This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 196 The Approaching Killing Intent

Watching the black-robed figure gradually disappear into the distance, Xiao Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief. The Supreme Being had been led away, which meant that no matter how much trouble he caused, his life would not be in danger. Moreover, he had already been granted the title of King, so how could the Great Qian allow someone who had just been granted the title of King to die tragically in front of everyone?

Of course, he only dared to think this way after he was introduced to the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being's organization was unfathomable, and he would not care about the kings of the Great Qian Dynasty. If he were here, he would definitely take action without hesitation, which led to the thrilling scene just now.

Who exactly are you people?

Yan Yi was still in a state of confusion when someone suddenly disappeared without a trace before her eyes. Her shock was no different from Xiao Xingchen's when he first witnessed the black-robed man unleash this sacrificial power. She was stunned and speechless.

"Yan Yi, can you do me a favor? If you help me today, I will repay you tenfold once the crisis is over."

"Me? How can I help you?"

"Help me stop those people from Dali. I know that there are more than I have seen from your Da Yan, and there are more than just Li Jinxian and Nan Jian from Dali. You don't need to let them participate in the battle. Just be careful that they don't take advantage of the chaos."

Yan Yi pondered for a moment. When she saw that a master above the sixth level had appeared outside the Word Tower, she knew that today's events were quite dangerous. She nodded and said, "Okay, I will keep an eye on Li Jinxian for you."

"Thank you!"

After arranging everything, Xiao Xingchen's mind was suddenly struck by a thunderbolt, and the power of the battle sword, along with the power of the sacrifice, surged through his body like a raging wave.

Indeed, he unleashed the power of sacrifice. Although he had been repeatedly warned never to use the power of sacrifice, in today's situation, neither the battle sword, the demon blood, nor the mysterious and unpredictable sword energy could contend with the woman before him. The woman's aura made him feel as if he were under the oppressive presence of an immortal from the ancestral temple. After much thought, he realized that only the unpredictable power of sacrifice could give him a chance of victory.

Although it was only one-tenth, in his eyes it was already a rare and precious opportunity. As long as he could use it unexpectedly, the power he unleashed would surely have a miraculous effect.

The standoff continued. Under the Heaven-Sealing Formation, those who had been hiding in the shadows began to reveal themselves. The formation slowly spread like a spider web, and the area outside the Flower Language Pavilion seemed to be tightly wrapped up. The many people below were already submerged in the dazzling starlight, and only those flying in the void were clearly visible.

The woman in blue continued to confront Ruoxue. Wang Mang wanted to make a move, but the powerful aura emanating from Yun Xiyao prevented him from taking any rash action. His gaze remained fixed on the direction of the Imperial Palace, anxiously waiting for Emperor Wu to send someone.

"We have no prior grudges, so why do you harbor such hatred towards Huayulou? Are you perhaps a person from the waters?"

Xiao Xingchen slowly stepped into the void, like a brilliant star piercing the tranquil night sky. The moment Ruoxue turned around, her eyes narrowed sharply. She saw a black aura coiling around Xiao Xingchen like a venomous snake, giving her an extremely uneasy feeling.

"Hmm? You actually know I come from the water? Where exactly did I give myself away?"

Yun Xiyao's gaze had already fallen on Xiao Xingchen. If she was interested in the Ghost Sword, it would be more accurate to say she was filled with curiosity about the man before her. Just then, the aura of the Ghost Sword entered the Flower Language Pavilion, and she took the opportunity to act, but she did not expect to attract so many people.

“Before you arrived, a swaggering fellow from the water had just left. You are just like him, both exuding the scent of the ocean.”

As Xiao Xingchen explained, she gestured for everyone to remain calm, while glancing in another direction out of the corner of her eye.

“My fairy, you exude a chilling aura. I have heard that the Tianling Kingdom stands atop the snow-capped mountains of the plateau year-round. You must be a fairy from Tianling, right?”

"Just consider me an onlooker. You guys continue," the mysterious senior sister replied indifferently, without a trace of hostility.

"Thank you very much. Once this trouble is resolved, I will definitely pay you a visit to express my gratitude on another day!"

Xiao Xingchen was secretly delighted. These two women had been like two mountains, bringing him immense pressure. Now that one of them had made her stance clear, it couldn't be better.

However, for some reason, he could sense that the woman in blue was aiming straight at him like an arrow, just like Meng Qianfan.

"So it's the scent of the ocean. You are indeed very intelligent, but unfortunately your strength is really unbearable to look at."

Yun Xiyao looked disappointed and sighed softly.

"Is it because of her?" Xiao Xingchen asked solemnly.

However, Yun Xiyao did not answer, but instead changed the subject.

"I only need to strike once. If you can survive this one strike, I will turn and leave today!"

"I go!"

Xiao Xingchen couldn't help but curse under his breath. These words made him sound like a weakling. Although that was indeed the case, how could a man save face in front of so many people?

"Hmm? The one who was granted the title of King of the Great Qian Dynasty is so cowardly?"

Yun Xiyao's face darkened, becoming as cold as frost.

"How dare a piece of trash like you presume to claim the title of king? Who gave you such audacity and such confidence?"

Xiao Xingchen turned his head and finally saw Zhan Shuai and his group. The group had already revealed their murderous intent, but they were too busy to pay attention to the woman in front of them because she was too dazzling.

At this moment, their opening remarks clearly indicated their intention to leverage the woman's influence.

"You've misunderstood. I never said I wanted to be made a king, and I know I don't have the ability to do so. Besides, who said I wanted to be made a king? Commander Wang Mang only asked me to receive the imperial decree, but never mentioned making me a king. You must have misheard me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Mang's lips twitched involuntarily. He stood frozen in place like a statue. The imperial edict had vanished without a trace, and how to proceed with the investiture of the kings still awaited Emperor Wu's instructions.

"Wang Mang, tell me, why did Emperor Wu appoint such a useless person as a king? Does he underestimate my War General's Mansion?"

"Or perhaps, His Majesty has simply ignored the illustrious military achievements of my War General's Mansion over the past century?"

Zhan Wuqing was furious, his heart filled with endless grievances and resentment.

"This..." Wang Mang hesitated, his face showing difficulty. He found it hard to agree to such a request.

"Now you all see, haven't you? I have never claimed to be any kind of king. I know my own worth perfectly well. If a king is to be appointed, a war commander should be chosen. I will certainly support that wholeheartedly. What do you all think?"

Xiao Xingchen went along with it, stating his position directly: "What kingship? I don't care. Go ahead and argue with the Martial Emperor if you dare! If you can really have my title of king revoked, I'll be eternally grateful." Zhan Wuqing was taken aback, and everyone in the Zhan Marshal's Mansion stood there stunned.

"You really don't care about this throne?"

"The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. How could I possibly be on par with the four kings? In the world today, only the War Commander can stand shoulder to shoulder with the other four kings. Whether in terms of personal strength or illustrious military achievements, the War Commander is undoubtedly the number one among the kings. What does that have to do with me?"

Xiao Xingchen's extremely sincere appearance left everyone speechless. Wang Mang was so angry that his teeth itched. This was the first time he had ever seen someone who treated Wang Feng so disregarded his position.

"Look, I've made such a solemn vow, and we have no grudges against each other. Could you all please step aside for a moment? Let me deal with this problem, shall I?"

Xiao Xingchen's humble posture made him look like a street thug to those who didn't know him. This ability to bend and stretch made Huangfu Lingxue's expression soften instantly. She turned around and went back to Huayu Tower on her own. As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face. Zhan Shuai had come to cause trouble, but Xiao Xingchen's attentive attitude left Zhan Wuqing standing there, not knowing what to do.

They treat being granted the title of king as worthless, so what else can be done?

If they were truly going to commit murder, this would be an extremely unsuitable place. As for their intention to humiliate Xiao Xingchen by using the title of King, they didn't even need to say anything more; he had already humiliated himself, leaving them speechless.

Seeing that Zhan Shuai's men were showing signs of backing down, Xiao Xingchen immediately changed his mind. He had never forgotten his ultimate goal, and giving up the title of king was what he truly desired.

"Commander Wang, in my opinion, you should go to Fuming now. Some things, perhaps, are preordained by fate. I am new here, and this bestowal of the title of king is like placing me naked on a barbecue grill—it is truly inappropriate. Please convey my thanks to His Majesty. As for this place..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Xingchen shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I am a worthless piece of trash, utterly unworthy of your presence. To all the seniors in the shadows, I hereby solemnly declare that I will absolutely not accept any seals..."

Before the word "King" could be uttered, a deafening thunderclap suddenly exploded, and above the sealed sky, a meteor streaked down like lightning, heading straight for Xiao Xingchen.

"Oh no, someone has activated Starfall!"

Wang Mang was horrified. The Heaven-Sealing Formation not only had the effect of trapping the enemy, but its destructive power was also astonishing.

Under the oppressive force of this protective array, humanity is as insignificant as ants. Starfall, as the name suggests, is the fall of a star, intending to crush Xiaoxingchen directly.

Under the seal of heaven, everyone's senses were greatly diminished, and the meteor shower came so suddenly that they had almost no time to react.

Of everyone present, only Yun Xiyao and the senior sister reacted, immediately withdrawing without any intention of stopping them.

This made Xiao Xingchen feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Once that enormous star falls, not only will he himself be in grave danger, but the Flower Language Pavilion behind him will also be annihilated into endless nothingness.

This was Emperor Wu's raging fury, the consequence of his public refusal to be granted the title of king after the imperial edict was revoked.

At this moment, everyone seemed to wake from a dream, their faces instantly turning deathly pale. A deathly gloom swept over them like a storm, suffocating them.

Who could have imagined that the crisis they had always thought was so close at hand, while the real disaster descended from the sky like a demon, engulfing Huangfu Lingxue, Wang Mang, Zhan Shuai, and even the entire Huayulou within the terrifying range of the meteor shower.

Emperor Wu intends to eliminate all potential threats in one fell swoop.

"how is this possible?"

Wang Mang's exclamation was like a thunderclap. He looked at the imperial palace in disbelief, as if his gaze could penetrate time and space to see the mysterious figure standing on the observatory in the imperial palace.

“It’s over…” Wang Mang’s heart felt as if it were being swallowed by endless darkness, a complete gloom.

Only two people in the Imperial Palace were capable of releasing such a terrifying meteor shower, and the person standing on the Star Gazing Platform would never have committed such an inhuman act without the Emperor's order.

Ruoxue and the Princess were both horrified. Fortunately, Yan Yi was sent to stop Li Jinxian, which allowed them to escape a disaster.

"Has Emperor Wu gone mad?"

Li Jinxian stared wide-eyed at the approaching meteorite in disbelief, a deep fear of Yong'an rising within him for the first time.

Before this cataclysmic meteor, all things are like ants, utterly vulnerable. This being, which is beyond human power to contend with, seems like a messenger from hell, destined to turn everything in the world to ashes.