Chapter 643: One Strike to Decide

These six Yin Emperors wished to resolve matters through negotiation for a face-saving outcome.

They did not wish to fight, for they were not generals or warriors, but emperors—and since ancient times, had any emperor ever charged into battle? Only Emperor Taizu Zhao Tianxing had ever done such a thing.

Thus, his mindset remained trapped in his mortal life; he was not a cultivator, and could not comprehend the actions of the Divine Martial Emperor and the True Person Taiyi.

Why insist on fighting when negotiation was possible?

It was foolish and irrational.

The atmosphere within Yongchang Palace had grown heavy, as if war were truly imminent.

At this moment, Emperor Yingzong spoke: "Divine Martial Emperor, calm yourself. Not every matter can be resolved through violence. You are also a sovereign—you must know that a ruler must not raise an army out of anger. This is not a street brawl among commoners, but a matter concerning all under heaven, concerning the fate of the state."

"Leaving aside victory or defeat, if we clash violently, someone will surely die—perhaps you will perish, perhaps True Person Taiyi will attain nirvana, or perhaps one of us Yin Emperors will vanish into nothingness."

"Whichever side suffers loss, none of us would wish to see it. If so, negotiation may well be the better path. What you, Divine Martial Emperor, seek is the incense offerings of all under heaven; what we seek is merely peaceful coexistence with the dynasty."

Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye glanced at them—he understood. These Yin Emperors had long since lost the ambition of their mortal lives. Without physical bodies, transformed into yin spirits, they had lost their courage and now only wished to cling to this dynasty, feeding on its blood and indulging in pleasure, unwilling to stir up further turmoil.

This matched his earlier expectations.

Seeing Li Jiye calm down, Emperor Taizong immediately spoke: "Divine Martial Emperor, how about this—we yield a step. We ask only for three hundred li of Longcheng. This is our ancestral legacy; it cannot be abandoned."

"Three hundred li of Longcheng?"

Li Jiye cast a glance: "The land is not large, but if you truly mean well, I offer you this suggestion: I grant you five hundred li of land—but on one condition: you renounce your imperial titles and become ordinary princes, surrendering all incense offerings to me."

"To keep the power of incense belief on you is the greatest waste. If you agree, you may remain in Longcheng to wield power and indulge in pleasure. If you refuse, a battle remains inevitable."

Renounce the imperial title?

This demand instantly stirred anger in the Yin Emperors.

Without the imperial status, they would become mere common spirit deities, subject to anyone's manipulation—no different from kneeling in surrender.

Yet at this moment, Zhao Tianxing, the founding emperor, suddenly laughed: "Divine Martial Emperor's terms are not harsh. To grant us five hundred li of Longcheng for our final years is acceptable. But I have one further request."

"Speak." Li Jiye said calmly.

Unmoved by Li Jiye's disrespect, Zhao Tianxing merely said: "In life, I waged war for years. After death, I became a yin spirit, receiving incense offerings from all under heaven. A thousand years have passed. Though most of that time I drifted in daze, I have accumulated some strength over the years."

"To let a founding emperor fade away so quietly is unbearable. So—Divine Martial Emperor and True Person Taiyi, one of you step forward to receive my strike. If you survive unharmed, we shall immediately renounce our imperial titles and vanish from Longcheng, never to appear again."

He then unfastened a precious saber from his waist and planted it upright before him, gazing at Li Jiye and Li Yi with a half-smile.

One strike to decide victory?

The other five Yin Emperors stared at Taizu.

This was entirely in keeping with Taizu's nature.

For when he conquered the realm, he had once dueled enemy generals, cutting off their heads with a single slash to win the decisive battle—and thus secured the empire.

Now, at this critical juncture, Taizu still wished to gamble on his own strength.

And it was the least costly gamble possible.

If he won, whether Divine Martial Emperor or True Person Taiyi would die beneath his blade. If he lost, he would have no recourse but to retreat to Longcheng and abandon all claims.

Divine Martial Emperor Li Jiye said nothing, only glanced at Li Yi—as if seeking his opinion.

But Li Yi replied decisively: "Agreed. We exchange one strike each. Then you will understand: renouncing your imperial title will be the wisest decision you ever make."

"No more wasting time. This is no place to fight. Let us go to the heavens."

With that, he turned and walked out of Yongchang Palace. Beneath his feet, a golden auspicious cloud appeared, lifting him into the sky.

Though this was the imperial city, saturated with the aura of the Son of Heaven, capable of disrupting Daoist arts, Li Yi's current strength was more than sufficient to summon cloud-riding.

Soon.

Li Yi ascended continuously, piercing through the clouds to reach the upper heavens.

At this altitude, the imperial aura no longer affected him.

But soon.

A young man clad in armor, vigorous and heroic, flew up as well. His body began to swell, his body surging with vast, tangible streams of incense belief—like an ocean of clouds, surging outward from him in all directions.

"This is the incense power of a founding emperor?" Li Yi's expression shifted slightly.

He could feel the surrounding heavens and earth growing strange, as if forming a domain unique to the other—within this realm, the Taizu Emperor could command anything with a mere thought.

As if it were a divine kingdom born from him.

"True Person Taiyi, forgive me."

Zhao Tianxing stared at Li Yi, his expression grave. His body swelled rapidly, growing to nine zhang tall within moments—like a god descending.

The surrounding incense clouds churned, swiftly transforming into legions of armored soldiers and warhorses. In moments, a vast army surrounded him. He slowly drew a precious saber from his waist.

The saber was no powerful magic treasure—merely an ordinary blade. But after a thousand years of incense offerings and having accompanied Zhao Tianxing in conquering the realm, it had gradually become sentient, evolving into a unique weapon.

The instant Zhao Tianxing gripped the saber, the entire heavens and earth trembled. An infinite force surged from the world, converging upon the blade's edge.

This was not mere incense belief—it was the empowerment of heaven and earth's power.

"The heavens and earth themselves are aiding him? Can the path of incense belief reach such a state?" Li Yi's eyes widened.

Fortunately, this domain was still small. If it were larger—or if it could encompass the entire world—his strike would carry the power of an entire world.

Realizing this, Li Yi sensed great untapped potential in the incense path. If refined, its future achievements would be immense.

But now was not the time for contemplation.

The Taizu Emperor's blade now carried the force of an entire realm. This strike was destined to be astonishing—but he did not stop. He opened his mouth and inhaled. The vast cloud-sea churned, and the thousands of soldiers and horses dissolved into streams of power, rushing toward the saber.

This power exceeded the Taizu Emperor's control.

!

The immense force made his hands tremble; his nine-zhang body began cracking, fissures spreading across his form.

"Such immense power, yet no idea how to wield it. In all my years of cultivation, I've never seen anyone overload themselves so badly." Li Yi spoke aloud.

"Do not disturb my spirit! This blade embodies the Zhao dynasty's realm and altars, the incense belief of hundreds of millions. You cannot withstand it." Zhao Tianxing roared, his voice thundering across the sky.

"Whether I can withstand it is not your decision." Li Yi held no arrogance. He reached into his Five Elements Bracelet and drew forth the Divine Wood Bow. In his hand appeared an arrow of black-gold.

He nocked the arrow, drew the bow.

The power of Longhu surged, the four-colored magic power roared. Merely opening the bow caused the air to shriek, as if the heavens and earth were being slowly torn apart.

"A bow and arrow to resist my blade of realm and altars? Utter madness." Zhao Tianxing roared, raising his heavy saber.

At that moment, the heavens and earth seemed to transform into the shape of a colossal blade—within it, sun, moon, rivers, mountains, hundreds of millions of people, and incense belief all converged.

So immense was the power infused into it that Zhao Tianxing's body shattered again before he even swung—the flesh peeled away in great chunks, dissolving into swirling green smoke.

But he dared not let Li Yi continue drawing the bow. Though he did not know the bow's nature, if True Person Taiyi had chosen to wield it now, it must be an extraordinary divine weapon.

Suddenly, the blade fell.

Its power was great enough to cleave mountains, sever rivers, and obliterate entire realms with its explosive force.

For an incense deity to reach such a level surpassed Li Yi's expectations—reaching an unimaginable height.

Li Yi did not dodge. His expression cold, he drew the Divine Wood Bow to its fullest, and at the instant the blade descended, he released the arrow.

This arrow, forged in the Demon God Realm, had once pierced Dao artifacts on Earth. To capture that great demon, several Dao artifacts had been destroyed, and even Xiang Xiangzi had lost his life.

Now, the bow's power manifested again—but this time, the enemy stood before him.

The black-gold arrow became a streak of light—gone in an instant.

So swift it seemed to transcend space. Even Li Yi could not track its path, only discern its direction at the moment of release.

The blade-like realm was instantly rent by the black-gold streak, tearing open a jagged wound.

Mountains and rivers collapsed, the people hung upside down, incense belief scattered.

The entire realm seemed severed.

Seeing this, the Taizu Emperor's eyes widened in utter disbelief.

Before he could recover from the shock,

he looked down—and saw a hole in his chest. Around it glowed black-gold radiance, invasive and spreading, cracking his body in countless fissures.

"I… lost? How is this possible?" Zhao Tianxing could not believe it.

He had never thought he could lose. He was certain this strike would slay True Person Taiyi and reclaim his lost power and status.

BOOM!

As the blade shattered, the entire realm exploded.

Countless terrifying forces erupted outward, instantly engulfing Zhao Tianxing and the nearby Li Yi.

"No!" Li Yi's face darkened. He channeled his magic power into the Crimson Feathered Purple Gold Armor.

The Dao-artifact armor blazed crimson, forming a divine bird that enveloped him, shielding him from the residual force of the blade.

(End of Chapter)