Chapter 107: A Sword in Hand to Shatter the Darkness; a Sword in the Heart to Defy the Emperors! [Please Subscribe and Vote with Your Monthly Tickets]

A sharp, piercing voice, like a honed blade, sliced through the thick, stagnant atmosphere hanging over the Tianxuan Palace. It was like a drop of cold water hitting a cauldron of boiling oil, causing the entire hall to instantly erupt and boil over.

As a favorite and the most trusted confidant of the Zhao Emperor, Eunuch Tong Diao had long since reached a formidable realm, nurtured by the vast resources of the Zhao family’s cultivation treasury. Yet, it was not the potent mental energy contained in his words that caused the civil and military officials to lose their composure. In fact, Eunuch Tong had not even infused his words with any mental power; he had simply repeated the decree of the Zhao Emperor, yet the effect was like a massive boulder crashing into a still lake, triggering a violent upheaval.

"Ding Feng Bo" was awarded to the third-place finisher of the palace examination, Wang Qilin?

This... this was madness! It was far too much of a mockery!

Even Qin Hua'an suddenly raised his head at this moment, his eyes filled with bewilderment and doubt, yet there was not a hint of the joy one might expect from the Lin family being denied the blade. The situation reeked of something sinister. He knew the Zhao Emperor’s time was running out, and that he was desperate to secure the succession and orchestrate a strategy against the three great martial families—the Lins, the Zhongs, and the Yes—before he passed.

He knew the Zhao Emperor was struggling to control Ye Longsheng, who held the front lines at the Canglang River. Ye Longsheng had repeatedly petitioned for a northern expedition, only to be rebuffed and silenced by the Emperor, who had even issued an imperial decree forbidding any troops from crossing the river. Frustrated and enraged by the repeated denials, Ye Longsheng had defied the order, leading his cavalry across the Canglang River to engage the Yuan-Meng Empire’s forces. Though he had achieved total victory and even beheaded enemy commanders, these reports brought the Zhao Emperor no joy. Instead, they fueled the Emperor’s deep-seated paranoia, reminding him of how the Zhao dynasty’s founder had once seized power.

The imperial inspectors placed within Ye Longsheng's army—a high-ranking official of the seventh realm and a trusted aide to Eunuch Tong—had their cultivations sealed and were imprisoned in the camp for opposing the crossing, only released once the army returned victorious. It was their reports that had filled the dying Emperor with such suspicion and fury.

Qin Lishi, as the current Prime Minister, knew this all too well. He understood that the Zhao Emperor was playing a grand game of chess against Ye Longsheng. Ding Feng Bo, the Lin family, himself, and even the Ninth Prince—the so-called "Exiled Immortal" deep within the palace—were merely pieces on this board. But Qin Lishi had never imagined the Zhao Emperor would be this… insane.

Because An Le had taken first place in the literary and martial trials, becoming the top scholar of the palace examination, he should have had the opportunity to claim Ding Feng Bo. By all rights, the blade should have gone to the top scholar. Yet, the Zhao Emperor had chosen to bestow it upon the "Unicorn" of the Wang family instead. While the Emperor had never explicitly promised the blade to the top scholar, such a departure from established tradition caused an uproar, shaking the hearts of everyone present.

Qin Lishi’s mind raced, his primordial spirit struggling to remain stable as his mental energy fluctuated. What exactly was the Emperor trying to do? Suddenly, a figure appeared in his mind. He glanced back at Hua Jiebing standing in the hall, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.

At this moment, it was not just Qin Lishi who was unsettled; the officials before the Tianxuan Palace were all in a state of shock. They had all guessed that the Emperor bringing out the second-rank treasure blade, Ding Feng Bo, was a move to force the neutral Lin family to pick a side, paving the way for the new Zhao Emperor’s ascension. But this move to bestow it upon the Wang family’s scion left many officials completely bewildered, unable to fathom the purpose behind the Emperor’s actions.

Vice Prime Minister Ouyang Xiangru could no longer maintain his composure. Frowning deeply, he stepped out of line. "Your Majesty, Ding Feng Bo is a second-rank artifact; to bestow it upon the third-place finisher is truly improper."

Ouyang Xiangru’s words were tactful, but his meaning was clear. Eunuch Tong, responsible for the announcement, lowered his gaze; after the initial shock, he seemed to have grasped the Zhao Emperor’s true intent.

On the throne, the Zhao Emperor smiled. "Ding Feng Bo is a second-rank artifact, but the 'Dragon Blood Fire Glazed Spear' and the 'Ten-Thousand-Year Pine Bone Bow' that I shall bestow upon the second and first-place finishers are also second-rank, perhaps even slightly superior in grade."

Ouyang Xiangru understood. This had been planned all along. The Emperor had gone to great lengths to bring out two other precious second-rank artifacts to seal everyone’s lips. As for how they were distributed, that was entirely at the Emperor’s whim. Ouyang Xiangru returned to his place and glanced at Prime Minister Qin, who had now calmed down, his face unreadable.

Li You'an and the Martial Champion Di Zang felt only absurdity. Even the Second Master of the Academy was speechless, clearly having not anticipated such a decision from the Emperor. What exactly did the Emperor want?

Outside the Tianxuan Palace, the expressions of An Le and Ye Wenxi had also soured. Both had been relaxed, assuming that as the top scholar and second-place finisher, Ding Feng Bo would be theirs to claim, sparing the Lin family further trouble. They had not expected this. An Le felt it was utterly preposterous. It was already absurd to use the personal blade of the Lin family’s eldest son as a prize for the imperial examination, but for him to win the title for the Lin family only for the Emperor to grant the blade to Wang Qilin...

An Le looked past the white jade steps, past the threshold of the Tianxuan Palace, and saw the Zhao Emperor sitting high upon his throne... he saw the trace of amusement on the corners of the Emperor’s mouth. He thought that because he was the Emperor, he could play with everything, didn't he?

An Le could not help but think of the black-and-white images he had seen in the cliffside—the future of the Great Zhao dynasty falling into ruin. With an Emperor like this, how could the dynasty not collapse? Perhaps the Emperor had some secret plot due to his impending death, but that could not change the fact that he was a fool. It was this Emperor who had ordered the southward migration five hundred years ago, and it was this Emperor who had prohibited any northern expedition for five centuries.

A surge of anger welled up in An Le’s chest, a profound sorrow for the Lin family. The old patriarch of the Lin family had died for the court’s southward retreat. Yet, five hundred years later, this was the coldness, the indifference, and the mockery they received in return. Was it worth dying for such a court, such an Emperor?

Had five centuries of prosperity and ease addled the Emperor's brain? In the center of An Le’s brow, his primordial spirit glared, sword qi clanging, and his embryonic Heart Sword trembled uncontrollably, emitting waves of irrepressible mental turbulence. The swords at his waist, "Ink Pool" and "Green Mountain," seemed to sense his emotions, trembling slightly and emitting piercing, resounding hums.

Ye Wenxi, who had always maintained a virtuous composure, was now clenching her fists, and the small sword at her waist, "Little Heavy Mountain," seemed to echo with a tragic hum. Her eyes were filled with a dazed look, as if through the tragic state of the Lin family, she could see the future of her own Ye family.

"Master An, do you think such a dynasty… is it worth it?" Ye Wenxi murmured.

"It is not worth it, and they are not worthy." An Le answered without hesitation.

Ye Wenxi’s body trembled, and she looked sharply at An Le. Seeing the boy’s almost eruptive anger and sword qi, she took a deep breath, her face flushing slightly. Their exchange was brief and quiet. Inside and outside the Tianxuan Palace, everyone was shaken by the Emperor’s decision, so no one noticed their conversation.

The atmosphere in the Tianxuan Palace became colder than ever. The officials looked at each other, not knowing what to say, their gazes shifting to Prime Minister Qin, waiting for his move. However, Qin Lishi closed his eyes, remaining silent, maintaining the appearance of a loyal subject who followed only the Zhao Emperor’s will.

Di Zang’s blood energy could no longer be contained; streaks of solid, blood-colored lightning intertwined on his skin. Watching Eunuch Tong remove Ding Feng Bo from its light-shrouded containment and hand it to Wang Qilin, he finally could not hold back. He stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this is improper."

On the throne, the Zhao Emperor said indifferently, "Di Zang, tell me, how is it improper? In terms of rank, Ding Feng Bo is the lowest of the three treasures; what is wrong with awarding it to the third-place finisher? Are you suggesting I should have awarded the lowest-ranked treasure to the top scholar?"

The Emperor’s voice echoed through the hall. Di Zang’s hair stood on end, the branded characters on his face twitched, and the blood energy on his body felt like a sea of fire compressed to the limit, ready to erupt. He wanted to retort, but he couldn't, for to do so would be to tear open the Lin family’s bloody wounds for all to see.

Yet, though he did not say it, someone else did. And their words were as resonant as a thunderclap!

"Your Majesty, Ding Feng Bo was the battle blade of the Lin family’s eldest son and should have been returned to them. Using it as a prize is the first impropriety."

"An Le is on good terms with the Lin family and fought for this top scholar title specifically for the blade, yet you awarded it to the third-place finisher. This is the second impropriety."

"The Lin family carries glorious war merits; the old patriarch died for the court’s southward migration. You should not treat the loyal and heroic in this way. This is the third impropriety!"

Li You'an spoke, his face filled with disappointment. Endless starlight condensed into a top-tier sword, "Thousandfold," around him. With his words, the sword emitted a shattering hum, as if releasing all his pent-up fury at once.

The entire Tianxuan Palace fell into a deathly silence. With three points of refutation reinforced by turbulent primordial spirit waves, only the legendary top scholar Li You'an, who had conversed with the Holy Master, dared to question the Emperor so boldly.

The Zhao Emperor gazed at Li You'an, the legendary scholar who had abandoned his pen for the sword to fight on the Canglang River battlefield.

"Your Majesty, no matter how many reasons you have, you should not treat a family of loyal martial heroes this way. Your actions chill the hearts of all warriors in the world, and the Great Zhao will surely fall into decay because of this!"

His words, filled with disappointment, turned into a raging wildfire that swept through the court. What others dared not say, Li You'an dared. As for the Lin family’s reputation, Li You'an felt that the family no longer cared for such trampled pride.

"Well said."

Suddenly, outside the Tianxuan Palace, applause rang out, sounding almost like a well-timed accompaniment. The officials turned to look. They saw the new top scholar, An Le, dressed in white, applauding Li You'an’s words, each strike of his palms seemingly striking the Zhao Emperor’s face.

The Zhao Emperor did not speak. His gaze fell upon An Le, lingered for a moment, then shifted to the elderly matriarch of the Lin family clutching her cane, and finally to Hua Jiebing, whose body was trembling with cold rage. The Emperor stared deeply at Hua Jiebing.

"Award the second-place finisher of the palace examination, Ye Wenxi, the second-rank artifact, the Ten-Thousand-Year Pine Bone Bow."

As he spoke, the bow, shrouded in light, drifted toward Ye Wenxi and hovered before her. But the girl pursed her lips, staring at the bow with no desire to accept it. The Zhao Emperor ignored her, as if he hadn't seen, and tapped his fingers lightly on the throne’s armrest.

"Award the top scholar of the palace examination, An Le, the second-rank artifact, the Dragon Blood Fire Glazed Spear."

The faint words echoed again. The light-shrouded red spear drifted out of the hall and hovered before An Le. A slight breeze ruffled his hair. He looked at the spear but did not accept it. Instead, he flicked his finger against the bamboo sword "Green Mountain" at his waist. Green Mountain leapt out, easily shattering the light shroud and slamming fiercely into the priceless second-rank spear. His pent-up anger seemed to be vented in that single strike.

"A prize for a top scholar? I, An Le, have no use for it."

The second-rank artifact was of extremely high grade, but the bamboo sword Green Mountain, despite its unknown rank, struck the masterless artifact with such force that it let out a mournful wail. The Dragon Blood Fire Glazed Spear whistled through the air, shooting back into the Tianxuan Palace.

At this moment, everyone’s eyes narrowed. On the throne, the Zhao Emperor sat unmoved, while Eunuch Tong suddenly raised his head, veins bulging on his pale, beardless face.

"Presumptuous!!!"

A terrifying mental energy erupted, like a dam bursting. However, Eunuch Tong’s expression changed slightly as he felt an invisible sword intent blocking his mental energy.

The rebounding Dragon Blood Fire Glazed Spear was caught by a hand as white as jade. Lady Hua, dressed in magnificent, flowing robes, stepped forward. Her long hair floated slightly, and layers of sword intent condensed from her mental energy spread and intertwined around her. Holding the second-rank spear, she walked step by step toward Wang Qilin, who was now in a state of extreme embarrassment. Wang Qilin dared not even move toward the light-shrouded Ding Feng Bo. He knew all too well that this blade was a hot potato.

With a slight, mocking smile, Lady Hua reached out, shattered the light, and grasped Ding Feng Bo.

*Hum...*

A vast and exuberant blade intent burst from Ding Feng Bo, shaking the Tianxuan Palace. "Your Majesty, though I do not know why you act this way, I feel that your actions are forcing me—forcing me not to endure any longer."

Holding Ding Feng Bo, Lady Hua’s luxurious robes fluttered under the blade qi, like a blooming golden lotus. Her words echoed through the hall. Finally, the Zhao Emperor sitting on the throne moved. He took his hands off the armrests and slowly stood up, looking down at Hua Jiebing.

"Now, as you wish."

"The old matriarch said to endure, but I... I do not want to endure anymore. I have had enough of this Lin'an, enough of this Great Zhao."

"All this time, I have begged and pleaded, only wanting to retrieve Ding Feng Bo at the palace examination. Now it seems it was all just a joke."

"Zhao Tianyan, I have thought about it, and the only thing I possess that is worth you going to such great lengths to provoke me into acting, is my Heart Sword, which has been nurtured to the limit of the eighth realm, right?"

"You still care about the royal face, so you wanted to force me to act. Why not just slap me with a trumped-up charge?!"

Hua Jiebing’s red lips curled. She addressed the Zhao Emperor by his given name, her mockery, disdain, and disgust erupting in that moment. Holding Ding Feng Bo in one hand and the Dragon Blood Fire Glazed Spear in the other, she twisted her waist, and the spear transformed into a stream of light, shooting outward.

The second-rank spear seemed to come alive, like a ferocious fire dragon emerging from the sea, pouncing toward the standing Zhao Emperor. However, Eunuch Tong swiped his hand, his blood energy and mental power erupting, and the spear was instantly swatted away. It whistled and shot into one of the dragon-carved pillars, half of its shaft embedding deep within, the falling debris pulverized into dust by the clashing energies.

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

"Bold Hua Jiebing, how dare you attempt to assassinate His Majesty! You deserve death! Take her!" Eunuch Tong’s voice, though low, sounded incredibly sharp.

The next moment, vast mental power surged from all corners of the Tianxuan Palace as figures hidden in the darkness suddenly opened their eyes. It was as if they had been prepared all along. Their mental energy intertwined into a giant net, casting toward Hua Jiebing.

The sudden change made everyone in the hall tremble. Some changed expressions, vaguely guessing the truth. Qin Lishi looked up, gazing with a touch of sorrow at the First Prince, Zhao Shenyan, behind him. Deep within the palace at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, a Ninth Prince with immortal blood was imprisoned; and now, the Emperor wanted to take Hua Jiebing’s Heart Sword…

This dying Emperor wanted to use the Heart Sword to suppress the immortal blood, to suppress its alien essence and extend his life for another five hundred years! In fact, the most suitable thing to suppress the immortal blood would be the ninth-realm Heart Sword in the sword furnace of the master at the Gan’ye Temple. But to obtain that… was sheer delusion. Compared to that master, Hua Jiebing’s Heart Sword, though lower in rank, was sufficient.

The First Prince behind him seemed to have guessed as well, but he could say nothing, only lowering his eyes, his gaze filled with resentment. If the Zhao Emperor really lived for another five hundred years, there would be no hope for him.

The energy permeating the hall impacted the minds of every official. The Zhao Emperor had not said he wanted Hua Jiebing’s Heart Sword, but his silence was the best explanation.

Li You'an’s eyes were filled with disappointment. The "Thousandfold" sword, suspended in the starlight, hummed. With a flick of his finger, he tore through the net of mental energy emerging from the hall.

Having obtained Ding Feng Bo and with Li You'an’s help, Hua Jiebing tore through the mental net binding her primordial spirit. Tipping her toes on the ground, she drifted out of the Tianxuan Palace, rising into the sky. Behind her, sword qi sprouted, dazzling and brilliant like a scorching sun.

The woman’s brow opened, and a sword emitting seven-colored light sat quietly within her sword furnace. On the sword sat a solemn primordial spirit with a thousand hands. The sword qi was brilliant and clanging, like the radiance of a Buddha!

Heart Sword: Jade Guanyin!

Hua Jiebing raised her hand as if holding an invisible sword and gently pushed forward.

One sword births a Buddha!

Countless sword qi condensed into the vision of a Guanyin, appearing behind Hua Jiebing like a massive statue, tearing through the clouds from the horizon and overlooking the entire imperial city.

Inside the Tianxuan Palace, the hidden experts of the refining realm saw their net shattered by the sword qi released by the Guanyin’s finger. They spat blood simultaneously, their eyes filled with horror.

On the white jade plaza, everyone seemed to fall into the tolling of an ancient temple bell, their consciousness sinking into the chanting of mantras. Not all, however. An Le’s brow furnace glowed, and the Heart Sword embryo beneath his primordial spirit trembled violently, releasing mental energy to help him break free. Ye Wenxi’s expression was grim, but a phantom spear in her brow blocked the influence of the Heart Sword, however difficultly.

An Le looked up, staring at the sudden eruption of the Heart Sword vision above the plaza! Watching Lady Hua, who had overturned the chessboard, refused to endure further, and raised a sword to manifest the Guanyin, his heart surged. Though she was a woman, at this moment, her heroic spirit soared to the heavens!

The "Heroic Spirit" Dao fruit in An Le’s chest trembled violently.

If you cannot endure, you need endure no longer!

With one sword in hand, shatter the darkness.

With a sword in the heart, dare to slay the Emperor!