After returning to the garrison, Zhang Yuhe entered a secret training room.
He waved his right hand, and five formation flags swiftly flew into position around the training platform.
Sitting cross-legged on the platform, Zhang Yuhe took out a formation plate and placed it nearby.Piles of spirit stones were arranged around the flags and the plate.
After setting everything up, Zhang Yuhe performed a series of magical gestures.
"Set up the formation," he commanded.
A blue light curtain slowly rose around the platform as the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array activated, pulling spiritual energy from the surroundings in torrents.
Soon, Zhang Yuhe was engulfed by a sea of spiritual energy.
"Let's begin," he murmured.
Zhang Yuhe circulated the Hunyuan Tianjing, and the spiritual energy surged into his dantian.
"This feels incredible," Zhang Yuhe sighed, savoring the sensation as his cultivation speed doubled.
Time passed slowly.
Yunzhong Prefecture had never ceased its efforts to eradicate the remnants of the He and Li families.
Under Wang Guofeng's leadership, the Qian and Sun families dispatched large numbers of cultivators, quickly taking control of dozens of cities once dominated by the He and Li clans.
Each city was methodically searched.
Every cultivator tied to the He and Li families—no matter how distant the relation—was hunted down and executed.
The garrison commander's orders were clear:Total extermination.
Genocide meant that not a single one could be spared. Even if eight hundred generations separated them, if they bore the blood of He or Li, death was their fate.
Though Zhang Yuhe had already destroyed the clan strongholds, the He and Li families had flourished in Yunzhong Prefecture for tens of thousands of years.
Their numbers ran deep.
To prevent any survivors from slipping through, Wang Guofeng meticulously acquired the family trees of both clans and tracked every clue.
Qian Weigang and Sun Pengcheng worked just as tirelessly. Not only did they mobilize vast forces, but they personally led the efforts to eliminate Jindan cultivators from the He and Li families.
As for their Nascent Soul cultivators, most had perished during the Horned Demon Clan's assault on Jingkong City.
Faced with extermination, the He and Li remnants fiercely resisted across the cities.
Yet it was futile.
Without high-level cultivators to lead them, they stood no chance against Qian Weigang and Sun Pengcheng, both Nascent Soul experts.
Within a few days, organized resistance collapsed.
Still, many cultivators had scattered across the land.
Some had even migrated beyond Yunzhong Prefecture long ago.
Wang Guofeng had no intention of letting them go. He ordered Qian Weigang and Sun Pengcheng to send teams to hunt them down relentlessly.
In addition, Wang Guofeng recruited a large number of players to assist in the cleanup.Though technically his personal forces, not formal garrison troops, these players received mission rewards from the spoils.
The campaign stretched over ten long years before it neared completion.
In a hall within the garrison.
Wang Guofeng sat discussing the situation with Qian Weigang and Sun Pengcheng.
Over the years, Wang often gathered them to review progress and ensure no remnants were overlooked.
The atmosphere was warm and familiar. After a decade of working side-by-side, deep trust had formed between them.
Given Wang Guofeng's background, dealing with aristocratic families in Yufantian was easy.Moreover, as the inspector personally appointed by Zhang Yuhe, few in Yunzhong Prefecture dared to slight him.
Completing Zhang Yuhe's orders demanded sincere cooperation—and mutual benefit.
With the fall of the He and Li families, the Qian and Sun clans became the greatest beneficiaries, swiftly absorbing their lands and industries.
As for Wang Guofeng, he certainly hadn't come away empty-handed.
An unspoken agreement was in place:Land and businesses went to the Qian and Sun families, while the truly valuable resources and treasures were distributed by Wang Guofeng.
Naturally, the portion earmarked for the town governor was left untouched.
Everyone got what they needed. Everyone was satisfied.
"Brother Wang," Qian Weigang asked with a smile, "do you know when the garrison commander will return?"
"Yes," Sun Pengcheng chimed in, "we haven't seen the lord for years. I wonder when we'll once again hear his teachings."
Though the three often joked during meetings, the mention of Zhang Yuhe immediately brought a solemn air.
None dared show even a hint of disrespect.
Their awe of Zhang Yuhe's strength and methods ran deep.
Hearing their question, Wang Guofeng smiled bitterly.
He was stumped.
In the past ten years, he, like everyone else, had not seen Zhang Yuhe in person.
Though he had ways to contact him—after all, on Blue Star, a phone call could arrange a meeting in minutes—Wang Guofeng chose not to.
He understood: unless summoned, he should not disturb Zhang Yuhe.
Without a pressing reason, he feared bothering him would only provoke resentment.
Even after a decade, the players of Blue Star remained unaware that the governor of Yunzhong Prefecture was one of their own.
Wang Guofeng's discretion was remarkable.He had never once revealed Zhang Yuhe's true identity.
As he was about to speak, a streak of light flashed across the sky outside the hall.
The three men hurried out to look.
"Was that the garrison commander?" Qian Weigang asked in a low voice.
"Without a doubt," Sun Pengcheng answered, still trying to flatter Zhang Yuhe even after he had disappeared from view."The lord's aura has grown even stronger."
"Of course," Qian Weigang said. "With the lord's celestial talent, I believe he'll soon break through to the Refining Void Realm."
"Once he does," Sun Pengcheng added, "he'll become an elder of the Daosheng Sect. It'll be hard for us to catch even a glimpse of him then."
"Yes, yes," Qian Weigang agreed fervently.
They lavished praise on Zhang Yuhe.
Wang Guofeng, however, stood silently, lost in thought.
He could no longer sense Zhang Yuhe's aura at all.
Though his own cultivation had advanced steadily—he had now reached the peak of Golden Core and could break through to Nascent Soul at any time—the gap between Golden Core and Spirit Transformation was immense.
"Is he really about to break through to the Refining Void Realm?" Wang Guofeng wondered.
A mixture of pride and anxiety filled his heart.
If Zhang Yuhe became an elder of the Daosheng Sect, he would no longer serve as the garrison commander.
And if Zhang Yuhe left, what would happen to him?
Panic stirred within Wang Guofeng.
He hadn't yet enjoyed his inspector position to the fullest, yet it seemed he might soon lose it.
On one hand, he sincerely hoped for Zhang Yuhe's advancement.
On the other, he was reluctant to give up the prestige, power, and lucrative opportunities his current post offered.
"I wonder if Senior Zhang will still need my services after he becomes an elder of the Daosheng Sect," he mused.
Wang Guofeng deeply wished to remain attached to Zhang Yuhe's rising star.
But he knew the truth:To cling to a thigh, one must be useful.
The useless would inevitably be cast aside.
Thus, hearing Qian Weigang speculate about Zhang Yuhe's impending breakthrough, Wang Guofeng couldn't help but feel deeply conflicted.