Chapter 675: Bai Qi’s Strike

Chancellor Li Si respectfully addressed Ying, "Your Majesty, the situation in the northern Great Li Celestial Dynasty has suddenly changed, but it is not yet time for our dynasty to mobilize troops. We must wait a bit longer before Great Qin can send its forces."

After Li Si finished speaking, he waited for Ying's decision. Ying, seated on the Nine Dragon Throne, lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest, deep in thought. The hall was silent, as no one dared to speak during the emperor's contemplation. The civil and military officials remained quiet.

Meanwhile, outside the hall, another scene was unfolding.

Ao Sihai, Ao Lie, and the Earth Immortal were being blocked by several guards.

"During the assembly, no one is allowed to interrupt!" the guard commanded.

"Is he just anyone? He is the supreme of the national beast of Great Qin, Ao Sihai. Can't he meet Ying?" the Earth Immortal immediately retorted.

The Earth Immortal was filled with frustration, having just arrived in Great Qin with Ao Sihai, only to be stopped.

"Without notification, no one is allowed inside!" the guard replied firmly.

"Then notify them!" the Earth Immortal demanded.

"The Chancellor stated that today's assembly is discussing top-level military affairs. Matters below this level cannot be reported or interrupted. Ao Supreme, you know the significance of top-level military affairs in Great Qin. Are you sure your matter meets this standard?" the guard responded respectfully but firmly.

"Top-level military affairs?" Ao Sihai frowned.

"What?" Ao Lie also frowned.

"Master, let's wait until their assembly is over," Ao Sihai said reluctantly.

"Wait? Is our matter trivial? Besides, you are the supreme of the Dragon Clan, cooperating with Great Qin. Your status is no less than Ying's! Are the dragons of this Lesser Thousand World really so cowardly that they lack the courage to meet with the emperor of their ally?" the Earth Immortal taunted.

The Earth Immortal, still reeling from Emperor Xuan Sha's confrontation, had become much more irritable.

"Notify them!" Ao Lie also commanded.

"Yes!" Ao Sihai nodded helplessly.

"Report to Ying!" Ao Sihai instructed.

The guard gave the three a deep look before nodding and notifying the herald. The herald went inside to report.

Inside the hall, Li Si continued to wait. The officials remained silent. Suddenly, an eunuch entered the hall.

"Your Majesty, the supreme of the Dragon Clan requests an audience," the eunuch announced respectfully.

The eunuch's interruption made everyone frown, including Li Si, who glared at the eunuch. The eunuch felt a chill and immediately knelt down.

Ying, his thoughts interrupted, looked at the eunuch and took a deep breath. "Let them in."

"Yes!" The eunuch quickly retreated.

Although Ying wasn't furious, his mood wasn't good either. Soon, Ao Sihai, Ao Lie, and the Earth Immortal were led into the hall.

As they entered, all the officials turned to look at the newcomers.

The three visitors also observed the people in the hall. Seeing the gathered ministers, Ao Lie frowned, noticing that their cultivation levels were indistinct.

There were only two types of people whose cultivation Ao Lie couldn't discern: those above the level of a Celestial Immortal and those with special techniques to conceal their power.

In a Lesser Thousand World, it was more likely the latter. This thought confirmed the Earth Immortal's suspicion that this dynasty was indeed peculiar.

"Ao Sihai!" Ao Sihai called out.

There was no arrogance in Ao Sihai's tone, but rather an acknowledgment of Ying's dominance. Ao Lie looked up at Ying on the throne, feeling a strange sense of awe. This was a majesty and power that ordinary people could not exhibit, even Ao Lie himself. He had only seen such a presence in the 'master' of the Grand Thousand World.

As he looked at Ying, a hint of caution flashed in Ao Lie's eyes.

Ying glanced at the three of them before looking at Ao Sihai. "Ao Sihai, what brings you here?"

"This is my master and his friend, both from the Grand Thousand World," Ao Sihai introduced.

"Hmm," Ying nodded, his demeanor suggesting that he was not surprised by visitors from the Grand Thousand World.

"We are here for the Dragon Clan's Imperial Seal," Ao Sihai said cautiously.

"Oh? The Imperial Seal?" Ying frowned slightly.

"Yes, the one in Lingxiao Heavenly Court," Ao Sihai continued.

"Li Si has been to Lingxiao Heavenly Court. The Imperial Seal is not there," Ying shook his head.

"But..." Ao Sihai was still unconvinced.

"No buts. If I say it is not there, then it is not there!" Ying's tone left no room for argument.

"Understood," Ao Sihai nodded, not daring to argue further.

Seeing Ying's firmness, Ao Lie held back his words, but the Earth Immortal couldn't contain himself. Having been provoked by Emperor Xuan Sha earlier and now being told this path was also blocked, he shouted, "You say it's not there, and we should just accept it?"

The Earth Immortal's defiance drew angry glares from all the ministers in the hall.

"What do you want?" Ying's eyes flashed with anger.

"You hold off Emperor Xuan Sha, and we will search ourselves!" the Earth Immortal demanded.

Ao Lie tried to caution the Earth Immortal by tugging his sleeve, but he wouldn't stop.

"Hold off Emperor Xuan Sha? On what grounds?" Ying's lips curled into an inscrutable smile.

"On what grounds? Because of our master! Unless you don't want to ascend to immortality, you must do as I say. Otherwise, our master will..." The Earth Immortal spoke boastfully, as if his master had immense power.

"Hmph!" Ying's cold snort interrupted the Earth Immortal.

The Earth Immortal realized his mistake but regained his confidence thinking of his master.

"Will you do it or not?" the Earth Immortal pressed.

At that moment, a white-robed general, with a fierce expression, stepped forward from the left, glaring at the Earth Immortal.

"What are you doing?" the Earth Immortal frowned.

"Roaring in the court, disrespecting the emperor, and violating the laws of Great Qin. According to the laws, you shall be executed!" the general shouted, his voice sending a shiver down the Earth Immortal's spine.

"You dare kill me? Do you know who my master is? Your national beast is the Dragon Clan. Do you want to face the entire Dragon Clan's wrath? Even in the Grand Thousand World, the Dragon Clan will not spare you!" the Earth Immortal screamed.

"Hmph!" The white-robed general snorted coldly, pulling out a pitch-black saber.

Instinctively, the Earth Immortal felt a sense of impending doom, a deathly threat bearing down on him.

"These people are mad! They act without hesitation. This is insane! And that person... how is he so strong? This feeling of imminent death?" The Earth Immortal, without a second thought, turned and bolted out of the hall, shooting away into the distance.

"Ahhh~~~!"

A scream echoed from outside the hall.

Inside, the white-robed general's massive blade aura extended outward. Ghostly figures of battlefield spirits surrounded the blade, and the chilling killing intent swept towards Ao Lie and his disciple.

The general retracted his blade, and the black blade aura vanished instantly. He bowed respectfully to Ying and returned to his position.

Ao Lie and Ao Sihai watched silently, their hairs standing on end. They felt a coldness seeping from their very cores. They knew what that scream meant: the Earth Immortal had been cleaved in two, slain by a single strike. The blade aura they had sensed wasn't formed by mana but by pure, overwhelming killing intent.

The general had effortlessly killed an Earth Immortal, even though the latter's strength was suppressed in the Lesser Thousand World and had not transformed into his dragon form. Still, he possessed the tenth level of the Heavenly Extreme Realm's power. And he was cut down with one strike?

This man was more ruthless than those from the Heaven Clan, stronger than Xuan Yuan. Was he just an ordinary court official?

Ao Lie's nose tingled with a sour sensation. After thousands of years, how had this Lesser Thousand World produced so many monsters? One strike? Just one strike to slay an Earth Immortal?

"Are you Ao Lie?" Ying looked at Ao Lie.

Ao Lie's arrogance had long dissipated, and he dared not be presumptuous. If a mere general was this terrifying, how powerful must the Great Qin Emperor be?

"Yes," Ao Lie nodded, swallowing his pride.

"Take a message to your 'master'," Ying said calmly.

"Yes?"

"Tell him the Dragon Clan's secret realm is mine now. He should stop coveting it," Ying stated firmly.

"I will," Ao Lie replied, taking a deep breath.

At this moment, Ao Lie dared not be insolent.

"Ao Sihai, do you have anything else?" Ying asked, looking at Ao Sihai.

"No, nothing else," Ao Sihai shook his head quickly.

Compared to Ao Lie, Ao Sihai was even more shocked. Looking at the white-robed general, he felt a mix of emotions.

"Then you may leave," Ying said coolly.

"Yes!" Ao Sihai responded immediately.

Ao Lie and Ao Sihai slowly exited the hall. Since the Earth Immortal had been killed with a single strike, Ao Lie had been silent, not uttering another word.

Once outside the hall, they flew away from Xianyang Holy Capital as quickly as possible.

"Who was that white-robed general just now?" Ao Lie asked.

"He was formerly known as Bai Ye. Now he's called 'Bai Qi,'" Ao Sihai explained, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

Ao Sihai knew who Bai Ye was. A hundred years ago, when he followed Ying, Bai Ye had just broken through to the Emperor Extreme Realm. How long had it been? To kill an Earth Immortal with a single strike? Terrifying!

"Bai Qi?" Ao Lie muttered, silent for a moment.

"Master, what do we do next? Do we still go after the Imperial Seal?" Ao Sihai asked, his eyebrows twitching.

"No!" Ao Lie took a deep breath.

"Then, Master, what will you do?" Ao Sihai frowned.

"I will return to the Grand Thousand World immediately. Sigh, this Lesser Thousand World is no longer the one I remember. I am powerless here!" Ao Lie sighed deeply.

"What about the Imperial Seal?"

"Forget about the Imperial Seal as well! Pretend it never existed!" Ao Lie said solemnly.

"Understood," Ao Sihai exhaled a long breath, agreeing with his master's decision.