Qin Zibai’s palm strike immediately put countless cracks in Chaoge City’s barrier; it looked like it would shatter.
Was this the day the nation fell?
Everyone appeared incredibly anxious. Even Shangguan Hen showed an unsightly expression.
Is the city going to fall?
Bing Ji looked at the distant Great Light Sovereign Deity. However, how could the Great Light Sovereign Deity help?
Just as everyone felt worried, Gu Hai took a step forward.
“Han Royal Dynasty citizens, the previous Divine Foundation Royal Dynasty citizens, Gu Hai is incapable and is relying on your affections for Huangfu Chaoge for one final time. We sincerely ask everyone to lend us your strength to protect the twenty-four cities and bring about a peace that rivals the Divine Foundation Royal Dynasty’s time. We ask that everyone work with us. Today’s battle will determine our life and death. If we win, we guarantee our nation’s peace. If we lose, the nation falls, and we become slaves. If you do not fail us, we will not fail you. A sovereign’s words are always taken seriously. Please lend us a hand!” Gu Hai called out.
Boom!
The blessings cloud sea instantly sent Gu Hai’s voice to the ears of all the citizens in the Han Nation.
The many citizens of Nine-Five Island all raised their hands.
The citizens in Chaoge City also raised their right hands, sending their energy to Gu Hai.
In the other eleven cities that Huangfu Chaoge bequeathed to Gu Hai, the citizens thought for a while, but most of them raised their hands in the end.
However, only a small number of citizens in the recently obtained twelve cities raised their hands.
The city lords of these twelve cities immediately stepped forward and used sound amplification ritual arrays to plead with the citizens, trying to convince them to raise their hands and lend their strength to Gu Hai.
After all, for these officials, once the Han Nation fell, they would lose all their authority.
Be it due to the citizens’ lingering affections for Huangfu Chaoge, their conviction in Gu Hai, or a reluctance to die or become a slave, more citizens started raising their hands.
Rumble…!
The various citizens sent all their energy towards Chaoge City. Then, this energy poured into Gu Hai’s body via the blessings cloud sea.
Rumble…!
Shock waves appeared around Gu Hai’s body, kicking up strong winds. The surrounding officials were forced back.
Back then, Huangfu Chaoge could resist Duke Lu Yang when he used his nation’s power. Lu Yang’s strength at its peak seemed to be stronger than Qin Zibai’s.
Naturally, Gu Hai did not receive as much energy as Huangfu Chaoge had. Even so, it was about sixty percent of that.
As the surging energy gathered, an energy flame appeared around Gu Hai.
Outside the city, Qin Zibai threw a third palm strike.
Boom!
With a loud report, Qin Zibai shattered the strong defensive barrier. The immense force sent surging wind storms blowing through the entire Chaoge City.
“Hahaha! Driving the power of your nation? Gu Hai, you are still not strong enough!” Qin Zibai sneered.
Rumble…!
A mountain rose under Gu Hai’s feet.
It was the dragon vein quickly carrying Gu Hai out of the city.
“You will only know if I’m strong enough after we fight. Qin Zibai, the Han Nation has already gained the support of its citizens. Since the citizens are willing to lend me strength, you won’t be able to take any cities of the Han Nation!” Gu Hai said coldly.
The flame around Gu Hai continuously grew, and the wind storm around him intensified. When he reached an empty area outside the city, the flame flared. His intense aura kicked up sand and stone into a tornado.
On a floating island in the city:
The Great Light Sovereign Deity said coldly, “Qin Zibai is a fresh Middle Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator. While Gu Hai is driving the power of his nation, only half of the citizens are giving energy, and many of them are not sincere about it, either. His strength is only at the level of the peak Lower Heavenly Palace Realm, unable to grow any stronger. You are still too weak compared to Qin Zibai. Haha! Han Nation? You grew too fast!”
Qin Zibai now arrived across Gu Hai.
“Haha! Gu Hai, you want to fight me? You have my soldiers as hostages, but you are not using them to threaten me?” Qin Zibai said coldly.
“Is threatening you any use? If we killed the one million Yuan Nation hostage soldiers, would you even feel a pinch?” Gu Hai retorted with a cold smile.
“I wouldn’t!” Qin Zibai said coldly.
“Since you won’t, why even use them to threaten you? We alone are sufficient!” Gu Hai said coldly.
“You are even more strong-minded than Huangfu Chaoge. He could be enemies with the world out of loyalty. However, you have the boldness of a sovereign, able to be enemies with the world for yourself? I’ll leave you a complete corpse.”
“You are that sure that I will lose?” Gu Hai revealed a cold smile.
Then, the crimson saber suddenly appeared in Gu Hai’s hand.
The crimson saber could increase Gu Hai’s strength. As he held the crimson saber, his strength soared further.
“Humph!” Qin Zibai raised his eyebrows. Then, he waved.
Whoosh!
A crimson saber also appeared in Qin Zibai’s hand. This crimson saber looked identical to the one in Gu Hai’s hand.
“Huh?” Gu Hai frowned.
“A Blood Prison imitation? I have one as well. Let’s see which one is better!” Bai Zibai snorted coldly.
The two swung their crimson sabers at the same time.
Suddenly, the two sabers gave off overwhelming crimson light, dyeing the sky and ground red. What looked like two huge beams of light clashed.
Boom!
The manifested sabers produced by the two crimson sabers clashed, setting off a violent wind storm. As Chaoge City had lost its barrier, a portion of the shock wave blew over.
Rumble…!
The surroundings fell into chaos.
The crimson sabers seemed to have veins bulging out on them.
Gu Hai and Qin Zibai both showed ferocious expressions.
The two poured nearly all their energy into their crimson sabers. As the intense battle continued, cold sweat broke out on Gu Hai’s forehead.
Qin Zibai’s eyelids twitched wildly. “Haha! To think that your crimson saber is more exquisite than mine, truer to Blood Prison? It can give you a greater boost in strength. However, you are weaker than me in the end. Even with the power of your nation, you are still weaker. Break!”
“Break!” Gu Hai also roared with a ferocious expression.
Boom!
The two sabers clashed, and a boundless crimson mist appeared. When that happened, both Qin Zibai’s and Gu Hai’s figures paused in midair. Neither had moved a single step back.
A hole appeared in Qin Zibai’s crimson saber. However, Gu Hai’s crimson saber had shattered. The crimson mist from earlier was the result of Gu Hai’s crimson saber shattering.
“Hahahahaha! I said it before. Now, you don’t even have the Blood Prison imitation to boost your strength. What are you going to use to fight me?” Qin Zibai sneered.
Shangguan Hen, Gao Xianzhi, and the others showed worried expressions. After all, this crimson saber had allowed Gu Hai to defeat people stronger than him many times before. However, the crimson saber shattered at this moment?
“Great Light Sovereign Deity!” Bing Ji cried out anxiously to the distant Great Light Sovereign Deity.
The Great Light Sovereign Deity leaned languidly against a stone pillar in the pavilion shelter. He revealed a cold smile and said, “Doesn’t Gu Hai have two sabers? Although one broke, he still has another one.”
The Great Light Sovereign Deity did not want to help at all.
Bing Ji felt anxious. Two sabers? However, only the crimson saber can boost his strength.
Indeed, Gu Hai used the wide sleeve of his left arm to cover his chest while he pulled out the Life Ender Saber from his chest with his right hand.
Buzz!
The moment the Life Ender Saber appeared, it gave off a sinister aura.
“A bone saber? I have long heard that you have an evil saber. However, aside from emanating some black energy, can it compare to the Blood Prison imitation? At our level of strength, is that black energy even useful? It can manifest some tiny skulls in there? Haha! Bring it on. I’ll chop it apart!” Qin Zibai sneered.
Gu Hai took out the Life Ender Saber and stared at Qin Zibai. Then, he showed a cold smile and said, “That’s right. The Life Ender Saber cannot boost my strength. However, that is because it has not been unsealed yet!”
“Huh? Qin Zibai frowned slightly, appearing doubtful.
Unseal?
That lousy bone saber even has cracks on it. What is there to unseal? If you could unseal it, you would have done it long ago. Why would you wait until now?
Gu Hai switched the Life Ender Saber to his left hand. Then, he slid his right hand from the handle to its tip. As his hand moved along the blade, the cracks on it strangely mended.
Gu Hai used Mending Heaven Energy to mend the Life Ender Saber.
“Huh?” The Great Light Sovereign Deity in the distance suddenly stood upright, his expression finally changing.
When Gu Hai mended the cracks on the Life Ender Saber, the Life Ender Saber released a soul-shaking energy.
Even someone as strong as Qin Zibai was utterly shocked. He felt somewhat dizzy, as though the bone saber before him was the evilest thing in the world. It seemed to have created a mental world of evil, inspiring a bone-chilling sensation in his three spiritual souls.
“What saber is this?” Qin Zibai asked in shock.
“Its name is—Life Ender!” Gu Hai gripped the handle with two hands and swung the saber at Qin Zibai.
As Gu Hai swung, a boundless black fog appeared out of nowhere, instantly covering the world and turning it pitch-dark. Only the shining, white Life Ender Saber remained in the center. It seemed like a heavenly precipice chopping down on Qin Zibai.
“Humph!”
Qin Zibai snorted coldly and swung his crimson saber.
The two sabers clashed.
Shing!
The Life Ender Saber easily sliced through the crimson saber as though nothing in the world could stop it. Then, it continued heading for Qin Zibai.
“What?”
Qin Zibai’s expression changed. The threat of death engulfed him; there was no way for him to resist. His figure flashed, quickly moving back.
Boom!
When the Life Ender Saber swung, the black energy suddenly vanished, restoring the light.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
Gu Hai panted, taking in large mouthfuls of air. I instantly drained half of the energy that the citizens lent to me by driving the Life Ender Saber? Half! My energy decreased by half.
Indeed, I cannot control the complete Life Ender Saber.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
After the swing, the Life Ender Saber returned to its previous plain appearance. The earlier cracks reappeared.
“Huh?” Gu Hai’s face sank.
He had expended nearly all the stored Mending Heaven Energy in his body when he mended the Life Ender Saber earlier. Perhaps the earlier mending was just a facade. If I want to truly mend it, I will need endless Mending Heaven Energy.
As Gu Hai clutched the Life Ender Saber, he raised his head and looked at Qin Zibai.
Gu Hai saw that Qin Zibai had retreated ten kilometers. The Life Ender Saber had cut apart all his clothes and even chopped off a large swath of his hair. Only the handle remained of the Blood Prison imitation in his right hand. His left hand held a shield, but that had also been cleaved in half.
Gu Hai showed a sullen expression, but Qin Zibai broke out in a cold sweat from the shock. That was close! I nearly got chopped in half by that Life Ender Saber?
