Chapter 2475: Assassinating the Emperor

The ancient ice plain was Zong Dezhen's execution platform.

Ye Lingxiao had stripped away his disguise.

Jade Capital Mountain had stripped away his identity.

Now, on the ice plain, the people executing him stripped away his outer clothing and dismantled his Dao essence, leaving him to writhe on the frozen ground like an ugly maggot.

He had arrived in this world naked, and at this moment, all his life's experiences were shed, and he was publicly executed, naked, before the crowd.

The bloodstains and filth left along the way were his struggling strokes on the white canvas of this snow plain.

Sword light passed through his body, and fists hammered down on him.

His Dao body was nailed, his soul locked, his body burned, tendons drawn, and bones shattered, yet he still crawled forward!

He was unwilling to die.

He still had a chance.

All this had happened too suddenly. Ji Fengzhou had engaged in minor skirmishes for so many years, and he had always calmly dealt with things as they came. This time, the chessboard was suddenly flipped, with the force of a million thunderbolts, a single battle that could overturn the country!

Relying on the tentacles of the One True Dao that spread throughout the Dao country, he had received no prior intelligence.

By the time the thunderclap sounded, the entire empire's veins were entwined and in action, leaving people staring at each other, unable to make any small moves.

He was wearing shackles as he faced this unprecedented challenge!

Yin Xiaoheng's death had made him feel immense danger.

In the hunting net laid out by Ji Fengzhou, completely unaware beforehand, and in a state of complete ignorance when the events unfolded, he decisively did three things:

First, he stepped into the Original Heaven God Temple, trampled on the Original Heaven God's dignity, and created pressure for Ji Fengzhou. Second, he activated One True Shedding, assassinating Ji Fengzhou. Third, he aided Kuang Min, while simultaneously hiding his true body in the Hidden Sun Sundial Cave Heaven, using the people of Equality Country to sever karma.

He had already made the best choices he could, and the rest could only be left to fate.

As the lord of Sui Country, he had retreated before Ji Yusu. Sui Country merged into Jing Country.

As the Great Palm Teach of Jade Capital Mountain, he, along with the other two Palm Teaches, had retreated before Ji Furin, dividing Jing Country's twelve Yuan Mansions into four, leaving only the Yuanshi Mansion in the hands of Jade Capital Mountain.

Now that Ji Yusu was dead and Ji Furin had transcended, one by one they had all left the center of power. Could he not retreat before Ji Fengzhou again?

The three urgent actions he had taken were all very important. But the most crucial was activating the Rootless Intent, driving One True Shedding, and fighting with Ji Fengzhou.

Calamity Water was also called Rootless World. The so-called Rootless Intent, however, was different from it; it was not about extreme evil thoughts or endless sins. Instead, it was the emptiness left by the One True Dao's elimination of important figures!

For example, Luqiu Chaolu, You Yuheng, You Qinxu, and others like them, should have grown with momentum and fate. They should have left more glorious traces in this world, but they were eliminated by the One True Dao ahead of time. The temporary void that could not be filled for a long time could cultivate into Rootless Intent.

This was still the supreme secret method left by the One True Dao Lord.

Rootless Intent had many uses; it could be used to isolate karma, strengthen one's origin, and even infuse killing techniques.

Relying on Rootless Intent, he invested his entire fighting will as Zong Dezhen in both the transcendence battlefield against Ji Fengzhou and the true body battlefield in the Hidden Sun Sundial Cave Heaven. Of course, to ensure the advantage on the transcendence battlefield, his true body side was inevitably weakened.

But there was no direct link between the two sides.

If this side could directly sense that side, those guarding Heaven Capital City could also naturally follow the vine and find their way here.

He had always used Rootless Intent to provide cross-time-space support to the transcendence battlefield.

But the overly intense battle had already cut off this support.

So he had also lost perception of that side, and he had been waiting for the result of the transcendence battlefield!

If hiding in the Hidden Sun Sundial world was his backup plan – no matter whether the transcendence battlefield was won or lost, he could hide here and calmly make a choice.

Then, after Ye Lingxiao exposed his identity, his true body, deeply hidden in the Hidden Sun Sundial world, instead fell into a dead end, urgently needing a variable from the transcendence battlefield!

The best outcome, of course, was if he drove One True Shedding, powerfully killed Ji Fengzhou, and then with the power of transcendence, swept all sides, which would be enough to save his true body.

Even if the transcendence battlefield failed and Ji Fengzhou broke One True Shedding, it would still smash his old shell – he would then have the opportunity, as the One True Dao Head, to operate as the One True Dao Head, impact the position of the One True Dao Lord, and achieve the honor of transcendence.

Of course, no matter which outcome, the position of Six Harmonies Heavenly Son or Great Achievement Supreme Saint was no longer possible.

But in the current situation... what else could he hope for?

"He is waiting."

Guan Yan spoke at this moment: "Waiting for some result from somewhere."

Zong Dezhen instantly reacted, his already exhausted Dao body almost rising up again!

"Heh!" Ji Yumin held the sinew rope in his hand, pulling Zong Dezhen like a dog on a leash.

He said to the others in the field: "This old dog is waiting for the result of the regicide! One True Shedding, a single strike to kill the king! Unfortunately, he is destined to fail!"

Zong Dezhen struggled on the ice surface, ignoring the pain of his Dao body, but fiercely turned his head to look at Guan Yan: "Heretic! What great hatred is there between you and me that you would go to such lengths!"

He sensed that although Guan Yan had the ability to know his thoughts, he never used it lightly.

To rely on this divine ability to pry into the thoughts of someone as powerful as Zong Dezhen required extraordinary consumption, and could not capture even one or two things without exhausting all strength.

Zong Dezhen's words "exert effort" were indeed not a wrong evaluation.

Guan Yan sighed lightly: "Benefactor Zong, you all call me 'heretic' already..."

There was indeed no hatred between him and Zong Dezhen.

But Jiang Xiaoyou hated Zong Dezhen to death.

What other reason was needed?

If Zong Dezhen was not allowed to die, could Jiang Xiaoyou be allowed to die?

Ji Yumin smiled: "People like this always start talking about reason and wanting reasons only when they are about to die. If he were killing now, he would only say – the world is an illusion, eternal and one true!"

Jiang Mengxiong walked directly forward, casually took the sinew rope from Ji Yumin's hand, wrapped it around Zong Dezhen's neck, tightening it loop by loop, just like that choking his neck and pressing him down – then a punch! He smashed Zong Dezhen's head into the ice plain! Making Zong Dezhen's indignant and unwilling words also buried in the frozen soil.

Zong Dezhen's head was still stubbornly repairing itself.

Zong Dezhen's Dao body was still twitching on the ice plain.

Jiang Mengxiong lifted his fist, which was nestled in a finger tiger, and slammed it down again!

He was too lazy to talk nonsense, just as he had not said a word for five years in the ice prison initially.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He pounded down at a steady, firm, and relentless pace, and in this pounding, Zong Dezhen's life continuously drained away, truly falling towards the abyss of death!

Ji Yumin's hands were empty, and he silently watched the scene before his eyes – it was really too cruel.

No matter how you put it, Zong Dezhen was a generation of tyrants, and people weren't even allowed to finish their last words... wasn't he planning to let Jiang Wang come over and stab him a couple of times? He also hated him!

He lifted his eyes and looked over, only seeing a back in green shirt and jade crown, standing silently in front of that white-clothed immortal corpse.

He also sighed silently in his heart, subconsciously pinching a Dao decision to stabilize the Seven Souls Locking Dragon Lamp a bit – the soul lines pulled from Zong Dezhen's body were all being pounded loose. It would not be good if some scattered souls or remnant souls escaped.

"Yu Min!"

Hong Junyan suddenly interjected, making Ji Yumin instantly enter a state of alert.

"It's been so many years since we last met, and you're still so cautious." Hong Junyan sized him up, his eyes meaningful.

"It hasn't been that long since we last met," Ji Yumin silently added several layers of defensive secret arts for himself, his face smiling: "Brother Hong's awakening and return, this younger brother has been paying attention, always very concerned about you."

Hong Junyan suddenly realized: "I was wondering why I always felt someone wanted to stab me! I almost wrongly suspected Ying Yunian!"

He was not afraid of Ying Yunian paying attention here, and possibly even hoped for it. Ji Yumin slandered in his heart, his smile unchanged: "Brother Hong really loves to joke."

"Then let me ask you something that's not a joke." Hong Junyan lifted his chin, pointing at the figure burying his head and pounding Zong Dezhen: "Old fellow Zong is quite resilient! Is Ji Fengzhou capable or not?"

Ji Yumin smiled: "Which Heavenly Son is incapable?"

"I'm asking," Hong Junyan said: "Where is their transcendence battle taking place?"

The Heavenly Son of Li Country was very concerned about the safety of the Heavenly Son of Jing Country and did not spare his enthusiasm: "Do I need to go help him?"

"Give me a specific location, open your country's protective great array, and I'll be there in a step, turning heaven upside down for you!"

Ji Yumin was unable to interfere in a transcendence-level battle. When he was in Heaven Capital City, he could only watch things happen.

But Hong Junyan had a way – as long as he was given a part of the central empire's country's destiny to mobilize.

"Brother Hong's kind intentions, this younger brother understands," Ji Yumin said with a smile: "It's not good to bother you with matters of Jing Country."

"Don't be polite with your Brother Hong!" Hong Junyan lifted a large hand, planning to pat Ji Yumin's shoulder.

Ji Yumin directly retreated several steps, retreating all the way out of the ice plain, and suspended in the air.

Amidst the seemingly endless pounding sound from Jiang Mengxiong, Hong Junyan gave Ji Yumin a rather amused look, and simply put his hands behind his back: "Helping your Ji family solidify society and the country, what do I begrudge this body? If I get a trip to Heaven Capital, it will also complete the friendship between your older brother and me back then!"

Jing Emperor Ji Fengzhou had been missing for a full two hours!

Jing Country was desperately trying to seal this news.

Of course, it was impossible to seal it now.

It should be said that those who were informed were all uneasy.

After all, Ji Fengzhou's strength had never been verified.

While the power of the One True Dao Lord was recognized by the world, directly pursuing the Human Emperor of Lie Mountain from that year!

Zong Dezhen's strength also needed no further explanation; he had been a top-tier powerhouse thousands of years ago. Today, if he hadn't been weakened in various ways and miserably blocked, he wouldn't have been beaten into this state.

The Jade Capital Great Palm Teach driving the One True Dao Lord's Shedding was definitely a sweep-all-sides combination, and it was impossible for him to be weak in any way.

Even someone like Ji Yumin, who had participated in the plan to eliminate the One True Dao early on and had full trust in Ji Fengzhou as a core member of the imperial party, actually felt uneasy in his heart. After all, a transcendence-level battle was something he could not yet be involved in. After all, this battle had already lasted for a full two hours, far exceeding the previous estimate!

"Brother Hong's intentions, this younger brother fully understands! But it's really not necessary." Ji Yumin smiled lightly, showing incomparable confidence: "Zong Dezhen here is being beaten into a dead dog; wanting to assassinate the king and seize power truly lacks some skill!"

This Hong Junyan was very dangerous.

He asked where the transcendence war was taking place in one sentence, and in the next sentence, he said "if I get a trip to Heaven Capital"!

Clearly, he already knew some inside information.

His body was in the northwest, yet he was so concerned about the waves in the central domain, and his intelligence work was so good. What exactly were his intentions?

"So that's it..." Hong Junyan was slightly regretful, but after all, he couldn't forcefully rush into Heaven Capital City. He turned his head to look at the already nearly lifeless Zong Dezhen: "Jiang Mengxiong! Does he seem to have something to say? How can you, as an old senior, not let him finish his words? Perhaps it could involve some secrets of the Dao gate!"

Ji Yumin's eyelids twitched, and he subconsciously wanted to raise his knife and silence him – of course, completely killing Zong Dezhen was not a matter that could be completely ended with one knife.

Jiang Mengxiong also decisively lifted Zong Dezhen's neck, pulling him out of the ice pit, wanting to hear what he had to say. Dao gate secrets, who wouldn't be moved?

"Jade Capital Mountain... Jade Capital Mountain..."

But he heard Zong Dezhen murmur weakly.

His voice suddenly rose: "Jade Capital Mountain!"

"Nearly four thousand years!"

He shouted with a face full of blood: "If it weren't for me, how could Jade Capital Mountain be so rich, noble, and majestic!"

"Yu Xi!"

"Xiao Yu! Xuan Yuan!"

"Trivial stray dogs from Tianma Plain, daring to step on the face of Jade Capital Mountain!"

"What are you all doing!"

"Respect my decree, welcome my return!"

Jiang Mengxiong pressed his head back with one hand and slammed his fist down again, continuing to grind down his life essence: "The Heavenly Son of Li Country thinks too highly of him! In vain, I listen to this old dog scolding the street, it's hurting my ears!"

Xiao Yu was the guardian of the Jade Clear Gold Book, and Xuan Yuan was the guardian of the Yuanshi Jade Book. The Gold Book decreed the country, and the Jade Book decreed truth, which were the most important embodiments of authority in Jade Capital Mountain. These two True Monarchs had not concerned themselves with worldly affairs for years, dedicating themselves to cultivating in seclusion in Jade Capital Mountain.

After Zong Dezhen exposed his identity as the One True Dao Head, it was these two, together with the Western Heavenly Master Yu Xi, who jointly suppressed Zong Dezhen's Palm Teach authority.

At this moment, facing the Original Heaven God who was stomping around on the top of Jade Capital Mountain, they were also very angry.

The three venerables of the Dao gate were great beings who had existed since ancient times, and they had not concerned themselves with human affairs for a long time. Unless it was something as big as the extermination of a holy land, they would fundamentally not think of alarming them.

Even if a holy land was exterminated, beings at their level might still not care.

The Dao gate was the source of cultivation, and the three holy grounds of the Dao pulse were the leaders of the sect gates.

Could these True Monarchs, who stood at the peak of the present world, not report like a three-year-old child burning incense, saying they were being stepped on and bullied?

The Jade Capital Dao Lord would probably get angry and wipe them out first.

But today, this Original Heaven God... besides Zong Dezhen who held Jade Capital Mountain, there was truly no one who could stop him.

And for a while, there was no way to immediately produce a Great Palm Teach of Jade Capital Mountain – to be realistic, Zong Dezhen, the current Palm Teach, had to die completely, and things had to be clearly defined. Which people had problems would be cleaned up together, and those who could clean themselves cleanly would participate in the final competition.

Indeed, several True Monarchs on Jade Capital Mountain were red-faced and red-eared with anger, and the Original Heaven God showing off above Jade Capital Mountain was actually also furious like thunder at this moment.

That Phoenix Heaven Stele had just fallen on the mountaintop of Jade Capital Mountain! It was engraved so clearly! It truly suppressed Jade Capital Mountain, blocking Zong Dezhen's call for power from Jade Capital Mountain. This was also an important reason why Yu Xi and the others could so easily suppress the Palm Teach Seal.

But the dog Zong Dezhen, even on the verge of death, said harsh words, but didn't dare to target Huang Weizhen.

That old man had just come over and cursed a few words, and yet he was being used as a typical example!

Unreasonable!

"You motherf*cker Zong Dezhen! Come single fight! What kind of thing are you! How dare you talk to grandpa!"

The white-browed, blue-eyed youth was stomping his feet in the high sky of Jade Capital Mountain: "Rat breed with dog eyes grown to the sky, stinky turtle grandson who ate extinct household shit! Initially, you just sold your ass to get on Jade Capital Mountain—"

"Venerable Upper!!!"

At this moment, a loud, high shout interrupted the Original Heaven God's impromptu speech.

He saw a majestic body like a mountain peak descending from the vast sea of clouds.

This venerable's right eye was deep and dark, his left eye was a swirling starry river, and his outer body was formed of Primal Chaos Too Nothing Origin High Upper Jade Void Qi, truly majestic and grand. It was indeed a cultivator who had comprehended the "Primal Chaos Too Nothing Origin Jade Clear Chapter" and only had the opportunity to summon and manifest the Yuanshi Great Dao Monarch!

The comer was, of course, Lou Yue. Compared to when he had contended with Jiang Wang, he had already ascended to the peak at this time, a genuine peak of the Derive Dao.

With his universe-like Primal Chaos eyes, he gazed at the Original Heaven God: "You have expressed all the anger you should. If there is anything unsatisfactory, resolve it yourself. But the person who offended you is no longer the Great Palm Teach of Jade Capital Mountain. Should you not hold the head responsible and the debtor accountable?"

How Zong Dezhen got on Jade Capital Mountain, everyone knew.

Saying he sold his ass.

To whom did he sell this ass?

If this Original Heaven God were allowed to continue talking without restraint, he would still be fine.

Saying even more excessive things, cursing even more wildly!

The Original Heaven God, of course, didn't care about a Lou Yue, ascended or not, it was all the same in front of him, the difference was not big. At least with Zong Dezhen's strength, and a complete grasp of Jade Capital Mountain's support, he could say that outside of Tianma Plain, he could contend with him.

The person who truly made him have to care was behind this Yuanshi Great Dao Monarch.

Lou Yue, with his grand Dao body, stood sideways in the clouds, so everyone could see –

A heavenly staircase paved the way, and on the heavenly staircase, a figure in a crown and robe slowly came!

The red, white, and blue three-color dragon robe fluttered with the wind and clouds of the three pulses of the Dao gate.

The "Equal with Heaven" Flat Heaven Crown seemed to bear the eternal balance of heaven.

The bead curtain lightly shaking in front of the Flat Heaven Crown seemed to isolate the world's wind and rain.

And from behind the bead curtain, those hard-to-describe eyes were revealed.

As if gentle wind and fine rain, yet hidden thunder could be seen.

Great Jing Heavenly Son Ji Fengzhou!

This one body bore the worries of the entire Dao country, gazing at the monarch of the outer world of all heavens, the dignified victor of that shaking-all-heavens, transcendence-level regicide!

And the first thing he did after winning the victory was to come to Jade Capital Mountain.

He didn't even stand above Heaven Capital City to soothe the hearts of the people a little!

As if he had not just walked out of an intense life-and-death struggle, without any sense of danger, and absolutely no need to panic and arrange anything.

This embodied a kind of order.

A kind of order that was all within his grasp.

While the Original Heaven God looked at him.

Looked at the hand hanging by his side.

That hand grasped the ultimate authority of all realms, casually dragging a person...

A corpse.

That was a corpse that fundamentally could not be looked at directly!

When seeing him, one almost wanted to be assimilated by him!

Even extraordinary peak existences would feel a stinging pain.

Only someone like the Original Heaven God, who had transcended, had the qualification to gaze upon his appearance.

The Shedding of the One True Dao Lord!

Great Jing Heavenly Son Ji Fengzhou, just like this, dragged the Shedding of the One True Dao Lord, stepped onto the heavenly staircase, and walked down step by step.

"Sorry," he smiled calmly, as if looking intently at you, yet as if very far from you: "I wanted to preserve this Shedding completely... so it took some time."

The contemporary Jing Heavenly Son was fundamentally not like his father, who was exhausted and almost died of exhaustion, but instead was very much like Jing Second.

Especially that damn smile that was almost exactly the same!

But upon closer inspection, there were some differences.

Ji Furin's smile during his imperial period was composed yet domineering, gentle yet intolerant of disobedience.

After transcendence, his smile was more playful and casual.

While Ji Fengzhou's smile made people peaceful; when you looked at his smile, you just felt the wind was calm, the waves were still, and nothing was happening.

You would feel that no matter what happened, there was still a chance.

Ji Furin made people obey more, while Ji Fengzhou made people believe more.

The Original Heaven God knew all too well what kind of power was embodied in the matter of "completely preserving the One True Shedding" within a transcendence-level battle.

Was Zong Dezhen a pig?

Without his drive, even if the One True Shedding fought solely by instinct, it wouldn't have been beaten into this state, right?

"Completely... hey!" The Original Heaven God's face was cold.

Ji Fengzhou, however, bowed to him: "Although Zong Dezhen does not deserve to represent Jade Capital Mountain, and has already been stripped of authority and executed, I apologize to the Original Heaven Venerable God on behalf of his earlier lack of courtesy. I also want to thank the Venerable God for his broad tolerance and for sparing General Xian's life."

The Original Heaven God had long decided not to stand together with the people of Jing Country in life and death, and the years of humiliation were something that the water of the Chang River could not wash clean; he absolutely would not give the people of Jing Country any good face.

But Ji Fengzhou unexpectedly personally apologized.

Especially when he was still dragging the Shedding of the One True Dao Lord in his hand, coming to make this apology!

The white-browed, blue-eyed youth was speechless for a moment.

Ji Fengzhou apologized again, saying: "From now on, the people of Jing will absolutely not disturb Tianma Plain, and the incense of the Venerable God in He Country will be rebuilt by the people of Jing on behalf of the Venerable God."

The Original Heaven God had originally accumulated a belly full of curses, but now he didn't know where to start cursing.

He waved his hand: "No point. Gone!"

Ji Fengzhou said in a gentle voice: "Daojun Lou, see off the Original Heaven Venerable God."

The majestic Yuanshi Great Dao Monarch, with a rumbling sound, turned his body in the depths of the sea of clouds, making a respectful gesture of sending off, giving the Original Heaven God full face.

The Original Heaven God gave this venerable Dao body a meaningful look.

Lou Yue was an orthodox Dao disciple of Jade Capital Mountain, his name was on the Jade Book, and he himself cultivated the orthodox "Primal Chaos Too Nothing Origin Jade Clear Chapter" of Jade Capital Mountain. His coming out today to represent Jade Capital Mountain was entirely proper. But at this moment, it was just a bit subtle.

Moreover, Ji Fengzhou even deliberately called him "Daojun".

Cultivating the honorable body of the Yuanshi Great Dao Monarch, and then advancing to the position of Derive Dao True Monarch, it was appropriate to call him that.

But Jade Capital Mountain might soon lose its master.

Was Lou Yue's "Daojun" a proper Daojun?

"Right, I have a question that Jing Second asked me to ask you." The Original Heaven God turned back and looked at Ji Fengzhou, who was still standing on the heavenly staircase: "This seat is also very curious, and I wonder how you will answer?"

Ji Fengzhou looked over no matter what: "What question?"

The Original Heaven God gazed deeply at him: "Does the Jing Heavenly Son know Gu Shiyi?"

Ji Fengzhou was quite serious: "Looking at the human world today, how could one not know this name!"

"This seat just wants to ask—" the Original Heaven God said: "After Gu Shiyi, there are many righteous men and heroes in the human world who despise royal law. Do you, as the head of the central empire, have a headache? What are your feelings as the Heavenly Son of this central empire?"

Ji Fengzhou smiled slightly: "Magnificent human race!"