Chapter 230

As the "Robe of Rainbow and Feathers" melody began, Brother Qian Chen and the others finally heard the Lord of Reincarnation's prompt: "Reincarnators have completed Main Quest One: Travel to Chang'an and attend the Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor's Thousand-Year Banquet. Reward: 500 merit points…"

"Main Quest Two unlocked: Survive—survive in Chang'an for seven days…"

"Hidden quest prerequisite completed—investigate the flaws in Chang'an's Divine Capital Array. Optional Side Quest Two unlocked: Save the World. Prevent An Lushan from opening the Yu Jiuyou Rift beneath Chang'an: reward 500 virtue points. Prevent An Lushan from opening the Yu Jiuyou Rift beneath Luoyang: reward 500 virtue points."

"Side Quest Three: Exterminate the Demon—slay a Demon Lord of Tongfa Realm: reward 5 merit points; slay a Demon Lord of Core Formation Realm: reward 500 merit points; slay a Demon Lord of Yin Spirit Realm: reward 1 virtue point; slay a Demon Lord of Yang Spirit Realm: reward 20 virtue points… slay the Supreme Supreme Tian Mo General An Lushan: reward 500 virtue points!"

There was also a unique quest prompt for Brother Qian Chen:

"Side Quest One, Karmic Quest unlocked: Fulfill the karmic connection with the Sword Immortal Li Taibai's avatar. Reward: The Green Lotus Sword Scripture!"

In Yan Shu's ears, another karmic quest sounded: "Fulfill the karmic connection with the Sword Saint Pei Min's avatar. Reward: The Sword Technique Notebook!"

Ning Ning Qingchen's hand trembled slightly as she gripped the Purple Cloud Sword—she too received the karmic quest of Lady Lady Gongsun, with rewards: The Hun Tuo Sword Art and the West River Sword Art!

Before Brother Qian Chen's eyes, a wild and unrestrained face seemed to materialize…

The Ear God crept silently along Si Si Qingguo's robe, climbing onto her shoulder. Si Si Qingguo clenched her fists tightly, the silver dagger hidden in her sleeve sliding into her palm.

It widened its eyes and saw Ning Ning Qingchen, clad in colorful robes, among hundreds of dancers, calmly raising her sword.

The swordlight curved gracefully, lifting her body as she danced; with swirling sleeves, the cold blade pierced through the swirling cloud of colorful fabric. At this moment, the gentle dance and the sharp swordlight erupted together—the swordlight crisscrossed, her movements light and fluid like ever-changing clouds in heaven, yet laced with lethal, piercing blades.

She spun, her colorful robes like clouds and mist, ribbons of radiant light fluttering wildly through the air.

At this moment, nearly ten thousand musicians in the Huae Xianghui Pavilion blew flutes, struck bells and chimes, and plucked zithers… the Liyuan disciples slowly entered the hall, stepping on the blue jade tiles, their robes, pendants, hairpins, and dangling hair ornaments swaying and brushing against each other, producing crisp, metallic chimes that echoed with ethereal clarity.

This was the Sanxu section of the "Robe of Rainbow and Feathers," where the dancers traditionally remained still.

But to coordinate the assassination, Li Guiyear moved Lady Lady Gongsun's Sword Dance to this section.

He picked up his pipa himself and descended to the hall's base—this was the Tuning Pipa, used to establish the foundation of the Purple Cloud Melody Array. In any array, the foundation must be solid, unyielding, and immovable; since ancient times, array bases have always been chosen for their strength and stability.

Yet music is precisely the most ethereal, unstable thing in the world.

To use such an elusive, changeable medium to construct an array where every detail must be flawless and every measure precise—imagine the difficulty.

Besides Li Guiyear and Lei Lei Haiqing, other high-level sound cultivators who tuned the pitch for the tens of thousands of musicians, Brother Qian Chen had also infused the principles of the Demon Path's Ten Thousand Illusions Melody, barely managing to establish the Purple Cloud Melody Array.

The invisible, colorless sound array was now complete; the colossal magical power gathered from tens of thousands of people stirred not the slightest ripple in the pavilion's protective arrays—as if the combined force of so many had already dispersed into the void, becoming formless…

Only after Li Guiyear fixed the pitch of all players did he begin a new prelude. His left hand held the pipa, his right hand plucked, brushed, hooked, flicked, struck, and plucked the five strings—his sharp, murderous melody startled the Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor, who had been lost in admiration of Ning Ning Qingchen's sword dance.

The Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor frowned: "Li Guiyear claimed he would play the 'Clear and Peaceful Tune,' but this melody has neither clarity nor peace—it's clearly borrowed from the 'General's Order' and mixed with the drumbeats of the 'King of Qin's Breaking Array'… Such heavy killing intent—how can it harmonize with the three Clear and Peaceful Tunes?"

At this moment, Brother Qian Chen drew his sword and rose. He extended a finger, releasing a single blade of sentient swordlight—the cold edge flashed free.

He leapt onto the small table before him, soaring toward the hall, his swordlight rising and falling like a coiling dragon.

The young official beside Brother Qian Chen, mid-toast and drink, had been swiftly slicing lamb on his table into paper-thin pieces, dipping them in zhuyu sauce, and swallowing them with closed eyes, savoring the flavor of the divine beast's jade-horned lamb melting on his tongue.

In a daze, he suddenly sensed someone beside him had stood up.

Only then did he open his eyes and see Brother Qian Chen advancing with sword in hand, entering the "Robe of Rainbow and Feathers" dance formation—he thought he was hallucinating.

The Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor had already been warned by Li Guiyear, so he was not surprised. The surrounding ministers, seeing the Emperor's calm expression, made no move to stop him. The Tang Dynasty was open and lenient; when the atmosphere was right, even reckless acts were met with amused smiles, not anger.

Before the envoys of myriad nations, the elders of Chang'an, and the nobles and powerful, Brother Qian Chen walked calmly toward the Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor—or rather, toward An Lushan, seated to the Emperor's right.

He struck his sword and sang: "The Zhao knight's leather cap, the Wu hook gleaming like frost and snow. Silver saddle shines on white steed, swift as a falling star…"

Ning Ning Qingchen lightly raised her hand—the Purple Cloud Sword traced an indescribable arc of rainbow light…

An Lushan also saw Brother Qian Chen approaching him, but he assumed Li Bai was heading for the Emperor. Though Brother Qian Chen held a longsword, and its faint glimmer revealed its extraordinary nature, no one took the single blade seriously.

This was Xingqinggong—one of the three most heavily guarded, most powerful forbidden zones in all of Chang'an's Divine Capital Array.

At need, it could channel the entire city's power.

Not even a divine weapon, let alone a Yang Spirit True Immortal, could threaten the Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor.

For Brother Qian Chen to strike here, under the eyes of at least ten Yin Spirit Grand Cultivators beside the Emperor—that would be sheer suicide!

The Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor believed Brother Qian Chen was approaching him. The poem he sang overflowed with heroic spirit, brimming with the unrestrained aura of Chang'an's wandering knights—it stirred memories of the Emperor's own youthful days as a rogue.

But soon, the Xiao Xie Xuan Emperor realized Brother Qian Chen's gaze was not fixed on him—but on…

An Lushan!

The trailing swordlight spun, bent sharply in midair above the Huae Xianghui Pavilion, then reversed and slashed back—this instant, nine swordlight beams split the sky, shattered the moon, severed the stars, and obliterated the sorcerer's illusory sun and moon; at this moment, the dazzling swordlight drowned out the false radiance of sun, moon, and stars.

In the greatest pavilion of Tang prosperity, Ning Ning Qingchen suddenly swung her sword toward the Emperor. Dozens of court ministers and senior officials shouted in unison: "Audacious!"

"Rebellious!"

The swordlight that erupted at this moment was so heart-stopping—in that instant, heaven and earth seemed to bow.

Like Yi shooting down nine suns, like celestial emperors riding dragons through the sky. It came like thunder ceasing its rage, ended like the sea's tranquil glow…

No one had time to consider whether this swordlight was merely an illusion.

The magical power of over a dozen Yin Spirit Grand Cultivators instantly triggered the Xingqinggong's protective arrays—the nine swordlight beams, along with the Purple Cloud Sword, were shattered in an instant. But the Grand Cultivators and imperial attendants who struck out all paled—the nine swordlight beams were dazzling but hollow, possessing not a shred of power.

At this moment, the Purple Cloud Melody Array erupted violently—the sudden surge of music seemed to summon the majesty of Heaven's Palace; divine light and celestial melodies carried an indescribable fragment of divine sound, sweeping violently across the entire Huae Xianghui Pavilion.

The demonic cultivators within the pavilion had no resistance—they spat blood and were blasted backward by the sonic wave.

Ninety percent of the Purple Cloud Melody Array's power slammed directly into An Lushan.

At this moment, Brother Qian Chen's sentient swordlight, drawn by the array, pierced through space in an instant—his sword technique reached its peak; with a single strike, he aimed to pierce An Lushan's skull.

"Ten steps to kill one man, a thousand miles without leaving a trace. When done, he brushes his robe and departs, hiding his body and name deep…"

An Lushan's mighty cultivation was now suppressed by the Purple Cloud Melody to less than one-tenth of its strength.

The courtiers were stunned into silence by the chain of events unfolding in an instant—none could speak, none could comprehend. The sword aimed at the Emperor was fake—why then did the next strike target An Lushan?

The palace's divine officials and attendants could only rush to shield the Emperor—they could only protect the most important person.

On the dais, An Lushan's fat head was severed in the next instant, the sword qi slicing through with a wet "thud."

A torrent of blood gushed skyward, splattering the floor.

An Lushan's body slumped crookedly onto the Golden Rooster Chair; the incense burner before him, filled with golden vessels, ceased its smoke. His fleshy head rolled across the table, eyes still wide open, filled with utter, horrified shock.

Brother Qian Chen's lips curled into a cold smile—his swordlight never ceased.

"An Lushan has long forged a Divine-Demon Immortal Body. Even though the Sentient Sword is a divine weapon, it cannot kill him—not even wound his Divine-Demon Immortal Body." Brother Qian Chen knew clearly in his heart—this strike was meant only to force An Lushan to reveal his true cultivation.

To avoid a second strike that would split his skull open, An Lushan had no choice but to reveal his demonic form.

If An Lushan was foolish enough to still conceal his true cultivation now, Brother Qian Chen's next strike would be his True Sword unleashed in full force, combined with Crimson Lotus Karma Fire burning his soul—making him… dead.

Brother Qian Chen's second strike shielded Ning Ning Qingchen, whose sword was destroyed and spirit wounded, as she retreated into the "Robe of Rainbow and Feathers" array; Yan Shu leapt forward, splitting his swordlight into sixteen beams, deflecting the spells, techniques, and swordlight crashing down on Brother Qian Chen from all directions.

Brother Qian Chen had already reached the table where An Lushan's severed head lay. His gaze was calm, like an ancient well—unconcerned that he was now surrounded, that the Xingqinggong's array had activated, trapping him in a death trap…