It was morning once again.
After Su Yu sent someone to deliver the Taibai Armor-Piercing Golden Liquid to Wang’s Blacksmith Shop, he also received the good news that the Mo Yuan was close to being successfully forged.
In high spirits, he transformed back into a martial arts fanatic, tirelessly grinding away at his saber techniques.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The heavy, refined steel saber became a blur in his hands. The wind from its passage howled, sweeping up all the fallen leaves in the courtyard and shredding them to pieces.
[Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber Skill Level +20]
[Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber Skill Level +20]
...
After flawlessly executing a full set of saber forms, Su Yu withdrew his blade and stood still, his brow slightly furrowed.
’It’s not enough. It feels like it’s missing a certain spirit.’
Su Yu looked at the saber in his hand and shook his head to himself.
Thanks to Breaking the Limit, his Fist Technique had allowed him to comprehend the tyrannical White Ape’s Apex. Now, a great power followed every punch he threw.
In contrast, while the Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber—which also originated from the Ape Demon lineage—had reached the Great Success stage through sheer grinding of its Skill Level, and he had even comprehended the Demon-Slaying Saber Stance and could manifest it as saber energy, its application and the pressure it exuded were far from being as effortless as his Fist Technique.
’My current, inhuman combat strength still stems from the effects of Breaking the Limit. Ordinary Martial Arts Realms—at least Martial Arts below the Profound Tier—can no longer satisfy my ambitions.’
Su Yu exhaled a long breath, his thoughts crystal clear.
’But I just broke through, so there’s no need to push myself too hard. I’ll consume all the Treasure Fish and Treasure Medicine in the storehouse and see if I can gather two Breakthrough Points in one go!’
’With two Breakthrough Points in hand, I’ll have more options for how to Break the Limit!’
...
「Meanwhile, at the South City Gate of Black Stone City.」
It was early morning, and the gate was thronged with a sea of merchants, while porters and pedestrians flowed in an endless stream. The air buzzed with the lively atmosphere of a prosperous city.
RUMBLE—
Suddenly, the sound of urgent hoofbeats, like muffled thunder, echoed from the official road in the distance.
A blood-red Dragon Scale Horse, like a blazing inferno, charged madly toward the city gate!
The messenger on its back wore the standard-issue armor of the Black Stone Army, but it was now battered and broken, caked in a mixture of dark red blood and mud. The Dragon Scale Horse foamed violently at the mouth, clearly having galloped to the very edge of exhaustion.
"Urgent dispatch! A bloody report from the border! Everyone get the hell out of the way—"
The messenger’s roar, so hoarse his voice cracked, instantly reached everyone’s ears.
The faces of the city gate guards changed dramatically. Instead of stopping him, they frantically waved their long halberds to clear the crowd. "Make way! Everyone, make way!"
WHOOSH—
The Dragon Scale Horse tore through the gate in a gust of bloody wind, not slowing in the slightest. Its hooves struck dazzling sparks from the bluestone pavers as it galloped on, leaving everyone in its dust and heading straight for the Inner City!
On either side of the street, a few pedestrians who hadn’t dodged in time had fallen to the ground. They stared with pale faces at the retreating, blood-soaked figure.
"It’s a messenger from the Black Stone Army! Heavens, he looks so battered... Don’t tell me something’s happened at the front lines?"
...
「An hour later, in the rear courtyard of the Su Mansion.」
Su Yu had just finished his saber practice and was now reclining comfortably on a bamboo lounge chair, his eyes closed in rest. Yang Zhen stood behind him, her delicate hands gently massaging his temples and shoulders with just the right amount of pressure.
The next moment, an urgent summons from the Public Security Bureau arrived.
Yang Ai rushed into the courtyard like a whirlwind, her pretty face taut with urgency. "Brother Su! An emergency summons from the Public Security Bureau! Senior Sister Lin Wanzhu sent someone with an urgent message, ordering you to the main assembly hall for a meeting immediately!"
Su Yu’s eyes snapped open, his previously lazy aura instantly turning as sharp as a blade.
’Something’s happened at the front lines!’
Su Yu’s brows locked tight as a strong sense of foreboding washed over him. ’The Black Stone Army and the Jian’an Army joined forces against the enemy. Could they have been defeated by the Black Lotus Sect in the very first battle?’
"Zhen’Er, get my armor!"
Without a moment’s delay, Su Yu quickly changed into his suit of jet-black Heavy Armor, mounted a fast horse, and galloped to the Public Security Bureau with the speed of wind and lightning.
「The Public Security Bureau, main assembly hall.」
At this moment, the air in the hall seemed to have frozen, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Pang Xuan and the newly appointed Vice Mansion Master, Zhao Long Ge, sat side by side in the seats of honor.
Below them, Ye Xiaohong, Wang Yungui, Li Jingxuan, Zhao Sen, and the new Great Commander, Wang Lingran—all five Great Commanders—were seated in the foremost positions on either side.
Further down were Su Yu, Lin Wanzhu, Cui Wanhe, and a dozen other Vice Commanders who held actual authority.
As for the ordinary Captains, they didn’t even have the right to be seated. They could only stand ramrod straight along the outer edges of the hall, holding their breath in concentration.
Within the vast hall, over a hundred elite Military Officers were gathered, yet it was so silent that only heavy breathing could be heard.
After a long while, Pang Xuan’s slightly weary voice slowly echoed through the hall. "I have summoned you all today, my colleagues, to announce one thing: the battle report from the front lines has arrived."
Pang Xuan took a deep breath and continued, "The Black Lotus Sect’s Silent Extinction Celestial King personally led an army of over one hundred thousand troops across the border of two provinces in a brazen invasion of Qing Province. Our combined forces of the Black Stone Army and Jian’an Prefecture engaged the enemy outside Tianjue City."
You could have heard a pin drop in the hall as everyone stared intently at Pang Xuan.
"On the day of the battle, the Silent Extinction Celestial King walked upon the air and unleashed a Great Divine Power Skill. He brought down the ’Silent Extinction’s Heavenly Punishment’ upon the battlefield."
A flicker of fear crossed Pang Xuan’s eyes. "According to the messenger, black ash rained from the sky, bursting into flames upon landing. Our entire vanguard of six thousand Heavy Armor troops was caught in it. They didn’t even have time to scream before they, along with their armor, were reduced to nothing but dust..."
HISS—
As soon as he said this, a collective gasp of cold shock echoed through the hall.
Su Yu’s pupils contracted sharply.
’Raining black ash? Instantly turning an army of six thousand Heavy Armor troops to dust?’
’What kind of demonic, unfathomable power is this? Is this the true might of Divine Skills in this world?’
’Although my own Divine Skills are also astonishing, my foundation is too shallow. I can’t unleash this kind of terrifying power at all.’
"The Tianjue City defensive line completely collapsed. The allied army retreated, losing three cities in a row!" Pang Xuan added in a heavy voice. "Now, the allied forces can only fall back to Cangya Pass, where they will join the main force of the Qing State Army. They must rely on the natural defenses of the pass to resist the Black Lotus Sect’s second wave!"
The atmosphere in the hall grew tense and silent once more.
Cold sweat had already begun to bead on the foreheads of many Commanders.
Cangya Pass! That was the final strategic barrier, less than a hundred miles from Black Stone City! If Cangya Pass also fell, the Black Lotus Sect’s butcher knife would be pressed directly against Black Stone City’s throat!
Seeing that morale was wavering, Pang Xuan’s gaze sharpened, and he abruptly raised his voice. "However, there is no need for you all to worry excessively! The Court has not abandoned this territory. A second wave of reinforcements from Jian’an Prefecture and Qing Province is already on the move. Most importantly, the one leading the army this time is the renowned Celestial Victory General!"
"The Celestial Victory General? He’s taking the field personally?"
Upon hearing this name, it was like sweet rain after a long drought in the deathly silent hall. A few of the veteran Commanders couldn’t help but exclaim in low voices, their tones filled with fervent hope.
"This is wonderful! The Celestial Victory General has spent his life on the battlefield and has never known defeat! I can’t even imagine how many fiends and heretics have fallen to his Coiling Dragon Overlord Spear!"
"That’s right! With a supreme expert like the Celestial Victory General taking action, no matter how powerful the Silent Extinction Celestial King’s Divine Skills are, he won’t dare to act so brazenly! A formidable fortress like Cangya Pass, reinforced with a large army, will definitely be able to hold the Black Lotus Sect at bay!"
Listening to the discussions around him, Su Yu’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.
’When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Even in its decline, the Great Xia’s Court still has some foundation left. Since they’ve dispatched an expert of this caliber, the main battlefield should be stable for now.’
"Silence!" Pang Xuan suppressed the crowd’s murmuring, his tone once again turning cold and severe. "The bloody report of our defeat at the front will soon spread throughout the city! When it does, prices will soar, panic will set in, and unrest and riots are sure to break out!"
"As Mansion Master, I order that, effective immediately, all leave for Public Security Bureau personnel is canceled! You will patrol the streets in full armor around the clock! Anyone caught taking advantage of the crisis, spreading rumors, and especially any suspected Black Lotus Sect agents inciting trouble, are to be executed on the spot without the need for a report! We must ensure that the home front behind our army remains stable at all costs!"
"Yes, sir!" the hundred-odd Military Officers roared in unison, their killing intent surging.
"Besides this, there is a second matter of great importance to your personal interests."
The Vice Mansion Master, Zhao Long Ge, who had been silent until now, stood up with a smile. His narrow, phoenix-like eyes swept across the hall as he dropped another piece of news:
"Given the tense situation, the Inner City’s Elder Council has passed a resolution to officially break down the barriers between the Inner and Outer Cities!"
"Starting tomorrow, the Inner City will issue the first batch of passage permits, allowing meritorious individuals and specific powers from the Outer City to take up residence within. At the same time, a large number of scions from the great families of the Inner City will be entering various departments in the Outer City to assume official posts."
Zhao Long Ge smiled faintly. "The struggle of a new era is upon us, and a storm is brewing. I hope you will all make your preparations early, my colleagues."
...
After the meeting concluded, Su Yu didn’t return to his mansion immediately. Instead, he went straight to Lin Wanzhu’s office as Great Commander.
Inside the room, Lin Wanzhu was rubbing her throbbing temples. Piles of documents were stacked on the desk beside her.
"Senior Sister, with the Black Lotus Sect’s army at our doorstep and the Inner City about to open up, a flood of issues is coming our way. We need to prepare early."
Lin Wanzhu lowered her hand, her beautiful, icy face drawn tight. "Yes, a storm is brewing. Thankfully, I took your advice earlier and stockpiled a good amount of food, so we can hold our ground for now."
She sighed and looked at Su Yu. "As for the threat from the Black Lotus Sect... a war on that level is no longer something we can influence."
Su Yu nodded in complete agreement.
The Divine Skills of someone like the Silent Extinction Celestial King, who could casually call down black ash from the sky to instantly annihilate thousands of Heavy Armor troops, had long since transcended the scope of conventional Martial Arts.
’If I were to get involved now, no matter how many tricks I have up my sleeve, I’d be nothing more than a slightly stronger ant.’
’In this fucked-up, chaotic era, the only truth to survival is to frantically increase my own strength.’
"Ah Yu, there’s another troublesome matter that’s worrying me right now."
Lin Wanzhu tapped the map on her desk with a slender finger, her expression darkening. "The joint merchant caravan heading to Linyuan City hasn’t sent back any news."
"Logically, they should have been back by now. Even if they weren’t back, they should have sent word. But as of now, neither our Lin Family, nor the Xu Family, the Jiang Family, or the Martial Arts Hall has received any message."
Su Yu’s expression also grew grim.
This joint caravan was carrying a substantial amount of wealth—at least fifty to sixty thousand in silver. If something happened to it, the trouble would be immense.
Moreover, his own Martial Arts Resources were about to run out, and he was counting on Yang Gang to bring back a new supply! If something went wrong, it would definitely affect his progress with Breaking the Limit.
Still, he offered some comfort. "It’s alright, Senior Sister. Let’s wait another two days and see. After all, it’s a long journey; a few days’ delay is normal."
"If there really is a problem, I’ll go and handle it myself!"
"Mm, let’s wait a little longer then."