Chapter 226: Chapter 208: Cang Province, Yong Province, City-wide Martial Law

"I’m... I’m okay..."

Ye Langtian said.

"Mm."

Xu Qing nodded.

"Ye... Lang..."

Liu Ying gazed worriedly at Ye Langtian.

"I... I’m fine now..."

Ye Langtian took a deep breath, his gaze filled with guilt as he looked at Liu Ying. "Yingying, that was my fault just now. I never expected..."

"It’s okay. I know it wasn’t your fault."

Before Ye Langtian could finish, Liu Ying spoke up, cutting him off.

"Brother Chonglou, thank you for what you did just now."

Ye Langtian bowed deeply to Xu Qing.

"Mm."

Xu Qing’s expression was indifferent, his demeanor cold and merciless. "It was nothing," he said calmly. "Besides, if something really happened to you, it would be of no benefit to this Demon Venerable."

ROAR!!!

The Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake let out a hiss-like roar.

’Right,’

Xu Qing came back to his senses. "We should get going."

This time, the upper echelons of Moon River Prefecture City’s four great powers—the Blood Demon Sect’s Moon River Branch, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, the Ten Thousand Forms Demon Sect, and the Deceitful Palace—had been completely annihilated. All of them had died here.

SWISH!

The Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake roared again, his three-thousand-meter-long, majestic body soaring into the clouds. With a form like a towering mountain range, Moon River Prefecture City could no longer contain him.

Therefore,

Xu Qing issued a command. The Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake had learned from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect where the Ferocious Beasts and the Demon Race gathered. The lands of the Great Zhou Martial Country were divided into nine great provinces, and Moon River Prefecture City was part of Cang Province, one of the nine.

Furthermore,

one of the nine great provinces, Yong Province, was the gathering place for Ferocious Beasts and the Demon Race. Within Yong Province, aside from the Court of the Great Zhou Martial Country, there were two major powers: the Demon God Hall and the Fierce King Hall.

The Demon God Hall was a great power of the Demon Race established in Yong Province through an alliance with the ’Divine Mansion,’ while the Fierce King Hall was a power established by exceptionally strong Ferocious Beasts.

In Yong Province,

the three major powers—the Court, the Demon God Hall, and the Fierce King Hall—existed in a delicate tripod balance. And lurking in the shadows behind these three powers were traces of the Blood Demon Sect.

After all,

the members of the Blood Demon Sect had infiltrated nearly every corner of the Great Zhou Martial Country.

This time,

the Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake would leave Moon River Prefecture City, head southeast, cross the Canglang River, and finally enter Yong Province.

Among the nine great provinces of the Great Zhou Martial Country,

only Yong Province was truly suitable for the Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake’s growth.

One could say that

with the Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake’s departure, it would likely be a long time before he met Xu Qing again. By the time they reunited, the snake would have become an even more terrifying, boundless Giant Beast. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Go on."

Xu Qing raised his head, his gaze following the Level 25 Cabbage Flower Snake as he watched him depart. The colossal Demon Body, as majestic as a massive mountain range, gradually ascended into the clouds. Truly like a soaring flood dragon, it slowly vanished from sight.

Moreover,

Xu Qing had noticed something else.

The Cabbage Flower Snake’s evolutionary path was not heading toward that of a True Dragon. If it were evolving and advancing along the path of a True Dragon, it would have already transformed into a Jiaomang by now, rather than showing no signs of draconic transformation at all.

It seemed the Cabbage Flower Snake was evolving toward a kind of ’unnamable python’—indescribable, ineffable, and immeasurable—possessing all manner of incredible traits.

"Brother Chonglou."

Ye Langtian bowed respectfully to Xu Qing. "Liu Ying and I must also leave," he said. "The higher-ups of the Blood Demon Sect’s Moon River Branch have suffered a devastating blow and been completely wiped out. Only Liu Ying and I survived. When we return to the sect, we must seize control of the entire Moon River Branch in the shortest time possible."

"Furthermore,"

"after this is over, I will also find a way to contact the upper echelons of the Blood Demon Sect. I’ll strive to gain complete control over the Moon River Branch and maybe even become its Apostle."

"Good."

Xu Qing nodded.

SWISH! SWISH!

Ye Langtian and Liu Ying departed swiftly. They transformed into two streaks of light and, moments later, disappeared from Xu Qing’s sight.

The gains from this endeavor were substantial. Not only had Xu Qing and Ye Langtian devoured members of the four great powers, using the Origin of their high-ranking members to raise their Cultivation and Realm to the Sixth Transformation of Demon Infant Realm, but they had also reaped the wealth and resources of these leaders. They acquired numerous Storage Rings and many Treasures.

However,

Xu Qing had no time or inclination to sort through these things, so he handed all the Storage Rings and Treasures over to Ye Langtian to organize.

’I should get going, too.’

Xu Qing scanned his surroundings. After confirming nothing was left behind, he too shot through the air, transforming into a streak of light and swiftly departing the Ten Thousand Inches Mountain Range.

At the same time,

Xu Qing’s fifteen subordinates followed close behind.

「An hour later.」

That morning, Xu Qing returned to the outskirts of Moon River Prefecture City. Before he even got close, he discovered that something had happened in Moon River Prefecture. The entire city was on high alert.

"This..."

Xu Qing’s expression changed slightly, a trace of surprise on his face. ’What happened?’

BUZZ!

With a mere thought,

Xu Qing’s aura shifted. Using the power of the Level 20 Evil Ghost Mask, his appearance and presence underwent a dramatic transformation.

In an instant,

Xu Qing had turned into a handsome, scholarly young man.

"You all wait here for me. I’m going to ask about the situation."

Xu Qing said.

"Yes."

"As you command."

"..."

Xu Qing’s fifteen subordinates replied respectfully.

「A few minutes later.」

Xu Qing arrived at the city gates and saw soldiers patrolling diligently. Every commoner entering the city had to undergo a thorough inspection.

While Xu Qing observed, he saw several people with ill intentions being arrested by the patrolling soldiers. Of course, some innocent people were wrongly apprehended as well.

"Brother, do you know what happened in the city? Why the sudden lockdown? And why can we only enter but not leave?"

Xu Qing smiled as he walked up to a man and inquired.

"This... Sir, you don’t know?"

The middle-aged man was taken aback. He looked Xu Qing up and down and saw that he was an elegant gentleman with a distinct scholarly air. His expression grew slightly more respectful.

"I’m afraid I don’t."

Xu Qing said, "I’ve been away from Moon River Prefecture City for a month. I only just returned today to find things like this."

"I see."

The slightly plump middle-aged man nodded. "Sir, something major has indeed happened in Moon River Prefecture City. Last night, the Moon River Prefecture City Garrison Envoy fell. The ’Vermilion Bird’ in the Prefecture City cried out in sorrow, and the ’Alarm Bell’ rang throughout the night, startling the entire city."

"That..."

A shocked expression appeared on Xu Qing’s face. He couldn’t help but say, "How is that possible? How could the Garrison Envoy of Moon River Prefecture City have fallen? There must be some mistake."

"How could it be a mistake?"

The plump middle-aged man shook his head. "Even if we people could be mistaken, the Vermilion Bird Array and the Town Bell could not."

"The Lord Garrison Envoy of Moon River Prefecture City has, without a doubt, fallen."

"And so,"

"starting last night, the entire Moon River Prefecture City has been on alert. The Prefecture City has dispatched all its soldiers, constables, and Demon Exterminators to lock down the city. No one is allowed to leave, only enter. The goal is to investigate the cause of the Lord Garrison Envoy’s death and find his body."

"To think something like this has happened."

Xu Qing revealed a look of shock.

"Indeed."

The slightly plump middle-aged man nodded. "Our Moon River Prefecture City had finally seen a few years of peace. The common people were living and working in contentment. And just after these few years of calm, something so huge happens. Who knows what the future will hold?"