As Ji Yuan gazed at the growing number of refugees gathering at the foot of Mount Xiaoyuan, his expression turned grim.
Thousands of refugees were already present in this single location, making it hard to imagine the sheer number that would flood in from the county town. With the Wangsheng Tower pulling strings from behind the scenes, a third of Feiyun Commandery had raised the banners of rebellion.
Not only were the imperial armies engaged in internecine conflict, but over a dozen powerful factions were also launching attacks in various directions. Some factions that refused to join the Wangsheng Tower suddenly faced utter annihilation. Within a mere few days, several sects that had stood for hundreds of years were directly attacked at their mountain gates by overwhelming force.
Several lineages were severed, and some powerful factions disintegrated. Even the imperial army suffered devastating blows. No one had anticipated that the Wangsheng Tower, in addition to secretly cultivating its own forces, had also trained tens of thousands of elite troops, catching the imperial court completely off guard. Coupled with the rebel-held territories, the Wangsheng Tower now commanded over 150,000 troops in Feiyun Commandery!
Just as the Prefectural Governor's office was requesting reinforcements from the Grand Prefect, they learned that rebel forces had also appeared in Qinghe Commandery, Tianhe Commandery, and Luoxia Commandery. The entire Lingyang Prefecture was plunged into extreme chaos.
"Something is not right!" Ji Yuan's expression turned serious. Such widespread turmoil could never be attributed to a single incident in Linfu County. As expected, a few days later, a piece of news spread like wildfire throughout the Great Yu Dynasty. The Heavenly Martial Emperor, who had once led his armies to conquer vast territories, had… passed away!
This emperor, who had spent his life on the battlefield, possessed a cultivation realm comparable to that of a great master. However, he had endured too many injuries. It was only through the life-extending spiritual items gathered by the entire nation that he had managed to live for over eight hundred years. Alas, he could no longer endure, and his lifespan had finally run out.
Upon hearing this news, Ji Yuan's eyes gleamed with sharp light. He found it difficult to believe that the emperor's death was as reported in the outside world, especially after the incident in Linfu County and learning of the Wangsheng Tower's existence! However, regardless of any hidden circumstances, it had little to do with him, a mere cultivator. Apart from the current turmoil and the ever-increasing number of refugees gathered at the foot of the mountain.
Mount Xiaoyuan was, after all, a temple. Apart from a few caretakers, only pilgrims would stay overnight, so not much food was prepared. Even if they purchased from the merchants on the street at the foot of the mountain, it would still be impossible to satisfy thousands of refugees.
Helplessly, Ji Yuan instructed Li Buwei to take a few cultivators and rush to Linfu County as quickly as possible. Fortunately, after confiscating the assets controlled by the Wangsheng Tower, the county yamen had no shortage of grain and other goods. Thus, they readily sold a large batch of supplies to Li Buwei at a low price. In addition to grain, there were also clothes, bedding, and tents.
Such a vast quantity of supplies could not be transported by a few cultivators alone, even with a Mountain River Bag. Therefore, around noon the next day, Li Buwei, along with a few others, managed to transport a small portion of the supplies back to the foot of Mount Xiaoyuan. After seeking instructions from Ji Yuan, Li Buwei immediately set off again, but this time he brought a number of conscripted refugees.
Linfu County was already flooded with tens of thousands of refugees, with countless more gathering outside, creating a chaotic situation where no amount of money could hire workers. Thus, he had to recruit twenty to thirty refugees from the foot of Mount Xiaoyuan to accompany them to retrieve the remaining supplies. Fortunately, although they were refugees, they had only traveled from two to three hundred li away. After eating and drinking their fill, they were still somewhat strong and capable of transporting the goods without much difficulty.
That evening, Ji Yuan manifested his divine power. He deliberately caused the Water God Temple on the mountain peak to shine with golden light, and then its golden effigy appeared before the multitude of refugees. He spared no effort, expending his divine power and accumulated incense offerings. He employed a divine technique he had comprehended himself, showering divine light upon all the refugees.
Although there were no earth-shattering effects, under the illumination of the divine light, all the refugees felt a warmth, and their depleted bodies recovered significantly. Minor ailments such as headaches and fevers were also healed as they bathed in the divine light. Even after the divine light dissipated, they felt no chill in the deep of the night, despite the absence of bonfires for warmth.
Sensing that the power of faith within the divine statue was more than half greater than before being consumed, Ji Yuan couldn't help but let out a wry smile. He turned his gaze, piercing through the Water God Temple, and fell upon the thousands of refugees at the foot of the mountain, his heart filled with a sense of unease.
About three to four hundred li away, a second-class county town had raised the banners of rebellion and launched attacks on the surrounding towns and villages, as well as various sects. These refugees were the result of these attacks, forced to flee their homes and gather here. According to the refugees' accounts, several sects that had existed for three to four hundred years had been massacred overnight. Under the rebels' blades, even the imperial army struggled to halt their advance.
Everything had happened too suddenly, and the armies stationed in a single location were of little use. The factions that had joined the rebels were already powerful and well-established. With their support, most of the trouble could be resolved without the Wangsheng Tower having to act personally.
"Master… are you worried?" Zhu Tao quietly approached the main hall. After a moment of contemplation, he asked.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded heavily. "At this rate, the flames of war will likely engulf this area before long." If it were ordinary mortal armies, it would be manageable. Simply eliminating the generals would cause them to collapse. After all, they were just a rabble. The elite armies trained by the Wangsheng Tower were still in the heart of Feiyun Commandery, confronting the imperial forces. However, the difficulty lay in the numerous factions that accompanied the rebel armies. Many of them originated from powerful factions and great sects, with individuals at the Third Realm among them.
Even sects with established lineages could not withstand such a force, with their mountain gates being breached overnight. Ji Yuan did not believe that the dozen or so cultivators of Mount Xiaoyuan could accomplish what those sects could not. And yet, he himself could not leave. Unless he abandoned his nascent divine path, risking the collapse of his golden body and the destruction of his coalesced divine spark.
"If the situation becomes untenable, you should leave first. Bypass the rebel-held territories and return to the Nine Xuan Sect's market town as quickly as possible." After a long period of deliberation, Ji Yuan instructed Zhu Tao behind him. As for himself, if it came to it, he could hide within the water currents. As long as a cultivator who was not at the peak of the Third Realm or a Golden Core stage great cultivator personally arrived, they should not be able to detect any trace of him.