That broken spear stuck at the entrance of Chen Family Village was placed there by Chen Huaiyi. It was once his father's divine weapon, a treasure at the Seventh Tribulation Divine Weapon level.

Unfortunately, it was shattered by a single strike from an immortal. After retrieving it, he used the scattered qi and blood of the Chen Family Army's fallen soldiers to condense it, allowing it to unleash extremely powerful force for a short time.

It was also the Chen Family Village's ultimate life-saving card.

For over two hundred years, it had stood there, never damaged. If the enemy hadn't been so strong, Wu Daozi wouldn't have wanted to use it.

Unfortunately, the mere aura emanating from the enemy was enough to terrify him. In such a situation, he naturally had to use every available power.

Wu Daozi's graying hair turned to black, and gripping the broken spear, he stepped into the void, his body radiating a powerful and unyielding aura.

In an instant, he arrived above Chen Family Village and saw the three figures beneath the dark clouds.

"Gu Tianqiong, Li Kuangxiu, Sima Che... Heh, the court is really going all out to catch a cripple like me," Wu Daozi said with a faint smile.

He naturally recognized who these three were.

Sima Che was the second son of Sima, the old thief who usurped the Xiang family's empire. Over two hundred years ago, he had made a great name for himself in the martial world, serving as Sima's right-hand man.

However, after the Sima family secured their power, he rarely appeared.

Everyone thought he had already fallen, but now it seemed he was merely lying low.

Li Kuangxiu was once a general under Sima, the old thief. After more than a hundred years of cultivation, he had reached the Yang God Realm. As for Gu Tianqiong, he was also a subordinate recruited by Sima, the old thief.

He bestowed favors and taught him divine abilities, enabling this official, who was once frustrated in the former Chu state, to rise to prominence.

Speaking of which, Wu Daozi knew them all, but they had only met once and could hardly be considered acquaintances.

"If Daoist Wu is a cripple, then there is probably no one whole in the world," Gu Tianqiong said with a faint smile.

"Sage of Painting, things have come to this, you are no match for us. Don't resist futilely. Surrender today, and the court will still treat you with respect," Li Kuangxiu said in a deep voice.

When he was young, he had received guidance from the Chen family, a family of generals. He knew the relationship between Wu Daozi and the Chen family, and under the current circumstances, he didn't want to fight if possible.

Unless Wu Daozi was stubborn.

"If that were the case, I wouldn't have hidden in the martial world. But I'm curious, now that I'm half-crippled and useless, why is the court going to such lengths to find me?"

This was what he couldn't understand.

He didn't know much about the current situation, but he had heard some things from Chen Huaiyi. Logically speaking, the court had too many things to do.

There was no need to look for him.

After all, he had no real hatred with the Sima family. After the fall of the former Chu state, he had already hidden in the martial world, seeking peace for the rest of his life.

"Heaven's might is unpredictable, how can you guess it? Wu Daozi, surrender! This seat can give you a way out, otherwise, you, the Sage of Painting, will fall here," Sima Che said with an icy expression.

Wu Daozi laughed upon hearing this.

"I've roamed the martial world for hundreds of years and have never surrendered. Since you've come to my door today, then let's fight."

"Courting death!!!"

Sima Che snorted coldly, and thirty-six Ocean Stabilizing Pearls manifested with a bang, instantly covering the sky with overwhelming force.

Gu Tianqiong and Li Kuangxiu didn't move, they just watched quietly.

In their opinion, Sima Che's strength was enough to suppress Wu Daozi.

As for them, they were probably there as a precaution for the emperor.

Wu Daozi's face was smiling, and his body glowed, unexpectedly creating a black battle armor out of thin air. Holding the broken spear, he looked more like a general than a Sage of Painting.

This was also a helpless choice. His true body was half-crippled, and all his power now came from the preparations he had made in the past. He couldn't use much of his true body's power.

Only by combining it with the broken spear could he unleash his strongest power.

Facing the Sima family's famous Ocean Stabilizing Pearls, Wu Daozi didn't dodge or retreat. Holding the broken spear, he suddenly built up momentum, and the surrounding heaven and earth vitality rioted, shrouding the spear tip.

A surging light erupted, and with one strike, he knocked away one of the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls.

Then, Wu Daozi's broken spear flew, and the aura of slaughter instantly condensed. After continuously knocking away the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls, there was a rumble around him, and he went straight for Sima Che.

"You do have some strength, but that's all!"

After the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls were knocked away, Sima Che's face turned ugly. With a thought, the flying Ocean Stabilizing Pearls returned and shrouded his body again.

Then, with a thought, endless suppressing power pressed down on Wu Daozi.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Each confrontation between Sima Che and Wu Daozi was like the heavens rumbling. The Chen Family Village was under so much pressure from the waves of power that the people could hardly breathe.

Chen Youcai tightly held his wife in his arms, constantly whispering comforting words.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's just God is going to rain."

"Why did such a change suddenly occur?"

"Hey, did you see just now, I seem to have seen someone flying up from the back mountain, like the old immortal."

"Nonsense, how can the old immortal fly?"

"Don't quarrel, don't quarrel, go home and stay there, don't watch, be careful of being struck by lightning."

The village chief of Chen Family Village shouted.

At his word, the villagers, who were not interested in watching God's anger, quickly ran home.

The battle in the void was too high, and it was obscured by dark clouds. The entire world seemed to turn to night, making it impossible to see the battle above clearly. This was normal for ordinary villagers.

Chen Youcai carried Xiuying, who had recovered, into the house and quickly closed the door. Then, the two looked at each other and began to kowtow to a mud statue in the room with tacit understanding.

The mud statue was made by Chen Youcai himself. If Chen Yuan were here, he would be able to see that the mud statue was three parts similar to his appearance.

Since Chen Yuan had waved his hand and cured Xiuying's stubborn illness, they had kowtowed and offered sacrifices every day without stopping.

Today, they also wanted to pray to this immortal to protect Chen Family Village and prevent it from being washed away by the rain.

"Boom!!!"

The battle in the void continued. Thirty-six Ocean Stabilizing Pearls shone brightly, suppressing the heaven and earth. The pressure in the void of nearly ten thousand feet could be felt by everyone. Wu Daozi, however, held the broken spear and calmly resisted Sima Che's attacks.

In fact, he knew that he couldn't last long relying on the preparations he had made. Even with the current situation, he would be defeated in less than half an hour.

But before he died, he had to bite off a piece of the opponent's flesh.

"Pfft!"

After being forced back by a strike, Wu Daozi spat out a mouthful of blood, and his hair began to turn gray at a visible speed. Then, a painting brush appeared in his hand.

Painting became reality!

He directly drew himself in the void, and the two figures overlapped, and his aura expanded again!

Time was shortened again, but to take something from the other party, this was the only way!

"I didn't expect Wu Daozi to have such strength!"

Gu Tianqiong frowned, seemingly surprised.

He remembered that more than a hundred years ago, someone in the martial world had fought with Wu Daozi, and the other party was only a beginner in the Nascent Soul stage. He didn't expect that after more than a hundred years, he could fight with Sima Che without falling behind.

"Indeed extraordinary, but I still haven't figured out what this person can do for His Majesty, and what treasures does he have in his hands?"

Li Kuangxiu responded.

"His Majesty doesn't want to say more, perhaps there is a secret. If we escort this person back to the capital, we will know everything." Gu Tianqiong smiled faintly.

"Sima Daoist friend may not be able to defeat him, should the two of us take action?"

"Let's wait a little longer, lest we rashly take action and spoil Sima Daoist friend's fun." Gu Tianqiong wasn't too enthusiastic. With his strength, suppressing Wu Daozi wasn't difficult, but he was worried about Sima Che.

"Alright..."

"Hmm?"

Sima Che sensed Wu Daozi's aura rising again, and couldn't help but frown, feeling that he might have underestimated this person. He snorted coldly and began to use his full strength.

Wu Daozi's eyes remained calm, and with the price he had paid, his strength had exploded. He easily broke through the Ocean Stabilizing Pearl formation.

In just an instant, he even pushed Sima Che into a disadvantage.

The sounds of explosions in the void continued to resound. Each confrontation caused the dark clouds to roll and the void to distort. Another full-strength strike even made the void seem to collapse.

And below, everything had been destroyed.

But... this was no longer above Chen Family Village.

To prevent the battle from affecting the villagers below, Wu Daozi intentionally pulled the battlefield away. A battle at their level was no less than earthquakes.

The villagers below were ordinary people and couldn't withstand it.

"Damn it!!!"

After being pushed into a disadvantage, Sima Che was furious, feeling that he had lost face. He roared, and the surrounding heaven and earth vitality rioted instantly, gathering towards the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls.

It was like a vitality dragon, spanning the heaven and earth.

Sima Che stepped on the void, and the thirty-six Ocean Stabilizing Pearls instantly condensed into one. Endless power also shrunk to one place, and his aura locked onto Wu Daozi, erupting suddenly.

"Boom!!!"

In a head-on confrontation, Wu Daozi resisted with the broken spear, colliding with the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls. A huge roar erupted at the center of the collision, like thunder falling into the world. The majestic force also fell directly on him.

The broken spear twisted, Wu Daozi's face changed, and he was knocked back hundreds of feet by this strike.

Sima Che sneered.

"What bullshit Sage of Painting, still vulnerable!"

Then, he took advantage of the situation to pursue, stepping out step by step, continuing to mobilize the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls to hit Wu Daozi. The thirty-six Ocean Stabilizing Pearls condensed into one, and their power was no less than a thousand-foot-high sacred mountain.

Few people could withstand such terrifying power head-on.

Sima Che, who had seized the initiative, was relentless, wanting to take advantage of the situation to completely cripple Wu Daozi. The battle at Liangshan had made him extremely aggrieved, and he still hadn't recovered.

Now that he had a good opportunity to vent, how could he let it go?

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Each time he exploded with full strength, the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls could smash Wu Daozi back and make him spit out mouthfuls of blood. The aura on his body became weaker and weaker, as if it could be extinguished at any time.

But Sima Che was getting more and more excited as he fought.

"Victory and defeat have been decided."

Gu Tianqiong watched the battle between the two and slowly shook his head.

After several retreats, Wu Daozi had been knocked back tens of thousands of feet, creating a considerable distance between them. However, with their eyesight, they could still clearly see the situation in the battle.

"Alas, a generation of Sage of Painting..."

Li Kuangxiu slowly shook his head and let out a long sigh, seeming a little regretful.

"How is Hongshuang doing?"

Gu Tianqiong no longer watched the battlefield and turned to look at Li Kuangxiu. The news that the emperor was going to marry Li Hongshuang as a concubine had already reached him.

"Still unwilling."

Li Kuangxiu shook his head, his face a little unsightly.

No matter how he tried to persuade her, Li Hongshuang remained unwilling. That night, if he hadn't secretly intervened, she would have escaped from the imperial capital.

Truly foolish!

For the sake of a mere Golden Envoy from the Inspection Department, she dared to defy the imperial decree. Did she want to put the Li family in danger?

Now that the world was in turmoil, it was an opportunity for the Li family to regain control of the military. The emperor no longer had any resistance, he only wanted a marriage to consolidate the relationship between the two sides.

But she always couldn't understand.

"I've spoiled her too much."

Li Kuangxiu exhaled a turbid breath.

"Brother Li, don't force her. Hongshuang is a sensible person and will understand. How can personal feelings be compared with the affairs of the world?

Today, the world is turbulent, and rebels have already begun to emerge. The power of the imperial court must be united to protect the wealth of the Li family."

"She doesn't understand, but I do. Once she's sent to the palace, she will naturally accept her fate. But you need to give orders to your side and not let Jiang He have any ideas."

"Don't worry, a mere Golden Envoy, although talented, won't have a chance to grow. If he doesn't know what's good for him, I will send him on his way."

A cold glint flashed in Gu Tianqiong's eyes.

"Speaking of talent, the Marquis of Wu'an, who was enfeoffed to Shuzhou, is truly strong. Now that the imperial court is in need of people, why not transfer him back to the capital to listen to orders, lest he be killed by rebels?"

Gu Tianqiong shook his head.

"This son is just an ambitious thief. The Inspection Department has already received news that the Shuxi Alliance is most likely being controlled by him. What a fool, not even a Yang God, yet he dares to have rebellious intentions. If it weren't for the fact that we can't disrupt the situation in the south for the time being, I would have suppressed him!"

"This is a good seedling, are you willing to give him up?"

"Betraying the imperial court is betraying the Inspection Department. No matter how good the talent of such a person is, he can't be used. He's just an ungrateful wolf. I just regret speaking up for him in the Golden Luan Hall, which allowed His Majesty to enfeoff him to the south."

"According to you, this son is indeed somewhat unreasonable. Marrying the eldest princess is his blessing, but he is unwilling. Hehe... what a pity, with his cultivation strength, he won't survive once the troubled times arrive."

Li Kuangxiu said softly.

"Brother Li is right, but His Majesty has already given him a chance, asking him to go to Mount Shu to question them and then return to the capital to report for duty, but there has been no news. It seems that he is determined to rebel.

His Majesty enfeoffed him as a Marquis, giving him ten thousand households and the important power to govern the three southern states, but he repays us like this. Hmph, if he is lucky enough to survive, I will personally take action and imprison him in the Sky Prison forever, to repent for his sins!"

Gu Tianqiong's eyes were cold, with a hint of killing intent.

After the Inspection Department's spies told him the information they had gathered, he became murderous towards Chen Yuan. He didn't want high-ranking officials, generous salaries, beautiful women, or power.

He was determined to rebel.

He was recruiting soldiers on a large scale in Tangshan, and secretly controlling the Shuxi Alliance in Shuzhou, cultivating his own power. His intentions were obvious.

"Alas, I..."

Li Kuangxiu was about to say something when his face suddenly changed and he looked into the distance.

"Not good, something's wrong!"

Time was pulled back a moment ago.

After realizing that he couldn't kill Sima Che in a short time, Wu Daozi had a new idea. He didn't activate the true power of the broken spear, he was just resisting the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls.

At the same time, he retreated step by step, distancing himself from Gu Tianqiong and Li Kuangxiu. When he had pulled away tens of thousands of feet, he was already struggling.

Then, he decided to make a desperate gamble, using his own strength to resist the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls again, while completely activating the Chen family's broken spear, which had been dormant for more than two hundred years.

Sima Che, who had the upper hand, didn't expect that Wu Daozi could still have such terrifying power when he was on the verge of death. In horror, he quickly retreated.

Unfortunately, the Ocean Stabilizing Pearls were forcibly held back by Wu Daozi, and the broken spear had completely locked onto his aura, making it impossible to dodge.

He could only quickly set up a layer of protection, while sensing the vague sense of danger in his heart, he shouted loudly.

"Lord Gu, save me!!!"

It was after hearing this shout that Li Kuangxiu's face changed greatly. Then, without any hesitation, the two moved at the same time, each stepping out, preparing to rescue Sima Che.

Originally, they could reach tens of thousands of feet in an instant, but suddenly, figures erupted in the void. They were Wu Daozi's blood essence.

Their power wasn't great, but they could block for an instant.

And it was precisely this most critical moment that allowed the broken spear to directly pierce through Sima Che's protection and nail him directly into the void.

His qi and blood essence were rapidly draining, and he was terrified. He quickly used the imperial family's trump cards, coupled with Gu Tianqiong's forced breaking through the air, which allowed him to barely save his life. But after the terrifying evil aura entered his body, it directly broke his foundation and damaged his source.

Not only was he severely injured, but he also had no hope of progressing in this life. At the same time, a huge hole was directly pierced through his body, and his face turned pale. He stared fiercely at Wu Daozi.

"What a pity."

Seeing that Sima Che wasn't dead, Wu Daozi coughed twice, and his figure quickly hunched over. At the same time, his original black hair turned snow-white in an instant.

His essence had been lost, and his lifespan greatly reduced.

He only had a few months left before his death.

"Wu Daozi, you're courting death!" Sima Che gritted his teeth, his anger ignited.

"Do it."

Wu Daozi slowly closed his eyes, preparing to die.

But Sima Che said coldly.

"I'll leave you with half a life first, and I'll deal with you later. As for my anger, I have a place to vent it. Didn't you intentionally transfer the battlefield?

Hehe, then you can watch this small village be razed to the ground!"

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly turned and looked at the distant Chen Family Village.

"Martial arts disputes should not harm the innocent. Are the Sima family so shameless?" Wu Daozi frowned, wanting to take action, but he didn't have the strength.

Gu Tianqiong directly suppressed him in place.

Li Kuangxiu frowned. It was really demeaning to deal with civilians, and he said.

"Sima Daoist friend, they're just some civilians, why bother?"

"Lord Li doesn't need to say anymore. I just probed with my divine sense, and this small village is not an ordinary village. There are steles erected, and these are the families of the remnants of the former dynasty, the Chen family army.

Wu Daozi is hiding here, probably for these people. If you don't eradicate the roots, they will grow back in the spring. Keeping them is just a disaster."

After saying that, Sima Che stopped looking at Li Kuangxiu. With a thought, he forcibly suppressed his injuries and took action. A hundred-foot giant palm instantly condensed in the void.

It landed directly on Chen Family Village.

"Boom!!!"

The earth cracked and the sky collapsed. The villagers inside didn't even have time to scream miserably before they were directly shaken to death. A giant palm print was left on the village.

With one palm, heaven and earth were overturned!

Li Kuangxiu sighed, frowned, but ultimately didn't say anything more. For people like them, the people didn't even count as human beings.

There were more to kill.

Gu Tianqiong's eyes didn't change. He didn't speak, neither opposing nor approving of Sima Che's angry actions, because it was really undignified.

Wu Daozi's eyes were bloodshot as he watched Chen Family Village turn to ashes, and his fists clenched tightly.

"Wu Daozi, this is the consequence of your resistance!" Sima Che sneered as he looked at his appearance.

"Hahaha... Hahaha..."

Wu Daozi, whose eyes were bloodshot, suddenly laughed, and it was a loud laugh.

Everyone frowned, and Sima Che asked.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I laugh at your Sima family, who will definitely be wiped out in the future, with no women or children left. Sima Che, remember my words and see if what I say is true!"

Wu Daozi stared at Sima Che as he laughed.

In his mind, he thought of the young man who had bowed to him before.

His killing intent was already heavy. Wu Daozi dared to assert that when he rebelled and killed his way to the capital, the Sima family would not have a single survivor, just like Chen Family Village today.

For some reason, Sima Che felt a strange chill in his heart as he looked at Wu Daozi's eyes, but he still said.

"You have been crippled, and there is not a single survivor in this village. The Chen clan of the former dynasty has been exterminated. I really want to see if what you say is true!"

"Let's go!!!"

With a cold snort, Sima Che, Li Kuangxiu, and Wu Daozi left Fallen Dust Mountain and disappeared into the void.

And none of them noticed that on a distant mountain peak, Xiang Qianqiu, dressed in black and standing with his hands behind his back, slowly appeared.

Looking at Chen Family Village, which had been razed to the ground below, he murmured to himself.

"Don't blame me, reincarnation is a normal thing. Rather than living a mediocre life, it's better to leave it as the last bit of use. Wu Daozi, I didn't kill you back then, and spared your life. I didn't expect that you would eventually die in my hands. Indeed... fate is like this, unspeakable."

Yes, the reason why Cao Zhengxian's underlings were able to find out where Wu Daozi was hiding was that he had instructed his subordinates to reveal it!

"Chen Yuan, the power you have gathered is almost enough. Let's officially start this troubled world, which has been peaceful for more than two hundred years, and let this world fall into war again.

Let me save the world from the brink of collapse and save the people from fire and water, so that the name of the Xiang family can once again resound in the world!"

"Jingtai, let me see, what are the skills of your evil ways? Hehe... hehe.... hehehe..."

A sneer appeared on the corner of Xiang Qianqiu's mouth, as if he had already seen the scene he wanted to see in the future. He turned and merged into the void, leaving this place silent.

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Six thousand two hundred words, that is an enormous update!

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