Yang Hao had already reached the middle of the palace. As he passed through the crowd of high-ranking imperial officials, his ears were filled with furious curses. These elderly officials, all over fifty, hated Yang Hao as if he were their father’s murderer.
This was only natural. The Senate had long been spreading the word that he was a criminal who had conspired against the emperor and committed regicide. Of course, the imperial officials loathed him deeply, so much so that they could hardly contain their rage and wanted to rush forward, bite a piece of flesh from him, and demonstrate their loyalty to the emperor and love for the nation.
Yang Hao paid no heed to the surrounding abuse. He raised his head and caught sight of the second smile from Wu Yi.
This smile was no longer just from Wu Yi himself, but from the vast universe, where there were too many foolish and clumsy people. Even those nobles and high-ranking officials standing in the grand palace—what did they really know about right and wrong? They didn’t even understand who had set the order of this world.
In Wu Yi’s mocking smile, Yang Hao understood that he was fighting against the entire universe. The people within this universe were like those locked in a dark box, unaware of the truth. Anyone who tried to break through the box would be attacked by everyone. So Yang Hao also smiled. In his third smile of the day, he stood at the foot of the nine golden steps—the highest point a minister could reach. Even the Chief Minister of the Empire could only stand at this position. Even Qin Feng, the close aide responsible for the emperor’s safety, could only stand on the third golden step.
At the top of the nine golden steps, only a handful of people could stand. They could all claim to be the rulers of this universe.
Yet Yang Hao reached this point and showed no sign of stopping. He actually began climbing upward, using both his hands and feet.
The nine golden steps were a very special structure in the palace. Each step was made entirely of pure gold, about half a person high. Each step was engraved with solemn royal symbols, the most sacred emblem of the imperial family. Without the emperor’s permission, stepping on them was a capital offense.
Yet Yang Hao climbed up. He had no power left and could only grip the upper part of the golden steps with his hands, pushing hard with his feet, panting heavily to climb one step at a time.
“Brazen!” The Chief Minister of the Privy Council finally came to his senses. “Daring to desecrate the dignity of the royal family! Someone, quickly kill this madman!”
Yang Hao was already drenched in sweat after climbing just one step. He simply sat down on it, looking at the Privy Council minister and saying, “Kill me now? Who will you interrogate then?”
The Privy Council minister was at a loss for words. The Senate had made a grand show of prosecuting Yang Hao. If they wanted to kill him, ten Yang Haos would already be dead. Obviously, the executive elders had other special plans.
Yang Hao’s cunning even amazed Wu Yi. This little monkey was indeed extraordinary, easily seeing through the essence of this trial.
Only three executive elders in this palace truly knew the real purpose of today’s trial.
When Yang Hao entered Earth, he had completely stirred up the waters of the imperial capital. But the murky water made things clearer. In the chaos, the Senate discovered the anti-Senate forces that had been hiding for decades. Thousands of noble families had pledged allegiance to Yang Hao’s Dan Ding Sword Sect, and the Merchant Guild had hidden forty sword master groups. Such a powerful force had never been under the Senate’s control, and the executive elders could not accept it.
Therefore, today Yang Hao must be tried, and before he dies, the trial must produce a result. Wu Yi intended to use Yang Hao’s trial as an epitaph for other forces. Today’s trial would mark the beginning of a new round of imperial bloodshed.
Those thousands of noble families must die. The star systems they controlled must return to the hands of the Ten Sword Streams. The Merchant Guild must show submission, or the Senate would take action under the pretext that Yang Hao had assassinated the emperor.
From today on, Earth would once again be drenched in blood, this once-blue planet turning into a crimson bloodbath.
“Yang Hao!” Qin Feng, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, wearing a black robe with his hands tucked into the long sleeves embroidered with the imperial emblem. The current situation was not what Qin Feng wished for, but he had been appointed as the chief interrogator, which truly showed the wisdom of the executive elders. “Why did you break into the forbidden area of the Senate Mountain?”
“Break into what forbidden area?”
“Senate Mountain.” Qin Feng lowered his eyes, barely looking at anyone, his voice calm, as if he were narrating a simple story rather than conducting an interrogation. “Why did you go to Senate Mountain?”
Why?
Yang Hao felt the tremor of Hun Yuanzi in his dantian, a tremor that had lasted for a thousand years. Why?
Was this something he needed to explain to others?
He leaned against the second golden step, feeling the weight of the protruding dragon behind him. Yang Hao’s gaze turned beyond the palace, beneath the distant clouds, a long-accumulated force was quietly surging.
“Catching butterflies.” Yang Hao said lightly.
“What?” Even Qin Feng couldn’t help but look up at him. “What were you doing on Senate Mountain?”
“Catching butterflies.” Yang Hao repeated, smiling happily.
“How lonely must Yang Hao be?”
Zhuge Jian was speaking to himself. He was wearing a mask, standing at the east gate of the imperial palace. Snow covered the ground, but the green and golden gates of the palace were less than a thousand meters away.
It seemed quiet now, not even a guard in sight. But anyone would know this was the most heavily guarded place in the empire. Behind those hundred-meter-high gates, countless swordsmen were hidden.
The Ten Sword Streams, the Senate, or the Imperial Guards system—all were the best in the empire. Their ambush formation was like a gaping mouth, waiting for those who dared to throw themselves in.
Zhuge Jian gently touched his beard, still thinking, “How lonely must Yang Hao be.”
What he was recalling was the past. In the capital of the planet Laimeng, he and Yang Hao met for the first time. A few foul-smelling aphrodisiacs connected this old man, who had never fulfilled his ambitions in life, with Yang Hao.
Zhuge Jian devised the strategy of dividing the world into three for Yang Hao. Zhuge Jian led Yang Hao into the Ling Fei Star Sea for the first time.
Later, when Yang Hao went to the planet Sheng Xiong and was sent to the divine realm, Zhuge Jian still did not abandon his connection with Yang Hao. He devoted himself to developing the Dan Ding Group, spreading this business of aphrodisiacs to every corner of the universe.
When he finally achieved fame and fortune, Zhuge Jian could have stood at the peak of the merchants. Yet he brought everything with him and followed Yang Hao into the dangerous situation on Earth.
No one understood Zhuge Jian. With his current status, he could have established his own sect, getting whatever he wanted in the merchant group. Why would he follow Yang Hao into danger?
But Zhuge Jian knew that Yang Hao’s ambitions were far greater than he could imagine. What he could do for Yang Hao was limited, but at the most critical moment, he would stand up—that was true loyalty.
So on the day of the trial, Zhuge Jian stood at the palace gate, carefully thinking whether Yang Hao was lonely.
Of course, Yang Hao was lonely. In the grand palace, there were no friends or subordinates. Only enemies, only those who did not understand him and hated him.
But Zhuge Jian was not lonely. Behind him, thousands of swordsmen were masked, standing in the biting cold wind, waiting for his command.
The leaders of these swordsmen were members of the inner hall of the Dan Ding Sword Sect. Yang Hao had carefully cultivated the inner hall, teaching the basic cultivation methods of the Dan Ding Sect to these young noble children, binding these noble families to his war chariot.
The Senate wanted to try Yang Hao, but they also wanted to try these noble families.
In this world, the clever ones were not only Wu Yi. These families clearly knew that it was now the time to reveal the dagger hidden in the map. They either stood up to resist or watched helplessly as they were slaughtered.
They would not wait to die, so these families sent out their private armed forces, led by the inner hall disciples of the Dan Ding Sword Sect, to launch the first attack for the rescue on the day of the trial.
Could this first shot really succeed?
Zhuge Jian looked up at the sky. The overcast sky had begun to snow again. The heavy snowflakes fell onto people’s bodies, bringing an intense chilliness, and even dyed their clothes an eerie pale white.
Zhuge Jian took a deep breath and softly said:
“Kill!”
So, they killed.
“Butterfly catching?” In the grand palace, Qin Feng was somewhat amused and exasperated. He noticed that Yang Hao was actually unafraid, cracking jokes even at a time like this. “Going to Yuanlao Mountain to catch butterflies?”
“The spring sun was bright and alluring, so of course I wanted to chase butterflies. It didn’t matter much to me where I did it. When I saw a mountain just sitting there, I climbed it, that’s all.” Yang Hao said with a rather cheeky expression. Having rested sufficiently, he grabbed onto the second golden step again and clenched his teeth, continuing his determined climb upward.
“St-st-stay…” the Chief of Internal Affairs stuttered as he saw Yang Hao advancing.
It was becoming increasingly unseemly; he rushed out to scold them, though he himself wasn’t sure whether he should tell Yang Hao to shut his mouth or stop his legs.
But before he could finish his sentence, Yang Hao had already stretched out a leg and climbed onto the second step of the golden staircase in a disheveled and pitiful manner.
This was a level accessible only to the Elders and Sword Saints. Yet Yang Hao squatted down again, panting heavily, and smiled at the Minister of Internal Affairs, saying, “Stay here? What for?”
“Silence!” the Minister of the Interior finally made up his mind. “Daring to speak nonsense in the imperial court—don’t you fear death?!”
“What I’m saying is the absolute truth, whether you choose to believe it or not.”
“If it’s the truth, then why…” the housemaster said.
I still have some skill in argument, though. “Why would four dragons suddenly appear outside the four great guardian sword sects beneath Yuanshan, drawing attention away for you? Could it be that you actually have four dragons guarding you while you chase butterflies? How dare you still say this wasn’t intentional?”
“Four dragons?” Yang Hao rolled his eyes. “What are they doing at the gates of the Four Guardian Sword Sects?”
The Minister of Internal Affairs, seeing everyone looking at him and seemingly waiting for his response, turned pale and finally stammered out: “I heard… I heard that the four dragons are defecating over there.”
“So that’s it,” Yang Hao said, nodding heavily as he figured it out. “It’s just like when heaven wants to rain, a mother wants to remarry, or a dragon needs to defecate—these are all perfectly natural things. As for why they had to go there… Well, those four dragons originally belonged to the Ten Sword Flow. Perhaps they’ve become too used to relieving themselves there regularly, so when they suddenly felt the urge, they just rushed right back. If that counts as premeditation… then we should interrogate the dragons instead!”
“Rubbish!!!” the Minister of the Interior shouted furiously, stamping his feet in rage. “Damn you, I’ll kill you, kill you…”
“Report!! Report!!” A black-clad guardsman rushed in at high speed from the door; he was a high-ranking officer among the imperial guards. “Thousands of masked swordsmen have suddenly appeared outside the palace. They are now attacking the palace gates. The outer guards cannot hold them back much longer—they’ll soon break into the palace.”
“Thousands?” The Minister of the Interior was so startled that he was left speechless.
“Thousands of swordsmen, their combat effectiveness isn’t very high, but they’ve all been injected with super-samurai hormones. There are so many of them that the low-rank imperial guards at the perimeter won’t be able to hold out for long.”
The Minister of Internal Affairs wiped the sweat from his forehead. He now had to reconsider whether to continue taking the lead in interrogating Yang Hao. He had originally thought that this young man was like a drowned dog—taking the opportunity to beat him up would please the senior officials.
Unexpectedly, Yang Hao had such a formidable force behind him, deploying thousands of people at a single stroke. With Yang Hao acting so fearlessly, he might indeed still have some hidden trump cards up his sleeve.
Not only did the Minister of Domestic Affairs feel alarmed, but the other imperial officials standing there also began to whisper amongst themselves, expressing concerns about the trial that day.
The Galactic Empire hadn’t experienced such chaos in a long time. The ministers had grown increasingly timid, and their minds were preoccupied with far too many concerns.
Only the three senior stewards remained expressionless. Wu Yi issued the order: “Dispatch the Eight Sword Corps to defend the palace periphery. Kill on sight; no need to leave any survivors.”
They don’t need to be nervous; this was entirely expected. The only variable was that the number of people arriving was somewhat greater than anticipated. Yet, all things considered, this is actually a good thing. Previously, they had worried about what to do with the nobles who followed Yang Hao; now, they’ve all come at once—so much the better, they can simply be executed.
The leaders of the Eight Sword Regiments under the Ten-Sword Sect received their orders and departed. In the distance, swords gleamed and flew gracefully, demonstrating their orderly formation and formidable strength, far too powerful to be resisted by mere thousands of disorganized rabble.
The ministers finally felt relieved. The Ten Sword Styles represented the mainstream force of the empire’s swordsmanship, each school directly taught by the Emperor himself. Now, with the most elite warriors deployed, even if Yang Hao’s rebel group was powerful, they would inevitably face destruction.
The Minister of Internal Affairs felt greatly relieved. Just as he was about to step forward again to question Yang Hao, he was unexpectedly beaten to it by Qin Feng once more.
Qin Feng deliberately took a step forward, his voice steady yet laced with a hint of menace:
“Who is it? Who ordered you to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor?”
The three chief stewards were seized with alarm.
That’s indeed a great question.
Just as Yang Hao was enduring the interrogation alone and in despair, fierce fighting had already erupted outside the palace walls. The masked swordsmen fell like wheat before the scythe, and their blood turned the palace’s snowy ground into countless crimson streams.
Long Yun watched all of this from a distance.
Today, Long Yun was not wearing a mask, nor did he have any need to. Only those aristocrats who were eager to gamble yet lacked the courage would hide their faces. As for Long Yun and the people behind him, they certainly had no reason to do so.
Long Yun was at a vantage point outside the palace. He watched as Zhuge Jian led the nobles’ private armed forces charging toward the palace gate. The privately armed men, wearing white coats, were numerous and overwhelming in force.
The Black Cloak Guards were shattered into pieces, and the crowd was almost able to surge into the imperial palace.
However, when the Eight Sword Groups charged down from the high palace, the swordsmen clad in eight different colored cloaks scattered Zhuge Jian’s forces, cutting down lives almost as if reaping crops.
Long Yun knew that those people’s mission had already come to an end.
Those people were merely a distraction from the beginning, meant to engage the lower-ranking warriors of the Imperial Guard as well as the experts from the Ten Sword Stream. Once these individuals were drawn to the outskirts, Long Yun would then be able to parachute into the core area of the palace.
The palace, of course, could not originally be air-dropped, as it was the most central hub of imperial power. Already well-prepared against aerial attacks, this location had long been equipped with full-range anti-gravity devices.
Although this device differs by only one word from “anti-gravity,” the distinction is vast. The gravity-neutralizing device is specifically designed to counteract anti-gravity equipment. In other words, within the palace grounds, the anti-gravity belts used by the military and nobility become inoperable.
Of course, all of this was in the past. Today, the imperial palace has already lost the protection of the gravity control device. All the technological power of the empire now resides within the Intelligent Brain. If someone could establish contact with the King of the Intelligent Brain and ask for his assistance, everything would naturally be resolved effortlessly.
The responsibility of contacting the King of the Intelligent Brains fell upon XII. I don’t know what it said to the King, but in any case, that old man indeed shut down the anti-gravity device within the palace. Although it was only turned off for a few hours, this precious time was more than enough.
Long Yun stroked his long sword and looked at the people behind him.
Behind him stood three hundred swordsmen dressed completely in white, like figures made of snow, amidst the snowdrifts and the swirling, heavily falling snowflakes.
Since Yang Hao’s arrest, Long Yun had decided to change the Dan Ding Sword Sect’s uniforms to pure white, with each member wearing a white cloak embroidered with the sect’s giant sword insignia. This force, whose color blended with the heavens and earth, exuded a chilling and deadly aura.
Long Yun drew his broadsword and fixed his gaze on the second floor of the palace.
“Kill!”
A group of swordsmen, like swirling snowflakes, soared into the sky above the imperial palace.
Shatter all the cold snow throughout the heavens and the earth.
“Who ordered you to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor?” Qin Feng asked.
This question caused a moment of silence all around, so much so that even the pupils of the elder steward suddenly constricted. Indeed, it was a brilliant question, and Qin Feng, who had posed this exceptional inquiry, truly lived up to his reputation as the empire’s most mysterious expert.
Whether in martial prowess or wisdom, he possessed sufficient strength to stand unwavering beside the emperor.
Although these words from Qin Feng may not have been able to completely change heaven and earth, their effect was nearly just as powerful. It was truly a clever and insidious move, cunningly setting up follow-up strategies.
As a trusted aide to the imperial emperor, Qin Feng was naturally…
I do not wish for the Senate to take advantage of the opportunity to kill Yang Hao and eliminate the rebel faction in order to expand its power once again. However, the crisis Yang Hao now faces is one that no one can resolve. It could be described as an inescapable predicament. Yang Hao must die, and those behind him are also doomed. Even the Merchants’ Guild, which was not actually involved, has lost half its members.
The only thing Qin Feng could do was to make use of Yang Hao’s remaining value.
Of course, a dying man is more valuable than a dead one, because the living can speak, and that testimony determines whether Yang Hao ends up in the hands of the Senate or the Praetorian Guard.
Who instructed Yang Hao to assassinate the emperor?
The fact that Yang Hao assassinated the emperor is already set in stone and cannot be changed. However, as long as Yang Hao reveals the name of the backer behind the scenes, the situation could change.
This name could refer to many people, but the most ideal candidate would be one of the Nine Elder Stewards, such as Elder Wu Yi.
Since Qin Feng posed that question, Elder Wu Yi Yuan’s pupils had constricted the most. Of course, he didn’t believe that Yang Hao’s current words of false accusation could bring him down. However, Qin Feng’s sinister intention was to completely disrupt this game; once the situation was in chaos, it would effectively safeguard all other factions except Yang Hao’s, preventing the expansion of the Elder Council’s power.
In other words, Qin Feng intended to sacrifice Yang Hao, who was already destined to die, in order to protect the anti-Senate forces.
Wu Yi’s gaze was as sharp as a sword, fixed intently on Yang Hao, who was still struggling to climb upward. He was fully prepared to kill Yang Hao with a single palm strike the moment Yang Hao uttered the two words “Wu Yi”.
Yang Hao’s eyes were also fixed on Wu Yi, though his brows and gaze carried a hint of amusement, even a touch of mockery. Having been immersed in the murky waters of the empire for so long, Yang Hao naturally understood what Qin Feng meant—and he also knew exactly who Qin Feng intended to frame.
But there’s still one more problem.
A small question.
Yang Hao was not ready to sacrifice himself, nor did he want to abandon his comrades who were still fighting hard for him outside. Therefore, he refused to accept Qin Feng’s plan. Yang Hao would not be a pawn in anyone’s game.
“I didn’t kill the emperor,” Yang Hao finally climbed onto the third golden step, “I don’t even know the emperor.”
“Why did you then hurl a flying sword at the Emperor?!” Qin Fengdi’s voice flared with anger as well. Yang Hao’s refusal to recognize favor when it was shown was truly deserving of death.
Yang Hao sneered, “Oh? Is that the Emperor? I thought he was just an old man offering sacrifices to the gods. As for the flying sword, I merely saw a fly wearing black clothes in front of the old man, so I sent out my flying sword to help him swat the fly.”
There was an uproar; several elders had smiles playing at the corners of their mouths, but dared not laugh out loud.
As everyone knows, the only person allowed to stand beside His Majesty the Emperor is the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Qin Feng. And Qin Feng, who always wears a black robe, is also a well-known figure throughout the empire.
In such a solemn and heavily guarded palace, comparing the only person who was still of some help to him—the commander of the imperial guards—to a fly, it seemed that Yang Hao truly had a death wish.
Just as the ministers and elders were bracing themselves for Qin Feng’s outburst, the sound of battle suddenly erupted again outside the palace. This time, the fighting was even closer and more intense than before.
Even those with keen eyesight could see swordsmen clad in white cloaks flipping through the air, descending like falling snowflakes.
“Breaking news!” Qin Feng roared. The fact that thousands of swordsmen had stormed the imperial palace at the start of the day had already brought immense shame upon the Imperial Guards. Now, someone had actually managed to penetrate deep into the palace’s core area. If they couldn’t suppress this quickly, he would no longer have the face to remain as the commander of the Imperial Guards.
The commander of the Imperial Guard swordsmen reported, “Commander, three hundred sword masters suddenly flew into the second level of the imperial city and have now fought their way to the base of the Ten Thousand Steps.”
“Fly in?” The Privy Council minister was astonished. As the highest official commanding the imperial fleet, he naturally knew that anti-gravity devices were installed within the imperial palace. Even spaceships passing through low orbit would be significantly affected; how could an ordinary person possibly fly in?
Inevitably, a group of ministers fixed their gaze intently on Yang Hao. They watched this young man, who was now laboriously climbing the fourth golden step, wondering just how much more strength he still had hidden behind him.
Could Yang Hao really defy the heavens all by himself?
Qin Feng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A surge of thick black mist burst forth from his entire body, as vivid and striking as flames: “The Snowy Night Star Lion Squad, leading the Wind, Rift, Slaughter, Break, and Wolf squads into battle, must completely annihilate the rebels.”
Listening to Qin Feng’s few words, Elder Wu Yi’s eyes began to gleam with light.
Even if others didn’t realize it, he himself understood perfectly well that Qin Feng had begun to take serious action. The Snow Night Star Lion Corps were the emperor’s personal guards, and although they were frequently seen, the five sword corps—”Wind,” “Rift,” “Slaughter,” “Break,” and “Wolf”—were elite units deeply concealed within the Imperial Guards, never dared to be used lightly for years. Now, with all six sword corps mobilized simultaneously, it was evident that Qin Feng had already brought out his most formidable forces.
Not only the elders, but even Yang Hao’s expression changed.
Although Yang Hao didn’t know exactly who had rushed into the second floor, he was certain it must be one of the young members of the Hao Sword Group. After all, these were people personally trained by Yang Hao himself, and they had always been as close as family. If they were all to die on the ten-thousand-step staircase, it would pain Yang Hao even more than his own death.
“Yang Hao!” Qin Feng suddenly spoke up. “Why must so many people die with you when it’s just your life at stake?”
Yang Hao stared straight ahead. Although there was still no trace of inner energy within his body, the murderous gleam in his eyes was so intense that even Qin Feng, a veteran of countless battles, couldn’t help but shudder. “You may kill me alone, but I will demand tenfold retribution from you!”
As if in response to Yang Hao’s threat, several clear and resonant dragon roars suddenly echoed outside the grand palace.
The dragon’s roar sent shockwaves that could move mountains and seas, even causing the massive palace to tremble in response.
Four pale-blue flying dragons shot down rapidly from the gloomy clouds, directly landing outside the grand palace. With four bursts of dragon breath, the dozen or so elite guard swordsmen at the palace entrance were instantly reduced to nothingness. In an instant, the towering palace gates were also destroyed.
The ministers in the hall, terrified by the enormous dragon, screamed in panic and quickly retreated toward the palace interior.
The Dragon Clan is reputed as the king of the supreme divine races in the universe. Even though their power has been sealed to one-hundredth of its original strength, the force they unleash is still no less formidable than that of a Sword Saint. Now, with four dragons exerting their full power and enraged, the energy they spew forth is utterly unimaginable to ordinary beings.
“This is the real attack of the day.” Although the Black Wind Elder was also astonished that the Dragon Clan would assist Yang Hao in such a way, he had come prepared and remained calm. He merely gave a subtle signal downward.
The ten elders, who had been standing motionless until now, began to move. They had previously resembled gaunt, gray pillars, standing lifelessly inside the palace, to the point that others had nearly forgotten they were there.
All eyes were fixed on Yang Hao, Qin Feng, and the elder steward, as they had all forgotten just how formidable the elders of the Senate could be.
In the Galactic Empire, only three sword saints are publicly known. This is not because no others have reached the level of martial arts mastery required to enter the Saint Domain. Rather, all those who have achieved such a level either joined the Elder Council or were eliminated by it. Very few people know the true number of elders within the Elder Council, but one thing is certain—every elder is a master who has entered the Saint Domain. On any given planet, they would be invincible, god-like figures. Although now they remain secluded within the Elder Council for cultivation, when they do take action, their power remains beyond imagination.
Actually, in recent years, no one has seen the Elders take action anymore. Because the suppression of martial arts across the universe by the Elder Council has caused all the powerful cultivators to vanish. The Ten Sword Streams alone are now sufficient to dominate all directions.
Now, the ten elders joined forces for a single strike, finally revealing their power before the eyes of the people.
Ten elders joined forces with a single palm strike, managing to withstand the full-force dragon breath from four dragons. Not only did they remain completely composed, but they also had enough strength left to counterattack.
This seemingly light counterattack forced the four dragons to retreat three steps.
The king of the gods in the universe actually took three steps back.
The ten elders strike again with their palms, and the four dragons retreat once more.
Strike again, retreat again.
Four consecutive, seemingly feeble pushes created a roar that shook the heavens. The four arrogant dragons were forced back to the outer edge of the grand palace plaza.
The outcome of victory or defeat is already clear at a glance.
The court ministers finally felt a great sense of relief. They had long known that the Dan Ding Sword Sect had always enshrined four dragons, which represented the sect’s most formidable power and were the very reason others feared and respected them.
But now, the Senate was well prepared. Ten elders joined forces to drive the dragon back. What chance does Yang Hao have left to play his part?
Whether it is the Minister of Internal Affairs or the Privy Councilor, a judgment has already been made. Yang Hao’s strength has been exhausted; the Senate has deployed its elite forces, more than sufficient to eliminate the Dan Ding Sword Sect.
And now, all eyes were on Yang Hao, who had already climbed to the fourth golden step. The fourth golden step was already beyond the position where Qin Feng stood, so even Qin Feng had to look up to Yang Hao. He focused himself slightly, preparing to speak and interrogate once again.
But Wu Yi, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up: “There’s no need for a trial anymore.”
Qin Feng was taken aback, and the dark aura around him also wavered slightly.
Under the gaze of everyone, the three elder stewards, Wu Yi, Hei Feng, and Rong Li, actually floated down from the top of the ninth golden step to the fourth one. Each of them extended a hand and placed it on top of Yang Hao’s head.
“Refining him.” Qin Feng’s lips curled slightly. At his level, he could naturally see what the three stewards were about to do. They couldn’t even wait for the interrogation to produce results.
Was about to completely refine Yang Hao into a soul state.
It seems that today’s bloodshed has been too immense, so much so that even the hearts of the three elder stewards have been thrown into disarray. They cannot afford any further unexpected developments. Yang Hao must die, and he must die without fail.
Therefore, the three head stewards prepared to take action themselves, aiming to eliminate Yang Hao, the central figure behind all the violence. Once the source was eradicated, the others would no longer pose a threat.
The ministers and officials in the court were actually somewhat eager to see it. After so many years, how many people had ever witnessed the three senior stewards joining forces in action? If it weren’t for Yang Hao, that fearless and heaven-defying figure, such a sight might never have been seen in their lifetime.
Elder Wu Yi is the most serene and composed, with a lustrous, milky-white glow gathering in his palm. In contrast, Elder Hei Feng, brimming with the fiercest aura of slaughter, radiates a sinister black light from his hand. As for Elder Rong Li, the energy in his grasp resembles a swirling mass of red, much like a fine, fragrant wine.
When these three beams of light descended, Yang Hao’s physical body ceased to exist in the world, and he would be forever sealed within a certain weapon, enduring eternal solitude.
The sound of battle roared outside, yet inside the grand palace, it was so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard. Everyone
Everyone held their breath; the only one emitting a long, steady breathing sound was Yang Hao, who was in a precarious situation.
Moreover, he even raised his head and flashed a charming smile toward Elder Wu Yiyuan.
This smile was dangerously sinister.
This sudden turn of events caused Wu Yi’s face to instantly pale. The three elder stewards were nearly overwhelmed with shock at the same time. Elder Rong Li even took a step back, the red light in his palm dispersing in all directions.
“Someone dares to assassinate the Supreme Being’s physical form! How dare you!!” Elder Wu Yi’s expression turned terrifyingly fierce; his white beard and long robe flared as he roared in furious anger.
It turned out that the three steward elders had simultaneously sensed that someone had broken into the restricted area within the cave dwelling on the Elder Peak, and was actually attempting to harm the至尊’s physical body.
Today, the Senate’s forces have been deployed across various regions. Except for the three chief stewards, ten elders, and the eight sword master groups stationed here for defense, the remaining six stewards and most of the elders have been dispatched to different areas to monitor the nobles and the Merchant Guild’s responses to the anti-Senate movement. As a result, the Senate’s mountain stronghold remains lightly defended.
I never expected to be hacked.
Killing Yang Hao was certainly important, but how could that compare to the importance of the Supreme Being’s physical body? The three elder executives hardly needed to deliberate; they raised their hands above their heads, palms pressed together. Suddenly, the three of them vanished into the space.
A grand technique like teleportation is precisely meant for use in moments of critical danger.
But with the departure of the three elder stewards, the grand palace lost its central authority, and chaos erupted. The commotion was not solely caused by the elders’ withdrawal, but also by several dazzling beams of light that flickered brilliantly.
With the sudden appearance of these inexplicable beams of light, countless tiny sword rays darted through the air, slicing through the bodies of the palace ministers. If any of these small beams so much as grazed a minister, whether civil or military, they would immediately collapse, bleeding profusely.
Although the injuries may not be fatal, they are certainly enough to make these pampered high-ranking officials wail in pain for quite a while.
“Guard! Guards, quickly, seize the assassin!”
“Oh no, which bastard poked my butt.”
“I am the Minister of the Interior, and I’ll have your head… Ouch… Oh no, oh no!” The minister’s inner thighs and arms were both bleeding, and it was unclear whether his vital areas had been injured.
Seeing the imperial officials being attacked, the Praetorian Guard naturally rushed forward in swarms. However, these black-armored guards had barely surged forward five steps when a golden light flashed through the air. Maya, transformed from the Sword Heart, appeared in midair. She brought not only her enchanting presence but also an aura of terrifying power. The Great Sage’s Restriction Art temporarily froze the soldiers of the Praetorian Guard within the grand palace in mid-space, rendering them completely immobile.
Xie Fengting quickly jumped out after launching several waves of “Aurora.” Today, Xie Fengzhen had been hiding among the Imperial Guards all along, dressed entirely in black armor. However, he continuously held a radiant short sword in his hand; though the blade was merely the length of a finger, it emitted the brilliant glow of a divine artifact.
Xie Fengting unfolded his body and shot towards Yang Hao.
Qin Feng looked at Xie Fengting’s short sword and sneered, “A brat from the Light Sword Style dares to act so recklessly! One, two, four, five.”
Qin Feng strangely began calling out numbers. With each number he announced, a young man would appear behind him in the space. Each of the four young men held a sword glowing with a different color. Without hesitation, they immediately confronted Xie Fengting. These four were among Qin Feng’s thirteen disciples. Throughout his life, Qin Feng had trained a total of thirteen disciples. The youngest, of course, was Lan Ling, the leader of the Snowy Star Lion Group, while the third eldest was the current head of the Darkshade Assassination Group. Each of these disciples possessed mysterious powers, and it was said that their strength was nearly equal to that of a Sword Saint.
When the four swordsmen appeared, Xie Fengting’s expression changed, and his face turned pale.
Today, in order to infiltrate the Imperial Guards, Xie Fengting did not wear his usual mask, allowing people to catch a glimpse of his true face. It turned out that Xie Fengting was also a handsome man—his face was somewhat pale, elongated in shape, and his particularly striking eyes sparkled like fire diamonds.
At the sight of those four people, Xie Fengting’s face turned even paler. But he did not retreat—not at this moment, not when he could not afford to.
The only option is to draw the sword and fight.
“I’ll stand with you for this final gamble,” Xie Fengting had told Long Yun and the others, and now, his short sword erupted into a dazzling storm of light.
An unprecedented brilliant light exploded in the form of a storm, sweeping towards the other four people.
This attack nearly drained all of Xie Fengting’s energy, leaving him pale and unsteady on his feet.
As for the four individuals, their expressions were severely shaken as well. They quickly raised their swords, crossing the four blades together to form a curtain of sword light. All of their martial cultivation energy was poured into this sword curtain, desperately expanding it to envelop all the radiant light within.
Xie Fengting fought solely to kill, while the other four had to protect the palace officials from collateral damage, making their task naturally more difficult.
For a moment, all five of them exerted their full strength, and the situation became a stalemate.
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