Chapter Ninety: The Enemy of the World!
Just as the otherworldly powerhouse on the Changping battlefield broke free from his seal and emerged, Wang Xuan stopped cultivating and suddenly opened his eyes to gaze into the distance.
Through Xuan Tian, he could sense that the entire world was trembling, as if some disaster was about to befall them!
"Judging from this commotion, could it be that an otherworldly powerhouse from the Changping battlefield has emerged?" Wang Xuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He activated his Qi Luck Golden Eye and could see a black aura of tribulation shooting straight into the sky in the direction of the ancient Changping battlefield. It was several times more concentrated than the tribulation aura above Yang Guang's head before. It was definitely the kind of treatment that only an enemy of the world would receive!
The appearance of that powerful being from another world is actually a good thing for Wang Xuan. At least it can attract the will of heaven from the Sui and Tang world, giving Wang Xuan ample time to strengthen himself.
"I wonder just how strong that otherworldly invader is. I should send my Xuan Yin avatar over to test it out first." Wang Xuan made his decision and stopped paying attention to his main body, instead sending his Xuan Yin avatar to probe the area.
After all, fighting against powerful beings from another world is extremely dangerous. One wrong move and you could be killed or have your soul destroyed. It would be safer to send the Xuan Yin avatar over.
Now, Xuan Yin's incarnation is based in Wagang Village, recruiting soldiers and expanding his territory, and has become a local warlord.
He commanded an army of 200,000 and had won over a large number of civil and military officials, including Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Li Jing, and Wei Zheng, thus laying the foundation for an imperial reign.
Aside from expanding his influence, his own strength hadn't improved much; he remained at the peak of the third tier.
However, during this period of battlefield conquest, the Xuan Yin Avatar has absorbed a lot of blood energy and evil energy, and half of its body hair has fallen out. At least its face looks no different from that of an ordinary person.
That's why no one noticed anything unusual about him. Otherwise, if he, as a regional lord, dared not show his true face to others, it would surely cause his subordinates to harbor resentment.
After Wang Xuan's main consciousness entered the Xuan Yin incarnation and received the memories of this period, he began to summon his civil and military officials.
Before long, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin and others arrived one after another. The civil officials stood on the left and the military officers stood on the right, forming two long rows.
Wang Xuan glanced at everyone, his gaze lingering slightly on Qin Qiong. This man's cultivation had reached the late stage of the Innate Realm, making him arguably Wang Xuan's most formidable general.
However, his cultivation level at the late stage of the Innate Realm was still far inferior to that of Li Yuanba, Yuwen Chengdu, and Pei Yuanqing.
"Gentlemen, there have been unusual changes in the world recently. I intend to gather all the lords of the land to jointly resist the impending disaster," Wang Xuan said calmly to the crowd, withdrawing his gaze.
Wei Zheng stepped forward and asked, "Does my lord perhaps intend to unite all the feudal lords in the land to eliminate the threat of the Sui Dynasty?"
"Not long ago, a strange event occurred in Luoyang. First, lightning struck the palace, and then blood rained down from the sky. It is clear that the tyrant Yang Guang has indeed lost his mandate of heaven."
"Destroying the Sui Dynasty first is indeed a good idea. Luoyang City contains the wealth accumulated by the Sui Dynasty over two generations. If our Wagangzhai can occupy Luoyang City and seize all the soldiers, armor, and provisions in Luoyang City, then our great cause will be within reach!"
Wang Xuan rolled his eyes in annoyance. Now that Yang Guang had been subdued, the area within a radius of three hundred miles of Luoyang City was under his control, so naturally he would not fight against himself.
So he interrupted Wei Zheng, pointed to the north, and said, "The changes in the heavens and earth that I am talking about are not referring to the direction of Luoyang."
"Although there are some uncertainties in Luoyang, the Sui Dynasty is rotten to the core. Do you think it can launch a counterattack against us?"
"The celestial anomaly I'm referring to is the impending catastrophe in northern Shanxi, which threatens the very survival of the world!"
Qin Qiong, Li Jing, Wei Zheng and the others were all filled with suspicion. Could it be that their lord had obtained some secret intelligence?
"Report!!" Just then, a young officer rushed in, holding a secret letter in his hand, clearly with urgent intelligence to report to Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan took the letter, opened it, and couldn't help but show a strange expression on his face.
Sensing the gazes of his civil and military officials, Wang Xuan quickly feigned fury and roared, "News has come from Li Yuan in Taiyuan that a group of monsters has appeared in Shanxi, devouring the flesh and blood of the living to grow stronger, and has already spread. The Tang army is no match for those monsters, so they are appealing to the feudal lords of the realm for help!"
Wang Xuan silently mourned for Li Yuan's family for a second.
Originally, Li Yuan raised an army in Taiyuan, proclaimed himself King of Tang, and swept across the entire Shanxi province in just a few days, displaying an aura of overwhelming power.
Unexpectedly, Li Yuan stumbled upon this incident: powerful beings from another world drove out zombies from the ancient battlefield of Changping. Keep in mind that the ancient battlefield of Changping is located within Shanxi province, so Li Yuan was naturally the first unfortunate warlord to suffer.
Wang Xuan handed over Li Yuan's letter pleading for help. After reading it, Qin Qiong, Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin, and the others were all shocked and furious.
"I never imagined that such evil creatures existed in the world, feeding on the living and leaving no survivors wherever they went!" After reading the letter, Wei Zheng hurriedly advised, "My lord, this has escalated into a war between races. Since Li Yuan cannot withstand it, we must step up and prevent those evil creatures from spreading, otherwise there will be no place for us humans to live in the world!"
Qin Qiong and Li Jing's men also nodded in agreement.
As the saying goes, "Brothers may be united within the walls to defend against external humiliation," they may be enemies with Li Yuan, but now that they have encountered a matter concerning the life and death of all mankind, they cannot stand idly by.
Wang Xuan had already planned to unite the feudal lords of the world to deal with the powerful beings from another world, so he naturally did not object and quickly agreed to Wei Zheng's suggestion.
At his command, the entire army of Washan Village began to assemble and quickly headed north.
However, the army he led was no ordinary one; an ordinary army would likely only be cannon fodder. This army numbered around 300 men and was trained entirely according to the methods used to train armies in the main world. They were named the Xuanjia Elite Cavalry—it seems Li Er will later create a Xuanjia Elite Cavalry?
Every soldier in the Xuanjia Elite Cavalry was handpicked by Wang Xuan, selected based on their innate strength, exceptional aptitude, and even pre-existing martial prowess. They were then gathered together and trained in martial arts, using medicinal baths and diets to rapidly elevate their combat strength to the fourth or fifth level of the Acquired Realm. The combined strength of 300 men was comparable to that of a third-tier martial arts master!
In addition, he also brought along Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin, two innate masters, while the others stayed behind at Wagang Village.
Chapter Ninety-One: A Gathering of Heroes
With Wang Xuan's Xuan Yin Incarnation, whose cultivation was comparable to the peak of the Dao, traveling ten thousand miles a day was not difficult. However, with the Xuanjia elite cavalry, his speed inevitably slowed down.
Although each member of the Xuanjia Elite Cavalry was equipped with three fine horses, horses were not exotic beasts after all, and running three or four hundred miles a day was already their limit.
Several more days passed, and they finally arrived in Hedong, where they joined up with Li Yuan's Tang army.
Li Yuan personally came out to greet him, with only a few generals protecting him, which showed his sincerity.
However, when Wang Xuan saw the group of people behind Li Yuan, his pupils constricted slightly. He was shocked to see Li Yuanba there as well. Even more surprising to Wang Xuan was that Li Yuanba's severed arm had actually grown back!
“Limb regeneration is a technique only available to those at the fourth level of the Transcendent Realm in martial arts. Li Yuanba’s cultivation is still at the early stage of the third level, at most approaching the middle stage of the third level. It is absolutely impossible for him to do this!” Wang Xuan sighed inwardly. Needless to say, this must be a good deed done by the will of heaven.
As long as one is willing to consume some of the world's essence, even if the entire body is destroyed, one can still be resurrected, let alone just losing an arm.
Besides the fierce general Li Yuanba, Wang Xuan also saw Pei Yuanqing here. Pei Yuanqing had also joined the Li Tang regime along with his father, Pei Renji.
As for the other three, they are Xiong Kuohai, Wu Yunzhao, and Wu Tianci. Their reputations are not as resounding as Li Yuanba and Pei Yuanqing, but they are the fourth, fifth, and sixth heroes in the world, respectively. Their cultivation has reached the perfect state of the Innate Realm, and their combat power is comparable to the third level of martial arts, reaching the realm of entering the Dao through martial arts.
Li Yuan and his son were truly destined by Heaven! Looking at the entire Sui and Tang Dynasty world, among the six strongest warriors, apart from Yuwen Chengdu who ranked second, the others all served as officials in the Tang Dynasty. These five people alone were enough to dominate the world!
Wang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, regarding Li Yuan and his son as formidable enemies, yet his face showed no sign of anything amiss.
Li Yuan took the initiative to greet him, saying in a tone as if he had been waiting for a savior, "King Wei, you've finally arrived."
"I have long heard of King Wei's unparalleled martial arts. Now that evil forces are causing chaos in this world, we need your peerless martial prowess to help us through this calamity. Otherwise, all living beings will sink into depravity and become food for the evil forces."
The so-called "King of Wei" naturally refers to Wang Xuan's Xuan Yin incarnation.
He occupied large swathes of land in Shandong and Henan, and his power ranked among the top in the eighteen rebel kings. He needed the title of emperor to command the world.
After much deliberation, Wang Xuan ultimately chose the title "King of Wei," since Li Mi, the leader of Wagangzhai in the original history, had called himself King of Wei. Wang Xuan didn't bother to think too much and simply "borrowed" it.
Wang Xuan greeted Li Yuan with a smile, but inwardly he was sneering. This Li Yuan was indeed no good; the moment they met, he tried to pin a huge accusation on Wang Xuan, sending him to fight those zombies.
"King Tang, what exactly is this evil spirit you speak of? Could you please explain in detail?" Wang Xuan asked.
After all, Li Yuan had fought against the zombie army led by that otherworldly powerhouse, so he knew a little about their situation and figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Li Yuan didn't hide anything; he was the one who had to face those evil spirits first, and he was even hoping that Wang Xuan would share some of the pressure with him.
"From what I know, those demons first appeared outside the ancient battlefield of Changping, and then quickly spread to the surrounding areas."
"They are impervious to swords and spears, and immune to fire and water. They prey on livestock and wild animals, and they don't even spare living people!"
"What's even more terrifying is that these demons are contagious. Anyone who has been scratched or bitten by them will eventually become part of the demons if they don't receive timely treatment!"
Wang Xuan nodded. He was well aware of what Li Yuan had said and knew that Li Yuan was not lying, but he had concealed some crucial information.
For example, these "demons" are called zombies, created by invaders from another world. Li Yuan must have known this from Li Yuanba, but deliberately did not tell Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan didn't expose the truth, but continued to ask, "Among those demons, are there any powerful ones?"
Li Yuan replied, "We, the Great Tang, are not afraid of those ordinary demons. However, there are nine zombies among them that are the most powerful, having already surpassed the level of the Innate Perfection stage."
"Nine?!" Wang Xuan's expression changed; there was definitely something strange about this.
Back in the heart of the Changping battlefield, Wang Xuan encountered a full eighteen zombies comparable to the third level of martial arts. He killed two of them, refined another into a Xuan Yin Incarnation, leaving only fifteen third-level zombies!
Wang Xuan has now come in the form of Xuan Yin, and his appearance is not similar to his original form at all. Li Yuan and Li Yuanba did not recognize his identity, nor did they know that he had been to the core area of the ancient battlefield of Changping. Therefore, Li Yuan did not think much of it and only assumed that Wang Xuan was afraid.
He quickly patted his chest and said, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured. The five generals behind me all have combat power that surpasses the Perfect Innate Realm. They can withstand the Five Demon Kings. In addition, there is Yuwen Chengdu of the Yuwen Clan and Your Majesty, making a total of seven combat power that surpasses the Perfect Innate Realm."
"As for the remaining two demons, although we no longer have generals who can match them, we can still attack them together!"
At this point, Li Yuan glanced at Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin behind Wang Xuan.
Both of them are experts at the Innate Realm, especially Qin Qiong, who has reached the late Innate Realm and whose combat power is comparable to the Perfect Innate Realm. They are definitely the main candidates to kill the third-level zombies!
Wang Xuan smiled without saying a word. If a person's heart is completely rotten, then there is no hope for them, just like Li Yuan.
Fearing he might scare Wang Xuan away, Li Yuan concealed the presence of the otherworldly expert within the bronze coffin. If that expert were to make a move, even all of them combined might not be able to withstand a single strike!
After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Xuan led his subordinates to rest and recuperate, awaiting the arrival of the other feudal lords.
Several more days passed, and powerful individuals continued to arrive at this place.
The first to arrive was Luo Cheng, the young master of Yanshan, who inherited the Five-Hook Divine Flying Spear from his family. Known as the Cold-Faced Silver Spear Luo Cheng, he was the seventh greatest hero in the world, and his cultivation had reached the perfect state of the Innate Realm.
Next to arrive were the experts under Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty: Yang Lin, the Prince of Kao Shan, ranked eighth in martial prowess; Wei Wentong, the Flower Knife Tai Sui, ranked ninth; Shang Shitu, the Four Treasures General, ranked tenth; and Xin Wenli, the Eight Horses General, ranked eleventh.
These people have all reached the Innate Perfection realm, and can be considered Yang Guang's trump cards, yet they have all been sent here.
They waited and waited, growing increasingly impatient, before Yuwen Chengdu finally arrived.
Chapter Ninety-Two: Fighting Zombies
Yuwen Chengdu was incredibly powerful; among the natives of the Sui and Tang dynasties, he was second only to Li Yuanba, so it was no wonder he was somewhat arrogant.
However, when he saw Li Yuanba walking over carrying a pair of large hammers, he quickly suppressed his arrogance. He was also a little scared in the face of such a fierce person as Li Yuanba.
All the people who were supposed to come had arrived. Wang Xuan looked around and saw that there were dozens of innate masters gathered here.
It has only been a few months since Wang Xuan began spreading his teachings and martial arts at the Golden Summit of Zhongnan Mountain. In such a short time, dozens of innate masters have emerged, and there are even a few strong individuals comparable to those who have entered the Dao through martial arts. This can only be attributed to the impending great calamity and the divine will that sent down the world's origin.
"Report!" Just then, a fast horse galloped from afar, heading straight for Li Yuan.
Soon a group of guards stopped the man, questioned him, and only allowed him to pass after confirming his identity.
The knight dismounted and ran quickly to Li Yuan, kneeling on one knee. He reported, "Your Highness, the demon army has broken through our blockade and is advancing south, soon to besiege Jinyang!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuan was immediately dismayed. Taiyuan, Jinyang, and Hedong were the three most valuable regions under his control, and the foundation upon which he relied to contend for supremacy.
If Jinyang were to fall, it would be as if he had lost an arm, greatly diminishing his power!
"Everyone, evil spirits are rampant now. I hope you can lend me a hand and help us fight against them!" Li Yuan could no longer sit still, so he quickly came over to persuade everyone.