Chapter 155: Capture the Thief by First Capturing the King!

When the Jie brothers began their charge.

Everyone felt that the Zhou King's decisive strike this time was doomed to failure.

For who are the Jie brothers? In the world's eyes, they are generals fierce as ghosts and gods!

Or to put it another way, they are figures like Xu Chu and Dian Wei, possessing a ferocity forged from killing!

Therefore, when Jie Da's great halberd lifted the Zhou King's body, almost everyone turned their heads away in unbearable dread, as if not wanting to witness that gruesome scene of the sovereign being assassinated.

However.

The next moment, a shocking change occurred!

"Roar—"

Along with several dragon chants, people discovered in incomparable shock that several majestic dragon-shaped undulations had actually appeared above Gu Xuan, visible to the naked eye!

This seems to be a phenomenon that naturally manifests after cultivating the Great Zhou Divine King Art to an extremely high realm.

In the past, when the Great Zhou High Ancestor conquered all under heaven, he displayed this very phenomenon more than once, known to every Great Zhou citizen.

And not only that.

Gu Xuan extended his left hand, grasped Jie Da's Fangtian Huaji, and actually snapped it in two with raw force.

Such a divinely awe-inspiring scene left Jie Da and the others, who were at close range, dumbstruck, their faces revealing unconcealable disbelief.

You must know, that was a great halberd forged from refined iron, thick and incomparably hard, and with the Zhou King's current posture, there was simply no way to leverage force.

There is only one possibility: that Gu Xuan, with his own grip strength, forcibly achieved this, which is terrifying.

And Jie Da and Jie Er are indeed peerless fierce generals one in ten thousand; years of slaughter have long made them incomparably ferocious.

Even though Gu Xuan is the Zhou King and displayed such mighty power, these two still roared and charged forward in rage.

Jie Da's Fangtian Huaji already broken, he casually drew a great saber from his side and cleaved down head-on.

Jie Er, meanwhile, swung a giant axe, roaring as he advanced, hacking horizontally; if it connected, a generation's Zhou King would become two halves.

They are both death warriors the Sima Family has raised for many years; their eyes hold only the Sima clan — even if the one to be killed is the sovereign of the Great Zhou Dynasty, they do not hesitate in the slightest.

Indeed, the so-called thousands of years of royal prestige, the so-called ruler-subject righteousness, at the critical moment, are still not as important as one's own martial force.

If it were an ordinary Zhou King, or one with slightly lesser martial strength, they would likely have died like Cao Mao.

However, the one they face is Gu Xuan.

Only to see his face calm, his eyes devoid of joy or sorrow, as if facing not some world-shaking fierce general, but merely taking a leisurely stroll.

In the blink of an eye, he swung his right fist.

*Clang clang* two sounds, the great saber and giant axe in the Jie brothers' hands snapped, and then they flew backward, directly piercing through their respective refined steel armor, stabbing into their respective bodies.

The Jie brothers groaned in pain, staggering back.

So many years have passed; it has always been they who severely wounded opponents — when had they ever imagined they themselves would suffer such agony.

And looking ahead, they saw the Zhou King's gaze indifferent, his face cold and ruthless.

The Jie brothers instantly lost even the strength to speak; the person before them seemed to be the master of the world, holding the power of life and death, the sole king!

Cannot resist, must not resist!

And the next instant.

A fist intent boomed forth, carrying a qi that sweeps all before it; the sky completely darkened, as if all light had been absorbed away; besides that, between heaven and earth there was no other thing, no self, no other!

In the entire wide street battlefield, all four directions fell silent; all warring sides stopped fighting, staring dumbstruck at the central scene.

Even the common battle cries, clamor, and such anomalies were absent!

That one fist intent — only purity, only brilliance, only the intent arriving before the fist!

Led by the Jie brothers, along with Sima Gu and the others commanding behind them, all the Sima clan soldiers felt a stabbing pain at their brow centers, even their souls shaken.

The Jie brothers subconsciously wanted to raise their hands to block slightly, yet both became slow, watching helplessly as the fist intent rushed upon them!

It was an enormous shadow; no matter how they moved, they could not walk out of it!

"Boom!"

The Jie brothers, men and armor together, along with the remaining half-sections of weapons in their hands, were all reduced to fragments, blood mist filling the sky!

The dozens of Sima Family death warriors behind them met the exact same fate, dead beyond dead.

Starting from directly in front of Gu Xuan, a clear sweep, emptying a large area, countless severed limbs and broken bones.

Such a bloody, gruesome, yet grand scene shocked everyone present.

"This... is this still divine might achievable by human power?!"

"His Majesty the Zhou King, has he actually cultivated the Great Zhou Divine King Art to such a level in utter silence?!"

"So this is the Great Zhou Divine King Art — the High Ancestor His Majesty back then was merely like this."

Since the Great Zhou High Ancestor, this land has been in the End of Dharma Era for many years; forget someone like him, a peerless fierce man who is an enemy to a thousand, even ordinary martial artists are rarely seen.

Like the two brothers Jie Da and Jie Er, they are fierce generals like Xu Chu and Dian Wei, yet they are merely enemies to dozens at most.

Many even believe that the historical records describing the High Ancestor as so ferocious and brave must be exaggeration, only to set off his sanctity.

And now.

Who would have thought that the Current Zhou King His Majesty, who seemed a puppet, actually succeeded in cultivation, and is tyrannically strong to such a degree!

The other side.

Sima Gu, at the very center of the Central Forbidden Army formation, already had eyes splitting with rage, shocked beyond measure.

He never imagined that the Zhou King who previously looked incomparably frail, only knowing how to meekly comply, was actually such a ruthless character.

Silently soundlessly cultivating the High Ancestor's legacy, reaching such a supreme level, yet deceiving everyone, until this moment truly revealing divine might.

Sima Gu has already begun to sweat cold; for the first time in his life he felt a certain lethal threat, because Gu Xuan has already locked his gaze on him, like the gaze of death.

But he is indeed a ruthless figure of the Sima Family, second only to Sima Shang.

On one hand, he personally activated over a thousand elite Central Forbidden Army subordinates to surround Gu Xuan, intending to crush him with numerical superiority.

On the other hand, he dispatched the trusted School Captains from his side, ordering them to spur their mounts toward the General's Mansion, to report the situation here and demand that heavy reinforcements be sent as quickly as possible to suppress it.

Obviously.

In his view, the current Zhou King was probably no longer someone his thousand-odd Central Forbidden Army soldiers could subdue.

It was just a pity that Sima Gu had still underestimated Gu Xuan's current strength.

The next moment.

One saw Gu Xuan reach out and grasp the void; a current of Qi surged up, and from the chariot beneath his feet he seized a Square Heaven Painted Halberd over a zhang long, far more majestic than Jie Da's.

Such a miraculous scene was naturally witnessed by all the surrounding onlookers, and they all let out cries of alarm — this resembled the legendary Dragon-Seizing Skill.

And this was not even the main point.

The main point was that this Square Heaven Painted Halberd in Gu Xuan's hand was precisely the personal weapon the Great Zhou High Ancestor used when he pacified All Under Heaven.

This moment.

Combined with Gu Xuan's Peerless Mighty Power of a one-man-army, and that suit of armor, that Square Heaven Painted Halberd, it instantly made everyone's eyes go straight, even their breathing seemed to halt.

Without a doubt, this was almost like Emperor Gaozu reappearing!

Even the thousand-odd Central Forbidden Army soldiers under Sima Gu's command were the same, falling into a trance as if witnessing a miracle.

No other reason: the Great Zhou High Ancestor possessed outstanding talent and grand strategy, martial power unrivaled in the world; he rose from nothing, campaigned east and west, those he struck shattered, those he faced submitted, undefeated in his lifetime, and on this land where alien races ran rampant, he founded the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Now, from Gu Xuan's body, people saw that kind of majestic bearing that surveys All Under Heaven.

And the situation did not stop there.

Just as everyone was stunned for a split second, Gu Xuan seized without hesitation that fleeting instant.

"Drive!"

He gave a loud shout, drove the chariot forward, and taking advantage of the space cleared by the deaths of the Jie Da and Jie Er brothers and the others, he forcibly advanced another ten-odd meters.

At this time, the distance between him and Sima Gu, who was in the midst of the layered Central Forbidden Army encirclement, was already less than twenty meters.

Such a ferocious scene left everyone gaping in astonishment.

What does His Majesty the Zhou King intend to do? Could he be planning to charge the formation alone?!

This clearly looked like a suicide mission, because before him were fully over a thousand Elite Forbidden Army troops, all in heavy armor with sharp weapons, bristling with spears as they advanced.

This moment.

Clad in armor, Sima Gu looked at Gu Xuan's cold, indifferent eyes from not far away, and a feeling involuntarily arose in his heart, as if an ant facing an azure dragon.

He was clearly also a fierce general capable of slaying enemy commanders and capturing flags, and had so many soldiers supporting him around, yet it was still like this.

And immediately after.

Gu Xuan did not pause in the slightest, still driving the two-horse chariot straight toward the military formation where Sima Gu was.

Judging by the situation, he actually intended to force his way through.

The many Forbidden Army soldiers were momentarily shaken in heart and mind, not daring to truly thrust their ge-dagger-axes at His Majesty the Zhou King, for Gu Xuan's previous performance had truly astonished them all.

Therefore.

For a time, the thousand-man Forbidden Army Great Array actually slowly retreated because of Gu Xuan alone, even showing a faint trend of collapse.

Of course.

This only lasted a few breaths.

Because the Sima Clan had after all held power for over a decade, and had long since planted many dead soldiers and confidants in the Forbidden Army to serve as mid-level School Captains.

Under the stern rebukes of Sima Gu himself, and the many confidant officers around him, the many soldiers only then halted their retreating steps, and ultimately still used a human wall and ge-dagger-axes to block Gu Xuan's advancing pace.

However.

Even so, the distance between Gu Xuan and Sima Gu was already less than ten meters.

It was right at this moment!

Gu Xuan suddenly let out a loud roar, leapt up, and with a whoosh vaulted over those dozens of shields, even stepping on a Forbidden Army soldier's shoulder mid-air.

In the time it takes a rabbit to rise and a falcon to swoop, there was a kind of breathtaking peerless beauty, and also a perfect embodiment of power and speed!

Finally, he landed before Sima Gu's warhorse.

Such an inconceivable scene once again shattered everyone's eyeballs.

This... is this still power and speed a human can possess? It simply exceeds everyone's imagination.

Too Divine Aura!

Only now did the crowd feel that the Great Zhou Emperor Gaozu of old was perhaps also like this; otherwise it would absolutely be impossible to Sweep All and pacify All Under Heaven.

"Protect the General!"

Sima Gu's close guards reacted quickly enough, immediately surrounding and attacking, but they were already swept away by Gu Xuan's横戟.

Fully dozens of Elite Forbidden Army guards, not a single one could block this strike, all swept off their horses.

"You..."

Sima Gu's pupils contracted, his heart turning cold with fear; he only had time to wave the long sword in his hand and was about to shout, but was already struck head-on by Gu Xuan wielding the Square Heaven Painted Halberd, directly knocked off his horse.

After that.

He, who was originally also a fierce general, was tossed to the ground by Gu Xuan like picking up a chick; though not dead, he could no longer move.

Merely two moves, and Sima Gu along with his loyal guards were thus captured by Gu Xuan.

The gap is too great; this is not power of the same Tier!

"Today's matter: only execute the chief culprit the Sima Family; do not question the coerced followers!"

The moment after tossing down Sima Gu, Gu Xuan gave a loud roar, his voice resounding through the entire street market, like thunder piercing the ears, shaking everyone.

Capture the Thief First Capture the King!

This is Gu Xuan's strategy.

And his awe-inspiring divine might, his bearing like a celestial deity, also left the crowd — including the Forbidden Army soldiers — Mu Xian Shen Li, as if they all saw a powerful and Iron-blooded monarch Rising!

Among Gu Xuan's original retinue, there was no lack of loyal and courageous men either; braving countless spears and lances, they came to stand behind him, bolstering his momentum.

At this moment of treacherous and unpredictable change.

The two Partial Generals of the Central Forbidden Army under Sima Gu were the Sima Clan's die-hard confidants; even though Sima Gu had been captured, they still refused to give up.

They shouted loudly, intending to reorganize the Forbidden Army whose morale had somewhat scattered, and to form a defensive formation to hold their ground while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive.

But Gu Xuan obviously would not give them the opportunity.

He once again employed the miraculous Dragon-Capturing Skill, seizing two short spears in his hands, then threw them one by one, killing the two Partial Generals.

With this move.

All the Forbidden Army present thoroughly lost their backbone; even some hidden Sima Clan dead soldiers dared not act rashly, for otherwise it would certainly be a dead end.

As ordinary soldiers, they already feared the King; seeing him so divinely brave, how could they dare step forward again?

Gu Xuan lifted Sima Gu and stood back atop the tall Chariot, raising Sima Gu like a dead dog in one hand, and shouted aloud.

"Today I punish only the Sima Clan's chief evildoers; those among you who can help me kill the traitors will be rewarded a hundred gold and granted a hundred households; whoever obtains Sima Shang's head will be enfeoffed with ten thousand households, rewarded a thousand gold, hereditary without replacement, sharing the state's longevity! From this moment on, those who do not follow the rebellion all have merit and no crime. Whoever violates this oath will be slaughtered by heaven and men alike!"

And among Gu Xuan's retinue, people like Huang Jing were also very perceptive, and immediately led the crowd in shouting.

"Punish only the Sima Clan's chief evildoers!"

One voice, two voices, three voices.

As the number of people echoing grew, first the citizens watching from the high buildings on both sides of the street, then the Forbidden Army who had hesitated slightly, finally also joined in the loud shouts.

"Punish only the Sima Clan's chief evildoers!"

One voice after another, the sound shook nearly half the Capital City.

Even though among this there must still be a few Sima Clan die-hards and dead soldiers, in the face of such a overwhelming trend, they fundamentally dared not and were powerless to oppose.

This moment, Gu Xuan fully utilized his remaining deterrent aura as the Zhou King, as well as the suddenly revealed Great Zhou Divine King Art prowess that had reached the pinnacle, shocking everyone present into stillness, ultimately achieving his aim.

It must be said, this was an extremely dangerous adventure!

Even someone as strong as Gu Xuan could very well have failed, falling into layers of encirclement.

Such an outcome, even if he could break out, would inevitably mean losing the best identity and status of Zhou King.

In that case, although he could survive, wanting to completely turn the tables would truly be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

But fortunately, he ultimately succeeded.

And capturing Sima Gu could almost be said to be half the success.

The next moment.

All the Forbidden Army soldiers, following Gu Xuan's unstoppable Chariot, turned around and charged toward the Grand General Sima Shang's manor.

(Chapter End)