All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes
Chapter 306 - 167: The Fragrant Scent of Blood (1/3)

Chapter 306: Chapter 167: The Fragrant Scent of Blood (1/3)

The situation is now very clear.

Because of You Ruhui, the high-level powerhouses of Dust Li’s Five Sects are all confronting Da Chen, so there are no reinforcements behind Mingguang Dust.

Of course, this also means that there are no reinforcements behind the two True Persons who ambushed him.

However, the one who is at a disadvantage and needs reinforcements is Mingguang Dust.

The most terrifying thing is that the accusations from the Da Chen side are actually correct.

They truly did not slander; it is indeed Dust Li’s core legatee, Mingguang Dust, and An Jing who shifted You Ruhui away!

The good news is that You Ruhui is now in the Central Continent, and Da Chen absolutely cannot find the evidence, so this confrontation will most likely end without any results.

This is the karma of Mingguang Dust.

While taking advantage of the tense relations between the Five Sects and Da Chen, the Zuohuan and Huangyang Sects, who have already initiated a proxy war between the Northern Barbarians and Da Chen in the Hanhai Northern Border, naturally hope that the Visible Empty Mountain Bright Mirror and Yu Yuan Mountain Liuguang Sects will start a war with Da Chen in the Western Mountain.

At the same time, they also hope to persuade the wavering Taiming Sect to make a decision and reorganize the Five Sect coalition.

This is not only to share their pressure but also to prevent the three yet-to-fight Sects from accumulating strength, leading to a scenario where they grow weaker from the conflict, while their enemies behind them grow stronger, leading to possible annexation.

It should be known that in the previous epoch during the Divine Court era, the land of Dust Li had seven Sects!

"Moreover, according to the recent situation, someone wants to weaken the Bright Mirror Sect, and this ’someone’... can even be said to be the other four Sects led by the Taiming Sect,"

Mingguang Dust raised his hand and pulled up a map on a light wall, sighing, "Taiming Sect is at the center, Zuohuan and Huangyang are positioned behind the Northern Barbarians, while Liuguang and Bright Mirror are behind Bai Bu."

"A few hundred years ago, Da Chen’s expansion policy oppressed the Northern Barbarians’ living space and carved out an entire ’Hanbei Route.’ Now, the Northern Barbarians’ retaliation is just an ordinary counterattack within the many rules of the Sects—if the official army of the Northern Border under the Imperial Court doesn’t reclaim their old land, then the Northern Barbarians can take back their ’homeland.’

"But it’s different in the Western Mountain... The Northern Border doesn’t have many strong cities or solid passes, only the Green Jade Pass which can barely compare with the major passes of the Western Mountain. Here in the Western Mountain, the mountains rise and fall, the Earth Veins are rich, the large cities support each other, and the strong passes stand tall like mountains. Fighting here is far more difficult than in the Northern Border."

"Fighting here is not some proxy war, but a genuine head-on confrontation, a real bloody battle that depletes the foundation of both sides."

"Most importantly, the Western Mountain has always been the dividing line since ancient times. If we strike first, we must find a pretext, an overt and sufficiently significant reason."

"We are the pretext."

Staring at the map, An Jing and Mingguang Dust spoke simultaneously, with Mingguang Dust commending, "Hmm, you see it very clearly."

"The Bright Mirror Sect and the Liuguang Sect have a relatively harmonious relationship with Da Chen; they have no reason to act. If one wants to drag the Bright Mirror Sect into the fray, the simplest and most direct method is to create hatred between both parties."

"Now we are very clear that it is the Huangyang Sect and Zuohuan Sect, along with the Demon Dao’s Western Patrol Envoy, who came to kill you and me. But by that time, we will be seen as having died on Da Chen territory, killed by Da Chen officials at the hands of the Five Sects."

"Conversely, it’s the same for the Da Chen side; they certainly have hawkish military officials. No matter who killed the military official who came to take office in Kanming City, it will eventually be said to be the doing of the Five Sects—even, perhaps, by us who are already dead."

"Even..." As he said this, Mingguang Dust surveyed the entire Kanming City: "All the people in this city are sacrificial offerings."

"They were sacrifices for the search for Ruohui, and now, they can also be sacrifices to escalate the situation."

"If they all died, then Da Chen would have a reason to attack the Bai Bu territory... Although that land is a cold and barren place, even the people of Bai Bu want to join Da Chen."

"But for the local officials, expanding territory is an achievement, while assimilating peoples from foreign lands may not count as a merit of their own generation."

"Sacrifices? Sacrifices... ha, treating human life like grass." An Jing sneered coldly, "These beasts are best at distorting truth and reality, making a deer into a horse... It’s not surprising."

At this thought, An Jing also understood why the Demon Sect has two attitudes: "The Demon Dao’s Western Patrol Envoy’s side is simple—if the Dust Li Five Sects and Da Chen go to war, the Heaven’s Will Demon Sect will be able to muddy the waters. The Western Patrol Envoy can not only seek revenge, they’ll also be able to corrupt the Western Mountain region more effectively."

"On the other hand, the Northern Patrol Envoy has another development direction. She’s chosen to infiltrate Da Chen’s interior. The rise and fall of Da Chen are her rise and fall; a war initiated without reason would only weaken her influence. The two of them must already be in conflict within the Sect, and that’s why she’s turned against the Western Patrol Envoy and wants to join us in killing the Western Patrol Envoy!"

With the information from the Northern Patrol Envoy and Mingguang Dust, An Jing’s understanding of everything became even clearer.

Up to this point, the reason why the people from the Zuohuan and Huangyang Sects are so arrogant is also that they have already allied with the Western Patrol Envoy. Their actions seem brutal, but if the plan fails, they can later claim it was ’executing spies from the Demon Sect’—Da Chen would even have to thank them.

By then, even if Kanming City suffered some terrible losses, and both An Jing and Mingguang Dust perished, they could honestly say, "It was the work of the Demon Sect."

The Demon Sect would benefit, and nobody would carry the burden of morality... This might be why the Demon Sect, despite disgusting everyone, is still tolerated by all.

There was only one doubt.

—How did these people stop Mingguang Dust?

In other words.

—Why did that mysterious Endless Heavens Traveler act against Mingguang Dust?

This was the real crux, but unfortunately, there was not a single clue.

"The longer the ties of karma and deeds drag on, the bigger the affair..."

The nearly two months of peaceful development that An Jing had enjoyed had indeed boosted his strength significantly, but it also allowed many situations to ferment beyond imagination.

He had already felt it, the coming of a massive surge... A great wave of karma and nefarious energy was churning towards him, each and every cause stemming from his and Mingguang Dust’s past actions.

If An Jing had not sought refuge in Kanming City after escaping the Demon Sect’s pursuit but instead directly made his way back to Hanbei through Dust Li, he might have missed many opportunities, but things would have been more stable... perhaps.

However, without An Jing, whether or not he found Ruohui, Mingguang Dust would not have stayed in Kanming City for long. He would have been more free in his actions, and naturally, he wouldn’t have been cornered by his enemies.

This was probably the tribulation that both had to face.

Of course, given another chance, they would make the same choices.

An Jing would still become Mingguang Dust’s disciple, and Mingguang Dust would never regret taking on a disciple; it was simply their character.

Dong, dong, dong—

At this moment, the sound of the Kanming Bell rang out.

Upon hearing this bell, all the residents within Kanming City became frantic.

But soon, they all started packing their belongings and orderly evacuated towards other villages outside the city, with a uniformity that could even be described as military-like.

In Da Chen’s borderlands, where every household had someone trained in militia drills, if an evacuation order was given... it was best to follow it.

Whether it was demon beasts attacking the city, the descent of a Heavenly Demon; whether it was an army’s invasion, or a martial artist’s duel.

The city could be rebuilt if lost, but if one died in the aftermath, it would truly be as meaningless as weeds.

Especially since the cities of Da Chen with Earth Veins were constructed with formations, with the main city at the center of the Great Formation as the core, surrounded by several auxiliary villages or towns that could also accommodate some population.

In the distant mountains, dark clouds were gathering. Spring thunder and rain should have been a prelude to the year’s first vitality, but now, those dark and heavy Cloud Mountains writhed and expanded like living things, surging towards Kanming City.

A thunderstorm was about to descend, yet the city growing more silent by the moment did not have a hint of wind.

"The Divine Bell has sounded, Kanming City is about to become a battlefield."

Mingguang Dust and An Jing watched the city that seemed to be dying, and the distant thunder that was flickering faintly, and he said indifferently, "The storm is coming, An Jing, are you afraid?"

An Jing just gripped the long mace in his hand. He did not answer Mingguang Dust’s question directly, but instead closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said with a sigh, "What a strong scent of blood."

Opening his eyes, An Jing’s voice was as calm as it was cruel, "How splendid, a storm with heavy rains, dark clouds covering the sun, a blood battle at the border, the rise of armies and weaponry, it’s the very scene of the Sun and Moon Without Light, Blood Fiend Taibai... Master, even the heavens are shielding us."

"It seems this time, I’ll be able to kill a few more scum from the Demon Dao."

"Haha! Well said!" Mingguang Dust was initially taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter, his tone also took on a hint of ferocity, "It just so happens I was meant to advance, this time I’ll use these clueless jesters as sacrifices for my Great Heaven’s Sanctification!"

With those words, he raised his hand, and his entire Mirror Self Technique transformed into a streak of light, which entered An Jing’s brow!