Patrol Captain

"Be careful, it could get us killed."

"General, please calm down. We received devastating news after the Crown Prince's disappearance. The Prince has aged considerably and seems to have lost his patience. The court is currently in a state of chaos, so why not cooperate with the one who came from the heavens? We'll give that person what they want, and they'll help us. We'll just wait for the right opportunity." Another voice rang out in the room, this one lower than usual.

"When the time comes? Who knows what will happen next? It's too early to make a decision now. The prince is dead, has he gone mad? Don't let him harm me."

"General, please don't be angry. The prince wants to act as soon as possible so that he can make more preparations. He specifically asked you to stay here and keep a close eye on the situation so that you can contribute to the big event later," another voice said cautiously.

"Heh, keep a close eye on him. I don't know what that Grand Preceptor Helian has been up to lately. A few days ago, he suddenly ordered martial law, and none of us heard a thing." The man replied, pondered for a moment, and then kept the news he had just heard in mind.

"Was that person who came from the sky really invited to Beiliang by your prince?"

He checked it again, clearly quite unsettled.

"Absolutely true!"

"Hoo," the man seemed to catch his breath and pondered.

Just then, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard outside.

"You go down first!"

"Yes!"

After that, there was no more sound in the room.

Two or three breaths later, footsteps approached the doorway, accompanied by the clanging sound of armor clashing.

"Reporting to the General, Eunuch Cao from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has come to see you, saying he is acting on orders from Grand Preceptor Helian."

"It's him again!" came an annoyed voice from inside the house, and then the door opened.

A burly man in armor appeared, his body bronze, like a tempered bronze statue, exuding a menacing sharpness.

His face was chiseled like a knife, with a pair of narrow, sharp eagle eyes that were slightly upturned at the corners, giving the impression of a sidelong glance at someone, exuding a sharpness and arrogance. His nose was high and straight, like a hanging gall bladder, and his lips were pressed into a cold, hard straight line.

The other armor pieces were made of bright light, with an oval breastplate embedded in the front and back. The mirrors were polished to a shine, with lotus patterns engraved on the edges. The shoulder armor was layered, with a beast head swallowing the shoulder, and a tiger with wide-open eyes holding the armor plates with sharp teeth like knives.

The arms are covered with a cape made of twelve rectangular armor plates, each with serrated edges. When they move, they rub against each other and produce a soft but intimidating metallic sound.

He exudes a sharp and intimidating aura, giving off a powerful and imposing presence at first glance.

This person is Huo Zhen, the Demon Suppression General sent by the imperial court to guard the Northern Liang Prefecture, a powerful warrior.

"Let him come here!"

A short while later, in the backyard of the Zhonglang Hall, Eunuch Cao Zheng, led by armored soldiers, arrived at a covered bridge pavilion.

"This servant greets General Huo."

Cao Zheng, with his hand resting on his whisk, bowed respectfully to General Huo Zhen, who stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the scenery below the mountain.

"I've been seeing Eunuch Cao quite frequently lately; I suppose something's up this time?"

Cao Zheng smiled somewhat awkwardly, carefully took out a command document from his sleeve, handed it over with both hands, and bowed slightly.

"General Huo, please take a look!"

Huo Zhen didn't turn around, but simply waved one hand behind him, took it, and looked at it.

Unexpectedly, after reading it, this person turned around, threw the official document in his hand at Eunuch Cao's face, and snorted coldly.
"Hmph, this is clearly something that Qi Tian should be doing, why is he asking me!"

"He's hiding in his mansion, enjoying his leisure while I have to do all the hard labor? What kind of logic is that?"

At this point, the general glanced at Cao Zheng with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Eunuch Cao, do you think I made you out of clay? I didn't make things difficult for you before, but now you're pushing your luck. How many times has this happened?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zheng, ignoring his aching forehead, quickly bent down to pick up the documents that had fallen to the ground, then put on a fawning smile, "Oh dear, this servant doesn't have that kind of guts."

"General Huo, please calm down. This servant has no choice. General Qitian is in seclusion. This servant has asked many times, but I have not been able to see him. Lord Helian is also helpless. As you know, he can only turn a blind eye. And now, on this mountain, only you can stand alone. So this servant has no choice. This servant is in a difficult situation."

As he spoke, Eunuch Cao wore a mournful expression.

"What I hear is that just because Qi Tian has that Imperial Envoy Chen as his guarantor, he's already shirking his responsibilities and nobody cares. What's with this seclusion? I think he's hiding in the shadows, watching us make a fool of ourselves." Huo Zhen said impatiently.

Eunuch Cao nodded, then shook his head, feeling it was inappropriate.

This infuriated Huo Zhen.

"I think you're nothing but a lackey, a mere servant of mine."

Before he could finish speaking, a thunderclap boomed from the horizon.

Then, atop a nearby green mountain, a beam of light shot into the sky, piercing through the surging sea of ​​clouds.

In an instant, the wind and clouds of Yunding Mountain seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand. Then, the clouds turned into rosy clouds, and strange phenomena of heaven and earth rose up. The pale yellow vortex was wrapped in the golden glow, weaving a brocade in the sky.

Amidst the thick clouds, a sudden slit opened, and the light of dawn, like molten gold, poured down from the high sky, illuminating the solitary peak below. Every grain of dust shone in the beam of light, converging into a rushing river of light.

As the morning sun shines, the tender buds of grass and trees sprouting from the Awakening of Insects stretch out their branches and leaves at an astonishing speed. Hard rocks crack open, and clear, sweet springs gush out from the crevices. The birds and beasts of Cloud Peak are attracted and chirp as they fly towards that mountain peak, forming a rainbow bridge among the colorful clouds.

From the depths of the clouds came the harmonious sounds of bells and chimes, initially as faint as silk, but in an instant transforming into a celestial melody that swept across the heavens and earth.

Thousands of rays of light emanate from the mountaintop, shining brilliantly and reflecting the clouds in the sky, transforming into a sacred painting that stretches across the heavens.

The source of all this lies in the grand hall atop that mountain peak!

"That is..."

The light of the rosy clouds reflected in Eunuch Cao's pupils, his eyes widened, and his gaze swelled.
"The residence of General Qitian!"

Huo Zhen's sharp eyes were fixed on the magnificent clouds that swept across the sky in an instant, accompanied by the vast and boundless sounds of nature. A look of surprise crossed his eyes, and his face showed emotion.

"Could this be an omen of a Martial Saint?"

His tone was turbulent, filled with surprise, doubt, and shock.

Qi Tian is actually in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Martial Saint realm?

Then, he leaped forward, tearing through the sea of ​​clouds, and headed straight in that direction. By the time he arrived, quite a few people had already gathered above the side peak not far from Cloud Sky Peak.

A dragon and tiger from the Gongyang family;
A commander of the Dragon Guard,
Fang La, the Imperial Censor and an old acquaintance;
Officials from various regions of the imperial court, as well as Pei Yanhu from the Circuit Intendant's Office and several lieutenant generals who were rushing here.
"This is?"

"The heavenly sounds flowed, sweet springs gushed from the earth, and rosy clouds descended from heaven and earth—such extraordinary phenomena are recorded in the books, this, this, this..."

"It's General Qi attempting to become a Martial Saint!"

Exclamations arose, and gazes turned in surprise, widening involuntarily.

Such a scene is a once-in-a-century event!
After all, out of millions of warriors in the world, how many can reach this level?

Above the sea of ​​clouds, a figure dressed in a black robe, with wrinkles around his eyes, squinted at Helian Shan, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Qian Dynasty, at the Qitian Mansion below, his eyes gleaming.

This demon-suppressing general of Jiannan Road has been staying at home these days, actually in seclusion, and has unknowingly reached the point of attempting to become a Martial Saint.

He was somewhat surprised and suspicious. He remembered that Qi Tian's cultivation level was not yet at the required level. How could it have improved so quickly?
Helian Shan pondered for a moment, but quickly put it aside. If this Demon Suppression General could break through to Martial Saint, the court would have one more Martial Saint, which would be of more help to the current situation!
This is a fortunate thing!

However, he immediately realized something, and his expression turned somewhat serious. Then, a low shout rang in the ears of the civil and military officials watching near the mountain peak.
"Everyone, stand back! Do not make a sound!"

Upon hearing the voice of the Grand Preceptor and sensing the severity in his words, the people naturally dared not disobey and stepped back.

At this moment, Helian Shan slowly raised his hand, and a blue light surged in his hand. Then, a small blue umbrella appeared in his palm.

This is the blue umbrella that Chen Yuan used to protect Chengdu when he fought against the Celestials half a month ago!
He took out this item because he had to be careful. A few days ago, two bigwigs from the imperial court secretly carried out a fight with some guys in the Ten Thousand Mountains and offended some people. Therefore, the Cloud Peak Mountain has been under martial law in recent days, in case some eccentric old guys retaliate.

Although Yunding Mountain has been peaceful these past few days without any disturbances, Helian Shan is not taking it lightly. He knows all too well that those old guys are capable of causing trouble even from thousands of miles away.

Someone here is attempting to become a Martial Saint. If the strange phenomenon spreads, it will surely cause a stir and attract prying eyes. We must prevent the aura of the strange phenomenon from spreading.

Helian Shan stopped thinking and flicked the green umbrella in his hand overhead.

The green umbrella looked small, but it was extremely heavy, causing the air to crackle under its weight.

The umbrella shot rapidly toward the sky above the peak, piercing through the sea of ​​clouds and soaring into the heavens. The Daoist patterns engraved on the umbrella ribs lit up continuously as it flew, and then the umbrella hummed and spun.

In an instant, the umbrella expanded at an astonishing speed, and the nine ribs extended into eighty-one, each one like a beam carved from jade, while the umbrella surface transformed into a giant screen.

Immediately afterwards, wisps of azure energy flew out from the umbrella ribs, forming a giant curtain with the azure umbrella surface, which was then inverted over the sea of ​​clouds on the mountain peak, spreading continuously and obscuring the rosy glow in the sky.

All of this happened in just a few breaths!
But in those few breaths, in this hidden and powerful place outside the mountains, someone sensed an unusual aura.

Not long after, a loud, strange, inhuman laugh, clearly altered, rang out over Yunding Mountain.

"I wondered what the reason was for the martial law at Cloud Peak Mountain these past few days. Turns out someone is trying to become a Martial Saint. Tsk tsk!"

"Incredible, incredible! Just now, a Martial Saint Chen who defied the heavens and earth emerged from Yunding Mountain, and now someone is attempting to break through the Holy Pass. This place is truly a land of destiny!"

The sound reverberated and echoed above Yunding Mountain, as if carried by the wind, and no one knew where the speaker was.

The sound caused a commotion among the people of Fusi, who looked around in surprise but couldn't see a single person.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, a blue light shone in Helian Shan's eyes, carrying a hint of eeriness. He surveyed the surroundings and spoke expressionlessly.
"This place is of great military importance; you must retreat immediately!"

"Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite."

Unexpectedly, the laughter grew even louder, carrying even beyond the city of Chengdu.
"Haha, your imperial court is always so domineering. A few days ago, those two old monsters of your court offended a lot of people and demons in the Ten Thousand Mountains, cutting off the escape route of many old guys whose lifespans were about to end. I guess they are angry and don't want to see the imperial court have another Martial Saint!"

"Let me, the Holy One, test just how deep the waters of your Cloud Peak Mountain truly are!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous roar erupted in the sky east of Yunding Mountain. The bright sunshine in the sky suddenly changed color, a pitch-black spatial rift tore open, and a gale howled. From within the black rift, a dazzling silver light flashed, tearing through the void, and then shot towards the side peak shrouded in celestial phenomena like a comet crashing to the ground.

Within that gleaming silver light stood a towering silver structure, expanding in the wind, its entire body shimmering with brilliant silver light, as if cast from millennia-old, cold silver, its form a seamless whole. Seven layers of eaves overlapped, each layer inscribed with intricate silver runes, the runes flowing as if stars were rising and falling, exuding an aura of absolute dominance.

The tower suddenly swelled to hundreds of feet in size, its seven doors simultaneously bursting open. Countless silver rays transformed into illusory images of true dragons, qilin, and other spirits, roaring as they plummeted down. The silver light hanging from the tower was like chains of divine law, causing space to crumble inch by inch wherever it passed. The heavens, unable to bear the weight, rumbled and roared.

"bang bang bang"

The martial law barriers on Yunding Mountain, which only blocked breathing for a moment, were smashed open by the force.

A sacred weapon descended from afar, suppressing all opposition!

"Get out of my way!"

Upon seeing this scene, Helian Shan's blue-green eyes flashed, revealing a sharp edge. He let out a deep shout, and then his beard and hair flew wildly, his sleeves fluttering like flowing clouds.

Instantly, the azure Primordial Umbrella that enveloped the side peak surged with Primordial Primordial Qi, and the Dao patterns on it hummed and lit up one by one. Then, the azure Qi, like a dragon, rolled upwards and met the silver giant tower.

Between the electric light and flint.

It was as if a cataclysmic collision had occurred.

The silver giant tower and the Hunyuan Azure Umbrella collided with a deafening roar.

The holy weapon attacked, causing the space to tremble and the clouds to be torn apart. The nearby mountains shook, but fortunately, although the buzzing restrictions on the mountains could not withstand the holy weapon's attack, they could still withstand the aftershocks. The restrictions on several nearby mountains emitted a golden sound, and many rocks tumbled down.

Under the Hunyuan Green Umbrella, the civil and military officials from the imperial court, as well as several generals from the Fusi, changed their expressions upon seeing this scene, sensing a dangerous atmosphere.

A martial saint-level being can remotely summon a sacred weapon!
It seems to be related to what happened a few days ago, when a top expert from the imperial court made a big move in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

"Quickly mobilize troops and issue orders to fully activate the restrictions within their respective encampments and prepare to form ranks!"

"Judging from this, there's probably more than one!"

Someone spoke sternly and made a quick decision.

"What should we do?" Some people were panicked, unsure how to handle the situation.
Pei Yanhu and several lieutenant generals, looking in the direction of General Qitian, had tense expressions. They retreated away from the center of the battle, but did not panic.

"You all go and hold your positions on your hilltops, and remember not to show yourselves."

"The general is in danger of breaking through the barrier. I will go to the Ninth Mountain to ask for help."

With that, they parted ways and went their separate ways to their respective mountain peaks.

Soon, alarm whistles sounded from all the mountains, and layers of light hummed and illuminated the mountainside. (End of Chapter)