Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts - Chapter 507

Wu Tianhu’s words were music to the ears of the many sects present.

But… not quite enough.

In the hearts of these sects, the ideal relationship between the human dynasty and themselves wasn’t one of cooperation or friendship. No, the best outcome would be one of subjugation.

Only, it wouldn’t be the sects submitting to the dynasty—it would be the dynasty bowing to the sects.

That, to all the sects, would be the most desirable result.

However, they also knew that it wasn’t yet time to entertain such fantasies.

The current strength of the Wu Dynasty was still formidable. It was far from a declining empire unable to defend itself.

Not to mention, there were countless sects within Wu’s territory, making it impossible to reconcile all their conflicting interests.

More often than not, the final years of a dynasty were marked by infighting among the sects, each striving to install a puppet emperor under their control.

During such times, numerous sects would be wiped out. And they weren’t confident that their own sects would be the ones to have the last laugh.

So, if the status quo could be maintained, that wouldn’t be too bad either.

“Friends?”

The Wu Emperor let out a cold chuckle, looking at Wu Tianhu as if gazing at an insect. His very gaze radiated nothing but contempt, as if watching a child being foolish.

“Uncle, you call them friends, but to them, you’re nothing more than a dog of the same leash!”

Wu Tianhu’s eyes turned cold. His voice carried an air of finality, as if issuing one last ultimatum.

“Nephew, is there really nothing left to discuss?”

In truth, Wu Tianhu hoped there was nothing to discuss.

Because only when all negotiations failed would he have the opportunity to rise to power!

“Discuss?”

The Wu Emperor raised his head, looking up at the massive dragon coiling above the imperial palace. His gaze grew deep, as if his mind had drifted back more than a decade.

“So… you were right all along.”

He murmured to himself, though it was unclear whom he was speaking to.

“ROOOAR!”

Above the palace, the golden dragon of imperial fate let out a deafening roar.

In the next instant, the golden dragon lunged toward the sect leaders standing at the center of the square.

The Wu Emperor had staked everything—he had gambled the fate of the entire Wu Dynasty!

Wherever the golden dragon’s power reached, several Nascent Soul-level sect leaders perished on the spot, reduced to blood mist that scattered through the air.

The swirling blood mist gathered and converged onto a golden parchment!

“Wu Chang! Have you gone mad?!”

The remaining sect leaders were shaken. They hadn’t expected the Wu Emperor to act so decisively!

Since the Wu Emperor had completely torn apart any pretense of civility, they no longer saw any reason to hold back either!

Over a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators, along with several Jade Purity experts, immediately charged at Emperor Wu.

Strike the king first—once the emperor was dead, everything else would be easily resolved.

Meanwhile, many other cultivators burned their lifeblood to send long-distance warnings to their sects, thousands of miles away.

These sect leaders weren’t fools. Before coming here, they had already made contingency plans.

Should anything unexpected happen, their sects would immediately sense it, ensuring a full-scale conflict between their factions and the Wu Dynasty.

Most sects operated as a tightly-knit alliance—when one sect was in danger, others would step in to help, at least to some extent.

Over time, these sects had formed an undeniable force to be reckoned with.

That was simply how sect politics worked.

When a dynasty was in decline, sects would fight among themselves for power.

But if the dynasty was strong, these once-scattered sects would suddenly unite against their common enemy—the throne.

After all, they believed they didn’t need to rush things. Cultivators had long lifespans. No dynasty was eternal.

But unexpectedly, this Wu Emperor… had overturned the table himself.

“Hmph!”

A cold snort echoed above the imperial palace.

Before Emperor Wu could make a move, several imperial enforcers rushed forward, instantly killing the sect leaders at the forefront.

These enforcers formed a protective barrier in front of the Wu Emperor.

However, not all of them stood on Emperor Wu’s side.

Some of these enforcers were originally from sects within the Wu Kingdom, merely hired by the imperial court.

Now that such an event had unfolded, they naturally chose to stand with their own sects.

“I didn’t expect that in the end, Mister Chen would still side with the sects.”

Emperor Wu’s gaze landed on an elderly man.

This old man was named Chen Liang, the only Ascension Realm cultivator in all of Wu Kingdom.

He was from the Pangu Sect, an ancient sect.

However, the Pangu Sect had fractured into several smaller sects a thousand years ago. Their ancestor had once sought to harness the fortunes of mountains and rivers within a human dynasty to break through his cultivation bottleneck, which led him to Wudu to serve as an imperial enforcer.

To Emperor Wu, it made more sense for Chen Liang to take his side.

After all, the Pangu Sect no longer existed. The splintered sects that emerged from it were weak and constantly at odds with one another—laughably petty.

Moreover, Chen Liang needed Wu Kingdom’s mountain and river fate.

If Wu Kingdom could bring the sects under control, its national destiny would flourish, and the greater its fortune, the stronger the benefits for Chen Liang. He might even break past his current limits.

Yet, despite all this, the old man had still chosen to stand against him.

Chen Liang shook his head. “Your Majesty’s actions have gone too far. There is no need for such extremity.”

He lifted his gaze, staring directly into Emperor Wu’s eyes.

“If Your Majesty stops now, it is not too late to turn back.”

“Heh…”

Emperor Wu chuckled a few times before his expression turned cold.

“Then let me see the true strength of an Ascension Realm cultivator!”

Without further words, he made his move.

A colossal mountain-and-river dragon once again lunged at Chen Liang.

Chen Liang swiftly formed a hand seal, muttering an incantation as he pointed forward.

The dragon’s massive claws clashed against his outstretched finger, sending shockwaves of mountain-and-river fate and spiritual energy rippling outward.

Had it not been for the protection of mountain-and-river fate, the civil and military officials in the palace would have already been knocked unconscious by the sheer force of the battle.

Within the imperial palace, the mountain-and-river fate continued to gather, forming two gigantic lions that pounced upon the sect leaders.

Each lion, condensed from the empire’s fortune, struck down a sect leader with a single swipe, crushing Nascent Soul cultivators in its jaws.

The so-called high and mighty immortals—at this moment, they were as fragile as ants.

The battle caused a great commotion in the palace square.

Many trembled in fear, hiding inside the palace halls, not daring to step outside.

In the inner palace, Consort Xiao lifted her head, sensing the turmoil.

Though she did not know exactly what was happening, she silently returned to her chamber and retrieved a phoenix hairpin.

This hairpin was the symbol of the Wu Kingdom’s Empress.

Although she was not the empress, she had been entrusted with its safekeeping.

This hairpin was the reason she could command the imperial harem—without it, there would always be concubines unwilling to submit to her authority.

Consort Xiao carefully held the hairpin in both hands.

In an instant, the hairpin transformed into streaks of golden light, vanishing into the air.

“Screeeech!”

A resonant phoenix cry echoed through the heavens.

A magnificent golden phoenix soared into the sky, diving toward the sect leaders.

Naturally, these sect leaders would not sit and wait for death.

They immediately summoned their life-bound artifacts, preparing for a desperate final battle.

They knew they had no path of retreat—Emperor Wu wanted them dead.

The imperial officials also reacted swiftly, channeling the mountain-and-river fate and casting powerful official arts in an attempt to suppress the sect leaders.

Official arts were a unique branch of cultivation, operating through the power of mountain-and-river fate.

Any minister who held office in Wu Kingdom was capable of cultivating them.

In terms of strength, official arts were on par with the spells of traditional cultivators.

In fact, some of these arts even wielded the power of laws themselves.

Because of this, many demons and monsters found themselves powerless when facing Wu officials.

However, official arts were merely techniques—they could not extend one’s lifespan.

At this moment, the entire palace square had descended into chaos.

Some officials and cultivators were locked in battle, while others hid, their lack of loyalty evident.

A few darted their eyes around, hesitating, trying to determine which side would be better to join.

For these people, who sat on the throne didn’t matter—all that mattered was keeping their own positions intact.

But with both sides evenly matched, the opportunists couldn’t tell which faction would emerge victorious.

Meanwhile, Xu Ming, Wu Yanhan, and every member of the Jinyiwei stood firmly on Emperor Wu’s side, without hesitation.

Although their cultivation levels were low, mountain-and-river fate boosted Xu Ming to a pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm, making him strong enough to hold his own.

However, he didn’t let Li Han and the others join the fight.

With their level of cultivation, they’d be slapped to death in an instant—mere cannon fodder.

As the battle raged in the imperial palace…

Across the vast lands of Wu Kingdom, streaks of golden light surged toward Wudu.

The common people across the nation lifted their heads, sensing something strange in the sky, though they had no idea what was happening.

Wu Kingdom’s Demon-Suppressing City

A silver-haired little girl sat atop the shoulders of a towering, four-to-five-meter-tall giant, munching on a skewer of candied hawthorn.

The giant held an entire roasted lamb in his massive hands, tearing into it with relish, his mouth glistening with grease.

Suddenly, the girl paused.

She turned her head, gazing toward Wu Kingdom’s imperial capital.

“Hooouu…”

Beneath her, the giant also lifted his gaze, his massive eyes blinking in confusion.

“Who the hell knows what kind of mess Wu Kingdom has gotten itself into this time?”

The girl scoffed dismissively.

“But it doesn’t matter. The affairs of the court are theirs to handle. Our only job is to guard this city.”

“Hooouu.”

The giant nodded, continuing to devour his roasted lamb.

He truly didn’t care.

He had been here for countless years, watching dynasties rise and fall.

What did it matter if this court perished like all the rest?

Here—nothing ever changed.

The girl finished her candied hawthorn and tossed the bamboo skewer aside.

The giant swallowed the last of his lamb, picked up his colossal battle-axe, and strode forward.

Ahead of them, human soldiers clashed fiercely with the demon forces of the Southern Realm.

This was already the nth battle this year.

Northern Liang

Snowflakes danced through the air, covering the land in a white veil.

Not long ago, the Northern Liang Snow Dragon Cavalry had clashed with the barbarian tribes of the Northern Wastelands.

Now, they had a rare moment of respite.

The Northern Wasteland warriors had set up camp, lighting fires to cook their midday meal.

Snow-white warhorses huffed and snorted, nibbling on their feed.

In the midst of the military camp, a woman lifted her head.

She wore gleaming white armor, her high ponytail swaying behind her as she removed her helmet.

A long, snowy spear rested against her shoulder, while her left hand gripped a jug of wine.

Just as she took a swig, then bit into a piece of meat, something stirred within her.

She looked up, her gaze fixed on the golden streaks flashing across the sky.

“Looks like trouble in Wudu.”

A deep, commanding voice rumbled beside her.

The woman shifted her gaze toward the speaker, then softly called out—

“Father.”

“Mm.”

The King of Northern Liang nodded and sat beside his daughter.

“Eat well. There’s no need to concern yourself with such matters. The affairs of Wudu have nothing to do with us. Our duty is to defend the frontier.”

“Understood.”

The woman withdrew her gaze and resumed eating.

“Sigh…”

At the gates of Wudu, Lu Xiaoliu finally arrived, carrying his travel-worn pack on his back.

He could have arrived sooner.

Though the journey had been long, his endurance was more than sufficient.

But along the way, he had encountered many things—many old acquaintances.

Making it to the capital’s doorstep had been no easy feat.

“I just hope… I’m not too late.”

Biting into a piece of bread, Lu Xiaoliu stepped through the city gates.

And just as he crossed the threshold, a woman entered Wudu right behind him.

Neither of them paused.

Both headed straight toward the imperial palace.

In their hearts, only one thought echoed—

“Please… don’t really be dead.”

Wu Kingdom Imperial Palace

The grand formation arrays of the palace had all been fully activated.

The people of Wudu could see only brilliant golden light gathering above the palace, while the air reverberated with the sound of dragon roars.

But beyond that, they had no idea what was happening.

Still, one thing was certain—

Something major had erupted within the imperial palace!

Inside the Battlefield

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Xu Ming gripped his immortal sword, Hongxiu, clashing head-on with a Nascent Soul realm sect master.

His opponent was also a sword cultivator, a master of the blade.

But Xu Ming wielded the Grass Script Sword Technique, unleashing strike after relentless strike.

The sect master found himself being pushed back—forced on the defensive.

He simply couldn’t understand.

This young man had only temporarily reached the Nascent Soul realm by borrowing Wu Kingdom’s mountain-and-river fate.

And yet, his sword aura and intent were so sharp—so overwhelming!

And then, there was that crimson longsword in his hands…

An immortal weapon?

Who is this kid?!

How had he gained the recognition of a sword like that?!

With each clash, his hands grew numb from the force.

Then—

A flaw.

Xu Ming saw an opening.

And in that instant—

He thrust.

“Damn it!”

The sect master realized the danger too late.

Before he could react—

Boom!

Xu Ming’s blade tore through him, reducing him to a cloud of blood mist.

The blood mist drifted toward the enormous golden parchment floating in the sky.

Xu Ming raised his gaze, staring at that massive sheet of golden paper.

This was his second time seeing something like this.

The first had been at Tianxuan Sect.

Back then, their sect master had tried to turn the tide using a similar method—absorbing the blood mist of every fallen cultivator.

The Tianxuan Sect Master had sought to manipulate the Grand Dao’s laws—to erase everyone else from existence.

And now, this golden parchment hovering over Wu Kingdom’s skies…

Xu Ming felt an uncanny resemblance.

Both invoked the laws of the Grand Dao.

And more than anything—

He was certain… Emperor Wu’s goal was far greater than merely signing a contract.