In the empire’s easternmost Dragon Snake Mountain Range, every single Dragon Snake Border Army soldier was especially quiet, no one wishing to speak.

When Gu Yunjing left Dragon Snake Border Army to head for South Tomb’s front lines, Xu Kechi had always remained as Dragon Snake Army’s highest ranking officer, the leader of this Dragon Snake Border Army.

He naturally had the most powerful authority, aware of the highest level information brought back to Dragon Snake Border Army.

Many days ago, news of Gu Yunjing being killed in battle was already brought back to Dragon Snake Border Pass, just that he didn’t dare believe it all this time.

This man whose hair was also already gray always refused to believe this… That elder who had always been so old these years, but was always in great spirits, looking like he would never grow any older, actually left them like this.

Gu Yunjing had remained in Dragon Snake Border Pass for far too long.

Almost everyone in Dragon Snake Border Pass was extremely familiar with him, already used to his existence, used to being under his guidance.

If one were to say that the reason for Wenren Cangyue’s troops being strong was because of its strictness and meticulousness, then Gu Yunjing’s principles of managing his army were tolerance and shielding.

Everyone knew that Gu Yunjing was an extremely arrogant and wild person, just that this type of arrogance and wildness was directed outwards. In Dragon Snake Border Pass, he was an extremely protective and tolerant person, someone who had enough patience to instruct his subordinates.

He was willing to receive opinions from different parties, receive perspectives from different sides.

He could casually appear in any camp, eat and live together with the most ordinary soldiers, listen to their opinions, solve some of their troubles.

When he was with most of Dragon Snake Border Army’s people, what they discussed the most often weren’t issues of fighting, but rather eating and living conditions, talking about their lives, about their families. More often than not, he wasn’t like their highest ranking military officer, but instead more like a family head.

This gave him a type of charisma most people didn’t have, it made many cultivators follow at his side, which was why he had the world’s most powerful Black Flag Army[1].

When Xu Kechi was twenty years old, as an elite student of an ordinary Yunqin school, he was chosen to study in Dragon Snake Border Army by Martial Sector. From then on, he always followed at Gu Yunjing’s side. From a certain perspective, during the following close to thirty years, he had always remained Gu Yunjing’s student.

Towards Gu Yunjing, he obviously felt even deeper emotions than ordinary Dragon Snake Border Army soldiers.

Just how much did he wish for the news of his great general’s death to just be a joke Gu Yunjing played, a smoke bomb Gu Yunjing used to confuse the enemy.

However, only when that dark red masked stern high ranking officer appeared before him alone, did he believe that Gu Yunjing truly already left this world.

“Has great general left behind any last words?” He didn’t ask anything about Gu Yunjing’s death on the battlefield, only looking at this dark red masked stern high ranking officer, saying this with great difficulty.

The dark red masked stern high ranking officer nodded. “Continue to investigate the matters of Li Kaiyun’s death to prove that Di Choufei was guilty.”

Xu Kechi nodded. “I will secretly continue the investigation.”

The stern high ranking officer looked at him, continuing, “Great general wishes for you to not touch Turtle Edge Mountain.”

Xu Kechi released a bitter laugh. “Got it. Since Central Continent Imperial City knows how to put on an act, I can do the same… To make some fake military intelligence, make it seem like Dragon Snake Border Army doesn’t have the time to attack Turtle Edge Mountain, this is something I am still capable of.”

The grave and stern high ranking officer no longer said anything else. He bowed in greeting, and then left.

Xu Kechi’s chest suddenly felt extremely empty. He muttered to himself in a disappointed and frustrated manner, “He left just like that, not even saying a goodbye… it was just these two sentences…”

The things Gu Yunjing placed in his hands weren’t difficult at all. However, right now, Xu Kechi still wanted to hear a few more sentences from Gu Yunjing.

…

Everyone in Yunqin’s military began to learn of Gu Yunjing’s death.

After Gu Yunjing left this world, Xu Zhenyan’s authority in the military became even greater. Only, his reaction seemed to be the coldest, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

He indeed deliberately didn’t do anything either.

It was because he knew that the emperor in the throne room who looked extremely just, impartial and calm definitely really wanted to kill inside.

Something like the Spirit Benevolence Pill wasn’t a radish that grew from the ground, something that could be picked up from anywhere.

The emperor naturally gave Wenren Cangyue the Spirit Benevolence Pill because he wanted Wenren Cangyue to kill Lin Xi, to wipe out Green Luan Academy.

However, just after the Spirit Benevolence Pill had just been given to Wenren Cangyue, Wenren Cangyue was already killed by Lin Xi.

This type of thing wasn’t only suffering a double loss after trying to scheme against the enemy, it was simply allowing Lin Xi to strike him fiercely right on the face.

After the Autumn Sacrifice, the emperor already felt more powerful than ever before.

When one believed they were the most powerful, felt like they were the most impressive, felt like they could achieve anything they wanted, when his competent trusted aide Di Choufei was killed, and even Wenren Cangyue who he endured humiliation to cooperate with was killed… Being struck on the face again and again like this, just how furious would he end up becoming?

That was why Xu Zhenyan knew that he didn’t have to do anything, that he just had to wait and it would be enough.

Moreover, he didn’t believe that he needed to wait for a long time. In this type of final segment of darkness before dawn, he felt like what he needed to do the most was only to have even more patience, to even more so endure silently.

…

“Gu Yunjing actually already rose to Sacred Master level?”

In Purgatory Mountain’s highest palace, Purgatory Mountain Patriarch who bathed in the throne’s red radiance released a voice of surprise.

When the battles between Gu Yunjing, Hu Chenfu and those two Purgatory Mountain Great Elders ended, all of the Purgatory Mountain cultivators who followed those two Purgatory Mountain Great Elders suffered Yunqin military’s cruel pursuit, not a single person survived. That was why Purgatory Mountain received concrete information much later than Central Continent City.

After Vice Principal Xia left this world, Purgatory Mountain Patriarch was originally already impatient. However, when he heard the concrete details of the fight between Gu Yunjing and that Purgatory Mountain Great Elder, this highest level figures’ mood instead calmed down.

Three Purgatory Mountain Great Elders who were dried and shriveled like skeletons, their skin color entirely not like a living person’s, stood together with Zhang Ping in this spacious hall.

Two Purgatory Mountain Great Elders and close to a hundred Soul Master level elite disciples, even for Purgatory Mountain who could freely transfer all of Great Mang’s resources, this was still a loss that couldn’t be endured at all.

Right now, in Purgatory Mountain, the number of red robed figures who walked in and out of workshops and caves was already clearly much fewer.

Before Zhang Ping walked into this palace, he was inwardly thinking that the current Purgatory Mountain was just like a whorehouse that was originally extremely popular, but was now already past its time, its entrance lonely and cold.

What made him feel even greater joy was that after those two old monsters and many Purgatory Mountain disciples died, his status in Purgatory Mountain unknowingly seemed even more important.

The Purgatory Mountain Patriarch who released a light sound of surprise finished arranging his thoughts. After raising his head, his eyes first landed on his body.

“I heard that there is a chance of creating more of these obedient little things?”

Purgatory Mountain Patriarch looked at him, reaching out his hand and pointing to the left of his throne.

To his left was that metal puppet whose lower body was a wheel, its arms like two cannon barrels.

“Yes.” Zhang Ping who always had his body bowed down looked at the ground while replying.

Purgatory Mountain Patriarch nodded his head in great satisfaction. “Do not make us wait for too long.”

Zhang Ping said, “Three months, two months at the earliest.”

Purgatory Mountain Patriarch greatly admired this type of steady attitude and certain tone. As such, he chuckled in even greater satisfaction.

“Lin Xi’s retaliation has been extremely effective. He has already proven himself to be an even more terrifying opponent than Yunqin Emperor.”

“Yunqin Emperor already cannot move troops against Green Luan Academy, that is unless he dares let rebellions start all over Yunqin.”

“Before getting rid of Green Luan Academy, he can at least be considered an ally. Even if he has truly gone mad, I do not wish to see Yunqin rise up in revolt everywhere, to see him fall ahead of time.”

“Carry out peace talks.”

Gu Yunjing and Wenren Cangyue’s death, as well as the fresh feeling Zhang Ping brought him seemed to make his mood extremely great. That was why he spoke a few more words than usual again.

“Return Thousand Sunset Mountain to Yunqin in exchange.”

“If they want to divide up the land, then give them a bit of land.”

“They should be extremely willing to see this battle end.”

His dignified voice resounded through the spacious palace.

Zhang Ping’s heart trembled under this type of voice.

He was able to sense most clearly what a true great figure was.

It was to the extent where he didn’t even understand what kind of emotions he was currently feeling.

A war that led to who knew how many deaths, how many cultivators who died in battle, how many powerful individuals who passed away, who would have thought that it would actually be ended just by a few words from this person alone, moreover in such a certain manner.

1. One of the three great Dragon Snake Border Army armies who only takes in elite soldiers