Stealing the Sky and Swapping the Sun

"This is insane!"

You're all insane!

Standing in the main hall of the tomb, Zhang Xuezhou was horrified.

When good things happen, people are in high spirits; when bad things happen, they come one after another.

He encountered one misfortune after another.

He originally intended to seek refuge with Sima Xiangru, but later became a guest at Liangyuan Garden.

Before he could enjoy his good days for even two hours, he was brought here by the King of Liang.

May I be blessed with good fortune after this misfortune!

Zhang Xuezhou dared not leave the main hall, fearing he would suffer the same fate as the soldiers, whose bodies were contorted, who vomited yellow fluid, and were drained of their energy. But he also did not want to stay in the main hall.

The verbal sparring between the King of Liang and Emperor Jing continued, with the two exposing each other's shortcomings.

Zhang Xuezhou listened and felt that such words would not do him any good, but would certainly bring him harm.

Once these two finish arguing, neither of them will let the bystanders off the hook.

He kept repeating "I'm going to die, I'm going to die" in his mind, and placed his only hope on the "Tomb Classic".

The "Grave Scripture" can grant one wish. Since Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation level did not rise steadily and he did not break through to the True Spirit Realm, his wish could be changed even though it was not fulfilled.

At this point, all he wanted was to save his life and minimize any future troubles.

"I traveled thousands of miles back from abroad, but I can't stay in this homeland anymore."

Whether it was the King of Liang or Emperor Jing, if either of them had harbored murderous intent, the Han Dynasty would not have been able to remain there for long.

Zhang Xuezhou felt a sense of unease, and then began to loudly recite the "Tomb Classic".

"Before the pure energy rises, before the turbid energy sinks, before the wandering spirit awakens, before the five colors are distinguished, there is something within, and in the the Unseen, its nature exists..."

Amidst the murmuring chants, Zhang Xuezhou could still hear the arguments between Emperor Jing and the Prince of Liang.

Later, the voice of the King of Huainan joined in, sounding distressed.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to spare Little Wang life! I beg Lord Liang, for the sake of brotherhood, to send me away!"

"King of Huainan, don't you understand? Liu Qi is drawing upon the fate of the Han Dynasty, and also the lifespans of all the kings. Your Huainan Kingdom is the most powerful in the southern region, and you are also a target that Liu Qi is forcibly taking!"

"The fate of the Great Han Dynasty is under my control. You need not worry about official business; whatever I deduct, I will return to you in the same way."

"You specialize in assassination techniques, but your understanding of Daoist arts is barely scratching the surface. Your mother has repeatedly criticized you for neglecting your duties. With your level of skill, you think you can just give back what you've learned?"

"King of Huainan, only if you lend me a hand and help me ascend to the throne will you have any chance of survival; otherwise, Liu Qi will beat you to death."

"Gonggan, you are also skilled in Huang-Lao philosophy. As long as you cooperate with me to eliminate the traitor Prince Liang, I will cooperate with you to fully restore your injuries!"

"Don't listen to his lies. No emperor has any sense of loyalty or affection. He won't return what he took from you!"

"You too desire to become emperor, yet you have no regard for feelings or loyalty in your heart!"

The crackling sounds from the five large banners were mixed with the voices of Emperor Jing, the King of Liang, and the King of Huainan.

It wouldn't be considered miraculous, after all, Zhang Xuezhou has seen many modern forms of communication.

The five flags seemed to form a formation similar to a communication network. After creating a chat group, the three of them kept hurling insults at each other.

But after seeing the numerous soldiers who died mysteriously outside the main hall, and the many attendants who died inside the hall bleeding from all seven orifices, Zhang Xuezhou felt as if he were shooting along a telephone line, with the gun going off at one end of the line and the person dying on the other.

This is a comedic scene from a movie, but it undoubtedly reflects what he is currently experiencing.

"The pure energy has not yet risen, the turbid energy has not yet settled, and the wandering spirit has not yet awakened..."

When Zhang Xuezhou recited the "Grave Classic" for the third time, he felt the strange fragrance he had previously sensed intensify, which made him feel drowsy for a moment.

"Oh no!"

In a flash, Zhang Xuezhou felt as if a hole had been suddenly dug into the top of his head, and in that icy cold sensation, he saw his own physical body.

"It's... it's out of my body!"

Zhang Xuezhou had barely gotten used to the Soul Returning Technique he had just acquired from Dong Zhongshu when he realized that his three souls and seven spirits had already left his body.

Before he could even use the technique to return to his senses, he felt his three souls and seven spirits being swept away by the wind and waves.

When he came to his senses, Zhang Xuezhou saw a golden dragon soaring across the dark night sky, and a white dragon wagging its tail in a show of bravado. Below the two dragons, a jiaolong (a type of dragon) was bowing its head repeatedly, and many star-like spots were twinkling everywhere.

"Liu Qi, your days are numbered!" the white dragon roared. "Your Primordial Spirit is entangled by Zhu Jiuyin's Netherworld Fire; there is no chance of survival!"

"Liu Wu, your biggest mistake is that you are merely a feudal lord, yet you have overstepped your bounds and acted as an emperor. Overstepping boundaries inevitably brings consequences, especially for someone like you who practices physiognomy. If you suffer this backlash, you will have no chance of survival!"

"I've done so many things for you!" the white dragon said unwillingly.

"That's because you have the Empress Dowager's backing. You think you're the master of the Han Kingdom. You're not helping me; you think it's your own business. You're helping yourself!"

The golden dragon roared loudly, constantly reprimanding the white dragon.

Although they were just exchanging barbs, the golden dragon's scales were constantly falling off as it was assaulted by the waves of yellow energy.

Meanwhile, nameless flames erupted from the white dragon's body, burning it and causing the dragon's form to grow increasingly dim.

The dragon was enveloped in a yellow aura, mixed with flames.

Clearly, Jiaolong didn't want to offend either side, but it ended up pleasing neither, resulting in it suffering a severe beating from both.

"Heavens and earth, what sins have I committed?" the dragon cried out in anguish. "Please, give me a way out!"

"Help me kill the Prince of Liang!" the golden dragon roared.

"Help me kill Emperor Jing, and grant me twenty years of life extension. After twenty years, I will pass the Great Han Dynasty on to you," the white dragon roared.

When the brothers turned against each other, the way they addressed each other changed several times, from Liu Wu to King of Liang. The repeated changes in address showed how thoroughly they treated each other.

The way the King of Liang addressed people changed repeatedly, from "Your Majesty" to "Liu Qi" and then to "Emperor Jing".

Amidst the ongoing disputes, Zhang Xuezhou felt a chill in his heart. He didn't even dare to recite the "Grave Scripture," let alone mention the cultivation technique for returning to one's physical body.

He lay prostrate in a corner, hoping to avoid being tainted by the waters of the underworld or scorched by the flames.

"I don't know which one of you I should help, but if you want my help, shouldn't you at least show some sincerity first, instead of burning and flooding me like this?" the dragon said painfully. "At this rate, forget about who I'll help; I'll soon have my soul killed by your combined forces!"

"I am the most sincere!"

The white dragon spoke first, causing the Yellow Spring water on the dragon's body to disappear instantly.

"Liu An, I have always treated you well!"

The golden dragon spoke first, but the flames on the dragon's body slowly dissipated.

"Make your choice!" Jinlong said calmly.

"Help me!" Bai Long said urgently.

"His Majesty is not dead! Liu Wu, this is treason! You deserve to have your head chopped off!"

The dragon that the King of Huainan was on turned over, then swam around, shaking its head and tail, disappearing behind the golden dragon.

"King Liang, you have committed many rebellious acts. To eliminate those who oppose you, you have openly sent assassins to kill court officials, which I tolerated then. Now you even want to kill me!" Jinlong raised his head and said, "What am I supposed to do? Should I offer my neck and commit suicide?"

"Emperor Jing, you will stop at nothing for your own gain. You have killed Zhi Du, Chao Cuo, Zhou Yafu and others one after another. If the King of Huainan helps you today, you will certainly not let him live tomorrow," Bai Long said unwillingly.

"I am a dying man, how could I possibly harm the Prince of King of Huainan? This is absurd and slanderous!"

I know too many of your shameful deeds!

Amidst the shouts and accusations, the Yellow Springs Water and Flames blazed brightly, and the King of Huainan summoned a cloud of rain that continuously blew wind and rain.

The rain diluted the encroaching waters of the underworld and slowed the flames' escalation.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that the King of Huainan was not wronged in being attacked by the combined forces. Judging from the other side's posture, no matter which side he went to, he would only be helping them and making things worse.

However, Emperor Jing and the Prince of Liang were engrossed in their power struggle and had no time to attend to the King of Huainan.

"Left or right, it's all the same—death!"

As the golden dragon and the white dragon fought closely and flew higher and higher, the King of Huainan murmured softly.

"You forced me to do this!"

He murmured a few words, then began to recite them softly.

An eeriness seemed to lurk within the black night sky.

Zhang Xuezhou crouched in a dark corner, only to hear the crackling sound of five large flags behind him, mixed with the sound of an unfamiliar flag waving in the wind.