My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 314 - The Top Battle in Yujing City

Chapter 314: Chapter 314: The Top Battle in Yujing City (10,000-word update, please subscribe)

Chapter 314: Chapter 314: The Top Battle in Yujing City (10,000-word update, please subscribe)

Zongzheng Huachun looked at the Ghost Swordsman before him, never expecting that in Yujing City, the one who could finally stop him would be him.

If he had known that it would come to this today, he would have killed the Ghost Swordsman without hesitation back at Dongluo Pass, even if Jun Qinglin tried to stop him, and there would not be today’s disaster.

But in this world, there are no ifs.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Zongzheng Huachun started to laugh, “Jun Qinglin is not my opponent, nor is Zhao Zhiwu my opponent. Do you think you would be my opponent?”

An Jing gripped the sword hilt, the blade swiveled resolutely, and the formidable sword edge pointed at Zongzheng Huachun, “Do you think I could be your opponent?”

Zongzheng Huachun said, “You are merely following in Jun Qinglin’s footsteps.”

An Jing’s expression did not change, but inside his heart, a stormy sea of rage stirred, giving rise to endless murderous intent.

Although it was subtle, Zongzheng Huachun still captured it.

An Jing’s resistance was not for the Dragon Locking Well or for the Great Yan Royal Family. His motive was pure and simple, solely for avenging Jun Qinglin.

The great trends of the world, a burden he has yet to shoulder, clearly he had not reached that realm and step.

At this moment, as the two top experts confronted each other, the air around them seemed to have solidified.

Zongzheng Huachun’s mouth twitched slightly upward, revealing a trace of a smile, “You are the junior, I will give you the chance to make the first move.”

“As you wish.”

An Jing’s eyes were cold, like sharp swords, he raised the Evil Suppressing Sword, and his body disappeared from its spot, the sword radiance piercing forward at a speed hard to detect.

A burst of golden light shot out, the might of an Emperor unstoppable.

Fast!

There were very few among the crowd who could see An Jing’s sword strike, and those who did see the strike could not make out the trajectory of the sword, and those who could see the trajectory could not see clearly how many strikes were made.

The sword radiance was exceedingly fast, carrying a whistling sound as it broke through the air.

Others could not ascertain the total number of sword strikes, but Zongzheng Huachun could see.

A total of seventeen sword strikes, among them thirteen targeted his vital points, clearly showing that in his heart, this top swordsman in the world harbored boundless murderous intent towards him.

Zongzheng Huachun was a genius. He had not only cultivated the Great Snow Mountain Holy Body Technique to perfection, but he had also perfected the Great Snow Mountain Sky-reaching Earth-penetrating Heart Method.

And that was not why he could overpower Jun Qinglin; on his body, there was also a distinctive martial arts, which was the reason he had made rapid progress so far and why his strength was far higher than that of other masters of the same realm.

However, given his current strength and status, there were few people who could force him to use this martial arts heart method. When he was confronting Nangong Weiping, he had used it briefly before immediately stopping.

For he knew that even if he gave it his all, he wouldn’t be a match for that Nangong Weiping, so why expose his trump card?

Zongzheng Huachun remained motionless.

In the realm of highly accomplished martial arts, not moving is more daunting than moving.

Not moving is moving!

This profundity was beyond the reach of ordinary people, much like the mysteries of the Sixth Realm and Seventh Realm of Sword Dao, always possessing a mysteriousness that was hard to articulate and explain clearly.

All seventeen sword strikes hit Zongzheng Huachun’s body, but there was no blood, no sensation of a sword blade touching flesh.

It seemed as if they hit, but they did not.

An Jing frowned, feeling a sense of foreboding when five fingers came crashing down on his Heavenly Spirit, forming a world of their own below.

“Buzz, buzz!”

True Qi surged forward, directly piercing An Jing’s Protective True Qi, then slammed harshly against the Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique.

Although the Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique was a martial art that surpassed the Heavenly Martial level, An Jing had not yet reached the topmost levels like the Ninth Layer or the Tenth Layer. At that moment, the immense True Qi pressed down, creating visibly noticeable cracks instantly.

An Jing also felt a tremendous force coming at him, and in an instant, his legs were buried in the ground up to his knees before he managed to stop the downward momentum.

This astonishing force was impossible for an ordinary Five Qi Grandmaster to withstand.

After undergoing Ghost Transformation, the Qi mechanism inside An Jing’s body began climbing wildly, already comparable to a Five Qi Grandmaster’s Qi mechanism. It wasn’t that he couldn’t block this strike, but he wanted to see just how strong Zongzheng Huachun really was.

Zongzheng Huachun moved backward, saying, “Bring out all your strength.”

“When it’s time to go all out, I naturally will.”

An Jing leapt up, pulling his legs free, his eyes carrying a hint of coldness, and the radiance from the Evil Suppressing Sword in his hand became even more intense.

This was the brilliance left by the Great Zhou Emperor Yan, domineering and peerless.

Whoosh!

The next moment, An Jing’s hand thrust the Evil Suppressing Sword forward.

Hundred-step Flying Sword!

The sword light was extremely clear and simple, piercing the air around it and causing currents to spread out to both sides.

Zongzheng Huachun stood with one hand behind his back, a white radiance emerging around him, enveloping his body.

The sword light was cold and sharp, unmatched, and it touched the white radiance.

Immediately at the point where the sword tip met the white radiance, ripples like those on water emerged, and these ripples dissolved all of An Jing’s sword radiance.

Great Snow Mountain Holy Body Technique!

An Jing slightly furrowed his brows. From the exchange with Zongzheng Huachun, he felt an extremely special and familiar sensation.

Indeed, it was a familiar feeling.

The True Qi continued to surge, fully channeling into the Evil Suppressing Sword. At the same time, the starlight appeared again behind An Jing, forming a vast expanse of starry sky.

This starry sky was boundless, spreading over the entire Yujing City.

Sword God Liu Moyuan, looking at the starry sky in front of him, couldn’t help saying, “What kind of sword dao is this!?”

Historically, the Holy Dao Sword had been among the top in all sword daos, but at this moment it seemed slightly inferior to the sword dao before him.

So, what exactly was this sword dao?

As An Jing exerted his full power, the sharpness of the Evil Suppressing Sword’s tip was fully revealed. Even the watery ripples seemed to be shattered, and the white light shield also started showing cracks.

This scene shocked everyone present.

Zongzheng Huachun’s Great Snow Mountain Holy Body Technique had never been broken even by Great Yan Emperor Zhao Zhiwu, but now it seemed that An Jing’s sword light was about to break it.

This truly was a swordsman of extreme sharpness.

During the confrontations between Great Yan Emperor Zhao Zhiwu and Zongzheng Huachun, their exchanges were more about power.

Zongzheng Huachun felt a chill emerging in his arms, and he continuously stepped back. The Evil Suppressing Sword, seizing the advantage, continued to thrust forward.

Step-step-step-step…

Zongzheng Huachun continued to retreat until he stopped within the ruins of the Golden Throne Hall.

Then he waved his sleeve, dispelling all the qi force around him.

If previously An Jing controlled eighty percent of the Evil Suppressing Sword’s sharp energy, now the sword could be considered fully at his command, effortlessly handling it whether the task was heavy or light.

After all, the Evil Suppressing Sword’s sharpness made it an exotic treasure, beyond comparison with ordinary weapons. Even a recognized master couldn’t easily control it, not without high skill.

With the increase in cultivation, he could maneuver such a divine weapon as if it were an extension of his arm.

Zongzheng Huachun dispelled the surrounding qi force and stretched out his hand, revealing a white pearl in front of him.

This was precisely the Great Snow Mountain’s national treasure, the Thousand-Year Ice Pearl.

Earlier, when he faced Zhao Zhiwu, the Thousand-Year Ice Pearl had activated, unlike Zhao Zhiwu whose King Sword wasn’t sharp, so he hadn’t revealed the Thousand-Year Ice Pearl.

Now, facing An Jing, a swordsman with unmatched sharpness, he had to expose the Thousand-Year Ice Pearl outside his body to block the peerless sharpness.

With more of nature’s spiritual energy supporting him, Zongzheng Huachun’s control over the Thousand-Year Ice Pearl matured instantly; a stream of ice covered his body, not only repairing the Holy Body Technique but also seeming impenetrable due to the overlay of the Cold Ice Stream.

Suddenly, a broad and august sound erupted between heaven and earth, accompanied by countless qi mechanisms exploding violently, creating visible waves of qi that swept up dust into the air and spread throughout the Imperial Palace.

Except for Zhao Zhiwu, who was sitting cross-legged, it greatly affected everyone else present.

The two current top masters formed a deadlock, which seemed to enter a state of stillness at that moment.

Then the next moment, the skies above the Golden Throne Hall shook tremendously, and the rolling cloud sea above plummeted, enveloping the area in fog, turning day into night.

Zongzheng Huachun made the first move.

Zongzheng Huachun’s body emitted extreme red light, reflecting a blazing red light like the extremely bright sun on the horizon.

Heavenly Human Communication!

Both An Jing and Li Fuzhou’s ability to connect with the heavenly and the earthly paled in comparison to Zongzheng Huachun, who, with the help of the Earth Vein Spirit, had nearly reached the realm of unity with heaven and earth.

The next moment, Zongzheng Huachun’s momentum surged violently upward.

An Jing’s hand swung the Evil Suppressing Sword crazily. With each swing, another sharp sword radiance emerged from the sword, sending dozens of sword radiance slashes toward Zongzheng Huachun.

Snow Mountain Covering Sea Hand!

Zongzheng Huachun’s True Qi whirled, and a massive palm emerged mightily, sweeping across heaven and earth, striking toward An Jing’s Sword Radiance.

Thud! Thud!

A fearsome True Qi storm unceasingly swept forth, and under the suppression of the wild True Qi handprint, An Jing’s Sword Radiance was directly annihilated into obliteration.

Effortlessly!

With the aid of the Earth Vein Spirit, Zongzheng Huachun’s strength had evidently reached a zenith.

His gaze calm, his hand transformed into a huge handprint, madly striking toward An Jing.

Giant palm prints that obscured the sun and moaned ominously, reflected in An Jing’s pupils, resembled an oncoming mountain collapse and tsunami; yet his expression remained unafraid, his eyes serene as still water, unfazed.

The Selfless Path!

Dazzling Sword Light emerged, sweeping forth almost at the instant that palm print thunderously fell, instantly overflowing with light that enveloped this stretch of heaven and earth.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The accumulated rainwater on the ground splashed in all directions, kicking up mud.

A thunderous sound reverberated through the air, and the ground itself trembled wildly as various buildings, walls, and jade towers collapsed, massive cracks continuously spreading toward the horizon.

“Run, these two are too strong.”

“Leave quickly, the True Qi fluctuations are so strong, we’ll be killed if we don’t flee.”

…

The Imperial Guards frantically roared, escorting the officials as they fled in all directions.

Many experts stood in the distance, grim-faced, watching intently.

At that moment, Zhao Tianyi said, “Empress, please leave here quickly.”

Zuo Linglong coldly replied, “I will not leave; I wish to share life and death with His Majesty and the fate of Great Yan.”

Zhao Tianyi said nothing, but his steps moved slightly forward—if the Ghost Swordsman were to fail, he must fulfill the duty of a minister.

Within the rising dust and smoke, an extreme chill pierced through, locking onto Zongzheng Huachun who stood at the peak of the jade tower, his brows tightly furrowed, silent.

He waved his sleeve, a gust swept the smoke and dust away, and as the dust cleared, his pupils sharply constricted, feeling an indescribable sense of oppression emanating from the collapsed ruins.

An Jing stood silently, his face expressionless as he looked at Zongzheng Huachun; as their gazes met, sparks flew and the surrounding air seemed to twist.

“Bang!”

A strong blast of True Qi exploded behind Zongzheng Huachun, and his figure transformed into a series of afterimages, appearing almost instantaneously in front of An Jing, unleashing a punch.

This punch, without any fanciness, was however charged with extremely violent True Qi force, and as he swung the punch, Zongzheng Huachun’s body was cloaked in surging blood energy.

The blood energy, entwining around his fist, seemed alive with the sounds of violent strife, stirring the soul.

The Martial Arts of Black Ice Platform!?

An Jing realized something, but in this lightning-fast moment, he had no time to ponder.

A tremendous surge of blood energy with a heavy aura of slaughter assaulted him, giving An Jing the illusion of a blood sea surging toward him; however, this disturbance did not substantially affect him. His mind was like still water, and the True Qi driven by the “Nameless Heart Scripture” burst forth powerfully at this moment.

An Jing looked silently determined, punching out as well. In that moment, stars aligned behind him, showcasing the Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique.

Beyond that, there appeared an Emperor, looking down at Zongzheng Huachun in front.

Boom!

Two fists imbued with fearsome force collided under the intense gazes, with a resounding explosion that echoed through the heavens, sending visible shockwaves all around. The ground underneath them, unable to withstand that force, cracked open with numerous fissures.

Countless people stood in the distance, their eyes unblinking, soon followed by astonishment among the experts present as they watched An Jing.

For they saw that An Jing, who had just clashed head-on with Zongzheng Huachun, merely trembled slightly and retreated five steps backward.

It must be known that the Ghost Swordsman, although a practitioner of Body Refining Martial Arts, was up against the Holy Master of the Great Snow Mountain, one of the strongest Five Qi Grandmasters of the current era.

The Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique was executed by An Jing to the utmost, but the primary reason was his transformation into a ghostly figure, an enhancement in Qi Mechanism that instantly took him to the brink between a Five Qi Grandmaster and a Great Grandmaster. In terms of Qi confrontation, he was not at all inferior to Zongzheng Huachun.

“How could the Ghost Swordsman suddenly become so formidable!?”

The crowd murmured in astonishment as An Jing, in his battle with Zongzheng Huachun, held only a slight disadvantage, something they could never have anticipated.

And in the midst of that low uproar of stunned voices, astonishment also flickered across Zongzheng Huachun’s eyes; the cultivation level An Jing displayed after deploying the secret technique greatly exceeded his expectations.

At that moment, all eyes between heaven and earth were converging upon An Jing and Zongzheng Huachun.

If the Ghost Swordsman could not buy some time for the Great Yan Emperor, the consequences were almost unpredictable.

A tremendous Qi Force burst forth from Zongzheng Huachun’s body. With a stomp of his foot, the ground shattered, and his figure transformed into countless afterimages that flew out, circling high around An Jing. Then, those palm prints filled with murderous intent overwhelmed An Jing like a blanket covering the sky.

Such an attack was so fierce it was almost impossible to dodge.

An Jing, with an expressionless face, watched the countless Zongzheng Huachuns around him, clutching tightly the hilt of the Evil Suppressing Sword.

The next moment, it seemed as if countless golden Qi streams surged up around him.

All the experts in the imperial palace felt a twitch in their hearts, a strange chill emerging from nowhere.

The Evil Suppressing Sword in An Jing’s hand began to crazily devour the surrounding True Qi, with countless streams of True Qi swirling around the sword blade, forming a massive golden Sword Qi vortex.

Unity Sword Technique! Sword Control Flying Immortal!

Whoosh!

All that True Qi began to violently shift, gradually condensing, slowly merging to form a giant golden sword.

Simultaneously, an Emperor’s figure emerged behind An Jing, a domineering aura that reigned over the world enveloped everything below.

Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!

The giant golden sword, gleaming with a fierce light, surged forward boldly.

So-called Heaven has no two saints; now, within this imperial palace, it seemed as though three emperors had descended.

Zongzheng Huachun’s body was encircled by thousand-year-old ice pearls, his True Qi after refining turned clear and shiny, even glowing with a faint white brilliance.

The ‘Ten Directions Technique’ inside his body activated, causing that True Qi to bathe once more in a purple glow.

In an instant, a palm struck out.

Heaven and earth shattered, mountains moved and seas overturned!

“This Heart Technique doesn’t seem like it’s from the Great Snow Mountain’s Martial Arts Heart Method?”

“There’s something odd about it!”

……..

The violent True Qi storm immediately exploded, eliciting cries of alarm from the crowd.

It indeed had some connection with Qi Xuan Dao’s Heart Method!

An Jing, seeing the palm prints attacking from all directions, took a deep breath as a golden arc cleaved through the sky.

The giant golden sword, with the terrifying speed of an arc of light, charged toward those palm prints.

Bang!

In the sky above, purple and golden lights collided first, followed by the clash between the giant golden sword and the enveloping palm prints.

The ground below them cracked, and two figures were shaken and shot backwards, their feet creating long traces of Qi waves in the sky before they finally came to a gradual halt.

An Jing’s hand was covered in fresh blood, and his heart couldn’t help but marvel at the strength of this Holy Master, which was indeed too formidable.

The Martial Arts that Zongzheng Huachun practiced seemed no weaker than the ‘Nine Nether Body Refining Martial Arts’ or ‘Jade Emperor Scripture,’ such powerful techniques that surpassed the Heavenly Martial Level. Moreover, by tapping into the robust power of nature, he had already reached the pinnacle of a Five Qi Grandmaster.

Now that he had used Ghost Transformation, he was just able to fight Zongzheng Huachun to a draw, but defeating him seemed extremely difficult, unless his own strength could grow once more.

Zongzheng Huachun, too, narrowed slightly. Originally the Ghost Swordsman’s Dao cultivation was slightly inferior, but now this secret technique provided a vast amount of Qi Mechanism, allowing him to dramatically increase his realm in Dao. Even with the help of the Earth Vein Spirit, defeating him quickly still seemed very difficult.

As the two stood face to face, Zhao Zhiwu was sitting cross-legged in the distance, a golden Light Shield rising around him, blocking all surrounding Qi Mechanisms, as he worked on breaking through the Grandmaster Realm.

Once he truly reached the Grandmaster Level, it would inevitably completely change the current situation.

Zongzheng Huachun looked complicatedly at An Jing before him, and did not gloat despite having a slight advantage.

Because he knew that this slight advantage was truly insignificant.

In the fifteenth year of Xingping, this Ghost Swordsman before him seemed to be only about twenty-two years old. Over twenty years ago, he had nearly unified the entire Houjin and became the Emperor and Holy Master of the Great Snow Mountain.

Meanwhile, this Ghost Swordsman had just been born. Compared to old men like Jun Qinglin, Zongzheng Huachun might appear young, but his real age wasn’t young at all, even old enough to be the grandfather of the Ghost Swordsman.

This young man wanted to overturn an old man like him, and yet this old body had to strive against this young man desperately.

“We can’t keep delaying.”

Zongzheng Huachun took a deep breath.

With that thought, he immediately took another deep breath, and his withered palms suddenly came together, forming an exceedingly strange Seal Technique.

Boom!

With the commencement of Zongzheng Huachun’s seal technique, a mighty rush of True Qi burst forth, rapidly condensing in front of Zongzheng Huachun.

Zongzheng Huachun’s expression was blank, his eyes radiating endless purple light, his palms formed seals, beginning to change into various sealing forms which faintly, seemed to carry a red, sinister aura.

The Heavenly Human Communication was pushed to its extreme!

The Five Qi Cultivation was also pushed to its extreme!

A vast Qi Mechanism erupted, covering the sky, and then Zongzheng Huachun launched a punch, with the punch light surging with a purple glow imprinting into the air.

A gigantic seal technique appeared in the air, ferocious and overwhelming, suppressing eternity.

At the same time, a chill arose, causing many people to involuntarily shiver, subconsciously looking towards the source of the trembling.

They saw An Jing standing on the ruins, with a cold aura streaming around the blade of the Evil Suppressing Sword, and a wisp of white vapor emerging around it.

Between heaven and earth, the pupils of various masters narrowed. This white vapor was produced from the utmost cold!

And the sharp aura of the ghost swordsman had actually materialized, which was truly terrifying.

Innumerable gazes converged on that blade at that moment, and soon after, they all gasped in shock, as the sharp airflow appeared like a river, rushing violently around.

An Jing’s expression was cold, and True Qi continuously flowed into the blade.

His robe fluttered with the Qing Feng, and alongside his indifferent, outstanding expression, he appeared like an immortal fallen to the human world, making people marvel.

The sword in his hand also seemed like an immortal sword lost from heaven, devoid of any emotion, cold to the extreme.

The Heartless Path!

As the Evil Suppressing Sword moved, that materialized sharp, cold Qi surged forward.

A sword radiance, like an icy river, charged towards Zongzheng Huachun. Wherever it passed, the air solidified into a golden cold stream, even covering the sky with an ice layer cloud-like, blocking the horizon, extraordinarily beautiful and heart-stopping.

One sword divides yin and yang!

A huge Sword Qi flow surged upward, astonishingly moving from the bottom up, topping the opposing Qi Mechanism upstream. From afar, it seemed as though that sword light split everything ahead in two.

One side was dark as lacquer, deep black night, the other was white gold, early dawn rising.

Innumerable yellow halos burst forth from within, the oldest of halos, soft yet one of the sharpest lights in the world.

Under shocked, astonished gazes, a streak of purplish-golden light above the sky collided directly with that seal technique.

Boom!

At the moment of impact, the whole world seemed to freeze for an instant, and then, a wildly savage True Qi shockwave swept out, tearing vicious, deep ravines into the ground below, extending far into the distance.

The entire area around the Golden Throne Hall including several Jade Towers, pavilions, was essentially ruined in one fell swoop.

Crack! Crack!

Everyone was astonished as they watched everything before them, a scene they would never forget in their lifetimes.

They witnessed the gigantic seal technique in the sky directly swept by the sword radiance, then it actually melted away, just like millennia-old glaciers meeting erupting magma.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Countless true seal auras burned continuously, gradually disappearing between heaven and earth.

This extraordinary scene, earth-shaking, moved people’s hearts.

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All around, everyone looked up, stunned, watching this scene.

Zongzheng Huachun is the strongest Five Qi Grandmaster of the current day, hence An Jing is a challenger, and their duel could almost be considered a battle at the peak.

If Nan Weiping did not appear, or if there weren’t other masters, then this battle could really be considered the strongest battle in the world.

The force of that seal technique overflowed wildly, directly piercing through his Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique, and then the remaining penetrated into An Jing’s body, causing his Qi Sea to churn violently.

“Wow!”

An Jing spurted a mouthful of blood, as the golden light behind him dimmed down.

The top Five Qi Grandmaster’s strength was already incredibly strong, coupled with the assistance of the Earth Vein Spirit, making Zongzheng Huachun’s power even more formidable, having reached a critical point.

“Thump!”

Zongzheng Huachun was also not feeling well, the surging Force Qi washing over, directly shredding his robe sleeves, then he forcefully stomped his right foot on the ground, discharging the surging Qi Force directly into the ground below.

However, from subtle aspects it could still be felt that Zongzheng Huachun, with the support of the Earth Vein Spirit, still held a slight upper hand.

Everyone’s expressions became incredibly tense.

Just then, a strange phenomenon occurred in the heavens and the earth.

“Roar!”

The Earth Vein Spirit let out a low growl, and in the sky above, lightning interweaved in a bizarre, dazzling display. Subsequently, the Earth Vein Spirit’s body shuddered as it rushed towards Zongzheng Huachun.

It was filled with resentment, wanting to escape from the Dragon Locking Well.

And the only person who could help it was Zongzheng Huachun.

“This is….”

An Jing was startled when he saw this.

He saw the Earth Vein Spirit surge directly into Zongzheng Huachun’s body, drilling into his Qi Sea and Dantian. Instantly, Zongzheng Huachun’s aura began to skyrocket, rapidly increasing.

“Not good!”

Zhao Tianyi’s eyes gleamed as he said, “A wisp of intent from the Earth Vein Spirit is trying to use Zongzheng Huachun to open the Dragon Locking Well. Now that the Earth Vein Spirit’s intent has fused with his body, his strength will likely surge greatly, and he will be able to better utilize the power of nature.”

Hearing Zhao Tianyi’s words, Zuo Linglong couldn’t help but exclaim, “Doesn’t this mean that Zongzheng Huachun has received an incredible opportunity?”

Zhao Tianyi shook his head, his face grave as he said, “From the help of the Earth Vein Spirit’s intent, he has already received a tremendous opportunity, which has dramatically accelerated his connection with nature. Now with the integration of the Earth Vein Spirit, he even has the chance to reach the legendary realm of unity between heaven and man.”

“What!?”

Zuo Linglong frowned deeply, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding.

From the moment the Earth Vein Spirit manipulated the forces of nature, Zongzheng Huachun had already gained immense benefits. Although the influence of the Earth Vein Spirit would eventually end, the enlightenment gained was deeply imprinted in Zongzheng Huachun’s mind.

And now, with the Earth Vein Spirit’s intent directly merging into Zongzheng Huachun’s body, this was indeed the greatest opportunity and blessing.

Taiyin Kui’s eyes gleamed with ecstasy; the Earth Vein Spirit represented the major channels of natural energy, spontaneously created from nature’s spiritual energy. Now that it had integrated into Zongzheng Huachun’s body, the benefits were too complex to be simply stated.

In this realm, all the masters turned their attention to Zongzheng Huachun.

Only the Great Yan Emperor Zhao Zhiwu, sitting cross-legged, had his Qi Mechanism also climbing rapidly, soaring as if it would soon break the shackles and reach the realm of a Land Immortal.

“Swoosh!” “Swoosh!”

An Jing patted the sword box, and immediately several sword artifacts surged out.

Zongzheng Huachun’s eyes flashed with a golden light.

If just before he had been an unyielding rock, now he was more like a towering mountain, giving An Jing a sense of overwhelming momentum.

At the same time, it felt as if a mountain had been added to An Jing’s shoulders. At this moment, not only could Zongzheng Huachun draw more power from heaven and earth, he could also impose a shackle on An Jing.

Zongzheng Huachun laughed and said, “It seems, destiny favors me.”

With such an opportunity at his side, no one could remain unexcited.

An Jing retorted, “What is destiny?”

Zongzheng Huachun said, “Destiny is the sharpest blade in this world.”

Surrounded by sword light, An Jing brandished the Evil Suppressing Sword and asked, “Sharper than my sword?”

Zongzheng Huachun calmly said, “You could try.”

As the intent of the Earth Vein Spirit faded, dark clouds gathered again, and it seemed as if something terrifying was brewing, creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere.

An Jing coldly said, “I never believe in fate!”

He was a swordsman.

In that moment, there was nothing else in An Jing’s heart.

Even if facing a Land Immortal, he would still draw his sword.

Even if facing a Heavenly Immortal, he would still draw his sword.

The life of a swordsman, the brilliance of a swordsman, lies in the sword in his hands.

His heart was like ice, yet simultaneously like fire.

These traits should not exist in the same person, but at this moment, they did, and An Jing felt as if his chest might explode.

Darkness began to devour him.

In that moment, he forgot himself, forgot the sword in his hand.

In a trance, he was the sword, and the sword was him.

He couldn’t tell how long had passed—it seemed like a breath, yet it felt as though centuries had gone by.

The sky was still the same sky.

The clouds were still the same clouds.

The people were still the same people.

A white seal emerged, and An Jing finally made his move.

It was a moment that captured the soul, as well as a moment that shook the heavens and earth, just as if the overcast world suddenly burst into brightness.

If the sword just now was one of unmatched edge, then the sword now was more like a gentle breeze, not only devoid of pain but also exceptionally mild.

There was no chilling shock of heaven and earth, no crossing and intertwining qi mechanisms.

There was only an unremarkable flash of the sword.

Zongzheng Huachun saw An Jing approaching.

He saw the flash of the sword as well.

But his mind was very calm, like an ancient well that hadn’t rippled for thousands of years, its depths like a mirror.

At that moment, he saw into An Jing’s heart, and also saw flames and ice.

But the next moment, both the flames and the ice vanished as if they had never existed.

The figure of An Jing ahead of him disappeared, suddenly.

The sword light before him also vanished, without a trace.

Zongzheng Huachun couldn’t see anything, or perhaps it’s better to say he could no longer see anything about An Jing, as if everything had disappeared into this world.

At the same time, he himself also disappeared.

To the onlookers, however, it appeared that An Jing had drawn his sword, thrusting towards Zongzheng Huachun’s throat, not quickly, but Zongzheng Huachun did not move.

Yes, he did not move.

A hint of surprise appeared in Zhao Xuening’s eyes—could it be that Zongzheng Huachun was to be splattered with blood here today?

Not just Zhao Xuening thought so, other experts present also doubted, wondering why Zongzheng Huachun did not dodge when the Ghost Swordsman’s sword was assaulting him.

Everyone couldn’t help but tremble, their eyes widened as they looked on, their breath seemingly held at this moment.

The sword tip drew nearer and nearer, ultimately aiming straight for Zongzheng Huachun’s throat.

But the scene of blood spurting did not happen, and upon closer inspection, the sword light had merely passed through Zongzheng Huachun.

The sword light soared into the sky, as if it wanted to pierce the clouds.

“Magnificent, what a splendid sword!

Zongzheng Huachun suddenly burst out laughing.

An Jing held the sword in one hand, standing in the distance, as if he had never moved, nor had any sword light charged towards Zongzheng Huachun.

The sky was still the sky.

The clouds were still the clouds.

The people were still the people.

No one could have expected, nor would anyone think.

In that flash of lightning, the two exchanged a move, the most dangerous and mysterious move thus far.

And the time for an incense stick to burn had also passed.

Now, with Zhao Zhiwu at the center, surrounding true qi surged forth, forming a vast and mighty vortex.

“Your Majesty—!”

The sudden scene once again shifted everyone’s attention.

Zongzheng Huachun’s eyes narrowed as he whispered, “It seems, today cannot determine the victor.

An Jing said, “If you desire it, it’s not impossible.”

Zongzheng Huachun’s expression remained calm as water, silent,

because he was uncertain whether Zhao Zhiwu had truly advanced to the Great Grandmaster level, or if it was just a bluff. If Zhao Zhiwu had truly reached the Great Grandmaster level, even with the intent of the Earth Vein Spirit by his side, he would not be a match for a Land Immortal.

Indeed, today he had grasped a strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit. Once he returned, he would cultivate well. If Zhao Zhiwu could break through his shackles, then it was natural for Zongzheng Huachun, having garnered the Earth Vein Spirit’s thought as well.

An Jing said, smiling, “Are you afraid?”

Zongzheng Huachun asked, “Is there anyone in the world who is not afraid of death?”

An Jing replied, “Perhaps there are.”

Zongzheng Huachun said, “Or perhaps there are none.”

An Jing had long understood a principle: those who are not afraid of death are most likely to die. Thus, those in this world who were unafraid of death were already buried in the ground.

Just like Jiang Sanjia, he was not afraid of death, so he died.

After Zongzheng Huachun finished speaking, he stepped forward.

Boom!

Merely stepping forward once caused the entire imperial palace to shake violently.

Hurry!

Liu Moyuan also saw Zongzheng Huachun’s intent to retreat. He leaped forward, being the first to flee into the distance.

The eunuch Bai Mei watched his figure, not pursuing him. For him, guarding this imperial palace was far more important than catching up to Liu Moyuan. Moreover, with his strength, he might not be Liu Moyuan’s match.

Many experts were shaking, trying hard to control their bodies.

They saw Zongzheng Huachun and Taiyin Kui walking towards the distance. Their steps were not fast, but in an instant, their figures disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Nobody dared to stop these two people, not even the eunuch Bai Mei.

To those two, the massive army outside the city was almost akin to nothing. Especially the now Zongzheng Huachun.

An Jing did not speak, merely quietly watching that figure. As Zongzheng Huachun disappeared, the golden light behind him gradually became extremely weak, like a flame about to extinguish, and the tip of the Evil Suppressing Sword was also dripping a drop of fresh blood.

Clearly, the battle just now had not left him lightly wounded.

Moreover, after the Earth Vein Spirit fully entered Zongzheng Huachun’s body, he no longer had any chance of winning.

This Holy Master of Houjin feared that very person who might break through the shackles, the Human Emperor.

“Quick, protect the Emperor!”

Zuo Linglong hurriedly shouted.

Zhao Tianyi, the eunuch Bai Mei, and the sword-controlling eunuch Zhong Binru quickly surrounded and protected the Great Yan Emperor.

The aura of the Great Yan Emperor was still rising, seemingly reaching a critical point.

“Son-in-law!”

“An Tributor!”

The experts of the Demon Sect also came forth, protecting An Jing at their center.

It was then that Xiao Qianqiu arrived

‘belatedly’. He looked at An Jing, “A strand of the Earth Vein Spirit’s thought escaping from Dragon Locking Well has changed the heavens and the earth.”

An Jing looked to the State Preceptor and said, “Is this ultimately a good or bad thing?”

He could feel the richness of nature’s spiritual energy, his cultivation was continuously improving, clearly a good thing. But why did both the Great Yan Emperor and Lv Guoyong strictly guard the sealing of Dragon Locking Well?

Xiao Qianqiu, the state preceptor of Great Yan and the sect leader of Zhenyi Sect, should know these secrets.

The leaders of several sects all looked over, their eyes filled with confusion and doubt.

In their view, the breaking of the seal at Dragon Locking Well was obviously a good thing. But then why did the Great Yan Dynasty lay down this seal? Could it really be to stabilize the dynasty’s rule?

“It is both good and bad,”

Xiao Qianqiu, with one hand behind his back, looked at the gradually dispersing clouds in the sky and said solemnly, “The release of a strand of the Earth Vein Spirit’s thought has caused the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to thicken. But the Earth Vein Spirit had been invaded a thousand years ago, and the spiritual energy it releases contains a massive amount of evil spirits. If I’m not wrong, everyone’s bodies have already been invaded by evil spirits, although the amount is still small. However, as it subtly accumulates, unimaginable changes will happen sooner or later.”

The words of Xiao Qianqiu stirred up a thousand waves!

Suddenly, everyone looked at their palms in astonishment.

Were they now invaded by evil spirits?

What would happen if they truly were invaded by evil spirits?

Moreover, where did these evil spirits come from and how did they contaminate the Earth Vein?

……