Inside the Imperial Palace.
On the vast square outside the Royal Palace, the ground was in tatters, particularly where Li Muxiu and his companions had been imprisoned; the place had become a battlefield with several huge pits dotting the landscape.
At this moment, in one of the deep pits, an elderly Daoist in tattered robes lay collapsed within the hole.
His hair was disheveled, and his flesh was blurred with blood.
The sword that once slain thousands of demons on behalf of Dayu was now inverted and plunged into his chest, pinning his body mercilessly to the ground, rendering him completely immobile.
All of his strength had been depleted, the 108 major meridians along with the Yin and Yang meridians were all shattered, the Heaven and Earth Vein destroyed, and he lay gasping for breath, his eyes filled with bleakness, seemingly numb.
At this moment, he resembled an abandoned toy, discarded in the depths of this pit, while in front of him, an old figure in dragon robes was covered in blood. The blood flowing from his body had dyed the entire dragon robe crimson.
His body was held in the hand of a young man as if carrying a chicken or duck awaiting slaughter.
Emperor Yu looked no better than Master Qin at this moment. After Master Qin’s utter defeat, Emperor Yu had become their “new toy,” a replacement for the amusement of these six young men and women.
At this moment, his arms were broken and limp, his legs self-amputated. The youth used Daoist magic to restrain his body’s natural healing, also tearing apart his body’s meridians, disabling his Heaven and Earth Vein, and blocking the circuit of his Qi Force.
“Such a piece of trash could claim the title of Emperor in the Mortal World.”
“You had a lot of guts before, preferring to sever your legs rather than kneel, right? I really like your defiant look.”
“Now, let’s switch things up.”
The youth in purple robes had long, slender eyes and looked handsome and robust, but his seemingly warm and gentle smile sent chills down everyone’s spine.
“Now, you kneel and kowtow to us; for each kowtow, I will release one person. How does that sound?”
The corners of the youth’s lips turned up slightly, and he said with a smug smile.
Hearing this, Emperor Yu, now eyelids drooping and bereft of any ability to resist, his eyes still defiantly cold, couldn’t help but twitch slightly.
The playful smile of the youth in purple robes seemed devilish.
“What a great idea, Brother Xuan Ye knows how to have fun,” said a devastatingly beautiful woman, her eyes gleaming slightly as she chuckled behind her hand.
The youth in purple robes smiled and said to Emperor Yu, “I assure you on my Daoist integrity that I mean what I say.”
“Your Majesty, you mustn’t!”
“You beasts are truly pushing things too far, I’ll take you all on!”
In the crowd, everyone was a mixture of shock, anger, and sorrow, but a senior general of the Royal Family could not bear it any longer and roared as he charged forward.
But as soon as he tried to teleport, he was cut off midway, his Daoist Charm severed, leaving him suspended in midair. Before he could react, his body exploded with a thunderous noise.
A Divine Soul shot out from his mangled flesh but was extinguished before it could attack, snuffed out by an invisible force.
Li Muxiu, Xia Linglong, and the others turned pale with grief and anger. He was now the sixth person to die in a rage.
These young men and women were like demons, toying with their dignity at will.
Emperor Yu, upon hearing the youth’s statement, remained silent and just gazed at him.
The youth in purple robes saw Emperor Yu’s gaze, as if seeking confirmation, and his mouth curled upward, “I keep my word. You must have already felt the trace of my Daoist integrity, haven’t you? I won’t damage my Daoist integrity for lives as worthless as yours.”
Emperor Yu remained silent, then slowly said, “Then you must ensure that not only you but no one else lays a hand on them either, spare them.”
Upon hearing his words, the smirk on the lips of the youth in purple robes froze slightly, and then slowly, his expression turned grim.
He had been seen through by the old man; the hidden implication in his words was clear.
He had spoken only for himself, not for the others.
He could spare lives, but if the others struck, that was none of his business.
And this little scheme, detected by the ravishingly beautiful woman, was silently acknowledged by his companions; they were all waiting to see the Emperor’s shocked and despairing reaction when he knelt and they still struck to kill.
Yet, their stratagem had been predicted.
“Hasn’t anyone told you, being too smart can be quite tragic?”
The youth in purple robes turned icy, “You could have lived a little longer, providing us with some amusement, but you chose an early death!”
“Showing off your cleverness at the wrong moment is stupidity!”
The power in his palm erupted, and he viciously hurled Emperor Yu’s body against the ground.
The ground buckled beneath the impact, Emperor Yu’s blood sprayed out again. The rate of bone and blood regeneration, limited by Daoist constraints, was extremely slow.
He lay on the ground, unable even to muster the strength to rise. With these people’s methods, they could easily maul his body, forcing him to grovel and kneel.
But while his body couldn’t resist, his will refused to submit.
“You bastards!”
The people realized they had been duped; they hadn’t expected such trickery, such mockery.
An Imperial Concubine cursed loudly in her rage, but before she could finish, one of the youths glanced at her, and before she could react, her body abruptly exploded.
Blood splattered in all directions, the steaming blood landing on Li Muxiu and the others like sparks, igniting the fury and bloodlust within them. They clenched their fists, quivering with rage, yet in the end, they gritted their teeth and bore it.