Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 287 Promotion! A Test!
Shen Tong rushed forward, his eyes filled with awe and ecstasy as he looked at the corpse of King Yama in Chen Zhan's hands.

The leader of Black Stone, a master of the Innate Realm, was killed by Chen Zhan.
This achievement is enough to propel him to great heights!
What made him even more fortunate was that he had found such an unfathomable master.

It seems that Chen Zhan harbors no ill will towards the imperial court, nor does he have any animosity towards him or the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Shen Tong bowed deeply, his tone extremely respectful. At the same time, he noticed that Chen Zhan's hands were shrouded in black mist, and his palms, corroded by the poisonous fog, were somewhat rotting.

Chen Zhan shook his head, completely unconcerned, and tossed the corpse of King Yama on the ground, saying indifferently:
"You get the body after the murder. Whether you get a reward for your service or whatever, you can handle the rest yourself."

"Don't reveal my identity. I need all the information about the 'Buddha's Relic.' You handle this. I'll contact you again in a few days."

"Yes Yes Yes!"

Shen Tong nodded repeatedly, overjoyed: "Thank you, sir! I will immediately find a way to investigate. If you ever need my assistance in the future, I will do my utmost!"

Chen Zhan vanished in a flash.

The commotion here is too great.

Zhao Lie and Li Song led a team of Imperial Guards and rushed over. As soon as they stepped into the area, they were shocked by the horrific scene before them and stopped in their tracks.

The destruction in the forest was shocking.

The once lush ancient trees collapsed in large swaths, the broken ends of the trunks were grotesque, some were smashed into dust, and others were broken in half and crashed to the ground, creating pits of varying depths.

The ground was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, the deepest of which was more than ten feet wide and extended for dozens of feet, clearly caused by the immense power that shattered the earth during the previous clash of fists and palms.

The lingering aftershocks of internal energy and the heavy stench of blood still lingered in the air, mixed with bits of soil and vegetation, making it a terrifying sight.

“Commander Shen, this is…” Zhao Lie’s gaze swept over the mess on the ground, finally landing on the corpse at Shen Tong’s feet, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The corpse's clothes were torn, its chest was caved in, and its neck was completely shattered, but its face did not have many wounds.

It was none other than the Wheel King who had just broken through!

Li Song strode forward, squatted down to examine it closely, and brushed his fingertips across the face of the Wheel King, suddenly feeling a strange pattern.

A thought struck him, and he reached out and tore a thin human skin mask off behind the Wheel King's ear.

Beneath the mask was a well-maintained face with an effeminate air.

Zhao Lie and Li Song both recognized this face!
"Wang Jin, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department?!"

Li Song gasped in shock, his voice trembling slightly.

Wang Jin, as the Grand Eunuch of the Palace Administration Bureau, was in charge of the correspondence between the various bureaus. He usually lived deep in the palace, seemingly holding only a sinecure in charge of writing and ink. Who would have thought that he was actually the leader of Black Stone and the third-ranked master of the evil path, King Wheel?!
Zhao Lie's expression was extremely solemn. He ran his hand across Wang Jin's neck, where there was a very faint scar, the mark left when the eunuch castrated him.

"No wonder Black Stone is so familiar with the court's movements and the deployment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; it turns out the commander is someone from the palace, and even the Director of the Imperial Guard..."

When Zhao Lie and Li Song arrived, they did not dismiss their attendants. The surrounding Imperial Guards were in an uproar, whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with disbelief.

It is known that the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Censorate, who holds a high position and wields great power, secretly cultivated the evil force known as Black Stone to assassinate court officials and plot against the Buddha's relics. The forces and conspiracies involved behind this are simply unimaginable.

Zhao Lie suddenly turned to look at Shen Tong, his eyes sharp as knives: "Commander Shen, King Zhuanlun is a master of the Innate Realm, one of the top figures in the evil path. How can you, a mere Acquired Realm expert, possibly kill him?"

Shen Tong was prepared and bowed, saying, "Your Excellencies are wise. It was not that I was able to kill King Zhuanlun, but rather that a mysterious senior helped me."

"A mysterious senior?" Zhao Lie raised an eyebrow. "What kind of senior? Why didn't we notice them?"

"That senior is elusive, and I have no idea of ​​his name or background."

Shen Tong spoke respectfully, yet his words were perfectly truthful. He genuinely did not know Chen Zhan's identity and was indeed elusive, but he concealed the fact that Chen Zhan had once been imprisoned.

Zhao Lie and Li Song exchanged a glance, both with doubt in their eyes, but neither could ask any more questions.

The Northern and Southern Garrison Commands were mutually restraining. Although they were garrison commanders, they were not Shen Tong's direct superiors and had no right to force him to reveal more.

Moreover, with King Yama dead and the Black Stone Gang leaderless, this is already a tremendous achievement. Even with the help of his seniors, Shen Tong cannot escape this credit.

Moreover, being able to kill the Wheel King, who was at the Innate Upper Realm, meant that his strength was undoubtedly unfathomable.

Such individuals are unwilling to reveal their identities, and they dare not investigate rashly lest they get themselves into trouble.

“In that case, let’s do as Commander Shen says and take the body back to the commander’s office for safekeeping.” Zhao Lie said in a deep voice, “King Chakravartin has a special identity and knows many secrets of the court. This matter must be reported to the Commander immediately, and then the Commander will report to the court. There must be no mistakes!”

"Understood!" Shen Tong replied, secretly relieved.

Li Song stood up, his gaze sweeping over the signs of destruction in the forest once more, and he was deeply shocked.

To be able to fight so fiercely against the Wheel King, a being at the Innate Upper Realm, and ultimately kill him, demonstrates the strength of that mysterious senior.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.

The Profound Realm!
It has been many years since any master of profound knowledge has shown his face.

The last person recorded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard was Li Daoran, the previous leader of Wudang.

However, this person has been retired for over forty years, and it is unknown whether he is alive or dead.

Shen Tong directed Jin Yichuan and the other two to lift the body of King Zhuanlun onto a stretcher and carefully seal it away.

This achievement should naturally be shared with his subordinates. Moreover, Jin Yichuan, Shen Lian, and Lu Jianxing did indeed make significant contributions, starting from the moment Jin Yichuan discovered Lei Bin.

After discussing with the two garrison commanders, he devised a plan to lure the enemy out. He even considered Chen Zhan as a backup plan, leaving a mark without expecting Chen Zhan to intervene. Unexpectedly, Chen Zhan was nearby, and the plan went perfectly.

They actually wiped out Blackstone in one fell swoop.
The news of Black Stone's destruction spread like a thunderclap around Yunqi Mountain.

Those martial arts figures who were fighting and drawing their swords against each other in the town just the day before have all restrained their arrogance after learning of the death of King Zhuanlun, the capture of Xiyu, and the execution of Xie Wuchang.

Some people have ventured into the forest to investigate and witnessed firsthand the broken trees, collapsed ground, and the lingering traces of powerful internal energy and the stench of blood.

Only then did they believe that what the Embroidered Uniform Guard had said was true.

The once chaotic town became deathly silent overnight.

The martial arts figures in the inn no longer made a lot of noise, the disputes in the streets and alleys completely disappeared, and even their footsteps became lighter.

When the Imperial Guards patrolled the streets again, all factions showed them some respect.

King Yama, the third most powerful figure in the evil path, was killed in the woods outside the town, and his body is still hanging on the city gate of the capital.

Such a thing is almost impossible to fake, because if the real King of Wheels had not died, he would have been furious. How could the few Imperial Guards who were guarding the corpse have survived?

"Even King Yama has fallen; the Embroidered Uniform Guard is serious this time!"

"I heard that Commander Shen set a trap and invited a mysterious expert who killed King Zhuanlun with a single strike. King Zhuanlun was no ordinary person, even within the Innate Realm."

"The relics at Guangyuan Temple... I'm afraid they won't be so easy to steal!"

“That’s right. Over the past few days, quite a few people have infiltrated Guangyuan Temple, and they have all suffered heavy casualties. Some smaller sects have already withdrawn.”

Whispers circulated in the shadows as many martial artists quietly packed their bags and left the town overnight.

The rest lay low, waiting for an opportunity, but no one dared to step forward rashly.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's intention to "make an example of someone" was ultimately achieved.

Xu Long, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, knew very well that what he had to do was maintain stability on the surface and prevent large-scale massacres and confrontations. Minor frictions between the lower levels of the martial arts world were no big deal.

As long as it doesn't involve ordinary people on a large scale, it's a good thing.

As for those who are truly vying for the "Buddha's Relics," they will never show themselves in the open, much less make a move before the relics surface.

Now that Black Stone has been destroyed, the news has traveled back to the capital along the post road, causing a stir in the imperial court.

The Imperial Guards found Grand Secretary Liu Yizhu at the Medicine King Temple in the north of the capital. Although he had suffered greatly, he was still alive.

After several such experiences, his achievements were considerable.

For years, the Black Stones had been assassinating officials and colluding with foreign enemies, which had long been a thorn in the side of the emperor. Now that they had been completely wiped out, many officials breathed a sigh of relief and wrote letters praising the Embroidered Uniform Guard for their efficient work.

Although the Emperor did not attend court, he still issued an edict praising Xu Long for handling the matter well. He also highly praised the Embroidered Uniform Guard and mentioned Shen Tong, who was in charge of the matter.

Shen Tong never imagined that he, a mere commander of a thousand households, would be specifically named by imperial decree and even be allowed to enter Commander Xu Long's secret chamber.

The secret chamber was located underground in the commander's residence. It was dark and secluded, illuminated only by an ancient bronze lamp. The dim light made Xu Long's face appear even more imposing.

Xu Long, dressed in a black official robe with python patterns, sat upright behind his desk, stroking a jade pendant in his hand, his sharp eyes fixed on Shen Tong.

"Shen Tong, you did a good job."

"The position of Garrison Commander is yours."

"I have always felt that there are not many smart people in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Most of the martial arts practitioners who have practiced a lot of martial arts have simple minds and like to solve problems by force alone. But actually, it is not really wrong. If we have to say it is wrong, it is that their martial arts are not strong enough to sweep everything away."

"You have done a good job of adapting to the situation, and your strategy and bravery are both excellent. You are a promising talent. Take some of the cultivation techniques and pills from the Embroidered Uniform Guard's secret vault. Advance to the Innate Realm as soon as possible, and I will officially promote you to the position of Garrison Commander."

Xu Long's voice was not loud. He pointed to the official in robes beside him and spoke with an undeniable air of authority.

Shen Tong immediately noticed the official robes of the garrison commander, which Xu Long had already made for him.

The implication is clear, but the problem is that his skills are slightly lacking, making it difficult to convince the public, hence the lack of an official announcement.

Shen Tong immediately bowed and knelt down, his excitement seemingly genuine: "Thank you, sir. I will do my utmost and die for you."

"No need for that. Just do your best. If you die, so be it. Now is the time when we need people."

Xu Long remained silent for a moment. On the case file on the table were the autopsy results of King Zhuanlun.

The corpse's chest was caved in, and its bones were shattered. The fatal wound was caused purely by physical force, with no trace of internal energy remaining.
"Tell me about that person, what's the situation?"

Shen Tong was taken aback, realizing who Xu Long was asking about, but thankfully he had already prepared his answer.

"My lord, to be honest, I really don't know."

"That person comes and goes without a trace, and his moves are unprecedented. In fact, I can't even sense his internal energy."

"I dare not hide anything from you, sir, but I really have nothing to explain."

Shen Tong was indeed telling the truth. He knew nothing about Chen Zhan's affairs. What was called cooperation was more like him unilaterally following Chen Zhan's orders.

(End of this chapter)