Chapter 1374
Imperial Decree
Chapter 1374 Imperial Decree
"I remember... around this time, there should be meteors soaring into the sky in the north... Is there any news?"
Above the rolling yellow sand, the city walls were mottled with age. Qiu E stood with his arms crossed, his face filled with worry. Hearing his words, the True Man beside him shook his head anxiously and said:
"No... We can't tell whether it's true or not from that distance. And we don't have any familiar families in the north, so it's difficult to even ask about something..."
"pity!"
Qiu E hesitated slightly before taking two steps, touched the back of her neck, pulled out a white hair, and casually snapped it off with a flick of her wrist, thinking to herself:
"His Majesty also told me that Chuncheng is a tool used by the North to weaken Mingyang. I suppose this is a consensus among True Lords. No matter how powerful the King of Wei is, he can't defy a Golden Core cultivator, so there shouldn't be any problems..."
'What a pity... a wasted life.'
He felt deeply gloomy.
The Qiu family was prosperous, but Qiu E was actually just an illegitimate son raised on a farm by a branch of the cultivators. In his first life, he lived half his life in a daze and became a rogue cultivator with mixed qi, almost wasting his life.
After his rebirth, heaven knows how much effort he put into leaving his private residence and gathering information to reach the Purple Mansion... There was even a great deal of luck involved. His lowly birth had a fatal impact on him, not only because of his low cultivation level, but also because of the large amount of time he wasted in the inner quarters.
Rumor has it that there is more than one Tian Su in the North, and one of them has already surrendered to Shi Xiu... The Battle of Xianhu was most likely his doing...
Compared to these people, Qiu E's disadvantages still cannot be eliminated.
'But now that we've already agreed to His Majesty's decree, there's no turning back...'
He was a decisive man, and finally, without further hesitation, he nodded slightly and said in a low voice:
“Master Sun is already waiting in the Great Void. This junior will set off immediately with the imperial decree to Dingmo Army in the west and forcibly summon Master Hongyan!”
Master Qiu's expression changed, and he said:
"He said he was in seclusion...to break through to the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm..."
"It doesn't matter!"
Qiu E's face was icy cold as she said:
"He just doesn't want to get involved! I'll personally deliver the decree... The True Man will wait until I'm away, and when he anticipates my arrival, he'll unleash his supernatural powers in a fierce battle. Seeing the turbulent situation in the east, he'll know he has to come, so I'll use my power to suppress him!"
So he boarded the flying boat and sped away. Master Qiu nodded outwardly, but crossed his arms and stared somewhat gloomily in the direction he had gone.
'Is it truly for the sake of my Qiu family? Or is he using my Qiu family as a stepping stone for his advancement?'
The various branches of the Qiu family were thriving, and the competition was fierce. Qiu Shenshi was also a Zifu who had fought his way out from among thousands of people. Even though many things had been confirmed by his words, and there were times when he could benefit from complying with the other party in important matters, he still felt dissatisfied and suspicious as he watched the other party's departing figure.
'A distant relative with the same surname, a minor cultivator from a farming family, possesses this kind of shared hatred and indignation towards me? Such a person—why isn't he one of my direct descendants? Besides, Tian Su should be reporting everything to me, why is he keeping things from me and ordering me around?'
He had been carefully observing this junior every moment these past few days and had already formed his own judgment, but Qiu E was completely unaware. At this moment, the master felt a little regretful:
'Unfortunately, Qiu Jie was too naive; how could he so easily run right under the emperor's nose?'
His face was expressionless, but his heart was filled with endless gloom. After waiting for half a day, seeing the sun sink below the horizon, he finally leaped away, laughing:
"Fellow True Immortals!"
Then they saw that his body was filled with immortal light, white mist soared into the sky, and each strand was like a bolt of silk, like thousands of pieces of white jade. He was actually a 'Jade True' cultivator. In an instant, he arrived at the front of the formation, and with a light flick of his finger, a white jade-like mountain rose up!
"Boom!"
The white jade mountain crashed onto the golden array, its light flowing like a waterfall. Both were equally magnificent, though their colors were strikingly different. Immediately, a cold voice could be heard from within:
"Who?!"
Master Qiu looked down and scanned the formation, noticing the colors shifting and black energy intertwining within. He immediately understood:
'It's Lin Chensheng as Tian Su predicted... Be careful of that Sun Treasure Bag...'
But the people inside recognized him and said calmly:
"Yuan Shi Zhenren?"
Strangely enough, back then, the East was still the Yue Kingdom, and the Sun Sect was at its peak. Hou Fu came to Shu to provide assistance and even worked with him, Qiu Shenshi. There should have been some goodwill between them... But times have changed. His face was cold as he said:
"I have come on the Emperor's orders, please forgive me!"
With a flick of his wrist, the immortal had already taken out two sticks, striking the Jade Mountain one after the other. The shockwave dispersed the clouds and haze, dimmed the desert, and made the already existing sunset appear even dimmer. The spirit array emitted a soft creaking sound.
Lin Chengsheng certainly couldn't let him get away with it. This master, relying on his many treasures, even though his supernatural powers were far inferior to his opponent's, still stepped out lightly, transforming into a raging sea of blood. The black rope in his hand twirled like a dragon, locking the two sticks in place.
He was quite skilled in Taoism, and because of his own lineage, he was well-versed in the virtues of nature. He was also very familiar with Master Qiu's Jade True Divine Power and neutralized it perfectly. He only took out two treasures and dragged the man into the sky.
But the sky and earth were dark, and purple lightning flashed. A man stepped out of the air, holding two maces. His face was covered with bright purple patterns, like a thunder god descending to earth. He stepped on the jade mountain!
Prince Quyang, Shangguan Mi!
When Lin Chengsheng first saw him, his gaze instantly became complicated, and he couldn't help but be shocked:
'He's already at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm!'
Shangguan Mi is younger than Lin Chensheng and started his seclusion later than him. However, he has overcome the ignorance stage at an extremely fast pace and can be called a genius in the path of thunder. Judging from his current speed of breaking through to the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion, he is probably the number one hero in Shu in the last one or two hundred years!
This Master Shangguan was always conscientious and ruthless, showing no mercy whatsoever. He swung his two maces and smashed them against the great formation.
The jade mountain that was stuck on the great formation trembled slightly and was suddenly overturned by a beam of light that reached the sky. Only then could one vaguely see an old man standing in the formation, his face slightly pale, but holding a red feather fan in his hand.
Shangguan Mi frowned slightly, seemingly recognizing the old man before him, and said:
"Senior Jia..."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Shenshi was taken aback:
'Jia? Jia Zan?'
Qiu E had already counted the supernatural powers within, and logically, there was no such person. He was immediately puzzled, but seeing the old man stubbornly guarding the formation and his supernatural powers swaying somewhat, his mind suddenly cleared:
'He's probably seriously injured and hiding here to heal! That's why he doesn't dare go out to fight, and can only rely on this treasure from who-knows-where to assist him! E'er often says that he only remembers famous figures; Jia Zan... is just an old man...'
'Reasonable.'
His mind raced with thoughts, but Shangguan Mi showed no mercy. After a brief moment of hesitation, he had already formed a fist with lightning, then raised his palm and brought it crashing down:
"Lawyer's Wife"!
Shangguan Mi cultivates divine lightning!
This supernatural power is absolutely top-notch in terms of offense and defense. Among the many Taoist traditions that are popular in the world today, probably only Bing Huo can compete with Shen Lei in terms of offense and defense!
This seemingly ordinary palm strike shook the heavens and the earth. The surrounding supernatural beings' vision went white for a moment, and even Jia Zan, who was hiding there, was suddenly stunned.
Just as he realized what was happening, the silvery-white lightning crackled twice. It actually pierced through the great formation, roaring towards him, and before he could react, it struck him squarely between the eyebrows!
In ancient times, the Thunder Palace commanded thunder and lightning, often penetrating formations and injuring people. It inherently possessed the flavor of breaking through defenses, and "Lü Yanwei" actually contains some of that true meaning!
Caught off guard, Jia Zan let out a cry, aggravating his injuries, and blood spurted from his ears and eyes!
'not good! '
Just as he lost his focus for a moment and his face turned deathly pale, a woman finally stepped forward and placed her hands on the old man's shoulders, dispelling the surging divine lightning emanating from him.
Yang Xuancai.
The old man, Master Jiaomu, looked worried. While stabilizing the old man's injuries, he turned his head and said:
"Is the real person still unwilling to make a move?!"
As the woman shouted, a Taoist priest finally appeared on the high platform. The robe had a thousand piercing eyes, which was quite intimidating.
Demon Asura!
This demonic cultivator, who practiced the "Gathering Wood" technique, had just escaped from the Southern Frontier and hadn't suffered any major injuries. He glanced at Shangguan Mi, who stood outside like a thunder god, with some apprehension, his expression extremely unpleasant.
'Damn it, how come it's a lightning cultivator?!'
He was naturally lured by the promise of profit and came from afar. He hid in the formation and waited to see what would happen. He originally thought he would choose an easy opponent to deal with and just stall for time for the Li family. Of course, he had no intention of stepping forward. This Shangguan Mi was so powerful and had the most effective divine lightning to counter demonic cultivators. How could he go out and face it?
This demonic cultivator hadn't even wanted to show his face immediately, but he hadn't expected the old man before him to be so uncooperative, drawing blood in one go. Now he was cursing and swearing.
'Old man... look at how badly he's injured, and he still comes here to do this kind of thing, risking his life for a little bit of profit!'
Upon seeing this scene, Shangguan Mi frowned, seemingly somewhat displeased, and muttered in a low voice:
"Mingyang... how did he end up with demonic cultivators!"
Master Luo still dared not go out, nor did he dare to summon his demonically imbued robes. He only managed to pick out a cauldron-like spiritual object, which he threw out to catch the rolling thunderbolts, cursing:
"Go to hell! My clothes are covered with ignorant barbarians. In the chaos of the Southern Frontier, this treasure has protected at least tens of thousands of lives. You, a grandson of a generation... who knows where you are enjoying the fruits of their labor!"
This demonic cultivator roamed the land, possessing remarkable eloquence. Regardless of whether he had truly protected any living beings, his words immediately silenced the lightning cultivator, causing his expression to change slightly. Shangguan Mi frowned at him and said:
"Then I'll assume I misunderstood."
But his words were a misunderstanding. His face remained expressionless as he swung his two maces with ferocious force, unleashing terrifying divine lightning that struck the cauldron one blow at a time. The magical artifact had never suffered such devastation; it teetered on the brink of collapse. The man surnamed Luo, looking utterly heartbroken, cried out:
"You've got it wrong! You've got it wrong! It was this cauldron that protected the lives of the people! It has done a great service, so don't break it!"
Shangguan Mi sneered, the lightning patterns on his face suddenly brightening, and an extremely thick vertical line appeared between his brows:
"Are you trying to make fun of me?"
"The Oath of the Shrine!"
The next instant, a terrifying, silvery-white storm exploded, and the demonic cauldron, suppressed by the double maces, shattered under the terrifying lightning, exploding into countless bronze fragments!
The entire room was stunned!
Shangguan Mi stood amidst the thunder and storm, red talismans emerging behind him, unleashing torrents of flames. Thunder and fire converged upon his body. This immortal raised his weapon, his voice booming like thunder:
"Come out here and face your death!"
Only then did Jia Zan recover. Upon seeing this scene, he felt a chill run down his spine and a secret sense of regret.
'Damn it! How could it be so terrifying!'
Jia Zan was quite knowledgeable; the Ju clan had also had lightning cultivators back then, but none possessed the imposing presence of the person before him. He felt a sense of fear for a moment and turned to look at the demonic cultivator—Master Luo, who stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he gazed at the sky.
Seeing his smug expression, Jia Zan was suddenly startled:
'Since they were invited by the Li family, they must be quite capable. Do they have some kind of winning strategy?'
"Fellow!"
But upon hearing his hopes, the demonic cultivator had no intention of going out to meet the enemy. He changed the subject, as if remembering something, and suddenly turned around, using his supernatural powers to transmit his voice:
"He's the one who broke it! If there's any compensation involved, you must testify before King Wei!"
These words echoed in his ears, and Jia Zan almost wondered if he had misheard. He felt a lump in his throat, unable to believe it, and stared blankly at the demonic cultivator in front of him.
'I'd heard of the poverty of rogue cultivators... but never of such a thing! Who is this person... with a formidable enemy at hand, secretly plotting, yet trying to replace the old with the new!'
Before he could utter any curses, a deafening roar of thunder filled his ears. It turned out that Shangguan Mi had begun attacking the formation. Master Luo remained hesitant, his expression uncertain.
This demonic cultivator had an extremely keen sense of smell; he already suspected something was wrong. Why would he risk his life by going out? He whispered:
"Where is the Venerable Su Yun?!"
"Boom!"
Thunder rumbled, and the bright lightning finally subsided for a moment in the sky. The woman emerged from the crimson sky, hovering there, her pretty face serene, her voice light and airy:
"I wonder whose orders Master Shangguan has received to invade my lake!"
The sound was like a clear spring, instantly silencing all other sounds in the sky. Although Li Quewan was only a supernatural being, her abilities and relationship with the King of Wei made her the master of this place. As soon as she appeared, Shangguan Mi stopped.
And that's quite an interesting statement.
The struggle between Wangyue Lake and Shu has lasted for many years, but there have actually been few serious battles. The battles fought were all those that the various supernatural beings did not want to fight. It was nothing more than Qingji's rampant levies and extortion. Although the various supernatural beings have fought each other many times, they all know in their hearts that there has been no fundamental damage to their harmony.
But now that Qingji is in seclusion, and all the supernatural beings are coming with overwhelming force, the woman's words carry a strong sense of coldness:
'Whose decree is this on our behalf?'
The atmosphere of the entire battle froze instantly. Shangguan Mi remained silent, slightly turning his head to reveal Qiu Shenshi, who was walking out of the sea of blood behind him.
Having forced out the main culprit, Master Qiu finally stopped standing in the sea of blood, watching the tigers fight from the sidelines. Instead, he strolled slowly, raised his eyebrows, and said calmly:
"The Great General is in seclusion, and we are following orders. Can't Master Su Yun understand this? Since you insist on asking, then I will answer you!"
The blazing lightning rolled through the sea of clouds, illuminating the face of this immortal being. He strode upon the jade-like light, his expression serene.
"This is the decree of the true Qi!"
P.S.: In Chapter 1077, Shangguan Mi was mistakenly introduced as his father, with the incorrect title "Li Huo" (离火). I noticed the error when I went back to check today. The corrected title in Chapter 1077 is: [Li Huo] > [Shen Lei] (神雷).
(End of this chapter)