Chapter 260 - 216: Action_2

"A cautious helm will steer a vessel through a thousand years, these monsters won’t stop their mischief so easily," Yin Qi said with a hint of worry.

Although the suppression of the Demon Emperor was a great victory, it also resulted in the Demon Court becoming even more secretive and their intentions more opaque, making his work very difficult to carry out.

Fortunately, His Majesty’s focus had shifted westward, and the attention paid to Luzhou in the North wasn’t as intense as before; otherwise, he would have to be extremely cautious.

Outside the Gate of the Southern Heavens, the fleet scheduled to patrol Luzhou in the North was preparing to set sail. Countless heavenly soldiers were shouting in chorus, moving the supplies onto the Treasure Ship.

Many immortals from the Heavenly Court stretched their necks at that moment, curiously observing the imposing Treasure Ship.

Ever since the campaign against the Demon Emperor, the Heavenly Court Treasure Ship had gained fame from one battle; now, many beings of the Three Realms were aware of such a war machine in the Heavenly Court, capable of unleashing cataclysmic power.

For the immortals of the Heavenly Court, the Treasure Ship was both familiar and unfamiliar to them.

Familiar because they would sometimes see the towering Treasure Ships docked in front of the Southern Gate, and unfamiliar because the ships never allowed them to approach, so they had no clear understanding of what they actually looked like.

Below deck, faces were filled with curiosity, while the heavenly soldiers atop the ship were brimming with joy—the fall of the Demon Emperor had left no force in Luzhou in the North that could confront the Heavenly Court.

The majesty of the Heavenly Court was at its zenith at that moment; even some soldiers believed that in the future, Luzhou in the North would become the Heavenly Court’s own backyard, a place they could play and frolic at will.

"Wipe those grins off your faces. If Luzhou in the North were as weak as you imagine, there would be no need for us to prepare so meticulously," the leading Heavenly General reprimanded his subordinates.

Although he himself didn’t take it seriously, this was, after all, the Marshal’s command; if he were to be negligent and cause any mishap, he would be inexcusably guilty.

Hearing their superior’s admonition, the soldiers below remarked, "My lord, aren’t you being too anxious? Now, who in Luzhou in the North could possibly be our enemy?"

"Which Demon King could withstand a barrage from these cannons?" he said with a laugh, caressing the nearby cannon as if touching a lover’s skin.

"In any case, caution does no harm, don’t get yourself subjected to military law because of this."

Amidst the noise, the Treasure Ship gradually left the Gate of the Southern Heavens, embarking upon its patrol journey to Luzhou in the North.

The colossal Treasure Ship sailed across the sky, its shadow large enough to envelop an entire mountain, startling countless creatures into looking up, watching the Treasure Ship soar away.

For many monsters in Luzhou in the North, this shadow represented an indescribable nightmare; every patrol by the Celestial River Naval Forces was accompanied by the blood and death of the Demon Clan.

In their eyes, the Treasure Ship was a fearsome demon that continuously devoured their lives.

In the past, whenever the Treasure Ship passed through Luzhou in the North, it would more or less face attacks, but since the last great battle, such incidents had ceased.

No Demon King dared to show themselves and provoke the Heavenly Court Treasure Ship, for it was armed with divine weapons that could even slay the Demon Emperor.

Thus, the Celestial River Naval Forces drove the Treasure Ship brashly over the heads of the Demon Clan in Luzhou in the North.

Some Demon Kings hid in the deep mountains, intently watching the Treasure Ship roar past overhead, their eyes filled with hateful glares, but none dared to confront it.

The Divine General stood at the bow of the ship, feeling the rushing wind. He felt as if he could sense the numerous hateful yet timid gazes fixed upon him—a delightful sensation that made his entire body feel comfortable.

"It seems the Demon Clan has been thoroughly frightened by us. From now on, we can move freely in Luzhou in the North," the Heavenly General sighed.

"It’s truly a pity, I was hoping some blind Demon King would charge at us so I could fire a couple of shots. Who would have thought that these cowards have become such scaredy-cats that they don’t even dare to show their heads," another Heavenly General said with some regret.

"Indeed, if it weren’t for the high cost of using the cannons preventing us from firing them lightly, I’d love to try them out now. The memory of that apocalyptic spectacle is still vivid in my mind, truly exhilarating," said the first.

The two kept talking, with their conversation centered around the cannons on the Treasure Ship. As Heavenly Soldiers and Generals who struggled amidst fire and blood, the allure of such a weapon of war was obviously immense to them.

"I just hope that those great artisans of the Heavenly Forge Bureau will soon develop more durable cannons. Then we can fire a few shots whenever we please. The mere thought is satisfying," he mused.

"When we left, the higher-up specifically instructed us to be careful and cautious, in case of an attack from the remnants of the Demon Court. I think the Marshal is being overly anxious. Who in Luzhou in the North would dare to rebel against the Heavenly Court?" the Heavenly General laughed heartily.

However, the reality slapped them in the face so swiftly that before his laughter ceased, he saw a figure in a black robe blocking the path of the Treasure Ship.

"Who goes there?" the Divine General demanded angrily.

The figure in the black robe gave no response.

"Run him over, crush him to death!" the Heavenly General ordered with a casual wave of his hand.

The Treasure Ship began to move towards the mysterious person. With such a massive hull moving at that speed, if the mysterious person didn’t dodge, he would be crushed into a pulp.

It was then that they heard the mysterious person softly say, "Are you done? Can I count on you or not?"

The voice sounded like a young man’s, but it was unclear who he was speaking to, as there was no one else around.

"Playing tricks like a spirit, keep going and run him over."

At that moment, however, time and space seemed to come to a halt; the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals on the Treasure Ship lifted their heads in horror only to realize that, without knowing when, a thick darkness had enveloped them completely, as if they had entered another world.

Seeing this, the Heavenly General thought to himself that this was bad news. Such a technique could only mean a high-ranking expert had taken action. With their strength, escaping was becoming dangerous.

At the same time, his mind raced through countless pieces of information as he guessed which powerful being would dare to attack them. After all, the Celestial River Naval Forces were a pride of the Heavenly Court.

To attack them was like slapping the face of the Heavenly Court.

Just then, the mysterious person opposite them suddenly made a move, and a blue short dagger suddenly appeared in his hand.

The moment he saw that short dagger, the Heavenly General’s eyes widened with surprise. He recognized that weapon; it belonged to the Demon Emperor. Could it be that the person opposite them was the Demon Emperor?

While he was still in doubt, the mysterious person’s figure was already darting around the Treasure Ship, and with a mere light slash, the blue blade flashed by, and the Treasure Ship uncontrollably began to plummet downwards.

Without any hesitation, the Heavenly General shouted, "What are you waiting for, open fire!"

As soon as he commanded, countless cannons aimed at the mysterious person and the terrifying power gathered at the muzzles appeared to have the momentum to destroy heaven and earth.

"Cannons, they really are great items!" the mysterious person murmured to himself.

Everyone saw a dazzling golden light suddenly appear behind the mysterious person, carrying an infinite compassion and sanctity.

Then, a huge Buddha manifest out of nowhere—towering between heaven and earth, wearing a compassionate smile; as soon as it appeared, the entire space was filled with the grand chant of Zen.

Countless scriptures converged, as if praising a great existence.

"A Paper Buddha?" The Heavenly General furrowed his brows because he understood the content of the Buddhist Scriptures; they were praising a Paper Buddha.

But for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out when Mount Ling had gained such a Buddha.

The instant the Heavenly General saw the gigantic Buddha, he didn’t hesitate to pull out a weapon and viciously stab his own heart.

The blade pierced through his chest, and the Heavenly General instantly welcomed death, dissolving into countless light points that vanished from the spot.

"That’s quite decisive of him," the mysterious person sighed to himself.

Followed by that, the Buddha shone with endless brilliance, and in an instant, all the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were enlightened into fervent believers. They each knelt on the deck of the Treasure Ship, beginning to recite the scriptures.