Compared to a few months ago, Ning Caichen is like a completely different person; he has transformed from a weak scholar into a ruthless and ambitious man!
"This must be the will of Heaven in the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio!" Wang Xuan thought with a chill: "Could it be that the will of Heaven in this world has sensed something, so it has pushed forward the struggle for the dragon in the human realm, wanting to create a true dragon of the human realm that can unify the Yin and Yang realms, in order to resist the invasion of the Xuan Tian world?"
Wang Xuan turned his head and gave Ning Caichen a deep look. He saw that, in addition to Fu Tianchou, another middle-aged scholar walked up to Ning Caichen. The man had a faint blue aura rising to his head, echoing the Wenqu star in the sky!
"It's actually the reincarnation of the God of Literature! This person has already condensed the destiny of the God of Literature, and will surely become the chief of civil officials under Ning Caichen in the future! If I'm not mistaken, this person is Zhuge Wolong."
Things are getting more and more complicated. Originally, Wang Xuan wanted to weaken Ning Caichen's luck and prolong the chaos in the world of Liaozhai as much as possible, but man proposes, God disposes.
In the world of Liaozhai, the will of Heaven sensed the crisis and propelled the process of humanity striving for supremacy. Ning Caichen, having received the great fortune of humanity, would naturally rise to prominence smoothly.
Wang Xuan felt an urge to draw his sword and kill Ning Caichen, nipping the crisis in the bud. But he also knew that this was simply impossible.
First of all, Ning Caichen is incredibly lucky; he won't be so easy to kill. I'm afraid that before Wang Xuan even succeeds, Yan Chixia will jump out to stop him, and even those Taoist and Buddhist masters who have cultivated in seclusion for centuries will come to his rescue for various reasons.
Even if Wang Xuan broke through all obstacles and killed Ning Caichen, it wouldn't make much difference.
Although Ning Caichen was a hidden dragon among men, he was not unique or irreplaceable.
If Wang Xuan kills Ning Caichen, then the great fortune of the Hidden Dragon will immediately transfer to someone else. Yan Chixia, who wields the Xuanyuan Sword, is one such candidate!
Chapter 135 Blood Fiend Dao Soldier
Three months later, Ning Caichen stood proudly in military uniform, surrounded by Yan Chixia, Zhuge Wolong, Zhi Qiu Yiye and others, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.
Behind Ning Caichen, a squad of elite soldiers followed closely.
This elite force numbered only about 500 men, but each one possessed vigorous vitality and an aura of iron-blooded ferocity. Even a lowly soldier had a cultivation level of seven or eight layers of the Acquired Realm, while officers like the squad leader had even reached the Innate Realm!
Wang Xuan flew over on his sword and couldn't help but sigh when he saw the elite troops behind Ning Caichen.
Ning Caichen's elite troops are called Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers. They were trained according to the method provided by Wang Xuan. Even in the main world, they could be considered elite troops.
If these 500 Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers were to form an array, even a martial artist at the Perfected Dao Realm would be surrounded and killed!
"Brother Wang, you're finally back!" Ning Caichen greeted Wang Xuan warmly as soon as he saw him fly over. Pointing to the Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers behind him, he said to Wang Xuan, "The secret technique you provided is indeed powerful. The Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers have only been trained for three months, and they already have quite a presence."
"With these five hundred Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers, I am confident that I can defeat tens of thousands of enemy soldiers head-on!"
When Ning Caichen got excited, he inadvertently revealed his ambition.
Three months ago, Ning Caichen's father-in-law, Fu Tianchou, arranged for him to be given the position of a lieutenant general, and under the guise of eliminating demons and monsters, he trained five hundred Blood Fiend Dao soldiers.
Now that the Blood Fiend Dao Army has been formed, if it is only used to eliminate demons and monsters, why would it need to deal with tens of thousands of enemy soldiers?
Ning Caichen clearly harbors rebellious intentions, wanting to seize power and usurp the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty!
Wang Xuan muttered a curse in his heart, but pretended to be completely unaware. With a flick of his sleeve, a full 500 sets of armor appeared out of thin air in front of them.
Upon seeing the armor, Ning Caichen's eyes were immediately glued to it. He exclaimed in a daze, "Is this the armor you prepared for me, Brother?"
"That's right, this is the armor I forged from the shell of the thousand-year-old centipede spirit Cihang Pudu. Each set has reached the level of a low-grade magic weapon, and it is also engraved with Dao patterns and runes, which can fuse the power of five hundred Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers into one, making them invincible in this world!" Wang Xuan introduced the uses of these armors, which made Ning Caichen's expression even more excited.
At this moment, Zhuge Wolong said to Wang Xuan with a profound meaning, "Although I don't know much about cultivation, I know that it's not easy to forge a magic weapon. It is indeed unbelievable that Young Master Wang was able to produce five hundred pieces of magic weapon-level armor in just a few months."
Wang Xuan knew perfectly well what Zhuge Wolong was subtly implying. He simply "frankly" admitted, "I believe you've all guessed it by now. I'm not a lone cultivator, but rather I was born into an extremely powerful hidden sect."
"A hidden sect?" Zhuge Wolong and Ning Caichen exchanged a subtle glance, both of them smiling.
They had initially thought Wang Xuan was from the Shu Mountain Sect or the Kunlun Sect, but with Zhi Qiu Yi Ye from the Kunlun Sect present, they quickly realized that Wang Xuan was not from the Kunlun Sect.
Not long ago, Yan Chixia reconnected with the Shu Mountain Sect and learned that the Shu Mountain Sect did not have a person named Wang Xuan. Suddenly, Wang Xuan's origins became a mystery.
Now that they learned Wang Xuan came from a "hidden sect," Ning Caichen and his group were not worried but rather delighted. They had already secured limited support from the Kunlun and Shushan sects; if they gained another powerful hidden sect, they could not only further strengthen their own power but also maintain a balance of power between the Kunlun and Shushan sects!
From beginning to end, they never doubted that Wang Xuan's "hidden sect" did not exist at all, because there were indeed some cultivation sects in the world of Liaozhai that lived in seclusion. Wang Xuan was so young yet had such cultivation, possessed a constant stream of powerful treasures, and was able to create 500 pieces of magic weapon-level armor in just a few months. How could he be a lone cultivator? There must be a huge cultivation force behind him!
Wang Xuan and Ning Caichen spent a moment filling in the blanks in their minds, then took out a set of crimson armor and handed it to Ning Caichen: "Brother Ning, this set of armor was specially made by my sect elders. It is called the Blood Dragon Armor. It is of a higher grade than the five hundred sets of armor. I'll give it to you for self-defense!"
Ning Caichen examined the armor in Wang Xuan's hand. The armor was entirely crimson, like blood, and engraved with several dragons. It looked majestic and awe-inspiring.
The 500 sets of armor that Wang Xuan took out before were only low-grade magic artifacts, but this Blood Dragon Armor has reached the high-grade magic artifact level. In the world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, it would definitely be a treasure for protection!
Ning Caichen took the Blood Dragon Armor and liked it more and more, so he couldn't help but put it on on the spot.
In the past few months, besides training the Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers, he also began cultivating alongside Yan Chixia and Wang Xuan, embarking on the path of cultivation.
With the protagonist's halo and the abundant cultivation resources provided by his father-in-law Fu Tianchou, Ning Caichen's cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. In just three months, he reached the early stage of the Innate Realm, making him a master in the martial arts world.
A moment later, Ning Caichen, wearing the Blood Dragon Armor, and the five hundred Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers behind him also changed into the magic weapon armor provided by Wang Xuan. Their auras merged into one, and the powerful blood fiend aura soared into the sky, causing Zhuge Wolong beside him to turn pale. Even Zhi Qiu Yiye, whose cultivation was comparable to the late stage of the Dao Entry Realm, was somewhat overwhelmed.
"Hahahaha, with the Blood Dragon Armor and these five hundred Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers, where in the world can't we go?!" Ning Caichen sensed the power enhanced by the Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Wang Xuan was also laughing happily at this moment. Did he really think he was a kind person?
He was very optimistic about Ning Caichen's future, but he was different from the Shu Mountain and Kunlun sects.
The Shu Mountain Sect and the Kunlun Sect recognized Ning Caichen's potential and thus provided him with financial assistance in advance. This ensured their sects' continued prosperity once Ning Caichen conquered the world.
But Wang Xuan is not from the world of Liaozhai. Instead, he is an invader from another world who is determined to destroy the world of Liaozhai. Ning Caichen is an obstacle to his invasion of the world of Liaozhai. Why would he help his enemy to strengthen his own power?
Don't be fooled by the fact that he provided Ning Caichen with so many suits of armor and thought he was being kind; in reality, he had planted hidden traps within them.
The Blood Dragon Armor and the 500 sets of armor were all condensed by him with the help of the Xuan Tian Will of the Xuan Tian World. Among the Dao patterns engraved on them, there is still a part of the Xuan Tian Will!
When Wang Xuan suddenly launches his attack, all he needs to do is a thought, and the control of these five hundred Blood Fiend Dao Soldiers will instantly change hands, turning them into a sharp blade for the Xuan Tian World to invade the Liaozhai World!
Chapter 136 Challenging the Will of Heaven
Time flies like a river, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.
In the past five years, the world of Liaozhai has undergone rapid changes. Three years ago, the Central Plains suffered a severe drought, leaving the land barren and desolate. Coupled with the presence of demons, most people could no longer survive.
Thus, a powerful figure raised his arm and called upon the people, who responded in droves, organizing a righteous army to rise up and kill corrupt officials.
The Great Qian Dynasty was rotten to the core. After someone pierced the last layer of the window, rebel kings and righteous armies emerged one after another. In just three years, the entire Great Qian Dynasty was dismantled!
Although the Great Qian Dynasty has fallen, the war is far from over; in fact, it has only just begun. Currently, there are twenty or thirty large and small feudal lords throughout the land, constantly waging war against each other, to the point that the population of the Liaozhai world has been reduced by half!
Among these feudal lords, Ning Caichen was the most powerful.
With the blessing of humanity's great fortune, Ning Caichen has been unstoppable since he abandoned his studies to join the army five years ago. He has trained elite troops, slain demons and monsters, and seized a piece of land to settle down and make a living.
The fertile southeastern region, centered around Jinhua Prefecture, fell entirely into Ning Caichen's hands, giving him control of one-third of the empire.
During Ning Caichen's rise to power, his 500 Blood Fiend Dao soldiers achieved numerous military exploits, including defeating the King of Chu's 200,000-strong army with only 500 men and killing the King of Chu in battle.
The name of Blood Fiend terrifies the world!
Today, Ning Caichen has finally usurped the title of king, proclaiming himself King of Wu, and vowing to launch a northern expedition to sweep away the Central Plains and unify the world!
"The time is almost right. Driven by the will of Heaven, the situation is evolving much faster than I imagined. If I don't take action soon, I'm afraid Ning Caichen will unify the world and consolidate the power of the Liaozhai world." Wang Xuan sighed. He hadn't been idle in the past few years and had already completed all the arrangements. He was just waiting to severely damage the will of Heaven in Liaozhai and then guide the will of Xuantian to invade the Liaozhai world on a large scale.
At this moment, a grand sacrificial ceremony was being held in the Nine Netherworld. Wang Xuan's Xuan Yin avatar ascended the high platform, while countless fierce ghosts knelt on the ground below.
In five years, Xuan Yin's incarnation devoured countless ghosts and demons in the world of Liaozhai, and has already achieved the cultivation level of the early stage of the Celestial Realm, making him virtually invincible in the world!
Even the once invincible Black Mountain Demon was defeated and fled under the iron fist of the Xuan Yin incarnation. If it weren't for the help of the Heavenly Will of the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Wang Xing would probably have destroyed the Black Mountain Demon's true form back then.
"Although the Black Mountain Demon has escaped and even allied with several major ghost kings in the underworld, he can only barely protect himself. Now, most of the entire Netherworld is in my hands, and I can finally take advantage of the great fortune of the ghost realm!"
Xuan Yin's incarnation muttered to himself as he used his Golden Eyes of Luck to observe his own fortune. He saw a purple pillar soaring straight into the sky, surrounded by countless red, white, and purple energies that converged into it, transforming into patches of clouds that obscured his purple destiny.
Above the auspicious clouds, a black dragon soared through the mist, majestic and awe-inspiring.
"The speed at which the Emperor gathers fortune is indeed extremely fast, but there are too many causes and effects involved. If this avatar of mine cannot untangle these causes and effects, the greatest achievement I can attain in the future will be the Perfection of Divine Power. It will be almost impossible for me to reach the God and Demon Realm of the Main World." Wang Xuan withdrew his gaze and felt regretful for his Xuan Yin Avatar.
However, the potential of this avatar was inherently limited, and the hope of breaking through to the realm of gods and demons was extremely low. Rather than struggling for even the slightest hope, it would be better to simply embark on the path of Godhood, thus paving the way for Wang Xuan's true body.
He suppressed all distracting thoughts and opened his mind to sense the will of Heaven.
Originally, the Xuan Yin incarnation was also protected by the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth. Although the will of Heaven in the Liaozhai world also sensed something was wrong, it was still unable to bring calamity upon the Xuan Yin incarnation.
At this moment, the Xuan Yin incarnation took the initiative to open its mind and sense the will of Heaven. The will of Heaven in the Liaozhai world finally locked onto the Xuan Yin incarnation. In an instant, rolling dark clouds gathered from all directions, and dark purple lightning rolled endlessly in the dark clouds. Countless ghosts below the high platform trembled!
Wang Xuan sneered: "I have now mastered most of the Netherworld. Even if I can't be called the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, I can be called the King of the Underworld. Most of the fortune of the ghost path in the world has gathered on my avatar."
"If you, the will of heaven, intend to attack me, you must also destroy the great fortune of the ghost path!"
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar erupted, and a bolt of purple lightning, as thick as a bucket, descended from the sky, striking the Xuan Yin avatar on the high platform.
At this critical moment, the Xuan Yin incarnation roared, "Heaven has lost its way, how can it serve Heaven? The blood of the common people is stained, who will pity them? I, Chen Qingzhi, will lead the Netherworld today to rise up and attack Heaven!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark river appeared above his head, rushing towards the tribulation clouds in the sky.
The world of Liaozhai is divided into two realms: Yin and Yang. The Yang realm is dominated by the human race and possesses the River of Humanity, which can resist the will of Heaven to a certain extent.
Although the path of ghosts is not as prosperous as that of humans, it has still condensed into a long river of ghosts!
At this moment, Xuan Yin, in his guise as the King of the Underworld, sacrificed himself to the Ghost Path, causing the Ghost Path River to challenge the will of Heaven!
At that moment, it seemed as if the entire underworld trembled, and countless lightning bolts descended from the sky, wiping out half of the ghosts in the underworld.
Wang Xuan's Xuan Yin avatar also withstood the seven tribulation lightning bolts, and was so badly beaten that he vomited blood. He quickly suppressed all his thoughts and used the power of the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth to conceal his secrets.
The will of Heaven, having lost its target, seemed to vent its anger by washing the entire underworld with tribulation lightning before slowly returning to calm.
Xuan Yin avatar wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked around and saw that the area around the altar was the area that Heaven's will was targeting. Eighty percent of the ghosts he had subdued in the past five years had been destroyed by the tribulation lightning, and the remaining ghosts were all severely injured.
Instead of being surprised, he was delighted and muttered to himself, "After such a blow, the ghost path in the Liaozhai world has been essentially destroyed. Only a few ghost path giants, such as the Black Mountain Demon, remain. It will take hundreds of years to recover its vitality."
"Without the support of the Ghost Path, the Heavenly Will of the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio will be weakened. Moreover, the power of the Heavenly Will is not inexhaustible. Just now, in order to cleanse the Ghost Path, a lot of our essence was consumed, and it will take some time to recover."
Just then, several streaks of light suddenly flew in from afar, each streak representing a powerful figure—the Black Mountain Demon and other surviving giants of the Ghost Path!
The Black Mountain Demon and other ghost kings instantly flew to the side of Xuan Yin's incarnation and questioned him: "Chen Qingzhi, what exactly did you do? You have caused another Heavenly Cleansing, and the entire Ghost Path has been implicated by you, its fortune has plummeted!"
Chapter 138 Unifying the Underworld
Wang Xuan's Xuan Yin incarnation was formed from the corpse of Chen Qingzhi from the Xuan Tian World. Therefore, Wang Xuan directly used the name "Chen Qingzhi" to conquer the Netherworld and made a great name for himself.
He looked coldly at the Black Mountain Demon and said with a hint of amusement, "In the past, you old monster would have avoided me at all costs. Why have you come to my doorstep today?"
"You actually dare to question me? Are you getting too cocky, or do you think I can't even lift a knife anymore?"