Loan Wusheng

Chapter 200 A celestial being banished from heaven breaks through to the fifth realm of the Qi-opening stage!

The trip to Guanzhong was quite uneventful.

Zheng Jun did not encounter any checks or obstructions and passed through Guanzhong without any trouble, returning to Suzhou.

However, Zheng Jun was able to see some things while passing through Guanzhong.

The various prefectures in Guanzhong have few troops.

Almost all of the troops were mobilized by the King of Qin to join him in attacking the capital.

Shenjing is the largest city in the world.

Although there are no Yuan Dan Martial Saints in the city at this moment, the formation alone is enough to sustain the city.

Historically, when the capital was breached, aside from the joint attack of a dozen or so Yuan Dan Martial Saints or even the intervention of a True Martial Dharma Aspect Realm expert, in most cases, it involved a siege that lasted for decades, waiting for the formation's spiritual energy to be exhausted before finally breaking into the formation.

However, now, the King of Qin might create a miracle.

Because the situation is very different now than it was then.

In the past, when cities were besieged, there were often Yuan Dan Martial Saints stationed in Shenjing, so they could not be defeated.

However, there is no Yuan Dan Martial Saint in charge of Shenjing now. The ruler is Crown Prince Li Yuan, who is at the third level of Tongqiao. The strongest one is the Crown Prince's tutor, Ke Yun, who is at the peak of Tongqiao.

The one attacking the city was none other than Li Xun, the Qin King, the Martial Saint of Yuandan.

In addition, there were three peak-level experts under the Qin King's command.

One of them was Fang Ji, the patriarch of the Fang family, who was not with the King of Qin at the time.

The other two are, firstly, the demon envoy, a strange beast named Bifang at the peak of the Qi Refining stage; and secondly, the Supreme Ancestor of the Guanzhong Suspended Sword Sect, Zhu Taiming, a martial artist at the peak of the Qi Refining stage known as "Sword Qi Soaring to the Sky."

Such a lineup, coupled with the advance of a large army.

perhaps……

The story of how the King of Qin could conquer the capital with a body of primordial essence.

However, this has little to do with Zheng Jun.

However, because the King of Qin mobilized most of the forces in Guanzhong, Zheng Jun actually took less time than expected to pass through Guanzhong.

Zheng Jun is currently traveling rapidly towards Lanzhou.

Without him personally overseeing the situation, the consequences would be unimaginable if Gongyang Jin and Fang Ji launched an attack.

……

The situation in Lanzhou is particularly delicate.

The two armies faced off across the Huan River.

Although the four Qi-opening martial artists of the Fang family—Fang Yuan, Fang Han, Fang Du, and Fang Yan—died, this still did not prompt the Fang family patriarch, Fang Ji, to step forward.

Ancestor Fang Ji is still in seclusion in Lanzhou City, single-mindedly trying to break through to the Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm.

He knew that as long as he broke through to the Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm, Zheng Jun and Da Jun would be nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs.

Lanzhou is still his.

In order to break through this level, Fang Ji was even willing to abandon the entire Fang family!
If the family is gone, just rebuild it yourself!
But if the opportunity to condense the Yuan Dan is missed, then it will be too late!
In this era of great competition, to stand still is to fall behind!

Therefore, the commander-in-chief of the Lanzhou army was still Yang Jin, the Marquis of Hancheng, who was sent by the King of Qin.

Under the command of Marquis Yang Jin of Hancheng, there are a total of eleven martial artists who have reached the Qi Refining stage.

All the remaining martial artists in Lanzhou who were loyal to the King of Qin and the Fang family gathered here, and the army also amassed a force of 300,000.

However, Gongyang Jin did not launch a rash attack. Instead, he deployed defenses along the Huan River to prevent Zheng Jun's army from crossing the river.

After all, Zheng Jun's previous performance was too shocking.

Although he was only at the fourth level of the Qi Opening Realm, the strength he displayed was no less than that of someone at the peak of the Qi Opening Realm.

Such a being could probably escape even from a Yuan Dan Martial Saint filled with murderous intent.
Because of one person, Gongyang Jin was hesitant to act rashly, fearing the consequences.

After all, for Gongyang Jin, the most important thing right now is to buy time.

As long as Fang Ji, the patriarch of the Fang family, breaks through to the Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm, everything will be alright.

Therefore, the stalemate here is a good thing for Gongyang Jin.

After all, Zheng Jun was unpredictable and mysterious, and Gongyang Jin did not want to confront him unless absolutely necessary.

He would rather do nothing than make a mistake.

Zheng Jun's 200,000-strong army also arrayed itself and arrived at this location.

However, Xu Hou knew that Zheng Jun was not in the camp, so he had been making a show of force to the outside world and lying to the inside world that Zheng Jun was in seclusion and breaking through. He dared not launch an attack rashly.

Therefore, although the Huan River is not large, and both sides have gathered nearly 500,000 troops on both sides of the river, no large-scale battles have ever broken out.

Now it's a contest of who can hold out longer.

Gongyang Jin was not in a hurry.

After all, time is on his side.

Xu Hou was in a hurry.

He had no idea where Zheng Jun had gone, so he could only keep sending more scouts and intelligence agents to Suzhou, hoping to get news of Zheng Jun as soon as possible.

If Zheng Jun remains completely out of contact, that would be truly terrifying.

For Xu Hou, it was undoubtedly hell on earth.

At this moment, on the north bank of the Huan River, the black tents of the Ding Qin army, like black dragons, were coiled in the center, while the blue flags of the Cangdao army fluttered in formation on the left flank, and the red armor of the Xiaoguo army stretched across the right flank.

The banners of the three armies covered the sky, and the trenches and chevaux-de-frise stretching for more than ten miles connected the camp into an iron wall. Patrol cavalry kicked up dust as they shuttled between the gates.

Xu Hou sat on the central observation tower, watching the flickering lights of the Lanzhou military camp on the opposite bank, his military report already soaked with cold sweat.

Although it seemed that the three armies were united, Xu Hou knew very well that he was just bluffing, and the army camp was ultimately lacking a true pillar of strength.

Once the opponent launches an attack, they will realize that they are bluffing.

But Xu Hou now has no choice but to stand there, even if it means facing difficulties.

"General."

Just then, Yu Shen suddenly rode up and came to Xu Hou's left and right. He dismounted and, disregarding the formalities of military salute, immediately stepped forward and whispered to Xu Hou, "Prefect Lu of Wuguang County, the newly surrendered Zhang Wen, and Prefect Wei of Yulian County have just come to the main tent to request an audience with the Grand Commander."

"Besides, Dugu Yuan also had doubts about the Grand Commander's month-long seclusion. Dugu Yuan suspected..."

Having said that, Yu Shen didn't say anything else.

Hearing Yu Shen's words, Xu Hou couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

What exactly are these people trying to do?!

Within the military formation, spies traveled frequently. Xu Hou had no doubt that there were spies from Gongyang Jin in his own camp, and similarly, there were spies planted by Xu Hou in Gongyang Jin's camp.

With the two sides so close, intelligence from both sides was exchanged and relayed almost daily.

If enemy spies in the military camp were to discover today's coup attempt, it would surely trigger some negative reactions.

after all……

This is the second time they've tried to force someone to abdicate!
Six days ago, several generals with profound knowledge of martial arts pressured Xu Hou to abdicate, demanding an audience with Grand Commander Zheng Jun.

At that time, Xu Hou persuaded them to leave, saying that "the Grand Commander's breakthrough is crucial, and you will be held responsible if the Grand Commander's cultivation is delayed."

Now it's happening again, what should we do this time?

Xu Hou found it difficult to reveal this matter to these few insightful generals.

the reason is simple.

Xu Hou didn't know if they could be trusted.

Zhang Wen and Dugu Jing were both surrendered officials, and Xu Hou didn't know if they would choose to remain neutral again.

Lu Xu originally feared that the people of Yunzhou would kill him, so he led his troops to seek refuge. For Lu Xu, if the Grand Commander was not present, it would not have been a problem to seek refuge with the people of Lanzhou.

Wei Tu is too straightforward. According to Xu Hou's guess, if he knew that the Grand Commander was not in the camp, he would definitely return to the camp and would not stay here at all.

For Xu Hou, all these things were like a tangled mess.

This matter also greatly annoyed Xu Hou.

Why the hell should I be responsible for this?

I was also a surrendered general!

We agreed on a maximum of fifteen days, but it's been two fifteen-day periods already, almost three!

Why hasn't the Grand Commander returned yet?

They face immense internal pressures and a large enemy army externally.

If it weren't for the fact that the other party was waiting for Fang Ji, the patriarch of the Fang family, to break through in order to play it safe, I would have been dead long ago!

"Don't worry."

Xu Hou took a deep breath, then immediately jumped down from the watchtower and hurried towards the central army camp.

From a distance, Xu Hou could see more than a dozen generals standing in front of the central army camp.

All are above the outer level.

The leaders were three martial artists who had reached the Qi Refining stage.

They are Lu Xu, who is in the first stage of the Tongqiao realm; Wei Tu, who is in the second stage of the Tongqiao realm; and Zhang Wen, who is in the first stage of the Tongqiao realm.

Dugu Jing was not among them; he was leading the Xianbei cavalry to set up camp in the rear. This dispersed camping was to prevent the enemy army from pressing in and the Xianbei cavalry from being trapped and dying in the camp before they could mount their horses.

However, Dugu Yuan was present.

At this moment, his aura was powerful, and he seemed to be only one step away from the Tongqiao Realm.

He represented Dugu Jing's position and stood here as well, his brows furrowed.

The remaining dozen or so people were all external martial artists from various armies, and were the confidants of these men.

They all came here to pay their respects to Zheng Jun.

Wei Quan, equally imposing, stood before the central army camp, his sword held high in the snow, gazing at the crowd who had come to 'force the emperor' to abdicate. He stood there coldly, showing no emotion.

"General Xu has arrived."

As Xu Hou strode forward, Lu Xu narrowed his eyes and said with a forced smile, "General Xu is a favorite of the Grand Commander. Would you be so kind as to come into the tent and pay our respects to the Grand Commander on our behalf?"

"The Grand Commander is currently cultivating his supernatural powers and is at a crucial juncture. If Prefect Lu wishes to pay his respects, he should wait until the Grand Commander emerges from seclusion and summons him for an audience."

Xu Hou took a deep breath and said coldly, "If I pay my respects now and anger the Grand Commander, he will be furious, and I will not be able to speak up for him!"

Upon hearing Xu Hou's words, Zhang Wen, who had come along with him, immediately recalled the figure that had been soaring over Batang County. A look of fear flashed in his eyes. He then took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I think Commander Xu is right. Prefect Lu, let's wait and see if the Grand Commander can summon us."

Ever since witnessing Zheng Jun's swift and decisive killing of Fang Yuan, Zhang Wen's awe of Zheng Jun had reached a terrifying level, which could even be described as 'Zheng Jun phobia'.

This is why he was willing to abandon his wife and children, betray the Fang family, and seek refuge with Zheng Jun: the thought of going against Zheng Jun terrified him.

Now, upon hearing Xu Hou say that it might provoke the 'Great Commander's wrath,' his legs went weak, and he dared not say anything more.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xu couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Wei Tu, standing to the side, raised an eyebrow and said, "General Xu, it's not that we want to disturb the Grand Commander, but the Grand Commander has not appeared for a long time. The soldiers are uneasy and their morale is low. If the enemy attacks, I'm afraid something terrible will happen."

"Furthermore, you claim to be the Grand Commander, cultivating your supernatural powers in seclusion within the central army camp. Yet, in the past month, there have been no unusual phenomena in the world, nor any fluctuations in spiritual energy!"

Dugu Yuan's expression was unfriendly. He took a step forward and said in a deep voice, "Could it be that you, General Xu, falsely conveyed the Grand Commander's order and deliberately ordered the army to advance in order to curry favor with the Fang family?"

Wei Tu was worried that Zheng Jun's absence would affect morale; Lu Xu simply wanted to see if Zheng Jun was there, and if not, he would betray them; Zhang Wen thought, "Everyone's here, so I'll come and see too."

Dugu Yuan and Dugu Jing suspected that Grand Commander Zheng Jun was not in the military camp at all, and that Xu Hou was falsely conveying Zheng Jun's military orders in an attempt to create an unprecedented defeat!

After all, from the moment the army set out until the capture of Batang and Guangping counties, they had always received orders from the central command tent and had never seen the Grand Commander in person.

Especially now that the troops have joined forces and are stationed at the Huan River, confronting the Qin army in Lanzhou, the Grand Commander is nowhere to be seen. Only Xu Hou attends all military meetings, which naturally arouses suspicion from others.

Even their own men began to suspect that the Grand Commander was not in the military camp, let alone the enemy troops on the other side of the river.

At this distance, the two sides had a combined army of 500,000.

The intelligence network was almost completely transparent; Gongyang Jin on the other side was absolutely aware that the Grand Commander had never shown his face.

If the Grand Commander is truly not in the military camp, the consequences would be unimaginable.

After all, aside from the Grand Commander, the strongest in their army was only at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm.

Their numbers and quality are far inferior to the enemy's. Once the enemy discovers the clues, the Grand Commander's hegemony will suffer a devastating blow!

This is the problem that Dugu Yuan is most worried about.

As for the Grand Commander's safety, Dugu Yuan was not particularly worried.

Because he knew that even if Xu Hou's strength were doubled, Xu Hou still wouldn't be able to harm the Grand Commander.

Therefore, for Dugu Yuan now, whether Xu Hou should die or not depends on whether he can see the Grand Commander!
Hearing their words, Xu Hou felt quite helpless.

What could he say?
The Grand Commander is really not in the military camp!
Nowadays, whether they are those harboring malicious intentions or those who are enthusiastic about the Grand Commander, they all share a very similar view of Xu Hou.

Xu Hou is under a lot of pressure.

Just then, Lu Xu felt that it was about time, and said to Xu Hou with a smile, "I would like to trouble General Xu to go inside and inform us so that we can go in and pay our respects to the Grand Commander."

Upon hearing this, Xu Hou could only repeat the words, "The Grand Commander is currently in seclusion, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xu found it quite amusing and immediately said coldly, "General Xu, could it be that the Grand Commander is not even in the central command tent, and you are simply issuing false orders?!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Quan, who was standing in front of the central command tent, did not hesitate and drew his Snow Guard sword. He said coldly, "The Grand Commander's sword is here. If you dare to step forward, you can test whether the Grand Commander's old sword is still sharp!"

A snow-white sword was drawn in front of the central command tent, its sharp light instantly bringing a strong sense of killing intent.

Xue Shoudao had followed Zheng Jun for a long time and had killed countless powerful enemies, including many martial artists who had reached the Qi Refining stage, and countless external Qi cultivators.

As soon as the Snow Guardian Blade was drawn, Zheng Jun's murderous aura immediately swept over them, causing the expressions of the others to change.

Zhang Wen hesitated, and Dugu Yuan hesitated: Wei Quan is a trusted elite of the Grand Commander. He is here holding the snow and guarding the sword to support Xu Hou. There should be no problem, right?
Upon seeing Wei Quan's reaction, Lu Xu refused to back down. He drew his sword and unleashed a powerful surge of true energy. Pointing his sword at Wei Quan, Lu Xu declared sternly, "My sword is no less formidable!"

Along with him came four or five outer-strength deputy generals behind him. They all drew their weapons and pointed them at Wei Quan, creating a tense atmosphere.
The situation reached a stalemate.

Xu Hou's face darkened, while Dugu Yuan, standing to the side, looked at Lu Xu with a somewhat unfriendly gaze.

Didn't we agree to come and question them?
Why brandish knives and guns in public?

Dugu Yuan looked at Lu Xu and began to ponder.

This series of actions was clearly intended to confirm that the Grand Commander was not in the camp.

How can there be so many treacherous officials in the military?!

Amidst the chilling flash of the blade, an immense pressure suddenly tore open the top of the central army tent!
With his green robe fluttering in the wind, Zheng Jun, his figure as imposing as a deep pool and a towering mountain, strode out of the central command tent with the force of a dragon and the power of a tiger. Each step he took seemed to crush the souls of everyone present like a muffled thunderclap.

"Choke!"

Amidst this powerful aura, the longsword in Lu Xu's hand shattered inch by inch, with fragments of the blade flying backward and piercing into the meridians of his right arm!
This expert at the initial stage of the Qi Refining Realm was forced to kneel on one knee by the invisible force, just like a child, with a metallic taste escaping his throat.

Zheng Jun glanced around, like a lion surveying its territory, then suddenly opened his mouth and said to those around him, "Are you looking for me?"

"The Great...The Great Governor!"

Zhang Wen collapsed to his seat, his forehead hitting the dust hard.

Wei Tu's pupils dilated violently, and his protective aura flickered uncertainly under Zheng Jun's imposing presence. Finally, he gritted his teeth, clasped his hands, and knelt down: "This humble general has acted rashly. Please punish me, Grand Commander!"

Upon seeing Zheng Jun appear, Dugu Yuan's unease dissipated considerably. He also bowed to Zheng Jun and apologized, saying, "Please punish me, Grand Commander."

"It's alright, you didn't do it intentionally."

Zheng Jun nodded slightly, focusing his gaze on Lu Xu, and said with a forced smile, "Prefect Lu, what is the matter?"

The moment Zheng Jun appeared, Lu Xu felt a chill run down his spine. Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, he disregarded the large amount of blood gushing from the veins in his right arm and tried to explain, "Grand Commander, I..."

Zheng Jun didn't even wait for Lu Xu to explain, and simply said in a cold voice: "Lu Xu has disrupted the morale of the army and trespassed into a key military location. He shall be executed without mercy!"

Before he finished speaking, Lu Xu had already transformed into a streak of blue-red light, trying to fly towards the south bank of the Huan River to join Gongyang Jin and the Fang family's army.

However, just as his escape light took off, Zheng Jun snorted coldly, immediately opened his mouth and exhaled, unleashing a powerful aura that could swallow mountains and rivers!
As the air surged, the turbulent airflow instantly condensed into a long river of spiritual energy, which shot towards the fleeing Lu Xu as Zheng Jun exhaled!

The blue and red light had barely traveled three zhang when the surging airwaves crashed into Lu Xu's back like a reversed Milky Way.

"not good!"

Lu Xu cried out in alarm, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. His protective true essence crumbled inch by inch like thin ice amidst the surging air waves, and his meridians burst one by one under the crushing force of the energy!
"No!"

Amidst the piercing screams, their figures suddenly froze in mid-air.

He spewed blood mist mixed with fragments of internal organs from his seven orifices, and his cracked body exploded with a bang before everyone's eyes. A rain of blood, carrying the aftershocks of true energy, fell into the Huan River, not even a single bone fragment touching the surface!

With a single strike, Zheng Jun killed Xu Lu, who was at the initial stage of the Qi Opening Realm, on the spot! "The Grand Commander is now so terrifying..."

Xu Hou's Adam's apple bobbed as he muttered to himself.

At this moment, the powerful aura flowing around Zheng Jun was clearly several times stronger than it had been a month ago!
The lingering shockwave swept across the camp, causing the barricades several miles away to snap in two!
Zhang Wen's body trembled violently as he lay prostrate on the ground, his forehead even bleeding from the impact, the blood seeping into the soil mixed with cold sweat. Wei Tu, who was pleading guilty beside him, was even more amazed by this scene.

Everyone had only one thought in their minds.

It turns out that the Grand Commander really was in seclusion cultivating supernatural powers; Xu Hou wasn't lying!

If he hadn't been in seclusion cultivating his supernatural powers, how could he possess such immense strength?
Although the Grand Commander had previously killed martial artists at the initial stage of the Qi Refining Realm as easily as slaughtering chickens and dogs, this time, the Grand Commander didn't even need to draw his sword. He simply opened and closed his hand to kill them one after another.

He is truly a remarkable hero.

"Gentlemen, do you still have any doubts?"

Zheng Jun stood with his hands behind his back amidst the swirling blood mist and gentle breeze, his gaze sweeping over the silent generals, and spoke in a cold voice.

"Don't dare!"

Wei Tu was the first to speak, and then respectfully said, "Please forgive us, Grand Commander, for not showing your face for many days. When we were delivering military orders, we did not see you. We were just worried that General Xu was giving false orders, so we were concerned. Please do not take offense, Grand Commander!"

“I understand your feelings.”

Zheng Jun nodded, looked at Wei Quan and Dugu Yuan, and then said, "You two have been cultivating diligently for the past month or so, and you're not far from reaching the stage of enlightenment."

Dugu Yuan and Wei Quan have now reached the peak of the Outer Gang realm, and are only one step away from opening the Qi channels.

Such speed surprised Zheng Jun.

Dugu Yuan was one thing, but he had been at the third level of the Outer Gang realm for some time, and now he was at the peak of the Outer Gang realm, just as Zheng Jun had predicted.

But Wei Quan was different.

Wei Quan was someone Zheng Jun had watched grow up. When Wei Quan broke through to the Outer Gang realm, it was the same day that Zheng Jun broke through to the Tongqiao realm.

Therefore, Zheng Jun was very familiar with it.

But I never expected this.

While he was only at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, Wei Quan was already at the peak of the Outer Qi Realm.

It seems that when Wei Quan reaches the Tongqiao stage, I will probably not be able to reach the Yuandan Martial Saint realm.

Thinking about this, Zheng Jun felt quite regretful.

However, if others knew what Zheng Jun was thinking right now, they would probably vomit blood.

Can a breakthrough to the Opening Aperture Realm be the same as a breakthrough to the Outer Strength Realm?!

"You flatter me, Grand Commander."

Dugu Yuan and Wei Quan both bowed and agreed.

Zheng Jun then looked at Xu Hou and Yu Shen, and nodded slightly: "Well done."

Before Xu Hou and Yu Shen could respond, Zheng Jun waved his sleeve, turned around and entered the central command tent, leaving behind the words: "You all return to your respective units to reorganize the troops. Xu Hou, come with me into the tent to report on recent military and political affairs."

"promise!"

Upon hearing this, the men immediately accepted the order and followed Zheng Jun into the tent.

Zhang Wen took a deep breath and slowly got up from the ground, only to find that his back was soaked with sweat.

His great service in bringing two prefectures to serve the country would have earned him a distinguished guest in any other place. Even if he wasn't given an important position, he would have been given a prestigious post to live out his retirement.

But with Zheng Jun, Zhang Wen was so scared he almost had a heart attack.

However, Zhang Wen still felt somewhat fortunate.

Fortunately, he was not killed by Zheng Jun when he tried to force the emperor to abdicate.

"Whoo~"

Zhang Wen let out a deep breath and thought to himself, "It seems that Xu Hou is doing quite well under the Grand Commander. I should try to get closer to him in the future. The Grand Commander's subordinates are a diverse group, and since we are all from Lanzhou, we should naturally help each other out!"

After saying this, Zhang Wen stood up with the help of several outer-gang deputy generals. He then looked at the other outer-gang deputy generals who had drawn their swords one after another and said, "Take these people away first. We will deal with them after the Grand Commander and General Xu have finished dealing with their official duties!"

"promise!"

The surrounding soldiers shouted in unison.

Inside the central command tent, Zheng Jun sat in the commander's seat, his face showing slight fatigue.

He returned just in time, but the long and arduous journey had left Zheng Jun, a cultivator at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, feeling somewhat exhausted.

Mental exhaustion.

Especially when he left Guanzhong and entered the Suzhou area, he happened to run into the martial arts masters of the Zhao Prince's Mansion who were taking stock of the Western Di spies and suspicious persons. Zheng Jun had no choice but to injure and capture some of them before he could leave calmly.

Then, Zheng Jun saw part of the army from Suzhou entering Guanzhong, seemingly to join forces with the King of Qin's troops and head to Shenjing together.

These scenes naturally alerted Zheng Jun.

There is only one possibility.

The King of Qin and the King of Zhao may be about to join forces.

That's why Zheng Jun sped up the process and rushed back.

If the Fang family is not defeated in time, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Zheng Jun sat in the main seat, looked at the three generals below the stage, and said, "I encountered some trouble in Suzhou. I was entangled by that Western Di high priest and it took some effort to get away."

"Has anything major happened while the governor has been away these past few days?" Zheng Jun asked.

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's inquiry, Xu Hou breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Reporting to the Grand Commander, since our army set out, we have made rapid progress. Zhang Wen surrendered the city and offered Batang as tribute. Later, he tricked the gates of Guangping into opening, allowing our army to take both cities with minimal effort."

"Eleven days after you left, the army assembled and advanced to the Huan River area, where we confronted the Fang family's army, a situation that continues to this day," Xu Houdao said. "During this period, several minor skirmishes broke out between the two sides, all of which ended in victory for the enemy. The reinforcements that came to our aid were gradually becoming passive and reluctant to fight, which seems to be related to the Fang family."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jun nodded slightly and continued, "Wei Quan, the troops from Bozhou that have been brought here one after another will be placed under your command as the general reserve force. Is that clear?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, Wei Quan became excited and immediately cupped his hands, saying, "Please rest assured, Grand Commander, this humble general will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun immediately took a deep breath and looked across the river through the gate of the central military tent.

To Zheng Jun's surprise, Gongyang Jin did not choose to attack during his absence.

Along the way, Zheng Jun had prepared for the worst.

That was when Gongyang Jin's army pressed in, and our side suffered heavy casualties and was even forced to retreat back to Kangle County. Only with the help of the Lu and Cai families was it possible to barely gain a foothold.

But Zheng Jun never expected that Gongyang Jin, who was known as a veteran general, did nothing at all. He only caused some small local wars, which did not have a significant impact on the overall war situation.

"It seems that the previous feat of killing five people at once, and then personally killing Fang Han, defeating Helan Shan, and killing Fang Yuan and Zhao Donglai who were pursuing them, was effective."

Zheng Jun thought to himself, "This gives Gongyang Jin the impression that I am very powerful, so that he won't dare to take the risk."

Zheng Jun could understand Gongyang Jin's actions.

The older they get, the more stable they become.

Since victory can be achieved simply by waiting for Fang Ji, the patriarch of the Fang family, to break through to the Yuan Dan realm, why push forward? What if the army is routed?

Holding on is a testament to your own efforts.

If the attack is defeated and the enemy is pushed back all the way to the walls of Lanzhou, then that's entirely their own fault!

"Grand Commander, now that you've returned, are you planning to march on Lanzhou?"

Yu Shen, standing to the side, was quite excited and said to Zheng Jun, "These past few days, I have been riding my horse along the riverbank to observe the opposite side. Apart from the Xuan Niao Guard, the morale of the troops on the other side is low. They have been harassing us for many days, mainly led by the Xuan Niao Guard. The Lanzhou Army Headquarters has been advancing and is locked in a stalemate with our army, with neither side gaining the upper hand."

"Especially the Helan Mountain tribe and the Fang family's main force, their morale is low. If the Grand Commander raises his banner and his army presses in, the Helan Mountain tribe and the Fang family's main force will surely be fearful, and it will not be difficult to defeat them."

Yu Shen has been observing the situation on the other side of the strait for the past few days and has a fairly good understanding of the military strength there.

After all, this thing can't be hidden.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jun pondered for a moment before saying, "Do not advance; continue to garrison."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, not only Yu Shen was stunned, but even Xu Hou was somewhat surprised.

He had thought that the Grand Commander would launch an offensive against the Lanzhou army as soon as he returned, but to his surprise, the Grand Commander still stationed his troops.

"Grand Commander, time is not on our side!"

Wei Quan also chimed in, "If we wait until that old scoundrel Fang breaks through to the Yuan Dan realm, it will be too late!"

"How could I not know?"

Zheng Jun chuckled and then said, "That old thief Fang Ji will need at least several months to break through. What can he do in these few days?"

"I also want to take this opportunity to break through another level and make the battle formation more reliable."

Zheng Jun was also aware of this.

However, Fang Ji didn't have any Daoist martial arts manuals.

His progress in breaking through to the Yuan Dan stage will inevitably be extremely slow.

To break through to the Yuan Dan stage, one must first bring one's body to its peak condition, and then apply the Five Elements Unity technique to condense a Yuan Dan in the Dantian Qi Sea.

If these methods continue, it will take at least several months!
If Fang Ji truly achieves a decisive breakthrough, Zheng Jun's advance today will be of little use.

After all, Fang Ji will definitely break through in Lanzhou City, and the great formation of Lanzhou City cannot be broken in three to five days.

Since that's the case, Zheng Jun plans to consume the demon cores he obtained from killing the five blood puppets and the demon core of the female dragon together, and refine them together.

Refine them together and try to break through to the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm!
Once he breaks through to the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm, Zheng Jun feels that he can ascend to the heavens in one step and greatly increase his strength!

After all, the Five Realms of Opening the Apertures represent the simultaneous opening of all five apertures.

These martial artists who have reached the fifth level of the Qi-opening realm are completely different from other martial artists.

After all, the Five Apertures Realm has been opened, with all five apertures (metal, wood, water, fire, earth, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, mouth, nose, tongue, ears, and eyes) fully activated. With all five elements gathered, it is naturally several times stronger than one that is missing some.

Once one reaches the fourth level of the Qi Opening Realm, one will have the strength to rival and kill someone at the fifth level.

Once he breaks through to the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm, he will probably be able to fight against a Yuan Dan Martial Saint.

Zheng Jun believed that if he had possessed the strength of the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm when the Western Di High Priest came, he would not have been in such a sorry state.

"Grand Commander, are you about to break through again?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, Xu Hou was startled and blurted out instinctively.

Wei Quan and Yu Shen looked at Zheng Jun as if he were a monster, as if Zheng Jun had transformed into a figure they could not imagine.

No, it seems like for the Grand Commander, breaking through is as simple as eating and drinking.
If you can break through at this speed, what's the point of us fighting?
We'll return to the capital directly, keep you firmly in Kang Le County, and wait three to five years until you become a Yuan Dan Martial Saint. Wouldn't you then rampage through all twenty-one states of the world?
Even if someone lives a long time, enduring a hundred or eighty years, and reaches the True Martial Dharma Aspect realm as the Grand Commander, then he will basically sweep across the eight wastelands and dominate the world. There is no Grand Commander under heaven who can rival him!

Where is this time on the other side?
This time is clearly mine!

With your rapid breakthrough, shouldn't Gongyang Jin, the King of Qin, and the Fang family be worried?
Xu Hou could only describe Zheng Jun's breakthrough speed as 'a celestial being reincarnated'.

This person is no longer a normal person.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun smiled slightly: "Previously, you dismissed your attendants on the grounds that I was in seclusion. Now that I am truly going into seclusion, I will use the same excuse to dismiss them as well."

Having said that, Zheng Jun waved his sleeve and prepared to go into seclusion.

Generals such as Xu Hou, Wei Quan, and Yu Shen also resigned one after another.

I was deeply shocked.

After the generals left the central command tent, Zheng Jun flicked his sleeve and locked the tent door. His Azure Gold True Essence radiated outwards, instantly isolating the inside from the outside world.

Zheng Jun took out five blood-red demon cores from Fangcun Mountain, which were obtained from killing the Blood Puppet. Then he took out the female dragon demon core. The azure pill seemed to have a dragon shadow swimming inside, and a chill permeated the tent.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zheng Jun swallowed all six demon cores.

Instead of swallowing them one by one, swallow them all at once!

Metal enters the lungs, wood enters the liver, water enters the kidneys, fire enters the heart, and earth enters the spleen.

This time, to break through the final key, one must naturally exert all one's strength. The spiritual energy impact generated by swallowing all six demon cores at once is much greater than the spiritual energy impact generated by swallowing them one by one!
A golden light also appeared in Zheng Jun's eyes.

"This time, I will definitely break through to the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm!"

As Zheng Jun's belief grew, strange phenomena began to slowly emerge outside the tent.

……

The stars in the night sky mysteriously gathered into a five-pointed star array, and the Huan River rose with three-foot waves even without wind.

On the opposite bank, in front of the Xuan Niao Guard, Gongyang Jin and three or four Qi Refining martial artists were looking towards Zheng Jun's military camp across the great river.

Sensing that familiar aura, Gongyang Jin couldn't help but sigh, "They've all been exposed and killed one after another. It seems we almost fell into their trap."

Just as Xu Hou had predicted, Gongyang Jin naturally had spies within Zheng Jun's army.

After realizing something was amiss, Na Luxu used various means to demonstrate his loyalty to His Highness the King of Qin. Entrusted by Gongyang Jin, he repeatedly sent out to test whether Zheng Jun was in the camp.

After several days of military reports, judging from the atmosphere and the state of the central command tent, Lu Xu and the secret agents believed that Zheng Jun might not actually be in the army, which made Gongyang Jin, who always sought stability, somewhat hesitant.

They even considered testing the waters a few more times, and if Zheng Junzhen was not in the military camp, they would take the initiative to attack.

However, this test revealed the truth: their actions had finally angered Zheng Jun, who then killed them.

Therefore, Gongyang Jin concluded that this must be Zheng Jun's scheme to actively provoke their Lanzhou army to attack.

If the Lanzhou army truly believed that Zheng Jun was not in the camp and launched an attack, they would have fallen into a trap!

A member of the Fang clan, who was also enlightened, nodded in agreement and said to Gongyang Jin, "Fortunately, Marquis Hancheng was brilliantly resourceful. If we had attacked rashly earlier, we would surely have been killed without a burial place!"

The Fang family had nine members who were said to have attained enlightenment.

Among them, Fang Yuan, Fang Yan, Fang Du, and Fang Han have been killed by Zheng Jun, and Fang Ji, as the patriarch, is currently in seclusion. There are only four active members of the Fang clan at the Tongqiao stage, three of whom are at the initial stage of Tongqiao, which can be described as a great loss of vitality.

This person was one of the three Fang family members who had reached the initial stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Because so many members of the Fang clan who had attained enlightenment had died, he was filled with fear and anxiety towards Zheng Jun. As the main defensive faction in the Lanzhou army, he felt no regret when he saw Zheng Jun easily suppress and kill Lu Xu. Instead, he felt somewhat relieved.

Murong Ling remained silent.

Although Murong Ling participated in the last siege of Zheng Jun, he remains a staunch advocate of war.

After all, if they don't fight, the Murong clan's role will not be apparent.

Gongyang Jin sighed deeply, feeling somewhat exhausted.

Although there were few who understood the intricacies of Zheng Jun's army, there were not many disagreements. Zheng Jun's power alone was enough to suppress everything.

Although there were many martial artists on their side who had reached the Qi Refining stage, each of them had their own agenda, and their own power was not enough to suppress everyone's opinions, resulting in particularly chaotic command.

Trouble!
Just as Gongyang Jin was sighing in admiration, suddenly, strange phenomena began to occur in the world!
Within their own army formation, warhorses neighed in alarm and knelt on the ground. Gongyang Jin was taken aback, just as a five-colored canopy was gathering above the North Bank military camp, and the image of a giant whale swallowing the sea was faintly visible in the clouds!
"Um?!"

Upon seeing this, Gongyang Jin was taken aback, then immediately realized something: "It's Zheng Jun! Zheng Jun is breaking through to the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm!"

As a fellow martial artist at the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm, Gongyang Jin knew very well what this extraordinary phenomenon represented, and couldn't help but gasp: "Zheng Jun, at such a young age, is actually breaking through to the fifth level of the Qi Opening Realm?"

"and many more."

Murong Ling, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up: "Didn't he just make a move? It's only been about half an hour, how come he suddenly triggered a breakthrough phenomenon?"

Murong Ling's words immediately caught the attention of the others.

That's right.

So fast?
Others need to adjust their breathing for several days or even months to get themselves into the best condition before making a breakthrough.

Why did Zheng Jun immediately begin his breakthrough after making his move?
Isn't he worried that his poor form might cause him to fail to break through?
And why did the breakthrough happen so naturally, in just half an hour?!

Everyone felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them, and all the enemy soldiers present fell silent.

A thousand words can only be summed up in one sentence.

You're not a prodigy, you wouldn't understand.

……

Inside the tent, Zheng Jun had reached a critical moment.

The five orifices spewed forth radiant light, and the thunderous sound of the Great Dao resounded in the ears.

When the last trace of the female dragon's demonic power merged into the wood energy of Zheng Jun's eyes and liver, Zheng Jun's true essence collapsed into a liquid state, forming a vortex in his dantian.

The Qi of the heart fire in the tongue orifice, the Qi of the lung metal in the nose orifice, the Qi of the spleen earth in the mouth orifice, the Qi of the kidney water in the ear orifice, and the Qi of the liver wood in the eye orifice are all integrated.

Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—all five elements are present!

"The fifth stage of the Qi-opening realm has been achieved."

Zheng Jun exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes swirling with five colors.

Only half an hour had passed outside the tent, but during the breakthrough process, it seemed as if Zheng Jun had experienced three years!
(End of this chapter)