Rahu King's Shock: You've Already Killed Him?

Invoking the Gods could generally be divided into two types. One was summoning Yin Spirits to fight, with the Yin Spirit body existing independently.

The other was possession.

Possession itself was divided into several categories.

One category involved completely handing one's body over to the Yin Spirit's control.

The Yin Spirit's insights and spells would combine with the invoker's physical body, vital energy, and treasures to fight.

One's own Fate Soul would be completely idle, merely watching.

The second type of possession had the invoker as the main body, borrowing the Yin Spirit's divine power. For example, a Sixth Grade martial artist invoking a Yin Spirit could briefly possess a Pure Yuan Golden Body.

If it was a foreign race Yin Spirit, one could even transform, with every aspect of the body enhanced by divine power.

What Zhao Xing chose at this moment was possession.

Possession and full-body descent were both forms of having someone else fight for you. The difference lay in the extent of control and whether one completely surrendered control over one's body.

Neither method involved reading memories.

Theoretically, full-body descent could unleash greater combat power.

But Zhao Xing's personality determined that he could never completely hand over control of his body.

So he chose the weaker but self-directed possession method.

After Heavenly Yang True Lord possessed him, an enlarged figure appeared behind Zhao Xing, his hands overlapping Zhao Xing's.

He eagerly flipped open the Yuan Yin Sacred Codex.

"Rustle~"

In an instant, Heavenly Yang True Lord completely understood the Yuan Yin Sacred Codex's function.

"Hahaha, what a fine treasure."

"Dust to dust, earth to earth. Yin and Yang flow in reverse; heroic spirits, return to your realm—split!"

Heavenly Yang True Lord pointed with one hand, and Zhao Xing's hand immediately lifted toward the sky as well.

Then, the four Yin generals and forty thousand Netherworld Soldiers were hurled back into the vortex passage even faster than they had arrived.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

"This feels incredible! So this is what it feels like to be a high priest." Heavenly Yang True Lord was delighted like a child.

After sending the Netherworld Soldiers back, he began flipping through the book with a rustle.

"Master Ancestor, how much power can you unleash?" Zhao Xing asked.

"My soul fragment is only Second Grade, but my insights have been fully inherited. With this treasure of yours, I can bring out ninety percent of its power. If I study it a little more, fully mastering it will not be difficult."

"Then I'll go capture the rebels."

"Go ahead and do it boldly. With your Master Ancestor here, a mere priest cannot stir up any trouble!"

"Got it!"

Hearing this, Zhao Xing immediately strode toward the temple.

Seeing Zhu Qingyou still shouting for the Netherworld Soldiers and Yin generals to capture Wu Xuanying, Zhao Xing could not help teasing him. "Stop shouting, brother. The Netherworld Soldiers and Yin generals just left."

"Who are you?" Zhu Qingyou stared fixedly at Zhao Xing.

"The one here to kill you."

"What did you do? Where are my Netherworld Soldiers and Yin generals?" Zhu Qingyou gripped the tiger tally command arrow in his hand and roared, "What exactly did you do?!"

Zhu Qingyou's gaze fell upon Heavenly Yang True Lord behind Zhao Xing and the Yuan Yin Sacred Codex in Zhao Xing's hand. He was instantly aghast. "Heavenly Yang True Lord? A Ninth Order treasure?!"

"H-How is that possible?"

He simply could not believe his own eyes.

"A mere Fifth Grade official, only Fourth Grade in cultivation, actually managed to invoke a Second Grade Yin Spirit for possession?"

"Even if he could invoke one, why could he maintain it for so long? Wouldn't his Divine Soul collapse?"

A Fourth Grade cultivator invoking a Second Grade god for descent could barely sustain it for three or four breaths.

But what about now? Zhao Xing strolled over at a leisurely pace, not the least bit rushed. How did he look like he was struggling? And he even possessed a Ninth Order treasure. That was enough to shatter Zhu Qingyou's composure.

I don't even have one. What gives you the right?

"Who exactly is this man? He can so easily invoke the Second Grade Golden Body of the previous Grand Agriculture Official, and he even holds a Ninth Order supreme treasure." Yao Yuanchun was incomparably shocked.

He was somewhat dazed now. The gap between enemy and ally was simply not on the same level.

Heavenly Yang True Lord held a Ninth Order treasure and could easily unleash its power. His Invoking the Gods technique even possessed the effect of separating the Yin and Yang realms!

"Kill him!" Zhu Qingyou's eyes immediately reddened.

He no longer had a way out. He could only gamble. If he could kill Zhao Xing and seize the Ninth Order treasure in his hand, perhaps there would still be a sliver of hope.

"Mystic Soul Moon Wolf General!"

"Nine Netherworld Elephant General!"

"Spirit Platform Four Tiger Generals!"

"Appear!"

Zhu Qingyou and the five priests behind him immediately deployed their trump cards. They had long since absorbed a portion of the foreign race Yin Spirits.

"Master Ancestor, it's time for you to act," Zhao Xing said.

The Yuan Yin Sacred Codex rustled as its pages turned.

"Coming!"

A pale blue talisman appeared. When it flew out of the Yuan Yin Sacred Codex, it was only palm-sized, but after rising into the air, it covered the entire sky in the blink of an eye.

Pale blue rays descended like willow catkins, gently brushing the earth.

"~"

The moment they touched those threads of light, every summoned Yin Spirit became terrified.

"A Deicide Talisman! This is a Deicide Talisman!"

"Run!"

"Spare us! We were deceived by him into leaving the Yin Realm."

"Heavenly Yang True Lord, spare me! I am willing to return to the Yin Realm immediately and accept punishment. Please let me go!"

One of the wolf-headed Yin Spirits was also at the early Second Grade.

But upon seeing Heavenly Yang True Lord, he looked as though he had encountered his natural nemesis.

Their main bodies, their Yin souls, had descended into the Yang world. If they were destroyed here, they would be erased completely into nothingness.

"~"

Heavenly Yang True Lord ignored them entirely and directly caused those Yin Spirits to collapse, disintegrate, and turn into nothingness.

"Kid, this treasure of yours is truly useful," Heavenly Yang True Lord said.

"Master Ancestor, you flatter me. Even without this treasure, you could easily kill them."

Zhao Xing was not merely flattering him.

Though Heavenly Yang True Lord's Golden Body here was only at the early Second Grade, that wolf god's cultivation was even slightly higher, at the middle Second Grade.

But even within the same Second Grade, there could be an enormous gap!

What Mystic Soul Moon Wolf General, Nine Netherworld Elephant General, Spirit Platform Four Tiger Generals—these were nothing more than beasts.

When alive, they had never held any proper official positions.

They were like Mountain Cat, Spirit Illusion Goat, and Howling Sky Dog. They had rendered merit and Obtained official ranks and noble titles as rewards.

But in truth, they held no real authority. They had merely risen through that path, and after death, they became Yin God Bodies.

How could they compare with someone like Fu Tianyang, who had once served as Grand Agriculture Official?

There was no comparison. Even the Incense Offering they received was not on the same scale.

Their strength in life had not been on the same level either.

Even without the Yuan Yin Sacred Codex, Heavenly Yang True Lord would have crushed them with ease.

"Run!!"

Zhu Qingyou understood that the situation was hopeless.

They had been instantly killed. How could they still fight?

"Run?"

Heavenly Yang True Lord's phantom sneered.

The Primal Chaos Heavenly Thunder Lock immediately activated.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing immediately closed his eyes and began comprehending it.

Because what Fu Tianyang used was a minor attainment spell from the Suppression Prison Chapter of the Profound Heaven Thunder Law—the Primal Chaos Thunder Lock, which could be cast from peak Fourth Transformation to peak Sixth Transformation.

Zhao Xing did not know this move, but Fu Tianyang was possessing him at this moment and using Zhao Xing's vital energy to cast it.

Naturally, Zhao Xing could sense the insights behind the move. "Crackle, crackle, crackle~"

Lightning coursed over Zhu Qingyou and the others. Incomparably intricate bolts of electricity intertwined, forming the image of a hoe.

Zhu Qingyou and the others' bodies immediately twisted into strange hoe-like shapes, pinned in place on the ground.

"Amazing, Master Ancestor!"

"Of course." Fu Tianyang nodded slightly.

Zhao Xing had also figured out the temperament of this Golden Body of his Master Ancestor: he liked hearing praise!

"Brother Zhao, may I execute him?" Yao Yuanchun asked.

Zhao Xing tilted his head toward Yao Yuanchun.

The latter's expression was somewhat complicated. "Zhu Qingyou was, after all, a Third Grade priest. He gave me guidance several times before. I want to give him a dignified end."

Zhao Xing nodded.

"Whoosh~"

Yao Yuanchun appeared in front of Zhu Qingyou.

He looked at Zhu Qingyou, who could no longer move. Then his hands trembled, and two fire seals appeared on Zhu Qingyou's forehead and the back of his head.

Whoosh~

Zhu Qingyou's soul was annihilated.

Looking at Zhu Qingyou's intact body, which seemed as though it had merely fallen asleep, Yao Yuanchun sighed.

The situation was hopeless, yet he had still tried to flee.

Lord Zhu, you had the courage to rebel. Why did you lack the courage to die?

Once Zhu Qingyou and his followers died, Wu Xuanying's restraints naturally came undone.

He hurriedly ran out of the main hall to inspect the situation.

When he discovered that Zhu Qingyou and the others were already dead, he let out a long breath.

He scanned the movements around him and immediately found Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun.

He knew Yao Yuanchun.

But who was the person beside Yao Yuanchun?

Looking closely, Wu Xuanying was instantly shocked.

He hurriedly ran over.

"Greetings, Heavenly Yang True Lord!"

"Mm." Heavenly Yang True Lord was wholly focused on the Yuan Yin Sacred Codex and did not particularly want to pay attention to him.

Wu Xuanying was deeply ashamed. "I was incompetent, allowing Zhu Qingyou and the others to rebel and nearly cause a great disaster. I beg True Lord to punish me."

Fu Tianyang finally raised his head and glanced at him. "You know you were incompetent? A Profound Connection priest was taken down by a Reaching Seclusion priest. Have you been living on porridge all these years?"

"If this kid had not brought out this old man's Golden Body, your failure today would be unforgivable even in death ten thousand times over!"

Wu Xuanying's heart trembled, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.

Other Yin Spirits might not be qualified to reprimand him like this, but this was Heavenly Yang True Lord, the previous Grand Agriculture Official. To him, he was truly a godlike existence, someone who genuinely could punish him.

"Wu knows his sins are grave and dares not make excuses." Wu Xuanying's attitude in admitting fault was quite sincere.

Fu Tianyang snorted coldly and still ignored him.

Yet secretly, he transmitted his voice to Zhao Xing. "Disciple-grandson, it's your turn. Your Master Ancestor has scolded him into a grandson. Now it is time for you to play the good man."

Zhao Xing had wondered why Heavenly Yang True Lord, who usually seemed so amiable, had suddenly become so harsh.

So this was what he had been waiting for.

Zhao Xing stepped forward and helped Wu Xuanying up. "True Lord, there is no need to be overly harsh with Lord Wu."

"The incident happened suddenly. No one expected the Liang King to use such despicable methods to incite rebellion."

"The Yin Realm was in turmoil, and the Liang King released evil Yin Spirits that had been sealed away for years, gaining their power. Zhu Qingyou and his group grew vastly stronger. This was not a defeat due to lack of skill."

Fu Tianyang's phantom finally gave Wu Xuanying a proper look. "Hmph. Then record this offense for now and give him a chance to redeem himself through merit. Wu Xuanying, rise."

Wu Xuanying lifted his head and gave Zhao Xing a grateful look. Then he bowed again toward Heavenly Yang True Lord. "Thank you, True Lord, for your understanding. This subordinate will surely atone for his crimes through meritorious service."

Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Fu Tianyang ended the possession and returned to the Golden Body.

Zhao Xing felt the Golden Body he carried become a little lighter.

This time, invoking the gods had cost him nothing. What had been consumed was his Master Ancestor's Golden Body.

"May I ask this little brother's honored name and official position?" Wu Xuanying cupped his hands toward Zhao Xing.

"Zhao Xing, courtesy name Chen'an. I am the Hundred Paths Transportation Envoy of Tianhe Prefecture, concurrently the Third Grade Inspector of the Five Prefectures of Pinghai Province," Zhao Xing stated his identity.

Wu Xuanying nodded. This seemed to somewhat explain why Zhao Xing could invoke the Agriculture God.

Though he still had many doubts, it was not appropriate to ask them now.

He then looked toward Yao Yuanchun. "Yuanchun, you oversee the Earth God Office. How is the situation there?"

Yao Yuanchun said, "There have basically been no disturbances at the Agriculture God Palace. The rebels have also been eliminated by Lord Zhao and me."

Wu Xuanying said, "Now that the rebel Zhu is dead, the rest can no longer pose a threat. Follow me into the Hall of Valor. We will gather the Heaven River Netherworld Soldiers and Yin generals to suppress the rebellious Yin Spirits."

"Yes!" Yao Yuanchun clasped his fists.

"Lord Zhao." Wu Xuanying was exceedingly polite. "Since Lord Zhao came from outside, do you know the situation outside?"

"The Transportation Department is unharmed. The Prefecture Lord is conducting a Great Ritual Debate with others. The City Defense Mechanism Office has not yet been seized, but Li Gan of the Martial Patrol Office has already been ordered to head there."

The temple isolated the inside from the outside, so Wu Xuanying did not know what was happening outside.

But Zhao Xing knew, because he had a clone outside.

Upon hearing this, Wu Xuanying's heart relaxed. That meant chaos had not yet erupted.

He vaguely sensed that this young official before him had played a major role, so he cupped his hands and said, "Could I trouble you to report to the Prefect and the heads of the various departments that I, Wu Xuanying, will be able to quell the rebellion within the temple within a day and restore peace there. After that, I will have the capacity to lend aid and stabilize the situation in the prefectural city."

"This is my duty. How could it be a trouble? It is Lord Wu who has had a hard time." Zhao Xing cupped his hands. "Lord Wu, Lord Yao, I'll be going now. Please take care."

"Take care."

Watching Zhao Xing and his clone leave swiftly, Wu Xuanying suddenly remembered something. "That seemed to be the Ten Thousand Laws Clone? Yes, he must be its disciple. No wonder he could invite the Heavenly Yang True Lord."

"My lord, what were you saying?" Yao Yuanchun asked doubtfully. "What exactly is his background?"

"He is Liu Wanfa's disciple," Wu Xuanying said. "His teacher, Liu Tianning, is the First Vice Chancellor of Shangluo Academy. That means he will become the next leader of the True Self Faction, perhaps even the next Grand Agriculture Official."

"So that was it." Yao Yuanchun suddenly understood. It made sense now that Zhao Xing had been able to invite the Heavenly Yang True Lord's Second Grade Golden Body.

After leaving the temple, Zhao Xing looked back.

He discovered that the vortex above the temple had indeed begun to shrink. The passage to the Yin Realm was closing.

"Once this passage is closed, the temple will be considered pacified."

"Now, only the Prefect's side remains in the city," Zhao Xing thought.

The City Defense Mechanism Office focused on mechanisms rather than people, so it was easier to handle.

Zhang Ping had already sent Ouyang Zhen and Zou Yong to assist Li Gan in taking it over.

"I can't wait for results from his side. Time is precious."

"The eleven garrison forces stationed across the various counties need to be dealt with as soon as possible."

The trip to the temple had taken three hours. By the time they emerged, night had fully fallen.

Zhang Ping had recovered considerably. Seeing Zhao Xing emerge safely and the Yin Realm vortex above the temple shrink, he could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

"Chen'an, how is the situation?"

"Lord Wu will resolve the temple's problem within a day," Zhao Xing said. "Lord Zhang, what is the situation in the various counties?"

At present, Zhang Ping held the highest official rank here. He had only been one rank below the Prefect to begin with.

Zhang Ping said, "Sixty percent of the county cities have responded, but forty percent of the counties and districts have given no feedback.

Most of those that have not responded are likely garrison sites."

"Could they all have rebelled?" Li Gan asked in surprise.

"Not necessarily," Zhang Ping said, shaking his head.

"It is simply that the Earth Mirror's effects have weakened greatly, and Yin Spirit messages have also ceased to work. For now, we can only communicate by more primitive means, so efficiency is relatively low."

Zhao Xing nodded. Liang King's efforts to win people over did not target just anyone.

The fortune Liang King could mobilize was limited. Since the rebellion had only begun, only officials of Fifth Grade and above could make it onto Weishen Luo's list for recruitment.

The order Prefect He Zhengchen had sent through the Earth Mirror had been to summon all Fifth Grade officials into the city.

As long as officials of Fifth Grade and above were controlled, the rebellion could be suppressed.

By the same logic, rebel generals also needed time to reorganize their armies and establish their footing.

However, Zhao Xing still did not know the situation outside. He would have to wait for Tianhe Prefecture's temple to resume operations first.

February 3rd, You Hour.

The Yin Realm vortex over the temple completely disappeared.

Wu Xuanying and Yao Yuanchun emerged from the temple.

The prefectural office was still locked in a magical battle. He Zhengchen had yet to emerge.

The moment Zhao Xing saw him come out, he immediately bowed toward the Heavenly Yang True Lord's Golden Body. "Please manifest, Patriarch."

"Disciple's disciple, what is it?" The Golden Body opened its eyes.

"This disciple's disciple has two matters and asks for Patriarch's assistance."

"Speak."

"Please examine the prefectural office and see whether He Zhengchen will achieve final victory," Zhao Xing said.

If He Zhengchen could not win, he could not leave to suppress the rebellion with peace of mind.

If the prefectural city fell, the blame would be immense.

"He Zhengchen holds the advantage. He will win sooner or later," the Heavenly Yang True Lord said.

This answer was much the same as Zhao Xing had guessed.

So he continued.

"Could Patriarch contact the Minister of Agriculture Yin Spirits in the counties and districts of Tianhe Prefecture to investigate the situation of the eleven garrison forces? Who has rebelled, and who has not?"

"Especially the Heavenly Xia King in the twelve eastern counties of Tianhe Prefecture. He commands four garrison forces. Has he made any moves?"

The Golden Body flickered with light, seemingly taking action.

Zhao Xing waited quietly.

The Heavenly Yang True Lord's Golden Body was not merely a "patriarchal thug"; it was also a source of intelligence.

Fu Tianyang could communicate with the gods of the Yin Realm. In terms of intelligence, information from the world of the living might not be faster or more comprehensive than that of the Yin Realm.

Within Great Zhou's territory, there might be places beyond the Earth Mirror's coverage, but there were none beyond the temples' reach.

Even by roadsides and in mountain hollows, there were small temples half a meter tall.

"The Heavenly Xia King did not accept Liang King's appointment, but he raised his own banner in rebellion. He is reorganizing the twelve counties and four garrison forces, purging the court's Overseeing Army officials."

"The Xinyang Marquis is dead. His army has been taken over by Deputy General Yuan Xin, who has accepted Liang King's appointment."

"Of the remaining six armies, three will absolutely not rebel: the Yuan Jade Army, the Yuan Puppet Army, and the Yuan River Army."

"The other three have split apart and are fighting one another within their camps. For now, they lack the ability to leave their camp formations."

In such a short time, the Heavenly Yang True Lord had acquired so much intelligence because his incense offerings were widespread and his believers numerous.

Furthermore, the Minister of Agriculture Yin Spirits below had mostly remained unaffected. Orders and messages could still be conveyed rather smoothly.

The main reason was that priests usually did not study the Minister of Agriculture God-Invoking Art.

Other than Military Sima Nong officials, civilian Ministers of Agriculture were relatively weak.

Their combat power was inferior in other respects. At the start of a rebellion, seizing power was the priority.

Who would begin by thinking of farming or destroying Favorable Timing and Location?

Even Liang King did not think that way. What he wanted was an intact Pinghai Province, not a ruined one.

Only after realizing that this was impossible and becoming bandits would they need to wreak destruction freely, delay matters, and obstruct the court army's pursuit.

"Can Patriarch seize Wu Xuanying's authority and take command of the hundred thousand Netherworld Soldiers and Netherworld Generals?" Zhao Xing asked again.

"Originally, no. But now, yes," the Heavenly Yang True Lord said. "However, I do not recommend that you do so. As a Third Grade Inspection Envoy, you may only command those below Third Grade. Taking authority over the Netherworld Soldiers and Netherworld Generals would violate the rules."

"Liang King represents chaos, while the court represents order. At a time like this, any sensitive action is inappropriate."

"Even if you command these hundred thousand Netherworld Soldiers and Netherworld Generals to pacify Tianhe Prefecture, at best your merits and faults will cancel each other out. If Wu Xuanying resists, you may even incur fault."

Zhao Xing nodded. Court officials could never act as conveniently as rebels.

Still, he had only asked in passing. From the beginning, Tianhe's hundred thousand Netherworld Soldiers had not been part of his plans. He had never expected to be able to invite his patriarch's Golden Body to help.

"Thank you for your guidance, Patriarch."

After asking his questions, Zhao Xing immediately sought out Wu Xuanying and Zhang Ping to discuss matters, since only those two currently held the highest official ranks.

Soon, the two of them summoned the heads of the various departments.

Among the martial artists, there were no Third Grade experts. There was only Li Gan, the Fourth Grade commander of the city guard army, because most high-grade martial artists were in the military.

The Mechanism Office also had no high-grade experts. There was only a Fourth Grade official named Gongsun Yang.

Although the mechanisms and equipment in Tianhe Prefecture were of high rank, their operators did not need to be particularly high-ranked.

There were also two others: Peng Yu, dean of the Tianhe Branch of the Li Fire Dao Academy.

And Xiao Han, dean of the Tianhe Branch of the Azure Water Daoist Academy.

These two were also Third Grade, but their strength was merely ordinary. They were weak Third Grade cultivators.

Their role was only to guard the branches established by their academies in Tianhe Prefecture, manage the formations of the Li Fire Divine Altar and the Azure Roaming Azure Sea, and serve as transfer stations for material transport.

Once they left the academy grounds, neither could display Third Grade strength.

"My lords, what can now be confirmed is that the Xinyang Army has rebelled. Its commander has been killed, and the new rebel general has already submitted to Liang King."

"Furthermore, the Heavenly Xia King has raised his banner in rebellion."

Zhang Ping and Wu Xuanying were not surprised upon hearing this.

Gongsun Yang, Peng Yu, and Xiao Han, on the other hand, were badly frightened.

"The Heavenly Xia King is a mid-stage Third Grade martial artist. He earned his kingship through battle in the army."

"He is not especially outstanding in other aspects, but he is exceptionally skilled in battle formations!"

"With an army under his command, not even a Second Grade cultivator can kill him."

Zhang Ping handed over a document. "The Heavenly Xia King has already sent this message to the prefectural city, demanding that He Zhengchen lead the hundred officials in bowing to him and pledging submission."

"The Heavenly Xia King also claims that he has controlled fifty-six eastern counties and that eight garrison forces are now under his command."

"He claims to have three million troops."

"He has given us half a month to consider it. Otherwise, he will lead his army here to kill us."

Zhao Xing took the document and could not help but smile.

This was standard practice for rebels. They all loved boasting, exaggerating their own strength to make themselves seem powerful and trick those who did not know the truth into joining them.

Gongsun Yang, Peng Yu, and Xiao Han found it quite strange. They did not understand why Wu Xuanying and Zhang Ping were treating Zhao Xing so courteously.

It was as if Zhao Xing could stand on equal footing with Wu Xuanying and Zhang Ping.

"My lords, what countermeasures do you have?" Zhao Xing asked.

Zhang Ping and Wu Xuanying exchanged a glance, somewhat hesitant.

They had already guessed that Zhao Xing wanted to deploy troops outside the city to suppress the rebellion.

Wu Xuanying said, "We must hold the prefectural city. As long as it remains under court control, Tianhe Prefecture will not belong to the rebel army, and the counties and districts below will rise in resistance."

"If even the backbone is gone, then the region will have fallen completely."

Zhao Xing nodded. "Without affecting the city's defenses, how many city guard troops can Tianhe Prefecture spare?"

Li Gan considered it. "At most, five thousand men."

Zhang Ping said, "The Transportation Department can only provide five hundred Military Sima Nong officials."

Wu Xuanying said, "Of Tianhe's hundred thousand Netherworld Soldiers and Netherworld Generals, at most ten thousand Netherworld Soldiers and one Netherworld General can be sent to suppress the rebellion. However, I can send Yao Yuanchun out."

When Gongsun Yang saw Zhao Xing glance at him, he did not know why Zhao Xing could so boldly question two Third Grade officials, but he still answered honestly, "Without affecting the city defense mechanism formations, we can deploy ten thousand mid-grade Mechanism Masters to pilot tower ships and operate large siege weapons and realm-breaking mechanisms."

"The Li Fire Dao Academy has no one to deploy," Peng Yu said, shaking his head.

"The Azure Water Daoist Academy is the same," Xiao Han added.

They truly had no one to spare.

By the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Calendar, the Pacifying Barbarians War had dragged on so long that nearly all deployable mid- and high-grade cultivators had been conscripted by Liang King into the military. Only a small number remained to maintain the operations of the inland counties and prefectures.

Otherwise, Liang King would not have dared to rebel.

Zhao Xing nodded and looked at Zhang Ping. "Lord Zhang, how many Seventh Order warships and large siege and realm-breaking mechanisms does the prefectural city have?"

"The military supplies of the Tianhe Transportation Department are abundant. There are five hundred Seventh Order warships and three million large city-breaking and realm-breaking mechanism devices."

"As for the remaining military supplies, even counting only Seventh Order items, they are piled up like mountains."

That was why the prefectural city could not be lost. Tianhe Prefecture was a massive stockpile of military supplies. Whoever captured it would see their power surge at once.

Tianhe Prefecture had abundant supplies and more than enough for defending the city, but it was not well suited for leaving the city to suppress rebellion, because there were not enough personnel to make full use of these warships and great divine weapons.

Personnel and military supplies were separate. If they had faced foreign enemies, the eleven garrison forces outside the city could have supplemented these military supplies and raised their strength to another level.

If it became a prolonged war, there would be enough for those eleven armies to use for thirty to fifty years.

But this was internal strife. The prefectural city's manpower alone was simply not enough.

"My lords, I want to requisition Li Gan and his five hundred city guard troops. All five hundred must be Fifth Grade."

"Li Gan, are you willing to leave the city with me to suppress the rebellion?" Zhao Xing asked.

"This general is willing!" Li Gan immediately declared.

"Lord Gongsun, I need fifty Seventh Order warships. Equip each with its full complement of large divine weapons and mechanisms."

"The Mechanism Masters only need the minimum staffing required to control their flight."

Gongsun Yang asked in surprise, "Lord Zhao, you only have five hundred men. What do you need so many ships for?"

He even wanted fully equipped supplies. No matter how he looked at it, Zhao Xing did not seem to be going to suppress the rebellion. It looked more like he was taking the ships and supplies to defect to the enemy.

Zhao Xing smiled faintly. A shadow blanketed the hall, and then clone after clone appeared within the chamber.

"I have the Ten Thousand Laws Clone."

Gongsun Yang was startled, then immediately understood. "No problem. I will prepare them at once."

In truth, although Zhao Xing only had one hundred Ten Thousand Laws Clones, he could also raise other straw puppets, such as Divine Valor and Holy Shield.

Only the Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet could cast top-tier spells, but the other weaker single-spell straw puppets could number as many as fifty thousand!

The stronger the Derivation God Art, the stronger the straw puppets could be!

Controlling the weapons of those warships was naturally no problem!

"Lord Wu, I do not need Tianhe Prefecture's Netherworld Soldiers and Netherworld Generals. I only need Yao Yuanchun."

Wu Xuanying looked at Yao Yuanchun beside him. A flash of excitement appeared in the latter's eyes.

"Fine. Yuanchun will be entrusted to you."

Zhao Xing said, "The unrest has only just occurred. The rebel traitors and rebel kings have yet to establish themselves firmly. We must eliminate them as soon as possible!"

"Otherwise, once these people purge their dissidents and spread disaster elsewhere, it will cause great turmoil."

"I ask my lords to guard the prefectural city well. In particular, the Azure Water and Blazing Fire passages must not be lost."

Zhang Ping and Wu Xuanying said solemnly, "If the rebel army wants to enter the city, they must first step over my corpse!"

On a moonless, windy night, it was the perfect time for murder and arson.

On the night of February 4th, Zhao Xing gathered fifty Seventh Order warships and quietly left the city. Li Gan and five hundred city guard troops were aboard.

Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen, and five hundred Military Sima Nong officials.

Two thousand five hundred Mechanism Masters.

There was only one priest: Yao Yuanchun.

Originally, the Inspection Department should have had more people available, but Tianhe Prefecture was a military-controlled prefecture. Since the Inspection Department was responsible for supervising the army, its officials had become Overseeing Army officers stationed with the various forces. They did not oversee civil officials, because civil officials had Censorate Inspectors.

Though Zhao Xing had few people now, he held the position of Inspection Envoy, with authority over civil and military officials below Third Grade. As he pacified each place,

his forces would only grow with every battle.

On the warship, Zhao Xing studied the intelligence displayed in the Earth Mirror.

This was the detailed intelligence sent by Luo King.

It was even more meticulous than what Heavenly Yang True Lord had described, down to specific names and locations.

The densely packed list constantly grew and shrank, containing over a hundred thousand entries. The attached intelligence was even more staggering in volume and density!

Anyone slightly weaker would find it impossible to remember all this information, let alone select the useful intelligence and summarize it. Only someone who had cultivated the first level of the Derivation God Art could manage it.

That was why Luo King had been willing to grant Zhao Xing such great authority: he had already mastered the first level of the Derivation God Art.

"In less than three days, Tianhe Prefecture has produced 1,456 'kings'?" Zhao Xing looked over the list.

"Even a Sixth Grade baron dares to overstep his station and call himself king." Yao Yuanchun stood beside him. As a priest, he communicated with Yin Realm Yin Spirits and could naturally obtain some intelligence as well.

"Liang King truly gave them courage. Even Sixth Grade cultivators dare to proclaim themselves kings!"

Zhao Xing chuckled. "Some people had already been tyrants in their local areas. Now that they have lost all restraints, of course they can no longer hold themselves back."

"Where do we begin?" Yao Yuanchun asked.

"The strongest force in all of Tianhe Prefecture is Heavenly Xia King. The rest who call themselves kings are merely self-proclaimed warlords, unworthy of the title," Zhao Xing said.

"Once Heavenly Xia King is eliminated, the other petty kings will be much easier to deal with."

"The prefectural city will also be able to calmly mobilize its troops and commanders."

"With just this handful of people, we're going to kill Heavenly Xia King?" Yao Yuanchun froze. "Brother Zhao, Tianxia County has been developed for centuries. Can we really do it?"

"He is a Third Grade Martial Man. If he is within a battle formation, I fear no one can kill him."

"Don't worry." Zhao Xing looked into the distant night. "He will not be able to form a battle formation."

The Seventh Order warship was extremely fast. In less than half a day, it reached Tianxia County.

"Stop!"

Zhao Xing ordered all the warships to halt within the clouds.

"All warships, enter silent mode."

The fifty warships immediately concealed themselves amid the clouds.

Yao Yuanchun looked at Zhao Xing.

"Brother Yao, keep watch over the surrounding movements."

After saying that, Zhao Xing entered the cabin and lay down on the bed.

"Whoosh~"

He instantly entered the dream.

"My Dreamscape Heaven and Earth can now cover all of Tianxia County." Zhao Xing looked at Tianxia County within the dreamscape.

He smiled faintly.

Yao Yuanchun was right. If Heavenly Xia King remained within a battle formation, he would be difficult to kill.

But as long as Zhao Xing removed his mid-grade backbone, Heavenly Xia King would be unable to deploy his battle formation.

Then Heavenly Xia King would be nothing more than an ordinary mid-stage Third Grade martial artist.

"Heavenly Xia King is mid-stage Third Grade. Soldiers more than three major ranks below him cannot form a Qi and Blood Battle Formation with him. If only mid-stage Sixth Grade martial artists form the formation, without Fifth Grade and Fourth Grade cultivators to bridge the gap, it would be like a small horse pulling a large cart. Not only would it provide no amplification, it would instead drag Heavenly Xia King down."

"So long as I kill all his mid-level commanders before coming for him, dealing with him will become much easier."

"To kill all of Heavenly Xia King's mid-level commanders, only the Dream Walking Art can do it."

Zhao Xing's dreamscape rapidly expanded, blanketing Tianxia County below.

The Dream Walking Art could kill people in dreams. At present, Zhao Xing could not deal with high-grade cultivators and could only bully those beneath his realm.

Yet with his current soul strength, everyone below Third Grade was easy prey!

Dreamscape Heaven and Earth was the foundation for casting the Dream Walking Art.

Zhao Xing could now cover an entire county.

"It is currently the Rat Hour. Most people are already asleep."

"But quite a few are still awake."

Within Dreamscape Heaven and Earth, more than three thousand spheres floated in the air like bubbles.

The larger the bubble, the higher its owner's realm. The darker its color, the deeper they had entered the dream; the lighter the color, the shallower the dream.

"Over three thousand mid-grade cultivators. Their colors are mostly very light, proving that they have not sunk deeply into their dreams." Zhao Xing watched them.

"Thousand Miles No Return!"

Zhao Xing immediately formed hand seals, and the more than three thousand dream bubbles instantly turned black as ink.

A technique of the Dream Walking Art: Thousand Miles No Return!

Walking a thousand miles was used to describe the depth of one's dream.

It differed from the Sleep Bug. Though both affected the soul, the Sleep Bug drew out Fate Soul parasitic worms, while Thousand Miles No Return created layered dreams that made waking difficult.

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing entered one of the black bubbles.

Inside, a Fifth Grade commander was dreaming a beautiful dream of wearing a python robe and being surrounded by a harem.

"Die!"

A blade appeared in Zhao Xing's hand, and he instantly appeared behind the commander.

"Pfft~"

The blade rose and fell, and the man's head dropped to the ground.

"Dream Soul Severing. Once the soul dies, the Dao vanishes."

This is the fastest method, Zhao Xing thought.

Once the man died, the black bubble vanished with him. Zhao Xing then appeared in another dream.

Throughout this time, another "Zhao Xing" stood in the sky of the dreamscape.

This was the Dream Walking anchor point, preventing him from becoming lost in an expert's dream and being unable to distinguish dream from reality.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft~"

Zhao Xing moved incredibly fast. The foundational art of the ancient Dream God Sect displayed terrifying effectiveness.

Whether Fourth Grade or Sixth Grade, so long as their soul realm was below Zhao Xing's, none could resist.

They could neither call for help nor escape.

They died silently within their dreams.

In only a quarter of an hour, all three thousand-plus mid-grade commanders had died.

In reality, they looked as though they had simply fallen asleep. Their bodies still breathed instinctively, with no sign of anything unusual.

"Dreamscape Heaven and Earth is the foundation of the Dream Walking Art."

"Dream-Walking Thousand Miles is the speed of movement within dreams."

"Thousand Miles No Return deepens the dream's intensity."

"Dream Soul Severing is the fastest method of killing enemies."

Looking at the now-empty Dreamscape Heaven and Earth, Zhao Xing could not help but sigh at the terrifying power of the Dream Walking Art.

"Legend says that during the era of the ancient Divine Sect, there was a Spring Palace official named Wei Zheng who cultivated the Dream Walking Art. He was summoned to the imperial palace to play chess with the emperor, when Spring Palace happened to come under attack from the Dragon Clan."

"He could not refuse the game with the emperor and return to Spring Palace. Thus, during the midday break, he used the Dream Walking Art to reach Spring Palace millions upon millions of miles away and slew the wicked dragon causing the disaster."

"The moment the wicked dragon's soul died, its body shattered into countless fragments."

My Dream Walking Art can only cover a single county right now. Even after severing a soul, I cannot affect the physical body in reality, Zhao Xing thought.

In the era of spiritual energy, some martial experts fused their physical bodies, Seven Po, and souls together. Severing only the Fate Soul did not truly count as killing them; they could still be reborn through the remnants of their souls within their bodies.

"More than three thousand have died, including ten Fourth Grade cultivators. But at this hour, many people are still not asleep."

Falling asleep did not necessarily mean dreaming.

But how could the Dream Walking Art be so inconvenient?

"The Sleep Bug Art can make them fall asleep. Once they are asleep, I can use Inviting You Into a Dream from the Dream Walking Art."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes and reappeared in the cabin.

"Brother Yao, do you know an invisibility technique?"

"I do." Yao Yuanchun nodded.

"Please escort me down," Zhao Xing said.

"We only need to remain at an altitude of three thousand meters."

"Alright." Yao Yuanchun nodded and flew out of the Seventh Order warship with Zhao Xing, descending from ten thousand meters in the sky.

The Sleep Bug was now also at the level of a top-tier technique. Its maximum casting range could reach ten thousand meters.

However, to unleash the technique's greatest power, he needed to be within three thousand meters.

All of Zhao Xing's Ten Thousand Laws Clones were currently within his body, while his Seven-Star Fate Soul had also fused into one.

When casting such a large-scale soul technique, it was difficult to simultaneously cast other spells, so he needed someone to guard him.

"This should do." Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun entered the three-thousand-meter altitude range and stopped.

The sky was dark and hazy, and wild winds howled.

Yao Yuanchun silently watched Zhao Xing sit cross-legged in the air.

With his heavenly eye open, he could see specks of brilliant light constantly rising from Tianxia County below.

"Drawing out souls?" Yao Yuanchun's expression changed drastically.

What kind of evil technique was this?

But after looking more closely, he realized he had been mistaken.

What rose into the sky were tiny worms. Although they resembled human Yin Spirits in nature, they were not human Fate Souls.

"These are Soul Worms?" As a Fourth Grade priest, Yao Yuanchun was proficient in the path of souls and naturally knew that human Fate Souls contained many tiny wormlike creatures.

However, he had not studied them deeply. He only knew that such things existed and did not know their purpose.

"Zhao Chen'an, just what is your background? I have never even heard of such profound soul arts." Yao Yuanchun was utterly astonished.

He had once believed himself extraordinarily talented, someone who could rank among the best in Pinghai Province. Yet after seeing Zhao Xing today, he realized how narrow his world had been.

After this, I will apply to join the Nine Provinces Traveling Office and travel the world. My knowledge is still far too shallow, Yao Yuanchun thought.

Tianxia County, east of the county city, Tianxia Prefecture.

"Haah~" Chen Guang, a bald and burly man of Upper Fourth Rank, was cultivating within the residence, adapting to his new realm.

After Heavenly Xia King rebelled, he bestowed many treasures upon his subordinates to improve their strength.

As one of Heavenly Xia King's personal guard commanders, Chen Guang was currently digesting the Heavenly Spirit Yuan Pill he had taken yesterday.

"Haah~ What is going on? Why am I so sleepy today?" Chen Guang yawned once more.

"Could it be that my strength has risen greatly after taking the pill, and I have been busy for too many days, so I am somewhat exhausted?"

"No, I cannot sleep now. The king may summon me at any moment." Chen Guang circulated his qi and blood, forcing himself to stay alert.

But the drowsiness was too heavy, washing over him again and again, while his eyelids grew increasingly heavy.

Chen Guang could have chosen to injure himself to continue resisting it.

But he was not fighting an enemy right now. Who would mutilate himself just to fight off sleepiness? That would be madness.

"Forget it. I'll sleep for one hour." Chen Guang could no longer endure it. After giving an instruction to the guards stationed outside, he lay down upon a jade bed to rest.

"Inviting You Into a Dream!" In his daze, Chen Guang seemed to hear something, but his mind was already completely unclear.

Under the effects of the top-tier Sleep Bug and Inviting You Into a Dream, he instantly entered the dreamscape.

Tianxia King's Residence.

"Beginning on the fifth day of the second month, the Tianxia Army's Divine Mechanism Battalion, Divine Fire Camp, Divine Node Camp, and Heavenly Dragon Camp will assemble in Tiannan County."

"I will use Tiannan County as the foundation to bring the seventy-two counties south of Tianhe Prefecture under my control."

"Additionally, I am determined to obtain the Yuan Puppet Army. It is an army composed entirely of mechanical puppets, fearless in the face of death, and it will certainly display tremendous strength—Insolence!"

As Heavenly Xia King spoke, he suddenly slammed a hand down on the sand table and glared furiously at the commanders below.

Because while he was speaking, three Fifth Grade commanders had been yawning repeatedly.

This was simply intolerable!

"Men, drag them away for me—hm?"

Before Heavenly Xia King could announce any punishment, the three men suddenly closed their eyes, toppled to the ground, and fell into deep sleep.

At the same time, among the dozens of commanders in the sand-table strategy hall, more than half began yawning.

"Thud~ Thud~"

One commander after another suddenly collapsed and fell asleep.

During the moment Heavenly Xia King stood stunned, half of them had already fallen!

No matter how foolish he was, he now realized something was wrong.

"Everyone, circulate your vital energy and stimulate your central channels and the two Celestial Impact po!" Heavenly Xia King's voice boomed like thunder beside the remaining men's ears.

"General, I'm so sleepy—"

"General, I... I can't hold on."

Even so, many Fourth Grade commanders still wore drowsy expressions and were utterly unable to resist.

"Who is pretending to be a ghost here!"

Heavenly Xia King was both shocked and enraged. He had never seen such a technique before.

"Essence Soul Leaving the Body!"

Heavenly Xia King stood motionless as a phantom emerged from his body and swept its gaze across the commanders' Fate Souls.

He discovered that their Fate Souls were all wrapped in black spheres.

"What? What kind of technique is this? It can actually drag even my Fourth Grade commanders into dreams!" Heavenly Xia King was incomparably horrified.

There were layers upon layers of defensive formations here, yet someone had silently infiltrated them?

"Wake up!"

Heavenly Xia King roared, his Fate Soul flashing with light.

Boom!

His voice exploded through the great hall.

Of the forty commanders, half immediately awoke.

But the other half remained asleep.

"Inviting You Into a Dream~~"

The lingering notes made the Heavenly Xia King feel waves of drowsiness as well.

Startled, he immediately returned to his physical body.

Whoosh!

He immediately flew upward toward the source of the sound.

At this moment, the Heavenly Xia King did not know that the Fate Souls of half the sleeping people had already died.

Dream Soul Severing differed from directly killing a Fate Soul. It gradually led the soul toward annihilation.

The Heavenly Xia King was not versed in the path of souls. He merely assumed someone had used some illusion technique and caused the generals under his command to fall victim to it.

How could he tolerate that? If all his mid-level generals were gone, how was he supposed to command an army?

So he had to find this person and deal with him. Even if he knew it might be a trap, he had to investigate.

"As expected, I still can't put a Third Grade to sleep." Zhao Xing opened his eyes in the sky. "But this is enough."

"Brother Zhao, an Expert is flying up from below." Yao Yuanchun immediately stared downward with a tense expression.

"It's the Heavenly Xia King." Zhao Xing rose as well. "Brother Yao, prepare for battle!"

Below, at the county prince's residence, an ancient bronze war chariot rode the gale winds into the sky.

The Heavenly Xia King wore battle armor and stood within the chariot, radiating Golden Light.

Behind his chariot were fifteen personal guards, likewise riding Bronze Beast-Headed Chariots.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun swiftly flew higher.

"Where do you think you're running?!"

The Heavenly Xia King roared, and his chariot rapidly gave chase.

His set of chariots was an Eighth Order treasure. It could form a spell formation in midair, and its speed was exceptionally swift.

As long as he caught up, he was completely confident he could trap these two sneaky little thieves to death.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just as he was about to catch them, Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun suddenly burst forth in a cloud of mist, accelerating upward and widening the gap again. At the same time, both their auras dropped noticeably.

"Hmph, using a Forbidden Art to escape? Let's see how many times you can use it!" The Heavenly Xia King continued the pursuit.

In less than twenty breaths, the distance had closed to within five hundred meters again.

Yet at that moment, another cloud of mist burst out behind the two.

The distance widened to a thousand meters once more.

"Almost caught them." The Heavenly Xia King sensed that their vital energy had fallen by half.

They were merely two Fourth Grade cultivators. How could he let them go so easily?

Ten breaths later.

Zhao Xing once again used Ruler of the Horizon, taking Yao Yuanchun with him and widening the distance.

Heavenly Xia King:

At this moment, the Heavenly Xia King felt exactly as Blood Spirit Venerable had back then.

He clearly felt that he was about to catch them. How had they escaped again?

The Heavenly Xia King relied on his overwhelming realm and was bold by nature. Even knowing there might be a scheme, he continued chasing them.

This repeated more than a dozen times.

Finally, Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun stopped.

By then, the Heavenly Xia King had pursued them to an altitude of thirty thousand meters.

"Brats, not running anymore?"

The Heavenly Xia King grinned viciously at Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun.

"Open fire!"

Zhao Xing immediately gave the order.

"What?" The Heavenly Xia King froze. Open fire on what?

Whoosh!

Zhao Xing smiled faintly, grabbed Yao Yuanchun, and vanished completely from the Heavenly Xia King's sight in an explosion of mist.

"What?" A flicker of surprise passed through the Heavenly Xia King's eyes.

This time, he had completely lost his sense of Zhao Xing.

At the same time, fifty Seventh Order warships appeared in the sky, spewing flames.

"What? Seventh Order Primal Chaos Warships?!" The Heavenly Xia King's heart shook violently. "And they've formed the Primal Chaos Fire-Element Formation!" He had thought he had surrounded Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun, only to find that he had entered their encirclement instead!

"Charge through!"

The Heavenly Xia King immediately chose a direction and charged violently.

But the encirclement had already taken shape.

Before Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun fled out, the red canopy of heaven had completely sealed shut.

The fifty Seventh Order warships had already activated in unison before Zhao Xing arrived.

Along the sides of the ships were forty-nine black openings, each with a radius of three meters.

At Zhao Xing's command, vast amounts of magma-like, viscous flames immediately gushed from those openings.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

These flames did not blast directly at the Heavenly Xia King. Instead, they struck the gale-wind layer two thousand meters away from him.

Rumble!

The near-solid flames seemed to crawl across the space within the gale-wind layer.

Centered on the Heavenly Xia King, they formed a flaming cage!

Fire!

Fire!

As far as the eye could see, there was fire everywhere!

Zhao Xing and Yao Yuanchun were extremely fast. Ruler of the Horizon was nearly instantaneous, allowing them to escape the flaming cage.

But the Heavenly Xia King and the personal guards behind him were a step too slow and were sealed within it.

"Heavenly Xia King, do you recognize this Li Fire Cage?" Zhao Xing's voice rang out.

Of course the Heavenly Xia King recognized it!

Having come from the military, he knew that Primal Chaos Warships were specifically designed to surround and kill high-grade cultivators.

Moreover, he could see that the range sealed by the South Bright Li Fire was so vast that the warships clearly did not lack reserve materials!

If the fifty warships merely maintained the Li Fire Cage, they could keep it burning for an entire year!

"Heavenly Xia King, cripple your cultivation now and surrender obediently. I can make the decision to spare one branch of your descendants."

Zhao Xing said.

"You haven't committed any truly heinous crimes yet. Presumably, your ancestors still possess a Death-Exemption Pill Book. Keeping one direct branch alive shouldn't be a problem."

"Hmph! This mere Li Fire Cage can at most trap me. It cannot kill me at all," the Heavenly Xia King said. "You are on Tianxia County territory. With such a commotion, do you think you can escape?"

"I have an army of a million, with five thousand Fourth Grade generals!"

"With reinforcements arriving from the six counties, where can you run?"

"I advise you to remove the spell formation obediently and join me in raising the banner. Otherwise, once the army arrives, you will die without a burial ground!"

Not only did the Heavenly Xia King refuse to surrender, he even began threatening Zhao Xing.

"Hmph, still refusing to repent. Then let's see whether your reinforcements arrive first, or whether you are refined first!"

Zhao Xing sent out a clone and personally operated the warships.

A Primal Chaos Warship could only deploy one elemental formation at a time.

He had deliberately chosen the South Bright Li Fire because they were thirty thousand meters in the air.

The gale winds were violent, and wind fed the flames, maximizing the power of the Li Fire Cage.

This was the pinnacle craftsmanship of Great Zhou Mechanism Masters. If the Heavenly Xia King had not been clever enough to ride out in an Eighth Order chariot, he would likely have been burned to ashes in less than half an hour.

But now, he could rely on his Eighth Order lower-grade main chariot and fifteen Seventh Order mid-grade support chariots.

He held out within the world of flames.

"Brother Zhao, he really fell for it." Yao Yuanchun ran over, delight on his face. He could hardly believe the Heavenly Xia King had truly chased them out.

"Of course he fell for it. We're only Fourth Grade, while he's Third Grade. He also has fifteen Fourth Grade guards and an Eighth Order chariot. Why wouldn't he chase us?" Zhao Xing sneered. "If he lacked even this much courage, how would he dare rebel?"

"Can we kill him?" Yao Yuanchun was not particularly skilled in formations. He had never served in the military and was unfamiliar with the use of military warships.

"Yes, but it will take time," Zhao Xing said. "Within the world of flames, he cannot receive any supplies."

"Every moment, he is consuming his vital energy."

"And our warships have enough fuel to burn for a year."

This was the strength of large military implements.

As long as the Heavenly Xia King dared enter, and no one came to support him, he would certainly die.

"Brother Yao, I need to operate the formation. Leave any small number of enemies to you," Zhao Xing said. "Tianxia County alone shouldn't have many powerful enemies left."

"No problem." Yao Yuanchun clenched his fist. "Leave it to me!"

"Wait. Listen to me first..."

The expression on Yao Yuanchun's face immediately became extremely colorful.

"Yes, I understand."

"Go!"

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, focused intently on the Heavenly Xia King within the world of flames.

Killing a king was an excellent opportunity to gain reputation. He absolutely could not let him escape.

Within the flaming cage, the Heavenly Xia King stood proudly, confident that a great army would surely come to encircle and suppress Zhao Xing.

And indeed, things went just as he had expected.

Only an hour later, activity could be heard outside.

"!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Who goes there?!"

"General!"

"Kill them!"

The cries of battle outside shook the heavens, as though tens of thousands of people had appeared ten thousand meters in the sky.

"Hahaha, they're here!" The Heavenly Xia King could not help laughing. "You two little thieves, release me at once!"

"As long as you cripple your techniques, I can spare your lives!"

"Dream on!" Zhao Xing's voice appeared within the world of flames, both shocked and furious. "Heavenly Xia King, you truly deserve death. You actually incited so many people to rebel!"

"Hmph, those who understand the times are heroes. Boy, your talent and courage are both quite good. Why not submit to me and accomplish great things together?"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The violent sounds drowned out the voices outside once again.

The first day passed amid constant battle cries.

Yet the world of flames remained unbreakable.

On the second day, the commotion became even greater.

The world of flames began to tremble, as though it might collapse at any moment.

By the third day, the Heavenly Xia King attempted to break through twice.

Yet he still returned empty-handed.

At this point, the sounds outside gradually weakened.

At Rat Hour on the third day, the Heavenly Xia King finally realized something was wrong.

Why had three days passed with nothing but thunderclaps and no rain?

Could two Fourth Grade cultivators really prevent his hundreds of thousands of troops from coming to rescue him?

"Damn it, I fell for that brat's trick!" The Heavenly Xia King was both shocked and furious.

Zhao Xing's move was like slowly boiling a frog in warm water.

By the time the Heavenly Xia King realized it, he had no other choice.

"Nine-Dragon Chariot, explode for me!"

Anger flashed in the Heavenly Xia King's eyes as the chariot beneath his feet violently slammed into one section of the flaming cage.

Nine coiling dragons swayed as they erupted with dazzling light.

The instant they struck the flaming cage, they exploded violently.

Boom!

A massive breach was blasted open in the world of flames.

Violent chariot fragments, carrying countless beams of light, scattered in every direction.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Eight Five Elements Warships were also heavily damaged by the impact.

"Go!"

The Heavenly Xia King immediately fled through the breach with his guards.

Clouds of dust erupted through the violent gale-wind layer.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

When the Heavenly Xia King emerged, he faced a hundred Zhao Xings, all extending their fingers toward him.

Behind one of the Zhao Xings stood the phantom of an old man.

Heavenly Thunder Finger!

"What?!" The Heavenly Xia King had no time to dodge, because Zhao Xing was everywhere around him!

Five Emperors Dragon Fist! Die! The Heavenly Xia King roared as he punched toward Zhao Xing. His entire body merged into the fist shadow, which surged like a dragon toward Zhao Xing's true body.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Of the ninety-eight Heavenly Thunder Fingers, ninety-seven struck the golden fist, leaving a small

Kong.

The final Heavenly Thunder Finger abruptly appeared at Heavenly Xia King's chest, striking him directly.

The other ninety-seven were all top-tier Third-Turn Heavenly Thunder Fingers cast by Zhao Xing.

The final one, however, had been cast by Heavenly Yang True Lord.

"Buzz~"

A ring of purple ripples spread across Heavenly Xia King's armor, and his Five Emperors Dragon Fist directly collapsed.

The second ring of ripples turned black, dispersing Heavenly Xia King's protective vital energy and transforming it into the Heavenly Thunder Finger's own power.

After the two ripples passed, the purple and black ripples eerily flowed back, condensing into a black vortex that spun as it pierced through Heavenly Xia King's chest.

"!"

Heavenly Xia King's armor remained completely intact, but his body exploded outright.

The fifteen guards behind him shattered along with him.

"Whooo~"

Within the astral wind layer, only seven war chariots and over a dozen suits of armor remained floating.

"He was really hard to kill." Zhao Xing watched the scene as he withdrew his clone. "We'd already worn him down for three days and three nights. Even after coming out and making a desperate last stand, he still had such tremendous power."

"Disciple's disciple, he was a king enfeoffed by Great Zhou. It's perfectly normal for him to possess such strength."

"Heavenly Xia King excelled at battle formations, and the fifteen guards behind him never left his side. If you hadn't tricked him into enduring three days and three nights in that world of flames, his combat strength would have been even greater."

Zhao Xing nodded. There was still a gap between him and an enfeoffed king.

Although the Ten Thousand Laws Clone had many bodies, its spells were only at the top-tier First-Turn level, while his true body was merely Third-Turn.

From First-Turn to Third-Turn, one had only just entered the realm of top-tier techniques.

Heavenly Xia King, meanwhile, had absolutely reached minor mastery in top-tier martial techniques.

His treasures and equipment were not lacking either. As an enfeoffed king, it was only natural for him to possess such foundations.

"Taken together, my ability to kill Heavenly Xia King relied somewhat on Favorable Timing, Location, and People. It doesn't mean I can slay enfeoffed kings." Zhao Xing summed up.

But Yao Yuanchun beside him did not see it that way at all.

After seeing Zhao Xing kill Heavenly Xia King with a single move, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

If he had merely been curious about Zhao Xing before, and thought him exceptionally talented, Yao Yuanchun was now somewhat afraid of him.

"He lured Heavenly Xia King into the formation, then had me make a commotion outside. He calculated that Heavenly Xia King would be unwilling to immediately use an Eighth Order war chariot in a desperate fight, so he gave him hope and wore him down for three days and three nights, exhausting too much of his vital energy."

"Then, once he broke out of the formation, Zhao Xing had already been waiting there to kill him in a single strike..."

Yao Yuanchun could not help but shudder. "A monster. He's simply a monster. He actually toyed with an enfeoffed king in the palm of his hand."

"Brother Yao, hard work." Zhao Xing walked over.

"Not at all. This subordinate hardly did anything." Yao Yuanchun instinctively straightened his back. Without realizing it, he referred to himself as this subordinate, treating Zhao Xing as his superior.

In truth, there was one point Yao Yuanchun had failed to consider.

The South Bright Li Fire Grand Formation Zhao Xing had set up could not possibly trap Heavenly Xia King completely. Earlier, when Zhao Xing had deliberately asked whether Heavenly Xia King recognized the formation, he had been engaging in tactical deception.

He had made Heavenly Xia King assume from the outset that he could not break the formation alone and could only escape by detonating an Eighth Order war chariot.

Had he continued attacking the grand formation, three days and three nights would have been enough for him to find a flaw and escape.

After all, there were no formidable Mechanism Masters here. With Zhao Xing alone controlling the mechanism formation? Old Master Zhao was only a half-baked amateur.

Unfortunately, Heavenly Xia King had come from the military and understood the power of this Blazing Fire Grand Formation extremely well. During those three days, he had barely made any attempts at all.

"Yao Yuanchun, Li Gan, Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen, take three ships down and pacify Tianxia County." Zhao Xing issued his orders. "Identify those who were coerced. If anyone resists, kill them without mercy."

"Yes!"

After finishing all this, Zhao Xing took out the Earth Mirror and sent a message to Luo King, also updating him on the intelligence from Tianhe Prefecture so that he would not send additional people over.

Dayuan Prefecture, high in the sky.

Luo King, Xin King, and Anning King were discussing matters inside a war fortress.

Suddenly, Luo King took out his Earth Mirror, seemingly communicating with someone.

Xin King and Anning King paid it no mind.

But immediately afterward, the two of them saw that something seemed off about Luo King's expression.

"It was me—yes, Heavenly Xia King has already rebelled. He excels at battle formations and possesses high-grade treasures. You mustn't act rashly—what? You've already killed him?"