"Creak~~~"
The mansion gate opened, and Lu Huaining, clad in a scholar's robe, emerged. He was not followed by any servants, only accompanied by Chi Yuran and his nephew Chi Zhongyu, one on each side.
On the rooftop, the figures of Lin Zhao and Liu Liying appeared.
...
Zhao Qian, with a smile, held a jade pot and said, "This is the Emperor's wine, why don't you quickly kneel and receive it?"
Lu Huaining lightly brushed his sleeve and knelt before the mansion gate, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Bullshit Emperor's wine!"
Chi Zhongyu sneered, "Zhao Qian, this is probably a pot of poison, isn't it?"
Zhao Qian said calmly, "The wine pot indeed contains the Emperor's wine. As for whether it is poisoned, this Prime Minister truly does not know."
"Why don't you try it first?" Chi Yuran asked.
"Insolence!"
Zhao Qian flicked his palm, and instantly he seemed to merge with heaven and earth. Spiritual energy surged immensely, and within the space around Zhao Qian, one could faintly perceive the galaxy.
This was a Star River realm!
Lin Zhao, standing on the rooftop, felt a chill in his heart. He hadn't expected Bai Hua Tian Xia to have a Star River realm expert, and it was Zhao Qian, no less. It seemed the rankings of the Ten Great Experts of the Ascension Platform were indeed mistaken. Zhao Qian was already in the Star River realm; he was the true number one on the Ascension Platform!
Chi Zhongyu and Chi Yuran gritted their teeth. Although their swords were already drawn, facing a Star River realm expert with two Nascent Soul realm cultivators required careful consideration.
"Lu Huaining!"
Zhao Qian raised his eyebrows, his eyes filled with fierce intensity, "You dare not drink the Emperor's wine bestowed by His Majesty?"
"Prime Minister, please rest assured."
Lu Huaining, with a look of grief, whispered, "His Majesty and the Prime Minister both wish for Lu Huaining to leave. How could I not go?"
With that, he twisted open the lid of the pot and was about to pour the poisoned wine into his mouth.
But at this very instant, heaven and earth suddenly stopped. Everything around them entered a vast, small world. With a "swish," Lin Zhao lit a Speed Talisman. Instantly, the flow of time within the vast small world slowed down even further. He swooted down, poured out all the Emperor's wine from the jade pot, and replaced it with a pot of green bamboo wine. After finishing this, he retreated into the air and once again stood on the eaves.
In front of the gate, Lu Huaining drank half the pot of wine in one gulp, his robes drenched with wine. The grief in his eyes deepened. He knelt on the ground, kowtowed in the direction of the distant imperial palace, and said, "Your Majesty, your subject is leaving. May Your Majesty and the empire be well!"
"Hmm?"
Zhao Qian narrowed his eyes, suspicion evident in his gaze. "This Bamboo Leaf Green is deadly, one drop and it seals the throat. A mere Void Refining realm cultivator... why is he not dead yet?"
As he spoke, he suddenly looked up at Lin Zhao on the rooftop and said with a sinister grin, "You little bastard, was this your setup?"
"So rude."
Lin Zhao slowly drew his Li Quan Sword and sneered, "With such upbringing, how can you be a Prime Minister? You might as well be a dog."
"You court death?!"
Zhao Qian looked at Lu Huaining and sneered, "Since you have the assistance of an immortal, then there's no choice. His Majesty's wine could not send you away, so I, this Prime Minister, will have to personally send you to the afterlife!"
With that, Zhao Qian unleashed a palm strike from the air. Within his palm, a golden Dharma image spanned across, poised to shatter Lu Huaining's head with a single blow.
"Retreat!"
Lin Zhao also descended from the sky. As his sword light flashed, he unleashed "One Sword Slays Immortals." Instantly, his profound sword intent surged. Although Lin Zhao's realm was low and his swordsmanship was rudimentary, the sword intent of "One Sword Slays Immortals" came from a fragment of the Green Gourd, a supreme technique of an ancient sword saint of the Pei surname. This wisp of sword intent was definitely not weak. Thus, in an instant, the sword intent shattered Zhao Qian's palm Dharma image. The sword light flashed past and carved a bloody gash on Zhao Qian's chest. In just one move, he had wounded this Imperial Grand Tutor of the Xu Dynasty.
"Hmph!"
Zhao Qian retreated rapidly, his eyes filled with coldness. He had indeed suffered a disadvantage in the first move, simply because he had no idea of the depth of Lin Zhao, this banished immortal. How could someone who could kill Xu Beiwu and the Nine-Realm Elder Flood Dragon be weak? But in the end, he was merely a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Therefore, Zhao Qian believed his combat power was still superior to Lin Zhao's, and he only needed to understand his opponent's capabilities.
"Fellow Daoists of the Cheng Huang Sect, what are you waiting for?"
Zhao Qian raised his eyebrows, and instantly, figures emerged from the night, riding the wind. Among them, the old man in a black robe was Chu Ruoshui, the ancestor of the Cheng Huang Sect, a peak Nine-Realm great cultivator. Beside him was the sect leader Chu Xiantong, dressed in a purple long dress and wielding a long sword. On the other side was the vice sect leader Chu Fenglan, a Nine-Realm spiritual cultivator. One sect, three Nascent Soul cultivators – this was the true foundation of the Cheng Huang Sect!
In addition, there were six Golden Core realm cultivators and over a dozen Void Refining realm cultivators. Clearly, the Cheng Huang Sect was prepared to bet everything and join Zhao Qian in this daring endeavor.
"Chu Ruoshui!"
Chi Yuran narrowed his eyes, a cold smile on his lips. "The Cheng Huang Sect works so hard for the imperial court, tsk tsk... why bother? We cultivators on the mountains seek the great Dao and freedom. Why does your Cheng Huang Sect enjoy being dogs?"
"Fellow Daoist Chi."
Chu Ruoshui, clad in black robes with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with a smile, said, "Why speak such provocative words? With our status and realm in the martial world, are these meaningful? Today's events have already been decided. Let alone you, Chi Yuran, even that banished immortal named Lin Zhao will die in the capital. Once you and Chi Zhongyu are dead, hehe, the entire Lingnan Sword Sect will only have that old fellow left. Wouldn't it be even simpler for our Cheng Huang Sect to deal with him? Soon, the Lingnan Sword Sect will be removed from the scrolls of mountains and rivers, renamed the Lingnan Sword Sect."
Chi Yuran frowned, a chill spreading through his heart. Although the Cheng Huang Sect claimed to be the number one sect in the world, there were indeed many mountain sects that could contend with it. The Lingnan Sword Sect was one of them. After all, the Lingnan Sword Sect also had three Nascent Soul cultivators, and they were three sword cultivators at that. However, if he and Chi Zhongyu were to perish here today, his elder brother would likely be unable to stand alone. The most regrettable would be Chi Zhongyu. In fact, he had the opportunity in his life to break through his limitations and become an unparalleled Star River realm Sword Immortal. To die here now was truly unwilling.
"This is not good..."
Chi Zhongyu gritted his teeth and looked up at Lin Zhao and Liu Liying. "There's no need to be buried here together today. Lin Zhao, Liying, leave if you have the chance. You didn't need to get involved in this matter."
"It's too late!"
Zhao Qian let out a sinister laugh, suddenly raised his hand, and lit a golden talisman. Instantly, a heaven and earth restriction enveloped an area of several miles around them. His eyes were filled with fierce intensity, and he said with a laugh, "This is an immortal talisman, creating a restriction that even a Star River realm cultivator cannot penetrate. As for you... rest assured and accept your death. Live well in your next life, and don't be a bird that flies against the current. Especially you, Lin Zhao..."
Lin Zhao also looked at Zhao Qian. In fact, Lin Zhao had met Zhao Qian before, on the Lingze River. The old fisherman who ferried Lin Zhao across the river was the present Zhao Qian. As for things like hanging swords at the bridgehead to slay the flood dragon at the bottom of the river, it was easily explained. Zhao Qian indeed had the ability. Moreover, with his Star River realm cultivation, Zhao Qian could dominate the Lingze River. The flood dragon clan at the bottom of the entire Lingze River was almost raised by Zhao Qian, hence the extremely close relationship between the Xu Dynasty and the demon race.
Zhao Qian smiled and said, "Do you remember what was said on the boat?"
"I remember."
Lin Zhao nodded. "If the great trend of the world presses down, what should all cultivators do? I answered that if the great trend benefits the world, then go with the flow. If the great trend is unfavorable to the world, then go against the current. There are no problems."
"No problems?"
Zhao Qian sneered, "Changing valleys to fill the land with grain, further strengthening the power of the mountains, and the world's spiritual energy feeding back, the common people still benefit."
"Go tell that hypocritical talk to the vengeful spirits of the common people drowned in Jiangzhou and Longzhou."
Lin Zhao completely disregarded Zhao Qian's lecturing.
"Since you are so stubborn, you can only be transcended."
Zhao Qian unfurled his sleeves, his body exuding the transcendent aura of the Star River realm, and said with a laugh, "Fellow Daoists of the Cheng Huang Sect, there's no need for further discussion. Let's act together and annihilate the entire Daliang Mansion!"
"Kill!"
Chu Ruoshui made the first move. He drew a treasure sword from his sleeve, and two flying swords emerged from the Sword Lake, heading straight for Chi Yuran. This Chi Yuran was the younger brother of the Sect Leader of the Lingnan Sword Sect, a prodigy with exceptional talent in swordsmanship, who had made great contributions to the Lingnan Sword Sect throughout his life. Without him, the Cheng Huang Sect would have long been the number one sect in the world!
"Xiantong!"
As Chu Ruoshui engaged Chi Yuran, he said in a deep voice, "You and Fenglan will deal with Chi Zhongyu. As for that banished immortal, the Grand Tutor is more than enough."
"Yes, Old Ancestor!"
Chu Xiantong unleashed a sword strike, and Chi Zhongyu also met the challenge head-on. Amidst the clash of sword lights, Chi Zhongyu was greatly surprised. Why did Chu Xiantong's sword feel so weak and soft? Could the rumors of the Cheng Huang Sect Leader, that peerless sword dao genius, be false? Regardless of that, he had to first break through the current situation!
After repelling Chu Xiantong with a sword strike, Chi Zhongyu, enveloped in a surge of sword light, moved towards Chu Fenglan, understanding the principle of picking on the weaker opponent.
...
The most difficult was, naturally, Lin Zhao.
After a temporary confinement of Zhao Qian with a sword energy cage, he used long-range sword energy strikes to close the distance. Then, to Zhao Qian's surprise, he unleashed an Ascending Dragon Slash. The next moment, five immortal swords and twelve Great Wilderness Ancient Swords simultaneously unfurled behind him, their tips pointing at Zhao Qian, who had been sent flying by the Ascending Dragon Slash. Following that, a flurry of "pupu pu" attacks depleted the cooldown of the more than a dozen flying swords.
But the next moment, as Lin Zhao unleashed a "Sword Energy Charging the Bulls," Zhao Qian had already freed himself and delivered a powerful palm strike towards Lin Zhao's face.
"Bang!"
A wisp of white airflow bloomed. Lin Zhao instantly entered the Formation Horse and Wind Constellation style, his speed soaring even without using the Speed Talisman. After dodging the opponent's palm strike, he appeared below Zhao Qian, sword in hand, with a circular virtual realm opening behind him, unleashing dense sword energy attacks, which was the Sword Break skill.
However, after all these offensives, Zhao Qian's health bar had only dropped by 10%. A Star River realm cultivator of Bai Hua Tian Xia was not so easily killed.
"Swish!"
The flying sword Mingyue shot out from the Sword Lake, heading straight for Zhao Qian's forehead.
"Spirit Mirror!"
Zhao Qian, enraged, roared, and drew a circle in front of him with one hand, instantly opening a golden mirror surface. The next moment, the flying sword Mingyue rushed into the golden mirror and struggled to get out, trapped.
"Be careful!"
After Chi Zhongyu cleaved Chu Xiantong's long sword with his own, he said to Lin Zhao through telepathy, "I heard earlier that Zhao Qian refined a natal artifact called the Sword Suppressing Spirit Mirror, specifically designed to counter all sword cultivators. Be extremely careful when you draw your sword!"