Qingming acted with swift and resolute efficiency.
Only a few months had passed when a squad of Golden Pellet cultivators serving in the military received their orders: take delivery of and test a brand-new suite of equipment designed for dharma idol cultivators, then slip into the State of Zhao to apprehend Zhang Zhounian, a dharma idol cultivator of the Jiangliu Sect.
The squad numbered ten Golden Pellet dharma idols in all, led by a Mortal Tier dharma idol as captain. They belonged to the Night Guard Department, a division dedicated to special operations where every member was a dharma idol cultivator. The department head, Perfected Lanhua, was exceedingly low-key, yet rumors of her abounded throughout the jianghu.
Upon arriving at the Quartermaster Department, the squad was led into a dedicated grand hall. Stripped down to their undergarments, the ten Golden Pellet dharma idols lined up in a single row before cultivators began distributing their equipment.
A fine-featured cultivator holding an inventory roster called out in a drawn-out voice, "One immortal sword: 'Grey Dragon'!"
Numerous cultivators stepped forward carrying immortal swords, placing one before each Golden Pellet dharma idol. Over at the side of the hall, Perfected Lanhua and Wei Yuan stood watching. None of the cultivators present had any inkling that both the Realm Lord and the master of the Night Guard Department were standing right there.
Grey Dragon was a short sword measuring no more than one and a half chi. One quick-handed Golden Pellet dharma idol drew his sword from its scabbard, only to freeze in place. Indignation immediately flooded his face. "We're about to head onto the battlefield to fight and kill enemies! We don't expect the magic treasures you issue to be extraordinary, but at the very least, shouldn't they actually be magic treasures?! Handing us a dharma artifact meant for the Dao Foundation—what is the meaning of this?!"
Lanhua also frowned, glancing toward Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan merely offered a faint smile. "No rush. Just watch."
The cultivator distributing the gear remarked in a caustic tone, "Well now, fellow daoist, looking down on Dao Foundation dharma artifacts already, are we? It seems you haven't read a single page of the *Dharma Idol Combat Manual* distributed days ago!"
The Golden Pellet dharma idol stammered slightly. "I... I didn't have time... Besides, that's a work on combat between dharma idols. What does it have to do with a petty template like you?"
The template Dao Foundation cultivator gave a cold chuckle. "Pardon me, but that book was authored by none other than yours truly!"
The Golden Pellet dharma idol stared in disbelief and was just about to speak when the Dao Foundation cultivator flicked his sleeve, exposing the cuff of his military uniform underneath. He was actually a vice general!
In the Qingming Army, the hierarchy was rigid and discipline uncompromising. The moment he saw the man's military rank, the recalcitrant Golden Pellet dharma idol instantly fell silent.
The template Dao Foundation cultivator sneered. "A Golden Pellet dharma idol thinks that just because it carries the words 'dharma idol,' it's truly worlds apart from a Dao Foundation? To put it bluntly, even with Dao Foundation dharma artifacts, if we gave you a few more, you probably wouldn't even have the power to drive them!"
The Golden Pellet dharma idols, including their Mortal Tier captain, wore furious expressions, but fury was all they could muster.
The cultivator called out again, "One buckler shield: 'Solid City'..."
The assisting cultivators moved back and forth like flowing water as his elongated voice echoed continuously throughout the hall: "Gorget: 'Pale Moon'! Cuirass: 'Coagulated Frost'!... Dharma robe: 'Deliverance'!... Goggles: 'Qingyuan'! Groin guard: 'Fleeting Instant'!"
A complete set of nearly twenty distinct items wrapped every Golden Pellet dharma idol from head to toe, three layers inside and out. With so many dharma artifacts, the Golden Pellet dharma idols felt their magic power drain like torrential water; merely attuning to the items and channeling magic power into them consumed more than half of their reserves.
Once they were fully outfitted, although the enhancement from each individual piece was not enormous, the set left zero blind spots. Better still, the armor, shields, and blades were interconnected, functioning as a synchronized ensemble. In an instant, the Golden Pellet dharma idols were armed to the teeth, their combat power surging.
Only then did the Dao Foundation cultivator say, "Test combat power!"
To gauge and enhance the prowess of Golden Pellet dharma idols, Qingming had established a unified combat power evaluation system. It assessed cultivators across five dimensions—Dao, Law, Art, Artifact, and Use—while factoring in offense, defense, innate divine abilities, and preferred dao arts.
An ordinary early-stage Mortal Tier Dao Foundation was set at a baseline score of one hundred, while an ordinary Mortal Tier dharma idol generally hovered around five thousand. Meanwhile, genius cultivators at Dao Foundation perfection could surpass ten thousand by a wide margin.
When tested, Golden Pellet dharma idols typically scored around three thousand. A Mortal Tier Dao Foundation at perfection stood at roughly one thousand, while an Earth Tier at perfection exceeded two thousand.
Viewed in this light, a Golden Pellet dharma idol was roughly on par with a late-stage Heaven Tier Dao Foundation, but would have to turn tail and flee if matched against an immortal foundation.
Yet after donning today's equipment, the combat power tests showed every one of these Golden Pellet dharma idols scoring over forty-five hundred, with a few even reaching five thousand. They had effectively attained the level of genuine, ordinary dharma idols!
During the testing, however, most of them moved somewhat sluggishly; driving an entire ensemble of dharma artifacts remained an arduous task. Although each item drew only a modest amount of magic power, the sheer quantity added up, and Golden Pellet dharma idols were not true dharma idols after all.
Only now did they hold their tongues. It dawned on them that had they genuinely been issued two proper magic treasures, they would not have possessed the strength to wield them.
Following the test, new attack and defense formation arts were distributed alongside a secret manual of techniques—the *Blood Dissolution Body Perishing Method*!
"You have seven days to study this and achieve complete mastery! When you employ this secret method, burning ten years of your lifespan will unleash a single strike with power approaching ten thousand! Only in Qingming and the Palace of Grand Beginning can one find such profound righteous immortal arts capable of delivering such might for the cost of a mere ten years. Had this been a demonic path technique, it would have cost you thirty to fifty years at the very least! Such opportunities on the Dao do not come easily; cherish them well!
"Furthermore, there is no need to fret over lifespan. The Realm Lord has already allocated Longevity-Extending Pills, which you may redeem using your battlefield merits!"
Once the squad completed its testing, a dharma idol general walked in and announced, "I shall now deliver your mission. In ten days, your squad will set out for the Jiangliu Sect to apprehend the criminal cultivator Zhang Zhounian! Zhang Zhounian is an Earth Tier dharma idol who has cultivated for nearly two centuries. This battle is meant to establish the reputation of our Qingming Golden Pellet dharma idols!"
The Golden Pellet dharma idols felt their blood boil with excitement. The captain, however, was a genuine dharma idol and wore a troubled expression. "The sect master of the Jiangliu Sect is in the Scenery Command realm. If he intervenes..."
The dharma idol general curled his lip in disdain. "That is not your concern. A mere ordinary early-stage Scenery Command cultivator whose dao path has reached a dead end will naturally be handled by someone else. Your sole task is to bring Zhang Zhounian back. Should any other dharma idols obstruct you, issue a single warning. If they ignore it, execute them without mercy!"
***
The Jiangliu Sect was situated within the State of Zhao, erected along the bank of a great river, with many of its buildings submerged beneath the water. It was a renowned water-attribute sect across the neighboring commanderies. Its current sect master, Qingxizi, had achieved the Dao two hundred years ago, elevating the Jiangliu Sect to the status of a blessed land.
With a Scenery Command cultivator holding down the fort, the Jiangliu Sect was an undeniable colossus in the region. Its disciples were steeped in pride, and whenever its sect elders traversed the jianghu, they commanded universal reverence.
After centuries of development, the sect had expanded to an impressive scale. Its mountain gate spanned thousands of zhang across the great river, exuding an imposing grandeur!
It was just past midday. The bright sun hung high in the sky, shedding dazzling, incandescent light. Ten thousand qing of river waters shone like gold tempered in a colossal furnace, radiant reflections dancing for a thousand li, blinding to the eye. Fleeting clouds swept in from empty hills, stretching like white silk banners touched by the sun's brilliance, instantly transformed into shimmering hues. Golden scales leapt from the waters across the river, freezing golden ripples for an instant before dark green swells surged beneath, as though a mermaid's palace had flung open its gates to reveal a world of pristine light.
Yet amidst this breathtaking scenery, a double image suddenly appeared over the great sun in the sky. Then, a radiant disc of sunlight broke free from its position, tumbling downward toward the Jiangliu Sect's mountain gate.
The falling sun crashed squarely against the mountain gate, instantly triggering the sect-protecting array. A shimmering barrier of light rose to shield the entire gate.
Even so, the power of the descending sun was immense. Torrents of flame spread across ten li, scorching the barrier until the entire array trembled violently.
Panic immediately gripped the sect. Many cultivators dashed outside the barrier in shock and fury, searching for the enemy. Just then, an authoritative voice boomed down from the sky: "We come by order to apprehend the criminal cultivator Zhang Zhounian! Open your array and surrender the fugitive at once! Otherwise, once we shatter your barrier, do not blame us for showing no mercy!"
Ten discs of radiant light emerged in the sky, resembling the brilliance of the sun. For a moment, it created the wondrous spectacle of ten suns sharing the heavens!
Ten dharma idols!
The Jiangliu Sect cultivators blanched. Many who had just been shouting curses quickly slunk back inside the array. A group of younger disciples, however, refused to back down, shouting angrily, "So what if there are ten dharma idols?! Our sect master is in the Scenery Command realm! The venerable master could crush two of you with a single finger!"
Right at that moment, a dharma idol cultivator stepped out from within the array. Looking up at the sky, much of his worry melted away. Rising into the air, he cupped his hands in greeting. "Might these fellow daoists be from Qingming?"
The expressions of the Golden Pellet cultivators darkened instantly.
Though Wei Yuan had publicly shared two paths to the Golden Pellet dharma idol, very few had succeeded in cultivating them in the short time since. Asking if someone was from Qingming had essentially become an exclusive reference to Golden Pellet dharma idols—and was bordering on an insult.
The captain stepped forward, his voice cold. "Since you know where we come from, hand over the man at once. Otherwise, once we strike, our magic treasures will show no mercy!"
The Jiangliu Sect elder had no real fear, but Qingming was a powerful force; who knew who might show up after beating these few Golden Pellets? Swallowing his indignation, he replied, "What happened back then was merely a misunderstanding. Junior Brother Zhang is not in the sect at present. How about this: once I report to the Patriarch, I will have Junior Brother Zhang travel to Qingming in person to make amends. How does that sound?"
The Qingming captain retorted coldly, "Not in the sect? Very well. Open the array. Once we search and confirm he isn't here, we can talk!"
The Jiangliu Sect elder's face finally hardened. "A mere handful of Golden Pellets think they can breach the mountain gate of my Jiangliu Sect?!"
The Qingming captain wasted no more words, barking, "Strike!"
Treasure light erupted toward the heavens as ten Grey Dragons slashed at the elder in unison. Undaunted, the elder deployed a curtain of water to block the assault while conjuring a water beast with a backhanded sweep, slamming it toward one of the Golden Pellet dharma idols!
Such a strike was potent enough to deal a heavy blow to an ordinary dharma idol; landing on a Golden Pellet, it ought to knock him straight out of the sky with severe injuries. The elder possessed vast combat experience. Knowing the Golden Pellets were personally weak but proficient in formations, he opened with a formidable attack while deliberately holding back a fraction—aiming to break their array without taking a life.
The water beast slammed into the Golden Pellet dharma idol, instantly detonating more than a dozen bursts of treasure light!
The man was draped in a double-digit number of defensive dharma artifacts. Furthermore, the ten Golden Pellet dharma idols were linked in an array, absorbing the vast majority of the water beast's force. The cultivator merely coughed up a mouthful of blood, swallowed a handful of medicinal pills, and remained fully capable of fighting.
Before the elder could recover from his astonishment, a series of sharp punctures rang out. The flying swords actually slashed through the water curtain, several blades closing in on his person!
The power of these flying swords far surpassed that of ordinary Golden Pellets; for a moment, the elder genuinely felt as though he was under siege by ten true dharma idols. Meanwhile, the Qingming captain brandished a genuine magic treasure, summoning wave after wave of heavenly fire down upon the sect-protecting array. In the blink of an eye, the barrier shook violently, and buildings inside began collapsing one after another.
A heavy snort suddenly reverberated from within the Jiangliu Sect. An elder strode forth, his face grim, his tone chillingly cold. "I gave you ample face that day and refrained from touching your military supplies. Why must you pursue me like lingering ghosts?! Fine! Since you press so relentlessly, I shall endure no longer. At worst, I will abandon the sect, roam the ends of the earth, and dedicate my life to hunting Qingming's people! Today, I shall slaughter a few Golden Pellet dogs to consecrate our banner!"
Seeing Zhang Zhounian reveal himself, the Qingming captain immediately barked, "Wang Zong, your time to earn merit has come!"
A Golden Pellet stepped forward in response. A streak of blood light flared between his brows, his eyes turned crimson, and plumes of blood qi began erupting from his body!
The captain internally cursed his subordinates for their reckless lack of discretion, discreetly releasing a shroud of radiance over the cultivator. The moment the radiance enveloped him, the blood light morphed into clear qi, and his crimson eyes turned into silver pupils. Though it was merely a change in color, the aesthetic transformed completely.
The cultivator named Wang Zong roared, his voice carrying for a hundred li. A hundred-zhang blood sword slashed down through the sky at blinding speed, its impact shaking Zhang Zhounian so violently he could barely keep his footing.
After a few struggles, Zhang Zhounian coughed up a mouthful of blood and plummeted several dozen zhang, barely able to stay aloft. A single strike had left him gravely wounded.
As Wang Zong fell back to regulate his breath, the remaining nine Golden Pellets swarmed forward, driving both Jiangliu Sect elders into a frantic, battered defense. Just then, a young early-stage dharma idol rushed out from within the sect. But the instant he appeared, another Golden Pellet erupted with blood light, unleashing the *Blood Dissolution Body Perishing Method*!
Lacking both cultivation depth and combat experience, the youth took the full brunt of the hundred-zhang blood sword and plummeted directly into the array, his survival uncertain.
The Qingming captain declared at the top of his lungs, "Today, Qingming's Golden Pellets apprehend lawbreakers, raze the mountain, and topple the temple!"
Between heaven and earth, an almost imperceptible snort resounded.
A white-haired, youthful-faced Daoist appeared in midair. With a look of displeasure, he slowly raised his hand, intending to suppress the dozen or so dharma idols below in one fell swoop. But midway through the gesture, his hand froze stiff.
Space rippled, and Wei Yuan stepped forth with a faint smile. "Senior Qingxi, why don't we let the juniors resolve matters among themselves? Otherwise, it won't look good for either of us."
Having lived for nearly a thousand years, Qingxizi was far too shrewd not to grasp the situation. The moment Wei Yuan appeared, he pieced together most of the story in his mind. He offered a bitter smile. "Why must the Realm Lord grace us with your personal presence? This old Daoist cannot understand: my Jiangliu Sect is a modest sect tucked away in a quiet corner. Why choose us?"
Wei Yuan made no attempt to conceal his reasoning. "A righteous pretext, and you happen to be close by."
Chapter 1223