"Ah?!"
Chu Fenglan, the Deputy Sect Master of Cheng Huang Sect, felt a chill in his heart. When he looked up, he saw the blazing sword light in the air suddenly split into four. The next moment, his body was locked by one of the sword energies, rendering him immobile. Chu Fenglan trembled, on the verge of losing his soul. He hastily turned to look at his ancestor, Chu Ruoshui, but before he could even utter a sound, with a soft "peng," the Nascent Soul stage cultivator's body dissolved into a mist of blood amidst the sword light.
"Not good..."
Ancestor Chu Ruoshui's heart felt a surge of revulsion. He hurriedly merged himself into a streak of sword light, attempting to flee. However, that streak of sword energy sliced through the air, its aura completely locking onto him. Escape was impossible. In a moment of desperation, Chu Ruoshui's fingers splayed open, grabbing Chu Xiantong's jade-like arm and shouting, "Xiantong, block this calamity for me, and you shall be greatly rewarded!"
"???"
Chu Xiantong's face was filled with indignation. But in the blink of an eye, that streak of sword energy suddenly changed direction, executing a sharp turn to bypass Chu Xiantong's delicate body. The next moment, the sword energy swept past, fiercely colliding with Chu Ruoshui's body. Immediately, Chu Ruoshui let out a wail, dying on the spot. As his body dissolved into a mist of blood, a courtyard wall behind him was ground into flying dust by the surging sword energy.
"..."
Chu Xiantong looked at the tragic death of her ancestor with a heart full of coldness. If she hadn't gone to find Lin Zhao that afternoon, if she hadn't heard Lin Zhao's words of absolution, she would have met the same fate. The swordsman in the air was undoubtedly peerless in the world. Being able to unleash four sword energies with a single strike, he likely wouldn't have minded splitting off a fifth.
As the sword intent rose in the air, Lin Zhao knew who it was. In the human realm, only Lin Wanhua possessed such potent sword intent. Even Xiao Jiu'er's sword intent was slightly inferior. In an instant, he, carrying the Li Quan sword, swept past, grabbed Liu Liying's arm, and pulled her into the bamboo forest within the courtyard. Behind them, a blazing sword energy descended from the sky, heading straight for Zhao Qian.
Zhao Qian, a cultivator in the Star River realm, a figure at the peak of the Hundred Flowers Realm, yet facing that blazing sword energy, felt a primal fear from the depths of his heart. This strike was by no means something he, a mere Zhao Qian, could withstand. Moreover, there was no possibility of evasion. The various immortal talismans and divine artifacts he had accumulated over the years in his storage bag had become mere decorations, utterly useless.
In despair, Zhao Qian cried out, "Immortal Master Wu, save me!"
Wu Yuanzi, holding a paper umbrella, looked up at the descending sword energy imbued with powerful sword intent. He himself was struggling to survive, how could he possibly attend to Zhao Qian? He frowned, feeling only a tinge of regret. Zhao Qian, this pawn, had been in place within the Xu Dynasty for many years, and it was finally time to reap the rewards. Who would have expected the appearance of Lin Zhao, a banished immortal, to disrupt his entire plan? Zhao Qian's death was regrettable, but he was just a pawn. Controlling the Xu Dynasty in the future would require the creation of a new one.
"Chih!" Big Wind Novel Network
The sword light swept past. Zhao Qian stood in place, a gush of fresh blood spraying from his neck. His head rolled to the corner of the street. No one would have imagined that the dignified Imperial Advisor and Prime Minister of the Xu Dynasty would meet such a tragic end on the street.
At the same time, the Zhen Jian Ling Jing, Zhao Qian's life-bound artifact, was also destroyed by Lin Wanhua's sword. However, Lin Wanhua's strike was so exquisite that it shattered the spiritual mirror without harming the flying swords imprisoned within. In an instant, eighteen flying swords, including the flying sword Ming Yue, all flew out from the spiritual mirror, transforming into streaks of light and returning to Lin Zhao's spiritual nexus.
...
"Peng!"
In the sky, the most blazing sword energy finally descended, striking fiercely upon the paper umbrella held by Wu Yuanzi. Instantly, blood-red wedge-shaped characters surged on the paper umbrella, and with a "buzz," a hemispherical golden barrier materialized, enveloping Wu Yuanzi. But the sword energy in the sky was too intense. The barrier continuously shattered, and it seemed on the verge of collapse.
At this very moment, a voice echoed in Lin Zhao's mind.
"Xiao Zhao, the Stone of Destiny only yielded two Fortune Lotus Seeds, so we can only open the exit to the Hundred Flowers Realm from the outside twice. The last time was at Qinglu Inn, and this time it's in the capital. The path ahead is yours to walk. Be cautious in all matters. We await you at Tianran Ju."
"Teacher's Teacher?"
Lin Zhao's expression sharpened, and he immediately cupped his fists towards the sky, "Understood, please rest assured, Teacher's Teacher!"
The next moment, the heavenly gate closed, and the last wisp of spiritual energy from Lin Wanhua's fourth sword strike was delivered, smashing into the paper umbrella held by Wu Yuanzi.
"Bang—"
With a deafening explosion, the golden barrier completely shattered. Simultaneously, the paper umbrella trembled, and one of its ribs splintered. This paper umbrella seemed to be Wu Yuanzi's life-bound artifact. The moment it shattered, Wu Yuanzi spat out a mouthful of blood, rather embarrassedly retracting the umbrella. He looked up at the sky and sneered, "Is that all you've got?"
...
At the summit's別苑 (separate residence), in front of Tianran Ju.
"Ah?!"
Lin Wanhua gritted her silver teeth, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. "Why couldn't my peak strike kill Wu Yuanzi, a mere eleventh-realm cultivator?"
"Alas..."
The old gentleman sighed, "It's simply because you are still a cultivator of the mortal realm, Lin Wanhua. Although you are in the thirteenth realm, you have never undergone tribulation and ascended. If you had ascended and merged with the luck of the Upper Realm, then your sword strike, let alone Wu Yuanzi, would be enough to obliterate ten Wu Yuanzis bound together."
"Why?"
Su Qingjiu blinked his eyes. "Old Sir, can't a mortal sword immortal kill Wu Yuanzi?"
"Difficult."
The old gentleman frowned. "After all, that Wu Yuanzi is no ordinary cultivator; he's not even human. He is a manifestation of thought, an existence beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements. Lin Wanhua's sword strike, though powerful, ultimately lacks the foundation of merging with the Great Dao of the Upper Realm. However, there's no need to rush this. This person should not have been dealt with by you lower realm cultivators in the first place."
Chen Ben clenched his fist. "Brother Lin Zhao is still in the Hundred Flowers Realm, is he alright?"
"He's fine."
The old gentleman squinted his eyes and smiled. "In this world, it's not just us protecting Xiao Zhao. Rest assured."
"Oh..."
Lin Wanhua, Su Qingjiu, Lu Zhi, and Tong Yu nodded slightly, but the worry on their faces remained evident.
...
Hundred Flowers Realm, Ning An City.
At this point, nearly half of the Minister's Mansion had been razed by the ongoing battle. Lu Huaining, surrounded by a group of household guards, retreated behind the decorative screen wall, his hands tightly clasped, his expression extremely complex. This battle was utterly beyond his expectations. In Lu Huaining's character, even if he were to die, he would preserve the name of a loyal minister. But how could he preserve it now? Zhao Qian, the Imperial Advisor and Prime Minister, had been killed, his head lying by the wall of his own courtyard. What would happen if the entire court knew about this?
After all, Emperor Xu Chen himself took Imperial Advisor Zhao Qian as his master!
Lin Zhao, carrying Li Quan, protected Liu Liying behind him, his gaze fixed on Wu Yuanzi outside the collapsed courtyard wall. Although Wu Yuanzi had taken a blow from Lin Wanhua's sword, he was only injured and his combat power remained. This was truly terrifying. Someone that Lin Wanhua's sword couldn't kill, to put it bluntly, could probably destroy the entire Hundred Flowers Realm.
The next moment, Lin Zhao glanced at Chu Xiantong and thought, "Still not leaving?"
Chu Xiantong gritted her teeth. "I... I'm leaving now. What about you?"
"I have my own fortunes and misfortunes. You don't need to concern yourself, nor can you. First, preserve a sliver of the Cheng Huang Sect's lineage. Don't let them all perish here. The Xu Dynasty still needs some righteous sects from the mountains."
"Understood."
Chu Xiantong's gaze was complex. "Lin Zhao, you must take care!"
With that, Chu Xiantong retreated sharply. Immediately, more than ten cultivators from the Cheng Huang Sect followed Chu Xiantong and withdrew from the capital battlefield one by one. After all, they originally hadn't been very eager to fight. This battle was to kill Lu Huaining and the banished immortal. One was a representative of the upright faction in the imperial court, and the other was the banished immortal who killed the Second Prince Xu Beiwei. Killing them would surely bring eternal infamy.
...
"Lin Zhao!"
Chi Zhongyu's arms were streaked with blood, but he still mustered his spiritual energy and said with his mind, "You take Uncle, Liying, and Lord Lu away. I'll hold them here and delay them for a while."
"You're only in the ninth realm, how can you hold them?" Lin Zhao frowned.
Chi Zhongyu smiled. "I have my own ways."
As he spoke, Chi Zhongyu stepped forward. A sword heart in his spiritual nexus hummed, and his entire body seemed on the verge of dissipating.
He was going to... self-destruct his sword heart?!
At this moment, Lin Zhao's respect for Chi Zhongyu increased severalfold. Although he was a hopeless case in matters of love, in terms of righteousness, Chi Zhongyu was undoubtedly a pillar of the righteous cultivators in the Hundred Flowers Realm. It was no wonder Wu Yuanzi had wanted to destroy Chi Zhongyu's Dao heart back then.
"Get lost!"
Wu Yuanzi suddenly spread his five fingers. Immediately, a black current of air shot through the sky, directly engulfing Chi Zhongyu's body. Then, it swept him away, slamming him heavily against the rockery in the courtyard. He sneered, "Just you? A mere ninth realm, what right do you have to play the hero in front of me?"
Lin Zhao looked at Chi Zhongyu from afar. He was merely unconscious and not in mortal danger. However, the black current of air that enveloped Chi Zhongyu... made Lin Zhao extremely wary. It seemed like something that should not exist in the mortal realm at all.
...
"It's our turn."
Wu Yuanzi lightly flicked his sleeve, holding the paper umbrella in his hand, and said with a smile, "On Lingze River, you asked questions for the Fan Goddess Liu Liying. Then, who in this world will ask questions for you, Lin Zhao?"
Saying that, Wu Yuanzi waved his long sleeve, and immediately, streams of black air behind him condensed into two figures.
One was a young girl wearing an apricot-yellow dress, Qingyan, smiling radiantly at Lin Zhao.
The other was a middle-aged scholar in a gray-white scholarly robe, holding a bamboo scroll, Mr. Qin, nodding with a smile at Lin Zhao.