Celestial Refining Divine Scripture-Chapter 182 - 180: Is the Son of Heaven a Faint Monarch?
Leizhou, Snow Peak City.
This city stands as the closest border stronghold to the Northern Territory in Leizhou; though not large, its proximity to the frontier ensures a constant crowd.
It is rather prosperous!
Of course, it is far from peaceful!
Xu Yang sat by the window on the third floor of a tavern, perusing a booklet with a brief introduction to Leizhou.
Departing Leizhou for Qingzhou, the most suitable method is the Teleportation Array!
At present, the Northern Territory is inaccessible.
The route to Qingzhou via the Teleportation Array must detour south through Yuanzhou.
The nearest major city to Snow Peak City with a Teleportation Array is Guangling Prefecture City; at a Yang Realm Martial Artist’s pace, it would take nearly ten days!
Not too far, after all!
If nothing unexpected occurs, Xu Yang plans to head to Guangling Prefecture City, take the Teleportation Array to Yuanzhou, and then transfer to Qingzhou.
It won’t take too much time.
"Something’s happened—something huge!"
A terrified shriek suddenly erupted from downstairs.
Xu Yang was momentarily stunned, curious, and glanced toward the stairwell.
Below, laughter and curses resounded.
"The Barbarian Race has suppressed tens of thousands of Beixuan Army soldiers, and even more—hundreds of thousands of people—in the Northern Territory, and they’re using this to threaten our Daqian, demanding we cede Leizhou!"
"Those dog bastard barbarians, they want Leizhou? They can dream on!"
"The barbarians are courting death! We ought to mobilize all our troops and just wipe them out!"
"Hundreds of thousands of lives... This won’t be easily resolved!"
Some cursed angrily, voices raised; others understood the gravity, faces heavy.
Hundreds of thousands—how to choose?
Go to war?
The Barbarian Race truly dares to kill.
By then, the Northern Territory will run rivers of blood, a land of death!
Even if the Barbarian Race is annihilated, the emperor would be condemned by countless voices—a disgrace for the sovereign of today!
But to cede Leizhou?
That is a disgrace as well!
Xu Yang could not help but rise and head downstairs, seeing a young Martial Artist, face pale, panting at the hall below.
"Just now, news came from the capital—the Chief Minister agreed to the barbarians’ terms!"
"Leizhou will be ceded to the Barbarian Race, in exchange for the lives of those hundreds of thousands in the Northern Territory!"
The words fell, and the entire tavern fell silent!
All were stunned, incredulous! 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Xu Yang felt as if struck by lightning!
Cede Leizhou?
If the Barbarian Race takes the Northern Territory and Leizhou... is this still Daqian?
Is Daqian truly so feeble now?
This cannot be!
It felt like a dream to Xu Yang!
The rest could not accept it either.
Nearly ten breaths of dead silence before an uproar—chaos erupted within the tavern.
"How could this be?"
"Insanity! Surrendered the Northern Territory, and now handing Leizhou to the barbarians?"
"Kill those barbarians! Daqian is so strong—how can we retreat?"
"You brat, don’t spread false news!"
...
Many cursed wildly, unwilling to believe!
But Xu Yang saw a portion of the Martial Artists leave, faces dark and silent.
Perhaps believing it true: if Leizhou really goes to the Barbarians, soon enough...
Leizhou will no longer be a place to linger!
Damn it!
Xu Yang cursed inwardly and strode quickly out of the tavern.
The street bustled as always, crowds surging.
Just as Xu Yang prepared to leave the city for Guangling Prefecture City, he found chaos spreading inside the city.
The news was spreading fast!
Even the mere possibility sent hearts trembling with unrest!
What if it is true?
"Fuck, the news is really true!"
"Damn, my clan just sent word—told me to hurry home!"
"Let’s go!"
"Foolish emperor! Rather fight the barbarians to the end—even if we die, so be it!"
...
"The Chief Minister made the decision? For such a matter, why not the emperor?"
"Strange, very strange. The current emperor is certainly no fool!"
"In truth, either choice leads to shame; but with Daqian’s seven provinces and three territories, we have the strength—surely, even in war, we would not fear the Barbarians... It’s all too bizarre!"
Xu Yang suddenly turned to look.
Not far away, three middle-aged Martial Artists walked together toward the city gates, talking as they went.
All were Yang Realm in cultivation; by their bearing, each seemed well-connected and knowledgeable!
Without giving himself away, Xu Yang joined the stream of people leaving the city, quietly eavesdropping on the trio’s conversation.
"Do you think something happened in the capital, or with the emperor himself?"
"How could that be?"
"Wait... So great a disturbance in the Northern Territory, yet the emperor shows no reaction. What is the emperor’s cultivation?"
"I recall years ago, he was already True Lord."
"And above True Lord?"
The three locked eyes, each swallowing nervously. As if touching a forbidden subject, they fell silent and quickened their steps!
Xu Yang—thunderstruck—their exchange was like a bolt from the blue!
Above True Lord?
The so-called Body-Burning Realm!
For a century, True Lord experts have seldom appeared, with even fewer rumors; it’s as though none exist in this world!
Let alone the Body-Burning Realm!
Body-Burning Realm—just as its name suggests, burning flesh, burning spirit!
Burn one’s own life in pursuit of a profound, supreme state, ascending yet higher!
Xu Yang scarcely understood it.
He only knew that Martial Artists of this realm were unprecedentedly frail—like candle flames, easily snuffed; like ants, crushed at will; even a casual Postnatal or Innate could slay them!
"If the emperor seeks to transcend True Lord, now ascending to the Body-Burning Realm..."
Gulp!
Xu Yang swallowed hard, as if all was suddenly clear!
It’s all about maintaining stability!
Waiting for the emperor’s breakthrough!
Hiss!
Still, it was hard to believe!
"If Master were still awake, surely he could see through it all!"
Xu Yang gave a bitter smile.
But then swiftly suppressed the churn of thoughts—these were matters far beyond him!
If the sky falls, someone taller will bear the weight!
He had his own affairs yet to manage!
"Leave Leizhou!"
Xu Yang passed the city gates, leaped up, and sped westward.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Northern Territory—
Song Yuanhao stood atop Gao Yue. A giant eagle swooped down from the sky, a burly figure leaping from its back and bowing respectfully before Song Yuanhao.
"Young Master, ever since the edges of the Northern Territory, the emperor has remained in closed cultivation, showing not a hint of action!"
"The Chief Minister has already issued orders and agreed to the barbarian demand—Leizhou is to be ceded to the Barbarians!"
"We have secreted word of this far and wide; within three days, all of Daqian will know!"
Song Yuanhao’s lips curled in a smile of calculated assurance: "Just as I expected. So, the emperor truly has stepped into that realm!"
"Still, caution demands we continue probing!"
"The moment is upon us, the land and the times set—the people? Rumor has it the Barbarians have awakened the Barbarian God’s legacy, gained monstrous puppets, their battle strength has soared; I suppose, even regarding top-tier experts, they are not inferior!"
"The Chief Minister is a cunning old fox; he cannot possibly be unaware. If he wishes to wait and see, then I shall oblige him!"
The man’s pupils shrank; he murmured, "Young Master, your meaning is..."
Song Yuanhao chuckled: "I’ll go contact the Barbarians. Merely seizing the Northern Territory and Leizhou is not enough—they must show Daqian the true might of the Barbarian Race now!"
This time, what he wanted was a brutal war!
To use blood and lives as the final test!
"And Zheng Xuan? Where is he?"
Song Yuanhao suddenly inquired.
