Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1018 - 1018 0604 Emperor Jianwu Takes Action_2

Chapter 1018: Chapter 0604: Emperor Jianwu Takes Action_2 Chapter 1018: Chapter 0604: Emperor Jianwu Takes Action_2 When Yang Yongqi gave a signal with his eyes, Shi Yongqing took out a wand. With a wave of his hand, the wand pointed at Zhao Shibo, half a street away. Under the push of Shi Yongqing’s magical power, an invisible fluctuation flew out from the wand, tearing through the void and piercing directly at Zhao Shibo’s brow.

This attack was incredibly fast, and Zhao Shibo was completely unprepared. Just when it seemed Zhao Shibo was about to be hit, an accessory he wore—bestowed by his father, Emperor Jianwu, for protection—came into play. A murky protective shield appeared, blocking his front.

The attack from Shi Yongqing collided with the protective shield, and with a “crack,” the shield was shattered by the assault. Then, the attack, still unerring in its direction, shot towards Zhao Shibo’s brow. This time, Zhao Shibo could not dodge and had to let the invisible attack bore into his forehead.

Zhao Shibo let out a wail, his head aching as if it were splitting open. He became unsteady, his vision darkened, and he collapsed to the ground. His jaws were tightly clenched, his face pale as a sheet of gold, and his fate hung in the balance.

“Prince, Prince…”

A few Gold Core Realm experts from Prince Manor were immensely shocked. They all served in the Prince Manor, and right before their eyes, Zhao Shibo had been taken down, his life hanging by a thread. The consequences were far too dire. If Emperor Jianwu were to inquire into their responsibilities, they would be unable to bear it.

It wasn’t just the few Gold Core Realm experts from Prince Manor who were caught in panic. The cultivators tasked with guarding Jianwu Palace were also thrown into disarray. None of them had anticipated that the forces from the other five imperial palaces, which had already retreated, would turn back for a strike. What’s more, they hadn’t imagined that Shi Yongqing’s attack would be so sharp, taking down Zhao Shibo immediately on their first move.

Zhao Shibo was the only surviving son of Emperor Jianwu and was himself a Gold Core Realm expert. Yet, even he could not withstand Shi Yongqing’s attack. From this, one could infer that the other five imperial palaces were determined to take a hard stand against Jianwu Palace this time.

However, not everyone in Jianwu Palace was panicking. Gao Jinmei and Xia Xiaoming were not intimidated. Right now, their sole concern was to ensure Qi Tian’s safety, and they would spare no effort in doing so.

Gao Jinmei activated her footwork, pushing her speed to the extreme, and pounced towards Yang Yongqi like a gust of wind.

Even though Gao Jinmei knew very well that her power and cultivation were far inferior to Yang Yongqi, she did not have the slightest fear. She believed that the other five imperial palaces had joined forces to eradicate Jianwu Palace, which undoubtedly included Qi Tian. This was something Gao Jinmei absolutely could not accept.

Putting aside the fact that Gao Jinmei was already bound by Qi Tian with a Servant Pact, even without such a relationship, ever since she had joined Qi Tian, he had been very good to her. Gao Jinmei was someone who believed in repaying kindness. Qi Tian had treated her so well, and she had always thought of how to repay him. Now was undoubtedly the time for her to take concrete action to show her gratitude.

Xia Xiaoming’s speed was also fast, following closely behind Gao Jinmei and also lunging towards Yang Yongqi. He knew very well that even if he joined forces with Gao Jinmei, it would be difficult to deal with Yang Yongqi. But even if Yang Yongqi’s “teeth” were hard, he was determined to knock out a couple alongside Gao Jinmei.

At this moment, Li Mijia and the others also reacted. They each began to take action, either attacking the cultivators responsible for guarding Jianwu Palace or striking the palace walls.

This time, Li Mijia, Yang Yongqi, and their companions had not intended to directly attack Jianwu Palace. They were merely seeking to force Jianwu Palace to concede, allowing them to enter the inner palace for a search. To ensure this, although Li Mijia and Yang Yongqi did not bring many people, each one was a master, each possessing exceptional strength and a high level of cultivation.

The five Imperial Palaces joined forces to come here, and although their total number was only around fifty, the power they exerted far surpassed that of five hundred people. Together, they posed a tremendous threat to Jianwu Palace, and together with Zhao Shibo, who took down Shi Yongqing with a single move, Jianwu Palace couldn’t be said to be completely headless, but their morale was severely damaged, and they found themselves at a disadvantage for a time.

Had it not been for Jianwu Palace’s geographical advantages, had it not been for the greater number of people in Jianwu Palace, it is possible that they would have been caught off guard by the other five Imperial Palaces and potentially overcome in a very short time.

For a while, Jianwu Palace was engulfed in the thick of battle.

After a brief moment of panic, the cultivators of Jianwu Palace also grew determined, each of them rising to resist. However, the tide of battle continued to turn against them. The other five Imperial Palaces had already begun to send a steady stream of reinforcements, joining the siege against Jianwu Palace.

Jianwu Palace had initially exercised restraint, but as things developed to this point, they could no longer afford to be hampered by restrictions. The cultivators guarding around the Half-step Nascent Soul level forbiddances and formations began to activate them, intending to use these extraordinary powers to launch a devastating attack on the incoming enemies.

However, the consequences of such actions by Jianwu Palace were unpredictable.

The power of the Half-step Nascent Soul level was essentially a taboo within the Imperial Family Secret Territory, due to its immense strength and destructive capability. Importantly, this power was not uniquely held by Jianwu Palace; the other Imperial Palaces possessed similar powers. Even more so, the power held by Chaoyang Palace, both in quantity and quality, vastly surpassed that of Jianwu Palace. Setting aside others, Yang Yongqi alone had three or four artifacts and armor of this power level.

Just as Jianwu Palace was about to use the Half-step Nascent Soul level power to strike at Yang Yongqi, Li Mijia, and their people, when the situation was veering towards an uncontrollable direction, a figure shot up from Jianwu Palace, floating in the void, proud and aloof above Jianwu Palace.

“You truly have boldness, daring to invade my palace. Are you seeking rebellion, showing no regard for me, thinking I am easy to bully? Very well, today I will let all of you traitors witness the power of my Jianwu Palace,” exclaimed the figure.

The few words spoken by that figure were like thunder rolling overhead, passing above the heads of Yang Yongqi, Li Mijia, and the others, who all shook and looked at Emperor Jianwu floating in the air with disbelief in their eyes.

The master of each Imperial Palace represented the pinnacle of power for that palace – they might not be the most powerful individual in the palace, but they unquestionably held the greatest overall strength of the palace. Aside from personal strength, they could also mobilize all the palace’s powers without any restriction. And a palace like Jianwu Palace, which had existed in the Imperial Family Secret Territory for centuries, contained a truly terrifying force. Once unleashed, it would certainly deal a devastating blow to the invaders.

After scolding them, Emperor Jianwu, without any hesitation, formed spirit runes with his hands, and streams of True Essence flew from his fingertips, landing on various parts of Jianwu Palace. Emperor Jianwu was ready to risk it all, intent on activating every Killing Array he had set up in Jianwu Palace, using his strongest power to inflict a ruinous attack on the enemy.

This enemy was not merely Li Mijia, Yang Yongqi, and their petty forces, but included their backers—the other five Imperial Palaces.

Emperor Jianwu had every reason to believe that even if Li Mijia and Yang Yongqi were given the courage of ten or eight brave men, they wouldn’t dare to invade his Jianwu Palace. Now that they had done so, it meant they had received explicit support from their Princes, a clear command from their Princes. Only with this could they dare to make a move against his Jianwu Palace.

If you are unkind, then do not blame me for being unjust. Emperor Jianwu had never been one to believe that suffering losses was a blessing. He had been an emperor for over a hundred years, his imperial tactics were exceedingly skilled. You won’t let me live in peace, so I will not foolishly suffer in silence. If it comes to it, I’ll drag you down with me.