Chapter 2147: Subjugation and Resistance

The sound was not singular. Upon closer inspection, it contained the weeping of parting lovers, the roars of warriors, hearty laughter, deafening shouts, and tender whispers from midnight rendezvous.

These myriad intentions and a thousand voices merged into one, emanating from a great distance, transforming into a booming, resonant sound that evolved from profound emotion to utter indifference.

A cold smile, however, spread across He Lingchuan’s lips.

“You think you can make the Great Emperor of Nine Hells kneel? You’re not worthy!”

Sensing He Lingchuan’s predicament, the Clang Dragon Battle Armor materialized unbidden, instantly enveloping its wearer.

The murderous Great Emperor of Nine Hells reappeared on the battlefield. The Lu family members nearby retreated in terror, while only the Black Armored Guards charged forward.

Since he did not kneel, the immense pressure on his body intensified once more; anyone else would likely have been crushed to a pulp. However, with the battle armor’s support, He Lingchuan’s resistance was even stronger than before.

He also heard the Blood Demon whisper, “Huh, what is that?”

All eyes were on him as a golden light swirled around his wrist, seemingly coalescing into something.

Two Black Armored Guards positioned behind He Lingchuan rushed forward to support him, exclaiming, “Great Emperor!”

Eager to protect their master, they raised their blades, intending to pry the object off the Great Emperor of Nine Hells’ wrist.

The Blood Demon quickly cried out, “Stop!”

The golden light on He Lingchuan’s wrist gave it a sense of extreme danger. Just as He Lingchuan had said, this was a highly ominous item; whoever touched it would surely die!

It was too late, however. Before the two guards could even strike the golden light, they merely reached out and made contact with the Clang Dragon Battle Armor. Suddenly, their faces contorted in agony, and they dropped to their knees with a thud!

Everyone then heard a series of crisp cracking sounds, like firecrackers—

All the joints in their bodies had shattered.

Within just a few breaths, the heads of the two Black Armored Guards slumped forward, and blood streamed from their noses.

They died kneeling.

Lu Qingbang cautiously extended a finger, checking beneath their noses. “No breath,” he announced.

Everyone was stunned. Two guards had touched the Emperor and were instantly forced to their knees and killed. Just how powerful was the brass fragment? And how much torment was the Emperor himself enduring, bearing the full brunt of its force?

A murderous glint flashed in Wanqi Feng’s eyes as he pointed at Lu Zhensheng and declared, “Seize him!”

Commander Wu, who had been silently observing the farce, finally found an opening to act. He half-drew the long saber from his waist and glared back, “Who dares?!”

With Lu Zhensheng and his son taking refuge behind General Mou, the Black Armored Army and the Mou Army immediately squared off, swords drawn and tension high.

Under normal circumstances, the Black Armored Army would not rashly engage in combat, especially against the Mou Army. Any bloody conflict, or even fatalities, would escalate into a diplomatic incident, causing problems for the Emperor.

But now, with the Emperor ambushed by the Lu father and son and in a precarious situation, how could the Black Armored Army worry about such considerations?

Wanqi Liang was about to charge out when Luo Xie quickly restrained him:

“Don’t be hasty. Trust His Majesty!”

With a swift movement, his Zhe Liao Dao instantly extended a full *zhang*, blocking the dozen or so Black Armored Guards who were eager to charge forward.

The Emperor dared to touch that brass fragment, so he must have had something to rely on. He was the sole victor of the Battle of the Inverted Sea; neither Miaozhantian nor Qianhuan Zhenren managed to kill him. Could this small fragment succeed where they failed?

Precisely because Luo Xie truly understood the immense power of Qianhuan Zhenren and Miaozhantian, he had even greater faith in the Great Emperor of Nine Hells than anyone else.

Wanqi Feng glared intently at Lu Zhensheng, stating sharply, “You dared to ambush the Emperor! I will crush you into a pulp!”

Lu Zhensheng, standing behind Commander Wu, retorted, “How was I to know he would cause such a commotion! Previously, testing the Sons of Fortune was always quiet and uneventful. The test isn’t even over yet, and you all…”

Before Lu Zhensheng could say more, Commander Huang turned his head and snapped, “Shut up!”

Couldn’t he see these Black Armored Guards were on the verge of losing control? Adding fuel to the fire would make the situation unmanageable for them.

But Lu Zhensheng smiled, his expression tinged with a hint of madness.

He simply hoped they would clash on the spot. If the situation escalated further between the Black Armored Army and the Mou Army, and between Cang Yan and the Mou Kingdom, perhaps the Mou Kingdom would have no choice but to intervene.

He, Lu Zhensheng, could die, but He Xiao would never take the position of family head!

As long as He Xiao was killed by the Heavenly Demon’s relic, the newly established Cang Yan Kingdom would also crumble. Emperor Mou would surely be greatly pleased, and the Hundred Lineage Family Head could still be his Qing’an or Qinglin!

“Father, look at the relic!” Lu Feiyan, however, tugged at her father’s sleeve, her own gaze fixed intently on the golden light on the Great Emperor of Nine Hells’ wrist.

Part of the light had already solidified, slowly taking shape.

It resembled a semi-circular band, adorned with fine, scale-like patterns.

Wasn’t that… the brass fragment from the Lu Ming Cauldron?

But now, its shape appeared more complete than when it was in the cauldron, as if a section had been reattached.

Lu Zhenxian was also surprised. “Oh, was it originally a bracelet?” he wondered aloud.

It certainly resembled a brass bracelet, currently missing half, and golden light poured into it, as if it were self-repairing!

Just then, He Lingchuan’s body erupted with intense light, colored black and red.

The black represented the Great Emperor of Nine Hells’ signature karmic power, while the red was primordial energy.

These two intense hues swirled within the space, rapidly expanding outward and encompassing almost everyone present.

The karmic power was automatically activated by the Clang Dragon Battle Armor, while the primordial energy was initiated by He Lingchuan himself.

He wasn’t certain what the golden light from the brass fragment truly was; even true force couldn’t detect or counter it. Therefore, he activated his primordial energy.

Indeed, as soon as the karmic power and primordial energy emerged, He Lingchuan immediately felt the pressure on his shoulders and neck decrease by more than half, temporarily removing the risk of his bones breaking.

Under the assault of the two-colored light, the golden threads emerging from He Lingchuan’s palm were rapidly compressed and forced towards his wrist.

The brass bracelet, in turn, began to form at an accelerating pace.

This scene captivated everyone, holding their gaze intently.

Luo Xie, Lu Feiyan, and others were clenching their hands so hard that cold sweat beaded on their palms.

They now understood: if the bracelet successfully formed, it meant the Emperor had successfully suppressed this mysterious immortal relic.

But if it failed to form…

Would the Great Emperor of Nine Hells meet the same fate as the two Black Armored Guards?

That primordial energy could resist this inexplicable power was within He Lingchuan’s expectations, as its nature was far more complex than that of true force.

But for karmic power to also have an effect was truly unexpected.

Karmic power, the force of retribution and entanglement, is, like primordial energy, not considered a part of ‘cultivation.’ He Lingchuan had originally thought it harmed both friend and foe, renowned as one of the ‘evil forces.’

Precisely because it brought endless harm to body and life once entangled, cultivators avoided it like the plague.

But what kind of power could possibly counteract karmic power?

He had no time for deeper thought, as the pressure from the golden threads remained incredibly intense, and the voice in his ear suddenly shifted to a soothing, persuasive tone:

“Kneel down. It will be easier if you just kneel.”

“Bowing to me isn’t so hard, is it?”

“Just kneel, and you won’t have to endure this inhuman suffering anymore!”

However, the fate of the Black Armored Guards right beside him served as a grim warning of what would happen if he knelt. He Lingchuan, always alert, refused to believe a single word.