Chapter 300 - 296: The Tang Imperial Ancestor of Ancestral Dragon Hall
Chapter 300: Chapter 296: The Tang Imperial Ancestor of Ancestral Dragon Hall
WHOOSH!
A whistling palm strike, as swift as a thunderclap, carried with it an immense and unparalleled True Essence Power. It crashed down with the terrifying weight of a collapsing mountain.
Ye Xing, holding the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword, hastily executed the Gale Sword Skill to meet it head-on.
CLANG!
Palm and sword collided. The aged pair of hands struck the blade of the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword.
Instantly, Ye Xing felt a terrifyingly immense force wash over him. His sword couldn’t bear the strain and was knocked back into his chest. Propelled by a colossal Dark Force, he stumbled backward again and again. With every step, the roof tiles beneath his feet cracked and shattered. He retreated a full twenty paces before finally dispersing the tremendous power.
A fiery pain seared his chest, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. Ye Xing’s gaze was incredibly grim as he stared ahead. This was the first time he had ever been so cautious, so solemn. He hadn’t been this grim when surrounded by thousands of soldiers, nor when facing the Innate National Master Meng Shuming.
This time, Ye Xing sensed a life-threatening danger, and its source was the very figure standing before him.
He was an incredibly old man with murky eyes and white hair. His aged face was a web of deep wrinkles, crinkled like a dried orange peel. He was so thin and stooped that it looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
However, it was this old man, so aged he seemed on the verge of death, whose body surged with True Essence Power. The terrifying Innate True Essence was the most immense Ye Xing had ever seen among all the Innate Realm experts he had met.
’His True Essence Power is so immense and surging... Could this old man be an Innate Realm expert who has already opened his Ren and Du Meridians?’ Ye Xing’s expression was incredibly grave as his gaze remained locked on the old man.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from nearby. The Emperor’s procession was rushing toward them.
Emperor Li Bi, seated high on his palanquin, looked toward the Ancestral Dragon Hall. His eyes fell upon the ancient figure on the roof of the hall, and he instantly panicked.
’The Imperial Ancestor is out of seclusion! It’s over, it’s all over! Damn that Lord White Cloud! It’s one thing for him to seek his own death, but he had to drag me down with him!’ Emperor Li Bi scrambled down from his palanquin. Terrified, he rushed to the front of the Ancestral Dragon Hall and quickly bowed and knelt. "Your unworthy grandson, Li Bi, pays his respects to the Imperial Ancestor!"
’Imperial Ancestor? Emperor Li Bi called him Imperial Ancestor? Can this old man be the Tang Imperial Ancestor, Li Qishan?’ Ye Xing was horrified. ’Didn’t the rumors say the Tang Imperial Ancestor died ten years ago?! How is he still alive?!’
Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan was the founding emperor of the Southern Tang Country. He entered the Innate Realm at fifty and carved out the lands of Southern Tang. To this day, the Southern Tang Country has stood for 136 years. This meant that the Tang Imperial Ancestor before him was 186 years old—an old monster who had lived for one hundred and eighty-six years.
"It’s Master! It really is Master! Master isn’t dead!" Below them, National Master Meng Shuming’s eyes lit up, his face flushed with excitement. He also rushed forward to kowtow, announcing, "Disciple Meng Shuming pays his respects to Master!"
On the roof of the Ancestral Dragon Hall, the aged figure looked down and nodded slightly. "Shuming, you have also stepped into the Innate Realm. Very good. You have not disappointed your master."
"Thank you for your praise, Master. I only just broke through near the end of last year." National Master Meng Shuming said with delight, "I never imagined Master was truly still alive. I thought that ten years ago—"
The old man sighed softly.
"My lifespan was already nearing its end. Faking my death was merely a way to focus on my Cultivation. All these years, I’ve been in life-or-death seclusion, hoping to break through the Mystic Gate!" As Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan spoke, his gaze shifted down to Emperor Li Bi. He said coolly, "Bi’Er, you’ve been on that throne for quite a while now. Do you remember what your Imperial Grandfather told you all those years ago?"
"I remember! Of course, I remember!" Emperor Li Bi stammered in terror. "Imperial Grandfather, you instructed me that under no circumstances was I to disturb your Secluded Cultivation!"
"Since you remember, then who is he? Why did he trespass in the Ancestral Dragon Hall and disturb my Cultivation?" Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan pointed a wizened finger at the cyan-robed Ye Xing across from him.
"Imperial Grandfather, forgive me! I... I truly couldn’t stop him! He is the Lord White Cloud. He not only killed the Crown Prince and slaughtered the Imperial Army, but he also broke into the Imperial Palace to plunder it! I was powerless to stop him. I implore you, Imperial Grandfather, to strike down this fiend!" Emperor Li Bi pleaded on his knees.
"Hmph. Bi’Er, you are the Emperor of Southern Tang, ruler of a nation with a million soldiers at your command, yet you can’t even handle a single warrior at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. You are a wholly incompetent Emperor. You’ve disappointed me immensely," Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan said, shaking his head.
Emperor Li Bi’s face turned ashen. He quickly said, "Imperial Grandfather, this Lord White Cloud has many Heaven-shattering Thunders! And he’s no ordinary Martial Arts Ninth Layer Martial Artist, he—"
"Enough. Be silent," the old man, Li Qishan, said grimly. "Do not make excuses for your incompetence. I just exchanged a blow with this lad. His power is indeed impressive—he could likely rank quite high on the Wind and Cloud List. But he is still a notch below the Innate Realm."
"Forget it. Now that I am out of seclusion, I’ll deal with this lad for you." Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan looked toward Ye Xing, and a terrifying killing intent erupted from his murky, ancient eyes.
"Whoa, whoa, Senior, hold on, let’s talk about this!" A smile quickly spread across Ye Xing’s face as he gave a nervous laugh. "Actually, there’s been a small misunderstanding between me and the Royal Family. I only came into the Imperial Palace because the scenery is so beautiful. I just wanted to have a look around and admire it. If you’d rather I not be here, Senior, how about I just take my leave?"
’This old monster, Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan, had a terrifyingly profound Cultivation; Ye Xing really did not want to face him. He had never imagined when he broke into the Imperial Palace that this old monster, supposedly dead for years, was actually still alive. After all, 186 was an extreme age, even by the standards of an Innate Realm expert’s lifespan. Who would have thought the old bastard was still kicking!’
"Heh heh. Why leave? Since you like the Imperial Palace so much, you might as well stay here forever!" True Essence erupted from Tang Imperial Ancestor Li Qishan’s body, surging like a tidal wave. He was clearly preparing to make his move.
Below, Meng Shuming’s expression shifted, and he quickly called out a warning, "Master, be careful! Don’t be fooled by the power Lord White Cloud just showed. He has a terrifying sword technique—it’s incredibly dangerous! I was just severely wounded by a single strike from him a moment ago and almost died! *Cough... cough cough!*"
At Meng Shuming’s words, the old man, Li Qishan, froze for an instant. His gaze was full of surprise. "He severely wounded you with a single technique?" The old man glanced at his disciple and saw that Meng Shuming was deathly pale, his chest wrapped in cloth bandages. He was indeed gravely injured.
"*Cough... cough!* Yes. Just one technique. Its Attack Power was horrifying. Any closer, and it would have pierced my heart. I would have died. *Cough... cough cough!*" Meng Shuming’s internal injuries flared up, and he coughed violently. A flicker of terror crossed his face. The memory of that sword strike was clearly seared into his mind, still making his heart pound with fear.