"Nanhua the Demon, where do you think you're going!" Several angry roars came from within the Seven Star Array Diagram. Then, the array diagram itself transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon, chasing after the Old Immortal Nanhua!
Chapter 168 Recruiting Zhao Yun!
With the departure of the Old Immortal of Nanhua and the ten top martial arts experts, things became much easier.
Wang Xuan and Taishi Ci were both top-tier experts. With Dong Zhuo already dead, it wouldn't be difficult for them to subdue the forces he left behind.
"Xuan'er, I'm entrusting you with the management of those 50,000 elite armored soldiers outside the palace!" Wang Yun also knew the principle that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, and wanted Wang Xuan to firmly grasp the 50,000 elite armored soldiers left behind by Dong Zhuo.
Wang Xuan would naturally not disappoint his father's good intentions. If those 50,000 elite armored soldiers were brought to the Xuan Tian World, they would surely be a great help to him in his future conquest of the heavens!
When Wang Xuan led Taishi Ci out of the palace, the 50,000 elite iron-clad soldiers left behind by Dong Zhuo were already in an uproar. The fierce general from Xiliang who commanded this army was even preparing to storm the palace and rescue Dong Zhuo.
However, Wang Yun and his men were not entirely unprepared. They had already bribed the tens of thousands of Xiliang soldiers stationed at the Chang'an Imperial Palace, keeping the 50,000 elite armored soldiers outside the palace.
Logically speaking, the elite armored soldiers were Dong Zhuo's personal guards, and almost all of them had reached the Innate Realm of cultivation. They could fight against hundreds of thousands of elite veterans from the main world, far beyond the ability of a mere tens of thousands of imperial palace guards to withstand them.
However, the garrison of Chang'an Palace had its commanders replaced overnight. Now, there are three martial arts experts in this force, who are the three disciples of the spear master Tong Yuan.
One of them was the youngest, but had the highest cultivation level, having reached the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm. He was known as Zhao Zilong, the White Horse Silver Spear!
Zhao Yun's martial arts talent is beyond doubt; he is absolutely no weaker than Lü Bu, Guan Yu, or Zhang Fei. It's only because of his young age that his cultivation level is temporarily lagging behind theirs. Given some time, Zhao Yun definitely has the potential to reach the Divine Power realm!
As for the other two, although their cultivation was not as high as Zhao Yun's, they had reached the early stage of the Celestial Realm. Each of them wielded a silver spear and looked down upon others with dominance, no weaker than Hua Xiong back then.
The two men were Zhao Yun's senior brothers; one was named Zhang Xiu, and the other was named Zhang Ren.
Zhang Xiu was a legendary general who once forced Cao Cao to flee in disarray, and even killed his generals Dian Wei and Cao Ang, making him an exceptional figure.
While Zhang Ren's reputation in later generations may not rival that of Zhao Yun, it is certainly no less than that of Zhang Xiu. This man once caused Liu Bei considerable trouble, having plotted to kill Liu Bei's Right Advisor, Pang Tong, at Luofeng Slope!
With these three generals leading the charge, even though the tens of thousands of guards in the Chang'an Imperial Palace were far inferior to Dong Zhuo's elite ironclad troops, the two sides were now evenly matched.
Wang Xuan walked out of the palace and shouted, "The traitor Dong Zhuo has been executed. Do you still intend to resist to the end?"
"Those who surrender now will have their past transgressions forgiven, but those who continue to resist will have their entire families exterminated!"
Taishi Ci, following Wang Xuan's instructions, threw out Dong Zhuo's corpse. Although Dong Zhuo's head had been smashed to pieces by Wang Xuan, his obese figure and specially made armor made him easily identifiable.
Some of the Xiliang soldiers who were closer hesitated. They had naturally recognized Dong Zhuo's corpse and knew it was real. However, not all of the tens of thousands of armored elite soldiers saw it. The vast majority did not see it because they were too far away, and so they continued to resist.
"Looks like I'll have to go all out!" Wang Xuan sighed, drew his Azure Nether Sword, and charged into the fray.
The two armies were locked in a fierce battle, and it wouldn't be easy to stop them. Wang Xuan, relying on his martial prowess, joined the fray, and with Taishi Ci assisting him, these two experts at the Celestial Realm were enough to influence the situation to some extent.
As he fought, he ordered his men to shout: "The traitor Dong Zhuo has been executed! Surrender and you will not be killed!"
Although the elite armored soldiers were highly skilled, they were, after all, Dong Zhuo's personal guards. Now that they heard that Dong Zhuo was dead, most of them had lost their will to fight and surrendered, laying down their weapons.
An hour later, the last Xiliang soldier also laid down his weapon. Of the 50,000 elite iron-armored soldiers, nearly 10,000 had been lost.
As for the garrison troops of the Chang'an Imperial Palace, they suffered even heavier casualties, with the number of dead and wounded reaching 20,000.
After Wang Xuan took over the remaining 40,000 elite armored soldiers, he first identified Dong Zhuo's loyalists, eliminated them one by one, and then planted his own trusted confidants among them.
Ironically, although Wang Xuan was a transmigrator, he didn't have many capable confidants under his command. At present, the only one who could be of use was Taishi Ci.
But aren't there three formidable generals right in front of us?
Wang Xuan walked up to Zhao Yun, Zhang Ren, and Zhang Xiu with a smile on his face and said, "Three righteous men, I see that you are all rare talents as generals. Are you willing to serve me?"
Zhao Yun, Zhang Ren, and Zhang Xiu exchanged glances and secretly communicated using telepathy.
Of the three, Zhao Yun and Zhang Ren had not yet entered officialdom, and Zhang Xiu was only following his uncle Zhang Ji and had not directly pledged allegiance to Dong Zhuo. Therefore, he was able to oppose Dong Zhuo without any psychological pressure.
Now that Dong Zhuo is finished, the power of the court has fallen into the hands of Minister Wang Yun, and following Wang Xuan seems to be a promising career path.
After discussing it for a long time, the three of them finally chose to become Wang Xuan's subordinates, which made Wang Xuan so happy that he couldn't stop smiling for a long time.
"Don't worry, everyone, I, Wang Xuan, will definitely not treat you unfairly. Follow me, and you'll live a life of luxury. I guarantee you won't regret it!" Wang Xuan patted his chest and assured them.
Wang Xuan wasn't just trying to fool Zhao Yun and the others; it was the truth.
If the three of them had continued on their original paths in the main world, even Zhao Yun, who had the best talent, would have only been able to break through to the Divine Power realm at most.
As for Zhang Ren and Zhang Xiu, who were less talented, they had almost exhausted their potential by breaking through to the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm, and at most they could only break through to the late-stage of the Celestial Realm.
But now that they've pledged allegiance to Wang Xuan, and will follow him in conquering the myriad realms, they'll naturally reap endless benefits. Let alone breaking through to the Divine Power Realm, breaking through to any other realm is not impossible!
"Zilong, the three of you and Taishi Ci, first take control of these 40,000 elite armored soldiers, and later hand them over to my father to incorporate." Wang Xuan directly handed over the tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers to Zhao Yun and the others to deal with.
Zhao Yun and his men accepted the order and left. The three of them were not only highly skilled in cultivation, but also proficient in military strategy. It would not be a problem for them to work together to recruit tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers.
Moreover, Wang Xuan would not let them get entangled in this matter any longer. Once Wang Yun made his move, he would hand over these tens of thousands of armored elite soldiers to Wang Yun.
Chapter 169 A Large Group of Fierce Generals
Given Zhao Yun's and the other two's abilities, they would naturally follow Wang Xuan to conquer the myriad worlds and wouldn't stay in the main world for long. Therefore, letting them manage these tens of thousands of armored elite soldiers was only a temporary arrangement.
Although Wang Xuan wanted to bring tens of thousands of armored elite soldiers back to the Xuan Tian World, it was just a thought.
Because using the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth to travel to other worlds requires consuming one's own essence!
Each additional person crossing the border requires a greater amount of essence to be consumed. The amount of essence consumed by a single person crossing the border is not much, but tens of thousands of armored elite soldiers combined are enough to bankrupt Wang Xuan.
For large-scale time travel like this, all that's needed is to open a world passage between the two worlds, and then descend into the other world through a spatial passage. That's what Wang Xuan did when he invaded the Liaozhai world.
However, the world he is currently in is a main world where gods and demons roam freely, and it has already given birth to the Heavenly Dao!
If he dares to rashly open the world passage to the Xuan Tian World, the Heavenly Dao of the Main World will definitely invade the Xuan Tian World through the world passage and destroy Wang Xuan's Xuan Tian Will in no time!
"Very well, let my father take care of these tens of thousands of armored soldiers!" Wang Xuan couldn't help but sigh. He had been subtly probing Wang Yun these past few days and discovered that his adoptive father had an extremely strong desire for control over power.
Wang Yun has finally gained control of the court, so how could he easily relinquish it? It seems impossible for Wang Xuan to drag Wang Yun into the Xuan Tian World anytime soon. Only after Wang Yun suffers a setback will he follow Wang Xuan to the Xuan Tian World.
Besides Zhao Yun and his two fellow disciples, there are three other generals within Wang Xuan's recruitment scope: Huang Zhong, Xu Chu, and Dian Wei!
Xu Chu and Dian Wei have not yet pledged allegiance to Cao Cao and are currently unaffiliated generals. Wang Xuan can easily win them over. Both of them have reached the late stage of the Celestial Realm, no weaker than Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and much stronger than Taishi Ci at present.
As for Huang Zhong, this powerful figure at the peak of the Celestial Realm served under Liu Biao, but he was not given important responsibilities.
Moreover, Huang Zhong's son, Huang Xu, suffers from a terminal illness that has persisted despite years of seeking medical treatment. If Wang Xuan could cure Huang Xu's illness, it would naturally win Huang Zhong's heart.
When it comes to healing, Wang Xuan is naturally not as good as the divine doctors in the main world, but he has the world's origin! The world's origin can nurture all things, and with a little bit of the world's origin, there is no disease that cannot be cured.
As Wang Xuan was pondering these matters, ten streaks of light flew over from the horizon; they were the ten martial arts experts who had gone to hunt down Nan Hua Lao Xian.
Judging from the expressions on their faces, their pursuit of Nan Hua Lao Xian was unsuccessful, and Nan Hua Lao Xian ultimately escaped.
Sword Saint Wang Yue didn't even glance at Wang Xuan, and went straight to the palace to find Emperor Liu Xie. Spear Saint Tong Yuan also ignored Wang Xuan, and went to find his three disciples.
Lu Zhi and Zhu Jun, as Wang Yun's best friends, always treated Wang Xuan like a nephew. Wang Xuan couldn't very well ask them to join him. After greeting the two of them, he watched helplessly as they went into the palace to find their father.
Wang Xuan rolled his eyes. These old guys weren't within his recruitment scope; he'd better let his cheap old man handle them.
He strode forward and shouted, "Brave warriors, please wait!"
Four of the top ten martial arts masters have left, leaving only Huang Zhong and Lü Bu, both at the peak of the Celestial-Human realm, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Xu Chu, and Dian Wei, all at the late stage of the Celestial-Human realm.
"Gentlemen, you are all top martial arts experts of our time. It's rare for us to gather together. How about we go out for a drink together?" Wang Xuan didn't directly invite them, but instead planned to get them drunk first.
In his previous life, many things were settled over drinks, and Wang Xuan naturally wanted to try this approach as well.
If he fails to recruit them, he might as well get all these fierce generals drunk and then take them to the Xuan Tian World. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Once they reach the Xuan Tian World, there will be no way for them to return, as the Xuan Tian Will will be pressing down on them. They won't have to worry about not becoming Wang Xuan's underlings.
His trick worked! As soon as Zhang Fei heard that Wang Xuan was going to treat everyone to drinks, his eyes lit up and he laughed loudly, saying, "Brother Wang is so loyal! He knows to treat me to drinks. He's much more generous than your father!"
"Yide, stop talking nonsense!" Guan Yu's eyelids twitched, and he quickly interrupted Zhang Fei. If the three brothers wanted to have a smooth career in the court, they absolutely could not offend Minister Wang Yun.
Wang Xuan didn't mind and said with a smile, "I got a batch of Drunken God Wine from my father. It's the most top-quality wine in the world. Would you like to try it?"
Drunken God Brew is a spirit wine brewed with many top-grade spiritual materials. Not only does it taste wonderful, but it can also enhance the cultivation of martial artists. It is definitely the number one divine wine in the main world!
Moreover, the Drunken God Brew has another characteristic: it is very easy to get drunk on; it is said that even experts at the supernatural power level can be made drunk...
Wang Xuan used his father's name to get a batch of Drunken God Wine from the Wang family's treasury, and now it's going to come in handy.
When the assembled warriors heard that Wang Xuan was going to treat them to the Drunken Divine Wine, their eyes lit up.
Apart from Lü Bu, most of these people were not doing well in life, and unlike Wang Xuan, they were not born into a prestigious family. They had only heard of the famous wine, Drunken Divine Brew, but had never actually tasted it.
After hesitating for a moment, Lü Bu suddenly said, "It's just Drunken God Brew. I, Lü Fengxian, have drunk it before. I still have a few jars left at home, so I won't keep you company."
After saying that, he turned around and left.
Lu Bu is still quite arrogant these days. If Wang Xuan invited him for drinks alone, he would definitely accept. But with Zhang Fei, who constantly refers to himself as a "traitor to three masters," around, can they still have a pleasant time?
Moreover, given Lü Bu's status under Dong Zhuo, he had naturally obtained several jars of Drunken God Wine, so he left directly to find Wang Xuan's adoptive father.
Wang Xuan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he also felt inexplicably relieved.
Diao Chan was sent to the Xuan Tian World yesterday to keep Miss Cai Yan company. Now that his attempt to recruit Lü Bu has failed, he naturally doesn't need to worry about Lü Bu poaching his woman.
"Even without Lu Bu, we'll still drink!" Wang Xuan led the remaining five fierce generals to his home, took out ten jars of Drunken Immortal Wine from his spatial ring, rolled up his sleeves, and began to drink heartily.
Zhang Fei couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed a wine jar, proving he was definitely a seasoned drinker.
Chapter 170 Get him drunk and carry him away!
As expected of the number one wine in the main world, after taking a sip of the Drunken God's Brew, Zhang Fei's face showed an expression of intoxication.
"This is truly fine wine! Compared to the Drunken God's Brew I've drunk before, all the other wines seem bland and tasteless!" Zhang Fei picked up the wine jar and poured it into his mouth, leaving everyone speechless with astonishment.
Before long, Zhang Fei had finished a jar of Drunken God Brew. Although he was already half drunk, he still reached out and grabbed another jar of Drunken God Brew into his pocket.
Everyone suddenly realized that there were only ten jars of Drunken God Brew in total, and if Zhang Fei drank faster, he could naturally drink more.
At this point, no one was going to hold back anymore. Everyone picked up a jar of Drunken God and started drinking, even Wang Xuan was no exception.
Wang Xuan opened the wine jar, took a sip of the Drunken God Brew, and immediately felt as if his whole being had been elevated. The medicinal power in the wine was washing away the impurities in his body, making his physical body and soul purer, which was of great benefit to his cultivation.
With his early-stage Celestial Realm cultivation, this one sip of Drunken God Brew is more effective than half a month of his cultivation. Although the wine jar containing the Drunken God Brew is not large, drinking one jar of Drunken God Brew can save him three years of arduous cultivation!
After Huang Zhong, Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei each took a few sips, they all sensed the effects of the Drunken God Brew and realized that Wang Xuan had gone all out this time; it was definitely not just a simple drinking party.