691: Chapter 691 Boosting the Morale of Others

Li Tianxuan's lips slowly curled into an arc.

There was not a shred of warmth in this smile; there was only high-and-mighty mockery and pity, like a god looking down upon an ant struggling in the mud.

"Clear?"

He chuckled and shook his head, idly twirling his golden longsword. Wherever the blade passed, the Void Realm emitted a faint hiss, as if even space itself were wailing beneath his sword.

"Ignorant madman. As the Sovereign of the Zhenwu Dynasty, I handle countless important matters every day. You—a person I have long forgotten—why would I remember why you came?"

Behind him, the eight Cultivators of the Mahayana Stage heard this and each revealed a meaningful smile.

These smiles were full of contempt, like looking at a moth that didn't know its own strength, throwing itself into a raging fire.

"Your Majesty is right."

An old man dressed in green robes stepped forward.

The Aura around him exploded, and the terrifying pressure of the Late Mahayana Stage rolled out in all directions like a tangible giant wave. The air within a hundred-mile radius instantly became thick as paste, making even breathing carry heavy resistance.

His hair and beard were white, his face withered, but his eyes were radiating brilliant light, like two burning green lamps, fixed firmly on Chu Zhanxiao.

"How noble is Your Majesty's status; why would you remember the origins of an ant?"

He paused, turned to bow, and said with fawning submissiveness, "Your Majesty, why lower yourself to the level of this ant? This old man requests permission to act, to capture him and leave him to Your Majesty's disposal!"

The moment his voice fell, a sky-piercing green light erupted from the old man in green robes.

Spiritual Qi surged like an angry tide, transforming into a giant green claw that blotted out the sky, hovering above Chu Zhanxiao's head.

The textures on the giant claw were as clear as reality, and every knuckle contained the power to collapse mountains and split the earth.

The claw tips glinted with a chilling light; with just one grasp, it could crush an entire mountain peak into powder, as if heaven and earth were bowing beneath this single claw.

But just as he was about to strike, Li Tianxuan raised his left hand and pressed down lightly.

"Wait."

The old man in green robes paused his movement and retreated half a step respectfully: "Your Majesty?"

Li Tianxuan's gaze slowly swept over Chu Zhanxiao.

This look was like examining an interesting antique, filled with scrutiny, playfulness, and a trace of—disdain.

"My dear subjects,"

As he spoke, the giant golden Dragon above his head let out a long roar, the sound wave causing the entire Imperial City to tremble slightly, roof tiles rattling, "This person was once the number one Prodigy of our Zhenwu Dynasty. Although he was only at the Late-stage Void Refinement, his combat power was unparalleled. If it comes to a one-on-one fight, I am afraid none of you can surely defeat him."

As soon as these words were spoken, the eight Cultivators of the Mahayana Stage frowned in unison.

A burly man wearing crimson armor snorted coldly and said in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty is overestimating him. A mere ant at the Late-stage Void Refinement—no matter how strange his methods, I alone am enough to tear him to pieces!"

"Indeed, Your Majesty, it is just one person; why make such a fuss?"

"Your Majesty's actions are truly boosting the enemy's morale."

Everyone spoke up one after another, their tones full of disapproval, and even a bit of dissatisfaction at being slighted.

Li Tianxuan smiled.

There was a hint of deep meaning in this smile, a kind of bloodthirsty pleasure that only he understood.

He slowly raised the golden longsword in his hand, the sword tip pointing toward Chu Zhanxiao from afar. His voice suddenly turned cold, like the most biting winter wind sweeping across a ten-thousand-mile ice field:

"My dear subjects, this person's combat power is unparalleled; he is definitely not someone a single person can defeat. To show respect to our—former number one Prodigy of the Zhenwu Dynasty—"

He deliberately emphasized the word "former," each word like a poisoned iron nail, accurately and cruelly driving into the wound in Chu Zhanxiao's heart that had not healed for fifteen years.

"I ask you all to join me in attacking and destroying him."

When these words were spoken, Chu Zhanxiao's silver-gold pupils shrank violently.

Those words, every single one, were like a dull blade, slowly and methodically gouging at the deepest flesh of his heart.

"Your Majesty..."

"Say no more!" Li Tianxuan waved his large hand, and blinding golden light erupted from the golden longsword, the Imperial Dragon Qi pouring down like a waterfall.

The giant golden Dragon behind him roared at the sky, the sound shaking the Nine Heavens, and even the thunderclouds above the firmament were shaken into ceaseless churning, "Since this villain dares to invade my Imperial Dynasty alone, he is seeking his own death! The majesty of the Zhenwu Dynasty brooks no provocation from anyone!"

As he spoke, his gaze never left Chu Zhanxiao. The mockery and disdain in those eyes were tangible, slicing Chu Zhanxiao's heart inch by inch.

The double-Dragon manifestation behind Chu Zhanxiao emitted low Dragon roars at this moment.

These Dragon roars seemed to carry a kind of suffering suppressed to the extreme, like a whimper from an eternal abyss.

Fifteen years. Fifteen whole years.

He still remembers that night—the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion was engulfed in towering flames, burning half the night sky into a crimson red, the billowing thick smoke obscuring the stars in the sky.

His father's corpse was nailed to the lintel of the mansion, blood slowly flowing down the vermilion-painted gate, soaking the pair of stone lions in front of the door, and dyeing the entire bluestone street red.

His mother held his young sister, hiding in the well, but they were both pierced by a single long spear, nailed firmly to the well wall, and not even their final cry could escape the mouth of the well.

Nineteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people.

From the white-haired old servant to the infant in swaddling clothes not yet a month old, none were spared.

The blood of that night dyed half the sky of the entire Zhenwu Imperial City red.

And the perpetrator of everything was standing right in front of him now.

Dressed immaculately, high and mighty, like a god judging all living beings, with that cruel smile still hanging on his lips.

"Dog—"

Chu Zhanxiao's voice suddenly became hoarse and trembling.

Deep within those silver-gold pupils, a trace of scarlet finally emerged—as if quenched in blood, ignited with fire.

"—thief!!"

These two words were like two blood-rusted knives, scraped out from the depths of his throat, carrying the hatred and pain accumulated over fifteen years!

"Return my Zhenbei Prince's Mansion—"

His voice grew louder and more intense, and the last few words were almost roared out—hoarse, broken, yet carrying the determination to perish together!

"—nineteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people—"

Before the last word "people" had even fallen, Chu Zhanxiao's figure had already disappeared from where he stood!

Boom—!!

A giant pit with a diameter of several dozen zhang was left in his place.

The space at the edge of the pit cracked inch by inch like a shattered mirror, the cracks spreading wildly in all directions, and the entire Void Realm was groaning and shattering under his rage!

And the place where he appeared—was three feet in front of Li Tianxuan!

The silver-gold halberd was like a silver Dragon emerging from the sea, carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth, and with the hatred and fury accumulated over fifteen years of countless days and nights, it thrust straight toward Li Tianxuan's face!

This halberd strike crushed his fifteen years of forbearance.

This halberd strike burned through his fifteen years of pain.

This halberd strike was the blade of vengeance condensed from the nineteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-three souls of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion!

It was too fast.

It was so fast that the vast majority of the eight Mahayana Stage Cultivators could not react in time, so fast that the Soul Transformation Cultivators filling the sky only felt a blur before their eyes, so fast that even the thunderclouds above the firmament were ripped open by a giant gash by the Aura of this halberd strike!

Sunlight poured down from the crack, but it could not illuminate the scarlet killing intent in Chu Zhanxiao's eyes.

Silver-gold thunder surged out along with the tip of the halberd, completely swallowing the space between Chu Zhanxiao and Li Tianxuan!

Clang—!!

A deafening sound of metal clashing exploded like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens right beside their ears!

The golden longsword was held horizontally in front.

Where the sword blade and the halberd tip collided, a visible ripple of space exploded outward.

The ripples spread outward like waves on water. Wherever they passed, the Void Realm shattered and healed like glass, shattered and healed, repeating several times before finally calming down.

This space was like thin paper being kneaded repeatedly, frighteningly fragile.

Li Tianxuan's figure slid back seven steps.

Each step left a golden footprint in the Void Realm.

The space around the footprints shattered inch by inch, spiderweb-like cracks lingering for a long time, as if even heaven and earth were recording his retreat.

He steadied his figure, slowly raised his head, and looked at Chu Zhanxiao.

The mockery in those eyes not only did not diminish but became even more intense.

There was even a hint of—bloodthirsty excitement, of finally waiting for this moment.

"Hmph."

He gave a soft hmph, the golden longsword held horizontally across his chest.

The Imperial Dragon Qi flowing on the sword blade was vast as a sea; as it surged, it carried the imperial Aura of suppressing all things and reigning above all living beings.

"I am the Sovereign of the Zhenwu Dynasty."

He lifted his chin, looking down at Chu Zhanxiao, as if looking at a moth that didn't know life from death throwing itself into a raging fire, as if looking at a piece of history that should have been buried long ago.

"And the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion was my subject."

He paused, speaking the last few words word by word.

Each word seemed to carry the power of thunder, smashing hard against Chu Zhanxiao's heart, smashing onto that bloody old wound—

"I—want him dead—"

"Then he must die."

The moment his voice fell, eight terrifyingly extreme Auras erupted simultaneously!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Eight rays of light of different colors tore through the sky, like eight roaring Dragons, surrounding Chu Zhanxiao tightly from different directions!

The light wove into a net of death, sealing off all his escape routes!

At the same time, the golden longsword in Li Tianxuan's hand was suddenly swung out.

A golden Sword Qi a hundred zhang long tore through the firmament, carrying glorious imperial might, slashing down from above!

This Sword Qi was like divine punishment, carrying an unquestionable sense of judgment, intending to slash and destroy Chu Zhanxiao along with everything behind him!

Chu Zhanxiao stood in the center of that sword light.

His silver-gold armor rattled in the strong wind, his silver-gold short hair flying backward, his face flickering in the golden light.

His expression remained cold as iron.

But in his eyes—deep within those silver-gold pupils—two balls of scarlet fire were burning wildly.

That was blood, that was fire, that was the hatred that had never been extinguished for fifteen years.

"Kill—"

His voice was low and hoarse, like an echo from the abyss of Hell.

Carrying the whimpering of dead souls, the shattering of broken bones, carrying a man's fifteen years of forbearance and explosion.

The halberd in his hand was suddenly raised.

Silver-gold thunder surged wildly on the halberd, emitting a harsh sizzling sound, the electric light casting his face in flickering light and shadow.

Behind him, the golden Dragon and the silver Dragon simultaneously emitted a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering Dragon roar!

The two Dragons coiled and soared into the sky!

The golden and silver rays of light wove into a rotating vortex, stirring the thunderclouds filling the sky to pieces!

Boom—!!

Nine attacks and one halberd collided with a boom above that shattered firmament!

The entire sky lost its color at this moment.

Between heaven and earth, only blinding white light remained, and a ceaseless, roaring sound like the collapse of the world.

The aftermath of the collision between the sword light and the halberd had not yet dissipated, and Li Tianxuan's figure had already disappeared from where he stood again!

His speed was fast enough to make one's scalp tingle, even three parts faster than when Chu Zhanxiao had suddenly launched his surprise attack earlier!

The golden longsword dragged a blinding golden tail flame through the Void Realm, the Imperial Dragon Qi gathering at the tip of the sword—that point of golden light was so brilliant it was like a scorching sun falling into the mortal world. Wherever it passed, the Void Realm was completely annihilated, revealing large swathes of dark cracks, as if even heaven and earth were making way for this sword strike of his.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

The verbal exchange just now seemed to be humiliating Chu Zhanxiao, but in reality, he had been observing in secret—he wanted to confirm how much strength this number one Prodigy of the Zhenwu Dynasty from fifteen years ago had recovered today.

And that halberd strike just now had allowed him to see clearly.

Chu Zhanxiao was indeed strong, even stronger than he had expected.

But it was not enough.

Far from enough.

As long as the eight Mahayana Cultivators attacked together with him, forming an encirclement, Chu Zhanxiao would undoubtedly die!

Therefore, the moment he shouted the word "Kill," he had already made all the arrangements—

Eight people sealing off the retreat routes; he must not let this lone wolf have a chance to escape alive.

After all, the threat of a peerless Prodigy was simply too great.

And now, what he had to do was to take advantage of the time when the person behind Chu Zhanxiao was far away at Yuyao Pass and unable to spare a Clone, to completely remove this thorn!