The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 644 This servant, Tuoba Weizhi, greets her master… (5k)

In the silent wax garden, bright flames leaped from the bronze cauldron beside the altar, illuminating the priestess's white bone mask, which, along with the army behind her, exuded an imposing aura.

"Ton—" Zhao Du'an seemed to hear himself swallowing, and feelings of tension and fear welled up in his heart.

Zhang Yan did manage to stall Da Laba, but the "managers" in the Laba Garden caught several thieves.

“It’s the High Priestess! I caught a glimpse of her from afar last time, and she really is the one who lives in the Wax Garden…” Yu Xiu explained quickly, sounding slightly nervous.

Jin Jian gripped his staff tightly with both hands, lowering his voice nervously:
"What should we do? How strong is she? Can we stop her? If not, should we leave?"

The little money-grubber is thinking of running away.

Yu Xiu made hand seals, looking ready for battle.

"I don't know. I haven't fought her before and I lack information. But she shouldn't be too strong, otherwise she wouldn't have just sent her servants instead of taking action herself."

Clearly, the servants in the courtyard were at the beck and call of this priest.

Zhao Du'an grinned:
"I don't think so. Is it possible that she deliberately let us in to prevent us from escaping? But no matter how powerful this priest is, the thousands of servants under her are enough to overwhelm us..."

Therefore, let's get rid of the priestess first. Once she's gone, the servants of the gods will be out of control, and we can always use the same trick again.

The three communicated telepathically and quickly reached an agreement.

At this moment, the priestess walked down the altar alone, up the steps, and toward the group.

"Buzz!"

Yu Xiu uttered a low "Go," and a few strands of hair on her head moved without any wind.

She concealed it in her sleeve, and the jade flying sword, as thin as a cicada's wing, transformed into a rainbow of light, instantly covering a hundred paces and approaching the priestess's face!
Within the Taoist community, there is a saying that "a thousand-step flying sword is fast, and a hundred-step flying sword is both fast and accurate." Among known offensive methods, no flying sword can surpass it in terms of speed and sharpness.

It is also a classic tactic for a weak sorcerer to fight a warrior on the front lines.

Under intense pressure, Yu Xiu's sword strike nearly pushed her to her absolute limit. The azure light tore a slit in the night, and the air crackled with sonic booms as the blade passed through.

But the priestess seemed to have sensed it all along, and just before the flying sword was launched, she slowly raised her right hand.

Her movements were slow, yet strangely, her fingers pressed against the tip of the sword at just the right moment.

Then, the magic power on the surface of the jade flying sword was instantly "erased", the blade was as if it had been extinguished, and it was dull and without light. Only the powerful kinetic energy remained, which forcefully pushed the priestess backward more than ten steps!

The priestess frowned, withdrew her hand, and the flying sword, now devoid of kinetic energy and magical power, clattered to the ground.

All of this happened extremely quickly; in the blink of an eye, Yu Xiu's strongest sword strike was defeated.

Yu Xiu's expression changed drastically, her face turning deathly pale as if struck by lightning. Her magical power became unstable, and she exclaimed in horror, "I have lost control of my natal flying sword!"

Zhao Du'an was stunned!
To defeat Yu Xiu so easily, how powerful must this enemy be? Even the most perfect being in the world couldn't achieve that, right?

Could it be... another "half-step Celestial Being"?
"Senior sister!"

Jin Jian exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to help Kun Dao, who was suffering from the backlash caused by the broken flying sword.

Anger surged in the young priestess's eyes. Without hesitation, Jin Jian's hair grew rapidly, and her body transformed, as if she had grown ten years older in an instant. A moon appeared behind her, and her wildly dancing hair whipped the air like a lash.

Jin Jian's face was indifferent as she raised her hand and pointed:
"go with!"

The priestess steadied herself and then took another step forward, walking upwards.

All that could be seen were thousands of long silver hairs dancing wildly in front of them. Each strand of hair was formed from the light of stars and the moon, and was not a physical object, but a pure magical attack.

In Jin Jian's view, since the opponent did not know what method they used to disperse the flying sword's power, they might not be able to deal with a pure magic attack.

however……

Upon seeing this, the priest in his magnificent robes, holding a scepter, paused slightly, seemingly a little impatient, and raised his right hand again, spreading his five fingers, and gently wiped it!
"boom!"

In his furious state, Jin Jian heard a rumbling in his internal organs, and the ever-flowing magical power was suddenly "frozen".

As the magical power ceased to flow, those terrifying strands of hair snapped off one by one.

Jin Jian also groaned, reverting to her girl form, clutching her stomach in pain as she endured the backlash of her magic.

It's been cracked again!

At this moment, both Yu Xiu and Jin Jian were horrified, realizing with horror that the "witch" opposite them seemed to possess some kind of power that could restrain sorcerers.

It can imprison any magical power, meaning it is immune to spells.

The last time they encountered this situation was when Xu Jianwen was carrying a jade pendant that granted immunity to magic.

But it's only immunity; this priest can erase magic and suppress magical power.

"Be careful! Don't use magic, use force!" Yu Xiu shouted a warning to Zhao Du'an, enduring the pain.

"understood!"

At that moment, Zhao Du'an took the opportunity to retrieve the Taibu Bow and a series of fine steel arrows from the scroll.

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, channeling the surging energy within him into the arrow through his fingertips.

"die!"

The first arrow whistled out.

At this distance, it's impossible for the shot to miss!

The fact that this priest could suppress a sorcerer indicates that he was also a sorcerer. Sorcerers are often physically weak and could be killed by a martial artist who is a lower level than them if the martial artist gets close.

But when faced with the incoming iron arrows, the priest simply reached out and grabbed them calmly!
The dark-skinned priestess's hands were as delicate and smooth as those of the women of Yu Kingdom, but when she grasped them, the arrow rubbed against her palm, creating a string of dazzling sparks...

"laugh--"

Amidst a sharp scraping sound, the incredibly powerful arrow was actually stripped of its kinetic energy by the sheer force of the impact!

Not just this one!
The priestess simply tossed aside the purely decorative scepter, and with both hands, swiftly caught the remaining arrows and tossed them away!

Zhao Du'an's eyelids twitched wildly at the sight. What a terrifying physical body! What monstrous power!

Yes... The bloodline of the Liao people is inherently strong, and every young Liao person is as powerful as a Qi-cultivating martial artist.

Seeing this, Zhao Du'an's last shred of hope was extinguished!
Half-step Celestial Being!

The guard of this wax garden must have reached that level of strength.

Is this the true strength of the Liao people? Even though the army has set out, there are still such powerful figures in the rear.

Worst of all, this priest is suspected of possessing the ability to erase magic!
This means that even if Jin Jian activates the teleportation, it is highly likely that the other party will break through it directly, preventing the group from escaping!

"A dead end..."

Zhao Du'an's Adam's apple bobbed, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He dropped the divination bow and quietly gripped the hilt of the Zhen Dao sword.

His expression gradually calmed down.

Without hesitation, he chose to activate the Dragon Control Technique to forcibly awaken the dragon soul dormant within his dantian!
Even at the cost of serious injury, we must defeat this monster priest to create an opportunity to activate teleportation and escape!
However, the moment he awakened the dragon soul, the domineering priest who was climbing the steps slowly trembled slightly beneath his loose priestly robes.

He looked up abruptly, and behind the pale mask, his dark pupils surged with astonishment.

"No, you can't use such powerful strength continuously!"

Yu Xiu weakly got up and saw Zhao Du'an silently leaning on his sword in front of her. She understood his thoughts and loudly reminded him.

Jin Jian's little face was contorted in pain, but she still struggled to get up and forcefully stabbed her staff into the ground with her small hands.

The single eye at the tip of the staff whirred, and a phantom full moon portal slowly appeared, about to forcibly activate the teleportation:
"Go, hurry, my staff can barely activate one teleportation..."

The girl stopped speaking abruptly, her eyes widening as she witnessed an unbelievable scene:
Zhao Du'an stood motionless, leaning on his sword, blocking their path.

The mysterious priest, who was ferocious beyond human comprehension, walked step by step toward Zhao Du'an, but his terrifying aura receded rapidly like a tide.

When the priestess stepped onto the last step and came before Zhao Du'an, her knees buckled, and she knelt respectfully on the ground, prostrating herself in a humble manner, and said in her slightly broken Yu language:
"This servant, Tuoba Weizhi, greets my master."

……

……

"boom!"

Inside the forest, towering trees snapped and crashed to the ground, turning the entire area into a battlefield.

Song Zhi's purple robe was almost torn apart, and the once somewhat frail scholar now had prominent muscles in his chest, arms, and calves.

Beneath the fair skin were rows of menacing, bluish-purple, thick blood vessels.

Even his face was ordinary, and his reddened eyes made him look intimidating.

At this moment, Song Zhi stood in mid-air, slowly retracting his fist, and saw the billowing dust from the jungle below spreading in a ring.

Song Zhi showed no remorse, nor did he bother to observe how much damage his punch had caused Zhang Yanyi. He simply turned and tried to head towards the Layuan Garden.

But as he turned around, he saw the old Celestial Master suddenly blocking his way. Zhang Yan dusted off his dusty robe and smiled.

"You think you can just leave already? Didn't you say you wanted me to die? I'm still not done with this, and I'd like to discuss some principles with you."

Song Zhi's pupils dilated in shock, astonished by Zhang Yanyi's power.

He possessed the body of the Great Laba and fought against the old Celestial Master, who had been weakened by at least two levels. Although he was able to suppress him, he was also entangled and unable to break free.

He said coldly:

“I see. You’re deliberately luring the gods out and keeping Him here. You’re creating opportunities for others to plot against the Garden of Wax? What do you know?”

Zhang Yan smiled calmly, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.
“Song Zhi, you are indeed smart. You should also know that you can’t leave anytime soon.”

Song Zhi smiled as well:

"Zhang Yanyi, I'm afraid your plan is going to fail. Do you think that by luring away the Laba God, there will be no guards in the Laba Garden?"

Let me tell you, anyone below the Heavenly Realm who enters the Wax Garden will surely die. Let me think, you must have sent your disciple to infiltrate, right?
"Haha, then today I'm afraid it will be a case of the white-haired sending off the black-haired." Zhang Yan's smile slowly faded, and he said nothing more, as the Heavenly Book in his hand, wrapped in azure clouds, was smashed out.

A hint of anxiety crept into his eyes as he gazed towards the wax garden.
"Young Zhao, the fate of our team rests on your shoulders."

……

……

"This servant, Tuoba Weizhi, greets my master."

servant girl...

Owner……

Before the temple, Yu Xiu stared in disbelief, her outstretched hand, which had been meant to stop her, froze in mid-air, wondering if she had been under an illusion.

Jin Jian was also stunned, ignoring the fact that the magic staff beside him had opened the door halfway and then closed it again.

What expansion is this?

Just moments ago they were clearly fighting to the death, looking like they were about to crush them all here. How did they suddenly kneel down?

Even Pei Niannu, who was floating behind and gripping the scales tightly with equal tension, showed a rare look of bewilderment.

Next, Zhao Du'an, leaning on his sword, looked down at the prostrate priests at his feet with a very complicated expression, all under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

He said, "Raise your head."

"Yes." Tuoba Weizhi respectfully straightened up slightly and raised his face.

Zhao Du'an carefully reached out and lifted the white bone mask, revealing the face of a pretty young girl with slightly dark skin, around twenty years old.

The priestess's eyebrows were thin and light, and her eye sockets were pitch black. Now, the blackness slowly faded, and her eyes regained their clarity.

But his eyes were strange; they held a mixture of excitement and caution, innocence and a sense of having experienced many hardships.

"Tuoba Weizhi?"

As Zhao Du'an uttered this unfamiliar name, his astonishment was no less than that of the two priests behind him.

Just now, he was indeed preparing to engage in a fierce battle, but after the Dragon Soul awoke, he was astonished to discover that he had established a strange connection with Tuoba Weizhi in front of him.

It's hard to describe. If I had to put it into words, it would be as if I held the other person's life and death in my hands, and could kill them with a single thought.

He had similar feelings when he was with Xu Jianwen.

The feelings back then were not as strong as they are now.

The Great Yu royal family has a secret method that allows royal descendants to suppress worshippers who also cultivate the "Martial God" path across realms.

He was reduced to a mortal due to his cultivation.

Zhao Du'an, who possesses the Dragon Soul, undoubtedly stands at the top of this "suppressive" rule.

Now, facing Tuoba Weizhi, he once again realized the importance of perfectly suppressing his opponent.

Could this raven priest also be practicing the path of a martial god? That's absurd...

And...master?
I?
Shouldn't your master be Da Laba?
Zhao Du'an's heart pounded wildly, but he pretended to be calm and frowned:
"You recognize me?"

Tuoba Weizhi shook his head, his voice devout: "I don't recognize him."

She paused, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes:

“But I recognize that thing here, Master.”

Her eyes were fixed on Zhao Du'an's lower abdomen, feeling the familiar pressure, and her body trembled.

Yu Xiu, Jin Jian, Pei Niannu:? ?

His eyes immediately looked off!

The two priests were astonished and suspicious.

Pei Niannu looked at Zhao Du'an with a hint of admiration...

No, people can be killed indiscriminately, but words can't be spoken carelessly... Zhao Du'an's face darkened, and he turned to the three onlookers behind him, explaining:

"It's the Dragon Soul! The Dragon Soul within me can suppress her."

"Oh, I see..." Yu Xiu and Jin Jian breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see..." Pei Niannu shook her head in disappointment.

Zhao Du'an turned back, stared at the kneeling priestess, and frowned, saying:

"What do you mean?"

Tuoba Weizhi respectfully replied:

"Many years ago, someone told me to wait in the wax garden until someone else came with this item, and that person would be my master."

Zhao Du'an was stunned for a moment, then a thought flashed through his mind, and he quickly asked:
"What's that person's name?"

"He didn't tell me, only that his surname was Xu."

His surname is Xu… Zhao Du'an took a deep breath and asked again:
"You mean many years ago? How many years?"

Tuoba Weizhi hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say:

"Time stands still in the mountains; I only remember that it has been about five or six hundred years."

"You've lived for five or six hundred years? How is that possible?! No one in the world can live that long!" Yu Xiu retorted instinctively!

Suddenly, feeling Pei Niannu's deep gaze beside her, she felt a jolt in her heart and quickly tried to cover it up:

"Of course... nothing is absolute..."

Zhao Du'an didn't care how long the other party had lived. After all, there were too many absurd things in this world. Didn't Pei Niannu also "live" for hundreds of years?

What he cares about is...

"Six hundred years ago, he was surnamed Xu and carried a dragon's soul..."

Zhao Du'an's expression changed.

It is obvious that the "person" mentioned by Tuoba Weizhi must be Emperor Taizu of the Great Yu Dynasty!

Old Xu must have been here back then and left the key here... that matches up.

"I need to know everything."

Zhao Du'an overlooks the young priestess:
"Who are you, and what is this waiting you speak of?"

Tuoba Weizhi knelt on the ground, showing no surprise whatsoever. It was as if she had been preparing for this moment for countless years. She calmly explained:

"I don't know who I am, I only know that when I open my eyes, I am one with the Laba God."

Many people died in the wax garden at that time, and then the man surnamed Xu appeared. He looked at me and said, "Heaven and earth have created this," and said that I was able to be born thanks to a dead old sorcerer.

"At that time, I did not have a physical body, but I could live forever. He first quelled the rebellion, and then lived in the Garden of Lama for many days, studying many books and notes in the temple. He also taught me some common sense and how to control my own power."

He would often go out, sometimes for months at a time, and only return once. This went on for many years, maybe decades, I can't remember exactly.

Later, one day, he found me a body that had recently died and asked me to possess it and serve as a priest in the Wax Garden. He said that every ten years thereafter, the Liao people would hold a ceremony to offer a dead girl for me to replace...

My only mission is to stay here and await the arrival of my master.

Zhao Du'an was stunned.

He exchanged glances with the three women behind him, and they all understood each other's thoughts.

If what Tuoba Weizhi said is true, then based on the scene recorded in the jade ball, we can infer that:

When the last emperor of the Qi Kingdom tried to control the Great Laba Festival, he failed and ended up sacrificing all the imperial guards.

The chief court sorcerer used all his cultivation to suppress Da Laba, and at the same time, Tuoba Weizhi's consciousness was born.

Emperor Taizu, perhaps sensing the great commotion, rushed here, dealt with the situation, and received the entire legacy of the Qi Kingdom's four-hundred-year-old experiment. He also observed and nurtured Tuoba Weizhi for a long time.

Hmm... it's almost equivalent to playing the role of "father".

Decades later, the founding emperor left behind his final arrangements, which would have been the time of his death.

Tuoba Weizhi continued:

“My name was given to me by him. He said that I have a great connection with the Qi Kingdom, and that Wei Zhi was the courtesy name of the crown prince of the Qi Kingdom. I was born into the Liao people, and my lineage can be traced back to the Tuoba clan.”

Zhao Du'an and the others exchanged glances again, and a startling guess arose in their minds at the same time.

The female Taoist priest, who was watching the melon, swallowed hard and whispered to herself:

"Do you think it's possible that she is the last emperor, the crown prince of Qi?"

Jin Jian exclaimed "Wow!" in an exaggerated voice, her eyes widening:

"Doesn't that mean that a man can become a woman...?"

Pei Niannu sighed softly:
"It's something he's capable of doing."

No... Lao Xu seems like a pretty serious person, he wouldn't be so perverse... right?

Well, okay, Lao Xu, who drew martial arts manuals as stick figure abstract paintings, might indeed be a bit unserious.

Zhao Du'an, Pei Niannu, Yu Xiu, and Jin Jian chirped for a while, then turned to look at Tuoba Weizhi kneeling on the ground.

"Stand up and speak," Zhao Du'an said in a deep voice.

(End of this chapter)