Advance the future and become a martial saint on earth!

As dusk approached, the city lights twinkled.

Thirty-six trades, each shop and store hung lanterns and decorations, and people thronged around. Even as night was about to fall, there were still peddlers carrying their loads, causing passersby to stop and watch.

However.
With a sharp, heavy sound from a cowhide drum, it suddenly erupted like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Boom, boom, boom!

The powerful drumbeats had just begun—

This bustling, noisy scene vanished overnight!
The people of Jiangyin Prefecture, who could understand the unspoken meaning behind the drumbeats, were immediately thrown into uproar and panic:
"This is the garrison's war drum, which can only be sounded during times of war or invasion of the boundary gate."

"What's going on in Jiangyin Prefecture?"

Just when some people were quite puzzled.

Suddenly, a gigantic, towering figure appeared in the sky, clad in a crimson robe, with wildly unfurled hair and beard, gazing down from a corner of the Eastern Sea with a haughty look:

"The multitude of beings from the Eastern Canghai Heaven, today we pay our respects to the Jiangyin Prefecture!"

Splash!
Suddenly, waves surged on the vast river, and banners inscribed with the words "Hun Tian" soared into the sky. Dozens of long, dragon-tooth-shaped warships emerged, their bodies radiating a dark, abyssal light in the twilight.

As soon as they approached, the 'Jiangyin Garrison' standing on the sea was immediately alarmed, and in an instant, the sound of drums resounded like thunder!
As the dozens of dragon-tooth warships drew near, their armored and armed crews, unlike the divine armor and Dao soldiers of the 'Great Mystic People,' appeared...
Inside the garrison headquarters, General Luo Daocheng's eyes widened, his pupils suddenly contracting:
"Heretical Soldiers!"

"This bandit leader, 'Red-Bearded Heavenly King,' has sided with heretics and become their pawn!"

"Quickly tighten the defenses and go to Jin'ao Island to request reinforcements from a Grandmaster!"

There are no Grandmasters with titles in Jiangyin Prefecture, so they will definitely be powerless to resist the Red-Bearded Heavenly King.

The only hope now is that we can summon the Grandmaster of the Heavenly Blade True Sect from Jin'ao Island to stop this great calamity!

However.
At this time, on Jin'ao Island, at the Heavenly Blade Sect...

Wang Xuanyang had thick black hair, held the Heavenly Blade in his hand, and possessed an aura as majestic as a mountain. His eyes were sharp and penetrating.

He stood before the island, gazing at the weather rising over the Dongcang Sea, and just as he took a step...
Suddenly, a profound Taoist technique appeared, and divine light emerged, forming a pincer attack from the north and south, as if the might of heaven were descending!

The sound made him narrow his eyes, and he couldn't help but sneer:
"I was wondering how that bandit leader, whose physical body I severed back then, leaving only his soul, dared to establish himself in my Heavenly Blade True Sect and stir up trouble."

"So he had someone backing him up!"

"The deities of the Central Yellow Heaven, the supernatural powers of the Xuanfu Sect."

"Is this a pawn used to formally break ties with the Great Xuan?"

As soon as these words were spoken, before the divine light could even appear, the hazy image within the Taoist magic and supernatural powers stirred first, revealing the silhouette of a real person wearing a jeweled crown and making Taoist hand seals, though it was not clearly visible:

"You flatter me. My purpose in coming here is to obtain the 'Nine Aperture Golden Elixir' from your disciple. That is something that my Xuanfu Sect lost a thousand years ago."

"What does my coming here have to do with this vast and mysterious universe?"

"As for the Central Yellow Heaven and the Hun Tian Clan, they are not of the same ilk as my Xuanfu Sect."

"But if you are in trouble, fellow Daoist, simply offer up the Xuanfu I need, and I will make an exception and help this Great Xuan out of this predicament. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuanyang scoffed:
"Using one wolf to devour another, the true intentions will be revealed when the map is unrolled."

“My grand-disciple is no longer on the island. Even if he were, once he's in my Heavenly Blade's pouch, he belongs to my lineage. No matter what, it's not your Crimson Sky Dao lineage, not even if immortals came!”

Seeing Wang Xuanyang's resolute words, the Taoist priest from the Xuanfu Sect shook his head and said no more, his tone gradually turning cold:

"In that case, it's alright."

"after all."

"This Heavenly Blade True Sect Golden Turtle Island is ultimately Ji Xiu's sect."

"If those Hun Tian generals destroy and capture you, they will surely submit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the world changed!

"Then let's give it a try!"

Wang Xuanyang raised an eyebrow as sharp as a knife, looking at the long swords hanging behind him and the surging troops from all directions, unloading sampans from large ships and rushing to the shore.
Although there was no fear in his eyes, he still looked at Chen Sanjiu, who was serving as an offering, and said in a low voice:
"Old Chen, I'd like to trouble you to make a trip to the Jiangyin Prefecture."

"There is currently no titled official stationed within the city. If the Hun Tian King were to invade, I fear there would be widespread devastation."

"And in the Beicang Marquis's mansion, my grand-disciple's wife has not yet recovered. If she suffers a calamity because of this, I, Wang Xuanyang, will not be able to give her an explanation."

After speaking, Wang Xuanyang activated the Reincarnation Heavenly Art and suddenly let out a long roar. His internal organs felt like drums were being pounded, and his body felt like a furnace. With a wave of his arms, a surge of vast and unparalleled true energy flowed freely.

He wielded his long sword like a dragon, and with a single cleaving motion, he cut a ray of daylight out of the darkness!
The summoning startled the unseen Zhonghuang deity and Xuanfu divine powers, who were momentarily stunned.

In this one in ten thousand chance, Chen Sanjiu nodded, his figure as eagle-like as he tore a large gap in the encirclement of the divine armored soldiers and Dao soldiers who had landed on the shore.

They immediately broke through the river under the cover of night and headed straight for the prefectural city!

At this time, Jiangyin Prefecture was in a state of panic and chaos, a veritable uproar.

However, as a prefecture city under the jurisdiction of Da Xuan, it has the blessing of destiny. As long as the prefectural governor holds the official seal, sits in the central position, and strengthens the defenses, it can withstand some of the attacks.

However.
At the dock of the four stalls in Jiangyin Prefecture, where the "Fishing Business" flag is hung!
As the garrison troops were no match for the overwhelming and surging tide of the Hun Tian bandits, their defeat was swift and they retreated back to the garrison.
One by one, they directly changed their flags and banners, replacing the fishing guild's flags with the "Hun Tian" flag!

These scenes filled General Luo Daocheng, the garrison commander, whose body was covered in blood, with bloodshot eyes and a look of utter fury.

"What is Chen Jing, the head of the fishing guild, up to?!"

The empire is on the verge of collapse. Within this once-prosperous trade in Jiangyin Prefecture, which has enjoyed prosperity for decades, there have long been individuals who have colluded with the bandit gang of Hun Tian, ​​working together from within and without to bring about its downfall!
At this time, the garrison troops, who had suffered heavy losses in the battle at Dongcanghai, were originally preparing to retreat to the city and wait for reinforcements, but suddenly they were struck by another calamity.

It seemed that they were about to perish at this moment.
On Jin'ao Island, Chen Sanjiu, exuding the aura of a titled master, suddenly attacked. He brandished a Spring and Autumn Treasure Blade, his true energy flowing like a bolt of lightning, stirring up a raging storm of energy!
In the blink of an eye, they were in front of Luo Daocheng, and said in a deep voice:

Where is the Marquis of Jiangyin's residence located?

Covered in blood, Luo Daocheng recognized the old master of the Heavenly Blade Sect on Jin'ao Island and immediately woke up as if from a dream.

Yes, is that pampered young lady of the Beicang Marquis's mansion still in the mansion?

If anything went wrong, he would never be able to face his old superior who had single-handedly promoted him, even if he died a hundred times over. So, panting heavily, he immediately gave Chen Sanjiu directions.

The lean old man, who had lived since the time of the ancestral temple of swordsmanship, nodded.

Then he took a deep breath, his blood and qi surging, his spine like a dragon, manifesting a divine form, instantly becoming like a god or demon, wielding a knife in his hand:

"Tell your men to stick close to me!"

With that, he stomped his feet hard, nearly collapsing the dock deck. In an instant, the sea breeze raged, and Chen Sanjiu, wielding his long sword, moved with the speed of a dragon crossing a river, like an arrow about to crash into the mansion!

Wherever he went, no one could withstand a single blow. In an instant, he carved a bloody path that was long enough for him to advance unimpeded. This delighted Luo Daocheng, who immediately followed.

"Thank you, Grandmaster!" The docks had been gradually encroached upon and occupied by the Hun Tian clan.

They watched as the troop of government troops retreated into the mansion.
One of the leaders of the Hun Tian Clan, who had been on the run for decades after being wiped out by the Jiangyin Prefecture, was unwilling to accept his fate. Looking at the Crimson-Bearded Heavenly King, who stretched across the sky and exuded the aura of a true immortal, he made a suggestion:

"Heavenly King, why not give these people to..."

The Crimson-Bearded Heavenly King ignored this, merely raising two fingers together, from which a divine thought from the 'Central Yellow Heaven' Guangfa Ganglei Sacred God emerged, his tone serene:
"Now, the situation is beyond our control."

"You still don't understand?"

"We are merely a prelude."

"Otherwise, if we really rely solely on our own people, even with these divine armored soldiers, once the reinforcements from Bei Cang arrive, they will only turn to ashes sooner or later."

"The reason we need to conquer this Heavenly Yin Palace is simply to go to the Dragon Cave outside Anning County and break the seal on the Heavenly Blade Palace, which was originally the Central Yellow Divine Palace."

"Then we respectfully welcome the divine armored lord of the Yellow Heaven to enter the realm!"

"Of course, there's no time to waste here with that old man with the Heavenly Blade and his withered bones in the tomb."

"go!"

"Follow me, Heavenly King, to respectfully welcome the arrival of the 'Divine God of Guangfa Ganglei'!"

After saying that, his gaze became intense as he looked towards the direction of the Earth Dragon Cave and the Heavenly Blade Mansion.

Zhonghuangtian, the Holy Palace of Guangfa Ganglei!

Inside a palace amidst thunder and fire, where incense was offered.
This being, who had been a Saint for many years but had no way to advance further, a being comparable to the pinnacle of a giant, was now ecstatic as he looked at the Great Xuan Heaven and the divine senses of the chess piece left behind by Jiangyin Prefecture. His divine body even trembled.
"It can't be wrong, it can't be wrong."

"When I participated in the Divine Court's 'Qionglin Banquet,' the energy from the fragments of the 'Book of Life and Death' that His Majesty Taiyi distributed was actually drawn to me, right there in that small prefecture city!"

"It's truly a case of 'searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly.'"

"With such merits, how could I, the Holy One, be suppressed by the Heavenly Venerable of the Thunder Department any longer?"

"Once I petition His Majesty Taiyi, I too may sit on the throne of the Heavenly Venerable!"

"If I could even capture this [Black Emperor], one of the Divine Court's rulers, I might very well be able to ascend to the throne!"

Thinking of this, he could no longer restrain himself, and his original intention to report to the Thunder Department, one of the eight departments, was immediately extinguished.

Instead, he made up his mind that he did not want to share the credit with the Heavenly Venerable in charge of the Thunder Department. So, with a thought, he reported to the Nine Heavens and informed His Majesty Taiyi!

[Your humble servant, the Holy Deity of the Thunder Department, wielding the vast power of thunder, respectfully requests Your Majesty, the Supreme One!]

[From the fragment of the 'Book of Life and Death,' I have discovered the traces of the reincarnation of the 'Black Emperor.' I hereby submit this report for your consideration!]

A memorial was sent to the Emperor!

Amidst the overlapping of dark clouds and rosy dawn, in the deepest part of the Central Palace, the highest point in the ninefold azure sky, lies the Jade Palace, which governs the "Three Paths and Four Extremes" and commands the "Eight Departments of Power."

The being atop the imperial crown slowly opened its eyes.
In an instant, He swept across the heavens and earth, descending upon the palace of the 'Guangfa Ganglei Shengdi'. With just a glance at the divine thought of this Thunder God, He completely dispelled the details and causes within.

In this process.

Even though Guangfa Ganglei Shengdi held a revered position, he still felt his body freeze and his thoughts become fixed, as if life and death were decided in the single thought of the person before him.

He had no doubt.

If this Emperor Taiyi wants to take my life
He would probably be annihilated with the slightest thought!
He held his breath, not daring to exhale, until the long wait finally ended.
finally----

Divine music descended from the imperial crown, its echoes resounding through the ages:

"Therefore, the Guangfa Ganglei Divine Saint of the Eighth Division of the Thunder Department shall assume the authority of the 'Heavenly Venerable'."

"life"

"Cross the boundary, attack the Great Xuan, and capture him."

"The ancient Black Emperor!"

This sound drops.

In an instant, the three paths and four poles of the central yellow, and the depths of the eight divisions...
Countless beings who had enjoyed the highest position for countless years were startled and opened their eyes.

Some of them frowned and looked in the direction of the Thunder Department.

Some eyes held a hint of anger and displeasure, but these quickly subsided.
Only the Holy God of Guangfa Ganglei was completely unaware of all this, and was overjoyed:
"As Your Majesty commands!"

He is acting on behalf of the Heavenly Venerable!

Became
He finally succeeded!
After countless long-awaited days, the fruits of our labor have finally ripened!
Although he did not replace the eight chief officials and become a powerful celestial being, he felt the boundless energy flowing from the vast heavens of the Central Yellow Heaven, which helped him forge his divine body.
Guangfa Ganglei Shengsheng felt his heart surge with emotion, and at the same time, his gaze became more determined than ever before. He was determined to do this job well for His Majesty!
However, just as Huang Taiyi's divine sense faded away...
Immediately following, the divine thought of Hong Tianzun, one of the eight tribal leaders and the Thunder God, descended like a thunderbolt, carrying an interrogative intent, its majesty suddenly settling upon the palace:
"Guangfa Ganglei, such a momentous matter, why didn't you, as an assistant official of the Thunder Department, report it to this Heavenly Venerable beforehand?!"

In the past, such a question would have made Guangfa Ganglei Shengdi tremble with fear and dare not be negligent. However, he had just been appointed by Zhonghuang Taiyi as the 'Acting Heavenly Venerable'.

Therefore, he no longer held this 'old leader' in the same esteem.

You are the Heavenly Venerable of the Thunder Department.

I also hold the authority of the Heavenly Venerable on his behalf!

Why should I lower myself to you anymore?
"This is His Majesty's decree, why does the Heavenly Venerable question it?"

"Furthermore..."

"That 'Black Emperor' was personally decreed by His Majesty. Now that I have found him, I should naturally share His Majesty's burdens!"

"Why should we report to Heavenly Venerable Hong?"

The Holy Spirit of Guangfa Ganglei responded with such confidence that it silenced the Thunder God for a long, long time.
He only replied with one sentence:
"You junior, you ascended to godhood in the Central Yellow Divine Court, yet you are unaware of the ancient secrets and think you have obtained some kind of fortuitous opportunity."

"You think you can just claim to capture the Black Emperor?"

"The Acting Celestial Venerable? Ha, a Celestial Venerable who can be appointed with a mere word, what does he have to do with you? Never mind, you..."

"Take care of yourself."

Great Mystery, Eastern Sea!

Ji Xiu, his clothes fluttering in the wind, rode a dragon-headed ship, followed by a series of giant ships inscribed with "Dragon Elephant" and "Beicang".

The young man rode the waves, gazing at the 'Jiangyin Prefecture' that was already partially visible on the distant horizon.
He immediately activated the Dao talisman, leaped off the dragon, and used the talisman's divine powers to search mountains and seas, riding the waves towards the destination! (End of Chapter)