Chapter 1531: Central Plains Turmoil Arises

In the northern Central Plains, within the Jinli Mountain Range of the Great Qin Dynasty, a group of cultivators were locked in battle on a vast, boundless plain, with surging energy waves and continuous roars echoing across the land.

Wang Tianwen's expression was cold. His Confucian robe was stained with brownish blood, and his face was pale. He had already reached the eighth layer of Core Formation. For years, he had traveled extensively, eradicating rogue cultivators and protecting ordinary mortals. His official rank had soared. He had joined the Myriad Immortals Bureau less than a century ago and was already a Deputy Commander. Eight other Deputy Commanders ranked above him, each backed by powerful factions. Deputy Commander positions were typically granted to those with connections, holding little real power and few subordinates.

Amidst the internal conflicts of the Great Qin Dynasty, the Great Yan Dynasty and four other dynasties seized the opportune moment. These four great dynasties each backed factions they favored, seeking to maximize their own interests. Against this backdrop, the Myriad Immortals Bureau dispatched Wang Tianwen to the Great Qin Dynasty to establish contact with Prince Li. The Great Yan Dynasty secretly supported several factions, and Prince Li was merely one of them; otherwise, Wang Tianwen would not have been assigned this task.

Wang Tianwen and his group were attacked shortly after leaving Prince Li's territory. While Confucianism flourished in the Great Qin Dynasty, the Demonic Path also wielded significant influence.

A voluptuous young woman in a black dress, possessing a pair of captivating 'peach blossom' eyes, wielded a shimmering black folding fan. With every flick of the fan, a pungent black mist surged forth, striking her opponents. When the black mist struck a cultivator's magic artifact, the artifact immediately emitted a wisp of green smoke, its spiritual light dimming until it flickered precariously, as if it could drop at any moment. When the black mist struck a cultivator's protective spiritual light, a scream echoed, and the cultivator dissolved into a pool of blood.

A blood-robed man, gaunt and pale, brandished a ten-foot-long blood-colored banner. With each swing, rolling blood flames erupted, aimed at Wang Tianwen. Another assailant was a hunched, wrinkled old man in golden robes, clutching a shimmering golden short blade. Each slash at the void unleashed a torrent of golden light blades.

Wang Tianwen's subordinates dwindled, falling one by one into pools of blood, their screams echoing ceaselessly. He took a deep breath. With a flick of his sleeve, three metallic spheres of various colors flew out, transforming into three distinct third-order puppet beasts: a three-zhang-tall ape, a five-zhang-large spider, and a giant eagle with a five-zhang wingspan. He quickly formed a hand seal, and the three third-order puppet beasts instantly charged towards the three Core Formation cultivators.

The ape puppet beast, wielding a shimmering red giant axe, cleaved towards the black-robed young woman. The spider puppet beast's claws shot out, transforming into scythe-like blades that struck the blood-robed man. Meanwhile, the giant eagle puppet beast spread its wings and dove from above, its golden talons aimed at the golden-robed old man's skull.

The black-robed young woman and her two companions hastily controlled their magic artifacts to attack the puppet beasts. However, the puppet beasts were impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire; ordinary artifacts simply couldn't harm them. A single low-grade third-order puppet beast typically costs around 700,000 spirit stones. This set of three puppet beasts, personally refined by Wang Qingqing for Wang Tianwen, cost over 2.5 million spirit stones, and he rarely used them.

The black mist struck the ape puppet beast, but it remained unharmed. The red giant axe in its hand erupted with blinding red light, cleaving towards the black-robed young woman. The black-robed young woman dared not meet the blow head-on and quickly retreated. A whooshing sound filled the air as five scythe-like blades shot towards her. These blades were connected by long, thin filaments to the spider puppet beast. The black-robed young woman swiftly conjured a black shield, positioning it in front of her. Dull thuds echoed as the black shield remained intact, albeit with a few shallow marks on its surface.

A golden giant eagle descended from the sky, its sharp talons aiming for the black-robed young woman's skull. Her face paled in alarm. She quickly summoned a black handkerchief, which instantly expanded to meet the golden giant eagle. The ape puppet beast charged forward, its red giant axe striking the black shield. The impact sent the black-robed young woman, along with her shield, flying backward. She coughed up blood continuously, her face turning pale. Before she could regain her footing, five scythe-like blades shot towards her, striking her protective spiritual light with dull thuds.

A loud whooshing sound erupted as a colossal, shimmering golden character, 'Bing' (兵 - soldier), the size of a small mountain, shot forth and slammed into the black-robed young woman.

Boom!

Following a shriek, the black-robed young woman was reduced to a pulp.

A shimmering golden book floated before Wang Tianwen. He formed hand seals with his ten fingers, sending forth streams of incantations. Shimmering golden characters flew out; the 'He' (河 - river) character transformed into a turbulent river that surged towards his opponents, while the 'Yan' (焰 - flame) character instantly became a colossal fireball, ten zhang in diameter, that hurtled towards them. With the aid of the three third-order puppet beasts, the other two Core Formation cultivators were no match for Wang Tianwen and were clearly at a disadvantage.

The golden-robed old man let out a powerful roar, like a beast's bellow. Lower-level cultivators felt dizzy and couldn't stand steadily, and Wang Tianwen experienced a slight discomfort. Above him, golden light shimmered, manifesting a golden mountain over a hundred zhang tall, which then crashed down. Wang Tianwen remained unperturbed. He conjured a shimmering yellow talisman, which transformed into a burly young man in yellow robes. The youth's vacant eyes indicated he was a Talisman Soldier. The yellow-robed youth's body glowed with bright yellow light as he smashed his fists towards the golden mountain.

Boom!

The yellow-robed youth's legs sank into the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Wang Tianwen transformed into a streak of light and escaped. With a thunderous crash, the golden mountain crushed the yellow-robed youth.

"A Talisman Soldier! And a set of puppet beasts! What is your connection to the Green Lotus Immortal Couple?" the golden-robed old man exclaimed, his eyes wide with apprehension. Few factions in the Dongli Realm sold complete sets of puppet beasts, and when combined with Talisman Soldiers, only the Green Lotus Wang Family possessed such items; there was no other.

Wang Tianwen offered no reply. He urged his spell, and the three third-order puppet beasts pounced on the golden-robed old man. The blood-robed man sensed impending danger and transformed into a streak of crimson light, breaking through the air to flee.

"Too late to think of escaping now." Wang Tianwen sneered. The ground abruptly shattered, and countless yellow earthen ropes, as thick as bowls, burst forth, instantly coiling around the crimson light. A barrage of sharp earthen spears erupted from the ground, piercing through the blood-robed man's body.

A pained scream rent the air as the ape puppet beast crushed the golden-robed old man's head. Wang Tianwen's face was slightly pale. Witnessing this scene, his subordinates were filled with admiration.

"Deputy Commander, your Daoist magic is profound; your subordinate is deeply impressed. These fools dared to trouble us, they truly deserved death," a shrewd-faced middle-aged man spoke in a fawning tone.

Wang Tianwen withdrew his spell, retrieving the puppet beasts and Talisman Soldier. He then collected the valuables from the three corpses and commanded, "Let's go! The Great Qin Dynasty won't hold out much longer. We must return to the Imperial Capital to report!"

Wang Tianwen casually tossed a few fireballs, incinerating the corpses, then departed with his subordinates.