Chapter 736: Siege of Black Wind Stronghold

The Black Mountain wound and meandered for tens of thousands of li, bordering over a dozen great prefectures.

It was a rare 'three-no-governance' zone within the Great Feng Dynasty.

There was no helping it; inside the Black Mountain were all ravines and dense forests.

Ferocious beasts and dangerous insects roamed everywhere.

Even the bandits who ran rampant here only dared to occupy certain areas within the mountain.

They made a living by robbing passing merchant caravans.

However, for a long time now, no news of mountain bandits had come out of the Black Mountain.

It was as if mountain bandits had completely vanished from the Black Mountain.

On this day.

Outside the Black Mountain, at an unknown time, a vast, dark mass of troops gathered.

This army numbered a staggering seven to eight hundred thousand strong, sealing off every mountain path and entrance into the Black Mountain as if facing a formidable enemy.

Even a power as strong and prosperous as the Great Feng Dynasty would have to mobilize the elites of several prefectures to assemble an army of seven to eight hundred thousand all at once.

If they actually did this, they would inevitably be facing a major upheaval.

One that was large enough to affect the Foundation of several, or even ten to twenty, prefectures of the Great Feng Dynasty.

Since the founding of the Great Feng Dynasty, instances of mobilizing on such a grand scale had been few and far between.

Practically all of them were to eliminate remnants of the previous dynasty.

In the early days of the Great Feng Dynasty, the forces of the previous dynasty's remnants were still very strong.

However, with the Great Feng Dynasty's relentless encirclement and suppression, those remnants grew weaker and weaker.

Until several decades ago, when they degenerated into third-rate factions like the Red Lotus Sect, which didn't even have a Dao Entrance Dharma Master.

In the end, they were still wiped out by the imperial court's Town Protectorate.

Within the vast, dark mass of the army.

A soldier who looked quite young looked at the winding Black Mountain not far away and remarked with some bewilderment, "What in the world is inside this Black Mountain? Could they have discovered some earth-shattering Treasure Trove?"

The young soldier came from another great prefecture and was quite puzzled as to why seven to eight hundred thousand troops were gathered here.

Seven to eight hundred thousand troops didn't just mean seven to eight hundred thousand men; there were also massive logistics and support personnel.

In other words, the imperial court's forces outside the Black Mountain right now probably neared two million.

For two million people, the silver consumed daily just on basic daily necessities was an astronomical figure.

No matter how wealthy and prosperous the Great Feng Dynasty was, it couldn't do this casually.

This was mobilizing the true strength of the nation.

Unless there was truly some immensely great benefit.

Like a so-called earth-shattering Treasure Trove?

"There's no earth-shattering Treasure Trove," an older soldier nearby with bulging temples shook his head and said.

"Then what's the reason?" A look of curiosity appeared on the young soldier's face, and several other soldiers nearby also looked at the older soldier.

From his tone, did he know some inside information?

"Heh heh."

A smile appeared on the older soldier's face. "In truth, our role is merely to block the roads. The ones actually taking action are the lords from the Town Protectorate—at least at the Dharma Master level, and rumor has it that lords at the Grandmaster level will also make an appearance."

As the older soldier reached the end, he deliberately lowered his voice, acting mysteriously.

"Town Protectorate lords at the Grandmaster level?"

Several soldiers nearby gasped in surprise.

An Enlightened Grandmaster was already capable of dominating a region, let alone an Enlightened Grandmaster who had joined the Town Protectorate.

It wasn't as if any Enlightened Grandmaster could join the Town Protectorate; the Town Protectorate was the strongest and most core organization in the Great Feng Dynasty. To join, one had to pass layer upon layer of vetting.

Of course, Grandmasters who could join the Town Protectorate would receive the full backing of the Great Feng Dynasty, and their strength and methods would be a cut above other Enlightened Grandmasters.

They had access to numerous Grandmaster-level Dao secret arts, as well as special mind weapons and the like.

With such an army assembling and Town Protectorate lords at the Grandmaster level appearing, the implications sent a chill through the hearts of the soldiers.

"Why on earth is this happening?"

The young soldier who spoke first couldn't help asking.

"Everyone."

The older soldier glanced around, and after making sure no one else was eavesdropping, he whispered, "Have you heard of the Martial Faction?"

The Martial Faction?

The soldiers present felt a shock in their hearts.

They had naturally heard of the Martial Faction.

The so-called Martial Faction was an organization that had suddenly risen to prominence forty years ago.

The reason it was able to rise was that the Martial Faction possessed the means to enable ordinary Jianghu martial artists to fight against Enlightened Adepts.

Of course, this was only against ordinary Enlightened Adepts; they were still far from a match for Dao Entrance Dharma Masters or Enlightened Grandmasters.

Even so, it was enough to drive countless Jianghu martial artists wild.

The Great Feng Dynasty, the previous dynasty, or the dynasty before that—ever since records began.

Enlightened Adepts had always been symbols of supreme stature.

Jianghu martial artists? They were merely common mortals.

Even the weakest Enlightened Adept could toy with them easily.

Fighting an Enlightened Adept as a mere martial artist?

It was practically unprecedented.

However, not long after the Martial Faction rose.

It suffered suppression from the Great Feng Dynasty.

Even so.

It was still sought after and praised by a massive number of Jianghu martial artists.

No matter how hard the Great Feng Dynasty tried to ban and suppress it.

It could hardly stem the tide.

Like a single spark that can start a prairie fire.

"Are you saying this Black Mountain is related to the Martial Faction?"

The young soldier looked grim.

If that was truly the case.

It became understandable.

In fact, the appearance of means allowing Jianghu martial artists to fight ordinary Enlightened Adepts.

Was actually a good thing for the Great Feng Dynasty.

However, it threatened the interests of those Enlightened Adepts.

Many Enlightened Adepts in the Great Feng Dynasty held high positions and naturally didn't want to see such a thing happen.

Martial artists and Enlightened Adepts were inherently opposing camps.

Furthermore, if it were merely opposition from Enlightened Adepts, it wouldn't have affected the Great Feng Dynasty's true decision-making.

The reason the Great Feng Dynasty exerted all its effort to suppress the Martial Faction was that such a method of training Jianghu martial artists to fight Enlightened Adepts.

Even if it existed, had to be held solely in the hands of the imperial court.

Such a method capable of shaking the Foundation of the state could never be left in the hands of outsiders.

"Exactly."

The older soldier nodded.

His brother-in-law was a lieutenant general and knew a lot of insider information.

"Ah, the Martial Faction…"

Several soldiers' thoughts drifted with longing.

They were martial artists as well, so they naturally longed immensely for a method that could oppose Enlightened Adepts.

At the same time, they felt great admiration for the Martial Faction.

It broke the myth that Enlightened Adepts were invincible.

And it managed to persist so long under court suppression, ultimately drawing nearly a million troops to encircle and suppress it.

Even forcing the Town Protectorate to dispatch lords at the Grandmaster level.

The strength of the Martial Faction could easily be imagined.

At the rear of the army.

Inside a large command tent.

Twenty-three figures were gathered.

Around these twenty-three figures, strands of mind power faintly circulated, forming an invisible Cage of Heaven and Earth outside the entire camp.

A Cage of Heaven and Earth at the Grandmaster level.

The twenty-three figures were surprisingly all Experts at the Grandmaster level.

In this siege operation against Black Mountain, even the mid and high-ranking officers in the army.

Only knew that perhaps Town Protectorate lords at the Grandmaster level would appear.

They couldn't possibly know that the number of Grandmasters appearing was as many as twenty-three.

Twenty-three Grandmasters! Even for the Great Feng Dynasty, deploying so many Experts all at once was taking a considerable risk.

"Black Mountain." Among the twenty-three Grandmasters, the one with the most powerful aura was a middle-aged man. He was none other than the Town Protectorate Director, an influential figure in the Great Feng Dynasty second only to the Emperor.

Deploying nearly a million troops and so many Enlightened Grandmasters this time.

Was entirely his decision.

As the Town Protectorate Director, he had intelligence from across the realm at his fingertips.

The middle-aged man's action this time was not for the Martial Faction at all.

"Black Wind Stronghold…"

The Town Protectorate Director felt his expression darken slightly as he thought of the intelligence he had obtained.

His expression was somewhat heavy.

The Black Wind Stronghold within the Black Mountain had origins so immense it was practically unimaginable.

Not only was it the source of the Martial Faction, but out of the top ten merchant guilds in the realm that possessed wealth rivaling nations, nine were suspected to be tied to Black Wind Stronghold.

Furthermore, within the imperial court, many important ministers over the past few decades maintained ambiguous ties with Black Wind Stronghold.

Of course, these key ministers might not even know of Black Wind Stronghold, but after investigation by the Town Protectorate, the source of their backers was traced right back to this Black Mountain.

Finally, among the ninety-nine prefectures in the realm, at least thirty had already been infiltrated by some mysterious force, and the source likewise originated from Black Wind Stronghold in the Black Mountain.

Possessing the means for Jianghu martial artists to fight ordinary Enlightened Adepts;

Simultaneously commanding immeasurable wealth;

Exerting immeasurable influence over numerous court ministers and high officials;

And controlling latent forces across more than thirty prefectures.

These four aspects—

Any single one of them could trigger extreme vigilance from the imperial court, and a single misstep could lead to unprecedented chaos.

What's more when all four converged into one? The Town Protectorate Director had a feeling that as long as the master of Black Wind Stronghold wished it, he could easily shake the Foundation of the Great Feng Dynasty.

It was precisely because of this.

Even when the ministers in court fiercely opposed his deployment of such a massive army, the Town Protectorate Director disregarded them completely, all to thoroughly eradicate Black Wind Stronghold.

"Everyone, you should all be clear about what needs to be done next."

"That Black Wind Stronghold inside the Black Mountain must not be allowed to remain; otherwise, our Great Feng will be in grave danger."

The Town Protectorate Director looked at the other twenty-two Enlightened Grandmasters.

These twenty-two Enlightened Grandmasters were raised and nurtured by the Great Feng Dynasty, obeying his orders implicitly.

They were also one of the deepest trump cards of the Great Feng Dynasty.

To completely deal with Black Wind Stronghold and eliminate this threat for the Great Feng Dynasty.

The Town Protectorate Director had already resolved to pay any price.

"Understood."

"Rest assured, Director. We partake of Great Feng's stipend, so we naturally remain loyal to Great Feng."

"Indeed, this time we will certainly clear away all obstacles for Great Feng."

One Enlightened Grandmaster after another spoke up.

Hearing this, the Town Protectorate Director nodded slightly.

This was the benefit of Grandmasters raised in-house.

They were completely loyal to Great Feng.

If this were left to the Enlightened Grandmasters scattered across the outer ninety-eight prefectures.

Who knew what trouble or treachery might arise?

At most, they would follow his orders on the surface.

Secretly, however, they certainly wouldn't exert their full effort.

"However, if possible, capture the master of Black Wind Stronghold alive."

The Town Protectorate Director instructed.

The Master of Black Wind Stronghold controlled power that threatened the Great Feng Dynasty.

Capturing him alive was undoubtedly the best outcome.

In doing so, the repercussions could be minimized as well.

The Great Feng Dynasty could also take over his subordinate forces through the Master of Black Wind Stronghold.

If the Master of Black Wind Stronghold died, even if his subordinate forces failed to unite, the resulting chaos would inevitably cause significant impact to the Great Feng Dynasty.

The Town Protectorate Director wanted to capture the Master of Black Wind Stronghold alive.

Besides the aforementioned reasons.

He also wanted to see this opponent he had never met face to face.

For decades, the Town Protectorate Director and the Master of Black Wind Stronghold had clashed repeatedly in secret.

The former commanded the grandest power of the Great Feng Dynasty, yet repeatedly suffered setbacks before the Master of Black Wind Stronghold.

He was repeatedly led by the nose.

The Town Protectorate Director was immensely curious: what kind of person was this Master of Black Wind Stronghold to achieve such feats while being crushed under the overwhelming might of the Great Feng Dynasty?

"Let us move."

"We go now."

The Town Protectorate Director stood up and stepped out of the command tent.

The other twenty-two Enlightened Grandmasters followed him out.

With twenty-three Enlightened Grandmasters joining forces, they could basically sweep through any place outside the capital city.

Even an army of millions could do nothing against twenty-three Enlightened Grandmasters acting together; the latter could kill or leave at will.

A single Enlightened Grandmaster could only rival an army of a thousand men.

That did not mean ten Enlightened Grandmasters were merely equal to ten thousand troops.

With every additional Enlightened Grandmaster, the increase in power was a qualitative leap.

What's more, these twenty-three Grandmasters cooperated with exquisite tacit understanding.

This was also where the Town Protectorate Director's confidence in eradicating Black Wind Stronghold lay.

"Master of Black Wind Stronghold, of all the mistakes you could make, you shouldn't have left that flaw."

The Town Protectorate Director's gaze was profound.

Originally, even with the methods of the Town Protectorate.

It would have been impossible to uncover that everything originated from Black Wind Stronghold inside the Black Mountain.

That was until they discovered the traces unintentionally left behind by the Master of Black Wind Stronghold.

Afterward, through numerous confirmations and cross-referencing with other intelligence, the Town Protectorate Director concluded that Black Wind Stronghold in the Black Mountain was the greatest threat to the Great Feng Dynasty over the past few decades.

And likely the greatest threat since the founding of the Great Feng Dynasty.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Under the moonlight, twenty-three Enlightened Grandmasters silently slipped into the Black Mountain, heading toward Black Wind Stronghold.

Before long.

Black Wind Stronghold came into view from afar.

"That's the place."

The Town Protectorate Director watched from a distance.

Then, together with the twenty-two Enlightened Grandmasters, he rapidly approached.

At the same time.

Deep within Black Wind Stronghold.

Inside a quiet chamber.

A young man sat cross-legged.

The young man had hair as dark as ink and a calm expression, standing towering like an abyss and a mountain.

Unless one was his closest confidant, no one would know that this young man was already an eighty-eight-year-old "elder."

In this world, even those as powerful as Enlightened Grandmasters lived to a hundred and some years at most.

By the time they reached their eighties or nineties, their Physical Body would begin to decline, inevitably displaying many signs of old age.

Only Lin Yuan, who had achieved Perfection in controlling his own blood and Qi, could maintain permanent youth like this.

Of course, it was merely maintaining youthful appearance; it provided no boost to his true Lifespan.

[At age eighty-eight, the traces you deliberately left behind several years ago finally prompted the Town Protectorate Director into action. He led the most elite group of Enlightened Grandmasters of the Great Feng Dynasty deep into the Black Mountain.]

Lines of text continually emerged and faded within his vision.

As early as ten years ago, Lin Yuan's strength had reached the absolute peak—a true pinnacle, the limit of this world—unable to advance any further.

It was also from that time onward that Lin Yuan began planning to weaken the power of the Great Feng Dynasty.

Deliberately leaving traces to draw the Town Protectorate Director's gaze was also part of Lin Yuan's strategy.

Through this, he aimed to strand and eliminate the Great Feng Dynasty's most elite Enlightened Grandmasters inside the Black Mountain in one fell swoop.

Only in this way could he act more smoothly when dealing with the Great Feng Emperor in the near future.

[At age eighty-nine, you command your armies and numerous Enlightened Adepts to lay siege to the Great Feng imperial capital.]

[All the forces of the Great Feng imperial capital are deployed to resist. At this moment, you silently infiltrate the imperial palace and finally lay eyes upon the panic-stricken Great Feng Emperor sitting upon the throne.]

[You strike directly and kill the Great Feng Emperor.]