Chapter 849: Ministry of War’s Great Army
Under Zhang Ruochen’s leadership, the group crossed the Corpse River, one by one stepping ashore and arriving at the Fallen God Tomb Forest.
Every cultivator felt a sense of having survived a great calamity. Had Zhang Ruochen not broken through the spatial barrier, they all would have died in the Underworld.
Some of them were naturally quite grateful to Zhang Ruochen, silently keeping this debt of gratitude in their hearts. For instance, Shi Ren, Bu Qianfan, and others.
However, more people did not feel much appreciation; instead, they viewed Zhang Ruochen as a threat.
The methods of the Heir of Time and Space were simply too heaven-defying. At the Fish-Dragon Realm, he could easily traverse the boundaries of Yin and Yang. If he were to reach the Half-Saint Realm, wouldn’t he become even more formidable?
Zhang Ruochen, for his part, paid no heed to their thoughts. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the wide Corpse River. On the river’s surface, countless undead spirits were still crossing in an endless stream.
“Every day, probably over a million undead cross the Corpse River and enter the Eastern Domain. I wonder if the army stationed in the Eastern Domain can hold them back?”
Bu Qianfan’s eyes were filled with deep concern.
Zhang Ruochen was about to tell Bu Qianfan that he had found the stone talisman left by Qiangu Nüdi, which could seal the passage between Yin and Yang. But at that moment, a low rumbling sound came from the direction of the Fallen God Tomb Forest.
“Rumble, rumble.”
The sound grew louder and louder.
The ground trembled violently. The cultivators present, like startled birds, quickly drew their sacred artifacts, ready for battle.
Moments later, a vast expanse of black smoke appeared at the edge of their vision.
Within the smoke was an army riding Crimson Fire Leopards, numbering a full thirty thousand. They held war banners, their momentum fierce, trampling all the graves in the tomb forest into flat ground.
The Crimson Fire Leopard was a fourth-level barbarian beast, its body two zhang tall. Once it ran at full speed, its body would be engulfed in flames, allowing it to travel eighty thousand li in a day.
An entire army mounted on Crimson Fire Leopards—one could imagine the astonishing momentum they unleashed.
“That’s one of the Ministry of War’s elite forces, the Leopard Army. Since the Leopard Army is here, the Ministry of War must have already stationed troops on the outskirts of the Fallen God Tomb Forest.” Bu Qianfan’s face showed a hint of joy.
Since the Ministry of War had already stationed troops in the Fallen God Tomb Forest, the undead crossing the Corpse River would likely find it difficult to reach the Kunlun Realm. This would certainly reduce the losses in the Eastern Domain.
At the center of the thirty-thousand-strong Leopard Army, a massive war chariot sped forward ahead of the rest.
The barbarian beasts pulling the chariot were four Earth Fire Dragon Leopards, their bodies ten times larger than ordinary Crimson Fire Leopards, with the body of a leopard and the head of a dragon.
“Clank, clank!”
The iron chains on the Earth Fire Dragon Leopards were as thick as a bowl’s rim, clashing against each other with a piercing sound.
The war chariot came to a halt with a thunderous crash, two hundred zhang from the Corpse River.
From within the chariot, a cold, stern voice rang out: “Bu Qianfan, Zhang Ruochen is a major criminal of the imperial court, personally ordered by Her Majesty the Empress to be arrested. Why haven’t you seized him yet?”
No one had expected the Leopard Army to make such a grand show, only to capture Zhang Ruochen.
“They came this quickly,” Zhang Ruochen muttered to himself.
Bu Qianfan had already risen to a high position in the Ministry of War. Just by looking at the banner on the chariot, he could guess the identity of the commander inside.
Bu Qianfan secretly transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen: “This man is named Wan Ji, a clan uncle of Wan Zhaoyi. He’s a powerful figure, commanding six hundred thousand Leopard Army troops, wielding immense influence, and holds a significant position in the Ministry of War.”
It was clear that even Bu Qianfan showed a look of wariness when he saw Wan Ji’s chariot.
Commanding five hundred thousand Leopard Army troops was no ordinary feat. Even if his own cultivation hadn’t reached the Saint realm, he was likely a top-tier Half-Saint.
In the Underworld, the news that the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen, was still alive had already spread. As Death Zen Ancestor led the first batch of cultivators back to the Kunlun Realm, the news would undoubtedly spread further.
How could the imperial court let such an important criminal go?
Who wouldn’t want to capture Zhang Ruochen and present him to the Empress to claim merit?
Among them, the one most eager to capture Zhang Ruochen was undoubtedly Wan Zhaoyi. After all, he had personally reported to the Empress that Zhang Ruochen had been killed by Jiuyou Sword Saint.
Now, Zhang Ruochen appearing alive was a direct slap in the face.
If the news of Zhang Ruochen’s survival were confirmed, Wan Zhaoyi would be guilty of deceiving the emperor—a disaster for him and the entire Wan family.
To make amends, Wan Zhaoyi had only two options.
First, kill Zhang Ruochen before he could reappear.
Second, capture Zhang Ruochen before anyone else and bring him back to the Central Imperial City to hand over to the Empress, thus redeeming his fault.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen was not at all surprised to see the Wan family coming to arrest him.
What was meant to come would come eventually.
Back in the Kunlun Realm, no one dared to openly oppose the Ministry of War. Even those cultivators who felt grateful to Zhang Ruochen now distanced themselves from him, afraid of being implicated.
Shi Ren and Bu Qianfan both looked at Zhang Ruochen with apologetic eyes, then retreated far away, unwilling to get involved in this matter.
Zhang Ruochen could understand them. After all, they were not alone; behind them stood tens of thousands of clan members.
If they were in the Underworld, they might still fight alongside Zhang Ruochen.
But now that they were back in the Kunlun Realm, openly helping a major criminal of the imperial court would surely provoke the Ministry of War, bringing disaster of execution and family extermination.
Among the other cultivators returning from the Underworld, many immediately fled, leaving the Fallen God Tomb Forest. Only a few stayed, wanting to see the final outcome.
From within the war chariot, Wan Ji’s voice rang out again: “Cao Feng, Cao Gu, you two go and bind Zhang Ruochen. If he dares to resist, cut off his head directly.”
From the Leopard Army, two tall and mighty soldiers, clad in thick armor and riding Earth Fire Dragon Leopards, walked toward Zhang Ruochen.
These two were commanders in the Leopard Army, each leading a hundred thousand troops. They had reached the Half-Saint realm and held the title of Lower Domain King.
As for Wan Ji in the chariot, his title was even higher, enjoying the rank of Middle Domain King.
Cao Feng took a black shackle from the back of his Earth Fire Dragon Leopard and tossed it forward. With a clatter, the shackle landed in front of Zhang Ruochen.
He said arrogantly, “Zhang Ruochen, if you know what’s good for you, put on the Saint-Sealing Chain yourself, so I don’t have to do it personally.”
Mu Lingxi’s eyes flashed with a cold, sharp smile as she rapidly circulated her sacred qi, ready to act.
She wasn’t acting on impulse; she had a plan.
If she could swiftly take down Cao Feng and Cao Gu, she would have the leverage to negotiate with Wan Ji and help Zhang Ruochen escape.
But before she could move, Zhang Ruochen stopped her.
Cao Feng and Cao Gu were battle-hardened Half-Saints with formidable strength. Mu Lingxi’s cultivation alone wouldn’t be enough to subdue them quickly.
Faced with the aggressive Ministry of War, Zhang Ruochen didn’t seem particularly tense. Instead, a smile appeared on his face: “You soldiers of the Ministry of War don’t go to intercept the undead crossing the Corpse River, but instead dispatch tens of thousands of troops to deal with me. That’s truly disappointing.”
Cao Feng snorted coldly: “Once we’ve captured you, we’ll naturally continue guarding the Fallen God Tomb Forest and wipe out all the undead that have entered the Kunlun Realm.”
“And what if you encounter undead you can’t wipe out?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Cao Gu, standing to Cao Feng’s right, said sternly, “Zhang Ruochen, why so much nonsense? What’s the point of stalling?”
“Stalling?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, “I’m just trying to remind you that the undead you’re facing now are just small fry. When the powerful ghost kings from deep within the Underworld come to the Kunlun Realm, I’m afraid your Ministry of War won’t be able to hold them back.”
“If the Ministry of War can’t hold them back, can you?”
Cao Feng shook his head with a cold laugh.
As a Half-Saint of the Ministry of War and a titled noble, Cao Feng had a fair understanding of the Underworld and knew that its depths were a terrifying place.
That was precisely why half of the Eastern Domain’s army had been deployed to the Fallen God Tomb Forest, building fortresses and setting up defensive formations, preparing for a prolonged battle against the undead of the Underworld.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen’s words seemed laughable not only to Cao Feng but also to the soldiers of the Leopard Army.
If there were enemies the Ministry of War couldn’t stop, then the entire Kunlun Realm would face utter destruction.
But Zhang Ruochen’s next words stunned everyone present.
“Of course I can.”
Zhang Ruochen continued, “It’s your duty to arrest me, and I won’t fault you for that. But before that, shouldn’t you give me an hour to first seal the passage between the Underworld and the Kunlun Realm, to prevent more undead from entering and causing irreparable losses?”
(I got home late last night and slept until noon. Now I can finally settle down to write. First chapter is up; there will be two more tonight.) (To be continued.)