Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

If he knows the secret of the emblem, kill him;

If he mastered the method of copying emblems, he could help others break through the fifth realm, directly exterminate ten generations of their families, and not even spare his friends.

If necessary, we would not hesitate to massacre the entire city's residents!

If he only obtained the emblem by chance and did not know the relationship between the emblem and cultivation level, then all that is needed is to win him over and offer him high-ranking positions and generous salaries.

For three hundred years, the royal family of the Golden Empire has strictly followed procedures, firmly controlling the source of power and maintaining its rule.

But an unexpected change still occurred...

"Zheng!"

The prince thrust out his sword, a sharp, dragon-like roar echoing through the room, filling it with a fierce aura.

Rebellious Basil!

That man with terrifying talent was so cunning! He pretended not to know the secrets of the emblems, acting as if he didn't understand the relationship between "embroidery" and "cultivation," thus deceiving everyone!

No one expected that his ambitions would be so unrealistic.

He concealed everything, not to claim territory and become king, not to change dynasties and become emperor, but he actually wanted to...

They actually want to reveal the secrets of the emblem to the public, so that everyone in the world can benefit from it and help all those with potential break through the shackles of the fifth realm and reach the pinnacle of the tenth realm!

Emblems represent the power of a king, and the Ten Realms represent the domain of a king.

Ordinary lowly people are not worthy of experiencing this!

Doesn't Basil understand this principle?

He was even willing to give up everything for this ridiculous goal, attempting to assassinate the emperor.

madness.

Crazy.

"I have already seen your end."

The prince felt the slight tremor of the sword and murmured to himself.

“I will prove that your efforts are nothing but the futile labor of a fool, and your so-called ideals are nothing but the ravings of an idiot… Teacher Basil!”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Someone at the door said, "Your Highness, a total of twenty high-level exorcist squads have assembled and are ready to depart. We await your order!"

The prince sheathed his sword and abruptly stood up!

His expression was resolute, and there was not a trace of confusion in his eyes.

Chapter 227 There's always time for a cup of tea.

At dusk, led by Langdon, Zuo Chang and Lizhi arrived at the small town located atop Cheonggye Mountain.

Blood Mist Town.

Zuo Chang stood at the entrance of the town, looking at the layout of the town.

It's almost exactly the same as in the game, even the mummified corpses hanging at the town gate are identical.

Lizhi frowned deeply, moved closer to Zuo Chang, and said, "Zuo Chang... is this place legitimate?"

Zuo Chang remained calm: "Very serious."

"Then this..."

She raised her hand and pointed to the corpses on the racks at the town's entrance.

Langdon, unfazed, said, "Miss Lychee, please calm down. These people are here voluntarily."

"what?!"

The lychee's reaction was both unusually strong and understandably so.

She grinned, revealing her teeth. Her once charming red lips now looked coldly sarcastic: "Willing yourself voluntarily? Did Miss Lychee mishear, or do you not understand the true meaning of the word 'voluntary'?"

"Please look here."

Langdon gestured and led Zuo Chang and Lizhi to the hanging mummified corpse.

There was a wooden plaque under each body.

Each wooden sign had a "military order" attached to it.

Depending on the degree of dehydration of the corpse, the preservation of the military orders also varied. Upon careful examination, Lizhi discovered that these military orders were basically all in the same format:

[OO hereby promises: If the 'Great Sage and Sage Teacher' Basil bestows upon me the ancient crystal, then OO will surely advance to the Fifth Realm before XX days!]

[If it fails, I will risk three cuts and six holes, even death!]

[Committed by: OO, Date: X year Y month Z day.]

Langdon, his expression indifferent, said, "You two are exorcists, you should know the value of the 'Ancient Crystals.' Those hanging here are people who voluntarily signed pledges, received and refined the Ancient Crystals, but ultimately failed to reach their goals on the agreed day. Executing them is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"

That's actually not very reasonable.

But I don't know how to refute it.

Lychee insisted, "If they made the promise while they were sober, Miss Lychee doesn't see anything wrong with it. Indiscriminate killing is unacceptable, and breaking one's own oath is equally unacceptable. But—why did you hang them up? Giving them a proper burial shouldn't be difficult."

"It's purely to warn and spur on those who come after. The Five Realms are not so easy to achieve."

Langdon remained expressionless, taking it all in stride.

He was about to lead Zuo Chang and Lizhi into the town when he suddenly saw an old man with white hair appear.

That is--

"Lord Basil? What brings you here?"

Zuo Chang glanced over and found that Basil's character design was exactly the same as the one in the game.

He had a full head of white hair, looked to be in his sixties or seventies, and had no kindness on his face.

His face was etched with deep wrinkles, his robust physique was even more upright than a soldier's, and he exuded a fierce aura!

At this moment, he looked Zuo Chang up and down with his old eyes, which was extremely offensive.

Annoyed by his gaze, Zuo Chang couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?"

Basil chuckled and put his hands behind his back: "Young man, you've got quite a temper."

"I see you like this and you get angry too."

"It's a misunderstanding, I meant no harm. I sensed a unique aura about you, and you seem... to be skilled with a sword."

Of course.

A max-level innate sword bone? Are you kidding me?

Zuo Chang smiled slightly: "My name is Zuo Chang, and my skill in swordsmanship should be no weaker than yours."

"Try?"

Basil brought her hands, which were behind her back, to the front.

He was actually holding a sword, and it was an unsheathed sword.

Zuo Chang thought Luo Le wanted to spar with him, and he became slightly interested.

With the blessing of the Heavenly God Emblem, his cultivation level was actually at the eighth realm; Basil's cultivation level was at the ninth realm.

Different levels of attainment will inevitably lead to different numerical values.

The opponent is the holder of "My Emblem," and their stats are undoubtedly superior to Zuo Chang's, but Zuo Chang has one advantage—

He comes from a thousand years in the future!

With the blessing of a thousand years, Zuo Chang's knowledge and experience are far superior to that of the old-fashioned basil.

Can this "generation gap" erase the numerical differences?

Zuo Chang was very curious about this.

Because the leader of the Gold Rush Knights, that flaxen-haired prince, is also at the Ninth Realm.

Engaging with an enemy of similar strength beforehand helps in controlling potential conflicts that are likely to erupt later.

But what Zuo Chang didn't expect was...

The rebellious basil had no intention of fighting him; instead, he reversed the blade and threw the longsword at him.

Zuo Chang raised his hand and caught it.

"Buzz!"

The next instant, the longsword emitted a dazzling light, its blade trembled incessantly, and its sword cry resounded!

Basil's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Truly excellent swordsmanship! Your Excellency, the sword in your hand is called 'High Branch,' and it possesses unique supernatural powers."

Zuo Chang examined the sword in his hand: "What kind of supernatural power?"

"The art of currying favor with superiors and bullying inferiors."

"??"

what?

Zuo Chang lowered his head again, staring at the long sword in his hand.

The information appeared quickly:

"High Branch Sword": Attack power 1~1.

• Pretend to be a master: The high-branched sword can make you appear as a peerless master. Once activated, in the eyes of others, you will be a handsome swordsman in flowing white robes.

• Climbing High: The High Branch Sword is fickle and prone to infidelity. If your swordsmanship surpasses its original owner's, it will immediately serve you; if someone with even greater swordsmanship talent takes its grasp, it will immediately leave you. (Current owner: Zuo Chang.)

• Flattery: Gao Zhijian is adept at studying. It offers no advantage in battle, but it is extremely skilled at currying favor and making people unable to find fault with it.

When (Zuo Chang) defeats the enemy, the high-branched sword will circle on the battlefield, leaving colorful trails and strange radiance as a celebration.

When (Zuo Chang) is unable to pay attention to his surroundings and fails to notice the approaching danger, the high-branched sword will emit a bright light and a loud noise, and if necessary, will strike (Zuo Chang) on ​​the head as a warning.

• Peasant: The High-Branch Sword will not cause its master any trouble. This sword can vanish into the void on its own, without its master needing to carry it. If needed, the High-Branch Sword will appear from the void, directly beside its master.