Chapter 576: Captives of the Xi Tribe

The warships of the Four Gardens Twelve Guards drifted slowly through the void, like a group of well-fed orcas, lazily overlooking the Fox Hill that had been thrown into utter chaos.

The Six Fang Forbidden Army, an unknown Six Fang Forbidden Army, piloted thousand-zhang battleships shaped like tiger sharks, pitch-black all over, flying swiftly and silently, rapidly approaching Fox Hill. On the decks of every Six Fang Forbidden Army battleship stood dense ranks of elite warriors clad in black, full-body heavy armor.

The blaring alarm rang out in all directions, Fox Hill's defensive formations shattered completely; in the central mountain city and the scattered villages all around, streams of light continuously shot up into the sky, rushing to meet the Six Fang Forbidden Army.

Among them, the fastest were two auras terrifying as a small sun, scorching heat overflowing, seemingly about to burn a hole through the night—two Linghu Clan Elders at the Divine Manifestation Realm!

"The Linghu Clan's foundation is truly…… even I sigh in admiration. No wonder Linghu Qingqing harbors such ambition…… strength is the root of ambition, no wonder, no wonder." Sima Wuyou murmured: "In this Fox Hill, they actually left two Divine Manifestation guardians behind, simply……"

Two Divine Manifestation beings, two auras scorching and terrifyingly powerful like a small sun, rushed swiftly toward the Six Fang Forbidden Army's battleships.

Still over two hundred li from the Six Fang Forbidden Army, the two Divine Manifestation beings rubbed their palms together, simultaneously releasing a dazzling sword light ten thousand zhang long, magnificent and solemn, pure milky white in color. Like two rainbows piercing the void, wherever the sword light passed, the sky left behind clumps of fist-sized viscous flames.

Pure, extreme, allowing no other power to exist.

Wu Tie gazed at these two ten-thousand-zhang sword lights, instantly recalling the light deity race he had once seen trading with Xi Qi and others.

The same light, the same milky white, the same purity and extremity, the same high temperature capable of incinerating everything, the same domineering nature that tolerates no other attribute energy.

"I am now the sole deity within a million li radius." Sima Wuyou held the Heaven and Earth Seal, flicked his finger, and instantly the void trembled slightly; a few sparse starlight beams in the high heavens suddenly dimmed, and all around, countless mountains, rivers, lakes, and plains quivered faintly.

In the void, not a trace of heavenly-earthly essence remained; this region of void had become a complete vacuum.

The two ten-thousand-zhang radiant sword lights suddenly dimmed, then the void violently trembled; two three-foot-plus long, milky white, semi-transparent swords sprang forth from the disintegrating sword light. The void writhed, strangled, the two swords emitted agonized cries of being overburdened, then inch by inch they disintegrated and shattered.

The two Linghu Clan Divine Manifestation beings bled from all seven orifices; the spilled blood was pure white as snow, viscous as glue, scorching hot like magma.

On the Six Fang Forbidden Army battleship, dozens of heavily armored warriors simultaneously leapt into the air, their speed unbelievably fast, leaving afterimages that instantly flashed past the two divine beings' bodies.

Two heads flew high into the air, large splashes of milky white scorching blood sprayed out, turning into a fiery rainstorm covering a hundred li that poured down onto the ground.

The vast land below ignited instantly; flowers, grasses, and trees were burned to nothing, rocks and soil turned into viscous magma, the ground sank downward, visibly forming a slight depression.

Soon, the area below was burned into a pit a hundred li in radius and deep about one li, with white flames flickering faintly at the bottom and viscous magma happily bubbling.

The two Linghu Clan Divine Manifestation beings fell on the spot; even aside from their own natal heavenly dao divine weapons, they had no time to unleash any other powerful treasures before being slain outright.

Wu Tie stared in shock at Sima Wuyou.

These were two Divine Manifestation beings—even the weakest Divine Manifestation? Even if Sima Wuyou used the Heaven and Earth Seal to seal off the void within a million li, exerting tremendous pressure and imprisonment on the two Divine Manifestation beings?

Dozens of Fetal Storage Realm warriors struck, and they could slay Divine Manifestation beings, even those heavily wounded by the Heaven and Earth Seal!

Such battle results…… the Six Fang Forbidden Army may not be large in number, but how terrifying is its combat power?

"Your Majesty, the Six Fang Forbidden Army……" Wu Tie did not know what to ask.

"Six is a yin number, meaning change…… fang, the dragon's claws and teeth, meaning to slay enemies for me." Sima Wuyou smiled, gazing at the Six Fang Forbidden Army battleships speeding forward, and said leisurely: "You think that over these six thousand years I have simply resigned myself to fate, doing nothing but being a retired emperor rumored to have already died?"

Sima Wuyou shook his head, speaking leisurely: "Jing Sheng madly amassed wealth, Sima Fu madly amassed wealth; over thousands of years, many princes of the Great Jin Royal Clan have become decadent and foolish, madly amassing wealth, even not hesitating to profit from the people, doing many disgraceful things."

Sima Wuyou closed his eyes, speaking softly: "Jing Sheng, Sima Fu, and those princes—what they have amassed in huge wealth, do you think they eat gold or drink silver, able to squander wealth piled up like mountains?"

Sima Wuyou pointed at the speeding Six Fang Forbidden Army battleships, speaking coldly: "Half of the wealth they hoarded has been diverted by me, used to establish the Six Fang Forbidden Army, used to…… do many, many things. Even so, even Jing Sheng and Sima Fu do not know how much wealth they actually have, nor how much of their riches have passed through my means and gathered in my hands."

Wu Tie opened his mouth, speechless.

Sima Wuyou said excitedly: "Over six thousand years, with my methods, I have gathered orphans, taught them to read and write, taught them military tactics, taught them to cultivate strength…… six thousand years is enough for me to cultivate dozens of generations of loyal death-guards devoted to me."

"Linghu Qingqing wants to weaken the Capital City Army Command; let him go."

"They want to abolish the Four Gardens Forbidden Army; let them go."

"They want to abolish the Twelve Guards Forbidden Army; I will also let them go."

"They desperately want to weaken the power I, the Great Jin Royal Clan, hold; if they think this will make them happy, let them go. But they always forget that this Great Jin realm is the Sima Clan's realm; what they weaken is merely the rotten flesh I no longer care for."

"What I have newly built is the true new blood of the Great Jin."

Sima Wuyou reached out again, lightly patting Wu Tie's shoulder: "Yuzhou Duke, you have truly given me a surprise…… I never expected that you, from a small border town, a minor military household, could possess such ability, such achievements…… more importantly, your disposition is such that…… I truly cannot find fault with you."

"Loyal to me, with excellent fortune, and moreover possessing formidable strength…… truly marvelous."

"I always thought you were sent by Linghu Qingqing to infiltrate my side as a high-level spy; otherwise, with your ability, how could you have slain the Great Wu's Great Black Heavenly King and seized the Black Heaven Cauldron?"

"But gradually, I have discovered that you are a truly heaven-sent loyal minister and great general to me…… truly marvelous."

Sima Wuyou smiled at Wu Tie: "To be honest, I think you and the Dragon Crown Princess would make a fine match…… alas, your appearance is…… too mature, perhaps she would not take a liking to you…… well, well, but this is good; otherwise, the little phoenix would come to shoot me."

Sima Wuyou was obviously in an extremely good mood, inexplicably good.

Therefore, he even did not hesitate to use his imperial dignity to directly tease Wu Tie and Lady Feng; even if his words were somewhat frivolous, somewhat unbefitting a divine emperor…… this also proves that at this moment, Sima Wuyou's joy is indeed how great.

In the direction of Fox Hill, countless streaks of fleeing light transmitted an unbelievable scream and roar.

Then dozens of roars sounded simultaneously; indeed, the Linghu Clan Elders guarding the ancestral land ordered the young and strong to escort the elderly, women, and children to flee. At the same time, streams of light shot up into the sky, exploding at tens of thousands of zhang above the ground into dazzling, huge balls of fire.

"Calling for help? Hahaha, no one will come to rescue you. Tonight, no one can see your distress signal, no one can receive your plea for aid." Sima Wuyou murmured: "As for fleeing…… just rely on those few super-large transmission arrays you built underground, and those few thousand-li long earth tunnels?"

Sima Wuyou's hand holding the Heaven and Earth Seal flickered faintly.

Wu Tie saw that ahead, in the core region of Fox Hill, several great mountains seemed to have been slapped by a giant's palm, lightly swaying left and right, then the mountain bodies suddenly sank several hundred zhang deep.

No need to ask; the super-large transmission arrays set up by the Linghu Clan inside Fox Hill, and those several thousand-li long earth tunnels, were surely completely destroyed.

Soon, deep within Fox Hill, toward the Linghu Clan ancestral temple, a sharp, long howling sound came.

"Fight desperately, fight desperately!" The dozens of Linghu Clan Elders who had just loudly roared now, each one desolate, like dying evil spirits, screamed hoarsely; the sharpness and sorrow of their voices made Wu Tie's whole body tremble, goosebumps rising continuously.

"Beloved subject, please remember, if one day the Linghu Clan's great army invades my Sima Clan's ancestral land……" Sima Wuyou grinned, looking at Wu Tie and said: "Today I spare the old, weak, women, and children of Fox Hill, not wantonly killing…… but if the Linghu Clan's great army storms into my Sima Clan's ancestral land……"

Sima Wuyou looked at Wu Tie and said lightly: "Certainly, certainly, must, must—exterminate completely, leave not even a chicken or dog."

Sima Wuyou sighed leisurely: "Not only that, the Linghu Clan will undoubtedly pursue the world for ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million years, slaughtering everyone related to the Sima Clan……"

"So, look at these old fogeys of the Linghu Clan today, each one like an old beast protecting its young, pitiable…… but if I lose, who will pity my Sima Clan's people?" Sima Wuyou firmly patted Wu Tie's shoulder: "Therefore, help me, destroy the Linghu Clan's ambition……"

"I can leave a net open for the Linghu Clan, but the Linghu Clan cannot leave a path of survival for my kin…… Beloved subject, you have cultivated righteous and noble qi; I am both astonished and delighted; please, beloved subject, henceforth give me your full support!"

Wu Tie remained silent, merely watching the battle erupting within Fox Hill.

The main cannon of the Six Fang Forbidden Army's black battleship fired black lightning balls a hundred zhang in diameter; once the 'hissing' lightning ball struck a target, countless tiny electric sparks covered over ten li, and all cultivators within the area screamed as they were blown away by the powerful electric field, their bodies twitching with blinding electric sparks, stiff and numb, unable to move any further.

Countless black lightning balls fell like a rainstorm, and endless cries of alarm continued to come from within Fox Hill.

Sima Wuyou kept his promise; aside from the two Divine Manifestation Elders, the Linghu Clan suffered few casualties; the entire Fox Hill held out for less than half an hour before being overrun by the Six Fang Forbidden Army.

Fox Hill, although the ancestral land of the Linghu Clan, had few Linghu Clan members stationed within it.

Especially, Linghu Qingqing is about to undertake a major undertaking; many of the Elders cultivating in seclusion in Fox Hill's ancestral grounds have already secretly left Fox Hill and gone to An'yang City to lend support.

At this moment, Fox Hill is at its weakest.

Moreover, with Sima Wuyou relying on the Heaven-Earth Seal, he directly sealed off the void, causing the Linghu clan's defensive power to shatter completely.

After an hour, Wu Tie, Peng Feng, Lao Tie and the others followed behind Sima Wuyou, walking past countless Linghu clansmen bound like zongzi, their eyes filled only with terror and fury, along a wide bluestone road to the gate of the Linghu ancestral temple.

Over a thousand stern-aura Six Fang Imperial Guard commanders stood before the ancestral temple's gate; seeing Sima Wuyou approach with his retinue, they all stamped their feet, slammed their right fists hard against their chests, and paid their respects to Sima Wuyou.

These Six Fang Imperial Guard commanders exuded a domineering aura, their eyes blazing with fervor; Wu Tie saw in their gazes the madness of fanatics worshipping their own deity. And the object of their worship was none other than Sima Wuyou standing before Wu Tie.

"My lord, we have already purged the Linghu ancestral temple," said a warrior over two zhang tall, his whole body suffused with thick killing intent, as he slightly bowed his head and loudly reported to Sima Wuyou.

"Open the gates and follow me in… heh, perhaps there are hidden mechanisms beneath the Linghu ancestral temple." Sima Wuyou murmured: "We have waited for this day for six thousand years… heh, heh, Linghu clan, Linghu clan, your ambitions did not begin only six thousand years ago."

The Linghu ancestral temple is not large; it consists of just three halls front to back. Inside are enshrined elders who made great contributions to the Linghu clan, leading it step by step to the pinnacle of power in the Divine State of Great Jin.

For example, the first Left Minister of the Divine State of Great Jin from the Linghu clan is enshrined here, enjoying a modest spirit tablet.

In the future, if Linghu Qingqing truly replaces the Sima clan, making the Linghu clan the imperial house and establishing their own divine state, then naturally a spirit tablet for Linghu Qingqing would also appear in this hall…

In the third hall, breaking open a small mechanism revealed a deep passageway entrance within the hall.

Following this spiraling downward passage, whose diameter is several dozen zhang, it descends straight into the earth to a depth of a hundred li; here lies a prison densely layered with countless restrictions, fortified as solid as gold and moat.

A massive bronze pillar stood in the center of the prison, upon which dozens of chains tightly bound a young man with a human body and a serpent's tail.

Wu Tie's pupils suddenly contracted.

The young man's bloodline aura… he is of the Xi tribe… and moreover, he bears the blood of the Xi Emperor!

Wu Tie recalled the words that Xi Bai had once said to him back then.