Chapter 438 - 42: Changing Heaven and Earth

As a low growl reverberated, the nearby palaces immediately echoed with the clanging of soldiers’ armor, while countless Qi and Blood auras quickly converged towards Li Ji’an’s location.

Among all these approaching auras, only eighteen reached the realm of Qi Blood Grandmasters.

"Are these the eighteen Grandmasters of the Imperial City who are renowned across the land?"

Currently, the absolute pinnacle of Qi Blood Grandmasters in the Great Wu Dynasty had only twenty-four people, besides the six Dukes in the Outer States, there were the eighteen Grandmasters of the Imperial Palace!

"All eighteen Grandmasters are actually eunuchs?" Li Ji’an slightly furrowed his brows as his Divine Sense swept over them.

A moment later, the eighteen figures arrived in front of him.

They all stared suspiciously at the young man standing with arms crossed atop the Immortal Master statue, whose face was obscured.

"How dare you desecrate the Immortal Master, you deserve a thousand deaths!" After a moment of scrutiny, the youngest, plump eunuch spoke with a sinister look and a raspy voice.

"Who is this noble presence that managed to evade the sensing of our eighteen Tai Sui to intrude so deeply?" Another elderly eunuch, his aura firm, approached vigilantly.

Simultaneously, the surrounding eunuchs hastily transmitted messages in secrecy.

"Eunuch Wei, can you discern this young man’s strength? Why can’t we perceive any trace of his Qi and Blood Power?"

"Eunuch An, as the general overseer of the twelve supervisory eunuchs, you should be loyal to the Emperor, maybe go test the depths first?"

"Eunuch Lu, you’ve seen much and know a lot, can you identify this young man’s origins?"

...

The eighteen supreme figures of the era faced the young man standing with arms crossed, yet none dared approach.

Li Ji’an ignored the group of eunuchs, locking his Divine Sense on the current Emperor of Great Wu, who was glaring furiously.

Swoosh—

Quickly, the Forbidden Army of the palace surged, surrounding the area completely.

"Ancestors, why haven’t you acted yet? The Emperor is already angered and commands to seize the traitor for audience immediately." Another young eunuch hurriedly approached, urging in a warm tone.

The eighteen Grandmasters exchanged glances, ultimately signaling each other and instantly unleashed their life skills together, flying up.

Humph!

However, Li Ji’an merely snorted lightly, causing the figures of the eighteen Grandmasters in mid-air to abruptly halt.

Then, like falling dumplings, they plummeted from the sky.

Thud, thud, thud—

Amidst eighteen dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground, the surrounding Forbidden Army all gasped, instinctively taking a step back.

The eighteen Grandmasters, who held the supreme status of martial arts in everyone’s hearts, were so easily defeated by the young man, which left them looking at the statue-bound young figure with both fear and respect.

"Pfft~" The eighteen ancestors, usually like divine beings, wore faces of complete shock.

Trembling, they crawled up from the ground, ignoring their dirty appearances.

"Immortal Master, forgiveness, we did not recognize the Immortal Master in front of us, deserve a thousand deaths, deserve a thousand deaths."

Even now, with their souls jolted and somewhat dazed, the eighteen Grandmasters could surmise that the methods employed by the young man were by no means martial arts techniques.

The soul-piercing pain just moments ago nearly killed them instantly.

Who else could it be besides the heavenly Immortal Master touted by the imperial family?

"Immortal Master!!!"

"We greet the Immortal Master!" The dense Forbidden Army of the Imperial City bowed down immediately.

"Immortal Master?" The Emperor’s personal eunuch, witnessing this, was horrified and simultaneously full of suspicion.

Others might not know, but he had served the new Emperor for years, and had overheard the secret conveyed during the former Emperor’s succession.

What nonsense about Immortal Master? It was all fake, a fabrication propagated by the royal family to intimidate the people.

Yet, this person could instantly make the eighteen ancestors kneel, surely he was extraordinary.

Attempting to scurry back to report to the Emperor, he found the path blocked by the guards bowed on the ground, fearfully immobile.

Similarly, behind the guards, the Emperor’s Imperial Carriage had arrived close, blocked by the motionless guards.

Emperor Li Wu’s expression froze, fixating on the high-standing young man, his mind racing.

"Is there truly an Immortal?"

"No, impossible, Immortal is just a fabrication cloaking the people, Father wouldn’t lie to me!"

Before he could decide further, he felt an invisible mighty power binding him.

Subsequently, he rose higher and higher above the ground, losing control over his own body!

"Raise your head!" After Emperor Li Wu’s body hovered in mid-air, Li Ji’an’s indifferent voice sounded again.

The eunuchs and the Forbidden Army kneeling on the ground, along with nearby palace maids, all involuntarily raised their heads, looking at the Emperor suspended.

"Beloved subject, remarkable means, deserves reward, the Emperor desires to confer great reward, why not move to the Imperial Study for a conversation?" Li Wu regained his senses, forcing composure despite the deep fear, and adapted quickly.

He could propagate the existence of an immortal unthreatening to the Li royal family’s rule.

Yet he could not admit to the real existence of Immortal, as it would undermine the royal family’s prestige and authority, especially since this figure clearly showed hostility towards him.

The empire founded by the ancestors, he absolutely couldn’t hand over.

"Ah!" As the words fell, the Emperor cried out in pain.

His entire body was squeezed by immense force, like an invisible large hand gripping him.

"Audacious, dare to disrespect the Emperor, not afraid of the imperial exterminating your clan?" The Emperor’s pain was extreme, angrily rebuking.

"Save the Emperor!" At this moment, he could no longer maintain composure and called for help from the eighteen Tai Sui and the thousand Forbidden Army below.

However, having been exaggerated and extolled by Li royal family to great heights, Li Ji’an’s status in their minds was unchallenged, and no one dared act rashly.

"An, Old Deer, Mr. Wei... move quickly, this person is no Immortal Master, merely a martial artist who cultivated some top-tier martial arts, I promise you, once you kill this traitor, you can freely practice the top-tier martial arts found!" Seeing the eighteen Tai Sui not moving, Li Wu hastily turned to the strongest trump card left by the former Emperor.