Zong Tianwu swept his peripheral vision over the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins. His expression did not change, but his heart sank.
These people were all experts of the Heaven-Piercing Realm!
Thirteen Heaven-Piercing experts, plus Venerable Yanshe—the situation was exceedingly thorny!
Zong Tianwu was naturally confident in facing them, but Jiang Yu was beside him. Protecting Jiang Yu while under the siege of so many experts would not be easy.
Jiang Yu also possessed Spirit Sense Realm strength. On a battlefield, he could be considered a fierce general who ran rampant without restraint, but right now, he could only be Zong Tianwu's burden. Moreover, the enemy was clearly here for him.
"Prince Qin, His Majesty is waiting for you in the city. Why not return first?"
Gui Liu drew his sword and spoke in a sinister tone.
Jiang Yu had thought they had come for him, yet their target was actually Zong Tianwu. Even Zong Tianwu was taken aback.
Venerable Yanshe continued forward, smiling. "The Martial Arts Supreme of Great Jing—do not disappoint me!"
He suddenly charged at Zong Tianwu, moving like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he reached Zong Tianwu's horse. He struck out with his palm, and billowing black qi poured from his sleeve, coiling around the horse's body. Zong Tianwu leaped up, stretched out his hand in midair, and flicked a strand of True Qi from his finger. Like a sharp arrow, it pierced through the black qi and sought to bore through Venerable Yanshe's skull, but Venerable Yanshe easily evaded it.
The fiery steed let out a pained whinny and began to go mad, fleeing wildly in every direction. Yet it could not dispel the black qi around its body. Before it could even reach the woods, it collapsed to the ground. Its flesh dissolved away, exposing a skeleton, while black blood seeped into the earth. The sight was horrifying beyond measure.
The Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins attacked almost simultaneously. Brandishing swords and sabers, they surrounded Zong Tianwu. Zong Tianwu's skills were extraordinary; even when besieged, he handled them with ease.
Zong Tianwu evaded the crossing strikes of four longswords, his body hanging upside down in midair as he struck downward with his palm.
Boom!
The terrifying palm force sent the four assassins flying, coughing blood. The ground beneath them collapsed, forming a gigantic palm-shaped pit several zhang long and four feet deep. A fierce gale swept in all directions, startling Jiang Yu's horse into rearing up and whinnying.
Venerable Yanshe drew a flexible sword from his waist and slashed at Zong Tianwu in the air. Violent black Sword Qi burst forth, severing the flowers, grass, and trees within dozens of zhang. Shreds of grass flew everywhere, and dust filled the skies.
Zong Tianwu landed swiftly and struck the ground with a punch. The earth crumbled, forcing Venerable Yanshe and the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins to leap away, lest the True Qi beneath the ground scatter them apart.
Streams of black Sword Qi landed upon Zong Tianwu's body, only to be blocked by his True Qi. They failed to harm him in the slightest.
He raised his head, revealing eyes brimming with killing intent. With a kick of his left leg, his body turned into an arrow and shot toward Venerable Yanshe at astonishing speed.
Gui Liu and seven assassins swung their swords in unison. Their Sword Qi resonated as eight swords collided, then slashed together at Zong Tianwu. The Sword Qi became a gang force, unstoppable in momentum.
Clang—
A sound like shattering glass rang out. The sword gang was smashed apart by Zong Tianwu, and the eight men were blasted away. Zong Tianwu raised his right hand into an eagle-claw shape and lunged straight for Venerable Yanshe.
Too fast!
The remaining assassins of the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins had no time to stop him. Venerable Yanshe raised his sword, pressing his left hand against the blade. The blade straightened, and powerful True Qi poured into it.
Boom!
The two collided. Two dreadful currents of True Qi erupted, like blazing infernos—one black, one white—straining against each other.
Zong Tianwu stared fixedly at Venerable Yanshe, and Venerable Yanshe did the same. However, a strange look emerged in Venerable Yanshe's eyes.
"I never expected Great Jing's martial world to have a figure like you. Dragon Tower has underestimated the Thirteen Provinces too much!"
Venerable Yanshe snorted coldly, then drove his True Qi with all his strength. Centered on the two of them, the ground began to collapse, spreading in every direction like a spiderweb. The fierce wind swept broken branches, flowers, grass, and dust into the sky.
Almost at the same instant, the two withdrew their hands and charged at one another again. They fought at close quarters, their forms crossing as palms and swords clashed. The roar of their True Qi was deafening, already beyond the power of ordinary mortals.
The Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins did not merely stand by and watch. They swiftly entered the cloud of dust and joined in besieging Zong Tianwu.
Even while besieged by thirteen Heaven-Piercing Realm experts and one expert beyond the Heaven-Piercing Realm, Zong Tianwu still displayed overwhelming bearing, fully deserving the title of Martial Arts Supreme.
Jiang Yu kept retreating, his right arm shielding his face as he frowned and gritted his teeth.
He could not intervene in a battle of this level at all.
It had been the same on the battlefield before. When Zong Tianwu fought the three Grandmasters, the battlefield had directly cleared out an open space for them to fight. Only after their True Qi had been exhausted did the soldiers dare swarm forward.
"Fourth Brother, aren't you going to help him?"
A teasing laugh sounded from behind him. Jiang Yu turned his head and saw Jiang Yu rushing out from the woods with both hands behind his back, stepping upon True Dragon Qi. The qi transformed into a dragon, making him seem to ride a dragon itself. His dragon robe fluttered wildly, displaying the full majesty of an emperor.
Jiang Yu drew his saber and glared furiously at Jiang Yu. "Jiang Yu, this is a struggle between you and me. Why drag others into it?"
Jiang Yu landed, and his True Qi dispersed. He adjusted his cuffs and shook his head. "A struggle? I have already ascended the throne. What do you have to contend with me?"
Jiang Yu said coldly, "So you intend to kill me here?"
Jiang Yu said disdainfully, "You are my fourth brother, after all. How could I let you die in the wilds? Once Zong Tianwu is dead, I will take you back to the capital, pin the crime of treason upon you, and announce it to the world. What do you think?"
Jiang Yu knitted his brows tightly.
He suddenly raised his saber and charged at Jiang Yu. Using the Nine Seeking Heavenly Dragon Steps, he circled to Jiang Yu's right and slashed, intending to take his head.
Jiang Yu did not even shift his gaze. His right palm struck Jiang Yu's abdomen at an even faster speed.
Bang!
"Puh—"
Jiang Yu was blasted away, spewing an arrow of blood that scattered across the sky. He flew a full ten zhang before crashing into an ancient tree so thick that five men would have to link arms to encircle it, making the trunk shudder violently.
He landed and planted the tip of his saber into the grass to support his body.
He felt as though all five viscera and six bowels had shifted out of place, and the agony was unbearable. Looking up, he saw Jiang Yu walking toward Zong Tianwu. The gale stirred by his True Qi made his dragon robe sway. This emperor was actually displaying an aura beyond the Heaven-Piercing Realm.
A Grandmaster?
Jiang Yu's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
He had seen Gu Han, a Grandmaster, on the battlefield. That aura alone had been enough to make people shrink back in fear. Jiang Yu was the same now.
He knew Jiang Yu was a martial arts prodigy, but Jiang Yu had remained in the capital all these years. How could his cultivation be so high?
Jiang Yu forced himself to stand despite the agonizing pain. Trembling, he gripped his saber and walked toward Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu had already activated his True Dragon Qi. Three dragon-shaped streams of True Qi coiled around him, and neither wind nor sand could come near his body.
Bang! Bang!
Two figures were blasted away by Zong Tianwu and flew toward Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu did not receive them at all. With a flicker of his body, he turned into more than a dozen afterimages and charged straight before Zong Tianwu.
Roar—
A dragon's roar exploded. Jiang Yu's palm met Zong Tianwu's right palm, and the three dragon-shaped streams of True Qi tried to bite and tear at Zong Tianwu. Yet they were blocked by his True Qi barrier and could not shatter it.
Venerable Yanshe thrust his sword forward. Zong Tianwu raised his left palm, and True Qi burst from it, blocking Venerable Yanshe.
Facing two opponents alone, Zong Tianwu's aura rose steadily. His face was full of pride as he said, "You think two Grandmasters are enough to take me down? Emperor, when I became the Martial Arts Supreme, you had only just stepped through the gates of martial arts!"
Boom—
Violent True Qi erupted from the ground like a tornado. Flying sand and rolling stones filled the air, while the earth shook violently, startling Jiang Yu and Venerable Yanshe into changing expressions.
"It is not merely two Grandmasters!"
Gui Liu's icy voice rang out. He leaped behind Zong Tianwu, intending to swing his sword and sever Zong Tianwu's head.
Zong Tianwu suddenly crouched. His immense strength dragged Venerable Yanshe and Jiang Yu off balance. Then, with a speed incomprehensible to those of the Heaven-Piercing Realm, Zong Tianwu turned and kicked Gui Liu in the chest. The sound of breaking bones was crisp and piercing as Gui Liu was sent flying.
Like an arrow, he shot into the woods, crashing through tree after tree. In the end, a sharp broken branch pierced his chest and left him hanging from a trunk. His eyes remained wide open in death, unable to close, as blood ran down the tree.
A Heaven-Piercing expert had fallen!
Zong Tianwu kicked Venerable Yanshe away, then struck at Jiang Yu with his left palm, carrying fierce and tyrannical force.
Jiang Yu crossed his arms before him, protected by True Dragon Qi, but he was still blasted away. After landing, he staggered back eight steps in succession.
Both his arms had gone numb. He looked up at Zong Tianwu in disbelief.
How could this man be so powerful?
Zong Tianwu stood proudly amid the fierce wind. He snorted. "Though we are in the same realm, I have trained in martial arts for sixty years. How can you contend against sixty years of cultivation?"
Venerable Yanshe straightened his back, smiling without truly smiling. "Though Great Jing is weak, the Martial Arts Supreme it produced is indeed powerful. But... Zong Tianwu, do you truly believe yourself invincible?"
Zong Tianwu frowned, and his expression suddenly changed. He raised his left hand and found that his palm had turned black. He hurriedly tapped the acupoints on his left arm with his right hand, trying to stop the poison from spreading, but the poison seeped through at terrifying speed.
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand and forcibly tore off his own left arm. Blood splashed across the ground.
The sight made everyone's eyelids twitch wildly. Even Venerable Yanshe was shocked.
Pain beyond ordinary imagination did not move Zong Tianwu in the slightest. His face became incomparably cold. He turned to Jiang Yu and said, "Today, I shall execute a sovereign through martial force and suppress heaven and earth through martial force!"
He suddenly threw his severed arm. It shot toward Jiang Yu at incredible speed. Jiang Yu thrust both palms forward, and the True Dragon Qi crashed against the severed arm with the force of mountains toppling and seas overturning, yet it could not knock it back. Then the hand on the arm abruptly straightened, piercing through the True Dragon Qi like a blade as it killed toward Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu's face changed drastically. This is bad.
Boom!
A figure descended from the heavens and stomped Zong Tianwu's severed arm into the ground. The earth collapsed, and dust rose into the air. When the dust dispersed, the newcomer's form was revealed.
He was an old man in white. A scar ran across half his face, making him appear incomparably vicious.
Blood was still dripping from Zong Tianwu's left shoulder. He frowned at the old man in white and said coldly, "I never expected Tiangang Taoist, foremost among the Five Grandmasters, to become the emperor's running dog as well."
"To capture me, Emperor, you have truly spared no effort."
Zong Tianwu mocked him. The remaining twelve assassins of the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins landed and approached him from different directions. Venerable Yanshe spread his arms, poisonous qi coiling around his body as he pressed closer step by step.
Jiang Yu smiled contemptuously. "Zong Tianwu, you wish to suppress heaven and earth through martial force? Aren't you overestimating yourself?"
Tiangang Taoist remained expressionless. "Zong Tianwu, restoring Chu is heaven's mandate and an unstoppable course. The emperor cannot die. Let this end here. I will leave you an intact corpse."
Zong Tianwu said calmly, "Spare Prince Qin, and I am willing to die."
Jiang Yu shook his head with a smile. "Do you think you are still qualified to negotiate with me? Today, you must die, and Prince Qin must die as well."
Behind them, Jiang Yu staggered forward. He held his saber in his right hand, his face covered in blood, yet his eyes were filled with madness. He shouted, "Zong Tianwu, this king gives you one final command: kill! Before you die, drag as many people as possible with you to the Yellow Springs!"
In this certain deathtrap, Jiang Yu had already let go of all hope.
Dying in battle was fine!
"Big Brother, Father Emperor, Empress Dowager... I am coming..."
Jiang Yu's eyes became incomparably resolute.
Hearing this, Zong Tianwu smiled and laughed unrestrainedly. "Zong Tianwu accepts the command! My prince, for one who practices martial arts to die in battle is no humiliation. Zong Tianwu will go on ahead!"
With that, he stepped toward Tiangang Taoist without hesitation.
Tiangang Taoist sighed and raised his right palm before his chest. True Qi flowed from his palm, and golden light arose along his hand. Both his eyes turned golden, and his aura transformed. In an instant, a violent gale rose, thunderclouds appearing from nowhere in the sky as thunder rumbled.
Heaven and earth changed color!
Just then, a streak of sword light pierced through the thunderclouds and landed before Tiangang Taoist. The blade stabbed into the mud, and the thunderclouds in the sky dispersed with it.
Tiangang Taoist frowned, looked closely, and muttered, "This is... the Taihang Sword?"
Thanks to reader 20190630223944976 for the 2,000 Qidian Coin reward, and xu Ran for the 500 Qidian Coin reward, among others~~
The new book has reached first place on the rankings. Can everyone send a few more votes to help hold the position?
It is not that no one is reading this book; the comments simply cannot be displayed for now. I can still see everyone's comments, and they are very enthusiastic. If everyone following the book could cast recommendation votes and Moon Tickets, that would be great~~