Chapter 2704: Not Named Without the Leader

Hóng Wú Dū Dū Gōng Xī Yàn and Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ Táng Wèn Xuě, who commanded the army on behalf of the Tiānzǐ, truly possessed the power of "Zhé Yuè."

They were arguably the most powerful couple in Jīng State and the pillars of the Dì Party. Even the Jīng Tiānzǐ Táng Xiàn Qí had to cater to both sides and often worried about their family affairs. He once said, "Xī Yàn is my arm, Wèn Xuě is my heart. Their becoming a good family is fitting, as we are essentially one body." His trust and partiality were unparalleled in the entire country.

"A majestic, hegemonic Tiānzǐ covering up for his sister's illegitimate child—this has never been heard of in history!" While Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ spoke with sarcasm, the Great Jīng Tiānzǐ could only swallow his bitterness.

If Gōng Wéi Zhāng could legitimately return to the Gōng family, inherit the lineage, and with his innate talent, he would surely become a top figure in the Great Jīng Empire in the future, wielding immense power over the court and the commoners.

Throughout her life, Zhé Yuè loved wielding a sword and possessed the heart of a strong person. To pass her test, to bring glory to the country on the Guān Hé Tái, and to stand out among the talents of the world became a natural choice. This was also the path the elders of the Gōng family hoped for.

Gōng Wéi Zhāng did come, and indeed, he broke through barriers and defeated opponents all the way to the quarterfinals. The only thing that surprised people was... he had never intended to return to the Gōng family. He didn't care for that "legitimate" status, nor did he value Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ's approval.

At this moment, Jiāng Wàng really wanted to know what the Jīng State Emperor would say. How would this hegemonic Tiānzǐ, who loved to watch the troubles of others, react to his own family's troubles? Unfortunately, he hadn't heard the casual chats of the hegemonic Tiānzǐ for a long time, though Hóng Jūn Yǎn and Wèi Xuán Chè occasionally brought him into their conversations.

How to put it... their circle had sunken.

"Good boy! You have some of my style from back then!" Despite the highly anticipated Ěr Zhū Hè losing the match, the Xuě Yuán Emperor's voice was still like a resounding bell, laughing heartily and bravely: "Gōng and Hóu are not worth mentioning, and the old and established are not worth valuing! There are always people who think they can lie on the merits of their ancestors for a lifetime, unaware that they are born and raised by Heaven and Earth, and virtue is earned by oneself. Those who rely on inheritance suffer for it!"

He started clapping: "New names kill old surnames, the heavenly principle is evident!"

Sometimes, Big Brother Hóng was quite annoying, but sometimes he was also understanding of the situation. Once he started speaking, no one could pretend not to hear.

Truly, besides the Qí Tiānzǐ who personally founded his hegemonic dynasty, who didn't rely on the merits of their ancestors? Even Táng Xiàn Qí smiled: "Dào Lì thirty-four years, Your Majesty founded the country in Xuě Yuán. It has been three thousand nine hundred years since! Is the Hóng clan originally not an old surname?"

Hóng Jūn Yǎn spoke with righteous indignation: "Before I became the ruler, there was no mention of Lí State. Since I became the ruler, my descendants have not yet achieved the status of Lí Jūn! This is not a new matter, who can claim otherwise?"

The Chǔ Emperor laughed loudly: "I am born into nobility, and I value my face—how can I compare to you?"

Hóng Jūn Yǎn smiled calmly and nonchalantly. Hearing this sentence in his ears, he only heard "how can I compare."

"Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ doesn't want to recognize this child, and this child doesn't want to recognize Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ. You say this situation is creating trouble..." He slightly lifted his crown: "Does Jīng State send people to the battlefield without first stabilizing the rear? Those who risk their lives don't even know who they are fighting for."

"For themselves, for the country! Lí Huáng is truly diligent and eager to learn, even asking about such common sense."

The Jīng State Emperor said casually: "Zhé Yuè has already dissolved the marriage contract with Gōng Dū Dū. It's just to avoid external speculation and unrest in the court and commoners that it hasn't been announced publicly. She and Gōng Wéi Zhāng have never had a relationship, it's just outsiders worrying unnecessarily!"

"And why must there be a relationship? The sea is vast, the sky is boundless, and divine interactions are varied. Mountains and rivers are without hindrance, and spirits are naturally free."

"Now Gōng Wéi Zhāng has his own ideas and wants to establish his own name, why not let him? Jīng State is vast and rich, capable of accommodating ambitious young people."

Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ had already divorced Gōng Xī Yàn! This legendary woman was indeed fiery. Her marriage with Gōng Xī Yàn was no longer a private matter of their personal feelings, but a truly significant matter concerning the foundations of the country... This was also why everyone thought they could reconcile.

But she still decided to leave.

In this world of extraordinary vitality, three wives and four concubines were common, and women with ability could have numerous male companions without anyone complaining. But in the eyes of Táng Wèn Xuě, there could be no impurities. The severity of this matter could indeed cause "unrest in the court and commoners."

And for the Jīng State Tiānzǐ. How to maintain good relationships with both sides after his sister and brother-in-law divorce, ensuring they continue their loyalty without leaving their positions, thus consolidating the Dì Party... This was truly a test! But since he said it today, it was clear he had already handled it. There had been some jokes earlier about "Gōng Xī Yàn enduring the jūn gùn," which now seemed to be smoke screens released. This matter could no longer be resolved by the jūn gùn. This Imperial Majesty, whose martial prowess was like a roaring dragon and who dared to "traverse the desolate borders against the world," also had a considerably gentle and flexible side.

"It's a pity." Hóng Jūn Yǎn's attitude towards a person now entirely depended on whether that person was helpful to his grand imperial cause, but he himself was actually a person of some grandeur and greatly admired Táng Wèn Xuě's character of daring to love and hate—back when this Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ was determined to marry Gōng Xī Yàn, Gōng Xī Yàn was still unknown.

He sighed: "A young talent like Gōng Wéi Zhāng, who is neither named Táng nor Gōng, even if he traverses thousands of miles, how can he soar nine heavens?"

"Lí Huáng, what do you think Jīng State is? In the past, the Grand Ancestor sought talent, divided the land and granted titles, not begrudging brilliance and skill, thus the world served him and prevented you from venturing east!"

The Jīng Tiānzǐ's voice suddenly became sharp: "Do you still think the Xuě Yuán barrier is a place of poverty and few people? Although you are generous and buy people's hearts, you only trust Fù Huān. Although you encompass snow and wind, you are ultimately related to the imperial family and limit yourself to a small world. Do you really think you just haven't met your time?"

"Ěr Zhū Hè is a passionate young man, yet you make him practice low-level techniques, causing him to be stained and infected. How can an Emperor like you raise dragons?!"

"If not for the urgency of Shén Xiāo, even with central restrictions and the support of Qín Zǔ, who could stop him! The edge of my Great Jīng's army has already considered Xuě Yuán as a potential territory, how can I allow you to linger!"

"The movement of ice and snow is a feigned advance, and the defeated dog is prostrating itself again!"

"You are the old surname that should be buried the most!"

"Gōng Wéi Zhāng doesn't need to consider Zhé Yuè as his mother, he doesn't even need to consider Gōng Xī Yàn as his father, as long as he considers Jīng State his country. Hóng Jūn Yǎn—just watch where he flies!"

It seemed that the family affairs of Zhé Yuè Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ and Gōng Xī Yàn were indeed a source of pain for the Jīng Emperor. Or perhaps he deliberately wanted people to think so. Now, he was unusually angered. The Emperors of the Jūn Tíng Empire, once they revealed their sharp words, were like swords and spears emerging simultaneously, with iron hooves never stopping.

The main judge on the scene was stunned, his mouth agape, calling out how exciting it was. It was a pity that he couldn't hear the subsequent voices. It seemed that Lí Huáng and the Jīng Emperor were passionately arguing. The pearls on Hóng Jūn Yǎn's Píng Tiān Guān were constantly shaking unevenly.

He didn't know who was so private, not letting him, the judge, listen. Of course, no matter how exciting the argument outside was, as the judge, he didn't forget his main duty.

The competition was still ongoing.

Xǔ Zhī Yì on the stage had already raised the Tian Shī banner! Of course, it was just a secret transmission technique, an ancient symbol—the first Tian Shī Xǔ Fèng Yǎn transformed into a rock banner, cutting off the Běi Tiān Mén and preventing the demon race's main army from advancing an inch. It was this kind of fiery banner that he portrayed.

However, the body is like a flame, inextinguishable for ten thousand years.

At this moment, the stage transformed into a realm of rock. The fire was everywhere in the world, and nowhere was it not red.

The first four Great Tian Shī each controlled earth, wind, water, and fire. Many of the earliest Daoist techniques in these four categories were also created by them. The so-called "Tian Shī" indeed protected the world and enlightened the common people, living up to their reputation. Although none of them were transcendence realm practitioners, they were all standing outside the gate of transcendence, sacrificing their lives to guard the heavenly gate and fighting for the human race.

Passed down to today, although the position of "Tian Shī" has lost much of its sacredness outside the Daoist sects, the contributions of these Tian Shī to the human race by following the old ways are still indelible.

The Xǔ family's rock techniques, originating from a distant past, have produced many talents throughout generations and are not ordinary.

The warm and sunny feeling of the Daoist judge was comforting. When he was young, he was inspired by Léi Zhàn Qián's "Léi Jiè Technique" and cultivated the "Huǒ Jiè Technique," which later became the origin of the "Zhēn Yuán Huǒ Jiè."

In comparison, the Xǔ family's "Raising the Banner to Burn Flames, the World is Renewed," which turned the stage into a rock realm, was much more overbearing.

Gōng Wéi Zhāng walked through the fire. He allowed the fiery serpents to lick his eyebrows and scorch his fake body. He just raised his eyes coolly, his gaze piercing through the firelight, and then walked forward step by step. He seemed completely indifferent to the distance between him and his opponent, and he didn't care about the time it took to scorch him, letting Xǔ Zhī Yì make more preparations.

It was as if his footsteps didn't feel pain, and he couldn't feel the temperature. He was like a naturally indifferent combat weapon. Only his body, flesh, and blood were not like ordinary bodies. Sometimes they burst open, sometimes they resonated, and only then did people gradually realize the hardness beneath the scorching.

He was turning his body into a blade... He was using the rock realm as a furnace, enduring the scorching of the Tian Shī banner, and forging his own body!

This was a competition about honor, and he treated it as cultivation. Not saying a word was the greatest contempt.

The two sides had already exchanged over a hundred blows, and the winner was still undecided. The famous sword Qīng Táo, forged from ten thousand years of accumulated lightning strikes, and the nameless blade in Gōng Wéi Zhāng's hand were not only vying for supremacy but also fighting each other with techniques.

Xǔ Zhī Yì raised this Tian Shī banner precisely to change the course of the battle, how could he allow Gōng Wéi Zhāng to be so leisurely?

His steps turned into a fiery spiral, his fingers rose high and descended from his forehead. The firelight divided his brow bone, illuminating the mountain root. A wisp of flame, like a bean, burned between his fingers. This flame was green, appearing in the shape of nine layers of mountains, with distinct levels.

Supernatural Power· Tài Qīng Dǒu Lǜ Huǒ!

If the true meaning of Sān Mèi Zhēn Huǒ was "Understanding its Sān Mèi, then nothing cannot be burned." The true meaning of Tài Qīng Dǒu Lǜ Huǒ lay in "Nourishing all things, forging all things." Compared to burning, it was more skilled at changing the nature of things.

Xǔ Zhī Yì held this flame, his clear eyes filled with frost: "Newborn calves don't fear the world, a phoenix landing in the wilderness shouldn't feel sorry for itself—you came to this world stage with a blade, you should know what it means to respect your opponent!"

The entire rock realm was enveloped in a green glow, and life immediately sang joyfully. Iron liquid immediately dripped from Gōng Wéi Zhāng's body as he walked forward step by step!

He held his blade and casually flicked it backward—a series of iron liquid, like blood beads splashing, made sizzling sounds in the rock realm. And the blade itself slowly spread, white light growing into black armor, and the blade light falling like rain. The heat surrounding his body was instantly extinguished.

"I am forging my body with this, not disrespecting my opponent. It is precisely a display of respect for my opponent—it's just that my opponent isn't you!"

Gōng Wéi Zhāng leaped up, and the armor on his back also cast a cold light into the distance. But that bright blade light had already passed over Xǔ Zhī Yì's cheek! The previous life was a magnificent green lotus—the shattering of Xǔ Zhī Yì's Xuán Zōng protective technique "Dào Dé Yī Qīng Lián."

The subsequent life was Xǔ Zhī Yì urgently fanning the flames, controlling the flame light, merging the "Shàng Xuán Jīng Yì Jìng" nine times, and pointing it at the blade body, pushing aside the blade's edge. Despite this, a clear line of blood was left on his face, which was so thin it could be broken. Dense blood beads emerged, like hanging berries.

What a fast blade! Xǔ Zhī Yì had never seen anyone's internal strength blade techniques be so fast. Only then did he realize that the previous blade and sword exchange wasn't just about his own fluidity. He was three parts fluid, but Gōng Wéi Zhāng had at least five parts!

But he remained motionless, not avoiding the blade's edge. At this moment, blood flew from his cheek, yet his right hand held a sword behind him, his left hand's two fingers still held the flame, and he muttered words: "A hundred-forged steel becomes my soft thread, tonight's fire is my yesterday's snow—the flame evolves all things, and the flame births ten thousand changes!"

Gōng Wéi Zhāng could be so arrogant as to not consider him an opponent, but he would eventually change in the Tài Qīng Dǒu Lǜ Huǒ. It was good at making changes happen!

A dark fire of night appeared in front of Xǔ Zhī Yì, followed by the red fire of the sun, the white fire of heaven, the golden fire of the gods, the green fire of poison... Fire was flying everywhere! Forty-nine basic fires constantly raised the temperature on the performance stage. Iron could not stand, and stone could not solidify. The ground beneath Gōng Wéi Zhāng's feet almost turned into lava.

Outside those key flames, fire blossoms, like scattering pears, with trailing flames, fell one by one. Fire blossoms were already the most perfect form of fire at his level. Moreover, due to their basic nature, almost everyone who practiced fire techniques could not avoid them.

At this moment, some of the audience below the stage were dazzled and confused. There were also those like Xióng Jìng Yǔ, covering their faces indifferently. Yè Qīng Yǔ, sitting on his left, waved his hand and shattered the sound of the sword around him. Jiāng Ān Ān, sitting on his right, simply hugged him.

It was another year of the assembly of heavenly talents. The scorching sun that once shone brilliantly here had its light extinguished forever. He couldn't help but—although he knew it was perhaps inappropriate—raise his gaze to Lǐ Yī, who was standing in front of the world stage. His body was free of any adornments, extremely simple, as simple as a sword suspended in the air. His Daoist robe was as white as a beam of sword light.

Zuǒ Guāng Liè died on the battlefield. Since ancient times, there has been no private enmity on the battlefield! Lǐ Yī was that sword, Yíng Wǔ was the person holding the sword, and Qín State was the highest will driving all of this—who was there to hate?

Today, Zuǒ Guāng Liè needed revenge, and in the past, Zuǒ Hóng needed revenge... it was truly an endless cycle of revenge. How could there not be casualties among the Qín people? Things on the battlefield were always resolved on the battlefield.

In the past, Old Master Zuǒ searched the entire world for someone, already breaking the tacit agreement about war. Later, Lǐ Yī reappeared as a Tài Yù Zhēn rén of the Daoist sect. Attacking him then would have meant a war between Chǔ and Jǐng. Underhanded tactics like sneak attacks could absolutely not be used against such a person during peacetime. Unless Lǐ Yī fell into another national war someday, Zuǒ Xiāo might be able to avenge himself as a free man. Or perhaps they would have to wait until after Shén Xiāo, when there might be a war between Chǔ State and Jǐng State. On the battlefield, anything goes.

Perhaps there was another way, which was a duel between the two. For example, Huáng Wéi Zhēn's duel with Nán Tiān Shī Yóu Yù Xīng on the summit of Kūn Wú back then, where both sides took responsibility for their own lives and deaths, not related to state affairs. But asking Zuǒ Xiāo to duel with Lǐ Yī was utterly impossible.

When Jiāng Wàng achieved Dao back then, he questioned Lǐ Yī, doing so for Zuǒ Guāng Liè. But that was just Jiāng Wàng's feeling. As parents, even knowing that it was utterly inappropriate, and with the situation of the world at stake, it was still difficult to sever this resentment!

"This sword, Qīng Táo, is forged in imitation of the ancestor's treasured sword, Qīng Xù. Bringing it to this state of being, in a life-and-death battle, it has a one-in-twelve chance of victory."

On the stage, Xǔ Zhī Yì brandished his sword horizontally! "Today, with the fire of the world, let you see clearly who your opponent is!"

Behind him, a phantom of a green alchemical furnace rose up. Although it was blurry and shallow, it had a dazzling vitality and a noble majesty that suppressed all realms. The spiritual form of the Tài Qīng Dǒu Lǜ Huǒ supernatural power! With the blessing of the rock realm and the Tian Shī banner, even at the stage of spiritual form, it possessed the power to chase after spiritual images.

The spiritual form appeared and then ignited the fire. This fire truly wanted to burn everything and change the entire world stage. Many of the audience were shocked and stood up.

But they saw the nine heavens and ten earths, with brilliant flame light turning. On the performance stage, for a moment, there was nothing but fire!

And then there was the sound of a blade—

"I want to emulate Zhèn Hé from back then, supporting war with war, step by step, until I am unparalleled!"

"This is why I gave you a chance. It's not disrespect, but surpassing!"

"This blade is not nameless."

"When I raise the banner for Jīng State, you will naturally know its name!"

Crack crack crack crack crack crack...

Dense, seemingly endless cracking sounds echoed in the sound of the blade. That was the lava, the raging fire, the fire blossoms, the sound, the banner... everything was being separated.

And then there was a blade light that soared into the sky, like a lone wolf smoke!