Peace Order-Chapter 1142 - 53: Severing Karma

The Nine Provinces Tripod bell rang out, shaking everything, as Li Guanyi’s entire body surged with Grandmaster-level energy. His steps halted for a moment, and instinctively he raised his palm, his gaze falling on the misty aura covering it.

The path Li Guanyi walks is that of unifying the nation, the Nine Provinces becoming one.

An approach fueled by his Dharma Form that absorbs the nation’s destiny, and the path of battlefield dominance with chilling power. With One Sword, One Bow, he slayed the [White Emperor’s Destiny], the Geng Metal White Tiger, and absorbed their energy, claiming the destiny of the Dangxiang Kingdom for himself.

At this moment, as Li Guanyi stepped into the royal city, change finally took place.

"...Dangxiang Kingdom’s destiny."

Li Guanyi’s eyes held a slight shift of expression, sensing the lively stirring of his Inner Qi, a feeling of tides surging within. The Dangxiang Kingdom was now on the verge of ruin, its capital city in extreme crisis, and its people in dire straits.

Under such circumstances, Li Guanyi carried the Dangxiang Kingdom’s destiny with him to this place.

It was as if a pot of icy water was poured into boiling oil.

Instantly, there was transformation.

Li Guanyi suppressed the changes within his Inner Qi, revealing no anomalies, merely leading the group out of the place. Hao Yuanxia darted ahead, followed closely by Li Guanyi, as several loud shouts echoed.

"Someone!"

As Li Guanyi rushed forward, he saw a few armored soldiers spot Hao Yuanxia. They were about to strike, but upon seeing Li Guanyi and the others emerge, their faces changed dramatically; they were about to shout when Li Guanyi flicked his hand, launching Qi Force onto their acupoints.

The armored soldiers fell to the ground, passing out directly.

Hao Yuanxia pushed the soldier off him and rushed out, glancing around before saying: "It’s the northwest area of the city, originally an ancient fortress, later expanded in city shipments, becoming a place to store military armaments and food."

"Food?"

Li Guanyi frowned slightly, striding over to open a warehouse door. Soldiers attacked, but he subdued them with ease. Inside was a wealth of food, abundant and plentiful, although the food at the bottom was nearly moldy.

Li Guanyi once again looked outward from the fortress, seeing the entire Dangxiang royal city in a dismal gray state. His face grew grave, as Hao Yuanxia failed to immediately perceive any issues, yet noticed Li Guanyi’s peculiar expression, prompting him to inquire. Li Guanyi pursed his lips forcibly.

Wen He said: "The tree bark is gone."

Hao Yuanxia froze, then looked around again, noticing the trees and branches in the royal city appeared much shorter, and the bark had vanished. The princely heir, despite the immense suffering he had endured, didn’t grasp what this meant immediately.

Wen He added: "The royal city is situated near an oasis, rich in trees and resources. But looking at it now, the shortened branches indicate that leaves and tender shoots have been cut, and the bark has disappeared, with knife marks where people stripped the bark away."

"The city’s people, having eaten all the food, have moved on to eating leaves, branches, and now tree bark."

"Yet the food in the official granaries is already left to mold and rot."

"Word is that during the Wolf King’s strategic shifts, some Dangxiang nobility charged forward bravely. So it seems that among those nobles, the ones daring to battle have already been trampled by the Wolf King’s hooves."

"As for the remaining nobles and officials in the city now."

Hao Yuanxia’s face changed, murmuring: "Those who neither have courage nor bravery, who dare not charge forward, yet survived?"

Wen He nodded and replied: "The elite have all perished; what’s left are mere dregs."

Li Guanyi spoke solemnly: "Let’s go."

Shaking Light performed Mystical Skills, concealing the group’s presence, and each changed into protective armor as they moved along the road, observing the city’s people were extremely emaciated. The winter sky was gloomy, with heavy clouds pressing down, and frost forming in all directions.

The city’s people wore somewhat thin clothing, revealing skinny arms with visible bone outlines. On the road, you could occasionally see those who froze to death or starved to death, starkly contrasting with the food storages seen just moments before.

Wild dogs gathered in groups on the streets, gnawing at fallen people.

Hao Yuanxia’s eyes reddened as he charged out with a knife, yelling to scare the wild dogs.

Wild dogs warily watched him, biting someone’s arm and running away. Hao Yuanxia shouted as he rushed forward, lowering his head to look at a woman who lay dead on the roadside, her clothes partially undone to reveal a shriveled chest. In her arms, an infant silently sucking at her breast, both frozen and starved to death.

Hao Yuanxia staggered, sinking to his knees, staring at the Dangxiang corpses, body trembling, eyes red.

At this moment, direct revulsion overcame him for what his birthplace father had done. The dogs, unafraid of people, gathered in packs, eyeing them, drooling.

These beasts had become accustomed to feeding on humans, considering nearby humans as hunting targets.

Suddenly, the wild dogs whimpered, bodies trembling as they lay down, tails tucked.

Hao Yuanxia saw Li Guanyi coming over, with Qi Force erupting into the air, causing the wild dogs to perish. Li Guan spoke: "Let’s go."

Hao Yuanxia wiped his eyes, clenching his teeth as he stood.

He took Li Guanyi, Wen He, and Shaking Light to search for those who had previously remained loyal to him, witnessing along the way scenes of extreme devastation, striking in their horror, filled with many who starved to death. Though the marketplace was bustling, they sold no food or meat; rather, they sold a certain soil.

Claimed to be a gift from celestial beings, a soil that, when mixed with water, could be made into nang cakes to fill the stomach. Li Guanyi saw the people around him with withered faces and large protruding stomachs, their ribs prominent.