Told You I Can Turn Back Time
Chapter 566 - 428: Raid

Chapter 566: Chapter 428: Raid

At the foot of Ming Mountain, teams from all over, far and wide, had gathered, forming campsites both large and small.

Among them were northern tycoons accompanied by hundreds of servants and Protectors, sea merchants with all manner of gold, silver, and jewels, fierce gang leaders with grim and savage faces, and Generals emanating with the aura of iron and blood, each carrying various deadly weapons...

Every day, warriors from different regions converged here, waiting for a summons from the Ming Mountain Sect, all for one spot within the mountain.

And according to the current customs of this age, such a concentration of powerful individuals from every corner of the land invariably meant that skirmishes and battles were inevitable. This place should have been a stage for a different show of slaughter each day, becoming a chaotic battlefield.

Yet, at this moment, these warriors who had once dominated their own realms were now at the foot of the mountain, displaying their Divine Skills. Some moved mountains to fill valleys, while others conjured things to build walls, gradually creating a well-ordered town.

A young man with a buzz cut watched as street vendors hawked their wares, polite passersby walked by, and a few Martial Artists engaged in silent rivalry, with no one resorting to violence.

He marvelled to himself, "Is this Mirror World? No fighting, no battles, everyone trading and living their days in an orderly fashion, just like the old days in the real world?"

Next to the young man, another middle-aged man with a crew cut spoke slowly, "I was shocked at first as well, but you’ll understand after staying a few days. It’s not that there’s no conflict here, but all the battles are suppressed beneath the surface."

"At first, this place was a mess, with blood everywhere, and so many corpses no one could bury them."

"But the Ming Mountain Sect acted swiftly, laying down the law within the borders of Ming Mountain: no warrior shall engage in violence, murder, theft, plundering, or rape."

"The first day saw the execution of hundreds of warriors, the second day, another hundred, and killings continued into the third day... It’s said it lasted for seven days and nights. Since then, no one has dared to cause trouble in broad daylight."

"Though brutal, in times of chaos, stern measures are sometimes the only option."

Looking at the forest that trembled in the distance, the middle-aged man continued, "But here, the conflicts have not disappeared; they just remain out of sight. To the lunatics of Mirror World, they’re only afraid of the might of Ming Mountain Sect, not truly in agreement with its rules."

"So some take their battles outside the borders of Ming Mountain, while others resort to poison and assassination in secret..."

The young man sighed, "But it is indeed rare order in these chaotic times. I didn’t expect the Ming Mountain Sect to have such an approach before I came here."

The middle-aged man seemed to have contemplated this earlier and spoke with conviction, "Mirror World has experienced endless strife over countless years, and the last century has been especially tumultuous. Under such conditions, although they’ve grown accustomed to the law of the jungle and constant battle, the more it goes on, the more they harbor a desire for order deep within their hearts."

"I’ve heard that inside the Ming Mountain Sect, strict and severe punishments are now the norm. Breaking the sect’s rules could result in crippling penalties or even beheading: it’s an abnormal longing for an orderly society."

"But it’s still better than what the future holds for the rest of the world."

Hearing the middle-aged man’s assessment, Si Yunfeng frowned and asked, "Uncle Xia, is there really... no other way?"

Xia Weiguo snorted coldly, "Yunfeng, you were one of the first to travel to West Sea City to learn skills; you should know how great the gap is between us and Mirror World, both in individual martial might and Immortal Skills. There’s no catching up in at least fifty years."

"And you’ve seen the situation in the Southwest Region; those above have decided to completely abandon it. As for Lin Xing..."

He chuckled mockly to himself, mumbling, "Have we not caused enough commotion? Does Lin Xing not know? Jing Shiyu has managed to keep so many people down; could there not be Lin Xing’s instruction behind it? In the end, he’s unwilling to conflict with the Ming Mountain Sect on our behalf."

"I can understand their thoughts; if it were me... I wouldn’t want to clash with the Ming Mountain Sect over a region that’s already been forsaken."

"But they should understand us too. Since we’ve got to give up our homeland and abandon the foundations laid down over many years for a new place, why not choose the most powerful, the safest, and the most promising one?"

Xia Weiguo lamented, "If the Ming Mountain Sect genuinely has a way to govern the world and wishes to restore order, then whether they or the Xia Country reign over us, what difference does it make?"

Si Yunfeng sighed helplessly, a trace of reluctance in his eyes. Yet, thinking of the horrific state of his homeland, now ravaged by evil Qi, he found himself unable to contradict.

"Uncle Xia, have you been quite satisfied with the Ming Mountain Sect during your time there?"

Xia Weiguo nodded, "I see that this sect does indeed have the ambition to rejuvenate the world, not merely wishing to rule through sheer violence like the Great Presidents or the Great Zhou Imperial Family within Mirror World."

"Their methods may have some issues, and they lack governance experience, but once we join them, we too will have opportunities to enact change..."

Just then, the crowds ahead bustled towards a square in front of the town.

Curious, Si Yunfeng asked, "What’s happening?"

Xia Weiguo replied indifferently, "Recently, the Ming Mountain Sect periodically arranges for the recruitment of Disciples. If you’re accepted into the Ming Mountain Sect, you can bring one person with you into the mountain."

"Many people of lesser strength choose to take part in the tests, hoping to gain the Ming Mountain Sect’s protection in the future."

"Only one person?" Upon hearing this number, Si Yunfeng seemed to envision countless fractured families, deceit, conflicts, arguments...

Xia Weiguo stated, "We don’t need to use that method, nor can we."

"The Ming Mountain Sect has a rule: as long as the value of what you offer is sufficient, you can bring more people to live within Ming Mountain."

"All the major clans and sects that come here use this approach."

Si Yunfeng’s heart stirred slightly, "Are you thinking of... that?"

Ever since the great upheaval, when the world’s spiritual energies turned chaotic, the learned men of various countries had never ceased developing weapons.

There had even been records of modern weapons overwhelming the powerhouses of the Mirror World, making many look forward to the creation of powerful weapons that could restrict individual strongmen.

According to Si Yunfeng’s knowledge, the major powers had been exchanging information and technology over the past few years, jointly developing a superweapon aimed at the Four Transmitters.

Xia Weiguo had participated in the plan for this superweapon.

At that moment, from the depths of Ming Mountain Sect, came a series of blinding lights, turning night into day.

"What’s that?"

...

In the depths of Ming Mountain.

Above the Zheng Family’s manor.

Zheng Yong stood in the air with both feet, calmly watching the humanoid figure in the endless light.

As a terrifying force exploded at his location, gusts of wind surged through the sky, yet he remained unharmed, merely saying coldly, "To attack without a word and readily kill, a strongman like you is indeed the source of chaos."

"I from the Ming Mountain Sect shall suppress you one by one and restore peace to the world..."

But in the next instant, Zheng Yong suddenly felt it difficult to breathe, as if a great hand was tightly gripping his throat, cutting off his next words.

And he immediately discovered that it was none other than himself seizing his own neck.

He grunted, instantly trying to use his other hand to stop it, only to discover with horror that the other hand was also coming to grip.

Within the endless brightness, the figure slowly approached, saying indifferently under Zheng Yong’s horrified gaze, "Why don’t you fight back? Can’t you?"

Just as Zheng Yong’s grip tightened, and his neck felt unable to bear the burden, cracking audibly, another’s hand steadied Zheng Yong’s broken neck.

With a gentle push from the newcomer’s hand, Zheng Yong fell downwards, lightly descending into a garden.

Then he tilted his head up, looking toward the figure bursting with light, and sighed, "Lin Xing, you shouldn’t have come."

The man in the endless light, with arms crossed, smiled and looked at the black-robed Daoist before him, saying slowly, "Xuanyin, it seems you are completely unaware of my strength right now."

"Is the old man from Taihe Sect below as well?"

"Let him come up too. If you all join forces, you might provide me with some entertainment."

Hearing his words, a hint of rage flashed in Xuanyin Taoist’s eyes, "You are too arrogant, unaware of your own weakness..."

As he spoke, the Xuanyin Taoist formed a single-handed seal and pointed at the location of the opponent.

In an instant, the sky roiled with wind and clouds, and the space around the opponent trembled violently, as if an invisible maw had completely swallowed him up.

With the disappearance of the figure, Xuanyin Taoist still didn’t stop, his hands constantly changing seals, now harnessing the power of Kunlun to strike deep underground.

In the spatial fluctuation of that instant, the opponent had been sent to the rock layer ten thousand meters below the surface.

As his hands changed seals, a vibration powerful enough to shatter a city already erupted within the rock layer.

Like the aftermath of a magnitude ten earthquake, Xuanyin Taoist’s domineering will swept forth again, "Lin Xing, surrender, or be suppressed by me forever, you only have these two paths."

But what answered him was the empty scene.

As he searched and sensed the opponent’s location in confusion, a thunderous sound exploded in his ear.

An arm had already extended from inside his own body, lightly gripping his brain.

A fierce light shone in the abruptly appearing hand, seemingly ready to crush his brain and Primordial Spirit together at any moment.

The destructive power made Xuanyin Taoist feel a strong threat.

Meanwhile, the opponent’s voice gently sounded in his sea of consciousness, "Don’t worry, I didn’t intend to kill you with this strike."

"Just to let you understand... the gap between us."

Along with the disappearance of the hand and voice, the opponent once again appeared before him, arms crossed, looking at him, and spoke softly, "Now can you join forces to attack me?"

Xuanying Taoist stared fixedly at the other party, incredulously asking, "You... you are not Lin Xing, who are you, really?"

The other party squeezed his fist, looking at his own palm while smiling slightly, "Sorry, I was indeed supposed to look for him first."

"But your actions have displeased me."

"So I’ve decided, before I indulge in that feast, to deal with some dessert first..."