Gate of God

Chapter 584: Destroying the Palace

Prince Li’s expression seemed a little stiff.

But Qian Wu reached the peak of his fury as he clearly saw Fang Zhengzhi running away with his Near-Life Gate.

Did he run away?

Yes, indeed. Along with his Near-Life Gate.

Did he do it intentionally? If he really wanted to save his own life, shouldn’t he drop the Near-Life Gate?

Qian Wu could not be certain. But he was sure of the consequences if Fang Zhengzhi brought it out of the palace.

“Give my Near-Life Gate back!”

“You’re mistaken. This is my Near-Life Gate!” Fang Zhengzhi replied without even turning back, speeding toward the palace gate while carrying the giant Near-Life Gate.

There was a saying that one’s success was dependent on his bravery.

How would he return something that he had already seized?

Would that be silly!

Of course, he wouldn’t sacrifice his life for Prince Li of the First Rank who was only concerned with the Great Xia Dynasty and saving the Emperor and Ping Yang, but not him.

But for him to return something that he had snatched was impossible.

“Boom!”

The Near-Life Gate was smashed on the ground, creating a path between the Palace Guards blocking the way.

Then, Fang Zhengzhi used the Near-Life Gate as a springboard, with a forceful push, he leaped past the contingent of Palace Guards, leaving with a giant vanishing silhouette.

And watching Fang Zhengzhi leave…

Qian Wu’s was about to erupt. He wanted to get King Xieluo to chase after Fang Zhengzhi but seeing King Xieluo was so close to Emperor Lin Mubai, he hesitated.

But King Xieluo didn’t hesitate.

With a jerk of his shoulder, a ripple of light rays lit up, and the hand that was previously holding down his shoulder was released. Then he rushed toward Fang Zhengzhi.

With insane lightning speed.

Prince Li of the First Rank took a step back in the direction of Emperor Lin Mubai, his expression intense and grave as he furrowed his brows. But he didn’t chase after King Xieluo.

He wasn’t sure if King Xieluo would turn back.

“Uncle, I can handle the situation here, please go to the palace gate now!” As Emperor Lin Mubai watched King Xieluo chasing after Fang Zhengzhi, he spoke after his a few heavy coughs, despite the appalling pallor on his face.

When Prince Li of the First Rank heard Emperor Lin Mubai, his eyes gleamed as he watched King Xieluo run farther and farther away in the distance, and Qian Wu, and Lin Xinjue who was surrounded by the Palace Guards.

Clenching his teeth, he hesitated no further.

“I’ll leave this place to Your Majesty, then!” Finishing his sentence, Prince Li of the First Rank chased after them immediately.

Everything was a matter of urgency. Fang Zhengzhi indeed ran away, but he also took with him the Near-Life Gate. This meant that he had saved the palace from some disaster.

Although the emperor’s security is of top priority, if the Near-Life Gate landed in the wrong hands, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The rainbow rays glowed again.

And off went the Prince Li of the First Rank in the direction of Fang Zhengzhi and King Xieluo.

Following closely behind King Xieluo were two figures: Yan Xiu and Shan Yu. Their speeds were as fast as him. When King Xieluo gave chase, both had followed along.

“Grandfather bring me along!” Ping Yang exclaimed.

Prince Li of the First Rank squinted his eyes in the distance. With a motion of his palm, the wave of rainbow rays wrapped Ping Yang and brought her beside him.

To Emperor Lin Mubai, Ping Yang’s presence in the palace would only bring harm instead of good.

Prince Li was well aware of this and bringing Ping Yang along would ease Emperor Lin Mubai’s worries. It would make the situation in the palace more manageable.

“They all ran away?” Qian Wu wondered as he watched Prince Li of the First Rank brought Ping Yang with him. He looked at Emperor Lin Mubai and Chen Feihua surrounded by the Dragon Protection Squad, then at the Palace Guards and Southern Army who were still fighting.

He felt that he should continue to stay at the palace.

But…

What for?

To kill Emperor Lin Mubai? Without King Xieluo, and with his Near-Life Gate taken away, it would be impossible to kill Emperor Lin Mubai.

But he couldn’t give up just like that.

Fight till the end!

Qian Wu shot an icy glare and finally joined the battle.

…

In the darkness of the night, a figure dressed in a purple robe leaped over the palace gates from a strange angle, entering the palace with lightning speed.

Lord Chi Hong from the Divine Constabulary.

He rarely did such sneaky entrances for the past few decades, but he didn’t wish to waste any time on the guards at the palace gates.

Though he leaped and jumped and hurdled, his speed never decreased. Instead, he ran faster and faster.

As he approached the Throne Room, he squinted intensely. Because the Throne Room as he had expected was gone.

“Where’s the Throne Room?” Chi Hong was stunned. Then a frightening thought emerged: “Was the Throne Room destroyed?!”

He was petrified at this thought.

“Who are you!” Even if it was Chi Hong, anyone would have been rattled when a shadow emerged from a distance, especially with such a huge shadow.

A ridiculous shadow was cast under a moonlight. And more importantly, that shadow moved unbelievably fast.

Was it a beast?

With this thought, he took a closer look. Then his jaw dropped in a shock.

It was even more shocking than the missing Throne Room!

“Fang Zhengzhi?!” Chi Hong’s mouth was wide agape, uttering a name he would never have expected.

Weren’t his powers wasted?

How could he move so fast?

And how heavy was the giant bronze gate he had raised on his hand?

How could he even lift it?

Wait a moment.

This bronze gate seemed a little familiar…

Chi Hong was absolutely bewildered as countless questions raced through his mind. No matter how he thought, he could never grasp what was happening here.

And Fang Zhengzhi, who was running toward him, lit up when he saw Chi Hong.

Had the heavens heard his prayers and provided a savior?

“My Lord, please save me. Stop the demon behind me!” Fang Zhengzhi didn’t bother with formalities and exclaimed without hesitation.

“Demon? What demon? Weren’t your powers wasted? How can you run so fast? Have you been deceiving me all this while?” Chi Hong shot him a barrage of questions.

“It just a demon easy for you to defeat. But I can’t defeat him. I’ll explain things later, please help me here!” Of course, Fang Zhengzhi couldn’t explain matters like this, so he just stated his requests.

“A small demon?” Chi Hong hesitated briefly. Then he remembered his purpose here – to save the emperor. And any small demon must be killed immediately. As for the issue of Fang Zhengzhi hiding his powers from him, it could be discussed later. “Alright, leave it to me!”

‘Thank you, my Lord!” Fang Zhengzhi smiled, then ran past Chi Hong, toward the palace gates without stopping even for a moment.

And Chi Hong continued his way toward the Throne Room’s position.

But…

He didn’t run very far.

Because when Fang Zhengzhi ran past him, his vision suddenly expanded, and he spotted a flickering figure under the moonlight.

The figure was dressed like a scholar in a white robe, a jade pendant shaped like a beast hung at his waist. He had a pale complexion and handsome, exquisite features.

But most importantly, his eyes seemed freaky, almost devilish.

Dark green rays filled his eyes, and the “scar” on his forehead blinked slowly. His most obvious feature? Two curved horns at the top of his head.

Under the moonlight, it shimmered in with a golden hue.

“A person?!” Chi Hong stopped dead in his tracks. Once again, he was shocked as he watched the figure charge toward him in breakneck speed. “Fuck, how is this a small demon?”

Chi Hong really felt like screaming at Fang Zhengzhi, even more so if he could pin him down and punch his face.

He could tolerate Fang Zhengzhi deceiving him about his powers being wasted.

But how could he say that that Demon King was just some small demon?

“Fang Zhengzhi, you stand right there!” Chi Hong shouted at Fang Zhengzhi. Within his mission of saving the emperor in mind, he couldn’t just run away like Fang Zhengzhi.

“My Lord, I believe in you, you can do it. It’s just a mere Demon King!” Fang Zhengzhi replied without stopping.

Chi Hong was speechless.

Then his eyes turned toward the huge bronze gate Fang Zhengzhi was holding up. And in an instant, a name flashed in his mind.

The Near-Life Gate!

Wait a minute, he was holding the Near-Life Gate?

How was it possible!

Of course, Chi Hong had seen the Near-Life Gate in the past. But he would never have expected that the Near-Life Gate would be lifted by Fang Zhengzhi, and with that, Fang Zhengzhi could run at such a speed?

Could it be that this guy had mastered the Near-Life Dao? That’s even more impossible. The Near-Life Dao was a secret technique of the Northern Barbarians royal family, how could Fang Zhengzhi have mastered it?

The more he thought, the more confused he became.

Then…

He ran.

He was helpless as the Demon King was approaching. As he ascertained what Fang Zhengzhi was holding was indeed the Near-Life Gate, naturally, he had some clues.

If the Near-Life Gate was in Fang Zhengzhi’s hands, and he was chased by the Demon King, then he was sure that protecting the Near-Life Gate was more important.

With this reasoning, Chi Hong was able to run quickly without any concern.

“Hey, Fang Zhengzhi, you stand right there. Tell me, are you holding the Northern Barbarians’ Near-Life Gate?” Chi Hong shouted as he ran toward Fang Zhengzhi.

“Oh? My lord, you know your stuff well. But now, this Near-Life Gate is mine!” Fang Zhengzhi corrected Chi Hong.

“Your Near-Life Gate? You’re beyond shameless!” Chi Hong chided.

But he was very surprised.

Was it really the Near-Life Gate? What was going on? And what was happening in the palace?

Fang Zhengzhi realized something was amiss because Chi Hong’s voice was obviously not far away. Then he looked behind.

“Shit. Go fight the small demon, why are you following me?”

“Fuck your small demon. You think I’m stupid? It’s obviously the Demon King!” Chi Hong snapped back.

“But you’re the Divine Lord of the Northern Lands! Can’t you defeat a mere Demon King?” Fang Zhengzhi continued to run as he replied.

“I can’t defeat him!” Chi Hong wasn’t at all embarrassed to say that. Then he asked: “What’s going on in the palace? How’s His Majesty?”

“Good question, my lord. I’ll tell you for a hundred thousand pieces of silver!” Fang Zhengzhi grew hopeful with the palace gate in sight.

“You still care about silver at this juncture? Don’t you fear I’ll go back on my word?”

“Oh, I really don’t. As the Divine Lord who is rushing to save the emperor in the palace but was scared away by the Demon King, do you think this will make an interesting story when people talk about it in the restaurants?”

“How dare you threaten me!” Chi Hong’s was shocked, then he clenched his teeth and replied anyway. “Alright, a hundred thousand pieces of silver it is!”

“The Throne Room is destroyed; the emperor is still alive.”

“And?”

“That’s all.”

“…”

Chi Hong felt as though he had poured a hundred thousand pieces of silver in the drain. But as least he knew Emperor Lin Mubai was safe, and that relieved him.

“Hey, wait for me!”

“My lord, you’re silly. Don’t you know that the last in line will the first to suffer?” Fang Zhengzhi didn’t bother looking back as he charged with full speed toward the palace gate.

“…” Chi Hong was speechless.

And at this moment, the surprised palace guards rushed toward them and aimed their spears at Fang Zhengzhi.

Just like how Chi Hong felt when he saw Fang Zhengzhi. Millions of questions emerged in their minds. It was utter disbelief.

But these questions didn’t seem important anymore.

Because the Near-Life Gate that Fang Zhengzhi was holding was about to fall.

“Boom!” A deafening crash.

Tiny stones flew out upon impact and a giant crevasse appeared on the ground, reaching the palace gates from Fang Zhengzhi’s foot. The huge shockwave made forced the Palace Guards to retreat.

At the moment when the Near-Life Gate was dropped, Fang Zhengzhi leaped insanely high, across the towering palace walls.

“This brat…” Chi Hong was once again totally astounded.

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Chapter 585: The Last Attack, Breaking Through the Capital

Chi Hong looked behind. His heart almost shrank. As the Lord of the Divine Constabulary in charge of guarding the Northern Lands Five Constabularies, this had immeasurable confidence and bravery.

But…

That did not mean he wasn’t cautious.

After all, there was a difference between confidence and arrogance. And more importantly, didn’t this seem a tad too exaggerated?

Something huge appeared from thin air and loomed above him. This figure was entirely covered in thick black armor, and two massive, curved horns were erected on its head.

Dark green rays of light flowed freely in its eyes.

Under its gigantic, powerful body were four massive hooves covered in black fur stepping toward Chi Hong.

The sky was blocked by the enormity of this giant. The stars the and moon were gone. Its black shadow engulfed the palace gates.

Chi Hong finally understood what Fang Zhengzhi meant when he said the last in line would be the first to suffer.

Apparently…

The Demon King appeared when Fang Zhengzhi leaped over the palace gates. Its goal was simple: to close the distance with Fang Zhengzhi and kill him in mid-air.

Chi Hong was in a dilemma.

At this juncture, of course, he could run away. Because the Demon King’s target was Fang Zhengzhi. But could he really do so?

No.

It did not matter if Fang Zhengzhi would survive if he escaped. Chi Hong couldn’t abandon Fang Zhengzhi for the sake of the Near-Life Gate in his hands.

“Little rascal, you owe me one!” Chi Hong squatted, then his body glowed brilliantly in emerald green rays.

“Whoosh!”

In an instant, Chi Hong leaped up forcefully, with his palms outstretched, ten bright green rays shot out from his fingers.

“Boom!”

The ten rays blasted out from his fingers with lightning speed and instantly smashed on the giant Demon King’s head.

And the ten rays simultaneously exploded.

“Pshh…”

Countless emerald green rays interweaved in the air, forming a giant green net, upon which the Demon King’s giant head lunged against.

“Snap!”

The green net was on the verge of breaking.

Such a shockingly bizarre scene in the dead of night.

The Palace Guards by the palace gates first saw Fang Zhengzhi leaping past the palace walls, then watched an enormous black figure looming above them while it stepped forward. And finally, its head knocking hitting against the giant green net.

Truly astounding.

“What creature is that?!”

“So powerful!”

“Quick, run, it’s coming!”

All the Palace Guards gasped and started to disperse. To them, it was a battle they could never win.

“Roar!”

At this moment, the Demon King roared like a beast. The green net was torn into pieces, then its giant figure suddenly shrank. In an instant, he had returned to his original size, dressed in white like a scholar.

“Oh my god!”

“A demon in human form, could it be the Demon King?!”

“It’s the Demon King! What is going on? Save me now!”

The scattered Palace Guards was bewildered upon this transformation as they searched for concealed places to hide.

“So you think you can stop me?” King Xieluo didn’t care about the petrified Palace Guards but stared right at Chi Hong with his cold, strange, green eyes.

Chi Hong’s body fell painfully on the ground, a trace of blood streaked from his mouth, his face slightly pale.

The Demon King.

What a terrifying existence.

Even the emperor might not defeat him in a fight, how could the Lord of the Divine Constabulary expect to stop him?

But Chi Hong had no regrets.

Because he was one of the thirteen residences who fought alongside the emperor in battles. He was responsible for the defense of the palace and of the Great Xia Dynasty.

He could resort to unscrupulous means in the quest for power, he could kill hundreds of people for the sake of the dynasty’s progress, but he could not choose to save himself over the Great Xia Dynasty when it was on the brink of death.

“I have stopped you!” Chi Hong stared back at King Xieluo’s green eyes. Despite his pale face, his expression was unrelenting.

“Good!” King Xieluo nodded, then he moved. But this time he did not charge at Chi Hong, instead, he continued his chase for Fang Zhengzhi.

“You’re not killing me?” Chi Hong looked at King Xieluo who began to run toward Fang Zhengzhi. He didn’t get it. After all, he was already injured.

And he did anger King Xieluo.

Not killing…

How did that make any sense?

Chi Hong was puzzled.

On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi felt as though he had gone to hell and back. Indeed, the Demon King was powerful. If it weren’t for Chi Hong who stopped him, he would have been severely hurt, if not already dead.

But why did King Xieluo not stop to fight Chi Hong?

Fang Zhengzhi saw King Xieluo who, once again, started to charge at him. He was momentarily confused, but he finally understood when he spotted the three figures behind him.

Yan Xiu, Shan Yu and Prince Li of the First Rank.

Of course, King Xieluo had the chance to kill Chi Hou. But if he delayed any further, he would be stopped by them.

What that happened, it would be one versus four.

Though he could probably defeat them, it would waste some of his time.

“Indeed, a clever Demon King!” As the one and only target of King Xieluo, he felt immense pressure.

Didn’t he just go to the palace for the “show”? Why did he need to chase so relentlessly? Well, Fang Zhengzhi didn’t offend him, and it was just a Near-Life Gate!

No time to hesitate any further.

Fang Zhengzhi could only run.

…

It was such a happening night. The moonlight cascaded from the skies, wrapping tenderly around the historic Yan Capital like fine layers of silk.

Countless people streamed about the streets and alleys of Yan Capital, for the noise in the palace and at its gates were too loud for them to sleep.

Then…

A figure appeared in their vision.

He emerged from the palace and weaved around them, wearing in a new black imperial dress bearing “Imperial” on its chest, a symbol of his identity.

After all, this man was once of high status.

The teacher of many geniuses, the youngest of the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy, and the Chief Examiner of this year’s Imperial Examinations: His Excellency Fang Zhengzhi.

Had someone in Yan Capital not heard of him, this person would be grossly ignorant.

But with his glory as the Chief Examiner of the Imperial Examinations, why would he end up in such a sorry state?

And what was he holding on his hand?

In ancient texts, it was mentioned that powerful people could lift enormous weights.

Could it have been that powerful people could lift… gates?

And most importantly…

How could His Excellency Fang, whose powers were wasted in the Southern Region war, run so insanely fast while lifting such a giant bronze gate?

Everyone had so many questions.

Of course, all questions consolidated into the most crucial one: His Excellency seemed as though he was running to escape something, but where was he running to?

Confusion, shock, astonishment…

Countless expressions appeared on their faces as they really wanted to stop him from “running away” and ask him: why?

But when they saw King Xieluo chasing behind Fang Zhengzhi, these transformed into terror as they felt fear from deep within.

“What demon is that? Why does he have two horns on his head!”

“Demon King! He’s the Demon King in human form!”

“Huh? Demon King!”

“Quick, run!”

The commoners, who were about to ask and learn what was going on, immediately dispersed upon seeing King Xieluo.

No one was in their way. Or rather, no one wished to stand in their way.

Yan Capital was big.

But when the two figures were running at such a mind-bending speed, Yan Capital didn’t seem that big after all.

Fang Zhengzhi was in a difficult situation. But when he saw the mayhem at the Yan Capital gates, which was closing…

He felt even worse.

“Open the gates, let me out!” Fang Zhengzhi’s voice, filled with misery and helplessness, reverberated through the night.

It didn’t seem like it was shouted by an eighteen-year-old teenager, for it was too melancholic. As if there were a thousand sorrowful cuts upon his heart.

It was a depressing atmosphere.

Of course, there was a demon behind him. A Demon King.

Existence was painful.

Fang Zhengzhi had no other choice but to keep running.

When the soldiers and others at the capital gates heard Fang Zhengzhi’s distressed cries, they instinctively looked behind him.

Then they were astonished.

“Fang Zhengzhi?!” Su Qing exclaimed. He stood at a high position at the top of the capital gates, while his clothes flapped incessantly in the winds.

At the most important juncture of this campaign…

He had to remain absolutely calm.

He never forgot this even when he was facing Marquis Xing Yuanguo of the Stabilization Constabulary, and when they were attacked by thousands of soldiers of the Mountain Breaking Army.

But now…

He really couldn’t remain calm.

Because witnessed so clearly that Fang Zhengzhi was holding up a bronze gate, and the most valuable treasure of the Holy Barbarian Empire, the Near-Life Gate.

At this moment, he felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

Numb and a little dumb.

How did the Near-Life Gate end up with Fang Zhengzhi? And it was even brought to the capital gates? How could he lift the Near-Life Gate? How could he run so fast…

Like the countless commoners who witnessed this sight, many questions emerged in Su Qing’s mind. His intelligent, quick-witted mind suddenly halted.

Because he was totally confused as to what was happening.

And he wasn’t the only one.

The soldiers of the Holy Barbarian Empire around him couldn’t understand too. Everyone looked at Fang Zhengzhi who was running toward them and the shiny Near-Life Gate glowing under the moonlight…

They were completely baffled.

“Stop Fang Zhengzhi now!” Su Qing commanded the only order he could think of, his mind snapped back after it had frozen momentarily.

He didn’t know what had happened for such an unbelievable scene to happen, but he was certain that the palace gates should be shut and the Near-Life Gate must not remain in Fang Zhengzhi’s hands.

With his order, the Holy Barbarian soldiers moved into position, raising their pikes and ready to attack.

“No, guard the palace gates, stop him from leaving the capital!”

As a commander in a battle, Su Qing was aware that changing his orders at the last minute was a fatal mistake. The soldiers may not be able to adapt, and they might lose trust in him.

But…

Su Qing ordered once again.

If he was described as dazed a moment ago, he was now much calmer. At least he felt so.

The reason was simple. He saw the white figure chasing behind Fang Zhengzhi and the Mountain Breaking Army charging toward the capital gates.

If he had ordered them to attack…

They would be destroyed.

It could be said that Su Qing corrected his mistake at the appropriate time. But a mistake was still a mistake, just like how one could not simply apologize and walk away after he had reached in a girl’s pants.

Su Qing corrected his mistake quickly.

Su Qing was still captured by Xing Yuanguo, because he had much experience in the battleground, and he understood that anything could happen in battle.

Just like…

Fang Zhengzhi lifting the Near-Life Gate, running toward him.

He was shocked, but this kind of shock did not make him confused and dazed but presented to him an opportunity.

And this was related to his position.

His goal was to break through the capital gates. And now that someone was running toward him, with the Near-Life Gate, how great of an opportunity would it be!

Chapter 586: Fang Zhengzhi, Well Done!

Xing Yuanguo made a surprising decision.

It was surprising because it was something no one had expected or would have thought of. It wasn’t complicated at all and could be expressed in two words.

And that was…

“Move away!”

“Move away!”

“Move…”

The Mountain Breaking Army, who was charging toward the capital gates moved aside, taking a few steps towards the sides of the gates. A “wide path” leading toward the Northern Barbarians Army was opened.

Of course, the one who was most surprised was Fang Zhengzhi.

“What? It’s really opening?!” Fang Zhengzhi had never once felt his words were so powerful. With one sentence, he had moved a few thousand soldiers of the Mountain Breaking Army.

Were they that obedient?

A moment ago, he screamed what he truly felt because he couldn’t see the situation at the capital gates. He didn’t know that there was an ongoing battle right there.

But now…

He could see it very clearly!

The Northern Barbarians Army were blocking the capital gates, while Su Qing stood above them on top of the capital walls. Why, then, did Xing Yuanguo ordered them to move away?

Shouldn’t Xing Yuanguo order the Mountain Breaking Army to save him? Or would he be saving him by himself? He should have taken down Su Qing while he wasn’t paying attention!

Move away?

No way!

Obviously, Xing Yuanguo wanted Fang Zhengzhi to step within the formation of Northern Barbarians Army by himself.

If there was a choice, Fang Zhengzhi would never allow himself to be such a situation. But he had no other option. He could already feel the aura behind him.

King Xieluo was very close to him…

Turn in a different direction?

Impossible.

Because a straight line would always be shorter than a crooked one.

Without any other options, and without hesitation, raising his Near-Life Gate high above, he entered the tight formation of the Northern Barbarians Army.

“My Lord, please convey my greetings to your sister!” Fang Zhengzhi shouted angrily, then he slammed the Near-Life Gate toward the Northern Barbarians Army.

“Sure!” Xing Yuanguo looked at the Near-Life Gate, then curled his lips in a smile: “Using the Near-Life Gate to open a path? Not bad!”

“Boom!”

As Xing Yuanguo finished his sentence, a deafening sound rang in the night sky. One that was powerful enough to shake the earth.

At the same time, a giant crack appeared on the ground.

“Ah!”

“Ah…”

Countless painful groans filled the air.

As the most valuable treasure of the Holy Barbarians Empire…

The Near-Life Gate had been in existence for many, many years. And all these while, the Near-Life Gate was unmoved, like a gate which linked the heaven and earth.

The reason was simple: no one could move it.

Hence, we could imagine the sheer weight of the Near-Life Gate.

This remained for a very long time until someone appeared and moved the Near-Life Gate. Not only moved but kept it for his own use.

Until now…

With the unification of the Holy Barbarians, a great Holy Barbarians Empire was built.

It could be said that the Near-Life Gate played a key role for the Holy Barbarians Empire of today, or that the Holy Barbarians Empire spread the name of the Near-Life Gate far and wide.

So, how could the Northern Barbarians Army block it with their pikes? Well, they knew that the Near-Life Gate could never be damaged.

But it was also because they couldn’t bring themselves to use their pikes against their most divine treasure. Hence, they could only dodge it.

And of course, there were some who didn’t succeed.

So as the Near-Life Gate slammed on the ground, the soldiers with their thick armors were smashed too. They fell in the huge crack upon the Gate’s impact and were moaning in excruciating pain.

The Holy Barbarians had a “wolf” as a totem, and they addressed their most elite team of soldiers as lycanthropes.

Fang Zhengzhi had run into a “pack of wolves” with the Near-Life Gate by himself.

He should only have been a sheep.

But he held the “alpha wolf’s tooth”, the most valuable treasure of the Holy Barbarian Empire – the Near-Life Gate. And this was quite surprising.

And of course…

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t know anything about these.

All he felt was it was very easy to enter, and the tight circular formation had magically broken after he had slammed the Near-Life Gate.

He made a gap in the formation.

And he was very excited.

At this moment, he was beginning to feel hopeful. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Then he raised the Near-Life Gate again, nonchalantly carrying it on his shoulder. It was as though he was carrying a “giant weapon”.

Awe and shock filled the air.

The Northern Barbarians Army stared at Fang Zhengzhi. They feared not Fang Zhengzhi’s power, but the Near-Life Gate on in hands.

And at this time, a purple ray of light appeared from behind Fang Zhengzhi.

A human figured wrapped in purple light.

It was crazy fast!

Stepping on the heads of the Northern Barbarians soldiers, he charged up the capital walls like a meteor, while grabbing their pikes and shooting it out.

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

The sounds of the pikes piercing the air.

“Your Excellency Fang has done a great job. I’ll convey your greetings to my sister!” said the purple ray, which had fused with the pikes in his collection.

What’s despicableness?

What Xing Yuanguo had done was a great example!

He made Fang Zhengzhi open the path, then seized this chance for his own credit.

If he had known that Xing Yuanguo was such an opportunistic person, he wouldn’t have given him any chance, and instead, smashed the Near-Life Gate on his purple head.

To let him know what flowers could be green too.

Specifically, the verdigris of patina.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi didn’t bother much about whatever credit. His most urgent concern was to escape, though Xing Yuanguo wanted to do the great task of capturing the leader of the opponent.

Then, he could do the easy task of escaping the capital without much pressure.

But he thought of Xing Yuanguo’s age and felt a chill in his heart. “I’ve changed my mind. My Lord, it’s better to convey my greetings to your daughter!”

Xing Yuanguo didn’t bother replying to him.

Because he had reached in front of Su Qing. A long sword appeared on his hand, and with that, he pointed it at Su Qing’s chest.

It was mentioned in ancient texts that a valiant leader could capture the chief of his opponent among ten thousand troops. And Xing Yuanguo was indubitably one example.

Su Qing was stunned pale.

He knew he had made a small mistake, but he hadn’t expected it would result in such serious consequences. And never would he think that Xing Yuanguo would immediately seize the window of opportunity to order for the Mountain Breaking Army to open a path for Fang Zhengzhi.

But he had miscalculated everything.

Whether in the Imperial Halls or in political arguments, he was always confident that he could manage the situation. But in a war, Xing Yuanguo was so much more decisive.

When something had changed in battle, his first thought was to stop it, his second was to defend.

But Xing Yuanguo?

He could see through the nature of the battle and the hearts of the soldiers. He had used the Northern Barbarians Army’s innate fear of the Near-Life Gate to open a path for Fang Zhengzhi, then used Fang Zhengzhi to break a gap in their formation.

That was not all.

In the instant the gap was opened, he could seize the opponent commander.

His superb control and strategy on the battlefield and his decisive bravery opened Su Qing’s eyes to his might as the leader of Thirteen Constabularies, the pillar of the Great Xia Dynasty.

“Protect His Excellency!”

“Back off!”

A few masked warriors beside Su Qing moved. In the instant they saw Xing Yuanguo charged towards Su Qing, they had moved forward to shield Su Qing from the attack.

Their swords were unsheathed and flew towards the pikes that Xing Yuanguo had shot out.

“Cling, clang!”

It was a battle between the swords and the pikes. It was only through such a fight where the winner could emerge.

But…

It was when their swords touched the pikes that they were shocked. It was sheer unrelenting, merciless force that inspired fear and panic in their souls.

They stepped back involuntarily.

“No!”

These masked warriors had the same thought in their minds: they never expected the pikes that Xing Yuanguo simply threw out could possess such a terrifying force.

They were shielding in front of Su Qing, but in the end, they were split up by the force of the pikes?

They wanted to rush forward, but it was too late.

Because Xing Yuanguo had reached.

And Su Qing was standing before Xing Yuanguo in all his vulnerability.

Under the moonlight, the sword gleamed with coldness.

Su Qing did not dodge. He simply couldn’t. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

But the sword arrived anyway.

And unmistakably pierced his chest.

Xing Yuanguo’s eyes lit up. He knew the importance of such an opportunity, and that if he had missed it, it was near impossible that he would encounter it again.

So…

His sword showed no mercy.

Without hesitation or reservation.

But when a “clink” sound rang in his ear, his expressions changed for the worst. The biggest reason why he did not deliver the sword into Su Qing’s throat was that he guessed Su Qing had already reached the Supernatural State.

If he had pierced Su Qing’s throat…

Su Qing had a fifty percent chance of surviving.

But piercing his heart was different. His chance of survival would be less than ten percent, and Xing Yuanguo didn’t intend to let him live.

So, his heart was the best choice.

But anything still had a chance of an accident. And now it has happened.

It was rare for Xing Yuanguo to regret his actions, but now he did. He should have guessed that…

Su Qing wasn’t someone of a powerful state.

It was exactly opposite…

In terms of his power, Su Qing wasn’t someone distinguished. So, as an important figure in the outer regions, how would he not have something to protect himself?

“Pshh!” Su Qing spurted a mouthful of blood.

His body flew backward like a comet and hit against a side of the thick capital walls with a loud boom. A crater was formed on the said wall.

“Xing Yuanguo, you’re finished!”

“Don’t let him escape!”

“Charge!”

The few masked warriors heard the noise and snapped back to reality. They didn’t allow Xing Yuanguo a second chance.

In a moment, they had surrounded Xing Yuanguo.

And behind them, Su Qing was in a half-kneel, his face sickly pale.

Although he was wearing a protective treasure, he could not withstand this blow from Xing Yuanguo, for it was way too forceful.

“Cough, cough… Marquis Xing of the Stabilization Constabulary, you live up to your powerful reputation as I have experienced it!” Su Qing said as he coughed up mouthfuls of blood. His forehead was sweating profusely. “But you are now surrounded, how will you escape this?”

“Lord!”

The Mountain Breaking Army, too, saw Xing Yuanguo surrounded by masked warriors, who seemed very nervous.

They had witnessed clearly what happened a moment ago.

Although Xing Yuanguo’s forceful pikes made them step back, these masked warriors were not injured. And they could adapt to the situation so quickly.

From this point alone, one could tell the state of their abilities.

Rebirth State!

They had, minimally, reached the intermediate stage of the Rebirth State!

“Ah!”

“No!”

When everyone had their eyes on Xing Yuanguo, a few cries could be heard from the castle gates. This added tension to the scene.

“Shit. Quick, stop Fang Zhengzhi now! Cough… Don’t let him near the Four Appearances … Ancient… Formation…” When Su Qing heard the screams from below, his body froze.

He should have ordered as such long ago.

But it was delayed by Xing Yuanguo’s sudden strike.

And now…

It was obviously too late.

Su Qing wanted so badly to stand up, but he was so seriously injured he didn’t have the strength to do so. He could only half-kneel, raise his head and look at the figure who had suddenly appeared on top of the castle gates.

Did he rush here with Xing Yuanguo?

Or did he rush here while the Northern Barbarians Army was distracted by Xing Yuanguo?

Su Qing couldn’t be certain.

But all of these were not important anymore.

Because Fang Zhengzhi had reached the top of the Four Appearances Ancient Formation, with his black imperial attire waving in the night breeze.

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Chapter 587: An Odd Pretense

“If you answer correctly, I won’t smash it!” Su Qing, who was shivering, said as he stared at Fang Zhengzhi atop the capital gates.

Of course, he knew what Fang Zhengzhi was up to.

But he was also aware of his situation. It felt as though he was a drunk lady pressed under a huge, burly man.

With every inch of her body groped by him.

Although resistance was futile, she would still struggle and scream “No! Stop! Save me! Please let me go…”

It was useless.

But if she didn’t scream, what else could she do? Well, she couldn’t just shut her mouth or shout “yes, yes, hug me tight, fuck me harder”, right?

Obviously, it was impossible.

So, Su Qing could only shout. And he must shout something that he felt would allow his opponent to free him, though his chances are extremely minute.

“One!”

When Fang Zhengzhi’s said that, many thoughts flashed by Su Qing’s mind. Then he clenched his teeth and shouted: “You did it on purpose?”

“Your answer is correct!” Fang Zhengzhi was pleased with Su Qing’s response, then he smiled and said: “But the time’s up!”

What?

Time’s up?

What an insult!

It was truly an insult, an insult so plain that one could not resist. Though Su Qing knew what would happen, it was difficult to contain the anger in his heart.

“Blurgh…” A mouthful of blood spurted out of Su Qing’s mouth. Then he watched Fang Zhengzhi drop the Near-Life Gate onto the Four Appearances Ancient Formation. “No!”

At this moment, Su Qing was heartbroken.

But no matter how heartbroken he was, he had to accept this fatal blow. As the Near-Life Gate dropped, it smashed onto the Four Appearances Ancient Formation.

The bronze ornament that was once attached to the capital gates began to shake as green lines flowed around it. Then they flowed faster and faster…

Until a deafening blast was heard.

“Boom!”

A flash of light erupted, then countless pieces bronze ornaments burst out as they transformed into streaks of light, resonating with the cries of the injured, moving through the bodies of the Northern Barbarians Army and then in various directions.

It was a shocking, yet depressing scene.

“Fang Zhengzhi, I’ll kill you!” Su Qing said with bloodshot eyes as he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. His burst out in a deafening growl that reverberated through the night.

…

In the palace.

The battle was absolutely heated, with the Palace Guards, Southern Region Army and Royal Guards all mashed into one.

Qian Wu’s eyes were bloodshot. He knew that he had lost control of this war, but he still had a glimmer of hope.

Until…

He heard a deafening blast.

The loud blast that originated from the capital gates. It was so intense that he could hear it so clearly from within the palace. And it was as though the entire Yan Capital was shaking.

“How is this possible?” Qian Wu stared the bright glare that shot up toward the heavens. Of course, he would be able to guess its location, but he never expected matters to reach this stage.

He had planned so meticulously for ages.

Everything had been flawless, from the arrangements within the palace to the four walls of the capital. Everything was carefully deliberated and thought through.

And victory was in sight.

Then, how could this happen?

Qian Wu’s gleamed of intense coldness, staring straight at Emperor Lin Mubai who was not too far away. Of course, he could choose to fight this war till the very end.

But if he fought on, what would the result be?

No one knows!

…

In some obscure residence within Yan Capital.

Moonlight cascaded from the heavens and shone upon a lady who was standing by an arbor, her snowy white dress radiated a silvery glow.

“Young Lord, Domain Chief Ying has sent me to deliver this!” A black figure walked into the courtyard, kneeled in front of the lady and presented it to her.

He was holding on to something that resembled a mirror. A complicated symbol was carved on its side. It seemed very immaculate.

But compared to a normal mirror, this mirror wasn’t reflective at all. Or rather, it was darkness. Pitch darkness.

“Hmm.” The lady nodded as she reached out to receive the mirror, her slender fingers lightly caressed the mirror of darkness.

“Fnggg!”

It made a tiny sound.

The black mirror suddenly lit up, like moonlight shining upon a dark lake. A piece of scenic painting slowly took shape.

Mountains, sea, lotus.

Then the painting slowly turned to sand, drifting about in the air, forming an image of an ancient city at dusk.

Then the sand transformed into a dense forest…

And after some time, the pictures disappeared. The mirror returned to its initial darkness without a sliver of reflection.

“There are only thirteen Heaven Dao Sage Tablets?” As the lady watched all these changes, she furrowed her brows and thought deeply.

“Domain Chief Ying had searched the whole of Prince Li’s residence. There are only thirteen of them.” The black figure replied respectfully.

“Hmm, it seems that Xing Yuanguo hasn’t found the one lost in Cang Ling Mountain!” She nodded.

“Could it really be with Fang Zhengzhi?”

“The capital gates have been penetrated?” The lady didn’t reply to his question, instead, she looked upward in the direction of the capital gates with her crystal clear eyes.

“Yes, Domain Chief Ying said that Great Xia Dynasty’s response was quicker than we had imagined. Now that the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet had been seized, he asks for Young Lord to leave quickly and that he will handle the rest!”

“Let’s go.”

“Sure!”

…

At the eastern gates of Yan Capital.

Fang Zhengzhi curled his lips, smiling nonchalantly at Su Qing. He was well aware of how Su Qing was feeling now. But for him to rashly declare that he will kill Fang Zhengzhi…

Wasn’t he a little too naïve?

Of course, these weren’t important now. The most crucial thing was that a man dressed in a scholarly attire was standing before him.

King Xieluo.

“Not running anymore?” King Xieluo asked.

“Of course I’m running.” Fang Zhengzhi said truthfully.

“Where to?” King Xieluo nodded, then looked at the shattered capital gates beneath, and the broken pieces of bronze.

“Outside of the capital.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“It seems you’re ready to jump down. But are you sure you can?” King Xieluo smiled slightly, making his devilish face even creepier.

“Well, let’s try.” Fang Zhengzhi smiled back.

“Alright, we’ll see.” King Xieluo nodded again.

“So, I’m going to jump.”

“Okay.”

“I’m really going to jump!”

“Go ahead!”

“I’m jumping now!” As Fang Zhengzhi finished his sentence, he turned around and ran toward the edge of the wall.

And King Xieluo moved too.

Like a ghost, he instantly reached behind Fang Zhengzhi, then with his hand, he pushed toward the back of Fang Zhengzhi’s head.

And like King Xieluo had said…

Fang Zhengzhi couldn’t jump down, because King Xieluo was too fast.

At this moment, Fang Zhengzhi dropped the Near-Life Gate from his hands. Or rather, it slipped out of his hands.

And the giant Near-Life Gate blocked King Xieluo’s push.

“Hehe…” King Xieluo curled his lips. He wasn’t surprised at Fang Zhengzhi’s moves. To use his strength for his own benefit? How would he not expect this?

Thus, he didn’t run around either side, or leap above, or push at the Near-Life Gate with his palm. He just lowered his body and slid under the Near-Life Gate.

Then his devilish body appeared right in front of Fang Zhengzhi, staring at Fang Zhengzhi with his strange eyes, while the curved horns on his head gleamed a golden glow.

“So, what are you going to do now?” King Xieluo smiled. He raised his palm again, charging at Fang Zhengzhi, ready to push him.

Closing on…

When that he was about to strike him, King Xieluo squinted his eyes, because he realized that Fang Zhengzhi was not at all panicking or fearful.

On the contrary, he was very calm.

It was as though he hadn’t noticed King Xieluo’s palm.

“Oh, so that’s why!” King Xieluo’s flashed a glimmer, then retracted the palm that was about to strike Fang Zhengzhi.

“Boom!”

A deafening crash.

The entire capital wall was shaking, then a streak of red light shone behind King Xieluo. As red as blood, yet as hellishly threatening.

A huge blast wave spread outwards.

The Northern Barbarian Army who was stationed on the capital walls were blown onto the walls.

And Su Qing rolled from the sheer impact of the blast.

It was truly shocking.

At this moment, everyone turned their attention to the figure standing behind King Xieluo. A very plain figure.

And at the capital beneath him were many such figures.

The Four Appearances Ancient Formation had been destroyed.

The blockade on the top of the capital walls was destroyed, too. With the capital gates open, they could see what was happening outside of the capital.

Countless black figures, on their horses, gathered outside the capital walls. All of them carried a bow on their backs and a dagger by their waists.

The Yan Cloud Cavalry.

This name unanimously appeared among the minds of the Northern Barbarians Army. It was easy to guess the identity of this person standing on the wall.

He was dressed identically to the Yan Cloud Cavalry beneath.

And as the Northern Barbarians Army lived in the northern region, they certainly knew who he was. Prince Yan Qianli, the Chief of Western Liang.

“He dares to go against the Demon King?”

“What is going on?”

“Even if he was Yan Qianli, this is impossible!”

The Northern Barbarians Army was astounded. The Mountain Breaking Army, too. They knew Yan Qianli was powerful, but it would be exaggerating if he was powerful enough to fight the Demon King.

But the matter of fact was…

Yan Qianli stood his ground, in front of King Xieluo, without even taking a step back.

“Interesting. This has become more and more interesting. Alright, since you’re here, let me enjoy this further.” King Xieluo turned slowly toward Yan Qianli who was standing at the end of the wall.

“Yes, it wasn’t easy for me to come here. It would only be polite for me to have some fun here!” Yan Qianli said with his hoarse but mighty voice.

“Old Mister Yan, you’re late to the party!” At this moment, someone had arrived beside Fang Zhengzhi, his large gown flapping in the wind.

Then three more promptly reached the scene, too.

Prince Li of the First Rank, Yan Xiu, Shan Yu, and Ping Yang.

“Grandfather!” Yan Xiu noticed Fang Zhengzhi behind King Xieluo and heaved a sigh of relief, then greeted Yan Qianli.

“Um.” Yan Qianli nodded. Then he looked around, and said: “Sigh, it’s just merely a junior Demon King, does the Yan Capital need to be in such a mess?”

“A junior Demon King?!”

“Yan Qianli said, ‘merely a junior demon king’?”

Even the Mountain Breaking Army, not to mention the Northern Barbarians Army, watched with surprise. Was there a difference in rank for a Demon King?

And…

It was indeed the Demon King!

Even a sage might not defeat the Demon King, because demons were naturally stronger than humans.

But Yan Qianli had said it.

And even said it so casually in the presence of the Yan Cloud Cavalry, King Xieluo, the Northern Barbarians Army and the Mountain Breaking Army.

Even Fang Zhengzhi froze momentarily. But he thought differently from the others. He felt that Yan Xiu’s grandfather was…

Faking it!

But wasn’t it a little odd?

Shouldn’t things like putting up a pretense be done by the younger generation like himself? Why would an old man fake something out of nowhere?

“Old Mister Yan, we know you are the mighty Prince Li, but couldn’t you be a little humbler? Can you wipe that arrogance of your face?” Prince Li of the First Rank was initially stunned, but he didn’t give it much thought and shook his head in disappointment.

“Being humble? That’s what you enjoy, but I’m not interested. If you want to be humble, you can watch from aside. Let me handle this little Demon King!” As Yan Qianli replied, he took a step toward King Xieluo while taking off his cloak.

His long, silvery hair fell out from the cloaked and draped on his shoulders.

Everyone had their full attention on Yan Qianli, because he hadn’t stepped out of Western Liang for a long time, and never revealed his face.

He was wearing a mask.

It was a mask made of gold, with green fangs and a fierce face. It even featured six blood-red clouds.

“A mask?!”

“Yan Qianli has been wearing a mask?”

“What is going on?”

When everyone had their eyes on Yan Qianli’s mask, they were totally baffled. Because they knew the purpose of his trip to the capital was to attend the grand feast at the Ten Mile Lake.

This meant that he had seen the emperor.

Had he been wearing the mask in the feast at the Ten Mile Lake?

Why was he wearing a mask?

Many questions rose in their minds.

But when Prince Li of the First Rank saw this, he was stunned, while his eyes glimmered with rainbow colors.

“Old Mister Yan, you…”

“Ha ha ha…” Yan Qianli laughed. He didn’t immediately reply to Prince Li of the First Rank. Slowly, he pressed against his mask and took it off.

And a young face was revealed. Sharp eyebrows, big eyes, and glistening, flawless skin.

A face no older than the age of thirty!

Chapter 588: Turning Big and Small, How Interesting!

Likewise, this was an extremely handsome face that bore a 70% resemblance to Yan Xiu. However, this face showed no coldness, just arrogance, and insanity.

If not for his silvery-white hair, very few people would believe that this was the ferocious antihero who once dominated Western Liang, Prince Yan Qianli.

“This is Prince Yan, Yan Qianli?”

“How can this be? Why is he so young?”

“Shouldn’t he be at West Sunset Mountain?”

At this moment, everyone’s head appeared to have been cleaved open by a bolt of lightning. All of them opened their eyes in shock with their mouths agape.

Human-skin mask?

This thought flashed past everyone’s mind, but it was quickly disproved. This was because no one could wear a human-skin mask and a golden mask on top of it.

Hence, the only possible explanation was that this was Yan Qianli’s true face.

However, if this was true, it was the equivalent of confirming a reality that would shock both the Great Xia Dynasty and the Holy Barbarian Empire.

Sage.

This was the state that everyone hoped to reach one day.

However, this was too difficult.

One may not even in ten thousand, one hundred thousand, or one million people.

For example, the Great Xia Dynasty could count only four sages. One pavilion, four sages, thirteen residences. Of course, the numbers had to be updated.

This was because Yan Qianli had become a sage. He was the fifth sage of the Great Xia Dynasty

“Your grandfather is a sage?” Fang Zhengzhi asked, mildly surprised.

“Yes,” Yan Xiu said as he nodded his head.

“You have always known?” Fang Zhengzhi asked again.

“I only found out recently,” Yan Xiu replied.

Fang Zhengzhi nodded his head non-stop and he did not ask any more question. Now, he took time to appreciate the exaggerated look of surprise and shock on the faces of Ping Yang and Shan Yu.

“Old man Yan, you… you really are a sage?!” Prince Li of the First Rank was tongue-tied. Even the calm and normally collected Prince Li.

“There’s no need for pleasantries. It’s more important to settle the issue at hand. Yan Xiu, bring Princess Ping Yang and the Prince of the Southern Region to one side. I’ll take care of this!” Yan Qianli smiled as he waved his hands at Prince Li of the First Rank.

“Yes, grandfather!” Yan Xiu nodded his head. At the same time, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi. His expression was clear. We are together.

After he heard Yan Qianli’s words, Prince Li of the First Rank nodded his head as well. Of course he knew what Yan Qianli meant. Talk was talk. If they wanted to fight, two of them had to pair up.

Fang Zhengzhi would naturally not reject Yan Xiu’s proposal.

It was a sacred and important task to protect the princess and the Prince of the Southern Region. Of course, he could do now too, and that was the liberation of Xing Yuanguo.

However, he felt that he had more than enough reason to trust this lord.

Just like how Xing Yuanguo trusted him.

Mutual trust. This was the basis of any interaction between two people.

For someone like King Xieluo, if he was not dealt with by Yan Qianli, then Yan Qianli would have wasted his trip from Western Liang.

Of course, Yan Qianli must be willing to do this.

Hence, as someone from the later generation, he had to give in when he possible.

“It seems that you have the capital to be arrogant. This is a pleasant surprise. This trip is indeed worth the effort!” King Xieuluo laughed. His laughter was wild and unrestrained. He looked at Yan Qianli with his demonic gaze and his fists tightened. His entire body crackled.

“Of course the trip is worth it. I haven’t exercised in a long while. Hurry up, little Demon King!” Yan Qianli waggled his finger impatiently at King Xieluo.

Little Demon King.

The same words came from Yan Qianli’s mouth again. However, at this moment, no one felt that it was inappropriate.

He now had the ability to talk like this.

“Alright!” King Xieluo was not angered by Yan Qianli’s words. He still appeared calm. Furthermore, just as he spoke, he moved.

However…

He defied everyone’s expectations by not charging at Yan Qianli.

Instead, he turned and charged toward Fang Zhengzhi. In his demonic eyes, a bright light flashed. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Fang Zhengzhi.

“I still want you to die first!” King Xieluo smiled coldly. At the same time, his palm was covered entirely by an emerald light.

This change happened so quickly that no one could react.

No one expected that a Demon King, in the face of a sage, would turn around and attack Fang Zhengzhi. Furthermore, this was a sneak attack.

Demon King, sneak attack?

If it was used to describe a fight between a Demon King and a sage, then it was fine. However, King Xieluo decided to ambush Fang Zhengzhi.

This was inconceivable to many.

Fang Zhengzhi had planned to retreat to a corner with Yan Xiu, Shan Yu, and Ping Yang to watch the fight. Before he could move, King Xieluo was in front of him.

“You want to ambush me? Here’s a counterattack!” Fang Zhengzhi activated his secret weapon, which he had been preparing. However, instantly, an unpleasant thought flashed past in his head.

This was because he felt another form preparing to launch himself at him.

Again?

How could Fang Zhengzhi fall for the same trick twice? This was the importance of experience. Furthermore, it seemed like a waste for him to use his secret weapon with Yan Qianli present.

Hence, he suppressed the impulsive desire in his heart. Then, he lifted his leg and kicked in the direction of the fire-red form next to him…

…

Ping Yang naturally saw King Xieluo turning toward Fang Zhengzhi. However, she had no intention of rushing toward Fang Zhengzhi now. This was because King Xieluo was too fast.

Even if she knew what to do, she would not have the time to do it.

Of course, there was another reason. She knew that Fang Zhengzhi’s cultivation was still there. Hence, with his cultivation, there was no difference whether King Xieluo hit her or hit him.

An ancient saying summed it up well.

If your skin is thick, you have no fear of being hit. How thick was Fang Zhengzhi’s skin? Ping Yang was not sure. However, she knew that it was thicker than hers.

Even so…

Why must she help him block this punch?

This was her true thoughts. Hence, she consciously moved to the side to avoid King Xieluo. At the very least, she would not become collateral damage.

However, before she could move, she felt a huge force on her buttocks. A hot, burning pain started to spread from it.

“Boom!”

Ping Yang took this blow. Even though she was wearing her Red Flame Flower Armor, this force still sent her flying.

Then…

In mid-air, she subconsciously looked around her.

Then, she saw a leg.

However, she could not understand why was there a leg next to her. Furthermore, why did the person next to her want to kick her?

“Fang Zhengzhi?!” Ping Yang looked in shock at Fang Zhengzhi, who was next to her, as he kicked her. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Was he trying to save her?

Impossible, King Xieluo’s target was him.

So why did he kick me?

Ping Yang could not understand what was going on initially. However, she quickly understood. After she felt the leg kicking her, it swiftly flew off. It was as if he bounced off using the force from this kick.

Bouncing off!

This shameless person used her buttocks as a springboard!

“Fang Zhengzhi, I’ll kill you!”

“Kill me?” Fang Zhengzhi did not really care. So many people said the same thing to him today. However, he was still alive.

Too innocent.

Wait!

Why is this b*tch Ping Yang so angry? Why does she want to kill me?

Did I kick the wrong place?

A bead of cold sweat dropped from Fang Zhengzhi’s forehead. He looked at Ping Yang, who was totally incensed, as well as Prince Li of the First Rank, who stood next to her wearing an expression of shock.

He felt like he needed a logical explanation.

After all, Prince Li seemed to adore Ping Yang.

“King Xieluo tried to ambush her, we must protect the princess!” Fang Zhengzhi shouted defiantly. On his face, he wore an expression of absolute loyalty.

“Protect the princess?” Prince Li was stunned. He too saw King Xieluo rushing toward Fang Zhengzhi. So how could he say that he was protecting the princess?

Could it be because Ping Yang and Fang Zhengzhi were standing to close to each other and that Fang Zhengzhi was afraid that King Xieluo would attack her? Hence, he had no choice but to kick her.

If that was the case…

It seemed pretty reasonable.

Prince Li did not think too much too. He had the same mentality. Regardless of who King Xieluo wanted to attack, he could not let him get too close to Ping Yang.

He hesitated no more.

Radiant, seven-colored light started to shine from his body. As he moved, he charged like a comet toward King Xieluo.

Yan Xiu moved too. In reality, when he saw King Xieluo turning toward Fang Zhengzhi, he had already begun to move.

After Yan Xiu, Shan Yu moved too.

Two daggers appeared in his hand. Right now, they were undeniably trying to make time for Fang Zhengzhi to come up with an escape plan.

As long as Fang Zhengzhi could dodge King Xieluo’s attack, Yan Qianli would reach instantly and then, King Xieluo would have no more chance.

However, would King Xieluo let Fang Zhengzhi escape?

Of course not.

He already saw that Yan Qianli had become a sage. It was because of this that made him realize that this was his last chance to take Fang Zhengzhi’s life.

“He dodged?” King Xieluo did not expect Fang Zhengzhi to be so fast. It seemed like he knew he was going to ambush him.

A Supernatural State human.

He was able to dodge the Demon King’s attacks repeatedly. Had it been earlier, King Xieluo would never have believed it. However, Fang Zhengzhi had proven himself to be slippery indeed.

This was not because Fang Zhengzhi was faster than him. However, he felt that Fang Zhengzhi was extremely sensitive to ambushes.

What was going on?

How could Fang Zhengzhi know that he was about to ambush him?

Could it be…

An odd notion flashed past King Xieluo’s mind. Then, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi with an odd expression on his face.

This was because the only explanation was that Fang Zhengzhi had planned to ambush him.

In other words, only when both sides wanted to ambush each other could either party react to an ambush instantly.

However, could this be possible?

A Supernatural State human actually wanted to ambush him?

King Xieluo felt that this was almost impossible. At that moment, he did not give too much thought to it. While Fang Zhengzhi dodged his first attack, there were still many opportunities.

Give up?

Impossible.

How could a Demon King give up on what he had promised earlier on?

More importantly, he had to fulfill this condition before he could move on to the next step.

Just as he was about to approach Fang Zhengzhi’s retreating figure, two glowing daggers appeared before him. He naturally did not care for these things.

However, he was fighting for an opening.

If he used his body to block these daggers, his body would slow down momentarily. If he tried to dodge them, he would also be slowed.

“Shrink!” King Xieluo cried out. At the same time, his body started to shrink. The daggers past him.

“You can shrink?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the shrinking King Xieluo with wide eyes. This Demon King’s body was useful indeed!

Not only could it expand, it could shrink too?

Just as this thought flashed past his mind, Fang Zhengzhi’s jaw dropped. Speak of the devil, King Xieluo’s body started to expand right after it had shrunk.

“Aooww!” He roared like a beast.

King Xieluo, who just became as small as a human, was now humongous. He was a humongous object and his entire body was covered with thick black scales. Two large and curved horns appeared on his head.

Emerald light flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, the moon and stars in the sky were blocked. Fang Zhengzhi could not see any form of light. He was underneath this huge object.

Four furry hooves flashed with a cold light under the moonlight.

Of course…

None of these was important. What was important was the fact that he was underneath a huge hoof. Furthermore, this hoof came stomping down on his brain.

“What is going on? It’s no fun to die getting stomped on!” Fang Zhengzhi was caught in a rut. His body was suspended in mid-air. There was nowhere for him to run.

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Chapter 589: A Battle Between the Pros

What if running was not an option? The only thing to do then was to fight.

However, it was almost preposterous to resist a stomp from a Demon King. After all, Fang Zhengzhi knew that he was not a ‘nail’ who could pierce into the sole of the Demon King.

A Demon King was more powerful than a Sage.

It was impossible to run.

Resistance was not an option too.

What could he do?

Fang Zhengzhi suddenly felt that he was on the verge of death. At this moment, a human figure appeared before him. Blood-red light surrounded his body and his elegant robes danced in the night sky.

“Yan Xiu?” Fang Zhengzhi’s heart missed a beat. He looked at Yan Xiu, who was heading over rapidly and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

The hoof above his head was approaching. However, Yan Xiu chose to rush out at this point. He definitely saw it. Hence, the only reason for his action was that he wanted to push Fang Zhengzhi out of the way.

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to stop him.

However, it was too late because Yan Xiu was already in front of him. His cold face had a look of resilience. There was a small smile by the corner of his mouth.

He showed no hesitation as he swatted out at Fang Zhengzhi with his palm.

“Boom!” A large sound resounded.

At the same time, King Xieluo’s hoof finally came down. The resilient city walls could not withstand the pressure from his hoof as they started to crack apart.

“Kaboom!”

The city walls, which had seen millenniums of history, collapsed. A huge hole emerged and countless specks of dust and pieces of rocks flew out in every direction.

The Northern Barbarian soldiers who stood on the city walls escaped immediately. However, some unlucky ones could not escape in time as they were pelted by rocks. Some sank straight in.

It was a horrific sight.

From this horrific scene, a sound could be heard.

“You impudent Demon King, you dare to hurt my grandson!”

With that voice, everyone’s gaze turned to a black figure in the sky. A figure stood in front of King Xieluo.

Yan Qianli.

The black cape that covered Yan Qianli’s body had completely disappeared. A brightly-colored armor with six red clouds could be seen. The armor gave a blood-red light.

The most important thing was…

Yan Qianli’s eyes turned completely red. On top of his head, a word blazed. An impossibly-complicated word.

At this moment, a cold aura enveloped the sky.

Even though Yan Qianli was in the sky, everyone underneath him could feel an immense killing intent. This killing intent turned their hearts cold, and a crackling sound could be heard around Yan Qianli. The air appeared to have been frozen by this killing intent.

“Sage, this is really a Sage?”

“What kind of power is this?”

“Is Yan Xiu dead? What happened to Fang Zhengzhi?”

When they sensed Yan Qianli’s anger, their hearts were all overwhelmed. At the same time, they could not help but think of the scene just now.

Yan Xiu charged in at the last moment.

What happened next?

No one saw clearly, because the city walls collapsed the thick layer of dust and rocks blocked their vision. They could not see what was going on.

“Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, you shameless b*stards, are you dead?” Ping Yang did not care about Yan Qianli’s transformation in the sky. Her gaze was focused on the collapsed city walls.

Shan Yu’s attention, likewise, was focused on the rubbles. However, she did not cry out like Ping Yang. Instead, she rushed straight in.

At the same time, Yan Qianli, who was in the sky, moved.

He tightened his fists and charged toward King Xieluo. He was as fast as a bolt of lightning, akin to a red comet that dashed through the sky.

“Boom!” A deep sound could be heard.

Yan Qianli’s fist landed in between the two curved horns of King Xieluo. It was a simple punch, brimming with rage and red light.

“Ow!” King Xieluo roared in fury. His body tilted to the side. His leg, which he had just lifted up, appeared slightly unstable.

This made him open his emerald eyes wider in disbelief.

A human Sage.

With one punch, he can destabilize King Xieluo. This was unbelievable.

“Such power!”

“He dared to fight a Demon King head-on?!”

“The Demon King almost fell?”

No one believed it. No one believed that Yan Qianli would fight King Xieluo with his bare fist. This was undoubtedly using a weak hand to fight the Demon King’s strong hand.

However, Yan Qianli did it.

Furthermore…

After that punch, Yan Qianli had no intention of stopping. His fists landed on King Xieluo like raindrops.

“Boom!”

“Boom boom boom…”

Shocking explosions could be heard. Yan Qianli did not waste time on words. He attacked like an enraged lion.

Punches after punches!

King Xieluo opened his eyes wide as he roared with anger. His two curved, golden horns started to shake.

Rays of golden light swirled on top of his horn. He appeared to be exceedingly enraged.

However, Yan Qianli had no intention of retreating. Nor did he relent on his attacks. He appeared to have gone crazy as he completely ignored the golden horns that were coming toward him.

As the golden horns came closer, everyone’s eyes opened in shock.

However, at this moment, the golden horns stopped suddenly and without any reason. It was as if something was blocking them.

At the same time, Yan Qianli’s leg landed on King Xieluo’s head.

This time, King Xieluo’s body appeared incapable of withstanding such a huge force. He exhaled thickly from his nose as he fell down on to the ground.

“Kaboom!” The already-collapsed walls came under the pressure of his huge form. Now, there was an indent wracked with scars.

It was enveloped in dust and mud.

The person in the sky was still standing, covered with red light. His bright-red eyes were fixated on King Xieluo, who lay on the ground unmoving.

“He’s down!”

“He knocked down a Demon King?!”

“He’s too powerful, is this a Sage? However, even if he’s a Sage, he shouldn’t be able to fight a Demon King in terms of physical strength? Yan Qianli, how… how did he do it?”

Everyone, regardless whether they were soldiers from the Northern Barbarian Army or the Mountain Breaking Army, stared at the scene in shock.

A battle of the pros.

This was a true battle of the pros.

A battle between a Sage and a Demon King. However, they fought in terms of physical. This method was inconceivable to many people, but still extremely shocking.

Behind King Xieluo stood someone else.

Golden light surrounded his body and his wide robes billowed in the night wind. His body, however, was extremely skinny and weak.

However, everyone knew this skinny person stopped the golden horns.

Prince Li of the First Rank.

This lord from the West Sunset Mountain, while not a Sage like Yan Qianli, still possessed shocking strength.

A Sage and someone who was only a step away from being a Half-Sage. This was a truly shocking battle, something that those on-scene may not witness ever again in their lives.

“Old man Yan, don’t be rash. This is a Demon King. You can’t take him down alone!” Prince Li stared at Yan Qianli, who stood in the sky, with a nonchalant expression on his face.

He too saw the scene like everyone else. Yan Xiu rushed underneath King Xieluo’s feet at the last moment. He knew Yan Qianli’s personality more than anyone else.

Not only would he not reveal his weakness, he was also extremely aggressive.

However, what stood before him was an actual Demon King. In the face of a nation-level catastrophe, losing one cool would bring about devastating consequences.

“Rubbish, my grandson is dead. You brazen Demon King, return my grandson to me!” Yan Qianli ignored Prince Li of the First Rank. He rushed down once again, with his entire body glowing with red light.

“Old man Yan, don’t!” Prince Li of the First Rank looked at Yan Qianli as an expression of panic crept across his face.

However, it was too late.

The moment Yan Qianli rushed down, King Xieluo, who was lying on the ground, lifted his head. Two rays of light shone from his emerald eyes as they blasted Yan Qianli.

“Boom!”

Red light and green light clashed.

The entire ground started to shake. Cracks started to appear and huge boulders flew from the ground. Then, they were shattered to fine dust by the energy around them.

When the Northern Barbarian Army soldiers saw this scene, they scampered in retreat. Some, however, were caught by the energy and they were instantly vaporized.

A battle between a Sage and a Demon King.

Even those who stood on the ground could feel the tremors.

“Take Mr. Su and leave!” A man in black, who was next to Xing Yuanguo saw the incoming energy wave and shouted.

“Yes!” Some of the Northern Barbarian Army soldiers replied.

“Since we’re here, why not stay?” Xing Yuanguo looked at the few soldiers who were assisting Su Qing. Purple light flashed in his eyes.

“My lord, you should worry about yourself.” The men in black hesitated no more. Light shone from their bodies as they flew toward Xing Yuanguo.

As the fight was becoming more intense, bringing about the destruction of the city walls, it was impossible for the Mountain Breaking Army and the Yan Cloud Cavalry to arrive in a short time.

Hence, it was the best time to kill Xing Yuanguo.

“I want to see what can you do to me!” Xing Yuanguo’s body shone with purple light. He did not retreat but instead, he charged toward the nearest man in black.

“Kill!”

“Go to h*ll!”

A few human forms intersected and a new battle commenced on the city walls.

Prince Li of the First Rank could not care less about what was happening on the city walls. His attention was completely on Yan Qianli.

“Old man Yan, are you dead?”

“Dead? What a joke! What can a little Demon King do to me?” Yan Qianli’s voice rang out. Then, a figure started to appear.

Unlike before, his bright armor was now utterly ruined. However, the six red clouds on his breastplate were still as scarlet as blood.

“Kudos to you, old man Yan. Not only do you have a fierce temper, you’re pretty strong as well!” Prince Li looked at Yan Qianli, who was unscathed and sighed.

“What nonsense, not only are my bones hard, my boner is hard too!” Yan Qianli spat out. Then, he adjusted his long, flowing hair.

“You self-depreciating old thing!” Prince Li of the First Rank was momentarily stunned. Then, he spat that line out. Following that, he turned his attention from Yan Qianli to King Xieluo.

Underneath him, when the countless Mountain Breaking Army soldiers and the Northern Barbarian Army soldiers heard that one, they all looked at each other in shock.

As for the Yan Cloud Calvary outside of the city, they remained emotionless.

To them, Yan Qianli was their true source of ‘light’. He led them forward. They knew his temper and how he was self-depreciating.

This was too normal.

How could a powerful army not have a powerful commander?

Yan Qianli had to be fierce enough for him to lead them. Only then could they retain their unbroken track record of victories in Western Liang.

Arrogant without restraints. Intimidatingly fierce.

This was Yan Qianli and the Yan Cloud Calvary.

“Roar!” King Xieluo was finally incensed.

This could be because of what Yan Qianli said, but it was also because of the fact that he had been beaten down, even though Prince Li had a part to play in that.

However, this still humiliated him. Emerald light flowed out of his body, turning his ink-black armor ghastly green.

At this moment, King Xieluo’s body looked like a piece of emerald. Shiny, reflective, and swirling with green light.

Then, he moved.

His huge form flew into the sky. He was no sluggard but instead, his speed appeared to have increased. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Yan Qianli.

At the same time, a huge hoof came down on Yan Qianli’s head.

“Hmph!” Yan Qianli snorted. He dashed to the side and dodged his hoof. Then, he soon appeared above his head.

In the meantime, blood-red light shone from his hands.

The light was extremely clear and resembled the blade of a sharp knife. In the next instant, the clear red light started to expand to form a huge, blood-red web.

A web that could envelop the sky.

“Kacha! Kacha!”

The moment the web landed on King Xieluo, it started to make weird noises. It was trying to cut his body apart.

As the blood-red web shrank, sparks started to fly from King Xieluo’s armor, which was basked in an emerald light.

Chapter 590: Stop Acting, Something’s Amiss! Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

“Roar!” King Xieluo roared in rage. He thrashed wildly with his four black furry hooves as he kicked the blood-red net apart.

“Crackle, crackle.” Noises emitted continually from it.

Yan Qianli frowned and beads of sweat appeared. His arms moved in symphony with King Xieluo’s actions.

At this moment, a seven-colored ray of light shot into the sky. Instantly, it entered into a black cloud.

Then, the dark clouds started to shine.

Night seemed to have turned into day.

At this moment, seven light pillars of different colors descended from the sky. Red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple…

At this moment, every single star and moon had disappeared, because the seven pillars of light were too bright. They were so bright to the point whereby one could not look straight at them.

“Boom!”

A red pillar of light smashed down on King Xieluo’s huge hoof. Blood spurted everywhere as it brought King Xieluo down onto the ground. When the red pillar of light pierced until the ground, the ground was blasted apart and sand and gravel flew everywhere.

King Xieluo was visibly enraged. He raised his other huge hoof as he prepared to sweep it in the direction of the red light pillar. Then, another light pillar came down.

Orange!

When the orange light pillar came down, King Xieluo’s recently-raised hoof became streaked with blood once more. Then, it was ‘nailed’ to the ground.

This was not yet complete. After the red and orange light pillars came down, the yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and purple light pillars came crashing down too.

“Oww!” King Xieluo roared in agony. His body then came crashing down onto the ground. His entire body was bleeding.

This was an awe-inspiring scene.

The Mountain Breaking Army, the Northern Barbarian Army, and the Yun Cloud Calvary all looked at this scene in awe, because what just happened was near miraculous.

Seven different colored light pillars stood in front of them. Every single one of them shone brightly. Every single one of them pierced through King Xieluo’s body. Some went through his hooves and others through different parts of his body.

Looking at the scene, it was as if King Xieluo had been nailed by seven heavenly nails, connecting the dark clouds and the ground.

“Such power!”

“What power is this?”

“Using the power of the clouds between the heaven and earth! This is unbelievable…”

Countless eyes stared at the scene in front of them. They were all immensely shocked. They never expected Prince Li of the First Rank’s power to be as such.

In other words…

This was no longer Prince Li’s own powers.

To be precise, Prince Li borrowed the power of heaven and earth. He harnessed the power of countless clouds and directed them their energy into this one attack, creating such a destructive force.

When they saw this scene, everyone felt as if a door had opened in their hearts.

This door led to another world. They felt as if their hearts had been liberated.

Borrowing the strength of all creations?

One could actually borrow the strength of all creations!

In the minds of everyone, they all had the same thought. This was something that they had never considered earlier. After they realized this, it was as if they had experienced an entirely new world.

Prince Li, who stood in the sky, reddened. Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Pfft!” Blood flew in the sky.

However, his gaze remained resolute.

“Old man Yan, I’ve tried my best. King Xieluo is now immobilized. Take this chance to destroy his Demon Pearl!” After Prince Li spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turned pale. His body, which had been upright, bent forward. He looked as if he was shaking.

“Alright, I’ll take care of the rest!” Yan Qianli did not say anything more to Prince Li. He retracted the giant blood-red web in his hands and countless specks of red light flew into his hands like fireflies.

Then, they turned into a red, crystalline spear.

A killing intent that seemed to come from hell spurted out from the tip of the spear. It was as if the air had been frozen by the killing intent.

With that, Yan Qianli rushed down. The crystalline, red spear brimmed with a cold, dark aura. It was pointed straight at the center of the King Xieluo’s head, between his two golden horns.

“You want to kill me? Do you think it’s so easy?” King Xieluo lay on the ground. While he appeared bloody, he still stared arrogantly at Yan Qianli who was rushing straight toward him.

Then, the horns on King Xieluo’s head started to dazzle with a golden light. It was completely unlike the emerald light of before.

As the golden light shone, the earth started to tremble.

“Kaboom, kaboom!”

Countless rays of golden light flew rapidly out from the ground. They surrounded King Xieluo and the seven light pillars.

“Crackle!” The red light pillar was the first to crack. Afterward, countless cracks could be heard from the other light pillars.

However, just as the cracks were heard, Yan Qianli was already above King Xieluo’s head. An icy killing intent pulsed and blocked the golden light that tried to stop him.

“Die!” Yan Qianli roared in rage while he stabbed down on the top of King Xieluo’s head with his red, crystalline spear.

“Pssht!” As if there was no resistance, the red, crystalline spear pierced through King Xieluo’s head the moment it touched it.

At that moment, time appeared to have stopped.

When the red, crystalline spear entered King Xieluo’s body, the blood-red light, which had been centered on the red spear, started to spread in all four directions.

Quickly, the top of King Xieluo’s head turned blood-red.

“Did we win?”

“Is King Xieluo dead?”

“A spear through his head, he has to be dead, right?”

The soldiers of the Mountain Breaking Army and the Yan Cloud Calvary looked at King Xieluo, who stood immobile. They also noticed blood-red light flowing down King Xieluo’s body.

This battle was too shocking.

Regardless whether it was Prince Li’s attack or Yan Qianli’s devastating spear, they all felt as if they had understood something new.

Furthermore, it was too exhilarating.

One could only imagine what would have happened if King Xieluo was given a bit more time to undo Prince Li’s seal. His demonic power was naturally enough to send chills down everyone’s heart.

“King Xieluo?!” Su Qing had already been sent elsewhere by a few soldiers. However, he too saw the scene and he could not believe what he had just seen.

He never expected Yan Qianli to become a Sage.

Furthermore, it was not only Yan Qianli, even Prince Li’s powers shocked him. He could actually borrow the power of all creations as a Half-Sage.

“Mr. Su, King Xieluo is dead. Should we…”

“Yes, Mr. Su. The Yan Cloud Calvary surrounds the city. The Mountain Breaking Army is in the city. We are trapped. If we don’t go, we’ll…”

A few soldiers of the Northern Barbarian Army looked at King Xieluo, who was covered with blood-red light. They wanted to say something but they stopped.

“No, if we leave, what about young master?” Another Northern Barbarian soldier shook his head upon hearing his comrades’ words.

“Young master?! No, we can’t abandon young master!”

“Mr. Su, please give the order now and we’ll do our best to save young master, even if we die!”

When the few Northern Barbarian soldiers heard that, they thought about Qian Wu, who still had not appeared in the royal palace. Their expressions changed and they appeared much more resolute.

“Charge into the palace?” Su Qing looked at the palace. Light shone in his eyes and he appeared worried.

Ordering them to charge into the palace was something feasible.

The issue was not whether they should charge inside or not. Even if they made it inside, what could they do? How could so many Northern Barbarian soldiers escape?

Su Qing clenched his fists.

He turned his gaze to his back and then, his eyes opened wide. This was because he saw King Xieluo, who had been still, suddenly moved.

“Roar!” A deafening, bestial roar sounded. Following that, the blood-red light that had been slowly trickling downward stopped.

“Crackle, crackle…”

From the top of King Xieluo’s head, a black scale suddenly dropped, revealing a bloody mess of flesh and bone.

“What’s going on?”

“Is he molting?”

“Oh no! King Xieluo is not dead!”

When the Mountain Breaking Army and the Yan Cloud Calvary saw this scene, they were both momentarily shocked. However, they quickly reacted to it.

This was because the moment the flesh and bone were revealed, emerald light soon covered them up again. As the emerald light appeared, black scales started to grow once more.

“What a powerful life force!”

“Isn’t this too insane?”

“A Demon King, can this really be a Demon King?”

When they saw the black scales appearing non-stop, the Mountain Breaking Arm and the Yan Cloud Calvary were stunned.

They were not alone. Even Yan Qianli, who stood in the sky, looked shocked. He naturally knew how strong a Demon King’s life force was.

To kill a Demon King, one must take his Demon Pearl.

However…

He did not know where his Demon Pearl was.

Demon, a rarity in the world.

Even for him, he had hardly come across one in his many years of life, much less a Demon King. This was his first time seeing one, and the first one that he fought.

He didn’t know.

What now?

For others, this was something puzzling. However, to Yan Qianli, this was not something difficult.

It was like him in battle.

If he did not know his enemy’s motivation, the only thing he could do was to search, sense, and detect. He had to patiently discover it himself. Here, he ‘discovered’ that it was his head.

It was in his head, and he had to figure out where. The center between his two horns appeared to be somewhere fatal.

Hence, he had aimed for King Xieluo’s head from the very beginning. He never considered other places. Now, it appeared that King Xieluo’s head…

Was not his fatal spot.

“Where is his Demon Pearl? Can it be in his stomach? Can the essence of heaven and earth be in his stomach? Ehh… it’s possible!” Yan Qianli mumbled to himself. Then, his gaze turned hard once more.

This time, he aimed for King Xieluo’s stomach.

However, King Xieluo would not give him a second chance.

“Rahh!” With a second roar, King Xieluo’s body shot up from the ground. Golden light enveloped his body and the wounds on his body healed themselves at a pace visible to the naked eye.

It was too fast.

Not only did his wounds recover quickly, King Xieluo’s speed increased exponentially too. He showed no sign of slowing as his huge form crashed straight into Yan Qianli’s body.

“Boom!” A huge sound could be heard.

Yan Qianli had no time to dodge as he was smashed in the chest by King Xieluo. He fell from the sky. Then, he hit the city wall on the ground, punching a hole through it.

There was more…

King Xieluo roared once again and one could hear a symphony of other beasts crying out. They appeared to be getting closer and closer.

“Oh no, he’s assembling the beasts!”

“A Demon King is indeed a Demon King. Fortunately, this is the Flame Capital City. Had it been anywhere else, countless beasts would already have swamped this place!”

The Mountain Breaking Army was fortunate. However, they knew that the longer they dragged, the more unfavorable the condition was for the humans. While this may be the Flame Capital City, there were still lakes, mountains, and rivers around.

With mountains, lakes, and rivers, there would surely be beasts!

Furthermore, some may be hidden in the mountains and others may be hidden underground. There could also be beasts in the river and lakes.

Once the beasts came, the result would be unthinkable.

“Grandfather!” At this moment, a voice came from the broken city walls. Then, a human figure crawled up with much difficulty.

The Northern Barbarian Army turned to the source of the voice. Quickly, they identified the figure.

His inky colored robes were tattered and blood flowed from his chest.

They could clearly see that it was Yan Xiu. Furthermore, his injuries were not light. The sides of his mouth were blood-streaked and his face was pale-white.

“Yan Xiu?!”

“He’s not dead?”

“How can this be possible?”

Not a single soldier from the Northern Barbarian Army believed this because they all clearly saw Yan Xiu rushing underneath King Xieluo’s hoof.

Why was he not dead?

Just as the Northern Barbarian Army was flummoxed, someone else stood up from the rubbles of the city wall.

Her wheat-colored skin shone with light in the night. Her purple robes accentuated the curves in her body and her long legs were pencil-straight and supple.

Prince of the Southern Region, Shan Yu.

In Shan Yu’s hand, there was a youth. His face was buried in her chest and one could not see his face. However, one could tell who he was from his tattered court robes.

“Yan Xiu isn’t dead, and neither should you be. Stop pretending!” Shan Yu looked at Yan Xiu who had stood up, and then looked at Fang Zhengzhi who was unconscious in her arms. Her face blushed but she had no intention of throwing him down.

“Eh? Not dead?” King Xieluo, who stood in the sky, heard their voices. His gaze turned toward Shan Yu and Fang Zhengzhi, who was in her arms.

Fang Zhengzhi did not move. His face was buried in Shan Yu’s chest.

However…

King Xieluo moved.

When he saw Shan Yu and Fang Zhengzhi, his gargantuan gold-covered body came plummeting straight down from the sky.

Chapter 591: Open The Heavens, Split The Earth Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

….

Fang Zhengzhi was struck with grief. Although he didn’t die, that didn’t mean that he wanted others to know that he was alive, especially when King Xieluo was still alive.

In fact, when he noticed Yan Xiu rushing over, he had already figured out Yan Xiu’s intentions, but he couldn’t possibly let Yan Xiu sacrifice himself just to save him. And in that moment, stopping Yan Xiu was virtually impossible.

Hence, the only solution was to strike at the same time as Yan Xiu. This way, they would still sustain grievous injuries after being thrown into the air, but it would still be better than dying.

The result was clear – they survived. Then, the next step would be to play dead, right?

That was what Fang Zhengzhi thought, but he never imagined that Yan Xiu would suddenly stand up after seeing Yan Qianli crash to the ground, yet that wasn’t even the worst part …

Why is Shan Yu standing up?

Fang Zhengzhi was still utterly speechless. He couldn’t possibly continue his perfect plan to fake his death, he couldn’t even stay in Shan Yu’s arms any longer because he could already sense King Xieluo’s overpowering might.

Without any hesitation, Fang Zhengzhi opened his eyes, glancing at the rising and falling chest in front of him. It was so gentle, so soft, and so warm.

Alright, that’s not the point.

The point was that Fang Zhengzhi no longer had any time to relax. With a single somersault, he grabbed Shan Yu forcefully and pinned her down onto the ground.

“Bang!”

The thunderous collision sounded from behind. The sturdy palace walls could not withstand the force of King Xieluo’s gargantuan body, and instantly crumbled to the ground. And Fang Zhengzhi was hugging onto Shan Yu in desperation, rolling forward continuously.

However, the enormous rocks rained down on his back mercilessly, and in the blink of an eye, both he and Shan Yu were completely buried under a pile of gravel and dust.

“Cough cough, you’re killing me!” Fang Zhengzhi spat out a few mouthfuls of mud without any time to care about the debris pinning him down or the pain in his back. He knew that King Xieluo’s second attack could come very soon.

One of his hands reached out around Shan Yu’s thin waist while his other hand slammed forcefully onto the ground, charging out of the rubble with Shan Yu.

“So you didn’t die!” Shan Yu didn’t seem to have heard Fang Zhengzhi’s words, staring at him as he broke free from the piles of debris with her, her face beaming with joy.

“Boom!”

A hoof covered in black hair stomped onto where Fang Zhengzhi and Shan Yu were originally at, crushing all the broken rocks in powder, kicking up dust all around it.

Fang Zhengzhi landed not far away from where the giant hoof stomped down. Being already injured, Shan Yu’s face turned paler than before.

“Wait, I still have one last thing to say!” Fang Zhengzhi ignored Shan Yu and placed her down as he yelled at King Xieluo who was preparing to stomp his hoof down a second time.

“Hm? What other last words do you have?” King Xieluo stopped his hoof in midair as he glared at Fang Zhengzhi and Shan Yu.

“I want to say that, you are a dumb- …. ass!” After noticing that King Xieluo stopped his advance, Fang Zhengzhi immediately raised his hand and flicked out his middle finger towards King Xieluo, then fired a kick at Shan Yu’s butt.

Without any time to react, Shan Yu was sent flying, slamming face-down onto the ground in the next instant.

The Mountain Breaking Army, the Northern Barbarians and Yan Yunqi were completely astonished by this sight.

“This scoundrel actually called the Demon King a dumb- …. ass?”

“Seemed to be the case!”

“But why did he kick the King of the Southern Region?”

Everyone stared at the stationary Fang Zhengzhi in bewilderment. And Fang Zhengzhi simply scanned the surrounding troops without any remorse.

Audacious? Why would he reserve his comments since King Xieluo was about to kill him?

If there was enough time, he would have gladly sent his pleasantries to every generation of King Xieluo’s ancestors. But at this range, another escape wouldn’t be too possible. He could only distance himself from Shan Yu as much as possible.

King Xieluo gazed at Fang Zhengzhi and then glanced over at Shan Yu sprawled on the ground. After a short moment of daze, he finally reacted, his dark green eyes flickering with a sinister glow.

“Roar!” A furious roar thundered through the Flame Capital.

Having just prepared to squash Fang Zhengzhi to death in one stomp, a figure cloaked in crimson light blocked him from behind, taking aim at King Xieluo with his hellishly sinister bloodlust.

“Little Demon King, I shall be your opponent!” Yan Qianli’s mouth was stained with a little touch of blood, but he glared menacingly at King Xieluo.

“Grandfather, are you hurt?” Yan Xiu was evidently worried after noticing the bloodstains on Yan Qianli’s lips. His body was now illuminated by rays of swirling blood-red light.

“Relax, his injuries are worse than mine.” Yan Qianli pointed at King Xieluo in front of him then looked back at Fang Zhengzhi. “Little brat, why couldn’t you just play dead? Did you really have to stand up?”

“Did you think I wanted to stand up?!” Fang Zhengzhi yelled indignantly.

“Yan Xiu, protect Princess Ping Yang and the King of the Southern Region!” ordered Yan Qianli after cutting his conversation with Fang Zhengzhi short.

“Yes!” Yan Xiu nodded with haste.

Although he was still worried for Yan Qianli, he knew all too well that after all these years, Yan Qianli’s decisions never needed anyone else’s inputs.

King Xieluo’s eyes averted Yan Qianli, instead glaring at Fang Zhengzhi standing behind Yan Qianli. Concentrated gases pumped out continuously from his nostrils.

“Yan Qianli, it must have been hard for you to attain the Sagely State. If you move aside now, I’ll spare your life. After I kill this brat, I’ll leave at once and I’ll never go back on my word. But if you choose to remain like this, I’ll demolish the entire Flame Capital City!”

“Haha, how dare an insignificant Demon King like you bargain with me? Do you have the right to do so?” Yan Qianli was completely unmoved, brimming with arrogance.

“Yan Qianli, you’re courting death!” King Xieluo did not say anything else after noticing Yan Qianli’s expression, stomping his hoof down mercilessly.

“Boom!”

Another palace wall came crumbling down.

Fang Zhengzhi naturally avoided imminent destruction swiftly while Yan Qianli took a few casual steps backwards. But after taking a few steps back, he charged forward again, conjuring a blood-red spear in his hand.

A sinister bloodlust surged around the spear. However, King Xieluo had no intentions of allowing Yan Qianli near him. His body burst with a golden radiance like a flash of lightning.

“Boom!”

“Boom boom boom!”

A series of deafening collisions rumbled through the air, creating countless terrifying blasts of air which churned up the rubble on the ground, sending dust flying through the air. No one could see what was going on.

And soon after, a figure shot out from the dust storm, plummeting to the ground with a thud.

“Yan Qianli lost?!”

“Indeed, even though he is a sage, he cannot possibly defeat a Demon King by himself!”

“A demon’s physical body was naturally far stronger than a human’s, especially that of a Demon King. As long as he still possesses the Demon Pearl, he would be virtually immortal!”

“What do you do? If King Xieluo really levels the entire Flame Capital City, everyone will be massacred!”

The Mountain Breaking Army looked up at the gargantuan body, almost picturing the annihilation of the Flame Capital City if King Xieluo defeats Yan Qianli.

And as the Northern Barbarian Army looked at Yan Qianli sprawled on the ground, their faces glistened with a tinge of hope. The retreating army began forming up once again.

Yan Xiu was incredibly worried, but he still clenched his teeth and charged in front of Shan Yu with Ping Yang in tow, not moving an inch even with Yan Qianli lying on the ground.

Fang Zhengzhi was now closer than before, hence enduring a greater bulk of the damage. But surprisingly, he didn’t take the chance to flee and instead, he stood where he was and observed King Xieluo silently.

“Old Yan, are you alright?” Prince Li of the First Rank arrived in front of Yan Qianli, supporting Yan Qianli up with one hand.

“Just wait at one side, I can handle this alone!” Yan Qianli shoved Prince Li of the First Rank’s hand away and jerked his body, chucking his battered coat of armor aside.

“Old Yan, can you promise me one thing?” Prince Li of the First Rank’s eyes shifted towards King Xieluo as the former gently bit his lips.

“What is it?”

“Help me guard my palace!”

“No way! Why would I have the time to linger around a crumbling palace. Give it up!” Yan Qianli rejected him without any hesitation.

“Remember what you promised me!” Prince Li of the First Rank nodded, seemingly deaf to Yan Qianli’s words. He stood up abruptly and glared at King Xieluo. “Old Yan, you have as long as ten breaths!”

“Ten breaths? Hey, don’t do anything rash!” Upon hearing this, Yan Qianli’s expression froze but it was too late. Prince Li of the First Rank had already charged out.

In this moment, Prince Li of the First Rank’s gaze became incredibly resolute as he charged towards King Xieluo with his hands radiating with a rainbow-colored light.

“Old Lin, you really are a difficult one. I never promised you anything!” Yan Qianli gazed at Prince Li of the First Rank, a tinge of anxiety finally sparking in his eyes. And Prince Li of the First Rank ignored Yan Qianli’s words, rushing out at breakneck speed as the rainbow glow on his hands grew even brighter.

“Eh?” King Xieluo’s gaze shot towards Prince Li of the First Rank. As he watched Prince Li of the First Rank approach him, he actually felt an unfathomable sense of danger.

Someone who hasn’t attained the Sagely State actually made a Demon King feel fear?

This was as unbelievable as it got.

King Xieluo wanted to take a step back, but his pride as a Demon King still stopped him in his tracks. At the same time, the golden glow radiating from his body instantly boosted to twice the luminosity.

“Open the heavens!” Then, Prince Li of the First Rank bellowed as he propelled the seven-colored light in his right hand up towards the skies.

“Vroom!” The light surged towards the overcast sky.

Another riveting scene unfolded before their eyes. The clouds were illuminated and then, seven light pillars of different colors cascaded down from the heavens.

“Do you think you can bind me with the same technique?” King Xieluo sneered arrogantly, looking up at the seven pillars of light. The golden antlers on his head was as blinding as the sun.

“Split the earth!” As King Xieluo focused all his attention towards the seven pillars of light crashing down from the skies, Prince Li of the First Rank yelled another incantation. At the same time, he pummeled his head straight into the ground with brute force.

“Boom!”

The ground shook. Lines of cracks snaked in all directions like ripples on the water surface.

King Xieluo’s eyes froze.

He subconsciously looked down and in the next instant, his eyes were bulging wide open. His enormous body backed up without second thoughts.

This time, he had no concern about his dignity as a Demon King, because the sense of danger overwhelmed him like a freezing wave.

But … it was already too late. The seven giant characters already lit up in seven different colors, presenting the formation of the Big Dipper Constellation. And with that, the seven pillars of light shooting down from the heavens seemed to have located their respective landing pads, and charged down at several times their original speed.

“Crash!”

A pillar of light punctured through King Xieluo’s body, “nailing” him to the ground. And after that, the second pillar, then the third pillar …

After the seventh pillar crashed down, King Xieluo’s body was lying on the ground. The seven pillars of light and the seven characters had melded together.

“Old Yan, you persistent duff. What the f*ck are you waiting for?!” A figure emerged from the ground, his loose robes stained with blood, and his face was completely pale.

Prince Li of the First Rank.

The usually courteous and mild-mannered Old Lord looked as menacing as ever, and more importantly, he unleashed his rage at Yan Qianli in such an uncivilized manner.

No one knew why, but none of them could find fault with what he said, despite the vulgarities.

“Old Lin, you lunatic!” Yan Qianli moved.

His body morphed into a blood-red ray of flowing light and charged straight for King Xieluo. The crimson spear in his hand instantly transformed into two spears, and both were twice the length of the previous one.

Lunatic?

This was the nickname that outsiders had coined for Yan Qianli. But now, the supposed lunatic Yan Qianli was imposing this title on Prince Li of the First Rank.

No one knew why either, but again, it was so strange that no one could rebutt him.

Perhaps, at this moment, Prince Li of the First Rank was indeed a lunatic, one far crazier than Yan Qianli