Chapter 1948: Binding Immortal Lock

Xu Yang had everything happening inside the tent under control through his Soul Phantom. The moment the fake emperor's aura completely vanished, Xu Yang's main body immediately erupted with an incredibly powerful murderous aura.

The table where he had been drinking tea with the young prince instantly shattered into pieces under the force of Xu Yang's aura. The young prince's expression changed, and he immediately stood up.

"Why have you suddenly become angry, esteemed sir? Is it possible my tea does not meet your satisfaction?"

Xu Yang sneered, slowly stood up, and spoke.

"The tea is indeed good tea, but the people might not be good people. It seems your Empress is truly ambitious. Perhaps she has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. This time, it won't be easy to make her withdraw her troops."

The young prince burst into laughter.

"It seems I have, after all, underestimated your strength, Sir Xu Yang. I never imagined you could have such a thorough grasp of events happening a thousand meters away while you are here."

Xu Yang did not continue to answer him. Instead, he stood up, intending to leave the tent, but the young prince immediately blocked his path.

At the same time, the two familiar figures, Ah Lang and Ah Hu, who seemed to have been waiting outside the tent for a long time, immediately came to the young prince's side, guarding him on both flanks.

"What's this? Are you trying to get tough with me? It seems none of you are qualified to stop Xu Yang."

At this moment, Xu Yang had no intention of killing his opponents. After all, the puppet fake emperor was destined to die sooner or later, and he had already served his purpose, making his demise a well-deserved end. Xu Yang had only brought him along to further ascertain the true intentions of the Star Scar Empire's rulers.

Now that the Empress's ambition was clear, Xu Yang naturally had no reason to harbor any other thoughts about this place. At that very moment, three Martial God-level powerhouses simultaneously attacked Xu Yang.

This time, the three individuals were clearly well-prepared. Despite knowing that their combined cultivation alone was insufficient to contend with Xu Yang, they suddenly activated a very strange formation at that moment.

What was originally the outline of a tent, under the furious martial aura unleashed by these three, suddenly transformed into a golden cage that erupted from deep within the earth's ley lines.

Seeing the edges of the surroundings and the powerful aura emanating from the artifact itself, a hint of surprise flashed in Xu Yang's eyes.

"I can't believe your Star Empire possesses a Divine Artifact of this level! If I'm not mistaken, it must be the most powerful treasure in your empire."

The young prince smiled and nodded.

"Indeed. To achieve this objective, Her Majesty the Empress personally brought forth her personal treasure, the Immortal Binding Lock. No matter how powerful your cultivation, once this artifact locks onto your vital essence, you will certainly be suppressed within it. Without Her Majesty the Empress's command, even the three of us cannot reopen this Divine Artifact's sealed state.

However, Sir Xu Yang, there's no need to worry. Her Majesty the Empress has no intention of provoking you; it's simply because your power is too immense, and this was the only way we could think of to temporarily delay you."

Xu Yang sneered and replied.

"So, you intend to use this method to advance your troops and actively invade our empire's border cities? Is this your Empress's so-called strategy to assert dominance?"

The young prince smiled and nodded.

"You are correct, esteemed sir. How could there be true peace in this world? Any empire strong enough will naturally have the means to expand its territory."

These individuals gradually revealed their true colors, but Xu Yang showed no excessive surprise. In fact, he had long since discerned their true nature.

"Very well. If that's the case, then don't blame me, Xu Yang, for being merciless. But do you truly believe that this one Divine Artifact can trap me here forever?"

After saying this, the smile on Xu Yang's face did not disappear. Instead, he slowly sat down inside the cage, closing his eyes to meditate. Meanwhile, the Soul Phantom he had released began to take effect on the old man who had been invaded by the powerful spiritual energy.

Inside the Empress's main tent, the old man possessed by Xu Yang suddenly erupted with an overwhelmingly powerful murderous aura. A bloody halo rapidly spread from beneath the old man's feet, encompassing the surrounding tent. In a mere instant, he annihilated the closest high-ranking officials of the Star Scar Empire who were near him.

Once the old man's aura had completely transformed, the Empress, who was seated in the main position, immediately rose and struck a palm towards the old man's location. Their palms met in mid-air, simultaneously unleashing a potent martial aura that utterly shattered the tent.

"Who exactly are you? How dare you impersonate a high-ranking official of my empire!"

The Empress's initial instinct was that Xu Yang had brought other operatives, but she never expected Xu Yang's Soul Phantom to slowly appear behind the old man.

"It's you!"

Upon seeing Xu Yang's soul appear, all the high-ranking and powerful individuals of the Star Scar Empire gasped in unison, their first instinct being to retreat a dozen steps. They dared not approach or provoke Xu Yang.

The Empress quickly regained her composure. As expected of the ruler of such a vast empire, her temperament was remarkably steady.

Xu Yang spoke with a smile.

"I apologize for appearing before you in such a manner; it is indeed somewhat impolite. However, I have witnessed everything you people have done just now.

I truly did not expect that the current leader of the Star Scar Empire, which has always preferred isolation, would possess such ambition. It's clear you've been waiting for this opportunity for far too long. It will be very difficult to make you withdraw your troops."

The Empress sneered, "Since you know what's on my mind, why bother with this futile struggle? I know your power is immense, and within the realm of martial arts, few can be your match.

But no matter how strong you are, there's absolutely no way you can stop the hundreds of thousands of troops of my triumphant empire from invading.

Our Star Empire has endured for too many years and given you too many opportunities. This time, it's finally our turn to display our might."

Xu Yang shook his head helplessly.

"It seems you truly do not believe in the existence of the dark forces I spoke of earlier. If that is the case, then to resolve this current situation, Your Majesty the Empress, I'm afraid I must offend you."

As Xu Yang spoke, he transformed into a streak of light and appeared behind the Empress. His powerful spiritual energy directly summoned the Lingxu Divine Artifact. Under the influence of Xu Yang's spiritual energy, the sword quickly transformed into a large, dark-golden umbrella, which he grasped in his hand.

Simultaneously, he placed his other hand directly on the Empress's shoulder, sealing the flow of energy within her meridians. The Empress now had no ability to resist. With Xu Yang embracing her slender waist, she was carried directly into the night sky, in full view of everyone present.