Invincible Bai Cinan Under Heaven

The battlefield where the dust had settled had little to recount.

Let's shift our perspective, past Liu Tian and Liu Zhengde, who were continuously grinding each other down, past the cannon fodder unrecognizable even to their mothers thanks to rocket launchers, cannons, and machine guns, past the Tiger and Ox fleeing towards the sea, and arrive at a true battlefield, one capable of influencing the world.

Crimson Cloud Empire, the Imperial Palace!

As the emperor of an old-established empire, Zhu Zhengxing, fifty-three years old today and having ruled the land for nearly thirty years, had never imagined he would face such a day while still alive.

A day when enemies would storm his gates!

This was certainly not a barbarian invasion.

Although the Crimson Cloud Empire had been struggling in recent years, its sheer size remained. Having bled the world for nearly a century, even after losing its colonies on the New Continent, it had not yet reached the point of dynastic change. The living standards of the populace, though declining, were still passable.

Zhu Zhengxing would likely never live to see refugees attacking the Capital City.

Nor was it a palace coup. Since the previous emperor's demise, Zhu Zhengxing had ruled for nearly thirty years and was in his prime. His authority had grown daily. While minor mistakes were frequent, there were no major blunders. Furthermore, he had always been close to his officials and noble families, so no one would risk their head by attempting a palace coup.

And it was certainly not a military mutiny. If the armies in the Capital City, the troops guarding the Imperial Palace, were to mutiny, then the country would clearly be at its end.

Then why, why was there constant gunfire and endless fighting within the Imperial Palace?

Why did the Imperial Guards, the elite of the elite selected from the army, betray such fear on their faces?

Why were the Imperial Venerables, who practiced top-tier Secret Martial Arts, used top-tier resources, and accumulated strength to reach the forefront of the world, discarded like mere chicks?

Guns, gunpowder, Fighters – countless people desperately tried to block the path of one man, a man named Bai Cinan.

"Convey His Majesty's oral decree: whoever kills Bai Cinan shall be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold, promoted three ranks, and enfeoffed as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!"

Using a special device, His Majesty's command spread throughout the entire Imperial Palace, adding fuel to the raging fire. But did Bai Cinan care?

Ever since Bai Cinan had knocked on the palace gates in broad daylight and fought his way in, Zhu Zhengxing's bounty had been repeatedly increased, but to what avail?

An army composed of ants, the coordination between insects – could they possibly halt the slightest step of this madman, this lunatic, this detestable demon god?

These weaklings, even if they united and armed themselves with steel and gunpowder, would only make Bai Cinan's killing spree more exhilarating!

"This feeling… is so wonderful!" Bai Cinan plunged into the crowd as if entering an empty space. The alloy long blade, weighing hundreds of pounds, felt as light as nothing in his hands, yet with a casual swing, it could easily cleave steel and shatter stone.

Strong! Strong! Strong! Strong! Strong!

In just a few leaps, another group of Imperial Guards that had regrouped was wiped out. These men, who had given their all and poured out their hearts, couldn't even delay Bai Cinan's progress!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Rocket launchers and explosive packs were detonated indiscriminately. The machine gunners ignored the lives of their comrades.

Steel, gunpowder, and blood ravaged and defiled the thousand-year-old structures!

In this frenzied battle, building after building collapsed with thunderous roars, and corpses littered every inch of the battlefield.

But Bai Cinan felt nothing. Without sustaining significant damage, it instead stirred a certain ferocity within him, making him fight even more bravely. Finally, atop the ruins of a palace, his body drenched in the enemy's blood, he stood on corpses and roared to the sky, "YAAAAAAA!!!!"

This roar seemed to carry a demonic quality, causing everyone who heard it, including the guards inside and outside the imperial family and the Venerable Fighters, to feel the fear in their hearts erupt. The soldiers, who had been able to resist to some extent, immediately scattered.

"Damn bastard!" Zhu Zhengxing roared furiously from within the great hall.

He knew this person named Bai Cinan was powerful, but Zhu Zhengxing never believed a Martial Artist, a mere Martial Artist, could be that formidable.

An enemy of ten? A hundred?

At most, a thousand.

But no matter how powerful he was, could he truly overturn this vast Imperial Palace, guarded by ten thousand men, single-handedly?

It was precisely for this reason that when Bai Cinan demanded that item from him, Zhu Zhengxing scoffed.

Although the Crimson Cloud Empire had yet to figure out the function of the Prism Pillar, which could fuse and detach based on consciousness, its already demonstrated properties proved it was no ordinary object and held significant importance.

Since it was no ordinary object and was related to the Lost Empire, how could the Crimson Cloud Empire hand it over?

In fact, since discovering the Prism Pillar's properties, the royal family had consciously and secretly collected them. Over the years, basically all the Prism Pillars that had arrived in the Crimson Cloud Empire had been collected and fused.

These Prism Pillars had transformed from single-colored to dual-colored, then four-colored, and now even seven-colored.

Upon reaching seven colors, the Prism Pillars, which had previously appeared to have no discernible use, underwent a slight transformation, becoming a component, a part of what seemed to be a great gate.

A part of a great gate left behind by a glorious empire thousands of years ago.

What lay beyond the gate? Gifts or destruction? Did it hide the secret to the complete disappearance of the entire Lost Empire?

But no matter what, such an item could only be controlled by oneself!

It was for this reason that when the Blue Dream Company requested it through the archipelago and offered an exchange, Zhu Zhengxing burst into laughter, scoffing.

The Crimson Cloud Empire was vast and resourceful, possessing everything. What could a mere company possibly offer in exchange for something holding such immense secrets?

However, Zhu Zhengxing forgot one thing – sometimes, a transaction doesn't need to be equivalent, nor does it need his consent.

You may refuse to sell, but the Blue Dream Company can forcibly buy!

Since an exchange was refused, they would simply take it!

It was for this reason that Bai Cinan came here.

It was for this reason that the demon descended upon this place.

That is, on this land, countless people were willing to give everything for imperial power, but even all of them combined could not impede Bai Cinan's progress!

Without the ability to use cannons to plow the fields or bombard with naval guns, even if the Imperial Guards fought to the death under heavy rewards, and even if the royal Venerables did their utmost, the outcome was already decided the moment Bai Cinan set out.

Knowing it was impossible, countless people, one after another, rushed from all directions. They surrounded Bai Cinan with their lives, desperately protecting Zhu Zhengxing's retreat.

In the grand hall, the ministers frantically persuaded--

"Your Majesty, please allow your subject to escort you away!"

"Your Majesty! As long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn!"

"Your Majesty! A prince of a thousand gold does not sit in a hall with its eaves hanging low, and a gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall!"

"Useless, useless, all of you are useless!"

"The Imperial Guards are useless! The Venerables are also useless!"

"After spending so much money, so many people can't even stop a mere disabled person!"

Amidst the repeated pleas, Zhu Zhengxing, whose mind had been clouded by rage, finally regained his reason under the threat of death and prepared to retreat, but--

"Where do you think you're going?" The palace walls of the grand hall were blasted open, and a man with golden hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a smile always on his lips walked in. Unlike ordinary people, he not only had a robust physique, but flames could occasionally be seen spitting from his mouth.

With a casual puff, flames erupted from the man's mouth, burning the guards alive.

"Your Majesty," the Firebird said with a smile, "we don't wish to cause excessive slaughter. Please hand over the item--otherwise, we will have no choice but to kill until you hand it over."

"After all, the leader of our Dream Creation Beast Group--Bai Cinan--is invincible under heaven!"