Chapter 769: The Superior Strategy

Boom—

The massive Jindinglou was split in two by a vertical slash from a sickle.

This strike cleaved from the foundation to the roof, finally reaching the terrace.

Judging by the cut, the sickle did not descend from the sky, but erupted from underground, slicing all the way up to the building. The sickle was sharp and enormous; everything in its path was severed instantly. Because it was so sharp, after the sickle passed, the Jindinglou remained in place, maintaining its split state like a dismantled set of building blocks, looking from afar like some kind of spectacle.

The Emperor watched this entire scene from high in the air, unable to help but be dumbstruck.

He was currently floating in the air, held by an old woman with one hand, hanging like a pendant.

Just at the moment of the attack, a flash of light had crossed his eyes, and he had blinked from the glare of the Sunlight. The next moment, he was already hundreds of zhang in the air; this displacement took less time than a blink. The Emperor still felt dazed thinking about it, not knowing how he had gotten there.

He only knew that the edge of that sickle had been beneath his feet; if he had remained in place, he would have been split into two pieces along with the building.

"Xunqing..." the Emperor said, his voice hoarse and his nerves still shaken, "Thanks to you..."

Gaoyuan Marquis stared at the Jindinglou, her expression solemn, and said, "That was my responsibility. I should have been observing the surroundings at all times. After all, compared to the Imperial Preceptor, you are the greatest vulnerability."

The Imperial Preceptor's power was there, and now it was merely transferred; it was difficult to deal with at any time. But the former Imperial Preceptor was powerful in every aspect, no different from a veteran Sword Spirit and a true Sword Immortal. However, after the Emperor seized his power, he could only condense the Imperial Preceptor's power into a tool; that power then had no master, and anyone who seized it could use it.

Of course, according to the imperial rules, not just anyone could use this power. The Heaven-Punishing Seal itself was a heavy treasure tailored for the imperial family, and only the most legitimate and orthodox ruler could wield it. Previously it was the Empress Dowager and the Emperor; now, only the Emperor could wield it. Without this condition, the Emperor would not have been so confident in executing this plan, fearing he would only be making wedding clothes for others.

But it did not matter; this was like the Great Ancestor Protection light—it recognized the Emperor if there was an Emperor, and if there was no Emperor, there were many people it would recognize, as long as the Emperor died.

This situation should have been anticipated long ago.

Gaoyuan Marquis felt some regret. The Emperor did not understand, and she should have anticipated it, but she had not been observing the surroundings in real-time, nearly letting the opponent succeed.

It was evident that even with eyes that could see clearly for ten thousand miles, not everyone could use them well.

The Emperor asked urgently, "Their target is me? Then what should I do? Should I..."

He glanced at the ruined Jindinglou, then couldn't help but look back at Jingcheng.

Gaoyuan Marquis stared at the sickle and said, "I have a superior, a middle, and an inferior strategy..."

The Emperor was truly anxious and said angrily, "You're still playing these games at a time like this? Is the superior strategy to back down? What is the middle strategy?"

Gaoyuan Marquis said, "The middle strategy is to back down. If we back down, starting from when the Imperial Preceptor's power suppressed Zijin Mountain, those Heavenly Demons could not invade, but the enemy is still there, only moving from the light into the shadows. We have no way to track or eliminate them, and the mastermind behind the scenes has yet to appear. With no intelligence, we wait for their next attack before seeking an opportunity to resist. The inferior strategy: I send you back, and you stop worrying about this side. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven; sitting in Jingcheng at least serves to stabilize the people's hearts. No one else can replace you. You stay in the Imperial Palace, protected on all sides by the Imperial Preceptor's power, and no one should be able to kill you by force."

The Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "And the superior strategy?"

Gaoyuan Marquis said, "Go and fight."

The Emperor let out an "Ah?" and pointed at himself.

Gaoyuan Marquis's voice was as calm as a flat lake as she said, "Your Majesty, go and fight just as you promised. The power is in your hands; if you flee this time, you will have even less chance to fight in the future. No matter how powerful a force is, if you do not use it, it is not yours. Only by holding this power to fight and killing the enemy will you not only gain safety but also truly obtain the power."

The Emperor's face turned pale, and his breathing was heavy.

Gaoyuan Marquis continued, "A ruler cannot be hesitant or unperceptive. Hesitation destroys the masses; lack of perception leads to failure. I believe Your Majesty has the potential of a ruler—clever and diligent, and you have shown decisiveness. However, this is the moment to show your true colors. Decisiveness in political struggles only kills opponents or even innocent people, but decisiveness in the face of enemies can protect the people and the land. You said your goal was to protect them. Could it be that Your Majesty's previous decisiveness was only a facade, and at heart, you are still a mediocre person who wants to achieve great things but cherishes your own life?"

The Emperor exhaled and said, "My person is tied to the fate of the nation..."

Gaoyuan Marquis turned her head.

The Emperor continued, "How can I abandon the nation? Xunqing, teach me, how should I fight?"

Gaoyuan Marquis smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, do you remember how the Imperial Preceptor fought?"

The Emperor recalled for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I have never seen him truly fight."

Gaoyuan Marquis sighed and said, "It seems there are no shortcuts. Then fight like a Sword Guest, like a Sword Hero. Use the strongest Sword Technique..."

She used the most concise and precise language to explain the mindset of a Sword Guest, a Sword Hero, and a Sword Immortal. The Emperor listened and thought, gaining some understanding, but still felt he had no grasp of it. Yet, unable to speak of backing down, he couldn't help but grip the Heaven-Punishing Seal tightly, his palms sweating.

Finally, Gaoyuan Marquis said, "Your Majesty, when I first went to the battlefield, I was still young, knew nothing, and could do nothing, yet I shouldered the safety of a county and its people. So at that time, I had no choice but to charge in recklessly. I won by luck, and only then did I step by step reach today; this was all the courage brought to me by that first effort to fight for victory. After passing that hurdle, nothing could stop me. Today is also Your Majesty's first time on the battlefield, yet you shoulder the people of the Human World and the fate of the nation. I believe Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, blessed by Heaven, and naturally will be invincible. From today on, nothing will be able to stop Your Majesty. Just as Your Majesty said, to bear the nation's disgrace is to be the master of the nation. I wish Your Majesty victory." Having said this, she bowed in greeting.

The Emperor nodded and said, "Xun Marquis means to say that if I win this battle today, I will have a source of power? The Empress Dowager driving you away and leaving Shou Wang behind—thinking about it now, it was truly a grave mistake. If I had had Xunqing as Grand Tutor back then, perhaps I wouldn't have to be so uneasy today."

Gaoyuan Marquis smiled slightly and said, "The Empress Dowager did not do wrong back then. Not everyone can have Your Majesty's capacity for tolerance. If I had stayed then, there would be no chance of meeting again today."

It was rare for her to praise the Emperor, and the Emperor couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. He pointed to the Jindinglou below and said, "There are still many ministers there; please, Xun Marquis, protect them." He didn't care if the old woman could still protect so many people; he could only entrust his back to Gaoyuan Marquis, whom he trusted most and who was most capable. He couldn't think about much else.

"Heaven-Punishing—"

The Emperor's heart and mind sank completely, communicating with the Heaven-Punishing Seal in the way of perceiving the Sword Heart. The next moment, Thunder Light erupted!

This time, it was not the violent lightning of blue mixed with white, nor the vast and magnificent protective light of gold, but a Thunder Light that combined and even fused the two. It was clearly thunder, yet it was interwoven with white and gold, soaring into the sky.

Within the lightning lay infinite power, supreme solemnity, incomparable brilliance, and an indescribable violence that seemed not quite compatible but was gradually merging. That was...

Heavenly Punishment!

The whip of the heartless Dao!

No one had ever seen true Heavenly Punishment, but many, looking up at that Thunder Light, thought of the legendary Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Punishment:

The magnificent Heavenly Thunder, acting on behalf of Heaven to uphold the Dao, cleansing the Human World, causing all evil to retreat!

In the Thunder Light, the Emperor's shadow was vaguely visible. A Heavenly Punishment storm swirled around him; he was the eye of the storm. No matter how violent the surroundings were, he stood steadily, as eternal as a True God.

The Heaven-Punishing Seal from before now floated beside the Emperor like an accompanying satchel, and a sword condensed from Thunder Light appeared in his hand.

Although it was also condensed from golden thunder, that sword was exceptionally brilliant and dazzling, condensing all the mysteries of Heavenly Punishment—that was a Son of Heaven Sword!

The Son of Heaven is the Son of Heaven of the world. Now that the world is the world of swordsmen, how can the Son of Heaven not carry a sword?

This sword, when pointed straight, has nothing before it; when raised, has nothing above it; when pressed, has nothing below it; when moved, has nothing to its side. It cleaves the floating clouds above and severs the foundations of the earth below!

The Son of Heaven raised the sword, and the Thunder Light moved with the sword, slashing downward!

At this moment, a sickle sprang out from the Jindinglou.

The sickle was just a sickle.

It was not that some person or even some ghost was holding the sickle, but that the sickle itself sprang out. It was like a sickle spirit from a story; although it had no human form at all, it possessed the ability to act independently.

This sickle was fully extended to about several dozen zhang in length, even exceeding the height of the Jindinglou. It was impossible to tell how it had been hidden under the Jindinglou. With its length and that fierce sharpness, a few slightly tilted slashes would have been enough to finely mince the remaining two halves of the Jindinglou.

Fortunately, it seemed to have no interest in those remains.

Its mission was always the Emperor. Although it had no eyes, it knew the Emperor had reached the top, so the blade condensed a sharp, chilling cold light and slashed upward—

It did not slash out!

Because the Emperor's sword arrived first!

The sword strike descending from high above—to call it Sword Light or Thunder Light would be inaccurate; that was the first Heavenly Punishment descended by the Emperor!

A direct hit!

With a crackle, as if sparks had been struck in the air, the scythe and the cold light it had condensed ignited in an instant. The golden Heavenly Thunder completely swallowed it, leaving it a blurred, charred silhouette within the Thunder Light!

Perhaps in that very first instant, the scythe had wanted to struggle, but that instant was too brief; the Thunder Light struck the blade of the scythe, and whether it was a real scythe or a figurative one, it was completely unable to resist, losing its shape as it burned in the next moment, turning into a blurred mass of dross in the low air.

Gaoyuan Marquis watched with cold eyes and was about to open her mouth to offer a brief warning: "Behind—"

But before she could warn him, the Emperor had actually sensed it himself, yet he did not turn around completely; instead, he tilted his body slightly, naturally turning ninety degrees, and a golden thunderbolt slashed diagonally backward!

In the Void, a monster similar to the strange insect from just before had only just revealed half its form when it was struck squarely by the Thunder Light!

Hit!

Another destruction!

This golden thunder displayed even greater destructive power than the Heavenly Thunder from before, obliterating that strange insect in almost an instant—it was practically unable to withstand a single blow.

"It seems that reclaiming the State Preceptor's power into the Heaven-Walking Seal might be the true way to use this power; fused with National Fortune and the Emperor's majesty, the upper limit is far higher than when the Heavenly Thunder is used separately. It is just that although the system is designed this way, it tests the Emperor too much; given the caliber of most emperors, they would be unable to use this power to fight at all, and would not even have the courage to fight, so it is better to obediently accept the State Preceptor's protection." Gaoyuan Marquis retreated to a further distance and watched quietly, her white hair fluttering in the air; she did not look aged in the slightest, appearing like a completely different person from the Gaoyuan Marquis seen by others.

"I hope my choice was not wrong."