The pursuit

"Imperial Advisor!"

The middle-aged man in the purple robe was overjoyed and inwardly thrilled.

As he predicted, Xu Pingfeng's presence here indicated that the battle in the capital had been decided.

In an instant, the middle-aged man in purple robes thought of many things: entering the Central Plains, ascending the throne and becoming emperor, donning the yellow robe, becoming the ruler of all under heaven, reclaiming the legitimate position, and fulfilling the regrets of his ancestors.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, his Blood Qi rushed to his head, and he was in a state of high spirits.

However, the composure he had cultivated over the years in high positions allowed him to quickly calm down. He took a deep breath, maintained his composure, and said:

"Is the battle in the capital over? Has the Imperial Advisor come to escort me to the capital?"

Xu Pingfeng did not turn around, gazing at the sea surface where white foam was constantly rising, and sighed:

"The army has been defeated. Your Majesty should prepare to set sail."

The middle-aged man in the purple robe felt a sudden buzzing in his head, as if he had been struck on the head with a club, and he staggered backward.

His face turned deathly pale, his lips trembled, and his hands and feet shook as if he couldn't withstand the damp cold of the sea breeze.

The middle-aged man in purple robes said, word by word:

"How could this be? Where is the White Emperor? Where is the Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree? And Ji Xuan, Qi Guangbo, and everyone else?"

Xu Pingfeng shook his head slightly:

"During the Northern War, Xu Qi'an successfully advanced to the rank of First-Grade Martial Artist by taking advantage of his tribulation. The White Emperor and the Gara Tree were no match for him. The former had already retreated overseas, while the latter represented Buddhist School and tore up the alliance with Yunzhou."

"Those who went to war all remained in the capital; Ji Xuan died at the hands of Xu Qi'an."

The middle-aged man in the purple robe went blank, and his heart stopped.

When he abandoned his clansmen in Qianlong City, he did not hesitate at all, at most feeling heartbroken for a moment. But when he heard that Ji Xuan had died in the capital, at the hands of Xu Qi'an, the middle-aged man in purple robes felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his heart ached unbearably.

It wasn't that he doted on this illegitimate son; rather, it was because this was a third-rank military officer.

Training a third-rank martial artist is an incredibly difficult task. The Blood Pill that enabled Ji Xuan to achieve his extraordinary physique was one of the foundations of their lineage, and it was gone just like that.

"I have failed my ancestors! I have failed my ancestors!"

The middle-aged man in the purple robe covered his face, his voice heavy with sorrow, tinged with barely suppressed sobs.

Xu Pingfeng offered no words of comfort, his tone was cold:

"Your Majesty should go to Turtle Back Island to rest and recuperate. Today's defeat in the capital is nothing to worry about; we can simply continue to endure and may have a chance to make a comeback in the future. Your Majesty's ancestors did just that during Emperor Wuzong's rebellion."

"Fortunately, we had considered this aspect; the money and grain stored up on Guibei can serve as the foundation for our comeback."

It is always necessary to be prepared for both possibilities. Therefore, Xu Pingfeng and the Qianlong City lineage found a suitable, resource-rich uninhabited island overseas and stockpiled some money and food there.

If the rebellion fails, they will secretly retreat to a deserted island to recuperate and rebuild their lives.

Now this backup plan has come in handy, although it's not something you'll enjoy.

The middle-aged man in the purple robe had red eyes and murmured a question in return:

Is there still a chance for a comeback?

Xu Pingfeng chuckled.

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten how my eldest son rose to power?"

The middle-aged man in the purple robe was taken aback at first, then inspiration struck him, and he blurted out:

"With good fortune bestowed upon him, his lifespan will be no different from that of an ordinary person."

As he spoke, his sorrowful expression turned to surprise and delight, and he said with renewed spirits:

"That's right. Even if his cultivation is extraordinary and he has already entered the ranks of first-grade martial artists, he will only have a lifespan of a mere hundred years."

"Once he passes away peacefully, we can join forces with Buddhist School and the White Emperor again. At that time, the Supervisor will still be under seal. What right will the Great Feng Dynasty have to fight us?"

Xu Pingfeng smiled:

That makes sense.

"Therefore, I must now set sail to find the White Emperor and conspire with him on this matter. Your Majesty, please go to Turtleback Island first. The sea is vast, and the island is protected by a carefully arranged formation; it won't be easy for him to find it."

Just then, a dull, piercing rumble came from the clear sky, like thunder rolling by.

The armored soldiers and experts within the Azure Dragon Fleet stared in astonishment at the sky, their faces turning ashen and their expressions filled with fear, like mortals facing the end of the world.

A figure flashed by; it was just out in the sky when I first saw it, but in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of me.

Xu Qi'an!

He caught up with us.

Xu Qi'an's voice echoed across the sky:

"Xu Pingfeng, you can't escape. Even if you hide overseas, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth. I'll kill you no matter where you are."

Xu Pingfeng's expression changed drastically. After Xu Qi'an arrived in the capital and intercepted Ji Xuan, he once again showed a clear change in emotion, losing control of his facial expressions.

"What, you didn't expect me to catch up so quickly?"

"You were too arrogant, thinking you had everything under control and that all the heroes of the world were within your grasp. You thought you always had a way out, so after your defeat, you decisively abandoned the troops in the capital and immediately returned to Yunzhou, taking your last hope with you as you sailed out to sea."

"You schemed against me, betrayed me, and treated me like a pawn. But have you ever considered that I have already figured out your habits and temperament through these repeated encounters, and that you always keep something in reserve?"

Do you really think everyone is a fool you can manipulate at will?

"The more you take action, the more certain you are to die."

Xu Qi'an unleashed his full sarcasm and furious curses, venting his pent-up anger.

He had been wanting this day for a long time, to push Xu Pingfeng to the brink, to trample all his nonchalance underfoot, and to tell him that he was nothing but a clown!

Today, Xu Qi'an did it.

Xu Pingfeng failed to foresee his plan to use the Heavenly Tribulation to advance to the first rank, which directly led to the Yunzhou Army's inevitable defeat.

Xu Pingfeng still hadn't anticipated that he would catch up so quickly.

From the moment Xu Pingfeng left the capital, Xu Qi'an knew he was coming to Yunzhou, carrying his last hope to sail the sea, temporarily avoiding the limelight, and making a comeback in the future.

This is a conjecture based on Xu Pingfeng's consistent personality. From his past behavior, it is not difficult to analyze Xu Pingfeng's "steady" personality and his habit of always keeping something in reserve and never letting himself fall into a desperate situation.

Moreover, the Azure Dragon constellation among the Twenty-Eight Mansions has never appeared. According to the confession of Yunzhou army prisoners of war captured during the Qingzhou period, the Azure Dragon constellation was a naval force.

This naval force never participated in the battle; what was its purpose? The answer is self-evident.

Actually, it wasn't just Xu Qi'an who guessed it; Wei Yuan guessed it too. That's why he left the Hun Tian Divine Mirror in the barracks. Wei Yuan gave it to him to use in the vast sea to find Xu Pingfeng.

"The Imperial Advisor, he's here! He's here!"

The middle-aged man in the purple robe was terrified, his liver and gallbladder about to burst, and he screamed:

"Take me away quickly, quickly!"

When fleeing for his life, how could Xu Pingfeng possibly be a burden on the ground?

A burst of light rose from beneath his feet, and he vanished from everyone's sight in an instant.

Xu Qi'an remained completely calm, because during his sarcastic remarks, he had already locked onto Xu Pingfeng, suppressing all his aura and emotions.

A golden sword light flashed across the sky and disappeared into the void.

The three stages of jade shattering:

Lock on -- Charge -- Slash!

As he approached the Azure Dragon Fleet, Xu Qi'an used the opportunity of verbal taunts to lock onto Xu Pingfeng. From that moment on, Xu Pingfeng could no longer escape his Jade Shattering.

After shattering the jade fragments, Xu Qi'an threw out the Zhenguo Sword and the Taiping Saber, and gave the order:

"You two kill everyone on the ship, wipe them all out, then come find me."

The Taiping Blade and the Zhenguo Sword roared away, transforming into a streak of dark gold and a streak of bright yellow light, intertwining and dancing as they plunged into the Azure Dragon Fleet.

In an instant, heads flew off one after another, and splashes of warm blood splattered everywhere.

Xu Qi'an

The middle-aged man in purple robes shouted, trying to tell Xu Qi'an that he was willing to surrender, willing to submit, and willing to return to the capital with him. However, he only managed to utter the three words "Xu Qi'an" before the Zhenguo Sword pierced his chest and the Taiping Saber severed his head.

Purple robes stained with blood.

"We'll come back later to summon the spirit and interrogate him."

Xu Qi'an took out the Hun Tian Divine Mirror and ordered it to observe the area within a thousand miles to search for Xu Pingfeng's location. In a deafening sonic boom, it disappeared into the horizon.

Xu Pingfeng lacked the premonition of danger typical of martial artists, but he knew disaster was imminent because Xu Qi'an had drawn his sword against him.

He had gathered all the intelligence on the eldest son, and Xu Pingfeng knew everything about him before the second rank. His combat strength, trump cards, Law Artifact, and so on were all under Xu Pingfeng's control.

Therefore, Xu Pingfeng knew better than anyone how terrifying the eldest son's "intentions" were.

When he sets his sights on you, you have no choice but to gamble with him, resulting in mutual destruction.

The severity of the wounds he inflicts on you will be returned to him in the same way.

There was no way to dodge it, no way to defend against it with Law Artifact; the only option was to gamble with one's life.

His only option now is to escape using teleportation Law Technique. Teleportation Law Technique involves space and is the fastest Law Technique in the world, apart from the Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva.

On the vast sea, Xu Pingfeng appeared and disappeared continuously. Behind him, a bright yellow sword light pierced through space and rapidly approached, chasing him like a vengeful ghost.

Closer and closer.

Xu Pingfeng's face gradually turned ferocious. When the golden sword light felt like a thorn in his back, he made a decisive move, instantly separating his Primordial Spirit from his physical body.

This was the only reasonable way Xu Pingfeng could think of to avoid the Jade Shattering incident.

This is also the only flaw of the Gyokusai (Jade Shatter) technique—it only has the power of a single strike.

It can only choose between the physical body and the Primordial Spirit.

Two figures in white appeared simultaneously between the sky and the sea.

The sword intent, about to strike the physical body, suddenly changed direction and attacked the somewhat illusory Primordial Spirit.

Xu Pingfeng's Primordial Spirit disintegrated and dissolved inch by inch in the sword light, disappearing into the vast ocean along with the golden sword light.

At this moment, a jet-black banner emerged from the sachet at Xu Pingfeng's waist. This was a counterfeit soul-summoning banner, possessing only one-tenth or one-twelfth of the power of the genuine article, capable of summoning souls within a ten-mile radius.

"Splash!"

The summoning banner fluttered, and a chilling wind blew. Before long, Xu Pingfeng's scattered Primordial Spirit slowly condensed, manifesting as an almost transparent figure.

The figure was extremely fragile, swaying precariously in the sea breeze, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Without any hesitation, his Primordial Spirit immediately entered his physical body.

His physical body immediately opened its eyes. Then, he put away the soul-summoning banner, took out a porcelain bottle from the sachet, uncorked it, and swallowed all the nourishing pills for his Primordial Spirit.

Only then did he manage to stabilize his Primordial Spirit.

Fortunately, a martial artist's methods for dealing with Primordial Spirit are only average.

Xu Pingfeng was drenched in sweat, feeling no joy at surviving such a close call, only lingering fear, anger, and a sense of powerlessness.

He, a powerful second-rank peak Warlock, could only barely withstand one strike from Xu Qi'an.

Let alone fighting him, even escaping for their lives is a struggle.

This was unbearable for the proud and arrogant Xu Pingfeng; it was a blatant humiliation.

With a flash of light, he escaped again using teleportation.

Xu Qi'an will not let him go; he will hunt him down to the ends of the earth.

Now, only the White Emperor can save him. This Gods and Devils has an extraordinary background; the White Emperor is merely a puppet, and his true identity is someone else entirely.

Xu Pingfeng did not attempt to conceal his own divine secrets because Xu Qi'an was already a first-rank martial artist, one rank higher than him, and the karmic entanglement between father and son was too deep to be forcibly concealed.

He spared no effort in using teleportation magic, and finally arrived at his destination by following the scent of the scale in his hand.

At the same time, he saw Luo Yuheng at the end of the coastline.

"Um?"

Xu Qi'an, who was flying at high speed, suddenly stopped and felt a sharp pain in his body, a pain that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.

"The feedback from 'Jade Shattered' is incorrect."

He immediately sensed that something was wrong.

After reaching the first rank, one's essence, energy, and spirit become one, and the Primordial Spirit and physical body are no longer distinguishable.

However, he could still sense that his Primordial Spirit had suffered great damage, while his physical body had only been slightly injured. This was due to the combined effect of the fusion of the physical body and the Primordial Spirit.

After a moment's thought, he roughly guessed what Xu Pingfeng was up to.

It's just a matter of choosing between saving the mother or the baby during a difficult childbirth.

"Hmph, let's see where you can run to."

The Heavenly Mirror was like a radar, covering an area of thousands of miles. After flying for half an hour, Xu Qi'an did not catch a glimpse of Xu Pingfeng, but instead saw his aunt.

Luo Yuheng, holding a divine sword, stood between the sky and the sea, her feathered robes fluttering and her beautiful hair flying, like a fairy from the heavens, with a cold and exquisite beauty.

She frowned and stared at the seabed, as if confronting something.

At the same time that the Heavenly Mirror was observing her, Luo Yuheng also sensed the mirror and turned her head to look.

The two looked at each other through the magic mirror.

Two seconds later, Xu Qi'an suddenly lunged forward, landing right in front of Luo Yuheng, and said in a deep voice:

Where is Baidi?

Luo Yuheng glanced down at the sea, his voice clear and cold:

"I followed the White Emperor's soul all the way here. It entered the sea from here, so I followed it down and came to a trench. There was an extremely terrifying being in the trench. I sensed its presence, so I came back up."

An extremely terrifying existence, the true form of the Great Wilderness? Xu Qi'an frowned:

How strong?

Luo Yuheng pondered for a moment and said:

"I have no chance of winning if I fight alone."

So powerful. Xu Qi'an gasped. Even in the ancient times when Gods and Devils were active, those who could rival super-grade Gods and Devils like the Gu God were extremely rare.

And this person from the Great Wilderness, a descendant of Gods and Devils, is even stronger than a first-rank cultivator?

How terrifying must its ancestors have been?

Luo Yuheng then said:

"Xu Pingfeng was down there. He only exchanged a glance with me before being teleported to the seabed. His Primordial Spirit seems to have been severely damaged. Did you do this?"

Down there, he really did pledge allegiance to the White Emperor; the two of them had formed an alliance long ago. Xu Qi'an took a deep breath and looked at Luo Yuheng's exquisite face. "Shall we join forces and go down there to confront it? And while we're at it, see if that old bastard, the Supervisor, is dead or not?"

The supervisor is still in the hands of the "White Emperor".

PS: Updated first, revised later.