Can prevent

The tremendous force that struck the wall shattered it instantly. Caught off guard, Jiang Feng fell straight from the top. In the rush, he managed to grab a nearby branch and swung with all his might.

The branch snapped, and his arm gave a sharp crack—a surge of pain shot through him. Gritting his teeth, he let the momentum carry him outward, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. He rolled twice before coming to a halt.

Turning his head, he locked eyes with a cold, indifferent stare.

It belonged to a burly giant wielding a massive hammer—golden light flickered along its surface, marking it as a treasured weapon. With a single swing, he had demolished the wall, breaking the blockade in an instant.

He glanced at Jiang Feng and said, "Quick on your feet." Then, shifting his gaze, he strode inside.

Jiang Feng pressed his left hand to his right arm and immediately assessed his injury: the bone was broken. Given his constitution, it would take about fifteen minutes before he could fight again, and a full recovery would require roughly an hour and a half.

He refrained from using his golden blood energy, his gaze darkening as he slipped away.

The arrival of this hammer-wielding giant confirmed his suspicions.

Perhaps the order to kill and lock everyone in had indeed come from the ranks of the Underflow Sect, and all of this had been orchestrated well in advance.

Were they smashing the wall to rescue those inside?

No—they only wanted to escalate the chaos!

Sure enough, a roar echoed from the sky: "How dare you, scoundrels!"

The crisp sound of hooves rang out as a man riding a Mindquake Beast descended from the air, the beast’s hooves striking toward the giant!

The giant swung his hammer up, bellowing, "You, Youzong! What are you trying to do, locking people inside? I’m telling you, no matter how powerful Lord Underflow gets, he has no jurisdiction over Hezhong County!"

Youzong replied sternly, "Stop, Liang Liu-chao. This is the best way to handle things—don’t you understand?"

Liang Liu-chao roared back, "Cheating during the Amaterasu preliminary, and now trying to eliminate all witnesses after being discovered—is that what you call the best way? Out of my sight! I, Liang Liu-chao, will never agree! You disciples of Underflow, get out of Hezhong County at once!"

Youzong frowned, "If you’re so obstinate, then I have no choice—"

The Mindquake Beast’s four hooves slammed down, colliding with the giant’s hammer. A shockwave rippled outward from their clash, invisible yet devastating.

The air itself trembled with a boom; the ground around them cracked open, trees splintered, stone slabs shattered, and a storm of leaves and debris burst in every direction.

Jiang Feng was caught in the shockwave, rolling backward twice before the force dissipated.

His eyes swept the scene, pupils contracting instantly.

Outside the walls, bodies lay scattered everywhere!

Most of them bled from every orifice—a clear result of the Mindquake Beast’s direct attack.

Further out, just like Liang Liu-chao and Youzong, two groups had already clashed. On one side, men in yellow uniforms—the local Hezhong County militia; on the other, blue robes with black patterns—all disciples of Underflow!

Besides these two factions, a large number of examinees and local residents were present. The latter, sensing danger, immediately fled home and bolted their doors. The examinees, hearing Liang Liu-chao’s words, displayed a mix of disbelief and sudden realization, their expressions turning to fury.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "No wonder I failed the exam—so there was cheating!"

Another voice chimed in, "Right! Someone inside just said all the beasts used in the exam were drugged—they were far stronger than expected!"

"Is there any proof?"

"That person said they saw it in the county office—we’ll know if we go in and check!"

With a single cry, the crowd surged to the gates, trying to rush inside.

Jiang Feng’s eyes narrowed. His keen observation and prior vigilance meant his gaze first fell upon those who had started shouting. Each of them shifted their eyes, shouting loudly but making no move to actually charge ahead. Clearly, their goal was to incite chaos!

It had to be said—such provocation was extremely effective.

The mood in Hezhong County had already been tense, as if sitting atop a barrel of gunpowder ready to explode at any moment.

The blockade of the county office, the shattered wall, the militia and Underflow disciples at war, and now these inciting shouts—everything had combined to ignite the powder keg.

All the independent examinees quickly converged, clambering over the walls in a frenzied rush.

Youzong could no longer spare a thought for Liang Liu-chao. He mounted the Azure Cloud Beast, soared high, and bellowed, "Hear my order! Anyone attempting to break into the county office is to be killed without mercy!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Underflow disciples responded in unison, breaking away from the county militia to encircle the county office.

Near a side gate, an independent examinee tried to force his way in. An Underflow disciple shouted, flames blazing up his arm as he swung a burning fist at the man’s face.

Such battles erupted all along the wall’s perimeter.

Once the fighting started, it became unstoppable. Blood blossomed everywhere by the walls, the clash of force and flesh shattering bones with every blow.

The independents had numbers, but the Underflow disciples were stronger. For a time, the mere two-meter wall became an impenetrable barrier, as solid as iron.

Liang Liu-chao bellowed, "Underflow disciples, have you no shame!"

He charged forward, swinging his giant hammer and smashing another section of wall with thunderous force. In an instant, the boundaries broke—independent exam-takers flooded into the county office.

Cradling his injured arm, Jiang Feng leapt onto a rooftop and crouched.

With the militia's support, the independents now matched the Underflow disciples in strength. The disciples wounded many, but could not stem the tide into the county office.

Blood flooded the ground; bodies fell one after another—dead, gravely injured...

In the blink of an eye, the Amaterasu preliminary had become a massacre.

Youzong charged down on his Azure Cloud Beast, crimson spear in hand. With a casual sweep, several independents burst into flames, collapsing with anguished screams.

Liang Liu-chao raced over, intercepting Youzong. The two were evenly matched; spear and hammer clashed, stirring the air and kicking up clouds of shattered stone.

Crouched on the eaves, Jiang Feng watched the carnage below, his heart pounding so fiercely it felt as if it might burst from his chest.

The fracture in his right arm was healing, the wound itching intolerably, like tiny insects crawling from the break to cover his body.

Within the Heartseed, the internal whirlpool began to spin faster, setting the Celestial Mechanism Cube in motion.

Data from all around him formed in his mind, flowing into the Celestial Mechanism Cube.

Suddenly, his pupils shrank as he looked toward a certain spot outside the wall.

Standing in a corner was someone who had not joined the fighting, merely standing there. This was no Heartseed cultivator—just a thin, ordinary boy, looking barely eleven or twelve—Chong Fan!

Only then did Jiang Feng remember: Chong Fan had come with him. He’d let the boy wander off alone in Hezhong County, but now everything had changed, and Chong Fan was still by himself!

The crowd was in chaos—Chong Fan could be caught up at any moment.

Jiang Feng didn’t know if the boy’s family might be nearby, watching, but regardless, he could not leave him alone in the midst of battle!

His gaze sharpened; the data he had gathered instantly mapped out a direct path to Chong Fan.

He sprang from the eaves, shooting across like an arrow, ducking and weaving through combatants until he reached Chong Fan’s side.

He scooped Chong Fan up, calling, "It’s dangerous here—come with me!"

Chong Fan stared, momentarily stunned at his sudden appearance. Then his waist tightened as Jiang Feng slung him over his shoulder.

Scanning the area, Jiang Feng dashed to a nearby building by the county office. The structure had been cleverly built—several rooms joined together leaving a gap in the middle, just large enough to hide one person.

He set Chong Fan down, speaking rapidly, "Stay hidden here. Don’t move until things settle down."

Glancing aside with a frown, he pulled a dagger from his belt and handed it to Chong Fan. "Keep this for protection, but don’t draw it unless it’s absolutely necessary. You—"

He meant to say more, but Chong Fan suddenly raised his eyes, and Jiang Feng was startled.

On the battlefield, with no means to defend himself, the boy’s eyes showed not a trace of panic. He glanced at Jiang Feng’s arm and asked, "What happened to your hand?"

Jiang Feng had carried and set him down using only his left arm; his right seemed useless.

"It’s broken. Nothing serious," Jiang Feng replied lightly.

Chong Fan lowered his head, running his fingers over the dagger. It was the same one he’d bought for Jiang Feng at the last half-moon market, and now it was the only weapon he possessed.

He looked up again, calmly meeting Jiang Feng’s gaze. "What’s really happening here?"

Jiang Feng frowned, glancing anxiously back at the battlefield. "Someone is trying to exploit Lord Underflow’s grave injuries to stir up this incident, slander him, and weaken his power."

Chong Fan paused, asking, "Why do you think so?"

Even in this crisis, the boy kept questioning—Jiang Feng felt a trace of impatience, but answered, "Because it doesn’t make sense. Lord Underflow is gravely wounded; he should be at his weakest. If his followers couldn’t see that, how could he have risen so quickly to become the greatest force in Zhuguo? He’s strong, yes—but no one rises alone!"

Chong Fan mulled this over, then asked, "What do you want to do now?"

Jiang Feng drew a deep breath. "Honestly, I despise Lord Underflow—he’s my greatest enemy! If I could, I’d do anything to bring him down!"

Chong Fan’s eyes flickered, listening silently.

Jiang Feng looked toward the raging battlefield, the sound of battle and screams ringing out, rivers of blood flowing before his eyes. His expression was grave.

"But not by these means!" he ground out. "Why should these independents, these examinees for the Amaterasu preliminary, be used as pawns? They came here to take an exam—why should they be trapped in this web of intrigue?"

He declared, "I want to do everything I can to stop this, to the best of my ability!"

Chong Fan followed his gaze, disgust twisting his features.

"You’re right," he nodded. "What they’ve done is truly vile!"

He stood up straight, grasping Jiang Feng’s hand. "Yes—you can stop this!"