Laying Down Arms

The Garuda Bodhisattva stands with its hands clasped in prayer, half of its body embedded in the ground, unmoving, like a sculpture that has been smashed and thrown into the air.

His clothes looked as if they had been waxed, exuding a heavy and rigid feel.

"Xu Qi'an!"

Ji Xuan's expression changed drastically, his eyes flashing with anger, hatred, fear, confusion, and a hint of despair.

The Imperial Advisor said that the battle to overcome tribulations in the Northern Territory was extremely unfavorable, and Xu Qi'an and Luo Yuheng were both promoted to the first rank.

a bolt from the blue!

Upon hearing the news, Ji Xuan nearly went mad, unable to accept this reality.

But with the great war at hand, he suppressed all his emotions, including jealousy and fear, and threw himself into the war.

After all, the Gara Tree and the White Emperor are still around, and both of them are powerful First-Rank cultivators. Even if Xu Qi'an and Luo Yuheng both advance to First-Rank, it will at most turn their disadvantage into an advantage. It will still take time to determine the winner.

During this period, as long as they behead the Empress, defeat the Great Feng, and capture the capital, they will succeed.

If the Grand Preceptor succeeds in his attempt to become a Heavenly Master, the Yunzhou Army will gain another first-rank official. Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an's collective strength will inevitably be reduced due to the fall of the capital. With this shift in balance, Yunzhou still has hope.

Before witnessing the Gara Tree Bodhisattva being smashed into the palace and crashing right before their eyes, Ji Xuan thought this way, and Xu Pingfeng thought the same way.

The only problem here is that both he and Xu Pingfeng underestimated Xu Qi'an's combat strength.

Firstly, since Emperor Wuzong, there have been no publicly known battle records of a first-rank martial artist in the Nine Provinces for five hundred years. The only one who made a fleeting appearance was Shen Shu, but because he was a half-step martial god, he did not have much reference value.

Secondly, among the hundreds of years, there has only been one Celestial Venerable among the First-Rank Land Immortals, and he has remained secluded from the world. How much combat power can a Land Immortal and a First-Rank Martial Artist unleash together? Nobody knows.

Finally, Xu Qi'an's background is too complex. With the National Sword, the Floating Pagoda, the Power of All Beings, and the Seven Deadly Gu, he is definitely different from a normal first-rank martial artist.

All these factors combined made it difficult for Xu Pingfeng to estimate the true combat strength of his eldest son.

Not to mention Xu Pingfeng, both the Gara Tree and the White Emperor misjudged the combat strength of Xu Qi'an and Luo Yuheng. Before the battle, the latter confidently declared that he would taste the Essence Blood of a first-class martial artist.

As a result, his innate supernatural Divine Ability were countered by the terrestrial immortals, and his physical strength was no match for that of a first-rank martial artist.

A miserable death.

You really are a stinking rock in a latrine.

Xu Qi'an looked down at the Garuda tree from his vantage point and made a comment.

He then looked at Ji Xuan, whose face was ashen, and said with a forced smile:

"Long time no see, Seventh Cousin."

Ji Xuan gritted his teeth without hesitation, pulled a jade talisman from his sleeve, and suddenly exerted force in his palm.

The Imperial Advisor always had a backup plan, and Ji Xuan was no exception. He had no shortage of life-saving jade talismans on him. The teleportation array's maximum distance was within a province. By crushing the jade talisman, he could return directly to Yongzhou.

Not only him, but several key figures in the Yunzhou army also possessed teleportation jade talismans.

Qingguang did not rise; he remained in the palace. The next moment, Ji Xuan felt a sharp pain in his right arm. He didn't know when, but his entire right arm had been detached from his body.

Xu Qi'an, high in the sky, was torn apart by the gale, leaving only a fleeting afterimage.

"Hey cousin, I love killing you the most."

A cold laugh came from behind Xu Qi'an, followed by another sentence:

"He also enjoys killing his cousin."

He used the Heavenly Gu's Star-Shifting and Constellation-Changing Law Technique to deceive Ji Xuan's premonition of a martial arts crisis.

Ji Xuan staggered forward, instantly covering dozens of meters, roaring:

"The Imperial Advisor."

Now, only Xu Pingfeng can save him.

In the lingering echo of his roar, Xu Qi'an once again appeared before Ji Xuan with exaggerated speed, as if teleporting, using his left leg as a pivot and twisting his waist.

"Bang!"

His right leg transformed into a whip, severing Ji Xuan's waist. His lower body continued to run wildly, while his upper body flew a distance before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Galo Tree, take Ji Xuan away!"

High in the sky, Xu Pingfeng's low shout, filled with a mixture of shock and anger, rang out.

This second-rank Warlock wisely refrained from showing off his skills in front of the eldest son, maintaining a safe distance.

The moment he saw Xu Qi'an return to the capital, he knew that all was lost.

Xu Qi'an stepped on Ji Xuan's upper body, turned around to look at the Gara tree, and sneered:

"Do you dare to move?!"

The galaxy tree frowned and remained silent.

The two fought their way from the northern border to the capital, violence against violence. Gara Tree knew very well that he was no match for Xu Qi'an with his Vajra Dharma Form alone, as evidenced by the dark golden blood on his body.

With the combined strength of a first-rank martial artist and the power of all living beings, Xu Qi'an's combat strength has surpassed that of the supervisor he was in Qingzhou.

He could remain unmoved in front of the prison guards, yet this newly promoted first-rank martial artist treated him like a stone, hurling it at him repeatedly.

However, Xu Qi'an is still not as good as Shen Shu, so he did not defeat his Immovable King with three punches like the former.

But the gala tree is barely able to protect itself.

Even without the Immovable King, the physical enhancement from the Vajra Divine Skill alone was insufficient to withstand the fists and the national-protecting sword of this first-rank martial artist.

"Hand Ji Xuan over to me, and you won't dare to fight me in the capital."

"It is a tree," said Gara in a deep voice.

At this moment, the attitude of the Garuda Tree determined Ji Xuan's life or death, as well as the life or death of most ordinary people in the capital.

Xu Qi'an raised an eyebrow:

"You can threaten me with the capital; it is indeed my weakness. But do you think that if I destroy the capital, I will let you leave the Central Plains alive?"

Xu Qi'an was not deterred by this threat and reminded him:

"You've ruined the capital. Zhao Shou won't let you leave, Luo Yuheng won't let you leave, Asuluo doesn't care about the capital, but if possible, he will definitely do everything in his power to keep you in the Central Plains. Daoist Jinlian will certainly not let go of this opportunity to gain immense merit."

"I want to know if Fudo Myoo can withstand the attacks of so many powerful beings."

"You have two choices: either rise up and fight me to the death, destroying the capital, but once the Great Feng's extraordinary experts return, you will surely die; or you leave now, and I'll give you the chance to leave the capital. The choice is yours."

If Jialuoshu tries to threaten him with the capital, he can just as easily threaten him with his life. It's a battle of wits!

"Galo Tree Bodhisattva, don't be bewitched by him, he wouldn't dare gamble with you, he wouldn't dare!" Ji Xuan shouted, raising his head as high as he could.

Xu Qi'an remained calm, as if everything was under control, and said:

"But even if you, Gara Tree, are willing to risk your life for Xu Pingfeng's great cause, do you think he still has any hope of taking control of the Central Plains? With just a second-rank Warlock like him, what chance does he have against the trash beneath my feet? The White Emperor has already fled overseas, and the fate of Yunzhou is sealed."

"No matter what benefits he promised to Buddhist School, they were destined to be impossible to fulfill."

Galo Tree may be ruthless, but she would never risk her life for Xu Pingfeng, because even Xu Pingfeng might not be willing to risk his life for his great cause.

After a brief silence, Gara Tree slowly rose, his physical injuries instantly healed, and his entire body stained with dark golden blood, he clasped his hands together and slowly said:

"Amitabha Buddha, Xu Pingfeng, the alliance between Buddhist School and you is hereby terminated. Take care of yourself."

He looked at Xu Qi'an, slowly took three steps back, and seeing no obstruction, suddenly soared into the sky, transforming into golden light and fleeing westward.

Xu Pingfeng seemed to have anticipated Gara Tree's choice. He glanced indifferently at the palace and teleported away.

Ji Xuan's face was filled with despair.

Huff. Xu Qi'an exhaled a breath of stale air.

He possessed a ruthless ruthlessness that would destroy everything, and the fact that the jade shattered speaks volumes.

But if he could save the capital, he was willing to compromise and make concessions, allowing the Gara Tree to leave.

I'll have to go to the Western Regions sooner or later; we'll settle this score later.

"It's time to end this. I'll take you to see your brother."

Xu Qi'an looked down at Ji Xuan and gently pressed his palm down.

The veins on Ji Xuan's forehead bulged, a mixture of anger, fear, and resentment. He was born a son of a concubine, and in order not to overshadow the legitimate son Ji Qian, he had kept a low profile for more than twenty years.

After Ji Qian's death, he truly began to rise rapidly in rank. After experiencing countless near-death experiences, he finally advanced to the Transcendent Realm, becoming the second Transcendent Realm martial artist of the younger generation.

He was just one step away from killing the Empress and achieving his imperial ambitions.

At the end of his life, he took a whirlwind look back on his life.

"Xu--Qi--An--"

Ji Xuan let out a shrill roar, but the next moment, the sound stopped abruptly, and the ferocious expression froze on his face.

His Primordial Spirit was shattered by Xu Qi'an's palm strike, and his soul was scattered.

"I'll borrow your head for a moment."

Xu Qi'an summoned the Zhenguo Sword, severed Ji Xuan's head, and then turned to the Empress, saying:

"I'll collect his physical body; I'll refine it into a blood pill later."

Ji Xuan's physical body was still alive, full of vitality, but it was now an empty shell.

"Oh no!"

Chu Yuanzhen's face turned ashen. He forced himself to turn and look at Heng Yuan, only to find that the latter's eyes held the same anger and sorrow as his own.

From the perspective of the experts engaged in fierce fighting outside the city, the disintegration of the bronze Law Artifact did not involve many details.

From the outer city to the palace, due to the distance, the bronze Law Artifact were enormous. To the people on the city wall, they looked as small as a plate, let alone Xu Qi'an, who was of normal human size.

Even a fourth-rank expert's eyesight is insufficient to observe too many details from a great distance.

Therefore, the disintegration of the bronze disc is more likely a result of it being retrieved after fulfilling its mission.

Zhang Shen and other experts from the Great Feng faction were filled with grief, anger, or bewilderment, all speculating that the Empress had been murdered by Xu Pingfeng.

"It's done?" Yang Chuannan was overjoyed, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and his emotions slightly agitated.

After the Empress is killed, the Great Feng garrison will surely fall into panic. Once morale is low, how can they fight a war? Their subsequent resistance will also decrease.

Capturing the capital is half the battle won.

Ge Wenxuan, riding a wind-riding magical Law Artifact, gazed at the imperial palace in the distance. In an instant, many thoughts came to mind. If Yunzhou were to take control of the Central Plains, he could be granted the title of king and prime minister. He would not only have enough fortune to aid his cultivation, but also advance to become a prophet, a formation master, and even a celestial strategist.

For him, the true path of spiritual practice had only just begun.

The other fourth-rank martial artists from Yunzhou were all greatly encouraged.

"The Empress is dead; the day is now to take over the capital."

Lay down your weapons, and those who surrender will not be killed.

Several arrogant warriors shouted.

Qi Guangbo didn't need to use the wind to check the situation; he could guess from the feedback from his own experts on the city wall that things were progressing smoothly and that the Grand Preceptor and Ji Xuan had successfully beheaded them.

"Wei Yuan, now it's our turn to settle this." Qi Guangbo squinted, a smile playing on his lips.

Killing the Empress was a necessity of the war for him, but he didn't feel any sense of accomplishment from the act itself.

His real target was Wei Yuan.

This is also why he was willing to join Qianlong City with Xu Pingfeng back then.

He and Wei Yuan were complete strangers, but like many renowned martial arts masters, even if they had never met, they would travel thousands of miles to challenge each other to a duel.

Because in this world, true friends and worthy opponents are the rarest things to find.

In the barracks not far from the city wall, Wei Yuan put down the Hun Tian Divine Mirror and stretched:

"Prepare the carriage; I'm going to the Haoqi Tower for a short rest."

In the scene reflected by the Heavenly Mirror, all was silent on the city wall. A young man in flowing blue robes held a severed head in his hand, looking down at the smoke-filled battlefield below.

Xu Qi'an stood in mid-air and slowly said:

"Ji Xuan is dead, the defeat in Yunzhou is inevitable, those who surrender will not be killed!"

"Xu, Xu Qi'an"

Ge Wenxuan's lips moved, and he managed to utter three words with difficulty.

His gaze immediately fell on Ji Xuan's head, and his face turned deathly pale. Only then did he realize that the collapse of the Heavenly Secrets Disc was not because Ji Xuan and the Imperial Preceptor had killed the Empress, but on the contrary, because Xu Qi'an had returned.

The Imperial Advisor and Ji Xuan encountered him in the palace.

Ji Xuan is dead, then, what about the teacher?

"Ji Xuan is dead?!"

Yang Chuannan's mood reversed completely; the more triumphant he was just moments before, the more desperate he became now.

"Impossible! Neither the White Emperor nor the Gara Tree could kill him? Why is that? Why?"

Ji Xuan is dead, the Imperial Advisor is missing, and the Yunzhou army is doomed. His gamble, which staked the fate of his entire Lineage, ended in a crushing defeat.

Not only Yang Chuannan, but all the experts in the Yunzhou army were ashen-faced, bewildered and desperate, not knowing why the situation had suddenly turned out this way.

The defeat was inexplicable.

In the distance, the smile on Qi Guangbo's lips had not yet faded when his expression gradually stiffened.

His heart sank to the bottom.

He instantly grasped the situation. The Northern Border Tribulation Battle ended ahead of schedule, Xu Qi'an returned to the capital, thwarting Ji Xuan and the Imperial Preceptor's actions.

With Ji Xuan dead, the Imperial Advisor most likely escaped.

Yunzhou is finished.

Miao Youfang collapsed to the ground with a thud, leaning against the parapet. He wiped his blood-stained face and said, exhausted, "..."

"He's finally back."

Beside them, Zhang Shen, Li Mubai, Xu Xinnian, and the Imperial Guards felt a genuine sense of relief, as if they had found a pillar of support and a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts.

Chu Yuanzhen and Master Hengyuan exchanged a glance, then smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

The strange movement just now wasn't because Huaiqing died at Xu Pingfeng's hands, but because Xu Ningyan returned.

This also means that the outcome of the Northern Frontier Tribulation Battle was a victory for the Great Feng.

"Xu Yinluo is back."

"Xu Yinluo killed a transcendent master from Yunzhou."

On the city wall, the Great Feng erupted in a thunderous cheer, and the soldiers regarded the figure in the sky as a god.

"That's it, damn it, we don't have to die."

A half-armed garrison soldier leaned against the city wall, grinning to reveal his blood-red gums.

"You don't have to die, you don't have to die."

The wounded soldiers covered their faces and wept, bursting into loud sobs.

Amid cheers from the Great Feng, more than ten key figures of the Yunzhou army, including Ge Wenxuan, Qi Guangbo, and Yang Chuannan, simultaneously took out teleportation jade talismans from their robes.

This is a life-saving Law Artifact given to them by the Imperial Preceptor, with a corresponding teleportation station set up on the border between Yongzhou and the capital. Once they arrive in Yongzhou, they can use several other teleportation spells to travel through the teleportation arrays along the way and return to Yunzhou.

This process takes at most fifteen minutes.

The crafting of teleportation jade talismans is extremely complicated. The materials are not priceless, but they are not cheap either, so they are only issued to key figures in the army.

Teleportation is prohibited here!

Another figure appeared in the air above the city wall; it was Zhao Shou, wearing a Confucian hat.

He was the first to rush back to the capital, which shows that Confucian School and Law Technique were absolutely among the best and most outstanding among all the major systems.

The jade talismans in Qi Guangbo and the others' hands had already been crushed, but no clear light rose up to take them away.

The last hope is gone.

Zhao Shou Xu Qi'an nodded slightly.

"Boom!"

With a deafening sonic boom, Xu Qi'an immediately disappeared from everyone's sight; his current speed had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.

It should be said that this represents the pinnacle of flying with the wind.

Apart from teleportation, a Law Technique involving space, no wind-riding technique in the world can be faster than his.

The reason they didn't catch up with Xu Pingfeng immediately was because they were afraid that the Gara Tree would come back halfway and undermine them.

With Zhao Shou back, Asuluo and Jinlian won't be far behind. The three of them, along with Kou Yangzhou and Sun Xuanji, will definitely be able to withstand the immense physical strain on the Gara Tree.

Even if Gara Tree harbored suicidal intentions, seeing this lineup would dissuade him from the idea.

Moreover, Xu Qi'an knew where Xu Pingfeng would go, so he wasn't afraid of not being able to find him.

There needs to be a resolution between father and son.

It is only natural for a son to see his father off on his deathbed.

West Garden, an underground secret chamber.

A line of imperial guards opened the heavy iron gate, and fresh, crisp air rushed into the secret room, invigorating the women.

The head of the Imperial Guards bowed and said:

"By order of His Majesty, please escort the Empress Dowager, all the ladies, and other women back to their quarters."

Can we go out now?

A noblewoman, her makeup ruined by tears, tentatively asked:

"The rebels have been driven back?"

Seeing the Empress Dowager and the group of women staring at him, the head of the Imperial Guards responded:

"One of the rebel leaders is dead and the other has escaped. The rebellion outside the city has also been quelled, and all the rebel generals have been captured."

Wang Simu, who was standing beside her mother, frowned and asked:

"So fast?"

The head of the Imperial Guards laughed:

"Xu Yinluo is back, how could we not hurry?"

Cheers erupted, and the women were finally relieved, their tears turning to smiles. They said "May Heaven bless the court" and thanked Xu Yinluo.

Beside Consort Chen, Lin'an, who had been keeping a straight face, finally no longer needed to pretend to be calm. She breathed a sigh of relief and put her hands on her hips.

Auntie was about to collapse, to the point of exhaustion, but all the women around her were staring at the Xu Household women, forcing her to straighten her back and maintain her dignity.

He received flattery and praise from wealthy ladies and heiresses.

Mu Nanzhi glanced at Lin'an and also put her hands on her hips.

Xu Lingyue had an innocent and delicate appearance.

PS: A book I'm sacrificing. "Transmigrated into a Book and Became the Boss's Beloved". Medical graduate student Du Qingyang actually transmigrated into a book! From then on, she became a top student! A divine doctor! A master strategist! And a future tycoon!