Chapter 361: Impatient for Quick Success and Instant Benefit

Outside the Fire Qilin Pavilion, the two stone qilin statues had vanished, leaving only Hua Changxi, bathed in flames, sitting cross-legged in meditation.

In the distance, the expressions of the five Xuanyuan generals shifted uncertainly.

Wei Changgeng, the Left Army Garrison Commander, wore a look of confusion: "Wasn't it said that the Qilin Beast cannot be defeated by force and can only be subdued through 'virtue'?"

"Yet Hua Changxi clearly employed ruthless methods, striking the Qilin Beast back into its original form until it could no longer maintain its beastly shape; how is this possible?"

"Can the Earth Mother Qi truly not be dispersed?"

Qin Feng hesitated before speaking: "Perhaps dominance itself is a form of 'virtue'?"

Hearing this, the other four generals all fell into thoughtful silence.

After a long pause, Lu Zhenting still shook his head in disagreement: "Behind dominance lies impatience for quick success and instant benefit."

The existence of Xuanyuan City is built upon the foundation of the Human Dao.

Xuanyuan City, in relation to the Central Continent and the human race, is a place that upholds justice and maintains order, guided not by power but by fairness.

Before the emergence of the Xuanyuan City Lord, the five of them were responsible for arbitration.

Arbitration must be impartial and unbiased.

Chu Junyi and the Dongfang brothers, in order to obtain the key, each spent nearly three months harmonizing with the Qilin Beast, eventually succeeding in having the beast voluntarily surrender the key.

But what of Hua Changxi?

She had only been in contact with the Qilin Beast for two days before losing patience and employing methods of annihilation.

Her strength is indeed formidable, yet her methods are too domineering; her style of gaining one thing while destroying another completely deviates from the fundamental basis upon which the Human Dao is established.

The 'Yinian Tong' at Wei Changgeng's waist vibrated; after picking it up and reading the displayed message, he looked at Lu Zhenting and the other three: "Before coming to Xuanyuan Prefecture, Hua Changxi went to the Liang Duke Prefecture and issued a challenge to Duke Liang, demanding he meet her at Danyuan Peak tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng looked toward Hua Changxi outside the Fire Qilin Pavilion, whose surrounding flames had diminished significantly: "So, was she so eager to 'annihilate' the Qilin Beast merely to keep her appointment with Duke Liang?"

Lu Zhenting shook his head: "This only highlights her impatience for quick success and instant benefit even more!"

Seeing Lu Zhenting's dislike for Hua Changxi, Wei Changgeng decisively brought up another piece of intelligence he had received: "Nanxiang County is likely to descend into chaos; the Zhu Que Army has already begun patrolling the area."

Qin Feng frowned: "After the Lingguang Hall appeared, it remained quiet for a long time, yet now it has suddenly made a move, sending the Zhu Que Army to take over Nanxiang County; does this mean Nanxiang City is about to manifest?"

Lu Zhenting shook his head: "Not so quickly; if Nanxiang City were to manifest, there would certainly be extraordinary phenomena." He paused, then added, "It is more likely that the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall is deploying something."

Qin Feng asked: "What do you suppose the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall actually is?"

Lu Zhenting turned to Wei Changgeng: "Has Wei Zhenjie truly still failed to uncover the identity of the Lingguang Hall Master?"

Wei Changgeng replied: "I don't know; I asked Zhenjie, but he said nothing."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhenting remarked: "Keeping even us in the dark means either he truly hasn't discovered anything, or he has, but the Hall Master's identity is such that it cannot be revealed to outsiders."

Qin Feng was baffled: "What is there to hide? With the Zhu Que Army present, who would dare move against the Lingguang Hall Master?"

Wei Changgeng responded: "The appearance of Xuanyuan Prefecture has drawn out how many ancient monsters? Even now, various factions remain entangled with us."

"As for the Five Great Sacred Lands, let us not even mention them: first, the Dan Sheng Hall crowded with nobles, then the Qi Sheng Palace whose mountain-protecting formation was blown up, and the Central Sacred Land infiltrated by the imperial family; only the Fu Sheng Pavilion and the Zhen Sheng Sect are in slightly better condition."

"Yet this is only because the Fu Sheng Pavilion is controlled by monks, requiring one to renounce the world to join, while the Zhen Sheng Sect has entry requirements so high that most cultivators lack the intellect to qualify."

"When it comes to the Four Symbols Cities, the entanglements are far broader, affecting not only the Central Continent but also the Four Surrounding Continents."

"Things seem quiet now only because people from the Four Surrounding Continents have not yet appeared; once they join in, the Four Symbols Cities will likely become even more chaotic than the Five Great Sacred Lands."

"If I were the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall, I would also remain hidden behind the scenes for now, waiting to see how the situation develops."

Lu Zhenting glanced at Hua Changxi, then turned to Qin Feng: "Hua Changxi will likely need some time to regulate her breath; you stay here and wait, while we go ahead to follow up on the matters in Nanxiang County."