At the same time, Ming Qi stood on a high hill, gazing at the distant barbarian camp.
Surrounding him were five small puppets gleaming with black light. Their radiance was blinding, and their energy was brimming with blood. Just looking at them caused a shuddering sensation. The weapons wielded by each of the five puppets glowed with a vibrant red light.
Over the past three months, Ming Qi had slain nearly a hundred powerful barbarians and large demonic beasts, using their blood to nourish the five God-Slaying Immortals daily. Today, each of the God-Slaying Immortals has reached the peak of Martial Saint power. Combined with the God-Slaying Formation, it would be easy for the five to surround and slay a Martial Emperor.
The barbarians were formidable, and coupled with the large demonic beasts, each possessing Martial Saint-level combat power, Ming Qi now doubted whether the vast Arctic City could hold the barbarians back.
After three months of confrontation in the Collapse Valley, Arctic City has gradually become vulnerable. If the stalemate continues, Arctic City's defeat seems inevitable.
What if I ask Situ Jian for his men now?
Ming Qi had been pondering this question. His trip north was arguably solely due to the Oona incident, but now, after seeing Situ Jian's dedication in holding off the barbarian army, he hesitated.
As Arctic City serves as the shield of the Central Earth, Situ Jian is undoubtedly a hero. Single-handedly holding the northern frontier is something not everyone can achieve.
After much deliberation, Ming Qi decided that it would be sufficient to capture Situ Yanyun privately, without alerting Situ Jian. After all, Situ Jian was currently working for the peace of the Central Earth.
After some deliberation, Ming Qi was about to return to Arctic City when he suddenly felt a sudden awakening of enlightenment. He immediately sought a quiet place to calm down and contemplate.
Ming Qi's three-month journey through the northern snowfields, battling powerful barbarians, had significantly improved him, and his killing power had intensified. While he knew this wasn't a good thing, he could sense a growing sense of unease creeping in as his strength grew. Therefore, he wouldn't deliberately suppress his progress; whenever the opportunity presented itself, he would immediately take the next step.
What Ming Qi sensed at this moment was the sign of his impending entry into the late Martial Emperor realm.
The late Martial Emperor realm might not seem like a significant event for someone already at that level, but Ming Qi knew that once he reached it, he would be poised to reach the Martial Emperor realm. The Martial Emperor realm allowed him to explore the power of time and condense the true power of the Emperor, a significant step forward in strength. Ming Qi foresaw that once he reached the Martial Emperor realm, his enemies would be few and far between!
During this time, he had sensed that the slumbering North God seemed to be about to awaken. Once he did, he would learn much about the mysteries of the world and the heavens from him. Perhaps then, he would even be able to transcend realms.
Transcending realms was the first step, and indeed the prerequisite, for fulfilling his promise to the Holy Flame Martial Emperor!
Thus, he must continuously improve his strength, now and in the future! Until one day, he reached the pinnacle!
Entering the late Martial Emperor stage presented no significant bottlenecks. Ming Qi's mastery of energy was already a natural progression. All he needed to do now was to thoroughly reorganize the energy within his body, concentrating all his insights and making them even more profound and profound.
This process was remarkably peaceful and smooth.
Three days later, Ming Qi had safely entered the late Martial Emperor stage. The others remained by his side, following his instructions not to disturb anyone.
"It seems another powerful barbarian has joined the fray."
As Ming Qi opened his eyes, Yue Dongqing, who was standing beside him, relayed the information he had gathered over the past few days.
"A powerful barbarian?"
Ming Qi stood up and peered towards the barbarian camp. Sure enough, his spiritual sense detected several powerful auras within the camp. One in particular was incredibly powerful, even stronger than Situ Jian's own!
"It's an Emperor-level expert."
"Yes, just yesterday, Situ Jian of Beiji City engaged in a fierce battle with this powerful barbarian. The outcome seemed evenly matched, with neither side able to defeat the other."
Although Yue Dongqing wasn't particularly skilled, she observed the battle carefully, a fact that greatly satisfied Ming Qi.
Ming Qi withdrew his spiritual sense, glanced at the people around him, and asked, "What do you think of this war?"
Xing Yun smiled and said, "Let them fight their own battles; we'll just ignore them."
Xing Yun wasn't from the Tianhuang World, so naturally, she wasn't particularly interested in such a war. This response was understandable.
"The barbarians seem determined to win this time. If Situ Jian is defeated, the barbarian army will most likely march south and directly into the Central Land. That would be devastating."
Yue Dongqing was thoughtful and deeply concerned about the situation in the Central Land, so she was deeply concerned about the outcome of the war.
Ming Qi nodded. He fully agreed. If Beiji City was defeated, the barbarian army would undoubtedly march south, directly overwhelm Beiji City's defenses, and then enter the Central Land.
"The situation is grim. What should we do?"
Lu Ji and Ye Yuancheng were deeply concerned about Ming Qi's decision. After all, their group's actions were entirely determined by Ming Qi.
"Even if we take action now to resist the barbarian army, it won't play a crucial role in the overall situation. The only force that can influence the outcome of this battle is the Divine Realm. If the Divine Realm doesn't intervene, North Pole City's defeat is only a matter of time. We'll go to North Pole City and then return."
Ming Qi made his plans in a few words. He didn't intend to wade into this murky water. After all, the Divine Realm's continued inaction was truly strange.
North Pole City was still tens of thousands of miles away from the Collapse Valley, but for Ming Qi, that distance was a mere cup of tea. He ushered everyone into the Divine Map space and then cast the Golden Bridge of the Heavens. In a few leaps and bounds, he reached North Pole City.
"You remain within the divine map. I'll handle this matter."
With these instructions, Ming Qi stepped directly into North Pole City and headed straight for the massive City Lord's Mansion in the center.
North Pole City was quite prosperous. The battle in the Collapse Valley hadn't yet affected anything there. To these people, Situ Jian was an undefeated god of war. No enemy could possibly penetrate his defenses, so they lived in peace and security in North Pole City.
Along the way, he saw many well-dressed young men from wealthy families strolling and playing. Ming Qi paused and pulled someone over to inquire about Situ Yanyun's whereabouts.