Read Novel Full Chapter 1378: Chapter 1372: I Built This Empire
Chapter 1378: Chapter 1372: I Built This Empire
In the Imperial Capital.
“Fifth Princess, the current situation is unpredictable. The Imperial Dynasty now has its own set of rules. We ask that you clear the way.”
The cultivators of the various factions formed array formations. Someone shouted a warning, but to Zishu Feng, it no longer mattered.
She let out a soft sigh. These factions, which had helped the Zishu family conquer the realm back then, were now fully fledged.
They had bared their sharp fangs and claws, aiming them straight at their former masters.
She looked around. The array formations above the clouds made it hard to breathe, even with her Dao-Integration realm strength.
Ancient memories surfaced in her mind.
She had encountered this kind of situation before.
During the glory days of the Imperial Dynasty under her royal father’s leadership, Human Race cultivators had surrounded their enemies just like this.
Human Race cultivators had also been just as arrogant, utterly disregarding the noble bloodlines of any other race.
Only back then, she was the besieger. Now, she had surprisingly become the alien outsider.
A profound sense of desolation welled up within her.
Looking at the people surrounding her from all directions, she noticed a trace of reluctance flash across some of their faces.
Reluctance? Where did that come from? Zishu Feng couldn’t understand. If they were going to rebel, then rebel—why put on such a hypocritical show of sympathy?
The cold wind howled in the cloudy sky, and Zishu Feng’s green robes snapped in the wind. Suddenly, the eyes of the surrounding cultivators turned icy cold.
Dao-Integration realm Dao rhythm rose around Zishu Feng. Everyone retreated in shock.
The Fifth Princess of the Imperial Dynasty slightly raised her right arm, and heaven and earth Dao methods surged toward her, forming a vortex in her hand.
Under this terrifying, world-shaking power, a hilt gradually materialized in Zishu Feng’s grasp.
The brocade flag attached to the hilt fluttered in the wind. Upon the flag, a nine-clawed golden dragon shone brilliantly, looking as if it would devour anyone in its path!
“The Spirit Treasure, Mountains and Rivers Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Flag!”
Someone cried out, and the crowd was horror-struck, finally recalling the terror of this master from the legends.
In the years of the great war between the Human Race and the Wu Tribe, on many brutal battlefields, the immortal soldiers of the Imperial Dynasty could always see a golden flag fluttering amidst the clouds.
The little girl waving the flag gradually grew up. The heroes of the Zishu family and the Human Race died in battle one after another, yet the voice waving the flag and cheering for the Human Race never vanished.
Her voice shifted from innocent to resolute, and her figure transformed from small to gracefully curved.
Wherever the Mountains and Rivers Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Flag was, there lay the hope of the Human Race.
As long as the Golden Dragon Flag fluttered, the mountains and rivers of the Human Race would not fall!
Zishu Feng looked nostalgically at the Mountains and Rivers Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Flag. It was letting out a mournful cry.
It seemed that even the spirit of the Spirit Treasure never expected that one day, what it faced would not be the fear of enemies, but the subjects of the Imperial Dynasty—the very people who had once guarded the mountains and rivers alongside it and the Zishu family.
…
After an unknown number of years, Zishu Feng once again wielded the Mountains and Rivers Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Flag.
Under the oppressive might of the Spirit Treasure, cultivator after cultivator retreated, hesitation evident in their eyes.
However, the Junior Commander of Destiny from the Divine Temple couldn’t suppress the upward curl of his mouth.
“Fifth Princess, you had better think clearly. The people of the Azure Cloud Li Clan acting recklessly in the Imperial Capital is a grave crime.
We are apprehending criminals; if the Fifth Princess intentionally obstructs us, it will be considered treason.”
Yet Zishu Feng still stood guard in front of the Peerless Hall.
Seeing her resolute demeanor, Ah Hei of the Emberwing Guard, who had come under orders, gritted his teeth and said,
“Fifth Princess, please think thrice before you act. Otherwise, no one can save you today.
If you remain stubbornly persistent, you won’t be able to save the Li Clan members either.
Even if the Li Clan members are captured, there is still time for you to seek out Wu Neng, Patriarch Heavenly Light, the Sword Ancestor, myself, and our colleagues to beg the Empress to release them, but if you fight now, it will be too late!”
As Ah Hei’s words fell, he saw the angry glares of the Junior Commander of Destiny and numerous cultivators, but his expression didn’t change in the slightest.
“I am not saving the Li Clan members.”
Before Ah Hei could breathe a sigh of relief at Zishu Feng’s words, she swept her gaze over the crowd and flourished the Golden Dragon Flag.
The Junior Commander of Destiny’s eyes turned icy. In his vision, following the wave of the Golden Dragon Flag, the Dao intent of the nine-clawed golden dragon charged at him, along with countless phantoms of immortal soldiers.
The Dragon Flag snapped, and killing intent was born!
Under this heavy siege, Zishu Feng’s eyes were piercingly cold as she charged straight for the Junior Commander of Destiny.
As the array formations of the surrounding cultivators struck, she only let out a cold snort.
“This is my Zishu family’s realm! I, Zishu Feng, watched this empire being conquered bit by bit. A portion of this realm belongs to me! You dare to bully me on my own land? What an absolute joke!”
“I built this empire, and I can destroy it!”
Killing intent boiled over!
The Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land of the Peerless Hall began to tremble.
Su Chen charged in without any hindrance, leaving the Peerless Hall without even the time to activate its defensive arrays.
The Dao-Integration realm Spiritual power caused spiderweb-like cracks to form throughout the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land.
As Su Chen advanced further into the Peerless Hall, Li Xinnian also continued to devour.
Feeling the Spiritual power outside, Li Xinnian surprisingly grew increasingly calm.
The blood from the corpses on the ground continuously entered his body.
The Heaven and Earth Devouring power he once used to absorb geniuses, combined with the ghost-devouring Spiritual power he later cultivated alongside Li Dalong in the Underworld, was extraordinarily formidable at this moment.
He seemed to have stumbled into some sort of profound realization.
The Old Ancestor, who had been constantly protecting Li Xinnian, fell into a long silence before letting out a prolonged, drawn-out sigh.
[Your descendant Li Xinnian has realized that pinning his hopes on Su Chen was fundamentally a mistake.
The benevolent teachings of Great-Grandfather Li Dalong were not wrong. He has always followed Li Dalong’s teachings and has now gained a deeper level of comprehension.]
[Perhaps Great-Grandfather guided him toward goodness so that he could understand benevolence, and subsequently hide that benevolence deep within his heart.
In this world, no outsider can help him. He can only use every means necessary, utilizing the evil that exists outside of benevolence to combat evil with evil.]
[Acquired Trait: Treating All Things as Straw Dogs]
[Mental fortitude increases by 50%. He begins to feel indifferent toward the lives of others, burying qualities like pity, sympathy, and honor deep within his heart.
Comprehension increases by 20%.]
Watching Li Xinnian silently devour the lives of the Peerless Hall cultivators, Li Wei furrowed his brows deeply.
From the moment Li Xinnian was born, the title of [Destined Villain] had already fallen upon him.
Li Yaowen had even said that Li Xinnian’s fate would bring disaster to the family.
Therefore, for a very long time, the family continuously taught Li Xinnian to pursue goodness.
Li Dalong, with his honest and sincere nature, always wanted the children in the family to become someone like Li Chang’an.
Li Xinnian had also constantly restrained his evil thoughts. Or perhaps, he had always believed himself to be a good person, and perhaps he still did.
But the suppression over the years, coupled with the family’s troubles and Nangong Qingya’s memories, was pushing Li Xinnian toward an extreme.
Now, seeing Li Xinnian unscrupulously devouring human lives, Li Wei’s heart skipped a beat.
“To stop him or not to stop him?”
Li Wei hesitated for a moment, but thinking about it carefully…
Was it that Li Xinnian was born a [Destined Villain], or was it these series of events that made Li Xinnian become the [Destined Villain]?
Looking at the [Child of Destiny], Su Chen… frankly speaking, Su Chen surviving until today was due, at least in part, to his luck and Li Xinnian wiping his ass behind the scenes.
Li Wei felt somewhat relieved. Perhaps being a [Destined Villain] wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Or perhaps…
Thinking about the situation Azure Cloud Prefecture was currently facing—the decaying Imperial Dynasty treating Azure Cloud Prefecture and the lives of their Li Clan members like weeds.
In this world, their Azure Cloud Li Clan had been pushed to a desperate dead end; they had nothing left to worry about!
Li Wei’s gaze gradually turned icy. “Abandon pity, sympathy, honor, and hesitation… Our Li Clan has been bound by this damned Imperial Dynasty for far too long.”
…….
A profound realization.
Li Xinnian stepped on the neck of a Peerless Hall disciple.
The disciple’s body cracked open, and his blood and Spiritual power transformed into a blood mist that flowed backward into Li Xinnian’s body.
In all directions were Peerless Hall cultivators staring with terrified eyes.
He calmly savored the comfort in his body and soul at this moment.
Perhaps it was the elevation in Spiritual power that allowed him to feel a trace of pleasure amidst the fearful and despairing gazes of the cultivators beneath his feet.
“Evil arts! Be careful, do not fall into his hands, or he will devour everything we have!”
“Where are the elders? We are no match for him!”
“Flee quickly!”
The shouts of dread and terror made Li Xinnian gradually realize that perhaps pity could not earn respect and apprehension; death and fear were the rightful methods.
However, not long after this inner realization, a flash of guilt suddenly crossed Li Xinnian’s eyes.
Black mist emanated from the spirit tablet fastened at his waist.
“Old Ancestor…”
Li Xinnian called out weakly. He had ultimately fallen into a predicament, which was a sign that the Old Ancestor was about to appear.
Every time the Old Ancestor appeared, a price had to be paid, and every opportunity for him to show himself was incredibly precious.
If he hadn’t pinned his hopes on Su Chen, how could he have wasted this opportunity?
Furthermore, his process of wanton slaughter and devouring people had inevitably fallen under the Old Ancestor’s gaze, betraying the expectations and teachings of Great-Grandfather.
However, as the black mist spread out.
The anticipated reprimand from the Old Ancestor did not arrive. Instead, the Old Ancestor’s voice echoed from the spirit tablet.
“It’s about time we stormed the Imperial Capital.”
The Old Ancestor was as calm as ever. In Li Xinnian’s impression, the Old Ancestor was mostly tolerant.
The old man never cared whether they, the younger descendants, were demons or saints; a life without disasters or misfortunes was the Old Ancestor’s greatest wish for them.
Then came the guidance Li Xinnian had expected.
“Act carefully. You are someone who has been the Patriarch. At your current age, and with all the family has experienced, you know perfectly well what you should and shouldn’t do.”
The spirit tablet floated up and out of the Peerless Hall.
The Old Ancestor’s voice also faded ethereally. Li Xinnian exhaled a long breath.
He could feel the massive battle outside the Peerless Hall, realizing that the family had long prepared countermeasures for his following Su Chen to the Peerless Hall.
The Old Ancestor was as protective as always, and he smiled in relief.
Since childhood, he had wanted to become a person like the Old Ancestor, sheltering everyone in the family.
That was why he became the Patriarch.
He followed the stories passed down through generations in the family, wanting to become a wise, decisive, and resolute person like the Old Ancestor, doing everything in his power to protect the family.
Over the centuries, he always felt he was lacking something.
But at this moment, with the Old Ancestor’s appearance, he finally understood that by unhesitatingly severing his benevolent thoughts and exhausting every means to become stronger, he had finally earned the Old Ancestor’s approval.
He had finally become the person the Old Ancestor hoped he would be!
Instantly, Li Xinnian’s gaze turned icy cold.
He rapidly devoured the Peerless Hall cultivators blocking his path and headed into the depths of the Peerless Hall, where Su Chen was slaughtering his way through.
Entering his sight.
Was a woman sitting cross-legged in the main hall of the Peerless Hall, and Su Chen standing before her with a complex gaze.
“So this is Mu Xueqing, the woman Eldest Brother remains obsessed with seeking revenge upon even after sixty thousand years?”
Li Xinnian murmured. He rubbed his fingers together in thought, not knowing exactly what came to mind, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
“I wonder if Mu Xueqing, having been Min Tiange’s Dao Companion for sixty thousand years, counts as Min Tiange’s soft spot.”
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