Chapter 826: Chapter 550: The Last Samurai
Barhu Lie.
The first Heavenly Realm powerhouse of the Da Xia Grassland, he is a descendant of the Sky Eagle King, a Grandmaster of the grasslands during the Dadu Dynasty.
At present, among the top ten on the Heavenly Person List, Hui Fa, Alcohol King, Li Xiuying, Yellow River Old Ghost, Ye Xiaoyao, Barhu Lie, and Ha Nu—seven in all—have all successfully reached Breakthrough Seven. Since Eternal Immortal reached Breakthrough Eight, a new era of Martial Arts has come.
Ye Xiaoyao, Hui Fa and others have gone ahead to the Mystic Sky Realm to support Lufang’s work, while the other Seventh Realm powerhouses are guarding the Xia Realm for now.
By comparison—
The Northern Alliance and Silver Eagle Federation have not developed as well; the numbers of top-level powerhouses and Seventh Realm cultivators are quickly falling behind.
On one hand, they suffered heavy losses in the Xia Realm War; on the other hand, lacking Primordial Ore, they can’t join the new system, their civilization has stalled, becoming an isolated island locked behind closed doors.
Those who go against the tides of the era will ultimately be abandoned—this is now the deepest lesson for countless Western fighters.
Facing the increasingly powerful Wanbang Council, the upper echelons of these two forces are dispatching envoys, asking to join.
This time, the Northern Guardian King did not reject them directly; the Elder Council set a ten-year period of testing and observation.
After passing, they can join the Council.
The unification of the Xia Realm is the trend of the times—it is also a crucial step for Wanbang to smoothly implement the next stage of their plan.
The Silver Eagle Federation and the Northern Alliance together currently have 243 Heavenly King powerhouses, over a thousand Great Grandmasters, and 20,000 Fighting Masters. This is an extremely considerable force.
...
Time passed.
The Four Emperors have all perished, which almost means the fall of the Demon Palace’s evil, except for the Gu Yue Demon Venerable, who hides in fear, hunted down whenever he shows himself. From over a hundred Demon Emperors before the war started, only a dozen or so are still on the run.
Compared to the Demon Palace, the ghosts are even more troublesome. Most ghosts are immune to physical attacks and come and go like phantoms. Led by the Ten Thousand Spiders Ghost Empress, the three Absolute Peak Heavenly Ghosts are still resisting desperately, continuing to inflict losses on All Nations.
...
On this day.
An aurora fell on Yun Meng Lake.
"I’m back."
Lu Chenzhou put away the Aurora Palace.
On this cultivation journey across the stars, he grew rapidly.
"Now the war is more or less over. Once I’ve wrapped things up, I can go into peaceful seclusion, aim to finish opening all my apertures, and study things like Four Symbols Fist and Body Technique."
There are too many things to do.
In the past, he was always harassed, unable to find peace.
For the days to come, he can cultivate in quiet seclusion.
...
Su City.
Old Man Cold Mountain’s face was full of delight.
"Lu Daoist, you’re finally back."
"Elder Zhang, thank you for everything."
"It wasn’t so bad. While you were gone, the Northern Guardian King gave Su City special care, sending several powerhouses in turn to guard here. Now they’ve all returned."
"It’s all thanks to everyone."
"It’s us who should thank you. Without you taking out those toughest Three Emperors, the war would have dragged on for many more years."
Zhang Jizhi sighed with emotion.
He had witnessed Lu Chenzhou’s rise all along, from a First Rank Martial Artist to battling the Demon Venerable today. He couldn’t help but feel regretful whenever he remembered: Chenzhou was originally a student of his Cold Mountain Martial University, but Ji Xuantong poached him to Dragon City Martial Arts University.
"Right, Senior, my ’Dragon Roar and Tiger Roar Technique’—how is the simplified version coming along within the Council?"
Lu Chenzhou suddenly asked.
"The initial simplification was a success—they’ve been separated into two True Skills, ’Dragon Roar Iron Cloth’ and ’Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield.’ Focusing on defense and killing through waves of vibration, the first stage is being spread among the geniuses to help wipe out the demon monsters in the base cities."
Zhang Jizhi said.
"Good to hear."
Lu Chenzhou went home.
"Lu-ge, I missed you so much!"
Bai Miaomiao came running over with a sly grin.
"Miss Bai, you’ve also reached Breakthrough Fifth. Congratulations."
Lu Chenzhou offered his congratulations.
"And us!"
Zhou Ruoxue and Ye Zhiqiu also came in to catch up.
These Lamp Holder friends were as close as family with Lu Chenzhou. With them, Chenzhou dropped all his airs.
...
That night.
Lu Chenzhou refined another embodiment.
This embodiment also has Middle Realm cultivation.
It’s far stronger than his previous embodiment; when exerting its full power, it’s not as strong as his main body, but can still spar with a Demon Venerable.
He even gave the Shocking Heart Needle to the embodiment. It’s just that he has enough Spiritual Weapons; other Heavenly Kings wouldn’t dare, since if the embodiment is killed, the Spiritual Weapon is lost too.
"Before Gu Yue Demon Venerable, Ten Thousand Spiders Ghost Empress, and other Seventh Realm threats are slain, I can’t get careless. From now on, my true self won’t leave Su City. Visiting relatives and friends, I’ll just use the embodiment. Pity the embodiments cultivated from ’One Dao to Three Forms’ can’t travel between realms, otherwise I could use my true self to hold down the Xia Realm, and send embodiments to adventure across the Three Thousand Worlds."
His current Spiritual Embodiment is adventuring in the Qingyun World, having acquired many treasures, but can’t bring them back.
So, he still needs a physical embodiment, like the one the Blood Vine Demon Emperor had.
Suddenly, he flipped up something in his palm—a blood-red, diamond-shaped crystal, radiating a sinister, demonic aura.
It was left behind by the Blood Vine Demon Emperor.
"Better ask senior brother about this."
Lu Chenzhou instinctively knew this was a treasure. Over the years hunting Demon Emperors, he’d seized not a few spoils and Demon Emperor’s corpses. If it’s determined useless, he could swap it with Mountain Ancestor for Primordial Stones.
...
The next day.
Lu Chenzhou’s embodiment flew to Imperial City; his family was all inside the Jiangshan Map, so he wanted to check in peace.
With his tunneling speed, he arrived quickly.
He chatted for a whole day, but didn’t tell Ji Shifu and the others about his breakthrough to late-stage Heavenly King. Given his special identity, the less his family knew about him, the better.
"Disciple, do your best! May you reach Absolute Peak!"
When parting, old Ji held Lu Chenzhou’s hand, just like countless elders reluctant to see their children leave home after the new year.
"Work hard on cultivation in the Grotto Heaven."
Lu Chenzhou turned and left.
Old Ji watched silently, whispering in his heart, "Disciple, will I live to see the day you become a Great Power?"
The Xia Realm War was just the tip of the iceberg.
True victory in war is still far off.
...
Just after leaving the Jiangshan Map,
Lu Chenzhou received an urgent message from the Elder Council.
[Northern Guardian King: Blood Hidden Building Master spotted in Cherry Blossom Base City! The Absolute Peak is chasing the Demon Ghost Seventh Realm. The top ten Heavenly Persons in the Imperial City District, please go to support.]
Lu Chenzhou let out a chilling killing aura.
"Was planning to hunt this guy down anyway—didn’t think he’d show himself first! Time to put an end to this!"
...
Imperial City District.
Cherry Blossom Base City.
This place is home to the former inhabitants and samurai of Cherry Blossom Country. It now falls under the Wanbang Council, guarded by Yagyu, Gongben, and the other four great samurai families of Sakura.
In the old era, Sakura had seven major samurai families, but because three of their heads either died of old age, were killed in war, or betrayed humanity, only four remain, barely surviving. In the new era, Bushido is fading more and more.
Yagyu Xuanyi’s gaze was low.
Now at Peak Sixth Realm, he’s barely in the top 30 Heavenly Persons, the undisputed number one of Sakura.
"Father, I’ve returned."
A Grandmaster in training clothes strolled over, exuding a mature aura—it was Yagyu Shizuka.
"Good! Your cultivation has improved—a Fifth Realm under a hundred years old. Our Sakura might just have a chance at an Absolute Peak."
Yagyu Xuanyi was very pleased.
"Heh, our Sakura already has an Absolute Peak!"
A cold voice suddenly rang out from high above.
Yagyu Xuanyi’s expression changed.
"Beichen Ghost Sword!"
...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blades of light, like rainbows, fell from the sky.
The City Protection Array was torn open crudely. Wherever the sword light passed, countless vibrant lives withered in an instant.
A pale man in a blood robe stood in the sky.
The Blood Hidden Building Master’s wild laughter echoed across the sky.
"Did you see? I am the Absolute Peak!"
The Demon Blade drinks blood, becoming even more demonic.
"Beichen Ghost Sword, you disgrace humankind!" Yagyu Xuanyi drew his blade, his sword aura surging upward like the Milky Way.
Beichen Ghost Sword casually struck; the Milky Way split open. The crimson blade shattered Yagyu Xuanyi’s Supreme named blade, hacking off half his body by force.
"I am the strongest of Sakura!"
Meanwhile—
Three more auras rose—Gongben and the two other family heads, all late to mid Sixth Realm.
"Beichen, what do you want?"
Patriarch Gongben drew his sword and demanded.
Blood Hidden Building Master sneered: "What do I want? Revenge, of course! You handed over my Beichen family to Da Xia, then betrayed yourselves, casting aside all national dignity, cowering like dogs beneath alien roofs. You are not worthy to call yourselves Sakura people."
The four heads were all lost for words.
The Blood Hidden Building Master must have gone completely mad.
"For old times’ sake, I’ll count to ten. If you’re willing to follow me, you’ll live today. Otherwise, before the Da Xia Heavenly Realm gets here, I’ll gut you all!"
Blood Hidden Building Master bared a vicious grin.
He’d also learned from the Witch Master about their defeat, but the Witch Master refused to let him leave the Xia Realm, instead wanting him to serve as a pawn, holding down the Wanbang Council here.
He was dissatisfied, but had no choice.
The more he thought, the angrier he got, so now he decided to go all out.
It’s true—he’s gone a bit mad. Like Tang Zheng, in the end, those who cultivate Demon Skills always end up this way.
The clash of Demon Blood and human blood was making him lose his reason. He just wanted to unleash all those repressed desires at last.
Yagyu Xuanyi shouted in anger:
"All of us, attack! Following him is death—the only thing we need is to hold out until help arrives, then we’ll be saved."
Patriarch Gongben hesitated.
The other two family heads had uncertain faces.
The pressure from a Heavenly Realm felt like a mountain pressing above their heads.
Blood Hidden Building Master couldn’t help but taunt: "Still hoping for Da Xia? Those who are not our race have different hearts! Look at your City Protection Array—here, I can shatter it in ten full-force strokes. In Da Xia, I’d need thirty! Ever think about why that is?
Gongben, we used to be friends. I don’t want to kill you. Follow me, and I’ll help you reach Heavenly Realm."
Second by second ticked away.
After ten seconds—
"Tell me your answer."
The Blood Hidden Building Master pointed his blade forward.
Yagyu Xuanyi’s face was filled with despair.
Gongben and the other two family heads heaved a long sigh.
They stepped forward.
The Blood Hidden Building Master showed a triumphant smile.
Gongben said, "Beichen, if you have any conscience left, spare the ordinary people in the city."
The Blood Hidden Building Master gave a cold, silent smile.
Gongben and the three advanced.
The Blood Hidden Building Master was preparing to plant his mark, when suddenly the three heads let their aura blaze, drew their blades, and attacked in unison.
The Blood Hidden Building Master shook his head.
"You don’t understand what the Heavenly Realm is."
He swung his blade, slicing the three in half.
"Enough. Since you insist on dying, I’ll carry forward as the last samurai, walking this path alone."
Blade light fell.
The three family heads turned to blood mist.
Yagyu Xuanyi patted Shizuka on the shoulder.
He wanted to say something but couldn’t.
In the face of the Heavenly Realm, no one in this city could escape.
He drew his blade, resolved to die.
Far above, the Blood Hidden Building Master’s face changed slightly.
He cleaved open the void with his blade, stepping in.
"Someone’s coming? So soon?"