Patrol Captain

"Old Dong!"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yun Tiansheng and his companions stopped talking, stood up, and bowed to him.

Although this Dragon-Raising Clan member was usually unrestrained and had no manners, he was highly respected in the Ninth Mountain. After all, he was the only one who dared to call his general "Young Master Chen".

Before the general went into seclusion, he also entrusted the affairs of this place to Elder Dong!
Dong Fu, with his hands behind his back, smiled at them. Although he reeked of alcohol, his eyes were bright. He gestured for them to stop.

"Why are you all standing up? Sit down, sit down. This old man can't take this."

Yun Tiansheng and the others sat down, letting this senior figure make the decision.

"Elder Dong, this news is extraordinary. We should inform the general. The Northern Liang King's army has broken through Guanzhong, which will inevitably cause turmoil and is detrimental to our Ninth Mountain. We cannot sit idly by and watch its momentum grow stronger."

After all, the King of Liang and his general had a deep-seated hatred for each other, and it seemed that it would be a fight to the death.

Dong Fu put his hands behind his back and tilted his head.

"The old man naturally informed your general. After all, I don't understand matters of war."

"What did the general say?" Everyone turned to look at him.

Old Dong sniffed, his face turning serious. “Your general said that if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up.”

"The situation is unclear right now. The imperial court is not to be trifled with. Besides, we must remain calm, especially in times like these."

At this point, Old Man Dong's expression changed again, and he chuckled with a grin, "What you just said was all said by your general. I was just relaying it."

The Ninth Mountain general was somewhat helpless upon hearing this. This man was too unconventional; such a serious matter was being spoken of so lightly by this senior.

Yun Tiansheng straightened his expression and cupped his hands to Old Man Dong. “Senior, we are only worried that once that Liang King gains power, it will spread like wildfire and become a threat to the general. Moreover, once the three passes within the pass are lost, our Shu region will be trapped in a cage. We must be on guard.”

Old Dong stroked his beard, then shook his head. "You all worry too much. You've been by their side for so long, can't you tell what kind of person your general is?"

“He is intolerant of any injustice. He is more decisive than anyone else in killing people when there is a threat. There is a reason why your general cannot be persuaded now.”

"It's like playing chess. The game of chess has only just begun, and you're already entering it. You'll only exhaust your pieces sooner. Your general won't lead you into the fire. This isn't just a game for that Liang King anymore. I've heard there's a Martial Saint in the Northern Liang army outside Tianxiong Pass. Before, everyone thought it was the Liang King personally leading the expedition, but now that we know it's not the Liang King, then who is it?"

Old Dong's words were profound. The Ninth Mountain generals present remained silent, suppressing their inner turmoil, and nodded.

"What you say makes sense, senior. We were short-sighted. The general has his own plan."

Old Dong was actually quite pleased to hear this, but he appeared nonchalant on the surface: "Alright, nothing can disturb your general now. Your general is cultivating great supernatural powers. Once he comes out of seclusion, I estimate that no one will dare to provoke him. You should just stay home and guard the house. That's better than anything else."

"I've finished speaking, I'm leaving!"

This man didn't even sit down. He said a few words to reassure Chen Yuan's soldiers, then waved his sleeves and left with a smile.

Let's go for a drink.

"Take care, senior!" Everyone stood up again to see this cynical senior off.

After watching the other party disappear, Yun Tiansheng and the others calmed down from the shock of the news. As long as the general was there, they felt at ease.

The general remains unmoved, so there's no reason for them to be anxious about this matter. The general has his own decision to make; they just need to listen to him.

The crowd quickly dispersed, and the news that had shaken the world caused a brief commotion at the site of the former royal palace, which subsided as quickly as an autumn breeze.

The elite troops of the Ninth Mountain continued with their duties.

Meanwhile, beneath the former site of the Prince's Mansion, in the underground chamber where Chen Yuan was in seclusion, though the sun never rose, a radiant light flowed through it.

On the dark blue-green rock strata underground, countless engravings covered the surface. Intertwined patterns, some deep, some shallow, some straight, some curved, crisscrossed like stars scattered across the sky, unfolding along some mysterious trajectory, ultimately weaving a vast array. However, in some places, the array patterns were extinguished, broken lines, making it imperfect. This was the accumulated foundation of the Northern Liang Royal Palace, an engraved battle diagram capable of gathering and killing hordes of enemies. Once it was repaired, it would surely shine brightly once more.

Between these soil and rock layers, fluorescent dots glow with vital energy, resembling twinkling stars. This is the essence of the weather accumulated over many years in this auspicious place. The fluorescent dots are embedded in the gaps between the array patterns, complementing the deep rock layers and mysterious array patterns, just like stars in the night sky. In sparse places, they are like solitary stars hanging in the night, and in dense places, they are like the Milky Way pouring down, making this underground array pattern even more mysterious and dazzling.

In an underground space, there is a black crack, which is the entrance to the Pot Heaven Space.

At this moment, within the milky-white, four-thousand-zhang-wide space of the Pot Heaven, Chen Yuan sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation. Intense light emanated from his five internal organs, and the five vital energies surged forth from his divine storage, transforming into a vast cloud of light. The liver's wood energy was verdant and shady, the heart's fire energy blazing like flames, the spleen's earth energy as heavy as a mountain, the lung's metal energy as clear and sharp as a blade, and the kidney's water energy as warm and moist as a marsh. These five streams of energy swirled and intertwined, dispelling the white mist of this small world and filling it, gradually taking on a substantial form from the void.

Amidst the surging of the five elements' essence, the roars of dragons and the cries of phoenixes resounded. Several illusory figures, resembling ancient behemoths, stretched across the landscape. The Azure Dragon, carrying the essence of wood, leaped to the east, its scales and claws unfurling, stirring up a sky full of azure mist. The Fire Phoenix, enveloped in the essence of fire, soared to the south, its wings fluttering as it scattered scorching flames. The Black Tortoise, carrying the essence of water and earth, lay dormant in the north, its tortoise shell shimmering with a deep blue light. The Five-Colored Divine Tree took root in the west, its wondrous colors radiating brilliance, its divine power subtly amplified. From this place, fire, water, and wind were generated, manifesting wondrous transformations.

Earth's energy settles into soil, beneath which lie the rudiments of mountains and rivers; fire's energy surges into molten lava beneath the earth; water's energy condenses into rain, slowly gathering into streams below; wind's energy circulates into clouds and mist in the sky, circulating water and fire.
This space, under the influence of the five elements, is slowly forming a grotto-heaven!

This grotto-heaven is different from the one I built above Chengdu. The one I built before was based on the ancient ship that my predecessor used as a foundation. I only made some simple modifications, like renovating a house that someone else had built. It was an inanimate object, fixed in place and immovable. Moreover, it required rare treasures like luck and spiritual roots to stabilize the space.

The so-called blessed lands and grotto-heavens in the world are basically inner worlds built by utilizing the grotto-heavens left by our predecessors.

However, Chen Yuan's supernatural power is special. The space opened up by the Pot Heaven Technique has the characteristic of being portable and mobile, which allows him to create a portable cave heaven.

The two are vastly different in function.

If this small world is successfully created, containing its own Five Elements Laws, it can become a world of its own.

The art of the potted world can one day evolve into a great supernatural power, the ability to control a universe within one's sleeve!
Furthermore, by refining the military formation diagrams of the Northern Liang Royal Palace into it, it becomes even more powerful, integrating offense and defense, and unleashing a life-or-death technique!

The uses are endless!

Chen Yuan was also looking forward to the success of this method, and what kind of power it would bring when he brought the Ninth Mountain troops.

We're just waiting for the day we can leave the pass!
While Chen Yuan remained unmoved in the face of the fall of Guanzhong, the city was in turmoil and the world was shaken.

The Northern Liang army used a stratagem to break through the Longling barrier and, with the help of both inside and outside forces, directly conquered Guanzhong, which surprised everyone and shocked the world.

The most critical issue is that during the great calamity in the forbidden area of ​​Shu, a portion of the Guardian Army, which was responsible for protecting the Central Plains, was transferred to support Shu. Even their Guardian General was transferred to cooperate with the troops of Beiliang to protect the western and southern defense lines of Chengdu.

The troops inside the pass are almost depleted, with only the local garrison and a portion of the Dragon Guard remaining under the jurisdiction of the Circuit Governor.

This attack caught the imperial court completely off guard!
To the southwest, eight thousand miles away, in Chengdu, on the top of Yunding Mountain.

Helian Shan also received the news and was furious and terrified.

Xiao Zhongtian was not among the army outside Tianxiong Pass, but had instead advanced into the pass. If the pass fell, the Northern Liang cavalry could then advance directly into the heart of the Central Plains, which would be a serious problem.

He suddenly realized that many people were probably happy to see the Northern Liang King rebel, and they secretly intervened. This could be seen from the clues he had seen when he went out of the city to chase down the traitorous Northern Liang general Huo Zhen.

The Northern Liang army outside Tianxiong Pass was raided by Qi Tian the night before last to investigate their strength. The presence of a Martial Saint gave them the illusion that King Xiao Zhongtian of Liang was in charge of the army. It's not that they misjudged, but rather that the rumors spread by the enemy, coupled with the fact that the Northern Liang cavalry could not break through the Longling barrier, led them to make the same mistake.

Most importantly, everything happened too fast!
They were still investigating the details of the Northern Liang army when news arrived.

"boom"

Inside the Heavenly Patrol Hall, Helian Shan, who was usually calm, smashed a cup, his brows furrowed in anger.

The Shu region itself had to bear pressure from two fronts, and also had to guard against the Tiankulong in the Shiwan Mountains. There were no troops left to stop all of this.

This situation, where his hands and feet were bound and he had no other options, left Helian Shan powerless to kill the bandits.

This was the first time he had felt this way since he was ordered by Emperor Wu to take up a post in Shu.

Below, all the civil and military officials sat with their heads bowed, their faces somber. The hall was deathly silent and heavy.

"Please invite General Gongsun of the Ninth Mountain to the hall for a meeting!"

After his initial outrage, Helian Shan calmed down and needed to discuss how to resolve the situation.

The one who tied the knot must untie it; it must be the ninth mountain.

This time, the Grand Preceptor used the word "please" when addressing a "Musashi".

Outside the hall, someone hurriedly went to the Ninth Mountain to fetch someone.

Shortly afterward, someone outside the hall called out.

"General Gongsun of the Ninth Mountain has arrived!"

As the long shout subsided, outside the hall, Gongsun Yang, clad in blue armor with a gray goatee, entered the hall with the clanging of his armor. He stepped forward a few paces and bowed to Helian Shan at the head of the table.

"Greetings, Imperial Preceptor!"

"Have you heard the message?" Helian Shan asked from the main seat.

Gongsun Yang nodded. "The news that the King of Liang has advanced eastward and breached the western gateway, Dasanguan, has already spread far and wide."

"I want to see your general!" Helian Shan went straight to the point, his tone heavy.

Gongsun Yang raised his head and said frankly, "After receiving the news, I immediately called for the general, but the general is currently in seclusion, cultivating a great supernatural power, and I cannot contact him. I'm afraid I've disappointed you."

Sitting in the main seat, Helian Shang's eyes flashed with anger. "Such rhetoric again? Do you think this Imperial Preceptor would believe it?"

"Your general dared to single-handedly challenge the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion, killing without regard for the consequences, and now you want to extricate yourself from this mess? Who will take care of this mess in Shu?"

"Me, an old man?"

"When that time comes, the entire Shu region, and even the whole country, will be thrown into chaos, with rivers of blood flowing. Who will be held accountable for that?"

Helian Shan was furious in court. Ever since he suffered a loss at Chen Yuan's hands in the matter of the Celestials, he had repeatedly tolerated Chen Yuan for the sake of the overall situation. However, Chen Yuan's actions were increasingly disregarding him, which made him quite annoyed.

Several days have passed since the incident, and there's still no intention of resolving this karmic debt.

Now that things are so dire, their seclusion is even more infuriating.

Gongsun Yang, standing below, remained composed and dignified in the face of Helian Shan's anger.
"This is the general's order, and I will obey it. I hope you will forgive me, sir!"

"Good, good, good!" The veins on Helian Shan's temples bulged, and his eye twitched.

"What a life destined to be a general."

"I see that your Ninth Mountain is no longer under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, and only obeys the orders of Chen Yuan."

The roar of anger echoed throughout the hall.

The officials present felt a chill run down their spines, falling silent in fear. It was an open secret in Yunding Mountain that Ninth Mountain only obeyed General Chen's orders; no one dared to challenge him, given his open defiance of the court, which would be disrespectful to everyone.

Previously, Grand Preceptor Helian had turned a blind eye and tacitly accepted it, just like everyone else. But this time, his public denunciation seems to indicate that they have torn off all pretense of civility.

Naturally, no one dared to interrupt at this moment, for fear of getting caught in the wrath of the two powerful figures.

It seems that the Grand Preceptor has truly been driven to desperation by the news coming from the north!

Just as the atmosphere in the hall became tense and everyone held their breath, a voice suddenly came from outside into the hall.

"Imperial Advisor, please don't be angry. Don't ruin the harmony among your own people."

The voice was old, yet it carried a convincing and peaceful quality.

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared between Gongsun Yang and Helian Shan.

The visitor was an elderly man wearing a yellow mandarin jacket, with white hair and beard that were neatly combed.

It was Qiong Silou, the temple keeper who guarded the Martial Temple!

Upon seeing this person appear, even Helian Shan had to stand up to greet him. The key point was that seeing this person's appearance surprised him.

He knew that Qiong Silou shouldn't be here, because this person was ordered to guard the Heavenly Cave in the Ten Thousand Mountains and had to prevent celestial beings from descending to the mortal realm.

He got up and left, his anger subsiding, replaced by surprise and doubt.
"Temple Keeper of Qiong Temple, what brings you here?"

Qiong Silou sighed, "The news has spread, so I had no choice but to come out. I'm here to tell you that Xiao Zhongtian has stabilized the Dragon Ridge Dragon Vein, opened the spatial barrier, and is leading his army eastward. This must have been a long-planned move."

"Now is not the time to assign blame!" (End of Chapter)