In Major Metropolitan City’s imperial prison:
Mo Yike leaned against the corner, listening to everything outside. Although he could not get firsthand information, some citizens and prisoners outside discussed this matter.
Mo Yike frowned slightly. “It is starting? Is he starting to sow dissension between the sovereign and his people? Indeed, this is Gu Hai’s style.”
Mo Yike looked at the letter in his hand. This was the letter that trapped him here. Now, even the guards felt wary of him. Nothing he said would reach Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s ears.
“Your Reverence, you have to be careful. There is no way to guard against Gu Hai’s schemes. Even I fell for them. Hah! Hah! Now, the Yuan Nation citizens are protecting you. You are undefeatable in Major Metropolitan City. Don’t waver because of mere words,” Mo Yike said with a bitter smile.
Mo Yike sighed softly, but he could not do anything.
Just at this moment, a guard slowly made his way to Mo Yike’s prison cell.
“Mister Mo!” that guard greeted respectfully.
“Huh?” Mo Yike felt slightly startled as he looked at that guard.
“His Majesty sent me to inform Mister Mo that your family and relatives are all safe. Is there anyone else we should protect?” that guard asked respectfully.
Buzz! Mo Yike felt mindblown.
“Gu Hai’s man? Are you Gu Hai’s man? That’s impossible! I vetted this group of prison guards long ago. There is absolutely no Qian Nation spy among them. How could you be one?” Mo Yike exclaimed.
That prison guard bowed respectfully, not saying anything. It was as though he was waiting for Mo Yike to give him a list of people.
“Men! Men! Come quickly! He is a spy! A Han Nation spy! Men, come quickly!” Mo Yike exclaimed as his expression changed dramatically.
Now, even this prison guard had become a spy. This showed how ample Gu Hai’s preparations were—so ample that even this insignificant prison guard was now Gu Hai’s man.
“Half a month? The Han Nation’s and Qian Nation’s armies remained at Prior Metropolitan City for half a month? What did Gu Hai do over the past half-month? How did they convince you to defect? How?” Mo Yike yelled while glaring.
The commotion caused by Mo Yike startled the other prison guards.
“What’s all the clamor about?” Some prison guards immediately walked over.
“Hurry! He is a spy! Inform His Reverence. He is a spy! Gu Hai’s spy!” Mo Yike said anxiously.
Mo Yike hoped that he could send Imperial Emperor Xi Yu a reminder.
A few more prison guards walked over and looked at the guard in front of the prison cell.
That guard sighed softly, “Mister Mo is in a delirium. Never mind. We had better not disturb him now.”
The other guards glanced at Mo Yike and nodded. Then, they all left.
They left? They just left?
If he were someone else, he would think that they were just ignoring him, unwilling to interact with him. However, who was Mo Yike? He immediately analyzed the situation based on everyone’s expression.
It was not just that guard who was Gu Hai’s spy. All the guards were Gu Hai’s spies.
“How can that be? What did Gu Hai do over the past half-month? These guards used to be absolutely loyal to the Yuan Nation!” Mo Yike was horrified.
Mo Yike sat down, disappointed. At the same time, he started to worry for Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
The Heaven Splitting Ax formed a barrier that covered the entire Major Metropolitan City.
After the initial horror, the citizenry immediately felt grateful to Gu Hai.
After all, their emperor and the Bat Ancestor had wantonly massacred in Chaoge City. Although Gu Hai came for revenge, he did not implicate them, stopping the Heaven Splitting Ax’s attack.
Simultaneously, they started comparing Gu Hai to Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
Indeed, His Reverence is much stronger than Mister Gu. However, His Reverence is not dedicated to protecting his citizens. As for Mister Gu, he even came to challenge His Reverence just to take revenge for his citizens.
His Reverence has a high cultivation. However, so what? What does that have to do with us if he does not protect us?
While Mister Gu’s cultivation is low, he is very talented and loves his citizens. He directs all his energy towards his citizens.
Suddenly, countless people no longer viewed Imperial Emperor Xi Yu in a glorious light. Instead, Gu Hai seemed more radiant than before.
No wonder the Vacant City citizens choose to surrender to the Han Nation.
The benevolent has no enemies?
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu had no time to think about the change in his citizens’ attitudes. Instead, he felt furious at Gu Hai’s accusations of him.
“Break!”
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu attacked.
Boom!
Despite the huge impact, the barrier did not budge at all.
This was the strongest enchanted treasure in the world, with the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s energy sealed inside. How could it be called the strongest enchanted treasure if it could not even block Imperial Emperor Xi Yu?
Gu Hai stood near the Heaven Splitting Ax and looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu coldly. “Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, I guess you have been waiting for us so that you can take Prince Shenwu’s head as a sacrificial offering before marching your army north to challenge the Qian Heavenly Emperor, right?”
“Huh?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
“There’s no need to march north. Right now, just any random person using the Heaven Splitting Ax can already inspire such fear in you. How are you qualified to march north and challenge the Qian Heavenly Emperor?” Gu Hai scoffed.
At Gu Hai’s cold shout, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at the distant palace hall on the flying ship, where a gray-robed old man sat.
“Humph! Very well, that’s fine. This only just brought forward the future. The Heaven Splitting Ax? Hahaha! The Heaven Splitting Ax?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu showed a ferocious expression.
Suddenly, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said, “Yuan Imperial Dynasty citizens, we are Xi Yu. Today, we are fighting the Qian Nation. I ask for everyone’s strength. Work together with us to break the Heaven Splitting Ax and destroy the Qian Nation. Please raise your right hands and lend us your strength!”
The golden blessings dragon in the blessings cloud sea above Major Metropolitan City suddenly stood up.
“Roar!”
The golden blessings dragon let out an earthshaking roar that instantly spread throughout the Yuan Imperial Dynasty. Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s words immediately reached all his citizens.
Nearly all the citizens stopped what they were doing and revealed shock.
“The Qian Nation’s army has already reached Major Metropolitan City? Is His Reverence going to break the Heaven Splitting Ax? He wants to destroy the Qian Nation and the Qian Heavenly Emperor?” Countless citizens were shocked.
“Your Reverence, take my energy!” Some citizens raised their right hands.
Whoosh! Those citizens seemed to be instantly drained of energy. After that, they sat on the ground, feeling weak.
“Your Reverence, take my energy!”
“Your Reverence, take my energy!”
Countless citizens raised their right hands. The Yuan Imperial Dynasty had nearly two hundred cities. The surging energy of countless citizens gathered in Major Metropolitan City’s blessings cloud sea.
Visible white energy rushed into the golden blessings dragon.
“Roar!”
The golden blessing dragon roared and rushed into Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s body, along with the boundless energy. As the surging energy poured in from the surroundings, his aura flourished. A massive storm of ice and snow swept the skies of Major Metropolitan City.
Energy, boundless energy. This energy pushed Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s strength to its peak. His hair suddenly grew longer, fluttering in the wind. Now, he looked like a mystical being.
Shing!
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu drew a saber. Although it was not Blood Prison, this snow-white saber still had the aura of a powerful treasure.
Although the aura was strong, it intentionally avoided the Major Metropolitan City citizens, sparing them from pressure.
Now, many citizens sat weakly on the ground in Major Metropolitan City. Clearly, they had lent their strength to Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
No matter what the citizens thought, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu was the Yuan Nation’s emperor in the end. They had to side with their emperor.
As the citizens sat on the ground, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s strength reached its peak. Then, he swung the snow-white saber at the barrier.
Gu Hai clenched his fist tightly as he watched closely. The success of his plan depended on this.
“The Heaven Splitting Ax’s barrier? Hahaha! Break for us!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu roared with a ferocious expression.
Boom!
The saber struck the barrier. Then, a powerful shock wave shook the ground, making countless buildings collapse.
“Argh!” The citizens had just lent their strength and had no energy left to run. They could not dodge the debris.
A strong wind came from the blade, and the Heaven Splitting Ax’s barrier shook. The expressions of the people watching outside sank.
However, the Heaven Splitting Ax’s barrier only shook for a while before stabilizing.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu had attacked with his full power but failed to break the Heaven Splitting Ax’s barrier.
It failed? It failed?
Countless citizens goggled as their hearts skipped a beat.
Long Shenwu, Sima Changkong, and the others inwardly let out their bated breath.
Gu Hai slowly relaxed his tightly clenched fist.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu stared in stupefaction at where his saber struck the barrier.
Even after using the power of my nation, the very peak of my strength, I still failed to break the Heaven Splitting Ax’s barrier?
I can’t even break the Heaven Splitting Ax’s barrier?
“Why?! Why?!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said, aghast.
A chill ran through his body.
Bang!
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu landed on the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza in a daze.
The officials appeared anxious, while Imperial Emperor Xi Yu appeared disappointed.
“I can’t break it? Hah! To think that I can’t break it?!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu felt resentment amid his disappointment.
It turns out that I can’t even deal with the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s enchanted treasure, yet I want to deal with the Qian Heavenly Emperor?
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu instantly realized the gap between him and the Qian Heavenly Emperor—an unbridgeable chasm.
Only Gu Hai, Long Shenwu, and Sima Changkong knew that the Heaven Splitting Ax contained one set of the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s energy. It was not purely the power of the enchanted treasure but also the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s might that resisted Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
“Xi Yu, let us settle the grudge between us. You want to kill me to vent your hatred, and I want to kill you to take revenge for my Han Nation citizens. However, the Major Metropolitan City citizens are innocent. Let them go, and we can settle our grudges!” Gu Hai said.
“Huh?” The countless citizens in the city were startled.
Gu Hai is letting the citizens go?
“Let the citizens go?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s face sank.
“That’s right. If I attack with the ax, it will hurt the citizens. However, you will flee if I put the ax away, and I won’t let you go. Nevertheless, I do not want to hurt the Major Metropolitan City citizens. You attack the Heaven Splitting Ax, and I will only use enough force to maintain a stalemate with you to guarantee that you do not run away. The barrier will be gone, then. Let the citizens leave, and we can fight after that,” Gu Hai said.
Gu Hai wants me to push back against the Heaven Splitting Ax while the citizens leave. Then, the Heaven Splitting Ax will attack at full power after that?
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu narrowed his eyes in silence. Is he asking me to send myself to death?
“These citizens are weak from helping you earlier. Now, you have a chance to protect them and let them leave this troublesome place. Are you unwilling? Don’t you want to save them? Or do you still want to use them as hostages and rather they die than let them leave?” Gu Hai shouted.
In the imperial prison:
Mo Yike leaned against the corner, listening to Gu Hai’s voice. He showed a bitter expression. “What extreme criticism stemming from ulterior motives. Two extremely difficult choices? If His Reverence agrees, he will be risking himself by facing the Heaven Splitting Ax in a frontal clash. If His Reverence does not agree, he will alienate all the citizens. Sending himself to die to the Heaven Splitting Ax or killing the citizens’ confidence in him? Hahaha! How ruthless!”
