Chapter 164: Gods And Immortals Blocking The Way
In the third month of the second year of the Tian You Calendar, within the Da Yao Northern Army Corps after the merger of the Eastern Market Army and the Wu Family Northern Army.
Wu Fei compiled statistics on the merit records of both sides, delineating each person’s merit history over these years according to a unified standard.
This was a quite important task, namely that the Eastern Market Army and the Wu Family Northern Army could now have a platform to mutually recognize each other’s military ranks and such.
Most people were still immersed in the victory of the Northern Expedition, but just as the entire army was preparing to achieve complete victory in one final push, a piece of news disrupted the Northern Army’s planning. That was the news that the Imperial Court claimed the Wu Family had used evil arts.
Originally, it was only Bai Renfeng, a disciple of the Qinghua Sect from the south, who had secretly come to deliver the message. Wu Hengyu had previously sealed off the news, and most people in the military camp knew nothing about it, not even wanting Wu Fei to know. Of course, Bai Renfeng still passed a copy of the message to Wu Fei. However, since he was not brothers with Wu Fei in the sect, he did not explain it as clearly as he did to Wu Hengyu.
Thus, Bai’s message became “explaining clear matters to muddled people, and speaking too vaguely to clear-headed people.”
Only now, after the Imperial Court’s official document was issued, did the matter surface before everyone.
Wu Hengyu did not believe that after his family had established such great merit, the Imperial Court would show no consideration at all! But the latest court gazette directly attributed the source of the plague to Wu Hanluan.
With a “bang,” Wu Hengyu said: “Why is it that troubles arise behind me just as I’m busy with things here!”
Wu Hengyu was truly furious. As proud as he was, going north to establish merit was like donning brocade robes. And he wore those brocade robes to make others look up to him. He could not believe someone would provoke him like this.
The memories from his previous life, not yet fully recalled, reminded him that in his previous life he had felt a similar displeasure: as soon as he arrived at the frontline, someone behind him would start a guerrilla war against him.
The other officers and soldiers in the main camp were all silent as mice, while some turned their gazes to Wu Fei, hoping Wu Fei could persuade him.
Wu Fei did not directly clash head-on with Wu Hengyu’s spear tip, but instead picked up the peace letter sent by King Hao from nearby.
In the letter, King Hao expressed willingness to become brothers with Wu Fei and elaborated on the Da Yao Dynasty’s distrust of General (Wu Fei).
After carefully studying it, Wu Fei inferred the information behind the words and calculated that the war to destroy Hao could ultimately not continue with full force, but conveniently, this “failure at the last step” could be shifted onto someone else.
Xuan Chong had long foreseen that the Northern Border warfare had reached this stage and was about done.
Emperor Ling did not have Emperor Shu’s ability to control the Imperial Court in politics. Emperor Shu was inept and loved to play, but after his recklessness, he would gain a clear understanding of the big picture.
And in the current Da Yao Dynasty, the closer the frontline army got to achieving extraordinary merit, the more those in the Imperial Court feared their power being challenged and thus stirred up trouble.
It was just that previously, with the entire Da Yao Northern Army Corps’ morale high, there really was no brake key to stop the advance.
Wu Fei had a plan in mind: this “abrupt halt” must be pinned on Emperor Ling’s group.
Wu Fei looked at Wu Hengyu, and Wu Hengyu stared back at Wu Fei. In their eye contact, Wu Hengyu sought emotional resonance, while Wu Fei wanted to know if Wu Hengyu now had ideas of “maximizing interests.”
In the end, perhaps sighing at how much of a political animal he was, Wu Fei sighed and said: “Although the eastern forces of False Hao have been eliminated, it is not yet time to destroy Hao.”
Wu Hengyu still stared at Wu Fei. Wu Fei knew exactly what he wanted to hear, but now he could not go along with his emotions, instead gradually leading into reason: “The Imperial Court originally hoped we two would check each other, but now they have begun to fear our combined strength.”
Wu Hengyu gritted his teeth and took in the first layer of meaning, slowly saying: “As long as we hold the troops, everything can be discussed.”
Wu Fei nodded and continued to persuade: “But the situation at Uncle’s side may not be that simple.”
…Just as Wu Fei had expected…
On April 2, Wang Xi hurried over from the south. His head full of sores and scars made people around him afraid to approach, but as an important military intelligence messenger, Wu Hengyu still met him.
As Wang Xi tearfully recounted how Wu Hanluan had already fallen victim to schemes from all sides in Zhenzhou and was in dire straits; at this moment, Wu Hengyu’s entire body of killing intent went out of control, and holding the Star River Spear, he was about to lead troops south to get to the bottom of it.
Such a Wu Hengyu was like a ferocious deity. No one dared approach. In his childhood, Wu Fei would also avoid Wu Hengyu when he was angry.
But today, Wu Fei stepped forward and blocked in front of him.
Wu Fei’s strength could not withstand Wu Hengyu’s, but Wu Hengyu’s spear was held under his ribs.
Wu Hengyu coldly said: “As your son, how can I not return now?”
Wu Fei: “What will you do if you go back? Can you change anything?”
Wu Hengyu was full of killing intent at this moment, but in the end, he turned his gaze to Wu Fei, signaling Wu Fei to finish speaking.
Wu Fei: “Uncle has treated me with immense kindness, and you and I are brothers. It is not impossible for me to go back. In direct combat, you are stronger than me, but the villains in the Imperial Court precisely hope we lose our footing at this time. Do not fulfill the intentions of certain people in the Imperial Court.”
Wu Fei continued: “And if you stay here to lead the killing, you will be of great use here. — Regarding Uncle colluding with the evil path, our initial news came from the Imperial Court (emphasizing tone to confirm, because someone was watching nearby), so this matter may also have black hands in the Imperial Court! Right now, the Imperial Court dares not move against you and me because we hold the large army guarding the border.
For now, if you stay in the north continuing to uphold the great cause of ‘striking north against False Hao’ and consolidating the troops. The Imperial Court must then leave Uncle’s matter hanging. And if I go back, I can address each point one by one!”
The killing intent on Wu Hengyu’s body began to organize orderly; he understood Wu Fei’s idea.
Wu Hengyu: “But if this enmity is not avenged, I cannot swallow this anger!” — Originally, the anger was because he thought the enemy was in Zhenzhou, but now after being reminded, he realized the main enemy might be in the Da Yao Imperial Court, and abandoning the northern troops to go back might play right into the enemy’s hands.
Wu Fei: “Revenge must find the right time; do not seek revenge when the enemy is prepared. This Imperial Court is without virtue and will soon be too busy with its own affairs!”
Seeing Wu Hengyu still hesitating, Wu Fei said: “To achieve great things, one must endure. A gentleman avenges himself after ten years.”
Wang Xi, kneeling nearby, stood up and repeated: “Yes, Young General, the old Military Master said to do well in the north and let Young Master Yuan Chang take charge of the overall situation.”
Wu Hengyu exhaled, hugged Wu Fei, and said: “Brother, the matters in the south can only be entrusted to you.”
Being hugged by Wu Hengyu’s tiger-like back and bear-like waist made Wu Fei feel that this was not “expressing emotions,” but threatening him: if he did not grind the people of Chong Land to dust and scatter their ashes, he would not be spared.
…From then on, Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu separated…
On April 3, Wu Fei returned south.
The Sitian Chengs in cities across the entire under heaven, as well as the fate diviners in the sect gates, all looked to the sky. The celestial phenomenon of the Vermilion Bird charging north against the Azure Dragon, which had lasted two years, had ended, and the fire killing intent began turning back south.
Some sects decided to block Wu Fei’s return south. In the eyes of these sect leaders, after the collapse of the Wu Family Army, Zhenzhou needed to redivide territories.
While other sects stood with Wu Fei, the reason was also simple: under the great tribulation, in terms of auspicious qi, it was absolutely unacceptable to let it go. They must defend the human realm that aligned with their own.
In ancient times, the “Intercept” and “Elucidation” schools contended just like this, and before the calamity, the immortal cultivators of the two schools respectively called each other “senior brother” and “junior brother.”
In the waves between Bo Prefecture and Yan Land, the Cixin Sect was obstructing the southern sects’ forces.
These southern cultivators were trying to “warn the Wu Brothers” (that is, to exaggerate the danger and make Wu Fei give up control of power in Chong Land).
On the waves, a cultivator resembling Niangniang Fahua in brocade robes, assisted by two maidservants—one in yellow and one in pink on either side—formed the sun and moon guard array, mobilizing starlight from the heavens to bombard the sword light racing rapidly across the sea surface ahead.
This energy strike scene, if not considering the host’s art style, was completely like orbital weapons descending from the sky.
And facing them at sea were four combat groups, each combat group appearing from afar as four rays of light control, and as for what was at the tip of the light control, mortal eyes could not see clearly.
Among them, the magic treasure controlled by the Qingyuan Sect Golden Core Cultivator shone in the state of “a crescent moon missing a corner”; while the magic treasure controlled by the Linjian Sect Golden Core Cultivator was a flying sword swarm.
The essence of this magic battle was all about intercepting energy from the rules of heaven and earth—whether the rule of boiling water, the rule of sunbathing, or kinetic excitation—immortal arts and technology could actually learn from each other; it was just that the numerous parts of 21st-century technological weapons were replaced by runes constructed with magic power.
However, although these talismans and immortal spells were advanced, they could not withstand “mortal world killing intent,” just like all mechanical progress on Earth reaching a high-precision state yet unable to operate in the Venus atmosphere full of acidic gas; in his previous life, Xuan Chong had always been unable to release probes on Venus.
Just as these magic treasures darted around like fighter jets, and the “star beam” light of the orbital weapons blasted nuclear explosion clouds on the sea surface, the magic battle continued for a full hour after
The Qingyuan Sect Golden Core Cultivator said to the Cixin Sect female cultivator: “Dao Venerable Qiong Ye, although you have three flowers gathered at the crown and Nascent Soul clarity, your cultivation surpasses mine, but with heaven’s will not on your side, why force it?”
Note: Cultivation determines magic power, but there are too many factors limiting magical power and supernatural powers; for example, in a military camp, a Golden Core’s maximum supernatural power would be suppressed to the same as Foundation Establishment, and the Nascent Soul’s main realm advantage over Golden Core is the ability to roam beyond the sky (outside the planet), but right now, although far from the mortal world, they were still within the human realm under heaven.
Therefore, in this atmospheric layer magic battle, with both sides aided by magic treasures granted dao contracts by the Xi Ren Realm, the Nascent Soul temporarily could not do anything to these juniors wielding sect magic treasures.
On the sea surface, the maidservant in goose-yellow clothes beside the female cultivator Qiong Ye said: “You Daoist are so rude; Yan-Bo area is the place where our sect enters the world to temper the heart; you all dare to interfere in the affairs of human kings and marquises, how shameless!”
Then the sword cultivator laughed loudly: “Fairy Wu Ji, your words are wrong; Yan-Bo land is the royal territory of the Da Yao Emperor; under the Great Tribulation, all under heaven are connected in fortune. We come for the human realm’s auspicious qi; do not block us, lest you damage your merit.”
The fairy called Wu Ji said angrily: “In human realm disputes, we cultivators cannot forcibly decide! Today in Yan-Bo land, saber soldiers are already set; we hold the docket here to spread the dharma and promote the dao; you all recklessly intercept lives to replenish yourselves—left path indeed!”
Another obstructing Golden Core sneered: “Spare us this white lotus act; for your own orthodox lineage, at this time of Great Tribulation, all must vie for a thread of auspicious qi; you can block us for a moment, but not for a lifetime! You can block us two, but not fellow daoists under heaven! I advise you all, do not tangle with this karma.”
However, at that moment, dark clouds suddenly came from the horizon; the previously arrogant Qingyuan Sect and Linjian Sect cultivators paused, feeling their magic power mobilization become difficult, and immediately wanted to leave.
This was because the Wu Family Army’s four aerial military strategist war beasts—Guiche—were now going to hunt sea beasts at sea.
Facing these war beasts heavy with condensed killing intent, these cultivators were truly helpless.
Once immortals were locked by killing intent, their escape lights that could cover dozens of li in an instant would slow to only roaming a few hundred steps. And great power immortal spells could not complete the spell formation within a thousand zhang of such war beasts as Guiche.
The immortal family’s integrated circuit-like restrictions, just like tech chips unable to withstand nuclear magnetic pulses, could not touch even a bit of killing intent.
After a variant species like Guiche rolls on the battlefield, the killing intent on it is much higher than that on ordinary soldiers, truly “ghosts’ sorrow, immortals avoid.”
But when such variant species as Guiche are used as military path war beasts, they lose the lightness of spirit beasts; flapping wings, their speed is just dozens of steps per breath, and with tailwind, about a hundred steps per breath.
While spirit beasts that enter the dao gate can change their body size, soar straight up, and touch the firmament.
So although military strategist war beasts have a “nuclear bomb-like” suppressive effect, the immortal side cannot beat them but can escape; with the world so vast, riding escape light, they can retreat over a hundred li in the time of a cup of tea.
Precisely because of this, Qingyuan Sect and Linjian Sect cultivators dared to come north to cause trouble under the so-called “following heaven’s mandate.”
However, at that moment, the escape lights of the southern immortal sect Golden Cores flickered and suddenly failed. Their magic power was depleted, yet they lost the ability to ride light far away; these two Golden Core cultivators looked greatly shocked at the three female cultivators they had been fighting.
And the three Cixin Sect fairies gently smiled and vanished into the clouds.
For these southern Golden Core cultivators, the distant war drums at sea grew closer, pressing down like a great mountain, while their supernatural powers and magic power shrank rapidly like jellyfish shriveling after being exposed to the sun onshore.
At this time, the three Cixin Sect fairies who had withdrawn outside the killing intent range thanked the Bo Prefecture City God for the assistance.
Female cultivator Qiong Ye: “Many thanks to Niangniang Fahua for your assistance.”
Huangyu City City God Fahua: “Fellow Daoist, no need to thank; this is my duty.”
Under the effect of divine path power, those cultivators were controlled by a “Five Fingers Mountain-like” supernatural power and could not escape at all, falling into “ghost hitting wall” or “supernatural suppression.”
…Immortal family in distress dividing line…
The Wu Family Army’s war beasts regularly go to sea: one to obtain food, two to help coastal residents solve sea beast threats.
Guiche circled at three hundred meters above the sea surface, the highest altitude Guiche could fly, and behind Guiche flew jade-powered Mu Luan sticking twenty meters above the sea surface; behind Mu Luan, soldiers beat war drums to control direction, and when giant fins surged in the waves on the sea surface, they sounded the war drums, with soldiers on Mu Luan shooting crossbow bolts.
With the firelight of thunder fire bombs tied to the crossbow bolts flashing in the deep sea. The Guiche hovering nearby would dive down, sucking essence from the large fish emerging from the sea.
During the sucking process, the large fish in the sea turned into skeletons and sank, while the flames at Guiche’s tail became bright. And the surrounding coastal residents knelt and worshiped, thanking the Wu Family Army for bringing “war beasts” to clear the demon threats at sea and ensure shipping lane safety.
And strands of power of incense and worship gathered toward these Guiche; this was the dharma gate Yu Li used to gather her dharma form.
Yu Li had arranged a back path for all the Guiche under Wu Hengyu, that is, leaving statues in the City God temple, so that after Wu Hengyu’s hundred years, these Guiche would become tamed beasts protecting one side’s peace.
And today, the sea-hunting team encountered several fallen cultivators in the waves, and Bo Prefecture’s several City God gods projected divine path power through the dharma forms on the Guiche, using space distortion to fix those invading cultivators in place.
…In the rocking small boat, cultivators routinely picked up by mortals…
Wu Fei, heading to Gu Shou Pass, encountered the sea patrol team and fished up these several cultivators.
After Wu Hong ran over, he described the situation of these several cultivators to Wu Fei, because he could tell these people were not northern accents; having been refined in the non-commissioned officer system under Wu Fei, he naturally knew what was what. Thus, he summoned Wu Fei for dialogue.
And after these fallen cultivators came ashore, they looked at each other and took out talisman paper from their waist storage bags to send sect distress signals, and they only knew they would next meet local officials but did not know who exactly the official before them was.
When Wu Fei arrived at the seaside, besides seeing several fallen cultivators, he also encountered knights descending from the horizon riding escape light.
Wu Fei paused slightly, walked forward, and saw besides those young heroes recorded in dao talismans, there were several unrecognizable guys looking at him with guarded gazes.
Just as Wu Fei prepared to bow to the old man, he suddenly felt a dazzling light from the left; he saw a sect elder shake a mirror at him, but of course Wu Fei only felt physical dazzling and immediately reacted, pulling out a firearm from his chest with a click, releasing the safety and pulling the trigger—bang, this mirror was shattered.
Facing these “out-family” who refused the respectful toast and took the punishment wine, Wu Fei’s “in-family” killing intent erupted like exploding flames. —The system did not let him contact any feudal superstition, and Xuan Chong straightened his back toward these mystical things.
These northern cultivators who came to give the Wu Brothers a heavenly dao warning, facing the face-riding killing intent eruption, had almost all their dao cultivation shaved off; in their dizziness, they vaguely heard a “phoenix cry,” then saw a fiery red shadow flashing behind Wu Fei, and immediately all the fire-attribute rune restrictions in the treasures they carried burned like rough paper, all runes failing to activate and turning into duds.
Of course, in the eyes of onlookers, these cultivators were merely crippled by the impact force of the gunfire, and the red alien fire shot straight into the sky.
Wu Fei looked at these suddenly rude sect disciples, his expression turning cold. He waved his hand, and the personal soldiers a hundred steps away hurriedly rushed in with sabers and spears, led by Zhao Xian Zhong.
Xian Zhong saw the smoke coming from Wu Fei’s gun barrel and the cultivators lying on the ground. He immediately charged forward like a mad dog to protect his lord, swinging his large saber blade to hack at this old man. The soaring killing intent froze the on-site cultivators who wanted to dissuade in place.
One could see the fine head flying straight off.
Of course, losing the head didn’t mean death. That head stumbled and rolled toward the outside, while the headless body crawled and rolled away in escape.
This was the supernatural power of cultivating “Severed Head Soaring to the Heavens.” If not for the killing intent on Zhao Xian Zhong’s saber interfering with spiritual energy, this severed head would have flown away like birds, and the headless body would have immediately burrowed into the ground to escape. These cultivators with
Hmm—Even if it’s a True Immortal, the System will intervene, after all, this is history class, and it doesn’t allow overly outrageous “martial world tricks” to appear, disrupting students’ normal classes.
However, Wu Fei coldly shouted, “Don’t go!” He pointed the gun at this head that was rolling around waiting for a chance to escape and fired a shot that pierced its ear.
At this moment, the other cultivators who had reacted immediately pleaded, “Marshal, please show mercy. Although this is our fault, spare Fellow Daoist Long’s life.”
Wu Fei coldly watched these cultivators and said icily, “Daoist priest? Do you have a jade slip?”
When Wu Fei asked this question, it was to properly weigh and test the behavior of these “cultivators” to see exactly how much it weighed. The cultivators looked at each other in dismay.
“Audacious demon, you dare come to my jurisdiction to spread licentious worship!”
The common folk watching from the sidelines heard Wu Fei’s loud shout and were quickly drawn into the rhythm, immediately looking at the cultivator with full hostility. In their eyes, Wu Fei was an upright official, and since Wu Qing had spoken, it must be that a pair of heavenly eyes had discovered something.
The cultivators were also instantly crushed by a mountain!
Once upon a time, in times of peace and tranquility, military strategists could be rebuked and driven back by a single breath of majestic righteous qi from the Confucian School, but now in these chaotic times, Wu Fei commands the troops and has also governed this place for three years, deeply loved by the common people. This explosive shout immediately stirred up a gust of wind on the mountain ridges at the edge of the sky, while the waves at the seaside suddenly surged fiercely.
These captured “lewd worshiping wild Daoist priests” were horrified to discover that Wu Fei could mobilize the power of mountains and rivers. They were not only afflicted by the axes and halberds of the personal soldiers, but unable to mobilize even a trace of spiritual energy inside the military tent. Now even their divine souls began to waver, and their Dao Hearts were about to shatter.
These cultivators shouted like ordinary people: “We are not evil worshippers; we are following orders from Righteous Path sects. We came to inspect whether the Wu Brothers have any evil influences on them, and those sect seniors prejudged and used a mirror to shine on the Marshal, which was truly improper.”
Wu Fei laughed loudly upon hearing this: “What preconceived notion? My Wu Family has been loyal for generations, yet the villains at the Imperial Court framed us, and you all eagerly came rushing to arrest me?”
These cultivators encountered the real person, their expressions dazed.
Wu Fei took out the branding iron, his hand twisting slightly. Killing Intent heated the branding iron, then with a sizzle, it branded words onto all these cultivators’ faces. The cultivators twisted their bodies, extremely resisting the branding of words, because it carried the rule power of the Human Realm.
This is similar to the power within the scope of divine path incense and fire god positions. Being believed in by ordinary people in the human world forms vow power, which in turn enables divine arts to perform rule constraints.
Of course, the rule can be forcibly broken, but a lone Daoist priest cannot break the rule. What shakes the rule is the power of the masses, or finding the Son of Auspicious Qi who can “gather the masses.”
And this is precisely the process where cultivators assist monarchs, and after some hero or king in the mortal world accomplishes the great undertaking, they require him to fulfill his promise by issuing “imperial edicts of enfeoffment” to the mountains and rivers and sects.
The cultivators’ cultivation was completely sealed, Wu Fei waved his hand, and had his subordinates take the people away for strict interrogation.
Zhao Xian Zhong looked at Wu Fei’s gaze, understood what his own Military Master wanted to ask, then called for someone to invite Wang Xi over to assist with the interrogation.
After Wang Xi arrived, he heard an old man’s voice and immediately grabbed a Golden Core Cultivator from Linjian Sect: “Was it you, you damn turtle grandson, trying to stop me from sending the message?”
