Chapter 146: Entering the Glazed Lamp, Qingchuan Becomes a Daoist Servant; The Old Celestial Master Bestows a Thousand-Year Purple Qi Golden Lotus
A thick mass of blood slowly condensed and took shape under the moonlight, piling together like grains of sand until it gradually formed the appearance of the Prince of Jiangling.
His scholarly robes fluttering in the wind and radiating an elegant demeanor, the Prince of Jiangling stood with his hands behind his back, suspended in the night sky as a faint smile curled the corners of his lips.
He raised his head to gaze at the dispersed thick fog, at the cascading starlight and moonlight, while a trace of astonishment gradually surfaced in his eyes.
"Who would have thought that the foolish Daoist priest of the Celestial Master's Mansion still possessed a talisman capable of summoning the Old Celestial Master's starlight avatar... Fortunately, I didn't make a move against him, otherwise, it truly would have been somewhat troublesome."
The Prince of Jiangling narrowed his eyes.
He had never truly cared about the Second Prince, Zhao Pei, or the True Person of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Li Qingchuan. After all, Zhao Pei carried the bloodline of the imperial family of the Zhao clan, sharing the same origin as him. Therefore, naturally, upon Zhao Pei's arrival in Jiangling Prefecture, he would fulfill the duties of a gracious host—though, of course, this was also to prevent him from discovering certain secrets hidden within Jiangling Prefecture.
As for the subsequent events, although they had somewhat exceeded the control of the Prince of Jiangling, their impact remained minor.
"The Old Celestial Master... The tenth realm of Nirvana. Though his physical tempering has yet to enter the tenth realm, anyone capable of entering Nirvana through the refinement of the spirit truly stands at the absolute pinnacle of the mortal world."
Envy and yearning flickered in the eyes of the Prince of Jiangling.
To enter Nirvana through spirit refinement required suppressing and mastering the fire of Nirvana, one of the three calamities of the tenth realm. Only thus could one achieve spirit-refined Nirvana.
In this world, far too few could truly step into Nirvana relying solely on their own strength.
A genius as brilliant as Zhao Huang庭 had ultimately fallen before the fire of Nirvana. Unable to break through the realm, he could only borrow the power of the Nirvana fire to seek a moment of fierce liberation.
Call it liberation, yet what was it if not helplessness?
Standing with his hands clasped behind his back and bathed in the moonlight, the Prince of Jiangling narrowed his eyes.
An Le had seized the Purple Qi Golden Lotus from Zhao Pei, and the Old Celestial Master had condensed starlight to descend. How things would unfold next genuinely piqued his curiosity.
Given the strength of the Old Celestial Master, even if it was merely a descent manifested from condensed starlight, it was certainly something Su Muzhe could never hope to block.
Therefore...
If the Old Celestial Master intended to deal with An Le, it could truly be considered a genuine crisis for the latter.
Could it be that An Le was capable of once again summoning that massive Blood Guanyin spanning the Canglang River?
Even if he truly managed to summon it, there was no guarantee it could deal with the starlight avatar of the Old Celestial Master. This was the foundational heritage and imposing aura of a tenth-realm powerhouse.
"The old sword saint of the Sword Pool Palace... Will he make a move as well?"
The Prince of Jiangling chuckled, brimming with interest.
It would be best if the two of them started fighting and battered each other into mutual exhaustion. In that case, Jiangling Prefecture would have the opportunity to make a move against the Sword Pool Palace.
The primary reason the Prince of Jiangling had always been wary of the Sword Pool Palace was that old sword saint resting at the bottom of the lake.
A tenth-realm terrestrial immortal served as an absolute deterrent wherever they might be.
Perhaps tonight, he might even get to witness a clash between tenth-realm masters?
However, a look of utter bewilderment soon surfaced on the face of the Prince of Jiangling, because the state displayed by the Old Celestial Master's starlight avatar after its appearance was the exact opposite of what he had anticipated.
The aggressive and overbearing attitude toward An Le that he had imagined never materialized.
In fact, the Old Celestial Master was almost excessively amiable.
The Prince of Jiangling froze, a strange expression gradually spreading across his face as a rather bold and terrifying thought sprouted within his mind.
"The Celestial Master's Mansion... Surely not?"
...
...
Ripples lightly danced across the surface of Sword Pool Lake.
At the bottom of Sword Pool Lake, someone opened their eyes.
Far away, when the old man in hempen robes resting at the bottom of the lake sensed a mental will spanning rivers and mountains to condense into starlight falling upon the mortal world, he opened his eyes.
His strands of hair drifted upward in the lake water like sea grass. Every single strand of hair and every pore seemed to contain a fierce, biting sword qi capable of splitting rivers and severing oceans.
The old sword saint's gaze was indifferent, sword intent surging in the depths of his eyes.
In an instant, a ringing chime of a sword tore through the sword-qi-filled depths of the lake. Chengying, a supreme first-grade sword of the current age, churned up white billows at the lake bottom, roaring as it dashed straight toward the surface.
The entire body of water in Sword Pool Lake began to boil, droplets dancing and leaping unceasingly.
However, the moment the tip of the sword just barely pierced the lake's surface, the old sword saint's sharp gaze abruptly froze.
"Oh?"
A soft murmur echoed across the entire lake.
"Interesting."
Abruptly, the old sword saint let out a light laugh.
The Chengying sword, which had just broken the lake's surface, plunged back into the depths, returning quietly to rest at the old man's waist as the ringing of the blade gradually subsided.
The old man closed his eyes once more, and the boiling Sword Pool Lake returned to tranquility.
If the Old Celestial Master used his cultivation to bully An Le, the old sword saint naturally would not remain indifferent. Since he had chosen to wager the entire Sword Pool Lake on that young man, he would not sit idly by and watch.
The Old Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion, a venerable master of spirit-refined Nirvana, was naturally immensely powerful. Yet the old sword saint, as a terrestrial immortal, was equally extraordinary.
If the two of them were to fight, it would undoubtedly draw the watchful eyes of countless top-tier powerhouses across the world.
"For five hundred years, the Emperor of Yuan Meng has refined the dragon veins, completing the refinement of eight veins while the ninth vein has also been born... right there within the First Emperor's Mausoleum. Once the First Emperor's Mausoleum opens, the tenth-realm powerhouses of this world will no longer be able to sit still."
"None can remain aloof. In the face of their inevitable limit, even the tenth realm... cannot maintain a tranquil mind."
"Among the younger generation of the Sword Pool Palace, there is none who can capture that glimmer of light to step into the tenth realm..."
"I know not whether this is a blessing or a curse."
...
...
As the night grew deep and the stars filled the sky, heaven and earth fell into absolute silence.
Li Qingchuan, a ninth-realm True Person of the Celestial Master's Mansion, collapsed to his knees before An Le with a dull thud, plunging entirely into a state of blank confusion and shock.
This prostration was naturally not of Li Qingchuan's own volition. A dignified ninth-realm master kneeling before a fifth-realm youth...
How could such logic exist anywhere under heaven?
Even in the presence of the Second Prince, Zhao Pei, Li Qingchuan had never once bowed or scraped.
Yet now, Li Qingchuan's scalp tingled while beads of fine sweat covered his forehead. He was no fool; naturally, he realized that the situation at this moment somehow differed greatly from what he had anticipated.
An Le had plundered the Purple Qi Golden Lotus from the Second Prince, Zhao Pei. Such an act was utterly intolerable within the Celestial Master's Mansion.
In the past, cultivators in the pugilistic world had also attempted to plunder the Purple Qi Golden Lotus from daoists of the Celestial Master's Mansion, but every single plunderer had ultimately suffered severe punishment from the mansion.
In fact, at its strictest, when a ninth-realm expert had plundered the Purple Qi Golden Lotus, it had provoked the Old Celestial Master into taking personal action.
A bolt of divine lightning descending from the heavens cracked that ninth-realm martial artist's soul, and he was ultimately captured and brought up the mountain by the Celestial Master's Mansion, reduced to a dao-servant guarding the lotus pond.
How was it that when it came to An Le... the treatment was completely different?
Li Qingchuan laboriously raised his head to gaze at that figure formed of starlight. He knelt on the ground not because he wished to, but because a mental pressure akin to the overturning of the heavens forced him to prostrate himself.
An Le stood right before him, leaning on the swallow's return.
The starlight figure looked toward An Le and chuckled softly, "Young Master An, are you satisfied with this?"
An Le stared intently at the starlight figure, feeling the terrifying mental power contained within it. Even the heart-sword within his Niwan Palace felt as frail as a leaf in a storm when faced with this mental might.
Looking at the kneeling Li Qingchuan, An Le found it difficult to fathom this Old Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion—a figure rumored to be on the exact same level as the old sword saint of the Sword Pool Palace.
"Old Senior, what is the meaning of this?"
Leaning on his weapon, his blood-stained white robes fluttering slightly, An Le stared at the starlight figure and asked.
"Li Qingchuan once provoked Zhao Huangting, and he also provoked you, even harboring murderous intent toward you. This is his punishment," the starlight figure said softly.
The sweat on the forehead of Li Qingchuan, kneeling on the ground, grew even heavier as a look of disbelief flashed through his eyes.
As a True Person of the Celestial Master's Mansion, he naturally knew what this attitude from the Old Celestial Master signified...
Such an amiable and gentle demeanor was usually displayed only in the presence of the Little Celestial Master of the mansion.
In the distance, the Second Prince, Zhao Pei, had long since been struck as if by lightning, his eyes filled with profound disbelief, alongside a surge of confusion and anger.
Why would it be like this?!
An Le had plundered his Purple Qi Golden Lotus; the attitude of the Celestial Master's Mansion should not have been like this!
Why was Li Qingchuan made to kneel? Shouldn't it be An Le kneeling instead?
What had happened to the Old Celestial Master, who treasured the Purple Qi Golden Lotus above all else?!
The Second Prince, Zhao Pei, had never witnessed the Old Celestial Master adopt such an attitude. Even when he had successfully cultivated the seed of the Purple Qi Golden Lotus until it bloomed, he had only ever received a slight nod of approval from the old man.
Where had this spring-breeze-like gentleness ever appeared before?
He was, after all, the dignified Second Prince of the Great Zhao Empire, possessed of a noble identity and bearing the imperial bloodline of the Zhao clan. What did An Le have?
He had nothing!
Did the Celestial Master's Mansion not wish to become the state religion of the Great Zhao Empire?
If so, should they not pour out everything to cast their lot with the Great Zhao Empire?
Such an attitude... truly left him uncomprehending, furious, and touched with a shred of unease.
An Le also held a sliver of doubt. He grabbed his weapon and stowed it back into the sword case. Beside him, Su Muzhe furrowed her brows tightly as she stared at the starlight figure, equally filled with doubt.
Su Muzhe dared not let down her guard; she was facing the starlight avatar of the Old Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and carelessness was out of the question.
"Senior's words are truly interesting. Senior Zhao is a person I deeply respect, and this True Person Li provoked Senior Zhao, which naturally filled my heart with anger. Moreover, True Person Li even wished to kill me and put it into action. This is a deep enmity; it cannot be brushed aside by a mere kneeling."
An Le said with a fixed gaze.
He deliberately framed his words gravely precisely to test the attitude of this Old Celestial Master.
Shielded by the green bamboo sword, Zhao Huangting had also slowly walked over, a flash of surprise flickering in his eyes.
He seemed to have guessed something.
The starlight figure chuckled softly. "Since he harbored murderous intent, naturally it cannot be settled merely by a kneel. The Celestial Master's Mansion has a technique called the Glazed Lamp. One's vital blood enters the glaze, and whoever controls the Glazed Lamp dictates their life and death."
"Li Qingchuan harbored murderous intent, which was his transgression. Let a drop of his vital blood enter the Glazed Lamp so that from this day forth he may serve Young Master An for a hundred years. Such a punishment can be considered severe. What does Young Master An think?"
An Le fell silent.
Even he was somewhat thrown into disarray. Was this Old Celestial Master playing for real?
However, An Le had indeed never heard of the so-called Glazed Lamp, making it impossible for him to distinguish whether it was true or false.
He could not help but glance toward Zhao Huangting.
Zhao Huangting's face was pale, but meeting An Le's gaze, he nodded slightly. "The Celestial Master's Mansion possesses three thousand techniques, and there is indeed one named the 'Glazed Lamp.' Those whose vital blood enters the lamp are called dao-servants; it is considered one of the quite harsh punitive arts."
Having said this, he clicked his tongue, a trace of a smile emerging in his eyes.
He naturally held no fondness for Li Qingchuan. Last time, a single sword strike of bamboo branches had nearly beaten Li Qingchuan to death, back when the Old Celestial Master had projected his spiritual will from afar.
Zhao Huangting had stopped his hand at that time, never expecting that today the Old Celestial Master would lay his cards on the table and produce a technique like the Glazed Lamp to punish Li Qingchuan.
It inexplicably filled Zhao Huangting's heart with a great sense of satisfaction.
Yet, of course, he also knew that the Old Celestial Master's willingness to make such concessions and changes was inextricably linked to An Le.
Narrowing his eyes, such an attitude was already abundantly clear.
Might this Old Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion... intend to follow the example of the Sword Pool Palace and place his wager on An Le?
Unlike Zhenwu Temple, the Celestial Master's Mansion cultivated the path of providence and national fortune, with the blooming of the Purple Qi Golden Lotus taking providence and national fortune as its foundation.
That was why they had always strived to become the state religion of the Great Zhao Empire.
Zhenwu Temple was different. What Zhenwu Temple cultivated was compliance with the mandate of heaven, and the heaven here referred to the will of the immortals in the celestial realm.
Since ancient times, Zhenwu Temple had produced numerous figures who ascended to immortality, its heritage possessing unfathomable depth. Throughout endless years, it had always stood at the highest peak of the pugilistic world, and very few dared to challenge its edge.
There were even rumors circulating in the world that the faction ranked first beneath the sacred mountains was none other than Zhenwu Temple.
Through successive dynastic changes, those emperors who sat majestically in the imperial court never sought trouble with Zhenwu Temple, and indeed all treated it with a degree of reverence precisely because Zhenwu Temple followed the mandate of heaven.
The Celestial Master's Mansion, on the other hand, walked the path of national fortune and providence. Since fortune and providence experienced cycles of rise and decline, it naturally led to the rise and decline of the Celestial Master's Mansion as well; the Purple Qi Golden Lotus in the lotus pond withered and grew anew in an endless reincarnation.
Coupled with Zhenwu Temple's long-standing suppression of the Celestial Master's Mansion, its development had in truth been extremely difficult.
Now it appeared that the Celestial Master's Mansion intended to abandon Great Zhao and choose An Le instead?
Although An Le was currently standing alone, he carried the green bamboo and inherited the will of the First Emperor. In reality, this could already be considered the initial sparking of a wildfire; perhaps this was why the Celestial Master's Mansion had chosen to throw all its chips in a desperate gamble.
When facing Zhenwu Temple, which still sat securely at the head of the Daoist sects despite the overwhelming pressure of the Yuan Meng Empire, if the Celestial Master's Mansion refused to make a change, then as the Old Celestial Master perished under his inevitable limit, this mansion that had drifted through the long river of time for countless ages might truly perish in this era, reduced to the dust of history.
An Le held no blind trust in the Old Celestial Master, but he naturally trusted Zhao Huangting. Since it was spoken of thus... the so-called Glazed Lamp must certainly be real.
According to the Old Celestial Master's intention, this meant letting a ninth-realm True Person serve him as a dao-servant for a hundred years?
A ninth-realm master could live for five hundred years; spending a hundred of them as a dao-servant—how many centuries did Li Qingchuan have left?
For Li Qingchuan, this punishment was truly rather cruel.
Kneeling on the ground, Li Qingchuan's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. "No! Old Celestial Master, you cannot! How can I become a dao-servant to this brat?!"
The Old Celestial Master's words delivered too great a shock to Li Qingchuan's mind. Once he became a dao-servant, the growth of his cultivation would slow to a crawl, and his very life would be handed over to An Le, leaving his survival dependent entirely on An Le's single thought!
Shaking his head unceasingly, Li Qingchuan tried to shoulder the mental pressure of the Old Celestial Master and stand up from the ground.
However, the starlight figure of the Old Celestial Master raised a single hand and pressed it gently upon his shoulder.
Powerless, Li Qingchuan sank back down onto his knees.
"Those who commit a transgression must accept punishment. Allowing you to become Young Master An's dao-servant is, in truth, not a bad thing for you."
The calm voice echoed from the lips of the Old Celestial Master.
Sweat poured continuously over Li Qingchuan's entire body as his Daoist robes fluttered violently in the invisible gale.
Li Qingchuan almost regretted inviting the Old Celestial Master here. He had never expected that by summoning the Old Celestial Master, he would end up digging his own grave and turning himself into a dao-servant...
It was true that he could do nothing against Zhao Huangting, and thus had no choice but to vent that fury upon An Le, plotting to kill him.
This indeed stemmed from an impure and warped state of mind on his part.
Yet... to be reduced to a dao-servant of a mere fifth-realm cultivator was simply too humiliating!
Faced with the imposing aura of the Old Celestial Master, he could offer no resistance.
"Bring forth your vital heart blood."
The voice of the Old Celestial Master rang out.
"If you faithfully and sincerely protect Young Master An as his dao-servant, you will preserve your life, and after a hundred years, you will regain your freedom, still possessing several decades of unhindered time to live. If your heart harbors unwillingness and you refuse to be a dao-servant, I will not force you—you need only die."
Kneeling on the ground, Li Qingchuan gritted his teeth and trembled all over. He desperately wanted to refuse, even to choose death rather than submit, but in the end, he lacked that courage.
Sighing heavily, he drew forth a drop of his vital heart blood.
The crystal-clear, crimson blood floated upward. Within the starlight figure of the Old Celestial Master, hand seals formed to weave an abstruse and intricate technique.
Amidst the intertwining starlight, a glazed lotus lamp took shape.
Li Qingchuan's drop of vital blood fell into the Glazed Lamp.
The Old Celestial Master pointed the Glazed Lamp toward An Le, causing it to drift gracefully before him while transmitting a set of incantation formulas.
Hesitating for a moment, An Le finally opened the sword furnace between his brows and, guided by the incantation, drew the Glazed Lamp into it. With a single thought, he could crush the Glazed Lamp and detonate the vital blood within.
Once the vital blood was shattered, Li Qingchuan would surely die.
Upon accepting the Glazed Lamp, Li Qingchuan shuddered all over, a grayish, withered look spreading across his features as an invisible aura faintly linked him to An Le.
Should this thread of aura break, Li Qingchuan would likewise perish.
And since this thread belonged to An Le, it meant that if An Le died, Li Qingchuan would die as well. A single lamp of glaze completely bound Li Qingchuan to An Le's side.
Placing both hands flat upon the ground, his face pale as death, Li Qingchuan felt as though the entire world had grown dim.
"From this day onward, faithfully protect Young Master An's safety. After a hundred years, the Glazed Lamp will naturally dissipate," the Old Celestial Master said softly.
The starlight avatar of the Old Celestial Master looked toward An Le and raised a hand. Instantly, a wisp of purple qi came drifting from the east, wrapping around his fingertips before finally transforming into a dreamy, unbloomed lotus flower.
"Young Master An, this is a millennium-old Purple Qi Golden Lotus seed, condensed from the fortune of a great empire's rise and fall. There were three such seeds within the lotus pond of the Celestial Master's Mansion: the Grand Ancestor of the Zhao clan took one when he became a terrestrial immortal, and this old Daoist took one when entering Nirvana. Now, the final one—which the emperor of the Zhao clan wished to use the position of state religion to coerce me into giving up, a demand I never once agreed to—is bestowed upon you, Young Master An. This old Daoist believes that Young Master An will surely cause this millennium-old Purple Qi Golden Lotus to bloom."
The starlight figure of the Old Celestial Master spoke softly.
With a flick of his finger, that seed of the Purple Qi Golden Lotus drifted gracefully toward An Le.
An Le furrowed his brow slightly as his dantian stirred with a hungry shudder, erupting with suction that drew the millennium-old Purple Qi Golden Lotus seed smoothly into his body.
It came to rest quietly above the lake of innate spiritual qi in his dantian, where the Purple Qi Golden Lotus he had harvested from the Second Prince was violently smashed to pieces, its purple energy rushing in a torrent into this new seed.
The seed spun rapidly, brimming with purple qi and growing increasingly miraculous.
"Young Master An, this is the sincerity of the Celestial Master's Mansion."
The voice of the Old Celestial Master was gentle.
Zhao Huangting and Su Muzhe at the side were utterly astounded. The Celestial Master's Mansion... had truly gone all in!
Kneeling on the ground, Li Qingchuan's pupils constricted in profound disbelief. The Old Celestial Master... had actually taken out even the most precious millennium-old seed of the Purple Qi Golden Lotus and bestowed it upon An Le?
It seemed the resolve of the Old Celestial Master was truly beyond imagination.
An Le frowned slightly. "Why do this?"
The starlight figure of the Old Celestial Master possessed a deep, far-reaching gaze, a smile curving the corners of his mouth. "How can the Central Plains be lacking in grand spirit? As the inheritor of the First Emperor's will... believing that you can pacify the lands of the Central Plains, this old Daoist is willing to wager everything."
To wager everything upon a fifth-realm youth—this was truly a peerless gamble that shook the ages.
The words of the Old Celestial Master caused An Le to draw in a deep breath.
Faintly, An Le seemed to recall the first function of the [Emperor] Dao fruit.
"With unseen forces aiding, the mandate of heaven slays immortals..."
An Le murmured to himself.
On the other side, after recovering from the shock, Li Qingchuan slowly stood up.
His face was ashen, his eyes devoid of light.
After pondering for a long time, he gritted his teeth, shook his head in resignation, and could only pay the price for the mistakes he had committed.
He offered a Daoist salute toward the starlight figure of the Old Celestial Master, and finally looked toward An Le, the corners of his mouth twitching and trembling.
"Master..."
Li Qingchuan looked at An Le, his eyes bloodshot, yet he had no choice but to force those two words out.
An Le glanced calmly at Li Qingchuan. Could this be considered a grand gift presented to him by the Old Celestial Master? A ninth-realm True Person—his cultivation was certainly not weak, and using him as a dao-servant was a rare occurrence indeed.
"Call me Young Master. There is no need to call me Master."
An Le said calmly.
Li Qingchuan lowered his head and dragged his heavy steps to stand behind An Le, his eyes seemingly stripped of all brilliance.
He had never imagined that having just broken through to the ninth realm and stepped down from Yunjin Mountain in high spirits, he would end up reduced to someone else's dao-servant.
He had descended the mountain alongside the Second Prince, Zhao Pei, intending to support Zhao Pei in becoming the crown prince so that the Celestial Master's Mansion could secure the support of the state religion and the blessing of Great Zhao's national fortune.
How... how had things ended up like this?
In the distance.
The Second Prince, Zhao Pei, trembled all over as if struck by lightning, a deep terror welling up in his gaze.
The Old Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion... had gone mad!
A ninth-realm master like Li Qingchuan reduced to a dao-servant... this filled the Second Prince, Zhao Pei, with intense envy.
A ninth-realm dao-servant—that value was simply unimaginable!
In this world, ninth-realm cultivators were exceedingly rare, each one standing as an existence perched atop the pinnacle!
Not to mention, the Old Celestial Master had also given away a millennium-old seed of the Purple Qi Golden Lotus... What kind of charm did this An Le possess?!
Zhao Pei's eyes were red with jealousy, but he was no fool; he already understood the Old Celestial Master's choice. The mansion had abandoned the opportunity to become the state religion of the Great Zhao Empire, casting its lot instead with An Le, a man who stood entirely alone.
An icy intent flashed through the eyes of the Second Prince, Zhao Pei, and his murderous intent toward An Le grew even denser and more ferocious.
The Purple Qi Golden Lotus ought to have been his, and the Celestial Master's Mansion ought to have been the force supporting him from behind—his greatest guarantee in seizing the crown prince's throne.
Yet now, all of it was gone, transformed into possessions belonging to An Le.
At this moment, Zhao Pei's heart trembled, and he wished nothing more than to hack this An Le, who had robbed him of all his opportunities, into a thousand pieces!
An Le naturally sensed this bone-chilling murderous intent.
His gaze swept over, landing upon the Second Prince, Zhao Pei.
Their eyes collided in the dead of night beneath the boundless starlight and moonlight.
The Second Prince, Zhao Pei, felt a jolt of panic in his heart, catching the murderous intent hidden within An Le's eyes as well.
Even though he was the Second Prince of the Great Zhao Empire, possessed of a noble identity and royal bloodline, all of that was illusory before An Le. An Le... truly dared to kill him!
He looked at Su Muzhe, Li Qingchuan, and the starlight avatar of the Old Celestial Master standing beside An Le.
With so many powerhouses aiding him...
While on his own side, the Prince of Jiangling had long since vanished without a trace, leaving him entirely alone.
The roles of being isolated and helpless instantly reversed.
A chill washed over his heart.
Without a single moment of hesitation, he slammed the toes of his boots against the ground, causing the earth to cave in with an explosive crater, turning his figure into a streak of light that fled into the darkness, racing in the direction of Lin'an Prefecture.
He had to run; only by escaping back to Lin'an would he truly be safe!
He had already been slain twice by An Le, losing both the Lesser Saint Token and the Purple Qi Golden Lotus. If he were killed one more time...
He would truly die!
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(End of chapter)