After the catastrophe struck, the court was already in name only. Once the catastrophe ended, Chen Shi used thunderous means to annihilate the Yan Family, leading the twelve families including Xia, Li, and Zhang to exercise much caution. As of now, the Western Capital has yet to be rebuilt.

The original court officials, if not dead, are scattered among the countryside.

Chen Tang traveled around connecting with able ministers of the court. Along his journey, he saw that the provinces were suffering, with many rebel forces occupying mountains as kings, oppressing the common people. The people's lives were not much better than during the catastrophe.

"Lady says rightly, this chaos must end soon."

He arrived at Li County in Wanzhou Province, looking for several Dali Temple officials. Red Mountain Hall had been gathering information, indicating that several minor officials from Dali Temple resided in Li County, and he just needed to visit them.

He came to a tea stall outside the county and ordered a pot of tea, asking the old man selling tea, "Elder, I'm inquiring about someone here. Is there someone named Shen Zhou, around forty years old, originally an official in the Western Capital, who returned home during the catastrophe."

As soon as he spoke, everyone in the tea stall looked at him in sync.

The old man selling tea smiled and said, "What's Mr. Chen inquiring about Shen Zhou for? Shen Zhou isn't any notable official, merely Ninth Grade, not worth Mr. Chen's personal visit."

Chen Tang raised an eyebrow, looking at the people in the tea stall, saying, "Hu Zhou Fei Family?"

The old tea seller lifted a copper teapot, poured tea for him personally, and smiled saying, "Hu Zhou is not far from Wanzhou; both are provinces near the Five Great Lakes. Mr. Chen has been running east and west these days, trying his utmost to win over court ministers for the rebel Chen Shi, and upon arriving in Wanzhou, as neighbors, how can my Fei Family not treat you sincerely? Otherwise, we'd be said to have lost etiquette."

Chen Tang looked at the old tea seller and asked, "Which clan elder of the Fei Family are you?"

"Fei Jiu."

The old tea seller sat opposite him, smiling, "The humble me, the previous Sect Master of the Fei Family."

Chen Tang was somewhat bewildered, "Has the Fei Family resorted to deploying the former Sect Master to deal with me?"

Fei Jiu raised the teacup, smiling, "Mr. Chen, your son desires to be True King, then you are the Supreme Emperor of the rebels. To capture the Supreme Emperor, deploying the former Sect Master is not excessive. We are here not solely to oppose Mr. Chen but to ask Mr. Chen for a way to live."

Chen Tang lifted the tea but did not drink it, saying, "The Fei Family, one of the Thirteen Families, is wealthy and powerful, controlling countless ghost god armies in hell with the Eighteen Layers of Hell. Why does the Fei Family need a way out from me?"

Fei Jiu's face showed sincerity, saying, "My Fei Family does not wish to fight the Chen Family to the death. The Fei Family does not aim to be True King; the Fei Family can support Chen Shi as True King, can support the Chen Family as the royal family or even the imperial family! Furthermore, my Fei Family can also support the Chen Family in attacking other families, aiding the Chen Family in unifying the world! My Fei Family's members, and even millions of ghost god armies in the underworld, can all be used by the Chen Family! The Fei Family only asks for one thing."

He drank the cup of tea, put down the tea bowl, with almost a flattering smile, saying, "This matter is to give the Fei Family its current status, no increase or decrease. Mr. Chen, this request is considered low, isn't it?"

The experts from the Fei Family in the tea stall had faces of sorrowful anger. The Fei Family, high above as one of the Thirteen Families, when had they ever been so humble?

Using countless clansmen's lives, using the Fei Family's accumulation over thousands of years, to aid Chen Shi in achieving hegemonic power without asking for anything, is a great humiliation for the Fei Family.

Chen Tang looked at the tea water in the bowl, with a smile concealing in his eyes, "I refuse."

Fei Jiu was slightly taken aback.

The experts from the Fei Family in the tea stall were suddenly furious, rising with killing intent erupting.

Fei Jiu raised his hand, halted them, stared into Chen Tang's eyes, asking, "Why?"

"The purpose of our uprising is to overthrow you. If you all surrender, who do we fight?"

Chen Tang smiled, "Uprising isn't doing business, it's not hosting a banquet with tea and meals, but to eradicate the parasites sucking blood off the common people, to bring down the lofty ones, and to vent the people's anger. If you all surrender, how do we appease the people worldwide?"

Fei Jiu sighed, smiling, "Years ago, your father caused a stir in the Western Capital, the Thirteen Families stepped forward to block him, I was the first to defeat him. We, the Thirteen Families, let him see the world, and when he turned back, he could see all gods from the Upper Realm watching him."

He stared at Chen Tang, "This matter, your father didn't tell you, right?"

Chen Tang said, "Now my father is safe and sound, the Upper Realm, where does it stand?"

Fei Jiu struck a palm, an arc of light manifested behind his head, overwhelming mana enveloped Chen Tang's body instantly!

At the moment his Daoist skill exploded, Chen Tang's Void Great Realm had transformed into Xuanwei Sword, blocking Fei Jiu's overwhelming mana!

Simultaneously, his other hand withdrew a box from the void, fingers swiftly brushed away, with a click, the box opened. Dolls flew out of the box, transforming into majestic Fu Shen Tianji, resembling heavenly gods, with eight arms, awe-inspiring.

Thirty-seven Fu Shen Tianji descended, thirty-seven overlapping Ghost God Domains suppressed everything!

The scores of Fei Family experts in the tea stall just formed a formation but were suppressed by the Ghost God Domain, unable to wield their mana, hearts in great shock.

Even Fei Jiu, at the peak of the Mahayana Realm, felt his power severely suppressed!

Chen Tang's Xuanwei Sword whizzed through his palm, piercing his hand, the sword tip pointing at his throat.

At this moment, the earth thunderously quaked, the area several hundred miles around Li County was drawn into darkness by a mighty force, and the next moment, the entire Li County fell into the underworld!

"Chen Tang!"

All around, massive arms emerged from the earth's depths, striving to climb, they were countless ghost gods climbing from hell into the underworld!

These ghost gods revealed their forms, their aura surged, breaking the suppression of thirty-seven Fu Shen Tianji.

They were too strong, accumulating incense from countless ghost gods over thousands of years, some Fei Family ghost gods cultivating divine power far surpassing Mahayana!

Among them, the Yin Commander and Judges could already stand alongside the strongest in Mahayana.

This time it was a trap aimed at Chen Tang to capture the Chen Family's Supreme Emperor, forcing Chen Shi into a difficult position.

Fei Jiu immediately took the opportunity to sidestep, avoiding Chen Tang's Xuanwei Sword, leaving a blood mark on his neck.

Chen Tang flipped his palm, and the Xuanwei Sword sliced half of his hand, its light shaking. In the next moment, everyone was surrounded by the sword light of the Xuanwei Sword, within a hundred miles, like a vast ocean of Sword Qi!

He cultivated one of the Ten Books of Cultivation, the Xuanwei Sword Scripture, rarely touching other cultivation techniques, yet he had developed this technique to the extreme!

He found himself surrounded, but remained exceptionally calm, as if the entrapment wasn't upon him, but upon the Fei Family.

In their panic, everyone hurriedly defended against the Sword Qi surging from all directions, while Chen Tang wielded his sword forward, almost engaging in close combat with Fei Jiu!

Both sides fought swiftly, in an instant, Fei Jiu retreated a thousand miles, darting beneath the Ghost Gods, who clumsily reached for Chen Tang but collided with sword lights, fearing to harm Fei Jiu.

Chen Tang's Sword Intent surged like a tide, moving relentlessly forward, advancing a thousand miles, abruptly retracting his sword, tearing open the void, passing through the rift, returning to the Mortal World before the Ghost Gods could encircle him.

At that moment, thirty-seven Fu Shen Tianji had already slain the other Fei Family experts, quickly catching up, consecutively entering the rift.

Fei Jiu steadied his stance, ready to prevent Chen Tang's escape, but suddenly his face changed slightly, as Sword Qi burst from his body, tearing through his chest.

Before he could react, Sword Qi erupted from his front and back, limbs, and entire body, instantly leaving his Physical Body and Primordial Spirit riddled with holes!

Fei Jiu became a bloody figure, standing there with a fierce expression.

"What a fast sword! Chen Tang, you have surpassed Chen Yindou of those times!"

He stood there stiffly, not daring to move.

For if he moved, he would be torn apart!

In such a short time, the damage inflicted upon him, a top expert, was truly terrifying.

The Ghost Gods of the Fei Family arrived, but saw Fei Jiu standing motionless; it was too late to intercept Chen Tang.

"Don't touch me!"

Fei Jiu was covered in blood, yet cold sweat poured from his forehead, eyes wide as he shouted, "Help me suppress the injury, I'm barely holding it back!"

Unable to suppress it, he would explode and die!

The Ghost Gods promptly exerted their Divine Power to suppress his injuries.

Fei Jiu sighed with relief, muttering, "Chen Tang of the Chen Family is no weaker than the old demon Chen Yindou!"

In the Mortal World, yet more Fei Family experts pursued, but couldn't hold Chen Tang, exchanging a few moves, avoiding his sword stance, then looking again, Chen Tang was already far away.

They watched from afar, each filled with dread.

"Chen Tang, the weakest of the Chen Family's three generations, still not to be underestimated!"

Chen Tang escaped from peril, now never going empty-handed, always carrying a wooden box, wherever he went.

He roamed in search of capable ministers and generals, encountering several more assassination attempts from other Families, each full of peril, yet he recognized the danger early and fled quickly, avoiding entrapment.

Jiajing 6648 Autumn, the eighth day of September.

Chen Tang returned to Xinxiang, arriving at the capital of Xinxiang Province.

The name had been changed to Imperial Capital.

Back in the True King Era, the capital of Xinxiang Province was called Emperor City, as the National Capital of the West Bull New Continent was initially built here, later abandoned due to a disaster outbreak.

Rumors said the source of that catastrophe was cultivators at the time excavating an Immortal from underground Grotto Heaven, leading to an evil transformation upon contact with the outside world. Another rumor held that a Fairy underwent Tribulation Crossing here, drawing many observers, resulting in evil transformation amid the crossing, causing the disaster, leading to tens of thousands of cultivators also undergoing evil transformation, with numerous casualties, forcing the True King to relocate the capital.

The capital relocation was so ancient, nobody knew the precise reason anymore.

Yet today, the entire Imperial Capital was festively decorated.

As Chen Tang passed through the gates of the Imperial Capital, he saw heaps of vivid yellow chrysanthemums along the roadside, and chrysanthemums adorned the walls and corners.

Suddenly, an ancient poem surfaced in his mind, and he began to chant, gradually transforming into a resounding voice, flying from his mouth.

"When autumn comes on the eighth of September!

After my flowers bloom all others die!

The fragrance pierces the skies to Chang'an!

The whole city is gilded in golden armor!"

"The sky unchanged for sixteen thousand years is about to change!"

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