133: Chapter 133 The Frog in the Well

The ground beneath his feet exploded with a roar, and a terrifying crater several feet deep appeared out of thin air!

Leveraging this incomparable recoil force, his entire body shot straight toward the mirror-smooth cliff like a rocket ascending into the sky!

The sheer cliff, which the Qingtian Army viewed as an impassable chasm, was like flat ground beneath his feet!

Each light tap of his toe left a clear and deep mark on the hard rock wall, and every leap allowed him to soar several yards upward like a weightless feather!

In just a few breaths, he had crossed the tens of yards of chasm and ascended the city wall as silently as a ghost!

The dozen or so Qingtian Army soldiers guarding the wall didn't even have time to raise an alarm; they only felt a terrifying Aura, as if a god or demon had descended, instantly enveloping their entire bodies.

Under that absolute pressure originating from a higher level of existence, their bodies stiffened like iron, unable to Move, while their Souls trembled wildly, shattered with fear!

They couldn't even see who the intruder was, because Gaofeng's figure was fast to the extreme!

He flashed across the wall like a bolt of golden lightning, and all the soldiers he brushed past had their heart meridians shattered instantly by his invisible Protective Aura, bleeding from their seven orifices as they fell dead without a sound.

There were no screams, no clash of weapons; a one-sided, silent massacre had ended in the blink of an eye.

Gaofeng's figure did not pause in the slightest; he walked through the empty city defense corridor as if strolling in a courtyard, heading straight for the command center of Tianmen Pass—the Qingtian Building!

Inside the Qingtian Building, dozens of Cao Zhang's personal guards, left behind to keep watch, were nervously monitoring the battle situation at the North Gate.

Suddenly, a deadly sense of crisis that made their skin crawl struck them from behind!

They whipped their heads around, only to see a terrifying sight they would never forget: a man enveloped in dark golden flames was standing quietly behind them.

His appearance was so abrupt and eerie, as if he had been standing there all along.

"Ene..." A guard leader had just managed to squeeze out one word from his throat when, the next moment, Gaofeng moved.

He simply took a step forward, and with that one step, the sky and earth changed color!

A visible circular wave of Qi exploded outward with his body as the center!

Before Gaofeng's absolute, god-like power, those dozens of battle-hardened personal guards were as fragile as fallen leaves in an autumn wind.

The weapons in their hands shattered inch by inch, their armor disintegrated, and their bodies were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, flying backward while spitting blood, crashing heavily against the walls behind them, and instantly falling silent.

In a single encounter, dozens of elite personal guards were all killed instantly!

Gaofeng's footsteps did not pause in the slightest; he walked straight to the door of the council hall, which was cast from refined iron and half a foot thick, and slowly raised his fist.

There were no flashy Moves, no complex techniques; there was only the purest and most extreme power!

"Boom—!!!"

A terrifying roar, like thunder from the Nine Heavens, exploded!

That refined iron gate, capable of withstanding the charge of thousands of troops, was blasted into countless metal fragments like fragile paper under Gaofeng's plain and unadorned punch!

On the North Gate battlefield, just as Cao Zhang was grinning while watching Zhou Cang and his troops being surrounded by his own Vanguard Camp, thinking he had everything under control and was about to become the final victor of this internal strife, a terrifying roar from the direction of the South Gate struck his heart like a ruthless hammer!

"Boom—!!!"

The sound was so loud and terrifying that the entire Tianmen Pass trembled violently because of it!

The smile on Cao Zhang's face froze instantly, and he whipped his head around to look toward the South Gate; for the first time, his naturally suspicious eyes revealed a trace of genuine shock and terror!

The South Gate... what happened there?!

"Report—!!!"

A scout responsible for delivering military intelligence scrambled to his feet and rushed before him, his voice filled with extreme, unconcealable fear: "Commander! It... it's bad! The Sou... South Gate has fallen!!"

"What?!" Cao Zhang grabbed the scout by the collar, lifting him into the air, his blood-red eyes staring fixedly at him.

"What did you say?! How could the South Gate fall?! Even a monkey couldn't climb the cliff there!"

"It... it was one person!" The scout was almost fainting on the spot under Cao Zhang's beast-like, terrifying Aura.

"Just... just one person! He... he flew up from the cliff! He's not human! He's a devil!"

"One person..." Cao Zhang's mind exploded, going blank!

He finally realized that he had been tricked from the very beginning!

Ma Yan's "betrayal" was fake! Zhou Cang's "catching an affair" was also fake!

Everything was a trap, a fatal trap personally set for him by that mysterious Panshi Stockade Master!

And he, the self-righteous "oriole," had plunged right into it like a fool!

"Gaofeng—!!!"

A roar filled with endless regret and spite exploded from Cao Zhang's mouth!

He threw down the scout who was already scared witless, raised his Earth-Splitting Great Axe, and like a completely enraged, wounded beast, charged frantically back toward the Qingtian Building.

When he arrived back in front of the Qingtian Building in shock, he saw a terrifying scene he would never forget for the rest of his life: the man enveloped in dark golden flames was standing quietly and alone at the top of the Qingtian Building, which had already turned into a ruin.

At his feet lay dozens of corpses of personal guards who had died miserable deaths.

He held no weapon, standing there quietly, looking down at the chaotic Qingtian Army below like an ancient deity who had descended to the Mortal world from the Nine Heavens, looking down at the shivering Mortal ants beneath his feet!

Cao Zhang knew he had lost, lost completely, lost utterly.

However, he was not reconciled!

He, Cao Zhang, had spent half his life roaming the battlefield, climbing from a nobody to become a powerful warlord carving out his own territory today; how could he lose so inexplicably to the schemes of a young pup?!

"Ahhhhh—!!!"

A desperate roar like a trapped beast exploded from his mouth!

He pushed his Fourth-Tier Great Perfection strength to the absolute limit without reservation, his muscles bulging high, and veins writhing wildly beneath his skin like coiling dragons!

He poured his lifelong cultivation into the Earth-Splitting Great Axe in his hand, causing it to emit bursts of unbearable humming!

"Gaofeng! Pay with your life!!"

He swung the terrifying giant axe, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, turning into a black afterimage, and launched the final and most resolute death charge of his life toward the man at the top of the Qingtian Building!

Facing Cao Zhang's earth-shattering, fatal blow, Gaofeng's expression did not change in the slightest.

He simply extended a hand calmly—a fair, slender hand that seemed untouched by any worldly dust.

Then, amidst Cao Zhang's incredulous and shocked gaze, he lightly pinched the terrifying, earth-splitting axe blade between two fingers!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment; the violent wind stopped abruptly, and the piercing humming disappeared without a trace.

That mountain-splitting axe, capable of cleaving a hill in two, was blocked easily by two seemingly fragile fingers.

"Cao Zhang, you are an ambitious overlord; I respect you as a man." Gaofeng's voice was indifferent yet filled with supreme majesty, clearly reaching Cao Zhang's ears.

"Now, kneel and submit to me. I can spare your life and grant you the position of deputy general."

A flash of intense struggle crossed Cao Zhang's eyes, but that struggle lasted less than a second before being completely replaced by endless spite and madness!

He, Cao Zhang, would rather die standing than live kneeling!

"Good... good! I... I surrender!" He feigned a humiliated and submissive expression, slowly loosening his grip on the giant axe.

However, the moment he got close to Gaofeng, an extreme, vicious, and crazy murderous intent erupted in his eyes!

A sleeve arrow, already hidden in his sleeve and coated with a deadly poison that kills upon contact with blood, struck straight at Gaofeng's face like a poisonous snake flicking its tongue, at an extremely tricky angle!

"You want me to submit? You think you're worthy?! Die with me!!"

However, his fatal blow was blocked dead by a layer of invisible, dark golden Protective Aura three inches from Gaofeng's face, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch!

A final trace of disappointment flashed in Gaofeng's eyes.

"Obstinate and unyielding." He spat out the four words lightly, and the two fingers pinching the axe blade shifted slightly.

"Snap!"

A crisp, sharp cracking sound rang out, and the mountain-splitting axe, forged from hundred-refined steel, shattered like fragile porcelain!

Immediately after, Gaofeng formed his fingers into a sword, and with the support of that indestructible dark golden power, he lightly slashed across Cao Zhang's throat like lightning cutting through the night sky.

A head filled with unwillingness and spite soared into the sky!

When Gaofeng, carrying Cao Zhang's head with eyes wide open in death, walked back to the highest point of the Qingtian Building, and when that head, which once represented supreme power, appeared in the view of all the Qingtian Army soldiers who were still stubbornly resisting, their will to resist collapsed completely.

"The Commander... the Commander is dead!!"

"We've lost... we've lost!!"

Under the huge shock of their commander's fall, and led by Ma Yan and Zhou Cang's "persuasion to surrender," the remaining nearly ten thousand Qingtian Army soldiers chose to lay down their weapons and surrender en masse.

In this battle, the Panshi Army, with a minor casualty count of less than a hundred, captured the strategic fortress of Tianmen Pass without bloodshed and incorporated nearly ten thousand battle-hardened elites!

The news of the great victory at Tianmen Pass spread like wildfire, reaching across the entire Northern Territory and even the hinterlands of the Central Plains overnight!

All the forces that were still watching from the sidelines were completely shocked by the Panshi Stockade Master's god-like personal combat prowess and his unfathomable military strategies!

The name "Gaofeng" entered the vision of all the top forces in the world for the first time in the true sense.

And the "Black Account" in his hands, which was enough to overturn the entire Yunzhou officialdom, became the sharpest and most lethal trump card in his next round of maneuvering against the government!

When the first ray of dawn, like a golden sword, pierced through the lingering smoke and blood-red clouds above Tianmen Pass, casting light upon the peak of the now-ruined Qingtian Tower, the thrilling and bloody long night finally came to an end.

Gao Feng held the head of Cao Zhang, whose eyes remained wide open in death, and stood silently at the highest point, overlooking this majestic pass.

Beneath his feet lay scattered corpses and broken weapons. Behind him stood his core generals, including Liu Chengfeng, Xu Changqing, and Du Wei, their faces glowing with irrepressible ecstasy and excitement!

"Satisfying! Hahaha! Truly, so satisfying!"

Du Wei, commander of the Tiger Guard Battalion, was the first to break the silence. He plopped down onto the broken battlements, slapping his thigh with a hand as large as a palm-leaf fan, laughing like a three-hundred-pound child.

"I thought Tianmen Pass would be a tough nut to crack, but I never expected you, my Lord, to just take a stroll and get the job done! Our three battalions didn't even get a chance to strike; we just picked up a massive bargain by following you!"

"Exactly!" Wulu, commander of the Green Wolf Battalion, chimed in with his deep, muffled voice. His eyes were filled with the most primal and fanatical worship as he looked at Gao Feng. "My Lord, you are a Heavenly God descended to earth! I, Wulu, have never seen anyone take down a city all by themselves in all my life!"

Listening to the sincere flattery of his two fierce generals, Gao Feng merely smiled indifferently.

He knew that while this battle appeared to be his own individual achievement, it was actually the result of the highly efficient operation of the precision machine that was the entire Panshi Land.

Without the intelligence from the Heavenly Secret Tower, the strategies from the Political Affairs Hall, the tokens from the Hundred Crafts Institute, and even the nameless hero codenamed "Bluebird," this battle could never have been won so easily and effortlessly.

"For this battle, the primary credit belongs to the Political Affairs Hall and the Heavenly Secret Tower," Gao Feng said, tossing Cao Zhang's head to a guard as he swept his gaze across the group. "I was merely the one responsible for the final cleanup."

His gaze finally landed on Luo Qi. This dashing and heroic female general was looking at him fixedly with a complex expression mixed with worship, love, and endless tenderness.

Their eyes met, and a thousand words were spoken in silence.

"My Lord, look, this is what we found in the secret chamber of Cao Zhang's commander's tent." Xu Changqing walked up, smiling as he waved his feather fan, holding an exquisite rosewood box.

The wooden box opened, and inside were not gold or jewels, but a thick stack of densely written letters and account books!

"This..." Liu Chengfeng took only a glance, and a brilliant light instantly erupted in his wise eyes. "Are these all the proofs of Cao Zhang's secret dealings with the major noble families of Yunzhou and even certain big shots in the imperial court?!"

"Correct." Xu Changqing's smile grew even brighter. "With this 'black ledger,' it means we have grabbed the throat of the entire Yunzhou officialdom and the powerful noble families! They will never dare to make any rash Moves against us again!"

"More than just not daring to make any rash Moves!" Gao Feng took the heavy account book, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "From today on, the momentum of offense and defense has shifted!"

The change of ownership of Tianmen Pass and the death of "Earth-Splitting Axe" Cao Zhang were like a magnitude-12 super earthquake, completely shaking the entire Yunzhou officialdom and the deeply entrenched noble forces behind it within just a few days.

Inside the Yunzhou Prefect's Mansion, Prefect Zhang Chengye had not closed his eyes for an entire night after receiving the battle report. His pampered face was now filled with shock and fear.

"One person... just one person broke through Tianmen Pass, which was guarded by nearly thirty thousand troops?!" He looked at the scout kneeling below, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Reporting to the Prefect, it is absolutely true!" The scout described the god-like and demon-like scene with a bloodless face. "That Gao Feng flew from the cliff onto the city walls, rode alone into Qingtian Tower, and with a single punch, shattered the door of Commander Cao Zhang's council hall! Finally... finally, Commander Cao Zhang had his axe blade clamped by his two fingers, and he was beheaded in one Move..."

Listening to the scout's terrified description, Zhang Chengye felt a chill shoot straight from his tailbone to his scalp!

Fifth Order! That Gao Feng was definitely a terrifying existence who had stepped into the legendary realm of a Fifth Order Grandmaster!

This kind of transcendent terrestrial immortal was simply not someone a small Yunzhou Prefect like him could contend with!

Furthermore, that "black ledger," which was enough to plunge him and the entire Yunzhou officialdom into eternal doom, must have already fallen into Gao Feng's hands by now!

After pacing back and forth in his study for the whole night, a flash of determination finally crossed Zhang Chengye's bloodshot eyes. He could not be enemies with Gao Feng, at least not now! He must first stabilize Gao Feng!

"Someone! Bring me pen and ink!" Zhang Chengye shouted. "I must immediately submit a memorial to the imperial court!" He intended to attribute Cao Zhang's death to "internal strife," depict Gao Feng as a "meritorious official," and proactively request a reward for Gao Feng, suggesting the imperial court appoint Gao Feng as the Fourth-Rank "Tianmen Pass General" to show appeasement!

"Gao Feng..." Zhang Chengye muttered through gritted teeth while writing furiously. "Don't you want a title? Fine! I'll give it to you! I want to see if you, this evil dragon of the Northern Territory, can still stir up any waves after putting on the official uniform of my imperial court!"

Half a month later, a team of imperial envoys sent from the capital arrived at Tianmen Pass in a grand procession.

At the solemn conferment ceremony, Gao Feng received the gold-stamped appointment letter and the General's uniform from the imperial envoy. On the surface, he respectfully thanked the Emperor for his grace, putting on the appearance of a fearful and "loyal official."

After the ceremony, inside the council hall, Liu Chengfeng looked at the appointment letter and sneered, "My Lord, this Zhang Chengye has a clever plan; he wants to use a mere General position to tie us to the imperial court's war chariot."

"This is an overt plot," Xu Changqing added. "If we refuse, we are openly enemies of the imperial court; if we accept, it is tantamount to acknowledging ourselves as subjects of the court, and our future actions will be restrained."

"Hmph, a bunch of sour, pedantic scholars who only know how to play with schemes and tricks!" Du Wei curled his lips in disdain.

"Du Wei, do not be rude." Gao Feng raised his hand to stop him, picked up the appointment letter, and a playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Zhang Chengye's thoughts are indeed beautiful, but unfortunately, he miscalculated one point. He thinks this official uniform is a shackle, but in my eyes, it is nothing more than a protective mirror that can block countless overt spears and hidden arrows for us."

Gao Feng stood up and walked to the sand table, his eyes flashing with vigorous ambition.

"Pass on my order! From today on, the Panshi Army will officially expand! Based on the incorporated Qingtian Army, we will rebuild the 'Vanguard Camp,' to be led by Du Wei! The Green Wolf Battalion will expand to three thousand men, led by Wulu! The Divine Mechanism Battalion will expand to fifteen hundred men, led by Luo Qi! I give you three months to train these new recruits into a battle-hardened army!"

"Understood!" The three generals agreed thunderously, their Battle Intent soaring to the heavens!

Gao Feng turned his gaze to Xu Changqing, his voice becoming cold and cruel. "Changqing, that 'black ledger' can also start to play its role. I don't want you to just use it for threats; I want you to utilize it to infiltrate them, divide them, and make them attack each other! Within three months, I want to see the entire noble family system of Yunzhou begin to rot and collapse from within!"

"Changqing understands!" A glimmer of excitement, like a master holding a pearl of wisdom, flashed in Xu Changqing's eyes.

The powerful noble families of Yunzhou naturally would not sit still and wait for death. After the initial shock, they quickly reacted.

Upon discovering that they could not oppose him with force, they began to utilize the network of relationships they had operated for hundreds of years, launching a comprehensive blockade and strangulation against Panshi Land and Tianmen Pass from economic, public opinion, political, and all other aspects.

A war without smoke, yet far more dangerous and deadly than the slaughter of thousands of troops, quietly began.

The first to be impacted was the economy.

Overnight, all merchant firms that had business dealings with Panshi Stockade discovered that they could no longer buy a single grain of food or an inch of steel within the borders of Yunzhou.

Any merchant caravan that dared to transport supplies to the Northern Territory would encounter various "accidents" on the way, either being looted by "mountain bandits" or having their goods "accidentally" catch fire, resulting in a total loss.

Next was public opinion. In teahouses and restaurants all over Yunzhou, a large number of eloquent storytellers suddenly appeared. In their mouths, "General Gao Feng" was depicted as a green-faced, fanged, murderous Devil King of the Northern Territory who colluded with barbarians and cultivated evil arts, leaving a thousand miles of scorched earth and suffering people wherever he went. Rumors spread like a plague, planting the deepest fear and hostility toward Panshi Land in the hearts of the common people.

Finally, there was political obstruction. Local officials connected to the major noble families began to intentionally or unintentionally cause various troubles for Tianmen Pass: today saying your city defense map does not comply with regulations, tomorrow saying your military appearance is untidy and damages the dignity of the imperial court, and the day after saying your grain and grass accounts do not match and need to be audited. Various trivial attacks were like endless flies, making people extremely annoyed.

In just one month, the connection between Panshi Land and the outside world was almost completely cut off, and the entire thriving Northern Territory seemed to have become an isolated island forgotten by the world.

Inside the council hall, the atmosphere became extremely heavy once again.

"My Lord, these noble families are really despicable!" Du Wei slammed his fist hard on the table. "They want to trap us here and starve us to death!"

"The smearing in public opinion can be ignored, but the economic blockade and political obstruction are fatal in every Move." Liu Chengfeng's brows were also tightly locked. "If this continues, before we can send troops, we will fall into chaos ourselves."

Everyone's gaze turned involuntarily to the Supreme Dominator who had been calm and silent from the beginning to the end.

Gao Feng slowly opened his eyes. There was no anger or anxiety in them, only a bottomless coldness and calmness. "They think they can trap me like this?"

He stood up slowly and walked to the huge map. His gaze crossed Yunzhou and cast toward the more distant and vast Central Plains.

"A bunch of frogs in a well, looking at the sky from the bottom."

"They don't know what I really want at all, and they don't know what kind of existence they are facing."

A cold smile full of pity and mockery curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Since they want to play, then I will play a good game with them."

"Pass the order, Xu Changqing."

"Tell him to prepare, it's time to close the net."