Nine years of age, I knew nothing of the world’s ways.

Within the grand halls of Bao Hua Palace, a voice resonated. Descending from the Vermilion Steps, it held an air of surveying all beneath the heavens.

This year, at forty-two, I still knew nothing.

Upon that solitary and majestic dragon throne sat the current Emperor of Xia. His voice, weighted with both suppression and majesty, echoed:

“All my sons are now men grown!”

The magnificent Bao Hua Palace, today, was empty and desolate, devoid of courtiers. His voice, increasingly lonely, echoed with rising majesty. From the perspective of Xia Emperor Si Cheng, looking straight ahead, his gaze swept past the Vermilion Steps, the jade pillars, the corridors, to the end of the palace. Beneath the towering palace gates, a majestic figure stood bathed in light. The light was too dazzling, obscuring the person’s face, just as the passing years had rendered this person, this face, a symbol, a memory he could no longer clearly recall nor grasp!

The Xia Emperor’s voice lingered for a long time.

The figure standing in the light then spoke: “The Grand Tutor was loyal and devoted, carving out his heart for the nation, exhausting his life in service of the state! If you truly understood the world, how could you treat him thus?”

She advanced into the hall, her footsteps echoing the palace’s solitude. A truly solitary imperial palace!

The Xia Emperor sat upon his throne, observing the approaching figure in imperial regalia, his mother, the Xia Empress Dowager. He had seemingly never viewed the true ruler of the Great Xia Empire for the past thirty-three years from this angle. As the Emperor of Great Xia, this was his first time overlooking this person.

“Oh?” His voice was indifferent. “Since he harbored a death wish, he surely cared not how he died. He dared to endanger me; what does a little more infamy matter?”

The Xia Empress Dowager halted after a single step, standing beneath the hall. She lifted her gaze to the Vermilion Steps, truly unable to believe this was the same trembling child who had once hidden behind her. After all, he was the descendant of the Former Emperor. Even if incompetent and mediocre, it was impossible to be utterly devoid of ambition.

It was a pity that for thirty-three years, she had poured all her effort and heart into state affairs, restoring the nearly ravaged Xia Country into a brilliant land stretching ten thousand *li*. Yet, she had neglected the upbringing of a child, an emperor. She was not the Former Emperor, who could manage both inner cultivation and external military affairs with ease, often summoning imperial princes and princesses to his side for guidance, and even caring for the funerals and marriages of every minister.

Today, Xia Country could fiercely contest with Qi Country, could possess so many civil and military officials willing to sacrifice themselves, all due to the Former Emperor’s legacy from that year.

The Former Emperor…

“Even the Former Emperor that year did not activate the Chang Luo Absolute Array,” the Xia Empress Dowager said. “How dare you…”

“Mother Empress!” The Xia Emperor interrupted her. “This year is already Shen Wu Thirty-three!”

He spoke no further words. But what more needed to be said? What words could be crueler than this?

The Xia Empress Dowager had countless words she wished to speak, but at this moment, all were silenced. She stood calmly in the great hall, a pair of placid eyes beneath her phoenix crown.

She merely said: “The Former Emperor nobly sacrificed himself, yet gained thirty-three years of national fortune. Let us see, what great deeds the current Emperor performs, how many years he can extend the life of the state and its people?”

They stood at opposite ends of the palace. She stood, the Son of Heaven sat. They were mother and son. They were sovereign and subject.

The light outside Bao Hua Palace was unwilling to enter the hall. The light of the sky was generous to all things in the world, unless one deliberately resisted.

Gui Yi City could be bright, and so too could Jiang Yin Plain. Towering Tong Yang City, bathed in brilliant sunlight, possessed an epic grandeur. And above this city, the dense Thorn Boats of Qi Country were similarly clear and bright! Thorn Spears, raining down like a sudden downpour, gleamed in the sunlight, covering more than half the sky.

Urgent military intelligence arrived at this moment, shocking all—

Ren Qiu Li, True Lord Tian Ji of South Dou Hall, secretly concealed heavenly will, harbored hidden motives, and launched a sudden attack, severely injuring Marshal Chen Fu, commander of thirty thousand Qi Country county soldiers!

And Tian An Ping, turning the tide with his forces, broke through to the Dong Zhen realm in the midst of the myriad army, at the cost of ninety thousand of his soldiers’ lives, forcing back Ren Qiu Li and slaying Chu Gong Yi! Thus, the Xia Army on the eastern front collapsed utterly!

These two pieces of news from the northern battlefield spread almost simultaneously, shocking both Qi and Xia!

Cao Jie, of course, received more detailed intelligence—

Tian An Ping’s victory in that battle could wholly be said to be piled atop the corpses of his soldiers. It was said that on the battlefield, he personally wielded the military blade, executing anyone who dared to retreat! Executing anyone who hesitated to advance! Executing anyone who advanced too slowly! As the Left Route Marshal of the eastern front, he personally commanded one hundred thousand Qi Country county soldiers. In this battle, ninety thousand were killed, and he himself executed eight thousand!

At the brutal cost of ninety thousand county soldiers’ lives, he shattered the will of the Xia Army and killed Chu Gong Yi, the True Lord of the Great Xia Chu Clan. After this battle, of the remaining ten thousand county soldiers, over two thousand lost their minds, and over a thousand chose suicide. And his elder brother, Tian An Tai, also went mad in this war!

But Cao Jie made no comment on this, merely casually placing the war report aside, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon—

The eastern front battlefield had already achieved a decisive victory. On the northern front, Great Xia’s Duke of Feng Guo, Zhou Ying, Marquis of Xuan Ping, Fan Ao, and others, had all died in battle. Xie Huai An, commander of the allied forces of the Eastern Domain nations, was already leading his army westward, his spearhead aimed directly at Gui Yi.

At this moment, he stood atop the towering battle chariot, overlooking the seemingly impregnable Tong Yang City. Between him and Tong Yang City, the vast army of Great Qi surged like a tide, filling all the space in sight. The constant terrifying whistling sound was the continuous launch of the She Yue Crossbows.

Today’s Jiang Yin Plain would not have an inch of peaceful soil. The Autumn Kill, Chase Wind, and Spring Death armies were all deployed. The final decisive battle… had already begun! Chong Xuan Chu Liang, Li Zheng Yan, Chen Ze Qing, all personally led their armies, continuously assaulting the city defenses.

The sky above the entire Jiang Yin Plain had a variegated hue, the Dao Marks left by several True Lords of the Yi Dao realm. Ruan Qu and Si Jiao, Yan Ping and Yu Li Yang… these four Yi Dao powerhouses had not yet formally engaged, but their Dao Principles were already colliding!

*Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!*

Giant war drums beat repeatedly, as if responding to the unwilling shouts of the Qi people beneath Gui Yi City thirty-three years ago. The Purple Micro Midheaven Tai Huang Banner fluttered proudly, brazenly displaying the majesty of the Eastern Domain overlord.

This world-shaking great war was resolutely marching towards its end, towards its final victory.

But Cao Jie’s gaze remained calm. Within his somewhat meek face, there resided a profound endurance. It allowed him to bear all pressures, firmly execute his strategy, and thus push this war against Xia, step by step, to this point.

These pressures… were not only the stubbornness of Xia Country, not only the strong deterrence of Jing Country, not only the internal urgency and dissatisfaction within Qi Country, not even solely the life and death of the hundred thousand strong army and the success or failure of Qi Country’s campaign against Xia!

There was also the anxiety he himself could not avoid from the moment the war began! His entire political life, his lifetime reputation, were all invested in this war. He, more than anyone, desired a straightforward, brilliant victory. But often, one could only choose an unglamorous, even ugly, path! Only for the final victory.

Now he stood here, head held high, spine straight. He felt a rare, proud emotion. Not proud of controlling the victory and defeat of a great nation’s war, but proud of himself, for possessing such persistence, such courage.

His gaze was calm as the sea. Until…

A branch of peach blossoms flew by, stirring up tiny ripples. Suddenly, these ripples transformed into monstrous waves!

At first, a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth strolled through a small alley. At first, only a single peach tree, too early to welcome spring. This was not a romantic day. But the young man in fine clothes casually plucked a branch. Then he lifted his affectionate eyes, looking over the small alley, the long street, the houses, the city towers… and the nearly hundred thousand strong army locked in battle. When he looked at Cao Jie, he was already close.

Then, with a sweep of his hand, he offered not just a peach branch, but a whole bleak spring!

“Tong Yang has nothing, I casually bestow a branch of spring!”

Had there been no Qi army, this would have been a warm day. Had there been no Cao Jie, this would have been the season of blooming flowers! Yu Li Yang’s voice carried his usual gentleness, but lightly, it shattered the surging hatred of the entire Xia Country.

“These peach blossoms are bright as blood, they should be placed on Cao Marshal’s skull!”

Cao Jie’s eyes held shocking waves, but he remained completely still.

“Bei County has peach blossoms frozen in snow, of the finest quality, rarely seen in the world. They bloom once every thirty years, and each bloom lasts for thirty years. If Prince Min desires them… this old man can give them up.”

As he spoke, he extended a clear, slender hand, very casually taking the branch of peach blossoms, and also accepting the spring that the people of Xia Country could not let go of. With a light, unrevealing sniff, the clear, slender old man smiled.

Since the founding of the Great Qi Empire, there had been only one Prime Minister who successfully transcended the official path in his position, whose great power returned to himself, and who stood at the peak of the extraordinary realm: Yan Ping!

“This intention of yours, Master Yan, I greatly appreciate.”

Si Jiao still stood atop the city tower of Tong Yang, but his fist had already shattered the space around Cao Jie: “The day Lin Zi is broken, I must accompany Prince Min to Bei County to enjoy the blossoms!”

But starlight flowed like water, and the shattering process seemed as if it had never occurred.

With an ink-jade hairpin slanted, the youthful-faced Director of the Qin Tian Jian, calmly said: “I cast a divination for you, it seems you cannot achieve it.” His tone was unusually serious.

Subsequently, the heavens and earth, for a temporary moment, displayed a network of starlight covering the entire battlefield. Endless starlight flowed, instantly carrying the four Yi Dao True Lords away from this place, soaring straight towards the outer reaches of the sky.

*Hong hong hong!*

The sky, due to someone’s overflowing power, was rent with a long mark, like a giant canyon, lying across the high heavens. And the voice of Wu Wang was left behind like a thunderclap—

“Longevity True Lord! If you do not strike now, when will you wait?”

He was calling out to the master of South Dou Hall, the great being once numbered as the South Pole Longevity Emperor!

Those on the battlefield who heard this name were all moved. But the Xia Army had no time to cheer, for the Qi Army was still charging.

Cao Jie still stood steadily on the battle chariot. There was no figure in his vision. There was no anomaly in his voice.

But in the long river of fate, a blurred figure in imperial robes walked upon Cao Jie’s path of destiny! The blurred figure possessed clear majesty. He lightly sighed: “Cao Jie, stop here.” The meaning in his voice was so firm, like a statement of heavenly principle, deciding Cao Jie’s life, with no possibility of turning back.

But as his last step fell, in this segment of the river of fate, a towering crimson suddenly surged. The crimson was like a sea, sweeping the blurred figure in imperial robes within!

From beginning to end, Cao Jie faced the battlefield calmly. No matter how many Yi Dao powerhouses fought, his gaze never shifted.

Crossing the vast battlefield.

On the tower of Tong Yang City, Xi Meng Fu withdrew his gaze. No surprises. He knew the people of Qi Country had made ample preparations for this war. He also always knew that merely relying on the Longevity True Lord’s intervention would not be enough to reverse the situation. But he still held a sliver of hope, with a faint expectation, looking down at Cao Jie. However, he saw nothing. The final move prepared by Wu King was fundamentally resolved silently and without a trace. He did not even know if the Longevity True Lord had truly arrived, or if he had taken action!

“Hey, I suddenly remembered.”

Liu Xi Yi suddenly appeared, brushing his sleeve, waving a felled giant crossbow bolt far away. He said casually: “In the past, after the Former Emperor died in battle, our entire country fought to the death, exactly defending for thirty-three days.”

“What do you want to say?” Xi Meng Fu asked.

“This year is exactly Shen Wu Thirty-three.” Liu Xi Yi said: “I always disliked those tortoise shell divinations, only believing that man can conquer heaven. Perhaps I am getting old, but now I am beginning to feel a vague sense that there truly is heavenly destiny. That thirty-three days of effort, exchanged for thirty-three years of national fortune… and perish upon today, eh!” He lowered his eyes and sighed, appearing extremely old.

“Great Xia perish upon today, eh…”

Time had reached this point; this was already the outcome he and Xi Meng Fu had foreseen. Although they were still waiting.

Calm eyes were not unique to Cao Jie alone. If Cao Jie’s face were exchanged with the blood-stained Jiang Wang, it would not be very discordant. Only one pair of eyes looked at myriad armies and horses, at famous generals and strong cities; the other pair of eyes looked only at his pursuing enemy. The same calmness represented the same firm belief.

The blood-stained Qing Yang Zi of Great Qi, holding his sword, had been chasing the Marquis of North Township of Xia Country for a long time. He had traversed the entire Sang Fu, chasing directly to Chang Luo. In this process, he approached several times, but each time he was forcibly shaken off by Shang Yan Hu. Relying on his terrifying physical defense, Shang Yan Hu endured countless attacks, yet remained alive and well.

As is well known, the ancestral home of Marquis of Guang Ping, Li Fu, was in Chang Luo. But when people mentioned the most prestigious person in Chang Luo today, they still first thought of Duke of Feng Guo, Zhou Ying, even though Zhou Ying’s ancestral home was not Chang Luo—who let his most promising son guard in the underground cave of Chang Luo for several decades, eh? Zhou Xiong would surely inherit the title in the future; then, if Duke of Feng Guo was not from Chang Luo, where was he from?

The vast land of Great Xia, with its ten thousand *li* long river stopping here, gave rise to the saying that the Xia land always had dragons rising. In the past, Great Xia established its capital in Gui Yi, not far from Chang Luo Prefecture, also with the meaning of controlling the long dragon and overlooking ten thousand *li*. The long river entered the Xia border from the east, flowing majestically all the way, the most famous scenery in the western part of Xia Country, where countless literati and poets left behind immortal poems. But this scenery stopped at Wu Ding Fort. This fortress, built with mixed gold and stone as its foundation, stood on a precipitous cliff of ten thousand *ren*. Former generations had a poem saying, “The long river to here thinks of returning westward!” It could be said to be extremely dangerous.

The footsteps of tourists stopped at Si Gui Cliff. The area east of Wu Ding Fort, near the location of the Chang Luo Underground Cave, was all designated as forbidden ground. A troop was stationed at Wu Ding Fort year-round, numbering around seven thousand. In terms of individual elite quality, it could almost be said to be the best in all prefectures, second only to the Zhen Guo and Shen Wu armies. Even though the war between Qi and Xia had progressed to this stage, two thousand people still remained to guard Wu Ding Fort, showing the importance of this place.

The long river meandered, circling Si Gui Cliff and flowing onward. The cliff face was smooth as a stone mirror, and at this time, the calm long river was like a water mirror. Hence, this place also had the name “Double Mirror River”.

Two figures, one in front and one behind, cut through the sky, leaving two long trails on the surface of the vast long river. Having chased all the way here, Jiang Wang already had an ominous premonition. He originally thought Shang Yan Hu was escaping to Gui Yi City, so in the pursuit, he deliberately controlled his direction and advanced cautiously. But Shang Yan Hu fundamentally went westward without turning back. From beginning to end, he showed no inclination towards Gui Yi City. Now, he even plunged headfirst into Chang Luo Prefecture, rushing straight towards the Chang Luo Underground Cave!

Although he did not know what secret lay beneath this Chang Luo Underground Cave, he knew that anything Shang Yan Hu was so insistent on doing was absolutely not a good thing for Qi Country.

*Clang clang clang clang clang!*

Jiang Wang urgently pursued Shang Yan Hu, his long sword, burning with the light of the fire element, unleashed heavy, overlapping illusions. But Shang Yan Hu stubbornly endured the damage, rushing forward without looking back!

“Great Xia forbidden ground, those who enter must stop!”

Outside Wu Ding Fort, a flood surged! The calm long river instantly changed appearance, an enormous water dragon surged into the sky, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, blocking the way ahead. The deputy general of the garrison immediately activated the guard array, and the more than two thousand well-trained elite soldiers also rapidly began to assemble.

Shang Yan Hu roared furiously: “Obeying the front line military order to enter the underground cave, quickly open the gate for me!”

The deputy general of the garrison was unshaken: “General Zhou has ordered that no one is allowed to enter or leave the underground cave without his personal approval!”

Shang Yan Hu suddenly turned back, sending his fist forward like ten thousand arrows across the sky, forcing Jiang Wang to retreat several *zhang*. Then, with another turn, he shook out an imperial edict: “I am the Marquis of North Township of Great Xia, with the imperial seal and imperial edict here. Dare to not let me pass, and it shall be treated as treason!”

He was truly anxious. The eastern front was completely abandoned, and the northern front, on which he placed high hopes, was also defeated. Tong Yang City, still in a deadlock, faced the absolute main force of the Qi people. No matter how one looked at it, this war no longer offered any hope of a comeback. And he had already received the emperor’s command to activate the Chang Luo Absolute Array at a critical moment, unleashing the disaster water to cover the world and annihilate the main force of the Qi army. Seeing that if he did not activate it now, Xia Country would be no more, he chose to escape. Otherwise, why would he regret fighting to the death with Jiang Wang?

Saying it was a front line military order meant the main responsibility would fall upon Xi Meng Fu. Taking out the imperial edict stamped with the imperial seal meant the responsibility would fall upon the current Empress Dowager of Xia! Because the master of the Great Xia court politics, for thirty-three years, had always been the Empress Dowager of Xia!

Although the emperor’s order said, “Unless absolutely necessary, the gate cannot be opened with the imperial edict.” The emperor, in the name of reinforcing the front line, had subtly transferred away Zhou Xiong, leaving Wu Ding Fort with only the minimum required garrison of two thousand people, precisely so that Shang Yan Hu could forcibly break through if necessary. But at this moment, where did he still have time to break through?

He was, of course, clear how loyal Xi Meng Fu was to the country, and of course knew how diligent in politics and caring for the people the current Empress Dowager was. But he understood even more—

The bloodline of the Former Emperor was the only orthodoxy of Great Xia. He must obey the order of the orthodox emperor of Great Xia!

As soon as the imperial edict appeared, it immediately suppressed the array of Wu Ding Fort. The garrison general said no more, directly controlling the great array and opening the seal. With a light lift of its claw, the enormous water dragon allowed Shang Yan Hu’s body to pass through, heading directly towards the Chang Luo Underground Cave along the surging long river. He did not forget to point back at Jiang Wang: “This man is a Qi thief, execute him!”

The guard army of Wu Ding Fort immediately readied their bows and blades. But Jiang Wang flew almost in tandem with Shang Yan Hu, meeting Shang Yan Hu’s iron arrow fist with attack against attack, making the numerous guard army of Wu Ding Fort unsure how to shoot their arrows, making the enormous water dragon also unsure whether or not to drop its claw.

In the gap of the fierce fight, Jiang Wang suddenly turned his eyes, a red-gold light in his eyes instantly falling upon the body of the Wu Ding Fort garrison general. The Five Senses Hell summoned, making him dazed and unaware. Then flames erupted all over his body, the Samadhi True Fire burning and dissolving him like cloud smoke. Despite being a cultivator of the Outer Building realm, General Zhou Xiong’s right-hand man, in front of Jiang Wang of the Divine Presence realm, he couldn’t even withstand a single glance!

“Gui Yi is already broken, the Xia Emperor is already dead, this place is merged into Qi territory! Those who block me will be killed without mercy!”

The descending Outer Path Diamond Thunder sound rolled out, shaking the soldiers who had lost their main general, making them fall east and west. Those who managed to stand firm also showed horror in their eyes.

Jiang Wang’s body had already turned like lightning, following closely behind Shang Yan Hu, rushing towards the underground cave. Wu Ding Fort was still there, but the one who broke through was already far away!

The long river flowed over Si Gui Cliff, continuing eastward for several dozen *li*, when its momentum suddenly changed.

*Rumble rumble rumble.*

The great river rushed, emitting a thunderous roar, and suddenly plunged into a huge, almost unimaginable sinkhole! Standing at this end, one could not see to the other. Looking at the map of Great Xia, the actual size of this sinkhole could almost occupy one-third of Chang Luo Prefecture. It should have been covered by an array, shrinking the space, making it appear less abrupt. This was the Chang Luo Underground Cave, the largest and most mysterious underground cave in the present world, an abyss without a bottom!

Shang Yan Hu plunged into the underground cave like an iron-cast figure. Jiang Wang followed without hesitation, chopping at Shang Yan Hu with a dozen or more swords. In such intense pursuit, he still managed to land these dozen or more swords on the same line. Cold light carried away several drops of flying blood. This continuous onslaught on the way finally pierced the skin of the Hun Steel Tribulation Body. Although it could not penetrate too deeply into the flesh, it had, after all, broken through. With a little more time, the defense could be completely collapsed.

Shang Yan Hu did not make a sound, only accelerated his fall. In an instant, he had fallen several thousand *zhang*, and still only heard the rumbling of the waterfall; the river water was like silk, unable to see the bottom of this cave.

“Marquis of North Township!” Jiang Wang said while chasing: “The extinction of Xia Country is already decided. You still have a long life ahead; why not just surrender? You could still use your pair of iron fists to continue protecting the people of Xia land, saving them from bullying!”

“Surrender to Qi?” Although he had said words of surrender many times on this journey, this was the first time Shang Yan Hu responded: “Dare you leave my life? Are you not afraid I will expose your divine ability secret?”

“Marquis of North Township’s will is admirable. With our positions different, of course we vowed to kill each other; enemy and self should fight to leave no aftermath. But the world lacks a figure like you, which inevitably makes people regret!” Jiang Wang said: “If you are willing to surrender, I am naturally willing to believe!”

“Hahahaha!” Shang Yan Hu laughed hoarsely: “Believe? Vows cannot be believed, oaths can all be violated, all contracts in the world always have loopholes! On what basis do you believe me?!”

“A figure like the Marquis of North Township, if you cannot keep my secret, I will accept it!” Jiang Wang merely said: “My success or failure, Jiang Wang’s success or failure, is not determined by a single divine ability!”

Shang Yan Hu was silent, only flying faster.

Jiang Wang asked again: “Marquis of North Township does not believe?”

Shang Yan Hu’s sigh was as heavy as stone: “I believe!”

But in the next moment, his entire body of iron gray color suddenly released a brilliant light of ten thousand *zhang*! The brilliant light converged, manifesting the third tribulation body! It was a hard steel white, like eternal frozen soil, like ice that never melts.

“Qi Country has such a young man; I, Great Xia, am not wronged to lose!”

“But I am a person of Xia Country.”

“Generation after generation, born here, born thus!”

“Even if we ultimately fail, I must make the people of the world see—the proof that the people of Xia Country once existed!”

As he spoke, he collided sideways, colliding with the flow of the waterfall! Jiang Wang unleashed a sword that could bend the heavens, following closely, his sword splitting the waterfall. Although Shang Yan Hu in front bore the absolute brunt of the impact, in the terrifying waterfall flow of this long river’s descent, his sword was still extraordinarily heavy. Sword energy wildly blew, cutting open the waterfall, and suddenly his vision widened.

Behind the waterfall flow, there actually hid a huge cave. As Shang Yan Hu collided in, the golden light of the imperial edict he carried erupted greatly! The void seemed to possess a great being, proclaiming some kind of inviolable will. The entire dark cave instantly brightened, bursting forth with brilliant lights, one after another. The countless brilliant light lines vaguely formed complex and magnificent array patterns, like dragons and tigers. For a time, tigers roared and dragons roared, winds rose and clouds surged.

And Shang Yan Hu suddenly pounced before a bronze giant cauldron, grasping its ears with both hands. From within his body, a sound like a bowstring being drawn taut emanated; his entire body was tense, as if he could pull mountains and rivers!

Jiang Wang’s heart gave rise to a huge warning sign; the black and white divine ability seed trembled madly. The red light in his eyes faded, and in his black and white distinct eyes, an ethereal illusion flowed, a scene of heaven and earth turning upside down! He had used the wrong path, interfering with Shang Yan Hu, forcing Shang Yan Hu to choose to fight back! But at this moment, he only discovered—

Shang Yan Hu’s feet had already sunk into the ground, as if growing roots beneath. His steel-white hands had actually melted a part and fused with the cauldron ears of the bronze giant cauldron! Touch had already given Jiang Wang a general understanding of this unknown divine ability under his struggle. Therefore, at this moment, at the cost of self-mutilation and self-damage on the physical and spiritual levels, he completely restricted himself, leaving no other possibility for choice! He only had to pull up the cauldron!

There was a kind of person in the world who would never walk the wrong path. When a person’s will was firm enough, all choices along the way would make way for his life goal. Of course, who could say whether this kind of obsession was not walking further down the wrong path?

The bronze giant cauldron finally seemed to have moved a gap. This sound was not like the sound of a giant cauldron moving, but like the trembling of mountains and rivers, like the wailing of the entire Xia country!

Jiang Wang felt an extremely terrifying aura, that familiar feeling, similar to what he had once seen in Diao Nan Yuan, incomparably oppressive, incomparably tense, every drop of water hiding endless malice! At this time, this malice was even stronger than in Diao Nan Yuan, multiplied by thousands or tens of thousands of times!

Rushing out from beneath the bronze giant cauldron was the calamity water of the present world. It was the endless negativity of the entire present world, for thousands of years, tens of thousands of years, hundreds of thousands to millions of years… all negatives gathered together, a possibility of destroying the world. And the great array covering the entire cave was exactly the Chang Luo Absolute Array arranged by Xia Emperor Si Yuan in the past. That bronze giant cauldron was precisely the pivot point. The imperial edict had fallen, and the Marquis of North Township bore the imperial order to move the cauldron. Thus, the Chang Luo Absolute Array was instantly activated, on one side connecting the calamity water of that bottomless abyss, on the other side penetrating the Great Xia Protect Country Great Array!

At this moment, the entire Xia country’s ten thousand *li* of mountains and rivers were shaking!

In Gui Yi City, in Bao Hua Palace, the Xia Emperor suddenly clenched his fist! The Xia Empress Dowager stood at the boundary of sunlight and shadow, letting out an extremely light sigh. On the city wall of Tong Yang City, Xi Meng Fu stood straight up, and Liu Xi Yi silently walked to his side. One Grand Tutor, one Prime Minister, no longer had too much expression on their faces. They completely accepted the infamy of being remembered for thousands of years, and their bodies being shattered into pieces. Their powers were combined, their authorities mutually shared, they were manipulating the power of the entire Protect Country Great Array—

What kind of vast power was that? The accumulation of this great empire throughout its long history, all given to this final struggle.

The sky covering the entire Jiang Yin Plain cracked open! It was not only the traces left by the battling Yi Dao powerhouses, but truly, in the sense of time and space… a collectively occurring crack.

On the entire battlefield, nearly a million soldiers, the vast majority buried their heads in killing, completely forgetting themselves. But many also raised their heads in shock on the charging path, and from that terrifying sky crack, they already saw the terrifying torrent as vast as the sea! The water was so complex it could no longer be described with specific colors. Every drop of water contained terrifying power. Surging in the sky crack were extreme hatred, unresolvable resentment, eternal jealousy… it could be said to be all negatives gathered together, possessing the possibility of destroying the world.

Calamity water was thus about to pour down on Jiang Yin Plain!

But hear—

*Ka cha, ka cha.*

That terrifying sky crack, in the process of cracking, actually stiffened. Then appeared spots of starlight… endless starlight gathered together! Starlight like a curtain, actually like a thin film, sealed the wound in the sky. All the calamity water waterfalls with their destructive power also temporarily stopped in the air.

Xi Meng Fu was stunned, Liu Xi Yi was stunned. Even Cao Jie, who had always had an unchanging expression standing on the battle chariot, showed a surprised look at this moment. He did not know exactly why!

In the Chang Luo Underground Cave. The bronze giant cauldron had already moved, and calamity water began to leak. A terrifying aura scattered and flowed, with the danger of swallowing everything. The power of the Chang Luo Absolute Array was connected to the Great Xia Protect Country Great Array, allowing the main array controller to dispatch the calamity water. Jiang Wang could not temporarily know what this power, which made him feel instinctively afraid, was related to. He did not even know it was calamity water. But he could feel that Shang Yan Hu was releasing some kind of terrifying power, possessing the possibility of world destruction! This sense of world destruction, of rules breaking down, he had already experienced once in the Mountain and Sea Realm. The impression was too profound! He was absolutely unwilling to see the doomsday scene of the Mountain and Sea Realm’s sky collapsing and earth cracking again in the present world.

At this moment, he mobilized all his powers, his sword colliding with Shang Yan Hu! The sword tip surged out first, all his remaining Samadhi True Fire. Fierce flames instantly covered the Hun Steel Tribulation Body. From the eastern part of Sang Fu, all the way to Chang Luo Fu, and then to this Chang Luo Underground Cave. The Samadhi True Fire had burned this Hun Steel Tribulation Body countless times, more than ten, even a hundred times! His “knowledge” against Shang Yan Hu was already too vast! That indestructible steel-white color, in the flames, actually rapidly turned iron-gray. The Hun Steel Tribulation Body, which had already entered the third tribulation state, under the burning of Samadhi True Fire, was irredeemably retreating to the second tribulation state. Understand its Samadhi, and then burn it!

*Hoo hoo hoo!*

Bu Zhou Wind was blowing! Frost-cold Killing Growth Nails, a set of six, pierced down one after another. The first one shattered into wind, the second one followed. The second one was obstructed by the Hun Steel Tribulation Body, the third one followed… up to the fifth one. Even stubborn as Shang Yan Hu, he raised his head and let out a cry of pain: “I deserve to die! Painful, ah Jiang Wang!”

The fifth Killing Growth Nail broke the Hun Steel Tribulation Body. The Bu Zhou Wind, representing extreme killing power, howled inside Shang Yan Hu’s body! This body was formed after enduring a hundred tribulations; once the body died, all things would be empty! The frost wind collided with the bronze giant cauldron, emitting a lonely, cold sound. Shang Yan Hu, who had fused himself with the bronze giant cauldron, swore to die rather than let go, yet his traces had already been erased.

But calamity water had already leaked! The bronze giant cauldron had already moved a gap, the barrier between calamity water and the present world was broken, endless negative powers were flowing! Although most of the powers were redirected elsewhere by the Chang Luo Absolute Array, merely the scattered parts of negative powers made Jiang Wang feel his divine body dissolving. Golden body and jade marrow could not withstand it!

He suddenly channeled power to his arm, Dao Yuan surged wildly, blood flowed, muscles exploded one by one, exerting all his strength, trying to push back this giant cauldron, but the bronze giant cauldron did not move at all! Not only was his physical strength far inferior to Shang Yan Hu, but also because, at this moment, pushing back this bronze giant cauldron, he simultaneously had to suppress the aura of calamity water! Shang Yan Hu had received the Xia Emperor’s imperial order, enjoyed the blessing of national momentum, controlled the Chang Luo Absolute Array, and could push the bronze giant cauldron. How could Jiang Wang, with a single person and a single arm, possibly do it? Truly like an ant shaking a tree!

At this time, retreating and fleeing was the best strategy; if the sky collapsed, there would be tall ones to hold it up. This bronze giant cauldron was not pushed open by him, this Chang Luo Absolute Array was not activated by him; he had no responsibility whatsoever. In this boundless present world, there were six hegemonic countries, great sects stood in forests, and there were not just a few powerhouses. How many terrifying powerhouses stood at the peak of the extraordinary realm, overlooking the human world? Even more, there were those existences above the peak, standing in the mist of history. Such a potentially world-extinguishing terrifying disaster, no matter what, was not his turn, a young cultivator who had just reached the divine realm, to face.

Although he did not know the background of this bronze giant cauldron, he could completely feel his own insignificance. His power relative to this cauldron was not worth mentioning! He could feel even more that even in this underground cave, where merely fine powers were scattered, some rule power was breaking down. This was… the collapse of world rules. He had seen it before in the Mountain and Sea Realm. If he stayed longer, he might lose the possibility of escaping. Even his golden body and jade marrow were already starting to wear down!

But he was still trying! He tried to mobilize the Yuan Force of heaven and earth, forming some kind of sealing gap to seal it, but as soon as the Yuan Force of heaven and earth surged over, it was melted by that power. With the Dao Yuan power of his own will, which had reached divine abundance, he tried to fill that gap, but it was also instantly polluted, and his Dao Yuan scattered. He again responded to the distant Star Tower, pouring down like a waterfall of starlight, continuously colliding with the negative powers surging from that gap. Perhaps because the power of starlight was purer, this time it had a slight relieving effect. But what kind of vast negative powers were there after the bronze giant cauldron’s gap? For a time, the abundant star force poured down from the Big Dipper Star Path was not enough, so Jiang Wang began to draw upon the power of the old dragon within the Jade Balance Star Tower.

“Little friend! You are confused!” The old dragon of the Sen Hai earnestly communicated in the Star Tower. “What are you doing? How can you block the calamity water?! If you don’t escape now, this seat… we will—”

“Calamity water?” Jiang Wang suddenly interrupted him: “This is calamity water? How to deal with it?”

“Escape is the best strategy—” Jiang Wang suddenly increased the intensity of drawing the old dragon’s power!

“Roar, roar, roar, roar!” The old dragon of the Sen Hai roared madly for a while, temporarily going mad: “That is calamity water! Even the Dragon Emperor in the past didn’t solve it, what method does this old man have?!”

It seemed he truly had no method… Jiang Wang, while continuously drawing star force, his thoughts raced urgently. What else could be done? What other methods? Until the last moment, he was absolutely unwilling to give up trying. It was true that when the sky collapsed, there would be tall ones to hold it up, but at this time, it was he who was standing here! He saw, he experienced, and he thought he himself should bear some responsibility. The so-called extraordinary power carried extraordinary responsibility!

Suddenly, his line of sight turned, falling upon his own forearm. There was a star ring, flowing with dreamlike starlight. A gift from Grandmaster Guan Yan; his elder had established the Star Tower in the past, and after achieving the Star Lord realm, further modified it! Jiang Wang’s spiritual sense moved, and the mark of this star ring left his hand, manifesting a majestic and solemn starlight pagoda. This pagoda only leaped once in the air, then turned into beautiful star sand, like water, all flowing towards the gap where the bronze giant cauldron was pulled up, filling it. Grandmaster Guan Yan’s actual Star Tower was indeed extraordinary. After this beautiful, dreamlike river of star sand hung down, for a time, the threatening feeling actually dissipated much!

“Suppressed it?” Jiang Wang let out a long breath.

But soon, *gulu gulu, gulu gulu*. The river of star sand formed by Grandmaster Guan Yan’s actual Star Tower began to bubble continuously. That was the power of calamity water continuously impacting the seal. Even if the star force contained in this actual Star Tower was vast, it was, after all, separated from Grandmaster Guan Yan, and calamity water was boundless; how could it suppress it for long?

Truly powerless! Even though he had already reached the divine realm and enlightened, facing this degree of disaster, he still felt his own powerlessness.

Just as Jiang Wang was at his wits’ end, an object suddenly burst open his storage box and appeared in front of him—its appearance was ordinary, but it possessed a scorching temperature. The life plaque handed to him by Lian Que!

The Lian clan of Nan Yao, the master weapon forging family in Qi territory today, once lived on this land of Xia country. At that time, this was not yet Xia country; the country occupying this place was named Yan! It was precisely the demise of Yan country that caused the Lian clan, which had once flourished, to fall from grace. Only a single direct line migrated ten thousand *li*, going to the eastern domain.

At this moment, this life plaque represented the master of the Lian clan. It represented the powerful family that once had this place as its fief and used calamity water to refine weapons! Ten thousand years of glory had already vanished; today, how many people still knew? This black fate plaque was given to Jiang Wang by Lian Que in the Tianfu Secret Realm. After leaving the Tianfu Secret Realm, Jiang Wang returned it to him without hesitation. The two therefore formed a bond and became closest friends. And this time, on the expedition to South Xia, Lian Que again gifted him this fate plaque, asking him to seek the remains of the Lian clan ancestors. In the darkness, there truly was a kind of unpredictable fate!

At this moment, it hung before Jiang Wang, and in the endless time and space, a great induction was happening. It originally absolutely did not exist; it had originally already become silent. Only when the calamity water began to surge back! That induction was not about wealth, not about fame, not about power, not about people flocking to him. But… responsibility! The responsibility of the Great Yan Lian clan, which once guarded the Chang Luo Underground Cave and prevented calamity water from entering the human world! People forgot, history forgot, even the members of the Lian clan themselves no longer remembered. But it still existed!

“Two hundred *li* west of the Xia Capital, there is a pool named Chi. Legend says the Human Emperor refined the dragon sons into nine bridges; the Chi Kiss wept sadly and flowed eastward, its blood tears becoming a cold pool!”

Jiang Wang suddenly realized that if he peeled back the array method cover and looked at the actual location of the Chang He Underground Cave, this place was actually not far from that Chi Pool located in the west of Gui Yi. He sheathed his long sword, reached out to grasp this piece of fate plaque that had become scorching hot, thus sensing that Chi Pool! There was a kind of great power responding to him. Without words, it described ten thousand years of history.

At this moment, Jiang Wang’s gaze seemed to penetrate the long river of history, seeing, amidst the floating dust, the phantom of a dragon-headed, fish-bodied Chi Kiss, weeping sadly and flowing eastward! And then, the phantom of an ancient stone bridge, crossing time and space, just before him, fell upon the bronze giant cauldron, pushing this giant cauldron back to its original position!

The ninth bridge of the Nine Towns of Chang He, named Chi Kiss!

The brilliant light of the Chang Luo Absolute Array within the cave dimmed for a time! All danger vanished into thin air. Initiating was earth-shaking; dissipating was so quiet and silent.

Jiang Wang felt in the darkness that in his river of fate, some shadow seemed to have just dissipated. This was followed by endless exhaustion, surging like a tide. Since participating in the campaign against Xia, except for cultivation, he had been fighting, without a moment’s rest. This time, he had killed all the way from Sang Manor to the Chang Luo Underground Cave, personally beheading five powerhouses of the God Arrival realm, and thought of all methods to finally resolve the hidden danger of calamity water. It was truly… already at the limit.

He barely supported himself, releasing a Calamity Fight Seal, using an extremely weak and dim light to barely conceal himself, and then his whole body went limp, falling to the ground. His head struck the cauldron body, emitting a “dong” sound.

In this moment of complete exhaustion of body and mind, he seemed to return to a very young age.

“Hiss… so painful.”

He whispered this complaint softly, then fell into a deep sleep.

The connection between the Chang Luo Absolute Array and the Great Xia Protect Country Great Array linked the calamity water, and also communicated the Chang Luo Underground Cave with Jiang Yin Plain. Hundreds of thousands of gazes watched the sky dome crack open, watched the calamity water surge back, as if a world-destroying disaster was descending. And then they heard the voice of the Marquis of North Township, Shang Yan Hu—

“I deserve to die! So satisfying, ah Jiang Wang!”

Immediately after, they saw starlight like a curtain, actually blocking the calamity water.

Then, they only heard the voice of Great Qi’s unparalleled talent, Jiang Wang, with a bit of hesitation, with a bit of careful self-mutter—

“Suppressed?”

Then, they only saw within the sky dome crack, the star curtain began to shake, the calamity water became violent again… only to see the phantom of an ancient stone bridge, suddenly crossing the sky dome crack! That was the illusion of the ninth bridge of the Nine Towns of Chang He, falling upon the Chang He Underground Cave, and also appearing in the high sky above Jiang Yin Plain!

That terrifying sky dome crack healed quickly again! All the destructive calamity water waterfalls, again returned to the end of the sky!

Finally, only a “dong” sound. It was the sound of a head hitting something.

On Jiang Yin Plain, hundreds of thousands of people listened with their hearts. Between heaven and earth, only one young man, extremely exhausted, murmured like a child—

“Hiss… so painful.”

A world-destroying disaster, thus vanished without a trace. This process was so short, so fantastical, but what happened was not difficult to judge. It could even be said… clear to see.

The Marquis of North Township of Xia Country, Shang Yan Hu, attempted to unleash calamity water to invade the human world and drown the nine divisions and three armies of Great Qi. And Jiang Wang, Qing Yang Zi of Great Qi, beheaded him! Suppressed it!

“Hahahaha!!”

On the same central city wall, the Grand Tutor of Great Xia, Liu Xi Yi, laughed until he danced with his hands and feet, tears streaming down. “The Emperor wants to perform a great deed, yet it was neither secret nor complete. Truly played a good hand! Not only was it of no help, but it also helped Jiang Shu sweep away the hearts of the people!!”

“Hahahaha!!”

After a long laugh, he flung his large sleeve and sat down cross-legged right on the city tower, saying to Xi Meng Fu: “I am the Prime Minister of Great Xia, unwilling to die at the hands of the Qi people… I trouble the Grand Tutor.”

Xi Meng Fu casually beckoned, drawing a military knife from the waist of a soldier beside him. Then, carrying this ordinary standard long knife, he walked towards the kneeling old man of Xia Country.

“I still have one last sentence,” Liu Xi Yi suddenly said. Xi Meng Fu looked at him, waiting quietly for him to speak. Liu Xi Yi said very seriously: “I observe this entire court, civil and military officials, all are heroes. But worthy of friendship, only you, Xi Meng Fu. I have no sons beneath my knees, and you have no father. How about…”

A knife chopped down, and a head rolled. Xi Meng Fu, carrying the blood-dripping military knife, simply turned around. He leaped down the city wall, killing into the myriad army. His figure was so free, just like when he first jumped off that ship—

“Great Xia Grand Tutor Xi Meng Fu is here, who will decide death with me!?”

He fell into the tide of soldiers of the Spring Death Army. The soldier evil surged several times, then returned to calm.

Gui Yi City, Bao Hua Palace. The Xia Emperor sat straight on the dragon chair, not saying a word. The bead curtain hung down, casting deep, bottomless shadows. And the Xia Empress Dowager, dressed in full regalia, stood alone, also silently turning around, walking out of this Bao Hua Palace. She walked all the way, waving back all the eunuchs and palace maids, alone, walking back to the Blue Luan Hall. Her front foot stepped into the hall, and the next moment, she set a great fire. In the fire, she was so noble, so bright. Brighter than the flames, more glorious than the flames. In the roaring flames, a flawless jade hand hung down, jade fingers scattering like flower petals, dropping a fluttering piece of paper. The remaining fire was not extinguished; one could vaguely see four words on the paper—

“Blue Luan has a letter…” It stopped at the word “letter”. And then this sentence was also swallowed by the flames.

Historical records.

Dao Calendar three-nine-two-one year, first month.

The Marquis of North Township of Great Xia led calamity water to invade the human world; Jiang Wang beheaded him.

The Empress Dowager of Great Xia self-immolated in Blue Luan Palace.

The Prime Minister of Great Xia died on the city tower of Same Central City.

The Grand Tutor of Great Xia died in battle among the myriad army.

The Martial King of Great Xia, Si Jiao, died in battle.

The Min King of Great Xia, Yu Li Yang, surrendered to Qi.

Chong Xuan Chu Liang was the first to ascend Same Central City, personally killing Long Jiao, commander of the Great Xia Town Country Army.

Xie Huai An attacked and broke Gui Yi City, capturing the Xia Emperor alive.

Cao Jie, carrying the victory of destroying Xia, swallowed the national fortune of Xia Country and proved his Dao as a True Monarch!

The Great Xia Empire, which had ruled the eastern South Domain for one thousand two hundred and seventy-two years, declared its country extinct!

Exactly—

“How many matters in the rise and fall of ages, leaving behind sweat and blood to make history shine!”

This volume complete.