Southern Qi, Northern border.
Yellow battle flags fluttered in the wind.
On the thick and majestic city walls, elite soldiers in armor, armed with sabers, axes, bows, and crossbows, stood in formation, exuding a murderous aura.
Inside the city, the Commander's Residence.
A row of Crimson Flame Cannons with exaggerated muzzles were neatly parked within the residence.
A large number of Advanced craftsmen were making detailed adjustments.
Upon closer inspection, some of these Advanced craftsmen had blonde hair, blue eyes, and prominent facial features, clearly foreigners.
Inside the main hall.
"General Huyan Ji, as long as there are enough red crystal stones, Crimson Flame Cannons can be mass-produced, which will be sufficient to cause large-scale casualties among those low-tier Beast Transformation Warriors."
A thin foreigner with blonde hair and blue eyes smiled as he looked at Huyan Ji, who was seated at the head of the hall.
"Very good, Captain Nick, the god seeds you requested are ready. You won't be disappointed."
Huyan Ji, at the head of the hall, also had a faint smile on his face as he spoke softly, then changed the subject and continued.
"However, Colonel Nick, when will the upgraded Crimson Flame Cannon be successfully produced? After all, there are many Beast Transformation Warriors, and quite a few of them are high-tier Beast Transformation Warriors. Relying solely on the Crimson Flame Cannon might be insufficient to cope."
Upon hearing this, the foreigner named Nick’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, then he spoke with some helplessness.
"Although the Holy Flame Cannon is powerful, its production complexity is more than ten times that of the Crimson Flame Cannon. It will take a long time to produce. Believe me, General Huyan Ji, my friend, I want to produce it faster than you do."
"I naturally believe Captain Nick."
Huyan Ji said indifferently, then continued.
"I heard that Colonel Nick practices the Ice Extreme Spirit Light, and it would greatly benefit him if he had suitable Heaven And Earth Treasures to assist him. Coincidentally, I, this General, recently obtained some Ice Extreme Tear Crystals, which I believe Captain Nick should find useful."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and soon a sturdy soldier walked in from outside the hall, holding a jade box. As he entered the hall, a chilling sensation instantly swept through the air.
This sturdy soldier had a strong Qi and blood, clearly a master of the Bones Transformation Late Stage, but at this moment, holding the jade box, his body trembled incessantly, as if he were naked in the extreme cold of ice and snow.
"Ice Extreme Crystal Tears..."
Nick's pupils slightly contracted, his gaze fixed directly on the jade box in the soldier's hand. A wisp of ice-blue light flashed on his body, and a snowflake imprint appeared faintly between his eyebrows.
His eyes gleamed, his gaze remained on the jade box, and after a long while, he finally shifted his gaze, smiled, and patted his chest, confidently declaring.
"Hahaha... General Huyan Ji, I, Nick, am your eternal friend. In half a month, just half a month, I will definitely produce a Holy Flame Cannon for you."
"Very good, then I await Colonel Nick's good news."
Upon hearing the other party's assurance, Huyan Ji's smile deepened. He raised his wine cup and gestured towards the one below the hall.
Nick also raised his wine cup. The two exchanged glances and simultaneously drained the wine in their cups.
At this moment, the soldier also brought the jade box to Nick.
A greedy look flashed in the latter's eyes, and he snatched the jade box, holding it in his hands.
"Alright, General, you are busy with official duties, so I will not disturb General Huyan Ji any further."
Nick, holding the jade box, spoke with some impatience.
"Alright." Huyan Ji smiled and nodded.
The latter immediately left the main hall in a hurry.
Watching the other party's figure disappear into the main hall, Huyan Ji's smile faded, replaced by a hint of disdain.
And at this moment, Zhong Po, who had been silent below the main hall, also spoke.
"I heard that officers at the Colonel level in Siro Country are already high-ranking officials within their country, and Siro Country has always prohibited high-ranking officers at the Colonel level from crossing the Eastern Sea at great risk. I didn't expect that General Huyan Ji would have an officer of Colonel rank here. No wonder he could bring such powerful firearms as the Flame Cannon."
As he spoke, Zhong Po quickly asked with some confusion.
"General Huyan Ji, the power of this Flame Cannon is already quite extraordinary, and the Holy Flame Cannon, which is even above it, must be even more extraordinary. Although Siro Country is powerful, weapons of this level should not be easily leaked, so why..."
He truly couldn't understand this point, after all, the power of the Flame Cannon was already capable of threatening Martial Artists in the Bones Transformation Realm to a great extent.
Then the Holy Flame Cannon, which is a higher level, must already be able to threaten Divine Transformation Realms.
Weapons of this level are definitely considered national treasures, so why would Siro Country easily spread them?
"It seems Brother Zhong also knows something about Siro Country. However, Siro Country has always maintained a closed attitude towards crossing the Eastern Sea. For so many years, very few military personnel have crossed the Eastern Sea. Even if there were, they were just some low-ranking officers who couldn't make a living and followed merchant caravans. But that was in the past..."
Huyan Ji spoke indifferently.
"As far as I know, in Siro Country, a strange disaster suddenly erupted a few years ago, affecting a large area and causing heavy losses. Even experts of the Divine Form could not escape. Although Siro Country used all its national power to temporarily seal off this strange disaster, it has not been completely quelled even now, and it might continue to spread at any time."
"As far as I know, some specific god seeds seem to have some suppressive effect on this disaster. Relying solely on Siro Country's national power is clearly insufficient to support the consumption of god seeds. Therefore, a few years ago, Siro Country took the initiative to cross the Eastern Sea and contact our Southern Qi, choosing to exchange these powerful firearms for god seeds."
"Oh! So that's how it is."
A look of realization appeared on Zhong Po's face, but he quickly asked with confusion again.
"Siro Country's national strength is not weak. What kind of strange disaster could it be that makes it difficult for them to cope?"
"I don't know what you mean, after all, the two countries are hundreds of thousands of miles apart, but the people of Siro Country call this strange disaster the 'Black Disaster'."
Huyan Ji poured himself a cup of wine and said casually.
"Perhaps it's something Siro Country themselves created. After all, these barbarians have always loved to research strange and bizarre things, so it's not surprising for them to encounter such a calamity."
"That's right." Zhong Po nodded, no longer asking about the Black Disaster.
After all, no matter what this so-called Black Disaster was, separated by the Eastern Sea, it wouldn't reach them.
"Brother Huyan Ji, since these people from Siro Country want god seeds, and god seeds are not only found in our Southern Qi, Northern Yan has also been collecting them. We must be on guard to prevent these barbarians from playing any tricks."
"There's no need to worry about that. It's true that Northern Yan has been collecting god seeds, and with even greater intensity than our Southern Qi, but most of those god seeds have been consumed by Tianhong Pavilion. The people of Siro Country are also aware of this, otherwise they wouldn't have chosen to cooperate with us."
Huyan Ji chuckled, not caring at all.
"If it weren't for this, how would we know that these barbarians have actually developed something like the Holy Flame Cannon? Such a killing weapon must naturally be used for our Great Qi..."
As he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something, and his gaze fell on Zhong Po.
"How are things going with the heavenly granted spirit spring?"
"It's basically ready."
"Very good, the red crystal stone is of utmost importance, it concerns a great plan, and no loss can be tolerated."
“That’s natural. I’ve already arranged for several major powers to connect to these routes, so there won’t be any problems.”
“That’s good then.”
Huanghai Road, dense forest.
Roar…
Savage, low growls echoed throughout the mountain forest.
All the birds and beasts in the forest prostrated themselves on the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, as if facing some terrifying existence they couldn’t resist.
“Hahahaha… Yu Mian Chan, Luo Yin, you’re nothing special…”
Xiahou Qi’s hair and beard were disheveled, and he resembled a crimson Dragon Devil, exuding a terrifying aura that made people shiver. His crimson eyes were filled with excitement and madness as his two dragon-claw-like hands fiercely attacked the two figures in front of him.
“Dragon-Elephant Adamantine Body!”
Luo Yin’s face was grim. The fierce tiger and giant elephant surrounding him instantly merged into his body.
The powerful aura of a Master-level expert was fully unleashed, resisting the opponent’s continuous, violent offensive.
Beside him, the middle-aged Daoist nun’s horsetail whisk’s silver threads danced wildly, coiling around Xiahou Qi like countless silver needles, making his swift movements increasingly slow and blocking his attacks again and again.
The clash of the three Master-level powerhouses caused residual waves that turned large sections of the forest into dust. The original small mountain had completely disappeared, leaving only a massive, deep pit in its place.
The three had been fighting for over half a day.
Luo Yin and Yu Mian Chan were both extremely anxious.
They used every trick they had to repel Xiahou Qi and escape, but his strength was even greater than they had imagined.
Moreover, he had come prepared, bringing nearly half of the Formation Flags from Han Hai City’s grand formation, completely enveloping this section of the forest.
Even if they wanted to escape, it would take some effort, not to mention the obstruction of an expert like Xiahou Qi.
“We can’t keep this up, otherwise the Disciples might be in danger! We must send a message back and call for reinforcements.”
Luo Yin said with a grim expression to Yu Mian Chan beside him.
“If that’s the case, then let’s fight with our lives.”
Yu Mian Chan also understood this point. She slowly nodded, and the next moment, her eyes turned pure white. Large translucent silver threads extended from her back, intertwining to form transparent wings that vibrated rapidly.
“Cicada Heart Knot Movement!”
As the emotionless shout rang out, countless transparent silver threads grew from her body, occupying the space within a dozen zhang.
Meanwhile, Luo Yin’s fingers rapidly tapped his chest a dozen times.
His originally robust body rapidly expanded, thick, unruly hair grew out, a ‘King’ character appeared on his brow, and two massive phantom images emerged on his back.
“Dragon-Elephant… Vajra!!”
As a roar like a tiger’s howl and an elephant’s trumpeting erupted from his mouth, Luo Yin’s figure vanished from his original spot as if in an instant.
“Are they going all out? Good… good… then come…”
Feeling the two terrifying Qi completely lock onto him, Xiahou Qi’s hair stood on end, but his heart grew even more excited. The crimson light in his right eye flared brightly.
“Dragon Devil, Devour the Heavens—”
A dense crimson blood-light surged, dyeing the sky above the three of them a shade of crimson.
The next instant, three terrifyingly powerful forces collided head-on.
Time and space seemed to freeze at that moment.
After a long pause, an earth-shattering explosion finally erupted.
Within a dozen li from the center of the three, all ancient trees and rocks instantly shattered.
The crimson Formation Flags that originally enveloped the forest were also scattered by this powerful force.
Luo Yin and Yu Mian Chan both had blood flowing from the corners of their mouths, and their previously powerful auras had noticeably weakened. Xiahou Qi on the opposite side was no better; his scales were shattered, and his aura was listless.
However, the excitement and madness in his eyes grew even more intense.
“Again… again…”
He kept letting out low growls as he rapidly charged at the two of them.
“This madman!”
Luo Yin and Yu Mian Chan exchanged glances, both frowning slightly.
However, they quickly noticed that the scattered Formation Flags had created a slight gap in the grand formation. Luo Yin’s eyes lit up. He tore off the Card from his waist, and with a surge of energy, it shot into the sky, penetrating the blood-light formation and disappearing.
Afterward, the two of them no longer cared about anything else and met Xiahou Qi, who was rapidly approaching.
The Card flew into the sky, emitting a rich fragrance.
Before it could land, a small green sparrow rapidly flew from the sky, bit it, and then quickly shot off in one direction.
Two hours later, Huanghai Road, Dark Star outpost.
“Damn it, the mission has been exposed! Quickly notify the Dark Star Envoy adults.”
After receiving Luo Yin’s message, the news of the mission’s exposure quickly ascended, reaching the hands of various Dark Star Envoys.
Riyang Road, Pingyang City.
Dark Star outpost.
A black-clad figure wearing a black mask frowned as he looked at the letter in his hand.
“The wind has gotten out. Where did the leak come from? The organization or Southern Qi?”
“Forget it, no matter where, first send people to reinforce and then change the routes.”
Having decided, the black-clad figure clapped his hands, summoning several Blazing Star Envoys.
“You immediately catch up with Yang’er and the others, tell them the mission has changed, and to lay low for a few days. If you encounter imperial court personnel, clean them up.”
“Understood, Your Excellency.” The several Blazing Star Envoys immediately nodded in agreement and left in a hurry.
The same thing happened at several large Dark Star strongholds.
After all, the ones responsible for this escort mission were the Disciples of several Dark Star Envoys. No one could stand by and watch their Disciples suffer any accidents.
The moment they received the news, they all ordered their powerful Blazing Star Envoys to rush to reinforce. Some who could spare the time even went themselves, leading people to change directions.
Even though Yu Mian Chan and Luo Yin were not present, they also received messages from other Dark Star Envoys, dispatching several Late Stage Divine Form Blazing Star Envoys for rapid reinforcement.
At the same time, Grand Capital.
Dark Star outpost.
A Blazing Star Envoy, holding a letter, hurried quickly towards the deep courtyard of the outpost.
Upon arriving at the courtyard gate, he respectfully said,
“Divine Lord, there’s an urgent letter for you. Your subordinate has left it for you.”
He knew that this Divine Lord disliked being disturbed, so after speaking, he placed the letter on the stone table in the courtyard, bowed to the closed door, and then took his leave.
It wasn’t until half an hour later that the closed door finally opened.
The letter on the stone table moved without wind and floated into the room.
Inside the gloomy room, a figure in dark green robes exuded a decaying aura, but looking at his face, it was smooth and delicate, clearly the appearance of a young man in his early teens.
His gaze fell on the letter in his hand, or more precisely, on the few large characters on the letter.
“For Divine Lord’s Eyes Only, Extremely Urgent”
“My letter?”
The young man’s expression was calm. He tore open the envelope, revealing the letter paper inside.
Mission leaked, Lin Sheng in danger…
“Lin Sheng?”
Looking at the name mentioned in the letter, the young face of the green-robed figure showed confusion and bewilderment.
“It sounds familiar, who could it be?”
Soon, he shook his head slightly, and the letter in his hand had already turned to dust.
“Forget it, I can’t remember, so I probably don’t know him…”
After muttering to himself, he closed his eyes, and a faint light flickered on his body as he entered cultivation.