Chapter 103: Preparing to Head to the Imperial Capital

In the lead aircraft, Su Mingqing had already sensed something was wrong before the alarm sounded.

The environment outside the aircraft was changing rapidly.

The boundless sea of clouds all around was replaced by an icy, snowbound winter; the bone-piercing cold seeped through the aircraft's hard shell into the interior, and the aircraft all came to a halt at once.

Within a Domain, unless the one who cast it is dealt with, no amount of flying in a lifetime would get you out of this world of ice and cold.

Su Mingqing stepped out of the aircraft, his gaze fixed on the distance.

There, a single person stood.

Even from such a distance, he could clearly feel the intense killing intent radiating from the other.

The old man's frame was hunched, yet his aura kept climbing, and his words made Su Mingqing tremble from the bottom of his heart.

"Su Family... I had thought that although you were heartless, Ling Wei was still a member of your Su Family; no matter how excessive, you wouldn't do anything to her. But you... actually crippled my granddaughter's arm, and her meridians too!"

"You've gone too far!"

In the blink of an eye, his aura broke through the limits of Su Mingqing's perception—a new Domain entirely.

Tianwu Realm!

At this moment, the old man was no longer the security guard who watched the Academy's gate.

He was the Frost Ember Law Enforcer who had slaughtered countless foes at the border, striking terror into their hearts!

Su Mingqing's eyes went wide as he mobilized the Spirit Power around his body in defense. "You old bastard, you've lost your mind! You already bear an incurable wound, and you still dare to burn your own essence—just to fight me to the death over a junior with no blood relation to you!"

The old man did not waste words on him.

He only wanted to destroy now, to make the man before him keep this world of ice and snow company forever.

He raised one hand, forming a seal single-handedly.

"Domain Technique—Extreme Cold Ice Prison!"

As the words fell, endless cold erupted from beneath the old man's feet, carrying a might that froze everything in its path, sweeping across the entire space.

A flash of terror crossed Su Mingqing's eyes, and he hurriedly activated a secret art.

"Damn you, you old madman!"

Space was torn open with a rift, but before Su Mingqing could escape through it, the endless cold erupted, freezing not only him but even the torn space itself within the ice, severing all life.

A layer of ice crystals formed on the surface of the aircraft below that had not yet managed to land.

The ice crystals rapidly froze the entire aircraft.

The aircraft, unable to start, plummeted from the high sky, smashed into the snow, and shattered into countless tiny ice crystals, merging completely with this world of ice and snow.

The Domain began to dissipate.

The old man still felt it wasn't enough. His gaze turned toward War Zone 102, his killing intent growing ever thicker. With a single step, he vanished on the spot...

——

Dongxing Jidi Shi.

The smell of roasting meat wafted from Jiang Qin's room.

The three members of the squad were eating together for the first time in a long while, the aroma of meat filling the air.

Jiang Qin took out the cultivation method he had found from the Su Family, placed it in front of Su Lingwei, and asked, "Is there any way to repair damaged meridians?"

Su Lingwei was different from Jiang Qin and Chen Xiaohu.

As long as the two of them weren't dead, their bodies could repair themselves; even a severe injury like the complete destruction of all meridians was no different from a light wound to them.

Su Lingwei took the cultivation method, shook her head with a complicated look in her eyes.

"I've never heard of one—at least, I haven't."

Chen Xiaohu swallowed a mouthful of meat and said, "Maybe it's not completely hopeless. I read in the records that in the old days, when there was no Spirit Energy, martial artists who trained their bodies would come up with all kinds of self-harm methods to temper their flesh, including damaging their meridians. But the specific methods weren't recorded—only that such things existed."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Jiang Qin's face.

He didn't owe Su Lingwei anything, but it would be a pity to let such a genius fall like this, so if she could be cured, he would try.

When it came to ancient martial arts, both he and Chen Xiaohu were self-taught amateurs who had started halfway through.

If they could find someone deeply versed in this path, there might be a way.

"Knock knock—!"

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Qiu Jie walked in, reporting the moment she entered:

"Commander Jiang, as you instructed, I've notified the people from the Zhenling Bureau of the other Jidi Shi to come to a meeting. Apart from a very few Jidi Shi, everyone has arrived. Should I arrange for them to come see you?"

"No need. Leave them hanging for a couple of days first, then just send them back."

Jiang Qin waved his hand casually.

Having the Zhenling Bureaus of each city send people was itself a test—anyone willing to come was still open to negotiation.

But those Jidi Shi that hadn't sent anyone definitely had a problem.

"By the way, you've come at just the right time. Do you know the Holy City? I've heard it's a city belonging to the Church of the Gods... the Holy Church."

Hearing this, Qiu Jie wasn't surprised by the question. This Commander Jiang had dealt with members of the Church of the Gods plenty of times before; it was obvious he had a personal grudge, so his concern about the Holy City was understandable.

"The Holy City is the sole exception among the many cities."

"Even those Jidi Shi controlled by the ancient clans ostensibly obey the management of the Huaguo government, but the Holy City is different. From the common people at the bottom to the base commander, they all worship the Holy Church. You could say the entire Holy City is one large Church of the Gods."

"And the Holy Church's Holy Lord is also a God Envoy."

First faith in the nation, then faith in the church—versus first faith in the church, then faith in the nation.

The order may differ, but the meaning it represents is worlds apart.

A God Envoy is also easy to explain: one who can wield the power of a deity, the deity's spokesperson on Lanxing.

Although the deities cannot descend upon Lanxing.

But once a corner of the barrier collapsed, it was enough for them to descend part of their power.

These God Envoys had only one objective: to create chaos!

But the Holy Sect's leader was different — after occupying the Holy City, he had made no move at all, maintaining the status quo to this day. The Spirit Suppression Bureau had sent scouts inside, but the moment a scout set foot in the Holy City, all news of them vanished without a trace.

Jiang Qin's mind immediately began to work — there must surely be an Earth Martial Realm powerhouse holding down the fort inside that Holy City.

He was already at Half-step Earth Martial Realm and needed fiercer battles. The Su Family's Third Ancestor's ability was countered by his own, so that elder had never truly pushed him to his limit. He needed a stronger expert to temper himself.

Qiu Jie's communicator flashed at that moment. She picked it up to check.

It was a message.

"Commander Jiang, just now the Spirit Suppression General Bureau sent word asking you to set out as soon as possible to take up your post at the General Bureau. There are many matters waiting for you to handle."

"The Headquarters? Where is it?"

"Dijing!"

With the outbreak of disaster, the Spirit Suppression Bureau had also undergone a series of changes.

In the past, the Spirit Suppression Bureau had been more like inspectors, handling unlawful matters caused by Martial Artists. It stood on equal footing with the Military Department, and above local administrative bodies.

But with the outbreak of disaster, the Spirit Suppression Bureau had taken on far greater responsibility.

Now its status and authority both surpassed those of the Military Department.

And Dijing was the very hub of all Huaguo.

The Spirit Suppression Bureau Headquarters had naturally also moved to Dijing.

Previously, an acting Bureau Chief had been in charge of handling affairs.

Now that Jiang Qin, the rightful head, had returned, that authority ought to be handed back to him.

Jiang Qin nodded without a second thought.

"Understood."

Speaking of which, the Jiang Family was in Dijing, and he had never once gone to see them. Now, having come back from the dead, and with the Headquarters also in Dijing, it was the perfect chance to pay a visit.

To see just how prosperous this world's Dijing truly was!