154: Chapter 154 Destruction and Reconstruction

sky-splitting star river blade!

When these five words were slowly exhaled from Gao Feng's mouth, the entire fire-forging room seemed to hum and tremble along with them.

That dark golden divine weapon, quietly suspended above the quenching pool, seemed to understand its master's call. The star river patterns flowing on the blade suddenly shone brilliantly, emitting a clear, impassioned sound like the roar of a dragon and the cry of a phoenix, as if it felt endless joy for receiving such an overbearing and peerless name!

A dazzling brilliance, unprecedented in intensity, exploded in Gao Feng's eyes. He could clearly feel that a wonderful connection, like blood and heart, had been established between him and this divine weapon. It was no longer a cold weapon, but an extension of his own arm, a manifestation of his will!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Gao Feng couldn't help but laugh up at the sky, his voice filled with endless pleasure and heroism. He grabbed the sky-splitting star river blade from the quenching pool. The heavy and explosively powerful tactile sensation made a supreme self-confidence surge in his heart, enough to pierce a hole through the heavens and earth!

He knew that from this moment on, he truly possessed the qualifications to compete with the top experts in this world!

With the divine weapon completed, Gao Feng did not linger. He sheathed the sky-splitting star river blade with a specially made dark iron scabbard, carried it on his back, and then entered deep seclusion once again.

This time, it was not to break through his Realm, but for sedimentation, for accumulation, and to completely melt all the miscellaneous martial arts he had learned along the way into one furnace.

Inside the spirit spring space, time passed quietly at ten times the speed of the outside world.

Gao Feng sat cross-legged beside the spirit spring, his whole body as motionless as rock.

In his mind, countless martial arts Secret Manuals flipped past page by page like a revolving lantern.

From the initial Savage Bull Strength to the half-volume of the Tiger Venerable Art seized from Black Wind Stockade; from the Flood Dragon Overturning Sea Saber Technique exchanged from the Golden Sand Gang to the Shadow Assassination Art and Phantom Steps Without a Trace left by the Green Clothes Tower assassin; from the Wind Thunder Guide of the Wind and Thunder Sword Sect to the Evil Path Cultivation Technique Corpse Refining Art obtained from the Hundred Ghost Cave; and finally, that supreme fundamental law obtained from the Imperial Armory, which encompassed everything and pointed directly to the Origin of the Great Dao—the Myriad Dao Unity Art!

Everything, every Move, every Mind-Cultivation Technique, was being dismantled, analyzed, purified, and fused over and over again in his Sea of Consciousness by the incomparably overbearing furnace power of the Myriad Dao Unity Art!

He fused the fierce strength of Savage Bull Strength into the overbearing nature of the Tiger Venerable Art; verified the wide-open Moves of the Flood Dragon Overturning Sea Saber Technique against the sinister ruthlessness of the Shadow Assassination Art; and forcibly combined the masculine explosiveness of the Wind Thunder Guide with the cold, deathly stillness of the Corpse Refining Art, attempting to find that trace of the supreme mystery of Yin and Yang balancing and the cycle of life and death!

This process was dull and dangerous.

Countless times, his Meridians were in chaos and he vomited blood due to the conflict of Cultivation Techniques; countless times, his mind was injured due to forced Fusion, and he nearly suffered Qi Deviation.

But every time, he relied on his iron will, which far exceeded that of ordinary people, and the almost endless life energy of the spirit spring space to survive.

Breaking and then establishing!

Every failure made his understanding of the martial path deeper!

Every Fusion made the dark golden power in his body more refined and harmonious!

He gradually discovered that he no longer seemed to be confined to any fixed Moves or Cultivation Techniques.

A punch thrown out had both the overbearingness of a tiger descending a mountain and the majesty of a dragon leaving the sea; a slash delivered had both the speed of wind and thunder and the heaviness of stars.

All martial arts could be used at will.

Ten thousand methods returned to one heart.

He felt as if he had touched the gate leading to a brand new world.

That invisible gate leading to the Realm of the Sixth-Rank Grandmaster.

Only one opportunity was missing.

An opportunity that would allow him to completely integrate all his insights and complete that earth-shattering leap!

When Gao Feng walked out of the spirit spring space again, the outside world was already in spring, and everything was recovering.

Several months of seclusion had caused an earth-shattering change in his entire temperament.

He was still that tall and heroic-looking King of Yan, but there was a trace of return to simplicity and calmness in his deep eyes, as if everything in the world could no longer cause the slightest ripple in his state of mind.

He was like a peerless divine weapon hidden in its sheath, his sharpness completely restrained, yet capable of blooming with a brilliance that could make the heavens and earth lose their color the moment it was unsheathed!

After leaving seclusion, Gao Feng did not immediately set about dealing with the mountain of government affairs, but made a decision that surprised everyone—he wanted to personally inspect the Suzhou Province border that had just been incorporated into the territory of Panshi Land.

This decision was strongly opposed by Liu Chengfeng, Xu Changqing, and other civil officials.

"My Lord! You absolutely must not!"

Inside the council hall, Xu Changqing, holding a feather fan, advised with an anxious look, "Now that Suzhou Province is newly pacified, the hearts of the people are not yet stable. The remnants of the Tianlang Tribe and the horse bandits who are taking advantage of the chaos are numerous. The situation is extremely complex! You are a person of ten thousand gold; how can you risk yourself?!"

"Yes, My Lord!" Gu Changfeng also stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "You are now the only backbone of the hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians in our three northern provinces! Your safety concerns the survival of the entire Panshi Land! If there is any mishap, the consequences will be unimaginable! The matter of patrolling the border can be handed over to General Du Wei or General Wulu!"

However, Gao Feng just waved his hand lightly.

"My mind is made up; no need to persuade me further."

His voice was calm, but carried an unquestionable majesty.

He knew that he was only one step away from a Breakthrough.

And this step would never be taken by enjoying comfort inside the Prince's mansion.

He needed a battle, a hearty battle, to serve as a whetstone for his Breakthrough!

He needed to see with his own eyes the land devastated by war and feel the suffering that the people there were experiencing.

This was not just for the sake of Breakthrough, but for the "Dao" in his heart.

That supreme Great Dao of protecting the common people of the world and rebuilding a bright and clear universe!

Seeing that Gao Feng's mind was made up, everyone dared not persuade him further.

They could only act immediately to make the most comprehensive preparations for Gao Feng's trip.

Three days later, a guard of five hundred of the most elite heavy cavalry from the Tiger Guard Battalion escorted Gao Feng's massive royal carriage, which was made of dark iron and capable of withstanding a full-force blow from a Sixth-Rank expert, and moved out of Ji City, slowly heading towards the Suzhou Province border, which was full of unknowns and dangers.

Half a month later, western Suzhou Province, Black Stone Mountains.

This place was once the richest iron ore producing area in Suzhou Province, but now, it had long since turned into a living Hell stained red with blood and war.

In the continuous mountain range, there were burnt villages and dilapidated mines everywhere.

The air was filled with a lingering smell of blood and rot.

A large caravan composed of dozens of large carts was struggling to Move along the rugged mountain road.

Among the caravan, the guards were all holding scimitars, looking vigilant, obviously elite and well-trained.

But on their faces, there was a hint of fatigue and uneasiness that could not be concealed.

"Your Highness Princess, we have been in the Black Stone Mountains for three days, and we still haven't found the legendary secret trade route to the east."

In the center of the caravan, beside the most luxuriously decorated huge carriage, a guard captain wearing Western-style leather armor, with a burly figure and a full beard, reported respectfully to the carriage curtain.

"Moreover, I always feel that something is wrong nearby; it is too quiet."

The curtain was slowly lifted by a fair, jade-like slender hand, and a hot, exotic-looking beauty walked down from the carriage.

She was a stunning woman in her early twenties, but with a figure so hot it was nosebleed-inducing.

She wore a tight red leather armor, which outlined her exaggerated bust and pert peach-like buttocks to the fullest.

A head of seaweed-like wavy long hair was casually draped behind her shoulders, full of wild charm.

Although her face was covered by a thin white veil, obscuring most of her appearance, just those eyes, like the most brilliant sapphires, full of agility and stubbornness, were enough to make any man infatuated.

She was the owner of this caravan, Princess Aiyire from the distant Western Loulan Kingdom.

"Batur, no need to panic."

Aiyire's voice was like a clear spring in the desert, crisp and pleasant, with a trace of natural coquettishness.

"Father King said that this trade route was secretly opened by our Loulan ancestors hundreds of years ago to avoid war. The map records that as long as we can cross this Black Stone Mountain range, we can reach the legendary prosperous and peaceful Great Qian of the East."

"As long as we can open this trade route, our Loulan will be able to exchange our most proud gemstones and spices for the grain and ironware we desperately need! Our people will no longer have to endure hunger and the looting of those damn desert bandits!"

In her eyes, she flashed with infinite longing for the future.

However, before she could finish speaking.

"Hehehehe..."

A cold and greedy, weird laughter rang out from the surrounding mountains without warning.

"Prosperous East? Peaceful Great Qian?"

"Little beauty, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place!"

"This place is now the hunting ground for our Heavenly Wolf warriors!"

As the arrogant words fell.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Hundreds of bandits wearing tattered Heavenly Wolf Army uniforms, with bloodthirsty grins on their faces, poured out crazily from the surrounding mountains like ghosts!

They waved shining scimitars in their hands, their eyes flashing with the greedy light of hungry wolves seeing prey!

Leading them was a tall, one-eyed man with a hideous scar on his face.

His only eye stared fixedly at Aiyire's hot and alluring figure, and a "gulp" swallowing sound came from his throat, filled with undisguised lewdness and possessiveness.

Brothers! Look at that! This is a top-quality Western Regions girl! She's much more exciting than those Southern Dynasty women we've played with before!

Grab her! Tonight, let all the brothers have a good time!

And those wagons! They must be filled with gold, silver, and treasures! We're rich! We're rich!

The bandits let out bursts of greedy laughter, surging toward the caravan that had already fallen into despair like a tide!

Not good! It's deserters from the Tianlang Tribe!

The captain of the guard, Batur, turned pale. He violently drew the scimitar at his waist, blocked in front of Aiyire, and roared hoarsely to the guards behind him:

Form ranks! Protect the Princess! Fight them to the death!

Kill!

Dozens of Loulan guards, though filled with fear, did not retreat a single step!

They roared and brandished their scimitars, charging fearlessly toward enemies who outnumbered them several times over!

A tragic and one-sided bloody battle erupted instantly!

Although the Loulan guards could be considered elite, they were facing deserters from the Tianlang Tribe who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Although these deserters had long lost all military discipline, the fierceness and cruelty carved into their bones had not diminished in the slightest!

In the first clash, several Loulan guards screamed and fell into a pool of blood!

Batur's eyes were splitting with rage. He swung his scimitar frantically like a crazed lion, fighting three bandits alone, yet he was still forced to retreat step by step, and soon, several wounds deep enough to see bone were added to his body!

Princess! Run! We can't hold them off! He let out a desperate, mournful cry.

Aiyire looked at the tragic scene before her, like a living Hell, and watched those loyal guards falling one by one to protect her. For the first time, her sapphire-like eyes revealed endless despair and sorrow.

She did not run away.

She slowly drew a gorgeous, sharp, jewel-encrusted dagger from her waist.

She would rather die than fall into the hands of these beastly demons and suffer humiliation worse than death!

Come on! You damned scum!

She used all her strength to let out a cry full of stubbornness and determination!

Hehehe, little beauty, you're quite spicy!

The one-eyed leader sneered and approached her step by step.

I like your kind of spunk! Later, I'll let you taste what it really means to be in ecstasy!

He reached out his dirty, large hand, about to grab at Aiyire's pretty face hidden behind her veil!

However, just as his hand was about to touch that holy white fabric.

A cold voice, seemingly devoid of any human emotion, like the judgment of the Grim Reaper from the Nine Underworlds, sounded softly in his ear without warning.

Do you not want your hand anymore?

The voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry a magic that pierced the Soul, making the one-eyed leader's body stiffen abruptly!

He turned back in horror!

Behind him, he saw a young man in black tight-fitting clothes, carrying a long, strangely shaped, and ferocious saber on his back.

That man stood there quietly, as if he had long since merged with the surrounding darkness.

There was no expression on his face, but his deep eyes, like two bottomless cold abysses, exuded a heart-stopping, icy killing intent!

Who... who are you?!

For the first time, a feeling called fear arose in the one-eyed leader's heart!

He hadn't even seen when the other party appeared!

Someone to send you on your way.

Gao Feng said indifferently.

Before the words had faded, his figure moved.

No one could see his movements; everyone only felt as if a brilliant star river had flashed before their eyes and vanished!

Shhh—!

A very faint sound, like a sharp blade slicing through silk, rang out.

The sneer on the face of the arrogant one-eyed leader froze forever.

He lowered his head with difficulty and slowly, looking at his solid chest, where a fine line of blood had appeared at some unknown moment.

The blood line rapidly expanded!

Ho... how... is it...

He wanted to say something, but he could no longer speak.

His body, along with the scimitar in his hand, had been silently split into two right down the middle!

Boiling hot blood, mixed with broken internal organs, rained down upon the earth!

Only then did Gao Feng's figure slowly appear behind him.

The peerless divine weapon in his hand, which seemed to be forged from the entire star river—the sky-splitting star river blade—was still so clean, so brilliant, not even stained by a single drop of blood.

It was as if that earth-shattering slash just now had nothing to do with it.

The entire scene was deathly silent!

Everyone, whether it was the bandits who were crazily hacking and killing, or the Loulan guards who had already fallen into despair, was completely stunned by this scene that seemed like the descent of a god or demon!

They opened their mouths wide, staring blankly at the man standing there with his blade and the corpse that had been cut in two, their minds completely blank.

Lea... leader... is dead?

I don't know who was the first to break this suffocating silence with a trembling voice.

This sentence was like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves!

The leader was killed in one strike! Run!

It's a devil! He's a devil!

The remaining bandits finally reacted from that extreme shock!

They let out screams of extreme terror, throwing away their armor and weapons, no longer caring about the easily attainable treasure and beauty, fleeing frantically into the surrounding mountains and forests like a group of frightened rabbits!

However, how could Gao Feng give them this chance?

Want to leave?

A cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

Did I give you permission?

He did not pursue.

He just slowly raised the sky-splitting star river blade in his hand, and then gently swept it across the empty void!

Star River... Reversal!

As his cold voice fell.

Hum—!!!

A terrifying, crescent-shaped blade light, dozens of feet long and seemingly formed by countless brilliant stars, flew out from the blade!

The moment the blade light appeared, it tore through the air, emitting a sharp, teeth-gritting whistle!

It swept toward the frantically fleeing bandits at a speed that surpassed sound and exceeded everyone's understanding!

Wherever the blade light passed, men and horses were shattered!

Whether it was hard rocks or thick trees, they were silently split in two like tofu before that invincible blade light!

And those bandits who were fleeing didn't even have time to scream.

The moment their bodies touched the blade light, they were completely disintegrated and vaporized by the violent star power contained within it!

Not even a trace of blood was left behind!

One slash!

Just one slash!

Hundreds of vicious bandits were wiped out from this world as if erased by an eraser!

Vanished into ashes!

When that brilliant blade light finally dissipated on the distant horizon, the whole world returned to a deathly silence once again.

Only the surviving Loulan guards and the beautiful Loulan Princess remained, standing there blankly as if petrified.

Their faces were filled with extreme shock and awe that could not be described in words!

They looked at the man who was slowly sheathing his blade, as if he had only done a trivial thing, feeling that their worldview had been completely overturned at this moment.

This... is this really a power that a Mortal can possess?

This is clearly a deity walking on earth!

Aiyire's sapphire-like eyes stared unblinkingly at the man who had descended from the sky like a Heavenly God, saving her and all her tribespeople.

Her heart beat wildly and violently out of control at this moment!

It was a strange feeling she had never experienced before.

It was awe, gratitude, worship, and even more, a fatal palpitation called falling in love.

She knew that from this moment on, this man's figure would be forever imprinted in the depths of her Soul, never to be erased.

Gao Feng ignored everyone's shock; he walked slowly to Aiyire, looked into her blue eyes filled with complex emotions, and asked indifferently: Are you alright?

His voice pulled Aiyire back from her dazed state.

Her pretty face, hidden under her veil, instantly flushed with a moving rosy glow.

She hurriedly performed Loulan's most noble chest-caressing salute to Gao Feng, her voice carrying a trace of shyness and reverence that even she hadn't noticed.

Th... thank you, benefactor, for saving my life! This young woman, Aiyire, will never forget this kindness!

Aiyire? Gao Feng nodded. You are a caravan from the Western Regions? Why are you here?

Aiyire dared not have any concealment; she recounted her identity as the Loulan Princess and the purpose of coming to the East this time to find a trade route to Gao Feng in detail.

When Gao Feng heard that she was looking for a lifeline for her tribespeople to exchange for food and ironware, a trace of imperceptible appreciation flashed in his eyes.

This was a woman with responsibility and courage.

So you are the Princess of Loulan, my apologies. Gao Feng smiled slightly. I am Gao Feng, the Prince of Yan of the Great Qian. This place is my territory.

The Prince of Yan!

Hearing these two words, Aiyire and all the Loulan guards behind her were deeply shocked once again!

Although they came from the distant Western Regions, they had also heard various legends about this new Eastern hegemon.

Beheading the Azure Wolf King in battle, defeating the 100,000 Heavenly Wolf Iron Cavalry single-handedly!

This is simply a figure from myth!

They never dreamed that they would meet this legendary king of the northern border here!

And they were saved by him personally!

Could this be the guidance of the Eternal Heaven for their Loulan?