“Your Majesty, I fear this matter cannot be resolved peacefully,” Zhong Qing sighed.
“Master Zhong, why not?” Zai Qian asked urgently.
Zhong Qing explained, “I know of the Black Fiend Army. It’s the most ruthless force in the Dakwang Empire, composed entirely of prisoners and killers steeped in bloodlust. The main reason the Dakwang Empire sent them here is likely to slaughter freely in Tianyuan City to assert dominance. General Gai Xing went to stop them from entering the city in full force—there’s bound to be a fight.”
Zai Qian pressed anxiously, “Do you mean we should let them all in?”
Zhong Qing shook his head. “If we let them all enter, there’s a high chance they’ll massacre their way through the city.”
“Master Zhong, you must help me!” Zai Qian’s tone grew frantic. From Zhong Qing’s words, it seemed that whether Tie Ran’s death was tied to the Qiyuan Domain Kingdom or not, the Dakwang Empire intended to make an example of him.
Zhong Qing sighed again. “I dare not act. I’m just a minor Core Condensation cultivator. Forget whether I could wipe out the Black Fiend Army—if I so much as touch one of them, my sect and family would be utterly destroyed by the Dakwang Empire.”
“Then what do we do? We can’t go after the Lan family either,” a terrified official from the Ministry of Rites stammered.
Wu Li sneered, “The matter’s not even settled, yet the Dakwang Empire sent the Black Fiend Army. Clearly, whether this has anything to do with our Qiyuan Domain Kingdom or not, we’re the scapegoats. Even if Master Zhong didn’t say the Lan family has a supreme powerhouse, handing them over would be pointless.”
Zai Qian’s expression flickered. After a moment, he slammed the tea table in front of him and stood. “Come, I’ll go to the city walls myself. Unless I’m dead, not a single Black Fiend soldier enters Tianyuan City.”
Zhong Qing nodded inwardly. He saw that Zai Qian had finally grasped his hint.
With so many in the royal hall, word of the Lan family killing Tie Ran would soon spread. Yet Zai Qian didn’t send anyone to seize them and was now personally blocking the Dakwang Empire’s army from entering to investigate. If the Lan family caught wind of this, they might well step up to aid Qiyuan.
Of course, if they didn’t, holding off the Black Fiend Army would still be fine. If it came to it, he’d go to the Lan family for help himself.
…
Lan Xiaobu paused his cultivation. Su Cen’s talent was exceptional—she was close to Foundation Establishment in just over a month.
But he knew well that without his presence, even with her talent and top-tier techniques, cultivating in this backwater would take one or two years to reach that stage.
His own cultivation drew spiritual energy in a frenzy. As his power grew, so did the radius he could pull from. Now, he’d swept up the spiritual energy within a hundred thousand li. Even if it was thin, gathered together, it was a massive amount. The spectacle of it rushing in from all directions was hardly subtle.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t care about the commotion. Even while proving the Reincarnation Dao, his affinity and sensitivity to the laws of heaven and earth let him advance rapidly despite the sparse energy. In just over a month, he’d reached the God Refining Realm. At this point, no one could threaten him even if he stopped cultivating.
Yet, at God Refining, the energy within a hundred thousand li couldn’t push him further.
He decided that once Su Cen reached God Refining, they’d marry. With his current strength, he could take her to a spirit-rich area, set up a simple gathering array, and she’d hit God Refining in a few years.
From his grasp of the cosmic Dao, he reckoned there was over a sixty percent chance Su Cen would recover her memories from her past two lives at that stage. If not, after their wedding, he’d prove the Reincarnation Dao and take her to the Netherworld to retrieve them.
He refused to believe a Fourth-Turn Saint like him couldn’t restore her memories. Even the Reincarnation Saint, who once ruled a realm’s Netherworld laws, was now tagging along behind him.
“Young Master Bu, something big’s happened…” As Lan Xiaobu calculated how long Su Cen’s Foundation Establishment would take, Lan Qing’s urgent voice and footsteps broke through.
“What’s going on?” Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled, extending his divine sense.
Lan Qing, breathless, said, “The Dakwang Empire’s Black Fiend Army is here—investigating Tie Ran’s death. Our domain king won’t let them in to harass the people. They’re slaughtering Qiyuan citizens outside and killed over ten guards. I’m worried… if the king can’t hold them back, will they storm Tianyuan City and kill indiscriminately?”
He didn’t dare voice the rest: the Lan family killed Tie Ran. If the Black Fiend Army found out, not one of them would survive.
“Yeah, Big Bro Xiaobu, I went out to check—it’s dire,” Lan Pi chimed in. He’d heard of the Black Fiend Army—a name that silenced crying children at night.
“Your talent’s impressive—nearly at Foundation Establishment,” Lan Xiaobu noted, sensing the true qi flowing around Lan Pi.
He knew Lan Pi’s rapid progress owed much to the gathering array and the spiritual energy he’d drawn in, but the boy’s aptitude was solid nonetheless.
Beside Su Cen, she was only brushing Foundation Establishment, not yet starting it.
“Right, my cultivation’s soaring. I reckon even tenth-stage warriors might not beat me now. Just over a month—it’s mad how easy martial arts are. Even if the Black Fiend Army comes, I’m not scared—I’ll protect…” Lan Pi trailed off, smacking his head. “Look at me—my skills are all thanks to you, Big Bro Xiaobu.”
“No worries, they won’t reach here soon,” Lan Xiaobu said. His divine sense spotted a kingly figure on the walls, directing guards to block the Black Fiend Army.
Outside, bodies lay scattered—commoners and gate guards alike.
He’d seen plenty of carnage, but this army’s brutality was new. Even planet-destroying powerhouses acted for their Dao—these seemed to kill for killing’s sake. The king looked hesitant, merely blocking entry without striking back, which irked Lan Xiaobu.
With so many soldiers on the walls, a volley of arrows could wipe out half the thousand-strong force. Could the Black Fiend Army dodge thousands of shots?
As another soldier grabbed a civilian, Lan Xiaobu flung a soul刺 before the kill landed.
*Pfft!* The soldier spewed blood and dropped dead.
Zai Qian, atop Tianyuan’s walls, froze. Truth be told, he’d come to block the army but never meant to kill them. Deep down, he clung to a sliver of hope—if he didn’t touch them, things wouldn’t hit rock bottom.
Now, a Black Fiend soldier was dead outside the gate—by an unknown hand—and he was stunned. This meant no turning back with the Dakwang Empire.
The Black Fiend Army was Emperor Tie Qi’s personal enforcers. Kill one, and your family and nation were doomed.
For Zai Qian, it was all or nothing now.
“Master Zhong, what’s this…” His voice trembled, courage waning with that soldier’s death.
Zhong Qing, equally dazed, took a moment before saying, “I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone strike.”
“Qiyuan Domain Kingdom’s rebelled—full assault on the city!” a tall Black Fiend soldier bellowed.
“Fall back! Send an urgent message to the empire—request troops to crush Qiyuan!” a leader snapped, slapping the shouting soldier aside as he ordered a retreat.
The army withdrew swiftly. Killing at the gate was fine when they knew Qiyuan wouldn’t dare retaliate. Now that a soldier was dead, staying was suicide.
As for the fool yelling to attack—a thousand against a domain capital? Either mad or brain-dead.
…
Dakwang Empire.
Among the ten great empires of the Hydroxyl Continent, it ranked in the top three, thanks to a rumoured Human Immortal and Emperor Tie Qi, a Golden Core powerhouse.
Lately, Tie Qi hadn’t smiled. His favourite concubine, Hu Xier, bore him Tie Ran—killed in Qiyuan Domain Kingdom.
If not for threats from the Qingyan and Pinghuang Empires, he’d have gone himself. He wouldn’t rest until Qiyuan’s king fried in oil for forty-nine days.
Unable to go, he sent the Black Fiend Army to investigate, retrieve Tie Ran’s killers and Qiyuan’s king for torture, and tacitly approved a massacre in Tianyuan City. His son’s death demanded blood.
With his bastard son slain, Tie Qi was distracted even in court.
