novelraw Chapter 577 - 561: Closed-door Cultivation_1
Chapter 577 - 561: Closed-door Cultivation_1
By the time the morning assembly ended, dusk had already given way to the quiet unfurling of night. Instead of returning to his residence after leaving the palace, Bai Qi, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, walked through the brightly lit streets and alleyways. Alone, he headed for the city’s outskirts.
After about ten minutes, he stood on a mountaintop roughly three hundred miles from the Imperial Capital. His crimson eyes, tinged with a faint glow, gazed ahead, a small smile touching his lips.
There, millions of soldiers from the Vermilion Bird Army were reveling with wine, dancing around bonfires, and celebrating their victory.
How wonderful! Bai Qi stood quietly, like a sculpture, motionless for a long time. Tomorrow morning, he would no longer be the commander of the Vermilion Bird Army. Remembering the days they had fought side by side, his heart ached with reluctance.
However, the Qin Dynasty had not yet stabilized, and hostile forces lurked on all four borders; a long journey still lay ahead. As a general of the Qin Dynasty, a God of Slaughter whose name was enshrined in the Martial God’s Hall, he had to exert his power to its utmost, hunting beyond the Great Wall. If weapons could be stored in armories, warhorses put to pasture, and peace established across the land, he would absolutely not leave! Such a pity! There were no ’ifs’ in this world, nor any room for such regrets—only harsh reality.
"General, come have a drink with the soldiers!"
At that moment, a streak of fire cut across the Heavenly Universe. The Vermilion Bird Army’s Deputy General landed behind Bai Qi, saluting him.
"Alright!" Bai Qi nodded. His figure flickered and then reappeared in the heart of the camp.
"The General is here!"
"Brothers, come toast the General!"
Spotting Bai Qi and the Deputy General, all the Vermilion Bird Army soldiers surged forward, wine bowls held high. Less reserved than usual, they jovially urged him to drink.
During training and battle, Bai Qi was their General, and his orders were immutable, the chain of command strict. But in their downtime, they were more like brothers.
"Bring wine!"
Perhaps because he was leaving the next day, Bai Qi, who rarely drank, made an exception. With a wave of his hand, he called out loudly.
At his words, soldiers immediately brought several jars of wine. They were about to pour it into wine bowls, but Bai Qi took a jar, lifted it high, and declared with great enthusiasm, "Brothers, drink up!"
"To our might!"
"To the General’s might!"
Inspired by his fervor, the soldiers drained the wine in their bowls. The potent liquor coursed through these iron-willed men, who had faced life and death to protect their homes and country, igniting their spirits. They continued to pour and drink, passionately discussing their lofty aspirations.
Bai Qi refused no one who came to toast him. Soon, a mound of empty wine jars piled up beside him.
At this point, some of the more perceptive men noticed Bai Qi was not his usual self and quietly sought information from the Deputy General. The Deputy General didn’t hide anything, sharing the news of Bai Qi’s impending departure with those who asked.
Upon learning the reason, the Vermilion Bird Army soldiers fell silent. Many had already anticipated this day. Bai Qi, who had forged his path through slaughter, would sooner or later leave the Vermilion Bird Army, which blazed with a fiery fighting spirit, and plunge into the cold sea of slaughter.
"General, let me toast you again! Drink!" A commander poured a bowl of wine, walked over to Bai Qi, and drained it in one go.
"Drink!" His face flushed and slightly intoxicated, Bai Qi lifted his wine jar in response.
Next, the commanders toasted him in an orderly fashion, while the ordinary soldiers stood around, drinking somberly, their earlier elation entirely gone.
The night grew deeper. The blazing bonfires had died down. Many drunken soldiers lay on the ground, fast asleep.
Looking at the sleeping soldiers, Bai Qi set down his wine jar, his once-hazy eyes instantly clearing. "Brothers, I’m leaving," he murmured, then resolutely turned and left the camp.
"General, please take me with you!" Suddenly, a determined voice cut through the night.
Bai Qi turned, looking at the figure not far away, a hint of surprise on his face. Isn’t this the young man from the Myriad Demon Saint’s Court battlefield who developed a Heart Demon due to excessive slaughter?
"General, please take me with you!" Bai Bing stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and repeated his plea. As he spoke, a potent murderous aura erupted from him, staining the night red; faintly, it seemed as if countless lost souls were wailing.
The Path of Slaughter? Bai Qi was slightly taken aback. Instantly, an even more terrifying murderous aura surged from him towards Bai Bing. A blood-red light flickered around him, carrying an overwhelming pressure, as if capable of slaughtering the heavens and dominating the universe.
BOOM!
Bai Bing’s body trembled as if he had been plunged into a world of pure slaughter. As far as he could see, thick blood churned in the Void, tossing about countless mutilated corpses—a hair-raising sight.
"Choosing to follow me means cultivating the Path of Slaughter, living by killing. It will be thousands, even tens of thousands of times more dangerous than your current environment!"
"This is a lonely path. Are you still willing?"
A cold, dispassionate voice, imbued with the ultimate killing intent, echoed in Bai Bing’s mind. The sea of blood roiled, and a colossal phantom emerged—clad in armor, standing on a mountain of corpses, his Path of Slaughter stretching across the sky, blanketing heaven and earth.
"I... am willing!"
"The General saved my life! I am willing to follow him, to protect our homes and defend our country, even if it means dying ten thousand deaths!"
Battling the immense pressure, Bai Bing struggled to lift his head. His eyes blazed with murderous intent, shooting out two crimson beams of light, radiating an unparalleled sharpness.
RUMBLE!
The blood-red world collapsed, and all the crushing pressure dissipated.
HUFF. HUFF.
Bai Bing collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Sweat poured from his pores, soaking his clothes as if he had just been pulled from water.
Gazing at Bai Bing, Bai Qi announced with a laugh, "Starting tomorrow, you will be my Deputy General."
"I obey!" Overjoyed, Bai Bing struggled up from the ground and knelt in salute, his eyes revealing a fervent excitement.
When he raised his head again, Bai Qi had vanished.
A cold wind swept through. All the ’sleeping’ soldiers of the Vermilion Bird Army rose, saluting in the direction Bai Qi had disappeared.
They were all Martial Artists; how could they have truly gotten drunk? They were merely using their feigned drunkenness to wash away the sorrow of parting.
"You’re quite something, youngster! To be able to stay by General Bai’s side!" After the salutes, the Deputy General clapped Bai Bing on the shoulder, his voice filled with envy.
Who was Bai Qi? He was one of the top generals of the Qin Dynasty, a pillar of the military, a titan enshrined in the Martial God’s Hall. Countless people yearned to follow him, even as mere servants. One could only imagine the boundless future awaiting Bai Bing as Bai Qi’s new deputy.
「Immortal Realm Fragment!」
Inside a secret room, Qin Wudao sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing even, silently circulating the "Chaos Heavenly Scripture."
I can break through now!
A moment later, Qin Wudao opened his eyes. He took out a strand of unaligned Power of Laws and placed it between his eyebrows.
BOOM!
Instantly, the unaligned Power of Laws transformed into Imperial Dao Law. The sound of dragon chants echoed, carrying an unrivaled aura of ruling the world, suppressing the nine heavens, and sweeping across the universe.
A dazzling golden beam of light erupted from the crown of Qin Wudao’s head, piercing through the Immortal Realm Fragment!
The Emperor’s might was like a prison!
Myriad Laws submitted!
A faint Power of Imperial Dao Law spread from Qin Wudao’s body, causing the entire Immortal Realm Fragment to tremble.