Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

Chapter 368 A hundred miles may perish, but the Lower Tang Dynasty must not perish.
After that, they had to walk. The group of five walked quickly to the depths of the main hall and arrived at the location of the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword, which was also the place where You Changji had died.

Illuminated by the eternal lamps made by the merfolk on both sides of the wall, one could see corpses lying haphazardly, and the ground was blood red, like a hellish slaughterhouse.

Some of the corpses were lying prone, while others were curled up, preserving the scene of their deaths so that one could clearly imagine the agony they must have endured.

Their blood had long since dried, leaving behind a splash of red on the ground, like ink dripping onto paper.

They had clearly been dead for a long time, but they were not rotting and retained the gruesome state of their dying moments. Most of their bodies had been split open from the top of their heads, while a few were cut off from the shoulders.

"This is You Changji, this is the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword." Xi Yan sighed, even he could not cleave a person in two with a single strike.

This requires immense strength and a sufficiently sharp weapon.

As the group passed by the corpses, the grayish-yellow mummies slowly sat up, propped themselves up, and their withered eyes slowly turned, as if they had smelled the scent of living people. They moved towards them with faltering steps, their steps extremely slow and heavy.

"May the bodies and souls of the dead rest in peace." Yi Tianzhan sighed deeply, and then, together with Xi Yan, they began the slaughter of these living corpses.

Their movements were swift; with the swift swings of the Fierce Spear and the Tranquil Mountain Sword, the air was torn apart as one after another, and the undead were chopped down and ripped apart.

It was at this moment that Xi Yan realized something was wrong with Yi Tianzhan. Even if this Iron Emperor was not human, he was still a seventy-six-year-old man. How could his movements be faster and his strength be greater than his own?

This is very wrong!
Human beings have their limits, and even Lu Qingyang, the barbarian king with the most powerful berserk blood, is no exception.

However, now is clearly not the time to dwell on this; their time is extremely precious.

In addition, this sword retrieval was extremely dangerous, so it's normal that Yi Tianzhan, as the old Tianqu, might have some secret techniques that he didn't know about.

After dealing with the undead, they arrived at You Changji's corpse.

In the center of the hall, an eerie, bloodless patch of ground stood empty, as if someone had used a compass to set up a barrier about ten feet in diameter, preventing the corpses from entering. Only in the very center of the circle stood a skeleton, riding proudly with an imperial air on the back of his horse, which had already turned to skeletal remains.

Even in death, this man and his horse still possessed a majesty unlike any other corpse. The horse's hind legs were broken, but its front legs were straight and supporting the ground. The ribs on the corpse's chest were twisted together, tightly wrapped around a great blue-green sword, the hilt of which pressed against his chin.

It was this sword that held him up, allowing him to die with his head held high!
"The armor is still there."

Yi Tianzhan and Xi Yan paid their respects to the last Grand Master in the unique way of the Sky Chariots, while Su Shunqing's face showed a sorrowful expression.

"Mr. Yi, shall we go first or should I?"

After the salute ended, Xi Yan turned to look at Yi Tianzhan. In his eyes, the only two people present who were qualified to wield the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword were himself and Yi Tianzhan.

This wasn't because he looked down on Russell, but because the Blade Spirit was truly ferocious, while Russell's usual performance was far too weak.

However, under Xi Yan's gaze, Yi Tianzhan not only showed no intention of stepping forward, but instead turned his gaze to Russell.

This……

Xi Yan realized that they were just spectators tonight, and the real protagonist was Russell, whom he regarded as the mastermind behind the scenes.

“General Xi.” Russell stepped forward, ignoring the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword which was already reacting, and turned back to look at Xi Yan in front of the rings of dragon blood bone knot seals: “According to the rules of the Sky Drive, after I draw this sword, you should also be under my jurisdiction, right?”

Then, under Xi Yan's gaze that seemed to regard him as a god, Russell grasped the hilt of the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword with one hand and drew the sword.

In an instant, the scorching heat suddenly flowed into his body along his meridians, but before it could pass through his palm, it was pushed back by an even more ruthless force.

There's no need for the sword spirit to devour it; Russell will give it as much as it wants.

Not only was it a power called True Qi, but it was actually nuclear energy; Russell also channeled his blood energy and spirit into the sword without any pause.

The sword itself roared, not with the metallic clang, but as if an ancient dragon were trembling.

If anyone here could understand the sword spirit's language, they would be astonished to hear the sword spirit wailing, saying that it was too full and couldn't eat anymore.

Russell did sense the meaning of the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword, but he felt that the sword was far from reaching the level it claimed, and he continued to pour his own essence and spirit into it.

Come on, Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword, let me see where your limits are!

And so, the Cangyun Ancient Tooth Sword began to change.

Just as it had been many years ago when the swordsmiths of Heluo forged it, its blade began to turn crimson, and a rune appeared on the hilt, spiraling up Russell's hand and eventually settling on his arm.

Russell flexed his wrist, as if the sword were an extension of himself: "Feels pretty good."

Yi Tianzhan and Xi Yan were stunned for a moment, then tightened their grip on the eagle rings on their right hands, pounded their chests with one hand, knelt on one knee before Russell, and each said:

"The god of the North Star, the lord of the vastness, roams the azure sea, to roam freely."

"The god of the North Star, facing the most desperate situation, remains unmoved, reaching the pinnacle of all defenses."

Russell used his strength to lift the two of them up and said, "Then let's summon the sect leaders of the Sky Chaser Sect. The time will be set for six months from now, and the location will be in Jiangnan. Whether you come or not is up to you."

Yes, Russell couldn't remember who came, but he could definitely remember who didn't.

"I accept the order," Xi Yan said solemnly.

Currently, among the six sect leaders of Skyward, he is the only one with the prestige and status to issue the sect leader summons.

Then, Su Shunqing collected You Changji's remains and left the ancestral tomb with the others without disturbing anyone.

Among the current leaders of the Sky Chaser Sect, he represents the Starry Eagle of the Grand Sect, Yi Tianzhan represents the Azure Eagle of the Azure Sea Sect, Xi Yan represents the Myriad Fortresses Eagle of the Myriad Fortresses Sect, Ji Ye holds the Azure Eagle Ring of the Azure Lord Sect, Gu Yueyi, the commander of the Cloud Cavalry of the Jinbei Kingdom, holds the Absolute Light Eagle Ring of the Absolute Light Sect, and the Great Wilderness Sect Ring is also inherited by a famous general.

The remaining Biluo Sect rings were not inherited. The previous Biluo Sect Master chose Bai Yi as his successor. He was qualified, but he gave up the opportunity.

Russell now simply needs to wait for the right opportunity to arise.

Judging by the time, Tuoba Shanyue should have given his results by now.

……

The next day, Baili Jinghong summoned Luo Su and Xi Yan.

There are two main things. First, last night, while Asule was strolling in the market, he was assassinated by three Red Fangs sent by the Li Kingdom. However, the Crown Prince was brave and, together with Ji Yeyu Ran, killed all the Red Fangs who came to attack him in the alley.

The second thing was the battle report that Baili Jinghong had in his possession.

In the Battle of Semei Valley, the 30,000 Xuanjia Army led by Tuoba Shanyue was completely wiped out, and the commander-in-chief Tuoba Shanyue was killed in battle. However, the Li Kingdom was also in a bad situation. It is said that only more than 10,000 of the 30,000 elite cavalry stationed in Semei Valley survived.

This level of casualties was already extremely satisfactory for Baili Jinghong. Whether Tuoba Shanyue was dead or not was not the key point; the key point was that he had finally confirmed that the Lower Tang Dynasty possessed a formidable force capable of resisting the Li Kingdom's iron cavalry.

Currently, there are still 20,000 registered Xuanjia soldiers and another 20,000 Xuanjia guards in training. If they were all handed over to Xi Yan, along with the Iron Pagoda of the Qingyang tribe, they might be able to defeat the Li Kingdom's army head-on on the battlefield.

If he wins this battle and successfully defeats Ying Wuyi, his status among the feudal lords will rise steadily, and he may even replace the Li Kingdom in the feudal lords' position.

The Yin Dynasty had sixteen vassal states. But the emperor could only truly wield power over a vast "royal domain" in the southern part of the Central Plains.

The capital city of Tianqi is located behind the natural barrier of Suohe Mountain. It is the heart of the power of the entire Dayin Empire. The feudal lords and the Wanzhou Chamber of Commerce pay tribute on time. The circulation of money and valuables among the people is incalculable. It is a prosperous city comparable to the ten towns of Wanzhou.

But ever since a fierce and unruly lion suddenly plunged its claws into this heart, the once-powerful Bai Dynasty has faced collapse.

Li Kingdom, originally an insignificant southern barbarian country, has produced a roaring lion that dominates the eastern continent.

Li Hou Ying Wuyi was known for his bravery from a young age. He was arrogant and warlike, and did not hesitate to extort money from the people in order to expand his army and prepare for war.

In the sixth year of Emperor Xi's reign, Ying Wuyi, with his five thousand elite Thunder Cavalry, broke through the Suohe Mountain barrier in one fell swoop, took control of the unsuspecting Tianqi City, and then gathered a large force at Suohe Mountain to defeat the allied forces of fifteen kingdoms.

From then on, Ying Wuyi dominated the feudal lords with his domineering presence. In his eyes, the emperor was nothing more than a puppet who kept the imperial seal. When Ying Wuyi needed something, Emperor Xi only needed to stamp the imperial seal in time.

If Ying Wuyi could do it, why couldn't Baili Jinghong?
He's had enough of living at the mercy of others for so many years!
Noticing his king's growing ambition, Xi Yan felt a sense of helplessness.

To destroy something, you must first make it mad. Today, Baili Jinghong is blinded by ambition.

Gong Yuyi chimed in, "Ying Wuyi's sword is aimed at the capital, the world is shaken and everyone is in danger. If the king can defeat Ying Wuyi, perhaps he will no longer need to fear the capital and the Baili family, and will be able to realize his ambitions and make the world tremble at the mere mention of the king's name."

"General Xi." As expected, after a moment of silence, Baili Jinghong continued, "Although our army failed to recapture Semei Valley in this battle, we dealt a heavy blow to the Li Kingdom. According to Ying Wuyi's personality, he will definitely gather a strong army to make a comeback. The border will be entirely entrusted to you, General."

"Xi Yan will certainly not fail the king's trust." Xi Yan accepted the imperial edict.

All he needs to do now is wait.

Ying Wuyi's expedition to Tianqi will inevitably pass through Xia Tang, and now that he has suffered a great loss in Semei Valley, he will certainly not let it go.

With Russell's blessing, Qingyang's Iron Cavalry, and Tuoba Shanyue's three thousand Ghost Iron Cavalry, Ying Wuyi was bound to lose this battle, and it would be a crushing defeat.

At that time, Baili Jinghong's ambitions will reach their peak.

Without any surprises, he will continue to send troops to conquer Li Kingdom, and then set his sights on the world.

The morale of the army and the people of Lower Tang will reach an unprecedented level.

Given Baili Jinghong's suspicious nature, after conquering Liguo, he would worry that this "Fox of the Eastern Lands" would become too powerful and threaten his own position.

When that time comes, it will be their turn to retire gracefully.

Without Russell, without the three thousand Sky Chariot Warriors, without the Ironclad Cavalry, and without Xi Yan, the Xuanjia Army was like a pile of loose sand, ready to collapse at the slightest touch.

As expected, the defeat was swift and devastating. The Xuanjia Army was crushed, and the Xia Tang Kingdom, like the Li Kingdom in the past, was regarded as a thorn in the side by the royal family and various feudal lords.

The only difference is that Ying Wuyi, the Duke of Li, a true lion, could withstand the siege of the feudal lords, while Baili Jinghong, a paper tiger with a fierce exterior but a weak interior, could not.

The Lower Tang Dynasty will be torn apart overnight; Baili Jinghong will die, Baili Huan will die, and Baili Yu will die.

However, before Baili Yu dies, this young prince will issue the final edict of the Tang Dynasty.

The edict's meaning was simple: the Baili family could perish, but the Xia Tang dynasty could not. Any hero who could recover the lost territories and save the people should be granted the right to rule the Xia Tang.

Then came the time when the Luo banner flew over the land of Kyushu.

……

The warm afternoon sun shone brightly on the outskirts of Nanhuai City. Unlike the pavilions and towers inside the city, the sky here appeared exceptionally high and vast.

Asule took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of earth and grass, and looked at the boundless blue sky. The gloom that had been building up in the palace for days seemed to dissipate, and a long-lost, heartfelt smile appeared on his face.

Seeing his expression, Yu Ran gently nudged Ji Ye beside her with her elbow and asked curiously in a low voice, "Hey, why did you decide to bring Asule here?"

Ji Ye's gaze swept over Asule's rare smile, and he replied in a low voice, "It was the master's arrangement. The master asked me to bring Asule here, saying that there was a gift for him."

"A gift?" Asule overheard their conversation, turned around, and looked at them with a hint of doubt in his light gray eyes: "Ji Ye, do you know what it is?"

Ji Ye shook his head: "The master only gave me this address and told me to bring you here in person."

As he spoke, he pointed to an elegant house nestled among bamboo groves not far ahead: "That's it."

With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, the three arrived at the gate of the mansion.

Encouraged by Ji Ye and Yu Ran's gazes, Asule stepped forward and gently knocked on the door knocker.

"Knock—knock—knock—"

The knocking sounded particularly clear in the quiet suburbs.

After waiting for a moment, a clear sound of footsteps came from inside the courtyard, growing louder as it approached.

With a creak, the wooden door was pulled open from the inside.

A young girl opened the door.

Upon seeing the person standing outside the door, Suma's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Asule's expression froze completely. He stared at the face inside the door, a face so familiar it was almost unrecognizable, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He murmured, in a voice barely audible to himself, "Suma..."

He reached out to touch the girl's cheek, but stopped just before he touched her, afraid that everything before him was just a dream.

Suma smiled and took Asule's hand, placing it on her cheek.

In that instant, an indescribable joy welled up from the bottom of Asule's heart. He embraced the woman as if he were holding a treasure he had lost and found again, and tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.

Suma hugged him back tightly, gently patting his back, silently comforting him, just like she had done in the Zhenyan tribe.

(End of this chapter)