Inside the Capital City
"Senior Feng, where did these people come from?"
Lin An frowned deeply, casually slaying a grotesque Exotic Beast. For Lin An, handling these Nascent Soul level minions was nothing more than a simple strike.
Feng Jie Yu glanced at Lin An, "Isn’t your master capable of calculating everything? Why do you need to ask me?"
Lin An blushed, clearly embarrassed. He had come to Feng Jie Yu for answers at the behest of his master, Ji Yuguang.
After all, these strange occurrences in the Capital City had exceeded everyone’s intelligence networks, and even Ji Yuguang and Master Chang Chun, who watched over the city’s grand trajectory, were unaware.
"Indeed, my master sent me, but the matter is significant. A slight mistake and the Capital City could become a wasteland of corpses, so I..."
"I am not Su Chengyu, nor am I Uncle Su Linyuan. They care about you, but for me, your lives are insignificant."
Lin An blinked and looked at Feng Jieyu, "Yet you still helped us."
"Because ChengYu instructed me to, but I saw no reason to inform you of their arrival."
Feng Jieyu’s resolute attitude left Lin An with no choice but to comply, and he turned to another battlefield, casually slicing another Exotic Beast in half.
"Junior Sister, what did Senior Feng say?"
Xu Zijing appeared out of nowhere, inquiring toward Lin An.
Lin An shook his head helplessly, "Senior Feng is tight-lipped, not revealing anything. But this attitude surely relates to ChengYu."
Xu Zijing’s expression darkened, "It’s likely a consequence from when Su Chengyu fought Cui Manlou. It’s not his fault."
"I know, but even if that’s true, once word spreads, criticism will follow, which isn’t good for ChengYu."
Xu Zijing simply smiled, "If Su Chengyu returns safely, it won’t matter. If he doesn’t..."
Xu Zijing’s voice trailed off, glancing toward Langma Peak.
"Not a single egg remains intact beneath a toppled nest."
Lin An remained silent, saying nothing. The chaos shaking the Capital City stirred nearly all over Nascent Soul Cultivators.
Aside from the elder in the palace whom Lin An had seen only a few times, Lin An was almost sure others were fighting at the front lines.
"The crux clearly lies on Langma Peak, why would Cui Manlou take needless actions?"
Xu Zijing shook his head, "Langma Peak is indeed a spot where those Immortals set up a star position to change the battle’s course. But don’t forget, the Great Catastrophe of Heaven and Earth will inevitably come. Cui Manlou has his purposes for going to Langma Peak, but if he can’t fulfill his ultimate goals, he can still ensure the Great Catastrophe’s arrival."
Lin An was a bit surprised, not expecting Xu Zijing to see through it all.
Xu Zijing smiled faintly, looking at Lin An, "Girl, even if my talent doesn’t match yours, my insights are as sharp. Besides, didn’t Su Chengyu foresee these things too? It’s just that although we were left here, we can only do the toughest work, while everything depends on..."
Saying this, Xu Zijing couldn’t help but look toward the Capital City. He knew those people were targeting the Heavenly Son.
Inside the Imperial Palace.
With the emergence of an anomaly, a yellow-sheathed sword fell straight onto a shadow at the hall’s entrance.
The unremarkable shadow suddenly twisted and quickly turned into a puddle of slime, finally shaping into a humanoid form.
A grotesque human face appeared on the slime, speaking with an unpleasant voice.
"Even now, there are Earth Immortals guarding the Capital City. Zhao Xuanzhen, your fear of death is truly consistent with the past."
Zhao Xuanzhen paused his actions before the desk, slowly raising his head to look at the slime.
"Though I can no longer recognize you, from your words, you seem to be an old acquaintance from when I ascended."
"Hmph, your sharpness remains unchanged, but it’s exactly this sharpness that makes me loathe you from my core!"
With the end of the slime’s words, it forcibly broke free from the sword sheath’s constraint, rushing straight toward Zhao Xuanzhen.
Just as the slime was about to reach Zhao Xuanzhen, an elderly man in plain clothes blocked the approach, wielding a golden sharp sword to firmly protect Zhao Xuanzhen behind him.
"Old fool! You should know better than I how Zhao Xuanzhen rose to power back then! He has no right to sit on that dragon throne, so why do you keep protecting him?"
"Xia Country cannot be without its sovereign, the world cannot be without its sovereign. His Majesty now commands alliances spanning over half the realm. His death would lead to a wasteland."
"Hahaha! Idiot! Look outside at the current situation, a wasteland? You’ll never possess a future. You’ll either be utterly consumed by us and replaced or completely perish in the Great Catastrophe! The great mansion is toppling, and having lived for hundreds of years, can’t you see this?"
"Even if the great mansion falls, I’ll willingly become the first soul to die beneath it, nothing more."
"You want to die that much! Then die you shall!"
In fury, the slime roared, finally taking on a humanoid form.
If a third person were present, they’d find the slime’s face startlingly similar to Zhao Xuanzhen.
"It turns out to be you..."
In a moment of shock, the slime engulfed the elder like a shadow relentlessly consuming him, speaking in the elder’s horrified gaze.
"This world should have been mine. How can Zhao Xuanzhen sit on it? If you wish to die with him, then you shall die first!"
With those passionate words, the elder was completely consumed by the slime.
Zhao Xuanzhen coldly watched all this, unmoved.
"Spare him? Back then, did you spare us? Over the years, for your grand scheme, how many have you killed? You wanted Su Linyuan to step down, he stepped down. You wanted Qiu Tianlin to sacrifice himself, he sacrificed. Even Yang Chengyin, your best sword, wasn’t spared as you mercilessly abandoned him to save yourself!"
Zhao Xuanzhen drew a deep breath, "Sitting on this seat often goes beyond one’s control. As the ruler of this land, I must find a path for survival. Even if this path is lined with thorns, I must walk it boldly and fearlessly."
"This is your excuse and reasoning?"
Zhao Xuanzhen shook his head, "This is merely the self-dialogue I have had for years. I know, in your eyes, I deserve death. Many believe I deserve death. So... I have been prepared for today." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel⦿fire.net
The slime looked somewhat surprised at Zhao Xuanzhen, who suddenly smiled, "You always thought I feared death, right? Then I’ll exchange this life, which has taken countless others, for a future for this world!"