Chapter 199: Falling into Madness! Slaying the Demon!
Zhu Wushi's impassioned declaration left the entire court deep in thought.
To be fair, the Virtuous Prince had done many outrageous things over the years—calling his reputation disgraceful was hardly an exaggeration. If he were to become Emperor, he truly would be unfit to command respect.
In plain terms, it would be a national embarrassment.
The officials would feel humiliated. The common people even more so.
If someone asked who would make a suitable new emperor, there would probably be no consensus for a while. But if the question were who should definitely not ascend the throne—the answer would be strikingly unanimous.
Yan Song suddenly spoke up: "The Marquis is right. If the Virtuous Prince claims the throne, wouldn't the Great Ming Dynasty become a laughingstock? Generations of emperors' efforts would be in vain. I swear on my life, I will never consent to his succession."
Chu Yang's gaze lingered on Yan Song's neck. After a moment's thought, he chose not to strike. Li Gexiao still had a blood feud to settle with him.
A promise to a good friend wasn't something to be taken lightly.
However, the flash of killing intent from Chu Yang was enough to terrify the elderly Yan Song to his core. A chill surged straight to the top of his skull, and the words he'd planned to say were choked in his throat.
"I suggest Elder Yan choose your words more carefully. Holding back from killing you is honestly quite difficult."
Chu Yang offered the warning with a calm, almost kind tone.
Thud!
The elderly grand secretary collapsed to the ground in fright, his legs giving out beneath him. His snow-white beard trembled, and he didn't even dare to lift his head to look at Chu Yang.
"Virtuous Prince, what are you trying to do?"
"Elder Yan merely spoke the truth, and you want to kill him for it?"
"Do any of the civil or military officials truly support you? Are you planning to kill them all right here?"
"With such violent tendencies, even if you became Emperor, you'd be nothing but a tyrant!"
Zhu Wushi seized the moment and began inciting the officials again, fanning their fear and anger toward Chu Yang.
Indeed, the civil and military officials, regardless of faction, were furious at Chu Yang's behavior.
As the saying goes: when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves. If even Grand Secretary Yan could be threatened, then the rest of them would be even easier targets.
"What a hassle," Chu Yang muttered, shaking his head. He stood and pointed to the empty dragon throne. "How about this? Royal Uncle, you've been talking so much—why not take a seat and rest a while? We can continue afterward."
All eyes turned to Zhu Wushi, whose face darkened.
"I don't know what nonsense you're spouting."
"Don't you want to sit in that chair, Royal Uncle?"
"I don't—"
Halfway through his sentence, Zhu Wushi faltered. With everyone watching, he couldn't bring himself to say the words I don't want to sit on the throne. If he nodded now, what face would he have left to vie for power later?
"Zhu Wushi, don't you ever get tired of living like this?"
"You betrayed Gu Santong back then just to steal his wife. The Eight Great Sects and the Four Chief Constables of the Ministry of Justice all died because of you."
"It was you who drained their inner strength with the Absorption Technique."
Chu Yang looked at Zhu Wushi mockingly. "Atop Tianshan, you only won half a palm strike against Gu Santong by using your beloved woman. You turned her into a living corpse. What right do you have to point fingers at anyone else's character?"
Zhu Wushi's face shifted again and again, nearly losing control of his mind. Chu Yang had just revealed his greatest, most shameful secret in front of everyone.
Everyone in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was stunned, and then their gazes—laced with suspicion, curiosity, or disgust—turned toward Zhu Wushi.
"You shameless brat! Utter nonsense!"
Zhu Wushi could no longer let Chu Yang continue. If he did, every last one of his secrets would be dragged into the light. Enraged and humiliated, he suddenly struck.
He raised his right hand like a claw, radiating a strange, faint purple light.
A terrifying suction force followed. The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony trembled.
The officials no longer cared about discussing a new emperor—they fled in a panic, scrambling over one another to escape the impending battle.
"It really is the Absorption Technique!"
The deep-set eyes of Lord Zhuge shone brightly. This was his first time seeing this legendary martial art in action, and his mind drifted momentarily.
In the past, the Twin Heroes of Heaven and Earth—his master Wei Qingqing and the eccentric from Heaven Pool—were revered for their unparalleled skills. Wei Qingqing embodied elegance, the other, eccentricity.
Both were among the first generation of martial artists to undergo bloodline renewal and develop true energy after the world's great upheaval.
They had pioneered the current martial path.
Lord Zhuge had always respected the Heaven Pool Eccentric, and was deeply curious about his two signature techniques—Indestructible Vajra Art and Absorption Technique.
What kind of martial arts could rival the numerous secret arts of the Zizai Sect?
He chose to remain a bystander—for now. His curiosity about the Heaven Pool Eccentric's skills was matched only by his interest in Chu Yang's strength.
Seeing Zhu Wushi strike at Chu Yang, Guo Bujing, Cao Zhengchun, and the others moved to intervene—only to be stopped by Lord Zhuge.
"Hold your ground. Let's see how the Prince handles this. The world is bound to fall into his hands sooner or later."
At his words, Guo Bujing frowned slightly, but backed down. Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian also halted their advance.
Chu Yang had deliberately provoked Zhu Wushi. He had no patience for political games. It was better to beat the old fox into submission.
Zhu Wushi, now shrouded in faint purple true energy, radiated a sinister aura—hardly that of a righteous martial artist. Chu Yang could sense it: his true energy was steeped in demonic and bestial power.
"You didn't just absorb the strength of human experts to enhance your cultivation—you targeted the demon race as well. There's even the taint of demonic beings in you."
"Zhu Wushi, you've already fallen into the demonic path."
Chu Yang looked upon the once-proud Iron-Guts Marquis with pity. Perhaps the moment Gu Santong surpassed him, Zhu Wushi had already strayed from the righteous path.
His words sent shockwaves through the hall.
"Zhu Wushi, are you insane?!"
Even Lord Zhuge lost composure, cursing in both shock and rage.
"Hahaha! Demons eat humans—why can't humans eat demons? Not only will I devour demons, I'll devour great demons, demon kings! I'll swallow them whole, turn them into my strength, and cleanse this world!"
Zhu Wushi raved, his aura becoming more and more demonic.
The Absorption Technique's power skyrocketed. The Hall of Supreme Harmony trembled, and even Lord Zhuge's group felt its effects.
A bizarre, unnatural force—not belonging to any martial path—suppressed everyone's bodies. Apart from Lord Zhuge, none of the others could move.
"This is bad. Zhu Wushi has entered the demon path and broken through to the Grandmaster realm. Everyone, get out of here!"
Realizing the danger, Zhuge Zhengwo spread his arms, wielding them like twin spears, and unleashed his unique skill—The Stunning Strike.
With a single punch, his true energy surged forward like a tidal wave, exploding before him. The blast disrupted the overwhelming suction momentarily.
As the pull weakened, Yu Huatian managed to move again. His first instinct was to draw his sword and strike, eyes locked on Zhu Wushi's vital point—until Zheng Dongliu's warning rang out.
"Don't get close! The Absorption Technique can drain you from a distance. Your sword won't reach him before your strength is gone. Listen to the Lord!"
With that, Zheng Dongliu and Cao Zhengchun withdrew from the hall.
Guo Bujing and Yu Huatian hesitated briefly, but followed. They knew the gap between Grandmaster and regular Master was vast as a chasm.
If not for Zhuge Zhengwo's intervention, Zhu Wushi could've killed them all in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, only three people remained in the hall.
Though enraged at Zhuge Zhengwo for disrupting his technique, Zhu Wushi had no time to deal with him. Chu Yang was the more pressing threat.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was on the verge of collapse, but Chu Yang, standing beside the dragon throne, remained calm and composed, completely unaffected.
Even Lord Zhuge hadn't escaped the Absorption Technique's effects—so how was Chu Yang immune?
A sliver of unease crept into Zhu Wushi's heart—but it was quickly drowned out by a rising tide of madness. The "demonic nature" was rapidly corroding his reason. If he couldn't settle things quickly, he might truly lose his humanity.
His arrogance wasn't without merit. After fusing demonic energy into the Absorption Technique, he had gained partial control. So long as he exited the demonic state before reaching a threshold, he wouldn't be too affected—his personality might become more violent, but that was manageable.
At least, that was what he believed.
In truth, the old Zhu Wushi would've kept his cool, arguing with Chu Yang point by point. Given the Virtuous Prince's tainted reputation, the court was more likely to side with him in the end.
But now, none of that mattered.
Zhu Wushi's response had confirmed every accusation Chu Yang had made. His only path forward was to kill his opponent—no other option remained.
And so, ignoring the ever-present threat of Zhuge Zhengwo, Zhu Wushi unleashed the full power of the Absorption Technique and advanced toward Chu Yang.
As he drew near, Chu Yang finally moved, stepping down the platform.
"Heaven Pool Eccentric's Absorption Technique truly is remarkable. I didn't think it could even absorb demonic energy."
"Before you die, let me see the full extent of its power."
Zhu Wushi sneered. He had complete faith in the Absorption Technique—Chu Yang was just throwing his life away.
The two met on the steps. At such close range, not even a god could escape the Absorption Technique. Zhu Wushi pushed his cultivation to the limit and reached out to seize Chu Yang.
Chu Yang was faster. He seized Zhu Wushi's wrist with a reverse grip and smiled.
"If you want it—take it!"
In that instant, countless energies from innumerable worlds—each with a different system—were forcibly channeled by Chu Yang into Zhu Wushi's body, flowing through the Absorption Technique into every inch of him.
First to enter was Chu Yang's true essence.
In the the other world, Chu Yang had pursued the path of the Dao through martial arts, reaching the peak of the Refining Spirit to Return to the Void stage. His true essence was fundamentally different from that of Ming Dynasty martial artists.
It carried a trace of immortal spirit energy—something Zhu Wushi had never encountered.
Just one taste nearly sent Zhu Wushi into ecstasy. His skull tingled. The true essence, imbued with immortal spirit energy, was unimaginably nourishing. If he could absorb it all, he might reach an unprecedented pinnacle.
The experience was intoxicating. Greed overwhelmed him. His final shred of reason was gone. All he could think about was draining every drop of Chu Yang's power.
"No rush—take your time. The good stuff's still coming."
Chu Yang's tone was gentle, yet Lord Zhuge, watching from nearby, felt a chill run down his spine. That composure was terrifying—it made him hesitate to intervene.
Zhu Wushi's pupils turned blood-red, like a beast in frenzy. The Absorption Technique ran at a pace far beyond what he could bear.
The true essence flooded in endlessly. Before he could process it, more surged into him. For the first time in his life, Zhu Wushi felt stuffed.
He trembled, instinctively trying to pull away—but Chu Yang's grip on his wrist was like an iron vice. He couldn't break free.
"Already full?"
"Eat a bit more. Don't make people think I can't afford to feed you."
From countless worlds, each with its own unique power system, Chu Yang forcefully poured them all into Zhu Wushi's body in an instant. Then, with the suction force of the Great Absorption Technique, the energies surged into his limbs and bones.
Cursed energy, spiritual power, chakra, magic—an array of bizarre, unimaginable forces blossomed all at once within Zhu Wushi.
Zhu Wushi, who craved power, was now being tormented by it. The agony he endured was beyond what any ordinary person could fathom, and it was steadily eroding his will.
At the brink of life and death, the power of demons completely overtook Zhu Wushi's body. His human-sized form instantly expanded to a height of over ten meters, and his appearance began to transform into that of a demon.
It was Chu Yang's first time witnessing a human's demonification. The process was anything but pleasant—utterly revolting, in fact. The way the body tore itself apart and reassembled was steeped in primitive gore.
The spreading foul aura only made things worse, bombarding the senses and posing a brutal test of willpower.
As his body swelled further, Zhu Wushi finally smashed through the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The grand hall teetered for a moment before collapsing entirely into broken rubble.
The officials who had already fled the hall stared at the scene in horror. When they saw Zhu Wushi in his monstrous form, their fear turned to terror—they bolted without a second glance.
After the chaos settled, only two civil officials remained.
Zhang Juzheng.
The other was a man with a stern face and piercing eyes that seemed to see through people.
Having previously witnessed Zhang Juzheng's resolve, Zheng Dongliu fully understood why he had stayed behind. But the other man intrigued him.
"And what is your name, sir?"
"Your humble servant, Hai Rui, greets Lord Zheng."
"Oh? So you're the legendary 'Hai Qingtian' the common folk speak so highly of?"
"I wouldn't dare claim the title of 'Qingtian.'"
The moment the name "Hai Rui" was spoken, even Cao Zhengchun and Yuhuatian couldn't help but regard him with newfound respect. His reputation was formidable, and his temper infamous—so much so that even they preferred not to provoke him.
All this time, his name had been heard far and wide, but no one had seen him in person—until now.
Guo Bujing asked, "Lord Hai, is this your first time seeing a demon?"
Hai Rui shook his head. "I'm from the South."
Guo Bujing nodded. Since he was from the South, he had surely encountered demons before.
Hai Rui's eyes blazed as he stared at the monstrous form Zhu Wushi had become, and he asked calmly, "Can Lord Zhuge defeat this demon?"
Zheng Dongliu sighed. "This demon was once the Iron-Guts Divine Marquis. He's not a typical demon, so it's… unlikely."
"Is that so?" Hai Rui looked disappointed, but then smiled freely. "For a scholar-official, dying for one's country is only right."
Guo Bujing declared firmly, "Lord Zhuge may not be enough—but the Prince will surely slay this beast."
Just as he finished speaking, a figure emerged from the ruins.
Shouldering the sun and moon.
Treading upon starlight.
Wielding an ancient black sword.
Under Hai Rui's stunned gaze, a flash of swordlight lit up the entire sky.
When the light faded—
There was no demon left in sight.