Chapter 322: Strike

"Masters, seize the opportunity!"

At this moment, in the stone chamber, Emperor Jingwu took out a jade talisman.

This was a Delayed Step Talisman given to him by Daoist Jingming, containing profound spatial arts.

Emperor Jingwu looked at it with a hint of affection.

This was the first cultivation-related talisman he had obtained.

He had once dreamed that one day he could traverse the world without relying on talismans.

Now it seemed there was no hope for that; he grasped the jade talisman, and a flicker of spiritual insight flowed from his hand as his form vanished instantly from the spot.

Before leaving, he glanced at the many consorts, princes, and princesses beside him.

His eyes were filled with longing and reluctance.

"Let us go too!"

Several elders of the Cave 'Character' generation had long been prepared, with talismans appearing in their hands, or using evasion techniques, their evasion treasures transforming their forms into flowing light that wrapped around nearby disciples and followers, who scattered in all directions.

In the stone chamber, the many consorts stared blankly at this scene, their eyes filled only with despair and anger.

"Trying to run?"

Several True Lords above looked at this scene, their expressions changing; their vast primordial spirits and divine senses first swept over the four Daoist Jingming figures leaping through space and departing this place, about to pursue, but in an instant they saw Emperor Jingwu alone appearing beneath the Observatory Terrace.

Compared to the three taken by Daoist Jingming, Emperor Jingwu before them was the true target of everyone.

Several True Lords merely weighed it slightly, then made their decision!

"Kill!"

Lord Jinshen's eyes flashed with coldness; he no longer cared about the massive backlash from slaying the dragon, countless cold-light swords sang in his hand, reflecting the heavens.

A dense sword intent shot directly downward in threat.

The Ancestor of the Cave God Sect also saw this scene; he furrowed his brow, naturally understanding Emperor Jingwu's intention: Emperor Jingwu wished to sacrifice his own life to buy a sliver of survival for others.

This was precisely what he and Lord Qianhai did not wish to see.

Now the national fortune dragon soul resides upon Emperor Jingwu; if he comes to harm, the dragon soul will likewise fall, losing the dragon soul that suppresses the national fortune, and the countless evils between heaven and earth will immediately retaliate, greatly affecting his and Lord Qianhai's combat strength.

His good disciple naturally knows this, but Daoist Jingming, at this critical juncture, perhaps still arose with compassion, wishing to use this opportunity to create a sliver of survival for his fellow disciples Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongju.

Indeed, as long as Emperor Jingwu dies, the other elders and disciples of the Cave God Sect will face a greatly reduced likelihood of being blamed.

Moreover, as the State Preceptor, he certainly would not allow Emperor Jingwu to be slain so quickly; this is where the sliver of survival for the many disciples in the stone chamber lies.

"This bastard!"

The Ancestor of the Cave God Sect secretly felt helpless.

With a wave of his hand, a golden light appeared, a bronze mirror blocking before the startled Emperor Jingwu.

This was the Pure Yang Treasure Mirror, the supreme treasure of the Cave God Sect.

This Pure Yang-level treasure floated above Emperor Jingwu's head, emitting a ding-ding-dang-dang sound, like rain on plantain leaves.

Yet above his head was a rain of swords.

"Cave God Daoist, facing us four, you still dare to divide your attention and attend to him? Today you will hardly escape!"

Seeing this, the Qinghe True Lord of the Qingcheng Sword Sect's expression turned cold; his ancient sword flowed, a grand and magnificent artistic conception streamed forth from his ancient sword, and a talisman appeared in his hand.

This talisman affixed to the ancient sword, and lo, the ancient sword gained an additional layer of grand ability, as if a grand will surged from within the talisman.

The myriad great Dao laws of heaven and earth faintly resonated, as the light surging along the ancient sword's blade trembled.

As Qinghe True Lord waved his ancient sword, it seemed as if the heavens split open, a green sword light straightly rushed toward the Cave God Sect Ancestor, one sword severing the Long River of Heaven and Earth.

Feeling this grand will, utterly different from before, the Cave God Sect Ancestor's expression sank.

This True Lord of the Qingcheng Sword Sect truly is shameless, actually using this to invoke the power of the sect's ancestral founder to descend.

With such grand power, he also dares not meet it head-on, but just then, behind him, the Five-Colored Peaks of Lord Yuangang and Ancestor Houyang, along with a divine seal, also broke through the void and came.

This instantly placed him under attack from front and rear.

The Cave God Sect Ancestor could only settle his mind; his Thunder God Dharma Aspect condensed, at this moment as if his true form had become a Thunder God, surrounded by countless thunderclouds, behind him a majestic Thunder Heaven Gate appeared, directly blocking one peak and one seal, his hand's thunder halberd transformed into five lightning dragons simultaneously pressing toward Lord Jinshen.

"The Cave God's cultivation has actually reached such a state?"

At this moment, in the distance, the purple-clad lovely maiden Xin Ziqing gazed in astonishment at this scene.

Her primordial spirit as a True Lord of the Union Dao realm was perfectly round and fused, her Dao heart perfectly round and fused, possessing myriad divine abilities.

But the Cave God Sect Ancestor appeared not only to have a perfected primordial spirit, but his fleshly body had also been tempered to an extremely strong and formidable state; the two combined cultivated into a leakless Dharma Body, enabling such formidable power.

However, no matter how strong the Cave God Sect Ancestor's Dharma Body, it cannot replace Emperor Jingwu.

That Son of Heaven is merely a weak mortal, struck by the aftermath of such a great battle, already swaying on the verge of collapse, and moreover, he seems to have originally suffered severe injuries.

Fortunately, Xin Ziqing glanced at the distant Daoist Jingming, at the many scattered disciples of the Cave God Sect fleeing, her eyes flickered, and in the end she did not act; her vast divine sense at this moment locked onto a portion of the imperial descendants remaining in the stone chamber, especially a frail prince.

With a movement of her form, she vanished from the spot.

……

And within the imperial palace, another two figures gazed toward the Observatory Terrace.

Before them, another blue mirror manifested, showing the chaotic scene on the Observatory Terrace.

The Golden Light Holy Mother had already rescued Liu Xin from the heavenly prison; at this moment, Liu Xin's eyes held a deep icy coldness.

She gazed at Daoist Jingming, Empress Qi, and the two other adult princes vanishing into the void, then said to the Golden Light Holy Mother.

"Master, in former years my Former Shu was nearly exterminated by Wei YuanYang; today I, as a disciple, ought to repay tooth for tooth, blood for blood!"

"Please, Master, assist your disciple in avenging this blood feud!"

Upon hearing this, the Golden Light Holy Mother's eyes moved; she looked at Liu Xin and said.

"Good, thoroughly extinguish the obsession in your heart, or perhaps that is when you will prove your primordial spirit!"

She waved her hand, taking back the blue mirror; the two figures transformed into an invisible void ripple, rushing toward the void.

……

Outside Jingjing City, Daoist Jingming led the three as if they were a shooting star, rushing through the void with lightning speed, trying to get as far away as possible, seeking a remote place to temporarily settle.

But in an instant, Daoist Jingming's expression changed—he saw behind the void, a golden light streaking swiftly toward them; the golden light flashed and instantly shattered the thick, spherical void rune he had condensed around his body.

"Not good!"

In great alarm, Daoist Jingming used the Cave Spirit Dharma Seal to block the sharp edge for a moment; a surge of mana wrapped around him, sweeping the other three in terror as they turned into a shooting star and plummeted toward the ground.

Yet behind the void, that golden light did not cease.

"Jingming thief, come die!"

At this moment, Daoist Jingming maintained his mana shield over the other three; seeing the golden light tear through the void toward them, his expression shifted, and he could only desperately circulate his protective body incantation, trying to resist.

But at this moment, an invisible figure stepped out of the void, countless earth-yellow lights flowing and turning, instantly enveloping the four.

Earth-yellow mana flowed like a waterfall of yellow earth connecting to the ground; no matter how the various golden lights slashed down, they could not break through even a fraction.

"Mr. Zhang?"

Seeing this figure, Daoist Jingming's eyes brightened; Empress Qi suppressed her inner agitation, gazing at the tall figure before her, her expression tightening, a hint of joy appearing in her eyes.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Scholar Zhang!"

The other two princes also couldn't help but cry out; at this moment, Zhang Jian's appearance was like grasping a lifeline for everyone.

Zhang Jian's expression remained unchanged—he merely glanced upward at the heavens, and with a wave of his hand, everyone wrapped in the earth-yellow mana descended into the earth.

"Are you all unharmed?"

Zhang Jian glanced briefly at the four; seeing Empress Qi and the two princes looking vigorous in spirit and energy, his expression softened with a faint smile.

But at this moment, he glanced again toward the heavens; in the distance, within a golden light, two haughty female cultivators appeared, and he slightly furrowed his brow.

Daoist Jingming also noticed the two female cultivators; his gaze fell upon Liu Xin and the unfamiliar golden-robed female cultivator; he studied them briefly, then suddenly seemed to recall something, his expression shifting.

"Golden Light Holy Mother!"

"Golden Light Holy Mother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian's expression changed slightly, becoming solemn; he had once submitted to a guardian of the Golden Daughter Sect, who had spoken of the sect's founder's formidable power.

But no matter what, today he would protect these people behind him.

Whether it was Empress Qi behind him or the two princes, none could be harmed.

Saving Empress Qi was not merely personal—it was more importantly about the righteous cause of Empress Qi and the prince in her womb.

With this righteous cause in hand, he could openly raise banners, recruit troops, and buy horses.

Only then could he grasp the foundation of the Great Qian, rally the various armies of Great Qian, and with such legitimacy, he could even win over the Cave Spirit Observatory and even half the court.

In this era, without a legitimate cause, it is also difficult to win people's hearts.

Without the legitimate mandate of Great Qian in hand, while others possess it, one inevitably bears the stigma of being called a traitor and rebel.

This would be condemned by countless people as a "public outrage"!

But with this mandate, he could instead label others as a "public outrage."

Morally, there is also no flaw to speak of.