All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes
Chapter 383 - 31 Vow (1/3)

Chapter 383: Chapter 31 Vow (1/3)

Defeating the Linlang Commerce Chamber is not enough, nor is it direct, because the chamber is too small, its destruction too quick. Everyone is too slow to react. Moreover, it’s just infighting among humans, which the public might perceive as oppressive to them in a similar way.

So be it, then I’ll go and slay the True Demon Sect.

With the heads of Heavenly Demons and Monsters as testimony, I will make a public declaration to the entire city, proclaiming my Divine Mandate—thus, people will understand. They will see that I, An Jing, can be a Guardian too. That I can keep them safe and even share my food with them!

"Eldest Senior, are you planning to... eliminate the True Demon Sect in Broken Blade Mountain?"

Bai Qinghan’s eyes reflected a ’just as expected’ look, while Xu Tai seemed somewhat anxious, "Those Demon Men of the True Demon Sect are despicable, but deviously cunning in their methods..."

"I have a Token of Divine Skill."

The city was already in turmoil, yet An Jing was ever more composed, "Even if I can’t beat them, I can run away. And if I truly can’t defeat them, it would still be better for the people to flee sooner rather than later."

"You all stabilize the chaos within the city first. I’ll be back soon."

With those words, An Jing summoned Tengshuang White.

The silver-white metal beast roared as it emerged from the Great Void Magical Instrument. An Jing climbed aboard, revved up the Hovering Motorbike, and lifted it as high as possible, until it hung above the city for all to see.

Whoosh, whoosh, behind Tengshuang White, a flag condensed from Blood Fiend fluttered in the wind, leaving a trail of bright red in midair and emitting a glow that painted half of the sky crimson, drawing the gazes of many almost instinctively.

But it wasn’t enough. Still not enough.

In midair, An Jing grabbed a handful of Thunder Beads from the Great Void Magical Instrument and threw them without hesitation.

Boom, boom, boom—The successive explosions of the Thunder Beads echoed between heaven and earth. The shock dispersed the snow and clouds, spreading intense heat that kicked up a scorching wind. This combination of wind and light made the faint-hearted shiver but also captured the attention of the vast majority.

Many who wanted to flee Linjiang City, driven by both fear and curiosity, cautious and on guard, looked up to the sky.

They looked up to the figure surrounded by fire and light, ice, and wind in the heavens.

From his vantage point, An Jing surveyed the entire city, his Blood Qi surging around him like a blazing inferno flickering in the center of the sky. He naturally existed within the awe-stricken and fearful gazes of people, becoming the focal point for most residents of Linjiang City.

"The Linlang Commerce Chamber colluded with the True Demon Sect to oppress the townspeople. Now the leader of the calamity has been eradicated, and this city has been seized by me, Divinely Commanded An Jing!"

Then he spoke, his voice booming like thunder and rolling like waves, striking at the hearts of all present, "I will open the granaries, relieve the hungry, eliminate the evil demons in the mountains, and restore peace to you all."

"Heaven and Earth bear witness, I vow with this flame as my proof!"

An Jing raised his hand, pointing Blood Qi at a yet-to-fall beam within the ruins of the commerce chamber—flames burst forth, turning it into a gigantic candle, a tall incense standing at the heart of the city.

"Before this flame completely burns out, I must return with the head of the demon!"

At this moment, the entirety of Linjiang City stood dumbfounded, watching An Jing’s receding figure.

Many had suspected that something was amiss with the Linlang Commerce Chamber; they had too many secrets, yet not enough caution, which is why the citizens were panicked and uneasy. An Jing now gave them a reason, telling them it was all due to the fault of the Linlang Commerce Chamber’s collusion with the True Demon Sect.

The process of An Jing slaying Mo Li was too swift; they didn’t see it, weren’t involved in it, thus there was no real sense of the oppressor’s downfall... In that case, An Jing would give that to them, to let them truly feel involved!

"I knew it, indeed, those damn merchants were in league with the Demon Sect!"

"But, but if it really is the True Demon Sect plotting to seize the entire city, shouldn’t we be running even more?"

"But if it’s that An Jing... if he really is that Divine Mandate..."

For a moment, An Jing’s reputations, extensively promoted by various forces before, finally came into play. Even in Linjiang City, many were aware of the Divine Mandate might of this Formation-Slaying Grandmaster, and now it seemed that, whether or not he could slay grandmasters, at the very least the Linlang Commerce Chamber, which had been lording over them, appeared to have been truly destroyed.

Could it be that it was really him...

Before the crowd could waver, An Jing, mounting Tengshuang White, circled the entire city once more. Repeating his oath, he then, with the vivid red trail of the Blood Fiend flag, shot like a streak of crimson lightning across the pale cloud layer, heading straight for the heart of Broken Blade Mountain.

Meanwhile, outside the city, in Broken Blade Mountain.

In the depths of the mountains, the former Hunting Manor, now the main camp of the True Demon Sect.

Flames flickered as sounds of drinking and raucous laughter accompanied the noise of Pai Gow gambling through the estate, mixed in with the screams of women and the roars of beasts, a chilling malice hidden amidst the fervor.

In the center of the Hunting Manor, in a small building, a figure tall as a tower but with a face gaunt like a skeleton stood before a Damp-Removing Iron Furnace. The bright light of the fire cast a shimmer around, making the four walls seem scaly and unevenly lit.

As a seasoned Inner Strength martial master and the former leader of the biggest hunting manor in Broken Blade Mountain, now the squad leader for the True Demon Sect’s Broken Blade Mountain team, ’Divine Eye’ Wu Qi felt none of the unrestrained joy of his uneducated hunter and Demon Sect disciples.

In his earlier years, to prolong his life and take a step further, he had led his manor to join the True Demon Sect and still maintained many information channels. He, who had secretly learned much news, had long been shocked by the changing affairs of the world.

It turned out that in the past few decades, the reformist faction, which had a significant impact on the imperial court and even somewhat of a dominant influence, had declined.

It turned out that officials supportive of the reforms were either dead or demoted to the remote frontiers.

It turned out that the City Magistrate, who had recently been transferred to Linjiang City but was killed by him and the Linlang Commerce Chamber and blamed on the Beast Tide, was one of the demoted reform officials.

It turned out that the Duan Family, local to the area, were distant relatives of this reform official—although the connection was tenuous, it counted as some form of support.

It turned out that the estate they had recently led the Beast Tide to decimate, the merchant caravans they had plundered, and the shipments they had intercepted were all part of a branch of the Duan Family outside the city—this was their real mission. As for robbing other merchant caravans and estates, it was merely to conceal this act, a misdirection allowing them their freedom to operate.

This True Demon Sect Disciple, hidden within Broken Blade Mountain, along with the Linlang Commerce Chamber with its obscured but enormously influential backers, although they each had their calculations and interests, the intentions of their powerful patrons were so surprisingly aligned!

It was only after learning about these events that Wu Qi realized that despite their group’s success in leading the Beast Tide and destroying villages and manors, amassing a vast amount of silver and provisions, and dominating Broken Blade Mountain, their heydays were short-lived!

Once the Beast Tide was over and the Linlang Commerce Chamber took over Linjiang City, there would be no good end for his group of people, whether they were hunters from the Guidance Squad or True Demon Sect Disciples!

The good thing was, those who had joined the True Demon Sect never expected a good end for themselves, nor did they ever possess true fraternal loyalty.

"At least, I’ve touched the next step of the ladder!"

Taking a deep breath, the gaunt yet bearded man with a face as grim as a skull took out a book from his bosom.

"Disembodiment and Return to Truth Spell"

Flesh and Blood leave the form, the skeleton returns to truth—after death, the body decays and dissipates, but bones endure and do not decompose; this is the truth of the body, the foundation of Martial Arts.

Taking this truth, using Flesh and Blood as fuel, chanting the spell for cultivation, and vibrating all bones and marrow of the body with Blood Qi, one could nurture streaks of Inner Breath, and solidify one’s bones. Among the Divine Abnormalities of the fortified Five Vistas of Inner Strength, it is an extremely rare and precious Divine Abnormality, the "Immaculate Marrow"!