Chapter 353 The Awakening of the Chess Pieces

An unprecedented storm was quietly brewing within this sunless underground palace.

The atmosphere inside the stone chamber of the underground palace dropped to freezing point.

The torchlight illuminated the figures of the two opposing sides, casting tense silhouettes onto the cold stone walls, as if performing a silent shadow play.

"The ancestors of the Zhao Imperial Clan?" Emperor Liu Sheng looked at the seven living fossils who had walked out from the dust of history before him. Far from showing fear, a playful smile appeared on his face. "Having hidden in this sunless underground for hundreds of years, the outside world has long since changed."

"The changing of the guard, the rise and fall of dynasties, is merely the cycle of the Heavenly Dao." The leader of the old men spoke with a voice as still as an ancient well. "But as long as the seven of us still have a breath left, this world of the Great Qian must belong to the Zhao family."

"Is that so?" Emperor Liu Sheng chuckled. "I fear that while you can guard this tomb of the dead, you cannot guard the empire of the living. Do you know what kind of good deeds this 'True Dragon Son of Heaven' beneath your feet has done?"

He concisely recounted the story of how Emperor Zhao Tuo had colluded with jianghu assassins in an attempt to assassinate him, and then fled in fear of punishment after failing.

Upon hearing this, the six Great Grandmaster ancestors all showed anger on their faces. Although they did not concern themselves with worldly affairs, as members of the imperial clan, they valued face above all else. For a ruler of a country to use such despicable means to deal with a subject was truly a disgrace to their family name.

The Land Immortal leader frowned even deeper. He glanced at Emperor Zhao Tuo, who was still weeping and pleading at his feet, and a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes.

However, he still spoke: "Even if he has ten thousand faults, it should be handled by the family law of the Zhao Imperial Clan. It is not for a subject with a different surname like you to administer lynch law here."

"Family law?" Emperor Liu Sheng seemed to have heard a great joke. "Is your family law to watch him ruin the foundation of the Great Qian step by step? To watch him favor treacherous sycophants, harm loyal officials, and leave the people in misery?"

"Presumptuous!" A hot-tempered ancestor shouted angrily. "A mere subject dares to criticize the faults of the sovereign and father!"

"It seems that reason will not work." Emperor Liu Sheng sighed, the smile on his face slowly fading, replaced by a chilling coldness. "I originally wanted to leave a shred of dignity for the Zhao Imperial Clan. Since you old fogies refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, don't blame me for... being ruthless."

He took a step forward, releasing his terrifying aura of the Land Immortal realm without reservation. The entire underground palace seemed to tremble violently under this pressure, and dust fell from the stone walls.

The expressions of the seven ancestors changed simultaneously. They could feel that the strength of the young man before them exceeded even their imagination.

"Form the formation!" The leader shouted in a low voice.

The six Great Grandmaster ancestors moved instantly, splitting into six positions and surrounding Emperor Liu Sheng. An profound aura of the formation connected the power of the seven, and their momentum surged again.

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot." Emperor Liu Sheng evaluated with disdain.

Just as he was about to make a move, he suddenly stopped, and a strange smile curled up at the corners of his mouth again.

"Very well, before I make a move, let me show you a good show." He clapped his hands and said aloud, "Superintendent Yu Huatian, Minister of War Jiang Hai, it has come to this, how much longer are you going to hide?"

His voice echoed in the underground palace.

The seven ancestors and Emperor Zhao Tuo were all stunned, not understanding what he meant.

However, the next moment, two figures emerged silently from the shadows behind Emperor Liu Sheng like ghosts.

One person was wearing a gorgeous flying fish robe, with a handsome face and a feminine temperament; it was the Superintendent of the Western Depot, Superintendent Yu Huatian.

The other person was dressed in black tight-fitting martial attire, with a tall and straight figure and eyes like a hawk; it was the Commander of the Brocade Guard, Minister of War Jiang Hai.

These two, one the emperor's henchman and the other the emperor's confidant, were the well-known right-hand men in the Great Qian court who were loyal only to the imperial power.

"Superintendent Yu Huatian? Minister of War Jiang Hai?" Upon seeing them, Emperor Zhao Tuo was first stunned, and then a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. "You have come just in time! Quickly! Quickly join my ancestors and take down this rebel!"

He thought this was his last reinforcement.

However, Superintendent Yu Huatian and Minister of War Jiang Hai just stood there quietly, not even glancing at him. They walked behind Emperor Liu Sheng, bowed slightly, and said in unison, "Subordinates pay respects to Master."

"Mas... Master?"

These two words were like two bolts of divine lightning from the nine heavens, striking Emperor Zhao Tuo on the head. The ecstasy on his face instantly solidified, turning into extreme, unbelievable horror.

"You... you..." His lips trembled as he pointed at Superintendent Yu Huatian and Minister of War Jiang Hai, unable to say a word.

The seven ancestors of the Zhao Imperial Clan were also full of shock. Although they had lived in the underground palace for a long time, they knew what the Western Depot and the Brocade Guard meant. These two, which should have been the sharpest knives of the imperial power, had actually... long since become someone else's knives?

Emperor Liu Sheng looked at Emperor Zhao Tuo's colorful face and felt extremely delighted. He wanted to use this most cruel way to crush all of Emperor Zhao Tuo's hopes, little by little, completely.

"Are you surprised, Your Majesty?" Emperor Liu Sheng's voice sounded like a demon's whisper in Emperor Zhao Tuo's ear. "You thought Superintendent Yu Huatian was a dog you raised, and Minister of War Jiang Hai was a confidant you promoted? You are wrong. From the very beginning, they have been my people."

"Whether it is the Western Depot or the Brocade Guard, they are just pawns I used to confuse you. You thought you were using them to suppress me, but in reality, they were cooperating with me, hollowing you out step by step, making you lose the support of your people, and finally, forcing you to this dead end."

"Everything you have done, all your self-righteous power schemes and calculations, in my eyes, is nothing more than... a ridiculous solo performance."

"Pfft—"

Emperor Zhao Tuo could no longer bear this huge blow. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, splashing red on the ground in front of him. His body swayed and he fell straight backward. If he hadn't been supported by an ancestor, he would probably have died on the spot.

"You brat! You go too far!"

The leader was furious. What Emperor Liu Sheng did was no longer a simple forcing of the palace, but was pressing the dignity of the entire Zhao Imperial Clan to the ground and trampling on it repeatedly!

"Kill this rebel!"

At his command, the long-accumulated killing intent erupted.

"Fight!" Emperor Liu Sheng only uttered one word.

Eunuch Fan Dapao, Granny Magu, Hong Niang, Shi Potian, and General Su Meng were already ready to go. With the help of the realm-breaking pills given by Emperor Liu Sheng, their strength was no longer what it used to be. At this moment, facing the long-famous Great Grandmasters, there was no fear in their eyes, but rather burning fighting spirit.

"Old guys! Taste a cannon shot from your old Fan!" Eunuch Fan Dapao carried the Jingshen Cannon, charged forward first, and blasted it at the face of an ancestor.

The great battle was about to break out!