhao Xing activated his Heaven Eye to scan once, then couldn't help but sneer.

He was currently acting via clones, unable to carry a pile of items away, so he could only take the valuable ones.

However, here, Zhao Xing found nothing particularly valuable.

"Luo Le's vision is truly shallow; it cannot compare at all to Xia Jing's," Zhao Xing couldn't help but sigh.

Xia Jing, back then at Huolong Pass, wore the Sixth-Rank Thousand-Mechanism Suit!

At that time, Xia Jing was only Seventh Rank.

"A pseudo-king like Xi Er Wang is far inferior to Xia Hou; if only I could raid his place—sin, sin," Zhao Xing shook his head; how could he think such a thing?

Zhao Xing casually picked a few energy-type treasures to replenish his yuan qi, then prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a glint of reflection in a corner caught his attention.

"Hmm?"

In the distant star palace of the Soldier Realm, Zhao Xing's true body also felt a subtle sensation.

"Let's see."

The clone quickly ran over.

There, amidst gold and silver artworks, lay an unremarkable purple coin.

"Hiss, is this—the Purple-Gold Ancient Coin?"

Zhao Xing picked it up to examine.

The ancient coin was about the size of a palm; aside from being slightly larger in shape, the rest was no different from other coins, all round outside and square inside.

One side of the coin bore the characters 【Changyi】, the other side bore 【Heaven's Gift】.

Since Zhao Xing had specially studied the script of the ancient era to communicate with the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird.

He recognized it at a glance.

"The Divine Court of the Ancient Era, the Purple-Gold Ancient Coin cast by the Xia Dynasty!"

"This is a luck coin issued by Zhuanxu."

"Hahahaha, Yan Liu's luck is truly awesome!"

"To find a treasure like this!"

Zhao Xing couldn't help but laugh loudly.

Fortune coins; holding one temporarily increases fortune!

The Ancient Divine Court bestowed fortune upon officials by issuing these purple-gold ancient coins and Great Luck Coins.

However, modern historians generally believe this method is far too outdated.

One must hold them to gain fortune; does that mean going to battle with a waist full of wealth?

That would be far too conspicuous!

Besides, what if they are robbed?

Thus, historians believe the Ancient Divine Court was relatively backward!

Far less developed than the current dynasty!

Dynasties after Xia never issued them this way.

This further corroborates the point.

Moreover, the craft of condensing fortune into coins has been lost.

In short—————they are extremely scarce.

However, Zhao Xing knew the situation was far from that.

The Xia Dynasty was a dynasty capable of Ascension!

The purple-gold ancient coins were not, as modern historians claim, required to be carried on the person to increase fortune.

"Their function is vast." Zhao Xing grinned, "Quick, see if there are any more."

He searched carefully and discovered that inside another chest, there was actually another purple-gold ancient coin.

Only this ancient coin bore a distinction.

One side read 【Zhuan】, the other side read 【Shanhai】.

"Another one!" Zhao Xing excitedly slapped his thigh.

"Such a good thing, and Xi'er Wang didn't even know how to use it, just letting it lie here gathering dust?"

Actually, in this era, very few people knew how to use purple-gold ancient coins and Great Luck Coins.

Those who could use them never spoke of it; the method was treated as a top-secret inheritance.

"First, one must be literate, know what kind of ancient coin it is, to know how to use it; every type of ancient coin has a different function."

"Xi'er Wang truly suffered from a lack of culture."

Zhao Xing happily tucked it into his chest; finding no third coin here, he quickly departed.

In the Starfall Palace, Zhao Xing, bathing in Yuan Soul Liquid, was also very happy.

"Changyi Ancient Coin, Heaven-Bestowed Edition."

"Zhuan Ancient Coin, Shanhai Edition."

"Both types of purple-gold ancient coins have multiple functions."

"First is the legendary ability to increase fortune when carried, though this requires a unique secret technique to activate."

"Second is for divination; in the Turtle Coin Divination Method, the coin divination method, the best medium is ancient coins and Great Luck Coins."

"Beyond that, different versions have other refined effects!"

"Heaven-Bestowed Changyi can locate treasures directionally."

"Changyi Changyi, that means wishes come true; one can seek any kind of treasure; gathering multiple ancient coins together,"

"can even grant Heaven-Bestowed longevity!"

Adding to one's lifespan; could Old Master Zhao not be happy?!

"Zhuan Shanhai; Zhuan refers to a round head and fat brain; stacking the greatness of Shanhai implies a person of immense fortune; carrying it on the person grants extra fortune like crazy, the most of any version!"

The two methods to activate purple-gold ancient coins were not hard to find.

Zhao Xing's Coin Divination Method contained one of them.

"First, have the clone bring it back."

Even if the clone activated it, it would be useless, because clones have no concept of fortune.

Carrying them on a clone has no effect.

Good things should naturally be sent back to the main body here for safekeeping.

In just two days, the two ancient coins arrived at Starfall Palace.

Zhao Xing did not use them immediately.

With his main body here, using them would be wasteful; furthermore, the difference between using multiple together versus a single one is significant.

However, if they cannot be used now, their future utility will be vast.

"If I use them at the Dragon Court Ancient Ground, I will surely obtain greater treasures."

In Pinghaizhou, there are few treasure grounds; if Zhao Xing seeks treasure, there is only one possibility: raiding the imperial court's or Liang Wang's treasury.

Does this need calculation? Zhao Xing naturally knew the imperial court's treasury held good things, and Liang Wang even held a Divine Artifact.

"The most suitable place to exert their power is the Dragon Court Ancient Ground."

"Xi'er Wang, you died well!"

After this experience, Zhao Xing began calculating other rebel kings.

"The Southern Barbarians have many such ancient treasures; those rebel kings who followed Liang Wang to fight the Southern Barbarian tribes are the best targets for house-raiding."

"On their persons, there might be Spirit Qi items, or things like purple-gold ancient coins and Great Luck Coins."

On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, after drying out Xi'er Wang, Zhao Xing turned his attention to the military generals under Liang Wang who had fought in the Southern Barbarians.

Especially the civil and military officials who followed Liang Wang all the way through the Yin You Mountains and campaigned against the Guzong Sect.

Zhao Xing paid special attention to them.

However, these generals themselves were quite powerful, and they were also constantly moving under Liang Wang's orders.

Zhao Xing did not find a suitable opportunity until the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month.

Heze Prefecture, General Dong Ze Commandery.

General Dong Ze Commandery has many mountains, rivers, and waters, with very heavy yin and damp qi.

According to Zhao Xing's Six Qi theory, this region is inherently deficient in yang qi and heavy in yin qi.

Two-thirds of the year, the sky is shrouded in gloomy, overcast, and rainy weather.

"Illusory Nether Cave Realm."

Zhao Xing, high in the sky, looked down upon a mountain peak ahead.

"The Illusory Nether King is one of the thirty-three ruling kings of the Soldier Realm."

"He is also a powerful feudal king who governs the Illusory Nether Cave Realm and the Illusory Nether Army."

"The Illusory Nether King is a Priest-class cultivator. Back then, I cooperated with him and the Nangong Ye to attack the Soul-Sacrifice Pass."

Undoubtedly, the Illusory Nether King is a powerful feudal king, and Zhao Xing dared not provoke him.

However, his goal was not to kill the Illusory Nether King.

Rather, it was one of the generals under his command.

"Qiu Changzhi, the First Wu Hou under the Illusory Nether King, the Chang Wu Hou."

"The Chang Wu Hou has reached the peak of the Third Rank realm."

"His status is equivalent to Liu Tianning under the Luo King, and he is highly valued."

"During the campaign against the Southern Barbarians, the Chang Wu Hou's merit rank rose rapidly, with his achievements ranking second only to the Illusory Nether King."

With many achievements and high merit ranks, naturally, he received the largest share of rewards during the war.

Zhao Xing divined multiple times and found the probability that the Chang Wu Hou possessed the treasure he wanted was as high as eighty percent!

The Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Turtle was not sought for nothing; counting only the treasure and not the person, the difficulty was greatly reduced.

But to seize the treasure, one must kill.

"The Chang Wu Hou is not easy to kill," Zhao Xing thought silently.

"Judging from his battle record, the Chang Wu Hou is a second-tier genius, a second-tier genius among Priests; that is already incredibly impressive!"

After all, he is a divine priest from the Era of Primordial Qi.

Even if Zhao Xing mobilized many clones, he might not be able to eliminate the Chang Wu Hou guarding this place.

Unless the Chang Wu Hou allowed him to calmly set up a great formation and then voluntarily jumped into the trap, but how could that be possible?

"If my true body were to come personally, wielding the Primordial Yin Sacred Scripture, and then invite my Grandmaster—"

"No." Zhao Xing still discarded this tempting idea.

If his true body left the Star Palace, danger would arise.

Furthermore, if King Tianyan, the Luo King, and the Yijisan Sect Academy learned that Zhao Xing was killing someone for a treasure and putting himself in peril, what would they think?

Foolish! Short-sighted!

Even the True Lord of Heavenly Yang would not agree.

If the clones alone cannot win, yet he still wants the treasure, what to do?

Of course, call for reinforcements.

"Big Brother." Zhao Xing activated the Earth Mirror and immediately found Ye Ye Yukong.

Other powerful figures, such as the Lord of Long Yuan Mansion, the Spirit Illusion King, the Divine Luo King, and the Master of the Heaven Eater Palace, had only met him once; it was not easy to bring up such a matter with them.

Moreover, these people had important matters to attend to and could not travel all the way over to act as his hired muscle.

Only Ye Ye Yukong was relatively free.

The Bright Moon Mansion had long since appointed a new Mansion Lord.

Additionally, the Bright Moon Mansion was not a strategic location, had no Soldier Realm passage, and was situated between the fiefs of Tianhe Prefecture and the Jiujiang King.

There were basically no wars.

His relationship with the Bright Moon Mansion Lord was also closer than with others.

After handling some official duties for Ye Ye Yukong for a few months, Ye Ye Yukong directly started calling him Brother Zhao.

It was just unknown whether Ye Ye Yukong was available.

"I'm here, what's up, little brother?" Ye Ye Yukong replied very quickly.

Although Zhao Xing's true body had been in seclusion for a year, his clones had remained active; in Ye Ye Yukong's eyes, Zhao Xing had never left.

"Does Big Brother Ye have time? I want to kill a rebel."

"I have time. Where is he?"

"Heze Prefecture, General Dong Ze Commandery."

"Seems a bit far," Ye Ye Yukong muttered inside the Bright Moon Mansion.

He was rather lazy and did not want to travel too far.

If it were someone else, he would have definitely refused.

But this was Zhao Xing; hesitating for only a second, Ye Ye Yukong agreed.

"Alright, I'm coming right away, wait for me."

It took two and a half days for Ye Ye Yukong to rush to the border of General Dong Ze Commandery in Heze Prefecture and meet Zhao Xing.

"?"

As soon as Ye Ye Yukong saw Zhao Xing, he felt somewhat surprised.

"Little brother, why is this clone of yours different from before?"

"I broke through," Zhao Xing said. "What is here now is a Supreme Dharma Body."

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Ye Ye Yukong's eyes. "Little brother actually has a Supreme Dharma Body! Impressive!"

Ye Yukong also thought Zhao Xing was formidable, because forging a top-tier Dharma Body inevitably meant he had mastered the first layer of the Tianyan Divine Art!

Zhao Xing was only granted a Fifth Rank official title in the thirtieth year of the Jingxin Era.

Even counting from that time, mastering the first layer in six years was an extremely fast speed!

"How many clones do you have here now?"

"There are two hundred and thirty."

"So many?" Ye Yukong's thoughts unconsciously shifted.

If Zhao Xing possessed only a high-tier Dharma Body, Ye Yukong would have considered this merely helping a junior brother earn merit and repaying an old debt.

But now, with two hundred and thirty top-tier Dharma Bodies present, he did not think so anymore.

Zhao Xing absolutely possessed the combat power of a Third Rank high-tier expert!

What kind of rebel would require both himself and Zhao Xing's two hundred and thirty top-tier Dharma Bodies to fight?

Ye Yukong's eyes lit up: "Does that rebel have something good on him?"

Zhao Xing smiled; whenever it came to fighting, Ye Yukong's brain was incredibly sharp.

"Hmm, absolutely something good!"

"I know the reason why you, Brother Ye, have been delaying breaking through to the Heavenly Luck Realm.

"If we pull off this job, Brother, you might not need the imperial court's bestowal of luck to enter the Heavenly Luck Realm!"

The reason Zhao Xing told Ye Yukong was twofold: first, since the other man was going to exert effort and fight together, they were entrusting their backs to one another, so of course any benefits should be shared.

Second, he had discovered that the purple-gold ancient coin on Changwu Wu Hou had already been activated; whether he spoke of it or not, Ye Yukong would discover the anomaly.

The judgment for the second point came from the clash of luck.

When Zhao Xing approached Changwu Wu Hou, his luck declined.

When he moved away, it recovered.

Combining the Great Expansion Luck-Gazing Art and the panel, along with Changwu Wu Hou's past battle reports.

He deduced that Changwu Wu Hou had already activated one or even multiple purple-gold ancient coins.

"Is there such a good thing?" Ye Yukong listened with his heart blossoming in joy.

To speak honestly, who does not want to break through?

Ye Yukong certainly did too.

He was simply afraid of handling official duties, afraid the Jing Emperor would give him too heavy a burden.

If he cultivated his way up on his own, the Jing Emperor would surely feel awkward asking him to do any dirty or tiring work, right?

"Not necessarily, but I'll draw this pie for you, Brother, first."

"Haha, you rascal! Speak quickly, what is the actual percentage of success?" Ye Yukong's interest was piqued by Zhao Xing.

"I calculated the probability of him possessing a treasure as eighty percent, but whether we can raid his home or not, I cannot calculate that."

"Let's do it!" Ye Yukong said.

Who is there to raid if not him?

If Zhao Xing had not sought him out, he would have been assigned a mission recently anyway.

"Good, my plan is like this——"

Zhao Xing used a tree branch to write and draw on the ground.

Both were soldiers, so Ye Yukong quickly understood Zhao Xing's plan, nodding repeatedly.

From a military perspective, for a decapitation strike like this, the plan and scheme are crucial.

The most important point is to prevent Changwu Wu Hou from forming a large-scale blood qi battle formation.

Once the formation is established, even Ye Yukong could not kill Changwu Wu Hou, this Third Rank expert.

"Does Brother have anything else to add?"

"Yes," Ye Yukong said, "your plan is a bit bloated; I feel you might be underestimating my strength and overestimating that Changwu Wu Hou."

"I just looked at this person's past battle records; he cannot possibly be my opponent."

Zhao Xing said, "I err on the side of caution regarding the enemy; I factored in the element of him possessing a treasure."

"This influence might be very great."

"For example?"

"For example, you are clearly about to kill him, but suddenly the ground shakes, the earth veins erupt, and save him."

"Or perhaps he suddenly finds fortune in his heart, breaks through on the spot, and his strength rises another level."

"And then there is the sudden arrival of reinforcements, and so on."

Ye Yukong said, "Is it that exaggerated? Then wouldn't he be in the Heavenly Luck Realm?"

Blessed by heaven, practicing great heavenly luck; a Second Rank Heavenly Luck Realm expert, if not seeking death himself, is hard to ambush and kill.

Of course, if it were another Heavenly Luck Realm expert, it would be different, as their luck would clash.

Zhao Xing thought for a moment and said, "If the treasure this person carries is truly as I suspect, it can indeed rival the Heavenly Luck Realm in this aspect."

Ye Yukong said, "Then I have no more questions; let's proceed with your plan."

Since it involved metaphysics, Ye Yukong decided to listen to Zhao Xing.

After all, Zhao Xing was a person close to King Tianyan; how could Ye Yukong not trust someone connected to such a great Fate Official?

When they surrounded and killed the assassin gang back then, the Divine Luo Great Array was set up in advance under the guidance of King Tianyan.

The Spirit Illusion King even waited specifically at a certain location for the Jade Heaven King to flee there.

Divine calculation and accurate prediction—that is what describes a Fate Official.

Perhaps their own combat power was not very strong, but their role was very significant.

"Good, move out!"

Marquis Changwu, Qiu Changzhi, was sitting cross-legged in General Dong Ze Commandery when he suddenly felt a disturbance in his mind, unable to settle into meditation for cultivation.

"What is happening?"

Qiu Changzhi opened his eyes, feeling a surge of irritability.

"Could someone be plotting against me?"

"Or is the imperial court sending troops to attack me and seize this small passage?"

Qiu Changzhi had been ordered to guard this location.

Liang Wang intended to advance on Haizhou; he had not abandoned Haizhou either. Ji Mingxian still kept two major armies in Haizhou, ready to retreat immediately if the battle went poorly.

A passage entrance capable of rapid troop deployment was therefore of critical importance.

If the passage entrance were lost on a large scale, it would be equivalent to losing Haizhou.

The passage entrance guarded by Marquis Changwu, Qiu Changzhi, was important in some respects, yet unimportant in others.

Even if he lost it, he would still remain within the great encirclement of Prince Huanyou.

With the passage entrance being small, a large army could not establish a forward position or gain a foothold; instead, they would merely be delivering food to Prince Huanyou.

"The forces I bring are already quite sufficient."

"If the imperial court sends forces capable of annihilating me here, yet still manages to break out of Prince Huanyou's encirclement, that would be a very poor bargain."

"There have been no large-scale troop movements recently, so only one possibility remains."

"Assassination!" A solemn and heavy look flashed in Qiu Changzhi's eyes. "An assassination by a master."

Upon considering this possibility, Qiu Changzhi actually relaxed.

"As long as I do not go out, no matter what bait he offers, I will not be swayed; even a Second-Rank expert cannot kill me."

"Hmph, am I that easily assassinated?" Marquis Changwu touched a coin at his waist.

He then closed his eyes with peace of mind, his thoughts clear, and indeed entered meditation very quickly.

But that afternoon.

Marquis Changwu suddenly opened his eyes from his cultivation.

A faint, elusive craving surged within his heart.

This craving continued to intensify.

Finally, it made his heart race uncontrollably, as if he had taken aphrodisiacs!

"This is—another ancient coin!"

Watching the coin at his waist vibrate, Marquis Changwu felt a jolt in his heart, his face revealing greed.

"Bang!" But in an instant, Marquis Changwu suppressed the greedy thought.

"No, I cannot go out; this is definitely a trap!"

"I won't go out, I won't go out—."

He kept chanting silently, forcing himself back into meditation.

Yet a faint, lingering connection remained in his heart, making him itch inside.

In a valley within General Dong Ze Commandery.

Zhao Xing held a coin emitting a faint glow and sneered, "Good willpower; it's been three days,

and you truly can endure."

To kill Marquis Changwu, Zhao Xing had retrieved another ancient coin during his investigation and brought it here, activating it.

If multiple purple-gold coins are in an activated state, their owners will sense each other.

Lord Zhao had seen the world; having experienced the universe version himself, he could naturally resist temptation and steadfastly execute the plan.

But he did not expect Marquis Changwu to be so capable of endurance as well.

"If you didn't know its utility, fine; but since you do, I don't believe you won't fall for it." Zhao Xing was in no hurry at all.

Having a clone wait did not hinder him from raiding other households elsewhere.

As for Ye Ye Yukong?

He felt nothing; those who do not hold a coin will have no such sensation.

In military operations, he too was remarkably patient.

From May 25th until June 10th.

Zhao Xing had been sensing the location of the coin in Marquis Changwu's possession.

It had not moved at all.

At midnight on June 10th.

Suddenly, a massive army surged into the valley where Zhao Xing was hiding.

"Swish, swish, swish~"

The army and warships began bombarding the valley recklessly.

After a long time.

"My Lord, there is no sign of life below."

"Search!"

Marquis Changwu's voice came through the Earth Mirror.

"Yes!" The Assistant Regional Commander immediately began searching below.

But they found nothing.

In another location within General Dong Ze Commandery.

"That surname Qiu is indeed cautious; he does not move himself, yet sends a massive army out."

"I expected him to play this trick long ago," Zhao Xing smiled. "Want to catch me? It's not that easy."

"Indeed, your two hundred-plus clones are not for nothing." Ye Yukong smiled.

This is the benefit of a supreme Dharma Body!

Zhao Xing's Dharma Body lurked around Juncheng, needing to do nothing but monitor.

Once the main army moved, Zhao Xing would know and could naturally escape in advance.

Other professions find it difficult to achieve such an effect.

"I simply will not leave; let us see how long he can endure." Zhao Xing said with a smile.

"In his own lair, a large-scale enemy army cannot appear. If he does not dare to run out of the city even in this case, then count me unlucky for overestimating his courage."

"Little brother, this is an open stratagem," Ye Yukong laughed. "Knowing it is bait, knowing it is a trap, yet one cannot help but jump in to take a gamble."

"Damn it, damn it!" Changwu Hou panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot.

He had not slept well for several days.

He truly could not sleep!

The ancient coin was the greatest opportunity of his life up to now!

Being able to reach this point today, the ancient coin accounted for the majority of the credit.

One could say this was a treasure he regarded as his very life.

Now, another treasure appeared right at his doorstep, jumping about, and he seemed to have sufficient strength to seize it.

How could he sleep?

He could endure for one or two days, but after half a month, his mindset changed.

"What if, what if there are no enemies, no assassins, and my own opportunity has simply exploded?"

"It is the will of Heaven! Treasures belong to those with virtue!"

At this moment, Liang Wang's BUFF caused Changwu Hou's mindset to gradually shift, and his reason became distorted.

"What if, what if it is not a trap? Would I not be missing the greatest opportunity of this life?"

"Even if it is a trap, if I am cautious and careful, I might not be unable to eat the bait without taking the hook."

"How many times in the campaigns against the Southern Barbarians have I not always turned danger into safety?"

Moments later, Changwu Hou's aura stabilized, and his eyes grew firm.

He donned his armor and drew his precious sword.

"Wealth and honor are sought amidst danger!!"

"I dared to rebel; how can I now not dare to take a gamble?!"

Once he convinced himself, Changwu Hou hesitated no longer.

"Issue my command! The Imperial Guard must assemble!"

"Yes!"

"Finally, he has come."

In a forest, Zhao Xing bared his white teeth.

"Brother Ye, be prepared!"

"Come then." At another location, Ye Yukong also opened his eyes, his battle spirit soaring (Brother Jiang), "I am also somewhat impatient."

June 10th, the Hour of Chou.

Changwu Hou led five hundred Imperial Guards out of the city, heading straight for the sensed location.

Seemingly only five hundred people, but in reality, three thousand followed behind.

The enemy wanted to lure him; he too wanted to lure the enemy.

June 10th, the Hour of Yin.

Zhao Xing's two hundred and thirty clones launched in batches, activating the Dream-Walking Method, targeting the three thousand Imperial Guards behind.

Changwu Hou continued to mobilize troops to hunt down Zhao Xing's clones.

He himself led five hundred Imperial Guards to continue pursuing the whereabouts of the ancient coin.

Both sides chased each other.

Zhao Xing's clones were discovered more and more, while at the same time the Imperial Guards and the Yin Spirits he cultivated grew in number.

Both sides sensed something amiss at the Hour of Chen, simultaneously suppressing the fluctuations of the ancient coin, and each withdrew their troops.

June 12th, the sensation reappeared; Changwu Hou and Zhao Xing became even more cautious.

They began moving all over General Dong Ze Commandery again to test the other's strength.

Hunter and prey reversed roles at every moment.

However, this time, both sides began to increase their efforts.

Ultimately, Zhao Xing lost ten clones, and Changwu Hou lost two hundred Imperial Guards.

June 12th ended.

June 13th, the sensation reappeared!

Changwu Hou and Zhao Xing tested each other again, inflicting mutual losses.

The range of their movements became more frequent, and the intensity of the pursuit increased!

At the closest point, the two coins were merely ten li apart!

For a Third Rank, such a distance was almost instantaneous!

Yet both men equally let this opportunity pass.

This repeated for seven days.

Changwu Hou, in the end, grew desperate.

Because for no reason he had already lost eighteen hundred men, and multiple Yin Spirits!

Rumors began to circulate within the army, and he could barely suppress them anymore.

The men under his command cannot die in vain; if he drags this out any longer, the Phantom Nether King will demand answers!

There are no combat reports to submit, so why have you suffered such heavy losses?

But could he report it? He could not!

This was his greatest secret!

By the eighteenth day of the sixth month, at the third quarter of the Hour of the Ox.

Changwu Hou, having invested massive sunk costs, finally decided to go all in.

This time, he brought only two hundred of his Elite Guard to pursue Zhao Xing, leaving all warships behind.

The escorting guard unit was also stationed fifty li away.

"Come! This is it!" Changwu Hou's eyes flashed brightly in the night. "My reinforcements will arrive in half a stick of incense."

"I have only two hundred Elite Guard with me! You should reveal yourself now!"

"I've offered a flaw lasting half a stick of incense to gamble my life; will you take the bait?!"

Three li away from Changwu Hou, Zhao Xing gazed toward him across the distance, as if he could hear Changwu Hou's thoughts.

"If you can hold out for half a stick of incense until the reinforcements arrive, you can snatch the ancient coin."

"If you cannot, it will be death and the destruction of your Dao, and the treasure will change hands."

"I already know; then let us begin!"

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Zhao Xing's eyes.

By now, he had also invested the cost of thirty-five clones.

The true body had no choice but to draw eight hundred cubic fang of Yuan Soul Liquid from the Yuan Soul Pool to recover quickly!

Neither Zhao Xing nor Changwu Hou were fools.

They knew this was the final decisive battle!

If they missed this opportunity, neither of them would advance another step.

"Brother Ye, this is it! When narrow paths meet, the brave shall win!"

"Boom~" Ye Yukong said nothing; sword qi erupted, shooting straight into the clouds, proving his resolve with action.

"There!"

Changwu Hou sensed the ancient coin had stopped moving and simultaneously detected a sword intent, instantly locking onto its location.

Fate was this close!

The treasure was within easy reach!

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Ye Yukong, Zhao Xing, Changwu Hou, and the two hundred Elite Guards all unleashed intense killing intent.

Charging toward each other!

Neither side was willing to retreat; neither side would let the other go!

The three-li range was covered in an instant!

When the two forces drew near.

Of Zhao Xing's remaining one hundred ninety clones, one hundred fully manifested!

"Without sacrifice, gods and ghosts do not taste! Transform!"

One hundred clones, each holding a seventh-tier Divine Talisman, pressed it against the void.

Within a five-li radius.

The third quarter of the Hour of the Ox returned to the exact Hour of the Rat!

The divine statues carried by the Priest Guard behind Changwu Hou dimmed to their absolute lowest point.

"One hundred Hour-of-the-Rat Sealing Talismans?"

Changwu Hou's heart jolted; only now did he finally see the enemy's full strength.

However, he quickly formulated a countermeasure!

"First, I summon the deity to possess my body!"

"Hah!"

The two hundred Elite Guards roared as one, and the deities behind them opened their eyes.

Yet the possession process became extremely slow; the Hour-of-the-Rat Sealing Talismans had already delayed this normally instantaneous process by more than tenfold.

"Blood sacrifice to the Golden Body, shatter!"

Changwu Hou's eyes turned blood-red as he first summoned a three-headed, six-armed alien Yin Spirit to possess him.

The alien Yin Spirit's long fingertips swept across the chests of himself and the two hundred Elite Guards.

"Pfft~"

Vital blood splashed onto the statues behind the two hundred Elite Guards.

The Golden Body statues instantly shattered.

The one hundred Hour-of-the-Rat Sealing Talismans also developed cracks!

Yin and Yang merged, and the channel for summoning the deity burst wide open in an instant!

"Second, I summon the deity to grant divine power!"

"Third, I summon the deity to slay the demons!"

Changwu Hou and the two hundred Elite Guards instantly completed the three summonings of the deity.

The price was fifty years of lifespan.

But at this moment, the aura of Wu Hou also swelled to an extreme, already surpassing Third Rank perfection and advancing toward Second Rank. "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Zhao Xing's Heaven Thunder Finger rapidly hammered against the divine manifestation above the heads of the Imperial Guard Camp.

The battle formation was quickly destroyed, then quickly fused again.

"Hahaha, Zhao Xing, so it is you!"

"You truly have the audacity!"

"To dare attempt to strike the great with the small!"

"The King of the Underworld glares in fury, the divine manifestation bends the heavens; kneel before me!"

Wu Hou's divine might was like a prison; like a deity, he disregarded Zhao Xing's techniques.

He pointed a finger at the sky, and the two hundred divine statues behind him also pointed toward the heavens.

A purple eye, a thousand meters long, opened in the sky.

Zhao Xing immediately felt his clone sway unsteadily, involuntarily wanting to kneel beneath the heavenly might.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang~"

The Soul-Extinguishing Bell activated!

Zhao Xing regained his clarity.

However, at this moment, the King of the Underworld's eye in the sky began to brew Lei Guang again, striking down toward him.

"Boom~~~"

Like a Divine Lord descending, wielding the Thunder Punishment!

Zhao Xing's clone, holding the ancient coin, was instantly blasted into fragments!

Whoosh!

Wu Hou's face showed greed; the deity behind him, regardless of all else, reached out to grab that coin.

However, the coin fell rapidly, sinking into the ground.

Missed by a hair's breadth!

The giant hand grasped at empty air.

"Now is the time!"

Zhao Xing's other clones immediately switched to casting other spells.

The Soul-Extinguishing Bell and the Dream-Walking Technique activated!

Wu Hou remained unmoved, but the two hundred Imperial Guard Camp members behind him suddenly showed a dazed expression.

The battle formation drew power to pour into the two hundred Imperial Guard Camp members, healing their injuries and resisting the Dream-Walking Technique.

Wu Hou himself, however, showed a momentary weakness!

"Terrible!"

Wu Hou suddenly seemed to sense something and snapped his head up.

He saw only a bright moon reflected in his eyes.

He could no longer see the King of the Underworld's divine manifestation.

"What beautiful moonlight~"

Wu Hou could not help but become intoxicated.

"The bright moon shines upon the earth!"

Ye Yukong's voice echoed; sword qi fell like moonlight. This move, "The Bright Moon Shines Upon the Earth," pierced through everything; no object between heaven and earth could block the moonlight sword intent!

""

2

Endless moonlight sword intent concentrated entirely upon Wu Hou.

Qiu Zhichang instantly turned into a figure of light, his entire body appearing with many fine holes.

"Lost." Wu Hou looked down at the holes in his body.

The ancient coin hanging at his waist fell as the cord snapped.

He reached out to grab it with reluctance.

But he discovered he no longer had hands.

His lower body had also vanished.

"In the end, greed cannot be overcome."

The last thought flashed through Wu Hou's mind.

Then his consciousness sank into endless darkness.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft~"

With no leader, the battle formation crumbled; the remaining two hundred Imperial Guard Camp members were instantly killed by Ye Yukong's moonlight sword intent.

"Boom! Boom! Boom~"

Three crimson light pillars hammered toward the battlefield.

Wu Hou's reinforcements had arrived.

"Go!"

Zhao Xing grabbed Ye Yukong and activated the Inch-From-A-Thousand-Miles technique.

The other clones also rapidly activated the Inch-From-A-Thousand-Miles technique.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh~"

The moment they departed, the Net of Heaven and Earth descended.

But it struck empty air.

"Heavens—! The Marquis is dead!"

The Assistant Regional Commander, seeing this, was instantly filled with terror.

With the treasure in hand, they fled a thousand li away.

Less than half an hour later, Zhao Xing and Ye Ye Yukong appeared in the Wild Marsh District of Heze Prefecture.

This place was essentially wasteland of Heze Prefecture, entirely covered in deep mountains and dense forests.

"Shhh-shhh-shhh~"

Many clouds and mists dispersed.

Ye Ye Yukong and Zhao Xing appeared beneath a giant tree.

"Out."

Zhao Xing exhaled in relief.

"Big Brother Ye, now that we've left General Dong Ze District, Big Brother Ye?"

Ye Ye Yukong stood at the foot of the hill, clutching a purple ancient coin, staring blankly at the night sky.

The bright moon hung high, and a golden dragon descended from it; the pillar of destiny above Ye Ye Yukong's head shifted from purplish-red to deep purple.

He had broken through into the Second Rank realm at this very moment.

The process was so swift that Zhao Xing hadn't even finished his second question when the moon above Ye Ye Yukong vanished.

"There truly are such miraculous things in this world," Ye Ye Yukong murmured.

He turned and walked to Zhao Xing's side, handing him the ancient coin.

"Young Brother Zhao, what is the origin of this ancient coin?"

Zhao Xing took the coin and glanced at it, then smiled: "Looks like today is an auspicious day—Big Brother Ye, you've only absorbed one-tenth of it, yet it already summoned the Heavenly Fortune of Pinghaizhou."

"This is a Hongyun Coin."