Chapter 153: Heavenly Guardian General, God-Piercing Sword Intent [Seeking Monthly Votes, Subscriptions, and Tips]
"Feihong, I am troubling you this time."
Gongyang Yan knew the Eighteenth Prince's personality very well.
The man was naturally domineering; whatever he wanted, he would never give up.
Those who offended him never met a good end.
However, those who swore allegiance to him received his utmost respect and rewards.
He repaid both kindness and enmity in full.
His style of doing things was extremely clear-cut.
"It was just a trivial matter. Commander Wu was merely sent to test the waters. If you had shown weakness, the Eighteenth Prince would not have let you go easily. Furthermore, his mother is also a member of the Gongyang family, so there must be quite a few within your clan supporting this matter."
Baili Feihong was indifferent to the Eighteenth Prince and even the Guliang imperial family, but he would not openly confront the imperial court and bring trouble upon himself.
There were only a few days left before Emperor Wuzong's funeral.
Time was running out for the Eighteenth Prince.
In Baili Feihong's eyes, the Crown Prince was the heir apparent; with Emperor Wuzong's death, the Crown Prince was already the emperor.
It was just that certain factions in the court were suppressing him.
If the Guliang imperial family had not chosen a Crown Prince, such actions would have been acceptable.
Yet wanting to overturn the dynasty at this juncture left rebellion as the only option.
The Eighteenth Prince was merely in the Yuantai Realm. No matter his talent, once he rebelled, the Guliang imperial family would not be able to protect him.
Therefore, an ambitious imperial younger brother had better worry about his own situation.
"It's fine. From now on, no one can coerce me."
Gongyang Yan's expression turned cold.
If her family still wished to control her, they would see whose blade was sharper.
"If you stay in Dongbin City, no one will dare touch you."
At this moment, Gongyang Yan could become either the breaker of the prophecy or its catalyst.
All they needed to do was evacuate the city's residents, and the city could be destroyed for all it mattered.
The territory he had conquered overseas was vast enough to resettle the entire city's population.
Others lacked the means to migrate a population of such scale.
But Baili Feihong could.
The subterranean world within the Universe Cauldron could temporarily house the people, and using his Kunpeng Escape Technique at full speed to head toward the Devil's Strait would take very little time.
However, Baili Feihong lacked such prestige in Dongbin City; no one would follow him away from their homeland to venture into distant lands.
"The Chief Commander will not approve my resignation, nor will he allow me to leave the Town Demon Guard. My resignation letter was merely a means to gain greater trust from the Chief Commander."
Gongyang Yan was resolute, confessing her true objective to Baili Feihong.
"Feiyuan Island has stabilized, and I intend to become the Commander of the Dongbin Province."
Hearing this, Baili Feihong felt a sense of relief instead; he wanted to return to Dayuan.
If he stayed overseas for too long, he feared he might forget that he was a son of Dongbin City, and forget the promise he had made to the woman before him.
"Many covet the position of Garrison Commander of Dongbin Province. The Chief Commander may not necessarily agree."
Gongyang Yan knew that the Dongbin Province branch of the Town Demon Guard had always been under her family's control. Under normal circumstances, the Chief Commander would choose someone from the Gongyang family to replace Gong Yu.
If Baili Feihong wanted to become the Dongbin Garrison Commander, not only would he fail to receive the Gongyang family's support, but he would also face their obstruction.
"If the Chief Commander blocks me, the newly appointed Garrison Commander can simply be made to step down voluntarily."
Baili Feihong said with overwhelming arrogance.
When the time came, seniority alone would naturally dictate that the position fell to him.
"Do not act recklessly. Within the Dayuan Empire, these waters are deeper than you imagine. The Town Demon Guard will tolerate minor faults, but they will never allow you to repeatedly target other Garrison Commanders. Your approach will only provoke the collective hostility of your colleagues and forfeit the support of the Chief Commander."
One Commander Wu was enough.
Killing Commander Wu could be excused as mixed with personal grievances and political motives.
Yet attacking other Garrison Commanders appointed by the Town Demon Guard would definitively cross the Chief Commander's ultimate taboo.
No matter how talented he was, the Five Elders of the Town Demon Guard would not shield Baili Feihong.
"Killing is not the only way to solve every problem."
Baili Feihong was not a fool; he would not direct his murderous intent toward his colleagues in the Town Demon Guard.
As for Commander Wu, he had already given the man a chance.
Instead of admitting his mistake and leaving Dongbin City, Wu had exposed his murderous intent within the Town Demon Guard Hall, targeting a Town Demon Envoy.
He had brought this upon himself.
"The Heaven-Guarding General has arrived, and the elders of my clan have come as well. You must be careful of Guliang Yumeng; she is the Guliang imperial family's spokesperson within the Chief Command. Having killed Wu Ming right before her eyes, she will not let this debt go so easily."
The corners of Gongyang Yan's lips curled upward, her eyes holding a trace of a smile.
"Lady Gongyang, that is hardly fair of you. Your subordinate only killed Wu Ming to stand up for you."
Baili Feihong wore a helpless expression.
"No, Lord Baili, I am no longer your superior. Besides, the initiative to kill Wu Ming rested entirely in your hands." Gongyang Yan's smile grew even wider. "Oh, and the clan elder who has arrived—his daughter is an Imperial Noble Consort, and the Eighteenth Prince is his nephew."
"Heh, not only have members of the imperial family arrived, but imperial relatives as well. I suppose I can only deal with whatever comes my way."
Baili Feihong shrugged. "At worst, I'll return to Feiyuan Island and relocate all the citizens of Dongbin City overseas."
He showed not a shred of fear.
A strange light flashed in Gongyang Yan's eyes. Baili Feihong had mentioned relocating the citizens more than once.
Considering that Baili Feihong was now the top-ranked martial artist on the Hidden Dragon Roll and a pinnacle expert among Divine Power Masters, it seemed clear to her.
He must have cultivated the Pot-Heaven technique among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs to an extremely profound level.
Only with such confidence could he utter such words.
Her gaze fell upon Baili Feihong's neck; this particular item was something she could not quite fathom.
"A bird moves to a better tree; a fish leaves a dying pond. Dongbin City is wealthy indeed, but Feiyuan Island and the Devil's Strait possess boundless wealth, and right now, they desperately need a massive labor force for construction."
Baili Feihong had already established his own foundation overseas.
He could be considered the primary authority of Feiyuan Island.
The Devil's Strait had been occupied by the Southern Subjugation Naval Fleet, and nations destroyed along the way would all be reduced to territories of the Southern Subjugation Naval Fleet.
Even so, it mattered little, for the threat of the Black Heaven Divine Cult still loomed.
The Southern Subjugation Naval Fleet would not dare to turn hostile.
Overseas, there were no such rigid rules binding them as there were within Dayuan.
If someone was killed, the blame could simply be pinned on a hostile faction to resolve everything.
Outside the city.
Guliang Yumeng, Qi Yuntian, Commander Zhou, Commander Wang, and Commander Shangguan had not departed. Their auras pierced through the clouds, and their gazes remained fixed on Dongbin City.
Commander Wu had been slain, and their dignity had been swept into the dust.
Even if the other party had crushed the Grand Archbishop of the Black Heaven Divine Cult overseas—
They believed that with the arrival of the Heaven-Guarding General and the Gongyang family elder, seeking justice would pose no problem whatsoever.
As for the elder of the Gongyang family, they had not the slightest concern that he would stand against Gongyang Yan and Baili Feihong.
Years ago, it was he who had proposed marrying Gongyang Yan to the Eighteenth Prince and incited the other elders within the Gongyang family.
The Eighteenth Prince was, after all, that old monster's nephew.
Commander Wu was merely the Eighteenth Prince's chess piece within the Town Demon Guard.
This was common knowledge.
"He is here."
Qi Yuntian raised his head and looked toward the firmament.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a stalwart man clad in the Dayuan Martial Light Armor appeared before them.
"Guliang Yumeng of the Town Demon Guard pays respects to Lord Heaven-Guarding General."
Guliang Yumeng wore a look of pleasant surprise.
The remaining four Garrison Commanders hastily bowed in salute.
Among the many Heaven-Guarding Generals of the imperial family, this particular one ranked in the top ten in terms of strength.
Having mastered the true teachings of the Archaic Divine Firmament Sect, his Dharma Idol was an incarnation of the Divine Firmament Thunder God, and the lethal force he wielded struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it.
He had once been a member of the Town Demon Guard as well; after breaking through to the Dharma Idol Realm, he became the Dayuan Empire's most unique general—a Heaven-Guarding General.
Thunder Prison's gaze bypassed Guliang Yumeng, instead landing on the body of Wu Ming lying in a pool of blood behind the five commanders.
Wu Ming, a Commander of the Main Town Demon Command, and a follower of the Eighteenth Prince.
He was a veteran Divine Power Master. Years ago, when both were commanders, Thunder Prison had once crossed swords with him and won by a narrow margin.
Meeting again after many years, the former rival Garrison Commander had already returned to the netherworld.
His mood was somewhat complex, but he quickly cast those old sentiments aside.
Sweeping his gaze over the five Garrison Commanders—figures renowned across the realm—he noted that someone had killed Wu Ming right before them while the five remained completely unharmed. This could only mean that the perpetrator was immensely powerful.
So powerful that he could simultaneously suppress all six of them.
"Who killed Wu Ming?"
Heaven-Guarding General Thunder Prison spoke in a low voice, his tone suppressing a thunderous, overwhelming fury and icy coldness.
Knowing well that the imperial family had dispatched him here, the other party had presented him with a grand "gift" even before he reached Dongbin City.
This was clearly a deliberate intimidation.
"Lord Heaven-Guarding General, the true culprit who murdered Commander Wu is inside Dongbin City."
Shangguan Pin spoke for the first time, adding fuel to the fire, seemingly wishing for the chaos to escalate.
"Has the situation in Dongbin City deteriorated to such an extent?"
Thunder Prison's words hinted that he mistakenly believed the real culprit to be someone from the Underworld.
Qi Yuntian cupped his fists and said, "Lord Heaven-Guarding General, this person's identity is quite unique. He is a member of the Town Demon Guard, the Garrison Envoy of Feiyuan Island, and the top-ranked martial artist on the Hidden Dragon Roll—Baili Feihong."
Thunder Prison, who had come harboring murderous intent, was visibly surprised upon hearing this, his mind instantly regaining its composure.
"Is this the Baili Feihong who repelled Grand Archbishop Heisha?"
His entire attitude shifted.
With a hint of delight and admiration, he inquired further.
"If the intelligence reports are correct, it is indeed this Garrison Envoy Baili."
Guliang Yumeng replied.
"Haha, Wu Ming, oh Wu Ming, if you had poured all your energy into cultivating martial arts and meddled less in court politics, you would not have ended up killed by a junior."
His bronze-complexioned face beneath the Martial Light Armor was full of mockery.
"Lord Heaven-Guarding General, the death of Commander Wu cannot simply be left at that."
Guliang Yumeng's voice lost a fraction of its respect and reverence, replaced instead by the tone of someone issuing commands.
Thunder Prison glanced at the young woman before him.
She flowed with Guliang blood, but her status and position had not granted her any superior standing.
Though outsiders claimed Guliang Yumeng was a prodigy, in the eyes of a Heaven-Guarding General, who hadn't been a prodigy in their youth?
"This is an internal matter within your Town Demon Guard. I am a Heaven-Guarding General; such matters do not fall under my jurisdiction."
Thunder Prison showed no regard for Guliang Yumeng's face. Sparks of lightning flickered around his body, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from their sight.
"This Heaven-Guarding General of ours holds Baili Feihong in high regard."
Shangguan Pin shook his head helplessly.
If Heaven-Guarding General Thunder Prison had stood on their side, putting Baili Feihong in his place and reclaiming their lost dignity would have been effortless.
Yet it was clear that Thunder Prison deeply appreciated Baili Feihong.
What Baili Feihong had done overseas was, after all, no secret.
Aside from serving as a naval base, Feiyuan Island was also an overseas intelligence-gathering center.
Baili Feihong was simply too dazzling.
Moreover, his time on Feiyuan Island had been brief.
He had merely discovered that behind many commercial associations and wealthy merchants lay hidden factions of every stripe.
Yet they failed to realize that through commercial channels, various factions were actively gathering intelligence on overseas powers like the Fara Empire.
The world was vast, and the rapid rise of the Fara Empire and the Western nations forced them to pay attention.
Consequently, intelligence concerning Baili Feihong was laid upon the desks of every major faction in the Dayuan Empire.
Beyond guarding the imperial family, the Heaven-Guarding General was tasked with listening to all directions and observing the entire world.
Given the stir Baili Feihong had caused overseas, Thunder Prison, as a Heaven-Guarding General, naturally paid attention to him.
What is more, the young man was the number-one ranked on the Hidden Dragon Roll.
Reaching the top of the Hidden Dragon Roll meant that it would not be long before Baili Feihong stepped into the Dharma Idol Realm.
Thunder Prison was no fool; killing Baili Feihong was no easy task.
Once the target escaped, given Baili Feihong's talent, he would undoubtedly succeed in becoming a Dharma Master.
Should Baili Feihong cultivate a World-Suppressing Dharma Idol, aside from the Guliang imperial family's Imperial Dao Dharma Idol and Mount Taiyi's Dao Sovereign Dharma Idol, there was virtually no other lineage whose heritage would not be suppressed by it.
"Let us go. Do not keep Lord Heaven-Guarding General waiting."
Commander Wang took the lead, following the Heaven-Guarding General into Dongbin City.
Qi Yuntian followed closely behind.
The remaining three Garrison Commanders did not move.
For they sensed a formidable momentum heading straight toward Dongbin City.
The clan elder of the Gongyang family had arrived.
Standing side by side outside the Town Demon Building were Baili Feihong and Gongyang Yan.
Gongyang Yan's expression was grave.
She sensed the aura of the Heaven-Guarding General.
Her mind conjured up the history and achievements of this Heaven-Guarding General.
An avenger who detested evil like poison, decisive in slaughter.
With thunderous methods at his disposal, the mere mention of his name struck a chord of reverence in anyone.
Purple divine lightning descended, and a towering, majestic figure of an imposing general materialized before them.
"Baili Feihong?"
The general's eyes radiated brilliant light alongside formidable battle intent.
"What a powerful blood refinement! What a formidable physical body!"
Heaven-Guarding General Thunder Prison clicked his tongue in wonder.
The blood-refining commanders of the army ought to witness what a true blood-refiners were like.
That way, they might shed their overbearing arrogance.
"How on earth did you cultivate your blood Qi? Even if you swallowed divine demon blood essence, it would be difficult to push blood refinement to the eighteenth refinement in such a short time."
The person before him was also practicing blood cultivation.
Though his realm was somewhat lower, at the thirteenth refinement, the young man's overall cultivation was high, having already condensed laws into his Dharma Idol.
Once he raised his blood refinement to the eighteenth refinement, he could attempt to break through to the Martial Saint realm.
Breaking through to the Martial Saint realm was no overnight feat.
Instead, it was a long, arduous process—truly tempering bodily functions to their absolute limits, undergoing a profound sublimation, and stepping into an entirely new life form.
If the previous four realms were polished imperfectly, the odds of becoming a Martial Saint in this lifetime diminished correspondingly.
Throughout history, many Dharma Idol experts had fallen precisely at this hurdle of breaking through to the Martial Saint realm.
"Senior, I am a genius. As I cultivated, my blood refinement naturally reached this realm. The eighteenth refinement is still a bit lacking; the other day I refined my blood Qi one hundred and eighty times. If Senior asks me how I cultivated it, I suppose I could give a very logical explanation."
Baili Feihong remained unfazed by the other's status.
High realm?
Glancing at his surplus of over seventy million skill points, if he hadn't been restricted by the Heavenly Dragon Instrument, he would have already begun attempting the breakthrough to Martial Saint.
"You lack candor; how boring. However, with you in Dongbin City, no demons or monsters dare to show their faces."
Achieving the eighteenth blood refinement was something truly few could accomplish in this lifetime.
Blood Qi was inextricably linked to life itself.
Some old monsters possessed lofty realms, yet their blood Qi had decayed to the extreme, their lives flickering like a candle in the wind.
In the cultivation of blood Qi, youth provided an absolute advantage.
For martial artists, the age of fifty marked the peak of both blood Qi and vitality.
Beyond fifty, failing to achieve the Martial Saint realm meant an inevitable decline in both blood Qi and life force.
Just how old was Baili Feihong now?
According to intelligence, he was merely seventeen.
Far from his physiological peak, at this age, he was still in a developmental phase.
If he truly refined his blood to achieve sagehood and replicated the martial immortal of legends in the future, it was not entirely impossible.
"Gongyang Xi, that old monster, has arrived. Little brother, you had better be careful. The Gongyang family's Soul-Piercing Saber is an ultimate divine art targeting the soul."
Thunder Prison flashed a playful smile.
"What a coincidence, my soul cultivation also happens to be one of my strong points."
The best way to strengthen the soul and temper the mind was to hone one's martial will.
His divine refinement level was inferior to no realm whatsoever.
It was practically on par with his blood refinement.
"Actually, your blood refinement alone is enough to resist his Soul-Piercing Saber. After all, blood refinement can suppress everything."
Thunder Prison laughed.
"You all play slowly; I am heading up to Mount Dali."
Thunder Prison lost interest in Dongbin City.
Now, the only things that interested him were Baili Feihong, the Kunpeng demonic soul, and the Gate of the Yellow Springs on Mount Dali.
One of his secret missions was precisely to investigate the reality of Mount Dali on behalf of the imperial family.
"Is the Gate of the Yellow Springs truly that important?"
Given the Guliang imperial family's strength, resolving Dongbin City's current crisis ought to have been a simple matter.
Yet the Guliang imperial family had merely dispatched Gongyang Yan.
Baili Feihong refused to believe that the secrets hidden beneath Mount Dali had nothing to do with the Guliang imperial family.
Qi Yuntian and Commander Wang were left in an awkward position.
They had followed Heaven-Guarding General Thunder Prison here, only for him to depart for Mount Dali instead.
Before either could utter a word, four figures descended from the sky.
An old man clad in white robes, possessing the air of an otherworldly immortal, looked upon Gongyang Yan with serene peace.
"Gongyang Yan pays respects to Elder Xi." Gongyang Yan hurriedly bowed in salute.
"Just for this boy, you cast aside the supremely talented Jinghong?"
Gongyang Xi's tone carried a sharp reproach.
Gongyang Yan lowered her head without denying it.
"You should know very well that as a member of the Gongyang family..."
"Hey, old senior, your nephew's talent is his own affair, but it seems rather excessive of you to disparage me while elevating him."
Baili Feihong interrupted the other's words.
With furrowed white brows and a trace of displeasure.
"An unruly savage boy, where is it your turn to speak? Were it not for Xiaoyan's cultivation, you would be nothing more than a common laborer."
Gongyang Xi stepped forward, his white sword-brows lifting as a piercing, frigid saber intent descended, locking directly onto Baili Feihong.
Clang~~
Golden light shattered, leaving only the blood mist to withstand the other's saber intent.
"Lord Gongyang has been kind to me, and you, old man, have not lived an easy life to reach this age. Out of respect for the elderly, I shall not argue with you."
The river of blood surged.
Mountains and seas roared.
Yet all of it was restrained by the young man before him.
"Is this your trump card? Eighteenth refinement blood?"
Gongyang Xi looked slightly surprised, though his expression instantly morphed into one of mockery.