Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
The Emperor of Lingyun’s domineering response subjugated all the ministers and officers in the kingdom. Even though some of them still opposed his decision, they’d been scared into silence by the Monarch’s mercilessness.
Even someone who’d served the kingdom for five generations had been beheaded by the Emperor of Lingyun. The remaining ministers had no doubt that if they spoke out against Qingfeng Li again, they would lose their heads as well. There was nothing for them to do but to bottle up their resentment and back out of the Palace.
Beside the Emperor of Lingyun sat a beautiful woman of twenty or so. Her skin was snow-white, and her exquisite curves were offset by the phoenix dress she wore.
Her hair was decorated with a golden phoenix hair-pin that bespoke of her high status. This was the Queen Consort of the Country of Lingyun.
The Queen furrowed her brows ever-so-slightly as she gazed over at the Emperor of Lingyun. “Your Majesty,” she said, “will you really insist on supporting Qingfeng Li? That would put us in opposition to the Crimson Fire Monarch.”
The Emperor of Lingyun glared at her, displeased. “What?” he asked. “Do you oppose me as well? I will be honest with you. I might abandon the Chief Advisor and all the ministers and officers of the country. I can even abandon my Queen. But I will not abandon Qingfeng Li. He’s the one who’d given me everything I have.”
The Emperor of Lingyun was a man of honor. He knew that, without Qingfeng Li’s help, he would have been nothing. More importantly, the Emperor of Lingyun had confidence in Qingfeng Li.
He knew that Qingfeng Li wasn’t from this planet. But he also knew that, along the way, Qingfeng Li had encountered many self-cultivators and demonic beasts much stronger than himself. In the end, they had all been slain by Qingfeng Li. He had a certain quality that could conquer the world.
The Queen’s face paled. “Your Majesty, I will support your decision. If you tell me to support Qingfeng Li, I will support him.”
The Queen didn’t want to end up like the Chief Advisor, who had been beheaded for opposing her husband. Besides, it was clear to her that Qingfeng Li held a very important place in the Monarch’s heart, more important even than his own wife.
The Emperor of Lingyun nodded. “That’s good,” he said. “Remember, go and tell those of your clan and any others allied with you. We will stand by Qingfeng Li no matter what.”
“I understand. I will go inform my father and the rest of my clan not to speak ill of Qingfeng Li,” the Queen promised with a nod.
Aside from the Crimson Fire Business Alliance and the Emperor of Lingyun, other organizations like the Array Formation Pavilion and the Dharma Treasure Pavilion were also placing their bets. However, they were all backing the Crimson Fire Monarch.
Although these organizations had also had contact with Qingfeng Li and knew how powerful he was, they still favored the Crimson Fire Monarch. After all, the Crimson Fire Monarch had united the entire Crimson Fire Continent under his rule for five thousand years. He was no doubt a very powerful Monarch who had suppressed countless uprisings before.
Amongst the super-powers of the continent, there was one more that supported Qingfeng Li, the Planetary Pavilion.
The Planetary Pavilion was supporting Qingfeng Li because of the alchemists Ancient Lu and Wuhen Imperial. Qingfeng Li was Wuhen’s Master, while Ancient Lu was both a teacher and a friend to Qingfeng Li and had greatly praised Qingfeng Li’s alchemy arts.
In addition, they both knew that Qingfeng Li never revealed all of his cards and that his power far exceeded his alchemy arts. This was why they had convinced the Grandmaster of the Planetary Pavilion to place his bets on Qingfeng Li and to publicly announce their support of Qingfeng Li and opposition to the Crimson Fire Monarch,
This decision by the Planetary Pavilion drew the ridicule of other major organizations and sects, including the Array Formation Pavilion and the Dharma Treasure Pavilion. They all thought that the Planetary Pavilion had a death wish. How could they dare to oppose the Ruler of the Planet? They would no doubt be ground to dust.
Some of them have even begun plotting out how they would divide up the Planetary Pavilion’s territories, elixirs, and spirit herbs.
Knowing what the other major organizations were conspiring, Wuhen sneered. His eyes were full of contempt as he thought to himself, My Master is extremely strong. He had even been able to acquire saint level weapons. You lot can’t possibly predict his power. Watch, in the end, all you Crimson Fire Monarch supporters will face my Master’s wrath.
Right now, Qingfeng Li was flying toward the Fire Monarch Mountain with Xue Lin, Mengyao Xu, and the others. He had also heard of the state affairs across the Crimson Fire Continent.
From the conversations of the many self-cultivators around him, Qingfeng Li knew that most of the self-cultivators on the continent had their bets against him, favoring the Crimson Fire Monarch.
This knowledge left Qingfeng Li rather miffed. After all, he hadn’t even begun his battle with the Crimson Fire Monarch. Yet these people had begun taking sides already. It was obvious that they didn’t favor his chances.
Of course, Qingfeng Li had also heard that the Crimson Fire Business Alliance, the Emperor of Lingyun, and the Planetary Pavilion all supported him. Qingfeng Li was grateful for all of these organizations.
He swore to himself that, after he kills the Crimson Fire Monarch and becomes the Ruler of the Planet, he would definitely help those who supported him expand their areas of influence. He would help them conquer all the sects and clans that opposed him. After all, Qingfeng Li was never one to be merciful to his enemies.
Steering the flying vessel, Qingfeng Li headed toward the Fire Monarch Mountain. It was now that he took out a sword from his interspatial ring. This was the Yin-Yang Saint Sword, which he had just obtained after killing the Sky-Breaking Monarch.
One of the first techniques that Qingfeng Li ever practiced was a sword technique, so he tended to favor using swords. He had fallen in love with the Yin-Yang Saint Sword from the moment he laid his eyes upon it. However, it had belonged to the Sky-Breaking Monarch. And now that the Sky-Breaking Monarch had been killed by Qingfeng Li, the Yin-Yang Saint Sword had naturally become his spoils of war.
Releasing his spirit energy, Qingfeng Li gathered it upon his right forefinger and slid it across the Yin-Yang Saint Sword, erasing its Soul Mark.
Having removed the Yin-Yang Saint Sword’s Soul Mark, the sword began to tremble slightly. The tremors were like the ripples of a willow leaf falling upon water. The tremors continued, along with a soft cry of joy. It was as though the sword was welcoming its true master.
Qingfeng Li activated his Yin-Yang vital essence, releasing a beam of black-white light from his Yin-Yang Spirit Nucleus that shot into the Yin-Yang Saint Sword, the two merging together.
Qingfeng Li’s eyes lit up with joy. “This Yin-Yang Saint Sword must have been used by the Yin-Yang Saint at some point,” he said. “Otherwise, why would it be so friendly toward me?” In addition, Qingfeng Li sensed that a Sword Technique was hidden within the Yin-Yang Saint Sword.
Using the power of his will, Qingfeng Li’s spirit energy entered the Yin-Yang Saint Sword and began observing the sword technique closely. It appeared that it had been written with spiritual energy. Upon it was written the words, “Yin-Yang Sword Technique.” Below that, was the Yin-Yang Saint’s signature.
Qingfeng Li studied the Yin-Yang Sword Technique carefully and found that it was composed of four moves. These were the Darkened Sky Strike, the Sunlight Strike, the Whirlpool Strike, and the Yin-Yang Folding Strike.
