Tiger Head Mountain.
An imperial star fell from beyond the nine heavens, crashing thunderously onto the barren mountaintop. The impact made the mountains quake and the earth hum, kicking up dust that soared tens of thousands of feet into the air, like a sudden sandstorm bursting into existence.
Close behind it came a streaking fire meteor, carrying an immense suppressive force as it slowly pursued, finally hovering above the fallen imperial star.
"Meow… meow—"
Emperor Longqing's Daoist robe was in tatters, his physical body completely destroyed. Dark red blood poured from him, staining the torn robe and soaking into the land of Yunzhou below.
His pupils stared dully at the sky as he continuously inhaled the mixed qi of heaven and earth, yet could no longer exhale it.
Within just a few breaths, all signs of life were completely severed.
Several zhang above the ground, Chen Sanshi frowned.
Something was wrong!
Using his Qi Observation Technique, Chen Sanshi swept his gaze forward and quickly discovered a vague figure fleeing through the forest ahead.
This was—
A wandering soul?!
Boom!
Blazing flames erupted as Chen Sanshi suddenly accelerated, intercepting the wandering soul in the blink of an eye.
Looking closely, Emperor Longqing's remnant soul appeared disheveled, identical to the corpse on the ground. Clutched in his arms was the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal, and his expression had already edged into madness.
He stared at the White Robe before him, as if still unable to accept reality.
"Chen Sanshi!!!"
Cao Kai shouted with eyes splitting in fury. "You keep claiming you act for the sake of the world—then you should not have killed me! This realm needs me to protect it!
"Do you know how many secrets this world still holds?!
"You—"
Cao Kai pointed at him, his expression solemn yet eerily intense. "Listen to me! As the ancestral spirit of Hanshan revives, the seal on heaven and earth will loosen. When that happens, more and more high-level cultivators will pour into Shenzhou! Without my authority, you alone cannot hold them back!
"And your master—he is my brother! I am your elder!
"Your master holds the token of the Guardian Envoy; behind him there must be even greater secrets. Only if you and I cooperate can we unravel the mysteries!
"Chen Sanshi, no matter what, you should not have killed me. I am useful. You need me!"
Humm—
There was still no reply. Only the Dragon Abyss Sword in the White Robe's hand let out a dragon's roar, its sword qi pressing forward with lethal intensity.
At this point, Emperor Longqing seemed to realize that there was no longer any path to survival. He stopped raging and stopped snarling threats.
Instead, he looked at Chen Sanshi and burst into loud laughter.
The laughter of the wandering soul pierced straight into the spirit, sending birds and beasts in the forest fleeing in terror.
Within that laughter was endless unwillingness and ancient weariness. After countless emotions layered and fused together, they finally turned into unrestrained madness.
"I'll tell you this!
"You, Chen Sanshi, will ascend the throne, sit upon the dragon seat of the Grand Ming Palace, and become the next emperor!
"From the moment you sit on that throne, invisible demonic seeds will begin to control you, leaving you restless for the rest of your life!
"Your brothers will grow estranged from you, your descendants will become increasingly distant, and your ministers will scheme against you with mutual suspicion!
"One day, you will become a lonely ruler just like me! One day, when faced with life and death, you will make the same choice I did!
"You do not understand what I bore!"
Clang—
The Dragon Abyss Sword flashed forth. Heavenly-Scorching Fire swept across the field, completely shattering the final remnant of the Great Sheng emperor's wandering soul.
In the scorching wind, it fragmented and returned to the thick earth, to the sky, and to the grasses and trees of Yunzhou, offering sacrifice to the million fallen souls.
"I don't want to be emperor, and I have no interest in listening to your sophistry."
Chen Sanshi stood with sword in hand amid the wind, his hair whipping and robes billowing. As far as his eyes could see, there was only desolate land—and a jade-green imperial seal floating in midair.
He reached out and seized it, intending to return to Swallow-Edge Village to finish the aftermath. Yet suddenly, his heart jolted. Waves of bone-chilling cold spread from his spine, every hair on his body standing on end as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
Boom!
The Heavenly-Scorching Fire erupted once more. Flames burst from Chen Sanshi's seven orifices as the Dragon Gall Silver Spear transformed into a divine dragon coiling around his body.
Dragon Abyss!!!
The Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword erupted with golden radiance. Traces of the Great Sheng Dynasty's remaining national fortune still lingered on its surface, flowing brilliantly, its sword qi dazzling and impossible to look at directly.
The Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal!!!
The jade-green, square imperial seal soared into the air, erupting with profound radiance that shook the rivers and mountains!
The bone-chilling sensation of falling into an icy abyss still had not faded.
This was the first time Chen Sanshi had felt death so unbearably close. The Mystic Pearl rose from his chest like a blazing sun; deep within it, a wisp of azure light shimmered brilliantly.
All techniques—forbidden!
The White Robe held a fire dragon in one hand and Dragon Abyss in the other, with the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal hovering at his side and the Mystic Pearl's azure radiance glowing before him.
Only at this moment did the cold, rigid aura of death finally recede.
Before Chen Sanshi stood an old farmer with a broad, honest face, dressed in coarse hemp cloth. He smiled kindly, his missing front teeth making him look all the more simple and guileless.
Huang Laojiu chuckled and said, "This old fellow arrived late. I wonder if there's anything left I can help with?"
"Longqing is dead."
Chen Sanshi looked straight into the other man's aged, murky eyes—so clouded that nothing could be seen within—and spoke each word slowly and clearly. "There's no need to trouble you anymore, senior."
"Good, good, that's good."
Huang Laojiu smoothed away the wrinkles on his face and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Then this old fellow will go check elsewhere, see if there are any stragglers left."
As he spoke, he flicked his donkey whip and drove his donkey cart into the air, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Only after confirming that the other party had truly gone far away did Chen Sanshi finally relax. He withdrew everything and leaned heavily against a tree. His long robe was already soaked through, while the residual sword qi of Dragon Abyss still raged within his body, pushing him to his absolute limits in every regard.
Fortunately, he had been on guard long ago.
He lifted the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal, grasped the intertwined Five-Dragon knob atop it, and turned it over, gazing at the eight large characters carved into the base:
"By Mandate of Heaven, may longevity and prosperity endure forever!"
This imperial seal—was precisely because it could resist the seal of heaven and earth.
Once cultivators from Heavenly Water Isle obtained it, high-realm cultivators would be able to freely enter and leave the Eastern Divine Continent. That would mean that everything done so far would have been in vain.
Cao Kai was dead.
Within a year, the Great Sheng Dynasty's realm would largely be pacified. After that, there would still be many matters to handle, requiring long-term planning.
Enduring the injuries within his body, Chen Sanshi rose into the air and flew toward Swallow-Edge Village.
Before Longqing's death, Guiyuan Sect would not harm him. Between the two sides, they could still be considered allies.
This was also Guiyuan Sect's open stratagem.
Between Longqing and himself, one had to die before they were willing to make a move.
Just now—there had never been any so-called "forbidden" incantation. The items Mister Mei had left behind were things Chen Sanshi still did not know how to use at all.
But as long as the item itself was real, that was enough.
This was also the optimal choice Chen Sanshi had made based on intelligence provided by Yunding Palace. After all, so-called concealment of heavenly secrets also had its limits.
The great battle was over.
Yet there were still many matters left to deal with afterward.
The cultivators' clashes had already ended as well. The Shengyun Sect cultivators had all been annihilated.
Chief Eunuch Huang Hong had died in battle, the Prince of Qi had been captured alive, and only the heavily injured Prince of Qin was still fleeing in all directions. Everyone was searching everywhere for him.
"Hey!"
"Quick, look!"
"Is that flying up there Little Shitou?!"
"It really looks like him!"
The villagers looked up at the sky and saw a familiar figure.
"So that's Chen Sanshi?!"
Ten days after the Yunzhou events, the refugees who had fled from Poyang gradually returned to their hometowns, while some displaced people from other regions also came to settle nearby. Everyone knew that six years ago, a mountain hunter from this very place had become the now world-renowned King of Northern Liang.
The only non-imperial-surname king since the founding of the Great Sheng Dynasty, he commanded 200,000 Northern Liang iron cavalry, addressed the Cao imperial clan as brothers, reached the pinnacle of official power, and even built an ancestral temple beside the Imperial Ancestral Shrine!
In all of history, when had a remote place like Poyang ever produced such a figure?
As a result, over the past two years, everyone in Poyang took pride in the hunter's profession. Young people competed to practice archery or enlist in the army. Some even packed their bags and went alone to join the Northern Liang army. He had practically become a figure from folk tales and storybooks.
No one had expected that they would still be able to see the White Robe in person again.
"Hey, Little Shitou, look how clumsy you are!"
Beneath a large tree, an ugly middle-aged man shouted up at the sky.
Chen Sanshi landed beside him and said, "Uncle Lai, do you know where the Prince of Qin is?"
"Of course."
Zhang Laizi pointed not far ahead. "Tall and burly, wearing a python-patterned robe, right? He ran into Old Li's cellar to hide!"
"Good. Much thanks, Uncle Lai."
Zhang Laizi craned his neck, peering around.
"Scabby-Head, you know Prince Chen?!"
Some of the displaced people settled in Poyang were astonished.
"Nonsense!"
Zhang Laizi slapped his chest and said, "I went to the battlefield with Little Shitou back then! A lot of his strategies were planned by me. Didn't you hear him call me 'uncle' just now?!"
"Go on, keep bragging!"
An old villager from Swallow-Edge Village immediately exposed him.
The villagers burst into jeers.
Elsewhere, following Zhang Laizi's directions, Chen Sanshi found his destination. As soon as he lifted the cellar cover, a streak of sword light shot straight toward his head. He casually caught it with his bare hand and snapped the blade effortlessly.
"Chen the Hunter!"
The disheveled Prince of Qin, eyes bloodshot, lunged forward roaring, "I'll fight you to the death!"
Chen Sanshi did not waste words. One punch ended his life.
He did not linger, nor did he go to regroup with the people of Guiyuan Sect. Instead, he flew straight toward Yu Zhou to find the Northern Liang army, intending to finish dealing with the remaining troops.
On the eighteenth day of the third month of the first year of the Zhengtong era, the Miao River Battle was declared over. The Zhengtong imperial forces and the Northern Liang army began advancing south and east, sweeping westward. In less than two months, the Great Sheng Dynasty was pacified.
Eastern Qing, Southern Xu, and even Western Qi—after learning that even Emperor Longqing had been executed—became deeply wary of the White Robe. No one dared act rashly anymore. Even sects such as Lingji Cavern began withdrawing personnel one after another, preparing to report back to Heavenly Water Isle before making further decisions.
By the end of the fifth month, Guiyuan Sect launched decapitation operations against Eastern Qing, Southern Xu, and Western Qi. With the cultivators who had sheltered them gone, the emperors of the three kingdoms died in succession. In Western Qi, a prince presented a silk letter and willingly surrendered, while the other two kingdoms also wavered and teetered on the brink.
In the sixth month, the Northern Liang army swept across ten prefectures, and the situation under heaven steadily stabilized.
By the end of the sixth month, the Zhengtong Emperor led the civil and military officials into the capital, Chang'an. After offering sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Shrine, he formally moved into the Grand Moon Palace, while the Northern Liang army continued cleansing the northern regions.
From that point on, with the Xi River basin as the boundary, the north fell under the actual control of Northern Liang, while the south was governed by the court.
Zhongjue Hall.
After the court assembly ended, the Zhengtong Emperor, Cao Huan, led his close ministers and Guiyuan Sect cultivators into the hall to discuss the next phase of state deployment.
"Your Majesty!"
"The King of Northern Liang commands more than 300,000 troops. The territory he controls stretches from the Luotian Mountain Range in the north to the Xi River basin in the south—fully half the realm.
"Even as a non-imperial-surname vassal king, he should not possess so many prefectures!
"Moreover, Chen Sanshi himself is currently leading over 80,000 Northern Liang troops to rest in Baxian, not far from the capital. So close to Chang'an—this cannot be left unguarded against!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Minister of War Ming Qingfeng followed up. "At the Miao River Battle, he summoned celestial stars. Such heaven-defying power, if left unchecked, will sooner or later lead to catastrophe!"
"And the imperial seal!"
Other officials joined in. "Chen Sanshi personally slew the former emperor. Afterward, he did not submit either the Dragon Abyss Sword or the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal. This shows that rebellion already lurks in his heart!"
"Beloved ministers,"
the Zhengtong Emperor, Cao Huan, said with concern, "in your view, what should be done at present?"
"This minister maintains the same stance,"
Shangguan Haichang said. "Even if Your Majesty trusts the King of Northern Liang and treats him as a brother, you must never let down your guard."
"This minister dares to present three strategies.
"First, order Chen Sanshi to immediately hand over the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword and the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal.
"Second, transfer him east to attack the Qing Kingdom."
"Absolutely not!"
Prince Cao Zhi of Yan rushed into Zhongjue Hall and immediately vetoed the proposal. "Imperial Brother, this man responds to softness, not force. Years ago, it was precisely because the former emperor forced him to enter the capital that the Northern Liang rebellion erupted. Although he now holds heavy troops, he has not yet turned against the court. He can be negotiated with, but not coerced."
"Twelfth Brother speaks with reason!"
Cao Huan said righteously. "Chen Sanshi is my brother. Whoever among you dares speak of his rebellion again, sowing discord between ruler and minister, between brothers, I will have him executed!
"However—
"How to properly settle my brother's position going forward is indeed no small matter."
"Imperial Brother,"
Prince Cao Zhi said, "allow this younger brother to go handle the matter together with the Guiyuan Sect immortals."
"No!"
The Zhengtong Emperor, Cao Huan, rose to his feet. "To show sincerity, I will go personally, so that no one miscommunicates my intentions and displeases my brother!
"Twelfth Brother, trouble you to immediately invite the immortals here and send me to meet the King of Northern Liang to discuss the great affairs of the realm!"
One of the three palaces of the imperial city, the Taiji Palace.
Guiyuan Sect cultivators were temporarily residing there, likewise discussing how to handle their relationship with the King of Northern Liang.
"Do not forget,"
Qian Qiren took a deep breath. "At the end of the day, this man is also Sun Xiangzong's disciple. The so-called Guardian Envoy is no benign inheritance. Years ago, it was Sun Xiangzong who destroyed a spiritual vein at the Edge of the World."
"Indeed, and this man carries many supreme treasures,"
other cultivators echoed. "If we let things continue unchecked, he might even monopolize the entire ancestral domain. With the seal of heaven and earth in place, we would be completely helpless against him."
"But—"
"We have no way to deal with him either!"
"Right now, he holds the Dragon Abyss Sword and the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal, and with mid-stage True Force Realm cultivation, who among us can do anything to him?"
"Senior Huang!"
Everyone turned to the corner of the courtyard, where an elderly cultivator sat on a donkey cart, drinking yellow wine.
Over the past two months, Huang Laojiu had inexplicably taken to hiding by himself, seemingly pondering something. Some cultivators called out to him directly.
They did not know Old Huang's exact seniority. Since he usually put on no airs, they simply addressed him this way.
"Hiss—"
Huang Laojiu drank the bitter yellow wine, full of mundane impurities. His deeply furrowed face showed a trace of worry. "What was that thing? What exactly was that wisp of clear qi?"
Eastern Divine Continent.
Just how many supreme treasures were there?
Dragon Abyss, the imperial seal, and then the Mystic Pearl!
Especially that strange azure-mysterious qi within the Mystic Pearl—it made one shudder to the core.
What a pity.
Suppressed by the seal,
Huang Laojiu, under normal conditions, could only display Qi Refining cultivation. He had no time to employ high-level investigative spells to probe it.
But the fact that that youngster had not actively pursued him meant he, too, dared not abuse it.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate, just like warfare—two armies facing each other, both holding their positions without moving!
Qian Qiren waved a hand in front of him. "What are you spacing out about?! We're worried about what to do if Chen Sanshi suddenly turns hostile."
"He won't, he won't."
Huang Laojiu snapped back to his senses, revealing his missing front teeth as he spoke with certainty. "He won't turn against us."
"Oh?"
Qian Qiren was taken aback. "How can you be so sure?"
"With this old fellow here,"
Huang Laojiu said calmly. "He still has to give me a bit of face."
"You?"
Qian Qiren said dismissively. "Just relying on your second-tier formations?"
"Daoist Qian!"
Cui Zichen quickly reminded him. "Do not be disrespectful to Senior Huang!"
"It's fine. Old Huang doesn't mind."
Qian Qiren said, "Then let's go. We'll talk with Chen Sanshi. As long as we can drag things out for a few more years—until the ancestral vein revives, or until other methods are established to bypass the Eastern Divine Continent's seal—he will no longer pose a threat to us. That is the best strategy Guiyuan Sect has discussed."
Half an hour later, they escorted the Zhengtong Emperor through the air, heading out to find the King of Northern Liang.
Baxian.
After the Miao River Battle, the Northern Liang army reorganized and dealt with the remaining loose ends across various regions, eventually stationing the central army here for the time being.
Chen Sanshi was also recuperating within the city.
That strike from the Dragon Abyss Sword had injured his meridians. Even after two months, it was still not enough time to fully recover.
"My lord!"
"The one from the capital has come to see you."
Inside the county magistrate's residence, in the main hall,
Chen Sanshi set a banquet to meet him.
"Worthy Brother!"
After several rounds of wine, the Zhengtong Emperor, Cao Huan, got straight to the point. "Now that the realm under heaven has been settled, I wonder what plans you have next—Worthy Brother, do not misunderstand my meaning. I am not here to demand anything. The Dragon Abyss Sword and the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal can both remain in Worthy Brother's custody for now. I trust you!
"Additionally,
"I intend to bestow all five northern prefectures as your fief. In the future, Worthy Brother may enter the capital to accompany me at any time—come and go freely, with no one daring to obstruct you!"
With just a few words, he occupied every moral high ground.
Cao Huan did not demand any spoils of war. He did not even ask for the Nation-Stabilizing Imperial Seal. He even granted free access to the capital. This was precisely the embodiment of 'one does not strike a smiling face.'
Moreover, he was the emperor. After Emperor Longqing's death, Cao Huan had truly become the legitimate Zhengtong Emperor. For an emperor to treat a subject in this manner could be described as favor as heavy as a mountain.
But—
Though it sounded pleasant, the grant of five prefectures carried an unspoken implication.
In essence, he hoped the other party would relinquish the Central Plains, obediently withdraw his troops back to Northern Liang, and serve as a "good" King of Northern Liang.
"Very well."
Chen Sanshi said calmly. "In ten days, this subject will lead the troops back to Northern Liang and allow the realm under heaven to rest and recover. However, before that, this subject has a few presumptuous requests."
"First, there must no longer be a single stalk of spiritual grain in the Divine Continent. Second—"
Chen Sanshi raised many conditions related to the livelihood of the people, including spiritual grain and taxation.
Regarding these, Cao Huan voiced few objections and agreed to most of them outright.
The negotiations went unexpectedly smoothly.
The Zhengtong Emperor, Cao Huan, also understood the situation very clearly.
He needed the King of Northern Liang.
Without the King of Northern Liang, he would have no means whatsoever to check Guiyuan Sect. Therefore, in the short term, he would absolutely not turn against him.
In just half a day, everything was settled. On the surface, harmony prevailed, warm and cordial, as if the White Robe truly were sworn brothers with the Cao imperial clan.
By dusk that very day, the Zhengtong Emperor departed Baxian in high spirits, returning to Chang'an.
Only after everyone had left did Chen Sanshi lean over the table, uncharacteristically pouring and drinking wine by himself, gazing at the night outside the window as he sank into contemplation.
For him, many things were unimportant. As long as he ensured that he was the strongest under heaven, he could maintain peace in the world.
Yet no sooner had Longqing been dealt with than Guiyuan Sect had arrived.
During the banquet earlier, that Huang Laojiu had seemed casually freeloading food and drink, but in truth, he was using himself to help Guiyuan Sect keep Chen Sanshi's military power in check, while Chen Sanshi was giving Guiyuan Sect an opportunity to approach the ancestral vein.
Next—what was needed was to contend for time.
Chen Sanshi understood that the other side wanted to delay, and how could he himself be any different?
If things were to settle temporarily,after returning to Northern Liang, the first thing Chen Sanshi needed to do was find a way to lure Huang Laojiu into taking action and cripple the treasure on his body that concealed the workings of heaven.
According to the intelligence, that person had only one chance to act. After acting once, the treasure that obscured the heavenly secrets would lose its effect. That was precisely why
Huang Laojiu had not dared to strike at Tiger Head Mountain. He feared the Dragon Abyss Sword, the Mystic Pearl, and the other items on Chen Sanshi, worried that if he failed in a single blow, he would have no second chance.
Secondly, Chen Sanshi needed to deal with the ancestral vein.
The revival of the ancestral vein was an unstoppable matter.
However, the method to destroy the ancestral vein still required clues from the relics his master had left behind. Fourth Senior Brother might also know something about it.
At the same time, outside Baxian, in the Northern Liang army encampment, within the central command tent, the content of the emperor's banquet conversation with the King of Northern Liang had already spread to the ears of the various Northern Liang generals.
"What?!"
"A withdrawal?!"
"We've been fighting for years!"
"We finally seized the Central Plains—on what grounds does the Cao clan think they can make us withdraw back to Northern Liang?!"
"No way!"