At the break of dawn, before the morning sun had risen, every influential figure and well-informed faction in Donghe Commandery City was waiting for news from the prefectural office.
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens, petty merchants, and street vendors had already begun preparing for another day's livelihood.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps spread through every street and alley.
"By order of the imperial court, the heretics of the Tianmu Cult are to be arrested! Everyone must stay indoors with their doors shut. Anyone who leaves without permission will be treated as a Tianmu Cult rebel!"
Donghe Commandery City descended into panic in an instant. The people shut and barred their doors, listening to the footsteps outside and peering through the cracks in their windows at squads of soldiers marching past with weapons in hand, their hearts filled with dread.
Was the world about to fall into chaos again?
Heavy footsteps rang out in the streets. Soldiers clad in armor and armed with weapons had already surrounded the commandery office so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.
The battle had already begun. Inside the prefectural office, Kou Ruozhi and the Twelve Paramounts, along with the County Commandant, watched the great army outside, their expressions exceedingly grim.
"Military Advisor Kou, Jiang Pingshan seems to have laid an ambush long ago. He intends to wipe us out in one fell swoop!"
The County Commandant's face was grave.
"There's a traitor within the cult. Our information has leaked. Look—that's the Divine Might Army!"
Kou Ruozhi showed no sign of panic. He pointed down the street with the goose-feather fan in his hand.
On the main street of the commandery city, a line of soldiers in heavy armor, with long sabers at their waists and spears in hand, rode armored warhorses toward them with a thunderous rumble. The Tianmu Cult members who tried to resist were as flimsy as paper before this army.
Even when more than a dozen first-rate experts charged together, they were ultimately impaled beneath the spears.
This was the Divine Might Army, renowned throughout the Qi Kingdom!
The County Commandant sucked in a cold breath and said in horror, "They actually dispatched the Divine Might Army to Donghe Commandery. Doesn't that mean the Qi court already knew of our cult's plans?
"This time, they're merely taking advantage of the end of the Princes' Succession Struggle to begin settling accounts with the Xu Family, luring us here to slaughter us!"
Kou Ruozhi let out a cold laugh. "That muddleheaded old Qi Emperor still has one or two capable people under him. But to think they can surround and kill us? What a fool's dream.
"Let's go. Next, we'll see how the Xu Family responds."
Kou Ruozhi turned and left, with the others following closely behind.
"The Divine Might Army, huh? Let's see whether Xu Yan is stronger, or the Divine Might Army is!"
Muttering to himself, Kou Ruozhi led the group into a tunnel and left the prefectural office.
By then, the battle at the prefectural office was nearing its end, and the Tianmu Cult members had been routed.
Inside the Xu Family residence, Apothecary Pan returned with more than a dozen people.
"Young Master really did cultivate an unrivaled divine art. It's truly unbelievable! The Xu Family is safe!"
Apothecary Pan exclaimed in amazement.
"Old Pan, after Xu Yan leaves, the safety of the Xu Family will depend on you."
Xu Junhe let out a breath.
He had dismissed Chen the Escort Head and the other guards.
The dozen or so experts Apothecary Pan had brought were all trusted aides whom he had painstakingly nurtured. Calling them death warriors would not have been an exaggeration.
They had always been a hidden trump card of his.
Originally, they had been meant to protect Xu Yan as he fled the Qi Kingdom. Now that they were no longer needed for that, they could only stay behind to protect him and his wife.
"Rest assured, Master!"
Apothecary Pan nodded.
Rumble!
The ground began to tremble. On the main street, a line of cavalrymen carrying spears and wearing long sabers at their waists charged forward.
At the same time, a voice rang out.
"Xu Junhe, stop putting up a pointless resistance. Surrender peacefully, and perhaps you can preserve your life."
It was Jiang Pingshan's voice.
Outside the Xu Family's main gate, Xu Junhe and the others walked out.
"The Divine Might Army!"
Apothecary Pan spoke in a low voice.
Xu Junhe took a deep breath and looked at Xu Yan. "Yan'er, are you confident? If not, then run. There's no need to fight to the death!"
A sharp light flashed in Xu Yan's eyes, and excitement appeared on his face. His Battle Intent soared. Since he had begun cultivating martial arts, he had never encountered an opponent.
Nor had he ever fought to his heart's content.
Now, he finally had the chance to unleash himself fully!
The Qi Kingdom's Divine Might Army was renowned far and wide. Today, he would test this elite army of the secular dynasty.
"Father, rest easy. In my eyes, they're nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs!"
With that, his figure moved, and he soared into the air like a falling leaf, drifting lightly forward on the wind.
"The Qi Emperor's family affairs have implicated innocents. Is it easy for my Xu Family to do business? You actually wish to confiscate my home and saddle the Xu Family with the crime of rebellion. Today, I, Xu Yan, will see just how much battle strength this so-called Divine Might Army really has!"
His voice boomed like thunder across the main street.
The Xu Family residence stood in the core area of the commandery city, where those who lived nearby were either rich or noble.
At that moment, the windows of one pavilion after another opened a crack as people watched the Xu Family residence and the Divine Might Army on the street.
Xu Yan's words reached them, and countless people were left deeply shaken.
"Xu Junhe was brilliant all his life, yet he fathered a fool. This time, that fool won't survive!"
"Everyone says Xu Yan has something wrong with his head. Now it seems it's more than that—he simply doesn't know the meaning of death!"
Those secretly observing the scene sighed repeatedly.
"How dare you!"
"Xu Yan is an atrocious rebel! He must be executed!"
A furious roar came from behind the army.
"Attack!"
At the command, a thunderous rumble erupted, and the ground itself began to shake.
The Divine Might Army leveled its spears, its armor gleaming with cold light. Like a terrifying flood, it charged straight toward the Xu Family residence and attacked Xu Yan directly.
"Good!"
Xu Yan roared. His Vital Energy surged, and a scarlet dragon coiled around his body. He thrust out both palms, and two dragons thundered forth.
On the pavilions, the people watching the scene on the street were utterly stunned.
They saw a scarlet dragon coiled around Xu Yan's body. Then, with a blast from both palms, he sent out two more dragons just like it, directly toward the charging Divine Might Army.
From above, the two dragons could be seen carrying terrifying momentum as they crashed toward the Divine Might Army, which surged forward like a flood.
Boom!
The Dragon Subduing Palm's might was astonishing. The giant dragons swept across the street, and in an instant, men and horses were sent tumbling. The soldiers on horseback fell one after another.
Xu Yan advanced instead of retreating. His figure shot forward as his palms swung, unleashing one wave of Dragon Subduing Palm force after another. Scarlet dragons rolled and pounced across the street, and the Divine Might Army's charge was instantly blown apart.
Boom!
The shops lining both sides of the street were smashed to pieces by flying horses.
One Divine Might Army soldier after another, clad in armor, was sent flying without the slightest power to resist, crashing into the shops.
"This... this..."
"Impossible! It must be an illusion!"
"Could Xu Junhe's fool of a son really have found a Reclusive Master and learned an unrivaled divine art?"
"Aren't all those tales and legends supposed to be fake?"
Everyone who witnessed the scene was shaken to the core.
They found it impossible to believe that what they were seeing was real.
How terrifying was the might of those scarlet dragons? It had already surpassed the power of ordinary humans.
Xu Yan had single-handedly broken the Divine Might Army's charge.
The Divine Might Army was incomparably powerful, the very elite among the Qi Kingdom's elites, and could be called an army that guarded the nation. Yet it had actually been as flimsy as paper?
Xu Junhe's foolish son, obsessed with searching for a Reclusive Master, had long since become the laughingstock of Donghe Commandery. In private, who knew how many times people had gloated over him?
They had mocked the fool of the Xu Family for having something wrong with his head and actually believing the tales and legends in storybooks.
And the result?
The ones with something wrong in their heads were actually themselves?!
Boom!
A shop was smashed open, and terrified screams came from within. Xu Yan withdrew the force of his Dragon Subduing Palm and looked over the street, now strewn with wreckage, at the Divine Might Army soldiers lying on the ground.
Xu Yan said coldly, "Jiang Pingshan, your Divine Might Army can't fight freely inside the city, and you won't accept defeat. Then let's go outside the city. I'll accompany you to the very end!"
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