Awakening

Liangzhou.

The formidable Zhenbei Pass.

In the past, this was an insurmountable mountain in the hearts of the barbarians, but now it is covered with barbarian flags, fluttering in the wind.

Inside the pass, the northern barbarian soldiers sang and danced, venting the pent-up frustrations of the past thousand years.

They are poised to strike, waiting only for the barbarian emperor's command before they trample Liangzhou and devour the fertile land in the distance.

The Great Flame Martial Saint's prolonged silence fueled their growing ferocity. They would glare menacingly at the distant Great Flame army, their eyes gleaming with amusement at the sight of the soldiers watching from afar. They could clearly see the panic and anger on the faces of the Great Flame soldiers, which gave them a sense of pleasure, like toying with their prey.

Strange cries echoed outside the formidable pass.

Those were the Northern Barbarian cavalrymen laughing and joking. They brazenly carried their prey past the Great Flame army stationed there, defying them with their skillful horsemanship.

certainly.

It's not that there aren't capable people in the Great Flame Dynasty, it's just that they dare not make a move.

If they killed these provocative cavalrymen, it would provoke a large-scale attack from the Northern Barbarians, and they could not bear the consequences. Ultimately, it was because the Great Flame Martial Saint had not appeared that they lacked confidence.

Many sects also sent powerful figures to spy in the shadows and keep abreast of the latest developments.

But today.

The situation has changed.

"You coward from Great Flame, if you have the guts, come and kill me!"

"A bunch of pathetic jokes! See that on my shoulder? That's your woman!"

A group of northern barbarian cavalrymen roared with laughter, mocking the enemy without restraint.

The soldiers of the Great Flame watched this scene with their eyes reddened with anger. They wanted to take action, but dared not, and could only silently endure the provocation.

The northern barbarian cavalry hurled even more offensive insults.

There was still no movement within the Great Flame camp.

"Let's go, let's go! A bunch of useless trash, how utterly boring!" The leader laughed, preparing to leave victorious.

A sudden change occurred.

An arrow shot out from the depths of the camp, carrying a force that tore through the air, piercing straight through the leader's head. Its momentum continued, piercing through seven or eight more Northern Barbarian cavalrymen in succession. The remaining Northern Barbarian cavalrymen were terrified and retreated to the rear.

The soldiers of the Great Flame were all invigorated.

But there wasn't even time to be happy.

A series of powerful figures flew in from the sky; they were the Celestial Person Realm from the Northern Barbarians, their furious voices echoing across the land:

"You have committed the crime of killing my barbarian sons! Hand over the murderer, or you will pay the price in blood today!"

Within the formidable Zhenbei Pass.

The barbarian soldiers roared in unison in support, their imposing presence overwhelming. The shadow of war instantly loomed over every soldier of the Great Flame. Their faces turned pale, and they couldn't help but tremble when they saw the majestic figure standing atop Zhenbei Pass.

The barbarian king is invincible.

Within the Great Flame camp, a figure soared into the sky, wielding a long spear and clad in blue armor, exuding an imposing aura.

General Shenyu took a deep breath, his eyes flashing like lightning:

"I'm the one who killed him, so what?"

The barbarian general sneered:

"Fine! Very well, commit suicide to atone for your sins, or I'll make your Great Flame bleed rivers!"

General Shenyu cursed angrily:

"Bullshit!"

That's all.

His spear shimmered with light, and a stunning spear beam slashed out.

The barbarian general clearly hadn't expected the Great Flame people, who had been so timid for so long, to suddenly become so tough. Caught off guard, he was almost cleaved in two, and even so, he was quite disheveled, which immediately broke his defenses.

"Fine! Looks like you're tired of living!"

"Kill!"

He shouted angrily.

Almost in the blink of an eye.

A major war is about to break out.

The Great Flame soldiers, who had been holding back their anger for so long, didn't care about anything else. Now that the Great General had made a move, they just wanted to vent their anger. As for what happened afterward, that was none of their business. The barbarian soldiers felt the same way; now that they had the opportunity, they couldn't care less about anything else.

On the earth.

The two armies clashed, their shouts shaking the heavens.

Powerful martial artists also engaged in fierce battles.

Above Zhenbei Pass.

The Barbarian King watched quietly, with the Precious Tree Buddha beside him. Everything in the distance seemed like child's play to them; even powerful experts on the Celestial Person Ranking were pitifully weak in their eyes.

"It seems that Saint Yan's health is indeed in trouble. The Demon Sect founded by the remnants of the Great Yu Dynasty caused him considerable trouble," said Buddha Baoshu with a smile.

The barbarian king first nodded, then shook his head:

"The Demon Sect doesn't have that kind of power. Even if they create a fake saint, it will only cause a little trouble at most. It's most likely still due to the influence of the bloodline technique."

He added:

"Enough, there's no point in thinking about it. We've waited so long and they still haven't appeared, it's time to reap the rewards. Otherwise, if all the old guys were to appear at once, there probably wouldn't be enough to go around. We don't need to be greedy, taking over two states plus the existing grasslands should be enough."

As he spoke.

With a single step, he was already high in the air above the Battlefield.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree followed closely behind.

The two of them, like the sun, instinctively attracted everyone's attention.

Without the Barbarian Emperor's prompting, the Buddha of the Precious Tree had already summoned the Crystal Precious Tree, its seven-colored light swirling around it, causing the entire Great Flame region to tremble in their hearts.

In the blink of an eye.

A massive, overwhelming Buddha palm had already materialized, its intense pressure suffocating everyone. Several hidden top-tier Celestial Person Realm experts appeared, but they were like ants before this Buddha palm.

The Buddha's palm pressed down.

The northern barbarians cheered, while the Great Flame was terrified.

General Shenyu's pupils contracted sharply. He began to tense up, fearing that he would become the eternal sinner of the Great Flame. Today's events were not his own decision, but rather the result of a secret letter he had received from the capital.

Just as he was filled with fear.

The distant horizon.

A wisp of flame soared into the sky, initially insignificant, but in the blink of an eye it transformed into a sea of crimson fire.

The sound of burning echoed through the void. In just a short moment, the terrifying Buddha's palm had turned to ashes. Moreover, the flames had an extremely strong aftereffect, and continued to burn along the glass tree.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree's expression changed drastically, and he let out a strange cry. A dense golden light surged from his body as he exerted all his strength. The Barbarian King also looked solemn, and streams of spiritual power swept out to help the Buddha of the Precious Tree extinguish the flames.

A figure approached with his hands behind his back.

Standing in the void, he possessed an air of looking down upon the world.

Everyone in the Great Flame wore expressions of cheers and shock.

"General Yanwu!" General Shenyu instinctively wanted to call out, but immediately stopped himself, because the person in front of him, apart from looking exactly like General Yanwu, was completely different in both demeanor and bearing.

The Barbarian King and the Buddha of the Precious Tree finally extinguished the flames. They looked at the old man before them with extremely solemn expressions.

"Saint Yan!"

Li Yanwu surveyed the Battlefield and said calmly:

"Get out of the Great Flame, and we will not hold your crimes against you today accountable."

His words were simple, yet they were full of domineering power.

The Great Flame side was in an uproar, while the Northern Barbarian soldiers trembled. The Great Flame Martial Saint had dominated the world for two thousand years, and his influence could not be eliminated in a short period of time.

The barbarian king's face was grim. He stood side by side with the Buddha of the Precious Tree, confronting Li Yanwu.

"Saint Yan, times have changed. In the past, we were asleep, and it didn't matter if the world belonged to you. Now that you have returned, everything needs to be reshuffled." He gazed ahead and continued, "I only need Liangzhou."

The Battlefield below has gradually calmed down.

Countless people eagerly awaited it.

But Li Yanwu simply uttered a single word:

"Roll."

In an instant.

The situation is constantly changing.

Boundless flames rose behind him, illuminating the entire world with dazzling light. The clouds high in the sky were scorched clean. The Barbarian King and the Buddha of the Precious Tree paled as two towering pillars of fire burst forth from them and then pressed down on the two of them.

The crystal tree shone brightly, and a Buddha sat cross-legged on it; a dark aura gathered around the barbarian emperor, and a three-headed wolf roared and charged out.

But all of this was to no avail.

The pillar of fire was powerful and unstoppable.

The Buddha was swept away by the flames and instantly turned to ashes; the Buddha under the precious tree was suppressed into the ground. The three-headed wolf resisted for a breath, and then also turned into nothingness. The barbarian king changed color, not wanting to be in such a sorry state, but he was still blasted far away by the impact of the pillar of fire, and flew backwards tumbling.

In an instant.

The world was silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the Great Flame Martial Saint.

I originally thought it would be a fierce battle, but I didn't expect the gap to be so big.

"Martial Saint! Martial Saint!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the Great Flame side.

Li Yanwu simply stood with his hands behind his back, gazing ahead.

At some point, a blind old man reappeared on the Battlefield, and some people had already recognized his identity.

The Old Man Who Listens to the Wind!

Before the Celestial Person Ceremony at Zhenxuan Mountain, Elder Tingfeng might have only been ranked first on the Celestial Person Ranking. But now, everyone knows that this equally formidable and ruthless individual had easily separated four ancient saints on Zhenxuan Mountain.

Li Yanwu lowered himself and met his gaze.

The old man who listens to the wind only sighed softly:

"Fellow Daoist, how have you been?"

Li Yanwu nodded and said:

"I understand what you mean, otherwise things wouldn't have turned out this way today."

The Barbarian King and the Buddha of the Precious Tree charged back angrily, landing behind the Old Man Listening to the Wind. They seemed to have found their support, and roared:

"Fellow Heavenly Dao, you be the judge. Is it excessive for us to return now and carve out a territory?"

Li Yanwu's eyes turned cold.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree trembled involuntarily. He had initially thought Li Yanwu was experiencing a physical problem, but he hadn't expected him to be so excessively strong. However, the Barbarian King then said in a deep voice:

"Saint Yan, we are indeed no match for you now, but what about after the Spirituality is restored? You can hold off the two of us, but can you hold off so many fellow Daoists?"

Li Yanwu dismissed it with disdain:

"We'll see who has the best skills then; for now, get out of here!"

These impolite words made the barbarian king's face even uglier, and he was about to continue speaking.

The old man listening to the wind gently waved his hand:

"You two, shut up too."

The barbarian king's face darkened further.

The two strongest individuals at this stage are now on opposite sides, and they have no way to resist.

The old man who listens to the wind continued:

"Barbarian King, your barbarian grasslands are already vast enough; there's no need to fight over these places anymore. As for the fellow cultivators who will gradually recover in the future, the Saint Yan will certainly allocate corresponding territories to them. As for the rest, remember, this is what the Saint Yan deserves."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Both the barbarian king and the Buddha of the Precious Tree remained silent.

Li Yanwu nodded slightly.

"Of course, we can allocate some territory to fellow cultivators who recover in the future, but the main body of my Great Flame will not be allowed to touch it."

The barbarian king merely snorted coldly.

Today's situation is hopeless. After a fierce battle, we gained nothing, and continuing will not bring any benefit either.

He didn't say anything, he just turned and left.

Li Yanwu's voice sounded from behind:

"Etc."

The barbarian king roared:

"What? Does Saint Yan want to continue?"

He turned around abruptly, his eyes filled with Sha Qi.

Li Yanwu coldly said:

"People may leave, but debts cannot be forgiven. For every soldier of the Great Flame we killed, just as many will remain."

The barbarian king's eyes held a palpable ferocity, as if he were suppressing something. The Buddha of the Precious Tree gently tugged at him, allowing the barbarian king to gradually calm his murderous intent intent. He stared intently at Li Yanwu for a moment, then coldly said:

"Good."

After uttering that word, he flew away.

He wasn't feeling sorry for the million northern barbarian soldiers who were about to be enslaved or slaughtered; he simply didn't want to stay any longer because he had already lost face.

The Buddha of the Precious Tree smiled bitterly to himself.

Having suffered repeated setbacks since his birth, he could only be thankful that he hadn't lost any spiritual blood like he had at True Profound Mountain.

After bowing with his hands clasped together, he followed closely behind the barbarian king.

The old man listening to the wind nodded slightly to Li Yanwu, then turned and left.

Only the countless soldiers of the Northern Barbarians remained, their minds filled with shock and fear.

Li Yanwu looked at the fearful gazes and said indifferently:

"Kill."

News of the Battle of Liangzhou spread throughout the land at an extremely rapid pace.

The Great Flame Martial Saint Li Yanwu emerged out of nowhere, the Barbarian Emperor was defeated and a million Northern Barbarian soldiers were slaughtered.

The world was shaken once again.

Mingwu Pavilion.

Ning Qi was slightly surprised when he heard Luo Wentian mention this news.

"Li Yanwu? Isn't that General Yanwu? I heard that the Great Flame Martial Saint who appeared on the Liangzhou Battlefield looks exactly like General Yanwu, and was called the Saint Yan by the Barbarian Emperor and the Precious Tree Buddha."

As he pondered the matter, he connected it with the method the old Daoist priest of Bai Shan had told him about living in the present world through bloodline Inheritance, and he vaguely understood what was going on.

"Is it linked by bloodline...? There seems to be a difference between the methods of the Saint Yan and the Wind Listener."

Ning Qi thought to himself, and then said:

"The Saint Yan's powerful return at the crucial moment thwarted the Barbarian Emperor's plans. This means that at least for the short term, the Great Flame will not fall apart. However, it seems that the Saint Yan is also wary of the ancient saints who are about to return, and has even promised to allocate a portion of the territory to them."

Luo Wentian nodded solemnly:

"That's right. The dynasty has an insatiable obsession with the unification of its territory, and the fact that it's now making concessions is a testament to that."

Daoist Longshan put down his teacup:

"There's no point in thinking about it too much. At least for now, these matters are none of our True Martial Sect's concern. With the emergence of the Saint Yan, those martial arts sects will quiet down a bit. How is the Prince of Zhenbei doing now?"

Luo Wentian:

"He's still recovering from his injuries. He was quite lucky to have avoided the Barbarian King's wrath; otherwise, he might have become the target of the Barbarian King's 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey'."

Daoist Longshan was relieved:

"That's good, so Little Eleven won't keep worrying about it."

Luo Wentian then said:

"There's one more thing."

"It seems that all the remnants of the Demon Sect have disappeared."

His expression turned slightly serious.

Ning Qi's eyes paused.

Luo Wentian continued:

"Some time ago, the Demon Sect received support from some unknown force and began to stir up trouble. However, since the return of the ancient sages at the True Profound Mountain Celestial Person Ceremony and the Battle of Liangzhou, the remnants of the Demon Sect have completely fallen silent."

"Whether it was the leader of the Demon Sect who emerged from seclusion, or an ancient sage supporting them, or some other hidden force, remains unknown."

Daoist Longshan nodded slowly:

"Nowadays, the situation in the world has changed greatly. Although the threat of the Demon Sect is not as good as before, we cannot relax our vigilance. Although there is no news about other ancient saints now, we cannot rule out that some ancient saints have returned and are dormant in the dark. You cannot be too careful to avoid provoking these old monsters."

Ning Qi asked:

Any news from southern Xinjiang?

In this era of the resurgence of ancient saints, the threat from the Southern Frontier is really nothing. The reason he asked about the Southern Frontier now is because he was reminded of the Blood Emperor Gu.

In recent days.

He and the Sword Demon made another attempt to refine Spiritual Qi and achieved considerable progress.

At this rate, it wouldn't be difficult to deduce the secret technique for filtering out poisonous substances. At least a rough version could be done. However, another problem arises: the Spirituality within the Yu Wang Pearl is not enough for one person to reach the Martial Saint realm. Further research will stagnate, and Ning Qi needs to find other external resources. He must plan ahead.

The Blood Emperor Gu naturally caught his eye.

Luo Wentian frowned slightly:

"Previously, intelligence indicated that the Southern Frontier was cultivating the Blood King Gu in the Northern Barbarians, but now that the Barbarian Emperor has returned, there is likely to be conflict between the two sides. The Southern Frontier should have already retreated into hiding."

Ning Qi nodded slowly.

"Senior Brother, focus your attention on this; I have a great use for you."

Luo Wentian's expression turned serious, and he quickly nodded.

Another month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The world is in turmoil.

The aftermath of the Battle of Liangzhou continues to unfold and is being widely discussed.

With the birth of the Great Flame Martial Saint, the prestige of Great Flame rose once again. All the martial arts sects within its territory were completely obedient and dared not do anything high-profile. All their previous little schemes were put away.

But there are always exceptions.

Another ancient sage has been born!

Not just one, but two in a row.

One is called the Crimson Sun Martial Saint, and the other is called the Black Martial Saint. The former appeared in Yunzhou, while the latter appeared in Cangzhou. The former's Inheritance has long been lost in the long river of history, while the latter has a branch that has survived, which is the Misty Rain Pavilion that once came to Daoist Longshan's Celestial Person Ceremony to offer gifts.

The appearance of the two Martial Saint initially caused quite a commotion, but Li Yanwu, the Great Flame Martial Saint, rushed over immediately.

After discussions.

Ultimately, a piece of land was allocated to the two Martial Saint in Yunzhou and Cangzhou respectively. This land included not only fertile soil and a large population, but also famous mountains and marshes.

For a time, the whole world took notice.

This almost means a state within a state.

The status of the ancient saints has risen rapidly, and the world has realized that even the currently powerful Great Flame Martial Saint has to give face to the ancient saints. This has made some martial arts sects look forward to the possibility of an ancient saint taking notice of them.

The reason is simply because the Martial Saint of Chiyang supported a sect in Yunzhou and renamed it the Chiyang Sect. Although it changed its affiliation, it soared to great heights, making countless people envious.

Everyone knows.

This is just the beginning.

With the return of these two Martial Saint, one after another, Martial Saint will awaken and shine brightly throughout the world.

A sense of urgency rose within Ning Qi.

His experiment with the Blade Demon is nearing its crucial moment.

And just then...

News came from the Mingwu Pavilion that was both expected and incredibly exciting.

Qin Yun has finally woken up!