Chapter 63: The Power of the Great Wilderness

Could it be?

He Lingchuan couldn't help but look west, toward the burned-out official quarters.

"No reason. Young Master, we just need to hide well here!" Mao Tao had killed many and been wounded many times, but he was not reckless; he had no desire to engage with an unbeatable opponent.

Just then, someone behind them exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master, you're here!"

Could that voice be...?

He Lingchuan was overjoyed, a feeling unlike any he'd had before. He spun around and indeed saw Zeng Feixiong and five of his men standing at the opening of a cellar.

"Why are you only just arriving now?" the Young Master grumbled, "Where's my father?"

With six skilled fighters now on his side, He Lingchuan felt his strength grow considerably and was much more at ease.

"The Prefect sent us down to help Young Master. He's staying above ground with his men to fend off the vengeful spirits." Zeng Feixiong looked around, bewildered, his mouth agape. "What's going on? Why aren't we helping the State Preceptor?"

"He has ill intentions; he just tried to ambush me." He Lingchuan's face was grim. "All of you, stay put right here! No one goes up!"

Though he didn't know why the State Preceptor would try to ambush He Lingchuan, Zeng Feixiong hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to stay by the Young Master's side. Even if the battle ahead was fierce, both the State Preceptor and Commandant Nian were powerful individuals who could surely take care of themselves.

He Lingchuan narrowed his eyes.

Ever since he first met Sun Fuping, the State Preceptor had acted like an arrogant master. Why hadn't he unleashed any major counterattacks yet? Commandant Nian had blocked most of the monsters' attacks, so where was the State Preceptor's skill?

Even an observer like himself knew the principle of catching the ringleader first. Unless the Black Flood Dragon on the city gate was eliminated, the monsters on the ground would never cease.

Why wasn't Sun Fuping acting?

He Lingchuan muttered to himself, thinking that if he had known the State Preceptor was a paper tiger, why had he and his father obeyed him while enduring such frustration?

Or perhaps the Great Kite Kingdom's destiny was weakening, and with it, the State Preceptor's intimately linked power was also diminishing?

What he didn't know was that Sun Fuping's power was being used to maintain the barrier of reality. After all, He Chunhua and the others outside weren't dealing with just anyone, but the Great Gale Army!

With his power and focus divided, the State Preceptor found himself restricted and greatly annoyed in this fight.

Below the South City Gate, Nian Songyu was already out of breath. "State Preceptor, if you don't use your backup plan now, it will be too late!" Their individual strength was limited, while the Black Flood Dragon seemed to possess infinite power on its own territory. The fight had been unfair from the start; how could they possibly win?

Sun Fuping had already drawn his sword. Just after slitting the throat of a demonic ape, he said, "Alright, gain me thirty breaths of time, completely undisturbed!" His swordsmanship wasn't as good as Nian Songyu's, but it was far from weak.

Seizing the opportunity, he scattered a dozen bronze beans onto the ground. This was the secret art of "scattering beans to make soldiers." The golden-armored warriors that emerged were identical to the two comrades who had fallen earlier.

They formed a protective wall, shielding Sun Fuping firmly in the center.

All divine abilities usable on the battlefield consume a lot of true energy, and their energy cost in this illusion was doubled. Therefore, Sun Fuping was truly making a hefty investment, even using up two dark green Profound Crystals at once.

Previously, the Walnut Disk had traveled across the desert for several hours, carrying over two hundred people, yet it only used three low-grade Profound Crystals, whose quality was far inferior to these two. If He Lingchuan had seen this, he would surely have slapped his thigh in regret, lamenting the immediate loss of three grand estates, complete with mansions, beautiful maids, and productive lands.

"Productive lands" referred to ancestral estates that inherently yielded unique products, such as springs known for brewing excellent tea and wine, or cultivated old plum trees and jasmine with distinctive fragrances, ensuring that any pastries or fragrant cakes made there would surpass those from other workshops. These residences possessed unique geomantic and water advantages that could, in turn, sustain their owners. More significantly, however, they served as a substantial selling point, allowing them to command far greater status and price than ordinary luxury homes.

One could say they were outrageously extravagant.

Er, but I've strayed from the topic.

Nian Songyu, of course, had no time for regrets. He looked at the monsters surging from all directions, calculated the thirty-breath deadline, and gritted his teeth. "Alright!"

If they didn't make a desperate stand while they still had strength, they would soon become mere meat on the chopping block.

Sun Fuping's gaze swept over the ruins of the South City. Somehow, it happened to meet He Lingchuan's.

Naturally, he also saw Zeng Feixiong and Mao Tao.

Since discovering that the monsters summoned by the Black Flood Dragon didn't attack him, He Lingchuan had grown much bolder, even daring to climb to the second floor of an abandoned tavern to watch the commotion. Zeng Feixiong and the others naturally had no choice but to follow.

This location was at the corner where the east and south city walls met, no more than thirty paces from the wall itself.

As their eyes met, He Lingchuan felt a chill run down his spine, because Sun Fuping gave him an unsettling smile.

It was just a smile, as if to tell him, "You're about to have terrible luck."

At this moment, Nian Songyu roared skyward, and a radiant blue light converged around him. Directly above him, a towering, muscular giant's phantom, about five zhang tall, manifested.

This giant, like Nian Songyu, wielded twin blades; though it was also a phantom, its blades were a colossal four zhang long!

As monsters attacked from all sides, Nian Songyu effortlessly delivered two horizontal slashes, then carved a cleaving strike into the air.

Wherever his blade passed, the giant's blade phantom followed, extending more than three zhang beyond his own.

With flashing cold light and surging blade energy, all monsters within a seven-zhang radius were utterly annihilated by his single attack, leaving no intact corpses.

Even the demon birds in the sky plummeted to the ground with a loud clatter.

With a few more follow-up slashes, most of the monsters in the area would be cleared out.

This martial art had a name extremely familiar to He Lingchuan: Primordial Power. It was Nian Songyu's ultimate trump card, allowing him to borrow the strength of a Primordial Giant, making him invincible on the battlefield and even capable of suppressing others' divine abilities.

Its only drawback, perhaps, was that its divine might lasted too short a time, only allowing him to be a domineering powerhouse for a mere fifty seconds.

While the immediate threat subsided, Sun Fuping pulled an ivory carving from his pocket. He bit his index finger and dabbed the flowing blood onto the sculpture.

He Lingchuan was too far away to discern the details of the ivory carving, only noting that the sculpture itself was faintly yellowed, a characteristic of aged ivory, clearly indicating it was an ancient artifact.

Interestingly, after applying the blood, Sun Fuping released the carving, closed his eyes, and began to chant silently. The ivory carving, suspended motionless in mid-air, began to emit a faint glow.

No sooner had the sculpture appeared than the Black Flood Dragon, which had been observing from the city gate, suddenly could not stay put. It plunged directly downwards.

Over fifteen zhang long, it moved faster than a galloping horse. It practically sprang to the ground, already surging towards Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping.

The Black Flood Dragon's target was the ivory carving.

At that moment, Sun Fuping remained still with his eyes closed, merely muttering incantations, so he certainly couldn't stop it.

Their only reliance was Nian Songyu.

Commandant Nian was unleashing devastation, and even the phantom giant above his head was gradually turning red, filled with a furious aura.