Zeng Birou’s delicate and charming face carried a hint of helplessness and despair. With a reverse grip on her sword, she resolved to end her life.
“Hmph, you think death comes so easily?”
King An’s finger flicked forward, sending Zeng Birou’s longsword flying away.
Zeng Birou, merely at the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm, was worlds apart from King An in cultivation level.
She tried to self-detonate, only to realize the space around her was locked, rendering her immobile and her True Qi nearly stagnant.
“The difference between you and me is as vast as clouds and mud. If I want you dead, you won’t live. If I don’t want you to die, you won’t perish. This is the gulf between the Immortal Emperor Realm and the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm.”
King An had long desired his niece, how could he let her take her own life so easily?
A crystalline tear rolled down Zeng Birou’s pale cheek as she closed her eyes in despair.
Her father, the Emperor, had met a tragic end at King An’s hands, and now she was to become his spoil of war, utterly powerless to resist.
“Ha ha ha, for aiding me in fulfilling my grand ambitions, I now permit you to pillage the city for three days!”
“Hail the King!”
Rebel troops roared their cheers.
The next three days would see them rampantly plundering, burning, and killing without restraint.
“My dear niece, from now on follow me, and I will not treat you poorly.”
King An walked over with a proud smirk, his fleshy hand reaching for Zeng Birou.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere between King An and Zeng Birou, blocking his fat hand with a sword scabbard.
Lu Changsheng didn’t even want to use his hands, fearing they’d be sullied.
“Who are you, to dare interfere in my affairs?”
King An’s pupils contracted as he swiftly retreated.
The way this individual appeared in utter silence revealed they were no ordinary person.
King An, recognized by the Blood Sea Palace and leading the rebel army to conquer the capital, was naturally no mere fool.
He felt an oppressive sense of danger.
No ordinary cultivator would risk their life to single-handedly confront a million-strong rebel army when the capital had already fallen.
“I, a simple Daoist, enjoy meddling in injustices. Since I’ve encountered this, I cannot stand idly by.”
Lu Changsheng’s tone was calm and unhurried.
This human dynasty was not particularly strong. The Blood Sea Palace had only sent a contingent of heretic cultivators at the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm to serve as King An’s house guests.
As for the million rebel troops, many were merely soldiers who had cultivated for only a few decades—stronger than mere mortals but insufficiently formidable.
Zeng Birou opened her eyes, astonished to find someone willing to stand up in her dire hour just to address a single injustice.
“Attack him! Kill this man, and I will reward you generously!”
King An dared not act rashly and instead commanded his three thousand house guests and million rebel troops to overwhelm Lu Changsheng with sheer numbers.
The million troops exchanged glances and gritted their teeth, surging forward as one.
They refused to believe that a single man could withstand a million-strong army!
“Kill!”
Three thousand house guests and a million troops wielded magical treasures and weapons as they charged forth, the capital engulfed in golden armor.
Zeng Birou’s face grew pale, “Daoist, the enemy forces are overwhelming, with numerous experts. Please leave quickly to avoid being embroiled.”
“There’s no need to worry.”
Lu Changsheng unsheathed his sword with his right hand, and an unparalleled sword qi surged forth.
“Ahhh!!!”
Wherever the sword qi swept, countless house guests and rebel troops were annihilated without resistance. Even their magical treasures and weapons shattered before the boundless sword qi.
Zeng Birou’s pupils widened in shock.
The sword qi of this Daoist was unimaginably terrifying.
With one swing of his sword, the million-strong rebel army perished, rivers running with blood!
One man traverses three thousand miles, one sword defies a million warriors!
Zeng Birou had personally witnessed such extraordinary prowess.
The Daoist’s cultivation was unfathomably deep.
Clang.
The Nether Flame Sword returned to its scabbard, with corpses littered everywhere. The slaughtered house guests and rebel troops were innumerable.
King An’s expression twisted in fear.
The opponent had killed one hundred thousand rebel troops with a single sword swing.
And this was only because the Daoist showed restraint to avoid harming innocent mortals in the capital. Otherwise, the entire city would have been destroyed, and a million rebel troops would’ve been utterly obliterated.
In the face of a supreme powerhouse at the peak of the Three Realms, they were no more than ants.
Lu Changsheng’s gaze landed on King An.
“No!”
King An, caring neither for his army nor the throne within his grasp, immediately transformed into a streak of light, attempting to flee.
“Hmph, trying to escape?”
Lu Changsheng’s movement technique was bizarre—in one instant, he vanished, and in the next, he reappeared before King An.
King An found himself entirely immobilized, just as Zeng Birou had earlier.
“Who… who are you, exactly…”
“You are unworthy of knowing.”
Lu Changsheng’s Divine Sense condensed into a sharp blade, piercing King An’s Sea of Consciousness and forcefully probing his Divine Sense.
King An was originally a territorial king, envious of his royal brother’s throne. Secretly, he pledged allegiance to the Blood Sea Palace. The palace planted numerous heretic cultivators at the Daluo Golden Immortal and Heavenly Immortal Realms within King An’s residence as house guests, aiding him in recruiting soldiers and securing loyalty, leading to a rebellion aimed at seizing the capital and murdering his royal brother.
“There’s a sub-branch of the Blood Sea Palace nearby, though regretfully, not the headquarters.”
Lu Changsheng was slightly disappointed after failing to find clues about the Blood Sea Palace’s headquarters in King An’s Sea of Consciousness.
Had he located the headquarters, he could have reported to the Heavenly Court and led an extermination effort, eradicating the threat entirely.
With a flicker of Lu Changsheng’s mental energy, King An’s Sea of Consciousness collapsed, his eyes dulled, and his corpulent body plummeted from mid-air.
“Run!”
King An’s house guests scrambled to escape upon seeing their lord slain.
Lu Changsheng unleashed twelve talismans, each summoning a puppet at the Immortal Emperor Realm. These puppets dispersed in twelve directions, hunting down and annihilating the Blood Sea Palace’s agents, leaving no survivors.
Typically, Lu Changsheng believed in eradicating threats at their roots to prevent future consequences.
“Princess, we are guilty of countless heinous acts; please punish us as you see fit!”
The remaining rebel troops, terrified by Lu Changsheng’s single sword strike that had killed ten thousand men, as well as his slaughter of three thousand house guests, pleaded for mercy from Zeng Birou.
“If you obey my orders, I will spare your lives.”
To Lu Changsheng’s surprise, Zeng Birou chose to grant amnesty.
“Why would you let them go?”
Lu Changsheng transmitted his thoughts privately.
Zeng Birou sighed, “King An’s rebellion has already caused untold suffering. The priority now is to swiftly quell the chaos and restore order. Justice can be pursued later.”
Lu Changsheng admired this princess’s strategic mind. With King An dead, she aimed to stabilize sentiment and restore order, intending to cleanse the rebels after peace prevailed.
“Daoist, I am deeply indebted to you for saving my life. Once the kingdom’s affairs are settled, I wish to follow you and learn immortal cultivation.”
Zeng Birou understood Lu Changsheng’s cultivation surpassed even the Immortal Emperor Realm, likely reaching the mythical Divine King Realm. Following him might allow her to seek Longevity.
Moreover, with her father dead and the royal kingdom reduced to ashes, its importance to her had already diminished.
“I am but a wandering Daoist, assisting others in accumulating merit. I shall take my leave.”
With enough disciples under his tutelage already, Lu Changsheng had no plans to recruit more, not least because training them all was a monumental task.
Having effortlessly resolved King An’s rebellion and earned considerable merit, he saw no need to remain further.
Before Zeng Birou could persuade him to stay, Lu Changsheng was already astride his Immortal Sword, continuing his journey.
“I didn’t even get to learn his name…”
Zeng Birou watched as Lu Changsheng departed, leaving only a towering figure etched in her heart. She sighed wistfully.
Truly, a great master. Doing good deeds, leaving no name behind.
“If fate permits us to meet again, I vow to repay this Daoist’s kindness with unwavering loyalty, even at the cost of my life.”
Zeng Birou made a solemn vow.
Lu Changsheng quickly forgot about this incident.
He had acted countless times, benefiting far too many—a mere Zeng Birou was of little significance in the grand scheme.
The Heavenly Earth Mystical Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, an extraordinary Merit Treasure, continued to grow due to Lu Changsheng and his disciples’ relentless acts of benevolence and accumulation of virtue.
Lu Changsheng returned to Mount Taihua, bringing along the Jade Hairpin, and prepared to lead his sect to Guanghan Palace.
This time, Mount Taihua Sacred Land showed great respect to Guanghan Palace, dispatching six Ancestors along with Lin Xuantong, Liu Yue’er, and Lin Qinghan to attend the coronation ceremony.
Lu Changsheng also brought all his disciples as participants in the grand occasion.