Xiaoxiao.

"Longhua Mountain, Baihua Pavilion, Tongtian Tower, Longyuan, and Xiaoyao Valley have formed a defensive alliance. Qixing Tower has always stood with Chunyang Temple, and it will likely do the same this time. As for Yanglin, Baidi City, and Yunmengze, there is still no news." Wu Ren summarized the intelligence he had gathered over this period.

"What did your father say?" Kuang Zheng suddenly asked.

After the entire Black Iron Army was wiped out by the inky black, the Qin Dynasty made no further moves, as if it had withdrawn from the struggle for the Vermilion Fruit. This seemed illogical, which is why Kuang Zheng was puzzled.

"You know, I'm actually pretty much the same as you. There are some things you don't want to know, and some things they don't want me to know. Father Emperor isn't always the one who can make the decisions; after all, there are too many things to consider," Ying Yue said somewhat shyly.

With over a thousand people, there are all sorts of people; the population of the Qin Empire was more than hundreds of millions.

The emperor said that his words were law and that his word was as weighty as the heavens.

However, he couldn't do whatever he wanted as people imagined, after all, he represented the entire empire.

There are too many things to consider and too many things to be mindful of.

Because of the matter of Kuangzheng, Ying Yue was actually excluded from the core circle of the empire.

Although she was the eldest princess of the empire, she was ultimately Kuangzheng's wife.

They are not married yet because they are both too young.

Even so, he is still a member of the Kuang family.

Even Ying Yue's father, the emperor, never doubted this: once a daughter is married, she belongs to another family.

This applies not only to ordinary people but also to royalty.

Kuang Zheng has mastered the Dragon Flame and possesses extraordinary abilities.

If Ying Yue is included in the core circle, there is a risk that she will become too powerful to control.

For this reason, Ying Yue has always kept her distance from the core circle.

This was not only the imperial collection of cultural relics, but also something that the royal family and even her father desired.

To make up for what he owed his daughter, Ying Ao bestowed upon her countless privileges and honors.

However, Ying Yue did not accept any of them, because she knew that being born into royalty meant learning to compromise.

The more you gain, the more you will have to give.

In order not to make things difficult for Kuang Zheng, Ying Yue has practically lived as if she were invisible all these years.

"You've suffered so much these past years." Kuang Zheng naturally knew about Ying Yue's sacrifices, and he felt deeply guilty towards this girl.

Looking at her beloved, Ying Yue's heart was filled with tenderness: "What hardship is there? Being with you is the greatest happiness."

This display of affection was so unexpected that Wu Ren said speechlessly, "Uh... should I go out for a bit?"

"Hmph!" Ying Yue rolled her eyes at him.

"He has absolutely no sense of propriety. He deserves to be single," Ying Yue thought to herself.

"I thought they would send you a message, after all, the allure of the Vermilion Fruit is too great. It seems they haven't lost their minds after all," Kuang Zheng said meaningfully.

The three great empires are supreme beings in the eyes of ordinary people, but they do not have the final say in this world.

For example, the ten major sects, Penglou, and some reclusive clans.

They usually keep a low profile, but when it comes to matters of absolute interest, these are the real decision-makers.

There is no Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world or a world of chivalry) in the Great Qin Dynasty, but Long Yan takes on that role.

When the First Emperor, with his overwhelming power, swept across the land, he brought all the martial arts forces of the empire under his control.

The purpose was to facilitate management and to enable talented individuals from the martial arts world to better serve the royal family.

However, emperors with such great talent and ambition as the First Emperor were few and far between, and subsequent emperors never possessed such strong abilities and skill.

As time went by, the relationship between Longyan and the royal family gradually changed from one of subordination to one of equality.

During the Zhengzheng era, this equality reached its peak.

However, due to the long-standing intermarriage between the royal family and Longyan, the relationship between them has become more complicated.

The Qin royal family naturally did not want the situation to continue to deteriorate, so during the period of rectification, Ying Ao did not hesitate to use his eldest daughter as a marriage partner.

Besides their childhood friendship, the fact that Zheng Zheng possesses such abnormal abilities is also a significant factor.

Of course, the so-called equal status only applies to the very top few people, such as the seven-person team during the rectification period.

Only these people are qualified; others are merely subordinates.

The significance of the Vermilion Fruit to Kuang Zheng and his group is self-evident, and the ten major sects will undoubtedly go all out to help.

The Qin Dynasty is not qualified to get involved at this point.

If you insist on getting involved, you might end up losing more than you gain.

That is why Kuang Zheng asked this question.

“I know that,” Wu Ren said.

"On the very day the Black Armor Army was annihilated, the Han and Tang dynasties suddenly deployed a large number of troops to the border. For its own safety, the Qin dynasty had no choice but to deal with them with all its might. Currently, 60% of the empire's military strength has been transferred to the border, so it seems that the Qin dynasty is powerless to compete for the Vermilion Fruit," Wu Ren explained.

"Why would they suddenly increase their troops?" Kuang Zheng was puzzled by the actions of the Han and Tang dynasties.

Such a large-scale troop reinforcement is tantamount to a declaration of war. Historically, the Qin Dynasty has consistently created trouble on the borders, leaving the Han and Tang Dynasties with no choice but to defend passively. But now, everything has reversed, and at such a crucial moment.

"It's not clear yet, but it seems like there's some scandal involving the Tang Dynasty's royal family, though we haven't found out the specifics. Apparently, their third prince is dissatisfied with the Qin Dynasty's years of bullying and wants to teach them a lesson."

"As for the Han Dynasty, they say there's internal turmoil, and the Han emperor wants to use the border conflict to eliminate some unsettling factors on the border," Wu Ren said.

"What a coincidence? It seems like the Tang Dynasty royal family hasn't had any trouble for many years, right? Emperor Li Zhi was a capable monarch, so his sons shouldn't dare to act recklessly, right?"

"Haven't we dealt with most of the non-royal kings of the Han Dynasty? The remaining ones are already content to just live a life of ease and do nothing, so how could they possibly cause trouble?" Kuang Zheng asked, puzzled.

"I'm puzzled too. It feels like the two countries planned this military intervention. But mobilizing two great empires isn't something just anyone can do." Wu Ren gave Kuang Zheng a meaningful look.

"Am I that bored?" Kuang Zheng asked helplessly. "So many years have passed. Besides, if Li Zhi's father hadn't been so inhumane back then, would I have done that?"

Wu looked into Kuang Zheng's eyes, but received no answer.

Finally, he could only wave his hand and say, "Then I really don't know who it is, but I agree with you. This time, the military intervention of the Han and Tang states is unusual, but it's not clear yet who is pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Ying Yue was speechless at their pointless guesses. She said nonchalantly, "If you can't figure it out, then forget it. Things will work themselves out. Any conspiracy will eventually be exposed."

“That’s right, hehe…” Kuang Zheng laughed. Then, glancing sideways at the rooftop, he said, “Friend upstairs, since you’re here, why are you hiding on the roof? Come down and sit down!”

Before he finished speaking, he raised his right hand, and a burst of energy shot straight up with a whooshing sound.

The opponent was clearly a master as well. As Kuang Zheng made his move, the man pressed down with both hands, and a yellow energy burst forth from his body. It formed a ball of energy in front of his chest, and that destructive ball of energy plunged down.

With a loud "bang," a hole about one meter square was torn open in the roof.

With a loud bang from the roof, the dark figure was thrown out with a thud, clearly having underestimated Kuang Zheng's strength.

Almost simultaneously, another dark figure retreated rapidly.

Presumably intimidated by the corrective measures, they seized the opportunity to escape far away.

"Hmph! You think you can just leave?" Wu Ren leaped forward and immediately gave chase.

Just then, two throwing knives flew out from the shadows, followed closely by three men in black wielding long knives.

"Ding, ding." Wu Ren tapped his two fingers lightly, and the throwing knives immediately lost their force and fell to the ground.

As the hidden weapon was knocked down, three men in black appeared before them.

In the blink of an eye, the three men suddenly separated when they were two meters away from Wu Ren.

They then attacked Wu Ren's head, abdomen, and feet respectively.

Without the slightest hesitation, they cooperated perfectly, and the three swords attacked almost simultaneously.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Ren spun around and his body spiraled upwards.

At the same time, he pushed off with both feet, kicking away the long sword aimed at his head and abdomen, and then threw a right straight punch straight at the head of the person at the top.

The man reacted quickly, spinning in the air following the force of the longsword in his hand. Then, with a somersault, he supported the back of the longsword with his other hand, and with both hands held horizontally forward, he blocked the longsword above his head.

With a "thud," the long sword blocked the attack, but his body was also kicked down.

It is evident that Wu Ren's seemingly casual strike was actually incredibly powerful.

At this moment, although Wu Ren kicked away the enemy, the man in black at the bottom seized the opportunity and flew up to his head in a somersault.

The man pointed his long sword straight to the sky and swung it down hard on Wu Ren's head with a powerful strike.

"Buzz,..." The speed was so fast that only a blurry afterimage could be seen.

The force was so great that it even caused ripples in the air.

Meanwhile, the attacker in the middle lane was not idle either. He pointed his long sword horizontally and thrust it fiercely towards Wu Ren's chest.

Wu Ren paid no attention to this, and with a quick sidestep, he dodged it.

At the same time, he raised his right hand and delivered a chop to the neck of the man in black in the middle lane.

The shocking blow, accompanied by a whooshing sound, forced the man to retreat.

As Wu Ren struck with his hand, he simultaneously executed a backflip kick with his right leg, delivering a powerful kick to the chest of the man on the upper path.

Knowing that this move was not to be trifled with, the man quickly spun around, his body spinning wildly like a whirlwind, and dodged far away.

Just then, the person who was kicked down first pointed his sword at the sky, and the attack came again.

"Clang clang... Boom boom boom..."

In the blink of an eye, the two sides had exchanged more than thirty blows.

The explosive energy emanating from both sides resounded continuously, leaving the earth in a state of chaos.

The sound of long swords clashing was incessant.

Wu Ren fought three opponents single-handedly without being at a disadvantage, and every move he made was full of artistic expression.

On the other hand, although the three were not as skilled as their opponents, they were good at combined attacks, so they were not at a disadvantage for the time being.

Suddenly, the three people were seen clinging tightly together, looking like one person from a distance.

Immediately afterwards, the three of them spun rapidly at the same time, as if they were one person.

As the speed increased, it turned into a black whirlwind in the blink of an eye.

After reaching its maximum speed, the black energy, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, spun and attacked Wu Ren.

The three longswords transformed into countless blade shadows before the black whirlwind, instantly amplifying their imposing aura threefold.

"Well done!" Faced with the powerful attack, Wu Ren was not alarmed but delighted.

With a slight flick of his right hand, he created countless hand shadows.

Leaning forward, he charged straight into the black vortex.

The black whirlwind carrying the shadow of blades collided instantly with the countless illusory hand shadows.

"Boom..."

A deafening roar, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, filled the air.

The deafening roar seemed to come from the depths of hell, carrying boundless destructive power as it swept in with overwhelming force.

The massive shockwave, carrying suffocating energy, was like a raging beast opening its blood-red maw, mercilessly lunging at the already dilapidated house.

In an instant, the house crumbled like a fragile paper toy under the violent impact of the shockwave, turning into piles of broken rubble that flew everywhere.

The shockwave's power remained undiminished, continuing to spread outwards like a surging torrent, quickly engulfing an area of ​​ten miles in radius.

Wherever it went, the earth trembled, dust flew, vegetation was destroyed, and chaos ensued.

The once smooth ground has become pitted and uneven, as if it had been kneaded by an invisible giant hand, leaving it scarred and a pitiful sight.

At the eye of the storm, a black whirlwind was spinning wildly, trying to resist the terrifying impact.

However, it was ultimately unable to withstand this powerful force and was violently dispersed.

Three illusory figures were violently blasted away from the whirlwind, drifting in the air like kites with broken strings.

Just as they were about to crash heavily to the ground, at this critical moment, three more figures suddenly appeared in mid-air like ghosts.

These three figures moved with incredible speed, arriving beside their companion who was about to land in the blink of an eye.

They were agile and moved in one smooth motion, scooping up their unconscious teammate and then fleeing into the distance without looking back.

"Where do you think you're going!" At that moment, an angry shout resounded through the sky.

Wu Ren stepped into the void, his figure as fast as lightning, and locked onto the fleeing figures, about to fly after them.

He exuded a chilling aura, his eyes blazing with fury, like an enraged lion determined to capture his enemy in one fell swoop.

"Let them go!" Kuang Zheng called out to stop them. Wu Ren stopped upon hearing this and did not continue the pursuit, because just now, he had keenly sensed that several faint, spying auras had quietly appeared in the shadows.

At this moment, Ying Yue stepped forward with a concerned expression and asked softly, "How are you? Are you alright?"

Wu Ren shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "It's nothing, it's just that we don't know the specific origins of these people yet."

Kuang Zheng frowned, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "I couldn't discern their martial arts style either. However, judging from their movements, they do share some similarities with the Seven Star Tower. Their movements are light and agile, with a strong emphasis on technique. Yet, the Seven Star Tower's martial arts are known for their insidious and ruthless nature, while these individuals, though their movements are graceful and unrestrained, lack the unique chilling aura of the Seven Star Tower. What are your thoughts on this?"

After pondering for a moment, Wu Ren slowly said, "In my opinion, their moves do indeed have some similarities to the Seven Star Tower's Star-Picking Hand, and also have the ethereal feel unique to the Yunmengze martial arts. However, upon closer observation, it can be found that their skills are still significantly different from those of these two major schools, so they should not have come from these two schools."

Ying Yue pondered upon hearing this and said, "That's strange. They are at least Grandmaster-level experts. When did Grandmasters become so worthless?"

Wu Ren chuckled upon hearing this: "Hehe... Big Sister, you don't know this, do you? The martial world isn't just about the sects we're familiar with. Many hidden families and forces have always maintained a very low profile. They usually keep a low profile, and ordinary people have no way of knowing them. The appearance of this Vermilion Fruit has finally made them unable to hold back any longer."

Kuang Zheng agreed, saying, "Wu Ren is right. Penglai has never been what it seems on the surface. Many forces have been hiding for some purpose, but now they've all come out at once."

Ying Yue had no goodwill towards these so-called reclusive families: "Hmph! They usually put on a very convincing act, talking about seeing through the world and not bowing or scraping. But when it comes to profit, they're all more ruthless than anyone else."

“Yes, the boss is right,” Wu Ren agreed.

There's no such thing as seeing through the illusions of the world and being free from desires. It's just that the benefits aren't big enough, but some people always pretend to be compassionate and righteous.

Kuang Zheng didn't reply, sensing the aura emanating from Anxie's hiding place gradually fading away. He said with some emotion, "It seems someone couldn't hold back any longer."

Ying Yue understood that someone wanted to use them as obstacles, and she was furious: "Hmph! Let them come; next time, I'll make sure they don't leave alive. Just because I haven't shown my teeth doesn't mean I'm a pushover. Bring it on if you dare!"

Seeing his beloved was furious, Kuang Zheng stepped forward to comfort her, saying, "Alright, alright, don't be angry anymore. It seems I have to show you what I'm capable of, otherwise you'll really be taken for a fool."

Kuang Zheng stared into the distance, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. At this moment, he was truly enraged.