Chapter 141: 115. Ascending the Path to Immortality, Difficult to See the Mortal World Again (6K Large Chapter, Seeking Monthly Tickets)_2
The bone-piercing sharpness of the Sword Qi directly slashed through his cold-forged armor, crafted from refined iron. This heavy armor, which had deflected numerous arrows, was now as fragile as tofu.
"No!"
Li Xiaozu had never felt so helpless. He watched as the brilliant yellow Sword Qi descended upon him, cleaving him in two at the waist.
The three hundred white-armored soldiers of the Personal Guard Camp were also caught in this brilliant yellow Sword Qi. Over half were killed or injured!
...
"Later, King Xing Tian released two yellow snakes from his sleeve. These yellow snakes were none other than the Great Imperial Court Sword Qi..."
"This one sword strike was enough to slay immortals!"
"The white-haired immortal’s arm was severed by King Xing Tian’s sword, fresh blood splattering on the spot."
"And this sword strike plunged Old man Chongming into utter despair, causing him to abandon the outer city and flee to the Imperial city."
...
Scenes from the storyteller’s tales flooded Li Xiaozu’s mind. He had never heard a storyteller narrate how King Xing Tian breached Divine Capital City that day. However, in the Royal Mansion’s intelligence, he had seen reports gathered by spies in Shenjing. It was just that such a matter was too incredible and shocking.
All along, he had been skeptical of this information. Before coming to Shenjing, Li Xiaozu had, for an instant, pictured this very scene. But people tend to deceive themselves. How could mere human strength achieve such a feat...? Moreover, how old was Emperor Tiande Xu Xing? He had dismissed it as an "immortal rope trick" spread by street rumors!
But now, in this fleeting moment, he believed.
Human strength... how could it defy the heavens! Li Xiaozu wasn’t defeated by an army... but by the otherworldly power of an immortal.
"I refuse to accept this!"
"This king refuses to accept this!"
Under a single strike of the Great Imperial Court Sword Qi, Li Xiaozu was cut in half at the waist. His phoenix wing helmet clattered to the ground, revealing his disheveled, knotted long hair. A few strands, matted with splattered fresh blood, clung to his cheeks, adding to his tragic appearance.
He gripped his silver spear, pointing it at Xu Xing, who hovered in the air, and roared repeatedly in fury.
Unacceptable! He truly found this unacceptable! Victory had been within his grasp; one more thrust of his spear could have killed this damn Emperor. Yet, unexpectedly, this damn Emperor could fly, no different from the immortal-slaying King Xing Tian of the storyteller’s tales... From avenging his father and forming the Army Seeking Revenge to breaching the walls of Divine Capital City, Li Xiaozu considered himself a hero of his time. If Xu Xing had defeated him in a fair battle of armies, he wouldn’t be this emotional. But Xu Xing, this damn Emperor, had won dishonorably.
"I..." Xu Xing began, his sleeve robe billowing as Innate True Qi kept him suspended in the air. "All great power resides within me. I alone am the nation. In slaying you, what grounds do you have for dissatisfaction?"
He looked down with contempt at Li Xiaozu, now in two pieces on the city wall passageway. "You dared to lead your troops south without even ascertaining my true capabilities. How is your defeat unjust?"
If Ye Jiming had beheaded him, that could be considered an unfair victory, as it would have been external power. But his cultivation was entirely his own, achieved through arduous training. He had defeated Li Xiaozu and the Army Seeking Revenge squarely with a single sword strike. What could Li Xiaozu possibly argue?
Hearing this, Li Xiaozu faltered, unsure how to reply.
When Shenjing was on the verge of falling, was Emperor Tiande supposed to just wait for death, obediently presenting himself? Even if Li Xiaozu were utterly shameless, he couldn’t find the words to refute Xu Xing.
"Besides," Xu Xing continued with a light laugh, gesturing towards the city, "even if I hadn’t used this power to kill you, Li Xiaozu... did you truly believe you had won? You only breached the outer city of Shenjing. Within the inner city, I have already prepared more soldiers and horses for urban warfare. Your Army Seeking Revenge, though valiant, would be like wading into a swamp upon entering Shenjing. No matter how courageous, your efforts would merely be the desperate struggle of a cornered beast..."
Li Xiaozu had accurately assessed Shenjing’s depleted military strength. However, planning was one thing; execution was another. Even without the power of an Innate Martial Artist, given Shenjing’s resources, manpower, and the New dynasty’s control, it wouldn’t have been difficult to stall until loyalist reinforcements arrived...
These words shattered the fighting spirit of the white-clothed soldiers of the Army Seeking Revenge. One by one, they knelt and begged to surrender.
As Li Xiaozu had been cut at the waist, though fresh blood gushed out, he wouldn’t die immediately.
"Issue my order," Xu Xing declared, his gaze sweeping over the surrendered soldiers and generals. "The Army Seeking Revenge has committed treason. The generals are to be beheaded as a public example. The soldiers are to be exiled to the southern frontier, never to return to their homeland."
In times of chaos, severe measures are necessary! Treason is a capital offense! It wasn’t something he could forgive out of personal clemency. An Emperor must distinguish between himself and the Imperial Court. Emperor Chongming, for instance, failed to grasp this, misusing punishments and thereby alienating the Court. Furthermore, the Army Seeking Revenge’s southward march against the Imperial Court was one of the most critical events of the era. If his retribution wasn’t severe, regional powers would inevitably attempt to emulate them. In that scenario, the casualties would far exceed today’s numbers.
"We thank Your Majesty for your mercy in pardoning our crimes!"
With that, though the white-clothed soldiers and generals of the Army Seeking Revenge were grief-stricken as if mourning their own parents, receiving such a sentence was already an act of imperial grace. Their families had not been exterminated.
"Thank Your Majesty!"
"It is our disloyalty that has failed the Emperor’s sagacious rule!"
Next, one by one, the generals drew their swords and committed suicide, hoping to secure a chance of survival for their families.
Currently, Emperor Tiande had not punished their families, but who could predict the future? If they took their own lives on the spot, atoning for their crimes with death, their culpability would naturally be lessened.