Loan Wusheng

Chapter 226 The Powerful Clans of Guanzhong
All phenomena are without form.

[Current Stage: Mastery.]

【当前大成神通：飒沓流星：15000/100000；流影浮生：15000/100000；渊渟岳峙：15000/100000；天目破障：47500/100000；渌水斩蛟：47500/100000；熠日流光：44500/100000。】

The repayment progress of the formless phenomena is increasing rapidly, and Zheng Jun also had a sudden thought, and a line of gilded small characters appeared in front of him.

[Is it possible to preemptively acquire the supernatural power of the 'Four-Character Mantra (Minor Success)'? Because it borrows from the future result, it can only be truly mastered after tens of thousands of repetitions.]

The gilded characters before my eyes gleamed.

This surprised Zheng Jun, who was taken aback.

This 'four-word mantra' is excellent; it has no restrictions whatsoever, and all you need to do is practice it.

Or...

He had reached the Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm, so for a Martial Saint, achieving a minor level of supernatural power was not difficult.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun couldn't help but realize the formidable strength of this Yuan Dan Martial Saint.

After completing the preliminary stage of 'minor achievement', he seamlessly transitioned to 'major achievement', allowing himself to enter the realm of 'all phenomena are without form', which was indeed a seamless transition.

"Advance payment!"

Zheng Jun silently recited in his heart.

[Advance payment successful.]

As the gilded characters flashed before his eyes, Zheng Jun's eyes narrowed, and he turned to look at the battlefield, only to see that the battlefield was constantly changing.

The fact that Prince Li Shen of Jin fled naturally meant that the Zhenxi Army here had been abandoned by him.

Meanwhile, the Han cavalry under Zheng Jun's command cheered in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth: "Victory to the Prime Minister! Long live the King of Han!"

"May the Prime Minister be victorious! Long live the King of Han!"

"..."

The cavalry's voice boomed like thunder.

"General."

Looking around, the voice of Guo Yi's personal guard trembled slightly. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, Guo Yi suddenly turned around and ripped off the banner embroidered with the character 'Jin'.

"Issue the order to the entire army..."

Guo Yi's voice, hoarse yet resonant, echoed across the battlefield: "Abandon your weapons and armor, surrender!"

With Guo Yi's command, the sound of iron objects falling to the ground spread like a tide.

The soldiers in the front row knelt down first. Amid the clanging of armor, some sobbed softly, while many others breathed a sigh of relief.

These veterans, who had fought their way back from the desolate Western Regions, knew all too well that when the battle between Yuan Dan Martial Saints was decided, the resistance of mortals would only add to the corpses.

They didn't want to become skeletons before they could go home; they wanted to go home.

Zheng Jun walked over amidst the shattered weapons scattered on the ground. His Longyuan Blade was still sheathed, and he exuded a murderous aura. Meanwhile, Dugu Yuan led his personal guards in iron cavalry from afar. Their hooves leaped over the kneeling Zhenxi Army soldiers, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun's eyes flashed, and he immediately raised his voice: "Everyone dismount and proceed on foot!"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, the riders were taken aback, but they all dismounted and led their horses toward Zheng Jun.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun nodded slightly and looked up to see Guo Yi, the deputy general of the Zhenxi Army, leading dozens of generals toward him.

"The traitorous general Guo Yi, along with the remnants of the Zhenxi Army, surrenders!"

Guo Yi kowtowed heavily, his forehead pressed against the blood-stained yellow earth. Behind him, dozens of generals also removed their helmets, knelt on one knee, and revealed their weathered faces.

Zheng Jun raised his hand to help them up, using his true energy to lift the generals of the Zhenxi Army from a distance. He sighed and said, "Since Emperor Taizu pacified the Western Regions, established Qizhou, and set up the Zhenxi Army, the Zhenxi Army has been guarding the border for six hundred years. In these six hundred years, how many millions of bones have been buried in the yellow sands beyond the pass? Every year, soldiers are dispatched and conscripted, and the soldiers of the Zhenxi Army die nine times out of ten and find it difficult to return home."

“The Prince of Jin has abandoned you like worn-out shoes. Why should you serve him? The Zhenxi Army has guarded Qizhou for many years. Now that the Prince of Jin has abandoned it, I am powerless to help you. You should all go home.”

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, the soldiers of the Zhenxi Army looked up in a daze, momentarily stunned, while suppressed sobs came from the kneeling ranks.

"Send the order!"

Zheng Jun unleashed his true energy, using it as a megaphone, and shouted: "The soldiers of the Zhenxi Army shall not disarm or surrender their weapons. The wounded shall be treated first, and the hungry shall be fed first. Anyone who dares to rob them of their private property shall be executed!"

"After the Battle of Guanzhong ends, soldiers of the Zhenxi Army who wish to lay down their arms and return to their hometowns may do so. Those who do not wish to do so may visit their relatives and then regroup. Those who do not wish to serve in the capital may serve as soldiers or officials in their hometown counties, even if they are under my command!"

"Prime Minister!"

Guo Yi suddenly kowtowed heavily, his iron helmet striking the yellow earth with a muffled thud: "This humble general is willing to lead the Zhenxi Army as the vanguard to knock open the gates of Xiaolong County for you. Guo Ting, the governor of Xiaolong County, is my nephew!"

The soldiers of Zhenxi Army were particularly moved.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had a powerful military.

The soldiers of the Zhenxi Army, where Qizhou is located, are poorly treated but no one cares. Those selected for the Zhenxi Army face a life-or-death situation. Without the imperial order, they are not allowed to leave Qizhou. Therefore, for more than 600 years, most of the Zhenxi Army soldiers never returned home and were buried in Qizhou after their deaths.

Emperor Shenwu intended to use this method to gradually assimilate the land of Qizhou, filling it with descendants of the Xia people and making the Western Region people of Qizhou a minority.

The problem is that Qizhou is too close to the Buddhist Kingdom in the far west, so small-scale wars often break out between Qizhou and the Buddhist army. The Zhenxi Army has to draw troops from various places to replenish its ranks almost every ten years or so.

As a result, the Zhenxi Army was constantly replenished with fresh blood, but very few people were able to retire from Qizhou and return home. Those who did return home were mostly officers who had been promoted, and it was rare for soldiers to return home.

Therefore, after hearing Zheng Jun's words, the soldiers of Zhenxi Army were particularly moved: although the Prince of Jin was the highest military commander in Qizhou, he was no different from the military commanders of the past five hundred years.

Bringing them back to the Central Plains now is not to let them return home, but to use them to fight a battle with Zheng Jun for control of Guanzhong.

Although Guanzhong also had a source of soldiers, the Prince of Jin still preferred to rely on the 100,000-strong Zhenxi Army.

Zheng Jun's order brought tears to the eyes of these soldiers of the Zhenxi Army, and relieved them of their anxiety.

"General Guo is very kind."

Zheng Jun laughed and said, "I have heard that the Jin rebel has returned with an army of 100,000, and there are still 70,000 left in the rear. I would like to ask you generals to go to the rear and inform them to order the 70,000 troops to advance quickly."

The movements of these two local tyrants, Yuan Dan Martial Saints, in Liangzhou and Longzhou are unclear. Zheng Jun doesn't know what they want to do, but if they are really deeply involved with Prince Jin, then it is indeed somewhat dangerous.

But today...

Zheng Jun took a deep breath and felt refreshed.

After resting here for a while, his true energy gradually recovered, and the damage caused by the battle with the Prince of Jin was also healed.

The 'Tai Xu Ning Yu Pian' is continuously repairing its injured body. In its battle with the Prince of Jin, it has the upper hand. The Prince of Jin's injuries are more serious than its own, and it will take at least several more months to recover.

The reason is simple: when the Prince of Jin fled, he used some extraordinary means.

When he used the King of Jin's "Four-Character Mantra" to kill him, it shocked the King, causing him to panic and run away without thinking.

In fact, the Prince of Jin was completely stunned by the beating.

The supernatural powers and spells that Zheng Jun simulated were only at the 'minor mastery' level in terms of proficiency. They looked fierce, but in reality, they were not so powerful and had no real destructive power.

The most powerful aspect of "all phenomena are without form" is not simulating the opponent's methods in battle, but rather understanding the opponent's methods clearly and thoroughly. This is the benefit of "breaking through barriers with the Heavenly Eye".

Therefore, under the simulation of 'all phenomena are without form', one can not only copy and paste the other party's supernatural powers, but also understand the shortcomings of those powers and address them immediately.

This is also why the King of Jin fled in a panic and made a hasty escape.

He was indeed stunned and impressed by Zheng Jun's abilities. "Xu Shimao, Shan Xiongyi, and Xu Hou led three armies to launch a fierce attack on Guanzhong. The troops in Guanzhong were greatly depleted by the Qin King's troops. Even if the various powerful clans in Guanzhong organize another wave of troops, they probably won't be able to muster many soldiers. The Jin King's mistake this time has also squandered his opportunity."

Zheng Jun thought to himself, "Even if the Prince of Jin escapes to Haodu, it's only a matter of time before Guanzhong is pacified."

For Zheng Jun, Guanzhong was indeed not a problem.

After all, Qin King Li Xun had already sent out a wave of troops, and now that he was organizing them again, both the quality and quantity had decreased significantly. Moreover, he had intercepted the Zhenxi Army soldiers brought by Jin King, so he naturally had no means to contend for hegemony.

The problem now is whether our attack on Guanzhong will trigger any other chain reactions, such as whether potential enemies in the west, south, and north will take any action.

To the west were the Zhao family of Longzhou and the governor of Liangzhou; to the north was the Zhao King of Suzhou; and to the south was Zhang Bengong of Bashu.

They were all potential enemies of Zheng Jun, especially Zhang Bengong in the south. Zheng Jun and Zhang Bengong were even sworn enemies, after all, Zheng Jun had killed all of Zhang Bengong's remaining relatives.

However, for Zheng Jun, Zhang Bengong is the least threatening of all his enemies.

The reason is simple: Zhang Bengong, who was once invincible, caused some trouble for Zheng Jun, who was in the Outer Gang realm. Zhang Bengong, who was like a sharp sword hanging over his head, was now only at the peak of the Opening Aperture realm and had not yet achieved the Five Elements Unity and stepped into the half-step Yuan Dan realm.

It's said to be coming soon.

At best, he's only a half-step Yuan Dan.

The enemies in other directions were all Yuan Dan Martial Saints.

The pressure is self-evident.

"Whoo~"

Zheng Jun took a deep breath and immediately said, "Dugu Jing, you stay behind as the commander-in-chief of the army. Withdraw the troops immediately, return to Shenjing, rest for a while, and then lead the army straight to Governor Xu's army to join him."

"I shall set off immediately for the front lines in Guanzhong and press the Prince of Jin!"

Soldiers are valuable and quick.

Zheng Jun now has only one thought: to take advantage of the Prince of Jin's injury, kill him, and seize Guanzhong!
……

Three days later.

The Guanzhong Plain was engulfed in war.

Zheng Jun divided his troops into three routes to defeat the enemy from three directions.

Among the three armies, Xu Shimao had already captured several counties in Weichuan County, advanced towards the county seat, and defeated several reinforcements, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Shan Xiongyi's forces initially made great progress, persuading the garrison troops of several counties in Qifeng County to surrender. However, they later encountered resistance from the powerful Wang clan in Guanzhong, leading to a stalemate.

Xu Hou's troops also successfully breached Tiebi Pass, but were subsequently harassed by the light cavalry of the Zhao clan of Longzhou, suffering several minor defeats. They have now retreated to the banks of the Baishui River, using captured prisoners as leverage to intimidate the enemy. Although they have suffered a few defeats, they are insignificant and do not affect the overall situation.

Meanwhile, in Haodu, at the Liang family ancestral home.

Inside the main hall, four rosewood armchairs surrounded a wooden table, where steaming tea was being served, but no one seemed to be in the mood to enjoy it.

The four chairs occupied by the heads of the four most powerful families among the seven powerful clans of Guanzhong looked quite anxious at the moment.

"Lord Liang, please say something!"

Wang Chang, the clan chief of the Wang clan, dressed in a crimson brocade robe, was somewhat agitated. He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup rattle: "Zheng Jun's vanguard army has already captured five counties in Weichuan. If this continues, they will be at the gates of Haodu in less than two months!"

Sitting at the head of the table, Liang Rui slowly stroked the jade thumb ring in his hand. Although the head of the most powerful family in Guanzhong was over two hundred years old, his brows still revealed the sharpness of a martial artist who had reached the Qi Refining stage.

He glanced at Bai Mingde, the head of the Bai family, who was constantly wiping sweat on his right, then looked at Li Yannian, the head of the Li family, who was resting with his eyes closed on his left, and suddenly chuckled: "What's the rush? Hasn't His Highness Prince Jin already sent word that he's rushing to our aid day and night? Once His Highness Prince Jin arrives with his 100,000 skilled and battle-hardened Zhenxi Army soldiers, Guanzhong will naturally remain the same..."

"Many of my family members are in Xiaolong County. They used a secret clan communication method to send me a message immediately..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Mingde's voice trembled immediately, and he whispered, "It is said that His Highness Prince Jin was ambushed by Zheng Jun in Longzhou, and his entire vanguard of 30,000 men was wiped out, with only his life spared!"

"Um?!"

Everyone present was immediately shocked, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Just then, Li Yannian finally opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them, and looked at Liang Rui, saying, "Lord Liang, do you perhaps have a hidden trick up your sleeve? Back then, when Prince Xinwu followed Emperor Shenwu in his conquests, Emperor Shenwu bestowed upon him the 'Eight Desolations Dragon Locking Formation' diagram..."

Li Yannian would never submit to Zheng Jun.

the reason is simple.

Li Yannian was also considered a member of the royal family.

However, they were not members of the first-class royal family, but rather descendants of a distant cousin of the Divine Martial Emperor.

That cousin also made some contributions in the process of pacifying the world, and was granted the title of a prince for his merits.

Later, their descendants became corrupt and were stripped of their titles. From then on, they became a powerful clan in Guanzhong, but their background was still quite impressive. After all, everyone knew the Li family's origins and they were practically royalty.

Therefore, Li Yannian naturally did not want to see Zheng Jun seize the throne of the Great Zhou.

Upon hearing this, Liang Rui took a deep breath and was about to say something when he suddenly noticed a figure in the hall.

This scene immediately horrified the four of them.

What method is this?
Why was there no warning for the grand formation?!

It should be noted that ever since Zheng Jun launched his three-pronged attack on Qin, the great formation of Haodu has been kept open, and unfamiliar Yuan Dan cultivators simply cannot enter; there is a warning when they get close!
However, they soon recognized who it was.

The visitor was none other than Prince Li Shen of Jin!

The Prince of Jin's snow-white Confucian robe was stained with dark red blood, the jade sword at his waist was only half broken, and his hair ornament was crooked, revealing a few strands of gray hair. Where was the majesty of the Yuan Dan Martial Saint?

"Your Highness!"

The four quickly bowed.

Upon seeing this, Prince Li Shen of Jin did not hesitate at all and said directly, "Li Yannian, I heard that your family has a few 'Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pills'. Bring them here immediately."

Without hesitation, Li Shen continued, "Liang Rui, quickly send someone to Suzhou to find my younger brother, the Prince of Zhao, and ask him to lead troops to rescue Guanzhong. Tell my brother directly that I will not condense the 'Lord of the World' Dharma Image; what I want to condense is the 'Sage of Emptiness and Brightness.' That will put his mind at ease!"

Upon hearing Li Shen's words, the four family heads present were dumbfounded.

Upon seeing Li Shen, they understood why the great formation had not given any warning.

After Li Shen made a mistake, he was briefly confined to Guanzhong by Emperor Shenwu. He stayed in Haodu for more than ten years before being exiled to Qizhou.

During his more than ten years in Haodu, Prince Jin, Li Shen, naturally intervened in the great formation, leaving some traces of its aura. In fact, all the royal Yuan Dan princes had done this in their own fiefdoms, in order to prevent it from being rebelled and occupied, and to use it to resist those who would then seize it.

His Highness Prince Jin's hasty and swift arrival was enough to make the four of them understand one thing.

The Bai family's information is true; Prince Jin was indeed ambushed by Zheng Jun!
"Yes!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Liang Rui and Li Yannian immediately ordered their servants to do so. Then, the four of them stood there dumbfounded. Bai Mingde took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, in Longzhou, could it be that you were no match for Zheng Jun?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin's expression turned slightly grim, but he still spoke up: "Zheng Jun has only been cultivating for a very short time, yet his strength is terrifying! He was able to steal other people's supernatural abilities in the heat of battle. Ordinary Yuan Dan cultivators are no match for him at all. Only by joining forces with the Prince of Zhao can we have a chance to defeat him!"

Upon hearing this, the four were greatly surprised.

Bai Mingde instinctively opened his mouth and said, "Zhao from Longzhou..."

Upon hearing the name "Zhao of Longzhou," Prince Li Shen of Jin was already furious. He muttered angrily, "That old bastard, how could I forget that he is also a Confucian cultivator? He also wants to condense the 'Void Bright Saint'!"

"In my opinion, the reason why Zheng Jun was able to move freely in Longzhou and know my location immediately, thus setting up an ambush in advance, must be because this old fellow leaked the information, allowing Zheng Jun's intelligence agents to capture me!"

(End of this chapter)