Start with a red name

"So, this High Priest of the Holy Mountain is very likely a powerful expert whose cultivation has reached the Innate Realm?" Geng Xuan asked.

Iron Wolf thought for a moment and said:
"Whether this person really exists, or is just a protector fabricated by those alien tribes, I cannot be sure."

However, according to the widely circulated rumors within the Dark Night Division, if this person truly exists, even if he isn't a Xiantian level expert who cultivates through cultivation, he should still possess some methods comparable to the Xiantian level.

His words were a bit roundabout, but Geng Xuan immediately understood what he meant.

He also recalled the time when he first met Cao Ao, Tao Bin, Baima, and Ha Ke.

Tao Bin's fabricated character for Baima includes a mention of this "High Priest of the Holy Mountain".

This indicates that the existence, or rather the "legendary status," of this "High Priest of the Holy Mountain" is not low in the Xuanyou and You states.

Whether this person actually exists or not, he has created a kind of strategic deterrent effect on Dong Guan.

Geng Xuan pondered for a moment, while Tie Lang took the opportunity to share more information he had about "innate" abilities.

"...Apart from this 'High Priest of the Holy Mountain,' whose authenticity we are fairly certain of, we can confirm."

Within the scope of our Dark Night Division, there is no further information pointing to other innate powerful beings.

...This is also related to the duties of our Dark Night Division.

In the Xuanyou and Youzhou states, the Dark Night Division is responsible for spying on and eliminating all potential threats, as well as ensuring that those who have access to core authority do not harbor any disloyal intentions.

Outside of the two states of Xuanyou, they cultivated informants and spies using various methods to obtain as much information as possible.

Among them, particular attention is paid to the heads of military towns in each state, as well as young talents who are expected to bring about drastic changes in the political landscape of a particular state.

Geng Xuan nodded slightly.

Although the Dark Night Division also shoulders the important task of collecting various information and intelligence for Dong Guan, its focus is very distinct.

Within Yuanzhou, the intelligence network established with Chen Zhan at its core is one of the peripheral forces of the Dark Night Division.

Information related to innate factors not only contradicts their purpose, but if any clues are discovered, Dong Guan requires them to stop and avoid further investigation.

For this reason, it's understandable that Iron Wolf, the deputy director of the Dark Night Division, has limited knowledge of this information.

"...However, there are not so many concerns about those innate masters who have clearly passed away. Although we did not deliberately probe, the Dark Night Division has also obtained a lot of information related to them."

By carefully comparing the life stories of these deceased innate great beings, we have a conjecture: it is difficult for the lord of a military town to have a powerful innate great being as a backer after his death.

Even if someone has a strong military background before breaking through to the Innate Realm, they will actively distance themselves from all of that after breaking through.

...Of course, some people say that we have reversed cause and effect.

The real reason is that it's impossible to do this; it's simply impossible to make the leap from the Five Realms of Perfection to the Innate Realm.

Having reached the fifth level of perfection in body tempering cultivation, the body is already flawless and there is no further room for advancement.

To complete this final leap, a breakthrough must first be achieved on a spiritual level.

And letting go of the shackles of worldly desires is an essential step..."

"..."

Geng Xuan was at a loss for words after hearing Tie Lang's words.

He knows the real reason.

He believed that those geniuses of the era who had reached the perfection of the fifth realm and were now striving for the innate realm must also know the real reason.

But there's a saying: "It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."

There's also a saying, "What if?"

More importantly, when a certain idea becomes a trend and is widely accepted, individuals living in that era can only achieve spiritual fulfillment by conforming to and following it.

If one insists on going against the prevailing trend, aside from a very few individuals who are inherently "anti-human" or "anti-social," such behavior itself is enough to become a kind of "inner demon."

Once trapped in this illusory, self-imposed "quagmire," it can truly create something out of nothing, becoming a barrier as insurmountable as a chasm, blocking the path between the Five Realms of Perfection and the Innate Realm.

For example, in the earliest and most primitive period of humankind, concepts such as morality and conscience did not exist.

However, as this concept was gradually implanted into the hearts of everyone through the efforts of generations of sages and wise men, it became a universal trend.

Even the most heinous criminals, who have committed countless murders, know what is "good" and what is "bad." They believe in loyalty, kindness to their brothers, and filial piety to their parents.

If someone's behavior goes against a certain "conscience" that they subconsciously accept and follow, then they will not have peace of mind and will be constantly condemned and judged by their own conscience.

This is the "inner demon".

In Geng Xuan's view, the breakthrough from the innate realm to the perfection of the five realms should be a very objective and "materialistic" step.

It has nothing to do with good or evil, nor with whether or not one has severed worldly desires.

But now, they've been forcibly dragged into this mess.

In addition to objectivity and "materialism," a new obstacle of subjectivity and "idealism" has been added.

Geng Xuan, who suddenly realized this after being "reminded" by Tie Lang, really didn't know how to comment.

For those on the path of cultivation, this is an obstacle that should not exist in the first place.

If this barrier can be broken, the path of cultivation will undoubtedly be much smoother.

The threshold to innate abilities will also be lowered considerably.

But for Geng Xuan at this moment, the existence of this barrier is undoubtedly very advantageous.

With thoughts swirling in his mind that were almost entirely unrelated to what Tie Lang had said, Geng Xuan quickly dismissed them and asked again:

"Aside from those at the Innate Realm, are there any cultivators under Dong Guan's command who deserve special attention?"

Iron Wolf nodded and said, "Yes."

"Who?"

"Marquis Yu".

"Marquis Yu?" Geng Xuan murmured, then quickly recalled, "Who is this person?"

Just now, he quickly searched his memory, but he had never heard of this name before, neither in the "stories" told by Zhaluo nor in his close contact with Cao Ao, Song Mingzhu and others in the past two days.

If this person were truly the most noteworthy cultivator under Dong Guan's command, he shouldn't be so "obscure and unknown."

Iron Wolf said:
"Dong Guan has an army of orphans under his command, all of whom are orphans without fathers or mothers, recruited from various channels."

These orphans included not only people from Xuanyou and Youzhou, but also people from other states.

They were adopted by Dong Guan from a young age and raised in the most rigorous way.

Those who perform exceptionally well will be adopted by him, assigned to the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, placed in the Dark Night Division, or given other positions known only to him.

They are Dong Guan's most loyal and trusted force.

Yu Hou was the one with the strongest cultivation talent and was also the one most trusted by Dong Guan.

The name Yu Hou is not his real name, but comes from "Iron Feather Guard". It is a nickname that Dong Guan privately uses to refer to him.

Because Dong Guan appointed him as the Grand Commander of the Iron Feather Guard, he was specifically responsible for guarding Dong Guan's palace.

...Ever since the blood-painted wolf totem appeared in the palace for no reason, Dong Guan has taken matters of the palace very seriously. He has served as the commander of the Iron Feather Guard for more than a year in each of his tenures.

They will be replaced in as little as a few months, and at most in two years.

This phenomenon only subsided after Yu Hou took office as the current commander of the Iron Feather Guard.

It has been six years since Yu Hou took office as the commander of the Iron Feather Guard.

Dong Guan never considered replacing him again, saying that he could finally sleep peacefully only after Yu Hou came along.

After a pause, Iron Wolf explained why his reputation was not known to the outside world.

"However, due to the special nature of the Iron Feather Guard, its reputation is far less renowned than that of the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry."

Even if they had some understanding, it would only be a vague impression at most, with almost no knowledge of the specific reasons behind it.

Listening to Tie Lang's story, Geng Xuan nodded slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What is it about him that makes him so extraordinary?"

Iron Wolf shook his head:

"Dong Guan strictly forbids anyone from spreading information about the Iron Feather Guard, let alone actively probing for information within."

I also learned some things indirectly by taking advantage of my position.

As for what abilities this person possesses, that's beyond my knowledge..."

He paused here, lost in thought.

After a while, he said, "However, I just remembered something else." He then looked at Geng Xuan and said:

"Does the commander know Yang Hu'er?"

"Yang Hu'er?" Geng Xuan felt he had a vague recollection of him, but upon closer examination, he couldn't quite place him.

"A newly emerging military leader in Yangzhou."

Two years ago, Yang Hu'er was not yet known as one of the military commanders of Yangzhou.

However, back then, this person had already attracted the attention of the Dark Night Division.

Last July, an elderly military leader who was struggling to survive amidst several other military leaders in Yangzhou and whose power was on the verge of collapse suddenly disregarded the objections of his children and many subordinates and unconditionally entrusted his entire business to Yang Hu'er.

Months later, by the end of last year, Yang Hu'er had not only taken control of his military towns, but had also won over the former military commander's eldest son, who was most hostile to him, to serve him willingly.

It also reversed the unfavorable situation where other military towns were surrounded on all sides and were preparing to divide up its territory.

No one knows what methods he used, but he, who was originally the 'prey' of the other military towns around him, suddenly joined forces with the other military towns to divide up the strongest military town, which was also the most hostile to him.

...Two years ago he was still unknown, but by the end of last year he had become a rising star among the military leaders of Yangzhou.

Listening to Tie Lang's story, Geng Xuan suddenly understood.

He even knew that at the end of last year, Yang Hu'er was just a rising star among the military commanders of Yangzhou.

So this year, he has already shed the labels of "post-" and "new".

Yang Hu'er, who now controls two or three out of ten parts of Yangzhou, has a reputation that extends beyond Yangzhou or intelligence agencies like the Dark Night Division.

Even in Yuanzhou, his "legend" began to circulate.

Although Geng Xuan did not deliberately inquire, he had heard some things about it.

Just now, his thoughts were focused on the Xuan You and Er Zhou states, so he didn't connect them with the vague impressions in his memory.

After hearing Tie Lang's explanation, he finally understood.

Xuanzhou is located north of Yuanzhou, Youzhou is located northwest of Yuanzhou, while Yangzhou is located southeast of Yuanzhou, directly opposite Youzhou.

"What does this have to do with Yang Hu'er?" Geng Xuan became increasingly curious.

He was asking what exactly Yu Hou's abilities were.

Iron Wolf didn't directly mention Marquis Yu, but instead brought up Yang Hu'er, who was thousands of miles away.

This seems to have clearly gone off-topic, and quite far at that.

Iron Wolf continued:
"The reasons behind Dong Guan's sudden large-scale actions this year are likely complex and not due to a single factor.

But I suspect that Yang Hu'er's appearance must be a very important reason.

Two years ago, the Dark Night Division listed Yang Hu'er as a key target, but Dong Guan did not pay much attention to him.

At the end of last year, Dong Guan invited all the important senior executives in the vicinity to stay up all night to celebrate the New Year.

From the time it gets dark on the 30th of the month until the dawn of the first day of the month, the singing and dancing cannot stop.

I happened to be nearby at the time, standing behind the director, and also participated in that banquet.

Just at midnight, news that Yang Hu'er had successfully averted the crisis and even turned the greatest threat into prey suddenly reached the director.

To avoid spoiling the mood, he originally intended to report to Dong Guan after the banquet ended.

He then put the message back into his sleeve, but Dong Guan saw this action. According to the rules of the Dark Night Division, unless it was something extremely urgent, it was impossible to send the message at that time.

Having drunk a bit too much, Dong Guan directly asked him what was going on and even demanded that he reveal the information on the spot.

Unable to refuse, the director revealed the news in front of everyone.

The initially pleasant atmosphere immediately turned cold.

Dong Guan's expression was also very unpleasant.

At this point, Iron Wolf offered an additional explanation.

Whether it was Dong Guan or the core high-ranking officials under him, they were not short-sighted fools who were able to become the only group to unify two states and establish a stable rule for decades in such a chaotic world.

At that time, after learning about Yang Huer's latest achievements, and considering his astonishing transformation in just one year, it wasn't hard for everyone to predict a certain outcome—

If things are left to their own devices, Yang Hu'er could very well complete the unification of Yangzhou within a few years.

Yangzhou's wealth and prosperity far surpassed those of Xuanyou and Youzhou.

Yang Hu'er was also much younger than Dong Guan.

Compared to Dong Guan and the "Xuanyou Clique," Yang Hu'er and his subordinates still appeared to be a group of young upstarts.

However, the former has been at its peak for decades, and with Dong Guan's irreversible aging, it has already shown an inevitable downward trend after its peak.

Yang Hu'er and his subordinates, however, are all young, at the peak of their vitality and energy.

As the sun sets, each passing day brings us one step closer to its descent.

Like the rising sun, every step taken before reaching the summit is an upward one.

What made Dong Guan and his subordinates feel even more complicated and even jealous was that they had all experienced such a period and knew all too well just how great the threat it posed.

"...The scene was very unpleasant, and the atmosphere became completely cold."

I thought at the time that the banquet could no longer take place.

After a moment of cold indifference, Dong Guan suddenly burst into laughter…

【"Hahaha--"

Dong Guan suddenly burst into laughter, drawing everyone's attention to him.

Someone immediately chimed in, "Why is Your Majesty laughing?"

Dong Guan did not answer immediately, but instead picked up the wine pot and took a few big gulps.

Slapping his thigh, he said:
"In the streets and alleys of Yangzhou, Yang Hu'er is said to have a nickname of 'Little Tyrant,' because he is said to be brave and good at fighting, and has the style of the tyrant of yesteryear."

Thinking of this, I can't help but laugh to myself!

The straight man looked puzzled and said, "Your Majesty, I am truly ignorant and shallow. I hope Your Majesty can enlighten me!"

While clicking his tongue and shaking his head, Dong Guan generously offered his "explanation":

"Although Yangzhou has become increasingly prosperous in recent years, it still cannot shake its short-sightedness."

Perhaps, in their eyes, Yangzhou is the whole world.

Little did they know how vast the world was, and how many talented and outstanding people there were!

...If you really want me to say it, the title 'Little Tyrant' would be more fitting for my son, Yu Hou, than for this brat Yang Hu.

In my opinion, that brat Yang Hu, even if he truly has the legacy of a tyrant, at most he has only acquired the skin of a tyrant and has also picked up the habits of being crude and reckless.

But my son, Lord Yu, has obtained the God of Overlord!

As for why others received the 'Skin of the Overlord' while his 'My Son Yu Hou' received the 'God of the Overlord', Dong Guan offered no further explanation.

Even the quick-witted straight man wasn't foolish enough to press for more information.

Everyone pretended to suddenly understand, and then showed Dong Guan a look of complete admiration, as if saying, "I'm completely convinced."

Soon, a joyous atmosphere filled the hall once more, and the revelry lasted until dawn.

……

After listening to Tie Lang's vivid account, Geng Xuan couldn't help but think to himself:

"The skin of the Overlord, the... god of the Overlord?"

Having eaten and drunk his fill, he clapped his hands and said to Iron Wolf, "I need to rest for a while."

As he spoke, with his feet planted on the barren sandy ground, he naturally entered the "Heaven and Earth Stance" state.

Seeing this, Iron Wolf silently cleaned up the mess and waited quietly to the side.

Half an hour later, Geng Xuan woke up from the "Heaven and Earth Stance" state.

The brief period of cultivation not only restored his physical condition to about 70-80%, but also allowed him to complete the digestion and absorption of the "Blood Exhaustion Hand" technique at the Great Completion stage, enabling him to advance to the Master stage.

Upon waking up, Geng Xuan didn't waste a moment. He immediately picked up the Iron Wolf again, and with a flash, continued to rush eastward, towards "White Crane Beach".

Around five o'clock in the afternoon, Geng Xuan, who was carrying the Iron Wolf and hurrying across the sandy plain, stopped and looked at the vitality in the distance that was obviously more vigorous than in other areas. He whispered, "Is that Baihetan?"

Iron Wolf said in a low voice, "Yes." (End of this chapter)