Chapter 869

Xiahou Wuming burst into wild laughter, and then everything happened so quickly.

Like thunder too fast to cover one's ears.

In the direction of the already collapsed Qianyuan Hall, within an extremely deep pit, an ancient altar, its materials crude, merely a haphazard pile of seven or eight wooden stakes, burst through the soil and emerged.

One, two, three...

Throughout Sui Du City, altars of the same crude form—just a few wooden stakes, branches, even old thatch, leaves, grass roots and stems haphazardly piled together—altogether three hundred and sixty such altars sprang up.

Three hundred and sixty, exactly matching the number of the heavenly stems and earthly branches.

With a "whoosh," the Sui fire spark that Feng Rong had just driven underground, intending to trigger the Fire Transmission Grand Formation but to no avail, completely escaped his control, flew from his chest, split into three hundred and sixty clusters, and lightly fell upon the three hundred and sixty altars.

The three hundred and sixty altars ignited simultaneously.

A faint crimson-red firelight rose, sheets of firelight ascending rapidly, quickly enveloping an area of tens of thousands of li.

Thereafter, throughout the realm of Sui Chao, in the unnoticed wilderness, one after another similarly crude altar—built from the simplest, most common fuels such as stone coal, wood charcoal, wooden stakes, tree roots, thatch, leaves… piled haphazardly from these disordered materials—continually emerged from the ground.

Abandoning the capitals of the various fiefdoms, the prefectural seats of the various provinces, the commandery and county cities, and discarding that grand, finely constructed Fire Transmission Grand Formation, millions of crude altars continually sprang up from every corner of Sui Chao's territory.

These, the largest no more than a dozen zhang square, the smallest only three chi square, simultaneously lit with a faint firelight.

Sparks of fire, scattered across the land of Sui Chao.

Xiahou Wuming raised the ancient jade talisman in his hand.

It was this very jade talisman that destroyed Qianyuan Hall, shattered the teleportation array within it, forced Feng Rong and the others to remain in Sui Du, preventing them from fleeing southward as planned.

At this moment, Xiahou Wuming raised the jade talisman once again.

The Netherworld Peng Sovereign and the Myriad Poisons Zhen Sovereign let out a long cry; the two great demon sovereigns fiercely flapped their massive wings, simultaneously shooting straight upward at a ninety-degree angle, soaring hundreds of li high, then they wheeled and turned, fleeing westward at full speed.

They fled so swiftly that even the Dragon Vein Crocodile Sovereign perched on the tail feather of the Netherworld Peng Sovereign was flung off in a flash.

Zhu Ganglie drenched in sweat like rain, he roared hoarsely at Xiahou Wuming: "Little junior brother… we are sworn brothers!"

Xiahou Wuming abandoned the "harmonious" and "gentle" demeanor he had shown that night outside the camp, on the small hilltop; his whole body emanated a brutal, vicious killing intent, his visage twisted like a primordial demon beast before a predatory strike, he gave a "hee-hee" laugh and shot Zhu Ganglie a fierce sideways glance.

"Demons and monsters, sworn brothers with me? You, worthy?"

Xiahou Wuming waved his hand and coldly rebuked Wu Tie: "Wu Tie brother, brother of our own bloodline, I won't hurt you… today I will wipe out these rash fools who dare to take advantage of the fire to rob."

"Is my Sui Chao something these demons and monsters dare to even glance at?"

"Today, whoever enters my Sui Chao's territory shall be killed without pardon!"

Wu Tie stared in shock at Xiahou Wuming… that night, after Zhu Ganglie set up the incense table, in just a little over an hour, Xiahou Wuming eagerly knelt and swore brotherhood with Zhu Ganglie.

Because of the connection of Wu bloodline, Wu Tie even firmly believed—Xiahou Wuming truly intended to use Wu Tie's power to overthrow Feng Rong and recast Sui Chao's national order.

Who could have imagined…

Xiahou Wuming, his target, boldly aimed at the sovereign-level great ones of the four-direction demon and monster realms!

When did he formulate this plot?

And how could he dare to be certain…

Right, he could certainly be certain—when attacking Sui Du, the sovereigns of the four-direction demon and monster realms would come to attack!

Because Xiahou Wuming saw Zhu Ganglie—a veritable demon sovereign—by Wu Tie's side, directly intervening in this Sui Chao turmoil; since a demon sovereign appeared, would the southern ghost sovereign, eastern demon sovereign, and northern monster sovereign possibly be absent?

All Xiahou Wuming needed to do was give the various demon and monster factions an opportunity to intervene, to give them the boldness to do so!

Therefore, whether Feng Rong fled or not, Xiahou Wuming would surely publicly smash Qianyuan Hall and publicly destroy the Fire Transmission Grand Formation that had protected Sui Chao for countless years!

Who could have imagined that Sui Chao still possessed a second set of the Fire Transmission Grand Formation?

Look at those crude altars, look at the simple, ancient yet profound and powerful restrictions within them… this set of the Fire Transmission Grand Formation must be the primordial-style formation laid down by Sui Chao's founding ancestors when the state was established!

It is easy to imagine that, at the very beginning of Sui Chao's founding, amidst those tumultuous days and nights, under the watchful eyes of the four-direction demon and monster realms, it was this humble Fire Transmission Grand Formation, in wind and rain, in the darkness of night, that shielded Sui Chao's myriad commoners.

Time washed away the memory of this primordial Fire Transmission Grand Formation from countless beings.

Even the sovereigns of the four-direction demon and monster states, due to the long passage of time, have forgotten the existence of this original formation.

Perhaps even the recent divine emperors of Sui Chao, over dozens of generations, have forgotten this original formation's existence.

But Xiahou Wuming did not forget.

The Xiahou clan did not forget.

The Wu bloodline is miraculous and numinous; some memories can be hidden within the blood, passed down generation after generation.

Even if texts were lost, even if classics were shattered, even if everyone in the world forgot certain things, within the Wu bloodline these precious materials have still been transmitted generation after generation.

As long as the bloodline endures, civilization endures!

The Wu bloodline is one of the hardest backbones of a civilization!

Xiahou Wuming, possessing pure and unadulterated Wu blood… he has already drawn from the blood an extremely pure Geng-metal Wu power… thus he will surely be able to excavate from the blood countless legacies of his Xiahou ancestors.

This primordial Fire Transmission Grand Formation… Xiahou Wuming has always held it in his hand, but he has never had the opportunity to activate it.

This time, Feng Rong gave Xiahou Wuming the opportunity.

The arrival of the four-direction sovereigns gave Xiahou Wuming an even better heaven-sent chance.

The Netherworld Peng Sovereign and the Myriad Poisons Zhen Sovereign flew with extreme speed, transforming into a stream of light and in an instant traversing beyond a million li.

In the void, vast sheets of red light poured down; the two great demon sovereigns cried out in unison, their feathers suddenly igniting, and in a moment they turned into two naked white-plucked chickens, spewing black smoke as they plummeted swiftly from the sky.

With a "hoo-ha" great shout, at the place where the two great demon sovereigns fell, in the four directions southeast, southwest, northwest, northeast each stood a golden-armored great general, each commanding a million-strong military formation, marching mightily toward the site of the sovereigns' fall to slaughter them.

The Fire Transmission Grand Formation weakens the strength of any sovereign-level demon or monster by at least ninety percent.

Their five viscera and six bowels, their souls and flesh, are constantly subjected to attacks comparable to those of a peak king-god level.

Blazing flames rise from their marrow, burning their five viscera, burning that speck of innate spiritual light, scorching them until their skin splits and flesh ruptures, rendering their magical power unable to flow freely.

The common folk of Sui Chao feel nothing, but to demons and monsters, the land of Sui Chao has become a gigantic, terrifying furnace.

The Taishan Monster Sovereign let out a furious roar; crimson light shot up from his massive body, great sheets of Sui fire wrapped around his physique, madly searing his flesh.

In just a few breaths, the colossal body of the Taishan Monster Sovereign, standing tens of thousands of zhang tall, was burned until it collapsed by about one-tenth; countless stones were melted into magma, which then burned away into vast black vapors that dissipated in the wind.

The White Mushroom Monster Sovereign emitted a shrill, miserable scream; vast expanses of white mushrooms within Sui Du City were instantly burned to ashes, and in a moment not a single white mushroom could be seen in any direction. It is unknown whether the White Mushroom Monster Sovereign was burned to death or has already fled.

The Soft Spring Monster Sovereign likewise let out a shrill miserable scream.

Inside Sui Du city, tens of thousands of spring vents simultaneously spewed steam; the spring water boiled, and the few transparent fish and shrimp in the water were instantly burned away to nothing.

The Six Desires Demon Sovereign fared worst; the Sui Fire in the Firewood Transmission Grand Formation is the holy fire of the human Dao, and its lethal power against heretics and evil paths is the greatest.

The six masses that had spread across heaven and earth, filling tens of thousands of miles with strange flowing light, suddenly shrank; in an instant they were burned to no radiance, their volume reduced by more than half.

The Relic Bone Sovereign and the Three Yellow Springs Sovereigns likewise let out agonizing screams; black vapor rose from their bodies as they hastily turned to flee.

But just as they turned and had fled less than ten thousand miles, like the two great demon sovereigns, golden-armored great generals commanded armies on all sides, forming battle arrays that sealed heaven and earth tightly.

The three Yellow Springs Sovereigns' skull‑bone dragons, used to drag the palace, all wailed; their cultivation was only at the Ghost Emperor level, and in this Firewood Transmission Grand Formation they struggled for only a dozen breaths before black smoke and evil qi burst from their bodies, turning into heaps of shattered bones that fell to the ground, dead beyond revival.

Above Wu Tie's camp, Zhu Ganglie and the Golden‑Eye Demon Sovereign also billowed demonic qi from their bodies.

Vast expanses of Sui Fire wrapped around their bodies, frenziedly scorching them. The two great demon sovereigns' strength was suppressed to less than a tenth of their peak, and they constantly suffered the fire's scorching and terrible harm.

"Little junior brother, this is just wrong…… you, you, you, you have betrayed loyalty and abandoned righteousness, you, you, you, you, how can you face your master?" At this point, Zhu Ganglie was still firmly and persistently spouting nonsense.

"Kill you, and I can face the common folk of Sui Chao…… I can face the divine emperors of ages past…… I can face the ancestors of my Xiahou clan!"

Xiahou Wuming pointed at Zhu Ganglie, sneering and shouting abuse.

Then Xiahou Wuming looked at Wu Tie, nodding slowly: "He is my own brother; you should understand me…… My sons, in their deeds, need only be worthy of heaven and earth…… In our actions we must honor our ancestors. The ancestors of my Xiahou clan have always regarded assisting the Sui Emperor as their heavenly mandate!"

"So, Zhu Ganglie, I must kill him today!"

Wu Tie remained silent; no matter the surname, the temperament of those who bear the Wu clan's blood is something he understands.

Look at the old fellows of Wu Yu, then look at Wu Jin's band of brothers…… and then look at Wu Tie himself.

They are all stubborn; what they have set their hearts on will not change.

Wu Tie glanced at Zhu Ganglie, then at the Golden‑Eye Demon Sovereign, and drew a deep breath: "My relationship with them is merely one of interest…… but, Grand Tutor Xiahou, I firmly assert my interests in Sui Chao."

"Feng Shang owes me things, Sui Chao owes me things…… none can be lacking!"

Wu Tie's eyes shot forth chaotic divine light as he stared directly at Xiahou Wuming.

Xiahou Wuming remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he looked at Wu Tie and broke into a bright smile: "Wu Tie brother, your talent and learning are greatly admired by this old man…… Come, serve my Sui Chao, and I will grant you the position of Grand Tutor!"

Wu Tie smiled and shook his head.

Xiahou Wuming sighed, then nodded slowly: "Well, let's see how we fare. If I win, you will be a minister of my Sui Chao; if I lose, I will lead my people to resign and retreat into seclusion, and the fate of Sui Chao's realm will depend on whether they can hold it."

He slapped his chest hard, and Xiahou Wuming said in a deep voice: "We are brothers of the same blood and origin…… so…… I will not meet you on the battlefield! Shall we decide the fate of the world in a single battle?"

Wu Tie pointed at Zhu Ganglie and the Golden‑Eye Demon Sovereign: "Then those two shall be our wager's stake, how about that?"

Xiahou Wuming laughed brightly: "Fine, that's the stake…… if you win, they become your slaves; if you lose, old brother I will tonight have braised pig's head, stewed pig offal, and, on the side, eat a monkey brain for fun!"

Wu Tie and Xiahou Wuming spoke extremely quickly, and in just a few moments they settled the details of the duel.

In the east, the Six Desires Demon Sovereigns screamed in unison, preparing to flee with their escape art. The demonic escape art is mysterious and unfathomable; a mere thought can traverse billions of miles in an instant, possessing some of the wonder of the Buddhist 'Mind‑Zen Escape Light'—wherever the mind reaches, the dharma body arrives, and as soon as the thought arrives, the person does too.

The Six Desires Demon Sovereigns all activated their escape art and vanished almost simultaneously.

Yet the Firewood Transmission Grand Formation is equally marvelous; the Sui Fire, born from the faith of countless common folk of Sui Chao, is likewise an extremely mysterious phenomenon of heaven and earth, tied to thought and belief.

The Six Desires Demon Sovereigns fled swiftly; rings of flame rippled through the void as their true forms forcibly pierced layer after layer of Sui Fire, stirring vast ripples of flame—each flash carrying them tens of thousands of miles, each flash carrying them tens of thousands of miles……

If it were not for the Sui Fire's pull, given the Six Desires Demon Sovereigns' power, they would spare no cost to activate their escape art and might already have fled back to the eastern borderlands.

But within the Firewood Transmission Grand Formation, Sui Fire fills the void, making them feel as if they are struggling in a swamp, their speed slowed to the extreme.

Even so sluggish, they could still flee tens of thousands of miles with a snap of the fingers; such demonic power, such escape technique, is truly astonishing.

"Old brother, let me lend you a hand first." Wu Tie burst out laughing: "Six Demon Sovereigns, having come, you may as well stay—I have a treasure here…… I hope the six of you will appraise it a bit."

Wu Tie flung his right hand; the black sword let out an ear‑piercing sword cry, turning into a black blade‑light a thousand li long that tore through the void, carrying a terrifyingly sharp ripping sound, screaming as it shot forth and in an instant pierced the true bodies of the Six Desires Demon Sovereigns.

The Six Desires Demon Sovereigns screamed in anguish as their bodies burst apart.

The next instant, their demonic forms reassembled, but their volume had shrunk by more than half, amounting to less than a tenth of their usual peak.