Chapter 581

The imperial city of Anyang had collapsed more than half.

Sima Zhengren fell, his blood spraying the heavens; heavy as mountains, droplets of blood rained down from the sky like a sky‑full of bloody meteors, smashing countless palace halls and killing or wounding innumerable eunuchs and palace maids.

Gongyang Sanlü's disciple, the Anyang magistrate governing Anyang City, dispatched many constables who beat gongs and patrolled the streets, loudly proclaiming that assassins of unknown origin intended to murder the Divine Emperor Sima Fa of the Great Jin; the assassins' plot was discovered on the spot by Linghu Qingqing, who then unleashed her divine might and slew all the assassins.

All the assassins had been slain; the Divine Emperor Sima Fa suffered only minor flesh wounds, his life was safe, and he urged the people of Anyang not to worry—the heavens of Great Jin would not fall.

Sima Fa sat stiffly crouched in the sleeping palace, gazing at the solemnly placed head of Sima Zhengren before him.

Sima Zhengren was one of the foundations of the Great Jin Divine State, a master of the Divine Manifestation realm, and the Great Jin imperial clan had paid countless prices to obtain a special permit from the gods, allowing him to reside permanently in Great Jin and protect the imperial clan as a 'legitimate deity'.

But he died just like that.

In Sima Fa's presence, six Divine Manifestation Elders of the Linghu clan joined forces, besieging him with six treasures of national‑artifact grade; within a quarter hour, Sima Zhengren fought to the death without retreat and fell on the spot.

Actually, given the power of the Divine Manifestation realm and the secret divine arts they mastered—especially with national‑artifact protection—Sima Zhengren, if he wished to flee, still had a chance to escape.

Nevertheless, Sima Zhengren fought to the death before Sima Fa against the Linghu Elders.

He gave no ground, staking his life in a desperate struggle.

Sima Zhengren was beheaded, his body utterly destroyed—nothing remained but scorching blood pooling on the ground, not even a fragment. Meanwhile, of the six Linghu Divine Manifestation Elders, two were severely wounded, three lightly wounded, and only one remained completely unharmed.

Among the severely wounded Linghu Elders, one had his entire right chest vanished, another lost his body below the waist entirely; their wounds were shrouded in faint clouds of wind and wind, and from within them could be heard low, resonant bell tolls.

Their wounds were left by the Wind‑Cloud Shocking Heaven Bell.

Such a sonic‑attack peculiar injury is mysterious and hard to fathom; healing it is not so easy.

"Why bother, Your Majesty!" Linghu Qingqing stood before Sima Fa, lowering her head and smiling at him: "You are actually not suited to be an emperor… so why resist? You should realize you cannot turn the tide, and neither can the whole Sima clan."

"Better than suffering to the point of having to bow and surrender, why not… Your Majesty, cooperate with this old servant, you'll suffer less, and I'll treat you as well as possible, how about that?" Linghu Qingqing smiled benevolently: "For instance, hand over the Pagoda Tower you control."

Sima Fa's body twitched; he jerked his head up, opened his mouth, and tried to spit a gob of saliva onto Linghu Qingqing's old face.

Linghu Qingqing reacted instantly; seeing Sima Fa's move, she slapped him without a word, sending him flying, then swung her dragon‑head golden mallet, smashing it down heavily.

Sima Fa let out a strange cry; facing the dragon‑shaped golden light spewing from the dragon‑head golden mallet, the Pagoda Tower within him emitted a low rumble, rose slowly from a halo of cloud‑light, and released countless golden lotuses that shielded Sima Fa.

Tiny lotuses the size of mung beans swirled and danced; the dragon‑shaped golden light shattered one golden lotus after another, while the light itself was continually worn down. Finally, with a muffled thud, the dragon‑shaped golden light struck the Pagoda Tower, which trembled slightly; Sima Fa staggered back several steps and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Such a supreme treasure ending up in the hands of someone like you, a good‑for‑nothing, truly makes this old servant feel… inexplicably moved." Linghu Qingqing shook her head and sighed: "Your Majesty, it is time to cleanse the old dust, break through the stale, push forth the new, and undergo a phoenix‑like rebirth."

Linghu Qingqing smiled at Sima Fa and whispered: "Your Majesty, please trust this old servant; Great Jin… no, the Qingqiu Divine State will surely be a hundred times stronger than Great Jin, perhaps even unify the three kingdoms—who knows?"

Aside from the two severely wounded, the other four Linghu Elders, panting, closed in.

Sima Fa looked desperately at the Linghu clansmen before him… he wanted to resist, but he truly had no strength to do so.

His cultivation was far inferior to Linghu Qingqing and the others—far inferior, indeed—and besides, they had many while he, Sima Fa, was alone. As for the imperial city's guards… well, the guards!

Over the years, the Great Jin imperial city's guards have been weakened again and again by Linghu Qingqing, Gongyang Sanlü and others, leaving hardly any capable personnel.

Over the years, aside from the Commander of the Imperial City's Armies letting the Duke of Yuzhou, 'Huo Xiong,' stir things up a bit—giving a slight improvement—the military forces directly under the Great Jin imperial clan are really lackluster, basically only a handful of cats and dogs, not fit for heavy use.

Now Sima Fa, threatened by Linghu Qingqing, wants to resist but doesn't even have a trusted personal aide.

"Qingqiu Divine State… what an awful name." Sima Fa looked at Linghu Qingqing and sighed: "The Pagoda Tower is the national‑artifact of my Great Jin Divine State… tsk, tsk tsk, this is truly an heirloom artifact left by my Sima ancestors."

Linghu Qingqing smiled, shook her head, and extended her hand to Sima Fa: "But Your Majesty, you cannot keep it…"

Sima Fa gave a "hehe" laugh, fell silent for a moment, then his body 'bang' exploded; a divine fetus wrapped in Blood Light shot into the Pagoda Tower, and the tower burst forth with dazzling Blood Light, its nine stories spewing heavenly golden light and lotuses, shooting straight up like lightning.

In an instant, Sima Fa self‑detonated his body, burning his essence and blood, using all his vital energy to drive the Pagoda Tower, escaping at top speed without a trace.

Above the sleeping palace remained Sima Fa's mocking laugh: "I… have been pampered since childhood, inept… this isn't my fault; from youth, no one taught me how to be a good emperor, as long as I follow my desires."

"So I am truly a foolish ruler, aren't I?"

"But even though I am a foolish ruler, I must be the foremost among foolish rulers… heavens, even if I were a doomed monarch, don't think I'll meekly obey your commands… hehe, being able to cause trouble for you 'loyal ministers and virtuous officials,' to make you later recall me and feel displeased—how could I not feel especially delighted and joyful?"

The strange laughter faded swiftly, leaving only Linghu Qingqing, her face turned green with anger.

He never expected… he truly never imagined that Sima Fa would still have such a staunch side—this really is not like Sima Fa's character at all!

Within Anyang City, in the Gongyang manor, Gongyang Sanlü stood with hands behind his back, chuckling as he watched a golden light shoot up from the imperial city and race into the sky.

"Rather break than yield—truly, I never expected our Majesty to be so staunch at heart." Gongyang Sanlü laughed brightly: "Good, my Gongyang fief can now gain dozens more prefectures. Linghu Qingqing and I have a wager: he will be able to bring all three imperial national artifacts under his control."

"Without the three Great Jin national artifacts as symbols, how could he prove to the people that he is legitimate, reasonable, lawful, in accord with Heaven and ethics, and the rightful heir to the Great Jin Divine State's mandate?"

"Without the three Great Jin national artifacts as proof, winning the people's hearts would have to rely on my help—granting the Gongyang household dozens more prefectures as hard‑earned reward, which is only natural and proper."

Gongyang Sanlü laughed brightly, especially brightly.

He rubbed his palms and gently said to Gongyang Shenxing standing beside him: "Shenxing, the Ancient Armory was taken from your hands; now, take it back."

Previously at the Ancient Armory, Gongyang Shenxing had been badly beaten, his divine fetus further injured by innate Geng‑metal qi; without three to five years, his wounds would be hard to heal. Even after returning to the Gongyang household, and despite Gongyang Sanlü giving him fine elixirs for recuperation, Gongyang Shenxing's current power is at most one percent of his former strength—about that of a half‑step Embryo Storage realm.

Moreover, his skin turned a pale gold, like parchment; his breath was weak, his body thin and withered, seeming as if a breeze could blow him away—he looked pitiable.

Only his pair of eyes grew ever brighter, like two tiny night‑pearls, emitting a 'cling‑cling' gleam even in broad daylight.

Having heard Gongyang Sanlü's words, Gongyang Shenxing respectfully received the seal, bowed deeply to Gongyang Sanlü, and said: "Ancestor, rest assured, this time…"

Gongyang Sanlü gave a slight smile, waved his hand: "No need for harsh words; let things take their natural course… Linghu Qingqing will soon move to purge those loyal to the imperial clan; the Duke of Yuzhou will have no time to protect himself. This seal was forged by our Gongyang ancestors over dozens of generations."

"It… can command the Sun‑Golden Shuttle hanging in the heavens of the Great Jin Divine State above, and below direct the ancient primordial god‑forged weapons of the Ancient Armory; with this seal in hand, it's as if our house had gained several more national artifacts." Gongyang Sanlü smiled warmly: "So go ahead boldly; this time there will be absolutely no mistake."

"It…… can control the Sun Golden Shuttle hanging high in the heavens of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom above, and can command all the ancient primordial divine soldiers forged by the Ancient Armory…… With this seal in hand, it is as if our family has gained several national treasures to carry about." Gongyang Sanlü smiled benevolently: "So, go ahead boldly and do it; this time, there will absolutely be no mistake."

This seal not only controls the Sun‑Golden Shuttle suspended in the heavens of the Great Jin Divine State and the ancient god‑weapons forged in the Ancient Armory; its greater value lies in its ability to command every spatial gate, every transmission array, and every city‑defense inhibition of all sizes within the Great Jin Divine State.

Even any warship manufactured in the workshops of the Ministry of Works will be fully subject to this seal's control.

The Gongyang clan has held the Great Jin civil bureaucracy for many years; especially six thousand years ago, after the Eastern Palace incident, Gongyang Sanlü's authority surged, and together with Linghu Qingqing they directly hollowed out the Sima clan's imperial power.

Six thousand years is enough for the Gongyang clan to have sorted through all institutions related to permits, formations, runes, and inhibitions within their authority.

Six thousand years is enough for the Gongyang clan to sort out all institutions related to formations, talismans, and prohibitions within the scope of his authorized authority.

Consider that the head of the Great Jin Ministry of Works is a disciple of Gongyang Sanlü; all the repair and construction of the nation's cities, and the vast majority of industries tied to formations, runes, and inhibitions, are under the Ministry of Works' control…

Even the construction of many major canals within Great Jin, the dredging of natural rivers, and the building of massive dikes on great rivers—all come from the Ministry of Works.

The seal that Gongyang Sanlü gave to Gongyang Shenxing can be called the Great Jin Divine State's death gate.

The seal that Gongyang Sanlü handed over to Gongyang Shenxing can be called the death gate of the Divine State of Great Jin.

If Gongyang Sanlü truly had destructive intentions, a single thought would turn the entire Da Jin Divine Kingdom into a realm of ghosts and monsters.

Linghu Qingqing, you hold military power, and your subordinates are nothing but brave fellows who kill and set fires…… So what? To control the world, reliance has never been on brute strength, but on the mind…… on wisdom…… You perhaps have a bit of wisdom, but compared to this old man……

Gongyang Sanlü smiled, waved his hand, and had Gongyang Shenxing hold the seal he had named the 'Heavenly Net Seal' and leave.

In the air, two vague figures flickered, then closely followed behind Gongyang Shenxing.

Those two figures stood over five meters tall, over two zhang high, burly builds, their bodies suffused with killing intent…… Clearly, they were the barbarian god spirits that Wu Tie had seen when trading with Xi Qi, Sheng Yao, and others.

Gongyang Sanlü, he actually could command two barbarian gods as bodyguards for Gongyang Shenxing!

"Life, lonely as snow…… This cup, a toast to you!" Gongyang Sanlü smiled, took out a wine pot from his sleeve, two small wine cups, poured two cups of fine wine, and handed one to a lovely young lady who walked out from the pavilion beside him.

The young lady was gentle as water, carefully receiving the wine cup that Gongyang Sanlü handed over.

From her appearance, she should clearly be the Yinyuer that Linghu Qingqing had carefully raised in a private garden outside the city; heaven knows why she would appear here.

Yinyuer drank the wine in the cup, then leaned into Gongyang Shenxing's embrace, smiling as she called out: "Foster father……"

Gongyang Sanlü gently stroked Yinyuer's hair bun, softly saying: "These years, you've worked hard…… Hmm, your cultivation of the 'Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Myriad Transformations Demon Classic' should also have reached its final leap, transforming from a little fish into a divine dragon, right?"

"Hehe, with your disappearance this time, this old man is curious—what will that old fox think, what will he do?"

"If he could rebel for your sake…… Hmm, just thinking about it, this old man finds it amusing, so amusing!"

Gongyang Shenxing selected his attendants, preparing to go to the Ancient Armaments Bureau to 'recover lost territory'; inside the main hall of the Ancient Armaments Bureau, Wu Tie and Lao Tie laughed loudly, lightly patting the huge iron skull floating before them.

"Lao Tie, within the Ancient Armaments Bureau there are over ten million giant god warriors in storage, over ten million activated and ready for battle at any moment. The materials in the warehouse, if built at full speed, can increase the number of these giant god warriors a hundredfold in an extremely short time."

"Lao Tie, thank you for your effort; I need all the giant god warriors, whether completed or not, to be entirely ours."

Lao Tie's eyes flickered with a faint red light; he could not wait any longer and let out a loud roar.

"Too simple…… These fellows' production line is backward, with extremely low efficiency…… Moreover…… many parts have been cut down, and some functions have even been artificially shut down."

"Let me control these giant god warriors; give me fifteen minutes, and all the completed giant god warriors will be ours."

"Three days; give me enough materials, and I can increase the Ancient Armaments Bureau's construction capacity tenfold, and the combat strength of the giant god warriors produced will be at least ten times greater than now."

"Hmm, and those main cannons outside—what a bunch of junk? They're a waste of materials, completely a waste."

"Leave it to me, leave it to me…… Ah, I have finally found it, the meaning of my existence."

Lao Tie trembled violently, then turned into a puddle of silver liquid that merged into the ground.

The Ancient God Soldier Camp under Lao Tie's control began to rapidly merge with the various buildings and workshops inside the Ancient Armaments Bureau.