Chapter 402

At the military camp, Qian San led men to block Wu Tie.

"What's up? You flashing knives again?" Wu Tie crossed his arms over his chest, grinning as he looked at Qian San.

The slender Qian San narrowed his eyes, sizing up Wu Tie from head to toe, a natural killing aura emanating from his body.

Only someone who has endured countless battles on the battlefield, accumulated hundreds of lives on his hands, and repeatedly risked life and death could build up such intense killing intent. Almost solidified, the killing intent carried a faint bloody smell as it spread outward, forcing the raindrops falling in the air back dozens of zhang.

Clang, several state army toughs were shaken by the killing intent, instantly going weak in the hands and feet, dropping their weapons.

Moreover, many state army toughs trembled in their legs, instinctively stepping back several paces, turning their heads aside, not daring to glance at Qian San more than once.

These toughs recruited by Wu Tie into the state army were originally a bunch of scoundrels, adept at bullying civilians, but when facing Qian San, a battlefield butcher of the army, they still instinctively felt fear.

Qian San gave a mocking grin.

The Black Phoenix Army soldiers Qian San had brought also laughed, straightening their backs, their fierce gazes sweeping over the state army toughs' crisp new uniforms and over their shiny new armor and weapons.

Wu Tie glanced back with a hint of disgust at those pale-faced state army toughs, heaved a deep sigh: "These days my provisions have gone to the dogs. It's just Qian San—what's there to be afraid of?"

Li Er Haozu trembled as he lifted his weapon, his legs feeling unsteady as he took a few steps forward to stand behind Wu Tie.

Li Er Haozu was actually afraid too.

As an elder of Great Ze Prefecture, a man who had lived seven years in this prefectural seat that had been newly opened for less than ten years, Li Er Haozu knew far more than he let on.

For example, Li Er Haozu truly knew that the deaths of several prefecture magistrates and state army commanders were closely tied to this Qian San before him…… Li Er Haozu had personally witnessed the previous state army commander being slain by a masked figure whose build, voice, weapon, and secret techniques were identical to Qian San's.

Qian San is a fierce man.

But Li Er Haozu chose to follow Wu Tie wholeheartedly.

Brothers…… a man dies with his eyes to the sky, if he doesn't die he'll live forever…… if you want to eat well and drink spicy, you've got to fight hard! Li Er Haozu stood a step behind Wu Tie, stammering: "It's just, it's just Qian Lao San? He's also born of parents, flesh and blood, a living being that can be cut down with one strike…… what's there to fear about him?"

The nearby hundred or so state army toughs remained still; hearing Li Er Haozu's words, they actually stepped back a few paces, fearing that Li Er Haozu's words would anger Qian San and the Black Phoenix Army, thereby implicating themselves.

These fellows, after all, are nothing but scoundrels at heart.

They shout brotherly loyalty and vow to die for the commander, but when it comes to actually going forward with swords and spears…… they chicken out!

"Lord Huo Xiong, do you really think you can oppose my Black Phoenix Army with this rabble?" Qian San sneered.

Wu Tie pressed his lips, his face a little unable to hold up.

These toughs are really making him lose face.

Exhaling, Wu Tie pulled out his usual method for dealing with that Black Phoenix Army colonel: "Qian San, what status do you have to speak to me?"

Qian San's battle robe and armor were also standard issue of the Great Jin Military Department, though both were damaged and looked grimy and unsightly. However, judging by the specifications of the robe and armor, they were the standard gear worn by low-ranking officers of colonel rank.

Wu Tie still wanted to use his military rank to dominate.

Qian San narrowed his eyes at Wu Tie, without changing expression, he took out a seal from the bracelet on his wrist and waved it at Wu Tie.

"Commander Huo Xiong, you're a third-rank general? You like using your military rank to press people down? Then, this second-rank commander recognized by the Great Jin Military Department—can't I give you a proper lesson?" Qian San looked at Wu Tie with scorn, his voice full of malice.

"For example, I could also chop off one of your arms with a single stroke." As Qian San said this, his voice was already full of malice.

Wu Tie looked at that seal.

Sure enough, it was a second-rank general's seal.

Wu Tie couldn't help but twitch his mouth, looking at Qian San's colonel-level robe and armor, he chuckled dryly: "Looks like your Black Phoenix Army's logistics have a problem? A proper second-rank general, dressed in such rags?"

Qian San's face instantly darkened; Wu Tie's words hit him right where it hurt.

He glared at Wu Tie maliciously, put away the seal, gripped the hilt of his saber at his waist, and said in a low voice: "I'm not in the mood to joke with you. In short, you're using your power to bully others, you wounded my Black Phoenix Army's colonel—how do you intend to handle this?"

Wu Tie narrowed his eyes.

He looked at Qian San's sharp, killing-intent-filled face and said in a low voice: "This is Great Ze Prefecture, right? I am the State Army Commander of Great Ze Prefecture. Your Black Phoenix Army is merely a guest force…… even if you are a second-rank general, on my territory in Great Ze Prefecture, are you threatening a prefecture commander?"

Qian San let out a "ge-ge" laugh, not wasting words with Wu Tie, he drew his saber and slashed downward at Wu Tie's right shoulder.

Wu Tie had severed the arm of one of his subordinate colonels; therefore Qian San would have to cut off Wu Tie's arm in exactly the same way.

Who exactly owns the territory of Great Ze Prefecture…… heh, this matter isn't decided by what you, Wu Tie, say; it's what the Black Phoenix Army says that counts.

A flash of blade, and it came down heavily on Wu Tie's shoulder.

Wu Tie wore only a ordinary battle robe; that set of overly luxurious six-refined immortal-armor equipment was not on him.

Qian San held a nine-refined spirit weapon; its blade tore through Wu Tie's battle robe and struck his shoulder. Everyone nearby gasped in unison, some faces twitching as they widened their eyes on Wu Tie's shoulder, each with different thoughts, awaiting the scene of blood spraying.

A spark sprayed up, and Wu Tie's fair skin bore no red mark.

Qian San put all his strength into this slash, showing no mercy whatsoever.

The long saber rebounded violently, a piercing shatter sound ringing out continuously; the Nine‑Refined Spirit Weapon was forcibly knocked out a fist‑sized chip, then from the chip a large crack spread along the blade, and immediately the saber snapped at the waist.

Qian San felt a huge jolt in his right arm, a tremendous recoil force traveling along the saber, shaking him so he lost his footing and stepped back a large step.

As he retreated, Wu Tie advanced a large step.

At the same moment, Wu Tie's roar shook the whole city of Da Ze: 'Qian San, don't blame me for bullying with power… You are indeed a second‑rank general, and I am a third‑rank general… Hehe, you struck first with poisonous intent, so this is my just retaliation!'

Wu Tie raised his right hand.

His five fingers split into five colors, and the power of the acquired Five Elements had already been infused into them.

The Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique is exquisite and profound; its various innate divine abilities and secret arts possess astonishing lethality.

Wu Tie has comprehended the innate and acquired Five Elements Grand Dao; moreover, in the projection of the Creation Jade Disk at the bottom of the Life Pool, he generated a Dao pattern seal, and with a single thought in his mind, an endless stream of Five Elements power continuously flows into his palm.

Wu Tie thrust out his palm, pressing it squarely against Qian San's chest.

Through his interactions these days with Huang Lang, Li Erhaozi and others, Wu Tie discovered that many abnormal aspects of Da Ze City are linked to the Black Phoenix Army, and are inseparably connected to this Tax Commissioner Qian San.

This abnormal atmosphere made Wu Tie very uncomfortable, so he chose to break out by force.

No matter how formidable the Black Phoenix Army is, what does Wu Tie have to fear?

Don't forget, besides being the chief commander of the Da Zhou provincial troops, he is also the Hall Master of the Da Zhou branch of the Forbidden Demon Temple… Although he is a bare‑pole commander, he still has the authority to transmit confidential information to the Forbidden Demon Temple.

A rebellious black pot is placed on the Black Phoenix Army's head—just ask if the Black Phoenix Army, from top to bottom, can bear this black pot.

The Forbidden Demon Temple's style… has always been to believe in the existence rather than the non‑existence, to mistakenly kill rather than let go… Wu Tie really likes the Forbidden Demon Temple's work style.

So for this palm strike, Wu Tie also didn't hold back much strength.

At the level of cultivation he could currently display, Wu Tie exerted ninety percent of his strength.

With a tremendous boom, Qian San's armor and battle robes shattered simultaneously; the acquired Five Elements power mutually generated and destroyed, turning like a great millstone that crushes all, it slammed heavily into Qian San's body.

Qian San's close-fitting one-inch-thick Heart-Protecting Mirror burst forth with brilliant radiance, shimmering spiritual discs spinning and dancing, blocking in front of Wu Tie's palm.

As the Five Elements power twisted and coiled, the Heart-Protecting Mirror was completely shattered.

Qian San's breastbone was smashed to pieces, he spat out mouthfuls of blood, and Wu Tie's palm sent him flying.

Qian San's body clearly showed traces of corrosion by the Five Elements power; the blood clods he spat out quickly condensed into ice, yet his skin surface ignited with flames, his limbs went numb, gradually a stone-like hue seeped out, and the breath he exhaled turned pale green—obviously corroded by the deadly toxin transmuted from the Wood Element power.

Worse still, the Metal Element power raged wildly inside Qian San, throwing his meridians into utter chaos.

Fortunately, Qian San was a high-level cultivator of the Fetal Storage Realm, and his cultivation method was quite extraordinary; although Wu Tie practiced the Nine Revolutions Mystic Art, he was only at the half-step Fetal Storage level, so there was still a noticeable gap in their cultivation.

Thus, that palm only severely injured Qian San; it did not kill him in one strike.

The Black Phoenix Army soldiers Qian San had brought roared in unison, drawing their weapons and charging at Wu Tie; Wu Tie gave a cold snort, stamped his foot on the ground, and instantly thick yellow vapors as wide as water jars shot up from underground, shaking those Black Phoenix soldiers until their legs broke and they spat blood, flying into the sky.

Having severely wounded hundreds of Black Phoenix soldiers with that kick, Wu Tie strode forward toward Qian San, raising his right palm to strike him down completely.

From afar came a cold rebuke: 'How dare you… still not stop?'

Wu Tie ignored the rebuke, raised his right palm, and continued pressing it down toward Qian San's head.

A streak of black light tore through the air.

It was a spear wholly black, its long shaft adorned with a vivid depiction of a hundred phoenixes dancing in the void.

The spear was entirely wrapped in black flames, flames of overbearing intensity; even though the spear was still several tens of zhang away from Wu Tie, he felt the terrifying heat washing over him.

The onlooking laborers and prefectural army braves all cried out in alarm, each clutching their heads and scurrying away like ghosts.

In an instant the spear reached Wu Tie's front; at that moment his palm was less than half a foot from Qian San's head.

Wu Tie hesitated for a moment, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as he stared fixedly at the black spear—this was outright a Nine Refined Immortal Weapon, and among such weapons it was a top-grade specimen, nearly reaching the level of Heavenly Dao Divine Arms.

With such a weapon… Wu Tie dared not meet it head-on with his body.

He could only withdraw his hand, retreat back dozens of steps, then draw his Six Refined Immortal Sword and chop at the spear's tip.

A tremendous boom sounded, and Wu Tie's body trembled slightly.

The attacker's physical cultivation was slightly inferior to Wu Tie's, so although the force on the spear was strong, it was still not enough to threaten Wu Tie.

However, that person's cultivation realm was considerably higher than Wu Tie's; the black flames suddenly erupted, transforming into a black demon phoenix that shot up into the sky, then dove down with terrifying heat, swallowing Wu Tie whole.

A fire pillar several zhang thick shot up into the sky; the rocky ground within a hundred-zhang radius was scorched crimson and quickly melted into lava.

Wu Tie's battle robes instantly turned to ash and smoke, only the sword in his hand remained intact; the wristband on his arm and the rings on his fingers were scorched hot by the black flames, clearly on the verge of melting.

Wu Tie's wristband and rings held countless supplies and resources; how could he dare let these treasures be damaged?

Drawing a deep breath, five-colored spiritual light rose from his surface; the Five Elements power, endless and unceasing, condensed into a sturdy shield enveloping Wu Tie's entire body.

The black flames' temperature was astonishingly high; despite stubbornly penetrating the Five Elements shield, they scorched Wu Tie's body, and he soon became drenched in sweat, panting as he stepped step by step across the lava, walking out of the blazing inferno.

The black spear bent and snapped in midair, then swiftly flew toward the direction of the West City Gate.

Pei Feng rode a wholly black flame lion, escorted by thousands of Black Phoenix soldiers, slowly approaching from the west of the city.

From far away, Pei Feng saw Qian San lying on the ground, continuously vomiting blood.

"Uncle Qian!" Pei Feng's ice-cold pretty face twitched, and she shouted sternly: "You, report your name! Under my spear, no nameless wretch shall survive!"

Wu Tie's body shuddered, and a full set of Six Refined Immortal Armor enveloped him, covering his naked form.

He looked at Pei Feng and said coldly: "I am General Huo Xiong, chief commander of the Da Ze Prefecture army… Hmm, you are from the Black Phoenix Army? And there are actually women in the Black Phoenix Army?"

"So what if I'm a woman? Do you look down on women?" Pei Feng narrowed her eyes, coldly staring at Wu Tie, and at the same time lowly barked: "Go, quickly tend to Uncle Qian… the rest of you, surround this scoundrel… wait for my orders to act."

Two Black Phoenix Army commanders charged out of the ranks, rushing toward Qian San.

Pei Feng, meanwhile, urged her mount forward swiftly toward Wu Tie; behind her, several dozen Fetal Storage Realm commanders with grim faces followed her, flying swiftly this way while spreading into a crescent formation to encircle Wu Tie.

Wu Tie's face twitched; he glanced at the fleeing prefectural army braves, then at Li Erhaozi sitting terrified on the ground behind him, and helplessly shook his head.

"Whoever comes, report your name!" Wu Tie raised the sword in his hand: "Under my sword, no nameless wretch shall survive."

"Miss Pei Feng, commander of the Black Phoenix Army—that's me, your Miss!" Pei Feng narrowed her eyes, quickly glanced at Wu Tie's wristband and rings… then she gave a firm nod.

"A fat sheep, indeed, a big fat sheep!"

Especially upon seeing the resplendent mobile camp behind Wu Tie on the boulder, Pei Feng's mouth almost watered.

Such an Immortal-tier mobile camp—she had only seen a few like it in the hands of senior generals of the Divine Might Army; such a mobile camp is, for any army commander, the ultimate treasure dreamed of for marching and war!

With this treasure, she even had confidence to gradually devour the territory of the Wood Spirits.

Pleased with the thought, Pei Feng raised her spear and thrust it at Wu Tie's chest.