Chapter 242: Equal

Although the Jianwen Emperor's mind was made up, he would not truly and openly use what Ji Tianrui gave him on himself.

The Jianwen Emperor did not trust Ji Tianrui. Ji Tianrui had also never produced anything that could win his trust. If she truly wanted to pledge loyalty to the Jianwen Emperor, the Jianwen Emperor himself would not believe it.

Times had changed, and even the Xiaoling Guards personally organized by the Founding Emperor had to be forced into a dead end before they dared to follow him in an uprising, let alone this demoness Ji Tianrui, who had no blood or tears.

Therefore, the Jianwen Emperor's action of swallowing the Gu bug was actually fake.

The moment the Gu bug entered his mouth, he wrapped it in true energy, while simultaneously observing Ji Tianrui in secret to see if she had any unusual movements.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Within a square inch, a series of explosions rang out.

Li Miao and Ji Tianrui were entangled with the Emperor.

Having already injured one arm each, at this moment, with the Emperor striking with full force in shock and anger, the two immediately showed signs of decline, but they fought to the death to entangle the Emperor, not letting him get close to the Jianwen Emperor.

It was as if they had truly placed all their hopes of turning the tide on the Jianwen Emperor.

The Jianwen Emperor still did not feel at ease, but seeing the Emperor about to break through the two's obstruction, he would kill his way to him in another two or three moves.

He no longer had time to hesitate.

The Jianwen Emperor looked deeply at Ji Tianrui and reconnected the Gu bug to his Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian.

In an instant, a strange change occurred.

A trace of strange true energy spat out from the Gu bug's mouthparts, entering the Jianwen Emperor's meridians.

The moment the true energy the Jianwen Emperor had left in his Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian touched this strange true energy, it boiled violently.

And then, it exploded!

Boom—

The true energy he had left in his meridians was assimilated the moment it touched this strange true energy, traveling along the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian to his heart pulse, and then spreading throughout his entire body.

At first, the Jianwen Emperor thought something was wrong, thinking that he had ultimately fallen for Ji Tianrui's plan.

But in the next moment, the Jianwen Emperor lost that thought.

Because as this strange true energy merged with his true energy like water and milk, his body "woke up."

What is the experience of cultivating "Jiezi"?

Before cultivating Jiezi, true energy and force, moves and internal energy were like water and oil in a cup, clearly distinct. In order not to go into demonic deviation, and in order to execute moves, one had to hold the cup steadily, not letting the water and oil mix, nor letting a single drop spill.

Trembling with fear, walking on thin ice, not daring to cross the line in the slightest.

But after cultivating Jiezi, true energy, force, moves, and internal energy merged like water and milk in an instant, with no more barriers.

The Jianwen Emperor felt his body was like an old man carrying a heavy load, finally unloading the burden and straightening his back. True energy and force were as easy to use as his own arms, with no more sluggishness.

And at the same time, with nature and life combined, "Sumeru," "Vajra," and "Jizhao" also became stronger by a point.

Four-path integration.

The Emperor swept out with a palm, forcing back Li Miao and Ji Tianrui, but he no longer looked at the two, his gaze locked firmly on the Jianwen Emperor, his expression so gloomy it seemed like it would drip water.

His greatest reliance had been broken.

The Jianwen Emperor had stepped into a realm equal to his.

Although the Jianwen Emperor had just broken through, his realm was unstable, and he had no self-created martial arts. But he was not an "illusion realm expert" like the Emperor.

Back when the Chengzu Emperor launched the Jingnan Campaign, he had personally entered the field, killing the Heaven-Men under the Chengzu Emperor until the blood flowed like a river, scaring Yin Ruihua so badly that he hadn't recovered for over a hundred years. He did not lack experience in life-and-death combat.

One side had a flawed realm, the other side had a flawed state of mind.

And Li Miao and Ji Tianrui were watching like tigers eyeing their prey from the side.

The situation had already tilted toward the Jianwen Emperor's side.

Seeing the Jianwen Emperor finally break through his realm, Li Miao and Ji Tianrui no longer entangled, withdrawing and retreating from the battle circle.

The Jianwen Emperor swept a glance at the two and turned his gaze back to the Emperor.

The Emperor also moved most of his attention away from the two, staring fixedly at the Jianwen Emperor.

"Jianwen-jun, you actually dared to use this person's means."

The Emperor said slowly.

"With life and death at stake, if I were to hesitate like you, it would only be laughable."

The Jianwen Emperor said.

He was no longer in that dried-corpse appearance, and his voice was no longer hoarse and sluggish, recovering the young and cold voice from over a hundred years ago.

"You have lost. 'He' has also lost."

"His descendants couldn't even hold on until the day I died."

The Emperor's expression became even gloomier.

His footsteps moved slightly.

"You cannot leave."

"You didn't listen to a word of what those two said just now. Then I will say it more simply."

The Jianwen Emperor said coldly.

"If you have the thought of running away, it will only make you die at my hands faster."

The Emperor's footsteps stopped, his face as heavy as water.

His thoughts had been exposed by the Jianwen Emperor.

Unlike the Jianwen Emperor, he was not without a way out. Leaving the Imperial Mausoleum, he was still the master of this nation, able to mobilize the offerings and the Forbidden Army at will. As long as he risked the danger of his cultivation technique leaking, mobilizing a large army and all the offerings here, even the Jianwen Emperor would be wiped out.

But, ever since he came here alone, he had actually cut off his own way out.

In martial arts competition, if you don't win, you die.

The more you fear death, the more you will die.

Not to mention that "Jizhao" was a realm determined by the heart; the weaker the state of mind, the more fragile the illusion.

Just speaking of moves, if the mood is weak, the power will immediately decrease significantly. Even in a struggle where the two sides were originally evenly matched, the advantage would tilt accordingly.

This principle, any old Jianghu practitioner could explain clearly. Only the Emperor, yet no one had explained this principle to him.

Until the Jianwen Emperor reminded him, he finally realized it.

The Emperor immediately dispelled his weak thoughts, true energy surging, staring fixedly at the Jianwen Emperor's eyes.

The Jianwen Emperor actually nodded.

"That is better."

"Come."

The Jianwen Emperor slowly clenched his fist.

"This gamble between me and him that has trapped me for one hundred and forty-two years..."

"Today, it should end!"

The two figures suddenly disappeared.

And then, they slammed into each other!

Boom!!!!

At the same time, the "Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood" illusion originally laid out by the Emperor was also slowly twisting.

Corpses turned into blue bricks, weapons slowly turned into lamp stands, and then the shapes twisted and changed back, repeating over and over, making one dizzy and almost nauseous.

After Li Miao and Ji Tianrui withdrew from the battle circle, they stood to the side on their own.

No matter how many means the two had, they were always just two-path perfection. Separated from the two Emperors of four-path integration by an almost insurmountable chasm of strength.

Today's victory or defeat seemed to have nothing to do with the two of them anymore.

"He actually dared to use it."

Borrowing the cover of the two Emperors' fighting sounds, Li Miao finally stopped making eye contact with Ji Tianrui, sneering as he said.

"Your things, even if it were a leaf, I would carefully check to see if it would grow legs. The bug you took out, he actually dared to stuff it into his own mouth."

"State of mind is something that is a matter of opinion."

Ji Tianrui said with a light laugh.

"If this Gu bug were handed to the Emperor, he would absolutely not use it, because he would never let his life be threatened in the slightest. Instead, it is the Jianwen Emperor, who will not hesitate at a life-and-death juncture, and will definitely use my Gu bug."

"Thus, this second step is also done."

Li Miao looked at the two four-path integrations fighting, saying with composure.

"Your ability to calculate people is not inferior to your martial arts."

"Lord Li is too kind."

Ji Tianrui smiled beautifully.

"Now we still can't intervene, let's wait a while, let the two Majesties fight for a while."

"The next step will be life or death."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 243 =====