You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Dusk falls on an ancient, desolate road.

ta ta ta ......

Accompanied by the sound of horses' hooves, a Sui army convoy slowly moved forward from a distance.

There were about two thousand soldiers escorting the vehicle, dressed in bright armor, looking alert, their eyes constantly scanning the silent forests on both sides of the road.

In addition, a dozen or so men dressed in tight-fitting clothes were also mixed in with the group.

These men had sharp, eagle-like eyes, steady steps, deep breaths, and lightning-fast gazes, clearly indicating that they were no ordinary soldiers.

"kill!"

suddenly!

A loud shout suddenly rose from the forest, and dozens of figures flew out, rushing straight at the dozen or so men dressed in tight-fitting clothes.

At the same time, the heavy sound of horses' hooves came from behind the mountain pass ahead.

Immediately afterwards, a large number of cavalry appeared and surged toward the Sui army!

"Amitabha!"

Just then, dozens of ordinary soldiers in the Sui army escort suddenly took off their helmets, revealing shiny bald heads and shaved heads!

The leading middle-aged monk clasped his hands together, chanted Buddhist mantras, and suddenly unleashed a powerful and unparalleled burst of true energy from his body!

"snort!"

"It's finally here!"

"You clown, how dare you covet the grain supplies of my Great Sui Dynasty?"

"act recklessly!"

The monk sneered, his figure swaying like a ghost. He struck out with both palms, the palm wind fierce and unparalleled, carrying a faint chant, directly targeting the two attackers at the front!

puff!puff!

The two attackers were also skilled fighters. Upon seeing this, they hurriedly used their internal energy to defend themselves, but they felt an overwhelming force surge towards them. Their protective energy shattered like paper, their chests collapsed instantly, and they were sent flying backward, spitting out blood. It was clear that they were going to die!

"Form ranks!"

"Vajra Subdues Demons!"

"Here you go!"

At the middle-aged monk's command, the other dozens of monks responded in unison, their footsteps intertwining and their breaths mingling, instantly forming a small battle formation.

They wielded palms, fists, or Buddhist knives and staffs, their moves ruthless and fierce, engaging the dozens of martial artists who had launched a surprise attack. For a time, the sounds of clashing energy filled the air!

"not good!"

"They're those bald monks from Buddhism; they've fallen for their trap!"

"What are you afraid of?"

"What waves can a mere few dozen monks stir up?"

One man thrust his long sword forward, but it was deflected by a martial monk with exquisite finger techniques. Then, his shoulder blade was smashed by a staff that swept from the side, and he fell to the ground with a miserable scream.

These Buddhist masters were clearly superior in martial arts, and their well-coordinated formation allowed them to quickly overwhelm the attacking warriors, causing heavy casualties!

At the same time, a large contingent of cavalry surged forward and arrived close!

"Archers, fire!" The Sui army escort officer remained calm under pressure and gave the order in a stern voice.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh...!

The Sui army archers, who were already prepared, immediately unleashed a dense rain of arrows, and the cavalrymen at the front were instantly thrown to the ground!

"Spear formation, hold the line!"

The shield bearers quickly moved forward, their spears emerging from the gaps in the shields like a forest, forming a deadly defensive line.

The cavalry that followed charged into the spear formation were immediately smashed and bloodied, their offensive halted!

"Gentlemen, follow me to kill the enemy!"

The dozen or so martial arts experts in the group were now invigorated, each wielding a weapon, and engaged in fierce fighting as they faced the cavalry who had broken through the rain of arrows.

In an instant, swords flashed and blood and flesh flew everywhere!

Just then!

Tsk!

A sharp whistling sound echoed across the wilderness!

A figure shot towards them from afar, its speed exceeding the limits of visual perception!

"Form ranks!"

"Stop him!"

The middle-aged monk seemed to sense the threat of death and roared wildly. The remaining monks frantically activated their true energy, and the aura of the Vajra Subduing Demon Formation instantly surged to its limit!

At that moment, the long sword in the figure's hand suddenly shattered into thousands of fragments of varying sizes!

Immediately!

The shattered blades, like an enraged swarm of bees or a torrential downpour, shot towards the assembled monks with piercing shrieks!

Puff puff puff...!

The fragments easily pierced through the monk's body, bringing out a cloud of blood mist and shattered flesh and bone!

Thump! Thump! Thump...

In just one breath, dozens of Buddhist monks who had been slaughtering everyone were riddled with holes, their bodies covered in bloody wounds. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they collapsed to the ground, dying instantly!

Crackling sounds...

Countless fragments arced through the air, then swirled back and precisely pieced together in the hand of the black-clad figure who had just landed, reforming into the ancient-looking Demon Blade Thousand Blades.

The man flicked the blood off his blade and then plunged into the Sui army's formation.

With each swift stroke of his knife, severed limbs flew through the air, and blood gushed forth like a waterfall!

In a short while, all the warriors in the Sui army fell to his hands, and hundreds more fell under his blade!

"escape!"

"Run!"

"This person is at least a master of the Third Realm!"

The Sui soldiers completely collapsed and fled in all directions!

Everyone knew that with their two thousand or so men, they were simply not enough to kill any martial artists of that strength!

"Chase them down, leave no one alive!"

Upon seeing this, the general leading the Southern Chen cavalry's eyes flashed with wild joy and ruthlessness, and he brandished his sword and roared.

"kill!"

Rumble!

Iron hooves once again shattered the earth, and the Southern Chen cavalry, like tigers released from their cages, swept towards the scattered Sui army!

Swords flashed, sending up sprays of blood; horses' hooves trampled down fleeing soldiers in droves. A brutal chase ensued on the wilderness, with screams and wails becoming the dominant sounds.

Swords flashed, sending up sprays of blood; horses' hooves trampled down fleeing soldiers in droves. A brutal chase ensued on the wilderness, with screams and wails becoming the dominant sounds.

The dozens of martial artists who had escaped the Buddhist monks' clutches and were originally tasked with the raid were now frozen in place, staring wide-eyed at the man.

"And you are...?"

Lu Zuo turned around and said in a deep voice, "Prefect of Dongyang, Lu Zuo."

He had just arrived at the rear of the Sui army and had not yet found Yue Qing and the others when he saw the situation here, so he immediately offered his help.

Coincidentally, the Divine Martial Camp was scattered in various places, and he didn't know where Yue Qing was.

It's a good opportunity to ask them.

"Let's put that aside for now and talk about it after we deal with the remaining enemies."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zuo shot off again, heading towards the routed Sui army.

……

Late at night, deep in a long-abandoned village, in a dilapidated house that could barely keep out the wind and rain.

A small bonfire crackled in the house, the flickering flames illuminating Yue Qing's pale face.

He leaned against a mottled earthen wall, a long gash cut open on his left shoulder by a sharp blade, dark red blood still seeping out from under the hastily wrapped strips of cloth.

Yue Qing frowned, his expression worried: "How come so many Buddhist masters have emerged from the Sui army?"

"I wonder how the others are doing..."

"Report!"

Just then, a soldier rushed in, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to General Yue, Commandant Wang and the others have returned!"

Yue Qing, enduring the sharp pain in her shoulder, abruptly stood up: "Wang Tao?"

How many people did he bring back?

"Our brothers have suffered heavy casualties, and the experts from the Hundred Ghosts City are also wounded!"

Ignoring his injuries, Yue Qing strode out of the dilapidated house.

Under the moonlight, a dark mass of about three or four hundred people could be seen walking along the dirt road at the village entrance, supporting each other.

Everyone was wounded, their armor tattered, their bodies stained with blood, their steps faltering, their silence revealing the exhaustion of having escaped death.

Yue Qing's gaze swept quickly across the room, immediately locking onto Captain Wang Tao, who was being supported by two soldiers. He strode forward and grabbed Wang Tao's arm: "Wang Tao, what happened?"

Wang Tao raised his head, a scar on his face still bleeding, his lips cracked, and he said in a hoarse voice, "General..."

"Many bald monks were hidden in the Sui army's supply train!"

"They were all highly skilled in martial arts and adept at combined attack formations. We fought tooth and nail to tear a gap and break through..."

Upon hearing this, Yue Qing frowned even more deeply.

……

Soon, raiding parties began arriving in the village one after another.

Some suffered heavy losses, while others succeeded easily.

Yue Qing roughly estimated that in just one day, the Divine Martial Camp lost more than 5,000 people, as well as more than 100 innate masters from the Hundred Ghosts City, Yin Gui Sect and Secret Clan!

He immediately discussed countermeasures with the three Ghost Kings, the Yin-Yang Judge, Li Qingmei of the Secret Clan, and Yan Guiqian, the elder of the Yin Gui Sect.

Inside the dilapidated house, the firelight flickered.

Yue Qing clutched his bleeding shoulder, his voice hoarse: "As you all know, the number of people the Buddhist sect has sent this time far exceeds our expectations."

"Among those we've encountered today alone, there are no fewer than five hundred at the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm, and two at the Three Realms Realm."

"What's more troublesome is that their combined attack formation is extremely difficult to deal with."

The One-Horned Demon King cursed, "Damn it, those bald monks' combined attack formation is really troublesome!"

"Dozens of Innate Mastery cultivators plus a hundred Acquired Mastery cultivators were actually able to severely injure a Three-Element Realm expert?"

"Even if we all got together, we couldn't withstand this kind of strain!"

"If I hadn't reacted quickly today, even this old man would be in jail!"

Elder Yan Guiqian of the Yin Gui Sect frowned and said, "But if we stop here and allow the Sui army's provisions to be transported to Jiankang City without any hindrance..."

Li Qingmei: "The enemy's strength is far outnumbered, and a frontal attack would be futile."

"Unless we can find a way to restrain or even eliminate those Buddhist masters, attacking them again would be tantamount to suicide."

Judge Yin sighed, "Alas..."

"Those bald monks huddled together, guarding the vital points of the grain convoy."

"With our manpower scattered and our strength insufficient, how easy is it to lure the enemy away from their stronghold or find an opening to strike?"

Yue Qing frowned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Our current problem is a severe shortage of experts, but the imperial court can't send any more..."

Just then, a soldier rushed in, cupped his hands, and said, "General, Lord Lu has arrived."

Lu Zuo?

How did he find his way here?

Everyone quickly got up and left the dilapidated house, looking up into the distance.

Under the cold moonlight, a tall figure walked slowly towards them: "Gentlemen, how is the situation?"

Yue Qing quickly stepped forward to greet him and briefly recounted the events.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zuo frowned, then relaxed: "Come with me, I'll show you a batch of powerful weapons."

……

A short while later.

The group followed Lu Zuo to a secluded mountain valley outside the village.

Under the moonlight, a dozen or so heavy, open wooden crates were neatly arranged on the ground, each containing a dark red bronze snake-shaped object.

"This is……?"

Yue Qing stared blankly at the dense, serpentine mechanisms inside the box.

He had imagined that the "weapon" would be a powerful bow and crossbow or a large mechanical beast, but he never expected it to be such an exquisite yet seemingly fragile little gadget.

The One-Horned Demon King, the most impatient of them all, approached a box, poked the cold, hard body of a bronze snake with his finger, and asked in a deep voice, "Lord Lu, what is this thing used for?"

Lu Zuo bent down and took out a "Crimson Serpent" from the box, holding it in his palm.

The bronze serpent's head was slightly raised, and a faint light seemed to flash across its dark red eyes.

"This item is called Crimson Serpent, and it is specifically designed to break through protective qi."

"Breaking through the protective barrier?"

Elder Yan Guiqian of the Yin Gui Sect narrowed her eyes. As a master of poisons, she immediately sensed something unusual and asked, "Could it be that there is a rare poison hidden inside?"

"good."

Lu Zuo nodded: "Two hollow poisonous thorns are hidden inside the snake's mouth, one of which contains 'Erosion Powder'."

"The other thorn is the 'Red Serpent Poison,' which specifically corrodes the meridians."

"The more the poisoned person exerts their internal energy, the faster they will die."

Judge Yin pondered for a moment, then asked, "The item is valuable, but how do we use it?"

"The controls are complicated, we..."

Lu Zuo interrupted him: "This thing only requires the user to drip a drop of blood into this slot, and then it can be controlled with qi and divine sense, as easily as using an arm or finger, light and agile."

"A drop of blood?"

Yue Qing was taken aback, thinking she had misheard.

He understood blood oaths, and he'd heard of blood-based medicine concoctions, but blood oaths...

Controlling the mechanism?

Incredulity was on everyone's faces.

"A drop of blood?"

"Lord Lu, what is the reasoning behind this?"

"These mechanical creations are nothing more than mechanisms, gears, and energy-driven systems; what do they have to do with blood?"

This completely exceeded everyone's understanding of mechanical arts, and even the common sense of martial arts!

You ask me? Who should I ask?

Lu Zuo also wanted to know the reasoning behind this, but he couldn't understand Gongshu Chou's explanation at all...

"Uh, this..."

"This is an ancient mechanical secret technique. You don't need to delve into its principles; just know its effects."

Yue Qing then asked, "Lord Lu, can the Crimson Serpent break through the protective aura of a master of the Innate Realm?"

"Can."

"I have brought 1,113 Crimson Serpents this time, which is equivalent to giving you all more than a thousand Great Perfection Innate Realm cultivators!"

"Hahahaha~~!"

Upon hearing this, the One-Horned Demon King burst into a deafening laugh, slapping his thigh hard with his massive, fan-like hand: "Damn it!"

"Over a thousand treasures specifically designed to break turtle shells!"

"Let's see how those bald monks set up their broken formation now!"

Yan Guiqian's eyes sparkled with excitement, her heart surging with emotion.

1,113 items...

This is no longer a surprise attack, but a strategic force capable of turning the tide of battle!

Even the usually composed Judge Yin couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration, exclaiming, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Lord Lu, this item is truly a godsend, a lifeline in a desperate situation!"

"With this, our army's shortage of skilled personnel will be easily resolved!"

Lu Zuo smiled and said, "General Yue, arrange for someone to come and perform the blood oath immediately."

Yue Qing turned and ran, saying, "I'll take care of it right away!"

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Hundreds of wagons, fully loaded with grain and supplies, were lined up end to end, forming several huge circular formations.

Campfires lit up the battlefield, illuminating the figures of heavily armored soldiers on patrol, their weapons flashing coldly in the firelight.

At the edge of the camp, beside a campfire, two monks dressed in gray robes and covered with brocade kasayas sat facing each other.

The older monk had a golden-brown, browned face and his Buddhist name was Huiren.

He fiddled with a string of black prayer beads in his hand, gazing in the direction of Jiankang City: "Ha, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating one's own strength."

Another, slightly younger monk, Huichen, scoffed, "The Southern Chen dynasty's fate is sealed."

Hui Ren nodded: "Does the Southern Chen really think they can cut off our army's supply lines with such minor skirmishes?"

"What wishful thinking!"

"With our Buddhist masters overseeing all the grain transport teams and laying a tight net, no matter how many come, they'll only be like moths to a flame, causing unnecessary casualties."

Huichen clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha... Their struggle is like that of cornered beasts, a futile effort."

"Harassing the supply lines?"

"hehe......"

"Such a scheme is nothing but a joke in the face of absolute power."

"Zhang Zhongjian, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Chen dynasty, is probably out of options and has no choice but to resort to this desperate measure, sending his men to their deaths."

"Let them harass us. The more they do, the better. This will give the Southern Chen a chance to truly understand what it means to defy destiny and what it means to have boundless Buddhist power!"

……

Meanwhile, near Jiankang, the Sui army camp.

"good!"

Yang Su slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed loudly, "Excellent!"

"Master Liaokong, Master Liu, the Buddhist community's strong support this time is truly a great fortune for our army!"

Inside the tent, besides Yang Guang, Yang Su, and several high-ranking Sui generals, there was an old monk with a sorrowful face and a solemn demeanor, and a woman dressed in a moon-white robe with an ethereal and otherworldly air.

Liaokong clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddhist mantra: "Amitabha, Marshal Yang is too kind."

"The Southern Chen dynasty acted perversely, destroying temples and persecuting Buddhism, and had lost the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people."

"Although we Buddhists are outsiders, we cannot sit idly by and watch evil spirits run rampant and the people suffer."

"Now, Buddhist masters have infiltrated various key supply convoys. If the Southern Chen traitors dare to come, they will be made to return without ever returning, and their morale will be crushed!"

Liu Chuyue nodded slightly: "Marshal Yang, Your Highness Prince Jin, please rest assured."

"Now that a Buddhist formation master is in charge, even if the Southern Chen army that is harassing us cannot be completely annihilated, we will certainly be able to severely damage them and make them dare not covet our supply lines again."

"With the supply lines secure, the army will have no worries about its rear, and Jiankang will fall in no time."

"Hahaha!"

A burly general with a full beard clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent!"

"I've been so stifled these past few days!"

"Those cowards from Southern Chen, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, only know how to hide and harass supply lines, daring not to engage in a fair fight with our army!"

"Buddhist formations are exquisite, excelling at combined attacks to trap enemies. Those harassing troops from Southern Chen rely only on a bit of bravery and cunning; once trapped in the formation, they're like turtles in a jar!"

"In my humble opinion, the threat to the supply lines will be completely eliminated within a few days!"

Yang Guang nodded: "With the intervention of these eminent Buddhist monks, what are those demons and monsters of the Southern Chen Dynasty worth mentioning!"

"In this way, our rear can be considered secure, and Zhang Zhongjian's plan to harass the supply lines has been thwarted!"

Yang Su nodded emphatically, stroked his beard, and smiled, "Your Highness is absolutely right. With the help of Buddhism, the Southern Chen dynasty is doomed!"

"Our Great Sui Dynasty has the advantage of timing, location, and popular support. Their attacks are nothing more than walking into a trap, only increasing their casualties!"

"Pass down the order to spread this message to all battalions to boost morale!"

"Once news of victory arrives from the rear, our army will launch a full-scale attack on Jiankang!"

The atmosphere inside the tent was lively, and the generals' faces showed relaxation and anticipation.

In their view, with Buddhism's move, the seemingly troublesome harassment from the Southern Chen dynasty has become a joke...

Click to begin the wondrous journey of "Wandering the Heavens as a Tyrant, You Don't Understand My Joy".