Saren Agu smiled and said:
“Before your master left with Great Feng’s founding emperor, he often played chess with me. We used the world as our board and all living beings as pieces. Sometimes a single game would take over a decade to conclude.”
He lightly cracked his shepherd’s whip. Snap! The array on the surface of the Eight Trigrams Platform shattered in response.
“Then we should play this game of ours carefully. This chess piece is called Wei Yuan.”
The Supervisor took a sip of wine. As he placed a piece, Saren Agu’s body twisted like a brain wave, taking a while to return to normal.
In the distant Jingshan City, this city under reconstruction suddenly shook as if in an earthquake. Newly built halls collapsed, and the ground split open into chasms tens of zhang deep.
“What a coincidence, my chess piece is also called Wei Yuan.”
Saren Agu flicked his shepherd’s whip, picking up a chess piece and placing it on the board.
Above the Star-Observing Tower, from the densely layered clouds, a lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket suddenly struck down. However, it didn’t hit the Supervisor, disappearing midway as if it had entered another spatial dimension.
“Trying to cause trouble for me on Great Feng’s territory? How rash.”
The Supervisor nodded slightly, picked up his wine cup, and took a small sip. He didn’t rush to make his next move, instead smiling and saying:
“Your steady, methodical chess style is very similar to my teacher’s. So that’s where he learned it from you. I wonder if that impulsive, pedantic nature was also inherited from you… Confucian Sage!”
As this piece called “Confucian Sage” was placed, streams of bright red blood seeped out from within Saren Agu’s wizard robe, vanishing in an instant.
In the distant Kang Kingdom, a massive tsunami arose.
Saren Agu’s complexion seemed to pale slightly. He said calmly:
“In my view, even if he acted on impulse, even if he betrayed the Witch God Cult, it’s still better than you, a disciple who murdered his master. During his reign over Great Feng, he never raised a hand against the Witch God Cult… Witch God!”
The shepherd’s whip picked up a chess piece, placing it on the board with a soft tap.
The Supervisor remained unchanged. Instead, he splashed out the wine from his cup, dispersing the dark clouds above.
Within Great Feng’s borders, as long as Great Feng didn’t fall, he was invincible below the Transcendent Realm.
The Supervisor narrowed his eyes and said: “The Martial Sect’s uprising back then was the trend of the times. Five hundred years ago, that lineage favored treacherous officials and indulged in pleasure, leading to rampant corruption and people’s suffering. Teacher believed that given time, Great Feng would eventually sweep away its ills and restore clean governance.
“But I felt that destruction precedes construction. Great Feng needed to undergo a rebirth through fire. In the end, I was right. These five hundred years of peace and prosperity are the best repayment for the teachings he imparted to me.”
Saren Agu walked slowly to the edge of the Eight Trigrams Platform, looking down at the capital, and said: “Today’s Great Feng is so similar to five hundred years ago.”
The Supervisor replied: “Destruction precedes construction.”
After five hundred years, I’m still the same Supervisor as before, without the slightest change.
…
“Saren Agu?”
Xu Qi’an suddenly realized, uttering the name of the Witch God Cult’s Grand Wizard.
Only a First Realm expert could deal with another First Realm expert.
The Witch God Cult was scheming for Great Feng’s dragon vein, wanting to bring the Central Plains into their territory and turn Great Feng into a vassal state of the Witch God Cult.
So how could Saren Agu be absent from today’s “grand event”?
No wonder Emperor Zhende was so confident.
“Not so stupid after all!”
Emperor Zhende grinned, his expression both smug and wild.
He seems to have difficulty controlling his emotions. No, it’s not that he can’t control them, but that he doesn’t even try. A high-level Daoist expert who has fallen into demonic cultivation would naturally have an ostentatious personality. Being calm and reserved would be strange… Xu Qi’an’s thoughts raced, wondering if he could perhaps exploit Emperor Zhende’s demonic state.
“Heh, killing the Northern Warlord that day was truly satisfying. Oh, I forgot that was you. You’re nothing but a defeated opponent under my hand. In Chu Province, I could beat you until you begged for mercy. Today, I’ll surely smash your dog’s head again.”
Xu Qi’an tried his best to make his expression appear arrogant and reckless.
As expected, Emperor Zhende’s face twitched slightly, his eyes spewing rage that seemed almost tangible. But in the next moment, he reined in his emotions and said coolly:
“Such a petty trick. You think you can provoke me with just a few words?”
You mongrel, I’ll tear you to pieces sooner or later… The small soul within Emperor Zhende’s body roared.
It’s not working… It seems falling into demonic cultivation doesn’t mean a loss of intelligence… Xu Qi’an felt a bit disappointed. If Emperor Zhende’s anger had continued for even a second longer, he would have raised his middle finger and shouted at him:
Come at me!
“So when you were forced to issue an edict of self-criticism and lost your temper in the great hall, were you just acting?” Xu Qi’an asked.
Emperor Zhende sneered: “What do you think?”
Xu Qi’an glanced inconspicuously towards the capital, saying expressionlessly:
“I guess you were using that opportunity to release your anger over the Northern Warlord’s death, or perhaps your rage had already exceeded your limit, and you couldn’t control yourself.”
Emperor Zhende didn’t answer, either disdaining to respond or tacitly agreeing.
He turned his head slightly to look in the direction of the capital, his tone leisurely: “You’re waiting for Luo Yuhen, aren’t you?”
Xu Qi’an’s expression changed slightly.
Seeing this, Emperor Zhende’s smile widened, with a hint of mockery and derision, as he said:
“Luo Yuhen was unwilling to dual cultivate with me, and even resented my cultivation, because my cultivation weakened Great Feng’s national power, leaving her without sufficient destiny to transcend her tribulation. If she could seize the opportunity to kill me and enthrone a new emperor, she might still have a slim chance.”
Xu Qi’an’s smile became stiff.
Emperor Zhende continued with an eerie smile: “I’ve found an interesting opponent for her.”
…
In the outskirts of the capital, far from the Southern Park.
Luo Yuhen frowned, looking at the dark figure opposite her. He stood on a blooming black lotus, his body dripping with pitch-black pus, his eyes brimming with deep malice.
Centered around where the black lotus stood, for several li in all directions, plants withered, animals’ eyes turned blood-red as they lost all reason, only knowing how to mate or kill each other.
Even insects were killing each other in the minutest details.
“Dear niece!”
Black Lotus licked his lips, making a “slurp” sound. His tone was both evil and obscene as he said:
“Come to your Uncle Master, let Uncle Master dual cultivate with you, let you taste what it’s like to be a woman, hehe…”
Luo Yuhen’s mouth twitched. She swung the rust-covered iron sword in her hand, shouting angrily: “Get lost!”
The dazzling sword energy outshone the sun. The mating animals and insects instantly perished, merely from being affected by the sword intent contained within this blade.
The blooming black lotus spewed out viscous black liquid like a geyser. It rushed to envelop the sword energy, and with a hissing sound, quickly corroded away the powerful slash Luo Yuhen had delivered.
“How many slashes can you block?”
Luo Yuhen sneered, hugging her sword as she spiraled into the sky. As she spun, sharp sword energies shot out in all directions.
Sword intent filled the space between heaven and earth.
Hiss, hiss, hiss… Black Lotus Daoist was pierced by these rain-like sword energies, but his body seemed to be composed of sewer sludge. The black liquid flowed, repairing the pierced wounds.
Instead, the surrounding ground was blasted open with one sword pit after another, as if it had just been bombarded.
The liquid flowing around Black Lotus Daoist’s body seemed to dim a bit.
Under the Human Sect’s swordsmanship, which was no weaker than a warrior’s in offensive arts, it seemed he had still taken some damage.
Black Lotus Daoist took a deep breath, his abdomen swelling. The “sphere” slowly moved upwards, and when it reached his throat, he violently spat it out.
Black Lotus Daoist spewed out a long river of pitch-black liquid, enveloping Luo Yuhen as if wanting to drag her down into depravity with him.
“Dear niece, Uncle Master has been craving your body for a long time, ahahahaha…”
Black Lotus Daoist laughed neurotically, both evil and insane.
Swish!
The rust-covered iron sword broke through the turbid flow. With a flash of light, it pierced through Black Lotus Daoist’s heart.
Luo Yuhen’s figure appeared out of thin air, gripping the iron sword. She shook her hand, flicking off the small amount of black liquid on the blade.
She couldn’t be contaminated by the other’s power symbolizing depravity. Even if it was just a little, it would stir up the karmic fire within her.
But this sword could. This iron sword was the sect-protecting treasure passed down by generations of Human Sect patriarchs, condensing the sword intent of past generations.
Therefore, Luo Yuhen had just merged with the sword, becoming one with it, using the sword to break through the viscous liquid.
“Ah, it hurts, it hurts so much!!”
Black Lotus Daoist clutched his chest, screaming in pain.
He was enraged, suddenly feeling that his beautiful and charming niece was no longer lovable. Full of malice, he screeched:
“I want to kill you, I want to kill you… I want to capture you and dual cultivate, I want to capture you and dual cultivate… Should I kill or dual cultivate? So annoying, so annoying, so annoying…”
Amidst his neurotic roars, his body suddenly collapsed, transforming into a black human face as large as a small building, composed of viscous, syrup-like black liquid.
The face opened its huge mouth, lunging towards Luo Yuhen, wanting to swallow her in one bite.
The Imperial Tutor flipped the rust-covered iron sword and gently thrust it forward.
Boom!
The face exploded, and black, turbid rain fell from the sky.
The sword light flashed out for several li, slicing off a mountaintop, and continuing to fly until it disappeared.
Luo Yuhen stood holding her sword, her expression calm: “Is that all?”
“This master has decided, this master will kill you.”
Black Lotus Daoist’s form reassembled, his aura dimming even further.
This annoying niece, it’s better to kill her after all.
“Golden Lotus once asked for my help to deal with you together, but I was unwilling to help him, purely because I didn’t want to take risks, as it wasn’t my business. However, this time, someone else has asked me to act.
“Since it’s his request, I might as well show some real skill.”
Luo Yuhen gently bit her fingertip, smearing it on the rust-covered iron sword, and said softly:
“Black Lotus, you can run for your life now.”
Confident and domineering.
…
Emperor Zhende burst into wild laughter. Xu Qi’an’s slight change in expression hit his sweet spot. As a flamboyant demonic cultivator, he relished this feeling of intellectual superiority.
Let this self-proclaimed savior understand just how ridiculous and insignificant he truly is.
“A warrior at the peak of the Third Realm is indeed troublesome to kill, but no matter. Soon, you’ll taste the ultimate fear.”
Emperor Zhende looked at him mockingly, expecting to see vigilance, confusion, and a hint of panic in Xu Qi’an’s eyes.
But what he got was Xu Qi’an’s derisive smile:
“You’re telling me all this nonsense because you’re waiting for Prince Huai, aren’t you?”
This time, it was Emperor Zhende’s turn to change expression slightly, narrowing his eyes.
He stared at Xu Qi’an with some wariness and confusion, then snorted:
“Your brain seems to be more than just decoration, but so what if you know? Does Great Feng have anyone who can stop an undying warrior?”
Xu Qi’an ignored him, his gaze falling on Emperor Yuanjing’s corpse in the distance. Someone who mastered the One Qi Transforming into Three Purities secret technique could regenerate two incarnations given enough time, as long as one incarnation remained alive.
Of course, the slain physical body couldn’t be revived. Emperor Yuanjing’s body was thoroughly dead. But Prince Huai was different; he was a Third Realm warrior.
Having entered the Third Realm himself, Xu Qi’an knew very well that with enough blood energy…
“I can’t find a Third Realm warrior, but who said it has to be a Third Realm expert to stop a Third Realm warrior?” Xu Qi’an asked with a smile.
Emperor Zhende’s face darkened.
He looked at Xu Qi’an coldly, his tone grim:
“Do you know how Prince Huai was revived? That’s the third reason I killed Wei Yuan.”
Come on, let’s hurt each other.
Xu Qi’an’s smile slowly faded as he squeezed out three words through gritted teeth: “You’re… asking… for… death…”
The battle erupted instantly.
…
A figure flew through the air, clad in heavy armor, with handsome features somewhat similar to Emperor Yuanjing’s, and a pair of narrow phoenix eyes glaring coldly.
The Northern Warlord.
He came from the direction of the imperial mausoleum. When his corpse was transported back to the capital from Chu Province, Emperor Yuanjing’s attempt to cover up Prince Huai’s city massacre angered the civil and military officials, causing them to rise in protest.
The officials led the court ministers to surround the Meridian Gate, their curses unceasing, causing a great uproar.
Under these circumstances, no one paid attention to Prince Huai’s corpse. After all, there wasn’t much point in fixating on a corpse when confronting the emperor was the top priority.
Even Xu Qi’an and Zheng Xinghuai had focused solely on the court situation at the time, overlooking Prince Huai’s body.
Little did they know, this was exactly what Emperor Zhende had intended.
Prince Huai’s body had been hidden in the imperial mausoleum all along, and he had only recently awakened.
Whoosh!
A flying sword came whistling through the air, aiming for the Northern Warlord’s head.
The Northern Warlord casually waved his palm. With a crisp ding, the flying sword was deflected.
He halted in mid-air, looking towards a spot high in the sky where two flying swords hovered, each carrying two people.
They were a swordsman in casual blue robes, a monk in plain cassock, a tanned young girl, and a beautiful woman in Daoist robes.
“Well, well, who do we have here? It’s your lot!”
Prince Huai sneered, shaking his head repeatedly: “You bunch of nobodies dare to block my way?”
He had thought Xu Qi’an might have some trump card.
Is this all?
Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozhen, and Lina turned to look at Master Hengyuan, whose face was etched with deep resentment.
“Amitabha.”
Master Hengyuan put his palms together and said solemnly: “Patron, you massacred 380,000 civilians in Chu Province. This poor monk is deeply pained. Alas, I didn’t have the chance to teach you how to be a decent person back then…”
Chu Yuanzhen interrupted with a smile: “Master, no need for chit-chat. Let’s get straight to action. Our task isn’t just to delay for a quarter of an hour, but also to wear down his fighting power as much as possible.”
Master Hengyuan pondered: “You’re right!”
There’s indeed no need to waste words with someone who has committed such heinous crimes. We should subdue him with the wrathful visage of Vajra.
A sarira appeared above Master Hengyuan’s head, emitting a clear and gentle golden light.
Then, he took out a sheet of paper from his robe and set it alight with a flick of his hand.
Core ability of Sacrificial Rites — Great Summoning Technique!
In the void, a figure wearing a kasaya, with kind eyes and brows, descended and merged with the sarira. The initially insubstantial image instantly solidified.
This was an Arhat, a Second Realm Buddhist cultivator!
Of course, a summoned heroic spirit, even with the enhancement of a sarira, couldn’t be equivalent to a real Arhat.
But with Master Hengyuan as the main force and Li Miaozhen and others assisting, they could barely hold back a peak Third Realm warrior.
Seeing this, Prince Huai raised an eyebrow: “It won’t even take a quarter of an hour to deal with you.”
Outwardly contemptuous, he was inwardly on guard.
Master Hengyuan put his palms together, lowered his head, and began chanting scriptures. Golden Buddhist texts, seemingly tangible, floated out of his mouth, gathering into a golden “river” that surged towards the Northern Warlord.
The Northern Warlord’s body staggered, his head splitting with pain. He felt a strong urge to end his life and could no longer remain airborne, plummeting downwards.
Seventh Realm Spell Casters excel at delivering souls!
If it were a departed soul, it would find release in the deliverance, returning to nature.
For the living, it would induce a strong suicidal urge, wanting to turn oneself into a departed soul. If you don’t want to die, Buddhism will say: No, you do want to die.
Lina was the first to leap off the flying sword. The little dark-skinned girl from the Southern Borderlands always rushed to the front in a fight. She pulled in her arms and legs, shooting towards the ground like an arrow. As she neared the Northern Warlord, she suddenly spread her limbs, circling behind him.
At this moment, Prince Huai was still in a state of splitting headache, his world a blur of grey. Lina wrapped her legs around the Third Realm warrior’s waist and locked her arms around his, crying out as she pulled his arms backward with all her might.
True to her reputation as the genius girl of the Strength Gu Tribe, she managed to wrestle with Prince Huai, holding him in a stalemate for a few seconds.
Whoosh!
Chu Yuanzhen drew the ordinary iron sword from his waist and shot it forward.
Li Miaozhen raised her right hand, palm facing the Northern Warlord.
Crack… His armor, inner clothes, belt, shoes, and everything else betrayed him. They either tightened around his waist or constricted his collar, hindering Prince Huai’s movements and indirectly helping Lina.
Chu Yuanzhen’s iron sword arrived in an instant, pressing against Prince Huai’s brow. It didn’t unleash any powerful energy because this was a heart sword.
A sword that cuts the soul.
The members of the Heaven and Earth Society coordinated their attacks perfectly, controlling this peak Third Realm warrior for over five seconds.
Master Hengyuan, as the main force, naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity. While chanting “Thou shalt not kill,” he raised his iron-pot-sized fist and unleashed a storm of blows on the Northern Warlord.
The “precepts” of an Arhat’s rank were enough to control Prince Huai for a considerable time.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
His fists struck the Third Realm warrior’s body, creating shockwaves that could easily kill warriors below the Bronze Skin Iron Bones realm. The impacts caused Lina, who was restraining Prince Huai’s arms, to continuously spit blood.
They even destabilized Prince Huai’s energy.
Boom! The Northern Warlord’s armor shattered. Lina was thrown off like a broken kite. The warrior’s domineering aura swept away everything around him like a storm, including Master Hengyuan.
Lina’s arms twisted and bent, bones piercing through flesh, instantly rendering her unable to fight.
From the beginning, the Heaven and Earth Society members’ task was not to assassinate Prince Huai. That wasn’t realistic.
First, the heroic spirit of the Arhat that Master Hengyuan summoned was certainly not as powerful as the real being. Even if the real Arhat were present, it would be difficult to kill a warrior at the peak of the Third Realm.
Second, this heroic spirit could only last for a quarter of an hour. How could they kill a high-level warrior, as tough and resilient as he was, in just that time?
Lastly, the gap between the Third and Fourth Realms was vast. The difference in strength was too great. The opponent could make countless mistakes, but if they made even one, it could mean total annihilation.
Prince Huai was a ruthless individual who understood the principle of striking when the enemy was down. He showed no mercy just because his opponent was a woman. His fist charged with energy, about to finish off the southern barbarian girl with one blow.
Master Hengyuan put his palms together: “Thou shalt not kill.”
Prince Huai’s fist halted, unable to strike.
Li Miaozhen seized the opportunity, her palm facing Lina, and with a forceful wave, sent her flying far away.
She wasn’t worried about Lina’s injuries. The experts of the Strength Gu Tribe didn’t have the abnormal defense of warriors, but they possessed extremely strong recovery abilities. Normally, as long as they didn’t die, they could recover from any injury, with recovery time depending on the severity of the wound.
Lina had once been severely wounded by a yin creature in the underground palace, a fatal injury, but after sleeping for one night, she was as good as new.
The Heaven and Earth Society was now down to three, with one member short.
Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen, true to their reputation as pillars of the Heaven and Earth Society, fought fiercely. One used the Human Sect’s mind techniques to control hundreds of flying swords, while the other threw out artifacts like the soul-summoning banner and the soul-capturing bell, trapping Prince Huai in their formation.
With Master Hengyuan as the main force, both sides fought intensely.
During the fierce battle, hundreds of flying swords were exhausted, either shattering into iron blocks or melting into molten iron. The artifacts Li Miaozhen had brought from her sect were also completely depleted.
Prince Huai’s energy had noticeably decreased, but for a warrior at his level, it was a loss that could be recovered with just half a quarter-hour of meditation, insignificant.
This won’t do, this won’t work… Chu Yuanzhen muttered in his heart.
Their task was to hold back Prince Huai for a quarter of an hour and wear down his fighting power. With the Arhat’s sarira, delaying for a quarter-hour wasn’t difficult, but severely injuring Prince Huai was as hard as ascending to heaven.
If Prince Huai were to support Emperor Zhende at his peak state, and the two merged, Xu Qi’an would undoubtedly be defeated.
The fusion of a peak Third Realm warrior and a Second Realm expert would result in a qualitative change.
Prince Huai fixed his cold gaze on the blue-robed swordsman, sneering:
“Chu Yuanzhen, you were a good top scholar. Why practice swordsmanship? After so many years of practice, all you’ve achieved is a bunch of harmless embroidery needles. I’ve overseen the court for nearly sixty years across two dynasties and have seen too many self-righteous scholars like you.
“A scholar’s pride is the most useless thing. Resigning from office to practice swordsmanship might seem free-spirited, but it’s foolish. What have you achieved in these years? You’re dissatisfied with my cultivation, but what can you do about it? Can that three-foot sword in your hand harm me in the slightest?”
This man had once been brilliantly talented, achieving the top score in the imperial examinations, and riding high on success. But because of a small matter, he harbored resentment against the monarch of a nation and thus resigned to practice swordsmanship.
Now he had faded into obscurity.
Utterly ridiculous.
As Prince Huai spoke, he fixed Chu Yuanzhen with a cold gaze, his eyes dark and predatory.
What does it feel like to be singled out by a Third Realm expert in one-on-one combat?
Chu Yuanzhen experienced it firsthand.
He stood there dazed, his shoulders feeling as if they bore the weight of two mountains. His hair stood on end, and his hands and feet trembled slightly.
Prince Huai sneered. The difference between the Fourth and Third Realms was like that between mortals and immortals. He didn’t take this former top scholar who had abandoned his studies for swordsmanship seriously at all.
“Amitabha!”
Master Hengyuan stepped forward, unleashing the Buddhist Lion’s Roar: “Slay the villain!”
The Arhat’s Fruit of Slaying Villains!
The Arhat that had merged with his body emerged, manifesting the wrathful visage of Vajra in mid-air. Brilliant light formed mysterious patterns on the surface of the divine image.
An aura of extreme hardness and ferocity filled the space between heaven and earth.
The divine image’s eyes shot out golden light, enveloping Prince Huai.
Although Prince Huai had sensed the danger, he couldn’t avoid it, as if struck by a paralysis spell. The next moment, his eyeballs burst out, leaving two bloody black holes in his face.
Blood seeped from his nostrils, mouth, and ears.
Blood flowed from all seven apertures.
Prince Huai reeled as if struck on the forehead with a club, staggering backward.
After this strike, the sarira returned to Master Hengyuan’s body. His entire being rapidly declined in spirit and energy, clearly having exhausted his remaining strength and no longer able to fight.
Prince Huai let out an unbearable roar of pain. This strike had caused him severe injury. He clutched his face, his spine bent.
Li Miaozhen descended on her flying sword, diving towards Master Hengyuan, trying to take him away.
But without the Arhat’s sarira to restrain him, she realized how terrifying a Third Realm warrior truly was. She couldn’t move.
Prince Huai’s five fingers curled in the air, rendering Li Miaozhen unable to move a muscle. One could imagine that if he closed his fist completely, this Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect would be crushed to dust.
Chu Yuanzhen watched this scene with wide eyes. The blue sword on his back, which had never been drawn since he began wandering the world, suddenly began to tremble.
Just as Prince Huai was about to “crush” Li Miaozhen, he seemed to sense something and abruptly turned his head to look behind him.
The blue sword was now shaking violently.
“Oh? You, Chu Yuanzhen, still want to draw your sword?”
Prince Huai asked with a sneer: “Ant, do you dare to draw your sword against me?”
The Fourth Realm was no different from an ant to him.
Chu Yuanzhen’s hands and feet were still trembling, and his pupils dilated. Memories like smoke, all came rushing back to his mind on this day.
Chu Yuanzhen had been an orphan since childhood, adopted by a childless couple. After they passed away from illness, he became the disciple of a great Confucian scholar.
His ideals and knowledge all came from that great scholar who had died by hitting his head against a pillar in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. His teacher was first-class in scholarship but poor at officialdom. His stubborn and uncompromising temperament made it difficult for him to progress in court.
When teaching Chu Yuanzhen, the most frequent thing he said was “Don’t be like me.”
In the 27th year of the Yuanjing era, during the imperial examinations, Chu Yuanzhen achieved the top score. His mentor wept with joy, patting his shoulder, and the first thing he said was still “Don’t be like me.”
Throughout history, all top scholars were destined for greatness. As long as one was a bit slick and knew how to go with the flow, was there any fear of not being able to realize one’s ambitions in the future?
With his teacher’s example as a cautionary tale, and not being stubborn himself, Chu Yuanzhen’s heart was full of passion.
That same year, there was a great drought in Yong Province. The people had no harvest, and the court’s disaster relief efforts were ineffective, resulting in corpses littering the ground from starvation.
It was precisely at this time that Emperor Yuanjing began refining elixirs, one major elixir per season, consuming over two hundred thousand taels of silver.
That scholar, mocked by his colleagues as being stuck in the past, bitterly rebuked Emperor Yuanjing in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. His words were like knives. Afterward, he smashed his head against a pillar, dying.
The Emperor said: “The beloved minister died for righteousness, how splendid.”
No one dared to save him.
On his deathbed, the mentor gripped Chu Yuanzhen’s hand tightly, his last words still being: “Don’t be like me…”
But Chu Yuanzhen still left. He left the court and from then on roamed the world with his blue robe and sword.
Because he couldn’t let it go.
In the end, he couldn’t let it go!
Chu Yuanzhen shouted: “Unsheathe!”
With a “clang,” the three-foot blue sword on his back shot into the sky.
This sword was finally drawn.
Today I show you, who has any grievances?
Boom!
The ground swelled. Clods of earth, yellow sand, and gravel all shot up into the sky, following the blue sword as it soared.
In just an instant, an earth dragon a hundred zhang long appeared behind Chu Yuanzhen, rushing straight toward the heavens, with the blue sword as its head.
Just drawing the sword already showed such grandeur.
“Go!”
Chu Yuanzhen pointed his fingers like a sword, thrusting toward Prince Huai.
That majestic earth dragon, soaring straight up, suddenly lowered its head, returning to its master’s side. It circled three times, then following Chu Yuanzhen’s sword fingers, roared forth.
Prince Huai had already realized the power of this sword. When Chu Yuanzhen thrust out his sword fingers, he swiftly retreated, his form flickering left and right, quick as a ghost.
At this moment, this swordsman who took an unconventional path, using a warrior’s foundation to walk the Human Sect’s path, and his self-created secret technique of Nurturing Intent, displayed an extremely unreasonable aspect.
The blue sword separated from the “dragon body,” vanishing in a flash, then reappearing. In the distance, Prince Huai, who had been desperately dodging, stopped, staring blankly at the large hole in his chest.
A sword through the heart.
Ten years of a scholar’s pride, all released at this moment.
The Northern Warlord let out a miserable scream, his face contorted as if enduring extreme, terrifying pain.
It was hard to imagine that a Third Realm warrior would scream in pain.
The large hole in his chest took a long time to heal.
Prince Huai’s energy finally fell from the peak of the Third Realm.
He had re-entered the world full of confidence, intending to slaughter all around and personally kill his enemies, but unexpectedly, he was beaten by a few Fourth Realm “ants,” causing his strength to plummet.
And those ants…
The Northern Warlord endured the pain and turned his head to look towards the horizon, at the few figures that were now just black dots.
The ants had run away excitedly.
Although these injuries would heal in at most half an hour, he couldn’t wait that long.
He had to hurry to support “himself.”
…
At the Star-Observing Tower.
The Supervisor smiled and said: “Let’s make a bet. How long will it take Xu Qi’an to kill Zhende?”
Saren Agu’s face darkened: “Are you so confident in him?”