Chapter 186: You Were Given a Chance, But You Failed (Request Monthly Tickets)

Taiji Hall.

Today was supposed to be a day of rest; civil and military officials had no need to attend court, but the old emperor Zhao Li still summoned the Grand Secretary and other senior ministers to discuss how to proceed with the war against Western Chu.

With Xu Xiao recalled to the capital, the progress of the campaign against Western Chu has greatly slowed, placing immense pressure on the Liyang court.

Leaving aside other concerns, supplying grain to hundreds of thousands of troops is an astronomical sum—every day delayed means tens of thousands of taels of silver spent.

If this drags on another year or two, even if they eventually conquer Great Chu, the Liyang dynasty may be so weakened it cannot resist the threat from Northern Mang.

Each time he thought of this, the Minister of Revenue could not help but cast a resentful glance at the old emperor and the Grand Secretary, thinking: You only care about winning the war, but I have far more to worry about.

Unfortunately, the old emperor and Grand Secretary Zhang Julu both seemed distracted today, for both monarch and minister knew that right now, within the imperial palace, a fierce battle was unfolding.

They were waiting for the final outcome—and for Xu Xiao's reaction upon learning of it.

Compared to this, the great war between Liyang and Western Chu seemed trivial.

"Report!!"

A eunuch rushed into the council hall, his body leaning forward as if gliding inches above the ground.

Seeing this, Zhao Li's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said sternly: "What is the emergency?"

"Your Majesty! Someone has breached the imperial palace—they've passed through eighteen palace gates and reached the Golden Water Bridge!"

"What?!"

Gasps erupted in the hall; several senior ministers cried out in disbelief.

No wonder they were stunned—Liyang now held the upper hand in unifying the realm; the imperial palace teemed with experts, including powerful martial cultivators of the first-rank, and fifty thousand elite imperial guards stood ever-ready. Who among the living dared such madness, to storm the palace?

Could it be the Old Monster of Wudicheng?

Unlike the ministers' shock and fury, the old emperor paused, momentarily stunned.

Could Wu Su really be this powerful? Three Great Celestial Phenomenon experts couldn't subdue her?

"Do you know who it is?!"

At that moment, Grand Secretary Zhang Julu suddenly asked, a flicker of unease in his eyes.

"I-I—it's the Sword Demon Wu Xian!"

Recalling the figure he had seen, the eunuch reporting trembled as he spoke.

The Sword Demon Wu Xian?

This time, not only the old emperor froze—the senior ministers all stared blankly.

It wasn't that they didn't know who the Sword Demon Wu Xian was; after all, he was the current "hottest sensation" in the martial world—even civil officials had heard of his name and exploits.

But they couldn't understand why he would storm the Liyang palace—no grudge, no feud—was he just looking for trouble?

"Where is Han Diaosi?"

The old emperor's heart lurched—he finally sensed something was wrong—and asked urgently.

"I—I don't know, but the Second Prince's residence…"

The eunuch was drenched in sweat, his words halting—when another eunuch burst in, shouting: "Your Majesty! Disaster! The Sword Demon has crossed the Golden Water Bridge—fifteen imperial advisors have been killed by a single punch, and three thousand imperial guards… turned to ash!"

The hall fell utterly silent—whether from shock or terror, no one could say.

In the Liyang palace, those called "advisors" were all martial experts of the first rank—even if many were pseudo-first-rank, they still possessed first-rank combat power.

Combined with three thousand well-equipped, highly trained imperial guards, even a terrestrial immortal would hesitate to claim victory easily.

Yet in mere moments, they were all dead.

And what did "turned to ash" mean? Was it literal?

Before anyone could react or ask for details, another desperate cry echoed from outside the hall.

"Report…"

"What report?!"

The old emperor leapt to his feet, face dark with rage, pointing at the two kneeling eunuchs: "What are you waiting for? Transmit my order—summon every imperial guard and palace guard! Stop that Sword Demon at all costs!"

"Also, send word to the State Preceptor and the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau—tell them what's happening! Hurry!!"

…

BOOM—!!!!

With a muffled explosion, over a hundred armored soldiers fell like cut wheat, then vanished in a flash of lightning, reduced to dust and scattered into the heavens.

Though they had seen this before, this eerie sight still turned the faces of the imperial guards behind them ashen; they staggered backward, their armor soaked through with cold sweat.

Honestly, had these guards not been rigorously selected and bound by oath to Liyang's fate, some would have fled long ago.

"Brave of you…"

Wu Xian glanced at the endless tide of imperial guards still rushing forward, sighed, then his gaze turned icy, his aura growing fiercer, more savage than before.

The revised Five Thunder Orthodoxy had been tested—he'd given these soldiers a chance to flee. Since they refused to take it, he would show no mercy.

ZZZZZ—!!!!

He raised his hand—and punched.

Brutal force crushed the air like an invisible mallet, sweeping in a circle to form a vacuum zone over fifty meters in radius.

Naturally, the imperial guards within that range met no better fate—they were torn to shreds the instant they touched the punch's wind.

Flesh and armor mixed into a dark red mist that rained down, a scene even more horrifying than before.

"Aaaahhhhh—!!!!"

Finally, one soldier broke under the terror, shattered his last restraint, screamed, and charged Wu Xian with his blade.

Seeking only death!

Wu Xian granted it—each punch struck, and hundreds or thousands of armored soldiers died.

In mere moments, eight thousand imperial guards were wiped out, leaving half the palace sky stained with an ominous crimson glow.

Hidden observers watching from afar trembled in terror; their earlier plan to ambush Wu Xian while he was exhausted vanished instantly.

Not worth it. Not worth dying for.

A few hundred taels of gold a month? Not worth one's life. If things got bad, they could always quit being imperial advisors!

…

Meanwhile, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Two elderly Daoist priests stood outside a pavilion, while three hundred imperial guards guarded the outer grounds.

Inside the pavilion, Zhao Xiyi—the highest-ranked living Tian Shi of Long Hushan—stood solemnly before an incense altar.

"To carry out Heaven's will, to subdue the four barbarians… unworthy disciple Zhao Xiyi begs the Ancestors to manifest and crush this demonic evil!"

No sooner had he spoken than glowing images, each life-sized, emerged from the mist-shrouded wall behind the altar.

The next instant, the paintings stirred without wind, and figures of ethereal immortals stepped forth—each one a legendary ancestor of Long Hushan who had ascended!

————

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(End of chapter)