Patrol Captain

One after another, loud rumbling sounds filled the cave, and terrifying strange phenomena arose as various monarchs descended upon this place, their formations extraordinary.

Ghostly soldiers swept through, tearing through space like a black torrent, their footsteps accompanied by muffled thunder. Banners fluttered, and deathly aura permeated the air. Within them, a demonic chariot was dragged by eight-headed, three-bodied bone lions, their roars shaking the heavens, their manes ablaze with crimson flames. A beaded curtain hung low on the chariot, through which a languid, reclining figure could be vaguely seen.

A king rode an undead creature as tall as a mountain, and wherever the man and the beast passed, space collapsed inch by inch.

There was also a rainbow bridge, seemingly spanning the heavens from the void. Auspicious clouds swirled around the bridge, and flower petals fell like rain. At the end of the bridge, a man dressed in golden robes, his face veiled by divine light, descended from the sky. His long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and he exuded no trace of deathly aura. Instead, he radiated a chilling pressure, like a deity from the heavens.
One, two, three, four
The seven immortal kings arrived one after another, creating a grand spectacle.

Each figure, standing tall in the grotto, whether sacred and extraordinary, mysterious and faceless, or exuding an aura of death, all displayed a powerful and terrifying presence, causing the entire grotto to tremble.

Below in the main hall, gasps and murmurs erupted. Many of the people brought from Guang'an Prefecture looked terrified, their throats choked by the suffocating pressure, their breaths rapid and their hearts filled with fear.

So many powerful demons have invaded? A sense of dread washed over him, and his face showed unease.

Chen Yuan, sitting in the main seat, remained expressionless, but a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

The fact that seven kings were willing to give him this face at least shows that things are negotiable.

He stood up, his body swayed, and in the next moment, he appeared above the main hall, laughed loudly, looked around, and stood with his hands behind his back.

“I am deeply grateful to all the monarchs who have graced this place with their presence and given me this honor.”

"The banquet is ready. Please put aside your supernatural powers and come down to my residence for a chat and some drinks."

As he spoke, he extended his hand in a gesture of invitation.

From all directions of the cave's vast sky, seven figures cast their gazes, some overt and some covert, upon Chen Yuan.

Suddenly, a seductive laugh rang out from the curtained carriage of the ghost soldiers.
"Although I don't know what the famous Martial Saint General of the Imperial Court wants to do by inviting us here, I have heard that you have killed several celestial beings and possess unparalleled supernatural powers, so I have come to learn from you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a streak of azure light flew out from the chariot. In an instant, the world changed color, and with lightning speed, a blue lotus swayed and bloomed in the void. The lotus petals flew out, swirling and dancing, cutting through the void, which emitted a mournful sound.

Meanwhile, on the other two sides, the two immortal kings could no longer restrain themselves.
"Haha, I also want to see your worth, whether you are worthy of making me travel thousands of miles to come here."

Amidst the burst of laughter, the two immortal kings launched a simultaneous attack.

The king riding an undead creature unleashed a blood-red lightning bolt, tearing through the sky; another undead king, standing between the void and the black hole, tore through the air with both hands, and a black hole suddenly appeared beneath Chen Yuan's feet, attempting to swallow him up.

In a flash, the three immortal kings attacked Chen Yuan simultaneously.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, and the hand he extended in invitation emitted golden flames that condensed in his hand, revealing the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear.

"when"

With a grip on his spear, Chen Yuan stomped his foot into the air, creating a deafening, booming sound.

Ripples spread across the void, whipping up the golden flames on the spear to form a curtain of wind and fire.

The black hole below was shaken by the spear, emitting a continuous, void-exploding sound before rapidly collapsing and disintegrating.

At the same time, the azure lotus descended with the force of heaven and earth, and the crimson lightning arrived in the blink of an eye.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
The two divine powers struck the great spear and the curtain of fire directly, causing a series of explosions, with fire and lightning intertwining in the sky.

But the fire curtain remained standing.

Amidst the flames, Chen Yuan remained expressionless, his shoulders and clothes billowing as his spear emitted a piercing clang before sweeping it horizontally.

"Ding" "Ding" "Ding"

The blue lotus was swept away with great force, flying backwards, while the crimson lightning was shattered by the spearhead, turning into tiny electric threads that dissipated into the sky.

After doing all this, Chen Yuan twirled his spear in a flourish, then the spear shone with golden light, rapidly shrank, and disappeared.

Then, he raised his chin, looked up at the vast sky above the cave, and gave a forced smile.

"Gentlemen, are you able to test my mettle?"

The three immortal kings attacked together, and although it was only a test, they were all broken in the blink of an eye.

“A great reputation is well-deserved. General, your skills are indeed remarkable. I will grant you this favor.” The woman chuckled as the ghost soldiers carried the chariot. Then, the beaded curtain inside was lifted, light shone forth, and a celestial maiden stepped out.

This woman seemed to have stepped out of a mural, her features as if meticulously painted by the muralist using the most delicate mineral pigments. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, curved like pine soot mixed with azurite, slightly upturned at the ends. Her pupils were like ochre-brown polished from red iron, bright as ever-burning candles, with dappled light filtering through her eyelashes. She wore a gossamer-green gauze robe with flowing sleeves, its base color peacock green, embroidered with delicate lotus scrolls in gold leaf. A jade belt cinched her slender waist, and as she moved, the gauze sleeves billowed in the wind like ribbons from the sky, capable of catching the rosy clouds. Silver bell anklets adorned her ankles, and she descended from the heavens on a blue lotus platform, creating a stark contrast with the deathly aura of the surrounding ghostly soldiers.

Seeing that she had moved, the other kings in the sky did not waste any words and all stepped down. Their terrifying and ferocious bodies changed as they flew down, becoming ordinary people, some majestic and domineering, some evil and awe-inspiring, and some gentle and refined.

Among them was an "old acquaintance," the white-robed monarch Luo Cheng, who kept a very low profile.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan flicked his sleeve, and the Yinshan Sacred Tree behind him sent forth a flurry of silver leaves that flew into the sky, repairing the brilliant starry river damaged by the arrival of the Seven Kings—a breathtakingly beautiful scene. Then, Chen Yuan's body swayed, and he appeared on the main seat of the main hall.

Soon, in the blink of an eye, seven figures of light landed on the seats prepared in the hall.

At this moment, long sandalwood tables were arranged in the main hall, with celadon plates filled with finely shredded meat and amber cups filled with grape wine. These were all local delicacies and fine wines treasured in the Northern Liang royal palace.

Chen Yuan's gaze swept across the crowd, three to the left and four to the right. He had seen the three on the left before at the Burial Ground. The white-robed king was in front, followed by Anilou Arhat, who wore a blood-red kasaya and had one black and one red eye. The other was unusually tall, with a pale face that was faintly tinged with bluish-gray. His cheekbones were high, and his eye sockets were deep-set, like two pitch-black holes with pupils that flickered like ghostly green flames.

His waist-length black hair cascaded down his back, coiling around his neck like a resting serpent. A slight upturn at the corners of his mouth revealed two dark red lines on either side, extending to his ears like scars torn by claws and then healed, adding to the terrifying aura of his sinister appearance.

Previously, at the burial ground, he had seen these three kings gathered together. According to the white-robed king, the three of them should be of one mind and belong to the same camp. As for the four on the right, they seemed to be at odds. He subtly observed them, matching each king to the one he had identified based on the information provided by the white-robed king.

The only woman among the seven kings, in her previous life she was a celestial being known as the Auspicious Goddess, and she resided at Weiyuan Pass;
The one draped in black chains, with everything behind him shrouded in darkness, was called the "King of the Southern Heaven," and he occupied Chishui Prefecture.
The holy man, dressed in a golden robe, with a dazzling halo behind his head and his face shrouded in a halo, was known as the "Celestial Lord of the North Pole" and resided in Jingyuan Prefecture.

The one who just unleashed the blood-red lightning, known as the "Five Directions Thunder Lord," is entrenched at Tiger Gorge Pass.
Just now, it was the auspicious goddess, the Southern Heavenly King, and the Five Thunder Lords who joined forces to test Chen Yuan.

These monarchs all possessed imposing and extraordinary titles, which were the names of these monarchs when they were celestial beings in their previous lives, names that had long been forgotten by this world.

After all, more than 1,500 years have passed, and with their fall, they were sealed away and disappeared into the dust of history.

Now that they have "seen the light of day" again, no one mentions them, or even avoids mentioning them.

At this moment, inside the hall, the servants were trembling with fear. Some were so weak in the knees that they could not stand, while others were so frightened that they dared not even breathe.

But as Chen Yuan clapped his hands from the main seat, the eerie atmosphere in the hall was broken, and the flickering candlelight inside suddenly flared up.

"Now that our distinguished guests are seated, we may begin!"

"You need not be nervous. The seven kings have accumulated immense merit and will not make things difficult for you. Just treat them well."

His calm words seemed to possess a reassuring power, instantly easing the atmosphere in the hall and calming the suppressed fear in the servants.

"Yes!"

Soon, as the command was given, musicians outside the side hall bowed their heads and filed in one by one. When they arrived at the corner of the hall, the sounds of guzheng and pipa rang out. Then, dancers entered to the rhythm. They were dressed in colorful silk robes and danced gracefully in the hall. Their colorful sleeves fluttered, sometimes entwining around the beams and pillars, sometimes gathering and scattering like butterflies.
The waiters stood in front of the long table with wine jugs, bending over to pour the wine, trying to keep their heads down so as not to look at the several distinguished "guests". The spouts of the jugs were as thin as willow branches, and when the wine was poured into the glasses, it splashed up tiny bubbles. Some people were nervous and their hands trembled a little, and a little wine spilled out. They were terrified, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

This put their minds at ease, and they became even more comfortable with their movements.

As the music of string and wind instruments filled the air, the atmosphere inside the main hall became more lively and warm.

At the main table, Chen Yuan raised his wine glass to the seven kings, a smile playing on his lips.

"This cup of mine is a toast to all of you. I am honored to have you attend this banquet."

The seven kings each had a different perspective, but since they were already there, they didn't say much and simply raised their wine cups.

However, the "Five Directions Thunder King" and the "Southern Heavenly King" picked up their wine cups and drank them down without waiting for Chen Yuan to drink, without even looking in Chen Yuan's direction.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yuan blinked, completely unconcerned, and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Just as he finished drinking and was about to put the cup down, the Five Thunder Lord slammed the glass cup onto the table with a loud thud—the sound wasn't loud, but it was quite noticeable.

"You summoned us here and even hosted a banquet. Why don't you get straight to the point and tell me what you want? Surely you're not hosting a banquet for nothing, but to arrange something for the court!"

The Five Thunder Lords had a ruddy complexion and wore a purple Celestial Master's robe. Their voices were like bone-scraping steel knives, somewhat hoarse and sharp. Although they appeared to be powerful and fierce, no different from ordinary people, there was still a trace of deathly aura emanating from them that could not be concealed.

"I've heard that Your Excellency is now on the imperial tour and serving the court. If you wish to mediate, I advise you not to waste your time." The voice of the Goddess of Fortune rang out, her eyes looking over as if she had stepped out of a mural, her beauty almost unreal.

This shows that these immortal monarchs are very well-informed and have some understanding of Chen Yuan's situation.

Moreover, he remained resistant to the imperial court.

Sitting in the main seat, Chen Yuan felt a strange sense of familiarity after hearing these words, as if communicating with these immortal monarchs was not difficult.

They were much better than he had imagined; they seemed quite polite to him and were willing to sit down and discuss things.

He smiled and spoke slowly, “My lords, please be patient. I know your circumstances back then, having been buried in this place. I also know your grudges and entanglements with the court. Let me tell you first, whether it is taking over Shu or inviting you to this banquet, it is all my will and has nothing to do with the court.”

"You are all incredibly powerful. Even though you are in this deadly place, you must know about the affairs of the world, and you must also know about my grievances with the court."

"The imperial court is currently preoccupied with its own problems and cannot help me."

"There's no need to label Chen as belonging to the imperial court."

"Moreover, you should thank me for being able to get out of that dark and gloomy place early."

As Chen Yuan spoke, his tone became more meaningful, and his eyes became more enigmatic.

"What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?" Lakshmi's voice became intrigued, and her eyes, painted with red iron pigment, were incredibly lively.

The other monarchs were also slightly surprised, including the white-robed monarch Luo Cheng, who frowned. He had dealt with Chen Yuan the most, but had never heard him say such things before; this was the first time.

Chen Yuan timely piqued the interest of the seven kings, and then pointed out that it was he who had planned the ancestral mountain to extricate himself from his predicament, which later caused turmoil in Shu, with countless powerful figures attacking the ancestral mountain formation, leading to the events that followed.

As for the beginning of all the clues, it all started when he obtained the Phoenix Spirit Coffin from General Mountain.

Chen Yuan had not exposed this matter before because many people died in the incident in the forbidden area. Although he was just detonating this bomb in advance and did not know what the consequences would be, it was not a glorious thing and would easily arouse hatred.

As for the seven immortal kings sealed within, there is something to say about them.

After all, he needed the support of seven monarchs.

Upon hearing this, the seven kings reacted with varying expressions, their apprehension towards Chen Yuan growing even stronger.

"May I continue this discussion with you all?" (End of Chapter)