The Burning of Bo Yue City

Ma Fei Teng Pass, one of the most beautiful mountain passes in the territory of Da Li. From the outside, the pass was a verdant expanse, covered by lush, thriving trees. Above it, countless spirit herbs grew. Behind the pass lay Bo Yue City.

It was a place renowned for its exquisite strong wine, the fine Gan Shuang Wine. Gan Shuang Wine could only be produced in Bo Yue City due to its secret brewing formula. Most of the spirit herbs used for brewing were harvested from Ma Fei Teng Pass.

Even if outsiders obtained the Gan Shuang Wine formula, they would not be able to brew its authentic flavor. This was because the Gan Shuang Wine formula was based on the unique spirit herbs found at Ma Fei Teng Pass. Away from Ma Fei Teng Pass, Gan Shuang Wine would cease to exist, so the relationship between Gan Shuang Wine and Ma Fei Teng Pass was inseparable.

But at this moment, on Ma Fei Teng Pass, the spirit herbs were trampled by hooves, and the entire area had become a chaotic mess, losing all its usual beauty.

Inside Bo Yue City, corpses piled up, and smoke and fire crackled. The faces of Bo Yue City's residents were filled with the terror of death. Looking across Bo Yue City, countless people had perished. Wherever the hooves passed, no one was fortunate enough to survive.

"Ah!" A resident of Bo Yue City, not yet completely dead, his clothes stained with filth, mostly dyed with red blood—not only his own but also others'—raised his hand, mumbling, trying to crawl towards his deceased son. His son had died long ago, his small face wide-eyed. He looked at his tragically dead son and could not help but wail.

"Hmph!" The armored soldier, seeing that he was not dead, thrust a spear into his head. White fluid flowed out, and he officially died.

"You seek death!" A young man in armor, with a red scarf embroidered with a sun pattern on his forehead, wielded a long spear that moved like a soaring dragon emerging from the sea, striking at the soldier who had just ended the life of an innocent Bo Yue City resident.

The soldier, seeing such a fierce attack, showed no fear, curling his lips into a crude smile. Suddenly, a large figure appeared. This person wore armor adorned with a fire dragon. With a precise kick, this person sent the young man flying.

The young man was sent sprawling by the immense force, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood. This young man was none other than Fan Ri, one of the Five Spears of the North.

The Nine Fire Dragon banner fluttered in the wind within Bo Yue City. The red of the fire dragon seemed to resonate strangely with the color of fresh blood.

"Lord Yao Long, we have captured Bo Yue City of Da Li!" A soldier approached and reported respectfully.

"Excellent!" Yao Long said with satisfaction. Initially, he had only relied on Wang Bi's guidance to intercept Da Li's supply route. Unexpectedly, during the operation, another figure with even greater authority than him appeared. This person had proposed advancing to capture Bo Yue City.

"You will not have peace!" Fan Ri glared furiously at Yao Long, his face pale. Compared to Yao Long, one of the Nine Fire Dragons, he was still too weak.

"Youngster, when you conquered Xi Shan, why did you not speak such words then?" Yao Long laughed and said.

"General Ren Mo..." Fan Ri's eyes dimmed. He recalled the moment before, when General Ren Mo led his troops to resist Yao Long's army, but in just a short while, Bo Yue City was captured, and General Ren Mo was instantly killed by Yao Long.

Compared to Yao Long, General Ren Mo could not even stir a ripple, unable to withstand a single blow. If there was anyone who could fight Yao Long on equal terms, it would only be Bai Ze, one of the Three Great Heavens. But this time, Bai Ze was truly in trouble. No one expected that the exalted War God Bai Ze would now appear so wretched and tattered.

"Bai Ze, you are too old." The Martial General confronting Bai Ze said calmly. He did not use weapons; a layer of scales floated on his arms—that was the power from his Spirit Arm.

Bai Ze gritted his teeth, fully circulating his Metal-attribute True Essence. One hundred and eight acupoints formed his Martial Body. The Martial Body frantically unleashed True Essence, and his long saber, trailing terrifying saber qi, slashed forward.

"Your reign will end now, Bai Ze." The Martial General sighed. As he finished speaking, his Spirit Arm firmly grasped the saber qi. Bai Ze's expression changed; his long saber could not be pulled free from the Spirit Arm, as if trapped deep within layers of earth. The Spirit Arm displayed its terrifying power, characteristic of a Heaven Ladder Realm martial artist.

"I am unwilling!" Bai Ze roared, his power erupting once more. The Spirit Arm's immense force crushed the saber qi, then surged towards Bai Ze's True Essence armor. The True Essence armor was easily pierced, and the Spirit Arm's claws tore through Bai Ze's body.

"Who are you?" Bai Ze's mouth overflowed with fresh blood, his body's strength rapidly eroding as he spoke.

"The youngest of the Nine Fire Dragons, Zhao Yuan Huo." The Martial General said from his lofty position. The Spirit Arm was withdrawn, and fresh blood gushed from Bai Ze's body like a spring.

A generation's War God, Bai Ze, one of the Three Great Heavens, one of the three symbols of the Da Li Dynasty, drew his last breath.

"No, Lord Bai Ze!" Fan Ri roared, lunging at the Martial General, but halfway there, he was once again kicked away by Yao Long.

"Excellent, Zhao Yuan Huo!" Yao Long was also shocked by Zhao Yuan Huo's display. Although he knew this person came from a great aristocratic family, he never expected him to be so domineering. The Spirit Arm was something only found within great aristocratic families. Even with Yao Long's status, he did not possess the Spirit Arm technique.

Great aristocratic families, their true strength was probably far more profound than that of dynasties. They did not understand why their clan members had decided to contribute their strength to help the Lian Zheng Dynasty conquer the world this time.

"It seems the legends of your dynasty are overly exaggerated." Zhao Yuan Huo said indifferently. His Spirit Arm vanished, his arm returning to normal, and he used a white cloth to wipe his hand.

Yao Long heard Zhao Yuan Huo's words, and anger surged in his heart, but he chose to endure it. Although he held a status equal to Zhao Yuan Huo, both being among the Nine Fire Dragons, if they were to truly fight, Zhao Yuan Huo would likely easily annihilate him.

"Just one small step, and I will enter the Martial Body." Zhao Yuan Huo frowned slightly, showing an expectant look.

Yao Long was startled. Zhao Yuan Huo was only twenty-five years old. At that age, Yao Long had still only been a Ninth Rank martial artist. The disparity between the two was too great.

"Young Master Zhao, why exactly did the Zhao Clan allow you to join our Nine Fire Dragons?" Yao Long asked in a deep voice.

"The clan members decided this time to help you unify the world. I originally didn't understand why they suddenly changed their minds." Zhao Yuan Huo said indifferently.

"Could it be?" Yao Long suddenly remembered something.

"Hmm?" Zhao Yuan Huo's eyebrows raised upon hearing Yao Long's words.

"I heard a rumor that when the four great dynasties are unified, the Mandate of Heaven will converge upon one person. Whoever obtains the world will possess the power to rule for all eternity." Yao Long said with a solemn expression.

"It seems correct; I vaguely heard the old men mention this." Zhao Yuan Huo said, showing a rare trace of surprise.

"Retreat!" Having successfully captured Bo Yue City, Yao Long gave the order. The Nine Fire Dragon banners swiftly withdrew from within the city. Eighty thousand Nine Fire Dragon troops raised their banners high.

"Report, this time in Bo Yue City, we obtained two hundred thousand units of various provisions and one hundred thousand taels of gold." A soldier reported.

"Good!" Yao Long nodded. This campaign was not bad; the army returned victorious, and they even killed Bai Ze, one of the Three Great Heavens, which was a great merit.

"Lian Zheng scoundrels, you will not live in peace!" Fan Ri roared, gripping the iron cage with both hands. He had been captured alive by Lian Zheng's army, his dantian sealed, and imprisoned in an iron cage.

A Lian Zheng soldier punched him in the stomach. Without cultivation, how could Fan Ri endure it? His stomach writhed, and intense pain surged through him. His entire body curled up like a shrimp, and boundless hatred welled up in his eyes.

"Hmph, what Five Spears? Captured by me, you're not even as good as a dog!" The Lian Zheng soldier said disdainfully, and the other soldiers also laughed heartily.

"Guard him carefully, try not to lose anything, don't let him die. Only when we return to Lian Zheng will he officially be executed and his head displayed before the populace." Yao Long instructed.

As one of the Five Spears of the North, Yao Long naturally understood the weight of that title. Currently, Fan Ri was just an undeveloped genius, so he was not yet truly formidable. If it were another renowned Five Spears of the North, even Zhao Yuan Huo might not necessarily defeat them.

Zhao Yuan Huo was indeed terrifying, and the profound heritage of the great aristocratic families was undeniable, but that did not mean the Five Spears of the North could be underestimated. They were geniuses among geniuses.

Zhao Yuan Huo, unlike Yao Long, did not value these so-called Northern geniuses. How laughable, a bunch of "mole crickets" from the countryside, how could they compare to the descendants of great aristocratic families? That so-called Bai Ze, one of the Three Great Heavens, was so weak as to be unworthy of mention.

Flames blazed fiercely, Bo Yue City seemed to be enveloped by a fire phoenix spreading its wings. The entire city transformed into an earthly purgatory.

Zhao Yuan Huo's name was true to his nature; he was the embodiment of fire. Wherever he passed, nothing escaped being incinerated.

"I fear that the people from the great aristocratic families have all now emerged to participate in the conquest of the dynasties." Yao Long frowned. The great aristocratic families had joined, and it was rumored that Immortal Sects on Da Li's side had also intervened. Could it be that an era of prosperity was about to begin?

As the prosperous era approached, numerous vassals competed fiercely.

Winds and clouds surged, who would be the last to laugh?

Blood and fire dyed the world red, who would be the King?