Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 345 The terror of the Profound Realm! Sword Immortal Zhao Qingtan!

Chen Zhan remained noncommittal in response to Gao Taotao's question.

"Even if my martial arts skills don't improve, that old man couldn't stop me back then. Now that he's long gone, this imperial palace can't stop me either."

Gao Taotao's gaze suddenly froze, and it seemed that only Chen Zhan's blue figure remained in her field of vision. All the past entanglements instantly surged into her mind.

She composed herself, her tone cold and stern: "So, Daoist Master, your purpose in entering the palace this time is to unleash a massacre?"

She was always good at reading people's hearts. She knew that if Chen Zhan really intended to kill, no amount of talking would help. So she simply got straight to the point and didn't bother with unnecessary maneuvering.

Chen Zhan remained silent, gazing at Gao Taotao, who was several dozen feet away.

Wei Wuhai, standing to the side, felt as if the air around him had solidified, as if he were in a deep, turbulent sea, with an invisible pressure pressing down on him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

This wasn't a direct suppression based on martial arts skills, but rather a tense, stagnant atmosphere between the two, making it hard to breathe.

The moment the two met, they seemed to have completely forgotten their business.

Wei Wuhai sighed inwardly, Chen Zhan was right.
When Empress Dowager Gao saw him, she was able to temporarily suppress her anger over the murder of her younger brother.

However, this old grudge seems to be much more serious than the matter of Gao Shilin.

"Forget it, I have no interest in your empire." After a long while, Chen Zhan withdrew his gaze and walked to a chair in the hall to sit down.

The tense atmosphere in the arena suddenly dissipated, and Wei Wuhai felt a sense of relief. He subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, but a layer of cold sweat had already broken out on his back.

"I haven't been to this palace for over ten years, and you won't even serve me a cup of tea?" Chen Zhan sat upright in his chair, his tone as calm as ever.

"Hmph, serve tea."

Gao Taotao flicked her sleeve, her tone still carrying a hint of displeasure, but she accepted the way out Chen Zhan had given her.

She knew it was not the right time to dwell on the past, so she could only remain on guard and observe the situation.

During their conversation, the two showed no intention of dismissing those around them.

The eunuchs and maids at the palace gate heard everything clearly and were terrified, feeling as if their heads might be chopped off at any moment. Yet, they dared not be negligent and trembled as they stepped forward with teacups, carefully serving tea to Chen Zhan, fearing that the slightest mistake would result in punishment from the Empress Dowager.

Chen Zhan picked up his teacup and sipped silently.

The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly. Seeing this, Wei Wuhai quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Empress Dowager, Master Chen has come here today regarding Lord Gao's matter..."

He wanted to say "I apologize," but felt it was inappropriate; he wanted to say "Let's discuss," but didn't know where to begin, and his words froze in mid-air.

Gao Taotao raised her hand to interrupt him, her tone firm: "I know what this is about, there's no need to say more. Gao Shilin is my only brother, and we can't just let it go like this."

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall became tense again.

Chen Zhan put down his teacup and nodded: "That old thing was slapped by me back then, and he must have been dead for several years. Does the Empress Dowager have a new reliance to rely on now that she dares to speak like this?"

He could see clearly that Gao Taotao was a smart person, and she would never be so arbitrary and forceful if she didn't have a new backer.

"Master, you might as well give it a try."

Gao Taotao's gaze swept across the hall, her aura imposing.

Having been in charge of the Song Dynasty for over a year, her prestige has grown daily, and her demeanor is no longer what it used to be; she is no longer the reserved woman she once was.

Chen Zhan shook his head slightly, his tone seemingly conciliatory yet carrying an unquestionable bottom line: "How does the Empress Dowager intend to handle this?"

"Hand over the murderer and execute him by slow slicing as a warning to others," Gao Taotao stated bluntly.

"No, let's choose another one." Chen Zhan refused without hesitation.

"Heh, then I'll take all the assassins from your Twenty-Four Towers and bring them to the court for my use," Gao Taotao sneered.

"That won't work either." Chen Zhan's response remained decisive.

"you……"

"Since that's the case, then you can just wait for the army to come to your door! You can leave, but do you think everyone in the Twenty-Four Towers can leave?"

Gao Taotao's face darkened, and her tone became threatening.

Chen Zhan slowly stood up and turned to Wei Wuhai beside him, saying, "Brother Wei, you'd better step back. I promised you I would try my best not to make a move, but it seems that's no longer possible."

Wei Wuhai's expression was as solemn as iron.

He knew that Chen Zhan's words meant he was really going to take action, but if he left the palace now, it would be tantamount to betraying the court, leaving him with no place to stand in the future.

But if they stay inside the palace, they might suffer collateral damage.

Chen Zhan didn't give him much time to think.

His gaze swept across the hall and landed around Gao Taotao. He spoke calmly, "With your abilities alone, I'm afraid you four Dragon God Guards are not enough to protect her."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zhan remained standing in the same spot, without moving an inch, but his aura suddenly became heavy and stagnant.

The next moment, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze, then became as viscous as mercury, and each breath required a great deal of effort.

Wei Wuhai had already entered the Profound Realm, but at this moment he had no power to resist at all.

My heart was pounding so fast it felt like a drum, so clear it seemed about to leap out of my throat.

Not only that, but the heartbeats and breathing of the palace maids and eunuchs dozens of feet away at the palace gate, and even the slightest sounds of the wind rustling through the grass outside the palace, all entered his ears, disturbing his peace of mind.

"Transcendent Realm... Upper Realm!" Wei Wuhai exclaimed in shock, his voice filled with horror. "Dao Master, spare him..."

"Bam—!"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zhan waved his hand.

An invisible wave of energy suddenly surged forth, sending Wei Wuhai flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He crashed into several eunuchs and palace maids who were unable to dodge in time, and together they were thrown out of the hall.

Immediately afterwards, the heavy wooden doors of the main hall slammed shut on their own, extinguishing all the candles inside. Only the dim morning light from outside the windows slanted in, illuminating the mess on the floor.

On the high platform inside the hall, four figures suddenly appeared, all dressed in strange attire with purple robes embroidered with golden dragons. They were the four guards of the Dragon God.

The four of them simultaneously channeled their inner energy, instantly unleashing a field of profound inner strength that protected Gao Taotao in the center.

Within the area, air circulation resumed, and Chen Zhan's oppressive aura was shut out.

Although the field condensed in the intermediate stage of the Profound Realm can only cover a few feet around the person, it can still protect the target within this range.

The realm of profound understanding is a new heaven with every step.

While those in the middle realm can still condense a small area for self-protection, those in the upper realm can use the bridge between heaven and earth to connect with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, control the energy within a hundred feet, condense and increase pressure, and spread their oppressive aura in all directions.

Furthermore, it can amplify its own moves by borrowing the energy of heaven and earth, doubling its power, and its attacks carry the momentum of heaven and earth, far surpassing those of the middle realm.

"You really dare to kill me?"

"The Song Dynasty has hundreds of thousands of soldiers spread across the land. Do you not care about the lives of your disciples and followers?"

Gao Taotao was so overwhelmed by the pressure that her blood was churning, but she still forced herself to shout angrily.

Chen Zhan curled his lip, his tone laced with sarcasm: "The Song Dynasty has hundreds of thousands of soldiers, yet they are huddled in a corner, unable to even reclaim their homeland. They can't defeat the Liao Dynasty, and they are also wary of the Western Xia, who send them mountains of tribute every year. The Empress Dowager's toughness is nowhere to be seen in the face of these tributes."

As he spoke, he slowly took a step forward.

The air inside the hall instantly became even thicker, and the beams creaked and groaned, while dust fell down along the beams and pillars.

The teacups and lamps on the table, and the Song Dynasty porcelain vases on the shelf, shattered one after another with a "bang," shards flying everywhere.

The domain of the Four Envoys was continuously compressed by an invisible pressure, and the area that originally covered several feet had now shrunk to less than two feet.

The four men's faces were flushed, and veins were bulging on their foreheads, clearly indicating that they were doing their best to hold on, and the pressure had increased even more than before.

"Hmph! To wage war against Liao and Xia would be to violate the Treaty of Shanyuan. When war breaks out and people are displaced, can you bear the responsibility?"

Gao Taotao's momentum weakened slightly, and her voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

"The Treaty of Shanyuan? A brotherly alliance, where the elder brother has to pay the younger brother hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year? Does the Empress Dowager really think that an alliance can restrain the Khitans?"

Chen Zhan took another step forward.

"Bang bang bang bang—!" Four muffled loud noises rang out in succession, and the domain of the Four Envoys shattered in response.

The four men were struck as if by a heavy blow, flying backward and crashing heavily into the palace wall behind them, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Without the protection of the field, a terrifying pressure instantly descended upon Gao Taotao.

Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, struggling to breathe. She didn't even have the strength to speak, and could only let out heavy, labored gasps.

Chen Zhan took two more steps and was already close to the high platform in the hall.

Just then, "Whoosh—!"

A sharp sword light pierced through the air from outside the hall, aiming straight for Chen Zhan's back, avoiding vital areas.

As soon as the sword light entered the main hall, its speed suddenly slowed down. The closer it got to Chen Zhan, the stronger the stagnation became. However, it still managed to break through the surrounding pressure with the blue and white true energy covering the sword and continue to thrust forward.

Chen Zhan slowly turned around, and the sword light arrived just in front of him.

He reached out and firmly grasped the sword hilt. The blue and white true energy on the sword surged wildly, trying to break free of his control. The sword trembled incessantly, emitting a sharp "humming" sound.

"You've mastered the sword intent, not bad, Little Qingtan." Chen Zhan chuckled, stroking the sword hilt with his fingertips.

Before he finished speaking, the blue and white energy on the sword became increasingly agitated, struggling wildly like a living thing, pulling the longsword to try to break free from Chen Zhan's grasp.

Chen Zhan's eyes flickered slightly, and a wisp of blood-red light suddenly emerged from his palm, instantly spreading and covering the entire longsword.

The sword, which originally shone with a bluish-white luster, instantly transformed into a scarlet blood sword. Dense blood energy surged in like a tide, tightly enveloping the bluish-white energy and devouring it frantically.

In a short while, the spirituality of the sword was completely worn away by the blood energy, and the trembling sword body calmed down completely, lying obediently in Chen Zhan's palm, with no strength left to struggle.

At the same time, a graceful figure descended from the sky, tall and slender with a beautiful face, dressed in a blue and white robe, resembling a sword immortal.

It landed steadily beside Gao Taotao.

Her aura instantly expanded, enveloping Gao Taotao within it.

The suffocating pressure suddenly dissipated, and Gao Taotao opened her mouth wide, gasping for breath, finally managing to snatch a breath back from the brink of death.

The four guards who had been thrown back earlier struggled to their feet and bowed respectfully to the beautiful woman.

"Greetings, Commander!"

The commander of the four wings of the Dragon God Guard was actually a woman, and quite young.

The woman nodded slightly, then turned to Gao Taotao beside her, clasped her hands in greeting, and asked, "Empress Dowager, are you alright?"

Gao Taotao looked at the woman with a hint of apprehension in her eyes, but simply shook her head and said nothing more.

The woman then turned to Chen Zhan, her tone tinged with helplessness:

“Brother Zhan, the Empress Dowager cannot be killed. Xu’er is still young. The Song Dynasty cannot be without a ruler for even a day.”

Gao Taotao was not surprised that the two knew each other, but her expression became increasingly discouraged.

Her last resort was that she was an old acquaintance of Chen Zhan, and their relationship was quite special.

Chen Zhan nodded slowly, raised his hand to withdraw his true energy domain, and the oppressive atmosphere in the hall instantly dissipated:
"Qingtan actually became the commander of the Dragon God Guard and made a name for himself as a 'Sword Immortal' in the martial arts world. His temperament is also much more composed than when he traveled the martial arts world with me back then."

A hint of reminiscence flashed in Zhao Qingtan's eyes.

When the two first met more than ten years ago, she was a young girl of sixteen. Now, more than a decade has passed.

Chen Zhan looked exactly the same as before, without any change, while she had taken on a heavy responsibility.

She was originally the younger sister of Emperor Yingzong of Song, Zhao Shu, and was titled Princess Yong'an. According to seniority, she should address Gao Taotao as "Imperial Sister-in-law".

However, the two were far apart in age and had rarely met since childhood, so they had no close relationship whatsoever. But now that the Song Dynasty was in turmoil, she, as a member of the royal family, could not remain uninvolved.

"Brother Zhan is joking."

"Qingtan's martial arts skills were mostly taught by you, how dare I take credit for them?"

Zhao Qingtan smiled faintly.

Chen Zhan sighed softly, his tone tinged with a sense of speechlessness.

He had thought that the Empress Dowager had some powerful backing, a contingency plan left by the old eunuch back then, but he never expected that the most skilled martial artist in the royal family would be Zhao Qingtan.

"The royal family has declined and is no longer what it once was."

“There are top experts lying in wait in the Western Xia First-Class Hall and the Liao Kingdom’s Ordo Secret Guard. Xu’er is still young. This is the legacy left by my elder brother, and I have no choice but to protect it.”

Zhao Qingtan's tone was solemn.

The two talked as if no one else was around, completely ignoring Gao Taotao, as if she were just an insignificant decoration.

Chen Zhan, knowing her difficulties, pondered for a moment and said:

"It's alright if we don't kill her."

"But she needs to relinquish power."

The first part of the sentence made Zhao Qingtan and Gao Taotao breathe a sigh of relief at the same time.

Chen Zhan always kept his word; once he promised not to kill, he would never go back on his word.

But when the second half of the sentence was uttered, Gao Taotao's eyes widened instantly, her face full of disbelief, clearly not expecting Chen Zhan to make such a request.

Zhao Qingtan frowned slightly, clearly surprised by the suggestion: "But Xu'er is only ten years old, young and inexperienced, and the affairs of the court are complicated. I'm afraid she will be unable to manage the government."

"You will assist him."

"Although Zhao Xu is young, he may not be ignorant of national affairs."

"The Song Dynasty has a century-old foundation and has never lacked capable civil officials. We can let them assist Xu'er in handling government affairs and gradually gain experience."

After a pause, Chen Zhan changed the subject and spoke about military generals: "As for military generals, the Song Dynasty has a vast territory with many fierce generals and experts. We just need to find a way to guide them and get them to serve the country."

"The Twenty-Four Towers killed people they shouldn't have killed in the capital this time, and they deserve to be punished."

"As punishment, they were ordered to leave the capital to carry out their duties, to roam the martial world, to integrate the scattered martial arts forces, and to bring them under the command of the imperial court in the future."

"how do you feel?"

His gaze swept across the hall, and he slowly explained the solution.

These words were extremely dense with information, involving several major issues such as the return of power, assisting in governance, and the integration of the martial arts world. Zhao Qingtan was unable to fully digest them at the moment and fell into deep thought.

Gao Taotao, who had recovered from her shock, stood up abruptly upon hearing this and loudly retorted:

"No! You are attempting to overthrow the imperial court! Zhao Xu is only a ten-year-old child; how can he manage the affairs of the nation?"

"If we hand over the foundation of the Song Dynasty to a group of military men, the peace that the Treaty of Shanyuan has brought us for over a century will be destroyed in an instant!"

"Shut up!"

A cold shout rang out, not from Chen Zhan, but from Zhao Qingtan.

Before she finished speaking, her true energy stirred slightly, and her domain expanded once more, precisely enveloping Gao Taotao.

An invisible pressure suddenly struck, and the words that Gao Taotao was about to say were abruptly cut off. Her throat felt like it was being choked, and her face turned bright red.

Gao Taotao was shocked. She still didn't understand that what Chen Zhan had just said was not a discussion, but a finalized decision.

Perhaps she had previously harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that Zhao Qingtan could stop Chen Zhan, but Zhao Qingtan herself knew all too well.
The profound cultivation level that Chen Zhan displayed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

"Brother Zhan's decision is beyond question."

"However, the matter of returning power to the emperor involves many issues and must be handled gradually to avoid turmoil in the court."

Zhao Qingtan turned to Chen Zhan, her tone softening somewhat.

Chen Zhan nodded slightly, acknowledging her consideration: "Alright. But this matter cannot be delayed for too long. Zhao Xu must assume power within three months."

(End of this chapter)