Chapter 1388
Wang Mang's Advance
Chapter 1388 Wang Mang's Advance
The "Burning Branch" greatsword, engulfed in flames, met Lingxu Mama's "Frosty Soul Palm".
The moment the two collided, a loud "sizzle" was heard. The white cold air and red flames intertwined, producing a large amount of white mist, which enveloped the entire Chentian Palace.
Lingxu Granny felt a scorching force travel through her palm, instantly shattering her icy inner strength. Her arm went numb, and she couldn't help but take three steps back, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
"Impossible! How can your internal energy be so strong?"
Granny Lingxu was both shocked and furious. She had been cultivating the Taiyin Suxin Jue for decades, and this was the first time she had encountered an opponent who could so easily defeat her inner strength.
Somewhat unwilling, she once again channeled her inner strength, raised her hands, and countless fine ice threads shot out from her fingertips—her ultimate move, "Ice Silkworm Silk."
These ice lines are transparent and colorless, and move extremely fast. If one gets entangled in them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Surtur didn't dodge at all. He suddenly swung his "Burning Branch" greatsword, and the fiery aura formed a huge wall of fire, blocking all the ice lines outside.
The ice lines melted instantly upon touching the wall of fire, dripping onto the ground. Then, Surtur leaped forward, gripping his greatsword tightly with both hands, and slashed down at Granny Lingxu.
"Ding! Surtur's skill final effect one has been activated twice again, increasing attack power by 1."
Surtur's current combat strength has risen to 129!
This sword strike was powerful and heavy, carrying a world-destroying momentum. The fiery aura even burned away the surrounding white mist.
Granny Lingxu's expression changed drastically. She quickly circulated all her inner strength and condensed a thick ice shield in front of her. However, this ice shield was as fragile as paper in front of the "Burning Branch" and was shattered with a "crack".
The greatsword's remaining power did not diminish, and it continued to slash at Granny Lingxu. Granny Lingxu could only awkwardly dodge to the side, but her shoulder was still swept by the fiery energy. Her clothes were instantly ignited, and her skin sizzled as it burned, making her grimace in pain.
"Granny Lingxu!"
Empress Liu exclaimed in surprise, never expecting that her capable personal nanny would be so easily defeated by Surtur.
The strength of a peak war god is truly terrifying!
Wang Mang stood to the side, his face expressionless.
"Is this the true value of a peak War God? It's like a max-level master stomping on a noob! Lingxu Mama's skill level is touted as amazing in the martial arts world, but when she met Surtur, she couldn't even last three moves. It's true that 'when the cat's away, the mice will play.'"
He had long known of Surtur's strength. As the first echelon below the pinnacle of Qi on the Tianwu Continent, even in this world of rampant demons, he was definitely one of the strongest in the world.
He just didn't expect that Granny Lingxu's internal energy was so fragile. He thought she could hold out for a while, but she was defeated so quickly.
Surtur pressed his advantage relentlessly. Seeing that Granny Lingxu was injured, he once again swung his sword, his fiery aura growing stronger and stronger. The temperature of the entire Chentian Palace rose considerably, and the murals on the walls were baked until they turned slightly yellow.
Lingxu Granny was forced into retreat, her wounds multiplying. Her cold internal energy was suppressed by the fiery aura, making it impossible for her to function properly. She could only barely defend herself.
"Your Majesty, I advise you to surrender."
Wang Mang looked at Empress Liu and said calmly, “The situation is hopeless now. The Imperial Guards are in my hands, the capital is in my hands, and even Granny Lingxu is no match for Surtur. Even if you resist, it will be of no use.”
Empress Liu sat on the phoenix throne, her face pale, looking at Wang Mang with a complicated expression.
After being in power for so many years, how could she be willing to relinquish power so easily?
Back then, she climbed step by step from a minor concubine to the position of empress, and then took control of the court. How much effort did she put in? Now she is about to be defeated by someone she always thought she could "control". How can she accept this?
"Wang Mang, do you really think you can hold onto this position?"
"The rebel armies of Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, and Liu Yu are still outside the city. The Qin Dynasty's Ying Zheng and the Qian Dynasty's Su Ye are also nearby. In the north, there are nomadic tribes from the grasslands that are eyeing us covetously. Even if you control Daling, you're just sitting on a volcano!"
Empress Liu gave a cold laugh.
"Your Majesty need not worry about that. Since I dare to do this, I am confident in dealing with the situation outside."
Wang Mang smiled slightly.
"Your Majesty, you should think carefully now: do you want to hand over the Imperial Seal and enjoy your old age in peace, or do you want Granny Lingxu to continue to die?"
The Imperial Seal of the State was a symbol of the imperial power of the Great Ling Dynasty. As long as Wang Mang obtained the seal, he could rightfully control the government, and if he planned properly, he could even ascend the throne again in the future, which was not impossible.
Empress Liu was aware of this, so she always kept the imperial seal close to her and never let it leave her side.
Upon hearing Wang Mang's words, Granny Lingxu in the hall trembled with rage. She gritted her teeth, mustered the last bit of her inner strength, and prepared to fight Surtur to the death.
Surtur gave her no chance at all. With a swing of his greatsword, fiery energy pierced through her shoulder, pinning her to a palace pillar.
Empress Liu, sitting at the head of the table, slowly raised her hand to straighten the gold tassels on her phoenix robe. Her movements were so composed that it was as if she were not in dire straits, but rather inspecting the peonies newly cultivated by the gardeners in the imperial garden.
The fine lines at the corners of her eyes were faintly visible in the candlelight, but her sharp, eagle-like eyes showed no sign of panic—Wang Mang thought that by launching his attack in the dead of night and sweeping through the heart of the matter with lightning speed, he had gained the upper hand.
Little did they know that Empress Liu, who had ruled the Great Ling Dynasty for twenty-three years, had long since ingrained the concept of "hidden cards" into her very bones.
Who would have thought that among the twelve prefectures and counties of Lingzhou, eight of the governors and prefects, who appeared to be appointed by the imperial court, were actually her former subordinates from when she was a prince, three were her wet nurse's family members, and the remaining one, although a neutral party, had married her distant niece.
These people held the keys to the granaries and armory tokens of various states, and even the messengers on the postal routes had "Phoenix Feather Guards" planted by her.
Take Lingzhou, the capital, for example. Zhou Xian, the prefect of Jingzhao, was ostensibly one of Wang Mang's "own people," but in reality, every year he would secretly present her with three secret reports under the guise of reporting on his duties: one on the movements of officials in the prefecture, one on the reserves of grain and military equipment, and one on public opinion.
This was her plan to "rule the prefectures and counties." She originally intended to wait until the rebel army and Wang Mang were both exhausted, then have these people rally their troops and instantly take control of the heart of Lingzhou. However, she did not expect that the old fox Wang Mang would act so quickly, as if he had turned on double speed. He made his move at midnight and by dawn he had already arrived at the palace. Before the post horses could even leave the capital, the secret order was intercepted inside the palace gates.
Not to mention the border troops of You and Jin prefectures in the north of the Great Ling Dynasty. The north of Great Ling has been harassed by nomadic tribes from the grasslands for many years. The court has deployed 100,000 "Zhenbei Army" and 70,000 "Polu Iron Cavalry" there, which is the last guarantee of the Great Ling Dynasty and one of the ways out if all else fails.
Even when Liu Bang and other rebel armies were at the height of their power and approached Lingzhou, the Lingzhou court only mobilized the surrounding prefectures and counties that had not yet fallen to come to the aid of the king, without using the northern border troops.
(End of this chapter)