An overt stratagem

He's been promoted to the first rank?!

Xu Qi'an's words were like a thunderclap, booming in the ears of Bai Di and Jialuo Tree.

The White Emperor and the Garuda Tree were overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions, including shock, anger, confusion, and regret.

Xu Pingfeng's puppet had no facial features, so its expression was unreadable. However, it raised its chin slightly and stared stiffly at Xu Qi'an in the air for a long time without moving.

He had been promoted to a first-rank martial artist. While Bai Di was immersed in the absurd and hallucinatory feeling, he also had to admit through his real perception that Xu Qi'an's aura had indeed changed drastically.

That body was pure white and flawless, slender and well-proportioned, with smooth muscle lines that blended seamlessly into one.

The White Emperor had never seen a first-rank martial artist before. Unlike the Garuda tree, Xu Qi'an did not exude the immovable weight of a mountain or the vastness of the sea.

You can't sense any fluctuations in his aura or his Primordial Spirit, but that's precisely what makes him so intimidating. He seems to have severed all interaction with the outside world, living in his own private realm.

It was a strange feeling; although no powerful force was emerging, it instinctively put people on guard. The White Emperor roared in a low voice:

"What happened? Why did he suddenly advance to the first rank? Is it so easy to reach the first rank in the martial arts system? Why didn't you say so beforehand?"

It was questioning Gara Tree and Xu Pingfeng, its voice somewhat exasperated.

It's no wonder they lost their composure. Although this tribulation battle had its twists and turns, it was still under control. It should have been a sure victory, but no one expected that the Great Feng side would turn the tide in the middle of the battle.

Among all the systems, martial artists are recognized as invincible in close combat, and a first-rank martial artist's combat power is definitely stronger than that of other systems.

It can be stated quite clearly that Xu Qi'an at this moment is even more troublesome than Luo Yuheng, the immortal on land.

One terrestrial deity was still within their tolerance and capacity to handle, but adding another first-rank martial artist... the White Emperor lacked confidence in controlling the situation.

Xu Pingfeng ignored it and did not answer. He looked up at Xu Qi'an as if he were a statue.

With his hands clasped together and eyes lowered, the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree remained silent. This Bodhisattva, the strongest in Buddhist School in terms of overall strength, had a deep sense of helplessness in his expression. After the Martial Sect, the Great Feng had produced another first-rank martial artist.

This battle was far more arduous than imagined.

Asura, Jinlian, and Zhao Shou retreated simultaneously, distancing themselves from the Gara Tree. The three extraordinary beings looked exhausted, but their spirits were exceptionally high.

"The situation is settled!" Asuro exhaled the pent-up breath that had been building up in his chest for so long.

"Excellent!" Zhao Shou stroked his beard and smiled.

Master Jinlian scrutinized Xu Qi'an high in the sky, and sighed with a complex tone:

He is invincible in this world!

In the absence of top-tier martial artists, a first-tier martial artist is enough to sweep aside all forces.

At that moment, a desolate laugh, suppressed by various emotions, came from within the puppet:

"A brilliant plan!"

"Advancing to the first rank with the help of the Thunderfire Tribulation, the Flower Goddess's spiritual essence, and the Dragon Qi, very good, you're very good, Xu Qi'an!"

The last three words were spoken through gritted teeth.

Xu Qi'an looked down at the white-robed puppet, extended his right arm, tapped it lightly with his fingertip, and said calmly:

"Wash your neck clean, and wait for me to kill you!"

With a sickening bang, the metal puppet crumbled to pieces, and Xu Pingfeng's wisp of divine consciousness quickly dissipated.

Xu Qi'an didn't even look at them, first glancing at Asuluo and the other two, and said:

"The three of you should observe from the sidelines and rest."

Then, looking at the White Emperor and the Garuda Tree, he grinned maliciously:

I'm going to tear you all apart with my bare hands.

Bai Di's azure vertical pupils narrowed slightly, showing no fear, and he retorted sharply:

"Since we're both of the first rank, just come on. I'm also very interested in tasting the Essence Blood of a first-rank martial artist."

It's a pity that its horn was used to seal the supervisor; otherwise, it could have been used as a deadly weapon to deal with this newly promoted first-rank martial artist.

Garuda Tree said in a deep voice:

"This battle will be incredibly difficult!"

He was even more confident than the White Emperor; with his Vajra form combined with the Immovable King form, he was extremely confident in his defense.

Asuro and the other two watched expectantly.

The White Emperor crouched low, and from between his horns, a water mineball with a collapsing core and an outer layer crackling with electric arcs began to form.

It glanced at the Gara Tree Bodhisattva. No matter how strong its physical body was, it couldn't surpass the Gara Tree's two Dharma forms. Letting it take the lead in testing the level of a first-grade martial artist was the most suitable option.

The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree understood its meaning. He looked up at the sky, his knees sank, and with a muffled boom as the ground collapsed, he transformed into golden light and shot straight into the sky.

The Vajra Dharma Image's fiery ring behind its head exploded, and its golden body radiated countless rays of Buddhist light. It symbolized power and majesty, and its mere aura was enough to make low- to mid-level cultivators feel as if they were facing an abyss, causing them to prostrate themselves on the ground.

Twelve pairs of arms stretched out, clenched into fists, each fist containing the divine power to shatter mountains.

Seeing those twelve fists, Asuro felt pain all over his body, and his lips twitched.

Facing the overwhelming barrage of fists, Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, clenched his right fist, and raised it backward.

How many years has it been since a first-rank martial artist appeared in Kyushu?

Since the death of Emperor Wuzong and the divine seal, the ceiling of the martial arts system has been the second rank, and the first rank has become extinct.

The Vajra Dharma Form is said to possess unparalleled combat power?

Then let me show you just how strong a true martial artist, renowned for close combat, really is. Two golden beams shot out from Xu Qi'an's eyes, his muscles bulged, displaying his power with unrestrained force, and he threw a punch.

Buzz!

One punch against twenty-four punches, and a shockwave, like a barrier, suddenly exploded between them.

The air currents traveled rapidly through space, making the surrounding area, spanning dozens of miles, resemble a wrinkled piece of clothing.

With a series of thuds, the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree staggered backward, his footsteps cracking the earth.

In contrast, Xu Qi'an remained completely still. After withdrawing his fist, he raised his right knee without bending it to generate force. His body shot towards the Gara tree like a cannonball, delivering a powerful knee strike to Gara's chest.

As he stumbled backward, Gara Tree rapidly formed hand seals. He knew he couldn't afford to fall into the combo of a first-rank martial artist, so he planned to use the "Immovable King Dharma Form" to withstand the attack.

Buzz!

The surrounding air currents froze, and not a single breeze could stir up anything.

Xu Qi'an's knee slammed into the spatial cage, and with a bang, the spatial cage shattered. Relying on the unparalleled violence of a martial artist, he broke through the spatial blockade of the "Immovable King Dharma Image" and successfully made his knee slam into the face of the Gara tree.

The tree remained motionless, its skin seemingly petrified, showing no deformation below the knees.

"Hey, if the Supervisor, who possesses the power of all living beings, can't break through your Immovable King, then guess whether a first-rank martial artist, who also possesses the power of all living beings, can shatter your tortoise shell?"

Xu Qi'an retracted his knees, then suddenly shook his arms, drawing in the power of all living beings, which covered his arms like armor.

He did not use the "Berserk" skill of the Power Gu. After his essence, energy and spirit were fused into one, his power reached a limit, the limit of the world.

The rage of the Power Gu could no longer increase his strength.

Xu Qi'an placed his palms on the chest of the Garuda tree and suddenly exerted force.

When!

A resounding bell echoed between heaven and earth.

Gara Tree lost consciousness for a moment. When she came to her senses, she found her body flying backward uncontrollably at a speed as fast as a shooting star.

He maintained his hand seal, but "Acala" could no longer hold on and was forcefully blasted away by the terrifying force. After five hundred years, he once again experienced the feeling of his defenses being breached.

The last time was when he faced Shen Shu, the half-step Martial God who crippled him with three punches from the Immovable King.

At the same time, Gara Tree felt a burning pain in its chest, where two handprints were dented.

Boom!

The tree crashed heavily to the ground, creating a huge crater and sending yellow sand flying everywhere, as if an earthquake had struck.

At that moment, Bai Di suddenly thrust his head forward, launching a water mineball!

It seized the opportunity perfectly, launching its attack the instant Xu Qi'an shattered the Gara tree.

How fast does lightning travel?

But she couldn't outrun the land immortal Luo Yuheng. Dense arcs of electricity and air currents rose from her body, propelling her to intercept the water mine ball!

Luo Yuheng extended his hands from his wide sleeves and forcefully slammed them together towards the water mine ball, instantly extinguishing the terrifying mine ball that had been gathering power for so long.

A body forged from the Golden Core Elixir, impervious to all Law Technique attacks.

The reason why Dao Zun was able to drive the descendants of Gods and Devils out of the Nine Provinces was because he could restrain the Law Technique of most of the descendants of Gods and Devils.

After extinguishing the mine ball, Luo Yuheng spread her palm flat, ignited a small flame, and gently blew on it with her small mouth.

Call!

If the flames possessed sentience, they drew a circle on the ground, encircling the White Emperor within it.

She uses fire to counter water.

"Roar!"

The White Emperor let out a painful roar, his mane turning to ash first, the scorching heat causing his snow-white scales to crack inch by inch, nearly turning to ash.

A chilling murderous intent flashed in Luo Yuheng's eyes as he drew his peerless divine sword and charged toward the White Emperor.

The Human Sect's swordsmanship is renowned for its lethality, and its offensive techniques are not as weak as those of the Earth Sect and Heaven Sect.

Bai Di let out a deep roar, took the initiative to meet the sword light, ignored the fierce sword momentum, and bit down on Luo Yuheng's arm.

Puff!

The iron sword pierced the White Emperor's neck, spurting out a large amount of blood, and it also bit Luo Yuheng's arm in the process.

Luo Yuheng's arm quickly turned into sand, which fluttered down.

This is the ability of the Earth element among the Four Elements. After advancing to the level of a terrestrial immortal, Luo Yuheng can change his own structure at will, switching freely between "earth, wind, water, and fire".

The White Emperor's pupils dilated slightly, and he briefly lost his will.

Heart Sword!

With a single thrust, Luo Yuheng withdrew and retreated rapidly. In close combat, she was no match for the descendant of Gods and Devils.

During the retreat, she saw Xu Qi'an step in front of Bai Di, pulling back his right arm and causing the corresponding muscles to bulge.

With a thought, Luo Yuheng caused the surrounding raging flames to surge forward, swirling around Xu Qi'an's fist and forming a blazing sun.

Bang!

Xu Qi'an's fist slammed heavily onto Bai Di's head, creating an explosive effect that charred the scales, cracked the skull, and spewed out scorching flames.

The White Emperor's body collapsed heavily, his head crashing to the ground with a thud, raising a cloud of dust.

The excruciating pain instantly brought the White Emperor back to consciousness. A fierce glint flashed in its eyes, a look of utter despair. With a hiss, its two horns transformed into a blazing white, and streaks of lightning danced wildly.

The next second, the horns suddenly exploded, plunging everything around them into a sea of lightning.

Just as Xu Qi'an was being swallowed by the sea of thunder and his body was paralyzed, the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree descended from the sky, his twelve Vajra Dharma forms raising their arms behind them and clenching them into fists.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and after passing through the sea of lightning, he saw Luo Yuheng standing in front of Xu Qi'an, his palm outstretched, creating a protective shield, with exaggerated electric currents running along the edge of the shield.

This barrier not only protected them, but also included the White Emperor within it.

No matter how powerful the Law Technique, it is useless in front of a terrestrial deity. The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree felt a chill run down his spine.

Ignoring the Garuda tree overhead, Xu Qi'an stepped on Bai Di's neck and wrapped his arms around Bai Di's head, his spine like a bent, hard bow.

The White Emperor's body trembled violently as the two sides engaged in a struggle.

Xu Qi'an let out a low roar, his back snapped back, and as his body straightened, Bai Di's head was forcibly ripped off.

Even the descendants of Gods and Devils, whose physical bodies are naturally strong, cannot rival a first-rank martial artist in terms of physical strength.

Luo Yuheng took a deep breath, opened her small mouth slightly, and spat out a blazing tongue of fire.

In an instant, the White Emperor's head was burned to charcoal, with only his two horns remaining intact.

After doing all this, Luo Yuheng and Xu Qi'an simultaneously raised their heads, staring coldly at the Garuda tree that had fallen from the sky.

Something was wrong. Gara Tree's brow twitched violently, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks. He retracted his twelve outstretched arms and, without hesitation, fled into the air.

This first-rank Bodhisattva has lost all fighting spirit.

On the other side, a black shadow with the body of a sheep and the face of a human emerged from the White Emperor's body, turning into wisps of green smoke that drifted gracefully into the distance.

Luo Yuheng formed a sword incantation and manipulated his flying sword to shoot forward, instantly piercing through that Primordial Spirit.

The black shadowy creature with the body of a sheep and the face of a human twisted and contorted, on the verge of collapse, but it managed to hold on and continued its escape, soon disappearing into the horizon.

"Its Primordial Spirit is very strong, and its resilience surpasses that of a first-grade cultivator."

Luo Yuheng frowned.

Among those of the same rank and grade, unless they are wizards or belong to the same Daoist School, it is difficult for them to withstand her Heart Sword attack.

"Its true form is the Great Wilderness, so it's definitely stronger than a typical Grade One. You go after it, I'll go after the Gara Tree!"

Xu Qi'an wasted no time talking, bent his legs and sprang into the air, soaring straight into the sky, chasing after the Garuda tree.

The direction the Gara tree fled was not westward, but towards the capital.

He was still not giving up and wanted to move the battlefield to the capital city in order to destroy the capital of the Great Feng Capital.

The capital city.

Xu Pingfeng, who was confronting Wei Yuan, suddenly changed his expression, becoming more unsightly than ever before.

The two puppet clones simultaneously transmitted back what they had seen and heard: one was that Qianlong City had been attacked, and Nangong Qianrou and other fourth-rank officials led their troops straight to the heart of the enemy.

One place is the northern border, where Xu Qi'an was promoted to a first-rank martial artist.

Two knives pierced vital points simultaneously, completely reversing the previously favorable situation and plunging the Yunzhou army into an awkward predicament.

His power, painstakingly built over twenty years, is now in a precarious state.

Even someone as arrogant as him couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart.

Wei Yuan, observing the expressions on their faces, smiled and said:

"You can't get involved in the battle in the North anymore. Make a choice: return to aid Yunzhou or fight me to the death in the capital."

"With your teleportation skills, you can return to the Yunzhou headquarters within a quarter of an hour. As for these tens of thousands of Yunzhou elite troops, I'll take them without hesitation. You won't lose out either; consider my two adopted sons and ten thousand heavy cavalry as food for you."

As he spoke, a clear light rose around him, and Sun Xuanji appeared on the city wall with Kou Yangzhou.

The surprise attack on Qianlong City was a scheme, but choosing between the two options was a truly open and aboveboard strategy.

They had two choices: the main base or the Yunzhou troops in front of them.

Xu Pingfeng had no third choice, just as Wei Yuan himself had no third choice.

Xu Pingfeng, his face ashen, gritted his teeth and said:

Wei Yuan, you're ruthless!

Wei Yuan slowly suppressed his smile, his gentle gaze gradually sharpening, and said coldly:

Before they set off, I had already explained the advantages and disadvantages.

"Unlike you, I don't treat my own son like a pawn to be discarded at will. Xu Qi'an is someone I value as a junior, and your actions have made me very unhappy!"

Xu Pingfeng looked intently at him and said loudly:

"Attack the city!"

Knock knock knock!

Drums resounded from the city walls and outside the city.

P. S.: I'll read the next chapter tomorrow.