Chapter 255: Chapter 254: The War of City Annihilation
After nearly a year away, Northwest Martial University was no longer the same. The once-bustling campus he first remembered now had far fewer students coming and going.
Before returning to the academy with An Ling to see his senior brother, Zhai Song, Jiang Qiu first took Ice Lotus to Room 18 in the true disciple dorms—the place where he used to live.
CLICK—
He inserted the dark gold key into the lock and turned it gently. Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Qiu’s gaze lingered on the number plate of the adjacent door—Number 17.
Ever since she went to North Border City, Liu Zili had been completely unreachable. Her account was always grayed out and offline, and now, dust had even settled on her doorknob.
’It seems a lot of major events have happened in the country,’ he thought, ’but I haven’t had the chance to catch up on any of them.’
"Jiang Qiu..."
Her clear voice pulled Jiang Qiu’s attention back. He snapped out of his daze, pushed the door open, and led Ice Lotus into the room he hadn’t returned to in so long. "Go on in. I have to go see my senior brother in a bit. You stay here for now, and don’t go wandering outside."
"Okay."
Ice Lotus nodded obediently, her clear gaze pulling away from the mysterious door of Room 17 to follow Jiang Qiu’s gesture, taking in every corner of the apartment.
The room was much more spacious than their room at the Xia Country Hotel in North Border City. The walls were clean and white, the glass panes so clear and bright they faintly reflected the image of Jiang Qiu holding her hand.
And best of all, it even had a private Cultivation Chamber!
Her star-like eyes danced from the sofa and chairs to the chandelier on the ceiling. At the thought that this was where Jiang Qiu had once lived, Ice Lotus’s heart skipped a beat, and a faint blush bloomed on her pale cheeks.
"Right, you can hang out here for a bit. If you need to take a bath, there’s a bathtub inside."
Jiang Qiu slid open the glass bathroom door, indicating that the large bathtub—big enough for two people—was for her to use. After she nodded in understanding, he left the apartment and headed to the academy with An Ling.
"An Ling, do you know where Liu Zili went?" Worried An Ling might not remember who he was talking about, Jiang Qiu added, "She’s the girl who came to the university with me, Instructor Shangguan Yue’s third direct disciple."
"Liu Zili..." An Ling murmured, recalling the events from half a year ago. "Back when you were intercepted by [Feng Li] during the rookie tournament, the university discovered that special larvae from the original Red Flame Spider Mother had infiltrated the school. Many people were affected. During the major investigation conducted by inspection teams from all the academies, Liu Zili was the only direct disciple of an instructor found to be infested by the larvae.
"At the time, most of the students and staff infested by the Red Flame Spider Mother’s larvae lost control of their minds; a large number were even forced to commit suicide. But Instructor Shangguan discovered the problem with Liu Zili in time and began treatment, which managed to stabilize her condition.
"However, the special larva left behind by the Red Flame Spider Mother had all but bonded with Liu Zili. Not even the dean of the Refining Academy could eradicate it. In the end, Instructor Shangguan had no choice but to take her back to Jiangnan Province..."
Hearing this, Jiang Qiu’s tense heart eased somewhat.
’It’s true that An Ling mentioned the university went through a major inspection, and that hundreds of staff members were affected. But I never expected Liu Zili to be one of the victims.’
’But since Instructor Shangguan was willing to take her to Jiangnan, the problem probably isn’t too severe. After all, Jiangnan is the most advanced region in the country for the Refining Realm. They even produced a Refining Grandmaster who used Advanced Su Fragrance to achieve Dragon Transformation.’
’Though it wasn’t a true transformation into a member of the Dragon Race, they still acquired some draconic features, and the boost in power was astounding. For a Grandmaster like that to emerge from Jiangnan, you can just imagine their level of refining expertise.’
’Besides, Shangguan Yue herself is a refining genius from Jiangnan. She’s still young, so she must have had a brilliant instructor, and that instructor might have had an instructor of their own. She probably knows some of the top Su Fragrance Grandmasters over there. If someone of that caliber takes action, dealing with the Red Flame Spider Mother’s larva should be a piece of cake.’
’Although the Red Flame Spider Mother caused a lot of trouble for the Northwest Province in the past, and her threat as a Demon King was terrifying, she’s a thing of the past now. Her special larva shouldn’t be able to cause any major problems.’
’After all, [Chen]’s Blood Sacrifice Rebirth was simply too vicious. It essentially handed over the Red Flame Spider Mother’s century of cultivation to someone else on a silver platter, leaving almost nothing behind...’
Noticing that the slight furrow in Jiang Qiu’s brow had relaxed, An Ling subconsciously paused, swallowing the words she was about to say.
’The Northwest Province is plagued by constant war right now,’ An Ling thought. ’It’s better not to distract Senior Jiang Qiu...’
On the way to the academy, An Ling told Jiang Qiu more about the war situation in the Northwest Province, giving him a much more detailed account than the brief version he had heard from Grandmaster Zhu.
"Ever since the battle at North Border City ended and the Northern Wilderness Great Secret Realm opened, the Kunlun Demon Clan, which had been biding their time, launched a war of annihilation against Tianshan City under the leadership of [Chen], striking with the speed of lightning.
"After regrouping, the Kunlun Demon Clan had somehow managed to replenish the Demon Marshals and Demon Generals slain by Grandmaster Luo Beixing in less than a year. The Ten Great Demon Marshals led the assault on Tianshan City, slaughtering over a million people in a single day!
"The event shocked the entire nation. Although everyone had anticipated a major move from the Kunlun Demon Clan, no one expected it to happen so soon—several months earlier than predicted.
"Caught completely off guard, the other cities didn’t have time to dispatch Martial Artists as reinforcements. By the time Northwest Martial University’s relief force arrived, Tianshan City was already in ruins. Many instructors and upper-year students from Northwest Martial University died protecting the civilians who were being evacuated by the city’s defenders during their breakout. The leader of the relief force, Grandmaster Luo Beixing, also engaged several Demon Marshals in battle.
"After that battle, Tianshan City fell completely. One of the defending Grandmasters was overwhelmed by enemy numbers and beheaded, and several other defending Grandmasters fell in the city.
"Nearly all of Tianshan City’s Martial Artists who weren’t away on missions at the time were killed in action. Only a very small number managed to lead students and civilians in a successful breakout and rendezvous with the Martial Arts University’s relief force.
"In the aftermath, the provincial government was furious and the Capital City was enraged. They organized multiple waves of Martial Artists from other provinces to reinforce the Northwest, determined to reclaim Tianshan City.
"After all, Tianshan City was a city of immense strategic importance. It served as a chokepoint, cutting off the Kunlun Demon Clan’s north-south lines of communication and preventing their forces from coordinating. This was why the Red Flame Spider Mother had repeatedly tried to wear down Tianshan City’s strength in the past. With the city lost, the Kunlun Demon Clan’s territories were now completely connected, threatening the entire Northwest Province.
"But the power displayed by the Demon Race under [Chen]’s command during the city’s annihilation was simply too overwhelming. They used an ancient method of Realm classification: Peeping Dao Realm experts were Demon Generals, and Dao Entry Realm experts were Demon Marshals. Ten Dao Entry Realm experts and fifty to sixty Peeping Dao Realm experts—a force of that magnitude was enough to shake the entire Northwest Province.
"This wasn’t something a single city could withstand. And if they were to mobilize a large number of high-level Martial Artists specifically to counter this force, it could easily inflict fundamental losses on the nation’s overall strength.
"And to make matters worse, while all this was happening, the East Coast was suddenly hit by a fierce assault from Sang Island, with an investment of forces second only to the battle that annihilated Tianshan City..."
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