The Guardian of the Nation and the Protector of the Nation Holy Beast still assailed the Piece Official King.

Upon the back of the colossal turtle, bearing the Upper City, a boiling inferno raged.

The clash between Zheng Chaoyang and the Equality King remained undecided.

And the Yan Luo King had already delivered the final, fateful strike.

The Piece Official King, relying on his astonishing resilience, thrust himself forth to draw the Guardian of the Nation and the Protector of the Nation Holy Beast’s attack, a classic tactic of beating the grass to startle the snake. The Metropolitan King, through Zhao Cang’s subtle manipulation of the Protect Country Holy Beast, swiftly pinpointed Zhao Cang’s true location. Simultaneously, he obstructed the City Defense Wheel King’s initial rush to the target destination, sealing off the tavern and constructing four cages.

The Mount Tai King launched a direct assault, while the Chu Jiang King and Song Emperor King directly entered the cages to clear the area. The Equality King seized the opportunity to execute “Reside Dragon, Kill Emperor,” siphoning a vast quantity of national destiny, and used this power to intercept the approaching reinforcements. The Yan Luo King was then responsible for eliminating any unforeseen complications…

Even the newly invited Bian Cheng King, and the leader Qin Guang King himself, were prepared to handle unexpected incidents, one by one. It was almost regrettable that Zhao Cang, in anticipating his own life and death struggle, had not accounted for enough contingencies.

The so-called “will of the people” could fundamentally offer him no protection. A giant turtle, possessing strength bordering on the Cave True realm but lacking sufficient wisdom, was inadequate to deter all enemies. The meticulously constructed “hidden lair” was quickly discovered, and his carefully selected personal guards were utterly incapable of withstanding a single blow…

The entire operation of Hell No Door was not overly complex; every step was clear and distinct, possessing a beauty akin to flowing clouds and water. This fluidity precisely embodied Hell No Door’s profound understanding of the art of assassination and their insightful grasp of the entire You Country. As for the exceptional execution capabilities of the various Yan Luos, that was the least surprising aspect. To survive within an organization like Hell No Door, constantly treading the precipice of life and death, and to firmly hold the position of a Yan Luo, how could any be weak?

As the Yan Luo King veiled Zhao Cang’s eyes, he casually pushed the corpse from high altitude.

The collision between Zheng Chaoyang and the Equality King had already reached its conclusion. Even though the Equality King had utilized “Reside Dragon, Kill Emperor,” to steal and seize a massive power of national destiny, he was ultimately unable to withstand Zheng Chaoyang, who was driving the soldier-evil of a military formation. With a single punch, Zheng Chaoyang shattered the protective golden flame, burst the fierce sun ring, and sent fresh blood spurting downwards.

But Zhao Cang was already dead. The de facto ruler of Heaven Bless Country, the man who had manipulated court politics for nearly a century, Zhao Cang, died before the Qin Guang King had even made his move.

Once perched high in the Upper City, a figure holding the lives and deaths of countless in his hands, faced the youth who had escaped from the Lower City three years prior… His three years of meticulous preparation crumbled at a single touch.

They had not met or spoken three years ago.

Nor did they three years later.

At that time, a young city lord, about to become food for the turtle beast, lacked the qualifications to even meet the state minister. Now, an old man, summoning numerous cultivator guards, arranging clever rabbit warrens, and manipulating the Protect Country Holy Beast from the shadows, was not even worthy of the Qin Guang King’s personal attention.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; who can truly foresee the affairs of the human world?

At this moment, the entire Upper City shook, the entire land trembled.

The colossal turtle beast, having lost the guidance of the secret method, seemed to gradually lose control of its emotions. In its pursuit of the Piece Official King, it increasingly ceased to control its power, but instead vented itself without restraint, wantonly trampling this twenty-seventh city!

The Piece Official King, in an extremely short time, successively employed means of substituting death, barely preserving a remnant of his life. At this point, his left hand was gone, even the arm broken, his right hand’s five fingers were already bare, and the blood within the black coffin had dried up.

But at this moment, a flash of light and shadow suddenly appeared. Within the pupils of the colossal turtle beast, a scene became clear, and increasingly clear—a black official robe with blood patterns, an upright figure, a mask named “Bian Cheng”!

*Hua la la.*

The divine soul world of this enormous turtle beast was a boundless sea. The Bian Cheng King manifested as the Six Desires Bodhisattva, stepping into this chaotic ocean.

He saw—

Astonishing waves rolled wildly, surges rushing like a stampede. Heavy clouds pressed low, ten thousand lightning snakes writhing. An enormous turtle beast, like a mountain range, desperately patrolled within the vast, boundless angry sea, stirring up mad waves. In the divine soul world, it appeared even more colossal than in reality; its own enormous, almost incalculable divine soul power, yet performed more sluggishly here than in reality.

Such a giant turtle, rampaging on the peak of black water waves, in a state of chaos, actually showed some panic.

And the Six Desires Bodhisattva, transformed by divine sense, descended here, radiating Buddha light, manifesting strange colors, causing it to see a layer of clouds dissipate, the thunder light already gone, a golden yellow sun hanging in the distant curve. Heaven and sea met in the distance, large patches of mountains rotting in the evening glow, floating on the dome, also hanging down in the water. Ten thousand *li* of clear waves were like a mirror, calm without a single ripple.

A gentle breeze brushed by, evenly scattering sunlight upon its body, languidly, making it extremely comfortable.

Jiang Wang, still wearing the Yan Luo mask in the divine soul world, was naturally unable to be as relaxed as he appeared at this moment. This was merely the turtle beast’s divine soul’s performance, reminding him of the sea beasts he had encountered on the nearby islands – those enslaved by overseas sects with prohibitions. Compared to its terrifying, almost unbreakable defense in reality, this giant turtle’s divine soul was much more chaotic, and much more vulnerable.

Despite this, the divine soul power of this colossal turtle beast was truly too vast. Even with Jiang Wang’s spiritual sense, which far surpassed that of ordinary Divine Arrival cultivators, compared to it, it was like a boulder facing a high mountain. To suppress such a divine soul with the Six Desires Bodhisattva was almost like a child trying to control a mad horse. One wrong move, and he would be overthrown and trampled. He was now relying entirely on superb riding skill, walking on a razor’s edge.

Jiang Wang had no intention of wiping out or harming its divine soul – that would undoubtedly provoke fierce resistance. With the terrifying divine soul power of this turtle beast, if it vented its power without reservation, the current Six Desires Bodhisattva would be utterly powerless to suppress it. He only wanted to silence it for a moment, calm its emotions, so that it would not interfere with the actions of the other Yan Luos, and this was precisely the task entrusted to him by Yin Guan.

Wearing the Yan Luo mask, the Six Desires Bodhisattva increasingly conveyed a contradictory sense of being both god and demon. In the midst of battle, he gained a deeper understanding of this school of technique – amidst the Buddha light illuminating all directions, Jiang Wang comprehended an indescribable sin and compassion.

Zhao Cang’s initial long-distance murmuring guidance of the giant turtle beast was now completely replicated, humming softly within this sea domain like a song. Although lacking the array formation and corresponding secret technique, it still brought the turtle beast immense comfort… and in the expansion of its desire to listen, it was filled with endless joy!

So in the tranquil sea, it appreciated the beautiful scenery, listened to beautiful sounds, felt warm sensations, and floated and sank…

Everything that happened within the divine soul world was extremely difficult for outsiders to detect. People only saw that the gigantic turtle beast, originally so violent and unrestrained, almost tearing the Piece Official King to shreds and trampling the entire twenty-seventh city, quieted down immediately after the mysterious Bian Cheng King appeared.

The Lower City King, cold and ruthless in temperament, was in terms of physical size not even as large as the eye of You Country’s Protect Country Holy Beast. Yet, he silently hovered before the giant turtle beast’s body, suppressing it into silence as well! The ordinary people of the Lower City, who had survived under the giant turtle’s feet, fled in panic to more distant locations, of course not thanking the Lower City King, but only feeling that this Yan Luo of Hell No Door was even more fearsome than the enraged holy beast.

*Where did the Qin Guang King find this person?*

The Piece Official King’s heart subtly turned with this thought, still hesitating whether to continue attacking, when he already heard the voice of this newly promoted Bian Cheng King, cold and sharp as a knife’s edge:

“Go find your target. Leave this place to me.”

The Piece Official King no longer hesitated. With a backhand move, he gathered and shrunk his black coffin. Bearing it slantwise on his shoulder, his body twisted strangely and he darted towards the Upper City.

Before, he might have been angered and sought an opportunity to refine this person. But now… passive sabotage was not bad at all. His initial efforts to attack had not even scratched the skin of this giant turtle. Moreover, he just wanted to go observe Zheng Chaoyang, lest that group of fierce individuals damage the soldier-evil flesh body of this Divine Arrival too severely, affecting his subsequent use.

A perfect match. The Bian Cheng King was considerate to a fault.

The entire essence of the country gathered in the Upper City now fell into a suppressed silence. At this moment, all members of Hell No Door had descended. Among them were four Divine Arrival combat powers and six peak Outer Building cultivators! In contrast, You Country’s side was led by a discarded figure who only knew how to roll on the dragon bed, their true controller, Zhao Cang, was dead, and the Protect Country Holy Beast was also suppressed by the other side using some unknown method.

Such a large country, a flock of dragons without a leader. Only Zheng Chaoyang, with his military formation of the Five Thousand Bearing Tablet Army, remained… How many could he defeat?

This strongest and toughest general of You Country tightly gripped his iron fists, his expression unclear amidst the rolling soldier-evil. Those individual civil and military officials were all blankly at a loss. The previous chaos, though disorderly, was still a manifestation of vitality. The current silence was almost equivalent to surrender.

The people of the Upper City had already given up struggling. You Country had been too peaceful for too many years, too rigid, with no internal competition and no external threat. The rulers of this country, governing from the Upper City, had become a pool of stagnant water. Suddenly encountering such a drastic change, few were able to stand out, and almost all had been killed.

But at this moment, one person flew into the sky, standing proudly in the air above the Upper City, under the icy gazes of the Chu Jiang King and the other Yan Luos, and shouted:

“Yin Guan! Where are you?”

This person had a youthful face, simple clothing, a sword hanging at his waist, and his cultivation was at the Soaring Dragon realm. He was capable of flying, but at this moment, he displayed such courage that even Jiang Wang, who was calming the giant turtle on the divine soul level, was somewhat surprised and inexplicable—*was this person still that initial pampered young master, Zhao Che?*

There were no guards around him, and he could not even withstand a single exchange in the hands of any of the Yan Luos. Yet, he seemed completely fearless, only shouting: “Yin Guan! Let’s talk!”

*Pa da, pa da, pa da.*

Yin Guan, with long hair spilling over his shoulders and the Yan Luo mask tied at his waist, slowly walked up from the Lower City, stepping into the empty air, yet clear footsteps sounded. His foot landed on the broken city, the giant turtle as still as a mountain. He walked to a position even higher than the Upper City, calmly looking at Zhao Che.

The various Yan Luos in the field all silently scattered, no longer paying attention to a person who was surely going to die.

At this moment, Zheng Chaoyang felt a terrifying pressure, like an abyss or a sea. He subconsciously lifted his foot, wanting to stand before Zhao Che. But the Chu Jiang King and the Piece Official King simultaneously looked towards him, their qi mechanisms instantly entangling with his. Any action would inevitably lead to an explosion. He could only stop his foot. Having achieved the Divine Arrival state, commanding a thousand armies, today he was unable to move a single step!

And under this pressure, Zhao Che still displayed a calmness that surpassed the ordinary. He looked at Yin Guan and said: “Why have you returned here today?”

Yin Guan looked at this about-to-be-extinguished, glib young master, and did not speak.

Zhao Che said to himself: “If you are here to avenge your good friend Zeng Qing, to avenge those who were swallowed by the Protect Country Holy Beast, then you have already done so. You killed the country lord, and you also killed the state minister. Following this line, you can kill the entire court of civil and military officials! If you can kill this turtle, you can kill it as well. Then what? What do you want to do? Become emperor?”

He lifted a jade seal in his left hand: “The jade seal is here, you can take it.”

“Do you want to challenge the old system of the state? Do you want to change this deformed country? Do you want to bring them…” He reached out, virtually drawing over the Lower City, remotely pointing at the entire country: “…give them a better life?”

He bowed down, holding the jade seal with both hands, respectfully presenting it: “Come, you can do this now. You, with such absolute talent, presumably have extraordinary insight and abilities that are beyond the reach of ordinary talent. You must think you can find a better path for You Country. I await you,” He walked forward, weak as he was, at this moment he was actually pressing people: “I await you! Come!”

His emotions were so intense. But Yin Guan’s expression was extremely calm. This Qin Guang King, who had single-handedly created Hell No Door, only calmly looked at Zhao Che: “Is this all you wanted to talk about with me?”

“Yin Guan! Enough blood has flowed today! Stop here!” Zheng Chaoyang’s soldier-evil dissipated from his face; at this moment, he was in immense pain. All the blood spilled from the imperial palace onwards was from the imperial family. The cultivators who died protecting Zhao Cang were all among You Country’s originally few strong individuals. This prosperous Upper City was already scarred. At this moment, the twenty-seventh city of the Lower City, where the Protect Country Holy Beast had set foot, was more than half destroyed. His gaze swept over these places, each one a stab to his heart.

His final painful gaze fell on Yin Guan’s body. Even a man as tough as Zheng Chaoyang, for a moment, his voice trembled: “If I had known early on that you would cause such killing karma, I would certainly not have held back initially!”

Yin Guan tilted his head, looked at him, and lightly laughed: “You seem to feel that you have some kind of favor with me. What exactly makes you, Zheng Chaoyang, produce such a misunderstanding?”

He was too lazy to say more to Zhao San, but he had some words for Zheng Chaoyang, because this great general of You Country was precisely the idol of his childhood friend, Zeng Qing. Zeng Qing, until the day before he was sent into the turtle beast’s mouth, still believed that General Zheng would deliver justice for him—*clearly his governance had no problems, how could he be evaluated as the worst? A loyal commander of the Bearing Tablet Army, serving the country, surely would not sit by and watch treacherous individuals bring chaos to the government.*

Until the day of his execution, the already barely breathing Zeng Qing, covered in stinky eggs and rotten cabbage, looked at Yin Guan, his lips still murmuring—*a petition to be delivered?*

And then he was swallowed whole.

“Yes, three years ago you indeed did not make a full effort, so you feel like this can appease your guilty heart? This country’s court politics are not controlled by you, so you can comfort yourself that the mess has nothing to do with you? One by one, the geniuses of You Country are labeled as incompetent and misgoverning, sent into the mouth of this ugly giant turtle, becoming its food and excrement. You can also comfort yourself that you only manage military affairs, and are only responsible for military affairs?”

Yin Guan just looked at Zheng Chaoyang like this, raised his hand, and remotely pressed him. Evil green light swam in his pupils. The soldier-evil around Zheng Chaoyang suddenly rolled, producing intense resistance, and then actually peeled off in large pieces like some kind of rotten solid substance!

“Zheng Chaoyang, for so many years, you have just comforted yourself like this. Possessing the strongest physique in all of You Country, yet shrinking the weakest soul.”

“You are not even as good as Zhao Cang!”

As Yin Guan spoke, the surging soldier-evil gathered by Zheng Chaoyang’s Five Thousand Bearing Tablet Army fell like rain!

“How did you become Divine Arrival?”

“Where did the national destiny that elevated you come from?”

“Your salary, your salary, the fat and cream of the people. All your cultivation, the blood and tears of the Lower City, and you reside in your position, not planning its politics, yet you are able to feel at peace!?”

When the last question finished, the military formation directly collapsed and scattered. The warriors of the Five Thousand Bearing Tablet Army all slumped to the ground, fainting. And Zheng Chaoyang’s face was already deathly pale, the whole person standing there, unable to gather a single shred of soldier-evil, like a goose that had been plucked of all its feathers.

“Now I tell you, three years ago you didn’t exert your full strength, and I didn’t either. You couldn’t have killed me. I left at that time only because that degree was already sufficient. So there’s really no need to feign pain, no need to move yourself. You have never been able to decide anything, you don’t have that ability.”

Yin Guan shook his head in disappointment: “You have also wasted these three years. Internally, you couldn’t protect the geniuses of your own country, and externally, you couldn’t even counterattack against me. How can you be at peace being a great general?”

Killing the person, destroying the heart, nothing more than this. Large pieces of qi and blood peeled off from Zheng Chaoyang’s body, like falling flowers. And he was no longer able to stand steadily, dejectedly kneeling amidst the petals of qi and blood. His soldier-evil was stripped away, his qi and blood were stripped away, his dignity, his fig leaf, his honor, his personality, were also stripped away one by one!