Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

A bolt of lightning, as thick as a bucket, twisted from the churning thunderclouds before striking down directly below!

The target was the very mountain peak that Xia Jin had just pointed to!

"BOOM!!!"

The terrifying thunderclap caused the spot where Xia Jin and the others were standing to shake, and then the bolt of lightning struck the top of the mountain.

In an instant, the snow that had accumulated for countless years, reaching a thickness of several meters, was disturbed and transformed into a terrifying avalanche that swept across half the mountain, carrying with it broken rocks and logs as it crashed down with a deafening roar.

The summit also looked as if a huge gash had been cut into it, and the entire mountain was trembling slightly!

"Huh? What's going on?"

At the foot of the mountain on the other side, a child of about seven or eight years old was squatting behind a large rock, holding a roast chicken that he had just "borrowed" from his neighbor's kitchen, and gnawing on it with his mouth full of oil.

"Why did it suddenly get dark?" Sensing something was wrong, he looked up and saw that the bright sun had vanished, replaced by a large, dark cloud overhead. "How could it get so dark in broad daylight? Is it going to pour?"

Before his muttering had even finished...

"BOOM!!!"

A terrifying clap of thunder sounded, followed by a tremendous earthquake!

The child was so frightened that he fell to the ground, and the roast chicken rolled onto the muddy ground as well.

"Oh my god!!"

He was so frightened that he burst into tears, scrambled to his feet, and, not even bothering to pick up the roast chicken, ran desperately towards the village at the foot of the mountain, shouting in a tearful voice, "I was wrong! I'll never steal Grandpa Wang's roast chicken again! Waaah... Don't chop me up!"

……

Xia Jin slowly lowered her hand and looked at the two people who were somewhat dazed.

Leng Yuexi's red lips were slightly parted, remaining in that position for quite some time. Her eyes reflected the mountain peak that seemed to have been sheared off at one corner, and she suddenly felt somewhat dazed.

"Thunder...lightning...controlling thunder?"

"How is this possible... How could human beings possibly control such divine power? Even at the pinnacle of martial arts, is it truly possible to achieve such a feat?"

The limits of martial arts she knew, even for the legendary immortals on land, should not be able to control the thunder of the nine heavens.

Jiang Rou, standing to the side, felt her legs go weak and gripped Leng Yuexi's hands tightly.

She had only just entered the Grandmaster realm, and had never witnessed such a miraculous sight. Suddenly, a chill ran through her, and she felt a newfound awe for the man before her.

"How was it? How did it feel? This is the first time I've used the Divine Firmament Thunder Technique, so my technique is still a bit rusty and I didn't control the force very well. I originally only wanted to cut off that unsightly sharp rock on the mountaintop, but I didn't expect it to make such a big commotion!" Xia Jin shook his head slightly, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with his "mistake".

However, his face was full of smugness at that moment.

"Huh? Why aren't you two saying anything? Are you scared out of your wits?" Xia Jin saw that Leng Yuexi and the other woman were still staring at her, so she couldn't help but wave her hand in front of their eyes.

It took Leng Yuexi and the other person a full ten breaths to recover their senses.

"You two witnessed the power of that lightning bolt just now. So, do you still think what I said yesterday was just boasting?" Xia Jin asked with a smile, his hands behind his back.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Rou bowed deeply to Xia Jin: "Your Highness, it was my ignorance that led to this. Please forgive me for what happened yesterday!"

At this moment, she finally completely believed in Xia Jin.

"Alright! You can't blame yourself for this. After all, if someone said to me that they would make the two great dynasties of the Central Region kneel at their feet within a year, I would also think that person was crazy." Xia Jin said calmly, but there was an uncontrollable smile in the corner of his eyes.

Leng Yuexi looked at Xia Jin, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and couldn't help but tighten her grip on Xia Jin's hand.

Xia Jin patted the back of her hand, about to say something more.

suddenly,

"Ugh!" Jiang Rou suddenly clutched her chest, her face turning pale instantly.

"Rou'er! What's wrong?" Leng Yuexi was startled and quickly helped her up.

Jiang Rou shook her head, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "I...I don't know. Suddenly...I felt a terrible panic, like something was pressing down on me."

She had a vague sense of foreboding.

"Master! Perhaps we should return to the palace first. I wonder if something has happened there!" Jiang Rou grabbed Leng Yuexi's arm, her expression clearly showing a hint of anxiety.

Leng Yuexi glanced at Xia Jin, who nodded.

"Let's go!" Xia Jin said no more. A gentle surge of true energy lifted Jiang Rou up, and the three of them transformed into a streak of light, speeding towards the capital of Fenglin Kingdom at top speed.

The closer Jiang Rou got to the palace, the stronger her sense of panic became.

"Could something really have happened?!"

Sure enough, when they finally arrived above the palace, the scene below made the three of them change their expressions.

The once solemn and majestic Fenglin Palace is now in complete disarray!

The entire palace grounds were littered with corpses lying haphazardly! The heavy stench of blood could be faintly smelled even from high above.

"Something really happened! No...no way...Father!" As soon as she landed, Jiang Rou felt weak all over, but she still gritted her teeth and rushed towards the Imperial Study without regard for anything else.

At this time normally, Jiang Qianjue would be in the Imperial Study handling official documents.

Within the Eastern Region, someone actually dared to make a move against the Phoenix Palace!?

Xia Jin and Leng Yuexi exchanged a glance, and their expressions both darkened.

A murderous glint flashed in Xia Jin's eyes.

Feng Lin had just surrendered to the Great Xia, and in the blink of an eye, the imperial palace was massacred.

This is not only aimed at the Fenglin royal family, but also a blatant slap in the face to Xia Jin!

"Let's go! Let's go take a look!" Xia Jin pulled Leng Yuexi up, and the two of them arrived at the Imperial Study in the blink of an eye.

In the open space in front of the Imperial Study, there were even more corpses and the signs of a fierce battle were more pronounced.

Jiang Rou stumbled and pushed open the door to the Imperial Study.

The next moment, she froze at the doorway, as if all her soul had been ripped away.

Inside the imperial study, everything was in disarray. Memorials and books were scattered all over the floor, and precious porcelain was broken into pieces.

However, Jiang Qianjue was nowhere to be seen.

"Father... isn't here! Where is he?" Jiang Rou felt her mind go blank.

"Hmm? That's..." Xia Jin's gaze instantly fell on the imperial desk.

On the rosewood desk, a black dagger was stuck, its blade piercing a letter and pinning it firmly to the tabletop.

"Rou'er, don't panic. Your father might still be alive." Leng Yuexi supported the swaying Jiang Rou.

Xia Jin walked to the imperial desk and pulled out the black short sword.

He then took the letter down and glanced at its contents.

Only a few words were written on it:

"To save Jiang Qianjue, meet me in three days at the Western Gate of the Great Qian Dynasty!"