Chapter 476

That night.

The wind was light, the clouds thin, and the bright moon shone high.

Under Wu Tie's command, thousands of warships of various sizes lined up in a single file in the void, each warship's prow bearing a huge bronze mirror several zhang in diameter, its green‑white light shining in all directions.

Even a speck of dust flying by could not escape the mirror's surveillance.

On the ground, countless fireflies the size of mung beans flickered on and off in orderly fashion, while countless wood spirits darted lightly through the mountains and forests.

From the Eastern Palace to Great Marsh Prefecture, this place is a necessary passage.

Wu Tie set up an iron‑chain barrier across the river here, adding surveillance by various insects, birds, and beasts driven by the five‑element spirits; unless one is a master like Wu Tie who has cultivated the Nine Turns Mystic Art and possesses boundless supernatural transformations, it is very hard to infiltrate.

Even if one or two managed to slip through, Wu Tie didn't care.

What he feared was the invasion of the Great Martial God State's great army, and the terror of thousands or tens of thousands of warships wildly bombarding Great Marsh Prefecture's territory; as for three or five experts entering Great Marsh Prefecture, their destructive power against a prefectural government would be very limited.

At the prow of the central warship, a small square table stood in the middle, with Wu Tie, Pei Feng, and Old Tie sitting around it.

Wu Tie and Old Tie drank cup after cup of liquor, while Pei Feng continually poured for them, occasionally using chopsticks to pick up a bite or two of sesame‑oil‑dressed shredded radish and pickled vegetables, the usual side dishes.

Wu Tie sat up straight, drinking and enjoying the side dishes Pei Feng had picked for him, eating them clean.

Old Tie wore a black‑as‑night expression, drinking while watching Wu Tie and Pei Feng flaunt their affection… He would grit his teeth from time to time; if his wolf‑man form were still present, he couldn't help but howl to the sky a few 'woof woof woof's!

What can be tolerated, what cannot?

Old Tie felt heartbroken.

After eating and drinking, Wu Tie set down his cup, took the snow‑white silk scarf Pei Feng handed him, and gently wiped his mouth. Old Tie's face grew ever darker; this was undoubtedly another heavy blow.

He rolled up his sleeve and rubbed fiercely at the corner of his mouth, wiping away the oil stains until clean.

Wu Tie completely failed to notice Old Tie's abnormal reaction… He was such a simple‑minded child; his most honed skill in life had been slaughtering in rivers of blood, and this kind of delicate emotion was something he had never experienced before!

So he paid no heed to Old Tie's black‑as‑night visage.

Looking up at the sky, Wu Tie felt that tonight's moon was especially round, the air especially clear, and the sea of fireflies formed by the gathered wood spirits below in the mountains and forests was also extraordinarily brilliant and splendid.

"What a pity, that old coot Su He, he wanted to warn the Great Jin Divine State from top to bottom not to press too hard on the remnants of the Eastern Palace."

Wu Tie let out a long sigh: "That was indeed an effective move—among Zhao Xiong's trusted aides, an assassin actually burned his flesh and soul to launch a deadly strike against him."

"What's hateful is, since they already struck, why not aim for Zhao Xiong's head? If they could have killed Zhao Xiong, how much trouble could we have avoided?"

"Now everyone knows that the remnants of the Eastern Palace still have great hidden power within the Pivot Hall; not only have they, over the past six thousand years, aided those affiliated with the Eastern Palace and concealed their exact hiding places."

"Even Zhao Xiong's dereliction of duty this time can be blamed entirely on the remnants of the Eastern Palace."

"Zhao Xiong could completely say that it was the Eastern Palace remnants meddling internally that prevented him from noticing the Great Martial God State opening secret passages in the mountains, and even infiltrating the borders of the Great Jin Divine State."

"This strike didn't kill Zhao Xiong; instead, it saved his prospects in the court!"

Wu Tie was a bit annoyed; that old coot Su He drags his feet, inept… If you want to show muscle, you might as well just finish off Zhao Xiong—what's the point of wounding but not killing?

Pei Feng and Old Tie remained silent.

Whether it was Pei Feng or Old Tie, neither was good at using their brains.

Wu Tie picked up his wine cup, about to pour the fine liquor into his mouth, when suddenly his motion froze.

"Wounded but not dead…… the trusted death‑guard beside him is actually controlled by former Eastern Palace personnel…… Could Zhao Xiong really be a secret agent of those Eastern Palace people planted in the Pivot Hall? Eh? Is that possible?"

Setting down his cup, Wu Tie lay where he was, spread his arms, and stared blankly at the bright moon in the sky.

After a long silence, Wu Tie spoke softly: "I have some business to attend to outside; if Zhao Xiong's people come looking for me, just drive them away. Old Tie, I leave this to you—I believe you'll do it well."

Old Tie widened his eyes and muttered softly: "How does it feel like being the dog let out after the door is closed?"

Wu Tie gave a hehe laugh, took Pei Feng's little hand in his, then flicked his head; a strand of hair fell and turned into a duplicate that sat where he was, munching and drinking, while his true form transformed into an invisible gust of wind that rose with a whoosh, brushing the treetops of the mountains below, bringing a swish of coolness, and in an instant he was far away.

Pei Feng rose to her feet, gazed blankly at the direction where the swaying treetops faded away, and softly praised: "Nine Turns Mystic Art—truly extraordinary."

Old Tie directly seized the wine jug, poured a few gulps into his mouth, and mumbled: "Little girl, don't admire the Nine Turns Mystic Art; when you flew into a rage earlier today, I sensed that hidden power within you…"

Old Tie tilted his head.

During the day, Pei Feng and Zhu Ji faced off from afar; Zhu Ji unleashed the scorching heat of the Great Sun Emperor Scripture, while a Demonic Phoenix Power surged from within Pei Feng's body like a black hole, swallowing Zhu Ji's aura entirely.

At that moment, Old Tie and Wu Tie both felt a slight tug at the source of power.

In primeval myth, the Peacock Bright King and the Great Peng Bright King are descendants of the first phoenix that split heaven and earth. The power within Pei Feng's body directly stirred the inheritance power obtained by Wu Tie and Old Tie. The Primeval Legacy she received is obviously extraordinary.

"Come, sense this qi and see if you can fully draw forth the power within you." Old Tie extended both hands; innate yin‑yang five‑element qi shot up into the heavens, rapidly surging toward Pei Feng.

"You seem not to have grasped the essence of the Demonic Phoenix Legacy; try to guide it… The power of the first phoenix that split heaven and earth should be no weaker than the Nine Turns Mystic Art, and ought to be even stronger." Old Tie gazed at Pei Feng with earnest seriousness.

Pei Feng stared, nodded slightly, sat on the deck, calmed her mind, a faint black fire qi seeping from her body, and began to fully sense the qi Old Tie had released.

Gradually, a terrifying power within Pei Feng's body was slowly drawn forth.

Some strange images and texts flickered through Pei Feng's mind.

Wu Tie transformed into a gust of wind, threading through mountains and ridges, passing the Former Crown Prince's Mausoleum, the Eastern Palace Annex, the Kuafu Tribe's territory, and the vast forests occupied by the Thunderbird Demon. Pressing forward, a straight boulevard two hundred zhang wide suddenly appeared ahead in the mountains.

Dozens of massive forts were scattered at the end of the boulevard in the hills, connected by straight roads where dense runes flickered faintly; the forts clearly formed a huge grand formation.

Tens of thousands of warships of various sizes huddled together, densely packed and floating above the largest war fort, blocking the moonlight completely, so that the war fort within a radius of fifty-some li is wholly shrouded in darkness; only a few lanterns and torches within the fort emit a faint light.

Wu Tie transformed into a clear wind, easily passing through the various restrictions in the air, as if entering an uninhabited place, and easily arrived inside this largest war fort.

Having entered the war fort, Wu Tie headed straight for the central position of the city.

Outside an extremely large hall, a row of three-legged great cauldrons neatly placed on the ground; the great cauldrons, several zhang tall, are filled with fire oil, blazing flames rising, firelight shooting up several dozen zhang high. Countless elite soldiers at the peak of the Life Pool Realm and even half-step Embryo Storage Realm, wearing helmets and armor, with expressionless faces, form up into a great formation, surrounding the entire hall so tightly that not even water can leak through; at a glance, there are at least over a hundred thousand soldiers stationed here.

Outside the hall's gate, over a thousand leaders clad in golden armor, whose cultivation is clearly at the Embryo Storage Realm, stand with faces as still as water, silent and motionless.

The clear wind that Wu Tie had transformed into circled the hall three times; this hall's restrictions are strict, its spiritual light faintly visible, and dozens of layers of formations overlap like water curtains, guarding the hall so tightly that not even wind can penetrate.

Wu Tie opened the Dharma Eye between his brows, able to see the flow patterns of the dozens of formation layers, able to see where they connect weakly; given time, he could gradually unravel the formations, break the restrictions, and silently infiltrate.

But Wu Tie did not want to waste time.

Recalling the vast database that Lao Tie had passed to him, containing top-tier stratagems, he mentally reviewed them in a last-minute cram; then his body flickered, turning into a golden light that suddenly descended outside the hall's gate.

Boom, several hundred thousand powerful auras shot up into the sky; the auras of over a hundred thousand Life Pool Realm peak cultivators and thousands of Embryo Storage Realm elites united through the formation as one, turning into a terrifying shackle that crushed down on Wu Tie.

Wu Tie's body stiffened, the terrifying pressure immobilizing him; this pressure was heavier than the binding force of a dozen or so bronze divine chains on the Dragon-Slaying Platform, pressing down until his bones cracked all over and his waist involuntarily bent.

"The Crown Prince faces great calamity, still unaware; could it be that you intend to drive away my sole savior?" Wu Tie exerted his full inner energy and shouted loudly.

At the same time, five-colored divine light flickered behind him; the five-colored rays trembled and spun, forcibly shattering the pressure jointly released by over ten thousand people.

Wu Tie's body swayed; his throat felt sweet, a mouthful of blood surged up, which he forcibly swallowed.

The bodies of over ten thousand Great Wu elite troops trembled simultaneously; slightly less than half of the Life Pool Realm soldiers vomited blood, and for a moment, despite the Great Wu army's strict discipline, the field erupted in clamor.

One person's power opposing the formation strength of over ten thousand people actually managed to make tens of thousands vomit blood; such divine ability is simply terrifying.

What's more deadly is that the aura emanating from Wu Tie himself is absolutely only at the half-step Fetal Storage Realm!

This... is he still human?

A deep, muffled voice came from inside the hall: "Let him in!"

While they were regrouping to suppress Wu Tie again, the over ten thousand elite troops simultaneously restrained their breath; the hall's doors burst open, Wu Tie smiled and nodded at the over-thousand Fetal Storage Realm commanders glaring at him from outside, then he strode into the hall.

With a booming "dong," the hall's heavy doors slammed shut behind Wu Tie.

Pearls of light flickered inside the hall; dozens of fist-sized bright pearls illuminated the hall brightly.

Nearly a hundred men of varying height and build stood in the hall, their complexions deathly pale, their skulls semi-translucent, faintly visible seven streams of grayish-white energy swiftly moving through their skulls; Wu Duzun sat on a cloud bed, staring fixedly at Wu Tie.

"It's you... Huo Xiong!" Wu Duzun cracked a smile, trembling as he raised his right hand: "Do you want to die?"

Wu Tie looked at Wu Duzun and spoke loudly: "Your Highness, why say such a thing? I came here solely to seek promotion and wealth!"

Wu Duzun grinned, revealing his teeth, and spat out a mouthful of blood foam; he roared hoarsely: "Seek promotion and wealth? Come to my place for promotion and wealth? Have you gone mad? Are you not thinking clearly? Seize him, behead him!"

Over ten terrifying golden-armored commanders stepped forward simultaneously; faintly glowing light flickered behind them, each holding one or two powerful, spiritually radiant treasures. Inside the hall, dragon roars and tiger cries echoed, multicolored rosy light flashed, and all the hall's restrictions were fully activated.

Wu Tie said coldly: "Wu Duzun, you have suffered grave injuries; your brothers have already received the news."

Wu Duzun stared blankly, then suddenly rose to his feet, spitting another mouthful of blood, and shouted loudly: "Nonsense! I have ordered a blockade on news; from daytime until now, not a single message has returned to Great Wu—who knows I am injured?"

Wu Tie quickly said: "The Grand Jin Council Hall helped send the news back. What do you think—where did I get the Sealing Orifice Awl on your person? I, a mere third-rank general, could obtain such a... treasure?"

Wu Duzun opened his mouth; a strong smell of blood continually flowed out, his body swayed, and blood oozed from his eyes and ears—a scene that became extremely ferocious.

"You... you... Great Jin dogs!" Wu Duzun screamed hysterically, blood continuously pouring from his mouth, his aura rapidly dwindling.

A golden-armored commander silently hurled the six-tiered triangular pagoda in his hand, turning it into a blue light that smashed toward Wu Tie.

Wu Tie gave a cold snort; the five-colored divine light behind him coiled, and the six-tiered triangular pagoda instantly vanished. With a bang, the pagoda was crushed to powder in the Five Elements Space; its intrinsic Dao patterns were directly swallowed clean by Wu Tie, and the pagoda's substance turned into streams of flowing light that continually poured into his body, devoured completely by his bones.

Familiar heat surged from his bones, and Wu Tie felt his power increase once again.

The attacking commander let out a muffled groan, spat a line of blood, staggered backward two steps in alarm, and stared at Wu Tie in horror: "The Six Harmonies Three Talents Pagoda—that is, that is... a Heavenly Dao Divine Weapon!"

"It's just a man-made trinket, worth nothing." Wu Tie glanced at that commander and said coldly: "Next time, at least try using an acquired spiritual treasure, alright? Your move is far too shabby."

Wu Duzun gasped a few times, then said in a deep voice: "What do you want to say?"

Wu Tie chuckled, looking at Wu Duzun: "On the Three Kingdoms battlefield, I heard someone cursing Your Highness as..."

Wu Duzun's face instantly darkened further.

On the Three Kingdoms battlefield, he was called a "wild seed," which is his greatest pain.

Wu Tie immediately changed the subject: "Your Highness, your position in Great Wu is clearly unstable, and moreover, you have many rivals; before long, someone will plot to take everything from you... Your Highness wants to keep your position, which inevitably means you'll have to fight those people, and that is exactly what my Great Jin aims to achieve. While you Great Wu fight among yourselves, my Great Jin can leisurely mobilize troops and deploy a complete defense."

Wu Duzun stared fixedly at Wu Tie: "What else do you have in mind?"

Wu Tie looked at Wu Duzun and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, you would do better to advance by retreating; let us join forces to eliminate a few of the Great Wu princes who oppose you. Heh, Your Highness will consolidate your position, while I, the lowly officer, will gain promotion and wealth!"

Wu Tie laughed brightly: "As I said before, I, the lowly officer, am here solely for promotion and wealth!"