This martial saint's health bar is too thick

Chapter 696 Hidden Tides
The enormous void rift that stretched across the sky slowly closed, like a bleeding wound struggling to heal under the immense power of heaven and earth.

The destructive white light vanished without a trace, the raging energy storm gradually subsided, and the chaotic currents of primordial energy whistled and swirled across the scorched earth.
This once forested land has been completely transformed into a scorched hell.

A massive, circular crater, over ten kilometers in diameter and hundreds of meters deep, is menacingly etched into the earth.

The pit walls are steep and sheer, exhibiting a vitrified luster after being scorched by high temperatures. The dark red magma, like the blood of the earth, slowly flows and cools in the cracks at the bottom of the pit.

Outside the pit was a death zone that had been completely flattened, leaving only charred debris and radial ravines, stretching to the horizon.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur, burnt smell, and an overwhelming stench of blood and the bodily fluids of strange beasts.

Ning Qingman and Wenren were standing on a relatively intact patch of scorched black rock. The crimson protective shield of the soldiers dissipated, revealing their still-surprised expressions.

The two had already guessed that Li Fei was behind the commotion, but they never expected it to be so terrifying.

An explosion that occurs in the void directly tears the void apart, and even after the power is poured into the real world, it still retains astonishing destructive power!
One only needs to look at the miserable state of the two strange beasts, Zhongmou and Guli, to know—

Bone Li's body had shrunk by nearly half, with countless broken bones and a bloody mess.

Zhongmou's body was reduced to only one-tenth of its original size.

The two strange beasts were recovering much slower than before, a result of excessive consumption of their source blood.

In contrast, Wenren Zheng and Ning Qingman were smaller in size, requiring less area to defend, and with two strange beasts blocking their way, their situation was much better.

Neither of them was injured, but Wenren Zheng's weapon was greatly depleted, and he was quite exhausted.

A cyan sword light flashed, slashing towards the crowd's eyes.

While you are sick, I will kill you!
The battle resumed, and Zhongmou barely managed to activate [Heart Prison], pulling Ning Qingman into an illusion, while Gu Li blocked Wenren Zheng's attack.

"Void Pond Clam!!!"

Both strange beasts roared in their hearts.

If Xu Chihan hadn't retreated earlier and was still nearby, he could have easily used the Dao principle of "Selflessness" to resist the energy storm while simultaneously attacking Wenren Zheng and Ning Qingman.

However, Xu Chihan not only missed the opportunity to fight, but also failed to offer any assistance.

The oyster has already escaped.
The space rippled, and amidst the despairing gazes of the crowd and Gu Li, Li Fei emerged from the void.

Although Li Fei appeared weak at this moment, he still instilled a deep-seated fear in the two strange beasts!
"Are you OK?"

Ning Qingman looked at Li Fei with concern.

Li Fei waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.

His principles were already damaged, and now he has used such a deadly move, which will only make matters worse.

【The Only Law】is currently the only law that can suppress even the most powerful beings at the level of demons.

Of course, even before he had any Dao principles, Li Fei had already killed more than one demon. Even in his current state, he is still a top-tier powerhouse!
When Wu Zu escaped from the void, he immediately gave chase, not wanting to let the tiger return to the mountain.

His condition is poor, and Wu Zu's condition is definitely not better than his.

After leaving the void, the Martial Ancestor flew all the way to the sky.

This time, the opponent ran ahead while Li Fei chased after him. After catching up, they exchanged a few blows, and then Wu Zu used the momentum to continue his escape.

The situation is reversed.

Both of them were no longer able to use their Dao Domains; the Martial Ancestor could only use four of the seventeen Dao Laws at this point.

Li Fei's [Unique Law] can only suppress one type of Dao power of the opponent. He is completely relying on the blood soul that is rapidly restored by [Blood Breath] to wear down the opponent.

If this continues, Li Fei will be the ultimate winner.

He's an absolute authority when it comes to wars of attrition!
But after flying to an unknown altitude, the Martial Ancestor suddenly disappeared.

Li Fei repeatedly confirmed that the other party had not vanished into the void, nor had they entered some kind of small world or hidden in an illusion.

They simply vanished from this world abruptly!
"They were taken away by the Aragami?"

Li Fei had no choice but to return.

"Bone Li, has the Wild God contacted you?"

After Li Fei emerged from the void, he did not rush to make a move.

Gu Li and the crowd also temporarily stopped.

“That’s right, the Aragami contacted me and helped me break my oath with you.”

Gu Li said frankly.

Li Fei looked at the other person: "If you knew this would happen, why didn't you betray me back then, when we were deep in the sea?"

Gu Li's voice was sharp: "Betrayal? I have never been loyal, so how can I talk about betrayal?"

"I didn't agree to the crowd's demands back then simply because I didn't see any possibility of victory. If it were possible, who would willingly let a human control their destiny?!"

Li Fei's eyes were indifferent: "I see."

Back at sea, everyone invited Gu Li, but Gu Li ultimately chose to stand with Li Fei.

Because it doesn't believe that by helping others, it can ultimately win.

But when the Desolate God personally intervened to break its oath, and more importantly, it allowed it to witness the existence of the Martial Ancestor and the Sword Ancestor.

If given another chance, it certainly wouldn't choose Li Fei again.

"Then die."

Li Fei concluded by saying this.

A dazzling light shone forth.

October 2nd, the ninth year of Yuanxing.

Lanling City.

royal palace.

Qin Ziheng was reading in the Imperial Study.

Hu Tingzhong, who was appointed as the master of the Zixu Palace, did not disappoint the emperor's expectations. He handled the affairs of state very well and had already shown some of the demeanor of his teacher.

Therefore, Qin Ziheng spent much less time in the Imperial Study reviewing memorials than before.

But the emperor would still set aside some time each day to sit in his study, even if he did nothing but sit quietly.

At such times, the imperial eunuch Feng Cheng would quietly stand outside the study and wait.

He did not spend much time with the new emperor, and as the saying goes, a sage's heart is as deep as an abyss; the emperor's thoughts are inherently difficult to fathom.

However, whenever Qin Ziheng sat quietly in the imperial study, Feng Cheng knew that the other party must be thinking about the western expedition.

The ten-gate valve was severely damaged, and long-standing problems were eliminated.

After a brief period of 'healing,' the Great Blue Dynasty is now experiencing a period of rapid national growth!
The ten gates relinquished the upward mobility channels and resources they had held for many years, giving many talented and gifted people a chance to shine.

In addition, eleven new universities were established specifically for ordinary people and children from poor families.

The Great Blue Dynasty is now flourishing and has been completely revitalized!
But amidst the raging fire, hidden dangers lurk.

If the western expeditionary army encounters any problems, the current prosperity of the Great Blue Dynasty may be overthrown in an instant!

This is Qin Ziheng's greatest concern and unease.

Therefore, he would sit quietly in the Imperial Study every day to calm his mind.

"Feng Cheng."

Qin Ziheng's voice rang out from inside the Imperial Study.

"His Majesty."

Feng Cheng appeared at the door and bowed.

"Has the intelligence been delivered?"

Qin Ziheng asked.

Although the Great Blue Dynasty possesses remote communication devices, their range is still limited and they are affected by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The two continents, to the east and west, face each other across the sea. The distance is too great, and the energy of heaven and earth at sea is unpredictable.

Therefore, it is impossible to use the communication device to send messages from the Western Continent back to the Eastern Continent.

The Great Blue Dynasty had been preparing for this for several years.

They built communication arrays on more than a dozen islands at sea as 'intelligence relay stations'.

Intelligence exchanges between the two continents are relayed through these dozen or so islands in a relay-like manner.

However, this method cannot achieve real-time communication. If there happens to be a change in the spiritual energy at sea, it can sometimes take several days to send out the intelligence.

After the western expeditionary force set sail, battle reports were submitted approximately every three days.

The latest report is submitted every seven days. Qin Ziheng checks the intelligence as soon as it is sent back.

Six days have passed since the last intelligence report from the western expeditionary force.

Normally, intelligence should have been sent back today.

"Your Majesty, there has been no news from the Grand Council yet."

Feng Cheng said.

He knew what the emperor cared about most, so he sent someone to the Grand Council to ask him early on.

Qin Ziheng remained expressionless and continued flipping through the book in his hands.

However, quite a long time passed, and not a single page of the book was turned.

A moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps drifted from afar.

Qin Ziheng sensed the approaching person before Feng Cheng and turned his head sharply.

Within this palace, his cultivation level was naturally above that of a Grandmaster.

Soon, a eunuch approached Feng Cheng with a sandalwood box in both hands and whispered urgently:

"Urgent report from the Military Intelligence Bureau!"

Feng Cheng's expression changed slightly.

At this time, it was probably only intelligence about the western expeditionary army that could be urgently reported to the palace by the Grand Council.

"Go down."

He took the sandalwood box, turned around, and walked into the imperial study.

"Bring it directly."

Before Feng Cheng could even bow, Qin Ziheng spoke first.

Feng Cheng handed over the sandalwood box, from which Qin Ziheng took out a thin piece of paper.

The imperial study fell silent. Feng Cheng lowered his head, not looking at Qin Ziheng's expression, but he could clearly hear the emperor's breathing becoming increasingly labored.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Ziheng still hadn't given any new instructions.

"His Majesty?"

Feng Cheng couldn't help but look up.

Qin Ziheng had already put down the paper in his hand and pressed it down with one palm.

He looked at Feng Cheng with a calm expression:

"Tell the Grand Council to continue updating the daily reports as usual."

Since the western expeditionary force set sail, the imperial court has published a special newspaper for the Grand Council, which is updated daily with information related to the western expedition.

In the daily newspapers, news of the westward expeditionary army's successive victories and the capture of the capital cities of the three kingdoms of the western lands has spread throughout the Great Blue Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Feng Cheng's heart sank.

If the western expeditionary army had not encountered any problems, the emperor would not have needed to specifically emphasize the phrase "renewal as usual".

"Yes."

Feng Cheng withdrew without making a sound.

After Feng Cheng left, Qin Ziheng's hand, which was resting on the thin paper, began to tremble slightly.

He moved his hand away, took a deep breath, and looked at the intelligence report again:
"On September 25th, nine princes from the Western Continent, along with forty-six dukes and over a hundred extraordinary fighter jets, attacked the Xuanmo King, the Zhenxi Army, and the Chilin Army stationed in the city of Kalan."

King Xuanmo was besieged by nine princes and ultimately killed the King of Kalan and the King of Deni before dying on the spot!
The Zhenxi Army suffered a defeat, losing a force of 5,000 men. Over 4,000 were killed or wounded, and Deputy Commander Han Mu was killed in action!
Before his army was routed and its men were killed, Commander Han killed the King of Ori.

When the enemy retreated, only 31 of their hundreds of warplanes remained, and 14 dukes were killed.

Our Crimson Scale Army has suffered over 3,000 casualties and is currently unable to activate a '10,000-strong' military formation.

This military intelligence report shocked and enraged Qin Ziheng.

Below is a secret letter that Li Fei wrote to him.

In the letter, Li Fei mentioned the Desolate God, the Martial Ancestor, and the Sword Ancestor, explaining why he couldn't rescue Wang Chengze in time.

Finally, Li Fei recounted his achievements—

The Sword Ancestor died, and the Martial Ancestor fled with serious injuries.

The cockles in the virtual pond escaped.

Both the tenth-grade beast Zhongmou and the ninth-grade beast Guli were dead.

But this victory did not put Qin Ziheng's mind at ease.

Because Li Fei frankly admitted in the letter that his Dao principles had been severely damaged and that it would be difficult for him to recover his peak combat power in a short period of time.

"Aragami!"

Qin Ziheng slammed his hand heavily on the table.

Cuihua Province.

Baicaocheng.

This is the ancestral home of the Yan family, one of the ten powerful clans.

A few years ago, if someone said that Baicao City belonged to the Yan family, no one would have thought it was outrageous or unbelievable.

Because this is the truth.

Not only in Baicao City, but throughout the entire Cuihua Province, from high-ranking officials to small vendors from all walks of life, the Yan family's influence will be felt!

But it's different now.

The patriarch of the Yan family, Yan Weifeng, was imprisoned seven years ago.

He participated in the western expedition and redeemed himself through meritorious service.

But everyone knows that this patriarch of the Yan family is unlikely to achieve any merit, nor is he likely to return alive.

Because the commander-in-chief of the western expeditionary army was Li Fei.

Sure enough, a news item was specifically reported in the 'Western Expedition Daily' more than a month ago:
"Yan Weifeng was killed in the battle to attack the capital of the Kingdom of Kalan."

Because he was redeeming himself through meritorious service, his death did not bring any credit to the Yan family.

It wasn't just Yan Weifeng.

Those powerful figures from the Ten Clans who were arrested seven years ago have all died in the war to conquer the west.

This even includes Xiao Ruiming, the Empress Dowager's own brother, who is already a top-tier True Person!

Upon hearing this news, the Empress Dowager wept bitterly in the palace until she fainted.

These once truly important figures, whether in the public eye or behind the scenes, were successively brought down from their positions and died overseas.

This is a significant blow to the ten-valve system!

Nowadays, the entire Yan family keeps a very low profile in Baicao City, and they are almost disappearing from public view.

On this day, Yan Boxi, the newly appointed head of the Yan family, sat quietly in his study, waiting.

There were two cups of hot tea in the study, as if it were waiting for guests.

Yan Boxi is the head of the seventh branch of the Yan family. He is not a direct descendant and has always been a relatively marginal figure in the Yan family.

It wasn't until Ye Ze'an secretly sent someone to contact him and negotiated a cooperation that he had the opportunity to take the position of head of the Yan family.

But after finally sitting in this coveted position, Yan Boxi had not had a single day of peace!
He and his family are indeed in a much better situation than before.

However, the Yan family's situation became increasingly difficult.

In the past, Yan Boxi wouldn't have needed to worry about such things.

But now he is the head of the Yan family.

Suddenly, there was another person in the study.

Even though he already knew that the other party was incredibly powerful, Yan Boxi was still startled.

He forced himself to remain calm and looked at the person who had come.

Bald, wearing a tattered monk's robe, with an aged face.

His eyes and brows were full of compassion.

The last abbot of Pudu Temple, a contemporary Buddha—

Jingheng!
(End of this chapter)