Death of A Young General, Tension Between Two Empires

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In a conference hall in the central palace, the Huang Clan's experts gathered.

"It's a shame that Uncle Huang went into seclusion before I returned. He could've used the pills I bought for him to ease his breakthrough to 4th Order Xiantian," Jiang Qiao said, and inhaled from an ornate smoking pipe.

"That would've been better, indeed." Huang Ming glanced at her smoking pipe. "When did you start smoking?"

"About nine months after I last visited. I started smoking to relieve anger, but now I smoke out of boredom."

"You're capable of anger?" Huang Peng asked, surprised.

Su Yan looked at him with half-lid eyes.

Jiang Qiao snorted, and said, "I didn't know I was capable of anger until Marshal Hao Tian's old enemies began pestering me."

"What?" Han Mei said, alarmed.

The other people in the room shared similar reactions.

It wasn't a secret that Marshal Hao Tian's tenure in the Broken Blade Institute was among the most controversial in Broken Blade Empire's history; so much so that it was said to have reached the other continents. Luo Tong Kingdom's living legend clashed with innumerable geniuses of equal and greater talent than him, and he had formed grudges with a number of them.

If it weren't for Marshal Hao Tian's friendship with certain people throughout the Martial Spirit World, then the Luo Tong Kingdom might've long ceased to exist.

"It is as I've said," Jiang Qiao said.

Chen Xiang spoke, "Please elaborate on that."

Sighing, Jiang Qiao said, "Here's the gist of it. When I gained the right to enroll into the Broken Blade Institute, Marshal Hao Tian advised me to avoid confrontations with his old enemies but remain vigilant of their actions. I followed his advice, of course. It's logical. But that doesn't mean I have to remain low-key, you can't remain low-key in the Broken Blade Institute. I have a greater potential than the marshal, and I'm in the most optimal place to nurture that potential. So, there I was, participating in various events, and attempting to complete the tasks that I've either chosen or were given to me. Due to the intertwining series of failures and successes I've experienced, I grew in both status and power. At that point, it was inevitable for me to clash with the marshal's old enemies."

Concerned, Han Mei asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. The presence of a couple of the marshal's friends was great enough to deter their hostile movements. Of course, that's considering the fact that the marshal's worst enemies haven't made a move yet."

"That's good to hear." Su Yan sighed in relief, as did others.

"Who are those people?" Huang Peng asked, curious.

The average strength of Marshal Hao Tian's enemies should be at high-level Xiantian Realm, it would be disastrous if even one of them got a hold of Jiang Qiao. So the fact that the mere presence of a couple people is enough to deter them is surprising to everyone present.

"You should know at least one of them. The first is Alric Adam*, better known as Saint Silver Flash of the Shadow Maw Kingdom. He's a Peak Late-3rd Order Saint Realm expert with a combat standard comparable to the average Peak Late-5th Order Saint Realm expert. The other is Helforge Remiel, better known as Saint Demon Soul of the Sacred Embers Kingdom. He's a Late 6th Order Saint Realm expert, and is the 6th strongest student in the Broken Blade Institute."

"Aldrich Adam Adam, he's the Saint Realm expert who visited the kingdom after the Crimson Behemoth Disaster. He's a close friend of Marshal Hao Tian from what I know," an elder of the Espionage and Reconnaissance Hall said.

"Saint Demon Soul? Isn't he the Saint Demon Soul who exterminated a tenth of the Iron Heart Kingdom's population when it was plagued by a demonic disease?" Su Yan asked.

"That's them, alright." Jiang Qiao exhaled a stream of smoke for a moment before continuing, "Where is the information I've asked for?"

"I've written down what was available," Chen Ying said as he entered the room with a leather book in hand.

"Thanks."

Then, the book in Chen Ying's hand flew to Jiang Qiao's hands, slightly surprising everyone. She opened the book and began reading the contents.

"Where is Zhang Xuan?" Jiang Qiao inquired.

"Manor Lord sent him to Jilin County's Shi Family to form a trade agreement on spirit herbs and ores," Han Mei said.

"Jilin County's Shi Family." An amused smile formed on Jiang Qiao's face. "I remember busting their grand elder's grandson's head open in my academy days. What's that bone-head Shi Xiaotian doing nowadays?"

"He perished in a beast tide," Chen Ying said.

"How sad," Jiang Qiao said with indifference. Then, she looked at the people present and asked, "So, who are the parents of that kid, Yu Tao? Step up and get an award."

A resounding silence responded to Jiang Qiao, letting her know the answer.

"Orphan, right." Jiang Qiao paused. "Yu Tao, Low Grade 11 Martial Spirit, Early-3rd Order Houtian Realm. Huang Xiaolong, Top Grade 13 Martial Spirit, Peak Late-3rd Order Houtian Realm. Both attained their astounding cultivation in a short period of time by comprehending the esoterics of a Top Grade Earth Rank and a Low Grade Heaven Rank cultivation technique in an even shorter period of time. That is nearly unheard of.*

"Even in the capital?" Huang Peng asked, curious.

It was a question that he and the rest had been wanting to know.

"It's one thing to reach 3rd Order Houtian in a matter of days with a Top Grade 13 Martial Spirit or higher, and high-tier resources, but reaching 3rd Order Houtian in a matter days by, without prior knowledge nor experience, comprehending the esoterics of two different cultivation techniques is on a whole new other league." Jiang Qiao frowned a bit. "That level of comprehension is extraordinary, even a peak Saint Realm Expert might not be able to do that in that time frame. The closest people I could compare them to are the Dual Sovereigns of the Desolate Paradise Empire."

Hearing that, Huang Peng and the others were taken back.

The Desolate Paradise Empire is the Martial Spirit World's greatest, undisputed superpower.

Not even the coalition of the other divine empires of the Snow Wind Continent, the divine sects of the Star Cloud Continent, and the divine clans and tribes of the Ten Directions Continent can compete with the Desolate Paradise Empire!

The Dual Sovereigns of the Desolate Paradise Empire are the strongest experts in the entire Martial Spirit World and tales of their achievements are sung in great reverence.

Thus, knowing that the closest comparison to Huang Xiaolong and Yu Tao are the Dual Sovereigns of the Desolate Paradise Empire was rather unbelievable.

"Perhaps I'm wrong, but even then, I don't think it's that far off from a comparison. I estimate that in the following two to three years, even with the lack of better resources, Huang Xiaolong and Yu Tao are bound to break through to the Xiantian Realm within 2 to 3 years" Jiang Qiao stated.

Jiang Qiao's statement made the clan elders silent for a minute or so, as the idea of 8 or 9 year-old Xiantian Realm Experts was a little too much for them to handle.

On Huang Ming and Han Mei's side, both couldn't help but be sad at how their son lacked the strength required to contend with Huang Xiaolong and Yu Tao.

Even back when Huang Xiaolong and Yu Tao managed to use two cultivation techniques in conjunction with each other, Huang Ming and Han Mei weren't that concerned about it.

However, that was because of their ignorance and unrealistic wishes.

Now, as much as it hurts for them to admit, their son might not even rank fifth in this generation of the Luo Tong Kingdom's geniuses.

Chen Ying spoke up, "What is the purpose of getting us to compile information about the clan members?"

"Simple." Jiang Qiao smiled. "I wanted the information so I can distribute the resources I've brought with me."

This caught everyone's attention.

"That's it?" Chen Ying was confused. "We don't have a plethora of high-level cultivators to begin with, so—"

"Have a little more faith, Uncle Chen. I wouldn't have wasted your and father's time if the resources I've brought are miniscule."

"You don't mean…?"

A thought entered everyone's mind.

"Yes. The resources I've brought are enough to strengthen the clan to the point where no faction, aside from the Great 5's, could contend with us even if the three brats and I were to vanish out of thin air." Jiang Qiao chuckled at everyone's expression.

"How?" Han Mei inquired, curious to know how Jiang Qiao, a non-Saint Realm student from a non-overlord level faction, was capable of gathering that much resources.

"I discovered a rare ore in the Heretic's Downfall Vallet. I had no use for it, so I traded it with the cultivation resources that Aldritch Adam bought before the disbandment of his faction, and a favor."

An enthusiastic atmosphere took over the room, as the men and women around Jiang Qiao began praising her and celebrating in fervor.

"How childish," Jiang Qiao mumbled.

There was, however, a smile on her face as she said so. It is, of course, within her ambition to strengthen the Huang Clan to a height never-before-seen in this region of the empire.

That is her gift to the people who, although reluctant, took her in when she was at her worst.

-

Far from the Luo Tong Kingdom and near the Spring Faun Empire, was the Golden Meadows Kingdom¹.

The Golden Meadows Kingdom is a prestigious kingdom with a fairly long history of more than 1,500 years. In comparison, the Luo Tong Kingdom only has a history of roughly 250 years. Not only that, the Golden Meadows Kingdom was also a high-ranking kingdom, unlike the Luo Tong Kingdom, which was merely a low-ranking kingdom.

The Golden Meadows Kingdom has multiple renowned factions residing within it, and despite the existence of these factions, the Golden Meadows Kingdom was normally peaceful and large conflicts barely occurred. And if those conflicts ever do occur, they are quickly put to rest by the royal family.

However, there was only so much chaos that the royal family could quell until the Broken Blade Empire would be forced to intervene...

Above the golden clouds that blanketed the skies of the Golden Meadows Kingdom, was a silver sphere with a calmly rippling surface.

Now this sphere may look like a heavenly treasure that was about to be born or perhaps even an unnatural weather phenomenon to the untrained eye, but in truth, this was actually the condensed domain of a Saint Realm cultivator!

Inside the domain, innumerable silver lightning arched in a world of complete darkness. Corpses of many formidable cultivators, many of whom are at Saint Realm, were scattered.

At the center of the sphere was a badly beaten 12 meter tall man and the culprit of the massacre, a silver-haired young man.

"You... You lie, Alric Adam!" the giant man roared while coughing-out blood.

Alric Adam showed a cruel grin and mockingly responded, "Did I really? I don't remember telling anyone that I've recovered from that curse!"

The giant man gritted his teeth. In a lighter voice, he said, "Once the Snow Wind Continent learns of this, your fate will be even worse than death."

"Hmm, let me think..." Alric Adam pulled a thoughtful look before taking out a stone that emitted unstable energy. "Yeah, no. No, I don't think so."

The giant man's expression of anger quickly changed, starting from shock, to horror, and finally, despair.

The stone held by Alric Adam is known as the Space-Time Destruction Stone, an extremely rare material born in places with immense distortions of space-time and carries the properties of absolute destruction.

If detonated, it can tear space-time in a radius up to at least a thousand kilometers in all directions. While the Space-Time Destruction Stone of Alric Adam was seemingly incapable of doing that, it was more than strong enough to destroy all his hopes of escaping or at least even sending out messages about the situation.

In a defeated tone, the giant man inquired, "Why are you doing this? As far as I remember, we never had any sort of conflict; not even a simple interaction."

"It's rather simple, really." Alric Adam glowered at the man. "Not only did you attempt to hunt down one of my allies, you also did it under the orders of one of the people who nearly caused my death on that fateful day."

"Ah, I see..."

"However, thanks to your idiocy, I may have found a way to continue my plans without bringing the slightest attention to myself."

While the giant man may have already admitted defeat, hearing someone confess that he was going to be used in a web of schemes truly agitated him. Unfortunately, he could only glare at the one responsible.

"Don't worry though, you'll die with an intact corpse as that's an integral part of my plans."

Before the giant man could say anything further, Alric Adam detonated the Space-Time Destruction Stone while simultaneously using a teleportation talisman to escape.

The Space-Time Destruction Stone exploded, tearing the space-time in a vicinity of roughly a hundred meters, destroying every evidence of Alric Adam's presence.

Only a circular hole in the sky where the rays of the sun shone through was left as the giant man's corpse plummeted to the city below.

Unfortunately, the corpse didn't get a soft landing, as it splattered on the barrier that protected the city.

The city's residents were alarmed by the appearance of a corpse falling from the sky, thus the city's Half-Step God Realm guardians flew over the barrier to see whose corpse it was.

Their curiosity turned to indescribable shock though, as they realized whose corpse it was.

It was the corpse of Ouraniopoulos Megara, a rising general of the Heaven's Might Empire and a direct descendant of one of the empire's grand ancestors.

Not only did his corpse fall out of the sky, it also fell to their Treasurefields Trade City! A neutral trade city that accepted anyone regardless of their background!

Quickly realizing the severity of the situation, a Half-Step God Realm expert went to inform the city lord while the others tended to the situation.

Unfortunately, this sort of news was impossible to contain due to the various factions residing within the city. In a matter of merely half a day, the death of Ouraniopoulos Megara reached all corners of the continent and soon, the entire Martial Spirit World.

Meanwhile, the culprit himself was calmly meditating on a huge piece of gray rock to regain the energy he had lost to the talisman earlier.

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*1 - Originally the Mo'er Kingdom, but I changed it. The Mo'er Kingdom is now a separate kingdom.