Chapter 623

Half-step Divine Realm

Wu Tie sees three Xiang Family powerhouses charging at him, raises his God-smiting Whip and lashes out.

God-smiting Whip

In the void, three purple-gold whip shadows tens of thousands of zhang long unfurl, winds and clouds surge, auspicious light flickers everywhere, the void becomes sticky and heavy; the three Xiang Family powerhouses rushing forward suddenly stiffen, as if trapped in tree sap, struggling desperately but unable to break free.

The foundation of the God-smiting Whip is incredibly strong.

Although Wu Tie's cultivation has only just touched the threshold of the Half-step Divine Realm, his cultivation is still incredibly heaven-defying.

Three heavy booms rang out; the three Xiang Family powerhouses couldn't dodge in time, and one was struck on the head by a whip.

Flames burst forth, air exploding repeatedly, the three burly figures plummeted straight down from the sky.

The earth trembled violently as the three crashed to the ground, smashing two mountains tens of thousands of zhang high into ruin, and leaving three huge pits a thousand zhang wide on the ground.

A neat row of square purple-gold sigils was branded onto their foreheads, radiating light, utterly miraculous. The three were like great turtles pinned under a millstone; their limbs could barely twitch, but their heads and bodies could not move at all.

Their divine fetuses were in utter chaos, crushed by a tremendous heavenly force and the rhythm of the Great Dao, unable to muster even a trace of power, and even their connection to their own bodies was severed.

"Here, stripped clean, hang them up." Wu Tie tucked the God-smiting Whip into his sleeve and smiled lightly: "You've captured over three thousand of my clansmen alive, yet you refuse to honestly pay ransom, and dare to use Half-step Divine Realm old immortals to abduct people?"

"Hehe, now even three Half-step Divine Realm experts have been captured alive; let's see what other tricks they have."

Outside the east gate of Demon-Suppressing City, Bai Juan narrowed his eyes, watching Wu Tie effortlessly defeat three Xiang Family Half-step Divine Realm elders with a single strike, and couldn't help but smile.

Zhu Juan and Juan Long stepped on flowing clouds, blazing with speed as they rushed to Wu Tie's side.

They looked down at the three Xiang Family Half-step Divine Realm powerhouses bound fivefold, sighing as they watched Wu Tie shake his head.

"Why not go easy on them and let us have a proper fight?" Zhu Juan looked at Wu Tie helplessly: "It's rare to meet such a formidable opponent; I should give them a good beating."

Wu Tie likewise looked at Zhu Juan helplessly and shook his head: "Your Highness, your status is merely that of a slightly larger merchant guild heir... displaying such overwhelming combat prowess seems a bit... inappropriate."

Zhu Juan opened his mouth and sighed helplessly.

She looked up at the sky, murmuring resentfully: "You men, can't you just settle things with your fists? Why must you resort to scheming and tricks... what's fun about that?"

"Grandfather the emperor is like that, Father the king is like that, you... Prince An Huo Xiong, though you look fairly handsome with thick brows and big eyes, why are you so sneaky?"

"It would be better to follow my plan: mobilize all troops under my command, openly declare war on Linghu Qingqing, exterminate the Linghu clan, then rally the world's forces, first conquer Great Wu, then Great Wei... thereby unifying the Three Kingdoms—how fun would that be?"

Zhu Juan's tone was extremely resentful.

Wu Tie blinked his eyes, stared at her foolishly for a while, then turned and walked away.

Zhu Juan said it lightly.

Mobilize the troops, go all out—if Linghu Qingqing had no supposed divine beings behind her, who would fear whom in an all-out battle?

But with those divine beings directly intervening and meddling, Wu Tie couldn't help recalling when Linghu Qingqing personally gathered Innate Spirit Treasures of State-Protecting Divine Artifact caliber; in the battle against the Primordial Dragon King Ao Chi, those divine beings suddenly descended.

Linghu Qingqing herself isn't frightening; what's frightening are the people behind her.

Regarding Sima Wuyou being able to withdraw in time without truly fighting Linghu Qingqing to the death, Wu Tie actually admires him.

Stubbornly risking life and limb like a common street fighter in a desperate death match is easy.

Truly being able to temporarily abandon such vast holdings, evade the enemy's edge, and preserve strength is far harder than fighting to the death.

With so many divine beings intervening... in an all-out decisive battle, how many would die? How many of Wu Tie's brothers, aides, and subordinates would perish? Who would they be?

Charging forward in a fit of rage to fight desperately is easy... but if he wants to protect those around him, Wu Tie cannot simply rush in headlong.

"Hang them up, hang them up... well, search them thoroughly for any treasures, don't leave them a single thing." Wu Tie clapped his hands and shouted loudly.

Li Ergouzi led a group of Imperial Guards, joyfully stripping the three Xiang Family powerhouses clean, leaving them only a pair of underpants.

Each of the three Xiang Family powerhouses wore a huge-capacity bracelet and an even larger ring; these six storage secret treasures were also handed to Wu Tie. The only disappointment was that, despite their great capacity, they contained hardly any wealth.

"The Xiang Family is the poorest among the world's martial houses... that's no lie." Wu Tie shook his head and sighed: "So feuding with them is utterly pointless. You can't squeeze any real benefit from them, and you only bring trouble upon yourself—truly pointless."

The Qingqiu Divine Nation is in turmoil.

The Southwest Battlefield blazes with war smoke, and the Three Kingdoms Battlefield sees constant conflict.

The Great Wei Divine Nation's frontier prefecture nearest the Three Kingdoms Battlefield is Red Cloud Prefecture, whose capital is Apricot City. It's the season, and apricot blossoms fill the trees inside and outside Apricot City—tens of millions of them—covering the city, suburbs, hills, riverbanks, fields, village edges, and town gates with clouds of fiery blossoms.

This is the finest season in Red Cloud Prefecture, and also the most melancholy for its cultured elites.

Amid such beautiful scenery, crafted by heaven and earth, they long to compose essays and poems that will be remembered for ages, yet it seems earlier generations have exhausted all praises of apricot blossoms; aside from drinking more apricot wine and getting drunk as mud, they seem to have no other recourse.

Within Apricot City, on the famous grove known as Little Star Mountain, three pavilions at the summit are linked by winding corridors; several youths in long robes sit in one pavilion, gazing out at the splendid apricot blossoms blazing like fiery clouds in all directions.

Last night a light rain fell, leaving the apricot petals dotted with tiny dewdrops, like a maiden who has just washed her face—lovely yet with a hint of freshness.

Several youths toyed with the folding fans popular among scholars of the Great Wei Divine Nation, their eyes filled with the gorgeous apricot blossoms, yet their thoughts were wholly elsewhere.

After a long while, the apricot wine served by the maid, initially scalding hot, had gradually cooled; a youth who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen, though trying to act mature and composed, folded his fan and tapped the stone table firmly.

"Big brother, we... have no choice." The youth looked at his composed companion across the stone table.

"No choice..." The youth in a blue robe, with three lustrous jade rings on his left fingers, his hair bound with a jade coronet, his bearing graceful and composed, exuding an air of nonchalance, smiled faintly: "Indeed we have no choice... but their terms are still not to my satisfaction."

He closed his eyes, shook his head: "Just wait a bit longer... wait a bit longer."

Before his words faded, several middle-aged men in fine robes parted the apricot branches blocking the stone path to the pavilion and walked toward it, smiling.

The men remained outside the pavilion; only the prefect of Red Cloud Prefecture, the First-Rank Duke Red Cloud of the Great Wei Divine Nation, who is also a member of the imperial clan Xiahou Hanhan, entered smiling and placed a golden scroll before the composed youth.

"Young Master Linghu, this is the final clause settled by His Majesty... the conditions you proposed earlier, His Majesty has been generous: aside from requiring you to make the Great Wei princess your principal consort, he has agreed to all your other demands."

Xiahou Hanhan smiled: "Please, Young Master Linghu, consider carefully; if you affix your seal to this treaty, the millions of troops of the Great Wei Divine Nation on the Three Kingdoms Battlefield will immediately launch a full-scale assault on the Qingqiu Divine Nation."

The youth called Young Master Linghu, whose Linghu bloodline is the purest and most noble, Linghu Jiu, who holds the seal of the Linghu clan's Tushan Hall, played with his folding fan and said softly: "Red Cloud Duke, surely such a major matter isn't something you alone can handle?"

Linghu Jiu raised his head, looking at Xiahou Hanhan: "I agree to these terms for Great Wei, but... merely with the status of Red Cloud Duke, I fear..."

Xiahou Hanhan laughed brightly: "Naturally, I, the Red Cloud Duke, lack the qualifications to sign this treaty with Young Master Linghu, so..."

On the small islet where Xiahou Hanhan had just arrived, dozens of elite commanders in heavy armor surrounded a youth clad in a crimson robe, wearing a Red Jade Crown, his complexion slightly flushed, bearing the fierce gaze of an eagle and wolf, his form strong and agile like a Xiezhi, with long limbs, who stepped forward briskly.

"Young Master Linghu, you have agreed—excellent. His Highness Xiahou Wude, the current Crown Prince of Great Wei, are you qualified to sign this treaty with me?"

Towering over five zhang tall, his aura imposing, lacking the traditional scholarly grace of the Great Wei Divine Nation, Xiahou Wude strode into the pavilion, hands on his hips, standing before Linghu Jiu with a grin: "My lord, I will personally lead the army in a surprise attack on the Qingqiu Divine Nation—hehe, from now on we'll all be one family."

On the small island where Xiahou Yin Yin had just arrived, dozens of elite commanders in heavy armor surrounded a young man clad in a crimson robe and wearing a Red Jade Crown; his complexion was slightly flushed, he had the piercing gaze of an eagle and the wary look of a wolf, his stature was as strong and agile as a Xiezhi, his arms and legs long and slender, and he strode out quickly.

"Young Master Linghu, you have agreed—excellent. I, Prince Xiahou Wude, the current Crown Prince of Great Wei, do you have the qualifications to sign this contract with you?"

Standing over fifteen feet tall with an intimidating aura and lacking the refined, scholarly elegance typical of the Great Wei Divine Nation, Xiahou Wude strode into the pavilion, placed his hands on his hips, stood before Linghu Jiu, and grinned widely, saying: "I will personally lead the army to launch a surprise attack on the Qingqiu Divine Nation... hehehe, from now on we'll all be one family."

Linghu Jiu pressed his lips together, staring blankly at Xiahou Wude.

After a long while, after a long while, Linghu Jiu finally cracked a smile, stood up, and nodded toward Xiahou Wude: "Good! For this great matter, I'll leave it to you."

Linghu Jiu and several of his clan brothers wore bright smiles, yet their hearts were tightly clenched into a knot.

That damned scoundrel—no one knows who he actually is—launched a surprise attack on the Linghu clan's ancestral land, looting the Tushan Hall lineage guardians stationed there; even that would have been bad enough, but they actually went on to sell these Linghu clan direct-line members to the Great Wei Divine State.

Linghu Qingqing smoothly ascended the throne after receiving the abdication of Sima Xian, becoming the founding Divine Sovereign of the Qingqiu Divine State, and smoothly replaced the Great Jin Divine State.

Upon hearing this news, Linghu Jiu and the Tushan Hall clansmen stared wide-eyed and speechless, unable to utter a word for a long while.

Immediately after, an event occurred that left them with no choice—the Great Wei Divine State formally presented its terms: they would help Linghu Jiu seize the throne, replacing Linghu Qingqing…

If Linghu Jiu agrees, he will become the next Divine Sovereign of the Qingqiu Divine State.

If Linghu Jiu refuses, the Linghu clan's Tushan Hall lineage—the purest, most noble bloodline—will be utterly exterminated by the Great Wei Divine State.

Besides agreeing, what else could Linghu Jiu do?

A golden stream of light shot up from Little Star Mountain, heading straight for the imperial capital of the Great Wei Divine State.

Linghu Jiu and Xiahou Wude signed the contract, and then a small blood‑oath ceremony was hastily held atop Little Star Mountain.

After a quarter hour, flames transformed from the orders shot out from Apricot City, swiftly flying in all directions.

The well‑prepared divisions of the Great Wei Divine State rose at once, warships soaring into the high sky, forming battle arrays that surged toward the Three Kingdoms battlefield like dark clouds racing with lightning.

Dozens of order‑tokens landed in the military cities of the Three Kingdoms battlefield controlled by the Great Wei Divine State; shortly thereafter, dozens of its commanders shot into the sky and flew toward the nearby Qingqiu Divine State military city.

Dozens of li from the military city, these Great Wei Divine State commanders drew a deep breath and loudly proclaimed a proclamation.

Its gist is——Linghu Qingqing lacks virtue, plots to usurp the throne, betrays her lord, truly a disgrace to the Linghu clan, causing the clan's ancestors to suffer shame. Now the Linghu clan's most noble bloodline, the Tushan Hall Young Lord Linghu Jiu, in the name of the Linghu ancestors, expels Linghu Qingqing together with her rebellious kin from the Linghu clan, stripping them of the Linghu surname.

Linghu Jiu further proclaimed himself Lord Tushan, inheriting the position of clan chief of the Linghu clan, borrowing troops from the Great Wei Divine State to exterminate the unworthy clansmen who have brought shame upon the Linghu ancestors, and to obliterate the bloodline of Linghu Qingqing's faction.

In the proclamation, Lord Tushan further, in the name of the Linghu ancestors, gave those stripped of the Linghu surname—Linghu Qingqing and other rebellious clansmen—a new surname: 'Wolf'!

The proclamation expressly noted that this 'Wolf' refers to the wolf in the phrase 'wolf‑heart dog‑lung'!

Lord Tushan Linghu Jiu announced to the world, and further urged the troops of the Qingqiu Divine State stationed at the Three Kingdoms battlefield not to continue sacrificing their lives for 'Wolf Qingqing'.

These Great Wei Divine State commanders, with voices amplified to the extreme and their power fully gathered, carried their sound a thousand li; all Qingqiu Divine State soldiers in nearby and distant military cities heard them crystal‑clearly.

For a moment the military city erupted in an uproar; all Qingqiu Divine State troops garrisoned at the Three Kingdoms battlefield were each bewildered, utterly perplexed.

What is this?

Internal strife in the Linghu clan?

The Tushan Hall Young Lord Linghu Jiu expelled Linghu Qingqing and his kin from the Linghu clan?

And stripped him of his surname?

'Wolf Qingqing'?

The wolf in 'wolf‑heart dog‑lung'?

This, this is a complete falling‑out, a total, deadly feud.

Countless commanders of the Qingqiu Divine State's Divine Martial Army stationed at the Three Kingdoms battlefield were thrown into confusion in the wind.

You Linghu clan, what are you up to?

Where did this Tushan Hall come from?

Where did this Lord Tushan come from?

What on earth do you Linghu clan intend to do?

The Great Wei Divine State is not only proclaiming edicts on the Three Kingdoms battlefield; over the years, the spies and infiltrators they have planted in the Qingqiu Divine State have all been mobilized. Walls are plastered with proclamations, and within just two or three days, in most prefectural and county cities of the Qingqiu Divine State and in countless big and small towns' streets and alleys, nothing but proclamations of Lord Tushan's campaign against Wolf Qingqing can be seen.

In Qingqiu City, in the Qingqiu Palace, Linghu Qingqing, who received the news first, vomited blood on the spot and flew into a rage.