Wayfarer

Chapter 706: More Golden Immortals

The Shenfeng troops' first battle ended in a complete victory.

Of the eighteen regiments, six were led by masked Golden Immortals, resulting in a one-sided slaughter.

The news shocked the six empires, forty kingdoms, and countless Immortal sects and holy lands paying attention to the war.

Under ordinary circumstances, the fact that the Shenfeng Empire was taking on six empires at once should have been a death sentence. The stunning victory they won shocked all the onlookers.

"How can the Shenfeng Empire have Golden Immortals as generals?That's impossible—only the strongest empires have that level of strength!"

"One of my sect's disciples is an official in Shenfeng. Allegedly, those generals appeared out of nowhere."

"Even so, doesn't that mean that the Shenfeng Empire has trump cards in reserve?"

"Could the rumors be true? Does Shenfeng really possess the resources to advance into a divine empire?"

Many of the onlookers rushed to get more information about Shenfeng.

The leaders of the various Immortal sects in the vicinity fell deep in thought as they wondered whether to throw in their lot with Shenfeng. Though the limits of Shenfeng's reserves were yet unknown, they were simply developing and expanding too quickly not to have wealth in abundance.

In fewer than two years, Shenfeng was already able to take on six empires simultaneously. Would it be able to ascend into a divine empire in another few years? If they didn't pledge their allegiance to the empire immediately, they might miss an incredible opportunity.

The disciples of various Immortal sects who had joined Shenfeng were elated to hear about its outstanding success. They quickly sent word back to their sects, requesting further investment in Shenfeng.

The six empires were shaken by their immediate and overwhelming defeat. Their six emperors quickly convened for another meeting.

"This is unbelievable. How can Shenfeng have six Golden Immortals?"

"For Golden Immortals to appear in a battle between empires—we'd never win."

"The six of us are Golden Immortals, but it would be beyond ridiculous for us to lead the fighting ourselves..."

"We'll have to ask for support from Hongyue. At worst, we'll cede them a greater share of Shenfeng's lands."

"It's settled, then!"

The emperors quickly got to work.

They knew that requesting aid from Hongyue might well be dangerous in the long run, but they had no choice. With Golden Immortals on Shenfeng's side, they were bound to lose otherwise. It would be better to rope Hongyue in now and deal with the consequences later.

Within Hongyue, the empress Tu Jiuniang smiled as she eyed a hall filled with treasure. "Sister, are these gifts from the six empires?"

Before Tu Jiuniang stood Li Qianjun's wife, Tu Siniang.

"Indeed. Six masked Golden Immortals suddenly appeared in Shenfeng, one for each empire. The emperors don't believe that they'll be able to handle them on their own, so they're requesting assistance from the Immortal Emperor. The Immortal Emperor has refused to respond thus far, so they're seeking your help instead. You are Empress Hongyue, after all. They're bribing you in hopes that you'll petition the Immortal Emperor on their behalf." Tu Siniang smiled.

"Do they think they can bribe me with such inferior treasures? How laughable! Return them all," Tu Jiuniang said.

"Jiuniang, we'll have to take on Shenfeng as well, anyway. Why refuse them?" Tu Siniang exclaimed.

Tu Jiuniang shook his head. "Hasn't your husband, Li Qianjun, told you why the Immortal Emperor's unwilling to interfere?"

"He's been busy thinking about how to repair his Taiqing burial pagoda. It's been days since I last saw him," Tu Siniang grumbled.

"He's working hard in preparation for the Immortal Emperor's subsequent plans. Don't blame him too much," Tu Jiuniang replied.

"Oh?" Tu Siniang exclaimed.

"Let's not speak of the Immortal Emperor's plans at the moment. I'll explain the situation regarding these seven empires."

"Very well."

"The seven empires all border the divine empire of Hongyue. To us, the best-case scenario would be if they all perished while fighting each other."

Tu Siniang narrowed her eyes. "So the Immortal Emperor wants all seven empires' land?"

"Of course." Tu Jiuniang smiled.

Tu Siniang sighed and smiled wryly. "To think I almost fell for these six empires' scheme! I almost ruined His Majesty's plans."

Tu Jiuniang frowned. "That said, Shenfeng is rising far more quickly than anticipated. Who knows what other resources it's hiding? It even has six Golden Immortals. I suppose this is for the best—let the six empires uncover the depths of Shenfeng's reserves. We can't waste our cultivators on their battlefields."

"But what if the six empires can't take down Shenfeng?" Tu Siniang asked in worry.

"Don't underestimate those empires. Do you really think they'll fall so easily? They simply don't want to waste all their resources in doing so. If we don't agree to help, they'll simply seek aid elsewhere."

Tu Siniang nodded. "You're right, of course."

"The Immortal Emperor is devising a grand plan. Inform the other spirit kings not to bother him. We'll strike once the seven empires wound each other," Tu Jiuniang instructed.

"Understood!" Tu Siniang nodded again.

Back in Shenfeng, within the palatial valley, Xiao Nanfeng was humming as he examined a series of battle reports.

"Ye Dafu and the others fought very well. The six empires are allegedly seeking reinforcements urgently. Good—let them find what help they can. They'll discover that we have more than six Golden Immortal commanders, haha!" Xiao Nanfeng laughed in satisfaction.

The Divine Emperor plucked a grape brimming with spiritual energy and fed it to Xiao Nanfeng.

"Should you really be so relaxed? Shenfeng is your empire, after all, but you're making me keep an eye on all the battle reports in your stead," Xiao Nanfeng teased.

"Shenfeng is mine, but also yours. Could you really bear to leave me eyeing these reports all day?" The Divine Emperor blinked coquettishly.

The Divine Emperor's charm and allure left Xiao Nanfeng's throat parched and his heart thumping.

He put down the reports, lifted the Divine Emperor up, and brought them both into their bedroom.

"Those spiritvine grapes—I picked them from a mountain this morning! We'll have to eat them right away while they're fresh. What're you doing now?" The Divine Emperor blushed.

"We can eat those grapes later. I'd like to eat something else right now," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The doors slammed shut as a formation was erected around the house.

Shenfeng's troops continued to take down Immortal city after Immortal city, racking up a huge chain of victories.

At that moment, in a certain city, a city lord spoke to a black-faced man. "Senior, I'll be counting on you."

The black-faced man smiled. "Don't worry. I've accepted the benefits your emperor has given me, and will naturally help defend against the enemy Golden Immortals. As for the rest of the enemy troops, that's up to you."

"That's enough. We've made plenty of preparations on our own to deal with the rest," the city lord replied.

"Good."

Ye Dafu's troops appeared over the horizon, their morale through the roof, their fighting spirit surging. They had already taken down one Immortal city, and were glancing at the second expectantly. All their successes would allow them to accumulate merit and gain lavish rewards once the war ended.

"Commander, that Immortal city's defensive formation is active. It's likely going to be very difficult to take down," a soldier murmured.

Ye Dafu didn't seem to mind. "The formations masters in ordinary empires can't compare to those in divine empires. It's just a stalling tactic. Stay back while I take down this formation."

"Understood. Our commander is invincible!" the soldiers cried out.

Ye Dafu shot into the sky, blade in hand. His blade was a Golden Immortal relic, and Ye Dafu, now a Golden Immortal himself, was able to draw out all its power.

"Break!" Ye Dafu shouted.

His technique struck the formation head-on in a burst of fire. A huge crack opened up in the barrier.

"Impossible!" countless defenders in the city cried out.

A single blow from Ye Dafu had badly damaged the formation. How were they supposed to withstand Shenfeng's assault?

The black-faced man's eyes, on the other hand, lit up. "What a keen blade. That's a Golden Immortal relic, isn't it? It's mine!"

He shot into the air and headed straight for Ye Dafu.

"A Golden Immortal?" Ye Dafu exclaimed.

"Die!" The black-faced man threw a punch at him.

Ye Dafu narrowed his eyes and slashed at the man with his blade. The clash of fist and blade emanated countless shockwaves of intense force.

"What fearsome defense," Ye Dafu exclaimed.

"Haha, you're just an early-stage Golden Immortal, after all! Lad, you're done for."

The black-faced man threw another punch at Ye Dafu, who retaliated with one of his own. The two fists met in mid-air as Ye Dafu was sent flying.

"You're a mid-stage Golden Immortal?" Ye Dafu's eyes lit up.

"Come at me! Where's your blade?" the black-faced man taunted.

Ye Dafu sheathed his blade. "I was using it only to break the formation. Since you're here, I won't need to use it any longer. Wonderful!"

The black-faced man was taken aback. Was his opponent an idiot? He had chosen not to use a relic in a matter of life and death. Did he have such faith in unarmed combat?

"Come on, come beat me up, you coward!" Ye Dafu taunted.

"Die!" the black-faced man roared.

The image of a huge black boar appeared by his back as he leapt toward Ye Dafu.

"So you're a pig spirit? I'll get to have pork today, haha!" Ye Dafu continued throwing insult after insult.

The two Golden Immortals began to fight in mid-air. A tempest of wind and flames formed around them as they clashed intensely.

Ye Dafu seemed to be rather overwhelmed by his opponent, but the more overwhelmed he was, the more he seemed to insult his opponent. The black-faced man's defenses were incredible, but so were Ye Dafu's own. The two cultivators gradually headed further and further away from the city.

The city lord watched on with satisfaction. "Alright. Now that the enemy's Golden Immortal has been lured away, it's our turn to make a move. Everyone, charge forward with me!"

"Understood!" the soldiers in the city replied.

They rushed straight toward Shenfeng's troops. They had a decisive numerical advantage, and seemed intent to crush Shenfeng's troops with a single charge, with the city lord in the lead.

"Die!" he shouted, striking down with his blade.

"Be careful!" someone exclaimed. "He's a True Immortal!"

Before the blade could land, however, a Shenfeng general caught it bare-handed. Everyone gaped at the sight.

"Do you think you can do whatever you want just because our boss is gone? How laughable," the general scoffed.

It was then that the cultivators realized that he was wearing a golden mask behind his hooded black robes.

The general struck the city lord's chest with a palm, causing it to cave in as he was sent flying. He spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air, clearly grievously injured.

"Another Golden Immortal? They had two Golden Immortals among their forces? No, this can't be!" the city lord shouted in despair.