Chapter 749: The Sword-Wielding Emperor

When this voice rang out, the imperial capital's ground trembled. Countless buildings vibrated in unison, and even the city's formation arrays shimmered with brilliant light. In the sky, rainbows appeared, like auspicious omens.

Within the capital, various factions and countless powerful individuals wore extremely solemn expressions. Many among them showed rapidly changing complexions, their hearts churning with emotion.

Xu Qing's arrival, in just one day, had truly captured the attention of too many people.

To others, Xu Qing possessed astonishing power: he had caused a Heavenly King to fall, controlled one and a half major regions, was allied with the Moon Sacrifice Region, and had even experienced the rare feat of slaying a god.

Any single one of these achievements would make an ordinary person extraordinary, let alone Xu Qing, who possessed them all.

Particularly, his forceful entry into the formation revealed his assertive style; the Sun of Dawn intimidated all directions. Following this, he bowed before the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's statue, and for the fourth time in countless years, the Great Emperor's statue stirred with signs of awakening.

All these events ensured that Xu Qing could not go unnoticed.

The Patriarch of the Vajra Sect, meanwhile, was also filled with emotion. Though he dared not send a voice transmission to Xu Qing at such a moment, his inner turmoil was considerable.

He thought that according to the ancient texts he had read, protagonists usually weren't like this; they often acted discreetly. Only the protagonist's adversaries, some super-villain in the ancient texts, would cause such a sensational stir upon returning triumphantly.

He had studied such plots, which were mostly designed to highlight the formidable nature of the enemy, set a goal for the protagonist, and then gradually allow the protagonist to overcome them, thereby giving readers the satisfaction of a small figure triumphing over a great one.

"This... my master, he's got it backward, hasn't he...?"

The Patriarch of the Vajra Sect felt a tremor in his heart. He thought the events unfolding around Xu Qing were vastly different from what he had read in ancient texts.

If he felt this way, imagine the thoughts of others in the imperial capital who knew little about Xu Qing.

Indeed, Xu Qing's actions had rarely, if ever, shaken the entire capital's populace to such an extent throughout the Xuanzhan era.

The awakening of the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor, in particular, was an event momentous enough to be recorded in the annals of human history.

According to ancient records, the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's statue had always remained dormant. Only during the trials of various Sword-Wielders would a fragment of his consciousness emerge to preside over the "Heart-Questioning" examination.

Prior to this, it had awakened three times.

The first time was during the reign of Emperor Dongsheng. After humanity suffered a great defeat, Chen Shuyan, the then-Palace Master of the Sword-Wielding Palace, summoned the Great Emperor just before his death, imploring him to awaken.

At that moment, the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's statue awakened for the first time. It was this awakening that, due to certain karmic ties, prevented the Yan Yue Xuantian Clan from choosing to exterminate humanity.

The second time was during Emperor Jingyun's reign. Wang Ken, the then-Palace Master of the Sword-Wielding Palace, had entered the palace with his sword when Prince Ziqing was besieged by myriad races... He never returned.

The Sword-Wielding Great Emperor awakened that very day, gazed south, and let out a sigh.

The third time was not long ago, at the moment Emperor Xuanzhan ascended the throne. The Great Emperor awakened, fixing his gaze upon him with deep meaning, sternness, and anticipation in his eyes.

Ancient texts record that on that day, the Great Emperor had transmitted a message to the Human Emperor. The exact words were known to no one but the Human Emperor himself. Outsiders only witnessed the Human Emperor's silence for a few breaths before he bowed to the Great Emperor, his gaze resolute.

Now, it was the fourth time.

Instantly, countless gazes and divine senses converged from all directions within the capital. This event, like a storm, rapidly spread throughout the human regions.

Discussions and transmissions from all quarters echoed in the sea of consciousness at this very moment.

Information about Xu Qing was no secret to the various factions in the capital, and his "Heart-Questioning" at the Ten-Thousand-Zhang level was even less so.

Therefore, it wasn't long before most factions deduced the underlying cause.

"One piece of information about Xu Qing is key: he is the first Sword-Wielder in the Xuanzhan era to achieve the Ten-Thousand-Zhang 'Heart-Questioning' level! This might be the reason for the Great Emperor's awakening for him!"

Inside the imperial palace, in Fengyang Pavilion, Princess Anhai stood by the window, gazing at the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's statue. Various images of Xu Qing flickered through her mind. After a long moment, she withdrew her gaze and murmured.

"The Great Emperor awakens for him... this seems like a special favor, yet why do I feel as if he's being entrusted with something?"

At the same time, in the Seventh Prince's Residence, the Seventh Prince sat silently in his pavilion, eyes closed. Dozens of cultivators stood silently behind him.

The entire pavilion was quiet, but upon closer inspection, one could see that the Seventh Prince's hand, hidden within his sleeve, had been clenched tightly at some point.

And in the Tenth Prince's Residence, the Tenth Prince, whom outsiders considered arrogant and short-tempered, threw a tantrum in front of his servants. Yet, when no one was watching, a fleeting chill, instantly vanishing, crossed his otherwise tyrannical expression.

Most of the other princes, at this moment, were also in their respective residences, lost in differing thoughts. Whether their outward expressions matched their inner feelings remained unknown to outsiders.

Some peak-level dignitaries and Heavenly Kings, such as the Grand Minister and Grand Marshal, appeared much calmer, showing little turmoil. Their gazes, after lingering on the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's statue, mostly fell upon the Imperial Palace, each with profound implications.

Xuanzhan ascended the throne, and the Great Emperor awakened.

Years later, Xu Qing arrived, and the Great Emperor awakened once more...

Inside the imperial palace, in the Sky-Gazing Pavilion, the Human Emperor's face was devoid of expression. He didn't look outside but gazed at the chessboard before him, holding a white piece, which he gently placed down.

"Your Majesty, I have answered your question, but you still haven't told me what the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor said to you when you ascended the throne."

Across the chessboard, the Imperial Advisor smiled and placed a black piece.

The Human Emperor looked up, calmly gazed at the Imperial Advisor, and spoke indifferently.

"The Great Emperor told me that he deeply regretted the matter concerning Prince Ziqing back then. He instructed me that if I were to encounter it in this life, I must return the skull that Jingyun took for a joint burial."

"Haven't you already received it?"

The Human Emperor spoke casually, yet every word carried deep meaning.

The Imperial Advisor fell silent. After a moment, a smile reappeared on his face.

"In this life, encountering someone like Your Majesty, I will certainly not be lonely."

The Human Emperor ignored him, picked up a white piece, and was about to place it. But just then, a vast voice resonated throughout the capital's sky and earth.

"Young friend, come to the Sword-Wielding Palace. I await you there."

As this voice rang out, the Human Emperor's hand, holding the chess piece, paused, and he slowly looked up.

The Imperial Advisor opposite him also turned his head, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.

All beings in the capital, every powerful individual, felt their inner turmoil intensify once more.

It was the voice of the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor. His awakening, combined with a summons, carried a different significance.

Within the Sword-Wielding Palace, from the Palace Master down to the ordinary Sword-Wielders, everyone's expression changed.

Beneath the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's statue, Xu Qing looked up, gazing at the statue, his heart filled with boundless emotions. After a long moment, he took a deep breath, bowed once more, then rose and walked towards the Sword-Wielding Palace.

Xu Qing had seen the location of the Sword-Wielding Palace earlier on his journey and knew its direction. All patrolling Sword-Wielders, upon seeing Xu Qing, performed their unique Sword-Wielder salute and guided him.

Xu Qing was also a Sword-Wielder.

Thus, he proceeded, until an hour later, a unique complex of buildings came into his sight.

It was a group of palaces, resembling two giant swords in their overall shape.

One lay on the ground, while the other stood upright, its tip piercing the earth.

The area was vast, seemingly capable of accommodating millions of people. This was the headquarters of the Sword-Wielding Palace, one of the five Great Palaces of the Human Race.

When Xu Qing arrived, most of the Sword-Wielders stationed outside the Sword-Wielding Palace headquarters were waiting. Zhou Hengzhi, the current Palace Master of the Sword-Wielding Palace and also one of the Heavenly Kings, stood among them.

The Sword-Wielding Palace, which always strictly adhered to rules, dared not show the slightest slackness regarding the Great Emperor's summons, from its highest ranks to its lowest.

In the crowd was another figure who had previously met Xu Qing: Huang Kun, from the Seventh Prince's banquet. On that day, the Seventh Prince had mentioned that Huang Kun's family ancestor was a Grand Deacon of the Sword-Wielding Palace.

At this moment, Huang Kun's heart was churning. As one of the few people in the imperial capital who had met Xu Qing before, he found the subsequent events in the Holy Lan Region incredible.

The awakening of the Great Emperor and the solemnity of the entire palace made him feel a profound sense of disparity.

Back then, when they sat together, he had a certain air about him. After all, at that time, Xu Qing seemed to him merely a Sword-Wielder from a remote area; though he had a special status in Fenghai County, it had little to do with Huang Kun himself.

As for whether Xu Qing could truly rise in the future, that was unknown.

But now... he glanced at his colleagues around him and sighed inwardly.

He could only stand with countless others, gazing at the figure approaching from a distance.

Xu Qing did not notice Huang Kun. His emotions were surging at this moment. Though he tried to calm himself, his reverence for the Great Emperor made the sense of pilgrimage incredibly strong.

Thus, upon seeing the Sword-Wielding Palace and the many Sword-Wielders outside, Xu Qing paused. He took off his green robe, retrieved the Sword-Wielders' Daoist robe from his storage bag, and put it on.

As he donned the white Daoist robe, identical to everyone else's, Xu Qing stood there, becoming one with all those around him.

Countless gazes from the other Sword-Wielders also changed, and even the Palace Master and high-ranking officials of the Sword-Wielding Palace subtly nodded.

Xu Qing took a deep breath and stepped forward. Under the gaze of all the Sword-Wielders, he arrived in front of the palace, his expression solemn, and performed the Sword-Wielder's salute to the Palace Master standing there.

"By the Great Emperor's summons, Sword-Wielder Xu Qing presents himself for an audience."

The Palace Master of the Sword-Wielding Palace, Zhou Hengzhi, was a middle-aged man. His expression was serious as he looked at Xu Qing, and after a moment, he nodded.

"Enter."

With a wave of his right hand, the palace gates behind him instantly transformed into a swirling vortex, filled with coiling sword energy. This stirred the Imperial Swords of all Sword-Wielders, causing them to resonate.

Xu Qing approached the vortex with a solemn expression. The moment he stepped into it, he didn't appear inside the palace gates but instead found himself in a top-secret forbidden area of the Sword-Wielding Palace.

It was an underground cavern, simply furnished with only an altar. On the altar sat a withered figure, cross-legged.

This person was ancient and shriveled, like a desiccated corpse, exuding a profound sense of decay. Only at the heart, where an occasional beat could be felt, did a flicker of life remain.

His body was covered in countless scars, dense and horrifying to behold.

These were wounds sustained over countless years in defense of humanity.

Each scar bore divine power, wounds inflicted by gods.

And he was the Sword-Wielding Great Emperor's clone, the last Great Emperor in human history, and moreover... the only Great Emperor who had not departed, still protecting humanity to this day!

Gazing at the Great Emperor and at those scars, Xu Qing's reverence intensified. He knelt and bowed.

The Great Emperor's closed eyes slowly opened.