Stalemate

Emperor Wude's condition was truly far from good. After his protective true qi had been breached, he had faced Shen Yi's thousand blades from the Chaotic World head-on. Though he resisted with all his might, several streams of blade and sword force still struck his vital points.

His physical body had long since withered and decayed, no longer what it had once been. His earlier vigorous appearance had merely been a brief return to youth achieved by drawing upon the bloodline of his clan.

Now that Shen Yi and Gu Yiran had joined forces to beat him back to his original form, his qi, blood, and vital essence had drained away severely. If he could not replenish them in time, Emperor Wude would soon die of old age without Shen Yi even needing to lift a hand.

In the end, it was because his Imperial Zenith Secret Classic was too tyrannical and exclusionary. Even after obtaining the Essence Devouring Secret Method, he had been unable to integrate it perfectly.

Only by devouring the flesh and blood of those connected to him by bloodline—the royal family—could he maximize its effects of consuming essence and nourishing his life.

That was why Shen Yi had used the Wuji Force Field to seize the initiative, then pierced the throats of two royal clansmen with Pure Yang sword light, utterly infuriating him.

Shen Yi's thoughts were far simpler.

Though the cultivation of those two royal clansmen was meager and could not contribute to his secluded cultivation, once they died, Emperor Wude could no longer draw upon them either.

Weakening the enemy meant strengthening oneself.

That was all.

Shen Yi's figure flickered repeatedly as he gave chase, yet he said with a faint smile, "Your Majesty, why be so formal? Just call me by name."

As