This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

At the critical moment, Xiao Xingchen, kneeling on the ground, had never felt that life could be so thrilling.

At that moment, the crown prince drew his sword and slashed down behind him. A woman in black, arriving first from behind, rushed to his right side, using a dagger to parry the prince's sword while attempting to grab him and take him away.

On the other side, another man in black was dragging his body, trying to pull him away from the prince's sword.

Lan Beitang, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Daji gave him a leisurely glare, completely ignoring whether he lived or died.

The Second Saint looked completely stunned, seemingly unable to process what was happening.

Until, until Xiao Xingchen felt a chill down his spine, and the prince's sword was about to sever his neck...

A thunderclap seemed to rise from the ground, a powerful gust of wind erupted before him, and the raging force suddenly exploded in the confined space, like a balloon bursting from its swell.

Xiao Xingchen felt his body lighten, and then he flew up.

"boom"

Centered on the pavilion, a circular ripple spread outwards. Anyone touched by the ripple, whether they were dressed in black, the prince, or soldiers outside the pavilion, was involuntarily blown backwards as if by a gust of wind.

Even the golden armor that charged forward was blown into pieces, and the sound of it falling to the ground with a series of thuds could be heard.

With his clothes fluttering in the wind, Lan Beitang quickly gathered his energy in his dantian the instant the gust of wind swept through the pavilion, using all his strength to pin himself to the stool. Veins bulged on his hands, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

This was also the first time Xiao Xingchen had directly experienced the power of this world. Faced with this power, he was like an ant.

But just as his body was about to be thrown into the air, a gentle force supported him, and he landed steadily on the ground.

Unnoticed by anyone, Daji, sitting in a corner, revealed a mysterious symbol in her eyes. The raging wind that had surrounded her body was instantly neutralized, and the mysterious symbol even appeared out of thin air behind Xiao Xingchen, carrying him to a steady landing on the ground.

No one witnessed this scene, because everyone's attention was focused on the source of the strong wind, the Saint.

The unassuming old man was now bursting with anger, his face contorted with rage, as if he were suppressing an explosive force emanating from within him.

"Get out of here!"

A furious roar, accompanied by a gust of wind, rang out. In an instant, people and horses were thrown about, and the area outside the ten-mile-long pavilion was swiftly cleared. Whether it was the Crown Prince or those secretly hiding, everyone was indiscriminately thrown over a hundred meters away.

The Second Saint rose, walked towards the outside of the pavilion, and then snorted coldly in the direction of Yong'an City.

"Humph,"

With his next cold snort, everyone in Yong'an City trembled. The snort seemed to explode like thunder in everyone's ears, even within the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Wu, who was struggling with the late Empress, frowned, quickly got up, and walked towards the door.

"Who has provoked the wrath of the Second Sage, the Drunken Old Man?"

Emperor Wu stared solemnly in the direction of the ten-mile-long pavilion, where an invisible aura of righteous power was rising, seemingly facing him from afar.

"Men, quickly find out who is at the pavilion ten miles outside the city!"

"Yes,"

Several figures quickly received the imperial decree and disappeared from the imperial palace.

At this moment, the late empress slowly emerged from the imperial palace and stood beside Emperor Wu, also gazing at the ten-mile-long pavilion.

A smile crept onto her lips. Thinking of the woman beside the boy, she couldn't help but laugh. She knew that direction was exactly where the boy had fled. Connecting this to the woman's past, she knew perfectly well that someone was about to be in trouble.

She had been very anxious after parting ways with the young man at the city gate. Her purpose in entering the palace to see Emperor Wu was to secure Xiao Xingchen's safety. However, upon seeing the demon emperor beside her, her mind changed.

The boy reawakened a heart that had been dormant for many years, especially since that person was by his side.

Regardless of the woman's intentions towards the boy, she wouldn't stand idly by. She was the last Demon Emperor of the demon race, now lurking beside a young boy; she had to be wary.

However, with the Demon Emperor by her side, she didn't need to worry too much about the boy's safety. Who in the world would dare harm the boy in front of the Demon Emperor? She looked up at the sky; the heavens had nine layers…

The Nine Heavens are the Jade Capital; perhaps only those from the Jade Capital Heaven are qualified to snatch someone from that person's side.

This time, she wanted to see Emperor Wu to gain an opportunity, not for her two biological children, but for Xiao Xingchen.

After twenty years apart, the couple reunited, only to have it all over an outsider. This puzzled Emperor Wu, leading to the confrontation they had just faced.

If it weren't for the sudden outburst from the legendary drunkard, this standoff might have continued indefinitely.

According to Emperor Wu, he would agree to give up any qualification for Huangfu Lingxue or Huangfu Lingfeng, since they were his own children, and he wanted to keep the benefits within the family. However, to give up a spot for ascension to heaven for an outsider was something even Emperor Wu found somewhat painful.

This is a spot for ascension to heaven, given only once every hundred years. Ever since Xiao Jianxian single-handedly secured the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty, the people have multiplied for a hundred years, all for this one spot to ascend to heaven.

But now, a century of effort has been wasted on a mere stranger, a mere youth. How could this emperor be pleased? This was Emperor Wu's bewilderment, and it also stirred within him a strange affection for this unseen youth.

“Your Majesty, we are both very busy. The Drunken Old Man rarely loses his composure. I’m afraid someone has offended him this time. I suggest you go in person. After all, he is a quasi-sage and he has the qualifications.”

The late empress suppressed her laughter and began to watch the spectacle.

Where was the haggardness of a deposed empress now? Since parting with Xiao Xingchen, she had truly come alive. Although the excruciating pain remained, her spirit and energy were completely different from before.

This is the brilliance of Murong Fenghua, the return of a young prodigy who once overwhelmed her generation a century ago. Stripped of her former glory, she is a renewed hero. Once she resolves her excruciating pain, the day will be her second chance to conquer the Nine Heavens.

That will be the time for her to truly shine. She will show the world that although Murong Fenghua is now the empress, she is still a queen.

"Is it worth it? It's like ascending to heaven. You're just giving it to an outsider like this? I cannot agree to that," Emperor Wu replied leisurely.

"worth,"

Murong Fenghua's resolute answer caught Emperor Wu's attention.

"His ascension to heaven will still take some time. I'm not asking you to agree to let him go to the capital now. When he shines brightly, you'll know how right this decision was."

"You think so highly of him?"

"Yes, in this world now, she is the one who most resembles the former Murong Fenghua. I have high hopes for her."

Emperor Wu shook his head, somewhat disdainfully saying,

"Feng Hua, you've been trapped in the palace for twenty years and have no idea what the world has become. Ling Xue has the appearance of a ghost immortal, Lan Beitang of the Eastern Region is unparalleled in both books and swordsmanship, the Southern Region has the Five Sword Masters, the Northern Region has a new unparalleled War General, and the Western Region has the Ten Thousand Demon Cave and the Burning City. Do you think an ordinary boy who knows nothing can compare with them?"

"How about we make a bet?" Murong Fenghua smiled, not doubting her own judgment at all. However, she wasn't so sure about the people the Martial Emperor had mentioned, even though her daughter was among them.

"A bet?" Emperor Wu frowned. He was an emperor; when had he ever needed to make a bet to do something? This was a challenge to his authority.

Seemingly sensing Emperor Wu's thoughts, Murong Fenghua sighed inwardly. Power can truly change a person. The man before her was no longer the one who dared to draw his sword against the Nine Heavens. Worldly power is tempting, and if one stays in the quagmire of power for too long, there is no going back.