Excellent!
Hearing Song Wuya’s words, Jiang Zhaoxue immediately felt relieved.
Although Song Wuya couldn’t receive her voice transmission, seeing her sitting behind Song Wulan—even with a changed face—he still roughly guessed her identity and understood that at this moment she was being restrained by Song Wulan.
Unable to receive her hint, he didn’t dare rashly perform the ancestral inquiry. He could only disrupt the situation first, which was exactly what Jiang Zhaoxue meant.
As soon as he spoke these words, the Emperor flew into a rage: “Insolent! Even at this point you still try to argue!”
“Father Emperor!” Hearing this, Song Wuya didn’t retreat in the slightest and said loudly: “Father Emperor, do you remember that when Mother Empress was alive, Great Xia enjoyed peace and prosperity? You and Mother Empress were harmonious like the zither and flute, and the court was stable inside and out. But what about now?”
“Someone, seize this rebellious son!” The Emperor directly ordered.
Soldiers surrounded him. Seeing this, Ye Wenzhi glanced at his teacher, gritted his teeth and stepped forward: “Your Majesty, as they say, listening to both sides brings enlightenment. Since His Highness has already decided on the ancestral inquiry at the altar and wishes to prove his will through death, why not hear His Highness’s words?”
As soon as Ye Wenzhi spoke, a large mass of officials immediately knelt in unison.
The Emperor glared furiously, about to scold again, when he heard Empress Zhao beside him laugh: “After all these years, the Third Prince still harbors resentment toward us mother and son for losing the heir position because he is a false dragon. You say this empress is a demonic evil entity—what is your proof?”
“You and Song Wulan have harmed innocent common people. Every year, hundreds of women die miserably in Kunning Palace. Do you dare say this has nothing to do with you?” Song Wuya stared at Zhao, saying coldly, “Also, four years ago, Father Emperor was a wise ruler praised throughout the land. Ever since you gained his favor four years ago, there have been heavy taxes and harsh policies, massive construction projects, warmongering—to the point where Great Xia now teeters on the brink of collapse. If you’re not a demon, how did our Great Xia come to this?!”
“Oh.” Hearing this, Zhao laughed. Her voice came from behind the adjacent screen. Jiang Zhaoxue sensed the fluctuating malevolent wraith energy on Zhao’s body and heard her laugh: “After all this talk, these are all your Father Emperor’s sins. My only sin seems to be gaining your Father Emperor’s favor, plus that baseless matter of women dying miserably in Kunning Palace. Third Prince, do you have evidence?”
“This old minister has evidence!”
As soon as Zhao spoke, an official cried out in grief: “This old minister’s daughter served as a female official in the palace but was innocently murdered by Empress Zhao in the court. Before her death, she sent this old minister a letter written in blood, revealing that Zhao set up a human blood sacrifice pool in Kunning Palace to summon demons. Please investigate clearly!”
“Impudent!” Zhao shouted angrily, “committing an offense in the palace and being punished is only proper. How dare you slander this empress like this?”
“Do you dare say you didn’t kill the Wang woman?” Song Wuya pressed.
Zhao laughed lightly: “Killing a palace maid is worth questioning? By His Highness’s logic, when the Third Prince massacred cities and exterminated clans in Western Shu, that should be unforgivable!”
“Your Majesty.” At this moment, an indifferent voice spoke, yet everyone fell silent.
Song Wulan’s gaze swept over, and he laughed lightly, saying to Jiang Zhaoxue: “Well, it’s Fu Changsheng, the Director of the Tianji Academy.”
Jiang Zhaoxue sensed the speaker—his spiritual power was abundant, the only existence here that could check and balance Zhao. At the same time, she turned her eyes toward Qian Sisi, as if stroking her hair, she traced from her hair all the way across her neck.
Those around didn’t notice her gesture, but Qian Sisi immediately understood and silently withdrew.
Song Wulan looked at Fu Changsheng with no respect for this person, continuing: “This old man believes most in heavenly fate. When I was born, he said I possessed a Void Body, a natural vessel that would inevitably be devoured by evil entities in the future. He advised Father Emperor to kill me to prevent future troubles. It was Zhao who desperately protected me.”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue frowned slightly. She finally realized what was wrong with the person before her.
The Void Body—this was the world’s best vessel for spiritual entities. Whether evil spirits, weapon spirits, or others, any bodiless entity could achieve perfect fusion in this body.
However, all things in heaven and earth ultimately seek balance. Given this constitution, there would naturally be means of self-preservation.
The Void Body could only be possessed if the person willingly offered their body. And the current Song Wulan clearly hadn’t offered his body.
But she also couldn’t detect the characteristics of a Void Body in him.
“Zhao found a powerful cultivator from her clan to conceal my Void Body,” Song Wulan said, whether guessing her thoughts or continuing the conversation, “then asked Fu Changsheng to divine again. Only then did Fu Changsheng spare me. But because of him, I stayed in the Cold Palace until I was eighteen. Later, when he divined that I possessed the true dragon fate, unable to believe it, he found countless fortune tellers throughout the land to divine my fate. After confirming I possessed the true dragon destiny, he immediately brought me out. Look at him now—he’s begun to suspect my mother again.”
As he spoke, Fu Changsheng stared at Zhao and asked: “May I ask Your Majesty, is what Lord Wang said true? Have you set up a human blood sacrifice altar in the palace?”
“Is Director Fu suspecting this empress?”
Seeing Fu Changsheng speak, Zhao finally became serious: “This empress knows Director Fu’s concerns, but there’s no need for many words. How simple is it to prove whether this empress is an evil entity? Since we’re already at the altar, let the Third Prince perform the ancestral inquiry!”
“Your Majesty speaks correctly.”
After a moment’s contemplation, Fu Changsheng also agreed with Zhao’s words. He turned to look at the altar and urged Song Wuya: “Third Prince, don’t delay any longer. Perform the ancestral recognition.”
As he spoke, all the soldiers and cultivators in the entire altar began uniformly pounding the ground with their weapons, urging in unison: “Ancestral inquiry! Ancestral inquiry! Ancestral inquiry!”
Hearing such urging, Song Wuya knew he could delay no longer. He turned to look up at Jiang Zhaoxue on the high platform and saw her nod.
Song Wuya took a deep breath, turned around, and stepped toward the altar platform at the highest point.
The moment his foot touched the steps, the entire staircase instantly lit up. This signified that the ancestral inquiry at the altar had officially begun. As the Song clan’s most solemn, most dignified, most authoritative method of self-verification, once begun, it could not be stopped. Any retreat meant certain death.
Song Wuya looked at the altar platform on the high platform, his heart racing. But he knew there was no turning back.
Amid the voices urging “ancestral inquiry,” he controlled his breathing and slowly, solemnly, walked up step by step.
As he ascended, Jiang Zhaoxue simultaneously sensed a figure from the crowd rapidly attacking from the shadows. A dagger fell from Jiang Zhaoxue’s sleeve. Song Wulan waved his fan with a light laugh: “Oh my, after all that dragging, you only bought this much time…”
Before he finished speaking, Qian Sisi launched a surprise attack from the crowd!
The talisman swept across her sword blade. Her sword like thunder, her body like a ghost, she struck directly at Zhao on the seat. While everyone was caught off guard, she suddenly slashed at Zhao’s neck!
The sword entered Zhao’s body as if sinking into a quagmire. Zhao coldly raised her head. Qian Sisi instantly felt something was wrong.
A moment later, black energy violently exploded outward. Qian Sisi was blown away by the black energy. A cultivator cried out in alarm: “Malevolent wraith!”
In an instant, the entire venue erupted into chaos. The black energy chased after Qian Sisi. Qian Sisi slashed down the curtain in front of Song Wulan with one sword, rolled on the ground, and leaped down from the altar. Pursued relentlessly by the black energy and pursuers, she shouted loudly: “Jiang Zhaoxue, take care! I have to run!”
“Tsk.” Song Wulan waved his fan with a light laugh, “just abandoning you like that. You, a fate master…”
Before he finished speaking, Song Wulan felt a cold dagger pressed against his neck.
Jiang Zhaoxue had silently knelt behind him, leaning close to his ear, whispering softly: “What about a fate master?”
Song Wulan’s movements froze. Somewhat surprised, he turned back and couldn’t help asking: “You know martial arts?”
“No.” Jiang Zhaoxue answered honestly, smiling gently, “but I have money.”
With an agility talisman and a strength talisman stuck on her body, she too was a martial arts expert.
Speaking thus, Jiang Zhaoxue quickly drew talismans while voice transmitting to Pei Zichen.
Zhao had already been lured away by Qian Sisi and had no time to attend to her. Her voice transmission could freely reach Pei Zichen: “Zichen, get ready. I’m about to open the formation.”
When Pei Zichen received this, he was wearing a cloak and mask that changed his appearance, form, and voice, standing on the palace gate wall between the altar and the imperial palace, gazing at the imperial city, waiting for Jiang Zhaoxue’s command.
Under normal circumstances, the imperial palace had true dragon protection, and ordinary cultivators couldn’t act rashly. But if invited into the palace by someone inside, as long as they didn’t go too far, the true dragon would turn a blind eye. Additionally, since the emperor had now gone to the altar and the true dragon wasn’t in the palace, the palace had become masterless territory where cultivators could come and go freely.
Therefore, Pei Zichen had been setting up formations since entering the palace. He had now completely set up the barrier formation, only waiting to activate it.
He knew that restraining this malevolent wraith with his spiritual power was absolutely impossible, so before coming, he had prepared over a thousand Yin Paper Immortals and had already refined the power of the Yuan Luogong.
To prevent encountering Shen Yuqing or others who knew him, he concealed his form, appearance, and voice, only waiting for Jiang Zhaoxue’s command.
As soon as Jiang Zhaoxue’s voice transmission arrived, he felt the ground clearly begin to shake. It should be the malevolent wraith at the altar attempting to mobilize the power in the palace.
The direction of the tremors was extremely obvious. He leaped up and rushed urgently toward the source of the power. His sword calmly unsheathed as he simultaneously activated the formation, calmly replying: “Yes, My Lady.”
Just as he moved, Shen Yuqing, who had been waiting in the Crown Prince’s hall in the palace, also instantly opened his eyes. After telling Mu Jinyue “follow me,” he rushed urgently toward the direction he sensed.
He had long known there was a malevolent wraith in this palace, but the mortal realm’s self-inflicted fate had nothing to do with him, and he didn’t interfere.
But now, there was actually someone from the Jiuyou Realm in this palace!
He was all too familiar with this type of technique. Two hundred years ago, it was precisely this technique that nearly annihilated all of Central Province’s elite. Countless fellow disciples lost their lives to this method. Today, with a Jiuyou Realm demonic cultivator here, he absolutely couldn’t forgive them.
He and Pei Zichen attacked from east and west simultaneously, arriving almost at the same time at Kunning Palace, which was causing the ground tremors in the palace. The moment Pei Zichen leaped in through the window, Shen Yuqing summoned his long sword from his spine and slashed down at Pei Zichen with one strike. Pei Zichen blocked horizontally with his sword. The Yin Paper Immortals howled forth and heavily collided with Shen Yuqing!
Like Jiang Zhaoxue, Shen Yuqing’s cultivation was forcibly suppressed upon arriving in the mortal realm. Pei Zichen couldn’t estimate how much Shen Yuqing had been suppressed, only knowing that after receiving this strike, his hands were numb from the shock. He flipped and leaped back rapidly. Shen Yuqing simultaneously split off a sword formation, slashing the charging Yin Paper Immortals to pieces. His sword followed closely, exchanging no less than a hundred moves with him in an instant.
Pei Zichen didn’t dare use Lingjian Immortal Pavilion sword techniques—only basic moves.
Shen Yuqing watched his spiritual energy flow and shouted coldly: “Demonic evil creature, you dare show yourself?”
“Having done no evil, how am I demonic?” Pei Zichen waved his hand, and the Yin Paper Immortals howled forth. “Stand aside!”
Speaking thus, he flipped and leaped into the inner hall. Shen Yuqing pursued relentlessly.
Pei Zichen had no intention of entangling with him.
His main task today was to restrain the malevolent wraith’s main body. If he could directly injure the wraith’s main body, it would weaken the wraith’s power at the altar. Even if the wraith rose up violently to kill him, with Shen Yuqing here, there would be some restraint.
After calculating in his heart, Pei Zichen led Shen Yuqing toward the inner hall of Kunning Palace.
While the two fought fiercely, the altar had already descended into chaos.
After Qian Sisi used talismans to force Zhao to reveal her malevolent wraith form, the Tianji Academy people immediately split into two groups. Fu Changsheng led people to surround Zhao, but the Emperor shouted: “Don’t touch her! She’s the Empress! No one can touch her!”
“Did you hear?”
Zhao’s voice echoed throughout the entire altar. The black energy transformed into a giant ghost face, looking down at everyone: “This is an imperial command. Stand aside!”
“She’s controlling Father Emperor!”
Hearing this, Song Wuya immediately shouted loudly, urgently saying: “Director Fu, all these years she must have been controlling Father Emperor. She’s a malevolent wraith lurking in the palace for so long—didn’t any of you notice?! Kill her now!”
“Song Wuya, you’re courting death!”
As the words fell, the black energy surged urgently toward the altar. Seeing this, Qian Sisi leaped toward the altar, her sword energy striking directly at the black energy. The black energy instantly transformed into sword blades, simultaneously entangling with Qian Sisi, Fu Changsheng, and others.
The Tianji Academy cultivators also fell into chaos, the scene becoming a fierce melee.
Song Wuya looked toward Jiang Zhaoxue and couldn’t help shouting loudly: “How much longer?!”
Jiang Zhaoxue drew the formation, voice transmitting to him: “Wait!”
“How long must we wait?”
Song Wulan waved his fan, as if he could hear their conversation, saying with impunity: “Within a quarter hour, if he doesn’t perform the ancestral inquiry, karmic fire will burn him to death directly. Immortal Master Jiang, you’d better hurry. Otherwise, once he dies, even if we prove my mother empress is a malevolent wraith…”
Song Wulan smiled as he turned back: “I’m still the Crown Prince with the true dragon fate.”
“Your Highness doesn’t seem afraid?”
Jiang Zhaoxue’s formation began taking shape. She rapidly filled in the details. Song Wulan laughed lightly: “Why do you think I told you I possess a Void Body?”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart grew wary, instantly realizing something was wrong.
He told her he possessed a Void Body, so she didn’t dare rashly kill him, fearing he would offer his body. Once he offered his body, the malevolent wraith would gain a human form and immediately become dozens of times stronger.
But why would he tell her in advance?
At that time she hadn’t yet revealed her ability to fight. He should have still thought she was a fate master without the strength to truss a chicken, which was why he dared keep her behind him.
But if he knew she posed a threat, how would he dare leave her alone behind him…
Wrong!
Jiang Zhaoxue instantly became alert. She raised her hand to withdraw the nearly completed formation and retreated rapidly. Just at that instant, the folding fan in Song Wulan’s hand had already drawn a stream of black energy that heavily smashed into the ground!
Then his body moved like a ghost, closely pursuing Jiang Zhaoxue.
Jiang Zhaoxue leaped from the heights into the altar battle. Seeing Jiang Zhaoxue leap down, Zhao roared and charged at her. Qian Sisi urgently leaped in front of Jiang Zhaoxue. Jiang Zhaoxue quickly retreated. Qian Sisi’s sword was hung with a pile of tattered talismans. She and the Tianji Academy cultivators blocked in front of Jiang Zhaoxue, desperately slashing at the black energy, shouting in despair: “There are too many people who need protection—call for backup!”
“Hold on!”
Jiang Zhaoxue gave an encouraging shout, raised her hand to draw the last stroke of the formation. However, just at that instant, the black energy bypassed everyone and surged violently to the formation’s final connection point, blocking the formation’s final link.
Unable to connect the formation’s final stroke, it couldn’t be activated. Jiang Zhaoxue’s spiritual power poured in frantically, the black energy flowing endlessly. Jiang Zhaoxue raised her eyes toward Zhao and sneered: “Let’s see what ability you have.”
“Then let’s try!”
The ghost face spoke. In an instant, the entire capital began to shake. In the underground chamber of Kunning Palace in the imperial palace, blood water began to boil, rapidly surging up to the floor. The floor trembled desperately. Both Pei Zichen and Shen Yuqing, who were entangled in combat, were stunned.
A moment later, a violent wind arose and malevolent energy exploded through the floor, surging skyward. Seeing this, Pei Zichen leaped toward the ground without hesitation. He saw that the source of the malevolent energy was a giant blood pool churning violently. In the center of the blood pool, a humanoid body slowly floated up. The long sword in Pei Zichen’s hand blazed with brilliant light. With all his strength, just as the body emerged, he fiercely thrust into the human form!
The malevolent energy paused for an instant. The blood person froze in the pool. A moment later, a roar sounded. The blood person exploded into black energy, blasting Pei Zichen away, then frantically surged upward, rushing directly toward the altar.
Pei Zichen shouted urgently: “Shen Yuqing!”
Shen Yuqing’s sword formation instantly opened. The black energy crashed into the golden light sword formation.
The malevolent energy was intercepted by the two, Pei and Shen. Jiang Zhaoxue sensed Zhao’s breath pause. Her spiritual power instantly surged and poured down, completely breaking through the black energy blocking her. The formation was instantly complete!
She flipped her hand and summoned the Qiankun Divination Sticks, suspending them in midair.
She clearly sensed Shen Yuqing’s presence and knew he had intervened. Secretly smiling, she instructed Pei Zichen: “Block your master, don’t let him come over and cause trouble.”
Pei Zichen heard the smile in Jiang Zhaoxue’s tone. After suppressing the surging blood in his chest and responding “yes,” he leaped up and blocked Shen Yuqing’s path.
Shen Yuqing slashed at the malevolent energy, indeed intending to leave.
Pei Zichen slashed down with a sword from the side. Shen Yuqing dodged sideways, his expression slightly angry.
A formation instantly lit up beneath his feet. He raised his hand in a sword gesture, light swords circling his body, saying coldly: “This master is protecting his wife today and won’t quibble with you lot. Stand aside!”
Hearing this, Pei Zichen looked at Shen Yuqing’s sword formation and similarly raised his hand in a gesture.
A formation similar to Lingjian Immortal Pavilion’s appeared beneath his feet, but using the power of the Jiuyou Realm, emanating purple-silver light. Purple light swords circled his body. Pei Zichen raised his eyes coldly: “I apologize, but I cannot yield.”
As the words fell, countless light swords clashed in the air. The two simultaneously slashed at the malevolent energy trying to escape while drawing their swords against each other with full force, blocking each other’s path.
The malevolent energy was completely isolated in the palace by them. Unable to block Jiang Zhaoxue from completing the formation, Zhao began trying to directly attack her.
Qian Sisi was terrified and shouted loudly: “Help! Someone help!”
Tianji Academy cultivators rushed forward. Countless talismans and magical lights struck the ghost face, protecting Jiang Zhaoxue.
Jiang Zhaoxue flipped her hand and began trying to draw lots: “The Heavenly Dao is inconstant…”
As soon as the words fell, she suddenly froze.
She couldn’t draw them.
The Qiankun Divination Sticks seemed to be bound by some force for the first time, completely unable to move.
Who?!
Jiang Zhaoxue looked up in shock to see Song Wulan standing across from her on the opposite side of the altar.
Behind him stood rows of archers and cultivators. He held a folding fan, lightly tapping it against his lips. Three copper coins floated before him.
Those three copper coins displayed a divination reading of—Great Fortune.
A fate master!
Jiang Zhaoxue instantly realized—Song Wulan was actually a fate master!
He had set up his formation first, blocking her divination!
But how could he be a fate master?
He was only in his twenties—how could he seal her divination?!
Jiang Zhaoxue’s mind raced, but she immediately understood why Song Wuya, despite having the true dragon fate, still couldn’t successfully perform the ancestral inquiry at the altar.
Because his fate had been altered.
He wasn’t merely having his fate concealed by a malevolent wraith—he had been genuinely altered by a fate master.
Empress Zhao, this malevolent wraith, was merely a blade he raised. He was the true master!
In his twenties, yet able to alter a true dragon’s fate—even in the True Immortal Realm, he would be an unparalleled genius fate master of his time.
The mortal realm could actually produce such a person?
“I told you.”
Seeing Jiang Zhaoxue’s expression, Song Wulan slowly smiled: “I want to wager with Lady Jiang. For these twenty-seven years, I win every gamble. Can My Lady let me lose once?”
“Immortal Master Jiang…”
Song Wuya trembled slightly with a reminder—the sand timer was nearly empty, a quarter hour almost up.
Jiang Zhaoxue looked at Song Wulan’s confident smile across from her and couldn’t help but smile as well, calling out loudly: “Song Wuya, cut your blood and perform the ancestral inquiry!”
Hearing this, Song Wuya took a deep breath, trembling as he picked up the knife and slashed his own wrist.
Jiang Zhaoxue raised her hand. Talismans circled her body as she calmly transmitted: “Ye Tianjiao.”
Ye Tianjiao had long since drawn the spirit-gathering formation and waited. Hearing Jiang Zhaoxue’s voice, he immediately responded: “Here!”
“Activate the formation.”
The moment Jiang Zhaoxue gave the order, Ye Tianjiao quickly called to the cultivators behind him to sit beneath the spirit-gathering formation.
Spiritual power flew in from outside the altar. Seeing this, Song Wulan similarly raised his hand in a gesture, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into his body.
“Zichen.”
Jiang Zhaoxue reminded calmly: “Get ready, coming back now.”
Hearing this, Pei Zichen’s heart tensed. He no longer blocked Shen Yuqing. All the Yin Paper Immortals in his hands flew wildly at Shen Yuqing. Over a thousand Yin Paper Immortals rushed toward Shen Yuqing—even Shen Yuqing was shocked into retreating. Pei Zichen seized the opportunity to fly out, slashing open space with one sword, and frantically ran toward the altar.
He ran through the long, narrow corridor of crimson palace walls, shedding the concealing cloak as he ran, removing his mask, revealing his black-purple fitted martial attire, his black-purple hair bound high with red rope accents in a high ponytail.
He rushed forward quickly, reminding Jiang Zhaoxue: “My Lady, I’m ready.”
“The Heavenly Dao is inconstant—”
Jiang Zhaoxue heard Pei Zichen’s voice and formed a gesture with her hand.
“The Heavenly Dao is inconstant—”
Song Wulan touched the fan to the corner of his mouth, his face showing a smile.
The Qiankun Divination Sticks spun rapidly in an instant. The three copper coins before Song Wulan also spun rapidly in midair.
Zhao roared and charged at Jiang Zhaoxue. Feathered arrows fell from behind Song Wulan. Jiang Zhaoxue’s talismans formed a barrier. Zhao crashed heavily into the barrier. Arrows fell like rain on a small pond, rippling in concentric circles.
Seeing this, Qian Sisi shouted: “Attack!”
She drew her sword and rushed urgently toward Song Wulan. Both sides’ forces clashed into a melee. Only Jiang Zhaoxue and Song Wulan stood across from each other at the altar, steady as ever on both sides, chanting incantations.
“Wager fate with Heaven—”
“Wager fate with Heaven—”
“Supreme Great Fortune—”
“Qiankun Great Fortune—”
“True dragon ancestral inquiry!”
“False dragon ancestral inquiry!”
“Zichen.” Jiang Zhaoxue called silently in her heart. “Come back!”
Speaking thus, Jiang Zhaoxue drew on Pei Zichen’s spiritual power, combining everyone’s strength to instantly fill her formation. Seeing this, Zhao cried out in terror. The black energy surged violently, and with a fierce collision, she shattered Jiang Zhaoxue’s barrier and flew toward her!
Jiang Zhaoxue watched the enormous black shadow in the spiritual power field flying toward her and instantly widened her eyes. She heard Qian Sisi cry out urgently: “Zhaoxue!”
But there was no time, absolutely no time.
Just as the black energy was about to pierce through Jiang Zhaoxue, space suddenly trembled. A long sword broke through the void, tearing open space and fiercely slashing at the malevolent wraith ahead!
Ice and snow followed the sword, breaking through the black energy. The ice and snow imbued with exorcising spiritual energy burned the wraith, making it scream and scatter. The young man’s pine fragrance mixed with her commonly used floral scent from hair strands and ribbons swept past her cheek. She closed her eyes in relief as she and Song Wulan simultaneously called out: “Go!”
“Go!”
As both shouted at the same time, magical light surged skyward from beneath their feet, heavily colliding with each other’s light.
The fortune from both sides roared forth like two light dragons, entangling and fighting with each other.
Song Wulan stared intently at the woman in the brilliant light across from him. The illusion technique gradually dispersed, and she gradually revealed her true divine countenance in the radiance.
Her features were bright and beautiful, her temperament cold and clear. The flame pattern between her eyebrows flashed with golden light. Her silk shawl scattered in all directions in the brilliant light as if in water, appearing just like the divine maiden he had seen countless times in temples.
His blood boiled, his heart raced, watching the two fortune dragons bite at each other. Jiang Zhaoxue clearly had extremely strong mental fortitude—her fortune dragon grew fiercer with each battle!
The pain brought by depleted spiritual power spread through his meridians. After all, he was merely a mortal body in his twenties. He knew he couldn’t hold on much longer.
However, for the first time in his life, he finally found something worth cherishing in this tedious world.
“Kill her.”
Song Wulan’s breathing became rapid as he shouted loudly: “Xinluoyi, kill her!”
As the words fell, Jiang Zhaoxue’s fortune dragon bit down on Song Wulan’s fortune throat and fiercely tore it open!
At the same time, the black energy transformed into a red-clothed woman holding an umbrella. The umbrella spun toward Jiang Zhaoxue. Pei Zichen drew his sword urgently. Dozens of light swords entangled with the red umbrella as he slashed down at the red-clothed woman with one sword!
The Qiankun jade divination stick flew out. Jiang Zhaoxue saw the words “Supreme Fortune” and cried out urgently: “Song Wuya!”
“Song clan’s ancestors above,” Song Wuya had been waiting for this moment. Just before the sand timer emptied, he pressed his hand heavily on the platform and cried out loudly, “thirty-second generation descendant Song Wuya asks with blood: the Song clan’s national succession, true dragon fortune—is it Wuya?!”
The altar didn’t respond. Song Wuya’s heart raced. He couldn’t control his despair and shouted excitedly: “Ancestors above, true dragon fortune—is it Wuya?!”
The altar remained silent. Song Wuya’s blood gradually grew cold.
No response?
How could there be no response?!
Could it be that despite exhausting all his efforts, staining his hands with countless sins to seize the Lingxu Fan, using everything—he was still a false dragon? He still had to lose?!
He couldn’t believe it. Just then, the copper coins before Song Wulan finally stopped.
“Xu Trigram…”
Song Wulan murmured.
Xu Trigram—placed in a deadly situation before survival.
The copper coins stopped, opposing Jiang Zhaoxue’s “Supreme Fortune”—the victor was decided!
In an instant, beams of light lit up around the altar one after another.
Dark clouds parted in the sky. A beam of light descended from heaven, falling upon Song Wuya.
Seeing that beam of light, Song Wuya couldn’t help but redden his eyes. The pain of his mother empress’s tragic death, the sorrow of four years between life and death, clearly emerged in this moment.
He had made it!
The light fell upon him. An ancient voice echoed in the sky: “Granted—thirty-second generation descendant, Song Wuya, shall inherit the Song clan’s national succession.”
Hearing this, Song Wuya instantly collapsed to the ground. Song Wulan seemed to have made some decision, smiling as he closed his eyes.
At that moment, Jiang Zhaoxue suddenly felt the spiritual power field tremble inexplicably, as if something extremely terrifying was appearing.
“I promise you…”
Song Wulan’s voice sounded, extremely weak.
Yet Jiang Zhaoxue instantly captured it among the many voices. Almost the moment he spoke, she grabbed a broken sword from the ground and rushed urgently. As the words fell, she slashed Song Wulan’s throat.
Blood sprayed out. Song Wulan looked clearly at the woman who had dealt him a fatal blow, watching his blood splash on her face. He stared at her with fanatical obsession, murmuring as he fell: “Jiang… Zhao… Xue…”
His body fell heavily to the ground. Yet Xinluoyi seemed to have received some boost—her power instantly surged. Pei Zichen cried out in alarm: “My Lady!”
Before Jiang Zhaoxue could turn back, Pei Zichen threw her to the ground. The malevolent energy flew over her head. Shen Yuqing’s sword light flew directly from behind, fiercely piercing through Xinluoyi!
Xinluoyi wailed. She was immediately slashed by the light sword, transforming into black energy that burrowed into the crowd and vanished instantly.
“Run quickly!”
Sensing Xinluoyi disappear, Jiang Zhaoxue realized Shen Yuqing had caught up and urgently spoke.
Pei Zichen immediately lifted her horizontally and leaped out.
Shen Yuqing’s sword intent followed closely. Jiang Zhaoxue curled up in Pei Zichen’s embrace, listening to the whistling wind. Then she heard Ye Wenzhi’s shocked cry from the side: “Your Highness!”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue looked up to see that Qian Sisi had actually rushed up to the altar, hoisting the unconscious Song Wuya over her shoulder and running.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhaoxue urgently called: “Qian Sisi, farewell!”
However, Qian Sisi didn’t respond. She only raised her hand to throw out a teleportation formation and leaped down.
Jiang Zhaoxue had no time to think further—she felt Shen Yuqing’s form had arrived.
This time he was fully prepared. Light swords pursued relentlessly, sealing off all possibilities for Pei Zichen to tear open space. Jiang Zhaoxue knew that in moments Shen Yuqing could intercept them.
If Shen Yuqing intercepted them, not to mention whether he would kill Pei Zichen or interfere with her plans—just thinking about him and Mu Jinyue, she didn’t want to stay with him for even a moment.
Jiang Zhaoxue considered briefly, then without hesitation directly summoned the Yuan Luogong. Using her spiritual power field to sense Shen Yuqing’s form, embracing Pei Zichen, she raised her hand to draw the bow. The moment Shen Yuqing caught up, the arrow shot forth!
Shen Yuqing only had time to say: “A’Xue, I won’t kill…”
Before the words fell, the arrow arrived.
That arrow fiercely pierced through his shoulder. This arrow had no spiritual power—it was merely an external wound.
Only life-threatening grave injuries would be shared with her. External wounds merely impeded his steps.
Yet at that moment, he felt this was the most painful wound he had ever received in his life.
Whether it was when his heart meridians were shattered at North震 of Cangming Sea, or being burned by fire when battling the Fire Qilin, or receiving those forty-nine divine soul lashes at the Heavenly Mandate Hall for her sake.
None hurt more than this one arrow.
The arrow Jiang Zhaoxue shot at him.
The person who once felt such heartache for him that she was willing to establish a heart bond contract with him—his wife—was actually shooting this arrow at him while in another man’s arms?!
Shock and pain surged. He watched Pei Zichen embrace Jiang Zhaoxue and flee frantically, unable to restrain himself any longer.
He had to kill him.
Pei Zichen…
How could he take her away?!
Spiritual power exploded forth. He no longer cared whether it would disrupt this small world’s order—he only desperately wanted to catch them.
He clearly knew what he feared, what he dared not admit. He raised his hand and slashed fiercely at Pei Zichen with one sword, crying out in pain: “A’Xue!!”
“Master!” Seeing that arrow and sensing space distorting, Mu Jinyue urgently rushed toward Shen Yuqing. “You mustn’t!”
But it was too late. That sword flew toward Pei Zichen. Pei Zichen felt the sword light behind him. He knew he couldn’t avoid it, but he also knew he absolutely couldn’t let go.
He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t give Jiang Zhaoxue any chance to turn back.
He had to take her away.
He must take her away!
The sword light rushed forth urgently. Jiang Zhaoxue hadn’t expected Shen Yuqing to be so impulsive and frantically embraced Pei Zichen.
However, just as the sword light reached directly before Pei Zichen, a pale, distinctly jointed hand suddenly reached out from the space beside him!
That hand tore open space in an instant. A man in purple-black ornate robes leaned out, hair loose and flowing, jade suspended at his forehead. No one could see his face clearly—they only saw silver light scattered on his purple-black robes embroidered with flowing splendid mountains and rivers. The young man brushed past Pei Zichen. His clothing and hair swept across Jiang Zhaoxue’s hands and cheek. As Jiang Zhaoxue turned back in shock, the young man raised his hand to block before them, striking Shen Yuqing’s light sword with one palm!
In that instant, the sky and earth changed color. A violent wind arose. The light sword shattered like ice. Purple-black formation light heavily struck Shen Yuqing’s body. Shen Yuqing spat out a mouthful of blood and was directly blasted away.
At the same time, Pei Zichen spat out a mouthful of blood. Feeling the blood, Jiang Zhaoxue didn’t know what happened and urgently called out: “Zichen?!”
But Pei Zichen didn’t speak. He only seized the opportunity to slash open space with one sword and leaped down holding Jiang Zhaoxue.
Jiang Zhaoxue suddenly remembered something and roared toward Ye Wenzhi: “Burn Song Wulan! His corpse cannot remain!”
Speaking thus, she and Pei Zichen fell into pitch darkness.
During the descent, she felt someone raise their hand to catch her, as if catching her by the waist and pulling her from water, stopping her unimpeded falling momentum.
The young man’s long hair gently brushed past her cheek. A familiar fragrance lingered at her nose.
Jiang Zhaoxue vaguely sensed who had come, murmuring in confusion: “Senior?”
The other didn’t answer, only raising their hand to cover her eyes.
“Sleep.”
He spoke gently: “Sleep for a bit, and everything will be fine.”