With the arrival and departure, the unpredictable methods of Bai AoTu left the Zhao clan’s hearts chilled. However, when they looked at JunDu Zhao, their eyes blazed even more fiercely.
The brief confrontation just now was no less perilous than a fight to the death. If there had been a single misstep, the two might have immediately clashed. The domineering aura of Bai AoTu, who treads the Path alone, and the kingly demeanor of JunDu Zhao, who regards none as his equal, had already clashed several times. How could this be merely a verbal sparring match?
As for Bai HuiYu’s severed head, partially submerged in muck, no one paid it any attention.
At this moment, the Zhao clan warriors in the cave all rushed over. The leading general asked, “Fourth Young Master, I fear that the dark races have already set up their encirclement. What should we do now?”
“Break out and return to the Zhao clan.” JunDu Zhao’s words were extremely concise, but his decision surprised everyone.
“Return to the Zhao clan?” The general couldn’t help but ask again.
Given JunDu Zhao’s temperament, he would not retreat without sufficient military achievements. Moreover, if he were to return, it would be to the frontline base outside the Iron Curtain. But this time, an unexpected event occurred: the three main squadrons of the Zhao clan were ambushed by a joint force led by the Bai clan, nearly wiping them out. In the end, JunDu Zhao received the news, broke through the encirclement alone, and charged in, slaughtering the attackers regardless of their allegiance, and managed to rescue a dozen or so survivors.
“After breaking out, send a message back to the Zhao clan and have them prepare the Bone Marrow Pool. I intend to ascend to War General,” JunDu Zhao said calmly. “By the way, don’t forget to spread the news that the Bai clan has obtained the Void Crystal from this war zone.”
“War General!?” The Zhao clan members were all stunned. After years of lying low, JunDu Zhao had finally decided to advance to War General. But was this really the right time?
JunDu Zhao’s eyes flashed with an icy glint. “It won’t take much time. Once I become a War General, let’s see if there is anyone under the Iron Curtain that I, JunDu Zhao, cannot kill!”
The Zhao clan warriors silently exchanged glances, knowing that the Fourth Young Master was truly angry and prepared to unleash a massacre.
Neither the joint force led by the Bai clan and several other clans nor the dark races outside could stop JunDu Zhao. The unique emerald light of the sky tinted the leaden Iron Curtain with a resplendent hue of death. Half a day later, JunDu Zhao led the Zhao clan warriors, breaking through the encirclement and leaving behind a trail of corpses.
The moment he emerged from the Iron Curtain, he boarded a high-speed warship that the Zhao clan had prepared in advance, returning to the Western Continent. This scene was immediately spread by those with ulterior motives, causing much speculation. Some rumors claimed that even JunDu Zhao could not bear the losses and had abandoned the bloody battle, retreating to the Western Continent. Thus, some concluded that JunDu Zhao was overrated, unable to live up to his reputation.
However, such idle gossip did not bother JunDu Zhao. During the journey back, he only reviewed the recent battle reports and spent the rest of the time in solitary meditation.
JunDu Zhao’s ascension to War General was the top priority for the entire Zhao clan. As soon as the news reached the manor, the entire estate was thrown into a frenzy. The two dukes, You and Yan, set aside all their affairs to oversee the preparations. A day later, WeiHuang Zhao also rushed back from the Wolf Smoke Camp, his first task being to inspect the Bone Marrow Pool to ensure it was ready.
JunDu Zhao had been suppressing his cultivation for six years. Whether it was worth the effort would be revealed in this moment of transformation.
When JunDu Zhao returned to XiJi City, all the necessary preparations had been made. His mother, Princess Gao Yi, spared no expense to invite four imperial attendants to cast a large-scale formation to prevent any disruption from the excess dark primal force during his ascension.
In addition, XuanJi Zhao, one of the Zhao clan’s Divine Generals, would personally oversee the Bone Marrow Pool, ensuring its success. Such a grand display was on par with XuanJi Zhao’s own breakthrough to Divine General.
Upon returning to the manor, JunDu Zhao first rested for three days, adjusting his body and mind to their optimal state before entering the Bone Marrow Pool.
On the third morning, while JunDu Zhao was reading as usual, the study door opened, and a weary JunHong Zhao walked in.
“Second Brother, why are you back?”
JunHong Zhao smiled bitterly. “Could I not rush back after hearing about your ascension?”
JunDu Zhao frowned. “But weren’t you deep in the dark territory? It must have been very dangerous to break out suddenly.”
JunHong Zhao dismissed it with a smile. “Your second brother may have limited talent and can’t create a legendary strategy, but avoiding mistakes is still within my reach.”
JunDu Zhao shook his head and sighed, but said nothing.
Since the TianXuan Spring Hunt, JunHong Zhao had become more dignified and steady, both in his demeanor and in his military strategies. Although not as unpredictable as ZiNing Song, he excelled in solid and unbreakable defenses, like a mountain.
To defeat such an enemy, one must rely on overwhelming military strength. However, JunHong Zhao’s “Molten Silver Sword Finger” was one of the top three lethal techniques in the Zhao clan, making him a formidable opponent.
JunHong Zhao then asked directly, “Didn’t you say last time that you needed another year to purify your primal force to perfection? Why the sudden change of heart?”
“The Way of Heaven flows, and one need not adhere rigidly to rules. The situation has changed, and there’s no need to strive for perfection. Even if it’s not perfect, it can be corrected in the future. As long as I can ascend to War General, I will be invincible under the Iron Curtain! This battle concerns the honor and fortune of our Zhao clan, which is of utmost importance.”
Hearing this, JunHong Zhao didn’t know how to persuade him further.
JunDu Zhao paused and added, “I wonder how Qian Ye is doing. Why is ZiNing Song the only one holding HeiLiu City? That vile woman Bai KongZhao has clearly come to the west. Has Qian Ye not returned, or…?”
JunHong Zhao said, “Speaking of that, there is good news. The siege of HeiLiu has been lifted. ZiNing Song defeated the dark alliance, and even the NanGong family’s private army withdrew from the Iron Curtain. From the information I have, the strong fighter who forced the NanGong private army to retreat with him should be Qian Ye.”
JunDu Zhao raised an eyebrow, then furrowed it slightly. “If Qian Ye ascends to War General, it’s best for him to use the Bone Marrow Pool as well.”
JunHong Zhao smiled wryly and patted JunDu Zhao’s shoulder. “Don’t think too much about it. Focus on your ascension. With the merits we’ve earned, getting a spot for him in the Bone Marrow Pool won’t be difficult.”
JunDu Zhao nodded. The time had come, and there was no more need for words. He followed the attendant to the Bone Marrow Pool.
That afternoon, the Western Continent was shrouded in leaden clouds, and storms raged everywhere, except for the clear, windless sky above the Zhao Manor in XiJi City.
The Zhao clan’s Bone Marrow Pool served a similar function to the Song clan’s training chamber, but in a different way. The Song clan’s training chamber provided concentrated primal force through power towers and energy-gathering arrays, while the Zhao clan’s Bone Marrow Pool contained source liquid, a liquid form of dawn primal force mixed with rare herbs to aid absorption.
Even direct descendants like JunHong Zhao needed sufficient talent and accumulated points to gain one to three opportunities to enter the Bone Marrow Pool. Without enough talent, even direct descendants were not eligible, unless they made significant contributions to the family.
As JunDu Zhao entered the Bone Marrow Pool and submerged himself in the source liquid, almost all the important figures of the Zhao clan gathered outside, waiting for the moment of his ascension to War General.
Those with extraordinary talents often trigger various phenomena when ascending to War General, communicating with the primal force of heaven and earth. The scale and nature of these phenomena can roughly determine the quality of the ascension and the potential for the future.
The process of gathering primal force into a vortex can result in vortices of varying grades. The more dense and pure the primal force, the better. The lowest-grade vortices are thin like mist, followed by condensing into dew, and then primal rain. If droplets of liquefied primal force can be formed, it is a sign of a top-tier genius.
At this critical moment, only the most important figures, at least at the elder level, were allowed to enter the ZaoHua Garden, where the three dukes of the Zhao clan awaited the grand spectacle. The future of the Zhao clan for the next hundred years largely depended on JunDu Zhao.
For such an important moment, those who could enter the ZaoHua Garden were at least elders, while the younger and secondary members waited outside. Everyone who could come had arrived, hoping to witness the ascension phenomena, a rare opportunity to experience the primal force of heaven and earth.
While ordinary people ascending to War General was common, someone with JunDu Zhao’s talent had a high chance of triggering the primal force of the heavens, and gaining insight could potentially increase one’s cultivation limit by several levels.
Some were happy, while others were worried. FengLei Zhao’s expression was rather strained.
Ascending to War General in the Bone Marrow Pool typically takes seven to ten days. The three dukes and elders of the Zhao clan waited patiently.
However, just an hour after JunDu Zhao entered the Bone Marrow Pool, a series of thunderbolts cracked the clear sky, and a vast, indescribable aura spread like water waves, instantly enveloping the entire ZaoHua Garden.
In the DengXian Tower, the three dukes of the Zhao clan fell silent, their eyes fixed on the nearby Bone Marrow Pool, knowing that the phenomena were about to appear. Compared to the other two dukes, WeiHuang Zhao was much younger and more anxious, muttering, “How can it be so fast?”
Just then, a thunderous boom echoed, and eight streams of purple qi soared into the sky, each occupying a cardinal direction, forming the “Eight Directions Sealing” phenomenon of the ultimate stage of XiJi Purple Qi.
These eight streams of purple qi were extremely dense, almost like pillars of purple liquid, with inner light swirling and numerous auspicious signs appearing. Exotic flowers, strange trees, and rare beasts flickered in and out of existence, creating a myriad of scenes.
Seeing the crystal-clear, thick purple, XuanJi Zhao, the Duke of You, clapped his hands in admiration. “Excellent! JunDu’s XiJi Purple Qi may not be fully mature, but its purity is at the pinnacle. Even I, in my prime, was no more than this. WeiHuang, this achievement surpasses yours.”
The Duke of Yan also nodded repeatedly, his face full of satisfaction. Seeing these eight streams of purple qi, it was certain that JunDu Zhao would achieve the rank of Upper Divine General in the future.
WeiHuang Zhao was beaming with joy, not even noticing XuanJi Zhao’s teasing, and stared intently at the eight streams of purple qi.
At this moment, the scene in the Bone Marrow Pool changed again. Suddenly, the clear sky turned dark, and the void appeared, with streams of primal force pouring down onto the pool. These primal forces, touched by the purple qi, quickly condensed into a dense purple mist, spreading in all directions. The Bone Marrow Pool was instantly filled with a sea of purple, with the eight pillars standing firm like divine needles, unmoved by the surging waves.
Even the experienced XuanJi Zhao’s face showed a slight change. “This phenomenon is extraordinary…”
However, the phenomena did not stop there. The primal force pouring down from the void continued like a waterfall, with the purple qi growing stronger until it turned almost black, as if the void itself was hanging upside down.
When the purple qi reached its peak, the ZaoHua Garden shook three times, and from the center of the eight purple pillars, a thin green qi rose, shooting up dozens of meters!
The appearance of the green qi brought a sense of ethereal serenity to the ZaoHua Garden, refreshing the minds of the onlookers who had been awed by the natural power.
“Green from the Purple Ultimate!” XuanJi Zhao exclaimed in surprise.
The three dukes of the Zhao clan involuntarily stood up, and even the rarely-involved Grand Elders were visibly shocked, some even rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
XiJi Purple Qi is one of the top-secret techniques in the Empire, but the cultivated purple qi is still somewhat different from the true primal dawn force. However, according to records, this technique, when perfected, can return to the original source, generating a strand of green qi. This is akin to the legendary “Dawn’s Enlightenment,” also infinitely close to the primal force of dawn!
The emergence of this green qi meant that JunDu Zhao had the potential to touch the primal dawn and ascend to the rank of Heavenly King in his lifetime.
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