Chapter 852: Jing'an

When the star clusters descended upon the Bai Feng Plain, dew was just beginning to condense among the wild grasses.

The midnight firmament took on a hue somewhere between dark iron and crow-blue, with stars scattered like grains of salt across an endless dark satin.

There was no wind, yet the broken banners still trembled slightly, and drops of fresh blood fell from them into the mud.

Everywhere around were severed limbs, fragments of crushed shields, iron helmets half-buried in the soil, and shell casings piled upon the ground.

Mei Lin stood beside several overlapping corpses, his expression somewhat dazed.

After the great battle concluded, he was fortunate enough to have suffered few injuries, but his entire body ached as if he were dying, and the implants within him sent out intense signals of hunger.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

The violent coughing fit startled the dazed Mei Lin; he quickly turned to look, seeing Old Man Yao slumped on the ground, leaning against several corpses.

"How are you? Are you alright?"

Mei Lin hurriedly leaned over to ask.

Since the battle began, he had stayed close to the other man, and on several occasions when he encountered danger, it was thanks to the other man's intervention that he survived.

It could be said that without Old Man Yao, an experienced former vanguard scout, he could not have lived until now.

"Stop spouting nonsense and hurry up and get the medicine for my wounds!"

Old Man Yao gasped.

Mei Lin realized his mistake and hurriedly fished a bottle of medicinal powder from his person, pouring it onto the wounds on Old Man Yao's body.

"We... we lost, didn't we?"

While treating Old Man Yao's wounds, Mei Lin asked.

"What do you think?"

Old Man Yao retorted irritably.

Mei Lin recalled the previous scene, still feeling a chill in his heart.

After the battle began, according to Old Man Yao, their side's "cannon fodder troops" were no match for the enemy, forcing their own "main force" to engage the enemy's "cannon fodder" ahead of schedule.

If nothing unexpected had happened, their side would certainly have been defeated.

But suddenly, experts from the Buddhist school entered the battlefield, helping their side, which stabilized the situation and prevented the morale and military spirit from wavering.

As for the situation afterward, Mei Lin gradually could no longer understand it.

In any case, as he fought, he saw many rays of light shoot into the sky, and afterward, he heard an imperial decree.

It was the Emperor's conferral of rewards upon the Marquis of Jing'an, Li Fei!

"Wasn't it said that the Emperor had been placed under house arrest by the Crown Prince? Weren't the Marquis of Jing'an, Li Fei, and the others the Crown Prince's accomplices? Why would the Emperor suddenly confer rewards upon Li Fei?"

This decree that "descended from the heavens" undoubtedly plunged the vanguard unit where Mei Lin and the others were located into confusion and panic.

Although the Great Lan Dynasty had decayed to this point, it still possessed over five hundred years of ruling foundation, and the mainstream ideologies of loyalty to the sovereign and righteousness were already engraved in the bones of many.

Whether it was to "rectify the sovereign's side" or to rebel was still a very important matter for many people!

Mei Lin had never thought about risking his life for anyone, or dying for his country; although he had been coerced into participating in this war, that phrase "for the country, for righteousness" still carried some weight in his heart.

When he discovered that he might be on the side of the rebels, the breath of spirit supporting him in his heart completely leaked away, and his will to fight dropped rapidly.

There were many others who shared his thoughts.

Everyone was not a person of particularly firm will; once the banner of righteousness was gone, and they discovered that they themselves were the rebels, why the hell should they still risk their lives?

Therefore, after the imperial decree rewarding Li Fei, the vanguard of the Southern Border Army collapsed like a mountain!

As for the situation afterward, Mei Lin could not quite understand it.

He saw a golden rainbow pierce the night sky, charging toward that golden dragon of astonishing power.

Behind it, a giant of azure color was in pursuit.

He saw a great sun and a bright moon suddenly appear above the firmament, the moon above and the sun below, the sun and moon inverted!

Afterward, ten thousand zhang of Buddhist light shone, illuminating the entire plain.

Then came the thunderous explosions, the howling of wild winds, and flying sand and moving stones!

Although Mei Lin was a martial artist, in this scene that resembled the end of the world, he felt no different from an ordinary person.

He could only tremble and pray that he would not be caught in the wake of these terrifying powerhouses.

He finally heard a dragon roar of extreme fury, and a shout that resounded through the heavens and earth:

"Wenren Zheng! Yunshu is already dead; are you not afraid that I will burn with you today?!"

Afterward, the Buddhist light gradually faded, the golden dragon and the azure giant were both gone, and the inverted sun and moon in the sky also vanished.

Then, he followed Old Man Yao to find a place to stay, preparing to surrender.

At this moment, there were still gunshots on the plain, sounds of explosions, and the sounds of force impacting; the battle had not yet completely ended.

However, it was already irrelevant to the overall situation.

"Old man, what do you think our final fate will be?"

Having gradually calmed down, Mei Lin began to worry about his future.

After Old Man Yao's wounds were medicated, he finally stopped gasping violently, and he cursed:

"What fate? Leave it to heaven!"

Qin Mingli never believed in fate.

Even if there was only a sliver of a chance, he would grasp it with his own hands!

Under the night, the incomplete body of the True Dragon was recovering at a slow pace.

With the terrifying recovery power of a Ninth-Grade True Dragon, such a speed was clearly far too slow.

But Qin Mingli had expended too much and no longer had the strength to maintain his peak recovery ability.

He was already struggling just to maintain the True Dragon body, yet he had to continuously consume the power of Dao laws to sustain the True Dragon form.

Because once he reverted to human form, the recovery speed would be even slower.

No matter how powerful a Martial Saint was, they would still get tired.

The power of Dao laws would be exhausted, the mind would be weary, and the physical body and the implants within would have their limits.

Qin Mingli had been injured almost since the beginning of the battle, and later he was even beaten by Wenren Zheng until he nearly collapsed!

If not for the Heavenly King of Zhenhe coming to his rescue, he likely would have been beaten to death by Wenren Zheng!

In the end, the Heavenly King of Zhenhe and the Heavenly King of Buddha-Eye joined forces to cover the retreat, letting the most exhausted Qin Mingli leave first.

It seemed that the Buddhist school was truly good to him, their ally.

However, Qin Mingli knew clearly that this was merely forced by the situation.

According to the original plan, if Jingheng had succeeded in Lanling City, all the Buddhist powerhouses who provided support with their personal fortune would have received feedback from that fortune!

And the various powerhouses of the Great Lan Dynasty would have suffered a backlash!

With one side growing and the other waning, plus the fact that the Heavenly Lan Cavalry had lost the support of the Son of Heaven's dragon aura, the peak powerhouses on his side would certainly have achieved victory.

As long as the peak powerhouses decided the outcome, the entire battle would no longer have any suspense.

However, the Heavenly King of Buddha-Eye and the others did not wait for fortune feedback, but for a backlash!

Jingheng had placed the Buddhist school's thousand-year fortune on the gambling table, and the final result he gambled for was the collapse of that fortune!

Although the Buddhist fortune was not completely exhausted, it had suffered heavy losses, and the various powerhouses of the Buddhist school were all affected as a result.

Everyone knew that Jingheng had failed in Lanling City!

The Buddhist school could be said to have made a high-stakes gamble this time; once it failed, the consequences would naturally be very serious.

Under such circumstances, the Heavenly King of Zhenhe and the Heavenly King of Buddha-Eye naturally had to protect Qin Mingli as much as possible.

If they could have one more Martial Saint on the Buddhist side, their chances of turning defeat into victory would increase by a few points.

After flying for a while, Qin Mingli finally could no longer maintain the True Dragon body and reverted to human form.

His face was pale, and there were multiple wounds on his body still seeping blood; he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!

The injuries that the True Dragon body failed to recover from were proportionally restored to his human body.

Qin Mingli steadied his breath, his expression gloomy.

Forcing the Dao laws to maintain the True Dragon body beyond his limits had already damaged his foundation!

Although this injury was not as severe as the damage to Yunshu's natal magic treasure back then, it would be difficult to recover without seven or eight years.

It was very difficult for peak powerhouses like him to get injured, but once injured, the recovery time was calculated in "years"!

It was precisely because of this that, with Yunshu already dead and Wenren Zheng being the only peak powerhouse left in the Great Lan Dynasty, the other side had reservations.

Otherwise, Qin Mingli might really not have been able to get away today!

Qin Mingli accelerated and flew forward, catching up to the "Cloud-Hidden Crane" flying in the air, and landed on the deck.

Soon, the First Imperial Prince arrived upon hearing the news.

He did not ask why the subsequent plan was different from what had been agreed upon, but instead asked with a face full of concern:

"Grand Uncle, how are your injuries?"

Qin Mingli looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze, and the First Imperial Prince met his eyes with a face full of sincerity.

Qin Mingli nodded: "I'm fine."

"That is good."

The First Imperial Prince breathed a sigh of relief, hesitated for a moment, and asked somewhat cautiously:

"Grand Uncle, today..."

Qin Mingli was silent, pondering how to speak.

It was Pudu Temple that had taken the initiative to contact him back then, and both sides quickly reached an agreement.

What Qin Mingli wanted was to advance further in the martial path, so he didn't care at all which imperial prince he supported to ascend the throne.

In any case, no matter who ascended, with the two "royalist" figures Yunshu and Wenren Zheng dead, and the Buddhist school occupying a dominant position, they would all have to rely on him, the only peak powerhouse of the imperial family.

The imperial court would no longer guard against him as strictly as in the past; he would receive the full support of the imperial court, thereby gaining the opportunity to pursue his own goals!

And between him and the Buddhist school, there was no fundamental conflict of interest.

What the Buddhist school wanted was to dominate the entire Great Lan Dynasty; whether it was the River-Suppressing Heavenly King or the Buddha Jing Heng, the paths of these two powerhouses of the Buddhist school—who were most likely to step beyond the pinnacle—were both related to the propagation of Buddhist teachings.

This did not conflict with the path Qin Mingli intended to take in the future.

Therefore, in the negotiations with Pudu Temple, Qin Mingli put forward three demands:

First, in this war, the Buddhist school must not intentionally betray him and must do everything possible to ensure he does not die.

Second, Xiang Yunshu and Wenren Zheng must die.

Third, once the matter is accomplished, the Buddhist school must fully support him in leading troops on a western expedition in the future.

Except for the first point, the latter two were in line with the interests of the Buddhist school.

In the end, Jing Heng agreed to Qin Mingli's demands and personally performed a vow-taking ritual to sign the oath with him.

Although the possibility of a breach of contract existed, this was the only way for Qin Mingli to potentially step beyond the pinnacle, and he had to fight with all his might.

Beyond the pinnacle, no one had been able to take that step for a thousand years.

Who could guarantee that they would succeed one hundred percent?

Qin Mingli had the same thought as the Qingxu True Person from back then—

Even if one dies in the pursuit of the Dao, there shall be no regrets!

"Your father, the Emperor, is dead."

Qin Mingli did not explain the situation of the day, but instead told the First Imperial Prince this news first.

Under the resonance of destiny, he could sense that Xiang Yunshu had perished, and likewise, he sensed that the Emperor had perished.

"Father is dead?!"

The First Imperial Prince widened his eyes abruptly, stunned for a moment.

He had raised the banner of "rectifying the monarch's side," thinking at most of forcing the Emperor to abdicate to him after success, but he had never thought of regicide!

Hearing the news of the other's death at this moment, he was first shocked, then sorrowful, and finally became bewildered:

"How could this be... what on earth is going on?"

Qin Mingli briefly explained the Buddhist school's plot, only omitting the part about using the Third Imperial Prince as a "lure."

But the First Imperial Prince was no fool; even though Qin Mingli did not say it, he realized the trickery involved.

Taking over the Southern Border Army, the Hook-Deep Sword Sect voluntarily defecting—he could faintly see the shadow of the Third Imperial Prince in all of this.

He had originally thought this was just the Third Imperial Prince protecting himself and fishing in troubled waters.

He never expected that the Third Imperial Prince had actually colluded with the Buddhist school, and even with Qin Mingli, long ago!

Looking at Qin Mingli before him, the First Imperial Prince felt a chill in his body.

If Jing Heng had succeeded today, he would likely be dead by now, and the person who killed him with his own hands might well have been Qin Mingli!

That he was still alive now was only because the Buddhist school had already lost one round and still needed his banner to get things done.

"Then where do we go next?"

The First Imperial Prince did not expose Qin Mingli, nor did he show the slightest anger; he just asked calmly.

The vanguard force, which had concentrated all the elite troops, had been routed, and the fifty thousand Southern Border Army troops still on their way in the rear certainly could not be relied upon, much less taken away.

"Go to the Western Extreme Province."

Qin Mingli said.

The Western Extreme Province, the place where Pudu Temple was located.

The holy land in the hearts of millions of believers in the world!

The fierce blade light slashed through the Golden Body, and the head of Wu Yan, one of the five great Temple-Protecting Vajras of Pudu Temple, flew high into the air!

Li Fei held his blade in one hand, watching with a calm expression as Wu Yan's headless corpse fell before him.

Rumble—

A thick cyan lightning bolt struck Wu Yan's flying head, blasting it apart, which thoroughly extinguished the life of this Grandmaster.

"This iron turtle is finally dead!"

Not far away, Ban Yanyang breathed a sigh of relief.

As the battle between the pinnacle powerhouses ended, the remaining powerhouses of the Buddhist school, as well as those from Mount Baituo and the Taiwei Academy, began to flee one after another.

Those who possessed flight supernatural abilities, or movement-type or clone-phantom-type supernatural abilities, were naturally the easiest to escape.

And like Wu Yan, who had strong defense but lacked flexibility in movement—his speed of flying with the Martial Dao Domain was even slower than many Grandmasters—he was left behind.

Ban Yanyang glanced at Li Fei, his eyes filled with astonishment and a hint of awe that even he himself had not noticed.

After the two of them caught up to Wu Yan just now, they simultaneously unleashed their Martial Dao Domains to suppress the opponent.

Then, before Ban Yanyang could even make a move, Li Fei had already teleported up and slashed out with his blade.

And then, there was no then...

Wu Yan, a Grandmaster of the Divine Extension Realm who specialized in defensive supernatural abilities, was killed just like that!

Although the counter-injury supernatural ability had been broken, Wu Yan's 【Indestructible】 supernatural ability was still active.

Yet he was still taken out in one strike!

Ban Yanyang felt that if the current Li Fei wanted to kill him, it probably wouldn't take many moves!

"Is this the strength of the integration of seven supernatural abilities and martial arts?"

Ban Yanyang examined Li Fei carefully.

But he did not see the slightest trace of joy on Li Fei's face.

Li Fei put away the 【Primordial Sword Realm】, sensing the newly integrated supernatural ability within his Dao Foundation—【Peace-Settling】.

The Dao of Destiny leans toward the side of arts and techniques, which is why the founding Emperor could not step beyond the pinnacle.

If the founding Emperor had not been a Martial Saint, but a True Person, he would have had a certain chance to go further with the help of the national destiny of the Great Lan Dynasty, which was at its peak at the time!

Now, Li Fei's seventh supernatural ability was condensed from destiny, so it naturally belonged to the category of art-based supernatural abilities.

Previously, he could still maintain balance with two art-based supernatural abilities and four martial-based supernatural abilities.

However, this balance required him to constantly activate the 【Primordial Heavenly Golden Palace】 and 【Object Refining】 to maintain, which was quite strenuous.

Now that it had become three art-based supernatural abilities and four martial-based supernatural abilities, and the 【Peace-Settling】 supernatural ability was composed purely of national destiny, the "yin" attribute was very heavy.

Therefore, maintaining the yin-yang balance became much easier.

Li Fei moved his mind, and the various wonders of the 【Peace-Settling】 supernatural ability were immediately clear to him.

This supernatural ability had three characteristics:

First, with this supernatural ability presiding over the Martial Dao Domain, the strength of the Martial Dao Domain would be greatly enhanced, and all supernatural abilities would benefit!

Second, as long as he was within the borders of the Great Lan Dynasty, Li Fei's combat power would receive an all-around boost!

Third, the stronger the national destiny of the Great Lan Dynasty, the stronger the 【Peace-Settling】 supernatural ability!

The reason Li Fei was able to kill Wu Yan in one strike was that the 【Peace-Settling】 supernatural ability had raised his combat power to another level, and the 【Primordial Sword Realm】 had completely overwhelmed the opponent's Martial Dao Domain.

It seemed that the Emperor had used this method to further "bind" Li Fei to the Great Lan Dynasty.

But although the 【Peace-Settling】 supernatural ability was strong, it was not Li Fei's core supernatural ability, nor was it a core component of the 【Primordial Sword Realm】.

Even if Li Fei were to turn against the Great Lan Dynasty in the future, his path to the Great Dao would not be severed because of it.

What could "bind" Li Fei would never be any supernatural ability.

Swish—

Li Fei sheathed his blade and looked up at the night sky in the distance, recalling the scene of his first audience with the Emperor at court.

At that time, he bowed and said to the person on the dragon throne:

"Commoner Li Fei, pays respects to Your Majesty."

Since being enfeoffed as a Marquis, he had been specially permitted to carry his blade into the court and not bow when seeing the Emperor. When meeting the Emperor, he only needed to cup his hands in salute, and many times he was even directly "exempted from the salute."

At this moment, he stood facing north, looking in the direction of Lanling City, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply.

Just as he had done when he first appeared before the Emperor in the palace years ago.

"Marquis of Peace-Settling, Li Fei, bids farewell to Your Majesty!"

Seeking monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)