Chapter 718: Stars Lose Their Light, Sun and Moon Retreat

A wave of exhilaration spread in all directions as Xu Qing and the Captain stood tall in the sky. All the Sword Holders were deeply stirred, vaguely feeling as if they were transported back to the pivotal moment of the Fenghai County Governor's change. At that time, Xu Qing had also stood between heaven and earth in a similar manner, his figure etched into everyone's hearts. Today, however, this figure was even more magnificent, his aura like a surging rainbow, shaking heaven and earth.

Driven by this excitement, the Sword Holders flew out one after another, converging towards Xu Qing in ever-increasing numbers. At this moment, a powerful will to fight also surged throughout Fenghai County.

Although Seventh Master and Marquis Yao's cultivation and status far surpassed Xu Qing's, they were like figures on clouds in everyone's hearts—to be admired from afar, but not to be approached. They were simply too distant.

Xu Qing, however, was different. He was their comrade-in-arms, who had faced life and death alongside them. They not only knew him well but also deeply respected his character. Therefore, they felt both respect and a strong sense of closeness towards Xu Qing.

At this moment, all the Sword Holders stood by Xu Qing's side, standing with him.

Gazing at his comrades, Xu Qing's heart was stirred. He remembered what Zixuan had told him: when he first arrived in Fenghai County, he hadn't felt much connection to the Sword Holders and was unsure if he should truly integrate. Zixuan had told him that when he developed initial respect, and subsequently reverence, for the organization and its members, he might find his answer. Respect came from understanding, and reverence came from Kong Liangxiu, the old palace master of the Sword Holding Palace.

Various emotions welled up in Xu Qing's heart. He took a deep breath and suppressed them, knowing that this was not the time for reminiscing. This great crisis concerning Fenghai County was far from over.

Only Old Ancestor Lingyun and some defecting cultivators had died. They might have considered themselves extraordinary, capable of commanding the wind and rain within their own domains, and felt valued. In reality, however, to the middle-aged man sitting on the white elephant, these individuals were nothing more than common sparrows from a remote, impoverished region. To him, having come from the Imperial Capital Domain and accustomed to a position of superiority, these matters were insignificant. He only regretted Old Ancestor Lingyun's demise. However, this regret was not particularly deep.

What truly made his expression serious was the fact that Xu Qing and the Captain, while in the Spirit Repository realm, had managed to defeat Void Return cultivators—an unprecedented feat even in the Imperial Capital Domain.

"Only among the super-clans of the Wanggu Continent does such a situation occur, but even then, it's extremely rare," he mused. The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Xu Qing and the Captain. Before this, he had heard Xu Qing's name and understood its significance to Fenghai County. He privately acknowledged that such a prodigy indeed warranted Fenghai County's profound attention.

"This boy is not far from fully maturing," he thought. "And the person beside him—I've never heard of him before." With this thought, he slowly spoke.

"Are you Xu Qing?" he continued. "Before this esteemed one arrived here, I heard the Seventh Prince speak highly of you. You even achieved ten thousand zhang in the Emperor's Heart Inquiry, and His Majesty himself granted you commendations. Therefore, regarding your act of slaying Lingyun, this esteemed one will not pursue it for now. As someone granted first-class human battle merit, a gold medal, yellow robes, and Imperial Academy qualification, you must surely understand the greater good. This time, the conscription of Fenghai County will be led by you. You will go to the battlefield and atone for your actions through merit. Are you willing?"

The middle-aged man on the white elephant spoke indifferently. The moment he spoke, the tens of thousands of battle-cultivator soldiers around him, clad in blood-red armor and mounted on giant lizards, all took a step forward in unison. Their advance immediately stirred up monstrous waves, causing the sky to change color, fierce winds to howl, forming a storm that churned the clouds and wind. A chilling murderous intent was exceptionally strong, as if a single command would send them to flatten all obstacles in their path.

In Fenghai County, under the influence of this oppressive aura, murderous intent also surged. The Sword Holders drew their swords one after another, awaiting only Xu Qing's command. The cultivators from the other two palaces and disciples from various sects also stood solemn.

Xu Qing remained silent, not immediately answering the Supervisor's question. Instead, he turned his head to look at the surrounding Sword Holders, then at all the cultivators of Fenghai County, and finally at Seventh Master and Marquis Yao.

Seventh Master's eyes showed even deeper gratification, and he smiled. "You've grown up," he said. This single sentence fully expressed his intent, entrusting all choices to Xu Qing.

Marquis Yao looked at Xu Qing, his expression slightly dazed. Vaguely, he seemed to see Kong Liangxiu's figure from the past in Xu Qing. He, too, smiled and nodded towards Xu Qing. "You have performed astonishing deeds for the people of Fenghai County," Marquis Yao said. "If not for your cultivation being insufficient, the position of Governor would have inherently been yours. Your master and I managed Fenghai County before you fully matured. Now... you will decide Fenghai County's future path."

As the two spoke, the palace masters and deacons of the three palaces, as well as the powerhouses of various sects, all looked at Xu Qing, their gazes mostly gentle.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, bowed to Seventh Master and Marquis Yao, then turned to look around. Seeing the expressions in the Fenghai County cultivators' eyes, he understood their intentions. With a ripple in his eyes, Xu Qing looked at the White Elephant Supervisor and spoke calmly.

"By the Human Emperor's decree, Fenghai County is self-governing," Xu Qing declared. "I regret that your words cannot be obeyed!"

The moment Xu Qing spoke, Fenghai County's aura erupted with a roar. This was a statement the people of Fenghai County had long wanted to utter, but lacking the confidence, they had only been able to endure. Now that Xu Qing had said it, it was like a peal of thunder, echoing in all directions.

A cold glint flashed in the middle-aged Supervisor's eyes upon hearing this. Then, he slightly lowered his eyelids and spoke indifferently. "Take Xu Qing down," he commanded. "Send him to the Heavenly King for judgment. If anyone resists, they will be charged with treason and executed on the spot."

The next moment, the tens of thousands of blood-armored troops in mid-air erupted with overwhelming killing intent. They marched in formation, their aura engulfing mountains and rivers, thundering towards Fenghai County with an overwhelming momentum. From a distance, the shadow of a colossal blood-colored giant lizard emerged from the converged aura erupting from these tens of thousands of soldier-cultivators, letting out a deafening roar in the sky towards Fenghai County. Its roar shattered the void, creating a storm. Instantly, the earth trembled, clouds churned, and the sun and moon lost their luster.

As for Fenghai County's side, they had already endured to their limit. Now their aura also exploded, figures transforming into long rainbows, forming their own formations in mid-air. There were three formations, corresponding to the three different palaces. From the Sword Holding Palace, their aura converged to form a sword shadow, capable of cleaving mountains, rivers, all things, and all beings. The Ministry of Rites Palace and the Ministry of Justice Palace were likewise, each with its own powerful aura. On the ground, towering puppets also flew out rapidly, each driven by multiple cultivators. At the same time, a vast net appeared in the sky as Fenghai County's taboo artifacts were activated, along with the taboos of multiple sects, spreading across heaven and earth.

While war might be unfamiliar or small-scale for human counties in other domains, Fenghai County had just experienced a large-scale war a few years prior, and those who remained were all battle-hardened cultivators. Therefore, they were no strangers to war.

In an instant, both sides clashed in battle between heaven and earth. Xu Qing bowed to the sky, intending to ask Old Ninth to act, but received no response. Xu Qing sighed inwardly, but he understood that a figure like Ninth Grandfather wouldn't act just because he wished it. It depended on the enemy's level.

Soon, the battlefield roared endlessly, and thunder crashed. The golden-armored subordinates around the middle-aged man on the white elephant each revealed a sharp coldness in their eyes, flying out one after another. As their Void Return cultivation erupted, Seventh Master, Marquis Yao, and others also flew to meet them. The Void Return powerhouses from both sides engaged in a great battle.

The Fenghai County traitors in the army who hadn't been killed by Xu Qing's previous boat impact felt a knot of tension in their hearts as they saw the war erupt. However, based on their assessment of the situation, their panic quickly vanished, and they joined the battle.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, his body swaying as he flew directly towards those individuals. Wherever he passed, the void roared. In the blink of an eye, Xu Qing approached a Spirit Repository cultivator. Xu Qing's speed in his first layer of God-Spirit state was too fast. The opponent was horrified and tried to retreat, but it was too late. Xu Qing raised his left hand and delivered a punch. This punch didn't land directly on the opponent, but it altered the surrounding rules and laws, creating a pulling force that turned his retreat into an advance. In the blink of an eye, the retreating Spirit Repository cultivator spat out blood as his own rules backfired, his body uncontrollably rushing towards Xu Qing. As his expression turned to despair, Xu Qing thrust out with his black long spear. Unable to dodge or resist, the taboo spear pierced directly through the cultivator's neck. The power contained within it erupted, shattering both the cultivator's body and his secret repository. He was annihilated, body and soul.

Xu Qing did not stop. He turned, swept his gaze, and charged towards the next person. The Captain had also rushed forward. Blue light enveloped one person, and as it dissipated, the opponent's figure vanished. Only the Captain remained, licking his lips, his body shining with light, as he charged towards another. Around them were also Sword Holders from the former Writ Bureau. They had voluntarily chosen to become personal guards, accompanying Xu Qing and the Captain into the fray.

Soon, with everyone's concerted attacks, these traitors met tragic and gruesome deaths one after another. Some uttered venomous curses before dying. "The Seventh Prince will surely know of today's events!" some shrieked. "Xu Qing, we will wait for you in the Yellow Springs!" "The moment Heavenly King Lan returns," others cursed, "he will surely annihilate you all!"

Xu Qing remained unmoved. After slaying these traitors, he looked at the battlefield in the sky. At this moment, after a brief clash between the two armies, Fenghai's side had a significant advantage, thanks to the augmentation of taboo treasures and the sharpness of Fenghai County's cultivators. The tens of thousands of blood-armored troops continuously retreated. And the Void Return battle in the sky was likewise.

This scene made the middle-aged Supervisor on the white elephant's gaze grow colder. He admitted he had underestimated Fenghai County, but it didn't matter. As a Supervisor who returned from the battlefield to conscript troops, he relied not on these soldiers, but on the Heavenly King Lan's decree he held. So he unhurriedly raised his hand, and a golden jade pendant in his palm emitted an overwhelming radiance. This golden light spread outwards, continuously releasing, dazzling and blinding. At the same time, an aura of 'God-Concealing' transformed into immense pressure, rising furiously within.

The sky darkened, the void blurred, and as the earth trembled, the cultivators of Fenghai County all shook in their hearts and minds, retreating one by one. Their hearts trembled with sorrow and indignation. Their cultivation was suppressed, their souls were shaken; everything about them was incredibly fragile before this 'God-Concealing' aura.

"Does a firefly's glow dare to contend with the bright moon?" the middle-aged man uttered coldly. He spoke indifferently, a coldness appearing in his eyes, as gigantic golden characters rapidly formed in front of him. "By decree, all sentient beings of the Holy Lan Great Domain are conscripted for battle," the golden characters read.

The moment these twelve gigantic golden characters appeared, the 'God-Concealing' aura reached its peak, and heaven and earth violently trembled. It was precisely at this moment that Xu Qing looked up at the sky above, cupped his fist in a bow, and spoke in a concentrated voice. "Ninth Grandfather, please," he said.

The moment Xu Qing spoke, a heaven-rending sword light sliced through the sky and descended from above. This single sword strike made the sky rise and the earth collapse, its aura shattering all myriad laws. This single sword strike caused all stars to lose their light and forced the sun and moon to give way. The sky was torn, revealing a massive scar. The void shattered, forming an elongated black hole. All light, all sound, all spirit, and all will were, at the moment this sword appeared, drawn in by it and swallowed by the black hole. Everything vanished, and time itself stood still.

Only this sword light fell silently, with astonishing grace and peerless power, striking the 'God-Concealing' aura released by the jade slip in the middle-aged man's hand. Heavenly King Lan's aura instantly collapsed. The golden light dimmed, becoming ordinary. The twelve gigantic golden characters that had appeared before the middle-aged man on the white elephant, which had made all beings tremble, could no longer shine. As the sword light swept past, they all collapsed, splitting into pieces, utterly destroyed and turning into dust.

Exploding along with them was the jade pendant in the middle-aged man's hand. Cracks appeared on the jade pendant, which contained Heavenly King Lan's decree. More and more cracks spread across its entire surface in an instant, turning it into dust that scattered onto the middle-aged man's body. The middle-aged man on the white elephant's body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes revealing unprecedented horror. He struggled to lift his head, gazing at the sky. He saw nothing, but he could imagine what kind of being existed there.

"I..." he began. The middle-aged man on the white elephant opened his mouth to speak, but had no chance. A gust of wind blew, and his body turned into dust, scattering around. Only he died. The white elephant beneath him was completely unharmed, but it trembled and immediately prostrated itself. As for the surrounding blood-armored soldiers, not one was harmed by this sword.

This was Old Ninth. His sword had reached an extreme level where, when passing through a thousand armies, a single thought could destroy all, or a single thought could kill only one person, leaving everything else unharmed. Clearly, although Old Ninth had acted, he still held humanity in his heart, and thus did not kill excessively. But it was enough.

The moment the sword light dissipated, and the middle-aged man on the white elephant turned into dust, the entire world fell silent. Those blood-armored soldiers and the Supervisor's subordinates trembled violently. Their faces and hearts were replaced by intense terror, which became a storm roaring through their entire bodies. They saw this sword and understood its profound meaning. It was this very realization that left everyone's minds blank, with only fear remaining.

Fenghai County's side was likewise affected. All the Sword Holders, cultivators from the three palaces, and elites from various sects had their hearts churning, as if immense waves had turned into monstrous tsunamis. The sect masters and the palace masters and deacons of the three palaces in mid-air were also profoundly affected. Their hearts were unprecedentedly shaken, and they instinctively looked at Xu Qing with disbelief. They vaguely remembered that before this earth-shattering sword strike fell, Xu Qing had bowed to the sky and called out "Ninth Grandfather"...

Zixuan also froze, somewhat dazed as she looked at Xu Qing. Marquis Yao's heart also fluctuated. He had felt a sense of familiarity when he saw the words "Ji Cang" on Xu Qing's large boat earlier. As a member of a Heavenly Marquis family, even though their family had declined, many ancient texts remained. Connecting this to the great domain Xu Qing had been in before, he vaguely remembered that in the Moon Sacrifice Great Domain, a very long time ago, the last sovereign's heir was named Li Jicang! And that sovereign's ninth son was skilled in swordplay... Thinking of this, Marquis Yao's heart pounded intensely.

As for Seventh Master, his expression was strange. He looked at the sky, his expression filled with emotion and a hint of sighing. Then he seemed relieved, shaking his head, and looked at Xu Qing and his eldest disciple, a look of profound gratification replacing everything else in his eyes.

The Captain saw this scene. Xu Qing didn't pay much attention, his focus was on the trembling blood-armored army. Ninth Grandfather was unwilling to kill these people, and Xu Qing also found them difficult to handle. So, after a moment of silence, Xu Qing turned to look at the giant boat. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu were crouching there, secretly observing the outside.

Noticing Xu Qing's gaze, Ning Yan blinked, instinctively lowered his head with a bitter expression, not daring to meet his gaze, yet his peripheral vision couldn't help but follow Xu Qing. Seeing this, Xu Qing's gaze turned cold, and his brows furrowed. The Captain also looked over with a half-smile. Ning Yan's heart skipped a beat. He feared the Captain, but what he feared most was Xu Qing; after all, the Captain only bit him, while his acquaintance with Xu Qing had nearly resulted in his death. And now, with both of them looking at him, Ning Yan knew that if he didn't obey, he likely wouldn't have a good outcome. So he sighed inwardly, gritted his teeth, stood up from his crouch, and walked out of the large boat.

Wu Jianwu, standing nearby, blinked. He naturally understood what Ning Yan was about to do, so he began to compose poetry in his mind.

Ning Yan's appearance didn't attract much attention at first, until, as he walked, his bloodline erupted, forming a golden canopy swaying above him. Furthermore, a four-clawed golden dragon materialized as his bloodline continuously spread, flying between heaven and earth, letting out an earth-shattering roar to the sky. The moment the golden dragon appeared, its roar shook in all directions. Moreover, imperial robes appeared on Ning Yan. All of this instantly made Ning Yan the center of attention for countless eyes. The cultivators of Fenghai County all looked over, their expressions changing, filled with surprise and shock.

What was even more shocking were the tens of thousands of terrified blood-armored troops and the Supervisor's Void Return subordinates. Intimidated by that sword strike and stuck in a dilemma, their expressions all changed dramatically upon seeing Ning Yan. The bloodline fluctuations emanating from Ning Yan and the golden four-clawed dragon immediately made those from the Imperial Capital Domain sense the aura of royalty. This scene immediately made these soldiers suspicious and uncertain. However, they didn't recognize Ning Yan; clearly, he was not prominent among the Human Emperor's descendants.

So Ning Yan, standing in mid-air, was a bit awkward. He couldn't just directly introduce himself, so he could only stand in mid-air, fully releasing his bloodline aura. Gradually, his aura grew stronger. The royal bloodline fluctuations swept grandly, enveloping all directions. It was precisely at this moment that the Captain flew out, appearing behind Ning Yan, and shouted at the blood-armored army. "How dare you!" the Captain roared. "You see the Twelfth Prince, and you still don't bow in reverence!"

The moment the Captain spoke, the surrounding shock intensified. Ning Yan also inwardly sighed in relief. He maintained a solemn expression, calmly looked at the army ahead, and spoke indifferently. "This Prince is the Twelfth Son of the Human Emperor, Guyue Ning Yan," he said. "You should know this Prince's name."

The moment Ning Yan spoke, the blood-armored troops were all moved, especially the Void Return powerhouses among them. Their hearts stirred as they recalled that among the Human Emperor's princes, there was one who rarely appeared in public after his birth mother's death—it was precisely the Twelfth Prince. The bloodline fluctuations emanating from him could not be faked. Most importantly, the giant lizard shadow formed by their army was now also bowing its head towards the golden dragon. All of this was enough to prove everything. So, after a moment of hesitation, everyone bowed their heads, paying respects to Ning Yan. "Greetings, Twelfth Prince!" they chorused. Fenghai County's side also had their hearts churning at this change, and at this moment, they successively bowed their heads, paying respects to him. Marquis Yao did the same.

Watching all this, Ning Yan felt a surge of pride, raising his chin, almost forgetting his own status in Fenghai County. Fortunately, the Captain considerately coughed behind him, instantly making Ning Yan clear-headed. Ning Yan's heart jolted. He quickly suppressed his inner pride and, after adjusting his mindset, swept his gaze across the army and spoke calmly.

"Fenghai County's self-governance is my Imperial Father's decree," he stated. "Although you were misled by others, you have indeed committed offenses. Bind yourselves, and await this Prince's petition to Imperial Father for a final decision."

Ning Yan's voice spread, and the tens of thousands of troops fell silent. With that astonishing sword strike preceding them and a prince appearing afterward, both emotionally and rationally, they could not but obey. Likewise, this also made them each sigh in relief.