txolops Chapter 187 Sudden Change of Events, Blood Stained the Dragon Throne
Chapter 187 Sudden Change of Events, Blood Stained the Dragon Throne
The capital of the Great Yan Kingdom was in the dead of winter.
Snowflakes, as fine as goose feathers, fell from the depths of the gray sky.
A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the white marble square outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The snowfield was covered with crisscrossing dark red icicles, which were frozen blood.
The thousands of golden-armored imperial guards who were originally protecting the imperial city were now lying scattered on the square.
Their golden armor was completely intact.
The flesh beneath the armor was withered like pieces of dead wood, all its life force forcibly drained in an instant.
A biting north wind swept across the empty square, stirring up snowflakes and a thick stench of blood, which then poured into the wide-open gates of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Inside the main hall, a nine-dragon gilded throne sits high above.
On the golden brick floor beneath the throne, an old man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe knelt.
The emperor of the Great Yan Kingdom, once the supreme ruler who could decide the life and death of millions with a single word, was trembling, his crown had fallen to the ground, his gray hair was disheveled and draped over his shoulders, and tears and snot mingled together, covering his old face full of wrinkles.
Beside the emperor, the Grand Eunuch Wang Deshui was pinned to a golden dragon pillar by several dark red, blood-red nails.
This innate martial arts master, who usually wielded immense power within the palace, was having his flesh slowly peeled away.
Every drop of blood that seeped from his body would transform into a tiny blood-red lotus flower in mid-air.
The intense pain caused Wang Deshui to let out a scream that sounded inhuman, but the scream was blocked by the invisible spiritual energy barrier in the hall and did not leak out.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock."
Footsteps echoed in the empty hall.
Hua Moyang slowly emerged from the shadows deep within the main hall.
Ten years have passed, and the skinny girl who used to dig in the mud and water of the mass grave has now grown into a graceful young woman.
She wore a wide, dark red robe that was very similar to that of the Blood Swordsman, and stood barefoot on the cold, icy gold bricks.
Her long, jet-black hair was casually draped behind her head, and the blood-red lotus mark between her brows was eerily strange.
ten years.
She did not choose to remain silent, nor did she choose to plot in the shadows like a rat.
Since that rainy night ten years ago, when her master passed on the Blood Demon Fusion Pill technique in the underground ancestral hall, she has completely let go of her inhibitions.
The entire capital of the Great Yan Kingdom lies buried beneath the resentment and blood of millions of mortals left behind by the Central Plains Demonic Sect, as well as the remains and blood essence of dozens of Golden Core cultivators and two Nascent Soul cultivators, which serve as the best tonic for improving one's cultivation level.
Hua Moyang sat in the center of the dried-up blood pool, using the most domineering and tragic method to swallow all the remaining corpse energy, resentment, and demonic energy into her body.
She slaughtered all the palace guards who had sensed something amiss, and also killed all the outside cultivators who were trying to explore the underground.
Whoever blocks her path, she will drain their blood.
Three days ago, she finally triggered the backflow of spiritual energy from the East Continent, condensing a flawless demonic golden core from the ground beneath the imperial palace.
The moment her golden core was formed, she burst forth from the earth, directly sealing off the entire Great Yan Imperial Palace.
Now, Hua Moyang stood before the emperor, looking down at the biological father who had given her flesh and blood, and who had also bestowed upon her endless suffering.
"Who are you? Where are my imperial guards?! Guards! Protect the Emperor!"
The old emperor stared at the red-robed woman before him, who resembled a demon, his teeth chattering as he uttered incoherent words.
Hua Moyang didn't speak, but slowly extended her pale, jade-like right hand.
An invisible suction force erupted.
Wang Deshui, nailed to the dragon pillar, let out a desperate scream.
The last drop of blood from his heart was forcibly extracted, and his entire body turned into a gray skeleton, which shattered on the ground with a crash.
The blood from her heart condensed into a crystal-clear bead in Hua Moyang's palm.
She casually flicked the blood droplets at the old emperor.
The drop of blood struck the old emperor's knee precisely and exploded instantly.
The old emperor's legs were severed at the root, the cuts were smooth as a mirror, sealed shut by blood and qi.
The old emperor writhed on the ground in agony, screaming like a pig being slaughtered.
"When I was six years old, when this old eunuch brought poisoned wine to the side hall, you were practicing calligraphy in the imperial study. You heard my mother's pleas for help, but you disregarded her lowly birth and feared that she would tarnish the royal family's reputation, so you turned a deaf ear."
Hua Moyang's voice was calm, yet more terrifying than a hysterical roar.
"When I was ten years old, you issued an imperial edict exiling me to Fengling City. That winter was very cold, and I almost froze to death in a dilapidated temple. You sat in a heated pavilion with an underfloor heating system, admiring the snow, and wrote a sentimental poem that whitewashed the situation."
Hua Moyang walked up to the old emperor, a blood-red blade formed from her spiritual power pressed against his neck.
The old emperor trembled violently, his cloudy eyes staring at the familiar outline between Hua Moyang's eyebrows, and suddenly his eyes widened.
"You...you are that palace maid's bastard child! You didn't die in Fengling City..."
"Thanks to you, I survived."
Hua Moyang's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Not only did I survive, but I also met a master who gave me a new life. And my master taught me that a demon cultivator should treat all things as straw dogs. So, I will take back the debts you owe me, principal and interest."
Hua Moyang did not give the old emperor another chance to speak.
She raised her foot and stepped directly on the old emperor's head.
The immense magical power of the Golden Core stage erupted.
The old emperor's head shattered like a watermelon run over by a cart.
The mangled corpse quickly dried up and was trampled into ashes by Hua Moyang.
The emperor of the Great Yan Kingdom, who had reigned for forty-two years, vanished without a trace.
Hua Moyang stepped over the ashes on the ground, walked up the white jade steps, and finally sat down on the nine-dragon gold-lacquered throne that represented the highest power in the mortal world.
She rested her ashes-covered instep on the edge of the dragon throne, propped her chin on her left hand, and gazed at the swirling snow outside the palace with her crimson eyes.
The Great Yan Kingdom has a new master from this day forward.
She not only wants to be the Empress of Great Yan, but also to completely transform this mortal territory into the largest blood bank under her master's command.
……
It was hundreds of thousands of miles away from the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom.
Cangxuan Sect, Wangyue Main Peak.
On the towering mountain peaks, ancient pines stand tall and strong, while the sea of clouds churns and surges.
A cold, sharp wind blew against the Listening to the Wind Pavilion on the mountaintop, and the bronze wind chimes hanging from the corners of the pavilion emitted a low, resonant sound.
Inside the Listening to the Wind Pavilion, there is a warm, smooth white marble table.
Zhou Chongyue, the Grand Elder of the Cangxuan Sect, wore a white Tai Chi robe, his white hair fluttering in the wind.
He sat on the stone bench, his brows furrowed, staring at the communication jade slip on the table that had just flashed red light.
The person sitting opposite him was Mo Tianwen, the Grand Elder of the Guixu Sect.
Mo Tianwen was dressed in a wide, black sword robe, carrying an ancient longsword on his back, his face equally gloomy.
Ten years have passed, and both of them have aged considerably as their hearts have grown weary, with lingering weariness and apprehension in their eyes.
The purple clay teapot on the stone table was brewing top-grade spiritual tea, and the rising steam covered the sighs of the two people.
"Our spies in the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom have just sent back top-secret information."
Zhou Chongyue took a deep breath, her voice a little hoarse, "The royal family has been destroyed. The remnant of the underground ancestral hall calamity ten years ago, an unknown female demon, slaughtered the core of the royal family in the Taihe Hall today and ascended the throne as emperor. The 300,000 imperial guards within the Great Yan Kingdom were all placed with blood curses by her overnight and became her puppets."
Upon hearing this, Mo Tianwen tightened his grip on the teacup, and with a snap, the hard, top-grade spirit jade teacup turned to powder in his hand.
"What audacity! A mere demonic witch dares to openly occupy a secular dynasty and disregard the rules of the righteous path of Dongzhou."
Mo Tianwen laughed in extreme anger, but his laughter was tinged with a sense of powerlessness.
Zhou Chongyue gave a wry smile and reached out to brush away the jade powder on the table.
"Elder Mo, what's the use of us getting angry here? That demoness dares to be so blatant, is it because of her newly formed Golden Core cultivation? She's relying on the monster standing behind her."
When the monster was mentioned, the two exchanged a glance and remained silent.
The massacre in the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom ten years ago is a thorn in the side of both the Cangxuan and Guixu sects.
In that battle, all of the more than one hundred core disciples at the Golden Core stage sent by the two sects were wiped out.
Elders Lin Xuanji and Song Que, both at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, exhausted their own resources and risked the destruction of their foundations to escape back to their sect.
For the past ten years, Lin Xuanji and Song Que have been barely surviving in Medicine King Valley, struggling even to get out of bed.
However, the intelligence they brought back instilled a deep-seated fear in the entire Dongzhou leadership.
The Nascent Soul stage ancestor of the Central Plains Holy Sect disregarded the backlash from the boundary wall and sent down a projection of his divine sense, only to have it shattered by the mysterious red-robed swordsman with a single sword strike.
The pool of blood, formed from the resentment and blood of millions of mortals, was completely swallowed up by that person with a single open mouth.
Such a blood-path demonic art, which seizes the power of heaven and earth and disregards the rules, is simply unheard of.
"For the past ten years, the reason why our two sects have kept the news of the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom blocked, and even dared not send out spies from the outskirts, is because we are afraid of angering that terrifying Blood Swordsman."
Mo Tianwen sighed deeply, his tone filled with profound helplessness. "My Guixu Sect Master is in the deadly retreat in the back mountain, attempting to break through the Nascent Soul barrier, and has yet to emerge. Your Cangxuan Sect Master is traveling the world in search of a breakthrough opportunity, and has not been heard from since. Now, the righteous path in Dongzhou is leaderless. With only our late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, if that red-robed swordsman were to truly attack our doorstep, what would we use to defend ourselves?"
Zhou Chongyue picked up the slightly cooled tea and took a sip, gazing into the depths of the sea of clouds, as if trying to find a sliver of solace in the ethereal mist.
"Brother Mo, there's no need to be too pessimistic. Although that Blood Swordsman is terrifying, he has disappeared for the past ten years. Presumably, that sword strike back then caused him considerable backlash, and he is currently in seclusion somewhere to recover. As for that female demon's claim to be an empress, she is merely ruling over a mountain. As long as she doesn't lead her demon army into our sect's territory, we can turn a blind eye to worldly affairs."
Zhou Chongyue paused, "Moreover, our Dongzhou is not without hope. Our young friend Gu from the Liuyun Sect has been recuperating in the bamboo building for the past ten years. Back then, in order to stop our two sects from fighting each other, he forcibly severed his Dao foundation. This compassionate and righteous act has long become a monument in the hearts of the younger generation of Dongzhou."
Upon hearing Gu Changsheng's name, Mo Tianwen's cold and stern expression softened considerably, and he nodded solemnly.
"Young friend Gu is indeed a rare and outstanding talent throughout history. I heard that a few days ago, golden light was faintly appearing above his bamboo house, as if his Dao foundation was showing signs of recovery. His mysterious and unpredictable Nascent Soul stage master must have left behind many extraordinary methods. As long as young friend Gu can recover to his original state, with his talent and the power behind him, he will surely become the pillar of our Eastern Continent in resisting the demonic path."
The two powerful elders of Dongzhou comforted each other atop the sea of clouds.
They blamed all their fear on the red-robed swordsman who had never shown himself, and placed all their hopes on the reclusive and compassionate Gu Changsheng.
They had no idea that these two extreme beings, who represented extreme evil and extreme good in their minds, were actually the same person.
What they didn't know was that everything that happened in the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom was part of the young man's plan from beginning to end, who was playing chess in the bamboo house.
……
The Flowing Cloud Sect is located deep in a secluded bamboo forest in the back mountain.
Sunlight filters through the emerald green bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows.
A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves.
Inside the bamboo building, Gu Yan, dressed in a spotless white robe, sat cross-legged in front of a carved sandalwood chessboard.
His face was even more gentle and refined than it had been ten years ago, and his dark eyes seemed to devour all the light.
There was no opponent on the chessboard, only himself.
Holding a white piece in the left hand represents the righteous path; holding a black piece in the right hand represents the demonic path.
Gu Yan held a cool black piece between his fingertips and gently placed it on the center point of the chessboard.
"Smack."
The crisp sound of the pieces being placed echoed in the quiet bamboo house.
A faint smile appeared on Gu Yan's lips.
He had just sensed the pull of some unseen force.
Far away in the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom, Hua Moyang has successfully formed a top-grade demonic golden core and ascended to the throne of the Great Yan Dynasty.
This means that the chess piece he planted in the mortal world has finally grown into a towering tree.
The entire Great Yan Kingdom, with its hundreds of millions of mortals and vast territory, will henceforth become his backyard from which he continuously extracts life force and resentment.
Those righteous sects that feared the reputation of that red-robed swordsman would never dare to easily interfere in the internal affairs of the Great Yan Kingdom.
"After ten years of planning, we have finally managed to break up the chessboard of Dongzhou."
Gu Yan picked up a cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp.
In his dantian (energy center).
The three-inch divine demon nascent soul that sat cross-legged emitted a sacred and inviolable golden light on its left side, while its right side flowed with an incomparably violent dark red blood energy.
After ten years of reflection and absorption, Gu Yan's current cultivation level has reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage.
It's only a matter of time before reaching the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
But he wasn't in a hurry at all; he wanted to continue playing the role of Gu Changsheng, a saint who endured humiliation and hardship.
Let Cangxuan Sect and Guixu Sect continue to send all kinds of top-grade healing medicines and rare treasures to Liuyun Sect.
His clone, the Blood Swordsman, would reappear at the appropriate time, using absolute fear to drive these righteous sects to unite more closely around him, their "spiritual leader."
Gu Yan put down his teacup, picked up a white chess piece from the chess box, and casually tossed it onto the chessboard.
"In this world of cultivation, the so-called righteous and the demonic are nothing more than fish on a chopping board."
Gu Yan looked at the bamboo forest swaying in the wind outside the window, his eyes clear yet cold.
"The one who truly wields the knife will always be me."