World's First Traitor System (412)

Chapter 412 - The Sword Arrives

Is this the end?

Even Fan Li felt the sting of defeat. This reckless quest to gather the dragon souls had backfired spectacularly. His own death was inconsequential, a mere clone. But Wu Gang? Fan Chun and his wives?

“Hmm?” Pulao spoke again, Shi Jingtang’s voice resonating from its mechanical form. “Who are you? I sense the aura of an Emperor, a true Son of Heaven.”

Fan Li held the unconscious Wu Gang in his arms, he transferred the Emperor’s Sword to his own belt. He looked up at the six colossal beasts looming outside the Heavenly Prison, feeling like a goldfish trapped in a bowl, observed by giants.

He was about to stall for time, hoping Wu Gang’s spiritual energy would mend her wounds, when Shi Jingtang’s voice, laced with surprise and delight, interrupted his thoughts.

“Not just the aura of an Emperor, but the weight of a kingdom’s destiny! HAHAHAHA! A Son of Heaven, trapped so easily in my Heavenly Prison?”

Fan Li’s heart sank. Shi Jingtang wasn't guessing; he knew.

“Speak! Which kingdom do you rule? You are too weak to be the Ming Emperor, let alone the Empress of Ci. The rulers of Wei, Han, and Wu, though insignificant, possess some strength. Could you be… the Emperor of Chu? HAHAHAHA! To capture you so easily! Heaven truly favors my return, granting me the riches of the mortal realm!”

Fan Li’s apprehension eased. Shi Jingtang had mistaken him for Xiang Chong. These celestial beings were not to be underestimated. A single glance from Pulao, acting as Shi Jingtang’s eyes, had been enough to discern the weight of a kingdom’s destiny. Fan Li recalled Shangguan Wan’er’s ability to identify the Four Exceptional Individuals from among countless people. Was this the legendary art of “Observing Qi”?

“Your Majesty,” Fan Li addressed Shi Jingtang.

“Hmm?” Pulao’s large, mechanical eyes focused on him. “Do you have something to say?” Shi Jingtang’s tone dripped with smug satisfaction.

Fan Li sighed. “I face death today, this much is certain. But may I ask, Your Majesty, how did you discern my identity so easily?” The villain’s classic mistake, he thought, was their love of monologuing. He hoped Shi Jingtang would indulge.

“You wish to know? When I return you to Xiongzhou, I will explain everything.”

Fan Li’s hopes were dashed. Shi Jingtang was too cautious. Trapped within the Heavenly Prison, Fan Li was powerless. Against such overwhelming force, strategy was useless.

“Why so cautious, Your Majesty? Do you lack faith in your Heavenly Prison?” He goaded, desperate for a sliver of hope.

“Faith?” Shi Jingtang scoffed as he commanded Bi’an to shrink the prison. The vast barrier, once spanning the sky, now contracted to the size of a courtyard.

“Survival is paramount. Faith is a fool’s gift to his enemy. You wouldn’t last a day in the immortal realm.”

Fan Li was surprised. Shi Jingtang, despite his caution, seemed eager to discuss the immortal realm. Like a patient with a psychological affliction, fixated on a particular topic.

“Your Majesty,” Fan Li began, finding the title awkward on his tongue, “Is the immortal realm not a paradise? Why do you speak of it with such… disdain?” He would gladly discuss any topic to buy time, especially if it revealed secrets of the immortal realm.

“The immortal realm? It is… pleasant. Eternal life, an endless lifespan. I look the same now as I did millennia ago. I could have continued to enjoy that immortality.” Shi Jingtang’s voice paused.

Fan Li remained silent, not wanting to interrupt.

“But! I chose to descend! Heaven’s grace is not easily earned. It is far more difficult to descend than to ascend. But I achieved it! I accumulated enough merit to meet Heaven’s standards, to return to the mortal realm and enjoy my twilight years. I have but three hundred… no, perhaps only two hundred years remaining. But it is enough! Two hundred years in the mortal realm are worth ten thousand in the immortal realm!”

Shi Jingtang’s voice bordered on hysteria, surprising Fan Li. What had he endured in the immortal realm to evoke such bitterness? Suffering? Torment? These weren’t words one associated with paradise. Perhaps, as the saying went, there were a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes. Fan Li recalled the voice of Qin Shi Huang, emanating from the immortal realm, so different from Shi Jingtang’s bitterness.

“Boy! Do you desire ascension? Cede the Chu kingdom to me, and I will send you to the immortal realm.”

Shi Jingtang’s words stunned Fan Li. Could he ascend with his current cultivation?

As if reading his mind, Shi Jingtang continued, “Do not doubt my words. When the Heavenly Gate opened, you mortals witnessed my ten thousand celestial soldiers. When they ascended with me, their cultivation was similar to yours.”

Nascent Soul realm? Ascending to the immortal realm? A kingdom-wide ascension?

Before Fan Li could ask, Shi Jingtang roared, “Who dares interfere?!”

A flash of light, swift as lightning, streaked across the sky. The six dragon sons, abandoning the Heavenly Prison, flew to intercept it.

“Brother, have you summoned reinforcements?” Fan Chun asked hopefully.

Reinforcements? Fan Li stared at the approaching light, his initial surprise gave way to sudden understanding. It was her!

“Damn you!” Shi Jingtang’s furious roar shook the heavens. But the louder his rage, the greater his defeat.

The six Great Vehicle dragon sons couldn’t stop the single, descending sword. They shattered.

One sword. Piercing the stars, shattering the dragon sons, breaking the Heavenly Prison. Bi’an’s impenetrable barrier crumbled from the outside.

A celestial sword floated before Fan Li. A voice, familiar and comforting, echoed from within.

“It is I, Han Yue. I will protect you. I will bring you home.”