First Rank Martial Warrior

On the city wall, with Xu Qi'an's departure, the Yunzhou army fell into chaos.

The invincible Ji Xuan in their eyes, the war god Ji Xuan who shone brightly from Qingzhou to Yongzhou, just now had his head held in Xu Yinluo's hand.

In an instant, despair exploded in the hearts of the Yunzhou army and its mid-level generals. They felt as excited as they had been after the Empress was beheaded, and now they were filled with despair.

Besides Ji Xuan, whom they hailed as a god of war, even the imperial advisor fled.

"General Ji has been killed, Xu Yinluo is invincible, he is a god descended from heaven."

In the crowd, a Yunzhou soldier looked utterly desperate, his lips trembling.

Despair and panic festered in the hearts of the Yunzhou soldiers. The rebels became agitated, gripping their knives, looking around blankly, unsure of what to do.

After seeing Ji Xuan's head, they lost all will to fight.

As people from the Central Plains, they had all heard of Xu Yinluo's great name. Things like how he single-handedly killed 300,000 soldiers of the Witch God Cult, and how he single-handedly repelled 20,000 rebel soldiers when he came to Yunzhou.

This preconceived notion, when things are going well, will be suppressed in one's mind. But once faced with an insurmountable obstacle, the fear suppressed in one's mind will launch a fierce counterattack, causing them to lose their fighting spirit.

A fierce glint flashed in Yang Chuannan's eyes, and he said loudly:

"The soldiers of Yunzhou would rather die fighting than surrender. All officers and soldiers, listen to my command: Kill!"

Beside him, a dozen or so trusted men gripped their weapons, their faces contorted with rage.

"Clang!"

At this moment, a soldier dropped his sword to the ground and said tremblingly:

"I... I surrender. I already said that there's no way out for us if we rebel. We can't beat Xu Yinluo."

After a few seconds of silence, the second person to surrender appeared:

"I surrender too. I... I just want to live."

"I surrender too."

Then, as if triggering a chain reaction, more and more Yunzhou soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered, shouting "Surrender!" in various local dialects.

"Rebellion is a capital offense, and surrender offers no way out!"

Yang Chuannan shouted, "Follow this general and fight with all your might!"

Knowing he was doomed, he resolutely refused to surrender and tried to incite the Yunzhou army to perish with the Great Feng, determined to make them pay a heavy price even in death.

But before he could speak, a relative behind him silently dropped the knife in his hand and shouted:

I surrender.

Yang Chuannan's voice abruptly stopped.

The dozen or so close associates surrounding him dropped their weapons and shouted their surrender.

Yang Chuannan's cheek muscles twitched violently, his eyes filled with despair.

In the distance, watching the Yunzhou soldiers surrendering one after another on the city walls and below, Qi Guangbo slowly closed his eyes and placed one hand on the sword at his waist.

A commander should have a dignified way to die.

His face was sorrowful; he hadn't had the chance to fight Wei Yuan on the battlefield back then, and he still didn't have the opportunity today.

The name Xu Qi'an is like an abyss standing between him and Wei Yuan, an insurmountable obstacle that breeds despair.

Qi Guangbo steeled his resolve and was about to draw his sword to commit suicide, but suddenly his hands became uncontrollable.

Startled, I opened my eyes and saw a figure in white standing before me, with ordinary features, ordinary demeanor, and ordinary height.

"Why won't you let me die?" Qi Guangbo said in a deep voice.

As the commander-in-chief of Yunzhou, Sun Xuanji thought to himself, "You won't die so easily." But the words that came out of his mouth were just one:

"Oh!"

Led by their generals, the garrison of Great Feng bound the surrendered soldiers one by one, brandishing their sword sheaths and wooden sticks, shouting and beating them, venting their pent-up rage.

These rebellious troops, who don't know their own mortality, actually dared to attack the capital. Who gave them the guts? Don't they know that Xu Yinluo is the guardian deity of the Great Feng?

Xu Yinluo's life is full of legendary achievements; has he ever been defeated?

This time was no different; once he made a move, he killed the enemy leader.

This is the god of war in their hearts.

Ge Wenxuan, Yang Chuannan, and more than a dozen other key figures were quickly subdued by Zhao Shou, Sun Xuanji, and Kou Yangzhou. With these extraordinary experts watching over them, it would be difficult for them to commit suicide.

The Imperial Palace, the Golden Throne Hall.

The Empress sat high on her throne. In addition to the officials, the palace was also filled with the commanders of the Imperial Guards and the Twelve Guards of the Capital, as well as martial arts masters such as Xu Erlang, Zhang Shen, Chu Yuanzhen, and Cao Qingyang.

The latter, having rendered meritorious Great Feng, was exceptionally granted an audience with the emperor in the palace to receive rewards for his service.

"A total of 28,361 rebel soldiers were captured, and all rebel generals, including Qi Guangbo and Yang Chuannan, were brought under control. In this battle, 8,343 soldiers were killed and 12,000 were wounded. More than 800 civilians outside the city were killed or wounded."

"More than two hundred cannons, one hundred and twenty crossbows, armor and weapons were captured."

"Of the four city gates, the south gate is destroyed, with large sections of the city wall collapsed; the other three gates have been damaged to varying degrees and require extensive repairs."

"."

The battle losses were already quite significant, but the officials' faces were filled with joy, a sense of relief as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.

This battle ended the rebellion in Yunzhou, and the dark clouds hanging over the Great Feng court finally dissipated completely, and dawn had arrived.

Huaiqing listened silently, then slowly said:

"The losses in this battle were quite heavy. What suggestions do you, my esteemed ministers, have for the post-battle handling and the treatment of the rebel prisoners?"

Grand Secretary Qian Qingshu stepped forward and said:

"The surrendered soldiers from Yunzhou can be used for hard labor, such as repairing the city walls. Further arrangements can be made after the aftermath is settled."

The greatest use of these surrendered soldiers at present is as free labor.

Grand Secretary Qian Qingshu continued:

"As for the rebel leaders such as Qi Guangbo, they should be beheaded as soon as possible to demonstrate the majesty of the court. The cabinet has already prepared a proclamation: Xu Yinluo has forcefully beheaded the rebel leader Ji Xuan to intimidate the entire army and quell the rebellion."

"In this way, the people's hearts can be quickly appeased."

Huaiqing nodded and said:

"Can!"

Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Hong stepped forward and said:

"I still have one question: the battle to transcend tribulations in the Northern Frontier seems to have been a great victory? Where are the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree and the White Emperor now?"

Liu Hong's doubts were also the doubts of all the officials.

The rebellion in Yunzhou has ended, but for the officials involved, the end was somewhat inexplicable.

Because among the extraordinary realm combat power, Yunzhou relied on the White Emperor and the Gara Tree, but from beginning to end, they did not see the appearance of two first-rank experts.

Huaiqing spoke slowly and authoritatively:

"The Imperial Preceptor and Xu Yinluo have both been promoted to the first rank and have already severed the White Emperor's physical body in the Northern Border. The Gara Tree, unable to withstand the attack alone, was driven back by Xu Yinluo and fled back to the Western Regions."

!!!

Inside the hall, the heads of the people suddenly looked up, revealing expressions of shock and bewilderment.

The minds of the officials, including the first-rank martial artist, were buzzing, and they almost blurted out to the Empress:

Don't joke around!

This simple sentence instantly stirred up a storm in the hearts of everyone present.

Even Zhang Shen and Li Mubai, who had learned of the situation from Zhao Shou, were still deeply shocked upon hearing the news again.

The leaders and sect masters of the martial arts alliance were dumbfounded, unable to control their expressions.

A first-rank martial artist has been born.

Since Emperor Wuzong, no first-rank martial artist has appeared in the Central Plains martial arts world for five hundred years.

Five hundred years later, Xu Qi'an has been promoted to a first-rank martial artist.

Unbeknownst to them, he had become a truly invincible person, and the gentlemen felt a sense of things having changed and the world having turned upside down.

Did I really only stay in the military town for five months? Nangong Qianrou asked himself, somewhat doubting that he had misunderstood. He still couldn't accept that the Silver Gong who was only at the fifth level of the Transformation Realm had become a peak Martial Dao artist five months later.

What does "first-class" mean?

This brings the martial arts system to its end.

Throughout history, apart from those of the highest rank, whose combat prowess can rival that of a first-rank martial artist?

The ancestor had secluded himself for five hundred years before finally advancing to the second rank, making him an extraordinary figure destined for history. Xu Yinluo, on the other hand, was only in his early twenties and had already completed his Martial Dao. The members of the Martial Alliance felt conflicted, suddenly realizing that the ancestor's talent seemed... perhaps, only average?

As this thought flashed through their minds, they glanced around nervously, and seeing that Protector Yuan was not in the hall, they immediately felt relieved.

"Excellent! Excellent! With the Great Feng, peace will reign for ten thousand generations, and no nation in the four directions will dare to invade!"

Liu Hong's hands trembled with excitement, and tears streamed down his face.

"This is a blessing for the people of the Central Plains, a blessing for His Majesty, and a blessing for the nation."

At this moment, the officials felt a deep sense of sorrow, recalling the various events that had befallen the Great Feng since the year of the Capital Evaluation, from Emperor Zhende's chaos and destruction of the ancestral foundation, to the rebellion in Yunzhou, which caused immense suffering to the people of the Central Plains.

The past year has been filled with far too many disasters, and the imperial court is already overwhelmed.

Now, the long road ahead has finally come. Wei Yuan has been resurrected, and Xu Qi'an has been promoted to the first rank. With the former leading troops into battle and the latter possessing extraordinary combat power, it is conceivable that in the long years to come, the Great Feng will enjoy favorable weather and peace.

Historical records show that during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wuzong, the Western Regions, the northern Southern Frontier the Wushen Sect, and the southern frontier were all subjugated and never dared to invade the territory of the Great Feng or wage war recklessly.

After the great battle, martial law was lifted in the inner city, and the city's garrison marched through the streets and alleys with gongs and drums, shouting that the rebellion had been quelled and that peace had returned to the land.

Upon hearing the noise, the people opened their doors and windows in surprise, only to find that the patrolling soldiers were indeed gone from the streets.

"The war's over? I was terrified! I thought the capital was finished."

"The gunfire had stopped for a while, and I thought the rebels had retreated, but it turns out the rebellion has been quelled."

"Let's go, let's go check out the notice board."

People gradually left their homes and went out onto the streets, heading in unison towards the notice boards at the city gates and the notice boards of various government offices.

Sure enough, the people could see from afar that a new notice had been posted on the bulletin board.

What does it say?

"So you mean the rebellion has been quelled? The rebels' stronghold is in Yunzhou. Although this rebellion is over, they could very well make a comeback."

"There's nothing we can do about it. The fact that our capital was able to quickly repel the rebels is already extremely impressive."

"His Majesty is indeed the chosen one, and the officials aren't as incompetent as we thought."

Most of the people were illiterate, so they discussed the matter while waiting for those who could read to tell them the contents of the notice.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed in surprise:

The notice stated that Xu Yinluo had killed the rebel leader, thus intimidating the entire army.

A wave of discussion arose immediately, with the people gathered around the notice board discussing it animatedly and constantly asking if it was true or false.

After receiving confirmation, the people suddenly realized why the rebellion had been quelled so quickly—Xu Yinluo had finally made his move.

"Tell me, weren't these rebels just courting death? They marched all the way to the capital, and before they could even cause a fuss, Xu Yinluo crushed them."

"I thought it was His Majesty's wisdom and martial prowess, and the soldiers' excellent training, but it turns out it was Xu Yinluo alone who intimidated the rebels."

"Definitely. Xu Yinluo once single-handedly repelled a 500,000-strong army of the Witch God Cult outside Yuyang Pass."

Now, having personally killed the rebel leader and intimidated the entire army, the people see Xu Yinluo as the epitome of professionalism.

"Wait, wasn't it two hundred thousand?"

Some questioned the authenticity of the figures, but they were quickly drowned out by a tidal wave of praise.

Unbeknownst to them, the people of the capital had developed a kind of "arrogance." This arrogance was not the arrogance of nobles living under the emperor's nose, but the arrogance of living in the same city as Xu Yinluo.

Disasters continue to strike various parts of the Central Plains, Qingzhou and Yongzhou have even been captured by rebel forces, but our capital city is not afraid, because we have Xu Yinluo here.

Prince's Mansion.

Wang Simu, along with his mother and two sisters-in-law, returned to the mansion by carriage.

The two elder brothers rushed out to greet him, asking anxiously:

"I heard from the servants that the fighting outside the city has ended?"

Madam Wang nodded, her expression relaxed, and smiled:

"I heard from people in the palace that it was Xu Yinluo who killed the rebel leader, intimidated the rebels from the city wall, and quelled the rebellion."

"Alas, I was unwilling when Master initially planned to arrange a marriage with the Xu Household. Only now do I understand Master's good intentions."

Given the relationship between the Wang and Xu Household, even if the master were to resign from his position as Grand Secretary, he would still be able to enjoy great wealth and honor in the capital, bringing blessings to his descendants.

The eldest son of the Wang family breathed a sigh of relief, his face beaming with joy.

"Father is still waiting for news in his room. I'll go tell him right away."

Madam Wang nodded:

"Master can now focus on recovering."

Wang Simu smiled and said:

"I'll go and tell my father."

No one dared to object.

Wang Simu arrived at his father's bedroom, knocked on the door, and said:

"Father."

The door opened immediately, and a maidservant greeted her respectfully, "Young Miss."

Wang Simu hummed in agreement, stepped over the threshold, and entered the room. He saw the Prime Minister Wang leaning against the soft pillows, looking at him.

"How is the battle going?" Wang Zhenwen's expression and tone were calm, but his eyes were fixed on Wang Simu.

Wang Simu understood her father's meaning. She sat by the bed, held her father's hand, and said softly:

"Xu Yinluo is back. It's over, Dad. It's all over."

The Prime Minister nodded, having already learned of the matter from his two sons, and now that it was confirmed, he felt a great sense of relief.

"The battle to overcome the tribulation in the North has also ended."

Wang Zhenwen had another question, but she knew her daughter couldn't answer it.

How did he win?

Wang Simu said:

"I met Erlang on the way here. He was on his way to the palace to see His Majesty and told me something."

Wang Zhenwen looked at her daughter.

Wang Simu pursed her lips and revealed the truth:

"Xu Yinluo has been promoted to the first rank."

"A first-rank martial artist," Wang Zhenwen murmured.

He suddenly felt a new force sprouting and growing within his body, and the fatigue on his face vanished.

Yunzhou, on the outer sea.

On the vast blue ocean, a fleet of ships anchored on the undulating blue waves, flags embroidered with a blue dragon fluttering fiercely in the gale.

Azure Dragon Fleet!

A middle-aged man in a purple robe stood at the ship's railing, gazing at Yunzhou with a deep, unreadable expression.

After the attack on Qianlong City, he realized that the city's fighting strength was inferior to that of the enemy. He made a decisive move, crushed the teleportation jade talisman and arrived at Baidi City. Then, he led five hundred trusted troops from the city straight to the coast, boarded the Azure Dragon Fleet, and fled overseas.

This place is dozens of miles away from Yunzhou, so it's safe enough.

He waited here for news from the Imperial Advisor.

The purpose of the Azure Dragon Fleet is not to fight, but to provide Yunzhou with a way out.

The reason I chose to settle in Yunzhou was because it is backed by the vast ocean, so even if I were in dire straits, I would still have a way out.

"Since the Grand Preceptor hasn't returned to reinforce Yunzhou, it means he's confident he can take the capital. As long as we capture the capital, the losses in Yunzhou will be insignificant."

The middle-aged man in purple, who had held a high position for many years, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic.

At that moment, he saw a white shadow flash before his eyes, revealing Xu Pingfeng's back.

PS: Updated first, revised later.