Chapter 381: Heaven's Street, Bones of Dukes and Nobles Trampled, Sweeping the Four Surnames and Fiv

Chapter 381: Heaven's Street, Bones of Dukes and Nobles Trampled, Sweeping the Four Surnames and Five Nobles (Part 1)



Lei Jun suddenly appeared.

Then, the master of the Jingxiang Clan, Fang Jingsheng, perished.

The speed was so fast that many people present were caught off guard.

Qingzhou Ye Clan's master, Ye Yan, and Suzhou Chu Clan's master, Chu Xiuyuan, sensed that something was amiss.

However, they were temporarily blocked by the portrait of the Empress written by Crown Prince Zhang Hui.

The speed of Fang Jingsheng's demise also caught them by surprise.

As a result, everyone could only watch helplessly as Lei Jun appeared and killed Fang Jingsheng.

The absence of King Zhang Teng made everyone's hearts sink even further.

Had Tian Shi Lei Zhongyun really killed Zhang Teng, a Martial Sage of the Ninth Layer of the Heavens, and Fang Jingsheng, a Grand Scholar of the Ninth Layer of the Heavens, in such a short period of time? Moreover, Fang Jingsheng had cultivated to the second layer of the Ninth Heaven.

King Zhang Teng appeared to be elderly, but he was still vigorous.

Fang Jingsheng was even younger, and after cultivating to the Ninth Heaven realm for two to three decades, he was only approaching the age of two hundred, still in his prime.

Although both of them had been injured before, their quick demise at Lei Jun's hands still shocked everyone present.

If one had to say, it wasn't completely unexpected, but seeing it happen before their eyes was still awe-inspiring... Princess Zhang Ying of Shanyang and Prince Zhang Luo of Xiang glanced at each other.

Those who attain the Ninth Heaven realm, regardless of which path they cultivate, are bound to be extraordinary.

Take Fang Jingsheng as an example. When he was in the Eighth Heaven, his talent and strength surpassed those of Fang Huansheng, Fang Shan, and Fang Du, who were all stuck at the Eighth Heaven. He was the most remarkable existence among his peers and those of the same realm within the Fang Clan.

But there is always someone better.

Just like Tang Xiaotang and Wei Ancheng back then.

The current Lei Jun, who broke through to the Ninth Heaven realm before the age of seventy, and Fang Jingsheng, who did so before the age of one hundred and seventy, are also incomparable.

Moreover, even without considering Huang Xuanpu, who was already heavily injured at that time, and the fact that others joined the battle...

Last year, Lei Jun, who had reached the perfect state of the Eighth Heaven, had single-handedly killed Zhao You'an, a Grand Transcendent of the Divine Order and a cultivator of the Ninth Heaven realm.

His strength was already recognized throughout the Great Empire.

In fact, many people were either anxious or eagerly awaiting the day Lei Jun would ascend to the Ninth Heaven realm.

And that day had come sooner than anyone expected.

As a result, a significant portion of people would be in trouble.

King Zhang Teng was the first.

The master of the Jingxiang Clan, Fang Jingsheng, was the second.

And it looked like they were just the beginning...

After Lei Jun killed Fang Jingsheng, he didn't look at the Jingxiang Clan members, including Fang Shan and Fang Du, whose eyes were filled with despair.

His gaze immediately fell on Ye Yan, Chu Xiuyuan, and Zhang Hui.

At the same time, the Transcendent Art was unleashed once more, emitting a powerful capturing force.

Chu Xiuyuan, who was relatively closer, suddenly felt as if he was being pulled towards it involuntarily.

The 'Cosmic Realm' of the Ninth Heaven Grand Scholar also unfolded, creating a separate world that rivaled Lei Jun's Universal Domain.

For a moment, a black and white universe confronted each other, their edges pressing and eroding each other, locked in a stalemate.

However, Lei Jun's Transcendent Art ultimately proved more powerful, overwhelming the Grand Scholar's 'Cosmic Realm'.

Like a massive black sphere, it 'devoured' the white, swirling, and flourishing world.

Chu Xiuyuan was also pulled into Lei Jun's Transcendent Art.

Standing under the black universe and starry sky, Chu Xiuyuan sighed softly, "The Suzhou Clan's legacy has finally reached this point."

Lei Jun shook his head, "At this point, there's no need for more words."

As he spoke, he took a step forward and appeared before the Grand Scholar in the blink of an eye.

However, an invisible force seemed to form a barrier between him and Chu Xiuyuan.

But at the same time, the melody of the ancient lyre changed.

He swept both hands across the Legacy Sound Lyre.

A loud and abrupt sound rang out in Lei Jun's ears.

The concept of great sound coming from silence was shattered.

What followed was an intense change.

With Lei Jun and the old man as the center, the void in the four directions trembled.

It was as if countless tides had risen together, flooding an incredibly vast area.

The cultural talent and melody that the Legacy Sound Lyre had accumulated up to this point erupted all at once.

This phenomenon was called the Sound of the Four Oceans.

As the four oceans churned, they converged on a single point.

That point was Lei Jun's body.

The invisible and intangible sound waves, at this moment, were agitated by the radiant glow, and they became visible to the naked eye.

The raging, glowing tide, surging against the heavens, seemed to be rolling with the power of the four oceans, rushing back up to the clouds.

The powerful technique passed down by the ancient clan, the Vast Ocean Technique, transformed into the Overwhelming Tide Technique at this moment, and with the empowerment of the Sound of the Four Oceans, all its might was concentrated on Lei Jun.

With Lei Jun's current technique, where his body was protected by the intertwining of opposing forces, was also swept up by the flashing light waves and surged up to the heavens.

However, as a result, Lei Jun seemed unable to get any closer to the old man, but his figure soon came to a halt in mid-air.

The purple, golden, and cyan lights flickered incessantly, centered on the crystal seal at Lei Jun's waist.

Then, the crystal seal flew up and transformed into a huge three-layered altar in mid-air.

The altar, round above, square below, and octagonal in the middle, flickered with the three-colored lights, as huge as a mountain.

Lei Jun's figure was enveloped within the illusory three-colored altar and forced down along with it, suppressing the overwhelming tide that surged up from below.

The two forces, one pushing up and the other pressing down, seemed to be locked in a stalemate in mid-air.

However, a layer of gloom suddenly appeared in the old man's heart.

Although he had not cultivated the profound mysteries of the ancient arts, his will was resilient and his thoughts agile, thanks to his deep cultivation.

Warnings of danger kept welling up within him.

It was as if something was reminding him that he needed to dodge and avoid this situation.

A voice in his head was telling him that his current stance, where he was locked in a stalemate with Lei Jun and the Heavenly Master Seal, with his body immobile, was extremely dangerous!

The old man wanted to dodge, but he and the Legacy Sound Lyre were being pressed down by Lei Jun and the Heavenly Master Seal, making it difficult to move.

The next moment, the old man sensed the imminent danger.

In the dark void, strands of ancient energy crisscrossed.

A long sword hung suspended in the void, seemingly trembling slightly.

The old man was no stranger to the majestic and cold treasure.

It was the legendary sword of the ancient royal family!

The young master had indeed perished at the hands of this young warrior.

However, the legendary sword was rather unique. This treasure possessed an imperial aura and was not something that warriors could easily wield.

Regardless of whether it was the previous masters who had held this sword, a long period of careful adaptation between the person and the sword was necessary.

This process required a master of the ancient arts to infuse their true intent into the sword through constant contact.

As for warriors, they were unable to wield this imperial sword.

Not to mention that the young master of the ancient sect was a warrior of the mystical arts.

Even if he were replaced with another master from the ancient sect, they would still struggle to control this sword.

...It should have been like that.

But as he watched the slightly trembling sword, the old man subconsciously felt that it was not the sword resisting Lei Jun, but something else altogether.

He wanted to dodge, but he was currently trapped like he was in a quagmire.

Just as he was turning these thoughts over in his mind, a bright light suddenly flashed in the distance.

The sword trembled and disappeared from its original position.

When it reappeared, it had already slashed in front of the old man!

The old man was so shocked that he didn't even have time to be surprised. He barely managed to move his body and the Legacy Sound Lyre, but he was still hit by the speeding sword!

Three of the seven strings of the ancient lyre were cut off on the spot by the sword.

As for the old man himself, it was as if a piece had been wiped away from his waist and ribs.

Under the condensation of the starlight, the huge Stellar God's divine form gradually disappeared from view, leaving only a vast array of brilliance that converged upon Lei Jun's already towering figure.

Then, with a single punch, he pierced through Charles Winchester's chest and abdomen.

Charles Winchester's face, originally devoid of blood color, now flushed.

He coughed repeatedly, "In the end, the waves of creation surge forward, and the grand tide... is hard to defy."

Lei Jun looked on calmly at the elderly man before him.

In the flickering light, Charles Winchester's breath evened out.

He gazed upon the young Mystic before him and sighed, "Your master, Ethan Silvermist, was right. Heavy light... heavy light, alas!"

Lei Jun's expression remained unchanged as he withdrew his arm, which had impaled the old man's chest.

The frail body before him slumped to the ground.

..................................

Outside the massive black sphere created by the Mystic Grand Phenomenon, the illusory imperial capital glowed with brilliant white light. This was due to Alexander Blackwood's control over the Imperial Scepter and the boost he received from the nation's ley lines. Everyone inside the capital at that moment was trapped within this radiant prison.

With the aid of the nation's ley lines and the Imperial Scepter, Alexander Blackwood remained unflustered even when facing Victor Nightshade, a master of the Celestial Realm and the Patriarch of the Nightshade Clan of Ravenshire, who had assisted Emperor Everard.

The portrait of the Empress had long since vanished.

Such formidable power was not something that Alexander Blackwood, in his current realm, could control for an extended period.

However, he had other paintings.

And so, a scroll unfurled, revealing a man clad in imperial robes, his bearing majestic and dignified—the Emperor Alexander Blackwood, Alexander's father and the previous ruler of the Empire.

Facing the former Emperor, Victor Nightshade gazed deeply for a moment before turning away without a word. He brandished his divine brush and the Nightshade Clan's town treasure, the Atlas of the Ancients, and rushed forward.

The rest of the Nightshade Clan of Ravenshire followed like a tidal wave, surging towards Alexander Blackwood.

Vincent Nightshade, the second-in-command of the Nightshade Clan of Ravenshire and Victor's right-hand man, took the lead. He nocked an arrow to his bow and released it, sending it flying straight towards Alexander Blackwood.

The faces of the other members of the Nightshade Clan of Ravenshire turned cold as they rushed forward as one.

On the other side, Evelyn Stone fought Sebastian Blackwood while simultaneously waving her hand to give orders.

The current situation was vastly different from before.

Previously, the Stone Clan of Wysteria and the Nightshade Clan of Cumbria had aided Emperor Everard, engaging in a fierce battle with the Nightshade Clan of Ravenshire, the Blackwood Clan of Kent, and the Winchester Clan of Somerset, who supported Crown Prince Alexander Blackwood.

But now, they had a common enemy.

Evelyn Stone made a judgment call and gave the order. Evelyn, Sebastian, and other high-ranking members of the Stone Clan of Wysteria immediately sprang into action, as did Vincent Nightshade and Victor Nightshade of the Nightshade Clan of Cumbria, who had come to assist them earlier.

They had originally come to rescue Evelyn and the others, but Alexander Blackwood's sealing of the illusory imperial capital had trapped them all within.

Given the actions of Lei Jun, Alexander Blackwood, and Sebastian Blackwood, Evelyn, Vincent, and the others knew that their only chance of survival was to fight their way out.

The four clans and five aristocratic families, who had been fighting each other just moments ago, needed no further communication or coordination. At this critical juncture, they reunited and launched a united assault on Alexander Blackwood and the illusory imperial capital.

The civil war between the Blackwood royal family and the various noble houses had also reached a critical point.

Everyone began to fight with all their might.

"The situation before us is clear," said the usually level-headed Prince Henry Blackwood. "The Emperor may return at any moment, and when she does, we will all be charged with the crime of plotting against the throne, regardless of our explanations or remorse."

"Regret is useless now," he continued. "Our only option is to work together and escape with our lives."

Prince Alexander Blackwood took action without a word, followed swiftly by Princess Isabella Blackwood, Prince Edward Blackwood, and other members of the royal family.

Sebastian Blackwood, Ethan Silvermist, and the other noble clan masters gritted their teeth and joined the fray.

Countless experts from the Upper Three Realms had gathered, including dozens of Eighth Realm powerhouses.

These individuals rarely displayed their formidable teamwork, causing even the illusory Imperial City to tremble.

Under Zhang Hui's leadership, he led Shangguan Yunbo, Zhang Ying, and others into battle, and both sides began to suffer casualties.

"It wasn't supposed to be this early, but the Heavenly Master returned from the Mortal Realm earlier than expected, advancing the timing."

Zhang Hui's palm pressed against the Celestial Cauldron, and the illusory Imperial City shimmered with white light. It intercepted a fatal arrow from Ye Jiong, intended for Prince Xiang, Zhang Luo, while also teleporting the injured Zhang Luo to safety.

"Since it has come to this, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the situation," Zhang Hui said as he slowly withdrew his hand from the Celestial Cauldron.

The enemy had greater numbers and made a more formidable show of force, continuously assaulting the illusory Imperial City and causing it to sway precariously.

However, in the following moments, the myriad attacks they launched were all absorbed and devoured by the white light.

Above the illusory Imperial City, the Four Elemental Guardians—the dragon, phoenix, turtle, and qilin—that had been condensed from white light let out simultaneous, prolonged cries.

As if unable to bear the burden any longer, the Four Elemental Guardians shattered in mid-air, unable to withstand the strain.

The national fortune energy that empowered Zhang Hui also seemed to be shattered, dispersing in all directions.

Shangguan Xiu, Zhang Yang, Zhang Qiongrong, and the others could not spare a moment to rejoice.

The illusory Imperial City still hung high above the real Luoyang City.

Ye Jiong, Chu Lin, Fang Shantong, and the others all had their complexions drastically change!

The young masters and ladies from the prestigious families of the Jingxiang Clan, Suzhou Clan, and Qingzhou Clan, regardless of their cultivation and strength, were all shaken as if they had been struck heavily.

Those with relatively higher cultivations at the Eighth Realm felt as if they were drunk, swaying unsteadily.

Those with slightly lower cultivations had stars dancing before their eyes, their heads splitting with pain, their energy and blood surging wildly, causing them to fall to the ground and vomit blood uncontrollably.

Ye Jiong and the others wore desperate expressions as they gazed into the distance.

With Imperial City Luoyang as the center, the surrounding ley lines trembled violently, undergoing drastic changes.

Unprecedented turmoil eventually condensed into three paths, spreading far away without ceasing.

Finally, they reached Qingzhou, Suzhou, and Jingxiang.

They arrived at the ancestral lands of the three great prestigious families: the Qingzhou Clan, the Suzhou Clan, and the Jingxiang Clan.

Like three earth dragons, they extended endlessly before finally arriving at these three locations and wreaking havoc!

The ancestral lands of the Jingxiang Clan, the Suzhou Clan, and the Qingzhou Clan rose and fell violently before collapsing downward.

Involved with the illusory Imperial City, a rare catastrophe descended upon these three places.

Then, the tall walls of the mansions collapsed, and the pavilions and towers were destroyed together.

Chu Zhe, Ye Cheng, Fang Huansheng, Fang Zhuke, and the others, who were in charge of standing guard, did their best and tried everything they could to stop this from happening, but to no avail.

...Everything was just like what had happened to the ancestral lands of the Nanlin and Beilin families and the Jinzhou Ye Clan in the past.

Everything was destroyed.

From the ancestral halls to the literary atmosphere that had been condensed over thousands of years, everything was completely cut off.

But it was not because of the barbaric martial arts that trampled on culture.

Instead, it was because of... the earth vein energy, the national fortune, and the means of the Confucian family.

It was because these prestigious families had previously tried to influence the national fortune energy and interfere with the struggle in Luoyang by relying on their ancestral lands.

But who would have known that it would turn out like this?

Ye Cheng, Chu Zhe, Fang Huansheng, and the others had previously noticed something amiss when their contact with Ye Yan and the others in Luoyang was cut off.

Unfortunately, before they could figure out what was going on, a earth-shattering change occurred.

By lending the power of their ancestral lands to support Luoyang, the Qingzhou, Suzhou, and Jingxiang clans had essentially opened their doors to thieves, inviting wolves into their homes.

As a result, they were hit hard without any defenses in place.

The lightning that had been blocked by the light shield earlier was now reverberating in all directions, causing the mountain rocks to shatter and tilt. It was like a rapid move on a chessboard, scattered with stars.

This was the mystical power of the Yi Xing Yin, the treasured heirloom of the Cangzhou Ye Clan, now kept by the Qingzhou Ye Clan in their Da He Tu.

Scattered among the stars were intricate principles and rules. When other objects fell into this formation, they seemed to be controlled by these principles and rules.

However, under Lei Jun's Dragon-Tiger Combo attack, the stars evolved from the Yi Xing Yin seemed to burn up and then disappear.

In addition to the purple-green Tai Chi diagram, a black-red Tai Chi diagram now appeared beside Lei Jun.

Under the double Dragon-Tiger Combo attack, not only did the illusory Yi Xing Yin crumble, but the strong light also fell on the Da He Tu behind it.

Black scorch marks began to appear on the surface of the scroll.

Ye Yan himself held the Danqing Brush and continuously painted, infusing his brushstrokes with power to protect this treasured heirloom from damage.

Suddenly, another beam of light flew in from afar.

Under the swirling purple, gold, and blue lights, a white jade seal broke through the air.

Ye Yan, who was already occupied with maintaining the Da He Tu, couldn't react in time. The white jade seal struck him squarely on the forehead, causing blood to splatter, and he fell backward.

In Ye Yan's vision, the Da He Tu was now ignited by Lei Jun's Dragon-Tiger Combo attack, smoking and burning!

However, he was already powerless to save his family's heirloom.

Lei Jun's figure flashed, and he appeared in front of Ye Yan.

The Heavenly Master's Seal, which had just struck Ye Yan, flew upward, spinning in the air.

Lei Jun reached out and grabbed the white jade seal. Then, aiming at Ye Yan's head, he struck again! "Bang!"

…………………

Outside the Great Dao Realm.

Inside the illusory Imperial Capital.

The people of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, the Suzhou Chu Clan, and the Jingxiang Fang Clan wailed like injured beasts.

Their bloodshot eyes glared at Zhang Hui, the Tang crown prince, filled with hatred as if they wanted to tear him limb from limb.

Without the support of the national fortune dragon qi, Zhang Hui's aura as a noble of a heavenly family faded, revealing a stronger literary and scholarly air, along with a hint of nonchalant charm.

He looked at the Sheji Ding, which had been shaken into the air above the illusory Imperial Capital, and sighed, "It has come to this."

At this moment, Fang Jingsheng, Chu Xiuyuan, and Ye Yan, the three Ninefold Heaven scholars, were still present, along with the three clan heirlooms: the Chunqiu Pen, the Yiyin Guqin, and the Da He Tu.

Back then, even with Zhang Hui's innate talent and thorough preparation, he couldn't have used the Sheji Ding and the illusory Imperial Capital to destroy the ancestral lands of the three great clans in one fell swoop.

Ye Yan and the others could have suppressed him.

However, with Fang Jingsheng and Chu Xiuyuan's successive deaths, the auras of the Chunqiu Pen and the Yiyin Guqin had also weakened. Ye Yan and the Da He Tu were also trapped by the Great Dao Realm. Now, nothing stood in Zhang Hui's way.

Thus, following the Nanlin and Beilin clans and the Cangzhou Ye Clan, the ancestral lands of the Qingzhou, Suzhou, and Jingxiang clans were all turned into ruins!

The foundations of the major aristocratic families were destroyed in an instant.

Ye Jiong and the others, who were outside their clan's ancestral lands, should not have been affected.

However, they had come to the Imperial Capital of Luoyang to establish connections between here and Qingzhou, Suzhou, and Jingxiang.

They were the bridges.

And so, at this moment, they faced the same misfortune as Ye Cheng, Fang Huansheng, and Chu Che.

Ye Jiong, Fang Shantong, Chu Yuyuan, and other top experts barely maintained their composure, calming their minds and suppressing their injuries. They joined forces with Zhang Yang, Zhang Chuyue, and other royal family experts, mustering their last bit of courage to attack Zhang Hui again.

With that intense shock earlier, Zhang Hui had also lost the support of the dragon qi and control over the Sheji Ding.

Now was the perfect opportunity to take him down and break through the seal of the illusory Imperial Capital.

However, just as everyone was thinking this, they saw Zhang Hui calmly take out another portrait.

On the painting was a cultured and elegant middle-aged scholar holding a brush and paper.

Not only Ye Jiong, Ye Wei, and Ye Haizhou of the Qingzhou Ye Clan but also everyone else was extremely familiar with this person.

... How could they not be? After all, he had been standing here just a moment ago.

The man in the painting, who looked like a middle-aged scholar, was clearly Ye Yan, the current clan head of the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

Zhang Hui had taken out a portrait of Ye Yan.

The brushstrokes in the painting were the most orthodox and standard legacy of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, so much so that it could be used to teach every member of the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

But now, this painting only served to enrage the group.

"Over there!" Prince Han, Zhang Chuyue, said concisely.

Beside him, Nanyang King Zhang Zhi, Dongping Princess Zhang Qiongrong, and Chenshan King Zhang Yang all looked in the same direction.

In the air above the illusory Imperial Capital was the Sheji Ding, temporarily ownerless.

Whoever controlled the Sheji Ding could possibly influence the mountain river dragon veins.

More importantly, it might solve the problem of the illusory Imperial Capital sealing off the surrounding void realm.

The group of Zhang Tang imperial family experts and the various aristocratic family members exchanged glances.

Taking advantage of the intense battle between Shangguan Yunbo and Lin Xuan, Zhang Chuyue and the others flew toward the Sheji Ding.

They cut their wrists, allowing large amounts of blood to drip into the cauldron.

The Sheji Ding immediately erupted with flames that reached toward the sky, crimson like blood and murky yellow like soil.

"Hmm?" Zhang Hui's gaze swept over.

The Sheji Ding burned fiercely, yet there was no firewood fueling it.

The blood of Zhang Yang and the other Zhang Tang royals was merely an ignition.

What truly fueled the flames was the Sheji, or the country and its people, burning within the Sheji Ding at this moment!

With the world in turmoil and everything collapsing, Zhang Chuyue, Zhang Zhi, and the others no longer had any reservations. They had to kill their way out and leave this place before the Empress truly returned to Luoyang.

Affected by this, the illusory Imperial Capital began to shake, as if it were about to fall from the sky onto the real Luoyang City.

This would further influence the Sheji, or the country and its people, of the four directions, plunging the entire world into chaos.

Zhang Hui remained calm and composed, painting with his brush on the spot.

Soon, a lifelike figure appeared in the painting.

He looked elderly, but his spirit was vigorous, and his silver-white hair was tinged with the frost of age. However, his tall and sturdy body seemed to contain a heart-shaking power, and he held a mighty treasure sword that seemed capable of suppressing a world, a country, and its people.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end