Patrol Captain

The 136th year of the Tianbao era, the year of Yichou, the month of Renwu, the day of Yimao.

On this day, the newly appointed imperial inspectors of the three southwestern circuits set out to inspect the Shu region on the orders of the Great Qian Emperor!
At noon, a thunderous roar echoed in the heavens above the capital.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, a pillar of light shot into the sky.

Within the Dragon Court, before the Taiji Palace, the reigning Emperor Wu, dressed in a black dragon robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his head slightly raised, his eyes piercing through the clouds, reflecting a golden pillar of light shooting straight into the sky.

The wind blew through the emperor's dragon robe, causing the hem to flutter. His expression shifted between light and shadow, but finally, his face became as calm as a still lake, and he slowly spoke.
"I heard that after the court session ended, the person from the Martial Temple tried to contact Minister Chen?"

There was no one behind Emperor Wu.

But then a sound rang out.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Is there anything unusual?" Emperor Wu's tone became more serious.

"No!" The voice was old. "The Martial Temple shares the fate of the nation and is still of one mind with His Majesty. It's just that these old guys are getting stranger and stranger. They know too many secrets and I don't know what they said."

"But when Lord Chen came out, there was nothing unusual about him!"

A dark glint flashed in the black-robed Martial Emperor's eyes. He drew out each word, his tone deliberate.
"Chen Yuan!"

"Heavenly Man"

"I hope it's not what I think."

"These things should all be buried in the dust."

"This matter still needs the Imperial Advisor to keep an eye on it."

The aged voice chuckled.
"That's right. Last night, that old codger from the Huangfu family, who never leaves the house for decades, quietly left."

"This old minister shall take his leave!"

The laughter faded away with the wind, and the golden beam of light reflected in the black-robed Martial Emperor's eyes also disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds.

"Your Majesty, you should rest!"

At that moment, a eunuch's whisper rang out.

A few days later, in Sichuan, north of Chengdu, amidst mountains and hills.

Amidst the vast expanse of heaven and earth, snowflakes fell like shattered jade, draping the ground in a white cloak. The rolling mountains, shrouded in snow, resembled a crouching dragon or a long ink painting scroll, its white and green hues gently unfolding from the horizon.

Looking into the distance, the white snow and dark green mountains complement each other, outlining a majestic yet dynamic silhouette.

The once lush forest below is now covered in layers of ice and snow, its branches and leaves glistening and translucent. Clusters of snowballs hang from the pine needles, like pear blossoms in bloom; thick ice crystals cling to the gnarled branches, resembling coral trees.

At this moment, in this world...

"tap"

"tap"

"tap"

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed through the mountains and forests, shaking the snow off the trees and causing it to fall to the ground.

Through the gaps in the leaves, one could see people in various costumes, carrying swords and knives, riding horses and galloping about in groups of three or five.

In the sky, within this ink painting of flying snow, streaks of light streak across the air, densely packed, like a hundred boats racing.

Flying boats, flying swords, and mounts—all sorts of powerful auras raged across the sky as they soared away.

The stories of chivalry and romance are endless, both in heaven and on earth.

As we continued onward, amidst the wind, snow, and dark clouds ahead, suddenly rays of golden light appeared.

As streaks of light swept through the wind and snow, the sun shone brightly in the sky ahead. On the ground, martial artists on horseback traversed the mountains, reined in their horses, and their vision instantly opened up. They gazed at the distant plains, their faces filled with undisguised excitement.

"The city of Chengdu is just ahead!"

In the distance, the sun shone brightly, and below, a colossal city revealed its magnificent outline, like a giant beast crouching.

At this moment, a large silver-white array was covering this giant city.

At the top of that formation, a breathtaking scene unfolds: a colossal silver tree stands tall in the clouds, its branches blotting out the sun, creating a majestic sight.

"Qi Luck Spiritual Root!"

Among the many streaks of light, there was a flying boat shimmering with a pale blue glow, riding the waves of the sea of ​​clouds.

The flying boat was about thirty feet long. At this moment, there were more than a dozen people standing on the deck, gazing at the sea of ​​clouds in the distance and the giant tree canopy extending from the sea of ​​clouds. Their pupils shrank, and someone immediately blurted out.

Such a colossal object, capable of seizing the very essence of heaven and earth, must undoubtedly possess extraordinary destiny and spiritual roots.

"What a great handwriting!"

"Such a spiritual root exists in Chengdu? Who owns it and dares to openly display it? Aren't they afraid it will be taken away by someone else?"

They came from a blessed land. The spiritual roots of destiny are usually the treasures of blessed lands, and are always kept hidden away and not shown to outsiders. Every time one appears in the world, it is often accompanied by bloody battles.

"So many powerful auras! This is probably even more exciting than the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony!"

On the deck, a group of distinguished young men and women gazed into the distance, and upon seeing this scene, their expressions changed, their eyes shining brightly.

Some people were dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with a sword on their backs, and their whole body was like a sword with its sharp edge exposed, giving them a domineering aura.

A man dressed in white, gentle and refined, with a long robe embroidered with blue lotus flowers in silver thread, held a white jade folding fan, a graceful young gentleman.

A woman dressed in red had a cold expression, but a red mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of allure.

These young disciples, though not very old, possessed extraordinary auras, all at the peak of the Heavenly Gate Dao Fruit realm. Among them, the one dressed in black martial arts attire with a sword on his back was particularly remarkable, his sharp edge radiating a faint martial arts aura.

It's obvious that he has only recently broken through, and his energy is outward, so he can't control it freely.

This group of people were originally going to Longhu Mountain in Yuzhang to participate in the Luotian Grand Ceremony and compete for the Dragon and Tiger List on behalf of Wudao Mountain. However, after hearing the shocking news, the elders of their sect who were leading the group changed their itinerary at the last minute and went to Shu instead of Sanqin Pass.

Seeing the sky and earth bathed in light, a magnificent sight, these young people's eyes held a hint of excitement.

Something big is happening, a gathering of heroes. It is said that many celestial realms participating in the Luotian Grand Ceremony are rushing here without stopping. They have already encountered two of them on the way.

Seeing such a scene, the young man's spirit was stirred. "I've long heard of the strange changes in Shu. The essence of heaven and earth here is surging, and there are even legends of celestial beings appearing. Judging from this, it must be extraordinary." Beside the young disciple, a middle-aged man with a long black beard, wearing a black and white checkered robe and carrying a sword on his back, looked at the countless streaks of light in the sky heading straight for Chengdu. He frowned, his eyes gleaming, and said in a low voice.

"This matter has only just spread and it's already like this. We're lucky we arrived early; who knows what monsters will come later?" Beside him stood an old man, wearing a feather fan and a turban, with a small goatee, squinting and glancing sideways.

"I heard that the secret place is south of Chengdu. Should we just go around there and take a look? Or...?" The man with the long black beard raised an eyebrow.

“No rush. We heard on the way that a powerful demon has made incursions there, and seeing that Chengdu is shrouded in that great formation, the situation is unclear. We know nothing, so let’s go into the city first and find out what’s going on. Yangshan sent us a message before, saying that his disciple from that peak has given up participating in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony to compete for the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, choosing instead to train in Shu. Perhaps we’ll run into him in Chengdu. Let’s send a message after we enter the city.” The old man wearing a turban shook his feather fan, his gaze thoughtful, and spoke slowly.

"That guy Yangshan is really used to being a carefree hermit. He indulges the disciples of the peak. The Luo Tian Grand Ceremony is such a rare opportunity, and he just throws away his spot like that. I wonder how other sects fight tooth and nail for a spot. If we see him, we'll definitely give him a piece of our mind." The man with the long black beard snorted.

The old man in the turban smiled, then waved his fan towards the sea of ​​clouds ahead, and the flying boat immediately increased its speed, accelerating towards Chengdu.

After a short while, the flying boat approached the city. A sense of oppression emanating from the city's great formation surged forth like a tide, and the flying boat descended towards the ground.

The group jumped down, and the flying boat quickly shrank to the size of a peach pit, which was then taken into the hand of the old man in the turban.

As everyone looked, long queues formed at the nine gates leading into the city. In addition, streaks of light fell from the sky, revealing figures of all kinds. Judging from their clothing, they came from all over the country, and it was unknown how many experts had come.

The queue is still growing.

The energy flowed together, creating a commotion!
The air here is thick with the energy of the Heavenly Gate; a single slap could kill a whole bunch of Heavenly Gate masters.

It is clear that Chengdu is now a true gathering place for powerful figures, with countless experts already here and many more on their way.

A disciple of Wudao Mountain frowned upon seeing the long queue and spoke to the elderly man in a turban leading the procession.
"Such a long line is wasting too much time, Senior Uncle. Are we supposed to wait like this?"

The old man in the turban tilted his head slightly, his eyes darting to the side.
"Everyone else is waiting here, but you're not. What are you going to do?"

When asked this question, the disciple who spoke up was somewhat embarrassed. "I was thinking that my two senior uncles are of noble status, and it is not appropriate for them to mingle with others."

As soon as he said this, the old man in the turban slapped the disciple on the head with his fan.
"It seems your master taught you cultivation, but not morality. Why can't we line up when others are doing it? You're the one trying to get special treatment. Don't you see the situation? All these people are queuing obediently, including Musashi. Why don't they cut in line?"

"Keep your eyes open when you go out. Don't think that just because you can fly a few steps, you won't have to walk anymore, or you'll suffer a great loss."

The old man in the turban chuckled and cursed a couple of times, but didn't scold him harshly. He sensed that there were several powerful auras in the queue outside; they were just obediently waiting in line, why were they trying to get special treatment?

There must be some taboo involved!
They are newcomers and need to keep a low profile, especially at this special time.

No sooner had he finished reprimanding the sect disciples than the clouds behind him were torn apart by a giant hand, and a streak of light pierced the sky. With a deafening roar, the streak flew directly over the heads of the many experts queuing outside, creating a rolling wave of air that scattered everyone's hair. Then, in an instant, it transformed into dozens of dazzling figures, rushing directly to the city gate without falling to the ground.

These people stood in mid-air, directly facing the city gate tower. The leader stood with his hands behind his back, his black robe fluttering in the strong wind. The fierce Taotie pattern embroidered on the hem of his robe seemed to come alive, raising its head and swaying its tail with the sound of the wind, exuding a powerful aura!

Behind him, two elderly men rode side by side. The old man on the left wore a cloak with tortoise shell patterns, while the old man on the right stood on a green lotus leaf.

Further back, another group of disciples stood, each with a different posture: some rode on firebirds, swooping down with disdain; others stood on enormous bamboo scrolls, black characters flying out as the pages turned, swirling around them; each possessed an extraordinary aura, their brows radiating arrogance.

Each person exuded an undisguised and unrestrained aura of power.
The leader, in particular, possessed an unfathomable aura that caused the surrounding void to blur. Furthermore, the robes of the disciples were embroidered with a nine-layered cloud pattern emblem.

The disciples of Wudao Mountain frowned upon seeing this group of people and recognizing the insignia on their clothing.

"They're coming too!"

"These guys are incredibly arrogant. I heard they want to be the best at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. Last year, two of them made the list and made quite a splash."

"I remember that Senior Brother Feng from Hidden Sword Peak had a conflict with his disciples a few months ago. Some of them are arrogant and conceited."

The disciples of Wudao Mountain stared at this group of people, clearly unimpressed. This sect was very powerful, ranking high among the blessed lands, but they were arrogant in their behavior outside.

"Langya Grotto Heaven, we request passage through this precious land. We humbly request the gatekeeper general to grant us this favor!" A cold voice rang out, like thunder, making everyone's ears ring.

The leader, expressionless, opened his mouth.

The disciples looked down at them with indifferent yet undeniable authority, as if they were not visiting, but returning sovereigns.

On the city walls, rows of black-armored soldiers stood like statues, expressionless, their eyes never moving.

In the middle of the city gate tower, the northern city guard, clad in red armor, frowned as he watched the people in front of the light screen unabashedly unleashing their powerful aura.

Three Musashi, a group of Heavenly Gatekeepers!
The person who came from the cave was very arrogant.

But he wouldn't give her a pleasant look; he'd remain expressionless.

"City lockdown"

"You're not the only one who wants to get into the city, everyone else does too!"

"Want to get into the city? Then get in line!"

"Warning: Do not approach the city walls. Otherwise you will be considered an accomplice of demons and will be executed by the great formation!"

The garrison commander of the northern city directly rebuked him in a cold voice, his booming voice echoing outside the city, showing no respect whatsoever.

As soon as he finished speaking, the densely packed, sculpture-like black-armored soldiers on the city wall clattered and brandished their spears.

This scene immediately changed the expressions of the people from Langya Cave.

To be reprimanded by a group of low-level city guards was blatant disregard and a slap in the face.

I couldn't save face in front of so many people.

At this moment, someone below, clearly unhappy, spoke up, letting out a cold laugh, the voice tinged with mockery.

"Several"

"First, we need to figure out where we are,"

"Some people are used to being high and mighty, never touching the ground, and dare to speak recklessly without even understanding the situation."

"Before you give your name, you should check whose territory this is."

"This is not a place for you to run wild!"

The sound drifted on the wind outside the city, carrying a mocking and unpredictable tone.

As soon as the voice was uttered, the faces of those from Langya Cave Heaven instantly turned ugly, and their gazes swept over the crowd below like sharp swords.

Among the people below, some wore mocking expressions, some looked on with anticipation, some remained expressionless, and some avoided eye contact to avoid getting involved.

"court death!"

(End of this chapter)