Chapter 227 - Qing Imperial Mausoleum, Rank 5, Joint Siege, God Demon Realm Strikes, Zhu Houzhao Appears

Qing Dynasty Territory, in the northeastern region.

Several powerful cultivators radiating terrifying auras swiftly flew in from the distance.

"This is the place?"

Leading the group was a stunningly beautiful woman with an elegant bearing.

She wore a pale apricot robe, her waist tied with white silk, eyes as clear as autumn water, and long brows extending toward her temples.

With a soft smile, she gracefully walked forward.

Her gaze scanned the surroundings, and before long, she pointed a slender finger toward the front.

"That's right. This location was personally investigated by the Emperor's Dark Guard."

"Later, it was also confirmed by the Azure Dragon Association's February Hall. This is our target location."

"In that case, let's head in and investigate directly."

"Someone should have gone in ahead of us."

Looking at the footprints on the ground, the beautiful woman spoke decisively.

All of them were Land Immortals, and especially the woman in the lead, who had reached the Mythical Realm.

Her perception and vision far exceeded that of ordinary people.

She could see things others could not.

The group moved quickly and soon arrived at the place they had indicated.

"This is actually an Imperial Imperial Mausoleum?!"

"No wonder the people we killed earlier all claimed to be Qing Imperial Mausoleum Guard."

"Guards of the Qing Imperial Imperial Mausoleum."

"Seems they were telling the truth."

"But beneath this Imperial Mausoleum, is there some great secret?"

"Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't place such importance on this location."

"Either way, let's go in and see for ourselves."

"Yes, there are signs of battle here. This was definitely a fight involving Heavenly Human Realm cultivators."

"Everyone, stay alert."

==========

"Damn you all, you deserve to die!"

"How dare you trespass into the Qing Imperial Imperial Mausoleum. I will kill you all!"

As soon as they entered the Imperial Mausoleum, they heard the sounds of intense battle.

This Imperial Imperial Mausoleum was built on an enormous scale.

Even with a fight between Land Immortals, it had not been damaged in the slightest.

It was as if some mysterious force was protecting it.

The beautiful woman waved her hand, and the other Heavenly Human Realm cultivators quickly followed her toward the battlefield.

Soon, they reached the edge of the battleground.

Two groups were locked in fierce combat.

One group had all their hair in the rat-tail braid style and looked quite unsightly.

As for the other group, the beautiful woman's eyes lit up when she saw them.

"It's the Azure Dragon Envoy and Heavenly Human Realm cultivators from the Azure Dragon Association. Let's assist them."

On the battlefield, the Qing Imperial Mausoleum Guard saw more enemies arriving, and their expressions darkened.

Especially the leading Qing Imperial Mausoleum Guard, whose killing intent grew increasingly violent.

"Nichang, be careful. That one is Dorgon, the supposedly dead Qing Prince. He's incredibly troublesome!"

"What? Dorgon? Wasn't he killed in battle against the Ming Dynasty back then?"

"Judging by the life force in him, he's definitely alive."

"What in the world is going on?"

The beautiful woman was equally shocked.

In the founding history of the Qing Dynasty, Dorgon was a key figure.

His contributions to the Qing Dynasty becoming one of the dynasties in Nine Provinces were immense.

Unfortunately, due to political struggles and being outmatched by his brother Hong Taiji, he lost the throne.

But why was he still alive?

If he truly lived, then with the crisis facing the Qing Dynasty today, why had he not appeared to help resolve it?

"Nichang, don't hesitate. Come help me. Together, we'll kill Dorgon on the spot."

"Alright!"

The beautiful woman didn't hesitate. She ordered the Heavenly Human Realm cultivators beside her to join the others in taking down the Qing Imperial Mausoleum Guard.

As for the Mythical Realm Dorgon, she would face him alongside Huang Xuemei, the Six Fingered Zither Demon.

Melodious yet deadly zither notes reverberated through the air, directly targeting Dorgon.

He faltered at the sound, his combat ability visibly affected.

Seeing the opportunity, the beautiful woman swiftly flew in.

She slashed with her longsword.

A terrifying sword light followed, brimming with demonic energy.

Just a slight cut on Dorgon's flesh allowed the terrifying energy to invade his body.

Dorgon was clearly in immense pain.

"What a woman, Lian Nichang. I've heard of you!"

"I didn't expect the Azure Dragon Association to take in a mere mountain bandit like you!"

"Hmph. What would a Manchu dog like you know about the strength of the Azure Dragon Association?"

"And tell me, you clearly died back then. Why are you still alive?"

"There must be some hidden truth behind this."

The beautiful woman remained emotionally unmoved.

Instead, she asked curiously.

"Nichang, this Imperial Mausoleum is the Imperial Mausoleum of Nurhaci!"

"If even Dorgon is still alive, then it's likely that the true master of this place, Nurhaci, is also still alive."

"All these years, they've probably been hiding here, cultivating in secret."

"If Dorgon can reach the Mythical Realm in such a short time, then Nurhaci must be even more powerful."

"Moreover, this Imperial Mausoleum definitely holds a great secret!"

"That's why His Majesty and Lord Dragon Head sent us here."

"In that case, let's capture Dorgon first."

Boom boom boom!

They stopped hesitating, unleashing terrifying attacks in a concerted effort to overwhelm Dorgon.

Even though Dorgon was strong, he couldn't withstand the combined power of two Mythical Realm cultivators.

Pupupupu!

Several strikes landed directly on his vital points.

Dorgon was immediately sent flying, crashing violently into the Imperial Mausoleum's wall.

A thunderous rumble echoed out.

But even so, the Imperial Mausoleum didn't show any sign of collapsing.

Just as the two women prepared to move forward and finish Dorgon off.

Suddenly, the golden light of the ranking in the sky erupted.

Even within the Imperial Imperial Mausoleum, everyone could clearly see the updated contents.

Line after line refreshed before their eyes.

==========

[Demon God Ranking – Rank 5]

[Lian Nichang]

[Force: Bright Moon Gorge of Ming Dynasty]

[Cultivation: Late Mythical Realm Land Immortal]

[Technique: Heavenly Wolf Demonic Exercise (includes Cultivation Technique, sword techniques, and more!)]

[Reward: 2x Intermediate-Tier Enlightenment Card (Can be used for enlightenment, increasing comprehension two hundred times, duration one day!)]

"Nichang, it really is you. You've made it onto the Demon God Ranking too, and your rank is even higher than mine."

"Sister Xue Mei, I've just happened to take the lead for now."

"In terms of potential, you're no worse than me."

"When it comes to advancing to the God Demon Realm, you might even be a step ahead of me!"

Seeing the ranking in the sky, the White Haired Witch Huang Xuemei was also deeply surprised.

As far as she knew, Lian Nichang had only recently advanced to the Mythical Realm.

But how long had it been? She had already reached the Late Stage.

She had even surpassed her.

Surely she must have encountered some incredible opportunity.

However, the two of them were friends, not rivals, so there was no need for jealousy.

Of course, they both had great confidence in themselves.

So what if the other had surpassed her? Sooner or later, she would catch up and overtake her again.

"Hahaha, the Demon God Ranking! Who would've thought, two Mythical Realm cultivators from the Demon God Ranking have come after me at once. The Azure Dragon Association sure thinks highly of this king."

Dorgon burst into loud laughter.

But his voice was filled with cold, deadly intent.

"However, even so, what of it?"

"If you want to kill me, you'll have to pay an unimaginable price!"

"Let's perish together!"

"For the sake of my father, I'll risk my life to stop you!"

A look of grim resolve flashed in Dorgon's eyes.

His aura became extremely unstable, and the air began to ripple violently around him.

"Sister Xue Mei, quick, kill him! He's going to self-destruct!"

"If he succeeds, even if we don't die, we'll be seriously injured!"

"We must not let him succeed!"

Lian Nichang cried out in shock to Six Fingered Zither Demon Huang Xuemei.

"Don't worry. I've been prepared for this."

"Zing!"

Huang Xuemei plucked her zither string, channeling her true essence into the strings.

The next moment.

A wave of sonic energy shot out.

With lightning speed, it pierced through the air and struck Dorgon's chest in an instant.

Pfft!

Another mouthful of blood spurted out.

The true essence in his body that was preparing to detonate was instantly scattered.

Dorgon's cultivation dropped rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Nichang, quick! Now's our chance, kill him!"

"Alright!"

Lian Nichang didn't hesitate. Her longsword slashed out, aiming for Dorgon's throat.

Just as Dorgon was about to be killed on the spot.

Suddenly.

The entire battlefield seemed to freeze.

Even Huang Xuemei and Lian Nichang couldn't help but stop breathing for a moment.

Their faces turned slightly pale.

This aura?

There was no mistake. It was definitely at the God Demon Realm.

How could this be?

There was actually a God Demon Realm cultivator here?

Against someone at the God Demon Realm, even though they were both Late Mythical Realm, they couldn't possibly stand a chance.

Killing them would be no different than squashing two ants.

"Courting death!"

An angry roar erupted.

"Father!"

Upon seeing this, Dorgon's face lit up with joy and he shouted loudly.

Immediately after, a massive hand formed from true essence came crashing down toward Huang Xuemei and Lian Nichang.

If it hit, the two women would have no chance of survival.

Their faces were filled with despair and deep unwillingness.

Were they really going to die here so absurdly?

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable!"

(T/N: This is like saying Amitabha in Buddhism, but it is in Daoism.)

"Nurhaci, you finally showed yourself. I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

A lofty voice rang out.

In the next moment, the surrounding pressure was broken.

That enormous hand of true essence was instantly shattered, vanishing without a trace.

At the same time, the severely wounded Dorgon nearby also disappeared.

It seemed the newcomer had taken him away.

In the stunned eyes of the two women, a Daoist in flowing robes with an ethereal, sage-like aura appeared.

"You... you are..."

"This humble one is Zhang Yuchu, the National Master of the Ming Dynasty."

"Lian Nichang (Huang Xuemei) greets Heavenly Master Zhang!"

"Your talent is quite good. Keep working hard."

"The battles ahead are no longer for you to participate in."

"I have a task for you."

"Please instruct us, Heavenly Master Zhang!"

"Capture or eliminate every single Qing Mausoleum Guard in the Imperial Mausoleum. Leave none alive."

"Rest assured, this time, not only will the Land Immortals of the Azure Dragon Association join the hunt, but others will as well."

As soon as Zhang Yuchu finished speaking, he flicked his horsetail whisk, and his figure disappeared.

"Whew..."

Seeing Zhang Yuchu vanish, the two women finally let out a breath of relief.

"So powerful."

"Yes, the God Demon Realm is far beyond us in the Mythical Realm."

"Who was that who rescued Dorgon?"

"Dorgon clearly said "father". Without a doubt, it was the supposedly-dead Nurhaci."

"To make Heavenly Master Zhang take action personally, Nurhaci must also be a top-tier God Demon Realm cultivator."

"Enough idle talk, let's finish off these Qing Mausoleum Guard first!"

The two immediately sprang into action.

They joined the nearby battle where the Heavenly Human Realm cultivators were still engaged.

Two Mythical Realm cultivators taking the field, how could mere Heavenly Human Realm enemies resist?

They swept through like a hurricane.

In just moments, all the Qing Mausoleum Guard were slain.

"Join up with the other Land Immortals. Eradicate every last Qing Mausoleum Guard!"

"Understood!"

This time, a considerable number of Land Immortals had joined the battle at the Qing Imperial Mausoleum.

Zhu Houzhao had long been preparing for this fight.

The area surrounding the Imperial Mausoleum was blanketed with an inescapable net.

Not a single Qing Mausoleum Guard would be able to escape.

==========

Deep within the Qing Imperial Mausoleum.

Several hundred meters underground.

It was unknown how Nurhaci managed to excavate such a vast space.

It was roughly the size of a hundred football fields.

At the very center, carved into the wall, was a several-hundred-meter-long lifelike dragon sculpture.

Beneath the sculpture.

Dorgon lay there, his face pale.

From time to time, strange energies flowed from the dragon statue into his body.

Gradually improving his complexion.

"Damn it, Ming Dynasty! Once I recover, I'll personally lead an army to destroy you!"

"If not for my father's timely rescue, I would've died to those ants."

Dorgon clenched his teeth.

His eyes were filled with hatred toward the "invaders" and the Ming Dynasty.

"Heh, how amusing."

"I'm afraid you won't get the chance."

A mocking voice full of disdain rang out.

"Who is it? Come out right now!"

Dorgon's expression changed drastically as he shouted.

Suddenly.

A young nobleman appeared.

With a folding fan in hand and a faint smile, he slowly approached.

"Dorgon, is it?"

"It seems your father truly dotes on you."

"Back then, when you were on the brink of death, he stepped in and saved you."

"All these years, he's raised you into a Mythical Realm cultivator."

"Now, knowing we're after him, and seeing you in danger again, he's intervened once more."

"It seems your value to Nurhaci is unmatched."

"Even the Former Emperor Hong Taiji and your other brothers can't compare to you."

Zhu Houzhao spoke as if he could read his thoughts.

Dorgon's heart trembled in shock.

"Who... who are you really?"

"And how did you find this place?"

"My father clearly set up a decoy Imperial Mausoleum above. You couldn't have found this place."

"Heh, such petty tricks."

"I already inspected that false Imperial Mausoleum. Unfortunately for you, that Dragon Vein was a fake."

"Which means, there had to be a real Imperial Mausoleum somewhere else, hiding the true Dragon Vein of the Qing Dynasty."

At this point, Zhu Houzhao's gaze shifted toward the massive dragon sculpture.

He sent out a trace of divine sense.

A flash of light appeared in his eyes.

This time, it was real.

""I"...?"

Dorgon's expression changed.

"You... you're the Ming Emperor, Zhu Houzhao?!"

Anyone who used that pronoun could only be an Emperor.

There was no mistaking the man's identity.

But when Zhu Houzhao turned his attention to the dragon sculpture, panic filled Dorgon's eyes.

The true secret had been discovered?

Nurhaci's century-long plan had been exposed?

Impossible.

No, he had to find a way to kill the Ming Emperor right here.

"You want to kill me?"

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Zhu Houzhao said calmly and raised his sword finger.

A streak of sword energy shot out.

In a flash of light, it pierced straight through Dorgon's forehead.

Dorgon's vision went black.

Before he could react, he collapsed, his consciousness fading into darkness.

A dignified Mythical Realm cultivator, yet to Zhu Houzhao, he could be slain with a flick of the hand.

With a wave of his right hand.

A gentle breeze swept through.

Dorgon's body turned to ash and vanished.

Dorgon had caused tremendous losses to the Ming Dynasty.

Killing him a thousand times still wouldn't be enough.

But to Zhu Houzhao, he was nothing more than an insect.

Not worth wasting emotions over.

His attention was focused on the massive dragon statue before him.

"No wonder the number of cultivators in the Qing Dynasty was so small. Even Land Immortals were far fewer than in other dynasties."

"So this is the reason."

Zhu Houzhao let out a cold laugh.

He struck the statue with his palm.

In the next instant, the sculpture exploded.

A condensed golden light orb emerged.

Radiating an astonishing brilliance.

So this was what helped Nurhaci reach the God Demon Realm within a hundred years.

It had even nurtured so many Land Immortals for the Qing Mausoleum Guard.

Nurhaci had used the entire dynasty's Martial Destiny to benefit himself.

Even to the detriment of the Qing Dynasty's development.

And such a thing had been done by none other than the Founder of the Qing Dynasty, Nurhaci?

It was truly unexpected.

Even Zhu Houzhao, at this moment, couldn't understand Nurhaci's intentions.

Without hesitation, Zhu Houzhao raised his right hand and lightly inhaled.

The golden orb of energy was instantly sucked into his palm.

And then vanished.

Having obtained the most crucial item, Zhu Houzhao scanned the massive space around him.

He struck out with his palm once more.

In the next instant.

The entire area collapsed.

Buried completely.

After finishing everything, Zhu Houzhao's figure disappeared.