Fierce Battle

Faced with Salun Agu's question, the supervisor smiled faintly and spoke calmly:

I am only confident in myself.

Salun Agu shook his head slightly. "My disciple is not as arrogant as you. If we change the bet, I bet Xu Qi'an will definitely die today."

The supervisor said he had no objection, and then said, "The stakes are this sheep-driving whip in your hand, and my Heavenly Secrets Compass."

Salun Agu laughed, "Why not!"

As soon as they finished speaking, it seemed that the two of the Unseen had established some kind of rule based on this bet.

The physique that a third-rank martial artist was so proud of was pierced through the heart by a sword; the wound writhed and could not heal immediately.

That sharp, piercing sword intent eroded flesh and blood, slowing down the healing process of wounds.

The mere unranked swordsman was able to unleash such terrifying sword intent. Prince Huai's face twitched as he endured the pain.

Anger, jealousy, murderous intent are all present.

And a trace of fear, which I'm unwilling to admit.

If Chu Yuanzhen had been able to deliver a second, third, or even more sword intent, he might have been caught off guard and suffered a humiliating defeat today.

"The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, the Martial Monk of the Azure Dragon Temple, Chu Yuanzhen, and the Barbarian Woman of the Southern Frontier"

The Prince of Huai said sternly, "Once Xu Qi'an is killed, none of you will escape. I will chase you to the ends of the earth and kill you all."

They flaunt their evil intentions and are vengeful.

He no longer wasted time chasing after these four "ants" and rushed to Nanyuan.

Nanyuan is now a complete ruin.

The land was ravaged, forests collapsed, wildfires raged, and the sky was overcast, threatening to bring torrential rain at any moment.

This was not caused by the battle between the two disrupting the stability of the elements of heaven and earth; warriors do not possess such dazzling abilities. All these strange phenomena originated from Empress Joan of Arc.

The second rank in Daoist School is called "Crossing the Tribulation." The purpose of crossing the tribulation is to condense a Dharma form. Daoist School Dharma forms have four kinds of power:

Earth, Wind, Water, Fire!

Therefore, Daoist School masters at the Tribulation Transcending stage have initially mastered these four elements of heaven and earth.

If one cultivates to become a first-rank terrestrial immortal, the ability to turn stone into gold and manipulate matter at will would be effortless.

Xu Qi'an was trapped in a chaotic place, the fierce winds cutting his face like a knife, slowly eroding his Vajra Divine Skill, and the special effect fire ring on the back of his head was almost blown out.

Flames occasionally spewed from the surrounding mountains and forests, attempting to burn him.

The earth beneath his feet exerted an increased gravitational pull, attempting to rob him of his agility.

But what's most troublesome is the dazzling sword light unleashed by the opponent, and the flying swords that rush like fire and move with lightning speed.

The combination of the Human Sect's sword control technique and the Heart Sword is the most torturous.

After Shen Shu awoke, the power of their Primordial Spirit merged to a certain extent, and Shen Shu was no longer so afraid of Joan of Arc's Primordial Spirit attacks.

However, the harassment is still impossible to prevent.

Being caught in close combat by a martial artist usually means death; however, the top players of various martial arts systems typically have methods to protect themselves.

Joan of Arc's spirit rode the fierce wind, sometimes appearing ahead, sometimes behind, like a ghost.

Is that all the tricks you've got?

Empress Joan of Arc stood riding the wind, looking down at Xu Qi'an below, and sneered:

"If this is all you're capable of, then I'll be a good Samaritan and send you to see Wei Yuan."

As they spoke, a figure swept through the air, his upper body bare, revealing bulging muscles, and a gruesome hole in his chest, the flesh slowly writhing, unable to heal.

His aura is even inferior to Xu Qi'an Shen Shu.

Prince Zhenbei!

"It's a pity your fighting strength was worn down by a few ants, otherwise, killing you would have been a piece of cake."

At this moment, the Prince of Zhenbei and Zhen De merged into one, with the Prince of Huai, a third-rank official, taking the lead. A terrifying power swept across the heavens and the earth, its aura shaking the nine heavens and scattering the clouds. It also reverberated through the nine netherworlds, causing the earth to rumble.

The King of Yan, Nurhega, is a peak fourth-rank cultivator with dual systems, and is known as the strongest below the third rank.

So, how could Empress Joan of Arc, who cultivated both Daoist and martial arts, and held both second and third rank titles, become so powerful?

So powerful that it is almost invincible below the first rank.

If the Prince of Zhenbei's condition hasn't fallen from the Subordinate Third Rank, it's almost a given, so we can rule that out.

"I am invincible here!"

Joan of Arc spoke leisurely, at this moment he seemed to have restrained his malice, calm and confident, like a high and mighty god.

Invincible? Xu Qi'an's lips curled into a smile.

At this point, the palace was in complete chaos.

The civil and military officials, who had been terrified by Xu Qi'an, originally intended to flee the palace, but they were too late. The palace gates were tightly closed, guarded by the imperial guards, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

The officials in the capital were furious and stepped forward to question and rebuke them.

The Imperial Guards were unmoved and even drew their swords to intimidate the civil and military officials, after all, they were acting on the orders of His Majesty and the Cabinet to guard the palace gates.

Helpless, the civil and military officials had no choice but to return to the Golden Palace, only to be surprised to find that everything was calm and nothing had happened.

The officials gathered in the main hall, their expressions blank. They didn't seem like the small group at the pinnacle of the dynasty's power, but rather like a group of childless, destitute old people in a nursing home in the outer city.

"What happened? Where is His Majesty? Where is that traitor Xu Qi'an?"

"Gentlemen, please say something."

"Gentlemen, please say something!"

At this point, no rules were to be disregarded, and civil and military officials swarmed into the hall.

say what?

Even those from the Ministry of Personnel, the Vice Minister, the Censor, and the Imperial Censor, including the nobles and members of the imperial family who were tied to the royal family, were completely bewildered at this moment.

It wasn't because Xu Qi'an stormed into the palace; that scoundrel surnamed Xu even dared to kill a Duke, so no one would be surprised if he rebelled at any time.

What truly threw everyone into a state of confusion was Xu Qi'an's words. "The late Emperor was virtuous."

It was a line from Emperor Yuanjing: "You actually know my identity."

Is the son the father, and the father the son?

"Your Majesty, the late Emperor"

An imperial censor murmured, "He and Xu Qi'an were teleported out of the palace."

The influx of officials from the capital broke the silence, and a buzzing sound began to rise. Xu Qi'an charged into the palace alone, cutting down the imperial guards who tried to stop him, and disappeared into the Golden Palace with His Majesty.

"We can't just wait like this; we must leave the palace and rescue His Majesty."

"But His Majesty's orders are for us to wait here."

"That's not right. His Majesty is the ruler of the country; there's no reason for him to leave the imperial guards and palace guards on standby while he fights the enemy himself."

"This order is indeed rather strange and illogical."

Are any of those who manage to get to attend the morning court session fools?

From the crowd, Qin Yuandao suddenly screamed, "The handwritten letter is fake! It's fake!"

He ignored the civil officials, but turned to the grandmasters and nobles. "Quickly send someone to open the city gates and mobilize the five battalions of the Imperial Guards to rescue His Majesty."

Regardless of whether the handwritten letter is genuine or not, Qin Yuandao is determined to classify it as fake. To him, His Majesty's life is more important than anything else, because if His Majesty were to meet with misfortune, he too would not live long.

Therefore, inciting the army and warriors to go out and rescue His Majesty is the best option. Even if the letter was truly left by His Majesty, he would never admit it now.

Qin Yuandao glared fiercely at the nobles. "You don't want the credit for protecting the emperor?"

The nobles and members of the royal family were intrigued.

Immediately, people walked out of the Golden Palace, crossed the square, passed the Golden Water Bridge, and headed towards the Meridian Gate.

The Meridian Gate was tightly shut, and the Imperial Guards brought the Deer Camp to block the way.

A magistrate strode in and shouted, "Open the gates immediately! Gather your men and come with us to rescue His Majesty!"

The Imperial Guards ignored them; they only listened to the Emperor. A handwritten letter bearing the imperial seal and the Grand Secretariat's seal was more effective than anyone else's words.

Another magistrate stormed in, shouting, "Open the door!"

The imperial guards ignored them and gripped the hilts of their swords.

A prince pointed his halberd and angrily shouted, "Open the door at once!"

When members of the imperial family joined them, the imperial guards wavered, arguing, "His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to leave."

"You scoundrels, that's fake! His Majesty has been teleported out of the palace by the traitor Xu Qi'an. If the city gates are not opened soon, and something happens to His Majesty, you will all be executed along with his entire family."

Qin Yuandao stepped forward and threatened him.

The imperial guards behind the deer camp looked at each other, increasingly hesitant.

Standing outside the crowd, Chief Minister Wang looked at the people around him and said calmly:

"Your Highness, now is the time for you to step in."

The Crown Prince squinted at the chaotic Meridian Gate and shook his head, saying, "The officials have already resolved the situation. The city gates will open soon, and the Imperial Guards will rescue Father Emperor."

The Grand Secretary said quietly, "I'm telling you to lock the door properly, and no one is allowed to leave."

The Crown Prince was startled and exclaimed, "Your Excellency, what are you saying?"

"Does Your Highness know that His Majesty is no longer in the palace?"

"Know."

"Does Your Highness know that Xu Qi'an is plotting regicide?"

"Hmph, this kid is incredibly audacious."

"Doesn't Your Highness think this is a good opportunity?"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince stumbled back several steps, looking at Chief Minister Wang as if he were a madman.

"Your Majesty is over fifty, with a thick, black hair, and your cultivation is as refined as fire. But you, Crown Prince, are twenty-six this year. If you wait any longer, your youthful head will turn white. When will you be able to wait?"

The Grand Secretary Wang frankly stated, "The Crown Prince has held the position of Eastern Palace for over a decade. Has he developed any attachment to it? Given His Majesty's current condition, having achieved success in his cultivation and prolonging his life, does Your Highness see any hope in remaining in the Eastern Palace year after year?"

"You've been in the position of Crown Prince for over a decade. If you sit there for another decade or so, will Your Highness still have a chance? Even if you ascend the throne in the future, how many more years can you sit on the dragon throne?"

"These are my heartfelt words, and though they may be offensive, they are all for the Crown Prince's sake. Your Highness, please reconsider."

The crown prince's expression shifted constantly, his lips trembling, his eyes displaying a mixture of elation, excitement, confusion, fear, timidity, and ruthlessness. The complexity of his gaze was astonishing.

He seemed to have made up his mind; he gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and strode towards the Meridian Gate.

"Shut up, all of you!"

The Crown Prince roared, interrupting the offensive of the nobles and members of the imperial family, and giving the Imperial Guards a chance to catch their breath.

Everyone looked over, their gazes all focused on the Crown Prince.

One wrong step could mean utter ruin. Thinking this, the prince gritted his teeth even more and said in a deep voice:

"Your gathering at the Meridian Gate is an unseemly act. The Emperor has decreed that no one is permitted to leave the palace."

Qin Yuandao hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the letter is fake."

The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "You insolent fool, can't the officials recognize Father's handwriting? Can't they even recognize the imperial seal?"

Looking at the Crown Prince, the officials vaguely understood.

No one spoke again; the unspoken understanding remained.

Emperor Yuanjing spent twenty years cultivating Daoism; how many people secretly longed for a new emperor to ascend the throne?

In the capital, although the city gates were closed, it didn't have much impact on most people who didn't need to leave the city. On the contrary, the commotion outside the imperial city gates this morning was astonishing and left a deep impression.

Xu Yinluo threw human heads across the imperial city, and single-handedly charged into the city with only a sword.

And his earlier words, the phrase "When a common man is angry, blood will splatter five steps away, and the world will be draped in mourning," had already spread far and wide through countless mouths.

"What a foolish ruler! He cut off the food supplies for an army of 100,000, and conspired with treacherous officials to frame loyal ministers. With such a foolish ruler, how could the Great Feng Dynasty not perish?"

"This, this is truly unbelievable. It's not that I don't trust Xu Yinluo. It's just that you must understand, Wei Yuan is the head of the Nightwatchers's office."

"What do you mean by that? Is Xu Yinluo the kind of person who would slander the emperor for personal revenge?"

"That's right, if Xu Yinluo says so, then it must be true."

Overall, the people still trusted Xu Qi'an. The court and Emperor Yuanjing had deeply hurt the hearts of the people in the capital during the massacre in Chuzhou.

But the emperor is, after all, the emperor, the ruler of a country, with a lofty position. The entire Great Feng belongs to him. It is indeed somewhat illogical and hard to believe that the emperor would do something like this, which involves colluding with an enemy country.

"After that, there was no further news. We waited anxiously outside the city for a long time, only to see the city gates closed, and we never saw Xu Yinluo again."

"Xu Yinluo disappeared after entering the city. I hope he didn't meet with any misfortune."

"Let's wait and see. Although I trust Xu Yinluo, this is a huge matter. Let's wait and see how it unfolds. I still don't believe His Majesty would do such a thing; he is the Emperor."

In the marketplace, in restaurants, in brothels—wherever people go, they're talking about this.

Those who believe will find it, and those who don't will also find it.

Everyone is watching and waiting for the truth.

Joan of Arc no longer needed to fear hand-to-hand combat with Xu Qi'an. The raging gale boosted his speed, and while his afterimage remained, his true form was already behind Xu Qi'an.

A martial artist's premonition of danger allowed Xu Qi'an to sense the anomaly behind him in advance, but even faster than him was the soul roar of Empress Joan of Arc.

With over a dozen Law Artifact destroyed in the battle, he could only resort to this primitive method to launch Primordial Spirit attack on this crude warrior.

The martial artist was subjected to a mental attack during his second-grade tribulation and briefly fell into a state of paralysis.

The unparalleled fist intent belonging to the King of Zhenbei erupted and slammed hard into Xu Qi'an's chest.

When!

A resounding bell echoed between heaven and earth.

Xu Qi'an was sent flying backward. During the flight, he extended his palm, aimed it at the pursuing Empress Zhen De, and said in a deep voice:

"No killing!"

invalid.

"Turning back is the right path!"

invalid.

"Be compassionate!"

invalid.

The precepts of Buddhist School have no effect on Daoist School second-rank Daoist master.

Shen Shu was only a one-armed man, and the Buddhist School Law Technique he could use were few and far between, except for the precepts. In particular, he knew none of the Arhatship or Buddhist School Dharma forms.

At least this arm won't.

Ding ding!

Two sword lights suddenly struck Xu Qi'an, sparks flying, but their power was not great, because these were Heart Swords.

The heart slays the soul.

But this time, the Heart Sword didn't work, because Xu Qi'an put his hands together and sat cross-legged while flying backward.

The Six Ranks of Buddhist School: Zen Master!

When a bald Buddhist School monk assumes this posture, he is immune to all magical attacks.

Meditation exercises.

Joan of Arc approached like a ghost, pressing down on Xu Qi'an's head. With each push and pull, the surrounding scenery turned into phantoms. At one moment, Xu Qi'an's back slammed into a hard object.

That's the city wall.

Joan of Arc pressed his head down and pushed him back to the capital in one breath.

The entire city wall trembled, and array patterns lit up on its surface, offsetting the terrifying impact.

Even the formidable border fortresses have their battle formations; how much more so the capital?

When!

Xu Qi'an headbutted Empress Joan of Arc, sending her flying.

Joan of Arc gracefully retreated, her fighting spirit soaring.

Last time in Chuzhou, this person consumed a quarter of a Blood Pill and used a secret technique of burning Essence Blood to forcibly raise his power to the second rank.

This time, however, there was no more Blood Pill for him to burn, unless he burned the Essence Blood of someone surnamed Xu.

However, he could have chosen to retreat, making full use of the advantages of Daoist School Law Technique to deal with him, and then come back to reap the rewards after Xu Qi'an had exhausted his life Essence Blood.

The situation in Chuzhou cannot be replicated.

Furthermore, although the evil entity beneath Sangbo is a Buddhist School, it lacks the true core abilities of Buddhist School (Arhatship and Bodhisattva status), while Xu Qi'an is merely a martial artist, resulting in an overlap in their abilities.

In contrast, he possesses both martial arts and Daoist practices, a perfect dual system.

Sword lights slashed at him, sending sparks flying, but in terms of physical strength, this kid was invincible; even the Swordsmanship of the Human Sect couldn't cause him much damage.

After Joan of Arc was knocked away by a headbutt, she did not immediately retaliate.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, aimed it at the sky, and said, "Sword control!"

A moment later, a buzzing and trembling sound came from inside the city, as if a swarm of locusts was coming in great numbers.

The soldiers on the city wall were still reeling from the sudden "earthquake" when they mustered their courage and looked down. They saw that Xu Yinluo was fighting with someone.

The person he was fighting with was a middle-aged man with a bare upper body and bulging muscles. The lower-ranking soldiers had never seen the Prince of Huai before, so they did not recognize him.

At that moment, upon hearing a buzzing sound, I turned around and was immediately stunned.

Within the city, countless iron swords floated in the air, converging towards the outside world.

Their numbers are enormous, like locust swarms, and cannot be estimated.

"God, immortal."

The soldiers looked up and murmured.

There was no shortage of experts in the capital. Some people had already noticed the fluctuations in the aura outside the city. When the scene of ten thousand swords flying across the sky appeared, those people could no longer hold back. They took off from all directions and leaped between rooftops, rushing towards the outer city.

Of the experts drawn to the battle, a small portion came from the outer city, while the majority came from the inner city and the imperial city.

Did he deliberately push me back to the capital to get the Fifth Battalion of the Imperial Guards involved and increase our chances of winning? Xu Qi'an's ears twitched slightly as he heard the buzzing, angry trembling sound of "ironware".

Ten thousand swords swept across the sky, converging above Emperor Yuanjing. Like rigorously trained soldiers, they each took their place, some becoming hilts, some the blades, and some the tips.

A giant sword, sixty feet long, is slowly taking shape.

The people living outside the city only need to look up to see half of a terrifying giant sword protruding from the city wall in the distance.

On the city wall, warriors disregarded the rules and skillfully climbed the walls, standing on the ramparts to watch this scene.

They were first stunned by the terrifying giant sword, and then they remembered to see who this powerful Divine Ability was.

It was fine if I hadn't looked, but once I did, I was horrified.

"The Prince of Huai?!"

"The Prince of Zhenbei!!"

Exclamations erupted.

At this moment, more warriors arrived, climbed the city wall, and heard the exclamations.

Prince of Huai?

Wasn't the Prince of Huai dead? Did he die during the massacre in Chuzhou?

Later arrivals, filled with doubt, landed on the horse path, leaned against the parapet, and looked down at the figures below the giant sword.

"The Prince of Huai?!"

Speechless.

"Is it really the Prince of Huai, or is someone in disguise? Why is he dueling with Xu Yinluo? How did Xu Yinluo become like this? Wait, when will Xu Yinluo be able to fight the Prince of Huai?"

Someone stammered.

Xu Qi'an was entirely black, with a ring of flames floating on the back of his head. His aura was majestic and fierce, like a god or a demon.

If it weren't for the knife and the face, no one would recognize him.

Those around him remained silent, unable to answer. Whether it was the truth of the Prince of Huai's identity or Xu Yinluo's bizarre confrontation with the Prince of Huai, these questions were clearly beyond their scope.

At this moment, several high-ranking military officers who had come from the capital, and some retainers from noble households, said in a low voice:

"Have you forgotten? This morning, Xu Yinluo angrily denounced His Majesty, threatening that the entire nation should be in mourning; he intends to rebel."

Upon hearing this, the unsuspecting warriors exchanged bewildered glances.

"Ah, yes, that's true. I didn't believe Xu Yinluo's story, but now that I see the Prince of Huai come back to life, I'm suddenly a little uncertain."

"My master told me that the Prince of Huai was dismembered by a mysterious master that day, and he died a very serious death."

"What exactly happened? Duke Wei died in battle, Xu Yinlu rebelled, and the Prince of Huai possessed him."

"Just ask!"

Someone said something, then, leaning against the parapet, shouted down:

"Xu Yinluo, what exactly happened? Who was the person you fought? Was it really the Prince of Huai? Was what you said at the Imperial City Gate this morning true?"

P. S.: I overestimated myself again; I can't even finish writing the ending in one chapter.