Chapter 886: The Emperor's Sword

Bi Linglong looked utterly confused, unable to comprehend his actions. "What's the point of asking who's the most powerful, and then claiming to be that person?" she wondered. "Surely, that won't scare anyone."

Mi Li was also somewhat puzzled, but having spent so much time with Zu An, they had almost no secrets from each other. She immediately recalled his "Summon Key" ability.

She was instantly alarmed. Although the "Summon Key" ability could make words manifest, its side effects were significant. With his current spiritual state, he couldn't use it often, and it was only suitable for minor matters.

Yet now, he was directly transforming into Ying Zheng. Even if he succeeded in killing Xu Fu, he wouldn't escape the backlash afterwards.

He might even turn to dust at the very beginning...

She wanted to stop him, but it seemed he had already fully activated it. Her expression became complicated as she realized he could have left earlier; he didn't want her to detonate her soul. But didn't he know they had a life-and-death pact? If he died, she wouldn't survive either.

Soon, however, she felt at peace. Dying together like this wouldn't be bad; at least it would be a grand and spectacular end.

Across from them, Xu Fu was initially stunned, then burst into laughter. "Are you mad, or am I?" he scoffed. "Do you truly believe you've become Ying Zheng just by saying so?"

Zu An didn't reply, merely gazing at him with a cold stare.

Xu Fu was about to mock him further when his expression suddenly changed. He had felt a shift in the other man's aura.

With a loud bang, a tremendous sound echoed nearby. Everyone instinctively turned to look and saw the lid of the coffin beneath the five-colored tree in the distance had flown off, as if kicked open by someone.

Xu Fu frowned, looking towards it with a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

A faint soul-body floated out from within. Mi Li's eyes widened. Although the figure was blurry, she could vaguely recognize it as Ying Zheng from back then.

Xu Fu wasted no time, quickly waving his hand. Several tentacles surged from the blood pool, reaching for the soul-body.

"Even if it is Ying Zheng's soul, so what?" he thought. His grand formation was designed to suppress souls, and he would make it instantly clear what 'soul dispersion' meant.

To his surprise, although the tentacles clearly wrapped around the soul-body, it passed through them as if it were incorporeal. It swiftly moved towards Zu An and entered his body.

"What's going on?"

Xu Fu looked completely bewildered. He vaguely sensed a higher-level law breaking through the world's rules here.

Zu An reopened his eyes, but gone was the occasional playful irreverence. In its place was a tyrannical presence.

"Xu Fu!" Zu An spoke, his voice profoundly different from his usual tone.

Bi Linglong instinctively distanced herself. Although his appearance hadn't changed at all, she felt an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.

She had always thought Zu An too frivolous and unserious, but now, seeing this dignified and composed man, she suddenly felt the old Zu An was better.

Mi Li also watched him with a complex expression, for this man's demeanor and tone were identical to that of Ying Zheng.

Xu Fu's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back. But he immediately felt ashamed of his fear. "Why should I be afraid of him now?" he thought.

He steadied himself, straightened his chest, and met the other's gaze. "Ying Zheng?"

Zu An's voice was cold. "How audacious, to dare to address Us by Our given name."

Xu Fu chuckled. "Do you still think you're the First Emperor of Qin who unified the land? Wake up, times have changed."

Zu An frowned, turning to scan his surroundings as if recalling something. Upon seeing Mi Li, he paused. "Empress, are you here too?"

Mi Li scoffed, "What, surprised I'm out of the seal? Though I hated you for sealing me before, I always admired you. Now, to learn you were betrayed by your subordinates and utterly ruined... frankly, I despise you."

Hearing her speak to him like this, a flicker of anger crossed Zu An's brow, but he seemed to recall something. He didn't lash out at Mi Li, instead turning abruptly to look at Xu Fu, his gaze like that of a fierce tiger ready to devour its prey.

Xu Fu now regained his composure. "I didn't expect that boy to have such a secret technique to summon your soul."

"Summoned soul?" Bi Linglong finally reacted. "So Zu An summoned Ying Zheng's soul! I was so scared; I thought he had become a different person."

Only Mi Li knew that wasn't entirely true, though in a way, it was close enough.

Zu An looked at him as if he were an ant. "Tell Us, have you decided how you wish to die?"

"Do you think I'll be filled with dread and beg for mercy upon hearing that?" Xu Fu laughed as if he'd heard a joke. "Back then, yes, I would have been afraid. But now..."

He paused, his voice turning cold. "In that battle, we suffered heavy losses, but you perished entirely. Fearing I would use your body to activate this grand formation after your death, you deliberately destroyed your pure yang body, and your soul vanished."

At this point, he couldn't help but frown. He had specifically checked back then, and Ying Zheng's soul had indeed dispersed after that great battle. So what was this remnant soul now?

However, considering his current strength was far beyond what it once was, he didn't pay much attention to these details. "Now you're just a wisp of a remnant soul temporarily possessing another's body, with less than a tenth of your peak power. I don't know where you get the confidence to speak to me like this."

"You seem quite confident, certain that We cannot harm you?" Zu An scoffed.

Xu Fu stood with his hands behind his back, proudly saying, "Am I not?"

"Indeed, We were deceived by you back then, but We later realized something was amiss, which is why We sealed the Empress in advance," Zu An said, glancing at Mi Li, who promptly turned her face away. He continued, "We left half of Our legacy in that sealed place, awaiting a fated successor, and guided him to find Xiquanqiu. This was precisely so that, should any unexpected circumstances arise, he could come and assist Us in the future."

Mi Li suddenly understood. No wonder there were so many trials and arrangements there, and why that wisp of remnant soul had urged Zu An to find Xiquanqiu as soon as possible.

The dangers here were such that if an ordinary person had received the legacy, it would have been useless. Only someone like Zu An could defy fate and change destiny. Unfortunately, what he lacked most was time to grow.

Xu Fu also saw this clearly and chuckled. "It's a pity your fated successor's cultivation isn't much."

After fighting for so long, how could he not see that Zu An had cultivated the *Primordial Chaos Scripture*? But what good was that?

He no longer wanted to waste time. Spreading his hands, the entire blood pool began to boil, and countless blood-red tentacles unfurled from his back. "I could force you to your death back then, and naturally, I can kill you a second time now."

As he moved, the entire space was stained with a layer of blood-red, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult even for someone of Bi Linglong's cultivation to breathe.

At this moment, Zu An seemed to disregard his actions. "His cultivation is considerably lower than We anticipated, but it will just barely suffice."

He finished speaking, then stretched out his hand to the side. "Sword, come!"

The Tai'a Sword, previously knocked down and stuck in the ground, hummed loudly, then, with a *clink*, transformed into a stream of light and flew into his hand.

Xu Fu's pupils contracted slightly, but he still didn't pay much heed. "The revered Tai'a Sword is still here, but the First Emperor of Qin from yesteryear is nowhere to be seen. Your current cultivation is far inferior to what it once was. Don't speak of wielding one Tai'a; ten would be useless."

Zu An gently stroked the blade of the Tai'a Sword, his expression like someone reminiscing with an old friend. "You only understand the commoner's sword, one that cuts throats and pierces organs, causing blood to flow three feet. Naturally, you cannot comprehend the power of the Son of Heaven's Sword."

"The Son of Heaven's Sword cuts through the floating clouds above and severs the earth's meridians below. When this sword is wielded, all the feudal lords come from the west, and the world submits."

As his fingers traced the blade, the Tai'a Sword's trembling grew louder, a sound of joyous exultation.

He raised the sword high, its blade radiating dazzling light. "Why be content as a ghost in the underworld? Shake off the dust and astound the world! Soldiers of Great Qin, heed Our command!"