Chapter 1 An Overture

In the night sky, an iron tower-like figure descended, three heads and eight arms, wielding swords, spears, and halberds. Its dark golden skin shimmered with a metallic luster, and its knotted muscles looked as if they were carved by a master sculptor, filled with the beauty of mechanics.

The three heads had eyes like copper bells, wide mouths and large noses, and ferocious expressions. The overall image was like a terrifying deity sculpture from a temple.

In unison, the generals and soldiers fighting on the battlefield stopped, watching the god-like and demonic figure in fear.

The number one expert in the Northern Border, Tuoba Guanghe.

His appearance silenced the boiling battlefield.

Tuoba Guanghe looked down, his gaze sweeping across the ravaged battlefield, towards Fu Qingyang on the city wall, his voice booming:

"Yang Ce, it's unexpected that the Southern Dynasty could produce a swordsman like you. You are a junior, and this commander never bullies the small. How about this, I'll take three of your sword strikes.

"If you can injure me, I will retreat and cease hostilities for three days."

The Demonic Eye Heavenly King sneered, "If you want to fight, then fight. What's with all the nonsense? Tuoba, you old codger, why doesn't this granddaddy play with you?"

He saw through Tuoba Guanghe's sinister intentions at a glance. First, he made a high-profile entrance, intimidating the Southern Dynasty's soldiers, then he proposed a gamble. If Fu Qingyang didn't agree, it would be the same as showing weakness.

If the already intimidated defenders saw that their marshal was timid, their morale would plummet, and the Northern Dynasty would have the advantage in the upcoming siege.

If Fu Qingyang agreed, then he would fall right into Tuoba Guanghe's trap. The Ancient War God had bronze skin and iron bones, impervious to blades and spears, and had a level advantage. He could easily defend against the three sword strikes of an eighth-level Yanshi.

One must know that the Yanshi's advantage lies not in one-on-one combat, but in manipulating puppet soldiers.

The Demonic Eye Heavenly King was hinting for Fu Qingyang to refuse. Give him ten more minutes, and he could severely injure or even kill Wanyan Batian. By then, their three Sovereigns could join forces to deal with Tuoba Guanghe without difficulty.

Fu Qingyang's gaze swept across the soldiers on the city wall, and the enemy troops below. All those eyes, either expectant or provocative, were now focused on him.

Fu Qingyang stood proudly on the city wall, and amidst the attention of the crowd, he pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Alright!"

The expressions of the Demonic Eye Heavenly King, Zhao Chenghuang, and Tianxia Guihuo all changed.

Ling Jun sighed.

Tuoba Guanghe curled his lips, "I won't dodge!"

"You won't be able to!" Fu Qingyang said coldly.

With a rustling sound, the black cloak embroidered with gold threads hung behind the young marshal, fluttering in the wind.

The aura of this eighth-level early-stage Yanshi suddenly soared, like a newly unsheathed sharp sword. The soldiers on both sides watching Fu Qingyang felt a stinging pain in their eyes, and tears welled up, as if they had been pricked by invisible fine needles, and they couldn't help but avert their gaze.

After gaining the cloak's enhancement, Fu Qingyang opened his inventory and summoned his true sword—the Cold Iron Jade Dragon.

A Sovereign-grade famous sword.

In the eyes of the Southern Dynasty's soldiers, the marshal's ability to conjure objects from thin air was a miracle, and their confidence soared.

Tuoba Guanghe smiled and said, "There is such a magical weapon in the world, after today, it will be this commander's trophy."

Fu Qingyang stepped off the city wall, graceful as a startled swan, his cloak fluttering. In the eyes of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, he soared into the sky and flew to Tuoba Guanghe, raising his long sword high.

As the gleaming long sword was raised, the soldiers of both countries watching this scene involuntarily felt a sense of despair. This sword seemed to be aimed at them, and they believed from the bottom of their hearts that they couldn't dodge it.

He can actually affect the spectators, his mastery of skill is getting closer to the Dao. Fu Qingyang, this kid, is a pervert just like Yuanshi, a pervert in a different sense... Ling Jun trembled, muttering to himself.

The Jade Dragon slashed down, its sword qi like a rainbow.

However, facing such a sharp sword, Tuoba Guanghe simply and casually closed his eight arms, and weapons such as knives, spears, swords, and halberds formed a shield wall.

"Boom!"

Fu Qingyang's Jade Dragon Sword struck the steel shield wall, and the sound it made was not the sharp clang of metal colliding, but a muffled thunderous explosion, indicating the abundant strength contained in this sword.

Tuoba Guanghe, like a ball hit by a giant, crashed towards the ground like a comet, smashing into the Northern Dynasty's army formation, causing a swath of death, dust rising.

The soldiers on both sides nervously stared at the hazy dust.

"Good swordsmanship. Between the North and South Dynasties, in both Jianghu, your Yang Ce's swordsmanship is the best, unparalleled in the world." Tuoba Guanghe's狂笑声 came, and with a boom, he burst out of the dust, unscathed.

The Northern Dynasty's soldiers were relieved and cheered. Someone shouted, "The Jùquè Divine Army is invincible, the Eight-Armed Tuoba suppresses the world."

In an instant, the shouts were deafening, their momentum great.

The Southern Dynasty's defenders had disappointed expressions.

Fu Qingyang turned a blind eye to the sky-filled clamor, opened his inventory, and took out the puppet soldier storage box he bought from the Sword Pavilion elder.

The half-person-high, heavy bronze box landed with a "clang," the lid opened, Fu Qingyang inserted the Jade Dragon Sword in front of him, and his ten fingers moved, and black shadows leaped out of the box.

Amidst the sound of bronze clashing, more than a hundred bronze puppets appeared on the city wall, their heads and limbs drooping, their bodies swaying, like string puppets.

Fu Qingyang flicked his fingers, and the puppets all raised their heads, their stiff, lifeless faces looking at Tuoba Guanghe.

He raised his hand again, and with a neat, clanging sound, more than a hundred bronze puppets soared into the sky, like locusts, like a rain of arrows, surrounding Tuoba Guanghe in the air.

Fu Qingyang pressed down with both hands, and the puppets that filled the sky, holding up bronze swords, surged forward, hundreds of swords firing at once.

Every sword contained abundant strength, every sword was close to the Dao.

A hundred swords fired together.

Tuoba Guanghe finally revealed a hint of solemnity. He dispersed the knives, spears, swords, and halberds held by his eight arms, and his eight arms formed four mudras in front of him.

A majestic, jet-black Mingwang Dharma image condensed behind him, the air around the Dharma image was faintly distorted, forming a closed sphere.

The bronze puppets' strikes landed.

"Clang clang clang..." The bronze swords shattered one after another, the sword qi contained within was either reflected by the qi shield, or dissipated due to the shattering of the swords, shooting in all directions.

Some of the sword qi landed on the city wall, blasting out finger-deep pits, gravel raining down, and the defenders on the city wall covered their heads and dodged.

Some of the sword qi landed below the city, and many Northern Dynasty soldiers didn't even have a chance to react before they were pierced by the sword qi and collapsed in a bloody mist.

When the storm-like turbulence ended, the soldiers of both armies finally dared to raise their heads and stop their fleeing footsteps, all impatiently looking at Tuoba Guanghe.

At this glance, the attitudes of the two sides reversed.

The faces of the Southern Dynasty's defenders instantly dimmed, while the Northern Dynasty's soldiers cheered like a boiling cauldron.

Tuoba Guanghe was unscathed.

"Invincible!"

"Invincible!"

The excited roars were like thunder, like a tsunami, the morale of the Northern Dynasty's soldiers was twisted into one force in these two swords, their momentum like a long rainbow.

Seeing this scene, the senior generals of the Southern Dynasty looked grave.

The art of war says: attacking the city is inferior, attacking the mind is superior.

Tuoba Guanghe's proposal of a gamble was not to show off his martial power, but to achieve this goal. He only withstood two swords, but he scattered the morale of the defenders, and the Northern Dynasty's soldiers' morale was high.

When he defended against the third sword, with an order, the army would attack the city, and victory would be assured.

This number one expert in the Northern Border was not only a brute with monstrous strength, but also an excellent general.

Below the city, the Demonic Eye Heavenly King leaped onto the city wall and strode towards Fu Qingyang. He had to dissuade this gamble. Fu Qingyang's actions were equivalent to personally shattering his own army's morale.

He couldn't understand how Fu Qingyang, with his wisdom and calmness, could agree to Tuoba Guanghe's gamble?

Ling Jun blocked the Demonic Eye Heavenly King, "Don't disturb the marshal."

The Demonic Eye Heavenly King said coldly, "A mere Saint, you don't know the terror of a ninth-level Ancient War God."

Even he, whose art of bewitchment was at its peak, would be ravaged by a ninth-level Ancient War God. Weakening the opponent by spiritual energy disorder was useless, because he couldn't break through the defense at all.

Ling Jun sighed, "I know he has no chance of winning, but you better not stop him."

"Why?" The Demonic Eye Heavenly King frowned.

"When you encounter corrupt officials, when you encounter villains who bully men and dominate women, can we stop you?" Ling Jun asked.

"Then you are courting death."

"So..." Ling Jun shrugged, "Everyone has personality flaws. When facing a companion's personality flaws, you can only accept it."

Ling Jun looked at Fu Qingyang, who was standing on the city wall with a blank expression, and thought of this friend's past.

As the direct descendant of a Lingjing family, the only son of the family head, Fu Qingyang's teenage years were miserable. When he was a child, he was muddled and unremarkable, which was still alright.

But in his teenage years, his swordsmanship talent was average, his combat talent was average, his physique was average, and he was basically a three-no product of the Fu family. And if his swordsmanship and combat talent were too poor, he might not even get a character card.

Except for a handsome appearance, he was useless.

How could a family head with extraordinary talent give birth to a waste? The elders in the clan couldn't figure it out no matter what, and sighed in regret.

The attitude and discussions of adults often affect children, so the peers in the clan began to laugh at him. Seeing that the elders didn't punish those who laughed at the family head's son, and seeing that the elders turned a blind eye, they gradually became more and more excessive.

From ridicule to insults, from insults to bullying.

Until one day, the stubborn teenager took a wooden sword and broke the bones of all the peers who had bullied him.

Fighting alone, vowing not to retreat!

This was Fu Qingyang's personality flaw, and it was also the philosophy he insisted on when walking through the dark period.

Fu Qingyang did not take back the priceless puppet soldiers, watching them fall like rain, scattered under the city. The cheers of the Northern Dynasty's army were sharp and ear-piercing, much like the slanders and ridicule of his youth.

The first sword was the pinnacle of his single-target attack.

The second sword was the combined swordsmanship he had just learned.

Gathering all his strength, he did not injure the enemy by a single hair.

He drew the Jade Dragon Sword, and remembered the bruised and battered boy, standing in front of the mirror, silently making a vow:

Don't retreat!

I won't retreat even if I die!

The frustration of losing two swords surged in his chest, melting away. The principles he had adhered to for many years were boiling, roaring, turning into a surge of sword intent, the spiritual power around his body rolling into the divine weapon, overdrafting his physical strength, but still continuing...

Fu Qingyang's temples turned gray, black hair mixed with silver threads, he didn't care at all, and continued to overdraft his strength.

"Don't retreat!"

He murmured to himself, and threw the Jade Dragon Sword.

In the heavens and earth, a cold light flashed, sword qi filling the universe.

That cold light instantly pierced through Tuoba Guanghe, piercing through his chest, so fast that this number one expert in the Northern Border didn't even have time to react.

He looked down in shock, looking at his chest, which was gushing blood.

All the clamor stopped, above and below the city, there was silence.

"Your Majesty, your concubine is late in saving you, please forgive me." Consort Wan knelt on the ground.

Zhang Yuanqing slumped on the desk and sat down staggeringly, waving his hand, "It's alright."

He examined Consort Wan and sighed:

"I didn't expect my harem to be full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Although Zheng Longtu is a mediocre man who relies on his family background, his cultivation is not bad. I didn't expect that even Consort Wan couldn't block a single move. It's really wronged Consort Wan to be my concubine. Why don't you become a commander?"

Water deprivation is a skill that only a level 6 Plague God can control.

In other words, this Consort Wan, whose arms can run a horse, corresponds to a level 6 Plague God.

Consort Wan said in a muffled voice:

"Your Majesty, your concubine is just a weak woman, unworthy of the position of commander. Your concubine only wants to serve Your Majesty in the palace and protect Your Majesty."

With your physique and momentum, you are more than capable of fighting on the battlefield, let alone being a commander... Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly.

Consort Wan hesitated slightly and whispered: "I dare not hide it from Your Majesty, in fact, your concubine is a death soldier trained by the Empress Dowager, whose duty is to protect Your Majesty in the harem."

A death soldier trained by the Empress Dowager? No wonder the dungeon gave a hint! Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

In this way, the Empress Dowager also knew that her son was stubborn and unlikely to become a wise ruler, so she arranged for Li Changshi and Consort Wan as two bodyguards.

One in the open, one in the dark, protecting Zhao Shun at all times.

These two characters are my reliance before my identity is revealed, before I recognize my teammates! Well, that's right, if there were no confidant bodyguards, if my strength was sealed, my teammates turned against me, and the Imperial City Division commander was harboring evil intentions, I would have almost no chance of survival.

Zhang Yuanqing said happily: "Unspeakable loyalty, unspeakable loyalty. Such a loyal and righteous person, I actually forgot your name."

Consort Wan was flattered: "Your concubine's name is Wan Dou."

"I want to make you a Noble Consort." Zhang Yuanqing boasted.

Anyway, Zhao Shun would take the blame in the end, it had nothing to do with him, Yuanshi Tianzun.

In Consort Wan, the future Noble Consort Wan's gratitude, Zhang Yuanqing said: "You immediately sneak into the bedroom, arrest the three beauties for me, take them to a secluded place and imprison them, and then wait for my orders."

Consort Wan nodded, her body turned into a stream of water, flowing away from the gaps between the scale-like black tiles.

Zhang Yuanqing waited a few more seconds, and then ran "panicked" towards the door, shouting loudly:

"There are assassins, there are assassins, come and save me..."

The Imperial Guards, who were fighting with the Gu worms, were shocked and hurriedly raised their torches and approached.

Under the cover of the Fire Master, an Imperial Guard commander rushed forward and said: "Your Majesty, I am here to save you, where are the assassins?"

Zhang Yuanqing pointed behind him, his face still showing shock, "Quick, quick, go and save Commander Zheng, Commander Zheng is entangled with the assassins in the hall."

The Imperial Guard commander hurriedly looked into the hall, his expression instantly solidified.

Zhang Yuanqing continued to shout: "What are you waiting for, hurry up and save Commander Zheng!"

The Imperial Guard commander's expression was ugly: "Your Majesty, look back, Commander Zheng... is dead."

At this moment, the burning bedroom door was suddenly smashed open, and a "river" rolled up three beauties, soaring through the air, fleeing towards the Imperial Garden.

The Gu worms that filled the sky flapped their wings and chased after them quickly.

Some of the Imperial Guards followed behind the Gu worms and the "river", continuing to chase, while others stayed behind to protect the emperor, or directed the eunuchs and palace maids to put out the fire.

Li Changshi walked out of the fire sea covered in blood, his eyes slightly anxious, scanning around. Seeing that His Majesty's dog life was still there, he was finally relieved.

(End of this chapter)