Chapter 95 - 76: Push Open This Gate, Immortal Arrival
Chapter 95: Chapter 76: Push Open This Gate, Immortal Arrival
"When the Zhou People brutalized us, you were nowhere to be seen."
"But now that it’s time to stop the fighting and declare peace, here you are."
"Did you see the Zhou People slaughtering the Liang People? Did you see the Zhou Officials run rampant in our Liang Territory—abusing men, violating women, humiliating our people, and seizing their property?"
"Did you see how the Seven Sects, the hundred-plus Noble Clans, and the might of the Flame Emperor drove us, the Liang People, to our wits’ end?"
"Back then, you didn’t show up to end the war. Tonight, we came prepared to die. Why have you decided to show up now?"
An old man with black hair, a Peak master in the twilight of his life, stepped forward. Every word he spoke was like weeping blood, every sentence steeped in tears.
He was not afraid to die.
And he continued his accusation.
"You are one of the Liang People! Our people’s Supreme First Grade! How can you so blatantly favor the Zhou People!"
Behind him, the other Liang People were silent, standing firm. They did not retreat a single step.
This was their resolve.
They could not retreat.
Retreat.
And their path to survival would be cut off.
Advance.
And there was still a sliver of hope.
In the distance, the First Grades from Great Zhou retreated, sneers on their faces, afraid that blood might splash onto them.
’A bunch of lunatics. Insignificant as they are, they dare provoke a Supreme First Grade who just slew a Grandmaster?’
’Heh.’
’This Lord Su was just granted the title of Great Zhou Purple Robe by the Flame Emperor, along with the position of Supreme Guardian. It’s obvious His Majesty recruited him long ago. He has already submitted to our Great Zhou...’
The Great Zhou First Grades murmured amongst themselves.
In the next instant.
Su Chen’s gaze drifted over.
Among the Zhou People, a man in a black robe paled. He felt Su Chen’s gaze lock onto him.
’This is bad!’
’He found me?’
"In that case,"
"I will kill Great Zhou’s Regent Crown Prince and give you a temporary answer."
"I am one of the Liang People, and the head of the Three Dukes of Great Liang!"
"I must act for the sake of the realm!"
Su Chen murmured.
In that instant, the wind and snow grew fierce.
"No!"
"I am not the Regent Crown Prince..."
The Tianwu Emperor cursed inwardly.
Years ago, a peerless sword strike had slain him, the Demon Emperor.
Now, Su Chen was even stronger.
He hadn’t even needed to draw his sword to make another Grandmaster fall.
If he had known...
...he never would have incited the others to attack.
"No!"
"I am not the Regent Crown Prince..."
"Actually, I’m one of the Liang People too..."
The remnant of the Tianwu Emperor shouted, about to shed the human skin he wore to reveal his true identity.
In that instant, the wind gusted, blowing open his black robe and revealing the face of the Crown Prince—a mask of human skin worn by the Tianwu Emperor’s remnant.
"No!"
The remnant of the Tianwu Emperor shrieked in terror.
In the next instant.
The snow fell.
And once again, the wind and snow were tinged with blood.
"Whether you’re one of the Liang People is not important. What is important is that you are the Regent Crown Prince, and you die by my hand."
Su Chen caught a single, blood-stained snowflake.
He had recognized him.
The Tianwu Emperor.
But that no longer mattered.
"Is this Lord Su really one of our Great Zhou’s people? He... he killed the Crown Prince Regent..."
The Zhou People present were shaken.
It seemed...
...that the brilliant and ambitious Flame Emperor had failed to recruit this Great Zhou Purple Robe, this Supreme Guardian.
They recalled the scene in Jinluan Hall: the bestowing of the Great Zhou Purple Robe title, followed by the Flame Emperor’s hasty departure to personally lead an expedition.
As if waking from a dream, the eyes of the Zhou People present filled with fear.
’The Flame Emperor... did he offend Lord Su, abandon the Imperial City, and... flee for his life?’
’That bastard Flame Emperor!’
The First Grades present cursed him in their hearts. All hope was lost, and they began to tremble like quails again.
"Is that answer enough?"
"It’s not enough."
"Then I can kill more."
Silence fell.
The Liang People present looked at one another. In the end, it was the old man with black hair, the Peak master in his twilight years, who stepped forward once more.
"If we retreat now..."
"...what if Grandmaster Long Xuanjun comes after us?"
he asked.
"First, Long Xuanjun cannot leave the Imperial Mausoleum."
"If he doesn’t handle matters in the Imperial Mausoleum properly, I will go find him myself and drag him back there."
"Second, when I said I can kill more, that doesn’t just apply to Great Zhou’s Imperial Blood. It could also apply to you."
"You and I have no prior relationship, do we?"
Su Chen answered.
At this, some of the First Grades from Great Liang began to consider retreating.
’That’s right.’
’A Grandmaster’s authority is not to be trifled with.’
’If they don’t leave after this exchange, they’ll surely face his thunderous wrath.’
"This old man has just one more question."
"Lord Su, are you a First Grade of Great Liang?"
the black-haired Peak master persisted.
"I am."
Su Chen replied.
"Cease the fight!"
"Retreat!"
"Lord Su of our Great Liang has ordered us to retreat, so we shall obey!"
Led by the Peak master in his twilight years, the First Grades of Great Liang bowed in unison, turned, and left without another moment’s hesitation.
In a flash,
the area around Heaven-Ascension Tower was empty.
All that remained...
...were the First Grades of Great Zhou.
They and Su Chen stared at each other, the atmosphere growing tense and awkward.
"Why are you still here?"
Su Chen asked, a hint of displeasure on his face.
The Great Zhou First Grades exchanged strange glances.
Finally,
Sikong, the Chief Supervisor of the Seal Masters and a Peak First Grade, was pushed forward. He forced himself to walk over, a sycophantic smile plastered on his face as he bowed repeatedly.
"My apologies, Lord Su."
"This... this is... well, this is the Imperial Palace of Great Zhou. We have to protect the Imperial Blood, so we really have nowhere else to go."
"Lord Su, perhaps you would prefer to move to the Supreme Purple Robe Hall that His Majesty established for you?"
’He has a point,’ Su Chen thought. ’This is the Imperial Palace of Great Zhou.’
But he was powerful enough not to need a reason.
"Scram!"
With a flick of his sleeve,
he sent a blizzard of wind and snow surging forward.
The fifty-odd Great Zhou Junior Grandmasters present, including seven at the Peak level, were all sent flying.
And with that, the area around Heaven-Ascension Tower fell silent.
Without hesitation,
Su Chen flew into Heaven-Ascension Tower. He didn’t head for the seventeenth floor to consult the classics, but went straight down, beneath the tower itself.
The seventeenth floor of Heaven-Ascension Tower.
The piles of Divine Weapon Classics and secret Treasures filling the seventeenth floor were all just a distraction.
A cover to hide the secret that lay beneath Heaven-Ascension Tower.