Chapter 450 - 231: I Have Decreed It, Who Dares to Disobey?

Chapter 450: Chapter 231: I Have Decreed It, Who Dares to Disobey?

His words were so blunt. He clearly wanted the benefits without taking any responsibility.

While she, Bai Qing, was no virtuous maiden, she was still the leader of a sect. How could she be treated so cheaply?

Composing herself, Bai Qing’s gaze fell back on the charred corpse in the center of the grand hall. She changed the subject, asking curiously,

"This... which eminent monk from Golden Spring Temple is he? To have met such an end."

"Xuanbei," Chen Sheng said flatly.

"First Seat Xuanbei?!"

Bai Qing’s beautiful eyes widened in an instant. She stared at Chen Sheng in disbelief.

"You... You were the one who took him down?"

"Mm."

Chen Sheng had no desire to waste any more words on the matter. He changed the topic, asking,

"What about Yuzhi? Has there been any word from her since she left for seclusion?"

At the mention of Sun Yuzhi, Bai Qing’s expression grew serious, and she shook her head.

"Not a word since the day she left. If she were here, given our friendship, the Danxia Sect wouldn’t have suffered such a tragic loss. And perhaps our relationship with the Government Office wouldn’t have grown so strained."

A flicker of imperceptible worry crossed Chen Sheng’s eyes before vanishing just as quickly.

He stood up, the sleeves of his black robes swishing.

"Enough idle chatter. Mobilize the Danxia Sect’s elites at once. Prepare to move out."

"How many should I mobilize?" Bai Qing asked.

"As many as you can."

Chen Sheng gave her a long look.

"The effort you contribute will determine the rewards you reap. I trust Sect Leader Bai understands that simple truth."

Without waiting for her reply, Chen Sheng casually picked up the chains from the floor. Dragging Xuanbei’s charred corpse behind him, his figure blurred, transforming into a streak of light that vanished beyond the grand hall. Only his voice drifted back, lingering in the air.

"We’ll rendezvous at the foot of Golden Spring Mountain. Don’t be late!"

Bai Qing stood alone in the hall, gazing in the direction Chen Sheng had vanished. She then looked down at the faint scorch mark left on the floor from the dragging, her expression complex.

A moment later, Bai Qing took a deep breath, her face regaining the decisiveness and authority befitting the leader of the Danxia Sect. Her crisp voice echoed throughout Qixia Mountain.

"Pass my order! All elders, deacons, and Inner Sect Disciples of the Danxia Sect are to assemble at the Martial Arts Arena at once! Prepare for battle!"

...

With Chen Sheng’s command, it was as if a boulder had been thrown into the calm waters of Ning’an Prefecture, sending massive waves churning instantly.

Three thousand elite soldiers of the Military Preparation Army, clad in heavy armor and wielding sharp weapons, marched out of their barracks to the sound of low horns. They merged with crack troops dispatched by the Jingwu Bureau, forming a torrent of steel that surged silently and swiftly toward Golden Spring Mountain.

The thunder of hooves, the clank of armor, and the rhythm of marching feet shattered the eerie calm that had settled over the Prefecture City for days. A murderous aura surged to the heavens.

At the same time, Qixia Mountain of the Danxia Sect, the gates of the Iron Sword Sect, and the Wang Clan Ancestral Land were all scenes of great upheaval.

Nearly a month of suppressed rage and humiliation erupted like a volcano.

Streaks of light shot up from the sect gates into the sky.

These were the Mystic Realm elders and deacons mobilized by each power. Great throngs of disciples formed ranks amid shouts, their swords and blades drawn, the cold light of their steel reflecting the sun. They resembled three furious Flood Dragons.

From different directions, they surged toward Golden Spring Mountain.

A military mobilization of this scale was impossible to conceal.

Countless Wandering Cultivators, members of minor sects, and spies from every faction were left dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.

Staring at the forest of blades and spears and the tide of Martial Artists, feeling the suffocating killing intent that saturated the air, a single, heart-stopping thought arose in everyone’s mind:

The sky over Ning’an... was about to change for good!

A true storm of blood and gore was about to descend!

Looking down from high above, one would see several torrents composed of soldiers and Martial Artists surging across the lands of Ning’an. Rushing from different locations, they all converged on a single target: Golden Spring Mountain, a place usually filled with burning incense and echoing chants.

...

Qingfeng Temple, nestled in another of Ning’an Prefecture’s spiritually blessed and beautiful landscapes, had lost all of its usual peace and tranquility.

The urgent tolling of warning bells, each peal more frantic than the last, echoed shrilly through the mountains and startled countless birds into flight.

Inside an ancient, unadorned grand hall, several Daoists with profound auras had gathered. Every face was grim, as if confronting a great enemy. The air was thick with tension and unease.

"Something’s not right. The scale of this mobilization by the Government Office is unprecedented. This is no mere intimidation tactic!"

A long-bearded Daoist spoke in a low voice, his fingertips unconsciously twisting the jade handle of his duster.

"It’s too sudden! There wasn’t the slightest bit of warning!"

"Something must have happened that we’re unaware of!"

"Perhaps... Xie Jingze finally caved to the pressure, or the State City has finally made its decision?"

"Quiet!"

At the head of the hall, Daoist Qingxu, the Temple Master of Qingfeng Temple, swept his duster, and the hall immediately fell silent.

His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept slowly across the assembled Daoists.

"Regardless of our speculation, the situation is clear. The Government Office’s grand army is marching on Golden Spring Mountain, making it obvious they intend to move against Golden Spring Temple. If the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold. If Golden Spring Temple falls, Qingfeng Temple cannot stand alone. We will surely follow in its footsteps!"

Qingxu took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising, filled with unquestionable resolve.

"Elder Liang, Elder Wu, pass my order at once! Except for the disciples necessary to guard the mountain, all elders and elite disciples of Qingfeng Temple are to reinforce Golden Spring Temple at top speed.

"You must arrive before they encounter the Government Office and those three traitorous families on the outskirts of Golden Spring Mountain.

"I will personally go to Golden Spring Temple to mediate this matter and force the Government Office to retreat!"

"Temple Master!"

The man addressed as Elder Liang was none other than Liang Jingxing, who had previously clashed with Chen Sheng. Upon hearing the command, his face filled with worry.

"But what if this is a feint by the Government Office? What if they’re pretending to attack Golden Spring Mountain, when their true aim is to strike our Qingfeng Temple?"

Daoist Qingxu fell into thought for a moment. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Activate the Yin-Yang Dust Grand Array. Ask Junior Master Yu to come out of seclusion and personally preside over the temple. With him here, working in concert with the Mountain Protection Array, we can hold out even against a genuine sneak attack from the Government Office until we can return to provide aid!"

"Yes!"

Liang Jingxing and Elder Wu solemnly accepted the command.

"Infinite Celestial Venerable..."

Daoist Qingxu gazed at the gloomy sky outside the hall. He chanted the holy name under his breath and swept his duster.

"Let’s hope... we’re not too late."

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