Nie Changqing left Martial Emperor City after his successful challenge, entering the Bodhisattva Temple and returning to South Prefecture.
Thus, Du Longyang couldn't find him outside the city.
No Nie—no link to Young Master Lu. How could Du not go mad?
God-slay imminent—Lu's aid crucial; such power rare.
Domain anomaly forced advance.
Beiluo Island.
As Du fretted, Lu savored transformation—less than qi layer leap, but still.
Soul and body both breached 1000.
Sense and power surged—no qualitative, yet markedly stronger.
Lu felt it clearly.
...
Imperial Capital.
Night fell; bustling city slept.
Post-Great Zhou fall, near ruin—Xiliang revived it.
Quiet capital.
Narrow alley: two gangs converged.
Spirit fluctuations—cultivators present.
Black Dragon Gang and North Tiger Gang—top underworld powers.
Vast territories.
North Tiger boss: gifted, Qi Core peak short time—rose from thug to leader.
Controlled streets, inns, brothels.
Black Dragon: new rise.
Young boss Liu Yuanhao: few to hundreds.
Tonight: gang war.
Feared Xiliang notice—alley battle.
Hook moon, dim night.
Gangs gripped cold weapons: axes, blades, even hoes.
Liu black-robed, cold gaze opposite.
North Tiger boss sneered back.
Decisive: unify underworld, emperor.
Both ambitious—winner rules hundreds gangs, vast leverage.
Inns, brothels under control.
Not nation-rich, but overlord.
Liu raised hand—flick.
Black Dragon charged, weapons waving, blood hot.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
North Tiger roared out.
Equal numbers—clashed.
Killing intent, clashes heavy.
Blood sprayed—icy night.
North Tiger boss moved.
Qi Core peak erupted—tiger true.
Untouchable even by old masters.
Gang members coughed blood flying.
Brutal—deep night, silent bloodbath, alley red.
Liu robed, cold laugh.
Both rapid rises.
North Tiger saw rival; Liu dismissed.
Grand ambition—North Tiger stepping stone.
"Kill!"
Low roar.
Hands opened—pale flames palms.
Black Dragon: robed shed—cold faces, black scales foreheads, auras burst.
North Tiger boss shocked.
Scales—eyes shrunk.
Seen in weakness.
"Black Dragon Guards?!"
Roar quieted shouts.
Heads turned incredulous.
Black Dragon Guards?
Great Zhou?
Remnants?!
"Black Dragon... Guards..."
Boss retreated.
Old fear spread.
Liu cold smile.
Growth—hidden Guards acknowledged, joined.
For grand goal.
"Surrender... or die."
Eyes icy evil.
Flames danced—cold.
Corpses stirred, staggered up.
Control dead?!
Young boss such power?
Boss heart shrank—chill.
Inferior strength, but means terrified.
Plus Guards—first era cultivators, strong.
Intent lost.
Dropped weapons, knelt heads hugged.
Boss felt tide turn.
Undefeated North Tiger suppressed.
No surrender—but aides knelt.
Heart cold.
Roared.
"Surrender or die?"
Pale flames floated—calm.
Qi Core peak useful—no kill.
Roars faded—knelt Liu.
No death—surrender.
Liu laughed.
Tonight: capital gangs Black Dragon.
Four Guards behind—aura ebbed.
"Hard work, uncles."
Lips curved.
"Overlord not palace..."
"Xiliang main army absent—woman rules."
"Hard-won land to woman? Prepare... summon old Great Zhou troops. Black Dragon Guards restore glory!"
Head up black clouds.
Kneeling boss trembled—incredulous.
Such ambition.
"Today: no thug gang—cultivator force!"
"Inherit Black Dragon will! Great Zhou glory!"
"Today: Black Dragon Gang—Black Dragon Cult!"
Arms spread heroic.
Flames from corpses—into him.
Aura swelled—pale blaze.
Vortex overhead.
Guards, boss eyes shrunk.
"Body... Storage!"
...
North Prefecture, Great Xuan.
Academy: Tantai Xuan inspected.
Long prep—built, bought clan manor, reformed.
Fine facilities—many enrollees.
Yet worried.
Learners: methods,百家 theories, archery, combat.
Theories easy—protected Great Zhou library.
Methods, combat unsatisfactory.
No unique—Xuanwu Guard clone.
Purpose?
Cultivators vs. army same?
Vs. Overlord: Xiang vs. Xuanwu?
Not wanted.
Mo Ju cloaked, followed.
Tantai to Mo: "Ju, academy not copy Xuanwu. Diverse paths."
"Know White Jade Capital?"
"Young Master Lu visionary—maid alchemizes, path; Tianji to cabinet, deduction; Mechanism Cabinet, forging."
"Rich, not rote."
"No fear Overlord battle—year short. Lose, lose... win proves?"
"Future diverse—shine industries. True cultivation."
Mo fan shook—stunned depth.
"King, Giant wanders collecting百家 strengths. Tower open—he goes. Return: targeted development."
Mo Beike similar.
Ambitious—cultivation > old百家.
Era ended?
No—people,百家 lives.
Thought eternal.
Tantai nodded.
"Hope."
Fan: "King, invaders' fate?"
Hetero war—straightened, smiled.
"Desert beyond strong, arrays... wrong time."
Proud.
"Xuanwu cultivators—hetero like us vs. White Jade once..."
"Obvious."
"Half captured, rest desert-driven."
"Supplies seized—no water, can't exit."
Cold—no care.
Invaders—death ready.
"Thought beyond Great Zhou only Five Barbarians... without era, disaster."
Shook head.
Nod: "Strengthen—self, posterity. Strong heirs, strong Xuan!"
...
Endless desert.
Dust rolled.
Sparse troops trudged—steps sand, wind erased.
Yali King front.
Once spirited—wretched.
Lips cracked—waterskin tilt, drop.
Throat rolled.
Thud behind.
Mardon soldier dehydrated—fainted.
Numb—no move.
Empty skins—his fate theirs.
Yali unwilling—fist clenched, slumped.
"Cultivators..."
Shook.
Invincible Mardon crushed ancient land.
Despair: stronger nations.
Gods tore unbreakable arrays.
Terrifying!
Defeat just.
Conquests inflated.
Failure crushed.
Supplies gone.
Can't exit alive.
Need water.
No—death.
Original route—no source till out.
Trod—soldiers fell, sand swallowed.
Fewer.
Yali collapsed.
Soldiers propped.
Suddenly.
Distance: Mardon general excited.
"King!"
"Oasis!"
Yali eyes bright—last gasp.
Rose.
Hill: gazed.
Green patch yellow sea—thrilling.
Oasis!
Water!
Yali, soldiers surged strength.
Trod oasis.
