Chapter 258: Reentering the Great Dream Academy, Super Ninth-Rank Giant Puppet Divine Weapon

A small detachment of the Restoration Army, numbering around 500 soldiers, was stationed on Twin Islands. The leading general, Jiang Tian, held the rank of Senior Fifth-Grade. He commanded eight Sixth-Grade deputies, with the rest of the soldiers being Seventh-Grade.

They were not invited by Zhao Xing; rather, Sun Shizhao had reported to Chongming Prefecture, requesting their stationing there. Initially, Zhao Xing did not agree to send troops to Twin Islands. He believed that the weaker the island's apparent strength, the better. If it appeared too weak for anyone to bother attacking, it would naturally be safe. What good would an additional 500-strong army do?

Previously, He Wu of the Wuluo Army and Fang Ze of the Jiujiang Army had both offered to send a 500-man team led by a Fifth-Grade officer for defense. But Zhao Xing refused them all. Again, his reasoning was that it would be useless. If a real crisis struck, even an extra 1,500 men wouldn't make a significant difference. In fact, it might even draw unwanted attention. A Fourth-Grade officer would be useful, but with a Fourth-Grade general, Fifth-Grade deputies, and Sixth-Grade soldiers... Twin County, a mere small entity, didn't have the stature for such a deployment. Therefore, Zhao Xing did not endorse sending troops, at least not to his Land Island.

However, Sun Shizhao persisted with his numerous requests. In recent years, Sun Shizhao had been genuinely terrified, as several other islands had suffered attacks of varying degrees. Some county magistrates had been beheaded, dying in the line of duty, while others were demoted for failing to adequately protect the populace. Serving as an official at sea offered great opportunities for promotion but also inherent dangers, for which Sun Shizhao was mentally prepared. Yet, he hadn't arrived at an opportune time. His twenty years in office coincided with the War Against the Barbarians, making the East Sea a far less stable place than before. The official evaluations across Pinghai Province had become much stricter. Had it not been for the arrival of Marquis Yuan Rang nine years prior, he would have returned to inland official duties, even if it meant a demotion to Junior Fifth-Grade.

After Zhao Xing arrived, Sun Shizhao felt his luck had finally turned, and promotion was within reach. However, in the years since the start of the Mid-Grade War, the East Sea had grown progressively more dangerous. Sun Shizhao couldn't understand why, with the East Sea Legion and tribal water armies like Bai Yunwu's blocking the outer seas, they couldn't completely eradicate mere "pirates." They claimed that foreign sect spies, dormant for years, were surfacing. Yet, after years of purges, why was there no visible progress? And how could the naval defense maps change so many times and still be as porous as a sieve?

Reaching Sun Shizhao's level of officialdom was truly frustrating. With evil sects outside, spies within, the imperial court conducting purges, and evil sects carrying out terrorist attacks... Whenever he wanted to accomplish something, he found that as the head official, he had no real authority. When he submitted an application to Chongming Prefecture for the deployment of a military detachment, the Prefectural Aide astonishingly told him to consult Zhao Xing, the Assistant Director of the Imperial Horse Bureau, for his opinion. The stated reason was that military expenses would come from the Ministry of Agriculture, so they needed to ask Director Zhao first.

Sun Shizhao immediately understood that he was completely powerless. Chongming Prefecture's reason was utter nonsense. Even according to the official reply, the proper person to ask should have been Fang Anmin, the Fifth-Grade Director of the Twin County Ministry of Agriculture, as he was the chief financial officer for the county. Why would they ask the Director of the Imperial Horse Bureau? Alright, Marquis Yuan Rang was influential and well-connected, so consulting him was fine. But why wouldn't he agree to send more powerful troops to protect Twin Islands? After years in official circles, Sun Shizhao truly couldn't make sense of the situation anymore.

Seeing Sun Shizhao's persistent requests over the years, Zhao Xing finally agreed to the deployment of 500 Restoration Army soldiers, hoping to ease Sun Shizhao's mind. With the army's protection, he felt somewhat relieved, but these past few days, Sun Shizhao's eyelids had been twitching again. His heart was pounding. Uneasy, he sought out Jiang Tian, but Jiang Tian didn't share his apprehension. He considered rushing to the Imperial Horse Bureau on Land Island to report to Zhao Xing, yet he feared annoying him.

He was anxious, extremely anxious. Sun Shizhao had repeatedly thought about requesting a transfer, but with only six months left until his ten years of meritorious service were complete, he couldn't bring himself to abandon this opportunity. Anxious and mentally exhausted, Sun Shizhao had never felt so weary. When he saw no hope, he had been willing to stake his entire fortune on Zhao Xing leading Twin Islands to prosperity. Yet, years later, his state of mind was far from what it once was. People always become overly cautious when success is within reach. Sun Shizhao just wanted to quickly get through the 29th year of Jingxin, receive a superior evaluation from Chongming Prefecture, and quickly...

“Magistrate Sun, quickly activate the city's grand formation! Organize the citizens to enter the city, hurry!”

“What?” Sun Shizhao stiffened instantly and sprang up, recognizing Jiang Tian's voice. “General, what's happening?”

Jiang Tian's men weren't present; he was using a long-distance communication token: “The hidden sentries I left on the east side of the island are dead, and the patrol guards' passcodes don't match!”

“I'm pretending not to know to buy time, but you must act quickly!”

“Understood!”

Jiang Tian immediately sent telepathic commands to all departments in the county town. “Ministry of Works, activate the defensive grand formation immediately!”

“Inspector Luo Yong, take your men to assist with city defense. Anyone unable to enter the city is undoubtedly a spy; kill them immediately!”

“Also, dispatch a portion of your forces to the Ministry of Agriculture. Assist them in immediately sending out all patrol boats and flying vessels to bring the citizens outside the city back inside.”

“Priest Li of the Divine Temple, send an immediate message to Chongming Prefecture, informing them that we are under an unknown attack.”

“Priests from all temples, immediately summon the roaming spirits to assist the Inspectorate and Ministry of Agriculture outside the city walls...”

Before the incident, he had been terrified, but now that it was upon them, Sun Shizhao felt less afraid. His methodical deployment showcased the qualities of an efficient official. After issuing all commands, he immediately pulled out a talisman and flung it open. Flames flickered, revealing a human face.

“Marquis Yuan Rang, Bay Island is under an unknown attack!”

The face nodded: “You needn't panic. Calm the citizens. I have already killed the primary instigator; the others are fleeing, and I am in pursuit.”

“Huh?” Sun Shizhao froze.

Rewind fifteen minutes. General Golden Throat, leading his subordinates, traversed through a cloud path and quietly descended onto Twin Bay Island from the west.

“General, there are hidden sentries,” his adjutant reported. “Three individuals are lurking three miles southwest, concealed by water-repelling beads.”

“There's also a patrol unit to the northwest, with four hidden sentries.”

“Kill the hidden sentries, capture the patrol guards,” Golden Throat said casually. Their warship was completely invisible; Twin Islands, with its limited capabilities, wouldn't be able to detect it at all. Naval defenses presented only two scenarios: either they couldn't get in, or if they did, it would be a massacre. Because the East Sea Legion and the tribal water armies formed the Great Zhou's strongest naval defenses. With the latest naval defense maps and merchant teams acting as inside informants, their infiltration to this point represented a relatively weak link. A county island's defenses couldn't be too robust.

Of course, the East Sea's vigilance was now much higher, so they had to strike quickly and retreat. General Golden Throat was a relatively young Fourth-Grade expert, not someone nearing the end of his life who would engage in suicidal attacks. After completing the sabotage, he would have to find a new hiding place, only to emerge again in a few months or a year or two.

“Quickly extract key information, then infiltrate Twin City. You'll only have half an hour after entering the city; target officials only, disregard civilians.”

“I repeat, try not to kill them. The priority is to use the Blood Kui Method to lower their cultivation and steal the Great Zhou officials' fortune.” General Golden Throat stated indifferently.

Why was he here? Because after cooperating with a sect, he had acquired a fortune-stealing technique! While lowering their cultivation, he could steal a portion of the Great Zhou officials' fortune. By not killing them, the imperial court would be forced to compensate the officials, causing more damage than simply killing them.

“General, interrogation complete. He says there's something on the island...”

“He's lying, you've been deceived.” Golden Throat struck the captured Seventh-Grade Restoration Army commander with a palm. A blood-red palm print appeared on his forehead, then pierced through his body from behind. Specks of light scattered from the commander's body into the surroundings, but a portion was swept back by the bloody aura.

“Gulp.” General Golden Throat devoured it, and the Seventh-Grade commander's face instantly turned ashen. After that palm strike, he was left with only early Eighth-Grade cultivation; all imperial endowments were gone!

“Not even enough to pick my teeth,” General Golden Throat waved a hand. “Proceed into the city quickly.”

“Yes, General.”

Everyone jumped off the dark golden warship, even General Golden Throat himself, leaving only a few to guard it. The warship wouldn't enter the city directly to avoid being recorded and leaving traces. Mooring outside the island was safe.

However, at that very moment—

“Whoosh!”

A sword light suddenly appeared a thousand meters to the south. Sword energy! A powerful sword energy, like a green dragon, seemed to suddenly burst forth from space. General Golden Throat's scalp tingled, an intense sense of crisis overwhelming him. Having engaged in countless battles over the years, he had faced several life-or-death situations, but this one felt the most potent. As his trembling body turned to face the source of his terror, the green dragon sword energy was already upon him. At that moment, no one else apart from Golden Throat reacted; they continued flying forward.

“Drifting Snow!” In the face of a life-or-death crisis, General Golden Throat's spirit and energy peaked, and his blade technique reached an unprecedented power. He actually achieved a breakthrough in battle. As his blade gleamed, the sky seemed to rain snowflakes. At that instant, General Golden Throat's blade finally matched the speed of the sword energy. Normally, Golden Throat would have been overjoyed, as the power of his 'Drifting Snow' technique was now infinitely close to the attack power of a perfected Fourth-Grade master. However, all he felt now was terror! Because when his blade energy touched the green dragon, it was instantly disintegrated by the dragon's claw. The green dragon sword energy seemed to carry an irresistible force, shattering his blade energy directly with its most powerful posture.

“Clang!”

The Sixth-Grade mid-tier Flowing Light Blade in Golden Throat's hand was struck by the sword energy and flew out of his grasp. The blade spun rapidly like a sharp cutting disc, slicing through the bodies of ten martial artists and three deputies nearby. As for Golden Throat himself, he was struck by the green dragon sword energy.

“Pfft!”

General Golden Throat's battle armor, the Sixth-Grade superior Featherwind Armor, glowed brilliantly. His chest instantly caved in, and Golden Throat's body bent like a shrimp. “Boom!” Although the sword energy didn't penetrate the armor, its power had been reduced by seventy percent. However, the remaining thirty percent delivered a terrifying impact, shattering the golden bones in his chest and abdomen and piercing his heart.

“Such magnificent sword dao...” Golden Throat felt death approaching, a look of intoxication on his face. People like him, who lived by the blade and infiltrated a celestial empire like Great Zhou, had long come to terms with their own mortality. “To die by such sword dao, I have no regrets.” General Golden Throat lamented, noting that he hadn't even been repelled by the attack. The power of the sword energy, bound by its master's dao, was completely concentrated at a single point, with no leakage. It was mighty, domineering, and possessed extremely strong penetrating power. This was the realm he had pursued his entire life.

“General? General?!”

Only when Golden Throat's aura rapidly weakened and he could no longer sustain flight, beginning to fall, did anyone react. Everything happened too quickly: from Golden Throat's blade flying out and harming over a dozen of his own men, to his life force draining and him falling, it was all instantaneous. At this point, Golden Throat's primordial spirit was shattered, but he was not yet completely dead, though he could no longer issue any commands. As those nearby propped up his body, attempting to form a vital energy battle formation to salvage the situation, it was already too late.

“Retreat!”

This team was indeed an elite force. Despite their leader's death and several deputies being killed, the highest-ranking surviving officer immediately stepped forward to issue commands. They instantly formed a vital energy battle formation, attempting to return to their warship.

Hidden in the mist, Zhao Xing watched the scene, frowning slightly. “Japanese forces? And elite ones at that. How did they get in?”

However, their attempt to retreat was futile. Because Zhao Xing had deployed eight Myriad Dharma Avatars, seven of which were the strongest variants. Not only were their materials all Sixth-Grade, capable of casting advanced Sixth-rank spells, but they also stored Yang An's sword energy. Their life soul power was weaker, unable to sustain prolonged combat, but their life soul rank was still Fifth-Grade. Even if the avatars couldn't handle it, a cat, a dog, and a goat were waiting in the mist.

“Soaring Serpent Transformation!”

Zhao Xing no longer wasted sword energy, as only seven strands remained. All eight of his avatars simultaneously performed the Soaring Serpent Transformation, instantly targeting the eight squad leaders – precisely these eight Fifth-Grade cultivators who were attempting to form a vital energy battle formation. “Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft!” The Soaring Serpent Transformation instantly made these eight men vomit blood. The large snake's vital energy phantom that had coalesced above their heads immediately dissipated.

“Not dead?”

“Evil Wind Fiend!”

“Thunderbolt Truth-Shattering Finger!”

Zhao Xing then continuously unleashed high-level spells. With his current comprehension of the Dao, which had reached the Fourth-Grade level, even with the limitations of the Myriad Dharma Avatars, the second wave of attacks immediately killed these eight squad leaders. At this point, the elite Japanese squad immediately collapsed. Only twenty Fifth-Grade cultivators remained in the team, and these twenty had just entered the Pure Yuan Realm, their golden bones not yet fully formed. They couldn't even see their enemies now, and with another gust of the Evil Wind Fiend, even the most resolute wills crumbled. Thus, they scattered, fleeing for their lives.

“Trying to escape? Not so easy. Xiaotian, Aotian, Huantian, kill them.” Zhao Xing immediately gave orders to the three combat beasts.

“Woof!”

“Meow!”

“Baa!”

The Cyan Lion and Mountain Cat immediately rushed out of the mist. The Spirit Illusionary Goat, however, stood still, its eyes glowing red.

The Myriad Dharma Avatars deployed a Cloud Law Domain, instantly causing the speed of the twenty early Fifth-Grade cultivators to plummet. The Evil Wind Fiend already prevented them from accelerating, and now, with the Cloud Law Domain's suppression, their vital energy was rapidly depleting. The Spirit Illusionary Goat's illusions directly affected their life souls, living up to its nickname 'Inverting Goat'. The remaining fifty to sixty individuals immediately fell under the illusion, disoriented and inverted. Those attempting to fly upwards suddenly crashed to the ground, while those