I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 1030 A new era
The era of the dissipation of all laws is indeed a time of despair. The immortals lose their lives, and the extraordinary are reduced from their lofty positions to ordinary mortals. Who can accept such a contrast?

This is absolutely unacceptable!
Sitting inside the carriage, Zhang Chen felt the life force flowing away from his body. He could sense that he was slowly getting older and constantly transitioning into old age.

"I can probably live for three hundred years." Zhang Chen silently estimated his physical body and lifespan: "Of course, if the physical body suffers damage, lifespan will pass even faster."

Zhang Chen sat upright in the carriage, his eyes filled with sorrow. In this hopeless era, he wanted to do something, but he didn't know what he could do.

Along the way, all the monsters of the Northland transformed into wild beasts, running frantically through the wilderness. Some of these beasts even attacked ordinary people, attracting the pursuit of countless soldiers from the Northland.

"The demon race's strength has been greatly reduced, and now only the human-demon race remains as a support. But I don't know how long the human-demon race can hold out, or whether they can gain a foothold against the human counterattack." Zhang Chen began to think about the human-demon race again, and then he thought of Chen Sanliang, wondering how Chen Sanliang was doing at this time.

“The human race is currently in disarray. Even without the help of demon beasts, the human-demon race still holds an absolute advantage over the disorganized human race.” Zhang Chen believed that the human-demon race still held an absolute advantage over the human race.

Thinking of Chen Sanliang, he also thought of Han Suzhen. Before the great calamity of the end of the Dharma descended, he was ultimately unable to revive Han Suzhen's soul and bring her back to life. This was a rather regrettable matter for him.

The rumbling of the carriage, mixed with Zhang Chen's thoughts, carried him back to the city. He saw that the city was still peaceful and the people were still living a contented life, completely unaffected by the impending doom of the Dharma-ending Age.

As Zhang Chen returned to the Prince's Mansion, he saw Zhong Xiang constantly issuing orders, and guards were coming and going inside the mansion.

Zhang Chen glanced at Zhong Xiang, but did not disturb him while he was handling government affairs. Instead, he returned to the backyard to continue organizing maps and documents. About three hours later, Zhong Xiang walked in, looking exhausted: "You certainly know how to enjoy your retirement."

"I'm enjoying my retirement now, isn't it all for your immortality?" Zhang Chen replied without looking up.

"What's the situation in the North?" Zhang Chen asked.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiang's brows furrowed with murderous intent: "Many people think they're powerful again, believing that even after the disappearance of supernatural powers, they're no less powerful than us, and they want to cause trouble in secret."

"Which faction?" Zhang Chen raised his head, a murderous glint in his eyes.

“The Zhang family of Beidi! They believe we’ve manipulated the Pingbian King and are trying to pull some dirty tricks.” Zhong Xiang looked at Zhang Chen: “I plan to depose the Pingbian King and elect you as the new Beidi King. What do you think?”

“The King of Pingbian is indeed useless now. If we want to truly and legitimately take control of the North, we need to act as soon as possible to avoid giving some people unrealistic fantasies.” Zhang Chen agreed with Zhong Xiang’s words: “I will order the King of Pingbian to cooperate with your actions.”

"Hehe, I not only want to replace the King of Pingbian, but also wipe out the entire Zhang family in the North to intimidate the major powers in the North and let them know our methods," Zhong Xiang said with murderous intent.

Hearing this, Zhang Chen asked with some unease, "The Zhang family of the North has been operating in the North for over eight hundred years, and their influence is deeply entrenched. How confident are you? Should I make a move?"

"It's just the Zhang family from the North. We haven't been sitting idly by all these years. We've already figured out all their secrets." Zhong Xiang waved his hand dismissively, then remembered something and asked, "I forgot to ask you, how many tricks do you still have up your sleeve? Tell me your secrets so I'm prepared."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen smiled. In an instant, the steel belt around his waist transformed into more than a dozen hiltless flying swords that gleamed with cold light. The flying swords spun around Zhang Chen, constantly tearing through the air and emitting hissing sounds. The flying swords were extremely fast, transforming into a white transparent barrier that completely protected Zhang Chen within it.

"How was my method?" Zhang Chen asked.

"How long can it last?" Zhong Xiang was stunned after seeing Zhang Chen's methods. He never expected that even in the end times, Zhang Chen would still have such incredible abilities.

"I'll stick with it for as long as I want," Zhang Chen replied with a smile.

"Invincible!" Zhong Xiang was speechless after being impressed by Zhang Chen's methods. After a while, he finally said, "With such methods, I feel at ease. I can carry out a thorough cleanup without fear of causing any unmanageable mess."

Zhong Xiang's voice was full of joy. Everyone else had already reached the end of the Dharma realm and relied entirely on their martial arts cultivation to survive, but her husband could still unleash extraordinary power. This was simply a dimensional reduction attack.

Zhong Xiang left with a happy expression, leaving Zhang Chen to continue organizing the maps in the room.

As for whether Zhang Chen is afraid of being sidelined by Zhong Xiang and the Zhong family, Zhang Chen is not worried about this at all. As long as his extraordinary power does not disappear, he, Zhang Chen, will be invincible. No one can shake his rule. Thousands of troops are nothing but chickens and dogs in front of him.

Three days later, in the darkness of night, a deafening battle cry shook the entire northern land. One hundred thousand soldiers, clad in armor, stormed into the city and began a massacre. All members of the Zhang family of the northern land were slaughtered, and all of the Zhang family's property was confiscated by the royal palace.

Standing in the pavilion, Zhang Chen surveyed the chaos within Jinling City, a hint of melancholy in his eyes: "I originally intended to use the Zhang family of the capital and the Zhang family of the north to check and balance each other, but who knew the Zhang family of the north would be so restless, determined to seek their own demise? From now on, only the Zhang family of the capital remains in the north." However, wiping out the Zhang family of the north was nothing to Zhang Chen. Now, he held the entire northern army in his hands; what did he have to fear?
After the Zhang family of Kyoto, the Zhang family of the North will take over. With the Zhong, Xie, and Ji families acting as check and balances, Zhang Chen has no worries at all.

The firelight illuminated the entire city, and the shouts of battle continued until midnight before gradually quieting down. Smelling the blood in the air, Zhang Chen raised an eyebrow, turned around, and went into the pavilion to continue his night battle by lamplight.

At dawn, Xie Lingyun, clad in silver armor and stained with blood, strode in from outside the pavilion, exuding a murderous aura: "It's done! From now on, the Zhang family of the North will be completely wiped out."

To wipe out the Zhang family in the north, the Xie and Zhong families would naturally have to be involved.

“In the future, your Xie family can take three-thirds of the Zhang family’s estate in the North,” Zhang Chen said to Xie Lingyun. He had also been up all night, thinking that if any uncontrollable troubles arose outside, he would be able to step in and provide timely assistance.

After all, the Zhang family of the North had been operating in the North for eight hundred years. Although Zhang Chen looked down on them, he took them very seriously strategically.

Xie Lingyun did not refuse. She took off her armor and used Zhang Chen's clothes hanging to wipe the blood off her silver armor. Seeing this, Zhang Chen said helplessly, "Don't move, I'll help you."

Zhang Chen went to the water vat, stretched out his palm and scooped up a large ball of water, then came to Xie Lingyun and enveloped her in it, rinsing her continuously.

Xie Lingyun was stunned when she saw Zhang Chen's methods: "We're already in the end times, how can you still have such methods?"

She was starting to question the meaning of life!
“People are different.” Zhang Chen put the blood back into the large vat, then ordered the servants to carry the vat out.

"After the massacre of the Zhang family in the North, I believe the entire North will be quiet now, and those restless fools will no longer dare to extend their claws." Xie Lingyun's voice was full of satisfaction; with the North stable, her Xie family would be safe as well.

Although the Xie family may seem to consist of only her and her father, there are actually a large number of Xie family members. Having a stable living environment is also beneficial for the Xie family.

As she spoke, Xie Lingyun couldn't help but glance at Zhang Chen, which puzzled Zhang Chen: "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"How did you do that?" She was referring to the fact that Zhang Chen still possessed extraordinary powers.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen did not hide anything: "I have mastered laws at a higher level than the Great Thousand World, so naturally I am not bound by the Great Thousand World. However, my strength is not as great as the Great Thousand World, and I cannot contend with it, so the power I can unleash is limited."

"In this degenerate age, you still call this limited power?" Xie Lingyun saw Zhang Chen's Versailles-like appearance, a hint of annoyance and embarrassment in her eyes, kicked Zhang Chen's shin, and turned to disappear into the house.

Zhang Chen watched Xie Lingyun's departing figure and shook his head to himself. This was nothing.
What he has shown of his Five Elements authority is only the tip of the iceberg.

"Although the power of the Five Elements is strong, it is merely an external means and cannot grant immortality. Only true cultivation is one's own path." Zhang Chen continued to lower his head and organize the documents.

five days later

All the nobles of the North gathered together, and Zhang Chen personally stepped forward. The King of Pingbian abdicated in favor of Zhang Chen, who was then crowned king in the presence of the various nobles of the North.

No one dared to raise any questions, because those who dared to raise questions but failed to recognize the situation had already turned to ashes.

At this time, Zhang Xiang was already a young man. In order to cultivate Zhang Xiang, Zhang Chen simply asked Zhang Xiang to participate in politics and began to train him ahead of time.

Zhang Xiang inherited Zhong Xiang's martial arts talent. Even in this era of declining Dharma, he still showed talent no less than Wang Ye's. He has cultivated to the level of being indestructible and can stand on his own.

The North has entered a new era, an era that belongs entirely to the Zhang family.

Meanwhile, the various vassal states surrounding the northern lands became even more chaotic. Having lost their supernatural powers, the powerful and wealthy lacked the absolute power to suppress ordinary people. Countless people, unable to survive, rose up one after another, and peasant uprisings occurred one after another.

One day, Zhang Chen was organizing books when a urgent report arrived from eight hundred li away. After opening the letter, Zhang Chen was stunned: "There has been a peasant uprising in Wang Ye's territory?"

(End of this chapter)