Long in the Game, But How Did He Make It Look?

Carved railings and painted beams, jeweled towers and jade halls—all crumbled into rubble and dust in a single strike.

Dust billowed. Chenhan Hall, once the tallest building in the imperial palace, lay in ruins.

"Su Che, you've got more nerve than Su Gui."

The emperor emerged from the swirling dust. He wore white, his face expressionless and his cold eyes devoid of anger.

He floated half a step above the ground and drifted slowly forward.

His cultivation, however, was barely above a beginner's.

Yet Su Che did not underestimate him.

This was the emperor who ruled half the Central Land.

"Su Gui has cultivated for years, and I gave him so much time to prepare. Yet even now, all he dares contemplate is a military revolt. He planted allies throughout the court, gathered lackeys and talons, and still needed all this time despite Wei Huaiwen's help."

The emperor smiled faintly, his voice edged with mockery. "Once some things are lost, they can never be recovered. You, on the other hand—a mere wastrel—have more nerve than he does. You dared storm my palace alone. The Azure Emperor's Treasure Garden, was it? A rare treasure of the Ancient Era indeed. Truly extraordinary."

Though his robes were stained and the towering Chenhan Hall had collapsed behind him, the emperor of Great Liang retained his imperial bearing. Pride showed plainly in his eyes.

"But this is no more than one man's burst of rage. Your plan ends here."

The emperor looked at Su Che. "Did you rush here from Ci Prefecture just to become a lone villain infamous for regicide?"

The formations within the palace stubbornly continued to operate. Chenhan Hall might have been reduced to rubble, but against the vast system spanning the imperial palace, it was only a drop in the ocean.