Chapter 424: Red Heart Unextinguished, Will Indestructible!
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Three tolls of the bell and drum echoed throughout Jin Province.
The magnificent Temple of the Xia Lord stood upon the earth, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist, like a fairyland.
At this moment, before the Temple of the Xia Lord, there was a sea of people, filled with red, festive to the extreme.
Today, Lu Ming'an of the Lu Clan is marrying Princess Shao'an of the Xia Clan!
Above the Temple of the Xia Lord, a thousand rays of auspicious color and ten thousand beams of rosy light appeared, with mysterious runes flickering in and out of existence, emitting an ancient and powerful aura.
Roar!
Suddenly, a wild lion let out a roar.
Lu Ming'an descended from the firmament riding a golden lion, the wedding procession behind him vast and mighty, with thousands of Lu Clan experts clad in resplendent battle armor, holding divine weapons.
Before the Temple of the Xia Lord, Princess Shao'an wore a red neon dress, a phoenix crown upon her head, surrounded by pearls and jade, looking radiant.
Behind her, Xia Clan officials stood in two rows, solemn and grave.
A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Lu Ming'an's mouth, yet in the dark, a hint of ominousness emerged.
He looked toward the distant sky, where the massive silver screen of clouds and mist displayed the changes in the Thunder-Striken Treasure Land.
Within the silver screen, the light of the Xia Lord Sword bloomed to its absolute peak; the Thunder-Striken Treasure Land was about to fully manifest in the world.
"That Chen Yan has already been sent to Princess Jianxia, right?" Lu Ming'an transmitted his voice to an old man in white robes beside him.
The white-robed old man was the Fourth Elder of the Lu Clan, the strongest Lu Clan member to have come this time.
"Not yet," the Fourth Elder spoke:
"Soon, Ming'an. Today you are the groom; do not worry about these things."
The smile remained on Lu Ming'an's lips, but he continued to transmit his voice:
"If that Chen Yan does not die, I will not be at ease. When the Fourth Elder returns to the clan, tell the Lu Lord directly to kill Chen Yan; do not study him anymore."
Lu Ming'an frowned and took another look at the silver screen of clouds and mist.
"What exactly is inside that Thunder-Striken Treasure Land, and why did it have to coincide with my wedding?"
Inside the State-Governing Mansion.
Xia Qi stood by the window, watching the silver screen of clouds and mist in the sky outside.
"State Governor, are you really not going to attend the wedding?"
Behind him, a woman in a green dress asked.
"I will not go. I am a man on the verge of death; there is no need for me to go," Xia Qi said with a faint smile, then suddenly sighed:
"What a pity, what a pity."
"What is a pity?" The woman in the green dress frowned.
Xia Qi gave a bitter laugh:
"It is a pity that General Yan's tribulation transcendence still cannot succeed."
The Province Mirror was something he had given to Chen Yan, so naturally, he knew what had happened within that Province Mirror.
Xia Qi marveled; the lightning tribulation Chen Yan was about to face was terrifying to the extreme.
This was something even he had not anticipated.
Chen Yan was struggling, but was he not doing the same?
As his voice fell, the woman in the green dress trembled instantly:
"State Governor, you..."
Xia Qi shook his head:
"As the State Governor, how could I watch my future Divine General perish with my own eyes?"
A sharp light flashed in his eyes; he had a way to make the lightning tribulation weaker.
It was nothing more than offering his essence blood to let the benevolent thoughts of the previous State Governor fully awaken.
Behind him, the woman in the green dress fell to her knees with a thud:
"State Governor, call off the General-Bestowing."
Her face was deathly pale; in Xia Qi's current condition, if he were to offer his essence blood again, he would surely die within ten days.
"Hahahaha!!!" Xia Qi suddenly laughed out loud:
"Humans are destined to die. I was already a man on the verge of death; what is there to fear about dying a day or two early?"
He spread his arms; his body was thin, yet he possessed the spirit of a heroic lord:
"I, Xia Qi, have never been a man who fears death. What I fear is only failing to see hope!"
What Chen Yan did not know was that Xia Qi had been waiting for Chen Yan himself to call off the General-Bestowing.
Chen Yan did not, even after failing time and time again.
He did not even tell outsiders about his own condition.
Xia Qi's heart and mind could not help but be shaken.
Because of Chen Yan's persistence, he also chose to persist.
He wanted to tell Chen Yan that things can never be sustained by one person holding on alone.
Behind Chen Yan, there had always been someone there.
…………
Outside Xiaoyang City.
Boom!
Covered in blood, Luo Feng struck out with a palm, the palm print as massive as a mountain range, blasting away countless talisman swords with a boom.
"Are you all insane?!!!"
Luo Feng roared, looking at Jidao Wu and the other General Stars surrounding and attacking him:
"The Thunder-Strike Treasure Land is about to manifest!
Chen Yan is already beyond saving, what are you people doing?!"
His voice had just fallen when an afterimage flew over; Yin Youming struck out with a palm, the faint sound of dragons and elephants screeching ringing out.
The shockwave sent Luo Feng's body blasting backward.
"Do you have any idea how pissed off I am right now!"
Li Muyun sneered, his body transforming into talisman light and sword shadows, a blazing sword intent pressing outward as he slashed straight toward Luo Feng's neck!
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Luo Feng dodged in a hurry, but a deep bloodstain was slashed across his neck.
He was furious; he was a Seventh-Order, yet today he had been driven to a dead end by four Fifth-Orders and one Sixth-Order.
He was a Creation Realm!
A god!
Below the Creation Realm, all are insects.
Yet he had been driven to a dead end by Jidao Wu and a few Second-Order General Stars.
Everything was because of Chen Yan!
"Even if you kill me, Chen Yan won't survive, hahahaha!"
Luo Feng roared and bellowed:
"He must die!"
As his voice fell, Li Muyun's expression grew even uglier; just as he was about to strike, his body was pushed aside by Jiang Miaoxuan.
"Die for me!" Jiang Miaoxuan shouted in anger, striking out with one hand, countless petals of Qi and blood shredding Luo Feng.
Li Muyun was covered in blood:
"Hahahaha!!!"
He laughed out loud, without a shred of happiness in it.
Even though they were about to join forces to slay a Seventh-Order.
But his worldview had collapsed, his convictions had collapsed.
He did not know if the Great Xia of today was even worth saving, or if this General Star title had any meaning at all.
Chen Yan was harmed simply because he did the right thing.
Why on earth was this happening?
Li Muyun laughed, talisman light erupting all over his body as he stripped off his General Star uniform:
"I'm done with this!"
To the side, Jidao Wu's expression trembled; Li Muyun was truly pushed to his limit.
"Old Yin, after we finish off Luo Feng, let's roam the world together and be heroes of this chaotic age!" Li Muyun looked at Yin Youming.
"Fine!" Yin Youming stripped off his own General Star uniform, then smiled with a sense of liberation:
"Let's slaughter Luo Feng first!"
"Fine!"
Yet at this very moment.
Hum!
A spatial fluctuation emerged before Jidao Wu, Li Muyun, and all the other General Stars.
A spatial gate appeared before everyone.
This was the Thunder-Strike Treasure Land calling them to return.
"The Thunder-Strike Treasure Land is about to manifest, let's go back together!" Jidao Wu said.
Li Muyun laughed:
"What does the Thunder-Strike Treasure Land have to do with me? I don't want to be a First-Order General Star either!
I'm not going back for anything!"
"Damn it!" Jidao Wu growled; Li Muyun was acting on true feelings, but all of this was fake.
He wanted to say something more.
With a bang.
A side kick struck out, kicking Li Muyun directly into the spatial gate.
It was Mu Zigui.
Mu Zigui's expression was somber as she glanced at the furious Yin Youming and Jiang Miaoxuan:
"Go back first; if you don't want to do this, at least tell the Xia Clan."
Jiang Miaoxuan and Yin Youming were stunned, then immediately suppressed Luo Feng.
"Since I'm quitting anyway, I'm going to kill Luo Feng in front of the whole world!" Yin Youming roared, entering the spatial gate.
Covered in blood, they appeared outside Xiaoyang City, shocking everyone; the high-level members of the Aristocratic Alliance rushed out, at a loss for what to do.
Because Luo Feng was still being held in Yin Youming's hand, half-dead.
In the distance, Xi Congyun stood high in the sky, watching the lightning hourglass that had completely cleared, his breathing heavy.
Upon seeing Mu Zigui return, Xi Congyun frowned slightly, then spoke:
"Gui, there might be an assessment later, you must assist me!"
A sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
He considered himself the most diligent in guarding the Thunder-Strike Treasure Land, and the most earnest in his insights into the 【Dragon-Slaughtering Illusion Style】.
As for those fellows like Li Muyun, what were they even doing?
Slacking off; they were not worth mentioning at all.
As for Chen Yan, he was the one Xi Congyun considered his greatest rival; after all, the other party's strength was too formidable, having even cultivated the 【Radiance-Condensing Style】 to the Profound stage—it was inconceivable.
But Chen Yan had been taken away, abandoned by the Xia Clan.
No one could block his, Xi Congyun's, path to promotion.
Yet, what Xi Congyun did not notice was that beside him, Mu Ziwei was smiling bitterly.
Boom!
A low, resonant sound echoed from within that lightning-light hourglass, long and lingering, traveling tens of thousands of miles, resounding throughout all of Qinzhou!
Boom!
The grand sound was vast and mighty, filled with a powerful sense of oppression.
The Thunder-Strike Treasure Land was about to fully manifest in the world.
Immediately following, the lightning-light hourglass slowly changed; the lightning twisted and shifted, transforming into a throne!
The throne was pitch-black and solemn, appearing just like that before the Xia Lord Sword!
Xi Congyun's breath hitched.
This was a General's Seat!
A throne belonging to a First-Rank General Star!
Within the Military Guard, there was an atmosphere of despondency; none of the military personnel were in the mood to pay attention to that throne.
One by one, they felt miserable to the extreme.
The more dazzling that throne was, the more miserable their hearts felt.
Since the Xia Clan had become this weak, what did it matter even if a First-Rank General Star truly appeared?
Could it compare to Chen Yan?
Ridiculous!
Shameful!
A clown!
San Jin appeared; she held Chen Yu's hand, looking up at the throne, specks of light appearing in her eyes.
She naturally knew the inside story, and naturally, she had told Chen Yu.
Chen Yu was excited, stars sparkling in her eyes.
Within her consciousness world, Ji Yannan, dressed in a red gown, was filled with deep emotion; she, too, naturally knew the inside story.
She found it hard to put into words; it was too shocking.
That boy from Luoshan County had actually reached such a level.
Boom!
A low, deep ringing!
It was a countdown!
It was a summons!
It spread across the mountains and seas just like that.
In a distant place.
King Xiachen stood amidst the sea of clouds, listening to this sound, looking toward the direction of Xiaoyang.
"Thunder-Strike Treasure Land..." he murmured, his heart also filled with shock.
He did not know what would happen there, but at this moment, he was also incredibly curious.
He glanced at Chen Yan, whom he was holding, only to see Chen Yan looking at him with a mocking gaze.
"Boy, fix your gaze; I am a King!"
King Xiachen barked a low command, and a burst of force instantly blasted into Chen Yan's body, causing Chen Yan to lower his head.
King Xiachen narrowed his eyes; this Chen Yan's willpower was indeed strong, but this strike of his would bring a person pain like ten thousand sharp blades piercing the heart.
A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth; he intended to continue applying methods to see how much this Chen Yan could endure, as he was quite skilled at using torture instruments.
It was also at this moment.
The Land Lord's communication came through:
"Why have you not yet arrived outside of Tiezhou? My people have been waiting for you for a long time."
King Xiachen frowned slightly:
"I arrived at the Tiezhou border long ago, and have even gone out to sea; I am right at the coordinates we agreed upon."
"Impossible." The Land Lord's voice was low:
"My people cannot be wrong."
King Xiachen narrowed his eyes:
"Then I shall wait a while longer."
He spoke in a low voice, then immediately cut off the communication.
He looked at the vast ocean and shook his head:
"The Land Continent is also a bunch of fools; they can't even find the location."
It was also at this moment.
A mocking voice rang out:
"Could it be that you got the location wrong yourself?"
King Xiachen was stunned, then immediately looked at Chen Yan with cold eyes:
"Shut your mouth, what are you, how dare you..."
In an instant, King Xiachen's mouth hung open, and an indescribable, sharp pain pierced into his mind.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
He let out a miserable shriek, then looked at the Chen Yan he was holding with extreme horror.
Yet he saw that this Chen Yan's appearance was changing, transforming into the look of the Blood Sword Saint.
The Blood Sword Saint waved one hand, and the surrounding scene shifted; the clouds and mist vanished, and the vast ocean disappeared.
Where was this the surface of the ocean? It was clearly inside a mountain cave.
King Xiachen's pupils suddenly constricted; he wanted to speak, but could only shriek.
He did not understand the current situation.
Had he been subjected to a mental illusion?
Was he not holding Chen Yan, so how had he turned into the Blood Sword Saint?
He roared continuously, but simply could not fathom why.
And it was at this moment.
Ripples of space emerged from within the mountain cave, forming a spatial gate.
"It is finally over." The Blood Sword Saint sighed softly, then sealed King Xiachen's mouth and entered the spatial gate.
He appeared outside Xiaoyang City, and the next moment, he instantly vanished into the void.
Boom!
A low, resonant sound shook the world.
From within the hidden void, King Xiachen looked at the Xia Lord Sword and the throne; he opened his mouth wide, wanting to call for help.
But he could not speak.
At this moment.
Throughout the entire Great Xia, in all eighteen provinces and every city.
The changes in Xiaoyang City appeared on screens of cloud and silver.
Heaven and earth were trembling; the Xia Lord Sword bloomed with brilliant light, shooting straight into the deep cosmos, and radiance emerged upon that pitch-black throne.
It was a human figure, a blurred human figure!
The moment he appeared, heaven and earth were shocked.
Outside Xiaoyang City, the bodies of all the General Stars stiffened!
Xi Congyun opened his mouth, struggling to breathe.
His longing for that First-Rank General Star was so deep that no one could comprehend it, but he had never imagined that the candidate for that throne had long since been decided.
Within the clouds of heaven, one powerful existence after another changed color.
The Thunder-Striken Treasure Land was indeed related to the First-Rank General Star.
Is it the First-Rank General Star?
If it is, then this selection of the First-Rank General Star can be called a massive event.
If it is not, could it be that Lu Xunyang has returned?
Ancient existences were all trembling, wanting to see clearly who that blurred figure was.
Overseas, Lu Jianxia, in a green dress, also looked from afar at the cloud and silver screen in Tie Province, staring fixedly.
In the endless distance, Lord Lu, Lord Chen, Lord Ji, and Lord Chi were all watching.
Chen Min was watching, Chen Changyuan was watching, and Lu Ming'an was watching!
"You wish to be the Chief of the General Stars; do you know the weight of the common people?"
A magnificent voice resounded, boundless and solemn, echoing through heaven and earth.
Countless hearts swayed; that was the voice of the Xia Lord Sword, or to be precise, the voice of the Xia Lord.
It was asking a question!
It was asking the figure who had appeared on the throne.
You wish to be the Chief of the General Stars; do you know the weight of the common people?
Indeed!
It really was the General-Bestowal Ceremony for the First-Rank General Star!
All the fog had been lifted!
Xi Congyun's brain reeled; the scene he least wanted to see had appeared!
Li Muyun sneered, First-Rank General Star?
Boring.
But the world was excited, all waiting.
Who is he?
How should he answer?
The weight of the common people!
How would this person understand the weight of the common people?
"The common people are me, and I am the common people!"
A clear voice rang out.
That blurred light and shadow had answered.
Such a familiar voice!
Too familiar!
Many people had heard this voice before; they dared not think about it, yet no one spoke.
They were still bewildered when, immediately after, the next question appeared in their minds.
Was he saying that the common people are himself?
How arrogant!
How unreasonable!
Yet, they saw that figure speak once more:
"The common people are me, and I am the common people; I regard the suffering and joy of the common people as my own suffering and joy, and I regard the safety and danger of the common people as my own safety and danger!"
Boom!
Sword light dispersed, piercing into the clouds, the heavens and earth twisting!
It was the vibration of the Xia Lord Sword, blooming with radiance.
The world watched; had he answered correctly?
Regard the suffering and joy of the common people as my own suffering and joy, and regard the safety and danger of the common people as my own safety and danger.
This...
Some felt their hearts tremble, others watched with eyes strained to the limit.
This voice, this answer, could it be...
Li Muyun was dazed, Yin Youming frowned, but they were not certain, they dared not be certain; it was too terrifying!
Outside the Great Xia.
Lu Jianxia watched from afar, her eyes narrowing.
What a grand ambition!
Who is this person?
Even more arrogant than Chen Yan!
Yet at the next moment, the Xia Lord Sword projected sword light once again.
"If one encounters a desperate situation, how does one choose? Loyalty? Righteousness? The Dao?"
The voice fell, piercing through people's hearts.
Countless people were thinking, questioning how this should be answered.
All the General Stars were also in deep contemplation.
Even seventh-rank, or even eighth-rank powerhouses, were all thinking.
This was a very difficult, yet also very simple question.
Throughout the world, the hearts of countless ambitious people were stirred.
If it were them, they would surely answer firmly.
To persist in oneself even in a desperate situation—this is what it means to be a first-rank General Star!
But that person continued to speak:
"There is no desperate situation in the heart, there is no desperate situation in the world!"
His voice was resonant and powerful, filled with determination; at this moment, he was speaking to the heavens and earth.
He denied this question, he denied the concept of the Xia Lord Sword, denying it from the very beginning.
Because he was saying:
In this world, there has never been a desperate situation!
At this moment, it was as if infinite power descended; the simple words seemed to transform into an endless sea, crashing down upon the human world.
A powerful heart, a powerful person!
Within the hidden void, King Xiachen seemed to have forgotten his current situation.
He was curious.
Who is this person?
This voice, so familiar; he did not want to confirm it, he was trembling—may it absolutely not be that person!
The other party was clearly a first-rank General Star who had been decided upon long ago.
Xia Qi, who exactly did that little sovereign choose to be the first-rank General Star?
Boom!
Sword light rose, auspicious signs fell, flowers rained from the sky, and purple light surged!
The firmament itself was changing.
This was the change caused by his answer.
The entire Qiong Heaven was blooming with radiance!
The world watched; this was the Xia Lord Sword being incomparably satisfied with this person.
It continued until the final moment.
The third question from the Xia Lord Sword!
"If divine power is boundless, can the heart remain unified?"
After this sentence fell.
Throughout the entire Great Xia, everyone stopped what they were doing.
The Prince Consort, far away in Jin Province getting married, stopped his movements.
That young sovereign watched quietly.
Xia Hanzhou was sighing with emotion; he smiled.
On the sea outside the Great Xia, Lu Jianxia narrowed her eyes; she felt a sense of heaviness.
That Great Xia Master Sword was certain this person would obtain divine power in the future!
Great Xia Master Sword felt that this person had the ability to protect a region in the future!
This was a charge, a hope, heavy to the extreme, like mountain ranges, like the vast sea!
She held her breath; how would that person answer?
Everyone was waiting, everyone was watching.
Outside Qin Prefecture, Chen Qi watched from afar, the color of his eyes shifting.
The next moment, the figure on that throne slowly stood up, twisting their head as if surveying the surroundings, looking back at the world.
"The red heart is inextinguishable, the will is immortal!"
The voice fell.
In an instant!
Hum!
Brilliant sword light illuminated the heavens and earth, the world brightened!
The world was in silence, in shock.
Especially in Xiaoyang City, all the soldiers of the Military Guard opened their eyes wide, taking deep breaths.
Li Muyun, Yin Youming, and other star generals stared fixedly.
Red heart!
Immortal!
And that voice!
Chen Yan!
"Immortal!!!"
Someone raised their fist, eyes brimming with hot tears; they opened their mouth wide and roared.
End of Chapter
