Although she said it like that, as Su Huaiying gazed at the golden barrier before her, her eyes involuntarily grew misty.
That man wasn't dead.. In her heart, she was overwhelmingly joyful and relieved.
Just a few days ago, at the border of Liangyang, she had practically died once.
Not a death of the body, but the death of spirit, of utter despair and of complete emotional collapse.
Even within the endless cycles of the Great Void Illusion Realm, she had been able to maintain her clarity and resist until Chen Kuang arrived to break the illusion.
Because at least during that time, her mother was still by her side..
No matter what had happened along the way, no matter how many hardships they endured, Chu Wenruo had always been one of her most important sources of emotional strength.
Moreover, there was Chen Kuang's bizarre corpse, constantly reminding her of the difference between the illusion and reality.
But after that battle with the Martial Saint, both of her spiritual pillars had collapsed in a single night, Chen Kuang was killed by the Martial Saint, and her most trusted and beloved mother turned out to be an ancient demon!
The woman as pale as moonlight who took Chen Kuang's corpse and left, after that, Su Huaiying's world flipped upside down. Her heart was in chaos, and she muddled along as she was escorted by Wen Si into the Yang Kingdom.
After burying Chu Wenruo's "corpse," Qingcuo bid her farewell midway and turned back toward the Zhou Kingdom.
Su Huaiying did not stop her. Everything before her eyes seemed covered in a gray haze, no longer able to stir her heart in the slightest.
But soon, after sitting in a daze for a night, Su Huaiying pulled herself together once again, after all, she still had a mission.
The tens of thousands of souls from the Liang Kingdom were now on her shoulders. She still had to revive her nation and complete the task her father had failed to accomplish.
Chen Kuang had died by the Martial Saint's hand, all for indirectly protecting her. That blood debt could not be left unpaid.
And her mother, this dearest person to her, just what was she, truly? That was something she had to find out in person. She would seek out Chu Wenruo and demand the truth face to face.
And since she was already in the Yang Kingdom, Su Huaiying's first step would be to enter the ancient treasure's secret realm and obtain the capital to begin her rise.
Her experiences within the illusion told her that not long from now, the Yang Kingdom would erupt in a large-scale rebellion, and the trigger would be the emergence of an ancient artifact within the Yang Kingdom...
At that moment, Zhang Zhizhou found her once more.
This eldest disciple of Liberty Mountain who had supported her all throughout the illusion had, indeed, not died!
Back then, Zhang Zhizhou had faked his death. After the fall of the Liang Kingdom, this man secretly escaped and had been tailing them all along, observing from the shadows.
It wasn't until now that he approached Su Huaiying again.
Su Huaiying, well aware of this guy's personality, held no grudge for his inaction or seeming indifference.
Besides his remarkable intelligence and strategy, Zhang Zhizhou was essentially a self-centered lunatic with his own internal logic.
When he wanted to do something, no one, aside from the venerable Teacher, could stop him.
When he didn't want to do something, even the venerable Teacher couldn't make him do it.
Moreover, their enemy had been the Martial Saint. Who in the world could stand against a Saint?
Thus, upon regaining this ally, Su Huaiying actually felt relieved.
Wen Si, after all, was Chen Kuang's senior brother, not her ally. Though she could trust him, he was not someone she could truly consider "her own."
And Wen Si had his own mission to undertake.
In his words: he was going to "settle an old account" with some ancient bastard who once beat him senseless.
As for Su Huaiying, she went to Yongan prefecture, to the Yongan River, to seize the "Reversal Bell" within.
Along the way, all she saw were displaced refugees and starved corpses scattered across the land, gruesome sights that did not reflect the image of a prosperous nation in the slightest.
Su Huaiying understood: this was the turning point where the Yang Kingdom's glory would begin to decline.
The Department of Shennong and the imperial court of the Yang Kingdom had sealed off the news and sacrificed an entire province's populace to protect their interests, thereby igniting a rebellion that would sweep across the nation.
But the secret realm was only a fuse. The true force behind the eruption was the rebellion led by the Jiangnan King in Zangfeng Prefecture.
By leveraging the chaos in Yongan prefecture, the Jiangnan King would fan the flames in Zangfeng Prefecture, exploiting the conflict between demons and the Department of Shennong.
What could have been a small, containable spark would be rapidly set ablaze!
the Yang Kingdom would split in two from then on, divided at the Yongan River, and a civil war would rage on for more than a decade.
In one of the illusion's countless cycles, Su Huaiying had used this as a foundation to pull the Yang Kingdom into the war against the Zhou Kingdom.
But after Su Huaiying came out of the secret realm, she saw that massive finger descend from the heavens, sealing the entire Zhangfeng Prefecture.
Aside from shock, a massive question mark rose in her heart, a Saint had made a move, but why now?
This did not match the timeline she had come to know.
Even if she had taken the Reversal Bell early, things should not have changed so drastically. The rebellion in Yongan prefecture wasn't supposed to begin until half a month later.
Right now, Zhangfeng Prefecture should have been completely peaceful. The Saint had no reason to act now...
Unless, some unforeseen variable had been introduced.
Su Huaiying's heart jumped.
In all those countless cycles of reincarnation, the course of events had never changed.
Only someone from outside the cycle could alter them.
If not Su Huaiying, then who else?
"It's Chen Kuang."
At that moment, Zhang Zhizhou finally told her, Chen Kuang was not dead.
That day, Zhang Zhizhou had already known of Chen Kuang's intentions. That was why he played go with Lin Eryou, he was simply toying with him, offering veiled hints along the way.
His comment that "Chen Kuang must die in the Liang Kingdom" had meant that Chen Kuang would fake his death and escape.
And now, the Saint's intervention was most likely because Chen Kuang had been discovered.
Su Huaiying's face remained expressionless:
"You knew all along, why are you only telling me now?"
Zhang Zhizhou clasped his hands and said:
"Do not be angry, Your Highness. Firstly, it was to avoid drawing attention."
"A Saint is not someone you can easily deceive. If I had shouted it out that day, it would've harmed Chen Kuang instead."
"Secondly, I wanted to see whether Your Highness would be swayed by personal feelings. I admit, this was my own selfish intention..."
Su Huaiying was briefly at a loss for words.
Personal feelings? What nonsense... what personal feelings did she even have for Chen Kuang?!
She tried to refute it, but the words caught in her throat. In the end, she could only manage:
"There will be no next time!"
After calming herself down, Su Huaiying found a stone to sit on, her feet dangling in the air as she frowned:
"That female Saint of the Yang Kingdom... I remember she's always been reclusive and never involved in worldly matters. Why would she suddenly make a move against Chen Kuang?"
Zhang Zhizhou smiled:
"It's not just her. Soon enough, there might even be people from the Zhou Kingdom arriving. I hope Your Highness is prepared."
Su Huaiying was stunned.
The Zhou people weren't coming for her, but for him?
Then, her pupils suddenly constricted as a terrifying possibility crossed her mind.
"The Elixir of Immortality... has it been with him this entire time?!"
Zhang Zhizhou nodded, narrowing his eyes:
"Back in the illusion, when Chen Kuang and I went to find Su Yu's corpse, we saw his severed head staring at Chen Kuang and, speaking."
"He spoke and declared: 'The heavens have their Mandate, and nations have their Fate. So long as the nation stands, the Emperor shall not die.'"
"At that moment, I knew, perhaps... the so-called 'Elixir of Immortality' never existed at all. What truly existed... was the delusion of a fallen king."
Su Huaiying remained silent for a moment, before voicing an astonishing conjecture:
"The Elixir of Immortality... is National Fate?"
Zhang Zhizhou only shrugged:
"Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn't. Perhaps... it's both."
Su Huaiying: "..."
If she didn't know Zhang Zhizhou's way of speaking, how he always sounded like a riddler, yet his every word concealed the truth, she would've already leapt up and slapped her strategist across the face, telling him to speak like a normal person.
"In any case," Zhang Zhizhou continued, "Chen Kuang is now most likely exposed under the eyes of the Saint. And I remember that although this female Saint typically doesn't concern herself with worldly matters, once she's decided on something, she becomes completely and utterly fanatical."
Su Huaiying let out a sigh:
"He really is a headache."
...
Chen Kuang stood hidden in the shadows, experiencing firsthand what it was like to "sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight."
He narrowed his eyes, remaining motionless. Not far off, Cang Xing and his disciples were engaged in a fierce battle against the hundreds of soldiers under Wen Chai's command.
Boom!
Cang Xing shot forward, leaping between blazing houses, charging straight at Wen Chai. Among the soldiers were several cultivators who had originally pledged loyalty to the Jiangnan King.
Seeing Cang Xing rush forward like an arrow released from the bowstring, those cultivators stepped forth to intercept him.
But Cang Xing only bellowed:
"Good! Come, then!"
The first to block his path took a deep breath, veins bulging on his arms. Both of his palms instantly turned pitch black, as hard and glossy as refined steel.
That cultivator leapt high into the air and struck out with his palm.
"Vajra Palm?" Cang Xing's gaze sharpened. But he neither dodged nor evaded. He too struck with a palm, calmly saying:
"Well-trained. A pity."
Boom!
Two pairs of palms collided, exploding with a deafening shockwave that swept in all directions. The ground beneath them cracked apart inch by inch, debris and dust blasting outward like a violent gale.
The cultivator who had launched the Vajra Palm was utterly horrified, within the span of three breaths, his arm gave way with a sickening crack.
The wild power from Cang Xing's strike surged from his arm through his entire body as waves rippled across his skin like a churning sea.
His complexion first turned pale, then flushed red, blood surging wildly through his veins before he spat a mouthful out.
He was blasted backward like a kite with a severed string, slamming through a wall, just in time to see the crumbling remains of a collapsing structure come crashing down on him, crushing him to death.
Cang Xing killed one and didn't pause. Three more assailants closed in, and within seconds:
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All three were flung backwards once again, as Cang Xing advanced another several paces.
Of those three, one had insufficient physical durability. The momentum of the strike twisted and tore his muscles apart mid-air, shredding him into pieces.
The remaining two had their backs pierced clean through by the force, five holes blooming open across their torso, like red plum blossoms in full bloom.
This was the origin of Cang Xing's nickname: "Treading Blood to Seek Plum Blossoms."
One could only imagine, had Spiritual Energy not been sealed, Cang Xing's every move would likely have turned his enemies into literal explosions of gore and ash.
Cang Xing was like a storm unleashed while Wen Chai's expression grew darker and darker.
He couldn't understand, why would someone from the Martial Saint Pavilion be aiding Chen Kuang at a time like this?!
If it was all for the Elixir of Immortality, then why had they tried to kill Chen Kuang in the first place? Wasn't that contradictory?
In a fit of urgency, he shouted:
"By doing this, are you declaring that the Martial Saint stands opposed to the Saint of the Yang Kingdom?!"
Cang Xing, brimming with murderous intent and burning with the desire to serve the Martial Saint, spat on the ground and barked:
"Like hell anyone's afraid of that old hag!"
Normally, the name of a Saint would've been enough to make anyone tremble. But Cang Xing now thought:
What do I have to fear? The Martial Saint himself has descended!
He sneered coldly:
"Instead, I should be asking you, are you ready to make the Martial Saint Pavilion your enemy?"
Wen Chai's face twitched.
Why was Cang Xing so resolute? So fearless? Could it be... had the Martial Saint Pavilion known about all this from the beginning? Was this all a setup?
No, Wen Chai didn't mean to insult the Martial Saint, but over the years, the Saint had never been seen to scheme or orchestrate anything...
In the blink of an eye, Cang Xing and his disciples had carved a bloody path through the ranks.
To Chen Kuang, this battle felt less like a grand fantasy spectacle, and more like a return to raw, grounded combat.
Without the embellishment of Spiritual Energy, these techniques, in his eyes, became more and more distinct.
And as he watched Cang Xing kill twenty men using a single set of moves, a sudden flash of insight struck Chen Kuang's mind, he had already comprehended Cang Xing's technique: Plum Blossom Mark!
It was the "Martial Prodigy" passive!
This was the first time Chen Kuang had ever grasped someone else's martial technique simply through observation.
Theoretically, the "Martial Prodigy" passive should indeed allow one to "learn at a glance," but until now, Chen Kuang had always been caught in fights against enemies far beyond his level.
Either he was the one getting instantly killed, or he was the one delivering the instant kill.
He'd never had the luxury of observing someone else's techniques this calmly.
Looking at the others' techniques now, he found them rough and primitive compared to Cang Xing's. It was like night-and-day.
The Martial Saint Pavilion truly did represent the very best of the best.
Then it was no surprise that all across the land, members of the Pavilion had founded their own schools and clans.
If he'd been an ordinary martial cultivator, he might have aspired to join the Pavilion as well.
Unfortunately... now, his goal was to destroy it.
Boom!
Chen Kuang's gaze turned ice-cold as he watched Cang Xing slice through the encirclement and close in on Wen Chai.
In that moment, Chen Kuang's gaze shifted from Cang Xing, to Wen Chai.
["Quiet Night Thoughts" Passive Triggered: After standing still for one hour in the night, you may read the surface thoughts of the first person you lay eyes upon. The effect ends upon any movement.]
Due to its harsh requirements, this was the first time Chen Kuang had ever activated this passive.
But it came at a crucial time.
Because he needed to know Wen Chai's plan, and what his last resort was.
Wen Chai took a deep breath, then clenched and unclenched his fists.
So be it.
If he had to offend the Martial Saint Pavilion, then so be it. After today, the one who would support his ambition... was a Saint!
"Gentlemen," Wen Chai spoke from horseback, bowing his head slightly. "Please act."
In the blink of an eye, two ghost-like silhouettes appeared behind Cang Xing.
Cang Xing instantly reacted, eyes sharp, and spun around to strike with a palm!
Boom!
One of the men forcefully absorbed the blow, while the other slashed down with a sword from above!
These two were not disposable deathsworn, they were the true Grandmaster-tier enforcers backed by the imperial Court.
Wen Chai curled his lips into a cold smile.
But in the next instant, his smile froze.
Because a cold blade was already pressed against his back, directly over his heart.
At this very moment, the two enforcers were entangled with Cang Xing.
The rest of the soldiers were locked in bloody battle with the demons of the Mountain-Sea Alliance.
Like that, Wen Chai had no cards left to play.
His own cultivation was merely at the fifth level of the Tower Ascension Realm, even though he often mocked his elder brother as a useless failure, the truth was, their talents were not so different.
If it weren't for his expertise in battle formations, he'd be nothing special.
And now, the one behind him held a cultivation level just one stage higher.
Chen Kuang stood atop the horse, holding a long sword he had casually picked up from the battlefield and spoke calmly:
"Can your ambition buy you your life?"
Wen Chai's scalp went numb, and he shouted:
"Grandma Wangshu, save me!"
Shlick!
Chen Kuang's sword plunged into Wen Chai's back. The tip of the blade pierced directly into his heart.
From above, a thunderous sigh echoed across the heavens.
Lady Wangshu's voice rang out from far above:
"Let him go. You have won. You may leave the Yang Kingdom."
From the sky, that massive finger descended again, its shadow covering all of Zhangfeng Prefecture. The oppressive aura nearly crushed the breath from everyone present.
This time, the finger was aimed squarely at Chen Kuang.
But Chen Kuang only laughed.
It wasn't a cold laugh. Nor a faint chuckle. It was a twisted, frenzied grin.
"Seal at your whim, kill at your whim, show mercy when you feel like it. How generous. How powerful. The Saint is truly mighty. Whatever you say, becomes law."
"Someone tries to kill me, you support them. You spare me, and I'm supposed to weep in gratitude?"
"What, does everyone in this world have to obey you?!"
He shoved the sword forward.
The tip burst through Jiangnan King Wen Chai's chest, tearing straight through the heart.
Wen Chai's eyes widened. Staring at the sword tip that emerged from his own chest, his gaze trembled in disbelief:
"You..."
Shlick!
Chen Kuang drew the sword back, standing atop the horse, then kicked the corpse down with one strike.