198: Receive the decree of the Martial Temple (ask for monthly ticket)

"Whoosh!"

Between heaven and earth, a fierce wind raged.

On Yunding Mountain, in front of Xuntian Hall, the twelve Fashan Flags flapped loudly in the wind.

But while the flags remained, many people were gone.

Pei Yanhu, with his tiger-like eyes, looked up at the sky. He saw a cloud line that made the Void Realm tremble. Amidst the ethereal clouds, rumbling ancient war chariots thundered across the sky, from far to near, and a majestic, suffocating pressure descended.

The wind between heaven and earth grew stronger, causing Pei Yanhu's face to ripple. The officials and armored soldiers standing behind him let out low cries, swaying as if drunk. Then, a buzzing sound erupted as the Qi within their bodies was forced to burst forth, used to resist the terrifying and suffocating pressure.

Soon, the rumbling sounded like rolling thunder, and clouds descended above Yunding Mountain. Divine light shone, and the wisps of clouds danced like colorful ribbons.

Amidst the clouds, high in the sky, figures with ferocious appearances and massive bodies stepped out first, their soul-stirring roars and shrieks echoing through the Void Realm.

They were clearly fearsome and extraordinary Yao Race beasts, some majestic, some grotesque, all emanating a fierce Qi!

And atop these Yao Race mounts, figures sat high on the clouds, looking down from above. Their eyes gleamed with divine light, making it impossible for ordinary people to meet their gaze. A powerful Qi stirred the wind and clouds between heaven and earth.

There was an exotic beast resembling a Qilin, covered in golden scales that shimmered with divine radiance like flickering flames. It had Dragon claws, elk-like antlers on its head, with purple lightning flashing within them, making it exceptionally majestic and powerful. Seated upon it was a man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in a lotus robe, with divine light subtly flowing in his eyes.

There was also a Yao Race creature with a body resembling a lion and a head resembling a wolf, covered in long green fur that emitted a green glow. Two white jade-like tusks protruded from its mouth. It trod on air with its four legs, opening its gaping maw to let out a roar towards the ground below. Seated upon it was a woman dressed in a five-colored robe, her skin like congealed fat, with a vermilion mole between her brows, and a hint of arrogance in her eyes.

There were also seven or eight other creatures, some with dense scales and ferocious faces, others radiating divine light, and the figures seated upon them were both male and female. Most appeared to be in their twenties or thirties, but the Qi they exuded all indicated the Fourth Heavenly Gate!

Among them, three or four were on par with Pei Yanhu.

Below, in front of Xuntian Hall, heavy breathing sounds arose. The officials and armored soldiers of the Dao Fu Division felt as if a large stone was pressing on their chests, and the surrounding air became thick. They breathed rapidly, and after meeting the gaze of those from the sky, they couldn't help but lower their heads.

Just then, the mounted figures in the sky automatically parted, creating a path. Then, an earth-shattering roar sounded between heaven and earth, and the clouds in the sky transformed into sky-reaching clouds, pouring down like a river.

The rolling clouds, seemingly possessing the power to shake mountains, rolled down, causing the entire Yunding Mountain to tremble, the sky shaking and the earth quaking. Then the clouds transformed into two tornadoes, which slammed down onto the plaza, about ten zhang in front of Pei Yanhu.

Then,

"Thump"

"Thump"

Two figures, one tall and one short, walked out from the mist.

As their feet landed on the plaza, the previously trembling Yunding Peak immediately quieted down.

The clouds dispersed with the wind, and the two figures finally revealed their true forms.

One was nine chi tall but slender, with a prominent bone structure in his face, remarkably large earlobes, and a long greyish-white beard, dressed in a loose black robe.

The other wore white clothes, was short in stature, with a face full of wrinkles and drooping brows, appearing like an ordinary old man in his seventies.

Neither of them showed any trace of Qi, yet when Pei Yanhu saw the two elders, his expression became solemn and respectful. He immediately bowed, his voice deferential:

"Pei Yanhu, Town Demon Envoy of the Left Route of the Jiannan Road Dao Fu Division, greets the two Grand Ministers!"

Behind him, the Fushi officials and armored soldiers also bowed in unison.

That Pei Yanhu treated them with such deference clearly indicated that the two elders had a significant background.

Little did they know, even a Zhenmo General who presided over a Road would need to salute these two elders.

The Grand Ministers came from Taichang Temple, an organization in the Great Qian Dynasty responsible for sacrifices.

Seemingly insignificant, this temple actually managed the Luck of the world for the Dynasty, bestowing titles upon various mountains and rivers. However, its most important and powerful aspect was its connection to a mysterious place—the Temple of Martialism!

Those who were enshrined in the Temple of Martialism, with their clay and painted statues, were like human deities.

These individuals often served within the Temple of Martialism, rarely seen by ordinary people.

Now, with two Grand Ministers arriving together, the stir was likely significant.

Pei Yanhu had never seen such legendary figures. As he bowed his head, he acted cautiously, yet his heart was stirred, and he vaguely had a guess.

"Hmm."

"Come inside and speak!"

About a dozen zhang away, the two elders, one tall and thin, had calm expressions. They nodded, then their bodies vanished from their original spots. The next second, they appeared at the entrance of Xuntian Hall and stepped inside.

Only a voice echoed in Pei Yanhu's ears.

Pei Yanhu looked up, turned around, and waved his hands to both sides, dismissing the troops. Then, he stepped into Xuntian Hall.

At this time, in the main hall, the two Grand Ministers were seated. The tall elder among them, with his prominent brow bones, squinted his eyes and spoke.

"The Imperial Court has received your General's message, and Taichang Temple also sensed the breaking of the Restriction in the Ten Thousand Mountains at the first moment."

"Tell us the full story, and the current situation of your Fushi!"

Pei Yanhu dared not delay. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and his eyes gradually became calm. Although he didn't know why it wasn't the Imperial Court's General Division that came, but two Grand Ministers from Taichang Temple, he still recounted the events word by word, starting from the Yao Race Dao Fruit Assembly in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

"Reporting to both sirs!"

"More than half a month ago, the Fushi received intelligence that the Yao Race, originally sealed in the Ten Thousand Mountains, held their once-every-sixty-year Yao Race Dao Fruit Assembly. These Yao Race members, by unknown means, appeared at various Fu Gates, attacking simultaneously, causing countless casualties. Suddenly, the Fushi received news that Youmen Pass had been breached and the Town Demon Envoy had fallen. Now, apart from the two routes guarding the west, the remaining ten routes of the Fa Shan Army have all been dispatched to the south to fight against the Yao Race!"

"...Currently, four Fa Shan Armies have been completely wiped out, and three Fu Cities and six thousand li of land have been lost!"

"My son has also died in battle!"

As Pei Yanhu spoke, his emotions swelled unknowingly. Towards the end, his eyes were red, and every word was tinged with blood.

In these past days, hearing one piece of bad news after another from the south, even the news of his own son's death, had left him feeling mentally exhausted. The immense pressure and surging emotions had kept him awake for several days and nights.

But he couldn't collapse. The General was guarding the west, and he was stationed at the Fushi, while tens of thousands of soldiers in the south were fighting fiercely against the surging Yao Race on the front lines, awaiting his support.

He tried hard to suppress his emotions, but beneath each word lay the souls of tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of thousands of common people.

The two Grand Ministers listened, then fell silent. After a while, the short, white-robed elder sighed softly.

"It must be hard for you all, guarding this remote and desolate place."

"Back then, when the Dynasty was first established, the great Divine Ability users gathered most of the Luck of Shu Land and jointly performed a great Divine Ability to suppress these Yao Race members, driving them to the desolate lands of the Ten Thousand Mountains. But now, alas, the world is in chaos, the Dynasty is precarious, and Luck is scattered. These Restrictions have gradually developed loopholes. And the various Fu Gates spread throughout Shu Land, gathering millions of people, are like Luck array eyes. Those Yao Race members must have used means to attack all the Fu Gates simultaneously, slaughtering the common people to disable the array eyes, and thus broke through the gates."

The white-robed elder revealed this secret.

"The world is a Reincarnation, with rise and fall alternating. The mighty trend is unstoppable, and it's not your fault!"

"These Yao Race members are of no small concern, and the Imperial Court will certainly not stand idly by."

"We two have received the Temple of Martialism's decree and will personally make a trip to the Ten Thousand Mountains."

I had things to do during the day, so the update is a bit late. There will be another chapter around 12 AM.