Sheng Fu

Chapter 1221 Passing on the Torch
……

Seven days later.

The Demon Realm, the Black Mountain Land.

The first rays of sunlight fell upon this devastated landscape, and the thin mist vanished into nothingness at a visible speed.

On the blue stone, Yuwen Jun slowly opened his eyes, his body filled with the chaotic imperial energy, his aura in harmony with the Dao.

A ray of holy light emanated from between his brows, and in an instant, his aura soared into the sky, reaching the mid-stage of the Lingxiao realm.

He felt an overwhelming surge of vitality spreading within his body, nourishing the mountains and rivers around him.

Yuwen Jun glanced at Zhong Yi, who was still meditating under the tree, and in an instant, he arrived at the ravaged battlefield thousands of miles away. In a flash, holy light runes surrounded the sky, and the earth was suddenly full of vitality, with spiritual energy reviving and spreading in all directions.

This action quickly alarmed Yuan Heng.

When Yuan Heng arrived at the scene, he was completely taken aback.

In the field of vision, spiritual energy is abundant and rich, reshaping the land and mountains, and the national fortune of the demon race is slowly rising.

While it may not have created a blessed land, the fact that it could revitalize a desolate place is already a great blessing.

"The Chaotic Emperor Qi is truly miraculous," Yuan Heng exclaimed from the bottom of his heart.

Yuwen Jun looked at Yuan Heng with great interest, a hint of fighting spirit in his eyes.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Yuan Heng subconsciously circulated his true energy to prepare for the enemy.

It is a well-known fact that Yuwen Jun's combat strength cannot be measured by common sense.

In the blink of an eye, Yuwen Jun approached Yuan Heng and unleashed a powerful punch to Yuan Heng's face. The punch was incredibly powerful and filled with holy light, as if it wanted to destroy the mountains and rivers in the area.

Yuan Heng was shocked. Even though he was prepared, he did not expect Yuwen Jun to advance so quickly.

Yuan Heng sidestepped to avoid the attack, but Yuwen Jun delivered a high sweeping kick aimed at Yuan Heng's face.

One is in the early stage of the Boundless Realm, and the other is in the middle stage of the Soaring Realm.

In terms of cultivation level alone, the two are worlds apart.

Beneath the boundless void, all are but ants.

However, Yuwen Jun's high sweeping kick forced Yuan Heng to gather his true energy and deliver a powerful elbow strike.

Yuan Heng felt as if the space within a three-foot radius had been solidified, and he had lost strategic sovereignty. There was also a faint, ethereal force seeping into his body, eroding his true essence.

Moreover, the killing power that Yuwen Jun exuded was something that even Yuan Heng, a powerful expert of the Wuji realm, had to treat with utmost caution.

Bang!
As their elbows and legs clashed, an extremely powerful force surged into Yuan Heng's arm and then spread throughout his limbs and bones, causing him to feel a dull ache in his heart and a temporary loss of strength in his muscles and bones.

Yuan Heng sensed something was wrong and wanted to strike Yuwen Jun's throat with a punch, attacking where the enemy would have to defend, thus forcing Yuwen Jun to slow down his offensive.

But after throwing a punch, Yuwen Jun flashed around and circled behind Yuan Heng.

By the time Yuan Heng reacted, Yuwen Jun's right arm had already locked around Yuan Heng's neck.

"You've lost!" Yuwen Jun said with a smug smile.

Yuan Heng was still in shock and couldn't recover for a long time.

He knew that the young master was an opponent who would give most Wuji experts a headache, but he did not expect that his personal martial prowess had risen to such a level.

If he were to wield the monarch's blade, he might truly be able to rival General Ji Nan.

"I give up!" Yuan Heng said with a weak laugh.

Although Yuwen Jun's growth to such a level is a great thing for the Dragon Clan, it naturally brings a kind of inexplicable humiliation to Yuan Heng, a powerful being of the Wuji realm.

Crossing the border to kill someone below Lingxiao might be possible, but above Lingxiao, there is absolutely no chance of success.

However, when Yuan Heng thought about how Yuwen Jun's Chaotic Emperor Qi was unique, his state of mind gradually calmed down.

Yuwen Jun opened his spatial artifact, took out two jugs of wine, tossed one to Yuan Heng, and the two sat down on the ground. Without any snacks, they began to drink heartily.

“I was originally thinking of finding an opportunity to have a one-on-one match with Xie Yiming, but now it seems there’s no need for that,” Yuwen Jun said with a strange smile.

If Xie Yiming knew that Yuwen Jun now had absolute confidence in defeating him, he would probably be filled with mixed feelings.

However, Yuwen Jun was not absolutely certain of victory if he were to fight Bai Xiaowei.

In terms of one-on-one combat alone, Bai Xiaowei's killing power surpasses Xie Yiming's.

After taking a big gulp, Yuan Heng asked, still a bit dazed, "What kind of wine is this? It tastes so simple and pure?"

Yuwen Jun glanced at Yuan Heng indifferently and said, "It's wine brewed by my father-in-law and mother-in-law themselves."

Yuan Heng's expression stiffened slightly. After a moment of silence, he subconsciously replied, "Although it is simple and unadorned, it is quite ingenious. It is a masterpiece and one of a kind."

Yuwen Jun smiled and said, "There's no need to be so worldly. The wine they brew can only be described as having a touch of humanity; it's not up to the highest standards."

"What's been going on lately?"

Yuan Heng was slightly embarrassed, then changed the subject, saying, "Princess Qianling and the Demon Clan's Venerable Hong have led their delegation to the Spirit Clan, and judging by the timeline, they will soon arrive at the border."

"This mission is intended to measure the mountains and rivers."

"The Empress Dowager of the Spirit Clan also dispatched Tang De, Qiu Yu, and Gu Cheng to the border to wait silently."

"Judging from the signs, they intend to implement new policies."

“Once Tang De and Qiu Yu return to the capital, they will be completely removed from the center of power.” “This move was somewhat coincidental.”

"Who would have thought that the human princess would have such a grand ambition as to survey the mountains and rivers?"

Yuwen Jun took a sip of the simple wine and smiled knowingly, saying, "It's not exactly a coincidence. The Human Emperor approves of the new policies and naturally hopes that they can be implemented in the Spirit Clan's territory."

"After all, the Human Emperor has realized that in this great struggle, he has lost the possibility of becoming the supreme ruler of the world."

"The situation is passive, but if the new policies can be implemented and recognized by the people of the three races, forming a blazing flame of civilization, it will surely have a significant impact on the gods and demons."

"The Emperor's move can be seen as indirectly giving his mistress a favor."

“The Spirit Clan members are inherently strong and united. As long as we can create an opening, there is a high probability that the new policies will be implemented in a short period of time. This move will further demonstrate the determination and will of the three-clan alliance.”

"This move was very well made."

Yuan Heng asked suspiciously, "Now that the gods and demons are wary of each other, the alliance of the three races seems impregnable. Could this lead to war?"

Yuwen Jun looked sad and shook his head slightly, saying, "No, with the passing of the Spirit Emperor and the Demon Queen's shallow power, the only true pillar is the Human Emperor."

"Whether the God Emperor or the Demon Lord takes the so-called Three Races Alliance seriously, they will not stand up to it."

"If the new policy is successfully implemented in the Spirit Race, it will only prove that the Three Races Alliance has just plastered a mess on the wall."

Yuan Heng wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Young Master's insight is brilliant!"

Yuwen Jun asked curiously, "What is the situation inside the Netherworld Cave?"

Yuan Heng chuckled and said, "The situation is not optimistic."

"Currently, only Chi Hua, Yuan Chu, Hei Qilin, and Bai Hu have established a firm foothold, while Wu Mi and the others are still struggling. The Netherworld aura is too violent, bringing them to the brink of collapse."

"Yan Zhao and Suo Chengguo have retreated to the outer perimeter of the Netherworld Cave."

"Xu Huanshan, Zhang Benchu, Gao Zhi, Guo Shenghe, and Jing Hanqing are all severely weakened and are just gritting their teeth and holding on, trying to find a way out of their predicament."

"On the other hand, Dugu Li, a successor of the Taoist Xuanzong sect, has shown signs of breaking through to a higher realm. She is now able to maintain a balance with the violent Netherworld aura. Liu Qinghua is more seriously injured and is recuperating at the entrance of the Netherworld Cave."

Upon hearing this appalling news, Yuwen Jun couldn't help but chuckle and say, "They're usually so stubborn, but now they finally know their own limitations. For them, it's a good thing."

Yuan Heng asked with a worried look, "What if someone dies by accident?"

Yuwen Jun shook his head and said, "It's alright. I left a trace of dragon energy in each of them. If anything unexpected happens, I can instantly appear in the Netherworld Cave."

Yuan Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The young people in the Netherworld Cave are all exceptional talents, a rare find even in hundreds of years. If they die on their cultivation journey, it's not just a matter of regret and sorrow.

"How is that young man from the Spirit Clan doing now?" Yuan Heng asked out of curiosity.

Yuwen Jun glanced at Yuan Heng and said impatiently, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

Yuan Heng was completely bewildered and had no idea what had happened.

But he didn't ask any further questions. He finally realized that Yuwen Jun hadn't taken that young man from the Spirit Clan away alone for no reason.

Yuwen Jun changed the subject, asking, "What's the situation with the Human Race Cabinet?"

Yuan Heng's expression hardened, and he slowly said, "After the new policy was implemented, countless officials, both high and low, were replaced, and tens of thousands of corrupt officials were beheaded. This matter had a huge impact, but it was deliberately suppressed, so there was not much public opinion in various places."

“Shuanglong Prefecture has resumed normal trade and there are signs of prosperity.”

"During this period, the human race's national treasury is gradually becoming fuller."

"However, due to the large number of officials executed and the involvement of too many families, a resistance force has been formed."

"Bai Xiaowei has not yet expressed his attitude towards this resistance force. He may want to gather them all together and then wipe them out in one fell swoop. This will boost public morale, while the powerful families and clans will harbor resentment."

Yuwen Jun hummed in agreement. He understood Bai Xiaowei's methods. Aristocratic families needed to exist in order to maintain normal order among the people. As for the order in the officialdom, it was no longer important, because the cabinet itself was an inviolable order.

"But what kind of talented people have emerged?" Yuwen Jun asked curiously.

With such a massive purge, there must be some talented but unappreciated individuals who get a chance to shine.

Yuan Heng said with a regretful expression, "The Human Race Cabinet is so powerful that no talented people have emerged yet. However, many wandering scholars have entered politics by chance."

Yuwen Jun smiled knowingly and said, "Strange, Bai Xiaowei has always looked down on wandering the martial world. What's he up to now?"

Yuan Heng also looked puzzled and said, "I don't understand either."

"Perhaps those wandering the world do possess genuine talent and skills."

"There is a saying that is circulating among the people."

"Bai Xiaowei said that being an official is not a difficult thing; you just need to put the right people in the right positions."

If one can truly enforce the law impartially, being an official will naturally become extremely easy, and even if an official occasionally embezzles, it will be nothing more than a minor matter.

Enforcing the law impartially means having no selfish motives and prioritizing public interest, which is extremely difficult.

Yuwen Jun smiled knowingly and said, "The fact that this saying has spread among the people is the result of that Prime Minister's deliberate actions; it is by no means without reason."

Yuan Heng then realized and said, "It was both a joke and a warning to the officials."

A hint of regret flashed in Yuwen Jun's eyes...

Qiu Qing's self-sacrifice for righteousness allowed Bai Xiaowei to act so smoothly; the passing on of the torch could not have been more effective than this...