The battlefield outside the city.
Xu Yan's Vital Energy surged as he unleashed the Dragon Subduing Palm, growing more and more at ease with every move. His control over the strength of his palm force also became increasingly refined.
After the dragon-shaped palm force thundered out, the giant dragon's attacks appeared more agile as well.
Though its might was fiercely unmatched, it also carried a trace of softness.
After this battle, Xu Yan gained even more insight into the Dragon Subduing Palm.
He had a feeling that before long, he would be able to comprehend the Dragon Subduing Palm to an entirely new level once more.
Rumble!
The crimson giant dragon swept across all directions as Xu Yan advanced step by step.
Boom, boom!
After the final row of Divine Might Army soldiers was blasted away, Xu Yan had already arrived before Jiang Pingshan.
Astral qi swirled around his body, while a crimson giant dragon coiled around him, making him look like a divine man who commanded dragons.
Jiang Pingshan's body trembled. The warhorse beneath him backed away, shaking so violently that it looked ready to collapse onto the ground at any moment.
Looking at the young man before him, he couldn't help but lose himself in a daze.
Could such powerful martial arts, like those in storybooks and legends, truly exist in this world?
Recalling one of the reasons his daughter had given for breaking off the engagement—that Xu Yan's brain wasn't quite right—.
At this moment, it felt as though a slap had landed squarely across his own face.
The one whose brain wasn't right was actually himself!
Such a mighty and awe-inspiring young man should have been his son-in-law. Now, he had become someone far beyond their reach.
His heart was bitter.
"The Divine Might Army is nothing special. I haven't even exerted myself yet."
Xu Yan spoke in a flat tone.
Jiang Pingshan looked at the soldiers strewn across the ground. Aside from those who had charged at the very front, whose injuries were more severe and some of whom had died, the soldiers behind them had not suffered serious wounds.
They had merely lost their combat ability for the time being.
Xu Yan had held back.
Even while surrounded and hunted by an army of ten thousand, he had still been able to spare strength and show mercy. Just how powerful did he have to be to accomplish that?
"You won. The Xu Family won."
Jiang Pingshan exhaled and spoke with a complicated expression.
"My father said to have you go see him!"
Xu Yan spoke.
Jiang Pingshan was startled, seeming to understand something. He nodded and said, "Once I deal with the battlefield, I will pay a visit to the Xu Family residence myself!"
Just then, a large crowd surged out of the commandery city.
They held weapons in their hands, their eyes gleaming with excitement as they roared, "Arrest Jiang Pingshan! Arrest the Divine Might Army! May the Heavenly Mother bless us! May the Heavenly Mother bless us!"
When he saw the members of the Tianmu Cult flooding over, Jiang Pingshan's expression changed.
These Tianmu Cult forces had actually concealed themselves so deeply. Even after the army's suppression, they had retained so much strength.
"Kou Ruozhi!"
Jiang Pingshan's expression turned solemn. This failed scholar was truly extraordinary in his methods!
"Get lost!"
Xu Yan roared. His Vital Energy surged, and two crimson giant dragons swept out, blasting a crowd of Tianmu Cult followers away.
"The Divine Might Army that I, Xu Yan, defeated—how could I allow you to take advantage of their misfortune? If you dare come forward again, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
He still remembered what his father had instructed him. He could not let the Tianmu Cult take advantage of the situation.
The Tianmu Cult followers were immediately frightened and did not dare charge forward for the moment.
Jiang Pingshan breathed a sigh of relief. He raised the long spear in his hand, and a squad of soldiers charged out of the commandery city. These were all soldiers of the Great General of Donghe's Manor.
Outside the commandery city, clouds of dust billowed as another army arrived.
It was the army of Donghe Commandery, the force under Jiang Pingshan's control.
The Divine Might Army had merely been temporarily lent to him for command.
Seeing that matters had come to an end, Xu Yan leaped away. His speed was astonishing, yet he made no sound, disappearing from the battlefield in the blink of an eye. Before long, he arrived before Xu Junhe and his wife.
"Yan'er, are you hurt?"
Madam Xu hurriedly took his hand and examined him from head to toe.
"Mother, I'm fine. They were nothing but clay chickens and paper dogs. They couldn't hurt me!"
Xu Yan patted his chest.
"Let's go home."
Seeing that the dust had settled, Xu Junhe exhaled and spoke.
The prominent figures of Donghe Commandery all came over one after another, hoping to build a connection.
Even the countless commoners surged forward with excited faces, wanting to get a close look at the bearing of the invincible rich man's foolish son.
"Make way!"
Xu Yan gave a great shout, and the pressure of his Vital Energy shook outward.
In an instant, no one dared approach!
However, voices came from far away.
"Young Master Xu, where did you find that eminent master?"
"Young Master Xu, where is that eminent master?"
Everyone knew that the rich man's son had been traveling everywhere in search of eminent masters.
Now that he possessed strength like a divine being, he must have found an eminent master.
Where was that mysterious eminent master?
Was he still accepting disciples?
The great figures of Donghe Commandery City all brightened with excitement.
That's right!
Go seek out the eminent master!
Rather than build a connection with the Xu Family, it would be more direct to become the eminent master's disciple.
The Tianmu Cult experts, including Kou Ruozhi, were also greatly excited. They dispatched their followers one after another to search for the eminent master.
"If even the rich man's foolish son can become a disciple and learn powerful martial arts, then my son is clever and capable. He can certainly become a disciple too. Once he learns martial arts, he will definitely be more powerful than Xu Yan!"
"My daughter is clever and quick-witted, beautiful, dexterous, and capable. How could she fail to become a disciple? We must find that eminent master!"
The many great figures in the commandery city all believed that since Xu Junhe's foolish son could become a disciple and learn powerful martial arts, their own children—who were even cleverer and more capable—could certainly become disciples as well.
Their martial arts strength would definitely surpass Xu Yan's!
On this day, the entire commandery city boiled over. No one cared about the chaos in Donghe Commandery or the Tianmu Cult's rebellion anymore. Their minds were filled with nothing but how to seek out an eminent master and become a disciple.
In Yunshan County, the old man in hemp clothes and the county magistrate emerged from the courtyard and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Their mouths had gone dry from talking all night.
Fortunately, they had managed to keep their lives.
After leaving the courtyard, they hurried back to the county office without stopping to discuss how to flee next.
It was too terrifying!
Meanwhile, inside the courtyard, Li Xuan sat leisurely in his chair, listening as the old man in hemp clothes and the others spent the entire night introducing him to matters concerning the Tianmu Cult, Qi Kingdom, Wu Kingdom, and so on.
He finally gained a clearer understanding of the outside world.
What surprised him was that the Tianmu Cult actually had a Heavenly Mother.
The current Heavenly Mother was a young girl of sixteen or seventeen.
The Tianmu Cult's experts had praised her as the most beautiful woman under heaven. They also claimed she had a compassionate heart and could not bear to see people suffer.
It was said that the Heavenly Mother could always make evildoers stop doing evil. Every wicked person whom the Heavenly Mother had admonished had never committed evil again.
It was truly miraculous.
Moreover, although the Heavenly Mother was young, her medical skills were extraordinary, and she had saved countless commoners.
Li Xuan became interested in this young girl as he listened.
"I wonder whether she would be suitable as a disciple?"
To be able to persuade people who committed evil to stop doing evil from then on—that was a real ability.
And no small ability at that!
From the old man in hemp clothes, Li Xuan learned that the current Heavenly Mother was an extremely gifted young girl with a kind heart and superb medical skills.
Young, skilled in medicine, and not weak in martial arts either.
That was a genius!
"It's a pity. That young girl isn't in Qi Kingdom but has gone to Wu Kingdom."
Li Xuan shook his head. If he had the opportunity in the future, he would go take a look at the girl and see whether she was suitable as a disciple.
Li Xuan regarded the Tianmu Cult with an ordinary state of mind.
The sky had already brightened.
"I wonder how things are going at my disciple's home now?"
Li Xuan pondered whether he should make a trip to the commandery city.
"With Qi Kingdom's military strength, Xu Yan's strength should be enough to settle things. There probably won't be any major problems."
Suddenly.
The cluster of golden light appeared in his mind...
Before you continue