Coercion

The Star Lords Department is the most powerful combat organization among the Meteor Guardians.

Below Minister Cheng Wanli are six Star Envoys, each responsible for suppressing the cultivator forces in four cities to prevent them from causing trouble.

Zhang Lu, a renowned figure among the Star Envoys, not only governs four cities, but also two major cities, Changjun and Baihe.

Of course, Changjun City Lord Zhao Yuhua is powerful, and the internal forces are complex and intertwined. Even someone as strong as Zhang Lu is powerless to influence her. The Meteor Guard is practically invisible here.

"Knock knock knock!"

Gu Jinlai led three thousand elite troops, making a great show of force, which quickly triggered a chain reaction in Changjun City.

After a period of noise and chaos, the once bustling gates of Changjun City were tightly shut.

Judging from this trend, it seems that Gu Jinlai are being rejected.

Before long, crowds surged on the city wall.

A figure emerged from the crowd, protected by a group of heavily armored experts.

It was Zhao Yuhua, the city lord of Changjun City.

Seeing this, Gu Jinlai also stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "Lord Zhao, it's been a year. How have you been?"

"Ancient Star Envoy".

Zhao Yuhua returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and then spoke first, "I am very sorry, Envoy Gu, there are Demonic Beasts causing trouble in Changjun City. I had no choice but to order the city to be sealed off to prevent the Demonic Beasts from escaping. Please forgive me for not being able to receive Envoy Gu into the city today."

In terms of status, the Star Envoy is one level higher than the City Lord.

However, Zhao Yuhua, as the city lord of Dacheng, was able to sit on equal footing with Gu Jinlai.

"Demonic Beasts causing chaos? The Meteor Guards are responsible for hunting Demonic Beasts. Since Demonic Beasts are causing chaos, it is our duty to assist them."

This Gu Jinlai.

"Our Changjun City has a strong army and six thousand elite troops distributed throughout the country. As long as the Demonic Beasts show up, they will surely be killed. There is no need for Gu Zhangxing to worry."

Zhao Yuhua said loudly.

The words were loaded with meaning.

It has been understood Gu Jinlai.

Changjun City has 6,000 elite troops.

With the city's advantage, these 6,000 elite troops could easily surround and kill even three or five Spirit Refining at the Refinement stage.

However, Gu Jinlai's men, including Gu Luochen, were carrying "Thunder" Gatling guns. With their barrage, not to mention six thousand elite troops, even ten thousand elite troops would be crushed in an instant.

It must be said that the appearance of this killing weapon immediately suppressed the advantage of numbers to the minimum.

He even had a premonition that the major powers were originally keen on training armies and cultivating elite troops.

But as the reputation of "Thunder" gradually spreads, everyone will be forced to take the elite route.

The resources allocated to training six thousand elite soldiers will be used to train sixty Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

When faced with the "Thunder" barrage, the killing power of sixty Qi Refining Realm cultivators was even greater than that of six thousand elite soldiers.

After all, those who wield the "Thunder" Gatling gun are all experts who have condensed the body of a mid-level demon god. Even if they are carrying hundreds of kilograms of weight, ordinary elites still cannot keep up with their pace.

Given enough bullets, each of them could take on ten thousand enemies under the kite tactic.

But the Qi Refining Realm...

In a complex environment, dozens of people working together could definitely surround and kill a mid-level Gods and Devils warrior wielding a "Thunder" Gatling gun.

After some thought, Gu Jinlai did not back down in his words: "When it comes to searching for Demonic Beasts, I, Gu Jinlai, am second to none. Over the years, we have killed hundreds of Demonic Beasts. This proves the experience my men have in killing Demonic Beasts. Therefore, Lord Zhao, please open the city gates and let us lend you a hand."

"Ancient Star Envoy..."

Zhao Yuhua's expression was somewhat solemn.

Before he could say anything, Gu Jinlai spoke again, "After I took over as the Star Master, Changjun City has been placed under my jurisdiction. I am going to take a look at the Meteor Guard in the city now. What, Lord Zhao, do you still want to stop me?"

"Although the ancient Star Envoy has taken over the position of Star Envoy, you are only in charge of the three cities of Baihe, Lingxiao and Yuanhua. Changjun City is not under your jurisdiction."

"The position I filled was that of Zhang Lu, the Star Guardian. Back then, Changjun City was his jurisdiction, but the Meteor Guard was unknown at that time due to the suppression of various forces in Changjun City."

Gu Jinlai, his expression turned stern. "Speaking of which, the Meteor Guard has never been able to achieve anything in Changjun City. Among these forces that are suppressing us, could it be that the City Lord Mansion is also involved? Or... do you treat Changjun City as your private property, and I, the Star Envoy, need your permission to enter and leave?"

Zhao Yuhua recalled the victory of defeating the combined forces of Heavenly Gang and Meteor Guard at Gu Jinlai half a year ago.

Despite having six thousand elite troops under his command, he was still not very confident that he could withstand the attacks of Gu Jinlai.

Moreover...

Unlike last time when they only mobilized 130 men, this time he had a full 3,000 elite troops behind him.

After a moment of change in expression, Zhao Yuhua finally said, "You flatter me, Star Master. As the acting governor of Changjun, I have no selfish motives whatsoever, as Heaven and Earth can attest... It is permissible for you, Star Master, to lead the Meteor Guards into the city, but..."

He glanced at the thousands of elite troops behind Gu Jinlai: "Could these people all be the Meteor Guards of Lingxiao City?"

Gu Jinlai records, allowing him to bring a hundred or so people into the city was probably the limit that the city lord could accept.

But...

His fighting force consisted of only a hundred or so demon god-level body-refining martial artists.

The real role of the three thousand elite troops was more like cleaning up the battlefield and guarding the city.

He didn't insist immediately. "Then I will lead the Meteor Guards into the city and order the three thousand armored soldiers to retreat ten miles."

Upon receiving the order, the three thousand troops immediately sprang into action and slowly withdrew.

This scene made Zhao Yuhua let out a long sigh of relief.

He knew very well that Gu Jinlai to launch a full-scale attack on Changjun City, he might not be able to stop them.

Forcing three thousand troops, the largest army in Gu Jinlai to retreat, was the only dignity he could preserve; everything else...

He didn't care about anything else.

"Open the city gates."

Zhao Yuhua said something.

Soon, the city gates reopened with a loud bang.

Gu Jinlai took the lead, bringing Gu Chifeng, Gu Chaoyang, and others into the city.

Inside the city walls, all that could be seen were ordinary people who had just fled into the city, their hearts filled with fear and awe as they looked at the Gu Jinlai.

This scene Gu Jinlai.

This is also why he did not choose to launch a direct attack on Changjun City.

As a large city with a large population, Changjun would be too easy to cause a large number of innocent people to die or be injured by a direct attack.

"Lord Zhao probably doesn't know much about what happened in Starlight City. Gu Chaoyang, go and talk to Lord Zhao. Tell him what changes will happen in Star Province and what choices he plans to make in the face of these changes."

From Gu Jinlai, a single command has been given.

"Yes."

Gu Chaoyang agreed and left the group.

"Go to the Demon Refining Hall."

A wave of the hand, from Gu Jinlai.

Over a hundred people marched with great momentum towards the Demon Refining Hall.

As the core building of Changjun City, the Demon Refining Hall has always been a bustling place.

In addition, news of the chaos in Starlight City had not yet arrived, and there were quite a few demon hunters coming and going in the Demon Refining Hall.

As the group from Gu Jinlai rode in, about to venture deeper into the area, a direct descendant of the Demon Refining Hall shouted, "Mounting is prohibited in this heavily guarded area of the Demon Refining Hall..."

Before he could finish speaking, Nian Buwang had already leaped forward and slapped him away with a palm strike.

Immediately afterwards, a series of tall figures dressed in heavy armor appeared.

The dark mass of people caused the guards of the Demon Refining Hall and the Demon Refining Hall hunters coming and going within to change their expressions drastically.

"Ancient Demon Gu! It's Ancient Demon Gu!"

"What Ancient Demon Gu? It's the Ancient Star Envoy!"

"Isn't he supposed to be stationed in Lingxiao City? Why is he at the Demon Refining Hall in Changjun City?"

"I heard that Gu Jinlai had a grudge against Yun Guantian, the Lord of the Demon Refining Hall. I thought it was nonsense, but now that Elder Gu is coming with such a fierce attitude... the rumors may not be false."

Whispers of discussion arose from the surrounding crowd.

Meanwhile, some of the direct descendants of the Demon Refining Hall quickly went to report to the Hall Master, while others followed Gu Jinlai and his group, retreating as they advanced.

By the time Yun Guantian, Zhang Xiu, and another deputy hall master of the Spirit Refining Realm arrived, Gu Jinlai and his group had already come directly to the main hall where the Heaven and Earth Universe Diagram was located.

During this time, although the number of people from the Demon Refining Hall increased, no one dared to attack Gu Jinlai and his group.

"Gu Jinlai..."

Yun Guantian looked at Gu Jinlai, who was striding towards him surrounded by many experts, and his expression turned gloomy.

In his view, those Gu Jinlai and fallen to the Spirit Refining were nothing more than stray dogs, and with the constant suppression from Lin Xiao, the Vice Sect Master of the Purgatory Sect, there was absolutely no possibility of them making a comeback.

Thus, because of the bounty offered by the Xie Family, he clashed with Gu Jinlai, who later even sent the Golden Seal Squad to assassinate him...

As a result, not only was the Golden Seal Squad wiped out, but Gu Jinlai also made a magnificent transformation in less than a year, becoming the lord of Lingxiao City and Yuanhua City, a position that even the Meteor Guard and the Purgatory Sect feared.

He never expected this.

For the past few months, he had been trying to pull strings to transfer to Starlight City, but he was worried that Gu Jinlai would come after him later. Unexpectedly...

Before the transfer order was issued, Gu Jinlai arrived first.

As his thoughts raced, Yun Guantian considered that he still held the official position of Lord of the Demon Refining Hall, and forced a smile, "So it is the esteemed Envoy Gu Zhangxing. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please forgive me, Envoy Gu Zhangxing."

"Since you know you've failed to greet me properly, why don't you make amends now?"

It Gu Jinlai.

These blunt words made Yun Guantian's expression freeze.

"Haha, just kidding."

Gu Jinlai laughed loudly, "I have come here specifically to invite Lord Yun to my Lingxiao City. In recent years, Demonic Beasts have been causing havoc around Lingxiao City, and there is an urgent need to establish a Demon Refining Hall to recruit demon hunters to deter Demonic Beasts. I think Lord Yun is a very good candidate."

"To open Demon Refining Hall in Lingxiao City?"

Yun Guantian's expression changed.

Once he goes to Lingxiao City, the territory of Gu Jinlai, his life or death will be decided by Gu Jinlai.

Yun Guantian hurriedly said, "Gu Zhangxing Envoy is joking. The establishment of the Demon Refining Hall has never been a simple matter. Each Demon Refining Hall can only be built on a ley line node. Only in this way can it be supplemented by an array to draw on the power of the ley line to activate the Heaven and Earth Universe Diagram. Lingxiao City... without a ley line, even if I wanted to go to Lingxiao City, I would be powerless to do so."

"We can set up the Demon Refining Hall first. Hall Master Yun, I have sincerely invited you. If you don't go, it will be disrespectful to me. If you don't give me face, be careful I don't lose my temper."

Gu Jinlai forward, his gaze fixed on Yun Guantian with an oppressive intensity. "Now, answer me, are you going or not?"

(Yun Guantian replied: I'll go, but I won't!)