Chapter 1699: Yankang River Saint King

"Azure Emperor, are you willing to surrender to Yankang?"

Jiang Baigui, having trapped the Azure Emperor's primordial spirit, immediately declared, "You have been defeated. Surrender and live as a meritorious minister, or refuse and die."

The Azure Emperor's primordial spirit moved frantically within Jiang Baigui's Celestial Palace, attempting to escape. He roared, "Emperor Taichu showed me great kindness, a debt I can never repay in this life! I shall forever remain a loyal subject of Taichu and will never surrender, even unto death!"

The Azure Emperor's physical body was completely suppressed by Earth Virtue Primordial Monarch Gongsun Yan, making his primordial spirit's combat strength inferior to his body's. Once trapped in Jiang Baigui's Celestial Palace, he found no way out.

Jiang Baigui's Celestial Palace was utterly peculiar. It wasn't forged from any primordial grand path. Instead, its thirty-six Heavenly Palaces were formed from post-celestial paths such as agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishing, commerce, casting, and even weaponry like sabers, spears, swords, and halberds!

Jiang Baigui's path was clearly one of "achieving the Dao through power," yet it differed from the classic interpretations of this concept.

The classic method of "achieving the Dao through power" involved cultivating primordial grand paths, like Emperor Haotian and Taichu. They refined Heavenly Palaces and Treasure Halls, ascended to the Empyrean, sat upon imperial thrones, imprinted the ultimate void, and thus achieved the status of Grand Luo by force.

However, Jiang Baigui's approach integrated both post-celestial and primordial grand paths. His thirty-six Heavenly Palaces were based on post-celestial paths, while his seventy-two Treasure Halls were based on primordial paths, and all were complete.

Although he had encountered these grand paths before, he had never seen anyone cultivate them to such a profound level!

No matter where he tried to escape, he couldn't break free!

Jiang Baigui possessed a total of 108 post-celestial and primordial grand paths, each corresponding to a set of Imperial Throne-level cultivation techniques. Primordial techniques were relatively common; after all, since the Dragon Han era, many intelligent individuals had cultivated primordial grand paths, and a considerable number had reached the Imperial Throne realm.

From the Dragon Han era to the present, there were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, accumulated primordial Imperial Throne-level techniques, so assembling seventy-two Treasure Halls shouldn't be difficult.

However, post-celestial Imperial Throne-level techniques were extremely rare. Throughout history, the Azure Emperor knew only Emperor Kaihuang who had achieved the Imperial Throne through post-celestial paths and gained widespread fame.

Even the renowned Heavenly Venerate Mu had not cultivated solely post-celestial paths, nor had he reached the Imperial Throne realm.

Yet, Jiang Baigui's Heavenly Palaces were formed from post-celestial paths—thirty-six Heavenly Palaces, each representing a post-celestial Imperial Throne-level technique. The difficulty of achieving the Dao this way was unimaginable!

Despite this, Jiang Baigui had successfully pioneered this path and had now cultivated to the Jade Capital realm.

His Jade Capital City was unlike any the Azure Emperor had ever seen. No matter where he tried to break through, Jiang Baigui would force him back!

Jiang Baigui's expression was solemn as he gravely stated, "Azure Emperor wishes to repay his lord with his life, demonstrating loyalty and courage. Then I shall grant him his wish."

He suddenly withdrew his thirty-six Heavenly Palaces and seventy-two Treasure Halls. The Azure Emperor's primordial spirit felt the pressure lift and prepared to escape, only to see the Duke of Wei, King of Mount Tai, General Tian Ce, and other Yankang leaders leading vast armies to surround him completely!

These three Yankang armies spread out their formations, activating their array diagrams. They locked him down, along with his petrified physical body, and fiercely attacked.

Jiang Baigui declared in a low voice, "Surround them but do not annihilate them. Draw out the Eastern Heaven armies from their passes to rescue him."

The Azure Emperor's heart turned cold. "Surround but do not annihilate"—this strategy aimed to lure out all sixty Eastern Heaven military commanders, disrupt the Eastern Heaven's formations, and demoralize their army!

Any army that marched out to rescue him would inevitably fall straight into Jiang Baigui's trap and face a battle of annihilation!

They would be fresh troops, awaiting the exhausted Eastern Heaven forces, and then annihilated in a single blow by the Yankang army led by Jiang Baigui!

And he, the Azure Emperor, would become the bait for Jiang Baigui to annihilate millions of Eastern Heaven gods and devils!

"Eastern Heaven commanders, you must hold your positions! Do not come to my rescue!"

He exerted all his strength, attempting to break through the encirclement, but his injuries mounted. He knew Jiang Baigui was doing this deliberately, using the life of their commanding general to create an opportunity to crush the Eastern Heaven army.

Yet, he could not escape.

"Yankang National Master, I am about to die."

The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon was carried over by many soldiers. Having fought the Azure Emperor to the brink of exhaustion, his spirit was on the verge of scattering, and his breath was faint as he whispered, "Have I earned merit? Will Heavenly Venerate Mu revive me...?"

His eyes were filled with hope.

Jiang Baigui shook his head. "Eastern Emperor, you cannot die yet. Summon the Medicine King!"

A middle-aged pharmacist, leading several younger pharmacists, approached. After examining the Eastern Emperor's injuries, he said, "As long as he still has a breath, he can be saved. Bring that horse here."

A soldier led forward the dragon horse. Surprisingly, it had not died in the battle between the Eastern Emperor and the Azure Emperor but had escaped alongside the dragon ridden by the Azure Emperor.

In their fierce close-quarters combat, both the Eastern Emperor and the Azure Emperor had been consumed by battle lust, completely forgetting about their mounts, which allowed the animals to escape.

The pharmacist extended his hand and, with a delicate pinch, extracted the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's dragon energy from the dragon horse's body. Stripped of its dragon energy, the horse immediately reverted to a scrawny, old, reddish-brown nag, suffering from constant diarrhea.

The pharmacist then channeled this dragon energy into the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon, slightly improving his condition. Several other pharmacists stepped forward and swiftly began treating the Eastern Emperor.

The Eastern Emperor wouldn't die, but his injuries were severe, and his cultivation base was almost depleted. The Yankang army's pharmacists administered such potent medicine that he screamed in agony, wishing for death and revival: "It would be quicker to let me die and then revive me!"

"Those who master resurrection spells are few and far between. While I am one of them, I do not possess the immense magical power required to revive you."

Jiang Baigui calmly explained, "Reviving you would take too long, and I don't have that much time to spare for the Eastern Emperor. Your physical body was crafted by Yankang's finest artificer; it is the only divine weapon of its kind and cannot be lost. I still need you for a crucial purpose: to completely shatter Eastern Heaven. Therefore, you absolutely cannot die."

The army pharmacists continued to treat him. The Eastern Emperor felt his soul's injuries gradually recovering, but the pain was so excruciating that he clenched his shattered teeth, enduring it forcefully.

His gaze fell upon the middle-aged pharmacist's face, and he was slightly taken aback. The man was exceptionally handsome, a truly outstanding male with peerless looks. Yet, this very person had administered such potent medicine that it made him wish for death!

"Who are you, sir?" the Eastern Emperor asked, suppressing his pain.

The pharmacist offered a slight smile, which instantly made the Eastern Emperor feel inferior. "I am a pharmacist from Disabled Elderly Village, known as the Jade-Faced Poison King. National Master, this dragon's injuries are no longer critical; my disciples can handle it. I am needed on other battlefields."

National Master Jiang Baigui dared not be slow to respond and bowed, saying, "Farewell, Martial Uncle."

The pharmacist drifted away.

"This person is one of Heavenly Venerate Mu's nine masters."

Jiang Baigui looked towards the Eastern Heaven's formation and said to the Eastern Emperor, "That's why I call him Martial Uncle. Eastern Emperor, do you understand why, despite my countless calculations, I won't let you die?"

Enduring intense pain, the Eastern Emperor replied, "The ancestral land of Eastern Extremity Heaven, the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest! And the divine dragons of my Eastern Extremity Heaven within the Eastern Heaven's ranks!"

Jiang Baigui chuckled, "Ancient gods who have survived to this day are not too foolish. Duke of Wei, worsen the Azure Emperor's injuries!"

Within the Eastern Heaven's formation, sixty military commanders had gathered. The leaders of the various armies—such as Heavenly River, East Harmony, West Harmony, Heavenly Radiance, Cavalry Officer, Chariot Rider, and Array Chariot—were mostly ancient gods and demigods, named after the constellations of the Eastern Heaven, and were enfeoffed marquises, each immensely powerful.

The various marquises were frantic, discussing how to rescue the Azure Emperor. Suddenly, four ancient gods from the East Harmony constellation rose and sternly declared, "The Azure Emperor is our supreme commander, who loves his soldiers like his own children! How can we not rescue him when he is trapped? If you refuse, we will go!" With that, the four ancient gods assembled their armies, prepared various divine weapons and heavy armaments, and charged out of the city!

The other marquises, having harbored grievances because the Azure Emperor had long been reluctant to engage in battle, did not try to stop them.

Jiang Baigui saw the Eastern Heaven's gates wide open and four armies charging out. He calmly remarked, "The Azure Emperor loves his soldiers like his own children and treats his subordinates exceptionally well; their loyalty is profound. Trapped as he is, his soldiers will certainly defy his orders and risk their lives to rescue him."

The Eastern Emperor endured his pain and said, "Yankang's army is too small; it will be difficult to completely annihilate Eastern Heaven's vast army of gods and devils."

Jiang Baigui's expression remained calm as he watched the four armies from East Harmony charge towards them. He said, "Yankang's forces are indeed too few. Although I possess Yankang's supreme wisdom, I fear that eliminating Eastern Heaven would incur heavy casualties, so I must exert my full effort. Deploy troops, engage them, surround but do not annihilate!"

At his command, a Yankang army immediately charged forth from the sky, with their towering warships confronting the four armies of gods and devils from East Harmony.

Simultaneously, turbulent waves churned beneath the sea where the four armies of gods and devils from East Harmony were located, and submarine warships surged out of the water!

With one army above and one below, array diagrams were activated, and formations began to operate, trapping the four military commanders. Instantly, blades flashed, swords gleamed, and blood and flesh splattered.

A divine glow shimmered in Jiang Baigui's eyes as he instantly discerned the changes in the formations of the four East Harmony military commanders, continuously adjusting the positions of Yankang's two armies.

His "Three Origins Divine Assembly Art" orchestrated the entire battlefield, reaching every minute detail. His supreme wisdom made the Eastern Emperor forget his pain, and his gaze upon Jiang Baigui was filled with terror.

"A god-devil!"

The Eastern Emperor found it hard to suppress his fear, sensing only the purest "principle" in Jiang Baigui's eyes—not rational thought, but the underlying truth of the universe. This sent shivers down his spine, and he blurted out, "Jiang Baigui, you are the purest god-devil! You possess the most formidable god-devil heart!"

"You call my Dao heart a god-devil. I call this Dao heart 'Inner Sage'."

Jiang Baigui's expression remained serene. "The sage has his origins, the king has his accomplishments, all stemming from unity. The path of Inner Sage and Outer King involves perceiving the darkness of all beings without illuminating it, understanding the frustrations within myself without expressing them, and observing people across the world, each acting according to their desires, taking their own path. To preserve Heavenly Principles and control human desires—this is my path of sainthood. And now, I am nearing my Dao."

The Eastern Emperor's body trembled, and his fear intensified. Jiang Baigui called his path the "Inner Sage and Outer King Dao," but to the Eastern Emperor, it was clearly a god-devil Dao heart!

A god-devil heart where gods and devils coexisted, fully mastering the Dao, Heaven, Principle, Humanity, Desire, Art, Law, and Formation!

In the battlefield, regardless of friend or foe, everyone's Heavenly Principles and human desires were under his complete control. The Eastern Emperor strongly doubted whether such a person possessed a saint's heart or a god-devil's heart!

Even the scrawny, old, reddish-brown nag was part of Jiang Baigui's calculations; it was the dragon energy within the horse that sustained the Eastern Emperor's last breath, preventing his death!

Heavenly Principles and human desires—all under control. How terrifying was such a person?

"What the Woodcutter's Heavenly Pavilion could not achieve, he has accomplished. He is even more formidable than the Heavenly Pavilion! Such a person is truly worthy of being called supreme wisdom!"

The Eastern Emperor shivered. "He is a Saint King—Yankang's Saint King Jiang!"

The four armies of gods and devils from East Harmony were trapped, and their soldiers continuously fell. Jiang Baigui directed his two armies to steadily erode their active forces at the minimal cost, still surrounding but not annihilating them.

Seeing this, the Azure Emperor rasped, "Don't save me! Hold your positions!"

His voice could not be heard, yet at that moment, a line of Yankang gods stepped forward, their voices astonishingly identical to his: "Don't save me! Rescue East Harmony!"

These gods and devils were mere petty thieves, skilled at imitating others' voices, yet their deception chilled the Azure Emperor's heart.

This message, reaching the Eastern Heaven's formation, would undoubtedly lure out even more Eastern Heaven soldiers!

These soldiers, once they marched out, would certainly fall into Jiang Baigui's ambush!

The Azure Emperor fought desperately, roaring, "That is not my command! Do not leave the city!"

The petty thieves simultaneously shouted, "Heed my command! West Harmony and Heavenly Radiance, march forth!"

The Azure Emperor's heart sank as he watched four divisions from West Harmony and two divisions from Heavenly Radiance charge out of the Eastern Heaven's main camp to rescue the four divisions of gods and devils from East Harmony.

Jiang Baigui suddenly shifted his formations. Previously, he had merely aimed to eliminate the active forces of the four divisions of gods and devils from East Harmony at minimal cost, but now, he instantly transformed his forces into the most potent killing formation!

Concurrently, another Yankang army charged out, plunging like a sharp dagger into the midst of the four divisions of gods and devils from East Harmony. The encirclement had transformed into a battle of annihilation!

Before the four divisions from West Harmony and two from Heavenly Radiance could even surge forward, more than half of East Harmony's gods and devils had already been annihilated. The remaining remnants were driven towards the six armies of West Harmony and Heavenly Radiance, causing their formations to fall into immediate disarray!

"The sixty military commanders of Eastern Heaven are finished..."

The Eastern Emperor was utterly shaken and muttered, "Eastern Heaven's armies will all be buried by his hand. No wonder the Azure Emperor, facing him, always chose to defend his camp and avoid battle. Because before Jiang Baigui, inaction leads to no mistakes, but any move reveals countless flaws..."

Are there really people like Jiang Baigui in real life? Zhaizhu: Yes, but not to such a mythical extent.