From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 103 Riding the Sword in the Wild
Upon seeing the Imperial Guards emerge from the darkness, Yan Lan remained calm, as did the officials behind him.

An old minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although your Imperial Guard is strong, its numbers are ultimately limited. Now that the palace has been taken over, you would be better off giving up resistance. You can become the retired emperor instead of the late emperor."

His long eyebrows obscured his eyes, making it impossible to see his gaze, but his words revealed his ambition.

“You old fogies… you’re all halfway to the grave, how come your ambitions are still growing?”

The emperor's voice came from the front, his tone as if he had just woken up, without a trace of anger or murderous intent.

Another senior official spoke up: "If the country is stable and the people live in peace and prosperity, why should we still wear these official robes? Zhao Zhi, you usurped the imperial power of Zhao Yan. If you had worked hard to govern the country, it would have been fine. But now you have done so many heinous things. How will you face Emperor Gaozu when you go to the afterlife?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Lan's eyes turned cold and sharp once again.

He knew that his actions today would surely lead to condemnation from future generations, but for the sake of the people, he was willing to bear this infamy.

"Go to the underworld? Hahahaha—"

The emperor seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. His body trembled violently with laughter in the darkness. Xuan Gong, who stood in front of him, remained motionless, his eyes behind the mask like those of a vengeful ghost, looking down at Yan Lan and the others.

"I am destined for immortality, how could I possibly descend to the underworld? I will be the eternal emperor of the Great Li Dynasty. In the long years to come, I will lead the Great Li to an unprecedented golden age. In the eyes of future generations, the turmoil of these years will be nothing. They will only sing praises of my greatness, while you will be seen by future generations as ambitious individuals who hinder the immortal emperor. You will suffer eternal infamy."

The emperor laughed in a mad and paranoid tone that sent chills down everyone's spine.

The ministers in the hall all frowned, thinking that the emperor had gone mad.

"Where is Master Xuan?!"

"Chen is here!"

"Except for the Crown Prince, kill them all! Not a single one of them shall be left with a complete corpse!"

"As ordered!"

As soon as Xuan Gong finished speaking, he raised his right hand, and all the Imperial Guards drew their weapons and attacked the Heavenly Guards, ministers, retainers, and bodyguards.

Fresh blood quickly splattered from the threshold of the Qianwu Hall.

The flashing of swords and the clash of blades constantly emerged from the Qianwu Hall, and within ten breaths, people were fleeing in panic from the hall.

It was Jia Yi.

His face was filled with terror as he rushed down the long white stone steps, using his lightness skill to move forward. He ignored the calls of other guardians along the way, as if he had experienced the most terrifying thing in the world.

……

Bang!

A horizontal blade slid to Yan Lan's feet. Behind him, an old minister was clutching his neck, but he couldn't stop the gushing blood. In the end, a guard severed both his legs. He let out a wail and fell into a pool of blood, never to stand up again.

Looking around, Yan Lan was surrounded by corpses, and a group of Imperial Guards were encircling him.

Yan Lan clenched his hands in his sleeves, exhaled softly, and his frightened eyes returned to calm.

He looked at the emperor, who was still hidden in the darkness, and said, "They all say I'm too soft-hearted to kill my father. Actually, I just wasn't sure. But you're forcing me, and they're forcing me too. I have nowhere to retreat."

The emperor sneered, “Those fools think their great cause is within reach. You, on the other hand, have a clear vision. You are indeed my son. Kneel down now, and I will let you die with some dignity.”

Yan Lan stared at her father in the darkness and said sternly, "Father, are you possessed by evil spirits, or are you truly ignorant? Do you really believe in immortality? The Nine Provinces and Fourteen Regions have a history of seven thousand years, yet there is no one in the world who lives forever?"

"Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't. I originally wanted you to be the crown prince for eternity, but unfortunately, your actions have displeased me greatly. No matter, what are sons? I can have as many as I want. Anyone who opposes me must die."

The emperor's tone turned unusually cold, revealing boundless murderous intent.

After hearing this, Yan Lan fell silent, knowing that further words would be of no use.

He gripped the sword at his waist, drew it, and pointed it at the emperor. Even though he was surrounded by dozens of imperial guards, he could not kill the emperor. He still wanted to show his attitude before he died.

"Lord Xuan, break his knees for me! I will make him kneel!" the emperor said in a cold voice.

"Yes!"

Xuan Gong responded and then waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to make way.

Looking at Xuan Gong, who resembled a fierce demon, Yan Lan's eyes showed no fear. He only sighed in his heart, "Zhen'er, your father will not be able to watch you grow up."

boom--

A terrifying storm arose from the ground, and Xuan Gong leaped forward, about to strike him with a single kick, causing his eyes to widen involuntarily.

Clang——

A crisp sword sound rang out, and Yan Lan's eyes changed, his mouth opening unconsciously.

Two swords crossed in front of him, blocking Xuan Gong's kick. Xuan Gong's energy was incredibly terrifying, whipping up a gust of wind that whipped his robes and pulled his sideburns back wildly. He even saw a protective aura appear in front of him.

He turned his head and saw a person standing on each side, holding a sword to defend him against Xuan Gong.

Xuan Gong's pupils dilated, and he suddenly leaped backward, landing in front of the steps.

He looked at the two mysterious men in black and asked in a deep voice, "And who are you? There are very few people in the martial arts world with your level of skill; you are definitely not nobody!"

Jiang Zhaoxia raised her other hand, grabbed Yan Lan's shoulder, and then leaped up, as if she were a flying immortal, trying to bring Yan Lan out of Qianwu Palace.

Xuan Gong's eyes narrowed, and he immediately waved his hand, sending dozens of Imperial Guards to attack.

Xu Ning stood still, rapidly swinging her sword, its energy spreading in all directions, forcefully blocking dozens of Imperial Guards. Xuan Gong, like a ghost, passed between two Imperial Guards and struck Xu Ning with a palm.

Xu Ning raised her sword to defend, and the two were knocked back by their respective forces. Xu Ning used the force to fly out of Qianwu Hall, drawing a perfect arc in the air under the bright moonlight, and landed below the white stone steps.

Jiang Zhaoxia and Yan Lan were behind her.

The palace gates ahead were blocked by the Imperial Guards. Looking around, the palace walls in all directions were covered with the figures of the Imperial Guards. They were dressed in black brocade robes, wore evil ghost masks, and had all kinds of weapons on their faces. In the darkness, they were like evil ghosts descending to earth.

Xuan Gong appeared on the long white stone steps as if in a flash. He looked down at Jiang Zhaoxia and the other two and said in a cold voice, "Tonight, none of you will leave!"

Having said that, he leaped into the air, raised his right palm high, and gathered hundreds of years of internal energy into his palm, releasing streams of energy that were domineering and unparalleled.

……

The snow fell endlessly from heaven and earth, while the blazing sun shone in the sky, making the icy and snowy landscape seem warm.

At noon that day, Xue Jin returned with the Twelve Swordsmen and met with Li Qingqiu alone.

"It is the Pei Clan of Zhenyang who is sending people to attack our disciples. I don't know how much money they spent or how many people they hired. The only way to resolve this trouble is to destroy the Pei Clan. Please give the order, Sect Master. We, the Thirteen Swordsmen, are willing to go to Zhenyang City and slaughter the entire Pei Clan!"

Xue Jin spoke quickly, his tone revealing a fierce edge.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingqiu rolled her eyes and said irritably, "You always threaten to wipe out an entire family? Do you think Qingxiao Sect is some kind of demonic sect?"

Xue Jin remained silent, thinking to himself, "Hasn't Qingxiao Sect destroyed enough forces already?"

"Zhenyang City is not as simple as you think. You can cause trouble in the martial arts world, but in the imperial city, be careful not to be killed by the city's masters in the alleys."

Li Qingqiu said leisurely that he had to give Xue Jin a good talking-to. This kid thought he was invincible after reaching the fourth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm, but that wouldn't do.

Xue Jin opened his mouth, but dared not refute the sect leader.

"You all should rest well now. I won't let you lead the team down the mountain until you reach the fifth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm," Li Qingqiu continued.

Xue Jin asked dejectedly, "Then the Pei family is just going to ignore it? They're still killing my disciples."

"Who says I'm not going to take care of it? I'll have someone else do it."

Hearing this, Xue Jin was immediately relieved, as he had been worried that the sect leader might have some concerns.

Fortunately, the sect leader still maintained the style he admired, being decisive and ruthless.

"Your master is not here, so you don't need to visit him. Go and rest."

"Yes!"

Xue Jin bowed and took his leave.

Li Qingqiu headed towards the back of the mountain. He walked all the way to the edge of the cliff, leaped down, and the Tianhong Sword flew out. He rode the sword in front of him, flying among the mountains and through the vast snow and mist.

This is a sword-controlling technique created by Jiang Zhaoxia and improved by Li Qingqiu.

Walking on a sword is certainly cool, but with the blade in front, relying on the sword energy to carry him through the air is more energy-efficient and faster.

With his current vitality, he no longer needs Xiao Ba as a mount; Xiao Ba can't even fly as fast as him.

Only when he was flying in the air did he truly feel like a cultivator.

I wonder when all the disciples in the sect will be able to master the art of sword control.

Imagine how spectacular it would be if thousands of disciples rode swords together.

Before long, he flew into the billowing miasma and flew all the way to the Thousand Spirit Blessed Land. He descended from the sky and landed on the snow in front of the Thousand Spirit Tree. The Rainbow Sword circled him twice before disappearing into its sheath.

This scene made Zhao Zhen's eyes light up, and he exclaimed, "Master, that move is so clever, can you teach me?"

"Your skills are not good enough."

Li Qingqiu casually agreed. At that moment, only Zhao Zhen, Yuan Li, and Ji Ya were under the Thousand Spirit Tree, which is why he dared to fly all the way here.

If there are other disciples present, he will land in the woods midway and walk over.

Li Qingqiu walked to the tree and began to meditate. He also wanted to cultivate and strive to reach the eighth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm as soon as possible.

As he closed his eyes, time flew by.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Zhen and Ji Ya got up and began to spar.

With no outsiders present, Ji Ya held nothing back and directly cast the Mountain Lord Divine Spell, summoning a majestic Mountain Lord whose shoulders were a full two zhang tall.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Zhen grinned, leaped into the air, and used the Divine Dragon Transformation to transform his primordial energy into a dragon that swirled around him. Then, he pounced on Ji Ya.

The dragon and tiger collided in mid-air, constantly stirring up strong winds, which made Yuan Li, who was sitting under the tree, show an envious look.

Li Qingqiu opened his eyes and saw Yuan Li's expression. He couldn't help but think about how to help Yuan Li awaken the Undying Overlord Body.

Should we give him a little thrill?

Recently, Li Qingqiu has been pondering the methods of the soul and has made some progress. He can use the Soul-Binding Spell to put Yuan Li into a kind of illusion, where it is difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

　Thank you, Flowing Cloud Sword Master, for the 500 Qidian Coins!
　　Fourth update!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)