A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 105 Failure
The guard's startling words immediately terrified all the civil and military officials.

Some were terrified, some were angry, some had their expressions change several times, and some remained calm and composed.

The entire court was thrown into chaos. The emperor, with one hand supporting his face, watched the scene below with great interest.

Finally, it was only after Elder Zhang shouted that everyone quieted down and cautiously looked at the emperor on the throne.

"Your Majesty, Zhu Wushi is plotting a rebellion. Please excuse him for the time being," Grand Secretary Zhang said in a deep voice.

The others gradually came to their senses, expressed their loyalty, and urged him on in unison.

Zhu Wushi wields immense power and possesses exceptional martial arts skills. His willingness to act so openly suggests he was fully prepared. He was determined not to let the emperor fall into his hands, believing that as long as the emperor remained unharmed, there was still room for maneuver.

However, the emperor rejected Grand Secretary Zhang's suggestion, saying firmly, "No need. I will wait for him here. If he wants to take my throne, he will have to step over my dead body."

Grand Secretary Zhang and others were extremely anxious as they watched the emperor act impulsively. At a time like this, he was still acting like a child. The country was about to fall into the hands of traitors.

Grand Secretary Zhang gave the six ministers a wink, and they understood. Just as they were about to try to persuade them again, the doors of the council hall were kicked open.

"Zhu Wushi, how dare you! You actually want to rebel!"

This is a question from the Minister of War.

Zhu Wushi glanced at him, then ignored him and strode in, followed by Liu Dai and others. The people in the court changed their expressions repeatedly upon seeing this.

As Zhu Wushi approached, most of the civil and military officials made way for him, with only a few standing in front of him to prevent him from facing the emperor directly. One of them was Grand Secretary Zhang.

"Zhu Wushi, you traitor, do you truly intend to commit treason and be infamous for eternity?"

Grand Secretary Zhang's angry words made Zhu Wushi stop in his tracks. Looking at the composed emperor above him, Zhu Wushi said calmly, "I've already come this far, so of course I must complete the final step. Grand Secretary Zhang, step aside, or you will be the first stepping stone for me to ascend the throne."

The cold, heartless words chilled Grand Secretary Zhang to the bone. He kept muttering, "He's gone mad, he's gone mad, he'll get his comeuppance."

Zhu Wushi waved his hand, and someone carried Elder Zhang out.

Upon seeing this, Minister Chen of the Ministry of Rites, one of the six ministers, immediately changed his tune and stepped forward to express his loyalty to Zhu Wushi.

"Very well, Minister Chen, a wise man knows when to yield. You are a smart man. Stand aside and wait until I have finished dealing with this matter. I will certainly reward you according to your merits."

Minister Chen's joy was palpable. After saying a few obsequious words, he returned to his original position.

"Chen Shangzhi, spit on him!" Zhao Xian, the Minister of War, glared at him angrily, then threw the memorial in his hand at Chen Shangzhi, knocking him to the ground.

That wasn't all. Zhao Xian lunged forward and delivered another heavy punch, leaving Chen Shangzhi, who hadn't even had a chance to react, with a bruised and swollen face, groaning in pain.

The civil and military officials were secretly pleased; they themselves wanted to punch such a shameless person.

"Drag him away," Zhu Wushi frowned, looking at the other eager officials.

The crowd fell silent as his gaze swept over them. Zhao Xian was pulled back, still cursing loudly. After cursing Chen Shangzhi, he started cursing Zhu Wushi. In the end, they had to gag him and drag him out of the hall.

"Your Majesty, will you come down yourself, or shall I go up myself?"

Zhu Wushi stared at the emperor and spoke slowly and deliberately. The emperor remained silent, but Cao Zhengchun, who was beside him, stepped forward and snorted coldly.

"Zhu Tiedan, do you think you can control the Imperial Palace with these rabble? Surrender and you'll at least have a decent corpse, otherwise..."

Zhu Wushi looked at Cao Zhengchun with disdain. He had already wasted a lot of time and had no interest in getting entangled with them any longer. He leaped up and grabbed at the emperor.

"How dare you!" Cao Zhengchun, who had been anticipating Zhu Wushi's move, stepped forward to meet him. Their palms clashed, their strength clashing. After two breaths, Cao Zhengchun staggered back three steps before coming to a stop, while Zhu Wushi flipped over and charged forward again.
Just as Zhu Wushi's five fingers formed a claw and were about to seize the emperor's throat, the officials below couldn't help but close their eyes. At that moment, two beams of white light shot out from behind the emperor.

Suddenly, Zhu Wushi unleashed a palm strike, the force of which shattered the sword and saber lights.

"Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao," Zhu Wushi said, his heart sinking as he looked at the two men who came out. Although these two were not to be feared, the fact that they had arrived meant that Cheng Shifei must have arrived as well, which was the more troublesome thing.

"Eunuch Cao, Duan Tianya and the others will handle things here. You go and take care of things outside. Remember, anyone involved must be dealt with severely. Anyone who disobeys will be killed."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

When Cao Zhengchun saw Duan Tianya and the other person appear, he was very surprised. Then he broke out in a cold sweat. The emperor actually had a secret trick up his sleeve, and even he had been deceived.

Not daring to think about it further, Cao Zhengchun looked at the three people facing each other, glanced at Zhu Wushi, and was about to walk out of the main hall.

Liu Dai's eyes sharpened, and he gave an order to the guards beside him. The other nine followed suit. They had all come to this point, and there was no other way but to go all the way.

"Hmph," Cao Zhengchun scoffed at the martial arts figures who had surrounded him.

Before the six martial arts practitioners could react, Cao Zhengchun killed them all with a few blows, leaving their bodies scattered on the ground—a truly brutal act.

Just as Zhu Wushi was about to make a move, Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao rushed up and interrupted him. Cao Zhengchun took the opportunity to leave the main hall, while Zhu Wushi, his mind racing, fought and retreated. Before long, the three of them also left the main hall.

Seeing that the emperor was no longer protected by any experts, Liu Dai's eyes lit up. He drew his sword and walked towards the emperor.

With a single stroke, he knocked the troublesome eunuch to the ground. The other nine generals each drew their swords, glaring menacingly at the civil and military officials, preventing them from making any rash moves.

Liu Dai approached the emperor with a sinister grin, but the latter remained completely calm. Liu Dai was slightly taken aback, thinking that he might have some other tricks up his sleeve, but he couldn't care less about that now. As long as he controlled the emperor, the palace coup would be over.

Just as Liu Dai stepped onto the steps, several copper coins flew towards him with great speed. Startled, Liu Dai hurriedly swung his sword to block them, but before the first attack was finished, the next attack came. Several more copper coins shot out, piercing through Liu Dai's throat and limbs, and embedding themselves in the wooden pillars of the main hall with a few drops of blood.

"Your Majesty, I am late. Please forgive me." Haitang appeared before the emperor in her blood-stained white robes, looking slightly tired.

"They've come at just the right time," the emperor thought, looking at the bloodstains on Haitang's body, knowing that the enemy must have gone through a fierce battle before arriving.

"What about Cheng Shifei?"

"Your Majesty, Cheng Shifei is currently dealing with the remaining people. He will arrive once he is finished."

Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded and looked at the assembled officials below. The nine generals were filled with fear and unease upon seeing Liu Dai's death. Just as they were about to take hostages, Haitang unleashed a flurry of hidden weapons, killing all nine men on the spot.

The heavy stench of blood permeated the entire hall. Some ministers could not bear it and fainted on the spot, while others vomited profusely. The remaining few, though pale and trembling, at least did not embarrass themselves.

"Haitang, come with me to see how things are outside." The emperor took in the expressions of his ministers and, seeing that the situation was under control, wanted to go and see the duel between Duan Tianya and his group.

Having lived for so many years, the emperor had never witnessed a duel between masters, and this battle was one he absolutely could not miss.

Upon hearing this, Haitang pondered for a moment, then, remembering that Master Guxu was still around and nothing unexpected would happen, she agreed.

The emperor stepped down from the platform and walked out of the palace. A few people who were barely able to stand exchanged glances and followed the emperor out.

At this moment, in the square outside the main hall, Zhu Wushi, Duan Tianya, and Guihai Yidao were engaged in a fierce battle.

"I know your martial arts style very well. Do you still want to continue with such useless skills?" Zhu Wushi slapped away Guihai Yidao's treasured sword with a palm. The force was transmitted through the treasured sword, causing Guihai Yidao's breathing to stagnate slightly.

Duan Tianya ignored him completely. Seeing his attack thwarted, he quickly thrust his longsword forward to block Zhu Wushi's offensive. Despite the dense swordplay and fierce sword style, Zhu Wushi treated it as nothing.

With a single palm strike, Duan Tianya's longsword was locked, and then Zhu Wushi struck him with a palm.

Duan Tianya coughed up blood from the palm strike. Gui Haiyi, who was standing nearby, saw this and leaped up, raising his sword. He unleashed his "Dominating the World" technique again, and an astonishing sword aura continuously gathered. Then, with a loud shout, he unleashed a massive sword energy that slashed out.

Knowing this move was extraordinary, Zhu Wushi dared not take it head-on and retreated hastily. Duan Tianya exerted force with his right palm, and sword energy burst forth, breaking through the blockade. At the same time, his figure instantly transformed, and eight figures quickly arranged themselves in eight directions, using the illusionary sword technique to block Zhu Wushi.

The combined energy of swords and blades caused the ground to tremble, and all the onlookers were filled with horror.

"What a terrifying aura!" The emperor's personal guard looked at the three combatants with a solemn expression.

With a "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth," Zhu Wushi channeled his inner force, using soft strength to stick to Xiong Batianxia. At the same time, he guided the sword energy outwards. Duan Tianya's expression changed, and his true body instantly dodged. The illusory sword energy and eight phantom images shattered in response.

As his two moves were broken, Zhu Wushi moved in an instant, his target Guihai Yidao. Guihai Yidao was momentarily out of breath and could only barely parry one move. When the second move came, the long sword slipped from his hand. Zhu Wushi reached out and sucked Guihai Yidao into the air. With a "whoosh," a sharp blade shot towards Zhu Wushi. He channeled his true energy, and his qi shield deflected the blade. At the same time, above his head, Cheng Shifei, wielding the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, pressed down with both palms.

Zhu Wushi hurriedly reached out and flung Guihai Yidao far away. At the same time, he gathered his inner strength in both hands to meet the attack. The four palms clashed, and the inner force collided back and forth, causing the ground to sink two feet, dust to fly up, and the four surrounding statues to be shattered into dust.

Upon seeing this scene after resolving the matter, Cao Zhengchun was immediately alarmed.

"Zhu Tiedan, I underestimated you," Cao Zhengchun said, then looked at Cheng Shifei. "This scoundrel's skills are not to be underestimated either. No wonder His Majesty is so calm; it turns out everything was arranged."

Cao Zhengchun hurried a few steps to the emperor. "Your Majesty," he said, "aside from those who stubbornly resisted, the remaining three hundred-plus people have been captured by the Imperial Guards and are now imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail, awaiting Your Majesty's personal order for their fate."

"Thank you for your hard work," the emperor nodded to Cao Zhengchun, who bowed respectfully behind the emperor and watched the battle unfold.

Cheng Shifei unleashed his divine power, overwhelming Zhu Wushi with his imposing aura. The latter immediately felt the pressure. After a few breaths, Zhu Wushi exerted force with his feet, his internal energy surging, directly sending Cheng Shifei flying. The latter used his lightness skill in mid-air to flip over and land safely.

"Today, I will clean house!" Zhu Wushi was furious. If it weren't for these three people causing trouble, he would have captured the emperor long ago, and things wouldn't have come to this.

Guihai Yidao and Duan Tianya got up to fight again, but their fighting strength was greatly reduced, so they could only assist Cheng Shifei from the side. Seeing the three of them in danger, Haitang was anxious and prepared to go forward to help, but she was worried that the emperor was left unattended and that Cao Zhengchun might have some bad intentions.

"Haitang, go ahead. I will look after the Emperor here; he will be safe."

Upon hearing Gu Xu's voice, Haitang's face lit up with joy. She leaped down and drew her sword to help.

As the emperor watched Haitang leave, a thought struck him, and then a smile appeared on his face, making Cao Zhengchun, who was standing to the side, feel somewhat uneasy.

Glancing around, he was shocked to find Gu Xu standing beside him.

"Why did this person appear beside me without making a sound?" Cao Zhengchun felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the smiling Gu Xu.

"Greetings, Daoist Gu Xu"

Regardless, Cao Zhengchun still had to observe the proper etiquette.

"Chief Supervisor Cao, it's been a long time."

Gu Xu replied, then walked to the emperor's side and looked at the five people fighting fiercely in the arena.

"Daoist Master, can Tianya and the others defeat the Imperial Uncle?" the Emperor asked, turning around.

"No," Gu Xu replied immediately.

In the story, the three of them fought against Zhu Wushi together, but were eventually defeated by him. If Yunluo hadn't taken out Suxin's head later, the three of them would have had no chance of survival.

Upon hearing this, the emperor remained silent, watching Zhu Wushi, who was engaged in battle.

Seeing this, Gu Xu said, "If the three of you cannot subdue him, I will naturally take action myself. Your Majesty need not worry."

"I am naturally at ease with the Daoist priest's help, but what about my imperial uncle... sigh."

"This is his own fault; his schemes and plots ultimately came to nothing."

In the arena, Zhu Wushi displayed his might. If Cheng Shifei hadn't repeatedly come to his aid with his Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, Guihai Yidao and Duan Tianya would have been killed on the spot. However, their current situation is not much better, as they are covered in wounds.

"Be careful with each strike!" Haitang swung her longsword to meet a blazing palm strike, while she herself stepped forward to block another. Her skill was slightly weaker, and she was seriously injured on the spot.

"Begonia!" Yi Dao roared, his long sword spinning and creating a phantom. Several sword energies flew out from a blinding white light, and Cheng Shifei and Duan Tianya responded at the same time.

A powerful punch and an unpredictable sword aura struck Zhu Wushi simultaneously. Zhu Wushi's expression turned serious, and he reached out and drew in the giant dragon statue beside him.

With a loud roar, the stone statue revived into a dragon, hovering in the air and continuously speaking to the crowd. Some officials collapsed to the ground on the spot.

"The dragon, the dragon is alive!"

"How can it be"

The emperor was also shocked, but remained composed. "Taoist Master, this is..."

"It's nothing more than easy death and reincarnation. Zhu Wushi has already touched the threshold of the next step, but that's all it will ever be."

His martial arts talent wasn't top-notch to begin with, and after absorbing the power of so many people, it was already a miracle that Zhu Wushi had reached this point. The next step, the Martial Dao Primordial Spirit, was just a pipe dream.

The emperor sensed the disdain in Gu Xu's words and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the astonished and terrified Cao Zhengchun before looking away.

Zhu ignored the stone dragon's protection; any attack that struck it had no effect. Instead, the impact of the energy caused his blood and qi to churn, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"Die!" Zhu Wushi's long hair was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot, and with a wave of his hands, Shi Long once again pushed Cheng Shifei and the other three to the ground.

Just when the four were in imminent danger, three sharp sword lights broke into the battle circle, slashing back and forth around the stone dragon. As the sword lights grew stronger, in just a few breaths, the stone dragon seemed to have been skinned alive, with pebbles constantly falling from it.

"It's you," Zhu Wushi thought fiercely as he looked at Gu Xu, who was pointing his sword. He poured his inner strength into the stone dragon's body, and then a loud explosion occurred, sending countless fragments of stone flying, most of them heading towards the Hall of State Affairs.

"Your Majesty"

Cao Zhengchun shouted and rushed over, using his Heavenly Gang Child Skill to protect the emperor, but he couldn't care less about the others.

The pebbles struck the protective aura with a series of loud thuds. With each impact, Cao Zhengchun's face grew paler. After several dozen breaths, Cao Zhengchun's internal energy was exhausted, and he could no longer hold on.

Several pebbles broke through the air shield and flew straight towards him, causing Cao Zhengchun's eyes to narrow.

A shimmering aura enveloped the entire area; any pebbles that touched the aura instantly turned into dust and were scattered by the wind.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the entire square was in ruins, with the center section sunk several feet into the ground.

Cao Zhengchun glanced at Gu Xu, who had just made his move, and sighed inwardly. This man's skill was already at the level of a god, so it was no wonder that others looked down on him, a mere mortal.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Cao Zhengchun asked worriedly.

"I am fine, Eunuch Cao. Go and check on the ministers."

Cao Zhengchun agreed, and after an investigation, he found that apart from a few people who were seriously injured, the rest were unharmed.

"Thanks to Eunuch Cao and Daoist Gu Xu, otherwise I would have been riddled with holes this time."

Gu Xu's figure flashed, and his primordial spirit shone towards the plaza.

Zhu Wushi, his hair disheveled, knelt on one knee, glaring at Gu Xu, and said weakly, "If it weren't for you, I would be sitting on the throne right now. It's all your fault."

Hearing Zhu Wushi's roar, Gu Xu said calmly, "You are a wolf in sheep's clothing, a scheming and treacherous person, a person who has been betrayed by everyone. You know that what you are doing is not the right path, but you still insist on going your own way. Before you did such things, you should have thought about the consequences you would face today."

"Haha, the victor is king, the loser is a bandit. I have failed today, so further words are useless. I still have one last move, specifically designed to deal with you. Take this!"

Zhu Wushi's internal energy surged, his robes billowed, his black hair fluttered, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and as he clenched his fists horizontally, a loud shout rang out.

With a deafening roar, an even more intense sound than before shocked everyone. An incomparably powerful energy surged towards Gu Xu, and as the energy advanced, all the buildings within a radius of several feet collapsed.

Seeing this, Yuan Shen Zhaoying put his index and middle fingers together, stretched his hand forward, and swirled together streams of icy air, forming a cold ice storm to meet the force of the energy.

As the two forces came into contact, the ice flow condensed the energy into ice at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within three or five breaths, a strange scene appeared on the square.

A vortex of air was trapped by towering, solid ice, with faint air currents flowing within the transparent ice walls, like live fish beneath the ice.

Zhu Wushi stood there dumbfounded. He felt a chill under his feet, and ice quickly spread from his feet, freezing him into an ice statue in no time.

(End of this chapter)