16: Chapter 16 Purple Sun Holy Land, Elder Descends

The Capital of Great Xia had never been as confident as it was now.

That miracle of the "Sword Qi spanning three thousand li" had injected divine iron into the backbone of the entire Dynasty.

Every citizen stood with their back straight.

The worries about border wars and the treacherous officials in power were swept away.

Replacing them was a pride and arrogance rooted in their bones.

In the teahouses on every street corner, storytellers gestured wildly, as the scene of ten thousand swords paying homage that day had long been woven into various miraculous tales.

In every version, that mysterious Retired Emperor was a Sword Immortal who had descended to the Mortal world.

Great Xia has a god.

These four words were more effective than any law.

With Wei Yong and his group of parasites gone from the court, the young Emperor Li Zhan carried out sweeping reforms.

Batches of ambitious young officials were promoted, and the entire officialdom exuded a new, vigorous energy.

Everything was striding toward an unprecedented golden age.

But this tranquility was abruptly shattered this afternoon by a stream of light that tore through the firmament.

The sky turned black.

It was not dark clouds blocking the sun.

It was a massive shadow enveloping the entire Capital of Great Xia.

Countless commoners looked up in shock.

A magnificent flying boat, carved entirely from white jade, was hovering silently in the sky.

The flying boat was elegantly shaped, with Immortal light flowing around it and gems embedded on its body shimmering with Spiritual Qi.

It was the vehicle of an Immortal, radiating a majesty that made one dare not look directly at it.

A floating cloud flying boat.

A top-tier Magical Artifact used by Ziyang Holy Land to traverse ten thousand li of mountains and rivers.

On the deck of the flying boat, an old man in purple-gold Daoist robes with a hooked nose and sinister eyes stood with his hands behind his back.

He looked down at the capital below, his gaze that of someone looking at ants.

He was the Grand Elder of the Outer Sect of Ziyang Holy Land, Elder Qian Kun.

A genuine powerhouse at the Peak of the ninth level of the Cave-Heaven Realm, with one foot already stepped into the Array Formation Realm.

Behind him stood several young Disciples respectfully.

Each of them had an extraordinary bearing, yet their faces wore the same arrogance as their Revered Master.

"Revered Master, is this that Mortal Dynasty? The Spiritual Qi is so thin it makes me sick; I'm afraid even one more breath would dirty my Dao foundation."

A pretty female Disciple covered her nose, her tone full of disgust.

"Junior Sister is right."

Another greasy-faced male Disciple waved a folding fan, his expression playful.

"Can a place like this, where birds don't even lay eggs, actually produce a supreme treasure?"

"It is truly the biggest joke in the world."

"In my opinion, it's probably just some meteorite from beyond the heavens that fell into a manure pit, causing such a big commotion."

"Hahaha, Senior Brother Li's words are excellent."

The several Disciples chatted and laughed as if no one else were around, their words full of contempt for this land.

They were high and mighty gods, commenting on a group of lowly insects.

Elder Qian Kun did not stop them; instead, he sneered.

In his view, these Mortals were not qualified to make his Disciples restrain themselves.

He had only one purpose for this trip.

To find the supreme treasure that had triggered the heaven-shaking Sword Qi and bring it back to the Holy Land.

As for the life or death of this Mortal Dynasty, what did it have to do with him?

His patience was limited.

He could not be bothered to waste time in such a filthy place.

Elder Qian Kun didn't even bother to speak; his vast Divine Thought transformed into an invisible mountain and fiercely suppressed the Great Xia Imperial Palace below.

In an instant, the Soul of everyone in the entire Capital of Great Xia sank heavily.

An invisible pair of hands gripped everyone's throat, making it impossible to breathe.

People on the street, regardless of gender or age, all felt their knees go weak and uncontrollably knelt down.

Their faces were drained of color, their pupils dilated; it was extreme terror.

Divine Thought pressure.

The Imperial Palace was the core of the pressure, and the pressure it endured was even more terrifying.

Inside the Golden Throne Hall.

Emperor Li Zhan had just rejected a proposal and was preparing to discuss new policies.

A pressure that froze his Divine Soul suddenly descended.

Thump.

Thump.

The elderly ministers in the hall didn't even have time to groan before their eyes rolled back, foam spilled from their mouths, and they collapsed to the ground.

They lost consciousness instantly.

Even those few young generals at the Acquired Realm had their faces turn purple-red, their internal organs nearly crushed by that pressure.

Li Zhan gripped the armrests of the Dragon Throne tightly with both hands.

His entire body's bones were creaking under the unbearable burden.

As the True Dragon Emperor, protected by the Dragon Qi of the national fortune, he bore the greatest pressure.

He was also the only person still able to stand.

His eyes were blood-red, staring fixedly at the sky outside the hall shrouded in shadow, his teeth nearly shattered from clenching.

Humiliation.

Boundless humiliation.

Since ascending the throne, he had never suffered such humiliation.

Having finally regained power and reshaped the dignity of the Emperor, in the face of absolute power, that pitiful dignity was instantly torn to shreds.

He was not an Emperor.

He was just a slave trampled underfoot.

Just then, a cold, arrogant voice exploded in the sky above the entire capital, and in everyone's mind.

"Where is the Emperor of Great Xia?"

"The envoy from the Holy Land has arrived. You have ten breaths to roll out of the palace gate and kneel to welcome us!"

"One breath late, and I will slaughter your entire city!"

This voice was overbearing and unparalleled, like a Revered Master scolding a watchdog.

"Too much bullying!"

Li Zhan let out a beast-like roar from his throat, unable to suppress his injuries any longer, and a mouthful of golden Dragon blood sprayed out, splattering the imperial desk.

The entire Great Xia court fell into a dead silence of despair.

Is this the majesty of an Immortal?

Not even the thought of resistance could arise.

For the first time, they realized how fragile and pathetic a Mortal Dynasty was in front of a true cultivator.

Prime Minister's residence.

Wei Yong, who was under house arrest in the residence, was currently also lying on the ground, trembling all over.

At first, like everyone else, he was scared to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering by this Divine Might.

But when that overbearing command resounded through heaven and earth, a morbid ecstasy suddenly erupted in his dead-fish-like eyes.

Holy Land!

It was the real Immortals who had come!

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Li Xuan!"

"Li Zhan!"

"Your death date has arrived!"

Wei Yong roared crazily in his heart.

So what if that old Immortal Li Xuan is strong?

Can he be stronger than a real Immortal Holy Land?

No matter how terrifying the phantom of the Human Emperor he invoked is, can it compare to this one in the sky?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

That old thing is probably just a Loose Cultivator who got lucky.

In front of a true behemoth, he is nothing.

Opportunity.

This is my only opportunity, Wei Yong.

I must grasp this straw of life.

I must grasp it.

A strong desire to survive and desire for revenge allowed Wei Yong to struggle out of his fear.

He used all his strength to fish out a jade talisman stained with dark brown blood from his bosom.

This was an evil object he had obtained in his early years, which could sacrifice essence blood to transmit thoughts to powerful beings.

He did not hesitate, bit the tip of his tongue, and sprayed his heart's blood onto the jade talisman.

The jade talisman instantly turned into a wisp of black smoke and shot toward the floating cloud flying boat in the sky.

"Great Xia sinner Wei Yong pays respects to the Holy Land Immortal Elder! I am willing to offer all the secrets of this place, including the source of that heaven-shaking Sword Qi! I only ask the Immortal Elder to slay the traitorous Li Xuan and his grandson, and help me regain control of Great Xia!"

"By then, the entire Great Xia Divine Dynasty will become the most loyal lackey under the Immortal Elder's feet!"

On the flying boat, Elder Qian Kun frowned, impatience appearing on his face.

"Five breaths have passed. These ants truly refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

He was just about to increase the pressure to give these Mortals below a bloody lesson when the greasy-faced male Disciple beside him suddenly exclaimed.

A communication jade talisman in his hand was emitting an eerie black light.

"Revered Master! Look! Someone named Wei Yong below has sent a message!"

Senior Brother Li's voice was full of surprise.

"He says he is the deposed Prime Minister here and is willing to defect to us, and he also says he knows the secret of that Sword Qi!"

"Oh?"

Surprise flashed in Elder Qian Kun's eyes, then turned into deep disdain.

"Just a dog that smelled something fishy; it saves me some trouble."

He had little interest in the secret of the Sword Qi.

What secret could a Mortal know?

Nothing more than seeing where the supreme treasure fell.

But since someone is actively defecting, having a useful dog is not bad.

"Since there is someone here who knows the current affairs, I will give them one last chance."

Elder Qian Kun spread his Divine Thought again, his voice filled with chilling murderous intent.

"Three!"

The cold voice was the ringing of a funeral bell.

"Two!"

The glazed tiles of the Golden Throne Hall creaked, and cracks spread across the pillars of the hall.

Li Zhan and the other ministers who were still conscious felt their Divine Souls about to be torn apart.

"One!"

"Time is up. Since you do not cherish the chance to live."

"Then this imperial city has no need to exist."

"Die for me!"

Elder Qian Kun's murderous intent surged, he raised his palm, terrifying mana gathered, and he was about to wipe this imperial city off the map with one palm.

And just at this moment.

Deep in the Dragon Imperial Hall, the little baby Li Changsheng, who was closing his eyes and enjoying sucking on mana, suddenly frowned in dissatisfaction.

His little mouth smacked in displeasure.

As if he had been disturbed by a fly outside.

Li Xuan, who had been sitting cross-legged the whole time, opened his eyes.

Those eyes, which had originally been filled with love, now became pitch-black, deep, and devoid of any ripples.

Like a ten-thousand-year cold pool beneath the Nine Netherworlds.

He didn't even look up; he just spat out a few words calmly.

"You've disturbed my son's sleep."