226: Bai Zexian

The moment Zhou Wuyai appeared, the Imperial City instantly fell into a deathly silence, followed by gasps of cold air rising and falling.

The swords in the hands of the Li family Disciples nearly slipped, and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect Cultivators stared with wide eyes, forgetting even the rhythm of their breathing.

That was the founding Emperor of Great Zhou!

A figure recorded in historical annals thousands of years ago was actually not dead, and had even appeared in such a terrifying manner!

The remaining palace guards directly knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly in Zhou Wuyai's direction, calling out "Ancestor, Your Majesty," their voices filled with awe mixed with fear.

"The founding Emperor from a thousand years ago... the Great Zhou Imperial Family actually hides such a trump card!"

"No wonder the Royal Family never panicked when the Demonic Path ran rampant before; it turns out they had this living fossil suppressing things!"

The crowd below discussed animatedly, their faces filled with shock, with only one thought remaining in their minds: this great battle was unbelievably full of twists and turns!

From Li Xiangyun's crushing of Emperor Yongchang, to the Emperor Emeritus's sneak attack being devoured in return, then Emperor Yongchang's Breakthrough to Soul Transformation, and now even the founding Emperor from a thousand years ago had popped out; no one could guess what would happen next.

Among the crowd, several figures in black robes suddenly changed their expressions; they were the Demonic Path Sect spies who had been lurking in the shadows.

They exchanged glances, seeing horror in each other's eyes.

Previously, the Alliance army clearly had the advantage but remained inactive, not attacking the Imperial City, precisely because they had sensed that the Great Zhou Imperial Family's Luck was unusually stable, subtly enveloped by an ancient pressure, guessing that an unknown trump card was hidden.

Now that Zhou Wuyai had appeared, all their conjectures had come true!

"Quick! Immediately send a message back to the Sect! The Great Zhou founding Emperor Zhou Wuyai is still alive, and his cultivation is unfathomable!" A black-robed man lowered his voice, condensing a black communication talisman on his fingertip, and crushed it without hesitation.

The talisman light transformed into a blur, instantly disappearing into the sky; they knew that this news was enough to shake the entire Demonic Path Sect, and even change the situation of the entire Great Zhou.

After the initial shock, everyone's gaze turned towards Li Xiangyun above the clouds, their eyes complex.

The moment Zhou Wuyai appeared, he exuded a pressure far exceeding the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation; it was a righteous Dragon Qi tempered by thousands of years, carrying the unique condescending aura of an Emperor, absolutely incomparable to Emperor Yongchang's sinister Dragon power.

"It's over, Li Xiangyun is probably in grave danger this time..."

"Emperor Yongchang, who was at the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation, was pushed to a desperate situation by him, but Zhou Wuyai is the founding Emperor.

One must know that Zhou Wuyai was already at the Peak of Soul Transformation thousands of years ago, and now that he has reappeared after thousands of years, he must have Broken Through to an even higher Realm!"

At this moment, whether it was the Righteous Path Cultivators, the palace guards, or the Demonic Path spies in the shadows, almost no one favored Li Xiangyun.

In their view, Zhou Wuyai's appearance was the final straw that would crush Li Xiangyun; this great battle to overthrow the Great Zhou Imperial Family might see a reversal in a way no one had expected.

Li Xiangyun gripped his twin swords, feeling the profound and vast aura emanating from Zhou Wuyai, his brows tightly furrowed.

He could clearly sense that this old monster's strength was even more terrifying than he had imagined, already subtly exceeding the scope of the Soul Transformation Stage, as if he had some connection with this world.

Therefore, not only did no one else, but even she herself did not favor herself.

So, Li Xiangyun did not hesitate, quickly injecting spiritual power into the jade pendant Bai Ze had given him, fearing he would be directly killed by the opponent.

The jade pendant instantly erupted with a soft white light, and within the light, a handsome figure in a moon-white brocade robe slowly condensed.

Bai Ze's face was as fair as jade, with a hint of laziness in his brows, yet his body exuded an ancient aura completely different from Zhou Wuyai's, as if he were a wise man who had walked out of the long river of time.

"Finally decided to call me?" Bai Ze patted non-existent dust from his sleeves, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, but his gaze accurately landed on Zhou Wuyai.

Zhou Wuyai saw Bai Ze, a flicker of understanding in his eyes, but no surprise; instead, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying the familiarity of a thousand years: "Old friend Bai Ze, it's been a thousand years, and you've become even better at hiding."

As soon as these words came out, the crowd below was once again in an uproar. Even the founding Emperor from a thousand years ago called Bai Ze "old friend"; what was the background of the person behind Li Xiangyun?

No wonder he could leap a major Realm in just ten years.

Li Xiangyun's heart relaxed, but he was also secretly alarmed.

He knew that Zhou Wuyai had not attacked him earlier out of soft-heartedness, but because he had long sensed Bai Ze's presence in the jade pendant.

Bai Ze chuckled, his figure flickered, and he stood in front of Li Xiangyun, confronting Zhou Wuyai across the air: "Zhou Wuyai, you refuse to enter Reincarnation, forcibly staying in the human world to guard this decaying Royal Family, is it worth it?"

"Great Zhou is the Foundation I personally established; how can others tamper with it?" Zhou Wuyai's eyes darkened, and the Dragon Qi around him surged again, "If you insist on protecting this boy, don't blame me for disregarding old ties!"

"Disregarding old ties?" Bai Ze raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of mockery, "If I hadn't helped you suppress the Dragon Vein back then, do you think Great Zhou could have been stable for a thousand years? Now you want to attack the person I protect; is this your old tie?"

Upon hearing this, the golden seal on Zhou Wuyai's forehead suddenly lit up, and the Dragon Qi around him no longer dispersed, but condensed into a visible golden Qi wall, slowly pressing towards Bai Ze and Li Xiangyun.

That Qi wall carried the imperial might accumulated over centuries, and wherever it passed, the Void Realm was slightly dented, and even the air in the Imperial City below seemed to solidify.

"Old friend, I ask you one more time," Zhou Wuyai's voice deepened, his gaze fixed on Bai Ze like a torch, "This boy wants to sever my Great Zhou's Dragon Vein and destroy my Royal Family's Foundation; do you truly intend to protect him to the end?"

This was a naked test, and also the final warning. If Bai Ze showed even a hint of hesitation, he would immediately launch a thunderous strike, first eliminating Li Xiangyun, then reasoning with Bai Ze.

A white light flashed around Bai Ze, easily blocking the Dragon Qi pressure, but his tone was unequivocal: "Li Xiangyun is an ally of my Misty Swamp; I will naturally protect him."

"Furthermore, I also advise you, the ten-thousand-year period has arrived, the world is recovering, and various forces are stirring; instead of stubbornly guarding this Great Zhou Dynasty that is destined to fall."

"It would be better to bet on this boy with me and seize an Opportunity in the great changes of the future."

Li Xiangyun stood behind Bai Ze, gripping his long sword, his thoughts stirring.

Zhou Wuyai stared at Bai Ze for a long while, then suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, his laughter shaking the clouds, and much of the previous murderous aura dissipated.

His gaze towards Li Xiangyun also changed from initial coldness to a hint of appreciation: "Good! What a Ice Peak Zhenren!

I have lived for a thousand years and seen countless Prodigies, but few can be like you, who, with a Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, can force a Cultivator at the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation to have no power to resist, even making me personally appear!"