Chapter 571: Gang Qi Appears

At this moment, Duan Tianya unleashed his ultimate technique: the Phantom Sword Art!

Duan Tianya knew all too well how powerful Zhu Wushi was, so from the very beginning, he committed his full strength to the confrontation.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

In a flash of lightning, the sword held by Duan Tianya emitted a massive amount of sword qi, all of which surged toward Zhu Wushi.

As for Shangguan Haitang, she employed the technique "Scattering Golden Coins in a Rain of Flowers." Instantly, countless hidden weapons were launched, flying toward Zhu Wushi with lightning speed.

Meanwhile, Guihai Yidao, the strongest in martial arts, unleashed the Heartless Slash!

In an instant, a dense wave of true qi surged toward Zhu Wushi like an unstoppable force!

Facing the simultaneous assault of these three disciples, Zhu Wushi’s face remained expressionless. He knew very well that all three were at the level of Peak Grandmaster.

Naturally, he had to respond with everything he had!

Immediately, Zhu Wushi mobilized the true qi within his body, forcibly forming a qi shield to attempt to withstand the impact of his opponents.

*Boom!*

At that moment, various martial forces collided, instantly triggering a violent explosion.

However, Zhu Wushi suffered no harm whatsoever.

"This Zhu Wushi actually has some skill!" Standing to the side, Lan Yu could not help but offer a word of praise after seeing that even three Grandmaster-level experts could not harm him.

Guo Zhen, however, said with a look of disdain, "There are more than just these three martial experts in the Imperial Palace. I fear Zhu Wushi won't be able to hold out for much longer."

Just then, Cao Zhengchun also made his move.

Although Cao Zhengchun had failed to harm Zhu Wushi even after using the Heavenly Astral Boy Technique in their previous duel, he was not ready to give up.

Cao Zhengchun took a deep breath, and a solemn expression appeared on his face.

In a flash, Cao Zhengchun released almost all the true qi within his body.

"Heavenly Astral Boy Technique!"

As his voice fell, he forcibly fused the true qi in his body into a single strand of astral qi!

This move cost Cao Zhengchun nearly his entire life's cultivation.

Because of the nature of the Heavenly Astral Boy Technique, Cao Zhengchun could forcibly condense his true qi into astral qi, but this move could only be used once.

To be honest, when Zhu Wushi saw Cao Zhengchun fighting him with his life's strength, a flicker of shock—and a hint of panic—passed through his eyes.

Zhu Wushi knew very clearly that if he failed to block the Heavenly Astral Boy Technique being released by Cao Zhengchun, he would certainly suffer heavy injuries.

Thus, in the next second, Zhu Wushi immediately performed the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, while simultaneously mobilizing his internal true qi to defend himself.

The two powerful auras clashed against one another.

*Boom!*

Another massive explosion echoed through the sky, but Zhu Wushi remained uninjured, without even a single hair out of place.

To put it bluntly, seeing that Zhu Wushi had not sustained any damage, the despair in Cao Zhengchun's eyes deepened!

The reason was simple: Cao Zhengchun had unleashed everything he had ever learned, yet he was still no match for Zhu Wushi!

"Die!"

Zhu Wushi was well aware of this. In the next second, he suddenly appeared before Cao Zhengchun and, without a word, immediately unleashed the Great Qi-Sucking Method!

Seeing this, Cao Zhengchun knew he was no match and instinctively tried to flee, but at that moment, a massive current of air swallowed him whole.

Almost instantly, Cao Zhengchun was forcibly sucked toward Zhu Wushi by the released true qi.

At the same time, the true qi within Cao Zhengchun's body began to flow incessantly toward Zhu Wushi.

Seeing this, Guihai Yidao, Shangguan Haitang, and Duan Tianya did not dare to hesitate. They immediately activated their cultivation methods and charged toward Zhu Wushi!

Unfortunately, Zhu Wushi was, after all, a peak Divine Ability Realm expert. Even with the three of them attacking together, they were no match for him.

In an instant, Zhu Wushi merely waved his hand, and a sharp streak of true qi lunged toward Duan Tianya and the others.

The three were wounded almost simultaneously!

"Hmph, how could you lot possibly be a match for this King?" Zhu Wushi said to them in an icy tone.

***

Meanwhile, within the Imperial Palace of the Ming Kingdom.

A eunuch rushed into the Hall of Supreme Harmony in a state of panic. At this moment, both the Emperor of the Ming Kingdom and the civil and military officials were deeply concerned about the battle outside.

When the eunuch appeared before them, the Emperor immediately became alert!

Seeing the eunuch's arrival, the Emperor rose from his dragon throne and shouted loudly, "What is the situation? Have Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi repelled the invasion of the Great Ming Empire?"

Zhu Houzhao knew very well that, for the Ming Kingdom, all hope currently rested on these two men. He was desperate to know the latest developments.

However, the eunuch's next words caused Zhu Houzhao and the officials in the hall to drop their jaws in shock.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Iron-Fisted Marquis did not attack the Great Ming army; instead, he has entered into combat with Eunuch Cao!"

Without a doubt, Zhu Houzhao's face was filled with shock and disbelief upon hearing this.

"What? Zhu Wushi is fighting Cao Zhengchun? How is that possible? Is this news accurate?" Zhu Houzhao pressed, his voice tense.

Although the Emperor had long suspected that Zhu Wushi had secretly reached some sort of agreement with the Great Ming Empire, he was still profoundly shocked to hear that Zhu Wushi was fighting Cao Zhengchun directly.

After all, Zhu Wushi was his Imperial Uncle and a member of the imperial clan.

The eunuch said in a panicked voice, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this servant saw with his own eyes the Marquis fighting Eunuch Cao. Furthermore, the Marquis has used the Great Qi-Sucking Method, and now Eunuch Cao is on the verge of collapse!"

At this moment, panic spread through the civil and military officials in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Discussions erupted throughout the hall.

"Ah? I didn't expect the Marquis to defect to the Great Ming Empire. Our Ming Kingdom is doomed!"

"How can this be? How could the Marquis do such a thing?"

"The Marquis is the number one expert of our Ming Kingdom, with a realm that has reached the peak of the Divine Ability stage. If he betrays us, our Ming Kingdom truly has no way to fight back."

"Truly, Heaven intends to destroy our Ming Kingdom! It seems today is the day of our downfall!"

For these officials, their hearts were filled with utter despair. Everyone knew how terrifying Zhu Wushi's strength was. Upon hearing of his betrayal, their only hope had vanished.

Just then, a coarse voice suddenly rang through the entire hall.

It was Gu Santong.

"I have long found Zhu Wushi's behavior disagreeable. Since he has now defected to the Great Ming Empire, I can finally fight him openly."

Gu Santong's relationship with Zhu Wushi had always been mediocre. Upon hearing of the betrayal, he immediately stepped forward, determined to eliminate the traitor for the Ming Kingdom.

From the dragon throne, Zhu Houzhao saw a glimmer of hope upon hearing Gu Santong's voice. The Emperor stepped down from his throne and gripped Gu Santong's hand tightly.

"Great Hero Gu, the fate of my Ming Kingdom rests entirely on you. You must kill Zhu Wushi and remove this menace for our kingdom."

Zhu Houzhao knew Gu Santong's strength well. In the entire Ming Kingdom, only Gu Santong was capable of standing on equal footing with Zhu Wushi. Both were peak experts of the Divine Ability Realm.

Now that Zhu Wushi had betrayed the Ming Kingdom for the Great Ming Empire, Zhu Houzhao could only pin his remaining hopes on Gu Santong.

Gu Santong did not hesitate upon hearing the Emperor's words. He replied immediately, "Naturally. Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I shall return shortly."

As his voice fell, his figure suddenly vanished from the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

***

Meanwhile, outside the Imperial Palace.

After Zhu Wushi had knocked down Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao, and Shangguan Haitang with a single move, Cao Zhengchun was nearly at death's door.

Zhu Wushi continued to use the Great Qi-Sucking Method, incessantly draining the last of the true qi from Cao Zhengchun's body.

Before long, Cao Zhengchun's body completely lost its breath.

Such was the power of Zhu Wushi.

Seeing this, the mental state of Duan Tianya and the others completely shattered. They charged toward Zhu Wushi once more.

For Zhu Wushi, the intent to kill had fully taken hold.

He once again employed the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth. The true qi unleashed by Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao, and Shangguan Haitang was all easily redirected by him.

Just as before, the three of them were unable to harm him.

"Die, all of you!"

"You dare strike at this King? Hmph! Then I shall not be polite."

As his voice fell, Zhu Wushi unleashed his signature technique, the Great Qi-Sucking Method, once again. This time, three distinct streams of true qi erupted from his body, each surging toward Duan Tianya, Shangguan Haitang, and Guihai Yidao respectively.

In an instant, the three were completely enveloped by the true qi released by Zhu Wushi. Simultaneously, their true qi was being continuously sucked into his body.

High above in the void, Zhu Ying had been observing everything.

In truth, when Zhu Wushi had initially chosen to surrender to the Great Ming Empire, Zhu Ying had not trusted him. He had wanted to use this opportunity to test him.

Seeing Zhu Wushi fight Cao Zhengchun and the others in succession, his doubts were naturally dispelled.

However, just as Zhu Wushi was about to drain the last of the true qi from Duan Tianya and the others, Gu Santong arrived.

"Zhu Wushi, you are truly a despicable and shameless villain! As a member of the Zhu imperial family, you have betrayed the Ming Kingdom and the Emperor. Today, I shall eliminate this menace for the sake of the Ming Kingdom!"

Gu Santong's voice was incredibly loud, reaching the ears of everyone present.

Upon seeing Gu Santong's arrival, killing intent flared in Zhu Wushi's eyes once more.

"Gu Santong? Hmph! Do you think you are capable of killing this King?"

Zhu Wushi glanced at Gu Santong with a look of disdain, as if he did not take the man seriously at all.

Gu Santong did not waste words on him. He immediately mobilized his true qi to forcibly execute his ultimate technique: the Indestructible Vajra Body.

A moment later, Gu Santong's body appeared as if it had turned into a golden statue, radiating an intense light.

In the next second, Gu Santong charged directly at Zhu Wushi, landing a heavy punch squarely on his body.

*Boom!!*

Another massive explosion rang out, and this time, Zhu Wushi was knocked directly to the ground.

Although both Gu Santong and Zhu Wushi were peak experts of the Divine Ability Realm, Gu Santong's cultivation was slightly higher. Furthermore, having fought Cao Zhengchun, Duan Tianya, and the others in succession, Zhu Wushi was already somewhat fatigued. Thus, when Gu Santong suddenly attacked, Zhu Wushi was unable to react in time.

As Zhu Wushi fell, Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao, and Shangguan Haitang finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, at this moment, the true qi in their bodies had almost been completely drained by Zhu Wushi.

"You three, leave this place immediately. Leave Zhu Wushi to me!"

Gu Santong knew very well that the three were no match for Zhu Wushi, so he ordered them to depart.

Duan Tianya, knowing how dangerous Zhu Wushi was, immediately warned, "Great Hero Gu, Zhu Wushi's Great Qi-Sucking Method is incredibly powerful. You must be careful!"

As soon as Duan Tianya's words fell, Zhu Wushi indeed unleashed the Great Qi-Sucking Method. However, his technique had no effect on Gu Santong's Indestructible Vajra Body. In fact, the Vajra Body was the perfect counter to the Qi-Sucking Method.

Seeing that he could not absorb Gu Santong's true qi, Zhu Wushi fell into a state of panic. In his desperation, he decided to mobilize all the true qi in his body to fight back!

Regrettably, Gu Santong remained unscathed. He even mocked him, "Hmph! With these low-level, dirty techniques of yours, how could you ever hope to harm me?"

"Go to your death!"

With that, Gu Santong suddenly lunged at Zhu Wushi again, striking him with his diamond-hard fists. The latter was completely unable to react and could only endure the onslaught.

But at this critical moment, a dense surge of astral qi appeared directly before Zhu Wushi.

Simultaneously, Zhu Ying descended from the heavens.