Ji Xia felt as if every part of his body had been struck when the black smoke collided with him. The pain was excruciating, and he realized that no part of him remained intact.
Ji Shaoqing, Meng Gui, and Jing Ye stood in shock, their eyes wide with anger.
Ji Shaoqing leapt into the air, her Qing Jun Sword cutting through the sky, releasing a sharp sword qi that slashed toward the black smoke figure.
The black smoke figure vanished from its original position, reappearing five zhang away. The spot where he had been standing was now marked by a massive trench, three feet wide and two zhang long, cut into the ground by Ji Shaoqing's sword qi.
The black smoke figure, now clearly visible, looked at the trench and said, "So, you are the general of Tai Cang, Ji Shaoqing? Your cultivation is indeed remarkable. I imagine you'll soon reach the realm of divine powers, won't you?"
Ji Shaoqing sneered, "I've heard of the National Master of Zhou Qing breaking through to the realm of divine powers. I thought you might be strong, but it seems you're not as impressive as I expected."
The black smoke figure fell silent for a few moments, and the smoke surrounding him slowly dissipated, revealing his true form: a monkey wearing tight combat clothes, with a face covered in thick fur, standing before them.
"I broke through from the mortal realm last month, but I didn't have time to stabilize my cultivation before coming to assassinate Ji Shang," he said. "If Ji Shang were still alive, he would certainly be proud of his achievements."
He smiled eerily and continued, "You should be grateful that Ji Shang is no longer here. If he were still alive, you would be dead by now."
Ji Shaoqing's tone turned mocking, "You came to assassinate the former national leader, relying on the fact that he was gravely wounded and unable to use his full strength. It's pathetic."
The Zhou Qing National Master sneered, "That's true. Ji Shang has been at the divine power level for over ten years. As a mere junior who has just broken through the mortal realm, I wouldn't have dared to come to Tai Cang otherwise. But now, he's dead. His achievements are over, and unlike him, I still have plenty of opportunities to cultivate. One day, I will surpass Ji Shang and even surpass that dog of a general!"
"Junior?" Ji Shaoqing raised an eyebrow. "If the National Master of Tai Cang were still alive, he would only be forty this year. How old are you, National Master of Zhou Qing? You've held the position for over forty years, haven't you?"
The Zhou Qing National Master ignored the sarcasm in Ji Shaoqing's voice and glanced around, noticing that numerous Tai Cang soldiers were rushing toward them.
He laughed and said, "You've said all this nonsense to delay time and call for reinforcements, haven't you? But do you know? The reason I've been talking is to give you more time to gather people."
A wicked smile spread across his face as black smoke suddenly billowed from his body, spreading over a ten-zhang radius.
At the same time, hundreds of Tai Cang soldiers rushed in from all directions. Ji Shaoqing frowned and ordered, "All soldiers, stop! Fall back!"
Jing Ye, holding his long sword, cautiously protected Ji Xia's side.
The black smoke surrounding the Zhou Qing National Master thickened, becoming almost tangible. Eerie screeches echoed from the smoke, sending shivers down their spines.
Suddenly, shadows shot out from the smoke, and upon closer inspection, they revealed terrifying monsters!
These monsters had grotesque, ghastly faces, sharp fangs, horns on their heads, and their bellies were unnaturally swollen as if they were pregnant with something horrible.
Ji Xia looked at these terrifying creatures and muttered, "Is this what divine power looks like?"
He shook his head, pushing the unsettling thought out of his mind. Beside him, the sword of vengeance let out a soft hum, floating protectively near him.
"The Cangwei soldiers stationed outside the city won't arrive in time. The guards inside the city are scattered. So today, everyone on this street is going to die!" The Zhou Qing National Master laughed maniacally.
More and more of these grotesque monsters poured out of the black smoke, and in no time, over sixty or seventy of them had appeared!
Ji Xia calmly observed the scene, then suddenly asked, "What's in their bellies?"
The Zhou Qing National Master sneered, and a sickly expression appeared on his monkey-like face.
He whispered, "The monsters I've summoned, the Qingmian Ghosts, are powerful, but they need to consume something to gain enough strength to fight."
He looked at the swollen bellies of the Qingmian Ghosts, his face twisted with madness. "Each of these Qingmian Ghosts carries children from Tai Cang—children I've secretly captured across Tai Cang. When they're devoured by the ghosts, their little legs are still kicking in fear. The disgusting little faces turn black and purple from terror..."
Ji Shaoqing's face grew even colder, her anger palpable. She slashed with her sword again and again, cutting at the Zhou Qing National Master. The stone road of South Qing Street had become unrecognizable, cracked and filled with sword marks, dust swirling in the air.
But the Zhou Qing National Master was too fast, and he often dodged in strange and unpredictable ways, evading Ji Shaoqing's attacks.
Ji Xia's eyes turned bloodshot as he heard that each Qingmian Ghost had a Tai Cang child in its stomach. His voice, filled with ice, asked, "Zhou Qing National Master? I wonder what your name is?"
The Zhou Qing National Master raised a finger, and one of the Qingmian Ghosts standing before the black smoke suddenly moved. It let out a screech and, with its bloated belly, began to scatter and attack the surrounding life forms.
"I am Qing Furen, and you, little one, will die today. All the lives of Tai Cang in this area will be devoured by my Qingmian Ghosts and turned into nourishment for my monsters!" Qing Furen laughed eerily, his voice like that of a creature from the abyss.
Ji Xia nodded. "You've calculated that the Cangwei soldiers won't arrive in time, so you came to Tai Cang to commit your heinous crimes. But have you thought of one thing?"
Suddenly, white mist began to pour out from around him, growing denser by the moment, covering the entire South Qing Street, even overpowering the Zhou Qing National Master's black smoke.
Qingmian Ghosts that had been charging forward into the mist were suddenly halted.
A sound of metal clashing and spears piercing flesh rang out from within the mist.
The Zhou Qing National Master's brow furrowed. He felt his connection to the Qingmian Ghosts weakening.
Ji Shaoqing stopped swinging her sword, standing beside Ji Xia with a murderous look in her eyes. Her rage flickered in her gaze, like flashes of blood-red light.
"Even a divine power expert wouldn't dare to face a Sixth-Class army head-on. You'd be trapped and killed," Ji Shaoqing said coldly. "Qing Furen, today you die in Tai Cang."
The eerie sound of battle continued to rise from the mist, and Qing Furen's unease deepened.
"You knew I was coming and had already ambushed an army, didn't you?"
As the mist cleared, the ghostly soldiers emerged. Beneath their feet lay the dismembered remains of Qingmian Ghosts, scattered across the ground.
Qing Furen's premonition of doom grew stronger.
"No," Ji Xia replied softly, shaking his head. "I am the army."