As soon as Lü Bu retreated, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei immediately gave chase. Zhang Fei, in particular, shouted, "You thrice-surname traitor, don't run! If you've got the guts, fight your grandpa Zhang three thousand rounds!"
Lu Bu was so angry he almost spat out blood, and he harbored a deep grudge against Zhang Fei.
Later, when Lü Bu went to Xuzhou to join Liu Bei, why did he often clash with Zhang Fei? Because the feud between them was formed at that time!
The great battle came to an end. Although the Xiliang cavalry was defeated, it was not a rout. Instead, they calmly retreated back to Hulao Pass.
The allied forces of the feudal lords also attempted to take the opportunity to storm into Hulao Pass, but unfortunately the Xiliang army had already prepared for it, and Lü Bu stood inside the city gate, making it impossible for ten thousand men to break through.
"How hateful! If we cannot break through Hulao Pass in one fell swoop today, we heroes of Guandong do not know how long we will be trapped here before we can march to Luoyang to rescue the emperor!" Cao Cao held his three-foot-long sword and looked at Hulao Pass, his words filled with grief and indignation.
Wang Xuan walked over and quietly watched Boss Cao vent his anger. Whether Boss Cao was sincere or pretending, at least he still had his heart set on the Han Dynasty.
Ambitious people like Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu wouldn't even bother to pretend.
"Brother Mengde, don't worry. I believe Hulao Pass won't hold us off for long," Wang Xuan said, trying to comfort Cao Cao.
This wasn't just baseless speculation. According to the original story, not long after the Three Heroes fought Lü Bu, the Xiliang army voluntarily withdrew from Hulao Pass and even from Luoyang, taking the emperor and court officials with them to relocate the capital to Chang'an.
Cao Cao didn't take Wang Xuan's words to heart at all. After venting for a while, he began to reorganize his troops and retreat back to their previous camp.
Hulao Pass is a magnificent pass built by the Great Han Empire over two thousand years. The city wall is made entirely of red-refined cloud copper and is engraved with countless array runes. Even if a powerful expert were to personally attack it, he would not be able to cause much damage to the city wall.
On the contrary, the Xiliang army, aided by the formations on the city walls, could increase the power of their spells by 30%. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, the allied forces of the feudal lords would never confront the Xiliang army beneath the walls of Hulao Pass.
After returning to the military camp, Wang Xuan did not pay attention to the battle situation. Instead, he quietly circulated his internal energy to hone his spirit and vitality.
The level of the main world is much higher than that of the Xuan Tian world. Although cultivating in the Xuan Tian world is like having a cheat code, in the main world one can comprehend some profound laws that are not available in the Xuan Tian world, so Wang Xuan cherishes it all the more.
Taishi Ci, like Wang Xuan, also went into seclusion to cultivate. During his previous battle with Yan Liang, his cultivation was already on the verge of breaking through to the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm. Naturally, he wanted to take advantage of the situation to break through now.
They trained in the allied forces' camp for a month. During this month, there were no major upheavals. The allied forces went to Fulao Pass every day to engage in verbal battles, and sometimes they even gathered the military energy of millions of troops to bombard the city walls, but none of it had much effect.
Until this day, when Wang Xuan activated his Eternal Divine Eye to look at Hulao Pass, he suddenly discovered that the aura and mist within Hulao Pass had completely dissipated, and it no longer possessed its former grandeur.
"Has the Xiliang army finally withdrawn?" Wang Xuan knew they were about to head to Luoyang.
Given his and Taishi Ci's flying speed, they could take advantage of this time to reach Luoyang and see his adoptive father, Wang Yun, and bring him out.
Otherwise, Wang Yun would have lived under Dong Zhuo's watchful eye the whole time, and Wang Xuan wouldn't have dared to go out and have fun, for fear of attracting Dong Zhuo's attention and having his whole family killed like Yuan Shao.
"Taishi Ci, let's set off for Luoyang immediately!" Wang Xuan called out to Taishi Ci. The two of them didn't say goodbye to Cao Cao and immediately took to the air, flying towards Luoyang.
As they flew over Hulao Pass, a powerful force pulled them down from the sky. This was an anti-flying formation inscribed within Hulao Pass; unless your cultivation had reached the supernatural realm, you couldn't possibly fly over Hulao Pass.
Wang Xuan and Taishi Ci were prepared. They took several steps in the air to slow their descent and landed slowly on the wall of Hulao Pass.
Taishi Ci looked around and found that there wasn't a single living person in Hulao Pass. As for the soldiers standing on the city wall, they were all puppets created by magic, only good for fooling people and not for real combat.
"I never expected that the Xiliang cavalry would actually withdraw!" Taishi Ci's face was full of disbelief: "Has Dong Zhuo become stupid and actually handed over such a formidable pass empty-handed!"
Taishi Ci was well-versed in military strategy and naturally knew the importance of Hulao Pass. Once Hulao Pass fell, Luoyang, the capital, would be indefensible and would surely be seized by the warlords of Guandong.
When Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and other warlords broke through Hulao Pass, captured Luoyang, and pressed their troops against Hangu Pass, Guanzhong was terrified!
Wang Xuan immediately pointed out the reason, and Taishi Ci explained: "Ever since Dong Zhuo occupied Luoyang and deposed and installed emperors, he has been devoured by the imperial power and dragon aura of the Han Empire. He has become addicted to wine, women and power, and is no longer the hero he once was."
"Now Dong Zhuo only wants to maintain his existing power and has no ambition to unify the world. As long as he takes the initiative to withdraw from Luoyang and retreat to Guanzhong, he can use the natural barrier of Hangu Pass to stop the warlords in Guandong."
"In the end, the warlords of Guandong are not of one mind. Once they conquer Luoyang, the capital, they will most likely fall apart," Wang Xuan said, revealing the essence of the matter.
By this time, the allied forces of the feudal lords had also realized what was happening. At the foot of Hulao Pass, someone roared, "Soldiers, the traitor Dong Zhuo has fled westward. Today is the day we break through Hulao Pass!"
Chapter 156 The Imperial Seal
"The allied forces of the feudal lords are about to invade. There's no need for us to linger. It's best to leave now." Wang Xuan didn't stay at Hulao Pass any longer. He and Taishi Ci ran forward quickly and soon left Hulao Pass, outside the range of the anti-flight formation.
After leaving Hulao Pass, they resumed their flight, transforming into two afterimages as they flew towards Luoyang City.
Although Hulao Pass is more than 20,000 li away from Luoyang, the capital, for experts at the Celestial Realm, this distance is covered in an instant.
As the sun was about to set, Wang Xuan and Taishi Ci arrived in Luoyang. At this time, panic gripped the city, and large numbers of people were forced to pack their belongings and head out of the city under the swords and spears of the Xiliang cavalry.
Luoyang, the capital of the Divine Capital, is the largest city in the main world, with tens of millions of inhabitants, most of whom are relatively wealthy.
However, ever since Dong Zhuo took control of Luoyang, the entire city has been ravaged by the arrogant and fierce soldiers of Xiliang, and it is no longer as glorious as it once was.
Now that Dong Zhuo has decided to abandon Luoyang and retreat to Guanzhong, he certainly won't hand over the tens of millions of people in Luoyang to the warlords of Guandong. These tens of millions of people are almost all skilled in martial arts; they're a veritable pool of soldiers! If managed properly, extracting a million troops from them wouldn't be difficult!
Wang Xuan wasn't a saint. Although he was furious at Dong Zhuo's actions, he had no intention of standing up for the people of Luoyang. He was capable enough to protect himself, but if he wanted to save the tens of millions of people in Luoyang, it would only be futile, and he would end up getting himself killed as well.
"I've been away from home for several years now, and if you include the time I spent in other worlds, it's been more than a decade!" Wang Xuan sighed and walked straight into the Wang family home.
"Young Master, you're finally back!" The loyal servants were overjoyed to see Wang Xuan return and rushed forward to pay their respects. As for how much of their joy was genuine and how much was feigned, Wang Xuan had no idea.
He went straight to the steward, Uncle Wang, and asked, "Uncle Wang, where has my father gone?"
The joy on Steward Wang's face slowly faded, and he said with great concern, "Now that Prime Minister Dong wants to move the capital to Chang'an and abandon Luoyang, the capital, the master and other important officials of the court are all accompanying the emperor and Prime Minister Dong to assist in handling the relocation of the capital."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan immediately understood.
Now that the warlords from Guandong are about to attack, Dong Zhuo is worried that the civil and military officials in Luoyang will take the opportunity to launch a mutiny, so he has taken them under his control.
This frustrated Wang Xuan. He had planned to escape Luoyang with his father and Cai Yong and settle in the Xuan Tian World. But now Wang Yun was under Dong Zhuo's control, and he believed Cai Yong was no exception, undoubtedly ruining Wang Xuan's plans.
“Very well, you can move to Luoyang with the Xiliang army. Our Wang family has a long history and we have several manors in Chang'an. My father will make the arrangements.” Wang Xuan thought for a moment and then added, “Just pretend I never came back. I will stay in Luoyang for a while, and I will naturally go to the Wang family manor in Chang'an afterwards.”
The reason Wang Xuan did not leave with these servants was that he wanted to obtain a treasure, namely the Imperial Seal of the State!
The Imperial Seal of the Main World is incomparable to those found in the Water Margin or Sui-Tang worlds. It is a treasure passed down from ancient times, acquired by emperors of Chu, Zhao, Qin, and Han, and nurtured by the dragon's energy for ten thousand years, transforming into a spiritual artifact!
Dong Zhuo forced Emperor Liu Xie of Han to move the capital. With the threat of a coalition of warlords behind them, they left in a hurry and actually left behind the Imperial Seal of the State, which was eventually found by Sun Jian.
Now that Wang Xuan has arrived, he will not let Sun Jian have the Imperial Seal so easily; he is determined to have it!
Wang Xuan was determined to help Fu Xia, as hiding a few people in such a large city as Luoyang would be quite easy.
Two days later, Luoyang had become a ghost town, as the Xiliang army had driven the people westward. Not only that, before leaving, Dong Zhuo even ordered his soldiers to set fire to Luoyang, not wanting to leave even an empty city for the enemy.
After the Xiliang army had all withdrawn, and before the allied forces of the feudal lords had entered Luoyang, Wang Xuan led Taishi Ci straight to the Fang Palace in Luoyang.
They were protected by protective qi, so the fire burning in Luoyang City had no effect on them.
"It seems that in the records of my previous life, the Imperial Seal of the State was carried into a well by a palace maid?" Wang Xuan led Taishi Ci through the palace, turning over five or six wells, but they did not see even a trace of the Imperial Seal of the State.
Time is of the essence; the allied forces of Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, and other warlords are likely to arrive outside Luoyang soon. If they arrive too, even if Wang Xuan finds the Imperial Seal, the news could easily leak out.
This is not something you can hide just because you want to. Once the Imperial Seal of the State changes hands, all sorts of strange phenomena will inevitably occur.
Having searched in vain, Wang Xuan had no choice but to use the Eternal Divine Eye. The divine power granted by the authority of the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth was extremely astonishing. Wang Xuan flew in mid-air and scanned the Luoyang Imperial Palace several times. Soon, he saw a faint purple light in the northeast direction.
Unlike other precious lights and pillars of destiny that soar straight to the heavens, this purple light was only three feet high, appearing extremely weak and unassuming. If it weren't for the fact that this light resembled a true dragon in Wang Xuan's eyes, he probably wouldn't have given it a second glance.
"Dragons can be large or small, can hide or conceal themselves. The Imperial Seal of the State is a spiritual treasure born from the dragon's energy. Divine objects are inherently obscured, so finding it is truly no easy task," Wang Xuan couldn't help but sigh. In his view, Sun Jian's ability to obtain the Imperial Seal of the State was less about finding it and more about his own luck exploding, allowing him to stumble upon this supreme treasure of humanity.
Without lingering, Wang Xuan flew directly towards the direction of the dragon-shaped light and indeed found a dry well there. Inside the well was the corpse of a palace maid, which had not decomposed because she had not been dead for long.
Wang Xuan reached into the well and grabbed at it. Immediately, a huge suction force was generated, pulling the palace maid's corpse up.
This palace maid was exceptionally beautiful, rivaling even Nie Xiaoqian from the classic Chinese novel *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*. Such a beautiful maid was naturally not comparable to ordinary palace maids; she was likely a close attendant to Emperor Liu Xie of Han, as only maids of this status had access to the Imperial Seal of the State.
"From now on, this Imperial Seal will belong to the Wang family!" Wang Xuan chuckled and took out a square box from the palace maid's arms. Immediately, a strange phenomenon appeared.
Chapter 157 Bait
As Wang Xuan grabbed the treasure box, it burst open, revealing the Imperial Seal of the State inside.
At this moment, the Imperial Seal of the State shone with dazzling golden light, and then nine divine dragons rushed out from it, soaring straight into the sky!
The nine dragons were not real dragons, but rather the dragon energy transformed from the Imperial Seal of the State. Yet these dragons soared straight into the heavens, instantly growing to a size of ten thousand feet, and continuously circling above Wang Xuan's head!
Wang Xuan couldn't help but feel an urge to curse. He finally understood why the news of Sun Jian obtaining the Imperial Seal of the State had been leaked.
Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Sun Jian was already a seasoned general, and naturally, he was not a soft-hearted person. Having obtained something as important as the Imperial Seal of the State, did you really think he wouldn't kill people to silence them?
In a historical world, the news might have been able to get out, but in this mythical world, the martial will of a Celestial Being can seal off a region, ensuring that the news will never leak out.
However, the commotion caused by the Imperial Seal was too great; it could be seen even from thousands of miles away. Sun Jian could not hide it at all, and now Wang Xuan could not conceal it either.
"Our lord has actually obtained the legendary Imperial Seal of the State! This is truly the mandate of heaven!" Taishi Ci, who had been watching quietly from the side, did not forget to come over and flatter his lord.
Wang Xuan rolled his eyes at Taishi Ci, annoyed. The Heavenly Dao of the main world hadn't directly sent down a tribulation to strike him because the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth had concealed the secrets of Heaven. As for things like destiny or divine mandate, those had absolutely nothing to do with Wang Xuan.
He didn't say anything more to Taishi Ci, but instead reached out and took the Imperial Seal of the State from the treasure box, examining it carefully in his hand.
This Imperial Seal is cast entirely from supreme divine jade and nurtured by dragon energy for ten thousand years. It not only exudes boundless imperial majesty but is also breathtakingly beautiful.
"With the Imperial Seal in hand, my cultivation speed has increased significantly. Moreover, I have a feeling that if I were to activate this Imperial Seal to kill enemies, its power would definitely be much stronger than the Kunlun Mirror and the Burial Coffin!"
Although spiritual treasures are forged by powerful beings at the level of gods and demons, and each one can unleash astonishing divine power, there are still different levels among them.
Whether it was the Kunlun Mirror, the Burial Coffin, or the spiritual treasures from the grotto-heavens that Wang Xuan had sacrificed before, they were all only low-grade spiritual treasures. But this Imperial Seal of the State was already close to the level of a mid-grade spiritual treasure.
Of course, Wang Xuan couldn't determine whether the Imperial Seal of the State had reached the level of a mid-grade spiritual treasure, as his cultivation level was still far from sufficient.
After playing with the Imperial Seal for a dozen breaths, Wang Xuan's expression suddenly changed, because he discovered that his luck was slowly weakening.
As the symbol of the emperor in the main world, the Imperial Seal of the State certainly has many benefits, but it also constantly consumes one's luck value. Ordinary palace maids and eunuchs do not have enough luck value to make the Imperial Seal of the State manifest any extraordinary phenomena.
As a regional warlord and the founder of the Wu Kingdom, Sun Jian naturally possessed great fortune, even stronger than that of Wang Yun, one of the Three Dukes of the court. This is why he was able to trigger the extraordinary phenomenon of the Imperial Seal of the State.
Even so, Sun Jian ultimately met his demise. After the Imperial Seal of the State exhausted his luck, he died in the war to attack Liu Biao in Jingzhou.
During the great battle, Sun Jian pressed forward relentlessly, advancing with unstoppable momentum, but ultimately died from a stray arrow, a truly ignominious death.
Coincidentally, during this period, the Imperial Seal of the State fell into the hands of several feudal lords, but none of them met a good end.
Sun Ce was an incredibly powerful figure. Together with his close friend Zhou Yu, he conquered the six commanderies of Jiangdong, establishing the Wu Kingdom, which was one of the three kingdoms of China. His fortunes were definitely a level above those of Sun Jian. Yet, he remained frustrated and unfulfilled, even being ostracized while serving as a subordinate to Yuan Shu. It wasn't until he gave away the Imperial Seal that he finally became a winner in life.
Yuan Shu was originally one of the most powerful warlords in the land, but what happened to him after he obtained the Imperial Seal? First, his adopted son Sun Ce betrayed him and established himself in Jiangdong. Then, in a moment of impulsiveness, he declared himself emperor, which provoked an attack from the warlords of the land. He was wiped out in just a few years.
Even though Cao Cao, a powerful warlord, seized the Imperial Seal and then faced the "Imperial Edict in the Belt" incident after returning to the capital, he was fortunate enough to have a strong constitution and survived it all.
"This is no Imperial Seal of the State, it's a hot potato!" Wang Xuan complained, but he had no intention of throwing the Imperial Seal of the State away.
Instead, he took the Imperial Seal of the State directly into his hand without any attempt to conceal it, and slowly flew towards Chang'an City with Taishi Ci and the other person.
Almost at the very moment Wang Xuan obtained the Imperial Seal, dust billowed across the plains thousands of miles away from Luoyang, the capital, as millions of troops rushed rapidly toward the city.
The armies in the main world are all elite troops, and every soldier has a cultivation level of more than the fifth level of the Acquired Realm. Traveling thousands of miles a day is extremely common.