Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 383 The Fifth Life in the Mortal World! A Modern-Day Old Man in a Zhongshan Suit?
The night wind howled, and the inner courtyard of the Eastern Depot was deathly silent.

"Ok?"

Lu Xuan, who was originally engrossed in refining the highly nourishing medicinal herbs, suddenly stopped what he was doing.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked towards the door.

Bathed in the glow of the lanterns on either side, a dark figure stood still like a sculpture.

Two red lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed slightly in the wind.

The candlelight shone through the white gauze covering the door, casting a fiery red glow onto the room's floor.

Swish!
A sliver of blue light suddenly tore through the darkness!
The cyan sword light was so fast that it was beyond the sight of ordinary people, leaving only a thin, paper-like trace on the retina.

The door slid down silently, the break smooth as a mirror, without even a single grain of wood chipping away.

Shen Wanbao stepped in under the bright moonlight. As his boots rolled over the threshold, the hanging lanterns suddenly dimmed for a moment.

When the firelight returned, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was already standing inside the room.

The hem of his flying fish robe was still swaying slightly, but he remained frozen in place like a cast iron.

"Lord Lu, it's time for you to set off..." Shen Wanbao's voice was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent room.

He stared directly at Lu Xuan, his gaze sharp as a knife, cold and unwavering, as if the person before him were already a corpse.

"I imagine my beloved disciple has been waiting for you for a long time on the road to the underworld."

Every word Shen Wanbao spoke seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an extremely chilling coldness.

Whether it was to avenge his beloved disciple Yuan Qian or to carry out the emperor's decree.

Tonight, Lu Xuan, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, must die.

Shen Wanbao stood straight as a sword, his right hand slowly resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Between his fingertips and the hilt of the sword, a faint blue light lingered.

"Clang!!!" Before the sword was drawn, the sound of a dragon's roar could be heard.

The candlelight within three zhang around Shen Wanbao suddenly dimmed, as if intimidated by the invisible sword energy.

His eyes reflected the flickering lamplight, yet they were utterly cold.

Lu Xuan remained seated cross-legged on the training platform, his brow furrowed.

Four hours ago, Cao Er led the elite forces of the Eastern Depot to the palace to receive an imperial decree.

The result was good.

Cao Er and his men disappeared, replaced by Shen Wanbao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who launched a nighttime attack.

Lu Xuan suddenly realized that he had miscalculated; he had placed too much faith in the human instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm.

I originally thought that the old emperor Qian Dongji would at least consider the balance of the court and temporarily leave the Eastern Depot as a weapon.

Unexpectedly, this aging dragon was willing to cut off its own claws and teeth in order to personally eliminate the Eastern Depot.

Of course, Lu Xuan didn't care about the survival of the Eastern Depot.

In his eyes, the so-called Eastern Depot was nothing more than a pawn in his hands.

Whether they are lackeys of the imperial court or ruthless dens of demons, it doesn't matter as long as it drives them to achieve their goals.

Lu Xuan never wanted so-called power, but rather pawns who would absolutely obey his orders.

The best outcome is one that helps one quickly transcend this mundane world.

However, these continuous obstacles were wearing down Lu Xuan's patience.

Well then, the time is ripe, and it's time to change the master of that dragon throne.

The Great Yu Kingdom needs someone who can control the overall situation, an emperor who bows down to Lu Xuan.

In a single breath, in just one breath, the world changed drastically.

Suddenly, the entire room burst forth with a blinding blue light, and countless sword energies tore through the night like tearing silk.

Each cyan sword mark was so solid that it reflected dazzling starlight under the moonlight, illuminating the sky above the Eastern Depot as if it were daytime.

Shen Wanbao's inner energy erupted completely, and the aura of a Grandmaster soared into the sky, causing the clouds above the Eastern Depot to swirl.

The beams, pillars, doors, windows, bricks, and tiles of the side room silently disintegrated in the blue sword energy, turning into a flurry of wood chips.

But before these fragments could land, they were frozen in mid-air by a sudden burst of extremely cold air—

Click!

A biting wind swept by, and all the suspended debris instantly froze.

Moonlight pierced through the ice crystals, casting countless sword shadows on the ground.

In the center of this crystalline scene of destruction, Lu Xuan finally rose slowly, his dark python robe now covered with frost patterns.

The world suddenly became silent.

The pieces of wood shattered by the sword energy still hovered in mid-air, each one encased in a crystalline ice shell.

The azure sword aura maintained its posture of tearing the heavens and earth apart, yet it was frozen solid in the ice.

"Crackling..." The faint sound of ice cracking was particularly clear in the night.

At this moment, Shen Wanbao suddenly realized that his sword energy could no longer be pushed forward even an inch.

Not only was the cyan sword energy frozen, but even the air within three zhang around him turned into solid ice crystals.

The most terrifying thing was that Shen Wanbao clearly saw a falling bamboo leaf stop in front of him.

The dewdrops, clinging to the tips of the leaves and holding onto the air, are still poised to fall.

The world lost its color, all things froze, and even time seemed to lose its meaning.

Lu Xuan walked over, stepping on the solidified sword energy on the ground. The crisp sound of his boots hitting the ice was the only sound in this still world.

Shen Wanbao's last consciousness was of the crystal-clear, icy blue world before him.

His pupils were still constricted in astonishment, and through the thick ice, he could see Lu Xuan's otherworldly face.

In the instant before Shen Wanbao's consciousness faded, countless questions flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

Why does Lu Xuan, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, possess such inconceivable power?

Is this... truly a realm that mortals can reach?
"Could he be...?"

Before this thought could fully form in Shen Wanbao's mind, his consciousness was plunged into eternal night.

Inside the Golden Palace, the nine golden pillars, illuminated by candlelight, made the throne shine as brightly as day.

The Qinglong Town Commander knelt on one knee on the coiled dragon gold brick, the bloodstains on his flying fish robe not yet completely dry: "Your Majesty, the traitors of the Eastern Depot have all been executed."

His voice echoed in the empty hall, but could not drown out the faint sounds coming from the right side of the throne.

Qian Dongji leaned lazily on the dragon throne, his right hand playing with Lin Qinghan's loose black hair.

The beauty's semi-transparent gauze dress barely covered her exquisite figure, and ambiguous red marks on her snow-white skin spread from her neck to her half-exposed, proud, snow-white skin...

Her lipstick was smudged, and the corners of her eyes still held a hint of allure.

"Um.….."

Qian Dongji's fingers inadvertently brushed against the fresh bite mark on Lin Qinghan's collarbone.

"Where is Lu Xuan's head?"

The commander of the Vermilion Bird Garrison hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, Commander Shen went there personally... but he hasn't returned yet."

"Um……"

Qian Dongji responded casually, his attention entirely focused on Lin Qinghan.

It was as if he wasn't the one who personally issued the decree to execute his own son.

A sudden gust of cold wind swept in from outside the hall, causing the red veil around Lin Qinghan's neck to flutter and reveal more of her unsightly marks.

But she was completely unaware, and simply obediently poured wine for the emperor.

At this moment, the biting north wind outside the palace became even more intense, causing the decorations inside to tremble violently.

Lin Qinghan's loose black hair danced wildly in the wind.

She suddenly trembled all over, her beautiful eyes wide open as she stared at the gilded palace gate.

"Your Majesty..." Lin Qinghan's trembling voice was drowned out by the sudden howling of the cold wind. Wisps of frosty cold air could be seen seeping in from the cracks in the door, crawling across the ground like living things.

Strange ice patterns rapidly condensed on the gold bricks, and those patterns spread toward the throne at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Ok?"

Qian Dongji suddenly sat up straight and knocked over the gilded brazier on the table.

The embers rolled onto the ice and went out instantly, sending up plumes of white steam.

The Azure Dragon Garrison Commander swiftly drew his sword, but the tip of the sword was covered in white frost at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The three garrison commanders exchanged horrified glances—this was not a natural chill, but rather…
"It's you……"

"Lu Xuan!"

Lin Qinghan dug her nails, painted with red nail polish, deep into her palms, and blood dripped from between her fingers onto the ice surface, instantly congealing into blood beads.

The figure that came treading on the frost, wasn't that the enemy she had been longing to kill day and night?
Through the changing seasons, ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The landscape of the Great Yu Kingdom remains the same, only a new emperor has arrived.

The once-illustrious Jinyiwei headquarters is now deserted, and the bronze characters "Sujing" are covered in moss.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Depot's black iron token was already hanging high above the main hall of the Six Ministries, and even the memorials of the court officials had to be reviewed by the Eastern Depot and its guards first.

The old tea drinkers near the capital city all remember that after that night ten years ago, many things changed.

After the second prince ascended the throne, he adopted the title "Emperor Shenghe." As for the once bustling residence of Grand Tutor Qing, it has now become a warehouse for storing tax silver.

These ten years were recorded in great detail by historians.

Ten years ago, Shen Wanbao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, led the Embroidered Uniform Guard in a conspiracy with the Imperial Guards to rebel. They launched a night attack on the Eastern Depot and killed the Twelve Protectors of the Eastern Depot.

Finally, Lu Xuan, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, turned the tide and swiftly purged the rebels.

Emperor Shenghe was moved by his loyalty and bravery, and thus abolished the Embroidered Uniform Guard, promoting him to the Eastern Depot to oversee the Three Departments.

Unfortunately, the head of the Eastern Depot was too late; the late emperor on his deathbed had already passed away.

And from the direction of the Eastern Palace, flames were also shooting into the sky.

The main hall had been burned to the ground, with only a few charred corpses remaining in a struggling posture.

Immediately following, three days after Emperor Shenghe ascended the throne, an unprecedented imperial edict was issued in the Golden Palace.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: ... Lu Xuan, the Director of the Eastern Depot, has rendered meritorious service to the nation by quelling the rebellion and stabilizing the country..."
He was specially granted the title of "Prince Auxiliary to the State," and was allowed to enter the palace with a sword and shoes, and to be addressed by the emperor without being named.

The old ministers in the Golden Palace prostrated themselves on the ground, watching the figure in the black python robe slowly walk up the golden steps.

The new emperor actually got up to greet him personally and placed half of the tiger tally in his hand.

This is the first time since the founding of the Great Yu Kingdom that a king of a different surname has shared military command with the emperor.

In the early autumn of the tenth year of Emperor Shenghe's reign, the imperial study in the palace was brightly lit with candles.

Emperor Shenghe—the former second prince—is now approaching forty.

He was dressed in a bright yellow casual robe, with a dragon pattern embroidered on it, which was faintly visible in the candlelight.

Between Emperor Shenghe's brows lay the composure and weariness that came with more than a decade of imperial life.

The newly appointed chief eunuch stood demurely to the side, his body motionless.

He had served Emperor Shenghe for twenty years and had long since figured out the emperor's thoughts.

All that talk of being diligent in governing and caring for the people, all that talk of working day and night, was just a performance for Lu Xuan, the former head of the Eastern Depot.

Emperor Shenghe has been acting ever since he ascended the throne ten years ago.

He will portray a wise and diligent ruler, and a virtuous leader who knows how to recognize and appoint capable people.

Even the furrowed brow when reviewing memorials and the perfectly timed air of authority when summoning ministers were all carefully crafted expressions.

Boom! ! !
A series of muffled thunderous roars suddenly tore through the night sky of the capital.

The vermilion brush in Emperor Shenghe's hand snapped with a "crack," and the crimson ink splattered onto his bright yellow dragon robe, resembling fresh blood.

"What's going on?" He suddenly stood up, and the memorials on the dragon desk scattered all over the floor.

Outside the palace, a fierce wind howled, and dark clouds gathered at a visible speed over a certain part of the capital, forming a huge vortex.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared within the vortex, and a faint, icy blue beam of light could be seen piercing the heavens.

"His Majesty!"

At this moment, several imperial guards stumbled into the hall, their armor still covered with unmelted ice shards.

The head guard knelt on one knee, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, it's from the Prince Regent's residence..."

Before he could finish speaking, the entire palace suddenly shook violently.

The glazed tiles on the roof rustled, and years of accumulated dust between the beams and pillars fell in waves.

Emperor Shenghe gripped the edge of the dragon desk tightly, his fingernails scraping against the sandalwood with a harsh sound.

Immediately afterward, the commander of the guards kowtowed heavily, his voice almost swallowed by the howling wind: "In the Prince of the State's residence, a white light pierced straight into the sky!"

"What!" The composed mask on Emperor Shenghe's face shattered instantly.

He shoved the dragon table aside and rushed down the steps, not even bothering to straighten his crooked crown.

And so, Emperor Shenghe staggered out of the palace, his bright yellow dragon robe fluttering in the wind.

He looked up and saw that the entire night sky of the capital was bathed in the white light, turning it into a snowy, frosty color.

However, this earth-shattering phenomenon came quickly and went even faster.

Among them, there was another person who also departed along with this extraordinary celestial phenomenon.

That man was none other than Lu Xuan, the Prince Regent who had dominated the Great Yu Kingdom for many years!
Tianwu Realm!

Host: Lu Xuan

Realm: Four Incarnations of a Mortal Immortal (Perfect)
功法：焚天刀法19/9，咫尺天涯17/9，不死不灭17/9。

Points: 100 million

In the mortal world of the Great Yu Kingdom, Lu Xuan did not acquire many system points.

The mere 5000 million system points, combined with the original 8100 million system points, are just enough to deduce the Burning Heaven Blade Technique once.

To Lu Xuan's surprise, after deducing the Burning Heaven Blade Technique to the 19th level, he directly broke through to the perfect realm of the Four Incarnations of the Mortal World Immortal.

"very good!"

As soon as the two words were spoken, a black beam of light shot out from Lu Xuan's body, heading straight for the void rift.

.........

When Lu Xuan opened his eyes again, the mountain breeze brushed against his wrinkled yet unusually ruddy face.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Xuan looked down at his crisp black Zhongshan suit and his wrinkled yet remarkably strong hands.

This 95-year-old body contains unimaginable explosive power.

Modern city? Traditional Chinese martial arts? Perfected internal strength? ??

Moreover, Lu Xuan experienced an unprecedented feeling, which seemed to be some kind of inviolable law of heaven and earth.

The vitality of this aged body was slipping away as quickly as sand in an hourglass.

Even though extremely powerful energy surged through his meridians, the feeling of decay emanating from his internal organs was like a persistent carbuncle, impossible to shake off.

Looking up, a sea of ​​clouds surged beneath my feet.

The two-story villa behind Lu Xuan, with its striking design and tempered glass construction, reflected the golden glow of the rising sun.

Nine black cars were parked in front of the porch.

On the other side of the mountaintop, on a specially paved asphalt road, the roar of an engine suddenly rang out.

Three gleaming black luxury cars drove up one after another, their streamlined bodies shimmering in the sunlight.

The emblem on the front of the lead car gleams with a metallic sheen, followed by two modified SUVs.

The intelligent recognition system emitted a soft "beep" sound, and the electronic iron gate fence automatically slid open to both sides.

Clearly, the iron gate had already entered the license plates of these vehicles into the system, allowing them to pass freely.

(End of this chapter)