Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 696 Heaven and Earth Burn
Liang Jin's voice remained calm, yet it was like a cold key that suddenly opened a door in Feng Wu's mind that had never been touched before.

"The Yaoshui Kingdom may have been prepared for conventional external fire attacks."

His bamboo cane tapped lightly on the bluestone floor, producing a soft, rhythmic sound, as if questioning some possibility:
"But what if... a martial artist like Suiyan, who is skilled in divine fire martial arts, deceives the guards to gain their trust and enters the core of the giant tree's defense system, and then suddenly launches an attack from within, setting fires everywhere?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Wu's delicate body stiffened abruptly, her fingers unconsciously tightened, her knuckles turning slightly white, and her pupils contracted slightly due to this bold and terrifying hypothesis.

A feeling of utter terror welled up inside me!

The people of Suiyan, who live in Suidong, have lived in an active volcanic area for generations. They consider themselves descendants of fire and have an almost fanatical worship of fire.

The martial arts they practiced were entirely centered on controlling and releasing flames, bringing the ferocity and destruction of fire attributes to the extreme of Southern State martial arts.

When the group infiltrated the Demon City to gather intelligence, Suiyan used his unique White Flame Divine Skill to ignite a towering fire in a short time, successfully attracting the attention of a large number of demon soldiers.

Feng Wu had personally witnessed the efficiency and power of its arson.

If there were indeed several, or even more, fire-attribute experts like Suiyan, harboring ulterior motives, lurking within the intricate network of branches and structures atop the giant tree, launching a fire attack from within at the same time…

The resulting fire will spread like cancer in the human body, starting from the most vulnerable core. Even the most stringent fire prevention measures will likely be unable to extinguish it effectively in the first instance!

"But...but..."

Feng Wu shook her groggy head vigorously, trying to dispel the terrible thought, her voice trembling slightly, a tremor she herself was unaware of:
"The Suitong are allies of the Yaoshui Kingdom, with whom they have maintained friendly relations for generations!"

"Their old chieftain, along with most of the clan's elite experts, are currently in Yaoshui City, fighting alongside us against the demon army."

"How could they... how could they possibly destroy their own Great Wall and turn around to help the demon army set fires?"

This doesn't make sense from either a logical or emotional standpoint.

The status of allies is the cornerstone of trust.

Liang Jin's tone remained completely calm, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him:

“I am not questioning the loyalty of the Suitong. I am merely stating a possibility based on some observed details.”

He gazed calmly at the gloomy sky outside the window and continued:

"As far as I know, when the Owl Cave first submitted to the Demon Lord of Wuxu, it was a primitive barbarian tribe that had just come out of the deep mountains and forests. The weapons they used were mostly crudely polished stone arrows and spearheads, with poor craftsmanship."

"But the Owl Warriors now use sharp obsidian weapons on a large scale."

Liang Jin had been wandering around the city lately, but not entirely aimlessly; he had heard a lot of things.

Feng Wu nodded; she had noticed this change as well.
"Indeed."

"Although obsidian is exceptionally sharp and can easily cut through flesh, it is brittle and fragile, far less durable than the bronze weapons commonly used by the Yaoshui Kingdom's army."

"Even if they switch to obsidian, their overall combat strength will only increase to a limited extent, and they are not worth fearing."

She attempted to downplay the threat posed by this change by analyzing it from a military perspective.

Liang Jin shook his head slightly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips:

"I am not discussing the superiority or inferiority of weapons."

His gaze refocused on Feng Wu's face, carrying a clear understanding of the world:

"Tell me, in the entire Southern Continent, where is there a place that can produce such high-quality obsidian on a large scale and reliably?"

Feng Wu answered subconsciously:

"Obsidian... is generally only found around volcanoes..."

She was speaking when, as if struck by a silent thunderbolt, her whole body trembled violently, and her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief!

Obsidian is a product of the rapid cooling of volcanic lava, and its largest production areas are often located around volcanoes!

The Suitong people, who worship fire and regard volcanoes as sacred sites, have their homeland located in an active volcanic cluster!
The divine fire martial arts they cultivate also require the unique earth fire energy of the volcanic area!
It's just that because the weapons of the Suitong warriors are mostly made of special wood and they don't favor the use of obsidian, many people have overlooked the fact that the sacred land beneath their feet, which they have guarded for generations, is itself the largest obsidian treasure trove in the Southern Continent!
Now, almost all the barbarian warriors in Owl Cave who used to use ordinary stone tools have switched to obsidian weapons with superior performance!

If we trace the origin of such a massive quantity of obsidian, it truly points to Suidong...

The hidden meaning behind it is absolutely chilling!

This is far more than simply "aiding the enemy"!
This likely means that the higher-ups of Suitong have already secretly reached some kind of agreement with the Demon Lord of Wuxu, or even...

It's possible that the entire clan has already secretly defected to the demon army!

The chieftains and experts they left in Yaoshui City were nothing more than a smokescreen to lull the Yaoshui Kingdom into a false sense of security, a deadly bomb planted in its heart!
At that moment, Feng Wu felt a chill rush from her tailbone straight to the top of her head, and even her breathing stopped.

She murmured absentmindedly:

"The chieftain of Suidong and several elders are currently in the royal palace, enjoying the deep trust of Her Majesty the Queen and participating in the highest military affairs."

"What if they really do suddenly turn against us at the most critical moment of defending the city, and unleash the unique and powerful White Flame Divine Art of the Sui Dong sect inside the sacred tree..."

She seemed to already see that hellish scene:

Trusted allies suddenly transformed into demons, pure white flames turning into a destructive torrent that spread wildly within the giant tree. The ancient wooden structure groaned in agony under the intense heat, and the raging flames devoured everything. The defensive system built upon the giant tree crumbled from within...

That would be a more devastating blow than any external attack!

Liang Jin looked at her face, which had turned deathly pale, but his tone remained calm, as if the bombshell guess he had just made had nothing to do with him:
"Of course, all of this is currently just my speculation based on limited information, and there is no empirical evidence."

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it; you don't need to take it too seriously."

however.

Feng Wu shook her head abruptly, her eyes regaining their sharpness and determination, carrying a resolute air of "better to innocence than let the guilty go free."

"No! This concerns the survival of the sacred tree and the lives of all the people in the city. It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't!"

"I must immediately seek an audience with Her Majesty the Queen and report this possibility! I hope it will be in time to take preventative measures!"

After saying that, she didn't even bother to say goodbye to Liang Jin. She left as quickly as an arrow, her colorful figure disappearing into the streets and alleys.

Liang Jin watched her hurried departure without saying a word to stop her or making any other statement.

This war that swept across the southern continent was a fateful showdown between the Yaoshui Kingdom and the Wuxu Demon Lord, and it had nothing to do with him, an outsider.

However, deep down, he still somewhat hoped that the Yaoshui Kingdom would win.

It's not that Yaoshui Kingdom is so great, but rather that Wuxu Demon Lord is even worse and more despicable.

Even when the Yaoshui Kingdom sacrifices living people, it only does so for a few people at a time.

The Demon Lord of Wuxu kills hundreds or thousands of people at a time, treating human life as worthless.

As Liang Jin traveled through the mountains and forests of Nanzhou, he witnessed many horrific scenes left behind by the demon army.

The village was reduced to ashes, corpses littered the ground, and the survivors were reduced to slaves who had lost everything.

The "Demon Kingdom" that the Demon Lord of Wuxu wanted to establish was structured in an extreme and ruthless way, allowing only three identities: soldiers, slaves, and craftsmen. Everything was designed to serve the ultimate efficiency in war, completely obliterating the individual dignity and diversity of "human beings".

This order was incompatible with Liang Jin's subconscious understanding.

Moreover, the Demon Lord of Wuxu is ambitious. Before he has even unified the Southern Continent, he has already regarded Liang Jin as a potential future enemy in his words.

Therefore, if Liang Jin could see the other party suffer a setback while they were still weak, he would naturally be happy to see it happen.

not to mention……

A more realistic concern, closer to his own interests, arose in his mind: what if those traitors really set fire to the trees and accidentally burned down the lightning-struck fruit he so desperately wanted?
Then he truly suffered an undeserved disaster.

Liang Jin smiled slightly, suppressing these conflicting thoughts.

He has already given the necessary reminders through Feng Wu.

As for whether the Yaoshui Kingdom can heed his advice or respond effectively, that's not something he needs to worry about.

So Liang Jin went to the restaurant again, ordered some mushrooms and insects, and continued eating.

The group of innocent and carefree children continued to play and frolic around the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey, their silvery laughter temporarily dispelling the oppressive atmosphere brought by the shadow of war.

Just when I thought things would remain peaceful...

Sudden--

"Woo——!!!"

A long, deep, mournful sound, as if from the depths of a prehistoric beast's throat, suddenly rang out without warning, like a death knell, tearing apart the false tranquility of the city!

On the towering city wall in the distance, a burly soldier, with all his might, blew a large, curved bull horn.

The voice was desolate and chilling, carrying a sense of despair that heralded the coming of the end times.

As the bugle call, representing the highest level of alert, resounded throughout the city, the entire Yaoshui City seemed to be thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar!

"The demon army! The demon army has attacked the city!!"

"Run! Go home! Go home and hide!"

The previously orderly crowd on the streets was suddenly plunged into extreme panic.

People screamed and cried, running around like headless flies, pushing and shoving, just wanting to get back to their not-so-safe homes as quickly as possible.

On the city wall, the shouts, running sounds, and clanging of metal armor of the soldiers mingled together, filled with the tension and anxiety before battle.

The officer shouted at the top of his lungs in an attempt to maintain order and organize the defense.

Immediately afterwards, the earth began to tremble in a dull, rhythmic way, as if countless enormous beasts were approaching with heavy steps, or as if thousands of troops were beating war drums at the same time.

The terrifying tremor traveled through the ground, reaching the soles of everyone's feet and straight to their hearts.

Soon, a tsunami of battle cries erupted from outside the city, sound waves as real as solid matter crashing against the city walls, echoing throughout the heavens and the earth!
That was the roar of the demon army launching its all-out attack!
The diners inside the restaurant were already terrified, their faces ashen, like startled birds. They dropped their bowls and chopsticks and fled in a panic, wanting to get as far away from the city wall as possible.

In the blink of an eye, the once bustling restaurant was now empty except for Liang Jin.

He remained seated as steady as a mountain, leisurely savoring the local delicacies on the table, as if the earth-shattering changes in the outside world were separated from him by an invisible barrier.

The shop owner, a kind-looking middle-aged man, was also sweating profusely with anxiety. He ran to Liang Jin's table, rubbing his hands together, his tone urgent and earnest:
"My sir, look... this... if a fight really breaks out, swords have no eyes, arrows fly everywhere, my shop really can't stay open any longer, we have to close down immediately to avoid disaster. What do you think...?"

He hadn't finished speaking—

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—puff puff!"

A sudden burst of arrows whistling through the air and piercing objects came from the roof and walls!
Like hailstones falling!

Several powerful obsidian arrows pierced through the bamboo roof and the relatively thin walls, shooting into the shop with a shrill whistle!
"Do! Do!"

Two muffled thuds were heard, and two arrows were seen to have accurately entered through the window cracks, embedding themselves deeply in the wooden table by the window. The arrow tails trembled violently, emitting a chilling buzzing sound.

On the street, passersby who had no time to dodge let out shrill screams, those hit by arrows fell to the ground groaning in pain, and blood quickly stained the bluestone pavement red.

The horrifying scene startled the shop owner, who cried out in alarm and scrambled behind the counter, using his not-so-broad body to shield the children who were already stunned and had forgotten to cry.

The proprietress was also pale-faced, and hurriedly closed all the windows tightly and locked them with bolts.

Liang Jin, however, seemed completely oblivious to the danger that was right in front of him.

He even reached out and casually pointed to the scene of devastation outside the window, the street littered with arrows, and smiled slightly at the still-shaken shopkeeper, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery:
"Boss, look at the situation outside, arrows are raining down. If you kick me out now, aren't you sending me to my death?"

"Please have some compassion and let me lay low here for a while. I can double the price for the meal."

Looking at Liang Jin's almost eerily calm expression, and glancing at the hellish scene outside the window, the boss and his wife knew that what he said was true; going out now would indeed be extremely dangerous.

The two exchanged a glance, and in the end, their hearts softened. They sighed helplessly and stopped insisting on driving them away.

The owner, still kind-hearted, placed a heavy iron pot on his head, gritted his teeth, and suddenly opened the door a crack. He darted out like a cat, quickly dragged back two injured people lying at the restaurant entrance, groaning in pain, and then swiftly closed and bolted the door.

With the doors and windows tightly closed, ordinary stray arrows were indeed unlikely to pose a threat to the people inside the shop.

However, the cruelty of war goes far beyond that.

"Whoosh—Boom!!"

Accompanied by a series of chilling gusts of wind, like giant rocks slicing through the sky, countless burning fireballs trailing thick black smoke suddenly appeared in the sky above the city!
Like meteorites from hell, they streaked across the gloomy sky, then crashed down on Yaoshui City with an aura of destruction!
The demon army's catapults are starting to unleash their power!

The fireballs launched by the catapults were clearly aimed at the majestic sacred tree, and most of them flew towards the giant tree with a whooshing sound.

However, many still deviated from their target, or were intended to create panic, and crashed into residential areas within the city!
The moment the fireball landed, it wasn't a simple impact; instead, it exploded violently with a deafening roar!

Blazing flames mixed with black smoke shot into the sky!

The houses hit were ignited almost instantly. The wooden structures crackled and popped under the high temperature, flames licked at everything flammable, thick smoke billowed, and cries of pain rose and fell.

Liang Jin calmly observed everything through the crack in the window, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, lost in thought.
"How could a primitive barbarian tribe, who had just emerged from a secluded mountain cave, be able to manufacture such advanced and powerful siege weapons?"

"Judging from the range and accuracy of this catapult, its technical level is no less than that of the regular siege troops of the Daqian Border Army. It even uses 'fire caltrops' on a large scale."

"Behind this... could there be skilled craftsmen from the Great Qian Dynasty working for him? Or has the Demon Lord of Wuxu directly received covert support and supplies from certain powerful figures within the Great Qian Dynasty?"

Nanzhou is a well-known wild and undeveloped land, lacking resources and with backward technology.

Even in the relatively wealthy Yaoshui Kingdom, the main equipment of the army was still bronze weapons, and the more remote and backward tribes were still using stone axes and bone arrows.

Against this backdrop, it seems incongruous and unbelievable that the Demon Army could suddenly come up with such a mature siege system.

The fireball that exploded upon landing was a type of "fire caltrop," which is also rare even in the Daqian army.

This is a weapon that fills a specially made ceramic jar with flammable and explosive materials. To enhance its lethality, the outside of the jar is usually covered with diamond-shaped spikes, while the inside is mixed with iron blade fragments or small caltrops.

Once it explodes, it can not only cause a violent fire, but its high-speed flying fragments can also cause widespread and devastating damage to people and buildings.

The production, storage, and transportation costs of this weapon are extremely high. Even within the regular army of the Great Qian Dynasty, it is considered an important strategic resource and will not be used lightly except in critical battles.

Liang Jin simply couldn't believe that the Demon Army, located far away in the Southern Continent, could use such a large-scale and "luxurious" force without the support of a powerful force from within the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Has the tentacles and influence of the Demon Lord Wuxu already infiltrated the upper echelons of the Great Qian Dynasty without anyone noticing? Or have certain unscrupulous forces within the Great Qian Dynasty already chosen the Demon Lord Wuxu as a potential asset, intending to play a grand game in this Southern Continent?"

Liang Jin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, unable to fully see through the truth behind the fog for a moment.

at this time--

"That...that! Oh my god!!"

The boss, who had been peering anxiously through the crack in the window, suddenly let out a distorted scream filled with despair!

He stretched out a trembling finger, pointing in a certain direction in the sky. His face was ashen, his lips were quivering, and he could barely utter a complete sentence.

Looking in the direction he pointed, one could see a fireball that was larger and burned more fiercely than the others, trailing a long, thick trail of black smoke as it drew a clear, deadly parabola in the air.

And their landing point was none other than the small restaurant where everyone was hiding!
The boss let out a desperate wail.

Without thinking, as if by instinct, he lunged behind the counter again, using his not-so-strong back to shield the few children who were huddled together, trembling with fear.

It was as if this would protect them from the impending catastrophe.

However, Liang Jin didn't even lift his eyelids when faced with the death flames falling from the sky.

He continued on his own, using his chopsticks to pick up a piece of dried matsutake mushroom with distinct texture and unique aroma from the plate, slowly dipping it in the special sauce in the small dish next to him, and then leisurely putting it into his mouth to savor it.

Just as the burning fireball was about to strike the restaurant—

With his other hand, which was holding a teacup, Liang Jin casually waved it towards the window, as if shooing away flies.

A vast and powerful, yet extremely refined, invisible internal force erupted like a bursting torrent!
The tightly closed window was violently blown open by the force of the impact!

"Bang—!!!!"

A deafening roar erupted in mid-air!

The deadly fireball didn't even reach the roof of the restaurant. It was precisely struck by this overwhelming internal force several feet above the ground, exploding into a huge, dazzling fireball in mid-air!

Countless burning fragments and deadly caltrop shards rained down in all directions, whistling through the air.

However, when these deadly fragments approached the restaurant, they seemed to hit an invisible yet indestructible air wall, and were all bounced off and fell, with not a single piece able to penetrate the restaurant even a little bit!

As Liang Jin's outstretched hand slowly fell, the window that had been forced open by internal force seemed to be gently pulled back by an invisible hand, and with a "snap," it closed tightly again.

This once again isolates the area from external chaos and danger.

The entire restaurant fell into a deathly silence.

The owner and his wife stared in disbelief at the scene, their mouths agape enough to fit an egg, their faces filled with utter astonishment and bewilderment, as if they had just witnessed a miracle.

The look in their eyes as they gazed at Liang Jin instantly transformed from helplessness and sympathy into a deep, almost awe-inspiring shock!

Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary customer, who was surrounded by children calling him "Uncle Monkey Trainer" and who had been coming to his shop for several days in a row, was actually such a hidden master with extraordinary skills!
"This this……"

The boss stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

However, the crisis did not end there.

“Bang!!!!”

A heavy, teeth-grinding thud broke the brief silence in the restaurant once again, startling the proprietress into letting out a short scream.

Through the crack in the window, everyone could see a corpse dressed in the uniform of a guard from the Yaoshui Kingdom plummeting from a great height, crashing heavily onto the stone pavement in the middle of the street! The enormous impact instantly tore the corpse to pieces, leaving it a bloody mess, a truly gruesome sight!

Immediately afterwards, it was as if a bloody rain of corpses was falling!

One after another, the bodies of the guards fell from the tall, giant trees!
Some crashed through the fragile roofs of houses and fell into the homes of terrified residents; others fell directly onto the streets, turning into horrifying piles of flesh!
Upon seeing this, Liang Jin frowned deeply, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"It seems that there has indeed been a traitor within the Yaoshui Kingdom."

The guards atop the giant tree, with their superior vantage point, were originally one of the strongest ranged attack forces for the defending side.

The demon army's arrows and catapults could only reach a limited height, making it difficult to effectively kill the towering tree guardians.

The owl army, capable of suppressing the giant tree's guards, has not yet been deployed.

The only explanation for the efficient and large-scale slaughter of these tree guards is that there was an internal traitor who launched a close-range surprise attack!

Liang Jin stopped sitting and got up. He pushed open the window facing the street and looked up at the towering tree outside the city.

The scene before him confirmed his worst fears.

On the towering tree that once symbolized life and protection, there were now several places engulfed in flames!

Even more alarming, incredibly fast "fire dragons" were rapidly weaving and leaping among the thick branches!
Those were not real dragons, but warriors whose bodies were shrouded in scorching flames!
They seemed to become one with the flames, and the weapons they wielded were also burning with pale flames. Wherever they passed, whether it was wooden platforms, fortifications, or dry branches and leaves, everything was instantly ignited!

Their physical appearance, as well as their unique white flames that exuded a destructive aura, were remarkably similar to the Suiyan that Liang Jin had seen before!
These fire-attribute martial artists are clearly traitors from within!
They are setting fires everywhere inside the giant tree's defense system!
Meanwhile, the guards loyal to the Yaoshui Kingdom on the giant tree are now engaged in an unprecedented and fierce battle.

They had to desperately stop these traitorous warriors from setting fires, organize manpower to put out the fire that had already spread, and guard against the arrows and stones that were constantly being shot from outside the city. For a time, they were overwhelmed and suffered heavy casualties.

Liang Jin gazed at the towering flames and thick smoke, and sighed softly:
"It seems my guess came true."

"But...didn't Feng Wu rush off to remind Queen Yaoshui?"

"Could it be that she still failed to meet the Queen this time? Or perhaps her warning was not taken seriously enough?"

Those Suidong warriors were incredibly efficient at setting fires!
They don't even need any external aids; they can simply open their mouths and blow out streaks of blazing white fire. The flames seem to contain some kind of peculiar power, with extremely strong adhesion, spreading very quickly on dry trees!
In particular, their movements were unpredictable, leaping and dodging among the crisscrossing branches as if walking on flat ground, easily avoiding the defenders' encirclement and setting fires at multiple locations simultaneously.

And today, to make matters worse, it's an unusually windy day!

The howling wind swept through the branches of the giant tree, but instead of extinguishing the flames, it acted like a fan, making the fire roar, leap, spread, and connect into a vast expanse!
The original fire prevention measures on the giant tree, such as water storage pools and sand piles, could deal with ordinary fires, but they immediately proved inadequate and powerless in the face of this massive fire that broke out from the inside out, from multiple points, and was deliberately set on fire by an expert.

Some thick tree branches had been completely burned off, and with raging flames and guards who had not been able to escape, they crashed down from a height of tens of meters, like burning meteorites, heavily hitting the residential areas or streets below, causing secondary fires and greater panic.

This ancient tree of the Southern Continent, which has stood for countless years, now seems to have transformed into a giant torch reaching to the sky, burning itself out and igniting the last hope of Yaoshui City.

The sky was illuminated by the firelight, turning it an eerie dark red, and the burning sacred tree, which blotted out the sky, formed a sea of ​​fire.

On the ground, more and more houses were ignited by falling sparks, and the fire, fueled by the wind, quickly spread into a sea of ​​flames.

The heavens and earth are ablaze!

Cries, screams, and the roar of collapsing buildings... all intertwined to create a desperate symphony of doomsday.

There is water in the Yao River outside the city, and several irrigation canals were originally diverted into the city.

But now, those canals have also been cut off.

Meanwhile, the demonic army outside the city was fiercely attacking it, and the city gates were being battered by battering rams, so it was impossible to open the gates to fetch water.

Getting water became extremely difficult, and people could only watch helplessly as the fire spread, futilely splashing out meager amounts of water with basins and jars. Despair spread like a plague.

“BOOM Boom Boom Boom!!!”

Just then, a deep and majestic thunderclap, as if from beyond the heavens, suddenly exploded in the sky!
The sound rolled in, carrying the might of heaven and earth, and even temporarily drowned out the clamor on the battlefield.

Liang Jin suddenly raised his head and looked up at the sky, which was higher and farther away and shrouded in thick smoke and dark clouds.

In the depths of the churning dark clouds, flashes of blinding lightning occasionally streaked across, illuminating a small patch of the chaotic sky.

The thunder came from there, growing clearer and louder as it approached.

"A new thunderstorm... is finally coming!"

An irrepressible gleam of joy instantly erupted in Liang Jin's eyes.

The arrival of thunderstorms signifies that the supremely yang and powerful thunderous energy of heaven and earth will begin to temper the lightning-struck fruit at the top of the divine tree, accelerating its maturation!
His ultimate goal for this trip has finally seen the light of day!
"Thunderstorms are usually accompanied by torrential rain. If the rain is heavy enough, it may be able to stop the fire from spreading further or even extinguish it."

Liang Jin pondered in his heart:

"Could it be that even the heavens are looking out for the Yaoshui Kingdom, sending a lifeline at the last moment?"

However, his brows furrowed slightly again, and a trace of doubt surfaced in his mind.

He couldn't help but turn his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, looking towards the direction of the demon army camp outside the city:
"But...would the cunning Demon Lord Wuxu have not considered the weather?"

The weather was overcast early this morning, and rain was highly likely.

Why did the Demon Lord of Wuxu choose to launch a full-scale attack at this time? Was it merely a reckless military adventure?

"Thump thump thump—bang bang bang!!"

Just as Liang Jin was pondering, a strange, savage, and oppressive sound of bronze drums suddenly rang out in the sky above Yaoshui City, even drowning out the rumbling thunder!
"Waaaaaah!!!!"

Immediately following was the terrifying, piercing cry of countless night owls, which surged in from all directions like a tide, intertwining with the sound of bronze drums to form a concerto of death!
The Demon Army's ace unit—the Owl Army—has finally been deployed!
Although it was not yet late at night, the sky was completely covered by thick dark clouds and smoke, and the light was as dim as night.

A massive, innumerable swarm of night owls, like shadowy figures from the abyss, rose into the sky, blotting out the sun, and began their long-planned swarm attack on the burning giant tree with a deafening flapping of their wings!

The warriors on the owl's back let out excited cries and unleashed a barrage of obsidian arrows like a deluge of water at the guards in the trees who were fighting fires or battling traitors!

The garrison on the sacred tree was already overwhelmed and in disarray due to internal strife and the raging fire. Now, with the owl army's deadly attack from the air, their situation was further exacerbated, and their defenses showed signs of collapse in several places.

Screams, the clash of weapons, the crackling of flames, the eerie cries of the owl army... all blended together to form the main melody of the battlefield on the giant tree.

Meanwhile, the battle on the city wall also intensified.

Fearless demon soldiers had already used ladders and grappling hooks to scale the city walls and engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the defenders!
The sounds of clashing weapons, dying roars, and groans of the dying filled the air.

The initiative in the war seems to be irreversibly shifting towards the demon army.

Faced with such a critical situation, Liang Jin remained calm and undisturbed, without even a ripple in his heart.

He knew very well that in a war of this scale, although the fighting among the lower-ranking soldiers was brutal, the final decision and the ultimate victor were always made by a select few at the top of the military pyramid.

Currently, the top combatants of both sides—Queen Yaoshui and Demon Lord Wuxu, as well as their core experts—have not yet made a real move.

The next step is to see whose top combat power will lose its composure first and deplete its internal energy.

However, given the rapidly deteriorating situation, it is likely that the defending Yaoshui Kingdom will be the first to lose its composure and be forced to deploy its top-tier forces prematurely.

really.

Liang Jin's gaze fell upon the top of the giant tree, where a magnificent building, resembling a moon palace, stood.

The tightly closed palace gates slowly opened in the firelight.

Several figures, exuding profound and imposing auras, clearly different from ordinary experts, stepped out and arrived at the edge of the high platform.

Liang Jin was concentrating, preparing to observe and see what kind of skills this top expert from Nanzhou possessed.

Sudden--

"Bang!!"

The restaurant's door, which had just been battered by arrows, was violently slammed open from the outside!

The bolt groaned under the strain and broke.

A familiar, anxious, and travel-worn figure rushed in like a whirlwind, her gaze quickly locking onto Liang Jin standing by the window. Her face instantly lit up with a radiant glow of wild joy, as if she had found a savior.
"Great and wise teacher! You really are still here!"

"It's extremely urgent! I've finally found you!"

The person who came was none other than Feng Wu, who had returned after leaving.

Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her colorful clothes were stained with a lot of soot, indicating that her journey had not been easy.

She rushed straight to Liang Jin, her voice urgent and almost without pause:
"Great Teacher, the situation is critical! Please come with me to the palace immediately! Her Majesty the Queen wishes to see you at once!"

As she spoke, she disregarded etiquette and reached out to grab Liang Jin's arm, trying to pull him away.

However, the moment her hand touched Liang Jin's arm, she felt as if she had grasped a towering mountain!

No matter how hard she tried, Liang Jin's body remained completely still, and not even the hem of his clothes swayed.

This unexpected resistance finally calmed Feng Wu, who had been overwhelmed by anxiety. Her eagerness dissipated, replaced by a sense of astonishment and bewilderment.

“You…you are…”

She looked up, puzzled, at Liang Jin's calm profile, clearly not understanding why he had refused.

Liang Jin didn't even turn to look at her; his gaze remained fixed on the changing battle situation outside, peering through the crack in the window. He simply uttered a few words:

"I do not intend to see the Queen."

Feng Wu was speechless for a moment, unable to react.

In her eyes, and in the eyes of the vast majority of people in Nanzhou, being personally summoned by the Queen of Yaoshui was an unparalleled honor, a symbol of status and power.

Why was this man able to refuse so casually and without hesitation?

But she quickly figured out the key to it.

These days, notices are posted all over the city, and people are making a big fuss about finding the great and virtuous teacher.

If he truly wanted to meet the Queen, he would have shown himself long ago. Why wait until now for her to deliver the message?
Having understood this, Feng Wu felt even more anxious. She could only suppress her unease and, in an almost pleading tone, spoke rapidly to persuade him:
"Great wise teacher! The situation in Yaoshui Kingdom is now extremely critical! The demon army's offensive is fierce, and there are traitors within its ranks. Shenmu is in imminent danger! At this moment, the entire Southern Continent is truly facing a life-or-death crisis!"

"I implore the Great Teacher, for the sake of countless innocent people, to set aside past grievances and come with me to see Her Majesty the Queen, so that we may discuss strategies to combat the demon army! The Southern Continent needs your strength!"

She was so anxious that she practically shouted these words, her voice trembling with sobs and despair.

However, Liang Jin seemed not to hear the sorrow in her words.

He simply and slowly picked up the cup of coarse tea on the table, which had long since gone cold, took a small sip, and then responded in a flat, almost indifferent tone:

"This is none of my business."

Feng Wu never expected to receive such a cold and resolute answer. Her eyes instantly reddened with anxiety, her chest heaved violently, and an indescribable sense of grievance and anger surged to the top of her head.

She wanted to refute him loudly, to question his cold-bloodedness sharply, and to use the most intense words to wake up this seemingly aloof man.

But in the end...

All her intense emotions vanished instantly when she saw Liang Jin's deep, calm eyes, which seemed to reflect the entire starry sky yet remained isolated from all worldly troubles, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head.

She suddenly realized—Liang Jin was right.

This war really had nothing to do with him.

He was not a citizen of Nanzhou, and the grudges, love and hate, life and death in this mountain region were indeed irrelevant to him, a passerby.

It was she herself who, burdened by a deep-seated blood feud, deeply in love with this land, and desperately hoping that the Yaoshui Kingdom could win, forcibly projected this excessively heavy anxiety and responsibility onto Liang Jin.

It was she who kept forcing people to do things they couldn't.

"Sorry……"

Feng Wu finally lowered her head, which had always been held high with great difficulty, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs:

"I was too impatient and too presumptuous... imposing my will on you."

"I beg the great and wise teacher to forgive my offense."

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin turned his head slightly, glanced at her, and smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. He waved his hand to indicate that he didn't mind.

However, the next moment, Feng Wu's actions made Liang Jin's gaze shift slightly.

Suddenly, she, the once proud Holy Maiden of the Wuli tribe, collapsed to her knees with a thud, kneeling upright on the cold ground in front of Liang Jin!
She raised her head, looking up at Liang Jin. Her eyes no longer held pleading; instead, they held a desperate resolve, a madness willing to pay any price.

"Feng Wu...I am willing to offer everything I possess, and earnestly beg the Great Teacher to help Yao Shui Kingdom overcome this calamity!"

Liang Jin's gaze hadn't even completely left the window, and his tone remained calm:
“I did try to recruit you, but that was because I saw your potential. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t live without you.”

“Besides that, Miss Fengwu, you seem to have nothing else that can move me to get involved in this war.”

"Let things take their course."

His words were calm and realistic.

In this world, there may be no shortage of heroes who would risk everything for a woman, but Liang Jin is not one of them.

He had been with countless stunningly beautiful women, and he no longer valued mere physical beauty.

The previous recruitment of Feng Wu was purely based on appreciation of her martial arts talent and potential.

But this potential is far from enough to draw him into this brutal war.

Feng Wu knelt on the ground, listening to Liang Jin's words that left no room for negotiation, her delicate body trembling slightly.

She bit her lower lip hard until she tasted a slightly metallic, sweet flavor.

Finally, as if using all her remaining strength, she squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth, her voice low but carrying a desperate madness:

"If...if the Great Teacher of Virtue were willing to intervene and deal with the Demon Lord of Wuxu..."

"I, Feng Wu... swear a blood oath to serve you as my master and be your slave! Everything I have, my life, my entire being, from soul to body, will be completely dedicated to you!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin merely chuckled, his expression remaining unchanged, clearly unmoved.

He was about to refuse.

Feng Wu suddenly raised her head, interrupting Liang Jin's words.

An unusual blush rose to her cheeks, her eyes burning with an intense intensity, and in a voice that was almost a whisper, tinged with shame and resolve, she added:
“I know… with the all-knowing and all-powerful abilities of the Great Teacher, he may not value my insignificant life and loyalty.”

"But...my...my first time...the...the Xuanfeng divine power contained within...will definitely...definitely satisfy the Great Sage Teacher! It will greatly benefit your cultivation!"

Upon hearing the words "Mysterious Phoenix Divine Power," Liang Jin's hand, holding the teacup, paused almost imperceptibly.

He certainly knew what this meant.

Wu Ling once bluntly stated that whoever obtains Feng Wu's sacred primordial yin will receive a wisp of the precious essence blood of the Origin Profound Phoenix.

Liang Jin naturally coveted the essence and blood of the divine beast.

After all, he had experienced the power of divine beast blood essence.

However, a moment of hesitation flashed through Liang Jin's mind:
"I remember... the witch spirit seemed to have said that possessing multiple divine powers... could bring unknown dangers?"

Liang Jin put down his teacup, and for the first time, his gaze fell seriously on Feng Wu, who was kneeling on the ground, with a look of inquiry.

He has come to a general understanding that fusing with the essence of divine beasts is known in the Southern Continent as inheriting "divine power".

Wu Ling once said that Liang Jin was the only person she had ever seen who possessed two different kinds of blood essence and blood without bleeding and collapsing.

The subtext of this statement seems to be that, according to common sense, ordinary martial artists can usually only safely fuse with the blood essence of one divine beast.

Aside from his own exceptional case, Liang Jin had indeed never seen anyone else who could fuse two kinds of blood essence.

But Liang Jin was well aware that his situation was extremely special.

He possesses a "system" that transcends the norms of this world!
It was precisely because of the system's miraculous and heaven-defying power that he was able to perfectly fuse with the serpent's blood essence.

The system's abilities are miraculous and beyond human comprehension; perhaps that particular fusion was created by a power that transcends the laws of the world and cannot be counted in the number of fusions.

Under the normal rules of this world, Liang Jin may have only undergone one fusion.

That is, the fusion of black blood.

If we were to rashly fuse with the blood essence of a second divine beast at this moment, would it trigger a backlash from the rules of this world, causing unpredictable dangers?
After all, when Wu Ling mocked him, her tone and expression seemed to indicate that she was certain he would die if he forcibly seized Feng Wu Yuan Yin and fused with new divine power!

Just as Liang Jin was pondering the pros and cons—

Feng Wu, kneeling on the ground, seemed to see through his concerns. She took a deep breath and spoke in an exceptionally clear and certain tone:

"Great and wise teacher, you are overthinking it!"

"The 'Mysterious Phoenix Divine Power' is a supreme secret that my Wuli clan has guarded for generations and never passed on to outsiders. It is only passed down through secret methods among the holy maidens of each generation."

"Although that witch spirit is very knowledgeable, she only knows the surface of the supreme Xuanfeng divine power of our clan, and does not know its essence!"

"In fact, the power of the Xuanfeng Divine Power is one of the gentlest and most inclusive divine powers in the world! Its characteristic is that it is gentle enough to coexist peacefully with another kind of divine power, and even complement it!"

"but--"

Feng Wu's tone suddenly became extremely solemn:
"All of this is based on the premise that the Holy Maiden herself must offer her virginity in a peaceful and willing state of mind before the power of the Phoenix God will show its gentle and inclusive side."

"But if it is forcibly taken by violence... then the Xuanfeng divine power will feel threatened and desecrated, and will immediately become extremely violent and terrifying, causing all the alien divine powers in the plunderer's body to fight wildly, ultimately leading to... blood boiling and physical collapse and death!"

"Therefore, Great Teacher, if you are willing to grant my request, I am willing to dedicate myself to you. This will greatly benefit both of us in terms of strength! There is absolutely no danger!"

(End of this chapter)