Chapter 423: A Game to Decide the Fate of the Nation

The intent of this action was very clear; though it was just a phantom, it seemed to gain self-awareness in that instant. That gaze almost pierced through two hundred years of time.

Below, the man and the tiger were locked in fierce combat. He Lingchuan had no time to look up at him; otherwise, if their eyes met, it would surely send shivers down his spine. King Yuan's gaze held deep meaning. But the anomaly on the city wall lasted only a brief moment, fleeting like a flash. The next second, King Yuan still committed suicide, and this piece of history continued on its original path, with nothing changed.

Meanwhile, on the actual battlefield, Uncle Da quickly retreated the moment his vision was obstructed. This move was purely a combat instinct honed over years, and it saved his life at a crucial moment. Because He Lingchuan raised his blade, aiming a blinding flash at him, followed immediately by a fierce and powerful diagonal slash! He had been defending for a long time, and this blade strike had been building momentum. When unleashed, it was like a cascading galaxy, showing no reservation whatsoever. If Uncle Da hadn't retreated, he would have had to find out whether his neck was harder or the Floating Life Blade was sharper.

Although it managed to dodge the blade, a foot-long blade aura still swept past its chest, tearing a large gash with a *shhhh* sound. The sound was like striking worn-out leather. The demon race favored body cultivation, and Uncle Da, in particular, had refined his body to be like steel skin and iron bones, allowing him to stand invincible in an offensive. But against the Floating Life Blade, it still suffered a disadvantage.

He Lingchuan finally seized an opportunity, unleashing "Swallow Strike," and his offensive was relentless. He unleashed his full aura, and for a moment, he actually gained the upper hand over Uncle Da. Of course, he knew such an offensive could not last and that he needed to achieve his goal quickly. So he seized the momentum, rolled, and changed his position.

The fierce tiger turned its head, following like a shadow. However, when it lunged again, it stumbled. Why were its four paws not obeying? It was as if invisible shackles held it firmly in place. The fierce tiger shook its head and wagged its tail, unable to break free for a moment. If it had looked down, it would have found that its own shadow intersected with the shadow of a tree.

How could He Lingchuan miss such a good opportunity? With a quick stride, he aimed the Floating Life Blade at its neck and slashed. Uncle Da tilted his head back and spat out a mouthful of crushed ice, which transformed into a vast blue ice shield upon contact with the air. Blue runes continuously rotated around it, directly blocking the blade.

With a crisp *clang*, the shield shattered, but the runes also exploded outward. More than a dozen of them seemed to ride the air currents, rushing straight towards He Lingchuan's face with the speed of an arrow shot from a bowstring. Fortunately, He Lingchuan was always on guard. After all, he couldn't entirely rely on Fu Shanyue's ability to restrain the tiger for his own safety. At that moment, without a word, he raised his shield to cover his face. There was a continuous series of *thuds*, and the shield seemed to have intercepted a barrage of hidden weapons.

The true power of the runes could be seen from those that scattered elsewhere. The ground near He Lingchuan was pockmarked with shallow craters, and a small tree diagonally behind him was severed in half. The effect was comparable to machine-gun fire. One rune shot into the tree's shadow, an indiscriminate attack that was very difficult to predict, eliciting a low groan. Uncle Da, with his keen hearing, immediately turned his head and stared, roaring, "Fu Shanyue, it was you after all!"

It seemed he was well aware of Fu Shanyue's shadow manipulation technique. He swept his long tail, scattering dust, mud, and grass roots towards the tree's shadow. This was not mere anger, but a real attack; every strike was imbued with vital energy. He also spat out another mouthful of crushed ice. Each piece was short and shuttle-shaped, with a point like an arrowhead, possessing tremendous destructive power. This time, Fu Shanyue endured the full impact.

He Lingchuan struggled so much fighting the fierce tiger, not only because of Uncle Da's immense attack power, but also because the vital energy emanating from its body had a powerful suppressive effect on rogue cultivators like He Lingchuan. To name but one example, the mirror's mind-bewitching technique was almost ineffective against it, and the mirror's reflected damage was also reduced.

At this moment, the last rune also struck the shield. It was hard to say whether He Lingchuan's luck was terrible or Uncle Da's was exceptionally good, but this rune's power was the strongest and most direct: Explosion! With a tremendous *bang*, He Lingchuan, along with his shield, was blasted three *zhang* away.

The small tree where Fu Shanyue was hidden was also blown apart. The upper half of the tree crown folded backward, with only half of it still connected to the trunk. Unfortunately, Uncle Da's shadow intersected with the shadow of the tree crown. So if the tree crown fell, he would be free! "What kind of rotten luck was this?" Fu Shanyue cursed. With two *cracks*, the tree crown slowly tilted backward. This also meant that Uncle Da was only three *chi* from the edge of its shadow... Two *chi*... One *chi*... About to break free.

The fierce tiger struggled madly, leaping repeatedly. Fu Shanyue exerted all his strength, barely managing to hold it still, and couldn't free his hands to do anything else. He couldn't even maintain his Shadow Evasion technique, revealing his true form, and was himself unable to move. This was a precise demonstration of being "unable to dismount the tiger."

Not far away, He Lingchuan rolled over and jumped up. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight: "You can't even manage to do such a simple thing?" Fu Shanyue squeezed two words through gritted teeth: "You do it, then!"

"I'll do it then," He Lingchuan said, pulling something from his storage ring and throwing it towards Uncle Da's head. "Transform!"

With a *snap*, the small tree finally lay flat. Its shadow also shifted away from Uncle Da. Uncle Da, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately pounced towards Fu Shanyue. Though not exactly within arm's reach, they were less than two *zhang* apart. From its position, the tiger could reach them with just a tiptoeing lunge.

However, the object He Lingchuan threw also reached its head at that moment, and with its master's command, *bang*! It grew larger. The Golden-Armored Bronze Man, which had been collecting dust in the storage ring for a long time, finally saw the light of day again. It descended with the force of Mount Tai pressing down, fiercely smashing onto the fierce tiger. The entire ground shook violently, sending countless plumes of dust into the air. Fu Shanyue instinctively covered his face and turned away to avoid the dust rushing towards him.

In the end, Uncle Da was a step too slow and could not escape its clutches. The Golden-Armored Bronze Man wasn't finished after landing on its back. It extended both palms, fiercely gripping its neck from above and pushing down. It adopted the same posture as Wu Song striking a tiger. Uncle Da scratched frantically, his sharp claws tearing at the ground, sending dirt and grass roots flying, but he simply couldn't reach the enemy on his back. The Golden-Armored Bronze Man's own weight was astonishing, and it was applying full suppression. Uncle Da felt as if a huge mountain was on his back, unable to move anything below his waist. His spine felt like it was cracking!

Before, He Lingchuan had used the Walnut Boat/Mustard Seed Boat to suppress the Ghost Ape. Now, he was merely repeating an old trick. Although the Golden-Armored Bronze Man's weight was not as great as the Walnut Boat's, Uncle Da's strength was also no match for the Ghost Ape, right? Uncle Da roared in fury, "Stop, stop!"

Why was it shouting "stop" when death was imminent? He Lingchuan was momentarily stunned. Following its gaze, he only saw Fu Shanyue's rapidly retreating back. That person also left behind an irresponsible remark: "I'll leave it to you!" He Lingchuan saw that he was heading straight for the camp. With Uncle Da here and the Chiyan people out harvesting the lives of the caravan members, the camp's defenses must be weak. For Fu Shanyue, this was a fleeting opportunity to deliver a finishing blow!

Seeing the Eldest Young Master disappear in a flash, Uncle Da let out a long howl, summoning all his subordinates to rush back to the camp to save their master. He, himself, managed to turn his head halfway and urgently said to He Lingchuan, "Whatever reward he promised you, my Chiyan Nation will pay ten times over!"

"It's not about money," He Lingchuan replied. If he let the tiger escape back into the mountains, what would he use to capture Uncle Da again?

"If you save my Young Master, you will be the Chiyan Nation's benefactor," Uncle Da pleaded. "Any wish you have can be fulfilled in the future!"

"If Fu Shanyue becomes the monarch, wouldn't it be the same?" He Lingchuan countered. Whether Fu Shanyue or Fu Shanji sat on the throne, if He Lingchuan dared to ask for too much, they still wouldn't give it to him. Power was the truth, not promises. So he was completely indifferent to Uncle Da's promises.

Uncle Da, however, misunderstood, and shouted, "No, it's not the same! Young Master Yue is arrogant and warlike; the monarch dislikes him!"

"A father wouldn't be happy to have a warlike son?" He Lingchuan said, shaking his head as he walked over, preparing to slice off the fierce tiger's head with one blow, to avoid any further complications. Uncle Da probably thought that He Lingchuan hadn't noticed the hard ice quietly extending across the ground. The ice was almost reaching the Golden-Armored Bronze Man's feet. If the Golden-Armored Bronze Man were restrained, the fierce tiger might still escape, but He Lingchuan wouldn't give it that chance.

However, before he could walk over, a long howl suddenly came from the direction of the camp, soaring into the sky. The sound was filled with wild joy! He could tell this was Fu Shanyue's howl, and also an utterly unrestrained laugh: "Hahahahaha! Fu Shanji is dead! Let's see who dares to stop me now!"

That guy was fast! He Lingchuan let out a sigh of relief, but Uncle Da froze, like a deflated ball, immediately stopping his struggles. The Young Master was dead. What was the point of him fighting to the death anymore?

About ten breaths later, Fu Shanyue's figure reappeared. He rushed over. Seeing that He Lingchuan had not yet attacked Uncle Da, he couldn't help but sigh in relief, "Good, good. Release it; it won't attack us anymore."

"Are you sure?" He Lingchuan asked cautiously, knowing it was easy to release a tiger but hard to catch one.

"Of course," Fu Shanyue said, pulling a bloody head from behind his back and swinging it twice towards Uncle Da, smiling hatefully. "Now, I am its only Young Master!"

To Uncle Da, he smiled like a ravenous wolf that had devoured a fat lamb. The head belonged to a young man who was not only similar in age to Fu Shanyue, but also bore a three or four-tenths resemblance to him. Its eyes were closed, its expression serene, but it was pale from blood loss. He Lingchuan had never before seen someone who, after beheading his own brother, could smile so brightly, happily, and completely without burden.

After Uncle Da saw this, he finally gave up hope. Times had changed. The Chiyan monarch's bloodline was now reduced to a single heir. What reason did Uncle Da have to attack Fu Shanyue again? He Lingchuan sensed that its demeanor and spirit had turned passive, and only then did he recall the Golden-Armored Bronze Man.

Uncle Da turned to face a different direction, slowly turning towards Fu Shanyue.

"Do you want to avenge Fu Shanji? You're not qualified!" Fu Shanyue said, looking down at Uncle Da with a sneer. "A mere royal attendant, daring to put on airs with me? Your mission to protect Fu Shanji failed. If you don't submit to me, you'll be executed by my father when you return!"

Uncle Da's ears drooped backward, almost flattened against his scalp, but he slowly prostrated himself on the ground, murmuring, "Greetings, Young Master." The tide had turned.

He Lingchuan looked at the head in Fu Shanyue's hand and marveled at his explosive luck: "To actually behead him so smoothly."