Chapter 210.1: The Four Saints Resisting

In the Capital of the Cai Empire.

Zhang Feng spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale. "

Cough, cough...

"

A burly man clad in metal armor stood before him. Exquisite patterns were densely carved across its surface. He frowned at Zhang Feng. "How are your injuries?"

He was a Third Step captain of the military camp, recently stationed here.

Zhang Feng's gaze was filled with apparent grief. "I'll probably have to recuperate for several decades before I can act again. During this time, I fear I won't be able to serve my lord."

The captain knitted his brows, his expression uncertain. "You were far too careless, getting injured by an assassin. Though the assassin has been executed, your wounds..."

The camp master had always valued Zhang Feng highly, assigning him all the dirtiest and most exhausting tasks. An ancient god was to be wrung dry, after all.

Zhang Feng said helplessly, "

Haa

... The assassin was also a Third Step ancient god. In my loyalty to the camp master, I have offended far too many ancient gods. Assassination attempts are nothing new to me."

The captain glanced at his injuries. "Rest for now. I'll report this matter truthfully to the camp master."

With that, he left the palace with three new gods.

***

Along the way, the captain narrowed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought.

One of the new gods couldn’t help but snort coldly. "This Zhang Feng is definitely faking his injuries!"

This led the other new gods to voice their malicious suspicions one after another.

"Exactly! He just doesn't want to serve the camp master anymore!"

"His brother-in-law died, and instead of taking revenge himself, he expects us to do it?"

"He claimed he was attacked by a Third Step assassin, but where’s the corpse?"

The night before, they had been ordered to rush to the Cai Empire to provide support after Zhang Feng was reportedly attacked. However, they were denied entry, only catching sight of the injured Zhang Feng after daybreak.

The captain sighed at his subordinates. "His injuries don't seem fake. Staged or not, it seems that he won’t be able to serve the camp master for the next few decades."

"

Hmph

! This is our territory! With the camp master around, how could a Third Step ancient god dare to strike? An assassin? What a joke!"

"Why would an assassin show up here?! How ridiculous!"

They had no doubt in their own supremacy. After all, the ancient gods in the fallen zone were already in dire straits. Lucky just to avoid being purged, few would dare attempt something so brazen. Those who could flee had done just that.

In the next moment, a bone-chilling voice boomed like thunder.

—

Execute the traitor Zhang Feng. Kill anyone who blocks the way without mercy!

The four new gods froze momentarily.

There really is an assassin?

Inside the palace, Zhang Feng himself was stunned.

There really is an assassin!

"So bold!" the captain roared in fury. "Who dares act so recklessly when I’m right here?!"

It would be one thing if Zhang Feng had been assassinated earlier. Now, with members of the military camp present, someone still dared to act so openly?! It was basically a slap to his face!

He shot up into the sky. The new gods at his side also followed suit. Powerful evil god energy surged forth, sweeping across the entire capital of the Cai Empire.

All the ordinary citizens trembled in fear.

***

At this moment, Qi Yuan and the others halted in the skies above the Cai Empire.

He squinted at the captain. "So you're Zhang Feng?"

Beside him, Wang Wenqi hurriedly said, "My lord, he isn't Zhang Feng!"

The captain also stared at Qi Yuan with surprise. "No wonder you had the nerve to storm the capital. You have over twenty True Gods!"

Indeed, Qi Yuan’s group had arrived with tremendous momentum. Not only did they have many True Gods, but the vast majority were at the Second Step to Heaven. His forces were to be reckoned with among the surrounding empires.

Yet the captain remained unfazed. This time, the new gods who were dispatched to the Cai Empire were all elites. His unit consisted of eight True Gods, four of whom were at the Third Step, while the remaining four were at the Second Step. Though fewer in number, their overall strength far surpassed Qi Yuan’s group.

The captain himself stood at the peak of Third Step, about to condense a Divine Domain Seed. If he wanted to, he could defeat all these ancient gods by himself.

"So many enemies. Good. The more there are, the greater my merit!" he roared, brimming with excitement.

Murderous gleam flashed across Qi Yuan’s eyes. "You aren’t Zhang Feng, yet you still dare to block my way. Do you want to die?"

Just then, the pale-faced Zhang Feng ascended into the air, regret lacing his voice. "Wenqi, I’m truly sorry about your great-grandfather! Who would’ve thought he’d be so stubborn? Had he obediently served the new gods like I do, he would not have provoked their wrath. When new gods are enraged, you know how terrifying the consequences are, right? It would be one thing if he alone were to die. Instead, he would drag an entire innocent city into the grave. It was truly...

Haa.

That’s why! For the sake of the greater good, for the sake of the people, it is better not to resist the new gods."

Wang Wenqi’s eyes reddened as she stared at Zhang Feng.

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes at Zhang Feng’s hypocritical speech. He couldn’t be bothered to listen anymore and abruptly changed the subject. "Why are you pretending to be injured? Do you think I’ll pity you and spare your life?"

Zhang Feng seemed frail, as if teetering on the edge of death, but it was all a lie.

The captain froze upon hearing that.

Zhang Feng coughed again, spitting out blood.

The captain turned to Qi Yuan. "It seems the assassin who attacked Brother Zhang Feng yesterday was one of your accomplices. Looks like we wronged Brother Zhang Feng."

The other new gods also felt a twinge of guilt. They had misunderstood Zhang Feng!

Qi Yuan asked quickly, "The assassin? What happened to him?"

A certain Great Venerable flashed across his mind.

The captain answered smugly, "He’s been executed! Now it's your turn!"

Executed?

Qi Yuan froze for a moment, before laughing. "Zhang Feng is worthy of that?"

Even seriously injured, Thunder remained formidable in his own right. He failed to kill Zhang Feng and ended up getting executed himself? If that actually happened, Qi Yuan would laugh at him for three years straight. He concluded that Thunder probably hadn't arrived yet.

That’s understandable.

Unlike Qi Yuan, Thunder certainly wouldn’t charge recklessly. He would instead move cautiously, avoiding major cities. Some delays along the way would be perfectly normal.

The greatest burden in Qi Yuan’s heart was finally alleviated. He stared greedily at the evil gods. "So much evil god spiritual energy..."

I can visualize many powerful gods with this!

The captain felt uncomfortable under Qi Yuan's gaze. "I don't like the way you're looking at me!"

He was the hunter, and Qi Yuan and his group were the prey—not the other way around!

Qi Yuan lazily issued the order, "I don't care whether you like it or not. Kill the rest except for Zhang Feng."

His words left both the ancient gods and new gods alike momentarily stunned.

Kill? Not capture alive?

Nevertheless, since their god had given the command, none of the ancient gods hesitated. Scattering, they surrounded the eight new gods and Zhang Feng.

The captain’s smile froze. "Am I still dreaming? A bunch of Second Step cultivators dare to surround us?"

He truly couldn't understand. Had these ancient gods lost their minds? Still, recalling how they had come to assassinate Zhang Feng so brazenly, everything made sense.

Qi Yuan said irritably, "Move! We still have to look for someone after this! That Old Thunder’s way too unreliable!"

Sure enough, once people got old, they became useless. He even wondered whether Thunder had developed dementia and gotten lost.

"Die!"

Without holding back, the ancient gods launched an attack. Nearly twenty Divine Domain Seeds expanded all at once. The space above the capital was frozen solid.

All traces of a smile were erased from Zhang Feng’s face. Terror crept into the captain’s face.

"Divine Domain Seeds..."

"How is this possible?!"

They couldn’t begin to understand what was happening. More than one Divine Domain Seed? What kind of ancient gods did they run into?

Whether at the Second or Third Step, the evil gods were completely immobilized. Their dozens of divine apertures also became sluggish and blocked.

The gap between a Venerable and a Great Venerable lay in the Divine Domain. The number of divine apertures determined the amount and flow rate of divine spiritual energy. However, when a Great Venerable's Divine Domain Seed was unleashed, it could directly clog a Venerable's divine apertures.

Thus, the Third Step evil gods became as fragile as those at the First Step.

Qi Yuan's voice rang out. "Too boring! Let me kill them. I haven't chopped heads in a long time!"

Due to the world’s restrictions, he had been stuck at the peak Violet Palace realm for far too long. As a result, he had to rely on his followers to kill gods, and his hands itched every time. Even when Thunder had subdued an evil god for Qi Yuan, he still couldn’t finish him off. It was utterly frustrating.

Now, with so many heads to take, he was naturally thrilled. "Sword, come."

A blood-red longsword appeared, roaming through the air like a swimming dragon. It entered the Divine Domain Seeds as if into an unguarded land.

Sword light flashed across the eight powerful evil gods. One by one, their heads fell before their bodies were shattered.

"Finally, a feast I can enjoy with a clear conscience."