Chapter 339: Sword God Palace

"The Celestial Star Array?" Zhongshan fixed his gaze on Princess Qianyou.

"The Celestial Star Array is a reduced version of the 'Great Luo Celestial Star Array', created by His Majesty himself. It's an incredibly powerful formation that only the Emperor can set up. The four Crown Princes can only manage its simplified version," Princess Qianyou sighed.

"Has it already been set up in Daxuan City?" Zhongshan asked Princess Qianyou.

"Yes, Daxuan City was built specifically for this array. But this Nalan Piaoxue is truly formidable. Not only did he die, but he also managed to destroy the Celestial Star Array, reducing Daxuan City to ruins. He's too strong," Princess Qianyou lamented.

"Report!" Suddenly, a voice rang out from outside the hall.

In rushed a soldier, kneeling and presenting a letter.

"Reporting to the Marshal, a letter from King Daxuan!" The soldier held up the sealed letter.

Zhongshan swiftly took the letter, tearing it open and reading its contents. His eyes widened in shock.

"How is this possible?" Zhongshan exclaimed incredulously.

Zhongshan's astonishment was palpable. When had anyone seen him display such a reaction?

"Marshal, what's wrong?" Shui Wuheng asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, what's happened?" Princess Qianyou also looked puzzled.

Taking a deep breath, Zhongshan handed the letter to Princess Qianyou.

Grabbing the letter, Princess Qianyou's eyes widened as well, filled with disbelief. She then passed the letter to Shui Wuheng and the others, who read it one by one.

"Xiao Wang is dead? How is that possible? Xiao Wang, the Grand Commander of the Great Radiance Dynasty, dead?" Shui Wuheng exclaimed in shock.

Indeed, Xiao Wang was a remarkable figure, a genius of unparalleled talent. Dead?

Not only Xiao Wang, but his two sons, Xiao Yuanfeng and Xiao Yuandeng, are dead too?

The man Zhongshan had considered a great enemy, Xiao Wang, is dead?

"He's really dead. The bodies of Xiao Wang and his sons are now hanging at the top of the Moonlit City's city tower, where General Xiangbu's garrison is stationed. A display of their corpses to warn the world!" Princess Qianyou sighed.

"Qi Tianhou, was it him? I've noticed Qi Tianhou's absence lately, even during the total assault on the Great Yu Dynasty. So, he was really planning to deal with Xiao Wang at that time? What a monumental achievement! A colossal achievement! Killing Xiao Wang is like destroying a third of the Great Radiance!" Zhongshan sighed deeply.

"But Marshal, didn't you say Xiao Wang was a true genius, unbeatable in tactics? How could there be something he couldn't foresee?" Liu Wushuang asked in confusion.

"A genius? Even geniuses can't avoid death? Can't fall into ambushes? But if Qi Tianhou used troops, even if Xiao Wang could foresee it, he couldn't have been killed!" Zhongshan frowned.

"This...?" Liu Wushuang was at a loss for words.

"Alright, go prepare the troops. According to what King Daxuan's letter says, I am no longer the commander of the Fifteen Routes. I am now the Marshal of one of the main armies under King Daxuan. With the battlefield of the Great Yu Dynasty completely cleared, and now that Xiao Wang, the Grand Commander of the Great Radiance, is dead, we'll fully focus on attacking the Great Radiance Dynasty. You all, go quickly and prepare the troops, awaiting my orders!" Zhongshan ordered.

"Yes!" The generals responded immediately, then quickly left the hall.

Zhongshan sat in the hall, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Are you wondering about Gulim's method of killing Xiao Wang?" Princess Qianyou looked at Zhongshan.

"Huh, you know about it?" Zhongshan asked in surprise.

"Not quite, I just have a speculation!" Princess Qianyou said.

"What speculation?" Zhongshan asked in confusion.

"Do you know why Gulin was titled Qi Tianhou? 'Qi Tian' means equal to the heavens. In the Great Luo Celestial Dynasty, 'Tian' represents the Emperor. Doesn't that place him equal to the Emperor? Do you know why?" Princess Qianyou asked.

"Why?" Zhongshan puzzled, this had long been a question troubling him.

"Because of Gulin's past life," Princess Qianyou said.

"Past life?" Zhongshan asked, intrigued.

"That day, in the ancient capital, Gulin returned to the Imperial Treasury. Suddenly, a purple-golden striped dragon rod, a ninth-grade treasure, soared into the air and fell into Gulin's hands. At that moment, both the Emperor and the Four Crown Princes knew about Gulin's past life. The previous owner of that purple-golden striped dragon rod had reincarnated— he was Gulin!" Princess Qianyou explained.

"Oh?" Zhongshan frowned.

"Gulin's past life was as the supreme leader of the Monkey Clan, Shen Qitian!" Princess Qianyou continued.

"Shen Qitian? The Monkey Clan?" Zhongshan widened his eyes.

"Yes, precisely the Monkey Clan. He was the supreme leader of all monkeys, apes, orangutans, and baboons in the world. After his death, he reincarnated as Gulin," Princess Qianyou said.

"No wonder he can summon that giant ape, Shen Qitian?" Zhongshan took a deep breath.

"Yes, but his memories of his past life haven't fully returned, and he doesn't want them to. However, he knows this fact, which is why he can summon the giant ape!" Princess Qianyou said.

"Are you suggesting that Qi Tianhou might have summoned countless powerful apes and monkeys to kill Xiao Wang?" Zhongshan stared at Princess Qianyou.

"Very likely! However, outsiders only know that Xiao Wang is dead and now displayed in Moonlit City. The commander there is Xiangbu, indicating that Qi Tianhou conspired with Xiangbu!" Princess Qianyou said.

"Xiangbu, how strong is he individually?" Zhongshan asked.

"At the Emperor's Peak!" Princess Qianyou replied.

"Hmm," Zhongshan nodded.

"What do you plan to do?" Princess Qianyou asked.

"I plan to go to Moonlit City and see for myself! Xiao Wang's death is too unjust!" Zhongshan said solemnly.

"Unjust? Hehe, indeed, it's very unjust!" Princess Qianyou chuckled.

"I didn't mean it that way. What I meant was that Xiao Wang's true capabilities were not fully utilized. He had a force behind him, but he died under absolute strength. It's too unfair!" Zhongshan sighed.

"A force behind him, are you referring to the Great Radiance Dynasty?" Princess Qianyou furrowed her brow.

"No," Zhongshan shook his head.

"Not?" Princess Qianyou was slightly taken aback.

"Do you remember the person who buried you and me alive back then?" Zhongshan looked at Princess Qianyou.

Upon mentioning that burial, a slight blush appeared on Princess Qianyou's face. The memory of the leaves feeding water was still vivid.

"Xiao Qiushui, Xiao Wang's grandson!" Princess Qianyou said.

"Yes, precisely him. After Xiao Qiushui's death, ten men in red robes appeared to collect his body. These men even dismembered the demonic youth Xie Yan into a hundred pieces, fulfilling Haomeili's curse. However, who are these men in red robes?" Zhongshan stared at Princess Qianyou.

Upon hearing this, everything in Princess Qianyou's mind quickly connected. Her eyes widened—

On the vast land of Shenzhou, an area covered by countless layers of ice. In the center, there was a secluded spring, emitting a large amount of cold air.

However, not far from this secluded spring, there was a vast palace complex. The palaces were crystal-clear, and on the central palace, a plaque floated, bearing three very proud characters.

The three characters on the plaque seemed to pierce into the eyes with a strong sense of killing intent.

Sword God Palace!

Outside the Sword God Palace, numerous figures in red robes hurried back and forth, busy with various tasks. In all directions, some of these figures were practicing extraordinarily exquisite sword techniques.

Inside the Sword God Palace, there was only one person—a woman dressed in white. She was exceptionally beautiful, her fair complexion exuding an aura of pride. Her eyes were not just bright, but sharp, seemingly emanating boundless sword intent at a glance.

A powerful sword intent flickered faintly in her eyes.

Her long hair draped over her shoulders, incredibly soft, yet upon closer inspection, each strand ended in a shape resembling a sword tip.

The woman paced back and forth in the hall.

"What's going on? Why am I feeling so restless? Did something go wrong in my cultivation?" The woman clenched her fists, then sat down, but as soon as she sat down, the restlessness surged again, forcing her to stand up once more.

Continuing to pace in the hall, the figures outside in red robes dared not disturb her. This was because the Mistress of the Sword God Palace had a notoriously bad temper, and the restless woman pacing inside was none other than the Mistress herself.

Seeing that the restlessness wouldn't dissipate, the Mistress of the Sword God Palace slowly walked out of the hall.

She walked slowly towards a nearby palace. Entering the palace, the Mistress fixed her gaze on a huge ice coffin.

Inside the ice coffin lay the body of Xiao Qiushui.

"Grandson, why am I feeling so restless?" The Mistress of the Sword God Palace murmured to the ice coffin.

Just then, from outside, a black figure swiftly flew towards the Sword God Palace. No, he looked more like he was fleeing in panic.

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace frowned and walked out of Xiao Qiushui's ice coffin hall!

The black figure was a man, his face filled with panic, even fear, as he hurriedly flew towards the Mistress of the Sword God Palace.

"What's wrong? Is your father still unable to forget 'Ruyan'?" The Mistress of the Sword God Palace frowned.

"Mother, Mother!" As soon as the man landed, he cried out and crawled to the Mistress of the Sword God Palace's feet, clutching her legs. His cries were incredibly mournful.

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace seemed to realize that something was wrong and immediately asked, "What happened?"

"Father, he's dead!" The man cried, his face full of tears.

Upon hearing the man's words, the Mistress of the Sword God Palace staggered, then immediately stood firm, glaring angrily at the man. "It's impossible, he's got a strong destiny!"

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace looked at the man angrily.

"Mother, he really died. Father and my older brothers, they're all dead, all dead! You have to avenge Father! Father died miserably, and now he's still hanging on the city tower, displayed to the public!" The man cried out.

"It's impossible, you're lying to me!" The Mistress of the Sword God Palace swayed again.

The man immediately took out a memory crystal.

"Mother, this is a memory crystal recorded by someone. It's really Father, really Father. Father! Father! Father, you died so miserably!" The man cried incessantly, handing over a memory crystal.

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace hesitated to reach out her hand, afraid to grab it, but still endured her fear and reached out.

With a release of her true essence, the Mistress of the Sword God Palace saw the scene inside.

The memory crystal fell to the ground with a "clink."

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace suddenly became stunned, unwilling, and involuntarily tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Mother, Father died so miserably! Mother, you have to avenge Father!" The man cried out.

This cry seemed to awaken something within the Mistress of the Sword God Palace.

Suddenly, her eyes turned bloodshot. She tilted her head back towards the sky, and her long hair began to flutter without wind. With a fierce expression, she bellowed towards the heavens.

"Die~~~~~~~!"

A thunderous roar erupted, like an invisible sword soaring into the sky, piercing through the clouds. The sword intent shattered all the clouds in the sky, turning them into countless sword qi that filled the sky, obscuring the sun. Swords, everywhere swords. The sky was filled with endless sword qi, an immensely powerful and majestic sword intent that seemed capable of destroying everything in its path.

"Boom rumble rumble~~~~~~~~~~~"

Around the Sword God Palace, the endless icy plains suddenly erupted. Ice spikes in the shape of swords shot up into the sky, shattering the entire ice field. Swords, endless swords, turned the ice plain into a prickly hedgehog-like landscape, with massive ice swords rising straight into the sky. Sword-shaped ice mountains appeared abruptly.

Swords, swords, swords! Swords were everywhere!

The Sword God Palace was furious, driven mad!

"Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace seemed wild, her eyes burning red. They flashed with intense hatred and boundless resentment, as if she hated the heavens and the earth.

With a sharp scream, the palaces around the Sword God Palace exploded, completely destroyed. The entire icy plain was reshaped into an unrecognizable form by the furious Mistress of the Sword God Palace.

Nearby was a quiet spring, emitting a faint aura of gloom. However, under the Mistress's furious roar, this sword intent forced the spring downwards, crazily sinking into the depths.

The entire spring suddenly appeared like a bottomless abyss.

The formidable Mistress of the Sword God Palace!

After the initial two thunderous roars, the hatred in the Mistress's heart not only didn't diminish in the slightest, but instead burned even more intensely. Her long hair danced, flickering with waves of powerful sword intent.

"Mother! Mother!" The panicked man kneeling on the ground cried out.

However, the Mistress of the Sword God Palace didn't even look at him. Instead, she reached out her hand and grabbed. From the depths of that abyss-like spring, a pitch-black long sword suddenly flew up. It was a sword that froze everything around it, a black sword that seemed to freeze anyone who glanced at it.

"Where is his corpse hanging?" The Mistress of the Sword God Palace gritted her teeth, trembling.

"At Moonlight City! It's hanging at Moonlight City!" The man quickly replied.

"Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The Mistress of the Sword God Palace roared furiously once again. The boundless sword qi in the sky suddenly collapsed and dispersed. The Mistress of the Sword God Palace shot up into the sky.

"Shoo~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The air was torn apart by the sound of a sharp sword. The Mistress of the Sword God Palace had disappeared without a trace.

(To be continued)