A Jialuoshu Fell from the Sky

Inner city.

Xu Pingzhi, riding a horse, led fifteen riders and fifty Imperial Saber Guard on foot, patrolling the streets at a leisurely pace.

The Imperial Saber Guard carried bows and crossbows on their backs, and wore swords at their waists, their expressions solemn.

The inner city was placed under martial law, and the people were not allowed to go out. Anyone who went out on the streets without permission would be killed without mercy. This was not only to prevent panic and chaos among the people, but also to prevent enemy spies from secretly inciting the people and creating chaos.

Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that there weren't spies from the Yunzhou rebels in the capital.

"Boss, do you think the capital can be defended? Listen to the noise, it seems the southern part of the city has fallen."

From the right rear, a young Imperial Saber Guard rode up and said with concern.

Xu Pingzhi was preoccupied with his own thoughts and didn't hear him.

"Boss?"

The young Imperial Saber Guard turned his head and shouted in a loud voice.

Xu Pingzhi then suddenly came to his senses, frowning:

"Just patrol the streets and do your job well; the rest will be taken care of by you gentlemen. Don't worry about it."

The young Imperial Saber Guard grinned:

"If you say that 'my nephew' will take the blame, then I'll feel at ease."

Xu Pingzhi is now a commander of the Imperial Saber Guard, and a commander with real power, which is enough to make him a person of high rank and great power.

All of this was undoubtedly due to his superb "educational" skills. Everyone in the capital knew that Xu Pingzhi, a centurion of the Imperial Saber Guard, had taught the peerless hero Xu Yinluo and the two-time Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations Xu Xinnian.

The former is a household name and needs no further explanation.

The latter was exceptionally talented, skilled in both literature and military affairs, and repeatedly distinguished himself in battle.

Today, no one harbors any resentment towards Xu Pingzhi for being an inhuman son and for burying the potential of Xu Yinluo, a scholar.

Xu Yinluo is undoubtedly a scholar, but teaching him martial arts would certainly be a good idea.

The young Imperial Saber Guard tentatively asked in a low voice:

"Boss, give me a straight answer: is Xu Yinluo confident he can defend the capital?"

Seeing that Xu Pingzhi did not respond, he went on to provoke him:

"You don't know, but when the capital was being defended a few days ago, all the brothers could tell that the rebels were most likely going to attack. Everyone said that Xu Yinluo was at his last gasp, and the great victory at Xunzhou was the last gasp of the Great Feng Dynasty."

"There might not even have been a great victory at all; it might have been a hoax to deceive the people and ordinary folks like us."

Normally, Xu Pingzhi would defend his nephew and would easily be tricked into revealing information.

But now, he could only sigh silently in his heart.

The elder brother has marched to the capital, which means that the father and son will face their fate today.

Second Uncle Xu and Aunt Xu were different. Aunt Xu stood firmly on the side of her unfortunate nephew, after all, he was the boy she had raised herself.

However, Xu Pingfeng was Second Uncle Xu's biological brother. Although the two brothers were now like strangers, the thought that only one of his nephew and elder brother could survive, and that their flesh and blood would be torn apart, filled Xu Pingzhi with an overwhelming grief.

Inside the city's barracks, Wei Yuan stood before a map of the capital, but his gaze was not on the map; instead, he looked at a bronze mirror in his hand.

The mirror is crescent-shaped and incomplete.

The mirror reflected the scene of the great battle. This Law Treasure, called the "Hun Tian Shen Jing" (Heavenly Mirror), was given to him by Xu Xinnian to help him strategize and observe the battle situation in real time.

Wei Yuan is now only a mortal and cannot participate in the defense of the city.

At the four city gates of the capital, the north gate was guarded by Zhang Shen, Li Mubai, Xu Xinnian, and others from the Cloud Deer Academy, facing off against Yang Chuannan, the former commander of Yunzhou.

Wei Yuan remembered that this man came from the Aristocratic Clan of military generals and was ostensibly a member of the Wang faction. In his early thirties, he was appointed as the commander of Yunzhou. He didn't have much interaction with Wei Yuan, but Wei Yuan remembered Yang Chuannan's father, Yang Zhao.

He was a military genius who excelled at commanding troops and attacking cities.

The Yang family possessed a military treatise titled "Twelve Strategies for Breaking a City," which was first written by Yang Zhao's grandfather and passed down through three generations before finally being completed by Yang Zhao himself.

It is said that this book categorizes and integrates siege strategies from ancient times to the present into twelve strategies. If it were made public, the Yang family would be able to leave a mark on the history of military strategy.

However, from the very beginning, this book was designated as "a family's study" and was not to be passed on to outsiders.

"Having met you today, I can confirm your reputation is well-deserved."

Wei Yuan glanced at the cracked north city wall, realizing it was no longer suitable to defend it. After at most an incense stick's time, Zhang Shen and his men retreated, switching to street fighting, just like in the south city.

To the west, Hengyuan and Chu Yuanzhen led the Imperial Guards and the remaining Gu Clan warriors to guard the area. The situation there was the most stable. The Corpse Gu Clan had raised a fearless army of corpse soldiers, which, together with the Dark Gu Clan's elusive assassination techniques, repeatedly repelled the Yunzhou army.

As for the west gate, Wei Yuan only needs to ensure sufficient artillery shells and rolling logs for support.

To the east, the Nightwatchers and the gong-beaters led the twelve guards of the capital, along with the Hundred Battles Battalion of the five Imperial Guards, to garrison the area.

The battle was most fierce here, against the heavily armored soldiers of the Xuanwu Army. These fierce soldiers, armed to the teeth, could not be harmed in the slightest by muskets and arrows.

Relying on their Law Artifact, heavy armor, and battle swords, even the elite of the elite, the Imperial Guards, were no match for them.

With the help of the fourth and fifth-rank martial artists from Yunzhou, they were virtually invincible.

Fortunately, there weren't many fourth-rank experts, and the city walls were well-preserved, so they could hold out.

The weakest point in the defenses, the southern city, has already fallen, thanks to Wei Yuan's deliberate leniency.

Wei Yuan had laid a large number of landmines in the southern part of the city, hidden two thousand armored soldiers in civilian houses, set up sixteen cannons on the main road, and cleared out the civilians.

Once the Yunzhou army penetrates deep into the territory, the Great Feng will seize the opportunity to close the door and beat them mercilessly.

However, Qi Guangbo maintained a steady and cautious approach, sending only a small number of troops to attack the south of the city, fighting the defending forces while simultaneously assessing the road conditions.

The roads in the capital are complex. If you rush in without knowing the road conditions, you will be easily defeated by the Great Feng, who will take advantage of the terrain to divide and conquer you one by one.

"He's quite a capable commander."

While calmly issuing orders and deploying manpower according to the situation in various places, Wei Yuan kept an eye on the scene inside the Hun Tian Divine Mirror.

"Observe Kouyang Prefecture!"

Wei Yuan said in a deep voice.

The Heavenly Mirror rambled on and on, reflecting the situation in Kouyang Prefecture.

The reason for not following Xu Pingfeng's instructions is that this exceeds the capabilities of the Hun Tian Divine Mirror and would cause a backlash.

Kouyang Prefecture is an ally of Wei Yuan and would not refuse his consideration.

Wei Yuan glanced at them and shook his head slightly. It wasn't that Kou Yangzhou and Xu Pingfeng's actions were problematic; in fact, both were highly skilled, exchanging blows in a very exciting display.

However, it still falls into the same old pattern as when warriors fight against other systems, so it doesn't have anything particularly amazing.

Perhaps only a martial artist like Xu Qi'an, with his endless tricks, could break the predicament where martial artists and other systems are powerless against each other.

However, Wei Yuan noticed something: the two were moving further and further inward as they fought, heading towards the palace.

"Observe Ji Xuan!"

Wei Yuan gave the order to have the Hun Tian Divine Mirror shift its perspective.

In the scene, a dark figure appears, with messy hair flying and tattered armor revealing a muscular upper body, exuding an arrogant and unruly aura like a war god.

He held a jade talisman in his palm, gently crushed it, and disappeared as a burst of clear light rose.

Only a figure in white remained in the air. Sun Xuanji looked around for a moment, then suddenly turned his head and looked towards the direction of the palace.

"His aim is the palace."

Wei Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Above the palace.

A small, square platform flew out from Xu Pingfeng's sleeve. With a gentle push, the platform flew out and crashed into the teleportation array.

The next moment, it crashed into the palace with a loud bang, transforming into a platform seven feet high and about ten feet long and wide.

A flash of light appeared on the high platform, revealing Ji Xuan's disheveled figure.

He directly used the teleportation jade talisman and Xu Pingfeng's teleportation platform to arrive at the palace.

At the same time, pieces of bronze Law Artifact artifacts kept flying out of the brocade pouch at his waist.

The bronze components were automatically assembled in mid-air to form a huge metal disc.

Kou Yangzhou's sword intent struck the bronze Law Artifact repeatedly, shaking off the hazy light, but it could not damage this Heavenly Fate Law Artifact in the slightest.

During this process, Xu Pingfeng also continuously used teleportation and defense formations to block Kou Yangzhou's strong attack. The bronze Law Artifact was assembled in a short time, only four or five breaths later.

Xu Pingfeng stepped forward, and the circular array that matched the Law Artifact suddenly expanded, forming a domain that rotated clockwise and counterclockwise, isolating the imperial palace in another world.

This was a pre-planned strategy. Considering the existence of the teleportation jade talisman, Xu Pingfeng had been observing the fortunes within the palace to pinpoint the Empress's location.

Given his status, ordinary aura-concealing Law Technique would not be able to fool him. Unless it's Law Artifact left behind by the first supervisor, or Law Technique from the extraordinary realm like the Heavenly Gu "Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations".

"Retreat one hundred feet!"

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Shen caused the dozen or so enemy soldiers who had just climbed onto the city wall and were brandishing their swords, ready to wreak havoc, to mysteriously vanish.

"Go back!"

Li Mubai waved his sleeves, deflecting all the arrows and cannonballs that came at him.

Compared to other city gates, the North Gate, guarded by renowned scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy, is the most secure, and its city walls are the best preserved.

The Confucian scholars, working in coordination with the fourth-rank experts among the garrison, successfully defended the north gate.

However, due to the overuse of the phrase "Law Follows Speech," the two great Confucian scholars were enveloped in a faint, clear light that had thinned to almost nothing.

His physical and mental strength were on the verge of exhaustion. If he continued, without the protection of his Vast Righteous Qi, the backlash from the Law Technique would directly affect him.

"Whoosh~"

With a piercing sound, a cold arrow, carrying immense power, shot towards Zhang Shen's chest.

Exhausted, Zhang Shen felt a chill run down his spine. Just then, he heard Xu Erlang's calm recitation:

"Three feet to the left!"

With a surge of light and Law Technique, the arrow was forced to deflect three feet to the left, grazing Zhang Shen's arm before blasting a deep crater in the city wall behind him, sending debris flying.

Xu Erlang shook off the ashes in his hands, as if relieved.

After the battle of Xunzhou City, he successfully advanced and officially entered the Sixth-Rank Confucian Scholar Realm. Confucian scholars at this level can learn other people's skills for free, and can record anything they see on paper.

They truly possess formidable combat strength.

For someone of Xu Erlang's age, he is considered extremely talented.

In the Xu Household, only a prodigy like his eldest brother can outshine him. His father, Xu Pingzhi, is currently a seventh-grade Spirit Refining Realm martial artist.

He had been recording Zhang Shen and Li Mubai's Law Technique, but only succeeded once. He had just taken advantage of them and then used the tricks against them.

Xu Erlang's rank was low, and the recorded Law Technique were not as effective as the originals, so they could only be applied three feet off-target.

Xu Erlang peered over the parapet and saw that the archer was Yang Chuannan, the former commander of Yunzhou.

This former commander of Yunzhou demonstrated remarkable military skills during the Qingzhou campaign. He was well-versed in military strategy and extremely adept at attacking cities and capturing strongholds.

Xu Xinnian gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice:

"Teacher, Mr. Mubai, please rest for now. We'll leave this to the Imperial Guards."

He couldn't out-strength the warrior; even now, the warrior was still lively and energetic, running back and forth between the city walls and the city.

Just as Zhang Shen and Li Mubai were about to nod, they suddenly sensed something and looked in unison towards the direction of the palace, where a huge disc radiating immense power enveloped the entire palace.

The fifth and fourth-rank experts present also sensed the immense power emanating from the Heavenly Law Artifact.

They might not know what had happened, but they could all sense the unusual activity coming from the direction of the palace.

"His Majesty."

Xu Xinnian's expression changed slightly.

Yang Chuannan breathed a sigh of relief, then a smile crept onto his face. Now that they had reached the capital, they had to take the head of the Great Feng Emperor to make the trip worthwhile.

After the Empress is killed, can the morale of the Great Feng soldiers remain high? Can the officials stay calm? Can the people suppress their fear?

To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture a thief, first capture his king. This is a timeless principle.

What happened? Chu Yuanzhen rode the wind and soared straight into the sky.

The golden-clad Master Hengyuan leaped into the air, landing on a flying sword, and in the process, blocked a cannonball for Chu Yuanzhen.

"What kind of Law Artifact is this?"

Master Hengyuan gazed solemnly at the distant bronze disc that enveloped the imperial palace.

During the battle of Xunzhou City, members of the Heaven and Earth Society were responsible for hunting down the evil cultivators of the Earth Sect, so they had never seen this Law Artifact.

"His Majesty is in danger."

Chu Yuanzhen's expression was grave. He knew Huaiqing should have some means of self-preservation, but his intuition told him that Huaiqing was in danger.

Before the Yunzhou army, Qi Guangbo took a deep breath and said loudly:

"Attack the city!"

He still had 5,000 soldiers behind him, the last elite force in Yunzhou.

To the sound of drums, they all came out.

The moment the bronze disc appeared, almost all the high-ranking cultivators in the capital city sensed its presence.

Each of these top-tier Law Treasure has its own unique symbolism, making them impossible to keep low-key.

Zhang Shen, Li Mubai, Chu Yuanzhen, and other experts from the Golden Gong and Imperial Guards felt a chill run down their spines.

Since the bronze disc appeared in the direction of the palace, regardless of whether the disc was friend or foe, the palace must have been attacked.

Why hasn't Duke Wei ordered a return to reinforce the Empress's forces yet? He's getting impatient.

Those who prioritize the overall situation believe that returning to the palace at this moment would be tantamount to abandoning the city walls.

In the secret underground room of the West Garden, the aunt's heart suddenly trembled, and she stammered:

"Lingyue, I don't know why, but I'm suddenly so scared."

As she spoke, she looked at her daughter and noticed that Xu Lingyue's expression was solemn. She slightly raised her head and stared at the southeast direction above her head.

Mu Nanzhi, the kind older sister beside Xu Lingyue, shared the same gaze.

"What's wrong?" the aunt asked.

Xu Lingyue whispered:

A master has arrived.

As for how tall, she wasn't quite sure, since she was self-taught and lacked the relevant knowledge and experience.

"They are experts at the Transcendent Realm; there are three of them."

Mu Nanzhi swallowed hard, finally becoming somewhat frightened.

Despite having weathered many storms with Xu Qi'an, he's not around now, and the enemy seems to be nearby. The Flower Goddess will still back down if she needs to.

Auntie said in a trembling voice:

"Is it... Xu Pingfeng?"

Her voice was a little high-pitched.

Upon hearing the name Xu Pingfeng, Consort Chen on the other side turned her head and looked over, her expression complicated.

In the basement, the women became restless, some even bursting into sobs.

The bolder ones shouted that they wanted the Imperial Guards to escort them out of the palace, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.

It wasn't just the aunt who suddenly felt afraid; they also felt the pressure from the extraordinary expert and were gripped by fear and dread.

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath and reprimanded:

"Silence! This is utterly disorderly!"

The noise subsided slightly.

Among these women were imperial concubines and the wives of civil and military officials. Huaiqing gathered them in the palace ostensibly for protection, but in reality, they were hostages.

Although the Empress Dowager did not like her daughter Huaiqing, since Huaiqing had entrusted these women to her, she, as the head of the harem, had a duty to manage them properly.

The Empress Dowager continued, "His Majesty is still up there. Since she hasn't arranged for us to evacuate, she must have something to rely on. There's no need to panic."

Xu Lingyue immediately said:

"My older brother won't abandon me and Mom."

Her words were more effective than the Empress Dowager's words of comfort. The concubines and wives of high-ranking officials finally calmed down and silently wiped away their tears.

The noisiest ones no longer wanted to escape.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Xu Lingyue, somewhat surprised.

Xu Lingyue responded with a gentle and charming demeanor.

Ji Xuan annihilated the swarming Imperial Guards with a single strike, and then heard Xu Pingfeng's telepathic message:

"The Golden Palace!"

While Xu Pingfeng was entangled with Kou Yangzhou, he stepped over the layers of palace walls, disregarding the imperial guards, and passed through the Meridian Gate to the square outside the Golden Palace.

Ahead, beneath the eaves of the Golden Palace, on the steps, stood the Empress in a dragon robe.

Looking at the stunningly beautiful empress, a hint of hatred flashed in Ji Xuan's eyes. It was this vile woman who conspired with Xu Qi'an to rebel and caused the death of his younger brother, Ji Yuan.

He suffered endless humiliation before his death.

As for Wei Yuan's audacity in launching a surprise attack on Yunzhou and killing his clansmen, Ji Xuan had already learned of this from Xu Pingfeng.

As the "Seventh Prince," he naturally sought revenge for his clan, slaughtering the Great Feng, leaving no one alive—men, women, or children.

However, he felt no hatred, only anger at the destruction of his base. He thought that killing those clansmen in Yunzhou was acceptable, but he would rather have killed his father as well.

Ji Xuan was not angry at all; on the contrary, he clapped and cheered.

How can a son rise above his father if he's still alive?

In any case, as long as someone is of royal blood, it doesn't matter who you support.

Ji Xuan glanced at the teleportation jade talisman in the Empress's hand and chuckled:

"Why don't we try teleporting?"

The Empress, expressionless and with a cold gaze, looked down and said icily:

"Unnecessary!"

Ji Xuan nodded and said:

"With the soldiers of the Great Feng fighting on the front lines, how can the ruler of a nation cower in the palace?"

"I'll take you to meet the generals and soldiers of the Great Feng Dynasty."

He intended to personally kill the Empress in front of the Great Feng garrison.

Without wasting words, Ji Xuan unleashed a surge of energy, propelling him toward Huaiqing.

Huaiqing remained motionless, raising her left hand to reveal a fragment of the Earth Book. She pointed the fragment at the top of Ji Xuan's head.

The next moment, a dark shadow descended from the sky and crashed heavily in front of Ji Xuan and the Empress, causing the plaza outside the Golden Palace to tremble violently, with countless bricks and stones flying and dust billowing up.

Embedded in the ground was a Garuda tree with its hands clasped together and its body covered in golden blood.

Ji Xuan suddenly raised his head and looked up at the sky.

I saw the bronze Law Artifact crumble one by one, and I saw the "curtain" that isolated the palace from the outside world dissipate.

They saw Xu Qi'an standing high in the sky, his body as white as jade.

The magical Law Artifact left behind by the first supervisor was forcibly blasted open by a first-rank martial artist.

From the imperial city to the inner city, and from the inner city to the outside, those who paid attention to this place, whether from the Great Feng or Yunzhou factions, all witnessed the disintegration of the bronze Law Artifact.

PS: The donkey from the production team kowtowed in shame and went back to writing.