"Gao Shun, Zhou Yuji, heed my command!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
The two men stepped forward abruptly, kneeling with a resounding thud.
"You two shall strictly guard the northern border and prevent any invasion from the Jin Dynasty!"
The two men acknowledged the order, bowed thankfully, and rose. Liangzhou bordered the Jin Dynasty to the north, presenting an excellent route for a Jin surprise attack.
With their considerable strength and formidable troops, they were sure to maintain peace on the frontier!
"Wan Mizhai, heed my command!"
Wan Mizhai stepped forward and bowed slightly, "This old servant is here, greetings, my lord!"
"From today onwards, establish the Elixir Hall to refine medicinal pills!"
"This old servant obeys!"
Wan Mizhai bowed slightly.
"Shan Xiongxin, heed my command!"
Shan Xiongxin weakly straightened his body, "Your subordinate is here!"
"I order you to lead the thirty thousand Wadang Army and defend the provincial capital!"
Shan Xiongxin accepted the order with a slight bow. His weakened state, still not recovered, indicated the immense toll of that life-saving elixir, which even a Grandmaster could not withstand.
"Zhu Sheng, heed my command!"
"Here!"
Zhu Sheng bowed slightly.
"I order you to oversee all civil affairs in the Liangzhou provincial capital!"
Zhu Sheng gave a wry smile, "I accept."
Seeing Zhu Sheng's wry smile, Yang Hao's heart was filled with mixed emotions. It was inevitable, as most of the ancient heroes summoned to this world were generals renowned for their conquests.
"Issue an order! Marshal Cheng Yaojin to lead his thirty thousand cavalry and pacify Yongzhou!"
"We obey your command!"
The assembled heroes acknowledged their orders and departed.
Time flew by. In a little over half a month, Shan Xiongxin had recovered his health and begun patrolling the provincial capital. Cheng Yaojin, leading his thirty thousand cavalry, had also arrived in Yongzhou.
Suddenly, news of a battle in Yizhou concerning Jianmen erupted, shaking the entire nation.
Overnight, Ji Shu, leading the Twelve Guards, traveled a thousand miles in haste and launched a surprise attack on Jianmen. Ji Shu engaged in a fierce battle with Lan Feng, toppling countless palaces, shattering mountains, and stirring the very heavens.
Their clash not only startled Lan Feng but also rendered Ji Shu's face indistinguishable to the Twelve Guards who had followed him for a lifetime.
Ji Shu's strength was immense, his palm techniques cunning, and sword qi emanated from his brow, causing even the swordmaster, who had attained Grandmaster status, to surrender in defeat.
Suddenly, a crimson maggot, several feet long, burst from Ji Shu's chest and plunged into Lan Feng's heart!
Gulp~~
Gulp~~
A Grandmaster, the supreme expert of Jianmen, Lan Feng at the second level of Grandmaster, became a withered husk in an instant!
Buzz~~
A crimson light flared intensely between Ji Shu's brows. The figure within his pupils released waves of primal energy, continuously nourishing Ji Shu's body!
Ji Shu's visible strength surged, breaking through to the sixth level of Grandmaster in one go. This astonishing rate of improvement left the Jianmen disciples in stunned disbelief!
"He's a demon, a demon! Run!"
"Hahahaha!"
Ji Shu clenched his fists, feeling the immense burst of power. His face contorted as he whispered, "Go, this is all your sustenance!"
Swish!
The crimson maggot, several feet long, darted back and forth among the fleeing Jianmen disciples. With each strike, a withered husk appeared!
The onlookers saw a flash of red light continuously shimmering above Jianmen. Not a single one of the thousands of Jianmen disciples escaped.
Under the terrified gaze of the Twelve Guards, the entire Jianmen sect, the second largest sect in the Martial Kingdom, with thousands of disciples, had all their flesh and blood drained. This sect, which had stood for a thousand years in the Martial Kingdom, collapsed in an instant!
A cold wind swept by, scattering thin layers of skin over a ground littered with shriveled remains. Ji Shu's strength had steadily risen to the seventh level of Grandmaster!
"Hahaha!"
Ji Shu savored the energy released by the secret scripture. He felt his body rapidly expanding. The crimson maggot on his chest continuously absorbed his heart's blood, stabilizing his surging primal energy.
"My lord!"
Jian Ying, the leader of the Twelve Guards, approached Ji Shu and whispered, his head bowed low, tears welling in his eyes.
This was not the strong warrior he had sworn his life to follow. Looking at the monstrous face and the maggots used by the Soul Refining Hall,
Jian Ying's understanding gradually dawned. He knew that the Ji Shu before him was a remnant of the Soul Refining Hall, who had also mastered their secret techniques.
Thus, he could absorb the blood essence of warriors and convert it into his own power!
"Mm!"
"Go inform the army to take over the defenses of Jingzhou. As for what happened here, it's best if you forget it!"
As Ji Shu spoke, the pupils in his brow contracted sharply, and with each opening and closing, several streams of sword qi circled!
"Yes, my lord!"
Jian Ying responded in a low voice.
,,,
,,,
Overnight, the vast Jianmen sect, guarded by Grandmaster titans, was wiped out.
There was not a trace of blood at the entire Jianmen sect. On each corpse, there was only a small red dot on the chest!
Peeling away the skin, the skeletal remains were a dark, greenish hue. Poisonous fumes emanated, corroding the surrounding air.
Terrifying!
The heart's blood of the entire Jianmen sect had been drained, their method of death identical to the massacre of Liangzhou by the Soul Refining Hall over a thousand years ago.
And Ji Shu, the governor of Yizhou, took control of all of Jingzhou without deploying a single soldier.
In an instant, news of the remnants of the Soul Refining Hall bloodbath at Jianmen swept through the nation, causing all factions to retract their ambitions, fearing they might attract the attention of these remnants.
The Imperial Capital of the Martial Kingdom.
"What do you think?"
A low hum echoed throughout the empty great hall!
"Your Majesty, I personally went to inspect Jianmen. The methods used this time are exactly the same as those of the Soul Refining Hall!"
"It can be confirmed that there are still remnants of the Soul Refining Hall alive!"
Zhang Yan said, presenting Lan Feng's skin. A small red dot appeared on his chest, at the heart's location.
Zhang Yan turned over the skin. The back was covered in black, viscous fluid, emitting wisps of green gas, truly horrifying!
"Hmph! Go and thoroughly investigate the capital, layer by layer!"
Ji Fa roared in anger. The turbulent landscape was once again shrouded in a layer of frost!
Liangzhou Provincial Capital.
"My lord, Ji Shu must have integrated the sealed power of the Soul Refining Hall!"
Zhu Sheng said with a grave expression, looking at Yang Hao.
"My lord, with my cultivation at the fourth level of Grandmaster, I wouldn't dare claim to have destroyed Jianmen alone, and so stealthily!"
"Ji Shu's strength must have reached a terrifying level!"
Shan Xiongxin's voice trembled slightly. He knew Ji Shu all too well. Their brief encounter last time... if not for Wan Mizhai's elixir, he might have...
"It is enough that we know about Ji Shu. We are not his primary target. In his eyes, the throne has always been the ultimate goal."
Yang Hao pondered for a moment and said.
"Indeed, my lord. We must accelerate the conquest of Yongzhou. However, according to the news from General Cheng, the governor of Yongzhou recently broke through to the Half-step Grandmaster realm."
"I believe he is very interested in the Ascending Yuan Elixir. My lord, perhaps General Cheng can probe him. If Yongzhou can be peacefully unified without bloodshed, it would be the best strategy!"
Zhu Sheng smiled faintly. This way, the losses would be minimized.
Yang Hao's eyes flashed with brilliance upon hearing this, "Inform Wan Mizhai to send an Ascending Yuan Elixir to Cheng Yaojin. Cheng Yaojin will know what to do then!"