Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1322 - 1322 0755 Is There Anyone Who Dares to Stop

Chapter 1322: Chapter 0755: Is There Anyone Who Dares to Stop Me?_2 Chapter 1322: Chapter 0755: Is There Anyone Who Dares to Stop Me?_2 Surprise flashed in Emperor Longqing’s eyes, just one more second, really not a long time, just one more second and Qi Tian would die at the hands of his eldest son.

By then, without the threat of Qi Tian, the Imperial Family Secret Territory would return to his control. He would continue to be one of the most powerful Princes in the Imperial Family Secret Territory. He could rush to Eastern Capital City before the other Princes could react, attack or threaten the Princes there to seize the resources they had obtained from the Saint’s Tomb for his own use. With that, his strength would grow further, perhaps giving him the chance to dominate the entire Imperial Family Secret Territory and become its foremost figure. With such strength and status, he would be able to integrate all of the cultivation opportunities in the Imperial Family Secret Territory and then use these opportunities to greatly advance his cultivation level. By then, it wouldn’t just be a simple advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage—he might even reach higher levels within the Nascent Soul Stage.

Emperor Longqing had high hopes, but reality soon dealt him a harsh blow. Although Qi Tian, even with the Heavenly Dao Engine’s multiplying feature maxed out, was still no match for Zhao Depin, the gap between them wasn’t wide. If the two really fought, it would take a long time to determine a winner. However, that was the worst-case scenario, assuming Qi Tian didn’t use any other methods.

Even though the Heavenly Dao Engine had always been Qi Tian’s ace in the hole, he still had many strategies at his disposal that could be used to gain the upper hand. Qi Tian had no reason to let Zhao Depin continue to bully him with so many cards in his hand.

Qi Tian immediately took out the Yonghe Stick and swung it at Zhao Depin. The Yonghe Stick emitted a violent vibration as it cut through the air, hitting Zhao Depin’s hand with a heavy thud.

Zhao Depin’s cultivated technique was extremely advanced, and to ensure its success, he had tempered some beast bones and fused them into his palms, bringing the strength of his hands to Half-step Nascent Soul level. That meant his palms were like Half-step Nascent Soul level magical weapons—unstoppable in combat. However, the strength of an opponent matters, and Qi Tian’s Yonghe Stick was a magical weapon above the Half-step Nascent Soul level. Although it was just a bit higher than Zhao Depin’s palms’ level, that slight difference caused Zhao Depin to stumble badly.

When the Yonghe Stick collided with Zhao Depin’s hand, a crisp crackling sound echoed in the Imperial Study. The Yonghe Stick remained unscathed, while Zhao Depin felt an intense pain in his arm. Although it wasn’t broken, he must have suffered several fractures. If Qi Tian struck like that again, Zhao Depin’s arm wouldn’t be spared.

Qi Tian, of course, was aware of this and stepped forward, poking the Yonghe Stick at Zhao Depin’s injured arm. Zhao Depin hastily dodged, but how could Qi Tian give him the chance to escape? As soon as he entered the Imperial Study, Qi Tian had released two Transporting Whirlwinds in case of need—it was their time to shine.

As Zhao Depin tried to dodge, the Transporting Whirlwind struck, binding his body and preventing him from dodging in time. Naturally, he couldn’t avoid the oncoming Yonghe Stick, and with a series of crisp sounds, Zhao Depin’s arm was shattered by the solid poke of the Yonghe Stick, hanging limp and useless.

Zhao Depin’s combat strength mostly relied on his hands and arms. With his arm disabled, he was effectively a cripple and posed no further threat to Qi Tian. However, Qi Tian had no intention of sparing Zhao Depin. He constantly moved the Yonghe Stick in his hand and struck Zhao Depin’s ribs, swinging it like a baseball bat and sending Zhao Depin flying.

Zhao Depin hadn’t even hit the ground before he spat out blood, closed his eyes tightly, and fainted from the pain.

Emperor Longqing and his second son Zhao Deyi were agape as they watched everything unfold. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that the battle which was so favorable to Zhao Depin could have reversed so suddenly. In the blink of an eye, Qi Tian had gained the upper hand, and Zhao Debin’s fate was uncertain.

Qi Tian stood firmly in the middle of the Imperial Kitchen, his hand holding the Yonghe Stick, pointing it at Emperor Longqing and questioning him in a cold tone, “It seems you won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. I had already given you a chance, but to think you would glisten under the slightest sunlight, always looking for an opportunity to kill me. This reminds me that I have been far too lenient with you all. Why should I ask for your permission to search Longqing Palace? Why not just wipe you all out right now? Who would dare stop me from searching Longqing Palace then?”

Emperor Longqing raised his hands, not daring to make any sudden movements, and said, “Master Qi, you’ve really misunderstood. What my brother and Zhao Depin did were their own actions; I did not instruct them. They did it behind my back. I have been wronged and implicated. If you don’t believe me, you may interrogate me. Use whatever means you wish, I have no objections.”

Towards the end, Emperor Longqing’s tone was full of resolve, without a trace of hesitation, as if the person he spoke of was not someone close to him.

Zhao Deyi watched Emperor Longqing with disbelief. For the longest time, Emperor Longqing had held an irreplaceable position in the hearts of him and his brother. They had always thought their father king loved them and cherished them as the most precious treasures. He had never imagined that one day his father emperor could utter such heartless words. Even if those words were meant to buy time or to preserve their fighting strength, they still made him feel as if a heavy mountain was oppressing him, making it hard to breathe.

At that moment, Zhao Deyi’s thoughts plunged into utter chaos. Something touched him, and his True Essence also began to spin wildly.

Initially, Emperor Longqing did not notice this anomaly. Although Qi Tian had noticed, his attention was mainly focused on Emperor Longqing, not paying much heed to Zhao Deyi.

A violent aura suddenly burst forth from Zhao Deyi’s body. This aura seemed boundless, incessantly climbing higher on Zhao Deyi, as if it were reaching for the skies.

This spectacle took Qi Tian by surprise. He had long known that among the Emperor Longqing and his three sons, the one with the highest cultivation was not the eldest, Emperor Longqing, but his youngest son, Zhao Deyi. This prince had already cultivated to the ninth level peak of the Gold Core Stage, which was essentially the highest realm a cultivator from the Imperial Family Secret Territory could reach.

Qi Tian always believed that the reason why those princes and the few top-tier cultivators scattered outside the Imperial Family Secret Territory had difficulty breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage was varied, but the main reason was that this world’s highest level of cultivation was locked, with no way to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

Despite this belief, Qi Tian still had a considerable understanding of the phenomena that could occur when a cultivator attempted a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage. The records and materials he had read not long ago contained relevant information. The phenomena triggered by Zhao Deyi were the most common manifestations accompanying the breakthrough of a Gold Core Realm powerhouse to the Nascent Soul Stage. Once such phenomena occurred, it often signified the imminent birth of a Nascent Soul Master.