Zhuge Wushuang, Tu Fu, and others immediately took action. Long Feixiong, now aware that his situation was utterly hopeless, no longer begged for mercy, though a look of unwillingness and regret remained on his face.
"I hate it, I truly hate it! Why didn't I have the resolve to kill you dog last year during that ambush? Otherwise, we wouldn't be in this situation today!"
Long Feixiong roared to the heavens, before being swiftly killed by Zhuge Wushuang's sword.
Xiao Yunlong then slowly walked towards Long Jiutian and Feng Wu, who were lying at the foot of a nearby rock.
The two white-clothed youths had regained consciousness, but their severe injuries prevented them from standing.
As Xiao Yunlong approached, Long Jiutian's face turned ashen. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "Xiao, the two of us are the personal disciples of a Vice Pavilion Master of the Dragon Guard Pavilion. You should know what the Dragon Guard Pavilion signifies, and you should be even clearer about the status and prestige of a Vice Pavilion Master!"
"So, if you know what's good for you, release us quickly. Otherwise, the consequences will be absolutely unbearable for you!"
Feng Wu also shrieked, "Xiao, you country bumpkin dog! If you dare to kill us today, the Dragon Guard Pavilion will surely exterminate your entire clan, all nine generations of them! Understand? People like us from this realm are not to be trifled with!"
"You're still stubborn even when death is upon you. I truly don't know where your sense of superiority comes from. So what if it's the Dragon Guard Pavilion? So what if it's a Vice Pavilion Master? If he dares to seek revenge, I won't mind eliminating him as well!"
Xiao Yunlong let out a cold snort and kicked out with his foot. Two pebbles, enveloped by the power of his Divine Kingdom, shot out rapidly, piercing directly through Long Jiutian and Feng Wu's bodies.
These two prodigies from the great Long and Feng aristocratic families of the imperial capital perished on the spot!
The weather turned unpredictable as summer arrived, with thunder rumbling in the sky. After dealing with all the members of the Long family present, Xiao Yunlong waved his hand and departed by carriage.
With a whoosh...
Just then, a torrential rain began to fall, blanketing the entire Taihang Mountain in a misty downpour, simultaneously washing away the bloodstains at the foot of the mountain.
News of the complete annihilation of the Long family's direct lineage and elite disciples quickly spread throughout the imperial capital. That night, not only the imperial capital but the entire Dragon Country was shaken.
"The times are changing. The skies in the imperial capital are about to change, and it looks like the skies of the Dragon Country will change next!" many in the upper echelons of the imperial capital lamented.
"This Xiao Bei Wang is too audacious. Not only did he kill Long Feixiong and the others, but he even eliminated stewards from the Dragon Guard Pavilion and the Huaxia Alliance. Not only that, but he also killed Long Jiutian and Feng Wu, two prodigies of the Dragon Guard Pavilion. You must know that these two were favored disciples of a certain Vice Pavilion Master of the Dragon Guard Pavilion, and it's said that Vice Pavilion Master is extremely protective of his own. If he finds out his beloved disciples were killed, can he tolerate this insult?"
"Now the Long family's direct lineage and elites are completely gone, but the Feng family still remains. Feng Wu, the prodigy daughter of the Feng family, died at the hands of Xiao Bei Wang. It's expected that the Feng family will absolutely not let this go. Just wait and see, the real show is only just beginning!"
"I can guarantee that not only the Dragon Guard Pavilion but also the Ancient Martial Huaxia Alliance will make a move next. Xiao Bei Wang is too high-profile, too arrogant. Does this fellow from the Northern Territory truly believe that the established powers of the imperial capital will allow him to monopolize its power?"
"Isn't that the truth? As the saying goes, the tallest tree catches the wind, and the first bird to fly gets shot. It's said that Xiao Bei Wang survived an ambush a year ago. I wonder if he can survive this time. Let's just wait and see!"
Overnight, the entire imperial capital's influential families and powers were alarmed. Of course, for organizations at the level of the Dragon Guard Pavilion and the Huaxia Alliance, these secular influential families could no longer participate. Even some members of the Celestial Strategy Mansion and the Wen Tian Pavilion could only observe from afar, or even hide away, fearing being caught in the crossfire.
As for the person at the center of it all, Xiao Yunlong, upon returning to Bei Yun Residence, chose to have a good night's sleep.
It had to be said that he had been extremely tired since arriving in the imperial capital. Now that he had dealt with the Wang family and the Long family one after another, things had finally come to a temporary conclusion, and he had avenged the ambush from a year ago.
However, Xiao Yunlong also knew that the Dragon Guard Pavilion and the Ancient Martial Huaxia Alliance would definitely not let this matter rest, and the next to be dispatched would likely be peak powerhouses at the level of Vice Pavilion Master or even Pavilion Master.
Peak powerhouses of this caliber would most likely be at the Divine Dao Realm, or even higher, Divine Pill Realm magnates.
With Xiao Yunlong's current martial cultivation, although he could contend with Divine Pill Realm experts, defeating them would still be a challenge. If the opponent had superior numbers, the situation would be rather unfavorable.
However, after eliminating eight stewards from the Dragon Guard Pavilion and the Huaxia Alliance at Taihang Mountain last night, especially after killing Long Jiutian and Feng Wu, Xiao Yunlong obtained over a dozen items containing spiritual energy from them. These items were sufficient for Xiao Yunlong to absorb and refine for some time.
Therefore, after resting for the night, Xiao Yunlong planned to go into seclusion again to cultivate after breakfast the next day.
However, at this very moment, the Third Grandmaster, Jingye Li, paid another visit, and this time he brought someone with him – an elder with graying hair and beard, who appeared even older than Jingye Li, at least eighty years old.
Xiao Yunlong glanced at him and immediately discerned the swirling Yin and Yang energies within the man's body, and even a faint circulation of Divine Dao energy. He now realized that this elder, dressed in a black long gown, was likely the Elder of the Dragon Guard Pavilion that the Third Grandmaster had mentioned earlier.
As soon as the Third Grandmaster, Jingye Li, entered the reception hall, he spoke, "I already know everything that happened at the foot of Sun Mountain last night. I truly never expected Yunlong's strength to have reached such a level!"
"Ye Li, is this the prodigy from the Northern Territory you were talking about?" the elder in the black gown suddenly asked.
Jingye Li quickly replied, "Yes, Senior Hou. This is Xiao Yunlong!"
Elder Hou Shanze, the elder protector from the Dragon Guard Pavilion, then turned and stared intently at Xiao Yunlong, as if trying to see through him.
Xiao Yunlong looked at him calmly, a slight smile on his face, because he could tell that although the elder was scrutinizing him, there was no malice.
After a long pause, Elder Hou Shanze sighed, "When Jingye Li told me about your situation, I was convinced you were indeed a martial arts prodigy, and I had even considered taking you as a disciple. But today..."
Upon hearing this, Jingye Li became anxious and quickly said, "Senior Hou, are you saying you don't intend to take Yunlong as a disciple anymore?"
Hou Shanze waved his hand and explained, "That's not quite right. It's not that I don't want to take him as a disciple; rather, with my seniority and cultivation, I am simply not qualified to take him as a disciple. To be honest, Ye Li, even standing in front of him now, I cannot discern the depth of his martial arts. I can only be certain of one thing: this young friend Xiao must have cultivated a very powerful technique!"
Speaking of this, Hou Shanze sighed and continued, "I didn't believe it when I was coming here, thinking it impossible for anyone from the secular world to defeat stewards of the Dragon Guard Pavilion consecutively, or even to defeat prodigies like Long Jiutian and Feng Wu. But seeing you now, I believe it. If my guess is correct, this young friend Xiao's martial cultivation has likely far surpassed the Yin Yang Realm, hasn't it?"
The Third Grandmaster was stunned upon hearing this, a look of profound shock appearing on his face. He was speechless for a long time.
Xiao Yunlong smiled without speaking, neither explicitly agreeing nor denying. In fact, Xiao Yunlong himself was not very clear about his current cultivation realm, as his cultivation technique was quite special and not categorized by the usual divisions of innate true qi, true essence, Yin Yang Realm, or Divine Dao Realm.
He simply continued to cultivate upwards, opening the Divine Kingdom within him and constantly enhancing his own strength. As for his specific cultivation realm, Xiao Yunlong was unsure, and there was no need to delve too deeply into it.
However, Elder Hou Shanze, the protector from the Dragon Guard Pavilion, suddenly added, "To possess such martial cultivation at such a young age is indeed a rare and exceptional prodigy. But you are too sharp, too exposed. As the saying goes, the tallest tree catches the wind, and the first bird to fly gets shot. Having offended so many forces and enemies at once, your situation is likely to be extremely precarious!"
The Third Grandmaster was jolted awake by this remark and quickly said, "Senior Hou, what you say is absolutely correct. Yunlong has killed Wang Chongshan of the Wang family and two prodigies from the Long and Feng families. The Vice Pavilion Master of the Dragon Guard Pavilion will certainly not let this matter rest. We must ask Senior Hou to help Yunlong out this time."
Hou Shanze immediately waved his hand and said, "You overestimate me, Ye Li. Even if I wanted to help, I would need the ability to do so. As you know, the masters of Long Jiutian and Feng Wu are Vice Pavilion Masters of the Dragon Guard Pavilion. Furthermore, there is also the Ancient Martial Huaxia Alliance. This time, I am truly powerless."
"Is there really no way?" Jingye Li appeared very anxious.
Hou Shanze frowned and said, "With this young friend Xiao's talent and ability, entering the Dragon Guard Pavilion would be no problem at all. But the current problem is, even if he enters the Dragon Guard Pavilion, it would be useless, as he has offended a Vice Pavilion Master. How about this, I will immediately go to the Outer Regions to find the Pavilion Master and try my best to report this matter to him. If he is willing to intervene, there might still be room for maneuver."
"Good, then there's no time to delay. Please hurry and find the Pavilion Master of the Dragon Guard Pavilion, Senior Hou, and report the entire matter. If the Pavilion Master is willing to take Yunlong as a disciple, then the matter can be easily resolved," Jingye Li said.
"This... it's not entirely impossible!" Hou Shanze gave Xiao Yunlong a final look, then cupped his hands slightly and turned to leave.
Only after Hou Shanze had completely departed did Jingye Li turn to Xiao Yunlong and say, "Yunlong, you must be clear about the current situation. Not only the Dragon Guard Pavilion but also the Ancient Martial Huaxia Alliance will likely target you. The Feng family will definitely not let this go. Based on my understanding of the Second Grandmaster, he will definitely try every means to deal with you. Therefore, my suggestion is that you leave this place of trouble for a while. Everything will depend on whether Senior Hou can find the Pavilion Master of the Dragon Guard Pavilion."
Xiao Yunlong waved his hand again and said, "Third Grandmaster, I said before that I will not choose to be a deserter again. Now that the Wang family and the Long family have been destroyed by me, I believe there should be no problem with me taking over the Celestial Strategy Mansion, right?"
Jingye Li sighed and said, "You are not someone who covets power. As the saying goes, you must give to receive. Only by preserving your life can we talk about other things in the future."
"Third Grandmaster, thank you for your concern, but I am confident that I can handle the upcoming situation. By the way, what is the attitude of the First Grandmaster currently?" Xiao Yunlong asked.
Jingye Li shook his head. "Before I came to Bei Yun Residence, the First Grandmaster had already communicated with me. He has finally agreed to let you take over the Celestial Strategy Mansion. I believe the decree of appointment will be issued soon, possibly today. But, have you really decided to stay in the imperial capital?"
"Yes, right here in the imperial capital. I'm not going anywhere!" Xiao Yunlong said resolutely.
"Very well, since you have such confidence, I can't say much more. Now that it has escalated to the Dragon Guard Pavilion, I am powerless. From now on, you can only rely on yourself. I wish you well. Farewell!" Jingye Li cupped his hands and left with a look of helplessness and powerlessness.
Xiao Yunlong personally escorted the elder away, then prepared to go into seclusion again.
However, shortly after Jingye Li left, the supervisor in charge of conveying various matters for the Wen Tian Pavilion arrived, bringing the appointment from the Wen Tian Pavilion.
Indeed, it was the official decree appointing Xiao Yunlong as the Celestial Strategy General, known as the Celestial Strategy War God!
"Xiao Bei Wang, oh no, Celestial Strategy War God, congratulations! To ascend to the Celestial Strategy Mansion and control the military forces of the Dragon Country at such a young age is truly a cause for great celebration!" this steward from the Wen Tian Pavilion repeatedly cupped his hands in congratulation and praise.
"Thank you!" Xiao Yunlong cupped his hands slightly, his mood not greatly stirred.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the steward from the Wen Tian Pavilion departed.
Following this, Zhuge Wushuang, Tu Fu, and the others came forward to offer their congratulations.
"Congratulations, Master, on taking over the Celestial Strategy Mansion and officially becoming the Celestial Strategy War God!"
"Master, should we go to the Celestial Strategy Mansion now?" Tu Fu asked with great anticipation.
Xiao Yunlong, however, was not in the mood. He waved his hand and said, "I am going into seclusion next. You take my token and go to the Celestial Strategy Mansion to take charge. During my seclusion, Zhuge Wushuang will temporarily serve as the Celestial Strategy General!"
Zhuge Wushuang was stunned upon hearing this and quickly said, "Master, this might not be appropriate. The decree of appointment has just been issued, and the ceremony hasn't even begun, yet you're going to be a hands-off manager, this..."
"The ceremony is just a formality. Who in the Celestial Strategy Mansion would dare to disobey now? I have limited time and don't want to deal with these tedious matters. You can handle things as you see fit. I estimate I will be in seclusion for a month before I emerge!"
After speaking, Xiao Yunlong waved his hand and walked towards the backyard without looking back, leaving Zhuge Wushuang, Tu Fu, and the others exchanging bewildered glances.
Looking at Xiao Yunlong's retreating back, Tang Bowen said thoughtfully, "It seems that Master's ambition is not just the Celestial Strategy Mansion, but the higher Dragon Guard Pavilion!"
"I see!" everyone nodded in agreement.