The battle began and ended with sudden, shocking force.

Heaven and earth intertwined, forming a realm of lightning – a絕強殺法 (Juéqiáng Shāfǎ – ultimate killer technique) no less powerful than any Outer Mansion talent’s.

And yet, it crumbled so swiftly and abruptly.

Just a single wisp of 森白之風 (Sēnbái Zhīfēng – bone-white wind) blew past, and the entire lightning realm shattered.

Jiang Qingyang walked through the lightning realm with such calm, strolling leisurely through a world of lightning intent on striking him down. Then, in the instant the realm collapsed and lightning exploded across the sky, he unleashed such a brutal whip kick.

It shattered the air, and shattered the hearts of many.

It was awe-inspiring, intoxicating.

The transition between tranquility and sharpness possessed a breathtaking beauty.

Lei Zhanqian, who was desperately controlling the Lei Xi (雷璽 – Thunder Seal) to salvage his “lightning realm,” had no time to react before he was sent flying. He flew all the way out of the square before being caught by the guards.

He simply tilted his head and fainted.

He had truly fainted, but it wasn’t entirely necessary.

Jiang Wang hadn’t drawn his sword, nor followed up with a 三昧真火 (Sānmèi Zhēnhuǒ – True Samadhi Fire). It was just a whip kick, just enough to send him out of the arena, and not enough to cause significant injury.

But it was too humiliating…

If he didn’t faint immediately, Lei Zhanqian wouldn’t know how to face his previous boasts, how to face the people who had placed such high hopes on him.

Winning against Jiang Wang was difficult, but fainting… was easy.

The guards on the side who caught Lei Zhanqian subconsciously wanted to “wake him up.”

Fortunately, Jiang Wuqi said at the right time, “Killing technique backlash, fear of damaging the foundation. Quickly send Young Master Lei down to rest.”

After giving Lei Zhanqian an excuse, he applauded Jiang Wang, praising, “Simply magnificent!”

As the source of inspiration for the “lightning realm” killing technique, and the one who had consistently practiced with Lei Zhanqian, helping him gradually perfect this technique.

Jiang Wuqi knew best how terrifying the “lightning realm” killing technique was. He also clearly understood that Lei Zhanqian was not yet fully capable of controlling this technique, and even more clearly knew the weaknesses of the current “lightning realm.”

But Jiang Wang had seen the “lightning realm” for the first time!

Seeing the lightning realm for the first time, he was able to find its weakness in such a short time, with astonishing insight and sharpness, and thus defeated Lei Zhanqian so decisively.

This was too terrifying!

No wonder the Third Imperial Sister had said this person was a hero of the age who could “turn the impossible into the possible.”

His regret for Lei Zhanqian was genuine, and his praise for Jiang Wang at this moment was also genuine.

A fine son of my Great Qi!

Lei Zhanqian had been defeated so quickly, it was reasonable for his cousin Jiang Wuqi to step forward and salvage the situation with a few words.

Therefore, the various princes and princesses on the high platform said nothing.

Of course, with the same smile, Jiang Wuyou was certainly happier than Jiang Wuxie.

The guards quickly carried Lei Zhanqian away.

And Jiang Wang, standing alone in the center of the square, lightly nodded, expressing his gratitude for Jiang Wuqi’s recognition.

It was not impolite, but the distance was also evident.

Jiang Wuqi smiled indifferently.

Jiang Wang then turned around, extended his right hand towards Cui Zhu, made an inviting gesture, and said, “Please!”

He didn’t need to rest!

He truly didn’t need to rest…

In the eyes of the ordinary people on the high platform to the left, they had only seen two scenes—

The lightning disappeared, and Lei Zhanqian was kicked away by a whip kick.

They blinked, and the battle was over.

Cui Zhu had a typical military style. Facing Jiang Wang’s challenge, he said nothing and walked directly into the arena.

Lei Zhanqian’s voluntary fainting was considered giving up the subsequent martial arts competition.

At this point, after witnessing firsthand how Jiang Wang defeated Lei Zhanqian, few people felt there was any need for a third match.

In the eyes of cultivators with insufficient strength and ordinary spectators, Jiang Wang had effortlessly crushed Lei Zhanqian; the two were simply not on the same level.

And in the eyes of powerful cultivators, what Jiang Wang displayed in this battle was unparalleled fighting talent. He was more than just a cut above Lei Zhanqian.

Whether willing or not, one had to admit—

In today’s Qi Kingdom, among the younger generation of Inner Mansion cultivators, Jiang Wang is the foremost!

Perhaps Wang Yiwu, still in the death row camp, could compete, but the cultivators in the military, including Cui Zhu, who were inferior to Wang Yiwu, simply had no chance of defeating Jiang Wang.

However, Cui Zhu himself did not seem to think so.

At this moment, standing before Jiang Wang, he was still as stern as a stone carving, seemingly without any emotion.

Naturally, there was no trace of timidity or fear.

At this time, Jiang Wang was facing away from the Imperial Ancestral Temple, directly facing the direction of the Great Qi Emperor.

And Cui Zhu was facing him directly, facing the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

On the vast square, only these two were confronting each other.

The spectators on the field were the white-clothed Chong Xuanzun and the silver-armored Ji Zhaonan.

“Let’s begin,” Jiang Rumo said in a calm voice.

As soon as the sound fell, the two had met!

Why did Jiang Wang defeat Lei Zhanqian with such a sharp posture?

Because Chong Xuanzun was the best in Linzi today, he also needed to show his brilliance so that Chong Xuan Sheng would not appear so dim by comparison!

This was the case with Lei Zhanqian, and it was also the case with Cui Zhu.

So at the beginning of the battle, Jiang Wang skipped the probing and went directly into close combat, seeking victory.

The moment they were close, he spread his five fingers, and the bone-white 不周風 (Bù Zhōu Fēng – Unhindered Wind) leaped out, transforming into six 살생지정 (Shāshēng Zhī Dīng – Killing Life Nails), closing in on Cui Zhu in a net-like formation!

Chong Xuanzun only used three divine abilities to defeat his opponent, hiding two. He only used one 不周風 (Bù Zhōu Fēng – Unhindered Wind), also hiding two.

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And this 不周風 (Bù Zhōu Fēng – Unhindered Wind) blowing into Killing Life Nails was his newly developed usage.

Six long nails, completely dark like night, with a touch of frost color at the tip, surged forward at an astonishing speed with a bone-white wake.

They faintly locked down all frontal positions of the opponent, targeting the head, heart, and limbs respectively.

This was such a cold and cruel divine ability.

Slaughtering lives and destroying souls, nailing the life force!

Cui Zhu absolutely couldn’t resist head-on, so he retreated.

He retreated at a terrifying speed.

His figure was like a ghost, so fast that it left behind a long string of afterimages, far outstripping the pursuit of the Killing Life Nails.

He retreated a bit far, it wasn’t necessary to retreat this far…

Jiang Wang just had this thought in his mind.

Then he saw Cui Zhu suddenly turn around, facing the Great Qi Emperor directly!

No!

Jiang Wang pulled with his left hand, and the Prisoner’s Chains, which were prepared as a backup, drilled out of thin air – these were originally intended to restrict Cui Zhu’s movement space, allowing the Killing Life Nails to succeed.

Used at this moment, the two dark Prisoner’s Chains intersected, blocking Cui Zhu’s path!

And Cui Zhu’s body was already disintegrating, the kind of disintegration that turns to ashes and smoke, starting from the limbs and spreading towards the heart.

This disintegration provided him with terrifying power.

So he threw a javelin, a deathly gray javelin that continuously rotated and accelerated, nourished by his flesh and blood, soul, and even lifespan.

*Crack!*

This javelin, with just one strike, broke Jiang Wang’s Prisoner’s Chains and flew towards His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Qi Empire.

And Cui Zhu shouted in a sharp voice, with an indescribable madness—

“Divine Might thirty-one years. Cui Zhu assassinates Jiang Shu!!!”

This voice echoed endlessly, spreading widely.

His target was actually the Qi Emperor!

And it was before the significantly important Imperial Ancestral Temple, during the “Grand Master’s Ceremony,” in front of the civil and military officials of Great Qi and the watching commoners, to throw a javelin and assassinate the Qi Emperor!

What kind of madness was this?

Jiang Wang reacted extremely quickly, instantly activating the Sound Hearing Immortal Form, grabbed with one hand, and annihilated Cui Zhu’s voice, preventing that sound from continuing to spread.

But what needed to be heard, had already been heard. Those who hadn’t heard, would inevitably know afterwards…

It was merely closing the barn door after the horse had bolted.

At the same time, Jiang Wang shattered the Qingyun (青雲 – Azure Cloud) mark with one foot, displaying his completely unhindered fastest speed, rapidly approaching Cui Zhu’s back.

Within an inch, stepping on azure clouds!

All of this seemed slow to describe, but in reality, it happened in an instant.

Cui Zhu retreated the moment he met Jiang Wang, retreating faster and faster, and then threw a javelin to assassinate the Qi Emperor.

Cui Zhu, who had just thrown the javelin, hadn’t even rushed out of the square when he suddenly turned around and met Jiang Wang’s eyes.

His expression was maniacal, and in his eyes, there was a kind of pilgrimage-like piety.

“I have no regrets!”

This was his voice, forbidden by Jiang Wang from spreading, but the voice that fell into Jiang Wang’s ears.

Cui Zhu’s body was still collapsing continuously, disintegrating rapidly.

His flesh and blood, his soul, his lifespan, his destiny… his entire life!

Everything, everything, disintegrated and scattered.

In the soft hum of 長相思 (Cháng Xiāngsī – Everlasting Longing), Jiang Wang’s long sword sliced through!

But he was already dead.

Completely dead.

The long sword sliced through Cui Zhu, and it was as if it had sliced through nothing.

And that continuously rotating, continuously accelerating, terrifying deathly gray javelin, didn’t even get close to the imperial steps before it silently disintegrated.

Han Ling, the chief eunuch of the Bureau of Ceremonies, stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless, as if he hadn’t intervened at all.

And the scene was silent!

Before the entire Imperial Ancestral Temple, there was not a single sound!

This had nothing to do with Jiang Wang’s sound-controlling Daoist art.

It was truly as if even breathing had stopped!

Naturally, no one spoke.

Who dared to speak at this time?

If not handled properly, today’s events could turn into a great catastrophe.

Don’t look at how generous the Qi Emperor was with rewards for talent, but when he was ruthless, he would absolutely not show the slightest mercy.

Many years ago, someone evaluated the current Qi Emperor, saying he was a peerless hero – “Regardless of grace or punishment, neither is excessive!”

Many only saw the Qi Emperor’s boundless favor, how those with high talent could ascend to heaven in Qi, but often overlooked that the punishment was also “boundless”!

How did the Ku Rong Courtyard, which once had branches throughout Qi territory, become only a ruin in Linzi City?

In other places, there wasn’t even a ruin left!

The deposed crown prince Jiang Wuliang had once enjoyed boundless favor. Every time the Qi Emperor went on campaign, he was allowed to oversee the state, and even when he was in court, he often let Jiang Wuliang handle political affairs.

But what happened after he lost favor?

Almost all of the deposed crown prince’s so-called “partisans” were killed. And Jiang Wuliang has been imprisoned in the Green Stone Palace since the 35th year of Yuan Feng, and until the 55th year of Yuan Feng today, a total of twenty years, the Emperor has not seen him once! This was still the Emperor’s own son, the son with whom he had the deepest affection.

And today, during the imperial martial arts competition, a grand day for selecting the nation’s talents, one of the talents actually committed treason and assassinated the ruler?!

If this matter is pursued.

First, the commander of the Imprisoned Lightning Army, Xiuyuan, will definitely be relieved of his position for investigation, and perhaps even his life will not be preserved.

And the people who recommended Cui Zhu to this list…

All the officials who selected him through the military selection, and even the people in the Department of Political Affairs who personally selected Cui Zhu, will all bear responsibility.

This responsibility… no one can bear it!

The Great Qi Emperor was sitting on the dragon throne. No one could look him directly in the eye, and therefore no one could clearly see his expression.

He was also expressionless.

An emperor’s thoughts are as deep as the sea.

If he didn’t speak, no one dared to make a sound.

So he spoke.

He said in a calm voice, “Marquis Azure Sheep has performed meritorious service in protecting the Emperor. This merit, I shall remember it for you, and reward it together after the Yellow River Meeting.”

This was not being stingy; on the contrary, it was a great honor.

Capturing and killing an assassin in the Inner Mansion realm, the merit was great, but it was also just so-so. Jiang Wang had not actually been able to stop Cui Zhu, and Cui Zhu could not have gotten close to the Qi Emperor in the first place.

But Jiang Wang intercepted Cui Zhu at the first opportunity, and also decisively isolated the sound, reducing the impact of the assassination attempt. This decisive handling undoubtedly added many points for him.

The Qi Emperor chose to record this merit and expressed his expectations for Jiang Wang.

Once Jiang Wang could achieve great merit in the Yellow River Meeting, the two combined would likely allow Jiang Wang to cross certain boundaries that were originally difficult to overcome – he had only entered Qi in the past two years, and after all, he was not as reliable as descendants of prominent families like Chong Xuan Sheng and Li Longchuan, and it was difficult for him to gain the same trust. So some thresholds were actually invisible and difficult to cross.

But there were exceptions – did you not see how many obscure surnames became prominent after Emperor Wu of Qi restored the country? Some came to Qi with Emperor Wu of Qi, and also became prominent in Qi because of their merit in restoring the country.

Jiang Wang retrieved the Killing Life Nails that were still circulating in the air, returned his sword to its sheath, bowed with cupped hands, and said, “Your humble servant merely did what was within his duty and dares not claim merit.”

He was a fourth-rank Green Plaque of Qi. Strictly speaking, apprehending criminals was indeed his duty.

The Great Qi Emperor said, “Minister Jiang, you are very good. I did not misjudge you.”

He was referring, of course, to the granting of the purple robe in the Dong Hua Pavilion the last time.

Without waiting for Jiang Wang to reply and express his loyalty, he suddenly asked, “Do you know why this villain, knowing it was impossible, still tried to assassinate me today?”

Jiang Wang said respectfully, “Your humble servant… does not know.”

He naturally understood that the Emperor’s question was not just directed at him.

At the same time, he truly did not know the answer.

“Do all you ministers know?” The Great Qi Emperor then looked at the various nobles and officials.

On the high platform, the civil and military officials looked at each other. Regarding such extremely dangerous questions, no one dared to speak first for a while.

But the Emperor himself gave the answer.

He sneered, “This is to imitate the old matter of Emperor Huai of Qin!”

The nobles and officials seemed to be frozen, not even daring to look up.

Jiang Wang even heard the sound of someone gasping. This showed the weight of the Qi Emperor’s words.

But he didn’t understand…

What old matter of Emperor Huai of Qin?

After becoming extraordinary, he felt that the time for daily cultivation was not enough, so he naturally had no time to read history. Before becoming extraordinary, he had read some books, but not enough to memorize the history of all the various countries in the world.

The Great Qi Emperor obviously noticed Jiang Wang’s confusion and said calmly, “Crown Prince, you are the heir apparent. Explain it to Minister Jiang.”

This level of test certainly wouldn’t trouble the Crown Prince, but speaking at this moment was truly a dangerous thing.

Jiang Wuhua still managed to maintain his composure, still respectfully rose and bowed before saying, “During the reign of Emperor Huai of Qin. There was a member of the royal family, Ying Zhang, who wanted to rebel but was hesitant. In the sixth month of that year, a court official, with his face covered, assassinated Emperor Huai on the imperial road. The world henceforth knew that the court was unstable and Emperor Huai had completely lost the hearts of the people. So Ying Zhang raised troops, killed Emperor Huai in Xianyang Palace, and ascended the throne in the same year, becoming Emperor Xuan of Qin… The current Qin royal family is from this lineage.”

Jiang Wang’s heart trembled upon hearing this.

And the Great Qi Emperor stood up, standing before the dragon throne, overlooking all his subjects, and asked in a not-so-stern voice—

“Who has this intention?”

*Plop!*

Jiang Wuhua knelt down at once, his forehead touching the ground.

From the imperial steps to the high platform, from the various princes and princesses to the civil and military officials, noble relatives by marriage, and even ordinary people.

Everyone, completely prostrated on the ground!