Loan Wusheng

Chapter 216 Slaying the Deer Demon King with a Blade, Obtaining the Inner Core of a Demon King at the Yuan Dan Realm!

In Shenkang County, the sky was already turning a pale white.

The green deer demon stumbled and crashed into the backyard of the county government office, landing in a mangled form with a human-shaped deer head.

The Deer Demon King's right arm was severed at the shoulder, with black blood gushing from the broken antler. The light of its demon core had dimmed, and it looked like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Li Xun! You're a madman..."

The Deer Demon King had barely uttered a roar when suddenly demonic energy surged in the ancient well in the courtyard, and a figure burst forth from the water, its gilded dragon halberd still dripping with undried blood.

It was Qin King Li Xun who had returned using the Water Vein Escape Technique.

At this moment, the crimson in his eyes faded, revealing a calm and composed demeanor reminiscent of a divine emperor.

"Shut up."

Li Xun grabbed the Deer Demon King by the neck, his demonic energy piercing into its demon core like needles: "I don't have time to listen to your nonsense right now."

As he spoke, twelve black array flags flew out from his sleeve, fluttering as they were driven into the ground around the county government office.

The moment the array patterns lit up, the entire earth veins of Shenkang County trembled!
A muffled rumble like thunder suddenly came from the underground of the county government office, and a bronze mirror stood in the center of twelve black array flags in Li Xun's sleeve, reflecting the colors of the flags.

Then, Li Xun bit his fingertip, rubbed it on the bronze mirror, and shouted, "Nine Revolutions of the Mysterious Heaven, Return of the Earth's Veins to Their Origin!"

"boom--!"

The bronze mirror immediately burst forth with several dazzling golden lights, enveloping the entire county town in this golden barrier.

Even more astonishing was the fact that some of the original soldiers in the city were healing their wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Li Xun shook off the Deer Demon King and strode towards the sand table.

At this moment, the demonic aura in his eyes vanished, revealing a decisive and ruthless air reminiscent of a divine emperor: "If that brat Zheng Jun comes to attack the county, he will fall into my 'Mysterious Heaven Returning to Origin Formation.' This formation was passed down to me by my father in the past. Now I have set it up in this city, with the county government office as the celestial pivot and the two granaries to the east and west as the terrestrial fiends, setting up the 'Three Talents Locking Dragon Formation.' If those four come, they will surely suffer a great defeat."

"I plan to connect all the wells in the city of 'Heavy Water Pearl' to the earth veins. Once the city falls, the earth energy will be detonated immediately, turning everything within a hundred miles into scorched earth. In this way, apart from martial artists above the Outer Gang level, the rest of the soldiers should suffer heavy casualties."

"The Jinglong Guard has been almost completely wiped out... This is a bit of a headache, but it's alright. Zhu Taiming still has 100,000 Qin troops, enough to fight a defensive battle. But Shenkang County is still a bit too much to handle."

Li Xun pondered, "However, Cai Kang, Lu Zhenglin, and Wu Liyang are respectively stationed in Bozhou, Xuanzhou, and Suzhou. If they cannot return in time, the local interests will inevitably be damaged. Therefore, they probably won't stay long."

"Therefore, we may not necessarily lose in a protracted war with Zheng Jun."

The Deer Demon King looked at Li Xun, who was issuing orders in an orderly manner, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

What happened? How did Li Xun suddenly return to normal?

"what happened?"

Li Xun looked at the Deer Demon King, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"nothing."

The Deer Demon King shook his head and then said, "Then you stay here. I need to go back to the capital to recover. I can also bring the capital's garrison as reinforcements for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Xun frowned and immediately said, "No!"

"Why?"

The Deer Demon King frowned.

“This Zheng Jun is a treacherous and cunning villain who loves adventure. I have observed that when he fought in Lanzhou, he used many surprise tactics to unexpectedly defeat Xu Hou, destroy Hong Shanhe, and pacify Gongyang Jin. According to his usual approach, he must be rushing to the capital city by now to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out.”

Li Xun rationally analyzed: "Therefore, if you go to Shenjing now, you will inevitably be ambushed by Zheng Jun and others."

Upon hearing Li Xun's words, the Deer Demon King was even more astonished.

King Qin, please don't do this.

Your current normalcy is frightening to me.

but……

"No, their target this time is you, not me."

The Deer Demon King shook his head and said with great confidence, "After I was seriously injured, shouldn't Zheng Jun, who loves adventure, have thought that I was going to return to the Northern Demon Court? I should be safe returning to the capital. After I recover, I will bring reinforcements for you."

Upon hearing the Deer Demon King's words, Li Xun vaguely felt something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. He could only nod slightly, agreeing with the Deer Demon King's words.

Upon hearing this, the Deer Demon King immediately breathed a sigh of relief and then fled outside.

It's not that I have to go to Shenjing, but right now the Deer Demon King just wants to get away from Li Xun.

There is no other reason.

This Li Xun is acting strangely. He seems quite wise and powerful now, but that's only in his injured state. What if he goes back to his previous crazy state once he recovers?
The crazy Li Xun from before was terrifying. He didn't believe any information and was determined to kill people. Moreover, his demonic aura was more like that of a demon than Li Xun himself.

Everything's set up now, but once he goes mad, it'll all be gone again.

The Deer Demon King felt that if he continued to hang around Li Xun, he would be doomed sooner or later.

It's best to stay away from him for now and become independent.

The Deer Demon King pondered for a moment, then transformed into a streak of azure light and fled into the distance.

Watching the Deer Demon King's retreating figure, Li Xun frowned and thought to himself, "This deer demon is probably going to die."

"It doesn't matter, let me die... It's just that during the time I was unconscious, this demon did a lot of bad things, and the situation is getting worse."

Li Xun felt a headache coming on. Every time he wanted to achieve something great, he would be possessed by a demon and become somewhat delirious.

Thinking of this, Li Xun couldn't help but smile wryly. He then immediately issued an edict to prepare for the full deployment of troops and to begin defenses throughout the entire Shenkang County.

Although I don't know how long I'll be sober this time, I need to do what I should do while I'm still sober.

……

The Deer Demon King, in his cyan deer form, sped towards the capital at incredible speed, his hooves treading the wind and his body moving like lightning.

Although its demon core was dimmed due to severe injuries, the Deer Demon King still burned its remaining essence and blood, its body wrapped in a layer of blood-red demonic light, leaving a trail of interwoven blue and red afterimages in the wilderness.

After all, a lot of their life essence has already been burned, so a little more won't make a difference now.

Li Xun's warning lingered in the mind of the Deer Demon King. Although the King of Qin was sometimes mad and sometimes lucid, he still had to be careful about this reminder that concerned his life and fortune. Zheng Jun was very likely to set up an ambush to intercept him.

However, the Deer Demon King was confident in his unparalleled escape skills, and with tens of thousands of demon soldiers still stationed in the capital, he believed that as long as he escaped back to his lair, he could use the Blood Devouring Array to restore his strength.

The Deer Demon King even planned to summon reinforcements from the Northern and Southern Demon Courts to turn the tables and kill Zheng Jun to avenge the humiliation of losing his horn.

'This kid is far too talented. In just a few short years, he has already become a half-step Yuan Dan expert. Throughout history, no one has ever witnessed such a terrifying existence. Even those who have awakened their spiritual potential take seventy or eighty years to break through to the Yuan Dan realm!'

The Deer Demon King secretly felt a vague unease about this person, 'Zheng Jun'.

In these turbulent times, even a Great Sage at the True Martial Realm is unable to act due to the laws of heaven and earth, but for a Demon King at the Core Formation Realm, it is not a difficult task.

The Deer Demon King had a vague premonition that if Zheng Jun could not be eliminated, it would be a major problem for the demon race to take over the Central Plains.

At this thought, a ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the little blue deer: "When I return to the Northern Demon Court, I'll call on Old Ox and that Poisonous Scorpion, and together we'll take action and kill him!"

However, just as it swept across a forest of dead trees, three sharp killing intents suddenly locked onto it!
"You monster, you can't escape."

On the top of an ancient locust tree on the left, Lu Zhenglin stood with his hands behind his back, his sword energy condensing into a lotus, its cold light slicing through the morning mist; behind the ruins on the right, Wu Liyang held a long spear horizontally, the ominous white tiger phantom roaring behind him.

Directly in front of him, Zheng Jun stood in mid-air, his Dragon Abyss Blade still sheathed, but his sharp killing intent had already locked onto the Deer Demon King!

The Deer Demon King's eyes narrowed sharply, realizing he had fallen into a trap.

Li Xun anticipated Zheng Jun's interception, but he did not expect that the other party would abandon his main force and focus all his efforts on surrounding him!
He actually made such a huge gamble!
Isn't he afraid something might happen?

The Deer Demon King let out a fierce cry, its demonic body suddenly expanding, blood flames surging from its severed antlers: "Zheng Jun! Do you truly intend to fight the Demon Court to the death?!"

"Ah."

Zheng Jun sneered without answering, and with a wave of his hand, he unleashed a Green Water Blade Qi, a divine power of Zhou Tian Rain Curtain Flowing Light, which pierced straight towards the Deer Demon King's vital point!

The Deer Demon King's eyes narrowed sharply, and in a moment of haste, his demonic power erupted, causing blood flames to surge from the broken antler, condensing into a blood-red demonic shield.

However, Zheng Jun's strike contained all his strength. As the blade struck, the demon shield shattered instantly, and the remaining force still sent the Deer Demon King flying back dozens of feet, spraying demon blood everywhere.

"Roar--!"

The Deer Demon King was forced to reveal his mutilated demon body. His half-human, half-deer form was hideous and terrifying. The flesh and blood at the broken part of his right arm were writhing, trying to regenerate, while he also tried to escape.

Before it could catch its breath, Lu Zhenglin had already arrived, his sword pointing out a thousand blue lotuses blooming and sword energy cascading down like a waterfall, blocking its retreat.

Wu Liyang's spear moved like a dragon, and the ominous white tiger phantom roared. His blade energy transformed into a white tiger phantom, tearing at the Deer Demon King's waist and abdomen!

The Deer Demon King roared, its demon core spinning wildly as it spewed out crimson demonic fire to defend itself.

"Little Deer, I told you, today is the last time we'll see each other!"

Zheng Jun's voice boomed like thunder as he descended from mid-air. The Dragon Abyss Blade was drawn, and the 'Radiant Sun' divine power on its blade emitted a dazzling golden light, like a great sun falling from the sky, directly severing the head of the Deer Demon King!
With a single strike, the Deer Demon King's eyes reflected the falling golden sun, and the blood flames at the severed horn suddenly collapsed into a pitch-black vortex as it used all its demonic power to resist!

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, the demonic fire blazed fiercely. Before the blazing sun had even subsided, Zheng Jun's Dragon Abyss Blade transformed once more. His 'Green Water Slaying Dragon' technique summoned a phantom of a blue dragon, and the blade's momentum surged like a raging torrent. With a single strike, he cleaved through the demonic fire and went straight for the demon's core!
"boom!"

The moment the pitch-black demonic flames collided with the golden light, Zheng Jun's sword technique suddenly changed.

The Dragon Abyss Blade slid into the gaps in the demonic fire like a fish, and three thousand streams of green water blade energy burst forth from the void, shredding the demonic fire into a sky full of blood mist!
The Dragon Abyss Blade did not stop at all, it went straight down the body and cleaved the Deer Demon King!

"puff--!"

The blade flashed, piercing the body; the demon core trembled violently; and the Deer Demon King let out a mournful howl.

Lu Zhenglin seized the opportunity to use his sword lotus to strangle the demon king, and Wu Liyang's white tiger spear energy fell again. Under the triple attack, the deer demon king had already collapsed, and its demon body shattered inch by inch!

"Damn it!"

The Deer Demon King's eyes turned bloodshot as he saw the three people pressing him aggressively, and he was furious!
However, as the three attacked together, demon blood filled the sky, and the deer demon king's mangled body fell to the ground. A dim demon core suddenly flew out of the mangled body and tried to escape, moving at an extremely fast speed!

"So difficult to kill, layer upon layer!"

Gazing at the demon king's inner core that was trying to fly away, Zheng Jun's forehead veins bulged, his eyes flashed with cold light, and his true essence churned like boiling water. Without hesitation, he bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Don't even think about running away!"

With a roar, brilliant starlight exploded beneath Zheng Jun's feet, and the 'Swift Meteor' technique was activated, transforming him into a streak of azure-gold light that tore through the sky.

Wherever Zheng Jun passed, the air emitted a piercing sonic boom, and dead trees on the ground were snapped off at the roots by the escaping air currents.

Its speed was so fast that it left behind several afterimages, some real and some illusory, each maintaining a slashing posture as it chased after the demon king's inner core!

"Leave it to me!"

The Dragon Abyss Blade, carrying the illusory image of a green dragon, slashed down. Before the blade's aura even arrived, the violent pressure had already caused the demon core to rapidly slow down.

The Deer Demon King's soul emitted a desperate scream within the core, hastily detonating its remaining demonic power. The surface of the core suddenly appeared covered with dense, ancient demonic patterns. This was the 'Blood Escape Soul Burning Technique', a secret technique passed down by the Northern Demon Court. Once unleashed, it could travel thousands of miles in an instant!
However, the price is also extremely high, leaving hidden dangers for life and cutting off the path to future advancement to the Great Sage of the Dharma Aspect.

But at this moment, there's no time to worry about that.

If it doesn't run now, forget about advancing to the Great Saint of the Dharma Aspect; it will stay here on the spot and become nourishment for human warriors!
The inner core of a demon is a great tonic for humans!

Thinking this, the Deer Demon King let out a low growl in his heart: "Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"

"boom!"

The demon core exploded with blinding blood light, seemingly about to break through the spatial constraints. At the critical moment, Zheng Jun's third afterimage suddenly solidified, and the Dragon Abyss Blade mysteriously emerged from the void on the left!
The Dragon Abyss Blade precisely pierced the densest node of the demonic runes, and the Green Water Blade Qi surged like a river flowing backward, forcefully suppressing the boiling demonic power back into the core.

"receive!"

As Zheng Jun clenched his fist, the demon core was sucked into his palm mid-air.

Just after the inner core fell into Zheng Jun's hands, a phantom deer struggled to escape!

"Again?"

Zheng Jun couldn't help but feel a little tired, while Lu Zhenglin had already arrived. The Sword Lotus Formation came crashing down, but all that could be heard was a shrill scream, and wisps of green smoke rose from the illusory deer shadow.

Wu Liyang's White Tiger Spear then swept across, completely incinerating the dissipated demonic energy and forcing the illusory deer shadow back.

"Stop struggling, come back!"

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun did not hesitate and immediately activated the demon king's inner core. Under the desperate face of the illusory deer shadow, the demon king's essence was instantly drawn back into the inner core by a powerful suction force.

"No, no, no!"

The Deer Demon King's eyes were filled with horror. He struggled desperately, but could not break free. He could only watch helplessly as his essence was absorbed into the Demon King's inner core!

Zheng Jun let out a long sigh, his fingertips pinching the slightly trembling demon core. The essence of the Deer Demon King within the core was still surging wildly, but it could not break through the golden true essence on the core wall. A cold smile appeared on his lips, and with a forceful pull of his knuckles, the demon core was instantly enveloped by a layer of emerald water blade energy, completely sealing off all gaps.

"We've finally caught this old deer."

Zheng Jun shook his wrist, turned to look at Lu Zhenglin, and bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you very much, Senior Lu. If it weren't for Senior Lu blocking the path with the Sword Lotus, this beast might have really escaped with the Soul Burning Technique."

Lu Zhenglin sheathed his sword, his green robe swaying gently in the wind. The murderous aura between his brows gradually dissipated, replaced by a hint of relief: "With the Deer Demon King defeated, the Northern Demon Court has lost an arm. Young friend Zheng's supernatural abilities have become increasingly refined. To be able to possess great-level supernatural abilities at the half-step Yuan Dan realm is truly unprecedented."

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept over the demon core, and his smile deepened: "This core contains a thousand years of demonic power. After bringing it back to the city, we will find a top alchemist to refine it with medicine. The resulting elixir may help our human race gain another Yuan Dan Martial Saint."

However, Wu Liyang remained silent.

Wu Liyang held his spear still, the tip of which still gleamed with a chilling light. The phantom of the white tiger appeared and disappeared behind him. His gaze was like a blade fixed on Zheng Jun's back, and complex emotions surged in his eyes.

Fear, scrutiny, and even a hint of barely perceptible dread.

Zheng Jun seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around, meeting Wu Liyang's gaze.

The moment their eyes met, Wu Liyang quickly lowered his gaze, slammed the tip of his spear heavily on the ground, and said in a firm voice, "Zheng Lanzhou's methods are decisive, I admire them."

Zheng Jun narrowed his eyes, his smile undiminished, but he quietly tightened his grip on the demon core in his palm: "Wu Suzhou is too kind. He only forced this old deer to have nowhere to escape by relying on his superior numbers."

Wu Liyang nodded and said, "In that case, let's return to camp quickly."

After saying that, he turned and left. The white tiger phantom dissipated into countless points of light, and his back view revealed a sense of haste.

After Wu Liyang had walked away, Lu Zhenglin whispered, "He's a little wary of you."

Zheng Jun scoffed and said, "Afraid that my cultivation is advancing too fast and I will really usurp the Great Zhou's foundation? I will usurp the Great Zhou's foundation no matter what. I remember Wu Suzhou's kindness today. If we fight for supremacy on the battlefield in the future, I will remember this kindness."

Lu Zhenglin was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and placed it on Zheng Jun's shoulder: "In any case, today's victory is a great one. We killed a Yuan Dan Martial Saint. This is probably the second Yuan Dan Martial Saint to perish after the collapse of heaven and earth... Look."

After saying that, Lu Zhenglin pointed to the trees on the left and right.

The earth trembled, and suddenly ripples of green light spread through the forest. Countless tender buds broke through the soil and sprouted branches and leaves at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Clear springs gushed forth from the once-dry riverbed, new buds sprouted from the charred dead trees, and even emerald green vines emerged from the cracks in the rocks.

Wherever the demonic energy passed, vegetation grew wildly, its branches and leaves stretching out. In a short time, the wilderness within a radius of fifty miles was transformed into a dense forest, lush and vibrant with life!
Above the sky, the clouds churned and coalesced, vaguely forming the shadowy figure of a deer, overlooking this newly grown forest.

However, this strange phenomenon lasted only a few breaths before returning to calm as the demonic energy completely dissipated.

"Look, the Demon King has fallen, and strange phenomena are appearing in the heavens and earth."

Lu Zhenglin laughed and said, "After the Demon King is destroyed, this place will become a first-class training ground for low-level martial artists, or perhaps a place where demons and monsters will reside... But in any case, the spiritual energy here will increase to a certain extent, just like the rain that fell when Emperor Yongchang died in Jinzhou."

Zheng Jun gazed at the lush, green forest, remaining silent.

After each Yuan Dan Martial Saint falls, the spiritual energy in a certain area becomes abundant.

In that case, wouldn't all living beings under heaven wish for the death of the Yuan Dan Martial Saint?

Thinking of this, Zheng Jun immediately shook his head.

Forget it, it doesn’t matter.

Now, there is only one thing that is truly useful to me.

Zheng Jun couldn't help but smile slightly. The demon core of the Deer Demon King in his hand shimmered within. The essence of the Deer Demon King was still unwilling to give up and wanted to break through Zheng Jun's blockade, but it was to no avail.

"Let's go."

Lu Zhenglin smiled, sheathed his longsword, and felt extremely tired.

Many years have passed.

He hadn't felt this passionate in a long time.

As you get older, you really can't use your hands as often. If you do something like that, it feels like it will take you several months to recover.

Upon hearing Lu Zhenglin's words, Zheng Jun immediately nodded, and then, carrying the demon core of the Deer Demon King, he and Lu Zhenglin headed towards the northern military camp.

……

In the military camp, the war had ended.

Everything, everything, returns to dust.

On the battlefield, hooves neighed, and corpses littered the ground. Everywhere were slightly pale bodies, washed and soaked by the rain, being disposed of by the soldiers.

The surviving Dragon Guard soldiers looked utterly dejected, their armor and weapons stripped away, and bound by shackles, unable to move.

With Cai Kang in command, the pressure from his Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm was extraordinary, enough to make those at the Tong Qiao and Wai Gang levels gasp for breath.

In reality, no one who had reached the Qi Refining stage was captured. Of the three Qi Refining warriors who accompanied Li Xun to the battle, one of the Jinglong Guards died in battle. The other two, seeing that the King of Qin had fled and left behind the Xuan Tian Demon Cauldron, were filled with despair. One of them tried to escape but was killed on the spot by Cai Kang, while the other committed suicide in despair.

The scene before him was orderly and well-organized. Upon seeing Zheng Jun's return, Cai Kang rushed over and casually said to Zheng Jun, "I've compiled the statistics for you. In this battle, no one from the Jinglong Guard escaped. Twenty-one thousand were killed, and nine thousand were captured. All those above the Tongqiao level died, and only eight Outer Gang Martial Artists remained."

Upon hearing Cai Kang's words, Zheng Jun nodded slightly. Before Zheng Jun could say anything, Cai Kang looked at him curiously and asked, "I heard from Wu Liyang that you killed the Deer Demon King? Is that true?"

"It's true."

Zheng Jun nodded, then stretched out his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, a demon core shimmering with a blue luster appeared in his palm.

Within that demon core, the illusory image of the azure deer could be clearly seen constantly impacting the core's walls.

Upon seeing this, Cai Kang's eyes brightened and burned with passion.

Seeing Cai Kang's expression, Zheng Jun immediately flipped his hand and retrieved the demon king's inner core, then asked, "Where is Wu Suzhou?"

"Wu Liyang has returned to Suzhou."

Cai Kang spoke without a care, then asked, "Do you know any alchemists? I know one with superb skills who can refine this pill for you! However, there might be some losses after the pill is made, you..."

"That's not necessary."

Zheng Jun laughed and said, "Senior Cai, have you forgotten what kind of supernatural power I cultivate?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, Cai Kang immediately fell silent.

He remembered that Zheng Jun cultivated the 'Radiant Sun' technique, a divine power of the former Yu royal family, whose most obvious effect was the ability to directly refine the inner core of demonic beasts.

With such powerful methods, there's naturally no need for any alchemists.

After all, even when refining pills, some of the essence in the demon core will always dissipate. If it can be swallowed directly, it is naturally a thousand or ten thousand times better than refining pills.

"then you……"

Cai Kang opened his mouth slightly, but before he could finish speaking, Lu Zhenglin had already transformed into a sword light with a loud laugh, saying, "Today, I can say that my trip has not been in vain."

Although Lu Zhenglin was still recovering and felt tired, he was still radiant, which gave him a sense of 'the old days'.

After all, Lu Zhenglin was known as the 'Number One Swordsman in the World' when he was young, and his sword energy was so powerful!

Seeing Lu Zhenglin's appearance, Cai Kang didn't say anything, but instead stared at the 'Mysterious Heaven Demon Cauldron'.

Xuan Tian Demon Cauldron.

It was one of Emperor Shenwu's top magical treasures back then, and it was crafted by several master craftsmen. Now, this thing has been thrown here by the muddle-headed Prince Qin, Li Xun, which is both funny and a bit of a problem.

How do you divide a single tripod?
Could it be Li Xun's scheme to use such a top-tier magic weapon, a treasure enough to be the guardian of a great family, to divide the four of them?

However, Wu Liyang has already left, and now only the three of them remain.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun did not hesitate at all and immediately said, "Seniors, I have obtained enough of this demon king's inner core today. As for the cauldron... let the two of you decide."

Zheng Jun really had no need to compete for this tripod.

Magical treasures are valuable, but they are not as important as one's spiritual realm.

If this magical artifact causes a conflict with Cai Kang and Lu Zhenglin, the alliance will break down, and we will truly become lambs to the slaughter.

Therefore, Zheng Juncai would not do something that would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Moreover, Zheng Jun did not come away empty-handed.

After all, the demon core of the Deer Demon King had already fallen into his hands, and he could use this demon core to break through to the Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm.

Therefore, for Zheng Jun, this is far more important than any 'Mysterious Heavenly Demon Cauldron'.

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, Cai Kang immediately looked at Lu Zhenglin.

Lu Zhenglin understood Cai Kang's meaning and immediately waved his hand, saying casually, "This old man only has thirty or forty years left to live. What use is this thing to me? Leaving it to my descendants would only bring disaster upon them. You should have it, Xiao Cai. Aren't you still going to live for another two hundred years?"

Upon hearing Lu Zhenglin's words, Cai Kang smiled slightly and said, "Then thank you very much, Senior Lu."

Having said that, Cai Kang flicked his sleeve and put the precious cauldron into it, then said, "Then I will accept it without being impolite."

After taking the cauldron, Cai Kang immediately prepared for battle and asked, "What are our plans now? I have already sent scouts to investigate. Prince Qin, Li Xun, is currently stationed in Shenkang County. It seems he intends to fight to the death in Shenkang County... Should we send troops immediately to besiege Shenkang County?"

"No need."

Zheng Jun cupped his hands in a very polite manner, and then said to the two of them, "Thank you for your trouble, seniors. However, since Prince Qin Li Xun chose Shenkang County as his defense, it must be because Shenkang County has laid a tight net. I'm afraid a direct attack is not feasible for us."

"Both seniors have their own territories that need to be pacified. If we launch a forceful attack, and if we are not careful, we might get injured by Li Xun, which would be disastrous."

After a pause, Zheng Jun continued, "Furthermore, I plan to go into seclusion to cultivate and prepare for breaking through to the Yuan Dan stage, so I do not intend to launch a direct attack on Shenkang County."

"Do you two seniors have any other matters to discuss? If not, would you be willing to provide me with protection?"

Zheng Jun spoke rather casually, but after hearing Zheng Jun's words, Cai Kang frowned and immediately said, "I cannot stay here for long. Although the first target of those two old devils, the King of Wei, the King of Han, and the Yang family, is definitely Duke Yue, Shu Weiyuan, who is stationed in Pengzhou, if I stay here for too long and the news gets back, they will definitely divide their troops and head north to invade Changyang County."

“Young Zheng, I’m afraid I can’t stay here any longer.”

Upon hearing Cai Kang's words, Zheng Jun expressed his understanding.

The overall situation is important.

If Bortala falls, it will directly affect us to some extent.

Although Jinzhou can enter Lanzhou through the border, the border between Lanzhou and Jinzhou is surrounded by mountains, which is not conducive to the movement of a large army. If the army were to force its way in, it would take a lot of time, which would be extremely disadvantageous for military operations.

"I'm fine."

Lu Zhenglin chuckled and said, "Last time, the Western Di's main attack was on Suzhou. This time, for some reason, the King of Zhao suddenly got really angry and beat the Western Di's high priest badly, even severing one of his arms. He himself was also injured and is currently in seclusion to recuperate. I'm afraid the Western Di will be unable to invade the south for another thirty or forty years."

Although Xuanzhou is also located on the frontier, the Western Di, a threat to the border, has already crippled one of their Yuan Dan Martial Saints by the King of Zhao. The remaining Great Chanyu and Rizhu King are unlikely to invade so easily.

After all, if one of the Yuan Dan Martial Saints of the Western Di were to be lost, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the entire Western Di. The Western Regions might very well rebel, and if that happened, the Central Plains would launch a counterattack, and the country and its people would be wiped out in an instant.

Therefore, the Western Di would not easily move south unless they were absolutely certain of success.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Senior Lu."

Upon hearing that Lu Zhenglin had nothing to do for the time being, Zheng Jun immediately bowed slightly to Lu Zhenglin to express his gratitude.

Seeing this, Lu Zhenglin smiled and shook his head, then said meaningfully, "Why haven't I seen my great-granddaughter? Does the Prince of Han dislike my great-granddaughter? If so, I'll have someone send a few more beauties from Xuanzhou..."

Upon hearing Lu Zhenglin's words, Zheng Jun was taken aback, then smiled awkwardly and said, "Qingyi is good, I like her very much, but if we bring female relatives on campaigns, it will affect the morale of the soldiers if they find out..."

"That's nothing."

Lu Zhenglin shook his head and said casually, "What impact will it have on morale? Your most important task right now is to produce offspring! Which royal family doesn't have any offspring? If you want to become emperor and condense the Dharma image of 'Lord of the World,' it's unacceptable to be without children!"

Upon hearing Lu Zhenglin's words, Zheng Jun couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

Are you trying to force me to have children?

Why are all the old Dengs the same, no matter what era they're from?

Zheng Jun shook his head and looked up at the sky.

The rain has stopped; the rain that had been falling for several hours has gradually dissipated, and the sky is now bathed in brilliant sunshine.

Zheng Jun let out a breath and immediately said, "Senior, I need to return to Lanzhou for seclusion. I'll trouble you to stay on the front lines and guard against Li Xun."

"Young Master Zheng, rest assured. Although I am a sword cultivator, I also have some experience in defense. In the past few hundred years, when the Western Di invaded the south, they targeted me several times. At the most critical moment, three Yuan Dan cultivators from the Western Di besieged Xuanzhou City where I was located, but it was still not breached!"

Lu Zhenglin chuckled smugly, "The mere Prince Qin is nothing to me!"

Seeing Lu Zhenglin's confident demeanor, Zheng Jun was completely relieved.

Since that's the case, I can now focus all my efforts on breaking through to the Yuan Dan stage!

(End of this chapter)