Chapter 395 The World Remains Tall for Thousands of Years

Chapter 395: The World’s Grandeur Through Millennia

Northern Wilderness Road, You Mountain.

On the mountain peak, it seemed as though a great rain was about to fall. Dark, inky clouds enshrouded the mountainside, and being amidst them, one felt a chill.

Since the Demonic Cult Headquarters moved here, You Mountain has undergone extensive construction of pavilions, palaces, and residences. However, these buildings could not be completed overnight.

At this moment, the usually bustling Demonic Cult Hall was deathly silent, as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.

All the Demonic Cult’s experts wore extremely grim expressions, for their sky had fallen.

Duanmu Xinghua and Ouyang Ping bowed their heads, looking as if they had aged several decades in an instant.

Who would have thought that the Ghost Swordsman, who had just now shocked the world by slaying the Great Grandmaster Zongzheng Huachun, would suddenly be intercepted and killed by Old Man Shifang? This news struck everyone in the Demonic Cult like a bolt from the blue.

Yu Qiurong’s eyes were bloodshot. She looked up at Li Fuzhou and asked, “Sect Leader Li, is there any news of the Demonic Cult Leader?”

Everyone looked over. Currently, the Demonic Cult’s only pillar was Demonic Cult Leader Zhao Qingmei, but she also disappeared from the world after An Jing was killed, leaving the Demonic Cult leaderless.

Li Fuzhou shook his head and said, “No, not a single word.”

The Human Sect was the eyes of the Demonic Cult. If even the Human Sect couldn’t find out, the other Four Seats and Two Sects would certainly not be able to find Zhao Qingmei.

You Gai sighed deeply upon hearing this. “Alas, although that girl doesn’t talk much normally, she is deeply emotional. If An Jing truly died, with her personality…”

Upon hearing this, everyone present felt a ‘thump’ in their hearts, a bad premonition.

They were all well aware of Zhao Qingmei’s personality: she was incredibly calm and knew how to make choices when facing major issues, but in matters of emotion, she was extremely stubborn and difficult to understand.

Especially Yu Qiurong, her face instantly turned ‘pale’ as a sheet, devoid of any color.

Duanmu Xinghua glanced at everyone and slowly said, “In these turbulent times, our Beyond the Heavens still needs to consider its future, and most importantly, how to handle our relationship with the Great Yan Dynasty Court.”

“The Great Yan Emperor has issued a secret decree, hoping that our Beyond the Heavens will send some people to join the martial arts academy established by Great Yan. What are your thoughts?”

Due to An Jing and Zhao Qingmei, the Demonic Cult had recruited many experts and thoroughly absorbed the Five Gangs Alliance into the Demonic Cult. It was now the most powerful Sect in Great Yan.

The Great Yan Dynasty Court would naturally be somewhat wary of such a behemoth.

Everyone present knew that if An Jing and Zhao Qingmei were still here, this balance could be maintained. Once these two were gone, the balance would also vanish.

Establishing a martial arts academy was a hook. The academy would recruit experts from all Sects in the world to serve as instructors, including Sects like the Demonic Cult, Zhenyi Sect, and Buddhist Sects, and even some third-rate Sects.

There was a deeper meaning behind this. The Great Yan Dynasty Court intended to absorb the forces of the Jianghu. Eventually, these people would be assimilated by the Dynasty Court and gradually become its people.

Most importantly, all factions were also required to submit some of their profound martial arts and Mind-Cultivation Techniques.

This was clearly a soft knife.

From a long-term perspective, the martial arts academy would grow larger and larger in the future, while other factions would completely decline, and even if they didn't accept, their influence as a Sect would completely erode.

After all, on one side was the Dynasty Court, and on the other was just a Sect. Most people learning martial arts would choose the former, not the latter.

Duanmu Xinghua was the first to speak, “This old woman does not agree. The Demonic Cult has always been an independent faction, and only by joining our Cult can one Cultivate our Cult’s Mind-Cultivation Techniques. Now, to hand over these Mind-Cultivation Techniques to the Dynasty Court truly goes against ancestral teachings.”

Ouyang Ping nodded. In his opinion, if this continued, the Demonic Cult was very likely to become a vassal of the Great Yan Dynasty.

The Demonic Cult has a long and storied history; it was one of the three most ancient factions. Even before the Great Yan Dynasty was founded, the Demonic Cult was one of the most prosperous factions in the world.

People like Ouyang Ping and Duanmu Xinghua had spent their entire lives in the Demonic Cult and had long regarded it as their home. They had their pride and naturally would not willingly allow the Demonic Cult to become a vassal of the Great Yan Dynasty.

“That’s wrong,”

Yi Daoyun shook her head, “I heard that the Great Yan National Master Xiao Qianqiu has already agreed to the idea of the martial arts academy. The Zhenyi Sect’s status in the Great Yan Jianghu needs no further explanation, which shows that this martial arts academy is what the people want and what everyone desires. We should strive for more resources and greater benefits for our Cult within the martial arts academy.”

As Yi Daoyun’s words fell, the Demonic Cult Hall gradually quieted down.

Yi Daoyun was not very old, in her forties, not yet fifty. In the Jianghu, she should be in her prime. At this age, being in the Grandmaster Realm, she was mostly a magnate of a regional power.

If Duanmu Xinghua belonged to the conservative faction within the Demonic Cult, then Yi Daoyun belonged to the younger, more aggressive faction.

There had long been some conflicts between the two factions, with many disputes and disagreements over how the Demonic Cult should develop. However, these conflicts had almost entirely hidden under Zhao Qingmei’s powerful pressure before.

But now that Zhao Qingmei was gone, these conflicts were fully ignited, even subtly risking expansion.

Duanmu Xinghua looked at Li Fuzhou and asked, “Sect Leader Li, what are your thoughts?”

Li Fuzhou, as the Human Sect Leader Li Fuzhou, held immense influence in his words.

Li Fuzhou slowly said, “I agree with Chief Yi. If either the Demonic Cult Leader or the son-in-law were still here, there would be room for negotiation with the Dynasty Court, but now it is vastly different. With both of them gone, if our Cult does not cooperate with the Great Yan Dynasty, the Zhenyi Sect, and other various Jianghu Schools, we will not only become a thorn in the side of the Great Yan Dynasty Court, but the Great Yan Jianghu will also not tolerate us. I believe cooperation benefits both sides.”

Cooperation benefits both sides.

Duanmu Xinghua frowned upon hearing this. She had originally hoped that Li Fuzhou would side with her, but now it seemed Li Fuzhou leaned more towards what Yi Daoyun had said.

You Gai, meanwhile, had his eyes slightly closed, seemingly having fallen into a slumber.

He had no sense of belonging to the Demonic Cult, nor was he interested in power. His only concern was who the Earth Vein Spirit would ultimately fall into and what changes would occur in the world.

Lin Tianhai fell silent, his mind weighing the pros and cons.

Ouyang Ping opened and closed his lips, but ultimately said nothing.

Talents emerge from generation to generation, each dominating for centuries.

He himself was an Elder of the Demon Sealing Platform, and should not have interfered with the Demonic Cult's affairs. Moreover, the future of the Demonic Cult was inherently to be decided by these younger, more aggressive factions like Yi Daoyun.

Lin Tianhai spoke, “I think what Chief Yi and Sect Leader Li said is not unreasonable.”

Duanmu Xinghua asked, “What does Chief Lin say?”

Lin Tianhai said faintly, “If the Zhenyi Sect and the Buddhist Sects have all agreed, it would be too difficult for our Demonic Cult to remain aloof. We would undoubtedly face ostracism from other factions. If the Demonic Cult Leader and An Gongfeng were here, this matter would be simple; they both could suppress these turbulences. But now, An Gongfeng has unfortunately died, and the Demonic Cult Leader is also missing.”

Under the prevailing trend, even these Grandmaster experts at the pinnacle of the Jianghu could only go with the flow.

How many people in this world could turn their hands to clouds and rain, changing the great trend of the world?

“Alright, if that’s the case.”

Duanmu Xinghua pondered for a moment, then sighed deeply in her heart, saying, “Then let’s proceed as Chief Yi suggested. This matter will be handled by Sect Leader Li, how about it?”

“I will take care of this matter,”

Li Fuzhou stood up and cupped his hands.

Jinghai Road, Azure Sky Island.

Streaks of brilliant sunlight pierced through the golden-red morning glow, shining on the azure seawater, as if a blue fabric was adorned with golden edges, dazzling to the eyes.

At this moment, an old man stood on the shore. He wore a white robe, and behind him was a stern precious sword. If there were someone discerning, they would recognize this sword as the Phoenix Sword, a famous sword on the world’s famous swords list.

And the identity of this old man was naturally self-evident: it was Sword God Liu Moyuan.

Just then, a small boat slowly drifted over, swept by a fierce wind, causing clothes to flap loudly.

Standing on the small boat was a Black-Clothed Old Man, Sword Demon Haotian.

Seeing the Sword Demon appear, Liu Moyuan suddenly smiled, “You really did come.”

The Sword Demon took out two jars of wine, then threw one of them to Liu Moyuan. “Since you invited me, how could I not come?”

Liu Moyuan took the wine jar, then directly opened the seal, took a big gulp, and then exclaimed, “Refreshing!”

The sea wind howled, stirring up layers of waves, blowing his white hair all about.

“The Ghost Swordsman died, it’s truly unbelievable.”

“Who would have thought that the only swordsman in history to break through the Seventh Realm would die like this?”

“This is the fate of a swordsman.”

“Is a swordsman’s fate to die?”

“Who in this world doesn’t die?”

“…”

Sword Demon Haotian took a gulp, then threw the wine jar into the water.

“Thump!”

The wine jar hit the seawater and disappeared into the white foam with the waves.

At the same time, Liu Moyuan put down the wine jar and looked at the Sword Demon.

One was on the boat, the other on the shore.

The sea, which had been as calm as a lady, suddenly surged.

Finally, the waves were towering.

Crashing waves hit the shore, kicking up a thousand layers of snow.

The roar was incessant, shaking the heart.

With such tumultuous waves, let alone an ordinary small boat, even a first-class treasure ship would be easily capsized.

Countless waves surged, and the small boat beneath the Sword Demon’s feet lifted a giant wave nearly sixty feet high. The great wave surged high, never falling, simply holding the small boat suspended in mid-air. The small boat stood firm on the crest of the wave, unmoving. In the eyes of ordinary people, this was nothing short of divine creation.

Now, all sounds suddenly ceased.

Now, the Sword Demon and the Sword God stood face to face.

The Sword Demon’s pale, indifferent face had, imperceptibly, become as fiery as a flame. His eyes flickered with a flame-like light as he looked at the Sword God and slowly said, “I have waited for this day for a very, very long time.”

Decades ago in the Jianghu, there was no Ghost Swordsman yet. That era belonged to the Sword God and the Sword Demon.

The Sword God did not answer. He was unwilling to speak, and had nothing to say, for at this moment, any words would be superfluous.

He merely slowly raised his sword and said:

“Please!”

The Sword Demon stood silently for a while longer, until the flames in his eyes gradually receded. Then he, too, slowly raised his longsword and said:

“Please!”

The sunlight suddenly seemed to dim, its radiance seemingly stolen by these two longswords.

The longswords gradually began to move under the sunlight, and gradually began to move across the sea.

A warm hand holding a cold sword—is it warm or cold?

This question once troubled many swordsmen.

This was a soul-stirring moment, and also an earth-shattering moment, just as the world, obscured by dark clouds, suddenly burst into brilliant light.

Sword light, moving like a flood Dragon, two intertwined black and white figures, flying in the sword light, making it impossible to distinguish who was black and who was white.

Both of their swordsmanship had long reached the pinnacle of the Realm.

Saintly Sword!

Heavenly Dao Sword!

Sword lights crisscrossed, shining between heaven and earth.

But after a series of Dragon roars and sword strikes, like pearls falling on a jade plate, the boundless sword light suddenly fell silent, leaving only two longswords held high, their tips facing each other.

And the owners of these two swords stood on opposite sides of the sea, seemingly each occupying half of the land, standing in rivalry.

But they were no longer two people, but two pieces of hard, cold ice! Two blazing fires!

Their eyes met, fierce, brutal, mournful, calm, gentle, as if in those eyes one could see most of the emotions in the world.

The wind blew the sea waves, but the world was silent as death.

The next moment, the two moved again, or rather, the two swords moved again.

Sword light, suddenly flew from Liu Moyuan and the Sword Demon’s bodies, a trickle of fresh blood, shot out with this soaring sword light, as if to shoot straight into the clouds.

The scorching blood spilled onto the sea, so thick it almost wouldn’t disperse.

The Sword Demon swayed, then suddenly looked up and burst into maniacal laughter, “What a marvelous sword… truly the most marvelous in the world.”

Liu Moyuan sighed, “We fought heaven and earth, but it was merely to contend for the world’s number two.”

Their competition was not for the first place, nor for victory or defeat, nor for life or death. It was simply because they had to compete; their hearts yearned for it, their swords yearned for it.

That cold and scorching feeling made one unable to help themselves.

The Sword Demon suddenly looked into the distance, “Perhaps, it’s time to leave here.”

Liu Moyuan asked, “Where do you want to go?”

The Sword Demon said faintly, “The world is vast. I want to go to places I’ve never seen or heard of. I want to see them well in my lifetime.”

Liu Moyuan said indifferently, “After you leave, I will be The World’s Number One Swordsman.”

The Sword Demon said indifferently, “The world’s number one is not worth having.”

Liu Moyuan said, “What others don’t want, I don’t want either.”

The Sword Demon raised an eyebrow, “So what do you want?”

Liu Moyuan said, “After the matter of the Earth Vein Spirit is resolved, I will explore this vast world with Brother Hao and live a carefree life.”

The Sword Demon laughed heartily upon hearing this, “Good.”

The azure sky was clear and clean, with seagulls soaring in the distance.

Zhao State, Wenyi Prefecture, above Ziyu Tower.

Due to the control of Zhao State’s Black Ice Terrace, the Jianghu development in Zhao State was not as vigorous as in Great Yan, so the disturbance from the evil qi was much smaller compared to Great Yan.

Despite this, it still caused a huge upheaval. At this time, the streets were sparsely populated, having lost their former prosperity.

Jin Deng stood on the rooftop, looking at the street below, a hint of a sigh in his eyes, “Heaven does not help me!”

Su Lian and Su Yue behind him exchanged glances, not expecting the Ghost Swordsman’s death to have such a great impact on Jin Deng.

Could it be that the Ghost Swordsman and Heaven’s Shadow had other connections and plans?

Jin Deng saw the doubt in their eyes and said, “The Ghost Swordsman was a person blessed with great Luck, and the only one who could change the great trend of the world. If he had not died, this world would have changed because of him.”

“As long as this person was alive, my Heaven’s Shadow could use him to manifest my Heaven’s Shadow’s will, not only obtaining the Earth Vein Spirit but also completing my Heaven’s Shadow’s millennium plan.”

Su Yue couldn’t help but ask, “Old Jin, what is this millennium plan?”

Not just Su Yue, Su Lian also looked at Jin Deng with curiosity.

Jin Deng glanced at the two of them, shook his head, and said, “This is my Heaven’s Shadow’s biggest secret. After I die, I will tell you two then.”

The biggest secret!?

Jin Deng’s words made them even more puzzled and curious.

“No need to ask, you will know when the time comes.”

Jin Deng waved his hand, then said, "This Earth Vein Spirit has been completely contaminated by evil qi and has undergone a thorough mutation. Qianqiu Busi Ren will probably have to make a move as well. At that time, all these hidden Great Grandmasters will appear. Actually, I am also unsure if this Earth Vein Spirit can break through the Great Grandmaster's shackles."

Currently, the efficacy of the Earth Vein Spirit has spread like wildfire; even an ordinary person, a commoner, can speak eloquently about the Earth Vein Spirit, which shows how widely it has spread.

Breaking through the Great Grandmaster's shackles, reaching the Realm of Immortals, gaining eternal life—with all these combined, how many people in the world could remain unmoved?

However, the truth of the matter has yet to be verified by anyone.

Su Lian thought for a moment and asked, "Old Jin, will Qianqiu Busi Ren obtain the Earth Vein Spirit?"

Jin Deng said in a deep voice, "That Great Grandmaster from Kushan has a rare treasure. The Buddhas of Buddhism are all exceptionally powerful. Qianqiu Busi Ren is severely injured. If he cannot recover his full Cultivation, the fate of this Earth Vein Spirit is still uncertain."

Qianqiu Busi Ren is covered in wounds, so it will be extremely difficult for him to gain an advantage.

Su Lian asked, "What if Qianqiu Busi Ren recovers his peak Cultivation?"

Jin Deng paused, then said, "If he recovers his peak, then his strength will reach a terrifying level. I think even if several Great Grandmasters join forces, they would not be his match, and the Earth Vein Spirit will definitely fall into his hands."

"At that time, he will desperately search for my Heaven's Shadow."

As he finished speaking, a cold light flashed in Jin Deng's eyes.

"Search for us?"

Su Lian and Su Yue exchanged glances. Why would he search for Heaven's Shadow after obtaining the Earth Vein Spirit?

Jin Deng let out a long breath and said, "Let's go. We must go to the excitement in Yujing City, whether we want to or not."

With that, Jin Deng walked forward.

Su Yue looked at Su Lian, "Is the Ghost Swordsman really dead?"

"Why do you ask that?"

Su Lian's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, "The Black Dragon's corpse has appeared. It's said that his internal organs were shattered. He's clearly as dead as can be."

Su Yue bit her lip and said, "I still don't quite believe it."

Su Lian also softly said, "Actually, I don't quite believe it either. How could he just die?"

Yes, how could he just die?

That peerless Swordsman, just died like that!?

Neither of them believed An Jing had died just like that, but the facts were before their eyes, and they had no choice but to believe.

After a long while, only two faint sighs were heard.

Yujing City, Longquan Temple.

Compared to the chaos outside, Longquan Temple remained very peaceful at this moment.

In the quiet meditation room, the crisp sound of a wooden fish echoed.

The clear and clean sunlight slowly streamed through the window into the room.

An old monk sat cross-legged on a futon, his body as still as a rock. He seemed to have merged with the ancient meditation room.

At this moment, Xiha Fo did not exude the magnificent and auspicious presence he usually displayed, nor was there any golden light around him. He was like an ordinary wandering monk, his face full of wrinkles representing the vicissitudes of life he had experienced.

"Creak—!"

Just then, the meditation door opened, and Fa Wu slowly walked in, respectfully saying to the living Buddha of Buddhism, "Grandmaster!"

Xiha Fo said faintly, "What is it?"

"Grandmaster, more and more experts are gathering around."

Ever since the Ba Mountain battle, Wushu's words spread throughout the world, and the Earth Vein Spirit was rumored to be miraculous. Not only Great Grandmasters, Grandmasters, and other high-ranking Jianghu experts wanted a share, but even some ordinary people wanted to go to Yujing City, hoping to be hit by a pie from the sky.

Coupled with the continued outbreak of evil qi, the world was in chaos, filled with bloodshed and slaughter. This caused immense suffering to living beings, and ordinary people were experiencing an unprecedented disaster on this land.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.

No one could escape, and no one was able to escape.

Now, heroes from all over the world have successively gathered in Yujing City, lurking around Lock Dragon Well.

Xiha Fo nodded slightly, remaining silent.

Fa Wu continued, "Many people are gathering around Lock Dragon Well, and some even tried to force their way in, but they were all stopped by Junior Martial Uncle Tianyi. However, more and more experts are gathering, and Junior Martial Uncle Tianyi is also stretched thin."

"Hmm!?"

Hearing this, Xiha Fo frowned deeply. "I'll go take a look."

With that, he slowly got up and pushed open the meditation door.

Stepping out of the meditation room, the surrounding sounds became noisy, and there were even fluctuations of Qi.

Xiha Fo ignored the Qi that probed into Longquan Temple, as if he hadn't noticed it. He walked slowly forward, his steps gradually ascending until he reached the top of the pavilion.

Heroes from all over the world were hidden around, all staring covetously at Lock Dragon Well.

"amitābha!"

Xiha Fo clasped his hands together, placing them at his chest.

Boom!

The next moment, a golden light burst forth like dawn.

The earth trembled violently, emitting rumbling sounds.

"What's going on!?"

"Could it be that the Earth Vein Spirit is about to emerge!?"

Immediately, the hidden heroes around Lock Dragon Well became excited, their eyes filled with the gaze of hungry wolves.

But just then, golden light swept over, like rolling river waves. A towering Buddha, tens of zhang tall, appeared before Lock Dragon Well. That golden Buddha radiated boundless golden light, several times more dazzling than the sun in the sky, almost blinding everyone.

The golden Buddha formed the Karana Mudra with his left hand and the Bhumisparsha Mudra with his right hand. His majestic Aura surged forth, shaking many surrounding experts and scattering them.

"Quickly!"

Someone exclaimed in alarm, "This is a great Divine Ability of Buddhism!"

Many experts immediately sobered up. Not to mention that the Earth Vein Spirit had not yet broken free, but a living Buddha of Buddhism was also hidden within Longquan Temple.

Some of the heroes around Longquan Temple retreated one after another, with only a few brave and unconvinced individuals lingering nearby, seemingly waiting for something.

"Since you all won't leave, then stay here permanently."

Xiha Fo's gaze was calm, and true essence gathered within his body. Then, he clasped his hands together.

The moment his palms met, boundless golden light from the golden Buddha instantly rushed out in all directions.

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"

The golden Buddha light, like sharp flying arrows, directly pierced through all the lingering experts in the vicinity. These people instantly fell into a pool of blood, their breaths cut off.

Upon closer inspection, there were more than thirty corpses.

Blood flowed along the ground, staining this pure land of Buddhism.

Fa Wu looked at the dazzling blood on the ground, his pupils violently constricting. He then quickly lowered his head, "amitābha."

The Five Elements and others felt a chill in their hearts upon seeing this, and their scalps tingled.

This living Buddha of Buddhism truly possessed great killing intent.

Fa Wu mustered his courage and said, "Grandmaster, must it be like this?"

Xiha Fo said faintly, "Only when someone from my Buddhist Sect obtains the Earth Vein Spirit can it save all sentient beings. If anyone else obtains it, it will be a disaster."

Fa Wu's lips parted, and he said, "I don't think Grandmaster is right."

Xiha Fo smiled, "What's wrong?"

Fa Wu said, "Currently, all living beings in the world are suffering. I believe the Earth Vein Spirit is the root cause of the disaster, and this source of all evil should be eliminated first."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Xiha Fo's smile instantly vanished. "The Earth Vein Spirit is the key for my Buddha to save all sentient beings. Besides me, no one else can take it."

With that, Xiha Fo turned and walked towards the meditation room.

Fa Wu looked at Xiha Fo's retreating figure and said, "Grandmaster, you are truly mistaken."

Yujing City, Imperial Study.

Emperor Yong'an sat on the Dragon Throne, holding a secret letter about An Jing's misfortune. This matter had been confirmed by Heavenly Net: An Jing was indeed killed by Old Man Shifang, and then Zhao Qingmei disappeared completely with An Jing's body.

Her eyes were slightly red, her fists clenched suddenly, and her breathing became rapid. In her daily life, she considered herself someone who was very good at controlling her emotions, but at this moment, hearing the news of An Jing's death, she couldn't help but feel an emptiness in her heart.

It was as if a complete heart had a piece gouged out with a knife.

Zhou Xianming saw this, sighed deeply, and said earnestly, "May Your Majesty take care of her health. Great Yan still needs you, and the tens of millions of commoners in the world still need you."

Emperor Yong'an stood up, turned around, and said, "I still don't believe it. Even someone like Zongzheng Huachun couldn't kill him, and now he just died like this."

Old Ancestor Tianpeng, standing by, could clearly hear a tremor in Emperor Yong'an's voice, a scene he had never witnessed before.

Zhou Xianming slowly said, "That Old Man Shifang is Qianqiu Busi Ren, and his strength is terrifying. The late Emperor tragically fell victim to his poisonous hand. Once he exerts his full power, no one in the world is his match, not even a Great Grandmaster."

"Stop talking!"

Emperor Yong'an took a deep breath, turned, and said, "I haven't forgotten my current identity."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xianming quickly stepped back two paces and remained silent.

Emperor Yong'an rubbed her temples and said, "How is the situation now?"

Zhou Xianming said with great distress, "Reporting to Your Majesty, all parts of the world have been invaded by evil qi, resulting in chaos. Various county yamen and prefectural armies have also undergone mutations, and some parts have even lost control."

Martial artists from all walks of life absorbed the evil qi, lost their minds, and only knew how to kill. This not only stirred up a bloody storm in the Jianghu, but the common people across the land were the ones truly suffering unwarranted disaster.

On the streets and in the alleys, Jianghu experts who suddenly went berserk and lost their minds would cruelly murder unarmed commoners at any time. These commoners were no match for these experts whose bodies had been invaded by evil qi; they were merely like cattle and sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Some small towns and cities, unable to be controlled, were even littered with corpses and blood, as if the human world had become a purgatory.

And this was still ongoing. Most areas had not been completely brought under control, and even if they eventually were, not to mention how many Jianghu experts would die, at least several million commoners would perish.

Emperor Yong'an clenched her fists. Although she had long known that evil qi filling the world would cause great chaos, she hadn't expected such a massive upheaval. The Great Yan Dynasty was subtly beginning to lose control, and this great change was not only affecting the Great Yan Dynasty but also sweeping across Zhao State, the Southern Barbarians, and various other regions.

Emperor Yong'an said in a deep voice, "We must do our best to control it, and have the Imperial Medical Institute fully research Medicinal Pills to eliminate the evil qi."

Zhou Xianming said, "Yes, your humble servant has already given the orders."

Emperor Yong'an turned around and slowly said, "Now that experts from all over are flocking here, Yujing City is fraught with danger, especially the ownership of the Earth Vein Spirit. This makes me even more worried."

"Therefore, I must obtain this Earth Vein Spirit. It absolutely cannot fall into the hands of others."

The Earth Vein Spirit was the root cause of the great changes in the world. If the Earth Vein Spirit were to be damaged or fall into the hands of others, what unimaginable consequences would it cause?

Zhou Xianming nodded, sighing in his heart.

Thinking about it, if Dr. An hadn't died, he would certainly have been a capable helper. Moreover, with his character, even if he obtained the Earth Vein Spirit, the world would at least be stable.

Now, not only was An Jing dead, but the Demonic Cult Leader had also vanished without a trace.

This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the current situation.

Although Zhou Xianming, Emperor Yong'an, and Lu Guoyong behind them all supported reforms and changes in the world, the current situation still required An Jing to suppress the heroes of the world.

The pressure Great Yan faced was immense: not only the chaos of evil qi, but also the concern of countless experts flocking to Yujing City, and even Great Grandmasters lurking around Lock Dragon Well, awaiting the Earth Vein Spirit that would break free.

Once someone with ill intentions obtained the Earth Vein Spirit, it might be even more terrifying than the current rampant evil qi throughout the world.

At this moment, Zhuo Yuchang walked in and said, "Your Majesty, the Great Yan National Master and Human Sect Leader Li Fuzhou of the Demonic Cult have arrived."

This handsome young eunuch had completely inherited from his godfather, becoming the closest person to Emperor Yong'an.

Emperor Yong'an took a deep breath and said, "Let the two of them come in."

"Yes!"

Zhuo Yuchang nodded, then slowly retreated.

Before long, Xiao Qianqiu and Li Fuzhou walked in and bowed to Emperor Yong'an at the head of the room.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Yong'an said faintly, "You two need not be so formal. I wonder what your thoughts are on the matter of the Martial Academy?"

Before they arrived, the two had already stated their opinions. Emperor Yong'an asking again was merely to see their expression of loyalty.

Xiao Qianqiu said solemnly, "This humble Daoist believes that the Martial Academy can be established, and the Zhenyi Sect fully supports it."

In his view, if Martial Academies were established throughout the world, the Jianghu would become a forbidden zone, which might be a devastating disaster for other Sects. However, the Zhenyi Sect could establish Daoist temples throughout the world to spread the Dao.

This was not only not a bad thing but a good thing.

Cultivating the Dao and practicing martial arts were both related and unrelated matters.

Emperor Yong'an nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Li Fuzhou and said, "And Sect Leader Li?"

Li Fuzhou cupped his hands and said concisely, "My Beyond the Heavens will also support Your Majesty."

"Good, very good."

Emperor Yong'an nodded slightly, then said, "Although the establishment of Martial Academies is a major and originally urgent matter, with Wushu's words spreading throughout the world, I believe you two are already aware of the situation in Yujing City."

"Experts from all sides are gathered in Yujing City, creating turbulent and unstable waves. Among them, even Great Grandmaster experts are lurking. For the stability of the Dynasty and the prosperity of the world, this Earth Vein Spirit must not be taken by others. Therefore, at this time, I need the full support of the Zhenyi Sect and Beyond the Heavens."

Xiao Qianqiu and Li Fuzhou both bowed and said in unison, "The Zhenyi Sect (Beyond the Heavens) will certainly fully support Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yong'an turned around, then couldn't help but gently close her eyes.

Even though Xiao Qianqiu and Li Fuzhou agreed very readily, Zhao Xuening still felt a bit uneasy in her heart. After all, what truly made her wary were those Great Grandmaster-level experts.

Each of these individuals possessed astonishing abilities, especially Qianqiu Busi Ren, who was an unparalleled master who had dominated for ages.

Thinking of this, a sigh involuntarily rose in her heart. How wonderful would it be if that person were here?