Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Once inside the city, the eerie feeling became even more pronounced.

The streets were deserted, and many shops that should have been bustling with activity had their doors tightly shut, with traces of fighting still visible on the lintels.

Occasionally, you'll encounter a few pedestrians, all of whom are in a hurry, looking frightened, and walking quickly with their heads down, as if afraid of getting into some trouble.

The entire city was shrouded in an atmosphere of oppression and panic, a far cry from the bustling metropolis they had imagined.

"What exactly is going on?"

Yelü Tabuyan lowered her voice, a hint of unease in her tone.

"Why does it feel like a ghost town?"

Mirror Heart Demon's sharp gaze swept across the surroundings, and he said in a deep voice:

"It seems that something big must have happened in Tianfeng City recently."

"Let's find an inn to stay in first, and then we can look around more."

The three walked for a while on the empty streets and finally found an inn that was still open in a secluded area.

The innkeeper was a thin old man. When he saw someone come in, he hurriedly came forward with a fawning smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with a hint of wariness.

"Would you like to stay at the inn, gentlemen?"

"Hmm, give us three superior rooms," Jingxinmo said calmly, while subtly observing the innkeeper's expression.

"Alright, please come in, sirs." The innkeeper quickly led the three upstairs and pointed out three adjacent rooms to them.

After paying for the room, Jing Xinmo called out to the innkeeper as he turned to leave, "Innkeeper, I have a question for you."

The shopkeeper stiffened slightly, turned around, and forced a smile, saying, "What can I do for you, sir?"

Mirror Heart Demon casually sat down, picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and slowly asked:

"This city looks so deserted, so many shops are closed. What's going on? Could something have happened?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's expression changed slightly, his eyes flickered, and he stammered:

"No...nothing much, it's just...business has been slow lately, so a lot of shops have closed down."

"Yeah?"

Mirror Heart Demon's lips curled slightly, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.

"But to me, it doesn't seem like business is bad; it's more like... something's gone wrong?"

He exuded a faint aura of pressure, which, though not intentionally targeted, was enough to frighten an ordinary cultivator.

The shopkeeper turned pale with fright, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground. He quickly waved his hands and said:

"Please spare me, sir! I... I'll tell the truth!"

"It's the Martial Prince's Mansion... The Martial Prince's Mansion has recently been purging dissidents in the city. Any force that refused to obey their orders has been... has been executed along with its entire family!"

The shopkeeper's voice trembled, filled with deep fear.

"A lot of people were killed in the city a few days ago, blood flowed like a river! Now everyone is terrified, who would dare to go out and do business?"

"My place is just a bit remote, otherwise I would have closed down by now."

Upon hearing this, Jing Xinmo, Yelu Tabuyan, and Yelu Tabuhua all felt a chill run down their spines.

King Wu? Suppressing dissidents?

A glint of light flashed in Jingxin Demon's eyes as he pressed, "Why would the Martial Prince's Mansion do this? Aren't they afraid of being punished by the imperial court?"

The shopkeeper said with a bitter face, "Who knows? I heard... I heard that King Wu is going to rebel!"

"He's got his men everywhere now, who dares to say no?"

"Sir, please don't tell anyone about this! If the people from the Martial Prince's Mansion find out, I'll lose my life!"

Having said that, the shopkeeper dared not linger any longer and scrambled downstairs.

Inside the room, the three looked at each other in bewilderment.

"We never expected to encounter such a thing so soon after entering Qianzhou territory."

Yelü Tabuhua clicked his tongue in astonishment, "King Wu is going to rebel? This is a matter of utmost importance."

Jingxinmo pondered, "It seems that the commander-in-chief's decision to send us to Qianzhou was indeed a wise one."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Perfect, let's investigate thoroughly in Tianfeng City."

"Let's see what King Wu is up to."

Yelü Tabuyan nodded: "Lord Jingxin Demon, Tianfeng City is now under the control of the Martial King. We should proceed with caution."

"That's natural." Mirror Heart Demon's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Next, it's time for my mind-controlling technique to come in handy."

Tianfeng City.

In the secret chamber of the Prince Wu's mansion, the flickering candlelight cast long, eerie shadows.

King Wu stood bowing below, a light sweat beading on his forehead, and addressed the mysterious figure seated above in a deep voice:

"My lord, news has been received from the capital."

"A message came from inside that Emperor Qian has ordered General Song Zongxiang to lead an army of 100,000 cultivators to Tianfeng City, and they will arrive in less than three days."

Upon hearing this, the mysterious man seated at the head of the table tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest, producing a dull sound.

He raised his eyes, a strange glint flashing in them, and said in a calm tone, "I understand."

"This Tianfeng City is their burial ground."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over King Wu, and commanded.

"When the enemy attacks, you will lead your troops to fight them. Remember, you are only allowed to lose."

"I will handle the rest myself."

King Wu dared not utter a word of rebuttal and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Alright, proceed according to plan."

The mysterious leader's voice turned cold, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

"Remember, the objective this time is to annihilate everyone who comes here, leaving no one alive."

"Yes!" the other mysterious figures responded in unison, then their figures flickered and they silently retreated.

In the main hall, only the mysterious leader remained in an instant.

A strange smile curled at the corner of his lips. He muttered to himself:

"For so many years, those of us from the Bloodstained Hall who survive in this world have had to conceal our identities and operate as the assassin organization Mo Yuan."

"The Bloodthirsty Array is complete. The essence and blood of these hundreds of thousands of cultivators should be enough to revive our ancestor."

"The day my Blood Demon Palace reappears will be the day our ancestor recovers."

This person is none other than Leng Ming, the leader of "Mo Yuan," the number one assassin organization in the Eastern Region.

……

The next morning, before dawn, the drill grounds on the outskirts of Beijing were already bustling with activity.

On the high platform, General Song Zongxiang, the protector of the nation, was dressed in a bright silver military uniform, with a scarlet cloak draped over his shoulders and a sword hanging at his waist.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, slowly swept over the army below.

Behind him, five elderly men dressed in plain robes stood silently, their auras restrained yet unfathomable.

—These were the five Nirvana Realm experts dispatched by the Imperial Clan Court.

The Second Prince, Qianxiao, dressed in light armor, stood beside Song Zongxiang, gazing at the army below, his face filled with barely concealed excitement.

"I, Qianxiao, am determined to obtain the position of Crown Prince!" He clenched his fists and shouted inwardly.

"Soldiers!"

Song Zongxiang drew his sword, pointed it straight to the sky, and his voice boomed like a bell.

"King Wu has rebelled, colluded with treacherous officials, and is preparing to wreak havoc on our Great Qian!"

"We are acting on His Majesty's orders to quell the rebellion, eradicate the evil forces, and protect our great land!"

"Cleanse the evil spirits! Protect our land!"

One hundred thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices soaring into the sky and shaking the very air.

"Set off!"

With the booming of war drums, the 100,000-strong army, like a giant steel dragon, marched majestically towards Tianfeng City.