Chapter 1719: Revenge

Xuan Bajing was startled and no longer dared to take the eunuch lightly, treating him instead as an opponent of equal standing.

His expression solemn, he waved his hand, and the eight flying swords returned, circling around him.

A mechanical clicking sound filled the air as the eight flying swords seamlessly joined together, forming a massive broadsword.

With a roar, Xuan Bajing wielded the giant sword and slashed towards Eunuch Wen.

As the giant sword swung, an even larger phantom sword aura almost instantly appeared above Eunuch Wen's head, directly striking the blue light shield around him.

With a loud bang, an explosion rang out. Even Eunuch Wen's Pure Yang Virgin Cultivation could not withstand such immense power; the blue light shield around him shattered instantly.

He hastily used his movement technique to dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding the terrifying sword strike.

At this moment, lightning flickered in the air. Xuan Bajing had vanished from his original spot, reappearing beside Eunuch Wen, and immediately launched a palm strike at him.

Simultaneously, the giant sword once again transformed into eight flying swords, moving in sync with him, attacking the opponent from various uncanny angles at a speed almost impossible for the naked eye to track.

Eunuch Wen snorted coldly, two blue lights glowing on his hands as he blocked Xuan Bajing's attack with his fists. At the same time, his body-protecting aura made it difficult for the eight flying swords to harm him for a while.

Seeing the two fighting to a standstill, unable to determine a winner for a time, Zhao Hao withdrew his gaze and coldly spoke towards a certain spot on the Golden Summit: "Zhao Jing, I know you're here. What's the meaning of sending out these small fries one by one while you hide behind the scenes?"

Guan Chouhai and Xuan Bajing blushed. Normally, if anyone dared to call them "small fries," they would teach them a lesson in minutes, but coming from Zhao Hao, they truly couldn't refute it. Although both were Grandmasters, they were still a distance away from becoming Earth Immortals, so they had no way to argue back when spoken to this way by Zhao Hao.

At this moment, a figure slowly walked out from a small path. The person exuded an imposing demeanor, and a hint of nobility emanated from their every gesture. Who else could it be but Prince Qi, Zhao Jing?

The other officials were trapped in the Reception Hall halfway up the mountain, and no one knew how he had ascended.

"Brother Emperor, you truly see everything clearly; nothing can be hidden from you," Prince Qi remarked with emotion. A confident smile played on his face, as if something he had planned for years had finally come to fruition.

Zhao Hao calmly looked at him: "You've contended with me for so many years, and finally, you couldn't resist taking such a risk."

Prince Qi smiled faintly: "Brother Emperor, your words are a bit disingenuous. If I didn't make a move, you would eventually find a way to eliminate me. Didn't you force all of this upon me?"

Zhao Hao frowned slightly: "The contention between us is, after all, an internal struggle between brothers. But now you collude with outsiders; you might well ruin the Great Zhou's empire."

Prince Qi's face darkened, and he spoke with a hint of anger: "Brothers? Do you still consider me your brother?! According to legal principles, this throne should have been mine, yet you'd rather pass it to your idiotic son than give it to me. Did you ever treat me as a brother?"

Zhao Hao said calmly: "From ancient times, it has always been the legitimate eldest son who inherits. You only have these troubles because you harbored improper ambitions."

Prince Qi burst into laughter: "I didn't expect you to even disavow the agreement between Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong from back then. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you've forgotten your ancestors."

"Nonsense!" Zhao Hao's face turned cold. "I am still the Emperor. Is defying your superior in such a manner the ancestral law?"

"Things have come to this; what's the use of speaking such high-sounding words?" Prince Qi looked at him with disdain. "There are no ignorant commoners here. It's meaningless for you to pretend to be an enlightened monarch." He was completely unfazed by Zhao Hao's words.

"So, your true intentions are revealed?" Zhao Hao scanned his surroundings. "Just you alone, I doubt you'd have the audacity to do such a thing. Who else are your helpers? Bring them out. If I'm not mistaken, there's at least someone from the Witch Sect, isn't there? To be able to cast the Soul-Shattering Art on Wang Wuxie, I presume it can only be Grand Elder Wu Wuyan."

"For His Majesty to remember this old woman's name is truly an honor." A chilling cackle echoed. Wu Wuyan, a somewhat hunched figure, walked over from the other side. The staff in her hand struck the ground with an uncanny rhythm, as if it harmonized with the grand principles of heaven and earth. Even Zhao Hao cast an extra glance at her.

"I didn't expect your cultivation to have advanced so much over the years. No wonder Wang Wuxie fell into your hands," Zhao Hao snorted coldly.

"I have always admired Grand Master Wang's demeanor and character," Wu Wuyan said. "Unfortunately, we stand on opposing sides, and even a fragrant orchid must be removed if it blocks the path." She glanced at Wang Wuxie's corpse not far away, a hint of sadness appearing on her face. "It's truly a pity for such a magnificent figure to die this way."

Many people present had strange expressions, wondering if her tone implied she harbored feelings of admiration for Wang Wuxie.

"Crying over a dead mouse, false compassion," Zhao Hao snorted coldly. "It's understandable that your Witch Sect always acts unscrupulously. But as for another 'master' who claims to be compassionate, what kind of Buddhism do you cultivate when you do such things!"

"Amitabha!" Grand Master Jian Huang of Wuyou Temple slowly walked out from another direction. "His Majesty's cultivation is indeed divine. This old monk thought he was well hidden, but he was still discovered by Your Majesty."

Then he spoke towards the distance: "The others, come out too. His Majesty has already discovered you all."

No sooner had he finished speaking, Feng Wuchang, the young monk Jiese, and several trusted experts from various sects also emerged one after another.

Prince Qi, Wu Wuyan, and Grand Master Jian Huang formed a three-way standoff, subtly encircling Zhao Hao in the center. Meanwhile, Feng Wuchang and the others positioned themselves at a distance, facing off against the remaining Embroidered Uniform Guards and Imperial Bodyguards on the Golden Summit.

Zhao Hao's gaze fell upon Feng Wuchang: "I thought that with Wang Wuxie's cultivation, even if he were ambushed, he wouldn't fall to such a state. So it was you, the traitor, who colluded from within."

Feng Wuchang secretly groaned. He had originally not wanted to come to the Golden Summit; here, where celestials clashed, even a single fallen hair could crush him. But the others wouldn't have it; they insisted he come along.

This plan was truly too audacious. No one trusted anyone else, and no one was allowed to remain uninvolved.

Fortunately, the others guaranteed they would handle Zhao Hao; he only needed to deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Imperial Bodyguards. Only then did he feel a little relieved.

Although he was vastly inferior to the Emperor, he was, after all, one of the peak masters of the True Yang Sect, so dealing with a mere few Embroidered Uniform Guards and Imperial Bodyguards was easy for him.

What's more, Grand Master Jian Huang had brought his precious disciple, so surely, as a senior, he wouldn't be inferior to a mere young monk.

He chuckled awkwardly: "Your Majesty, forgive me. I was forced into this."

The others secretly cursed him, thinking he was truly putting on an act of false virtue, still fawning over the Emperor even now.

Zhao Hao snorted coldly. Having spent years as an emperor and accustomed to schemes and intrigues, he naturally knew Feng Wuchang's thoughts and bothered no more with idle talk. "Wuxie and I had a connection after all," he said. "I'll avenge him first."

No sooner had he finished speaking, he directly reached out towards the opponent.

Feng Wuchang's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively wanted to flee; as a Grandmaster, he was usually as swift as the wind.

But at this moment, he found he couldn't move at all, as if he had been locked onto by some prehistoric behemoth.

Immediately, a brilliant yellow phantom palm appeared before him, clasped him, and then gently squeezed.

With a dull thud that made one's scalp tingle, his entire body was crushed into a bloody pulp.

And from beginning to end, Zhao Hao remained standing in place, not moving a single step.

Cold sweat trickled down the temples of Prince Qi's faction on the Golden Summit. One should know that Prince Qi, Wu Wuyan, and Grand Master Jian Huang had just encircled him, constantly on guard against his moves.

Unfortunately, in that flash of lightning, a companion who could be considered a master was annihilated by him just like that. The three of them didn't even react in time.