Feng Zikang gently descended to the ground, holding Fairy Tianfu. Her face was pale, and a flicker of apprehension showed in her eyes. "This... this is such potent Ill Omen Qi. Just by getting a little close, my whole body went weak."

She truly couldn't withstand that black cloud! Although she had clashed with that miasma, her own body had suffered a shock, leaving her unstable, unable to sustain herself!

Fairy Tianfu looked towards the black cloud with sheer terror. While she could suppress the cloud, the greater the quantity, the more it counter-suppressed her, making her feel profoundly unwell.

Feng Zikang slapped his forehead, the realization dawning on him.

Fairy Tianfu's power was passed down through generations, but this young girl hadn't fully matured, and her cultivation was insufficient. Compared to an old demon like Star Lord Tianmei who had cultivated for many years, she was still lacking.

Though intrinsically capable of suppression, facing such an overwhelming amount of miasma at once was too much for her to bear the backlash.

"No rush! We will take it slowly!" Feng Zikang whispered comfortingly. At this moment, Grand Preceptor Pang and the others hurried over. They had seen Feng Zikang's sword light approach the black cloud, causing the cloud to swiftly retreat and dissipate significantly, filling them with great joy. Seeing Feng Zikang's light descend, they rushed forward.

"General, is this Fairy Tianfu?"

Grand Preceptor Pang beamed, pointing at the young girl.

Feng Zikang nodded. "Indeed."

He had intended to introduce the others to Fairy Tianfu, but he noticed her shrinking back timidly behind him. Realizing she was timidly afraid of so many people on her first venture out, he decided against it. He first settled her down to rest, then emerged to consult with Grand Preceptor Pang and the others.

"Fairy Tianfu can indeed dispel the black cloud, but her cultivation is insufficient, so she cannot persist for long. We can only proceed gradually."

Feng Zikang explained her origins and abilities to everyone. They listened in amazement, marveling at the strangeness of it all. However, Fairy Tianfu’s current cultivation was clearly inadequate, and they still needed a plan to slowly draw down the black cloud and eliminate it step by step.

Under consultation, Feng Zikang took charge of directing the process. Grand Preceptor Pang and Fei Tianhe stood guard for him.

The plan was for Feng Zikang to envelop the black cloud with his sword light, slowly pulling it downward, while Fairy Tianfu used her innate divine ability to slowly dissolve it. If any black cloud leaked out, or if Feng Zikang's power faltered, Grand Preceptor Pang and Fei Tianhe would step in to handle it. With the plan settled, they only waited for Fairy Tianfu to recover slightly before beginning.

Feng Zikang returned to the room to check on Fairy Tianfu, only to find her wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling, having not slept at all.

"Fairy, why not rest a little longer?"

Seeing her face still pale, Feng Zikang sighed. He ground up some elixirs, dissolved them in tea, and fed it to her to restore her vitality.

"Brother Zikang, I'm so scared."

The day's events had truly frightened Fairy Tianfu. As a maiden untouched by worldly affairs, how could she have seen such a fierce aura of misfortune? Moreover, this aura was inherently antagonistic to her own fortune; how could it not terrify her?

"Don't be afraid. This ill luck is what that demon has accumulated over decades. It appears vast and boundless, but it is countered by you. It is like a towering mountain of accumulated snow; under the blazing sun, it will eventually melt away. It is merely a magnificent-looking spearhead."

At this moment, only comfort and encouragement would suffice. Although dissolving a portion of the black cloud was indeed a formidable task for this young girl, for now, she was the only one who could solve this problem.

"That collision you made earlier already dispersed a great deal of the black cloud, you just didn't notice it."

"Really?"

Fairy Tianfu held lingering fear, half-believing, half-doubting. "But that black cloud, it's so big... so enormous!"

Feng Zikang frowned. If Fairy Tianfu remained this fearful, the plan might have to be postponed. He pondered for a moment. "Fairy, since there's nothing else to do, let me take you for a stroll in the street first."

"Okay."

Though still shy, the allure of shopping stirred the heart of this little girl who rarely had a chance to go out and play. She sprang up from the bed and followed Feng Zikang out of the residence, wandering near the folk houses of Caizhou.

A heavy pall of gloom and sorrow hung over the place.

Fairy Tianfu was dumbfounded. "Are... are all these houses like this?"

Grieving elders wept for children lost to unfortunate accidents; a crippled man with a broken leg wailed over a fall from a height; merchants had lost their capital, farmers suffered from insect plagues, scholars had gone blind; beauties were disfigured, actors had lost their voices, porters had collapsed shoulders.

All manner of misfortunes, too numerous to list.

"The world, of course, is not like this."

Feng Zikang shook his head, vividly recounting to her the bustling appearance of Ganzhou City before this.

There were other places, some bustling and prosperous, some quiet and serene, some noisy and interesting.

In short, none of them looked like this now.

"Then... then why?" Fairy Tianfu looked perplexed.

"It is all because of this," Feng Zikang pointed towards the black cloud above their heads, his expression solemn. "This black cloud blankets the city, the Star of Misfortune shines down, and the entire city is like this. That is why this situation has arisen."

"So... so that's why Brother Zikang asked me to come, to dispel this black cloud?"

Fairy Tianfu gazed up at the massive black cloud in the sky. Though fear lingered, a thread of courage entered her tone.

"Precisely!"

Feng Zikang nodded. "Only you can dispel this black cloud and allow the people in the city to return to their normal lives."

"I understand!"

Fairy Tianfu lowered her head and nodded firmly.

"I will definitely do my utmost!"

Although Feng Zikang himself felt it was slightly bizarre for him, the incarnation of the Formless Heavenly Demon, to preach such grand principles, the effect of his words was surprisingly good.

Fairy Tianfu shook off her fear of the black cloud. After a brief moment of regulating her breath to restore her vitality, she threw herself into the work of eliminating the black cloud with fervor.

"Hah!"

Feng Zikang stood suspended in the air, his sword light dancing, plunging directly into the heart of the black cloud.

The black cloud emitted a deep roar, following the path of the sword light downward, as if intending to devour them all!

Fairy Tianfu stood beside Feng Zikang, her expression resolute. She held a ball of golden light in both hands, pushing it against the surging black qi.

"Crr-oww..."

The black cloud let out a mournful cry, like a wounded beast. Under the illumination of the golden light, it rapidly dissolved, much like snow encountering fire, while the inner black qi of the overhead cloud continuously poured down along Feng Zikang's sword light!

Grand Preceptor Pang and Fei Tianhe stood solemnly on either side, ready to act at any moment. Fei Tianhe held flickering lightning in his hand; upon seeing any accumulation of black qi, he immediately struck to eliminate it.

"Excellent! If this continues, the black cloud trapping Ganzhou will be gone in less than a day!" Grand Preceptor Pang exclaimed joyfully.

Meanwhile, the demon camp was in chaos. When the black cloud was struck by Fairy Tianfu that day, though she was greatly startled, Star Lord Tianmei was also given a terrible fright. Fortunately, there were no follow-up moves, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Who knew that the next day, he was suddenly struck by a splitting headache? When he went out, he saw the black cloud over Ganzhou City constantly dissolving, growing thinner and thinner.

"This infuriates me to death!"

Star Lord Tianmei was furious. Naturally, he did not know that his bane had arrived. He only assumed they had devised some new vicious scheme. He immediately donned his armor and arrayed his troops, cursing loudly beneath the city walls.

Pang Fei, hearing his vulgar curses, stepped forward to challenge him. "General, Star Lord Tianmei has already been defeated by me twice. This time I will go down and take his head!"

Feng Zikang nodded. "Senior Brother Pang, Star Lord Tianmei is destined to die by your hand. However, you must not win too quickly in this engagement. If you kill him too soon, the dispersed black cloud will fall into the common folk's homes, and dealing with the aftermath will be difficult. You should engage him in a stalemate first, wait until we have completely dissolved the black cloud, and then slay him. When you hear three claps of thunder, you may strike him down!"

Pang Fei received the order and departed, taking his Sharp Steel Spear and riding his black warhorse, leading the Black Armored Cavalry to meet the enemy.

Star Lord Tianmei felt a pang of fear when he saw it was him. But seeing the black cloud dissolving, his hatred was inextinguishable. He wielded his sword and rushed forward to engage in a fierce battle.

Pang Fei did not seek a quick kill, merely entangling him slowly. Star Lord Tianmei, seeing that Pang Fei's strength seemed weaker, was overjoyed, thinking the black cloud above the city was having an effect. He immediately roused his spirits and fought Pang Fei fiercely, feeling he even held a slight advantage.

They tumbled and wrestled in a chaotic fray for half a day, by which time the black cloud over the city was almost completely dissolved.

At this point, Fairy Tianfu’s complexion grew increasingly strained, and the golden light in her hands weakened visibly; clearly, she had reached the limit of her endurance.

"Fairy, hold on just a little longer, it will be over soon!"

Feng Zikang called out to comfort her. His sword light stirred, and where the black cloud dispersed, the last dense core was revealed, attempting to flee, but it was tightly bound by his sword light.

"Sect Master Fei, quickly strike it with Heavenly Thunder!"

Fei Tianhe, upon hearing this, did not hesitate. He instantly unleashed three bolts of Heavenly Thunder, smashing down mightily. Under the thunderbolts, the core let out a miserable shriek and vanished into nothingness.

Star Lord Tianmei, who was fighting Pang Fei, also staggered, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his courage completely shattered.

Pang Fei, hearing the three claps of thunder, showed no mercy. He suddenly struck with lethal force, piercing through Star Lord Tianmei’s sword net with his spear, impaling his throat. With a swift upward flick, he tossed the demon high into the air. Waiting soldiers rushed up, swiftly decapitating him!

"Good!"

Feng Zikang caught Fairy Tianfu, who had just expended her last ounce of strength. Her face was deathly pale, but a smile touched her lips despite her weakness. "Brother Zikang, the black clouds are dispersed. Will they never harm people again in the future?"

Feng Zikang nodded and smiled. "Naturally. You rest for a while first."

He took out a Huasheng Pill from his robes and gave it to Fairy Tianfu. Then he cast a divine technique, causing her to fall into a deep sleep so she could be taken to rest.

With Star Lord Tianmei extinguished, the remaining motley crew of demons was naturally no threat. Pang Fei dared not delay, leading the Black Armored Cavalry to launch surprise attacks everywhere, wiping them all out.

After half a day, Grand Preceptor Pang cleared the remaining remnants, finally eradicating all the lingering demons at the border. Even if a few slipped away, there were only one or two, not enough to cause any significant trouble.

The Southwestern Demon Extermination War thus came to a close.

Grand Preceptor Pang was preparing to lead his army back to the capital and held another grand feast to honor the cultivators who declined official appointments or rewards upon returning to court. Feng Zikang also initially did not wish to enter the court for rewards, but thinking of the Great Calamity that threatened Heaven and Earth in three years, he felt moved and agreed to accompany Grand Preceptor Pang back to the capital.

He then described the splendor of the capital to Fairy Tianfu, greatly exciting the young girl, who insisted on accompanying him.

Feng Zikang, of course, achieved his goal, inwardly chuckling. This need not be mentioned further.

That evening, the feast was held. Fei Tianhe, Master Fangsheng, and others were to return to their respective sects and would not join the journey back to the capital. Everyone bade farewell tearfully, especially thinking of the comrades lost in battle; they could not help but sigh.

People like Wang Sihai had also achieved cultivation success, yet they unexpectedly perished in the military formation. This showed how unpredictable and uncontrollable the vicissitudes of Heaven and Earth were.

Grand Preceptor Pang urged everyone to drink heartily, and they all celebrated to their hearts' content. The little fox snatched a wine jar and drank happily, causing everyone to exclaim in wonder.

Fairy Tianfu had a low tolerance for alcohol. After just one shallow cup, her face turned crimson, but she was equally excited, playing alongside the little fox.

Everyone praised Feng Zikang once again. Since arriving in Shuzhou, he had subdued the masses, annihilated four demons, broken countless enemy formations, gone deep into enemy territory alone to investigate intelligence from the Sea of No Return, and then invited Fairy Tianfu to break Star Lord Tianmei’s evil magic, finally pacifying the Southwest. This accumulation of merit was truly staggering.

Feng Zikang inwardly smiled bitterly. If things continued like this, he might truly be striving to become the foremost figure on the righteous path.

The accumulation of merit points from this endeavor was not small. He had also reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Returning to Dragon Tiger Mountain, he could exchange for several more divine abilities. Otherwise, as his cultivation grew, the relative utility of his existing abilities would diminish.

However, the Ghost King Tu and Zhu Li'er had not yet returned, and he was in no mood to wait. Anyway, even if he went to the capital, he would only linger for a few days before returning to Dragon Tiger Mountain, and meeting them then would not be too late.

As everyone was enjoying themselves, a panicked soldier suddenly rushed in, shouting to Grand Preceptor Pang, "Grand Preceptor, an urgent dispatch from the capital! Prime Minister Du Cheng has passed away!"

"What?"

Grand Preceptor Pang jumped up in shock. "Be clear! Who exactly has passed away?"

"Reporting to the Grand Preceptor, it is your junior brother, Du Chenxiang. He pleaded bitterly with His Majesty in the Golden Hall, but his counsel was ignored. He ended up striking a pillar and dying. His resolve to die was firm; his primordial spirit dissolved, and he could not be saved. He passed away on the spot!"

Grand Preceptor Pang sat back in his chair, numb, unable to believe what he heard. Pang Fei rushed forward, supporting his father, who also looked utterly incredulous.

"How... how is this possible?"

Du Chenxiang was his junior brother. Although his cultivation was shallow, he possessed deep insight into the Confucian Way and was highly regarded by their sect master. He was sent to serve in the court merely for his worldly experience, to cultivate his character. He was only to be recalled to the sect after the age of sixty to meticulously study the Confucian Dao and be nurtured as the successor to the legacy. In court, he was upright, incorruptible, and held considerable prestige, deeply trusted by the Emperor, serving as the head of all officials, second only to the transcendent Grand Preceptor. For what matter did he need to die admonishing the ruler?

How could he... how could he have just died like that?

Feng Zikang nodded, then shook his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

It seemed the so-called Great Calamity threatening Heaven and Earth was drawing ever nearer.