I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1717 - 155: The Storm Approaches

Chapter 1717: Chapter 155: The Storm Approaches

The reason why the Dutian Heavenly King Patrol is revered as a sacred site by Wind Media is not only because of the support from the Three Realms Holy Land but also due to their mastery in the art of Wind Media.

Be it the encryption of information or the speed of transmission, the Dutian Heavenly King Patrol is the fastest in Xiehe, thanks to the foundation laid by the former Great Commander, Cao Jinyu.

During his tenure in charge of the patrol, he established intelligence hubs in every region of Zhongzhou, supporting lower-level organizations to identify and rectify weaknesses.

No matter where there is a disturbance in Zhongzhou, it takes at most three days for the news to reach Cao Jinyu’s desk in Hanging Sky City, and the Heavenly Patrol Divine Vessel is among the most mobile forces in Xiehe.

But ever since the fall of Hanging Sky City and the death of Cao Jinyu, there have been significant changes in the style of the Dutian Heavenly King Patrol.

Compared to restoring the intelligence system, Qionghua Star Lord has devoted more energy to enhancing military strength, and with a large number of rogue cultivators joining in response to the Recruitment Order, the current Dutian Heavenly King Patrol can indeed be considered powerful and robust.

However, within this strong military force, factions abound, and the vacant position of the Heavenly Patrol Envoy has become the goal many town commanders and inspectors strive for.

In such an atmosphere, cooperation between equals, let alone between superiors and subordinates, is often hindered at every turn.

Everyone is consolidating their position and power under the banner of searching for the Han Family, but the number of people who are truly looking for the Han Family’s whereabouts is probably less than one-third of the entire staff.

However, searching through the Minor Spiritual Realm is a matter of luck; no one can say for sure when one might come across a Minor Spiritual Realm filled with disciples of the Han Family, so there’s no use in fretting.

After all, the Dutian Heavenly King Patrol is such a large organization that, besides looking for traces of the Han Family, there are other tasks at hand.

And if one were to sort these tasks into a list according to their importance, pursuit of the remnants of the Ancient Blood Tower and gathering intelligence on the Devil Lord would definitely be among the top three.

Just like all vultures and lackeys, these demonic cultivators who joined the patrol following the Recruitment Order have completely fallen in love with this place.

They originally thought joining the patrol would mean abandoning their old habits and defending the path of righteousness, but after joining, they discovered that being part of the Dutian Heavenly King Patrol was no different than their past as demonic cultivators.

Back then, clans would unite against them, with everyone calling for their heads.

But now, the people and clans are afraid, serving them with fearful smiles and utmost caution.

It turns out that power is the logic, and strength is the justice. This feeling is truly wonderful.

...

Yancang, Luyang City

As the most important prison of the Dutian Heavenly King Patrol, Luyang City is impregnable because of the presence of Cao Lie.

Nobody knows why this fearsome figure, whose mere mention changes the color of people’s faces in the holy land, willingly serves as a jailer—not because he was convinced by Cao Jinyu’s magnanimity, nor out of gratitude for some favor.

The reason he stays in Luyang City is to continue his research.

Cao Lie, dressed in white, walks in an underground cavern, with countless fierce beasts locked in iron cages on either side, curled up at the corner of the cage, their eyes filled with complex and desperate emotions.

Several hundred similarly white-clad, masked people move through the caves, either feeding the beasts or whispering in groups around a cage.

Upon seeing Cao Lie, all these people kneel down to pay their respects, their eyes fervent as if they were witnessing a deity.

Cao Lie calmly passes through to a corner illuminated by nine hundred hanging Night Pearls with dazzling brightness.

There are six cages here, three large and three small.

The three large ones contain dragon heads, controlled by iron chains as thick as arms, and they roar loudly upon sensing the presence of living beings.

Among the three of them, there were Unparalleled Academy graduates from the Operations Department who attempted to rescue fellow prisoners but ended up being captured themselves - Shi Sanke, Lu Zhongyan, and Fu Yuanshan.

At this moment, the trio bore no more of the proud and gallant demeanor they had when they attempted the prison break. Dressed in ragged clothes like beggars, their exposed wounds were so deep that bones could be seen, oozing pus and blood. Despite the vitality of warriors from the Fierce Realm, such injuries could be fatal if not treated properly.

The three of them held on till now, solely by sheer willpower.

Approaching and seeing that the three were still alive pleased Cao Lie immensely. Clapping his hands and laughing, he said, "Not bad, not bad at all. After all, you are individuals who can persevere in cultivation even when facing a hopeless path. Though lacking in strength, your resilience is indeed remarkable. It was worth it for me, the warden, to spare your lives."

With that, Cao Lie stepped forward, opened the cage door, grabbed Shi Sanke by the nape of his neck, and threw him onto a stone platform illuminated by nine hundred Night Pearls.

"Snap."

Just like meat being taken off a hook and slapped onto a cutting board, Shi Sanke groaned, with new wounds tearing open and blood soaking his entire body. Yet pleading was written all over his face.

He wanted to live; he did not want to die.

"Shush."

Cao Lie placed his forefinger to his lips, waved the other hand over Shi Sanke’s face to close his eyes, letting him fall into unconsciousness.

Last night, Cao Lie moved towards another huge beast cage. The Dragon Beasts within seemed to sense the approaching danger, baring their teeth and growling madly.

But Cao Lie simply reached into the cage, gently placed his palm on the forehead of the Dragon Beast, and the ferocious creature that had been roaring fiercely became incredibly docile.

"Beasts are too foolish, acting purely on instinct, thus they have made no progress for hundreds of millions of years. Despite possessing outstanding qualities for cultivation, they are completely dominated by the Human Race," Cao Lie murmured softly as he stroked the forehead of the Dragon Beast.

"And humans, too frail, when compared to you gifted spiritual creatures, are like some sort of evolutionary incomplete products."

Saying this, Cao Lie turned back to glance at Shi Sanke lying on the stone bed, then back at the Dragon Beast with bulging, sinewy muscles, vibrant with vitality even in captivity, and smiled.

This experiment should be very interesting.

...

Zhongzhou, Pingshan City

When the news that Du Sha was of the Horn Constellation reached An Yuanxi’s desk, the former Saint Child, who had withdrawn from the heart of Divine Court’s power, knew that the opportunity he was waiting for had arrived.

After intercepting the information in Pingshan City, he swiftly mobilized the Wind Department’s forces and boarded the Heavenly Patrol Divine Vessel, setting off towards Longzhou.

...

Red Cloud Mountain, Unparalleled City

In times of uncertainty, consult the Headmaster - this was probably the prime directive of Unparalleled City.

Although over the past two years the Headmaster had dedicated most of his energy to classroom teaching and rarely interfered with civic affairs, the recent calamitous event still compelled Shen Dafa and a group of prominent figures from Xiling to report their losses truthfully.

Hearing that a mere commotion had resulted in the deaths of three thousand citizens, Tang Luo felt inexplicably angry.

With his index finger tapping lightly on the council hall’s table, he raised his voice in anger, "You might escape from the monks, but can you escape from the temple? Those who led the assault on the city gates, those who allowed their men to inflict injuries, those who acted with impunity within the inner city - don’t we have any records of their origins in the council hall? Since when can forces with unclear identities be allowed to reside within the walls of Unparalleled City?"

"But Headmaster, it’s not just one or two families. Just from the recorded cases alone, there are more than forty families,"

Shen Dafa said with a troubled expression, "And these noble families have all helped expand the city in one way or another; they have merits towards Unparalleled City. If we were to pursue all their responsibilities at once, I fear it might lead to unrest in the future."