Turning back the clock about two-quarters of an hour, at the Night Watchers’ office.
Thump, thump, thump… Xu Qi’an, clad in cyan robes, slowly descended the stairs, surrounded by a group of clerks with complex expressions.
The Haoqi Building was essentially Wei Yuan’s office, housing many clerks and advisors who transmitted messages and analyzed intelligence.
Yuan Xiong, newly appointed, had only managed to extend his influence to the Night Watchers. The clerks in the Haoqi Building hadn’t been affected yet. If Yuan Xiong hadn’t died, this fire would have eventually reached them too.
Because they were all part of Wei Yuan’s inner circle.
They just hadn’t expected that Yuan Xiong, who had just taken over Wei Gong’s position and entered the Haoqi Building yesterday, would die at Xu Qi’an’s hands today.
The clerks filled every corner of each floor’s stairway, silently watching him, watching this cyan-robed figure slowly descend.
In their eyes were reverence, sorrow, emotion, and glistening tears.
They had witnessed the recent changes in the court and yesterday’s events at the Night Watchers’ office. They understood clearly.
Though they didn’t speak outwardly, there must have been resentment in their hearts.
Those who could wield pens couldn’t pick up swords. Those who could wield swords couldn’t hold onto that fleeting moment of courage.
Wei Gong had led the Night Watchers for twenty-one years, benefiting countless people. Now that he was gone, his faction had scattered, and other factions were watching coldly from the sidelines.
In the end, it was this young man, who had been with the Night Watchers for less than a year, who flew into a rage on his behalf.
The clerks watched him, their silence brewing with sorrow.
Xu Qi’an left the Haoqi Building and approached Yuan Xiong’s corpse. He drew his knife, cut off the head, and held it in his hand.
You wanted to ruin Wei Gong’s reputation, I won’t allow it!
The clerks rushed out of the Haoqi Building, crowding outside.
As Xu Qi’an turned to leave, a choked voice came from behind: “Constable Xu, you should escape…”
It was the young guard at the front of the Haoqi Building.
“Constable Xu, go, just go.”
“Constable Xu, drop the head and leave quickly.”
“Please…”
They seemed to foresee something, each voicing their thoughts.
The cacophony of voices was heartfelt.
Xu Qi’an paused for a moment, then continued on his way.
He walked silently towards the exit of the office. Along the way, the gazes of the Night Watchers focused on him. No one spoke, nor did anyone dare to stop him.
Gazes lingered on his back, then turned to the head he was carrying.
Everyone’s expression changed.
The cyan-robed figure soon left the Night Watchers’ office, heading down the main street towards the imperial palace.
In the silence, a Constable spoke with a trembling voice: “This isn’t right.”
Breaking into the office to kill someone, then not retreating immediately, but instead carrying the head out and walking towards the imperial city…
Someone suddenly cried out: “He’s going to cause trouble at the imperial palace!”
“This won’t do. Wei Gong is gone. No one can protect him like last time. He killed Yuan Xiong. This is a capital offense that could lead to the execution of his entire family. He can’t cause more trouble. He needs to flee quickly.”
“Who can stop him? No one can stop him.”
It was too rash. Last time he was able to kill a duke because he had Wei Gong and the officials pleading for him. Those civil and military officials bore the pressure at the forefront, allowing him to escape unscathed.
This time was different. If he dared to cause trouble, he would face suppression from the army and experts.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao grabbed their knives and were the first to chase after him.
The other Night Watchers looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
“We have wives and children, we can’t act rashly.”
“Let’s… let’s just go and see. Just look.”
“We can’t do nothing, at least.”
As for how to respond when the time came, they hadn’t thought it through.
After finding excuses for themselves, someone took a step forward and rushed out of the office.
Then, one by one… they poured out.
…
At a quarter past five in the morning, the autumn frost was heavy, and most citizens hadn’t yet risen.
At a street-side breakfast stall, a vendor was carrying a steaming bowl of soy milk to a customer at the table.
At some point, he looked towards the street, his eyes widening. The bowl in his hands fell and shattered, splashing scalding soy milk everywhere.
The customers followed his gaze. In the dim morning light, a cyan-robed figure walked with a knife in hand, carrying a head in his left hand.
Behind him followed nearly a hundred Night Watchers.
The vendor slowly turned back to the customers: “Wasn’t that Constable Xu?”
“Ah, so that’s Constable Xu?”
Some had never seen Constable Xu’s true face before.
“That’s… that’s right, it’s him, it’s Constable Xu. What is he doing?”
“Carrying a head in his hand, hiss, is Constable Xu going to kill corrupt officials again?”
“With so many Night Watchers following him…”
Street vendors, peddlers who had entered the city early, and some citizens heading out for work were fortunate enough to witness this scene.
Upon realizing that Constable Xu was walking along the main road towards the imperial city, the onlooking citizens couldn’t help but discuss among themselves.
“Whose head is Constable Xu carrying?”
“Who knows? It must be someone bad, otherwise Constable Xu wouldn’t have killed him. Such a grand spectacle, I remember the last time was when two dukes were beheaded at the vegetable market. Pity I didn’t witness it personally…”
The voice suddenly stopped.
A few seconds later, someone shouted: “Follow him, let’s go see!”
The citizens, who were merely curious before, suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. They immediately called their friends and followed distantly behind the Night Watchers.
Along the way, passersby pointed and whispered, asking each other for information.
“What’s all this about?”
“Why are you following these Night Watchers?”
Someone in the crowd replied: “The one leading is Constable Xu. Don’t you recognize him? Are you blind?”
“Don’t waste words. We don’t know either. We’re just following to watch the excitement. Don’t forget, the last time Constable Xu made such a big move, it was the Chu State massacre case.”
The uninformed citizens were shocked and joined the crowd.
…
On the city wall of the imperial city.
The Yulin Guards guarding the south gate saw a surging crowd coming along the wide main road. From above, it was a sea of heads.
At the front was a cyan-robed figure, followed by a hundred Night Watchers, and lastly, a loose crowd of citizens.
A procession of nearly a thousand people. The capital was prosperous and affluent, and its citizens were generally lazy, rising late. Especially as autumn deepened and the weather turned cold, families not pressed by livelihood were still in their dreams, lingering in the warmth of their beds.
Therefore, to gather a crowd of nearly a thousand at this time was quite remarkable.
The Yulin Guards quickly ignored the citizens, lingered briefly on the hundred Night Watchers, and locked onto the cyan-robed figure at the lead.
Former Constable Xu Qi’an, with a head hanging at his waist.
The Yulin Guard commander of the south city, with a serious expression, ordered: “Prepare the cannons, ready the crossbows, await my command…”
Facing this harbinger of disaster, no amount of caution was excessive, especially given the recent tense situation, with the court seeking to punish Wei Yuan. At this critical juncture, Xu Qi’an’s arrival boded ill.
This Yulin Guard commander shouted from atop the city wall: “The imperial city is restricted. Civilians, halt!”
As he spoke, he raised his hand. On the city wall, some Yulin Guards adjusted their cannons, aiming threateningly.
Others raised their military crossbows, drawing the hard bows.
They were just waiting for their commander’s order to attack.
The cyan-robed figure indeed stopped.
Seeing this, the Yulin Guard commander breathed a sigh of relief. With Wei Gong dead, even this arrogant young man had to restrain his lawless nature.
At this moment, he saw Xu Qi’an take the head from his waist, raise it high, and shout:
“Twenty-one years ago, Wei Yuan led troops to Shanhai Pass, battling the Yao barbarians, southern barbarians, and the Shaman Religion at Shanhai Pass, returning victorious. Without Wei Yuan in this battle, there would be no Da Feng. However, his merit overshadowed the emperor, making him intolerable to the emperor. He was forced to give up his cultivation, stripped of his military power, and relegated to the court.”
The Night Watchers behind him looked indignant, feeling the injustice done to Wei Gong.
Among the citizens, the young didn’t feel much, but the older ones knew that Constable Xu spoke the truth.
The Yulin Guard commander narrowed his eyes, his hand still raised.
“Twenty-one years later, today, Wei Yuan led troops against the Shaman Religion. The foolish emperor, fearing his triumphant return would be hard to suppress, colluded with treacherous officials to cut off supplies to the hundred thousand troops. At Jingshan City, they joined forces with the Shaman Religion to kill Wei Yuan and annihilate the army.
“Afterwards, they conspired with the treacherous official Yuan Xiong to sully his name, destroy his reputation, and trample on the victory that a hundred thousand troops had fought for with their lives.”
His voice was loud and clear, each word reaching the ears of the citizens.
Hearing this, they were in an uproar, agitated.
The army that marched against the Shaman Religion had suffered heavy casualties. This had been the talk of the town recently. Even peddlers and laborers, when gathering to drink tea during breaks, would angrily curse the eunuchs for harming the country.
But the same story, coming from Constable Xu’s mouth, was entirely different.
The emperor colluded with treacherous officials, cutting off supplies to the army… joining forces with the Shaman Religion to kill the commanding general… On the street, any citizen who heard these words had their minds in a whirl.
The Night Watchers’ eyes instantly reddened, not with sadness, but with anger.
If what Xu Qi’an said was true, for them, this was an unforgivable, intolerable crime.
“Fire!”
The Yulin Guard commander shouted fiercely.
The twang of bowstrings and the boom of cannons erupted in unison.
Howling cannonballs and arrows wrapped in white light flew toward Xu Qi’an, disregarding the lives of ordinary citizens.
The citizens cried out in alarm, scattering to find shelter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannonballs and arrows exploded in mid-air as if blocked by an invisible barrier.
“My heart aches deeply. I cannot bear to see the six-hundred-year foundation of our ancestors destroyed by a foolish emperor and treacherous officials…”
Xu Qi’an stood motionless, hurling the severed head with fury. His voice thundered like a tempest: “On this day, a commoner’s rage will spill blood for five steps, and the world shall be cloaked in mourning!”
Atop the city walls, cannons and crossbows erupted in response.
A figure in azure robes hurled the head over the imperial walls, shattered the city gate, and charged towards the palace.
…
“You… dog… of… an… Emperor!”
Within the Hall of Supreme Harmony, following this ear-shattering roar, the Taiping Blade whistled through the air, intent on pinning the yellow-robed figure to the Dragon Throne.
The assembled officials’ gazes followed the blade’s gleam, turning towards the sovereign who had overseen the court for nearly four decades.
They watched as Emperor Yuanjing stretched out his hand, catching the legendary weapon’s edge with his mortal flesh.
The Taiping Blade pulsed with energy, humming and trembling, yet unable to break free from the grip of that jade-white palm.
“Did you truly believe that after twenty-one years of cultivation, I would be so easily defeated?” Emperor Yuanjing regarded Xu Qi’an with a sardonic smile, his tone calm, like a deity presiding over all.
Their gazes met across the hall, and Xu Qi’an instantly realized that Zhende and Yuanjing had merged.
One qi transforms into three purities, three entities in one, one entity in three, capable of division and unity.
“Did you think my attempt to slay you was based solely on a commoner’s fury?” Xu Qi’an responded with equal composure, enunciating each word: “Emperor Zhende of the previous dynasty!”
“You know my true identity!” Emperor Yuanjing’s brow furrowed slightly, seemingly surprised.
Whoosh!
The Taiping Blade vibrated, releasing waves of blade energy that shattered the yellow silk-covered imperial desk, leaving sword marks on the golden steps. One energy wave destroyed a small Eight Trigrams copper talisman.
The talisman transformed into a blinding light, and in the next moment, Emperor Yuanjing and the Taiping Blade vanished from the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
A teleportation artifact!
Regicide meant killing not just Yuanjing, but Zhende as well.
Zhende was a Transcendent Realm cultivator, and Xu Qi’an himself was at the Third Realm. Their battle couldn’t take place within the capital.
Otherwise, millions of lives would be reduced to ashes.
Xu Qi’an swept his gaze over the assembled officials in the hall. Their expressions were rigid, their eyes bewildered.
“The Emperor has lost the Mandate of Heaven. I, Xu, shall depose him today. You gentlemen stay here in the hall and await the outcome.”
With that, he took out a small Eight Trigrams copper talisman and crushed it.
A clear light enveloped him, and he disappeared.
…
Chaos erupted in the Meridian Gate square. Horns and drums resounded throughout the palace as the palace guards swarmed towards the gate.
Taking advantage of the weakened defenses at the imperial chambers, Princess Huaiqing led her trusted guard squad directly to Jingyang Hall, Emperor Yuanjing’s residence.
“Bind them!” The cold and dignified eldest princess waved her hand.
Twenty highly skilled guards effortlessly subdued the palace guards outside the bedchamber.
Huaiqing, cradling a stack of imperial edicts, strode swiftly, her skirts fluttering as she entered Emperor Yuanjing’s chambers alone.
Crossing the high threshold, Huaiqing, who had been heading straight for the imperial study, suddenly halted her steps. As if sensing something, she turned towards the bedroom and saw an array drawn on the ground and a floating pearl.
She saw a golden dragon, struggling painfully, being slowly extracted.
The underground golden dragon… the dragon vein? Is this the Father Emperor’s scheme? What does he intend to do?
Many questions flashed through Huaiqing’s mind. Just as she was about to approach, she saw the eyeball within the pearl turn, its deep gaze fixed upon her.
Being stared at by this eyeball, Huaiqing’s heart trembled. Simultaneously, the warrior’s instinct honed by her Refined Spirit Realm cultivation sent out frantic warnings.
Huaiqing was a wise and decisive woman. Without hesitation, she turned and left, returning to the imperial study. There, she spread out the imperial edicts on the grand desk and affixed the imperial seal to them.
The edicts were of two types: the first ordered the closure of the city gates; the second commanded the deployment of the imperial guards.
The edicts had already been stamped with the Grand Secretariat’s seal. Once the imperial seal was added, all of the capital’s gates would be closed, effectively confining the troops within the city.
During the earlier discussion in the Book of Earth group chat, the members of the Heaven and Earth Society unanimously agreed that regicide must satisfy two prerequisites:
First, the battle must not occur within the city.
Second, the Five Brigades of the Imperial Guard, directly commanded by Emperor Yuanjing, must not interfere in the battle.
The Five Brigades of the Imperial Guard consisted of the Divine Machine Brigade, equipped with advanced cannons and crossbows; the Cavalry Brigade, well-equipped and swift as fire; the Heavy Cavalry Brigade for charging; the Hundred Battles Brigade of heavy infantry; and the Navy.
This was the most elite force in Great Feng. In terms of combat ability, equipment, and high-ranking experts within the army, they were unparalleled.
If this army were to be fully deployed, not just within Great Feng’s borders, but even across the Nine Provinces, there would be few armies capable of standing against them.
Their purpose was to protect the capital and ensure that this seat of national power remained impregnable.
After affixing the imperial seal, Huaiqing rushed out of the bedchamber and called for the captain of the guards, saying:
“Hurry to the Imperial Guard camp and deliver these five edicts to the commanders of each brigade.
“Have the remaining edicts sent to the Grand Secretariat and delivered to Prime Minister Wang.”
She issued her orders methodically.
…
In the outskirts of the capital, at the Southern Park.
The array inscribed outside the forest lit up, revealing Emperor Yuanjing in his yellow robes. He held the Taiping Blade, calmly surveying his surroundings.
“Southern Park!”
With just a glance, he recognized this as the imperial hunting grounds, a vast forest spanning two hundred and sixty li, indeed suitable as a battlefield.
Emperor Yuanjing’s gaze fixed on a particular spot, his eyes brimming with deep malice. He flicked his wrist, sending the Taiping Blade flying.
There, a clear light flickered, revealing Xu Qi’an’s figure. The Taiping Blade shot towards him as if he had rushed onto its edge himself.
Clang!
Golden light exploded, and the Taiping Blade was deflected, joyfully returning to its master’s hand.
Emperor Yuanjing couldn’t help but narrow his eyes, his brows furrowed:
“Third Realm already? I understand now. No wonder Wei Yuan’s blood qi was insufficient for the Second Realm that day. He had left a trump card. Tsk, if I didn’t know him so well, I would have to suspect that you were his illegitimate son.”
Corrupted by the Earthly Sect Patriarch, he made no effort to conceal his jealousy, his malice transforming into killing intent.
Jealousy is one of the most vicious emotions in human nature. This emperor, who had cultivated in secret for twenty years, rising from an ordinary person to the Second Realm Transcendent, becoming one of the few apex figures in the Nine Provinces, sincerely envied this young man.
Compared to his years of enduring humiliation and biding his time, the other had progressed flamboyantly, reaping fame and fortune. Even Wei Yuan was willing to pave the way for him.
In just one year, he had risen from a mere insect to a Third Realm warrior.
Xu Qi’an sheathed his blade, gathering strength while sneering: “What if I told you that Huaiqing and the Fourth Prince are his bloodlines? Would you believe it?”
Emperor Yuanjing slowly composed his expression, coldly replying: “You dare provoke me.”
The response he received was Xu Qi’an’s fierce slash.
A dazzling blade of light cleaved through the air.
Taiping Blade + Heaven and Earth Single Slash + Heart Sword + Nurturing Intent + Buddhist Lion’s Roar!
Shatter!
Accompanying the blade light was an ear-splitting lion’s roar that shook one’s soul.
Emperor Yuanjing sensed the power of this slash. His figure abruptly vanished, reappearing at extreme speed. Flashes of bright yellow silhouettes appeared and disappeared, but no matter how he dodged, he couldn’t escape this slash.
He stretched out both hands, his palms wreathed in golden and black light, grasping the blade light.
Hiss…
Amidst the sound of dissipating energy, the blade light was extinguished.
The Daoist Yang Spirit said to be an immortal form, was the sublimation of the Golden Core’s invulnerability to all methods.
Once one steps into the First Realm Immortal State, the Yang Spirit merges with the physical body, even allowing hand-to-hand combat with warriors.
Of course, its attack power and endurance are certainly not comparable to a warrior’s.
Xu Qi’an appeared behind Emperor Yuanjing, slashing down. He didn’t expect the Fourth Realm “Intent” to harm a Second Realm Transcendent expert.
Intent also requires cultivation.
A warrior’s Intent evolves at the Second Realm, while the Third Realm grants an undying body, which has little to do with Fourth Realm Intent.
It’s similar to how the Fourth and Third Realms of Confucianism have little relation.
What Xu Qi’an wanted was to use this slash to close the distance between them and launch a series of attacks to severely injure his opponent.
Emperor Yuanjing tilted his head back and let out a silent roar.
Xu Qi’an’s mind buzzed, experiencing symptoms of dizziness. Within a radius of several dozen li, from insects to large creatures like deer and wild boars, all perished instantly, their bodies remaining intact.
Seizing the moment of his spiritual fluctuation, streams of light shot out from Emperor Yuanjing’s sleeves.
The Mirror of Soul Reflection captured the opponent’s spirit, prolonging the control.
The Soul-Summoning Banner swept out waves of yin light, attacking the spirit.
Three Soul-Devouring Nails shot forth, attempting to pierce the acupoints on the opponent’s head, but they bounced off helplessly against the warrior’s physical prowess.
Two bronze rings locked onto Xu Qi’an’s wrists.
In Daoism, the Seventh Realm is called Qi Absorption, allowing one to wield magical tools, including flying swords. At Emperor Yuanjing’s level, manipulating multiple magical treasures simultaneously was effortless.
Moreover, the Daoist system, apart from Spell Casters, is one of the few capable of crafting magical tools. However, they are not as proficient as Spell Casters, who can craft almost any magical tool.
While manipulating magical tools to attack, Emperor Yuanjing also summoned a green sword, thrusting it forward. Resplendent sword light filled the sky.
He had cultivated the Human Sect’s methods. As a Second Realm practitioner of the Human Sect, his attack power was no less than Luo Yuhen’s.
Among the three Daoist sects, the Human Sect is the most offense-oriented.
Even among warriors, in terms of attack power, the Human Sect’s swordsmanship is outstanding, especially in breaking through a warrior’s bronze skin and iron bones.
Under the sword light, the Vajra Divine Skill held out for a few breaths but couldn’t withstand it. A sword pierced through the heart.
Crimson blood sprayed from Xu Qi’an’s back.
Emperor Yuanjing frantically unleashed sword energy, eroding the life force of this newly ascended Third Realm warrior. His eyes flickered with malice identical to that of the Earthly Sect’s demonic cultivators as he sneered:
“A warrior who has just entered the Third Realm dares to contend with me?”
He had been in the Second Realm for many years, cultivating with the nation’s resources. How could this newly promoted Third Realm youth hope to match him?
“Got you,” Xu Qi’an said, revealing a smile of successful scheming. He roared, “Shenshu!”
A profound, vast, and terrifyingly solemn aura awakened within Xu Qi’an’s body.
A demonic mark, akin to flame, appeared on his brow. His skin rapidly turned jet black, and a fiery halo manifested behind his head.
Xu Qi’an’s aura surged violently, instantly leaping from the early Third Realm to the peak of the Third Realm.
This wasn’t just Shenshu’s power alone, but the combined might of both entities.
Bang!
The bronze mirror artifact shattered.
The soul-summoning banner burst apart.
The bronze rings exploded.
“I’ll take the lead!” Xu Qi’an said.
Now a true high-level warrior, he controlled the power of Transformative Force. He could equally chain-kill experts of other systems, no longer needing Shenshu to take charge.
“Agreed!”
From within his body came Shenshu’s deep voice.
Shenshu had been forcibly awakened. Only another supreme expert could rouse a slumbering powerhouse.
After awakening that day, Xu Qi’an told the Supervisor he had only one request, which was to help him awaken Shenshu.
However, the Supervisor refused at the time, without giving a reason, only telling him to visit the Yunlu Academy first.
Only after receiving the blood pill left for him by Wei Yuan from the Academy Principal did Xu Qi’an understand the Supervisor’s intentions.
Shenshu was an insatiable bottomless pit. If he had been awake, Wei Yuan’s blood pill would have been wasted on Shenshu.
The next moment, a storm of attacks rained down on Emperor Yuanjing, layers upon layers of energy waves exploding.
Emperor Yuanjing felt as if enemies surrounded him from all directions, above and below. The strikes came from different angles, as dense as rain, impossible to dodge, and difficult to resist.
This was the power of a high-level warrior.
Thud!
Xu Qi’an clasped his hands together, piercing through Emperor Yuanjing’s chest, and tore with force.
Dismemberment!
Blood splattered on the pitch-black, gnarled body, making it appear even more fiendish and demonic.
At this moment, Emperor Yuanjing officially died, truly and completely.
A silhouette wreathed in intertwining golden and black light fled, hovering in mid-air, glaring down at Xu Qi’an with a gloomy expression.
Emperor Zhende of the previous dynasty.
Xu Qi’an silently gazed at the corpse on the ground, flashes of past events racing through his mind, recalling Emperor Yuanjing’s dignified and cold image.
He recalled the sight of this emperor sitting high upon the Dragon Throne.
Although he had long been replaced by Zhende, although the emperor of the past had always been Emperor Zhende of the previous dynasty, Xu Qi’an still felt an intense surge of satisfaction.
He had killed this dog of an emperor with his own hands. From this moment on, Yuanjing became history, no longer existing.
Zhende’s face twitched slightly. Although Yuanjing’s body had limited cultivation, for him, it was truly one life lost.
One qi transforming into three purities meant one person possessing three lives.
In just a quarter of an hour of combat, he had lost one life.
Warily scrutinizing the figure that seemed both divine and demonic, Emperor Zhende suddenly realized something and pointed at Xu Qi’an, roaring:
“So it was you! It was you all along! You’re the mysterious figure who appeared in Chu Province that day. The sealed object beneath Sangbo is with you!”
His voice was filled with both resentment and hatred.
So it was him. The one who killed the Northern Warlord was Xu Qi’an.
“Had I known it was you, when you returned to the capital that day, I should have torn you to pieces. I regret it now. I missed so many opportunities to kill you. You were able to deceive me because the Supervisor shielded you from divine perception, preventing me from sensing its existence.”
Emperor Zhende was furious to the point of mental collapse. He had watched this insignificant figure grow, nurturing a tiger to invite calamity, tolerating this petty man’s step-by-step growth.
Only now did he realize that the one who had killed his other incarnation had been by his side all along.
Xu Qi’an had not only killed his incarnation but had also brought the corpse back to the capital, causing havoc, killing a duke, and publicly denouncing him in front of the common people.
This was beyond insulting!
Emperor Zhende was both shocked and enraged, the malice in his heart surging like a tempest. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I won’t give you another chance.”
Xu Qi’an calmly replied, “Yuanjing is dead. After today, the throne of Great Feng will change hands.”
Hearing this, Emperor Zhende revealed a smug and wild smile. “You’re right. After today, Great Feng will indeed change hands. It will become a vassal state of the Witch God Cult.”
As expected, the former emperor’s goal was to make Great Feng a vassal state of the Witch God Cult. He wanted to emulate Saren Agu… Xu Qi’an frowned:
“How do you plan to do that?”
Emperor Zhende absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, recovering his state. He spread his arms as if showcasing his greatness, and said:
“Do you know about the dragon vein? When a dynasty rules the Central Plains, it governs not just the people, but also the land. People’s hearts coalesce into destiny, while the dragon vein is the essence of destiny and territory combined.
“I only need to extract the spirit of the dragon vein and offer it to the Witch God. Then, the Central Plains will be plagued by natural disasters and human calamities. But because the dragon vein isn’t destroyed, rebellions often can’t succeed. With the Witch God Cult controlling the Central Plains’ dragon vein, it would be the will of heaven, making it effortless to take control of the Central Plains.”
“So that’s why you want to help the Witch God Cult kill Lord Wei?”
Xu Qi’an didn’t understand much about dragon veins, but he knew about destiny. After Great Feng lost half its destiny, the national power had been declining over the years. If it wasn’t a drought here, it was a flood there.
Year after year of misfortune.
As for himself, who had gained destiny, he had been able to turn danger into safety all along, encountering one fortunate event after another, rising to the Third Realm in just a short year. On the surface, it seemed like he had received favors from certain powerful figures, but in reality, this was the manifestation of destiny’s blessing.
If the dragon vein were to be taken by the Witch God Cult, the consequences were imaginable.
“Wei Yuan must die. If he were alive, I would be facing him today. And the combat power of a Second Realm warrior is far stronger than yours.”
Emperor Zhende continued to absorb spiritual energy. The violent attacks from earlier had caused him some minor injuries.
“Wei Yuan is a military talent rarely seen in centuries. If he doesn’t die, Saren Agu won’t be able to rest easy. Even if the Witch God Cult holds the dragon vein, it might not be easy to take control of the Central Plains. Of course, I have a third reason for killing Wei Yuan, which you’ll know soon enough.
“By the way, during the court session, I’ve already activated the array to extract the dragon vein. Do you want to go back and stop it? I don’t mind fighting in the city.”
I mind… Lord Wei must have anticipated this too. The battle at Jingshan City was also the Witch God Cult’s trap, but Lord Wei had no choice. If we sit by and watch the Witch God break free from the seal, even if Lord Wei’s ability to lead troops in battle is strong, he can’t fight against a Transcendent Realm… Xu Qi’an asked:
“You want to extract the dragon vein. Will the Supervisor agree?”
As a First Realm Spell Caster, no one understood destiny better than him. It was a pipe dream for Emperor Zhende to extract the dragon vein right under the Supervisor’s nose.
Although the Supervisor couldn’t kill Zhende, he could prevent the dragon vein from being extracted.
Emperor Zhende laughed loudly, “The Supervisor is the biggest enemy in my plan for longevity. If I didn’t have a way to keep him occupied, how could I extract the dragon vein?”
Xu Qi’an’s brow furrowed deeply.
…
At Lingbao Temple.
Luo Yuhen walked out of the meditation room and into the small courtyard. She extended her delicate white hand towards the small pool in the yard.
A rust-covered iron sword broke through the water’s surface, delivering itself into her hand.
Luo Yuhen took a step forward and vanished from the courtyard.
…
At the Star-Observing Tower.
A ripple passed through the void, and a figure wrapped in a wizard’s robe stepped out from space.
This was an old man holding a shepherd’s whip, his hair and beard completely white, his gaze calm and gentle. But just as this old man, who seemed no different from any ordinary elder, appeared, dark clouds gathered densely above the Star-Observing Tower.
The black clouds rolled, very close to the tower, so close they seemed to be right overhead. Brilliant flashes of lightning danced within the cloud layers.
The moment the old man appeared, lines of array patterns lit up on the Eight Trigrams Platform, attempting to destroy him.
But the old man seemed to exist outside this realm, and any attacks against him were ineffective.
“Disciple’s disciple, if you had Wei Yuan’s array-breaking power, your grandmother would leave right now,” Saren Agu said with a smile.
The Supervisor twirled his wine cup, taking a leisurely sip.
“With Great Feng’s national power weakened to this point, how much of your strength do you have left?” Saren Agu sat down at the table.
The Supervisor sneered, “Spell Casters use their brains. Only warriors rely solely on brute force.”
As he spoke, a chessboard appeared on the table.
“Let’s play a game.”
“Shall we decide the winner with chess?”
The Supervisor said calmly, “No, when this game is over, everything will be finished.”