Chapter 640: Each Goes Their Own Way

Li Yi's killing of the Divine Emperor shook the entire world like a thunderclap.

The first to receive the news was naturally the current Son of Heaven, the Divine Martial Emperor, for his three thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards and twenty Golden-Eyed Guards had witnessed the Divine Emperor's demise firsthand.

When the Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye, within the Yongchang Palace, received this news, he too was stunned.

For it was never part of the plan.

The move to smash mountains and destroy temples had been rushed from the start; he never originally intended for Li Yi and his three thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards alone to accomplish this task. But Li Yi's astonishing strength had exceeded all expectations, giving him hope—and thus he had cooperated with the plan all along.

Yet no matter how the plan was drawn up, eliminating the Yin Emperor was never included.

The Zhao dynasty had endured a thousand years, through twelve reigns; together with himself, twelve emperors had received too much incense worship from the people of the land. Even if this world had never birthed other cultivation methods, who knew what kind of monster might have arisen from such vast incense power?

If any Yin Emperor within the Zhao dynasty surpassed expectations, both Li Yi and himself would face annihilation—with no grave to bury their bones.

"This was too hasty. If only you and I had another year, no—no more than half a year—to convert this immense incense belief into strength, then this world could no longer bind us. After all, those Yin Emperors know nothing of cultivation; their progress is glacial, while we can cultivate both incense and Dao methods, advancing a thousand li in a single day."

The Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye now frowned slightly, a flicker of unease crossing his expression.

After so much careful planning, something that was nearly certain in half a year's time had now become uncertain—and that was no good.

Yet he understood: once something begins, it is no longer under one's control.

He believed Li Yi had no desire to clash with the Divine Emperor—only that he had passed through Anshan territory and been intercepted, leaving him no choice but to fight.

It was fortunate they won; had they lost, the consequences would have been terrifying.

"The bow is drawn—there is no turning back. Since we've already clashed with the Yin Emperors, let us finish it utterly: join forces and resolve this matter once and for all. If Li Yi can defeat the Divine Emperor, then at least half the Yin Emperors are no match for him. Add me to the equation, and victory is still possible."

Then the Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye's gaze grew cold and sharp.

Discussing the past now served no purpose—he must find a way to deal with the coming troubles.

With this thought,

the Divine Martial Emperor immediately stepped out of the Yongchang Palace and issued an order.

"Carry my imperial decree: summon all Golden-Eyed Guards to assemble before the palace." He spoke sharply.

"Also summon the De, Xian, and Xiang Imperial Consorts to the Yongchang Palace."

As the decrees spread, dozens of Golden-Eyed Guards and three stunningly beautiful women soon gathered before the palace.

Excluding the three thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Black Mountain Lord, who had already left the capital.

These were the only forces the Divine Martial Emperor still had left; ordinary soldiers were useless—they had no place in affairs that shaped the fate of the realm.

Though his forces were few, he had no choice but to act now.

"Your Majesty."

The three imperial consorts and dozens of Golden-Eyed Guards knelt in unison.

The Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye spoke calmly: "You are the only ones I can rely on. Today, come with me out of the capital to accomplish a great deed. When it is done, I shall grant you the Dao of Immortality—eternal youth, undying life."

In this world, incense worship was worthless—but the Dao of cultivation was truly precious.

Though the cultivation method Li Yi provided was incomplete, it could still lead one to Tribulation Crossing. If a commoner completed it, they could indeed achieve immortality.

Under such a grand reward, both the Golden-Eyed Guards and the three imperial consorts drew sharp breaths.

Could there truly be a path to immortality?

They had already practiced the Evolution Method—it had seemed miraculous enough, transforming each of them beyond recognition, granting profound benefits.

If they were truly granted the Dao of cultivation, they would risk their lives for it.

"Your Majesty," the De Consort, kneeling before him, could not help but raise her head and ask, "is immortality truly possible?"

"Of course."

The Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye spoke with solemn seriousness: "But this method is forbidden by Heaven and Earth. The incense gods will never permit the Dao of cultivation to exist. That is why I allied with the True Person Taiyi to smash mountains and destroy temples—to spread the Dao to all, so that every person may cultivate, every person may become a dragon."

He now painted a grand picture—a vision that would draw every spirit in the realm to his side.

So he unhesitatingly revealed the cultivation method.

As for how he would fulfill this promise afterward—that was a matter for later. After all, first he must survive this immediate crisis.

"I shall one day give the world a full account of the cultivation method. Now, come with me out of the capital."

Then the Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye shouted again, his wide sleeves swirling as magic power surged—he lifted dozens of men into the air, transforming into a streak of swift light that shot toward a distant direction.

This was not a Daoist technique—it was a spell inherent to the cultivation method.

He had fused the cultivation method with incense worship and the Evolution Method, mastering all three into a unique path of cultivation.

Moreover, as ruler of a nation, his incense belief power was immense; with this incense, he could amplify his spells to their utmost, and with the aura of the Son of Heaven, every movement he made carried the power to shake mountains and rivers.

This departure from the capital was not for any other purpose—it was solely to slay the Yin Emperors.

Every Yin Emperor he killed reduced pressure on Li Yi.

If they moved swiftly enough, they could pick off the Yin Emperors one by one before the others could react.

Yet at the same time, Li Yi and Xiang Xiangzi had already arrived at the location of the second Yin Emperor, as indicated by the map.

It was a city called Shouling City.

Built against the mountains, its sole purpose was to guard the imperial tomb of Zhao Guangzong.

But upon arriving, they found the city bore a grotesque prosperity: streets filled with men strolling dogs and fighting birds, music and dance echoing everywhere—every citizen lived only for pleasure, none engaged in production.

Clearly, all of this existed solely to serve the Yin Emperor.

"This Yin Emperor Guangzong was, in life, a ruler who loved luxury and indulgence. He was no tyrant, but certainly no wise sovereign. Such an ordinary man, even after death as an Yin Emperor, could not possibly be strong. Killing him will be easy."

Li Yi stood beside Xiang Xiangzi atop a golden auspicious cloud, his spiritual sense probing the city.

Soon,

he fixed his gaze on a spot within the city.

There, a thread of imperial aura coiled, surrounded by vast quantities of incense energy—all emanating from a middle-aged man idly fighting crickets. The man wore simple clothes, disguised his appearance, and looked no different from an ordinary citizen.

"Though lacking ambition may be a virtue, as an Yin Emperor, he cannot escape this fate." Li Yi's gaze turned icy, killing intent rising.

!

Though he bore no grudge against this Yin Emperor, nor even knew him,

the very identity of Yin Emperor placed him in the same position as Li Yi's own act of smashing mountains and destroying temples: he, too, had no personal quarrel with the incense gods of the world—but the struggle for the Dao was always this cruel.

Perhaps sensing this killing intent,

the hidden Yin Emperor Guangzong, still fighting crickets in the city, suddenly grew solemn. He looked up at the sky.

There, a golden auspicious cloud floated motionless above.

The cloud appeared out of nowhere—for today's sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight.

Yet at this very moment,

a cold voice echoed across heaven and earth: "Turn the Rivers!"

A terrifying Dao technique activated.

It was the "Turn the Rivers and Overturn the Seas" art of Tianyi Sect, now wielded by Xiang Xiangzi—in an instant, heaven and earth seemed to invert; the Guangzong Emperor, who had been idly fighting crickets, blinked and found himself suddenly suspended high in the air.

"Huh?" Guangzong's face filled with confusion and shock.

He had spent his life indulging in pleasure, knowing nothing of cultivation—he had no idea what had just happened.

"I am the True Person Taiyi. Today, I have come to escort Emperor Guangzong to the afterlife." Before the Yin Emperor could recover, Li Yi clenched his fist, silver lightning cloaking him, dragon-tiger energy swirling as he strode forward atop the auspicious cloud.

"True Person Taiyi?" Guangzong's eyes widened—he understood at once. He knew nothing of combat, but he had once been emperor.

"So this is it—you've come to Shouling City to smash mountains and destroy temples? I am, after all, the ancestor of the current Divine Martial Emperor. Kill me, and the world will not forgive you. Why not spare me face? Leave now, and we pretend this never happened."

Guangzong spoke with sincere earnestness.

He sensed the danger.

If these men had not been certain of victory, how would they dare strike an Yin Emperor?

In other words,

the moment an enemy stands before you, you have already lost.

After all, what emperor ever takes the battlefield to fight?

"Even if I spared you, the other Yin Emperors would not spare me. You understand this, Guangzong," Li Yi said seriously.

Guangzong sighed: "I understand. One less Yin Emperor means one less threat. Were I in your place, I would do the same. But though I've enjoyed incense worship for so long, I truly know nothing of combat. How about this: leave me one fragment of my spiritual essence. I shall disperse all my incense power and become an ordinary incense spirit."

Li Yi frowned, then said: "If you can do that, I will spare you."

Killing was merely a means, not the goal. If he was willing to disperse his incense and retain only a spiritual fragment, he posed no threat.

Even if he someday regained strength through incense—that was a matter for the future.

Li Yi sought victory now.

"I trust the words of True Person Taiyi." Guangzong's gaze flickered—there was brief struggle, then a long sigh. His body began to dissolve.

Vast incense energy drifted through the air; a strange fragrance spread over a hundred li.

As time passed, his form grew ever dimmer—until finally, only a single spiritual fragment, wrapped in a trace of incense, remained, taking the shape of an ordinary citizen and descending into the city.

Li Yi stared, surprised.

He had not expected Guangzong to truly do this—without hesitation.

Or had he foreseen the outcome, and chosen this path not to fight, but to secure even a sliver of survival?

"I thought Guangzong was merely a man of pleasure," said Xiang Xiangzi beside him. "But he is a ruler of courage and resolve. Since he no longer poses a threat, let it go."

"You're right. Let's find the third Yin Emperor." Li Yi glanced once more, then turned away, using the Technique of Soaring Clouds and Riding Mist to depart swiftly.

(End of Chapter)