Chapter 36: No Change of Name

Ten feet of wind and snow transformed into a single sword strike. Although it could not compare to the terrifying majesty of that powerful First Overseer, who wrapped the entire sky in snow to form a heaven-toppling blade, it was still enough to alarm the entire Imperial Palace.

To kill the enemy using the power of Heaven and Earth!

This was a technique only a First-Rank expert could touch.

At this moment, the Imperial Palace was in an uproar!

Countless powerful secret guards and elite Imperial Guards were roaring in panic.

"Enemy attack!"

"A First-Rank Minor Grandmaster is attacking!"

"Quick, go to the Tianwu Tower and summon the First-Rank Minor Grandmaster!"

It was no wonder these secret guards and elite guards were so terrified, their hearts trembling with dread. After all, serving in the Great Liang Imperial Palace was a perilous assignment.

From the Year of Chaos to the tenth year of Jianwu, the Great Liang Imperial Palace had been breached by First-Rank experts three times. During the last time, the noble Purple-Robed figure—who held supreme power over the world and was known as the First Minor Grandmaster—led half of the First-Rank Minor Grandmasters of Great Liang into the Tianwu Tower, nearly turning the world of Great Liang upside down.

"This intent of wind and snow?"

"Heh."

Inside the Tianwu Tower, the aged, Purple-Robed figure wore an inscrutable expression.

If he hadn't been without a disciple and had remained confined to the Tianwu Tower, he might have thought that the person who struck this snowy sword was himself.

"I clearly haven't taught a single shred of it, yet they have forcibly simulated thirty percent of my wind and snow intent..."

"Tsk, tsk."

"What a monster."

"Even the Great Liang Taizu of those years couldn't have done this."

The Tianwu Tower was empty.

Aside from a massive hanging coffin, only his solitary figure as a First-Rank Minor Grandmaster stood there.

Great Liang had run out of foundation.

He was the only First-Rank expert left.

"A First-Rank attacker is approaching!"

"We beseech the Lord Purple-Robed to emerge from seclusion and save the nation!"

Four Red-Robed figures arrived in a panic, their courage utterly shattered.

To this, the aged Purple-Robed figure inside the Tianwu Tower had only one word

"Begone!"

The power of that single word also borrowed the strength of Heaven and Earth. The swirling snow boiled and converged, surging forward violently. The four Second-Rank experts were unable to withstand even that single word, being sent flying backward in a pathetic state.

"Dammit!"

"Who does he think he is, acting so arrogant!"

"Sooner or later, I will make even a First-Rank Minor Grandmaster kneel at my feet, willing to serve as my loyal hunting hound..."

The young Emperor lifted the carriage curtain and happened to witness this scene. Gritting his teeth in fury, he flicked his sleeve and issued an angry command.

"Change course!"

"Go quickly to invite Master Chu!"

This First-Rank Minor Grandmaster invasion had to be handled properly; otherwise, the fact that Great Liang no longer possessed a Grandmaster Demon like the Great Liang Taizu would inevitably be exposed.

If that happened—even if it wasn't fully exposed but merely raised suspicions in the neighboring Great Zhou—it would be a catastrophic disaster that would turn the world upside down.

Great Liang already had millions of refugees, three commanderies had declared independence to rebel, and the three major border generals no longer responded to orders or summons. In just ten short years, four emperors had changed, and finally, it had come to him, this young emperor. The imperial power could not withstand another heavy blow.

...

...

At this moment.

In the Imperial Archives.

Su Chen did not yet know that because of his actions, he was being mistaken for an invading First-Rank Minor Grandmaster, nearly causing the entire palace to boil over and leaving countless experts trembling with fear.

"This is a bit troublesome."

"That's why I didn't want to go all out to kill a Second-Rank expert!"

"The traces of this wind and snow sword are too obvious. As soon as that Purple-Robed figure appears, he'll recognize me and might even guess that I'm hiding in the palace..."

Su Chen rubbed his brow, thinking of how to cover his tracks. He eventually saw flickering shadows and the sound of clashing armor on the distant palace rooftops.

Forget it!

I'll just muddy the waters!

In the next instant.

After taking the manual fragments and the life-taking secret technique from Mu Xuan.

The skin on Su Chen's body instantly turned a gilded gold. As the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body Technique activated, he rapidly expanded from a thin man in black into a golden giant, violently smashing several pillars of the archives.

Boom!

Snow and wind flew everywhere.

At that moment, the archives collapsed with a roar.

"You insolent thief!"

"To be so arrogant within the Imperial Palace! Do you think Great Liang has no one left?"

One after another, the secret guards and elite guards cursed in anger, but their bodies were honest; they didn't dare take a single step forward, instead silently retreating as far as possible behind the intruder.

What a joke!

Inside the archives was a First-Rank Minor Grandmaster.

Not just a First-Rank!

Whoever went there would die!

The Great Liang royal family was supposedly powerful with three hundred years of foundation, yet they had still been breached three times by First-Rank Minor Grandmasters within a decade.

Boom!

In the next instant.

A black shadow burst from the ruins of the archives, charging straight toward the encirclement to break through.

"Hahaha!"

The black shadow laughed wildly, kicking a Third-Rank secret guard out of his way with a single blow, speaking with extreme arrogance.

"I won't change my name or my ways!"

"This archive was destroyed by this seat, the Black Lotus Saint! The First Chief Eunuch was also killed by me, the Black Lotus Saint! If you want revenge, come straight for me, the Black Lotus Saint, or come for my Black Abyss!"

"Hahaha! To rebel against Great Liang and storm the Imperial Palace—what a wonderful thing! I'll be back next time..."

Su Chen laughed wantonly, stepping across the palace rooftops, carving a path through the Imperial Palace as he made his escape.

The ink-black figure stood tall, a bamboo token carved with a black lotus hanging from his waist. He looked exactly like the Black Lotus Saint!

At the same time.

The young Emperor, accompanied by a mysterious figure in white, happened to see this arrogant display while on his way. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his fists clenched tight, as he spoke word by word

"Good!"

"Very good!"

"The Black Abyss Cult, is it? I have heard of them. Since you are so arrogant, once I take control of the heavens and earth, the first thing I shall do is exterminate your Black Abyss Cult!"

Not only that.

Deep within the palace, in a certain location, an emaciated, elderly figure who was bending over to fetch water and coughing violently, began to cough even more intensely at that moment. Looking at the ink-black figure fleeing the palace, his eyes were filled with extraordinary light.

"That Black Lotus kid is actually still alive?"

"It's good that he's alive."

"I thought he had died in the palace during that chaos three years ago."

"Cough, cough, cough... cough..."

The old man coughed violently as if he were about to cough up his lungs. He turned and walked into the palace behind him. Inside, a young woman waved away the eunuchs and maids, standing respectfully before the old man.

"Princess Yunyang—no, I shall still call you by your code name, Xuan Yi. Go quickly to the outskirts of the palace and leave a message. Contact that Black Lotus kid and tell him to meet me."

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

Outside the palace.

Su Chen slipped into a remote underground drainage pipe. When he emerged, the spiritual energy on his body shifted, and he had transformed into the appearance of an ordinary, honest farmer.

"Boss, I want to buy a grave in the cemetery outside the city. An elder in my family has passed away, and he liked lively atmospheres..."

Su Chen walked into the funeral shop, rubbing his hands together with a face full of poverty, looking like an honest, simple man.

When he simulated another person's transformation, his temperament would unconsciously align with the person being simulated. The benefit was obvious: it was almost a perfect performance, leaving no possibility of exposure.

From the back of the funeral shop, the faint sound of clashing blades and armor could be heard.

"We're not doing business! Come back tomorrow!"

The shop owner, a man dressed in fine silks, looked extremely nervous. He pushed Su Chen toward the exit and then slammed the doors shut heavily.

In the back room of the funeral shop, the leading old man possessed a majestic aura, though his expression was quite grim. Looking at the Great Liang Imperial Palace, which had been thrown into chaos and was now under martial law and surrounded by a murderous atmosphere, he couldn't help but curse.

"Which First-Rank fellow is so reckless as to cause such a commotion in the Great Liang Imperial Palace first? How am I supposed to complete the mission assigned by the Sovereign?"

(End of Chapter)