The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 623 Six Paths United
I'll tell you before I die.

Xu Fu said calmly.

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

"Trying to take advantage of me?"

Celestials are inherently strong in offense but weak in defense. For the two who are about to clash at the level of the six paths merging into one, the difference between life and death may only be a matter of moments.

The fact that Xu Fu only told Li Miao the answer before his death undoubtedly had the intention of diverting Li Miao's attention and making him unconsciously hold back, thus giving him the upper hand.

Xu Fu was as frank as ever.

"Yes."

"Although I think this is probably useless to you."

"But in a life-or-death struggle, no means are too extreme."

Li Miao smiled and shrugged upon hearing this.

"That's right."

"Fine, I'll let you take advantage of this."

He reached out and pulled out a fresh gold seal and a jade seal carved from a radish.

"Shall we begin?"

Xu Fu nodded, took a step back, and raised his hand in a gesture.

The priests, who were already prepared nearby, escorted the Japanese dignitaries stationed in Kyoto over, one priest escorting one person, and they lined up neatly on both sides of Li Miao and Xu Fu.

Then he grabbed the powerful and wealthy by the neck and pressed them down hard.

Swah——

The crowd was forced to kneel down in unison.

Of course, not all Japanese are spineless and clever. Naturally, some people were unwilling to kneel before two inexplicable people, so they involuntarily struggled a few times and tried to shout a few curses.

Before they could even open their mouths, a sneer rang out.

The priest behind them suddenly drew his unguarded sword and plunged it into the gap between their necks and collarbones. With a twist, the men fell silent, leaving only their corpses kneeling on the ground, supported by the unguarded swords, blood spreading down their clothes.

Then the scene quieted down.

Then Xu Fu took a step back.

He raised his hands to his brow, slowly bowed, and placed his palms on the ground. The Yata Mirror was placed beneath him, its surface facing upwards, reflecting Xu Fu's expressionless face.

Li Miao raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"It's just a formality, but it's been made quite grand."

"Fine, I'll go along with you."

"Let me think, what word should I use again?"

He stroked his chin and pondered for a while, then clapped his hands.

"cough."

Li Miao raised the golden seal and the jade seal.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, proclaims this."

At his command, the priests suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of the heads of the Japanese dignitaries, slamming hundreds of heads to the ground with a series of muffled thuds, while they themselves knelt down in worship.

In the silent ruins of the imperial palace, only the sound of breathing and Li Miao's voice echoed slowly.

"I have received the Mandate of Heaven to rule over both the Chinese and the barbarians. Wherever my benevolence and power extend, none will fail to obey."

Li Miao had been stationed in the capital for over thirty years without ever leaving. During that time, he had seen countless foreign envoys and served as a guard during grand ceremonies when the emperor bestowed titles upon foreign kings. He had seen it all. Right now, he was simply reciting a slightly modified version of an imperial edict he had heard years ago.

But as he recited it casually—a change occurred.

Right before his eyes, Xu Fu's condition suddenly changed.

Her once black hair gradually turned silver-white, and Nanako's fair and youthful skin began to wrinkle and develop spots. Her full breasts shriveled and slumped down, as if decades had passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Miao also felt the salary flowing into his body continuously, and the illusion belonging to his true self suddenly unfolded uncontrollably. Black gravel gradually covered the ground, and the seawater churned, diluting the blood on the ground and swallowing Madam Xu's corpse.

He continued reading.

"Your Majesty the Japanese, who has lived in Japan for generations, has served the Chinese court with devotion. You have come to submit to the Chinese court out of admiration for righteousness, which is highly commendable."

Each word uttered brings about even more changes.

The illusion of the true mind, covering an area of ​​several tens of feet, swelled up like a balloon. If someone stood at the edge and looked at it, they would see that the boundary of the illusion was constantly extending outward, gradually enveloping the entire Imperial Palace.

Xu Fu's body had withered and decayed to the extreme.

"We hereby dispatch an envoy to deliver this imperial edict."

"I hereby appoint you as King of Japan and bestow upon you a golden seal!"

Li Miao raised his hand and beckoned.

The newly forged golden seal, stirred by the [Myriad Manifestations] True Qi, was gently placed on the surface of the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror) in front of Xu Fu. *Click*

It made a soft sound.

With that soft sound, Xu Fu's decay came to a halt.

In Li Miao's eyes, Xu Fu's dantian and meridians, which had been withered and lifeless like wood and stone, began to condense true qi like dew. At first, it was just a drop, but within a few breaths, it gathered into a torrential downpour.

Second-rate, first-rate, and top-tier—the formidable barriers that had blocked countless martial arts practitioners were crossed in a matter of breaths. His blood and qi surged violently like a volcanic eruption, and even white smoke rose from Xu Fu's seven orifices.

And this is just the beginning.

Beyond the pinnacle lies the realm of celestial beings.

Li Miao looked at Xu Fu with great interest.

Xu Fu's realm was given to him by the River Elder, so the order and characteristics of Xu Fu's crossing the Heavenly Human realm are likely to be exactly the same as those of the River Elder. Li Miao will not let go of this information.

First, there are mesons.

As if sensing Li Miao's interest, Xu Fu used his inner energy to whisper in Li Miao's ear.

"The first ancestor of martial arts was named Zhuan Zhu."

"The so-called martial arts are the techniques of defeating the strong with the weak and the many with the few. After Zhuan Zhu's death, the first few ancestors to produce true qi were almost all assassins."

"The old man from the river was also one of them."

Li Miao nodded almost imperceptibly and continued reciting.

"You shall faithfully uphold your duties as a subject, abide by the calendar, and pacify the region."

With his vital energy surging, Xu Fu cultivated himself into a Vajra.

"After the assassins come the warriors—those who annihilate armies and kill generals, wielding power and influence, they are the Vajra."

"Suppress the naval forces and banish sea pirates."

Sumeru.

"Martial arts flourished, and techniques for accumulating true qi began to emerge like mushrooms after rain. Thus, Sumeru came into being—it can cut through gold and jade, and contain everything. This is Sumeru."

"May merchants travel freely and border people live in peace. May they forever remain loyal and obedient, and may the nation prosper together."

Xu Fu, kneeling on the ground, gradually turned from white hair to black.

Through the Yata no Kagami placed in front of him, Li Miao could see the divine light in his eyes growing ever stronger, like a great star, but at a certain point in time it suddenly receded and disappeared without a trace.

Silence.

Xu Fu's inner energy began to surge and stir restlessly. His original illusion was ready to unfold at any moment, and his killing move was poised to be unleashed—his killing intent was aimed at Li Miao.

Li Miao's lips curled up.

"Respectfully yours."

True constancy is cultivated and perfected.

Xu Fu spoke calmly.

His voice was calm, yet it contained the subtle power of Jizhao, deeply etching his next words into the hearts of the kneeling Japanese dignitaries around him.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation and bow my head repeatedly. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to bestow grace upon us as vast as heaven and earth and virtue that surpasses all ages. Your Majesty, I humbly lead all officials in receiving this imperial decree."

"To serve as a vassal state forever, generation after generation."

Xuanlan, completed.

The ceremony is over.

Six routes, combined into one.

In that instant, the black sand surrounding Xu Fu vanished.

The illusion of his true nature, belonging to Xu Fu, unfolded instantly.

At the same time, she disappeared from the spot.

The next instant, it appeared in front of Li Miao.

With a single, light touch, he aimed at Li Miao's chest. This seemingly slow movement, like a pebble thrown into water, created ripples in the air. The ripples spread outwards, passing over the kneeling bodies around him, silently tearing them to shreds.

Xu Fu's eyes held a murderous intent as cold as frost.

Her candor stemmed from the need for Li Miao's cooperation in the investiture ceremony.

The investiture has now been completed.

"You have no idea what the Six Paths United is, yet you actually dared to cooperate with me to complete the investiture... Can you achieve true immortality in an instant?"

Xu Fu pierced Li Miao's heart with his finger.

"If you can't, then die."

(End of this chapter)