Chapter 192 - Kill!
In the Eternal Joy Inn, nobles and clan leaders with lineages spanning thousands of generations from the Heavenly Realm gathered. Without exception, they were all of the Saint Realm, holding official positions in the Immortal Empire and controlling its political and commercial lifelines. Their clans were vast, with countless students under them.
Among the six major Immortal Empires of the Divine Continent, those at the Saint Realm were numerous, but even more so in the Demon Continent. The 108 Demon Saints were the strongest among them, and to be counted among this elite, one had to be at the Late Saint Realm at least.
The number of Saint Realm experts was one of the most important measures of a nation's strength!
Clearly, most of the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire's Saint Realm forces were predominantly controlled by the Azure Leaf faction, with their intertwined marriages forming a solid network of relationships over generations.
Such a web was not easily broken. Names like Ye, Mu, Han, You, Chai, Mo, Xia, Ling, etc. were all respected clans of the Heavenly Realm.
At this moment, the gazes of dozens of Clan Kings shifted from the Sword Dao Monument back to a man clad in an azure-gold robe—Ye Qingtian! He stood in the wind, clutching a black orb in his hand, and said grimly, "Hellish Wraith, you know what to do, don't you?"
A series of twisted faces emerged on the black orb, emitting an excruciating wail.
"It's up to you now." Ye Qingtian turned around, locking his eyes on a distinguished-looking man amidst the crowd. It was the Prime Minister, You Fengya, holding a golden scroll, his eyes solemn.
"Don't worry, your family and clan have been taken care of. With Divine Dawn plummeting into the abyss, they won't have time to pursue you. Once she dies, you'll be hailed as a hero of the human race!" Ye Qingtian declared
"In the hearts of all peace lovers across the Divine and Demon Continents, Prime Minister You should rightly be heralded as a hero," a green mist worm whispered from a corner.
You Fengya, with solemn respect, bowed deeply. "With the Emperor and the Gu Emperor's endorsement, I am willing to face death without fear!"
"Godspeed, Prime Minister!" The courtiers bowed, their eyes filled with admiration.
You Fengya, clutching the scroll, approached the window. Before him stood the eternal monument of heroes. His gaze was steadfast, a reflection of his unwavering resolve.
"With Divine Dawn and Yun Xiao against us, and especially the latter, harboring the deep-seated grudges of a Sword Cultivator, our only path lies in an alliance with the demons for survival," Ye Qingtian said, patting You Fengya's shoulder. "The fate of over a million nobles of the Heavenly Realm hinges on this very gamble!"
"Yes! The interests of our noble clans must take precedence over all of humanity!" With these words, You Fengya exchanged a fierce, knowing glance with Ye Qingtian and descended the stairs, a man on a mission with a scroll in hand, heading towards the Sword Dao Monument.
"Follow the Prime Minister!"
"We, the scholars, swear to follow unto death!"
Along the streets, the well-dressed students of the Grand Temple and offspring of the great clans emerged from shops and taverns, falling in line behind You Fengya. In a short time, a force of thousands had gathered.
They were young, impassioned, carrying ideals and righteousness in their hearts. Their faces were determined, their steps bold, as if marching towards a final, fatal confrontation. Their scholarly zeal was fierce, their presence commanding. Such a procession quickly drew the attention of many.
"The Prime Minister and all the students of the Grand Temple?"
"What are they planning to do..."
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, You Fengya stood before the Sword Dao Monument. Their actions had already drawn the attention of the Three Great Sword Tombs.
From these, Sword Cultivators began to emerge, among them Nangong Xi, You Yue, and Su Lianlian, their faces stern.
"May I ask, Prime Minister..." Nangong Xi began, but was interrupted by a gleam in You Fengya's eye.
"By imperial decree, the Sword Tombs are to heed this command!" You Fengya grasped the golden scroll firmly.
At the mention of an imperial decree, tens of thousands of Grand Temple students knelt, followed by many confused onlookers.
"We heed the decree!" Nangong Xi and the other Sword Cultivators knelt upon hearing it was the Emperor's command.
You Fengya stood alone, his eyes solemn, his voice filled with fervor as he proclaimed to the crowd, "By the mandate of heaven, the decree of Divine Dawn states... Since ancient times, the lineage of Sword Cultivators has been known for its brutality and lawlessness, inciting conflict between humans and demons, bringing suffering to the people. Their crimes have brought chaos to the world!
"Considering the sufferings of the people and unwilling to let them endure more hardships, and in light of the numerous petitions from loyal subjects, it has been decided to abolish the lineage of Sword Cultivators, dissolve the Three Great Sword Tombs, and remove the Sword Dao Monument, to restore the moral climate of the Immortal Empire and set an example. This is decreed!"
This imperial edict struck like a bolt from the blue. The onlooking Cultivators of the Heavenly Realm were stunned. With Yun Xiao and Chen Xi topping the Ascension Board, symbolizing the height of human momentum, why would the Empress choose this moment to self-mutilate? To abolish the lineage of Sword Cultivators? To remove the Sword Dao Monument? Had they all gone mad?
The Sword Dao Monument, even if no longer revered, stood as a monument to the heroes of ages past. To uproot it would be to deny millennia of history! Clearly, no Sword Cultivator would believe this.
An aged, hunched figure rose among the crowd, his eyes cloudy yet streaked with blood.
"You Fengya! How dare you falsify an imperial edict!" The old man's voice trembled with rage.
"Could it be... Falsifying an imperial decree is a crime punishable by the execution of the entire family!" The crowd exchanged glances, filled with terror. Whether it was the annihilation of Sword Cultivators, the uprooting of the Sword Dao Monument, or the fabrication of an imperial decree, all seemed unbelievable. Was it that the Divine Dawn Empress had gone mad or You Fengya himself?
Behind You Fengya stood tens of thousands of Grand Temple students!
"How audacious! A mere commoner dares to slander the Prime Minister?"
"Disrespecting an imperial decree is a crime implicating the nine familial clans!"
Young people in lavish attire, brimming with righteousness, pointed at the old man and rebuked him.
"The decree has been issued! Whoever defies it shall be punished more severely!" You Fengya's voice was cold. He pointed at the Sword Dao Monument and declared, "Scholars of the Heavenly Realm, heed my command! The Grand Temple, representing the true spirit and moral backbone of the Immortal Empire and the human race, has always been a beacon of our spiritual heritage. You young scholars are the future pillars of the Immortal Empire and our race's backbone! Our Highness commands you to use your fervent and righteous hearts to topple the nefarious Sword Dao Monument, to bravely step over the dregs of history, and to lead the people of the human race into a new era of light!"
"Yes!" At these words, the Grand Temple students were invigorated as if infused with new life. Led by dozens of young daoists, their eyes bloodshot and magic power surging, tens of thousands marched with passionate hearts towards the Sword Dao Monument!
"Stop right there!" A force of a hundred thousand Sword Cultivators emerged from the Sword Tombs, led by the elderly man and three female Tomb Masters, blocking the path of the tens of thousands of Grand Temple students.
They were furious, their eyes burning with rage as they stared down the noble youths before them, anger churning in their chests. The Sword Dao Monument, a symbol of evil? How dare they utter such words?
"How can you distort the truth like this? A billion martyrs built a defensive line for the Heavenly Realm with their flesh and blood. How dare you tarnish and defile their memory!" Su Lianlian's eyes were red with anger.
"What martyrs? Our Highness has decreed they are sinners of the ages! This Sword Dao Monument has never been a monument but a testament to their crimes, a warning to future generations!" Mu Qingquan, a young daoist from the Grand Temple and the brother of Mu Tianshi, retorted loudly.
"Yes!"
"They incited wars and deserved death!"
"If they were innocent, why would their vengeful spirits linger on this stone, wailing day and night, unable to enter reincarnation? They seek redemption from us, the later generations!"
"We of the Grand Temple have civilized the barbarians, leading them to goodness. The Grand Temple Sage and daoists are the true heroes and martyrs, the ones who have poured their hearts and souls into the Immortal Empire!"
The Grand Temple students spoke with conviction, steadily closing in on the space occupied by the hundred thousand Sword Cultivators.
"Well said!" From the midst of the Grand Temple students, a graceful woman stepped forward. It was none other than the Ape Saint's sister, Li Shishi.
"My Demon Continent brethren, simple and unpretentious, have fought against nature for a mere inch of land to stand upon. If not for the Sword Cultivators' relentless persecution, why would there be endless wars? Even in the midst of suffering, the Demon Continent still sends us to learn and adopt civilized ways. Yet you Sword Cultivators remain unrepentant, cruel, and brutal. No wonder the true ruler of Divine Dawn and all the people of the Heavenly Realm and Divine Continent despise you!" Li Shishi raised her arm in a rallying cry, echoed by hundreds of Demon Continent exchange students amidst the Grand Temple students.
"Tear down the monument, herald the golden age!"
"Down! Down! Down!"
Led by Mu Qingquan, Li Shishi, and other daoists, tens of thousands of Grand Temple students surged forward with overwhelming momentum.
With a thunderous roar, they confronted the hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, eyes blazing with defiance.
"Defy the imperial decree, and your entire family will be executed!"
"We are the future of the Immortal Empire, committed to the people, devoted to heaven and earth, forging a path of peace for all time. Who dares to stand in our way?"
Young faces, pushing against the Sword Cultivators, forced their way forward with determined hands!
The Sword Cultivators, their eyes bloodshot, were consumed by fury. They had endured too long, always retreating, always choosing prudence over action. But now, their palms trembled, their Sword Souls crying out in anguish.
"Sword Saint Sun!" Mu Qingquan, merely in his twenties, a young man himself, stood before the stooped old Sword Saint Sun. Looking down at him with a scornful laugh, he said, "If you and your hundred thousand Sword Cultivators kneel and admit your guilt, you might yet live. But if you resist, think of the dreadful fate that awaits your family of twelve! Their suffering will be but a fraction of what awaits these Sword Cultivators!"
"You falsify an imperial decree and threaten to destroy a sacred monument, committing treason and betraying humanity!" The old man's face twisted in rage, his eyes filled with blood, his frail body shaking with fury.
"So what? As long as the Heavenly Realm continues its revelry, why should we care about hardships? Old man, it's Divine Dawn who's sinning, making the same mistake as this Sword Dao Monument. She's the one who's driven us to this! Who else is to blame? There's no perfect solution in this world. If we must choose between Divine Dawn and the Demon Continent, are we fools to not choose the latter? Do you really believe we wouldn't be obliterated if Divine Dawn ascends? Believe me or not?" Mu Qingquan whispered venomously in the old man's ear. As he spoke, his righteous aura dissipated, his eyes filled with demonic energy and malevolence.
With a sudden thud, Mu Qingquan sneered, "I hear you've become quite the patient one now?" He shoved Sword Saint Sun, pushing the stooped old man into the muddy ground. Righteously, he proclaimed, "Sword Saint Sun! You massacred our Demon Continent brethren; you too are a historical criminal! A brute by nature! Today, we act as heaven's agents, riling you up, aren’t we? No matter, kill me! I, Mu Qingquan, am willing to die, but behind me stand thousands upon thousands of righteous human warriors!"
Mu Qingquan leaped forward, grabbing the old man's collar, shaking him vigorously. "Kill me, Sword Saint Sun! Swing your sinful Sword Soul, strike me down!"
The Grand Temple students, witnessing this, their eyes red with fury, crowded the Sword Cultivators, pushing them to the ground, shouting, "Go on! Slaughter us! Kill all the Grand Temple students! Then you can deceive the public, dragging the Divine and Demon Continents into an abyss of endless calamity, just to increase your Sword Aura and Sword Rings! So you Sword Cultivators can profit from war!"
"Kill me! If you don’t, we will stand for the people, overturn this evil monument!"
The tens of thousands of young people roared and screamed.
"Sword Saint Sun!" The hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, tears of blood streaming from their eyes, watched as the Grand Temple students approached the Sword Dao Monument. Their faces twisted in agony, Sword Souls materializing at their fingertips, piercing their own flesh.
All Sword Cultivators looked at the old man, pushed into the mud by Mu Qingquan. He was too old. He had lost everything. All he wanted was to preserve these hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, to keep the lineage alive. But there were always those bent on annihilation...
At that moment, his tears fell onto the dark yellow soil, his hands clutching a handful of earth from his homeland. He knew, once they fell, this land would no longer belong to them.
"Stand up!" Mu Qingquan lifted the old man, laughing, "Afraid to strike, eh? Sensible! After this is over, Our Highness will grant you mercy, sending you to the Demon Continent as an ambassador for humanity! Hah—!" But as he laughed, his head suddenly fell to the ground, and the laughter ceased abruptly.
Time seemed to freeze. Countless eyes turned to witness Mu Qingquan's head fall to the ground. They saw the stooped old man straighten his back, holding a tri-colored Sword Soul—red, green, and blue—in his hand, from which blood dripped profusely.
Closing his eyes, the old man's dry lips trembled as he uttered a single word, resounding with an ancient and sorrowful tone that echoed across the battlefield and pierced everyone's ears.
"Kill!" He had forgotten how long it had been since he last wielded his Sword Soul in public. Maybe it was that day. That day when, in a rage, he had stormed the Demon Continent, slaying several Demon Saints and returning triumphantly with their heads. However, what awaited him was the Azure Sky Emperor of that era capturing his entire family of twelve, handing them over to the demons of the Demon Continent. From the elderly to a newborn infant, they were tortured to death.
All that was left for him were twelve strands of hair... He never got to see them one last time. From that day, he had been dead inside. He was afraid. Afraid that there would be no living soul left in the Sword Tombs. Afraid that the Sword Dao Monument would no longer be tended to, no longer revered by future generations.
He lived a different life, subservient and compliant, even to the common man. Anyone could mock or insult him, and he would always respond with a smile, advising the young not to be rash. But did discarding one's sword and living a life of obscurity ensure that others would leave you be?
The moment he drew his sword and beheaded Mu Qingquan, the old man's suppressed fury erupted like a volcano. The long-silent Sword Soul came to life, emitting a piercing shriek that trembled throughout the field!
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