Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

Chapter 299: Chapter 171: An Overwhelming Rout, Clouds Rise over Wushan Mountain

The Vice Squad Leader at the forefront of the attack turned deathly pale, the last shred of his fighting spirit replaced by boundless terror.

The instant he landed, he desperately mustered his energy, ready to turn into a streak of blood light and flee. He was even willing to use his five injured subordinates as human shields.

However, before he could even turn, his movements came to an abrupt halt.

A long, powerful hand had, at some unknown point, clamped around the back of his neck like an iron vise.

A majestic and domineering surge of Gang Qi, like a flood from a burst dam, instantly rushed into his body. With irresistible force, it sealed all his Meridians and his Dantian, preventing him from even self-destructing.

’Chen Sheng!’

The Vice Squad Leader struggled to move his eyes, meeting a pair that were right before him—calm and placid, yet so chilling they struck terror into his heart. He felt as if he were suffocating.

But Chen Sheng didn’t spare him a second glance.

His gaze swept over the other five men, who were frantically scattering in different directions. He loosened his left hand, and the Dragon Roar Blade in his right had already become a streak of cold, blue light tearing through the air.

SHINK!

The Blood River Sect Innate Expert who had fled the farthest suddenly froze. He looked down in disbelief at the blade protruding from his chest. His life force rapidly drained away as the long blade pinned him dead to an ancient tree.

”Stop them!”

Li Huai Sheng and Xu Shenzhi reacted at almost the same moment. With a furious shout, they each unleashed their Body Technique to intercept one of the escapees.

The other Jingwu Guards, well-trained and disciplined, split into two groups and fearlessly surrounded the last two men.

A chaotic battle erupted in an instant.

”N-no... don’t kill me... I’ll surrender... I’ll tell you all our secrets...”

Feeling the terrifying power tightening around his throat, the captive Vice Squad Leader used his last ounce of strength to plead hoarsely for mercy, his eyes filled with a desperate will to live.

Chen Sheng remained expressionless. He released a burst of Gang Qi from the hand gripping the man’s neck, not only shattering his heart meridian but also completely destroying his Dantian Dao Seed.

Then, as if discarding a piece of rubbish, he casually threw the still-warm corpse to the ground.

His gaze turned to the ongoing battle.

He raised his hand and beckoned. The Dragon Roar Blade, as if sentient, let out a soft hum as it flew back from the ancient tree and into his grasp.

Then, Chen Sheng moved again, like a tiger among a flock of sheep.

The first Blood River Sect expert, currently engaged by the Jingwu Guards, was scared out of his wits when he saw Chen Sheng rushing toward him like a blur. He hastily begged for his life:

”Captain Chen, spare me! I’m willing to—”

A flash of the blade cut his words short. The man was already in two pieces.

The second, the third...

Chen Sheng’s figure flickered across the battlefield a few times. Every time his blade flashed, another Blood River Sect Martial Artist fell dead.

Coordinating with the attacks of Li Huai Sheng, Xu Shenzhi, and the others, it took just over twenty breaths for all the Blood River Sect experts to be slain.

SHING!

The Dragon Roar Blade returned to its sheath with a clear, resonant ring.

Silence returned to the forest. Only the thick stench of blood and the carnage on the ground spoke of the brutal, lightning-fast slaughter that had just occurred.

From the beginning of the engagement to its bloody conclusion, less than one hundred and fifty breaths had passed.

”Search them for anything of value, take their heads, and bring them back to the Jingwu Bureau to report on our mission.”

”Yes, Sir!”

The Jingwu Guards roared their assent, their voices filled with excitement and boundless awe. They immediately began to clean up the battlefield with practiced efficiency.

”Sir! You... When did you break through to the Profound Gang Realm?!”

Li Huai Sheng, unable to contain his shock, stepped forward and asked excitedly, his eyes gleaming with exhilaration.

Xu Shenzhi was just as astonished, but when he thought about how unfathomable Chen Sheng had always been, it also seemed perfectly reasonable. He couldn’t, however, hide the delighted expression on his face.

’The stronger Chen Sheng is, the brighter our futures as his followers will be.’

’A Profound Gang Realm expert in his early twenties... Forget Ning’an Prefecture, even in all of Yunzhou, he’s an absolutely heaven-sent prodigy of the rarest kind!’

Chen Sheng just smiled faintly, offering no explanation. He simply gave an order:

”Keep my breakthrough to the Profound Gang Realm a secret for now. This information must not be leaked.”

With the battle on Wushan Mountain imminent, it was best to keep his trump cards hidden for as long as possible. He had already instructed Patriarch Wangqingshan of the Wang Family on this point as well.

”Understood, sir!”

Li Huai Sheng replied with a solemn nod.

Once the battlefield was cleaned up and the heads were properly wrapped, Chen Sheng vaulted onto his horse.

”Back to the Jingwu Bureau.”

...

「Jingwu Bureau, Governor’s Office Hall」

Nie Xuanfeng, dressed in the black and gold official robes of a Standard Fifth Grade officer, sat at the head of the hall.

His gaze fell upon several black bundles on the floor below, which were seeping dark red blood. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Chen Sheng, who stood respectfully at attention.

”What is the meaning of this?”

”Reporting to the Governor...”

Chen Sheng cupped his fist in his hand and gave a concise account of the ambush by the Blood River Sect, including the assailants’ identities and a summary of the battle.

”These men... you killed all of them?”

Nie Xuanfeng tapped his fingers on the armrest, his gaze scrutinizing, with a hint of imperceptible surprise.

He knew Chen Sheng was exceptionally talented and powerful, capable of defeating a Profound Gang Martial Master even when he himself was only at the Earth Fiend stage. Now that Chen Sheng had advanced to the Profound Gang Realm, his power must be even greater. This was precisely why he had entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of the Wushan Mountain battle.

But to hear that he had single-handedly slain two Profound Gang Martial Masters and five Innate Experts, especially while they were using one of the Blood River Sect’s notoriously difficult combination arrays... This level of combat prowess far exceeded his previous estimations.

In his presence, Profound Gang Martial Masters seemed as weak and fragile as clay dolls.

”Yes.”

Chen Sheng admitted it without hesitation.

”The youth are truly to be feared...”

Nie Xuanfeng stroked his beard and let out a long sigh, the admiration in his eyes growing even deeper.

When he first transferred Chen Sheng to the Prefecture City, it was partly due to his extraordinary potential, but a major factor was the wholehearted recommendation of his nephew, Nie Yuanliu. That was why he had ultimately brought the young man under his direct command.

He never expected this young man to grow at such a pace, shattering his expectations time and again.

Just a few days ago, he’d met General Ning’an, Li Qianzhou, who had hinted at his regret and offered several times the resources to get Chen Sheng back, but Nie Xuanfeng had flatly refused.

’What a joke. A raw talent like him, not to mention the fact that he’s the chosen future son-in-law for my Nie Family... how could I possibly hand him over?’

”Governor,”

Chen Sheng continued, ”I also forced a piece of information from that Vice Squad Leader. The fiends from the Blood River Sect intend to take advantage of the attention focused on the Wushan Mountain battle to launch a surprise attack on the Danxia Sect...”

’Of course, this information actually came from a warning from the Celestial Book, but now is the perfect opportunity to use a Blood River Sect captive’s mouth to substantiate it.’

’This was also why I waited for the Blood River Sect to ambush me—to create a reasonable pretext. Otherwise, if I somehow knew about their plans without any explanation, it would be far too suspicious.’

”Oh?”

Upon hearing this, Nie Xuanfeng leaned forward slightly, his expression growing serious.

”Are you certain of this?”

”He spilled this secret while begging for his life,” Chen Sheng said in a low voice. ”He gave quite a few details, so it’s unlikely to be false.”

Nie Xuanfeng pondered for a moment, then looked toward the entrance of the hall and called out in a deep voice,

”Have Vice Envoy Sun come here at once to discuss a matter.”

”Yes, sir!” a Jingwu Guard outside acknowledged the order and left.

Nie Xuanfeng turned his gaze back to Chen Sheng and said,

”Since you’ve brought this up, I won’t hide it from you. I had, in fact, anticipated a possible complication during the Wushan Mountain battle. The target I was preparing for, however, was not the Blood River Sect, but... the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance.”

Nie Xuanfeng paused for a moment before continuing,

”You should be aware of the two people Vice Envoy Sun captured. One was Zhou Chengzong, the Young Master of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, and the other was an emissary from Taiping Dao. The Alliance has been using every trick in the book to get them released, while vehemently denying any connection to Taiping Dao.

”But I have ignored all their efforts. I intend to use the Wushan Mountain battle, when all eyes are focused elsewhere, to force them out of their lair to attempt a rescue. Then, we can finally excise this cancerous tumor, the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, once and for all.”

”You’re planning to move against the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, Sir?”

Chen Sheng’s brow twitched. ’I hadn’t heard anything about this before.’

”Correct.”

Nie Xuanfeng nodded, his gaze sharp and imposing.

”The Blood River Sect belongs to the Demon Dao. Though they are a scourge, they are still a manageable threat. The Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance is different. Their collusion with Taiping Dao makes them traitors with seditious intent.

The latter is far more dangerous than the former, and the threat they pose is much greater.

I had intended to discuss this matter with you in detail at a later time. I didn’t expect the Blood River Sect would also try to take advantage of the chaos and get involved.”

Nie Xuanfeng’s fingertips tapped lightly on the tabletop, clearly weighing this sudden complication.

”It seems the situation has become more complex than I anticipated.”

——————

The next Chapter will be out shortly.