Chapter 191: The Number One Martial Maniac (Requesting Monthly Votes

Three days later.

A shocking piece of news fell into the martial world, instantly stirring up a colossal storm that nearly drowned countless martial artists who had been eager to watch the spectacle.

After a month's interval, the Sword Demon Wu Xian struck again, single-handedly storming the Liyang Imperial Palace, annihilating fifty thousand imperial guards and over sixty incarnate spirits of the Long Hushan ancestral masters, ultimately succeeding in regicide by killing Emperor Zhao Li of the current Liyang Dynasty.

The entire world erupted in uproar.

Not only did this news reach the Central Plains, but even the Northern Mang grasslands, which were themselves embroiled in civil strife, learned of it—causing the warring Northern and Southern courts to grow restless, their battles showing signs of pausing.

As time passed, more details emerged from Tai'an City, but the content was so implausible that few believed it, assuming it was a scheme by the Western Chu to demoralize the Liyang army.

Only after several days, when twelve of the Liyang Zhao clan's imperial princes and princesses departed Tai'an City to serve as Provincial Governors across the twenty-four prefectures under Liyang rule, and numerous factions secretly confirmed the truth with them, was the matter verified as real.

Instantly, the entire world fell into an eerie stillness; both the martial world and all factions were shaken with dread, unable to fathom that a crude martial warrior could truly grow so powerful.

Destroying an ultra-premier martial sect with one's own strength, though shocking, still fell within the realm of what people could accept.

But what had Wu Xian done? This was nothing less than one man reshaping an empire—and even the world's balance!

It was no longer a fantasy that a single man could stand against a nation; someone had truly done it, and the proof lay before them, leaving no room for denial.

Upon realizing this, the entire martial world erupted in fervor; countless martial artists looked up to the Sword Demon Wu Xian as their lifelong idol.

A true man ought to be like this!

He can be replaced!

Suddenly, countless self-proclaimed Gaozu and Ba Wang emerged in the martial world, desperately seeking to take his place and personally reenact Wu Xian's storming of the palace and regicide.

Soon after, another rumor spread from Tai'an City: the Sword Demon Wu Xian was a womanizer who had seized the late emperor Zhao Li's harem, and even forcibly kept beside him Lady Xu Xiao, the pregnant wife of Grand General Xu Xiao—who was none other than Wu Su, the former Sword Crown of the Wu family—and threatened Xu Xiao to destroy Western Chu, pacify the Central Plains, and then return to Liyang to offer his own neck for execution within a year…

The martial world: "..."

A true man ought to be like this!

He can be replaced!

In short, Wu Xian had become wildly famous throughout the Snow World—so famous he was purple-hot—and even his title had changed. With the latest martial ranking spreading across the world and gaining universal approval:

The Number One Martial Maniac!

Martial Maniac, Wu Maniac—wild and demonic—no other title could better suit Wu Xian now.

At the same time, after more than thirty years, the martial ranking list finally bore a new Number One.

Surprisingly, no one felt anything amiss; Wu Xian's record was too brutal. Even the martial artists of Wudicheng, who revered Wang Xianzhi beyond measure, did not believe their own city lord could defeat this unprecedented martial prodigy.

Wang Xianzhi, now truly the Number Two, paid no mind. Upon seeing this ranking, he laughed heartily by the Eastern Sea, then left Wudicheng that very day, heading westward, fist pointed toward Tai'an City.

His intent was obvious: he intended to challenge the newly crowned Number One.

Just a few days later, another shocking piece of news spread.

Grand General Xu Xiao of Liyang returned to Xileibi, yet did not continue his assault on Western Chu; instead, he turned his army, leading thirty thousand iron cavalry back toward Liyang's border, pressing relentlessly toward Tai'an City.

Instantly, the world's winds stirred and dark currents surged; all waited, anticipating what would come next.

Meanwhile, at the very center of this storm, Wu Xian sat calmly upon the Liyang Imperial Palace's dragon throne—the symbol of supreme authority—holding a wine cup in one hand, gently swirling it, and tapping the armrest with the other.

Below, in the grand hall, over a dozen graceful, beautiful women danced elegantly, emitting soft, intoxicating melodies, utterly entranced by their own allure.

After a while, Wu Xian's hand paused mid-swing, and he opened his eyes, gazing at a corner of the hall.

A faint smile curled his lips; he waved his hand, dismissing the women—who had come with a mission—and said:

"Old Master has lingered in the Liyang Imperial Palace for over half a month. Are you finally ready to meet your junior?"

At these words, an elderly Confucian scholar, radiating an aura of decay from body to spirit, suddenly appeared in the hall.

"For these past days, Old Master has wandered within this palace, surely having spoken with the Eunuch several times. I am curious—why have you not acted?"

"Unlike that old eunuch, you are a true Heavenly Human of the Eternal Life realm, and you alone hold eighty percent of the Confucian sect's qi fortune. Had you two joined forces, even I would have felt some trouble."

As Wu Xian spoke, he studied the old Confucian scholar, whose entire being exuded decay.

He was no ordinary man—he was Zhang Fuyao, the founding Sage of Confucianism, revered as the ancestor of all scholars, who had lived over eight hundred years, his cultivation rivaling the pinnacle of the mortal realm—even Wang Xianzhi would yield to him.

Ordinarily, without the Heavenly Gate's purification of the immortal body, even a Land-based Heavenly Human could live at most two or three hundred years. Yet this founding Sage of Confucianism had lived eight hundred.

This was because he alone claimed eighty percent of Confucianism's qi fortune, preventing any other Sage from arising for centuries.

Even those who did emerge were short-lived—like Xuan Yuan Jingcheng from the original story, who struggled for twenty years to achieve success, precisely because of this.

As for his reason for lingering in the mortal realm, it was the same as Huang Longshi's: to sever the connection between heaven and earth, and in secret alliance with the predecessor of the protagonist—the founding Emperor of the ancient Qin Dynasty—he had waited for a certain opportunity.

By the way, Huang Longshi was his junior disciple; though they appeared to act independently, they were in fact closely linked.

When Wu Xian met Huang Longshi a month ago, this founding Confucian Sage had been hiding in the shadows.

Had he not been, Wu Xian would have already used the Double Full Hand to seize Huang Longshi and plunder his memories of the future—there would have been no need for all that talk.

(End of Chapter)