Chapter 181: Better to Die Standing Than Kneel to Live

Above the periphery of the Tianlang Sect, a brilliant Heavenly River Map slowly unfolded.

The majestic energy within it rippled and flowed, looking vaguely as if the Milky Way above the nine heavens had fallen into the human world, magnificent and spectacular.

This was the Star River Array opened by True Person Chiyuan and Master Shangren Qingxu, with the two Sage Realm cultivators erupting with absolute power at the same time.

Thousands of officers and soldiers nearby were already prepared, just waiting for the moment the Tianlang Sect's protective formation was opened.

It was rare to have a chance to perform in front of Li Chen, and this was catching remnants of the previous dynasty, clearly having merit to pick up, so they were all excited.

And the officers and soldiers who could come here were all very strong among the officers and soldiers, belonging to the elite of Shanghe City, just to ensure there were no fish that slipped through the net.

There was also that rogue cultivator Zhang Yang who reported the news, waiting nearby, preparing to lead the way.

This heaven-splashing resource was about to descend upon him.

With these resources, he would definitely be able to break through his limits, and even exchange for some benefits.

The reason Zhang Yang discovered that the Tianlang Sect was harboring remnants of the previous dynasty was still because of the strange things he encountered while exploring in the surrounding mountains.

At that time, his team encountered an attack by a powerful evil cultivator.

Someone in the team went to find reinforcements nearby and found a team from the Tianlang Sect, an elder leading more than ten disciples in training.

At that time, he was seriously injured and didn't follow the team to eliminate the evil cultivator.

Later, when he returned to the city, Zhang Yang found that the people in his team hadn't returned.

And after asking around, the team from the Tianlang Sect had already returned to the sect.

He suspected that this group of people might be accomplices of the evil cultivator who killed his teammates.

But there was no evidence, and as a rogue cultivator, if he went to the Zixiao Tiangong to report, they wouldn't accept it, not to mention going to the government office to report; the government office at that time couldn't manage sect cultivators.

If those people from the Tianlang Sect knew, they might even retaliate against him.

This dark past had been hidden in Zhang Yang's heart.

He wasn't a son of destiny; many things couldn't be changed.

The cruel competition of the cultivation world was just like this; there was no fairness to speak of, nor was there any so-called justice, only the law of the jungle.

Until today, the imperial court issued a reward, and coupled with seeing the strength of this Emperor Li Chen with his own eyes, he simply went directly to the City Supervisor's government office to report the case.

Zhang Yang thought to himself: Brothers, finally found a chance to avenge you!

He didn't think he would fail this time because this was a crushing game.

Zhang Yang alone definitely couldn't deal with the Tianlang Sect before; the Tianlang Sect had several Heavenly Abyss Realm powerhouses.

A sect of this level, in front of a rogue cultivator like Zhang Yang, was a behemoth.

But now, with three Sage Realm powerhouses personally arriving, the Tianlang Sect, let alone being unable to turn the tide, even if that founder was resurrected, would have no way.

Many rogue cultivators were like Xiao Ming before, drifting from place to place, just having a goal.

Now Zhang Yang also began to realize that he was a subject of the May Tian Ce Dynasty, and relying on the power of the official authorities could still solve many things.

He decided that after this incident ended, he would mix into a position in Shanghe City, so he wouldn't have to continue living that life of having a meal today but not tomorrow.

The reason Zhang Yang and other ordinary cultivators wanted to join the system was because the May Tian Ce Dynasty had such a strong Emperor like Li Chen.

At this moment, Li Chen, riding on the Holy Tiger, was sizing up this special formation with great interest, lost in thought.

Lin Lin Yue'e beside him was stunned; was this the strength of the Sage Realm?

To say how favored she was by Li Chen, she was sitting on the Holy Tiger, which was beside Li Chen.

Li Chen even explained to her: "The formation of the Tianlang Sect is opened by the alternation of the sun and moon; now it is daytime, this formation is simulating the night sky, accelerating the alternation of the sun and moon, which can cleverly trigger the conditions for opening; can you guess why Master Shangren Qingxu wants to do this?"

Li Chen was like Lin Lin Yue'e's master, telling her some solutions and then letting her ponder some herself.

Lin Lin Yue'e pondered for a moment and said: "Master Shangren Qingxu has old ties with the Tianlang Sect; this formation is just normally opening the protective formation of the Tianlang Sect, rather than directly destroying it; I estimate that he came personally, also not hoping that the Tianlang Sect would be destroyed because of this."

Hearing her say this, Li Chen nodded.

In fact, with the strength of the three of them, destroying the protective formation of the Tianlang Sect directly wouldn't be a big problem.

The cultivation world is not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships.

Why did Master Shangren Qingxu force out his love story with the former He He Zongzhu of the Tianlang Sect on the way here? Wasn't it to pave the way for the next things?

At this moment, inside the Tianlang Sect, it was already in chaos.

Feeling the changes in the protective formation, the inside was also shaking, as if the end of the world was coming.

Because no one from the Tianlang Sect went out today, and those who went out a few days ago hadn't returned, so they didn't know what happened at all.

The He He Zongzhu of the Tianlang Sect was now furious; who was so bold as to destroy the sect's formation?

With the sound of a bell, more than a hundred people from the Tianlang Sect gathered.

Disciples and elders stood in the sect's main hall.

The voice of the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu echoed in the sect's main hall, carrying unquestionable majesty: "Today, someone dared to destroy the protective formation of my Tianlang Sect! This is a provocation to our Tianlang Sect! I demand that you, with the strongest posture, give those who don't know the height of heaven and earth some color to see!"

Disciples and elders were filled with righteous indignation, one by one rubbing their hands, their eyes flashing with ruthless light.

They all expressed that they wanted to make those who dared to provoke the Tianlang Sect pay the price and let them know the power of the Tianlang Sect.

The reason the Tianlang Sect people were so arrogant was because they felt that relying on the relationship between the former He He Zongzhu and Master Shangren Qingxu, no one dared to easily provoke the Tianlang Sect.

The Yuxu Immortal Mansion was one of the two largest sect forces in this area, and Master Shangren Qingxu was a Sage Realm cultivator.

The disciples of the Tianlang Sect were training outside, but except for the disciples of the Yuxu Immortal Mansion, they didn't put others in their eyes.

Coupled with the fact that the Tianlang Sect had a powerful Harmony Pulse Array, it was invincible!

They would never think about who was dismantling their sect's protective formation.

Following the He He Zongzhu's order, more than a hundred people from the Tianlang Sect came mightily to the mountain gate.

They were aggressive, and the pulse array was surging.

This was the collective Harmony Pulse Array of the Tianlang Sect, showing it like a fierce ancient giant wolf, tearing apart all enemies!

However, when they saw the scene in front of them, everyone was stunned.

The protective formation had already been opened, and standing outside the formation was Master Shangren Qingxu, whom they thought would stand on their side!

Master Shangren Qingxu smiled, his gaze deep, as if everything was under his control, or rather, within the expectation of his Taoist companion.

And standing beside him were two other Sage Realm powerhouses, as well as a majestic Holy Tiger.

The surroundings were filled with thousands of officers and soldiers, each of them ready for battle, emitting a powerful aura.

The Harmony Pulse Array erupted by thousands of officers and soldiers was like heavenly soldiers descending, majestic and powerful!

At this moment, the people of the Tianlang Sect felt unprecedented shock.

Especially the He He Zongzhu of the Tianlang Sect, he had a feeling of being choked.

Because at this time, if he encountered a strong enemy, he would definitely report Master Shangren Qingxu's name to scare away others.

But the problem was, Master Shangren Qingxu was on the opposite side; he couldn't use Master Shangren Qingxu's name to scare him himself, right?

Moreover, the one on the Holy Tiger looked even more powerful than Master Shangren Qingxu, making the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu feel awe at a glance.

The ancient giant wolf phantom shown by their Harmony Pulse Array was as weak as a puppy in front of Li Chen.

The face of the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu turned iron-blue, and he asked with a trembling voice: "Master Shangren Qingxu, you... what do you mean by this? Why do you want to help outsiders to dismantle the protective formation of my Tianlang Sect?"

Master Shangren Qingxu smiled slightly and said: "Do you know how big the mistake you made today is? You are harboring remnants of the previous dynasty; this is being an enemy of the entire May Tian Ce Dynasty; as a subject of the May Tian Ce Dynasty, I naturally cannot sit idly by."

If these words hadn't come from Master Shangren Qingxu's mouth, the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu would definitely think he was dreaming.

Didn't you always consider yourself an immortal, why did you start being a subject?

And where are the remnants of the previous dynasty? Why don't I know?

Seeing the confused look of the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu, Master Shangren Qingxu was afraid he would say something disrespectful, so he continued: "This one is the Emperor of our May Tian Ce Dynasty; if you have any grievances, you can tell him, and His Majesty will definitely preside over justice for you."

Master Shangren Qingxu had been hinting here; it could be said that it was all acting from beginning to end.

He said so many words just to tell the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu that this Sage Realm powerhouse who was stronger than him was the current Emperor, and he was here to investigate the remnants of the previous dynasty; if you don't want to be punished, hurry up and express your stance, which is to tell the "grievances."

Hearing this, the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu suddenly realized; he really didn't know who the remnants of the previous dynasty were. Because in the sect, they were all elders and disciples who cultivated orthodox techniques.

But he knew that if he didn't admit his mistake at this time, he would probably be in trouble.

Plop!

This kneel of the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu could be said to be crisp and neat.

He kowtowed repeatedly, his voice carrying a tremor: "Your Majesty, the commoner really didn't know that there were remnants of the previous dynasty hidden in the sect, but the commoner is willing to fully cooperate with Your Majesty's investigation to prove his innocence; the commoner has always been a loyal subject of the May Tian Ce Dynasty and will definitely do his part for the stability of the dynasty."

As soon as the words fell, an elder suddenly stood out; he was full of anger, pointed at the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu and shouted: "He He Zongzhu, how can you kneel to the enemy so easily? Do you still remember the ancestral teachings of the Tianlang Sect founder? Better to die standing than kneel to live! When did our Tianlang Sect become so cowardly?"

As soon as this elder finished speaking, he saw his figure flash and attacked Li Chen, clearly wanting to offend Li Chen directly and let the Tianlang Sect bear the Emperor's anger.

The Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu saw this and was furious in his heart; he didn't expect this elder to make trouble at this time, and even more didn't expect the other party to use the method of attacking Li Chen to drag him into the water.

However, this was also an opportunity.

"You thief, you dare to attack His Majesty here!" The Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu shouted angrily, his figure also flashed, and he fought with that elder.

For a time, the Tianlang Sect was in chaos, and the energy fluctuations caused by the two powerhouses fighting made the surrounding buildings tremble.

!

And the other disciples and elders were divided into two factions, one supporting the He He Zongzhu, and the other supporting that elder, both sides fighting back and forth, unable to distinguish the winner.

Their Harmony Pulse Arrays were like two giant waves biting each other.

The officers and soldiers originally thought that the next step would be a bloody battle to wash the Tianlang Sect, but they didn't expect the Tianlang Sect to fight among themselves first. They looked at each other, and for a time, they were somewhat at a loss.

That expression seemed to say: You guys fight among yourselves, where are we supposed to snatch merit?

Coming from thousands of miles away, we can't just come for nothing.

Three Sage Realm powerhouses in the team, this is a smooth game that is rare in a thousand years; is it so hard to pick up some heads!

Li Chen saw this and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't expect the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu to be so sensible and react so quickly.

Being able to be a He He Zongzhu, his brain must still be okay.

The Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu was fearless of death; this was a must; for the glory of the sect, he could die.

But it didn't mean he was willing to go to his death.

Master Shangren Qingxu was hinting that the Emperor was here to catch remnants of the previous dynasty and had nothing to do with him.

He didn't have to fight the Emperor for the remnants of the previous dynasty.

If Li Chen just wanted to destroy the Tianlang Sect, the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu would definitely swear to protect the sect.

"It seems that the Tianlang Sect also has awareness," Li Chen said softly, his gaze always watching the battle in the field, just like watching a play.

Lin Lin Yue'e looked at the scene in front of her with surprise; she didn't expect things to develop like this.

However, she also quickly understood Li Chen's intention; this was giving the Tianlang Sect a chance to let them solve the problem themselves.

It could also be said that Li Chen gave Master Shangren Qingxu face; after all, his Taoist companion was the former He He Zongzhu of the Tianlang Sect.

As the battle continued, the casualties in the Tianlang Sect were also constantly increasing.

Although that elder's strength was not bad, he was ultimately unable to fight four hands with two fists, and was finally subdued by the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu and several other elders.

After the battle ended, the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu stood in the field covered in blood, but a trace of a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

He looked at Li Chen, his voice carrying a hint of gratitude: "Your Majesty, the commoner has already caught this rebel; he is very likely an accomplice of the remnants of the previous dynasty; please indicate, how should he be disposed of next?"

Li Chen nodded slightly, a trace of appreciation revealed in his gaze: "You did very well, then I will no longer pursue your responsibility for harboring remnants of the previous dynasty, but you still need to fully cooperate with the investigation to ensure that there are no more hiding places for remnants of the previous dynasty in the Tianlang Sect."

Hearing Li Chen's words, the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu felt relieved in his heart; he hurriedly kowtowed to thank him: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your magnanimity; the commoner will definitely do his best to contribute to the stability of the May Tian Ce Dynasty."

Saying this, he even deliberately performed acting, his face full of loyalty!

Next, it was Lin Lin Yue'e's turn to appear; she took the officers and soldiers to suppress the group that lost the fight and let the Tianlang Sect He He Zongzhu and others go back to cooperate with the investigation.

Following the start of this incident, major sects in the surrounding area of Shanghe City were all investigating remnants of the previous dynasty, and the cultivation families inside Shanghe City were also gradually screening.

The late Emperor had laid out here for a long time, even spending quite a bit of manpower and material resources, fighting wits and courage with the remnants of the previous dynasty.

But the result was not as good as Li Chen coming here for a stroll, which could make the cultivation families the late Emperor felt were not listening to commands, and the sects that disobeyed the imperial order, start to actively help investigate.

For a time, a craze for catching remnants of the previous dynasty set off in the west of the May Tian Ce Dynasty.

In the eyes of those powerful cultivators, remnants of the previous dynasty were much easier to catch than demonic beasts; they were walking resources!

Imperial Capital of the May Tian Ce Dynasty, Ministry of Justice government office.

After this period of investigation, Pang Jin began to collect evidence of the Wang family harboring remnants of the previous dynasty.

But the problem was, there was always a lack of relatively direct evidence.

Because it was a secret investigation, the progress of the entire Ministry of Justice's investigation was very slow.

When Xiao Ming pushed open the door and came to the room where he worked, Pang Jin knew that this kid should have discovered something.

That's right, this guy Xiao Ming, whose luck was heaven-defying, really discovered clues about the Wang family.

If there were no accidents, Xiao Ming also discovered it by accident.

These past few days, he was actually not doing his proper job, acting as a lick-dog at the Fire Fighting Academy.

That teacher named Xia Qing at the Fire Fighting Academy was one of the few women he had seen who could be mentioned in the same breath as Chu Chu Ruoyan in terms of beauty.

But the problem was, Xia Qing's first impression of Xiao Ming was not good, and she didn't have the idea of wanting to know Xiao Ming.

So Xiao Ming's lick-dog problem flared up, and he was inquiring about Xia Qing's news at the Fire Fighting Academy.

At this time, he passed by and encountered a conflict of fighting among disciples of the Fighting Academy.

As a government official, he definitely had to go up to mediate the problem.

Among them was a Fighting Academy disciple who claimed to be from the Wang family, shouting for the other party to wait to be cleaned up; the other party was also not afraid at all, saying he was from the General Zhen Dong's mansion, and if he had the guts, he should come.

Mentioning the Wang family, Xiao Ming remembered that he seemed to have to investigate the Wang family.

After the mediation ended, he secretly followed this Wang family disciple.

The Wang family disciple was resentful and came to a mysterious place.

It looked like a money shop, but it actually had mysteries; it was a place for underground boxing, where the powerful gambled and took pleasure in it.

The Wang family disciple should have come here to find helpers for revenge because those who fought underground boxing were basically very ruthless.

But Xiao Ming saw that there were actually several remnants of the previous dynasty on the Ministry of Justice's wanted list here.

In his view, perhaps this place was the location for harboring remnants of the previous dynasty.

In order not to startle the snake, Xiao Ming secretly came back.

In the final analysis, Xiao Ming slid for many days, just followed a Wang family disciple unintentionally, and found the remnants of the previous dynasty.

Faster than the investigation progress of the entire Ministry of Justice.

Next, he only needed to find out the ownership of the money shop, and then follow the vine to find the evidence.

"You did well; if others in the Ministry of Justice had half your effort, it would be good."

Pang Jin praised Xiao Ming without stinting; Xiao Ming was the person with the fastest investigation progress under his command.

Xiao Ming was also somewhat embarrassed; he didn't make any effort, who knew he could still investigate it.

As for how the Crown Prince died, directly copying the Wang family might reveal it.

The single charge of harboring remnants of the previous dynasty is already enough to have the Wang family executed.

Next, he only needed to wait for Li Chen to return from Shanghe City, and he could start taking action.

At that time, the Imperial Capital would be the real blood flowing like a river!

At the same time, Li Chen had already arrived near the Yunluo Mountain Range to attend this alliance meeting of the Zixiao Tiangong.

This meeting was normal on the surface, a meeting for alliance members to connect feelings.

But the undercurrents were surging, and everyone had their own ghosts!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 182 =====