Chapter 53: Attack Under the Black Night

General Mo Li Xiao ordered: “You three must keep secret the news that Luo He Shenjun is guarding this place.”

“Yes.” General Jin Xiao and the two Hu Yang Guard commanders replied respectfully; they had been assigned here precisely because they were deeply trusted.

“Luo He Brother, I’ve already arranged a residence for you within this military encampment.” General Mo Li Xiao led the way out of the building to a refined cave dwelling nearby.

After all, a Hu Yang Legion comprised over twenty million True Gods, so the encampment was naturally enormous.

Ordinary soldiers only knew this was a legion encampment and were unaware of its true significance.

“Good.” Luo Feng gazed at the cave dwelling; arranging such a residence within a camp spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers was already impressive—soldiers lived in far worse conditions and stood guard inside legion mechanical treasures.

“If you need anything, Luo He Brother, just say the word,” Mo Li Xiao said. “But do not leave the encampment. The Shi Kingdom’s forces could strike at any moment.”

“Rest assured. I will fulfill my promise,” Luo Feng nodded.

“Then we’ll take our leave.”

Mo Li Xiao smiled and departed with Mo Li Meng.

Luo Feng looked at the cave dwelling, barely ten thousand kilometers in length and width—small, yet exquisitely crafted: “From today, the three of us will reside here.”

“Yes, Master,” Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Qingyan replied.

…

Five days later, Mo Li Meng delivered the Black Marsh Toxin.

“Luo He Shenjun, this Black Marsh Toxin is a poison produced by a Chaos-class aberrant beast. If you ingest it yourself, be extremely cautious—start with no more than one drop at a time,” Mo Li Meng handed Luo Feng a flask of the toxin, solemnly warning, “Taking too much could easily kill you.”

The city lord’s mansion was currently employing Luo He Shenjun; if he poisoned himself with the Black Marsh Toxin, it would become a joke.

“Don’t worry.” Luo Feng, having received two lineages’ transmissions, understood the Black Marsh Toxin’s usage perfectly. In his estimation, his perfected divine body had already birthed an exceptionally powerful soul, and his mental will far surpassed that of any normal Eternal True God—this toxin might not even register if taken in insufficient amounts.

From then on, Luo Feng secluded himself within the Jin Xiao Legion’s encampment.

The Jin Xiao Legion and the two Hu Yang Guard units continued their normal rotation; ordinary members had no idea of its importance. Only the legion’s General and Deputy General, and the Hu Yang Guard Commanders and Deputy Commanders knew the secret.

“Huh.”

Gao Wu Shui returned to his family’s cave dwelling in his flying vessel; when he rested, his Deputy Commander took over guard duty.

“Elder.”

“Elder.”

Within the Gao Wu family’s cave dwelling, countless family members bowed in deep respect upon seeing Gao Wu Shui.

Gao Wu Shui was the family’s sole remaining Eternal True God—and he was ruthless, having purged nearly all former high-ranking members. His intimidation within the family was obvious.

Who in the entire clan didn’t fear him?

Gao Wu Shui, face cold, headed toward a subterranean prison within the clan. The prison guards bowed in utmost reverence.

“Leave,” Gao Wu Shui ordered.

The guards withdrew.

“Commander Gao Wu, you actually deign to visit me?” The man bound in chains laughed. “You killed the Elder, you killed the clan elders—why not kill me too? Do you still care about so-called father-son bonds?”

“You’ve remained ignorant all this time. I’m disappointed,” Gao Wu Shui said coldly.

“What are you disappointed in? You want your father to kneel and beg you?” The man’s face twisted. “Without me, you wouldn’t exist—you traitor who betrayed your own clan!”

“You had one hundred and nine children,” Gao Wu Shui said calmly. “I am merely the offspring of your fleeting passion with a servant. I never saw you after birth. Later, I left the clan on my own, then joined the Hu Yang Legion—my Master took notice of me and took me as his disciple! Only after my Master accepted me… did you, so-called father, see me for the first time.”

“That was our first meeting,” Gao Wu Shui sneered. “Only then did you learn of the humiliations I endured in the clan, only then did you learn how my servant mother vanished without a trace. Only after I became my Master Mo Li Xiao’s disciple did you feel remorse and realize you owed my mother something. Where were you when I was a child? Where were you when my mother died? Do you even deserve to speak of father-son bonds?”

“I am still your father!” the man snarled. “Without me, you wouldn’t exist!”

“I grew through my Master’s painstaking efforts,” Gao Wu Shui said. “What did you contribute? Merely a moment of lust. Only after I became an Eternal True God did your clan suddenly remember to flatter me.”

“You became an Eternal True God, and the clan treated you well, didn’t they?” the man snapped. “The Elder himself showed you great respect, didn’t he? So what did you do?”

“Respect me?” Gao Wu Shui shook his head. “At first, they pretended. But at that banquet, he ordered me to become a spy for the Shi Kingdom! I never imagined the Elder—a mere Eternal True God—had allied with the Shi Kingdom.”

“You’re lying!” the man retorted.

“At this point, I have no need to lie,” Gao Wu Shui said. “If I’d accepted, and been exposed, I’d have died without a grave. Besides, I’d rather die than betray my Master.”

“Since they wanted me to be a spy and didn’t care if I lived or died, then all of them—those who conspired with the Shi Kingdom—must die!” Gao Wu Shui said. “And you, Gao Wu Quyi, you’re alive only because you were unaware, and because you’re my father—you’re allowed to live.”

“If you refuse to admit your fault, you’ll stay in this prison forever,” Gao Wu Shui sneered.

“No matter which side the clan sides with, you shouldn’t betray it,” Gao Wu Quyi said.

“Betray the clan?”

Gao Wu Shui sneered. “Now, I am the Elder. I am the clan’s only Eternal True God. As long as I live, the clan survives. If I die, the clan collapses immediately, plundered by every faction. If you truly claim loyalty to the clan, then you must be loyal to me.” “I am your father!” Gao Wu Quyi could not bear his son’s attitude.

“In this world, my mother gave me life, and my Master poured his heart into raising me. What are you?” Gao Wu Shui turned and walked away.

…

In Huyang City, within a hidden underground chamber beneath an ordinary cave dwelling.

Xue Yun, Yu Tian Hu, and Yu Tian Yi gathered here.

“We’ve exhausted every means to gather information on the Three Forbidden Zones,” Xue Yun said. “But the city lord’s mansion has sealed off all news tightly. Those guarding the Three Forbidden Zones are their core members—nearly impossible to bribe.”

“Gao Wu Wei is easy to bribe, but he’s useless—he failed to sway Gao Wu Shui and ended up dead himself,” Yu Tian Hu shook his head.

“A useless fool is dead, so what?” Yu Tian Yi said. “Xue Yun Shenjun, we’ve gathered information for so long—when do we act?”

“After all this preparation, it’s time to act,” Xue Yun said.

Yu Tian Hu and Yu Tian Yi’s eyes lit up.

!

“How do we act?” Yu Tian Hu pressed.

“Our target is the three Forbidden Zones,” Xue Yun said. “The city lord’s mansion publicly has only Mo Li Xiao. They may have hidden forces, but the three of us together fear nothing. If we can breach even one Forbidden Zone and destroy it, the entire Huyang City Array’s power will plummet drastically.”

The Huyang City Array had many key nodes; damaging ordinary nodes affected the array minimally.

But the Three Forbidden Zones were its core.

“I’ll reveal the detailed plan on the day of action,” Xue Yun said.

“Fine, we follow Xue Yun Brother,” Yu Tian Hu and Yu Tian Yi said confidently.

Yu Tian Hu, having awakened a unique bloodline, possessed a divine body considered the ultimate pinnacle of bloodline cultivation among Eternal True Gods. Xue Yun, well-traveled and experienced, believed Yu Tian Hu’s divine body might rival an Infinite Divine Body.

Of course, Infinite Divine Bodies held immense potential, effective even in Chaos and God-King realms, whereas the bloodline cultivation path peaked at Chaos Sovereign—its potential was far inferior.

But that didn’t diminish Yu Tian Hu’s current overwhelming strength.

Yu Tian Yi, as one of the “Yu Tian Five Gods,” was equally powerful, on the same level as Mo Li Xiao.

With three such powerhouses united, their confidence was high.

Within the vast Jin Xiao Legion encampment, inside a refined cave dwelling.

Luo Feng held a wine flask.

“Gulps.” After two sips, he immediately felt toxins seeping into his soul, making his mental will tremble. Simultaneously, he practiced the Great Destruction Mind Refinement Art, repeatedly attempting to obliterate his own will.

“The Dong Dong He lineage had methods to enhance Black Marsh Toxin’s potency,” Luo Feng thought. By using the toxin as a base, adding supplementary ingredients, and blending it into fruit wine, one could create a uniquely flavored liquor—far more effective for refining mental will.

“My soul is too strong, my mental will too powerful. Pure toxin would be wasteful,” Luo Feng mused. “Black Marsh Fruit Wine combined with the Great Destruction Mind Refinement Art yields the best results—and conserves the toxin.”

To ordinary cultivators, this practice would be unbearable agony. But Luo Feng’s will had endured countless trials—especially the agony of the Star Tower’s initial bonding, which far surpassed this.

After all, ordinary refinement methods couldn’t reach the pain level of the Star Tower’s bonding.

Thus, Luo Feng remained calm; this pain, he found almost enjoyable—a minor pleasure in cultivation.

“Master, must we stay here for an entire eon?” Mo Luo Sa approached, visibly restless. “I’m just a servant—can’t I go out for a bit?”

Used to indulging in city pleasures, Mo Luo Sa now found the military encampment stifling.

“Look at you,” Luo Feng shook his head. “You can’t even endure this? Your mental will is mediocre.”

“I’m just enjoying life—what does that have to do with mental will?” Mo Luo Sa retorted.

“I’m staying here as your Master, and you, my servant, want to go out and play?” Luo Feng looked at him. “Don’t you think that’s excessive?”

Mo Luo Sa lowered his head.

“Wait. Wait until the Shi Kingdom attacks—or until a full eon passes,” Luo Feng said.

Suddenly—

Without warning, an unimaginable cold descended, instantly covering the entire Jin Xiao Legion encampment. In the night, the vast camp spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers was entirely blanketed in frost.

“Already?” Luo Feng looked up in surprise.

“Finally!” Mo Luo Sa exclaimed joyfully.

—

Thank you to the new Patron: Shang Shan Ruo Shui

(End of Chapter)