Patrol Captain

Above the Northern Liang Prince's Palace, a grand formation hung like solidified jade, with beams of light like pillars supporting the sky. Within these beams, armored figures emanated true energy, humming and shouting as they waved flags and took charge of the formation's core.

Below, thousands of warhorses puffed out white steam, their black armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, the clanging of armor plates echoing like muffled thunder rumbling across the ground.

With a series of crisp sounds, the Xuan Tie Battle Blade was drawn from its sheath, and thousands of longswords were simultaneously unsheathed, their blades reflecting a cold light, weaving a chilling silver glow that illuminated the sky.

These icy glints spewed forth, forming a continuous mass, as if twisting the chilling killing intent of a thousand troops into one. The visible glints pointed straight to the sky, extremely intimidating, but they suddenly stopped when they touched the white-robed figure in mid-air.

Chen Yuan stood in mid-air, his white robe fluttering in the wind, his spear pointing diagonally downwards, the tip gleaming coldly, keeping the cold light below at bay.

His posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his golden eyes swept over the rows of armored soldiers below. He found that these soldiers and the great formation were as one, and their energy was gathered together, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea. They dared to show their strength and were well-trained!
The ingenuity of the formation and the elite skill of the soldiers were beyond the reach of ordinary military formations.

Chen Yuan even clearly felt a kind of suppression from heaven and earth. This place, nurtured by the royal aura of the Prince's Mansion for thousands of years, could not be supported by simple, magnificent buildings.

If this King of Liang were to succeed in his rebellion, then this place would be called the "Land of the Rise of the Dragon"!
But he didn't care whether the dragon was rising or not; he only wanted the other party to hand over the person. If they couldn't, he would kill them until they did.

"Chen Yuan, I respect your status as a Martial Saint and your military background, and I have been tolerant of you time and time again. But you have framed me, bullied me for losing my son, and insulted my royal residence. Don't blame me for being impolite."

"If you truly wish to fight to the death, I, the King, will oblige, and the people of Liangzhou will also oblige to the very end!"

A deep, rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, echoed across the sky. Xiao Zhongtian, the King of Northern Liang, soared into the heavens, standing opposite Chen Yuan in the void. His piercing eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a frozen pool. His five-clawed python robe fluttered in the wind, emitting a long, mournful roar like a dragon.

Visibly, golden light seeped from the patterns on the hem of the robe, initially like specks of starlight, but quickly spreading across the entire python's body. The python's head, originally embroidered with a majestic and ferocious appearance, slowly rose, its golden eyes flashing with a terrifying light, and a hissing sound was hidden in the wind. The python's scales unfolded layer by layer, each gleaming with a dark golden luster, its five claws gripping the robe's surface tightly, the tips of its sharp claws gleaming coldly. Then, the cloud patterns on the robe came to life, flowing around the python's body.

The next second, clouds surged out from the robe and soared into the sky, golden light flashed, and a long, earth-shaking dragon roared.

Suddenly, a dark golden crack appeared in the clouds, and immediately afterward, a giant claw covered with menacing scales shot out. Its five sharp claws were like steel, gleaming with a cold, hard dark golden luster. The claw tips were also hooked with a few wisps of torn cloud. With a single grab, the clouds were torn apart like silk.

The next moment, a ferocious dragon head burst forth from the clouds: a horn protruded from its forehead, and a pair of vertical pupils that were unfathomably dark.

Its entire body was covered in dark golden scales, and a row of thorns protruded from its back. The tips of the thorns were as sharp as knives, and when they pierced through the clouds, they left a trail of golden mist behind it. Finally, the dragon swung its long tail, and the scales at the tip of its tail exploded into tiny golden light, violently scattering the clouds.

Its true form was fully revealed, shaking the void, stretching across like a mountain range, and a powerful aura swept through the void.

It hovered above Xiao Zhongtian's head, winding and coiling, its five claws outstretched, its dragon head facing Chen Yuan opposite it, its golden eyes filled with indifference and disdain for everything, and it hissed as it opened its mouth.

“yin”

The heavy roar of the dragon compressed and vibrated the void, surging towards Chen Yuan on the opposite side.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes. This dragon looked like it was transformed from Xiao Zhongtian's python robe, but in reality it was formed from the kingly aura of the other party. It looked majestic and heavy, and secretly matched the power of this world.

With his keen eyesight, he sensed from the golden dragon of fortune that this Prince Liang was probably hiding his true abilities.

Faced with the other party's "questioning," he would have almost believed it if he hadn't been following up on the whole story and even used the Dream Marriage Technique to search Lu Jiang's spirit.

As for his statement in the main hall that no search was conducted, it was just a casual remark, meant to tease the other party; he believed it, but no one else did.

On his way here, he searched Lu Jiang's primordial spirit and confirmed that he was a member of the royal family. However, when he asked who the important figure who was going to deal with him was, Lu Jiang's primordial spirit seemed to have touched some kind of restriction, and his primordial spirit collapsed on its own, and he died with a scream.

Therefore, Chen Yuan's murderous intent intensified. Even if it meant resorting to any means necessary, such as massacring the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion, he was determined to find the venomous snake that was watching him from behind.

Facing the dragon of destiny, Chen Yuan's spear trembled, and six-colored divine light suddenly emanated from his body. Then, the tinkling sound of spring water rang out, and dragon scales rose from his white robe, revealing the True Dragon Armor.

A dragon's roar resounded through the sky. In an instant, the dragon patterns on the True Dragon Armor shone brightly. Then, a true dragon emerged from the void, its claws extended, and its body materialized. Its imposing aura pressed down on the heavens, and it roared directly at the Flood Dragon, causing the air in the void to explode.

A dragon and a jiao (a type of dragon-like creature) confront each other in the sky, creating a fierce scene.

At this moment, outside the great formation, streaks of light flew up, and shouts came from outside.

"Your Highness, we're here to help you."
"What kind of Martial Saint is this? Get out of Liangzhou!"

"Your Highness protects the people of Liangzhou. Who do you think you are? Get out!"

"Get out"

The sound even formed a wave outside the Prince's Mansion, seemingly indicating that public resentment was boiling over.

Those who suffered the most were the spectators trapped around the inner hall, watching the ceremony. Some of them turned pale with fright as they looked at the scene in the sky and heard the commotion outside.

"What can we do!"

"If this fight breaks out, there will be rivers of blood. We are trapped here and can't get out. We are very likely to be caught in the crossfire!" Some people were uneasy and felt suffocated. They were caught in the turbulent current and couldn't get out at all. Once the fight started, with this kind of situation, they were afraid that they would be caught in the aftershocks and wouldn't be able to get away.

"Didn't you realize that someone probably doesn't want us to leave?" someone said, somewhat annoyed.

Upon hearing this, many people's eyes flickered and their faces turned ugly. They seemed to know the answer, but they didn't say it aloud.

"Shh, are you out of your mind?" Someone quickly shut up, knowing better than to say anything.

Among the various trapped individuals, the Dongxuan Mountain group was in an inconspicuous corner. Elder Han Zhong frowned, gazing at the sky.

"It seems this King Liang is forcing that senior to retreat!"

"Master, the King of Beiliang seems to be very aggressive, leading his troops to challenge us. How did you figure that out?" The second disciple, the burly man, asked with some doubt.

"There is a military strategy on the battlefield called 'subduing the enemy without fighting.' This is the principle behind the King of Liang's troop deployment and show of force."

At this point, the elder of the Law Hall of Dongxuan Mountain spoke in a deep voice, lowering his head to look at the restless crowd.

"And we are one part of it."

"Including the shouting and cursing from outside."

"Us?" The disciple was surprised and puzzled.

“That’s right!” Elder Qi chimed in, his voice low and his gaze sweeping around. “Now, the Prince’s Mansion is home to nearly half of the well-known forces and martial arts experts from the Northern Liang Road. Not to mention how many of them are on good terms with the Prince’s Mansion, if they can’t get out of here, and a fight breaks out, endangering their own safety, who do you think they will help?”

"King Liang!" Chu Yu and the others' expressions tightened. "What about the people of Liangzhou? You must know that the royal family has been rooted in Liangzhou for so many years, and the prestige they've accumulated speaks for itself!"

"Even if that Martial Saint senior has extraordinary cultivation, if he incurs public wrath and defies the world, causing a strong counterattack, he will likely suffer greatly." Elder Qi shook his head, his expression somewhat grim.

He had to consider a practical problem: Dongxuan Mountain had been dragged into this turmoil. If this Martial Saint was forced to retreat, they would likely not be able to leave the palace, and Dongxuan Mountain would also face retribution. He glanced sideways at one of his disciples, his lips moving slightly.

"Junior Brother Chu, why don't you send a telepathic message to that senior and ask him to temporarily avoid the limelight? My master is right. If a fight breaks out, the consequences will be severe, and it's not worth it." The disciple understood and whispered to Chu Yu.

Chu Yu's face was displeased, and he was seething with anger. He had heard about the humiliation his fourth junior brother and master had suffered the previous night, and he had also heard the insults.
"Who do I think I am to influence a senior's judgment? Senior Chen is a Martial Saint, he won't back down."

He wasn't just saying that out of anger. Based on his brief interaction with this senior, he knew that this person was extremely proud and ruthless.

"Why are you getting angry with me? Have you considered the consequences for us, including Dongxuan Mountain, if a fight breaks out?" The disciple was also very annoyed.

"So what? My master and junior brother have suffered such humiliation. If you dare to step forward, I dare to step forward too. My sword is not inferior!" Chu Yu's eyebrows shot up, and his sword trembled, producing a metallic clang.

"you"

Before the disciple could refute, a loud laugh came from above.

They were surprised, looked up, and saw that the senior was laughing so loudly it startled the sky.

“Prince Xiao, do you think that by inciting your people and stirring up their resentment, I will be hesitant to act rashly?”

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dragon roared above his head, brandishing its sharp claws and lunging fiercely at Xiao Zhongtian.

With this sudden movement, Xiao Zhongtian, the King of Beiliang, frowned. Then, his body, along with the long dragon above his head, vanished into thin air.

At the same time, a unified shout rang out from all around: "Rise!"

The words fell,

"Boom, boom, boom."

The rapid drumbeats began.

The four corners of the dome-shaped array instantly became dazzlingly bright, buzzing loudly, with array patterns intertwining like living snakes, and four enormous figures of light descended from within.

To the east, a figure a hundred feet tall, with a blue face and fangs, clad in azure-gold armor, held a magnificent pagoda in its left hand. The pagoda spun and flew towards Chen Yuan's location in the void, expanding in the wind, becoming as heavy as a mountain, causing the void to tremble. To the west, a figure with red hair and golden eyes, clad in crimson armor, held a Hunyuan Treasure Umbrella in its right hand. This figure roared like thunder, opened the umbrella, and released thousands of icy blades that froze the void as it sped eastward. To the north, a figure over a hundred feet tall rode a green-eyed black tiger, with a yellow face and a bushy beard. His armor was dark yellow, and a golden bell hung at his waist, tinkling and emitting strands of golden light. The sound waves vibrated and spread out like ripples of golden ribbons. To the south, a person was engulfed in flames, with a red face and angry eyes. He held a fire dragon blade, the blade of which was wrapped in crimson flames. When he swung the blade, the flames roared and transformed into a ferocious fire dragon that howled through the sky.

The four Dharma images exuded overwhelming power, each possessing unparalleled dragon and tiger cultivation, resembling four dragon and tiger divine generals!

The four generals occupy the four cardinal directions, representing earth, fire, water, and wind, and unleash terrifying killing moves to attack Chen Yuan together.

At the same time, the thousands of soldiers below roared in unison, their long iron swords pointing diagonally to the sky. The cavalry spurred their horses forward, the sound of their hooves rolling like thunder. With a slash, the dense array of sword lights merged in mid-air, transforming into four Heaven-Slaying Blades. Their cold light cleaved the sky, and several black cracks spread like lightning!

The four dragons and tigers, working together in a grand formation, along with the combined strength of thousands of troops, unleashed a terrifying attack, their power truly awe-inspiring.

Below, the guests watching the ceremony were in an uproar upon seeing this terrifying spectacle, which even seemed to crack the space around them.

"Oh my god, they've really started fighting!"

"It's scary!"

"Quick, defend yourself, or you'll be covered in dust!"

Fearing being caught in the aftershocks, everyone cried out in alarm, their voices changing tone. They sprang into action, forming small groups of three or five, and unleashing their various supernatural abilities, creating colorful protective shields one by one.

"qiang"

"qiang"

"qiang"

A series of resounding clangs echoed around the inner hall, creating a magnificent spectacle as if a hundred flowers were blooming.

At the heart of the battlefield storm, high in the sky, Chen Yuan, his white robes fluttering and his hair dancing, surveyed the surroundings with his eyes. The four dragon and tiger generals, which others could not see, were clearly visible to him. They were the incense offerings and divine positions. It was said that all the incense offerings in the world belonged to the Martial Temple.
But these incense gods have actually cultivated to the Dragon-Tiger level. Didn't the Martial Temple notice this?
It seems the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion has even gotten involved in vying for the imperial court's favor. Ha, they've kept it quite well hidden.

Chen Yuan looked down coldly and swung his spear into the air.

"Rumble"

A thunderclap boomed in the sky, followed by rolling dark clouds that covered the entire area, accompanied by lightning and thunder, and the sky darkened in an instant.

"Crackling"

In an instant, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky and struck the spear. The three-pointed double-edged spear instantly blossomed with five-colored lightning trees, and streaks of lightning followed the spear, attacking in all directions.

But just as the lightning serpents were about to touch, the great array in the sky hummed, and armored generals roared from several array eyes. Spatial fluctuations arose, and several lightning serpents lost their aim, making slight errors and narrowly missing the attack.

It was this tiny difference that almost drained the lifeblood of the person in the royal palace who was in charge of the formation and operating the array, leaving his hand seals as afterimages.

All for the sake of seizing this opportunity to attack!

In the blink of an eye, four Heaven-Slaying Blades, formed from thousands of soldiers, along with the dazzling divine weapons unleashed by the four dragons and tigers, sealed off all angles from above and below Chen Yuan, and struck in an instant.

The terrifying killing power instantly engulfed the Martial Saint, causing the void to collapse horribly, revealing a dark hole where spiritual light and sound were abruptly sucked away.

The sight made countless people's eyelids twitch!
The fact that even the seemingly impregnable void, which was bound by a grand formation, was blasted into a spatial black hole demonstrates the terrifying power of this attack.
Could it be that martial saint?

But before anyone could even make a connection, a scene unfolded that made everyone's pupils shrink in shock.

The black hole rapidly retreated and shrank, transforming into a flowing sleeve that carried the white-robed martial saint, his robes fluttering, spotless! (End of Chapter)