Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

Luo Hou and the others did not linger, but went directly past Haofa Hall to Yufeng Terrace.

Wearing a red dress and a silk scarf covering her face, Feng Ru Wuqing was waiting.

"Lord Wu, it's been a long time."

"Your Excellency Feng Ru's demeanor is even more impressive than before."

Ying Shuang glanced at the people behind Luo Hou and said calmly, "I originally wanted to experience the unparalleled moves of the Martial Lord, but it seems that this time, the Martial Lord has arranged a suitable opponent for me."

"The God of the Land of the Dead is skilled in magic; the two of you may have a chance to meet."

"So you are the God of the Land of the Dead. I have long admired Ying Shuangqing."

Shao Hao bowed politely: "I dare not accept such a thing. I have come to seek instruction from Venerable Feng Ru in the arts and techniques of Confucianism."

Originally, Shao Hao didn't need to exert his strength to break through Hao Zhengwu's five paths, but Luo Hou wanted him to fight Feng Ru. Shao Hao had absorbed the techniques of the Dead Kingdom, the Tower of Compassionate Light, the Poetic Heavenly City, the Ascending Shore, and the Xuanzong Sect. If he could also learn the techniques of the Confucian sect, it would be beneficial to him.

The group did not stop at Jade Phoenix Terrace, but continued forward, arriving at the Burial Sword Tomb of Haozheng Third Path.

Chapter 407 Martial Lord VS Imperial Scholar: I Hurt You to Save You

A solitary grave, ten thousand broken swords, bathed in the glow of dusk.

This is the burial place of the Confucian heroes, guarded by the legendary figures Sui Wuduan and Jian Zhichi.

The two brothers have each received five thousand Qiongxiao Piming Swords, and their swordsmanship is about to reach its peak. However, when facing the legendary Martial Lord, the two brothers and Yu Junheng showed the same nervousness.

"You will accompany the two esteemed swordsmen for a friendly sparring session."

Luo Hou left Huang Quan and his wife behind, and continued onward with Ji Xia Shang.

Huang Quan waved to Sui Wuduan and Jian Zhichi: "Show us your best skills and defeat us, or I will make you suffer a terrible defeat."

Sui Wuduan looked at Jian Zhichi with some hesitation. They had not received any orders from Huang Ru and did not know whether the people in front of them were friends or foes, or whether they should use all their strength.

Seeing this, Cui Luohan said softly, "Don't be afraid of hurting us. Just think of it as fighting to uphold the dignity of Confucianism."

"Then I must offend you, Yu Feng Qianliu!"

Sui Wuduan possessed exceptional talent in swordsmanship; otherwise, he would not have created the Single-Edge Sword Technique that amazed Mo Qingchi, Ren Pingsheng, and others. However, his foundation was insufficient, and while he possessed the intent of swordsmanship, he was like a blank sheet of paper in actual combat.

A sword thrusts forth, ever-changing, its cold edge shaking the twilight, the broken swords of the graveyard ringing out in unison.

Cui Luohan nodded in praise: "The sword intent is boundless, resonating with all things. You truly deserve to be called the Sword Scholar."

As soon as he finished speaking, several cold glints flashed, as if they were needles finding a crack, and rushed straight into the nine major acupoints of the deep void.

Suddenly, another sword light appeared, swift as a meteor and faster than lightning, blocking Cui Luohan's nine-needle sword beams one after another.

It was Jian Zhichi who made his move.

"careful!"

"Thank you, brother."

After the two dodged the attack, Huang Quan raised his spear and charged at Jian Zhichi: "Your opponent is me, come and fight."

Haozheng's fourth path is the path of chivalry.

In a secluded bamboo grove, amidst the gentle sounds of a zither, a transcendent figure sits leisurely, plucking the strings with his fingers.

Luo Hou's footsteps shattered the peace of the place, affecting the music, which gradually became out of tune and revealed a hint of murderous intent.

Ji Xiashang realized that this was his opponent.

He approached the player and humbly said, "I am honored to receive this invitation from the esteemed scholar, a gentleman of chivalry, at the Heavenly Capital's Banquet."

With a swift movement of his hands, the chivalrous and unassuming Yin Xiaoshen sent bamboo leaves flying through the forest like snowflakes, each leaf transforming into a sword, carrying countless sound waves that formed a vast, inescapable net.

"The Forgotten Qilin not only has a good master, but also a good lord, which is why it was able to break into the Five Paths of Haozheng. How could Yin Xiaoshen dare to show off?"

Upon hearing Xia Ru's veiled sarcasm, a hint of displeasure flashed across Ji Xiashang's face.

"Then I'll have to offend you."

The gentleman's legacy, the imperial decree, with two swords in hand, two sharp blades instantly rushing towards the bamboo leaves and sound waves filling the sky.

Swish, brush, brush!

The sword clashed with the leaves, producing a series of whooshing sounds. Then, sword energy filled the sky, the leaves shattered into rain, and the inescapable net was broken in one move.

"You are indeed as renowned as I've heard; you are someone I can take seriously."

Yin Xiaoshen slowly stood up, and a long sword engraved with the words "Xia Dao" (the Way of the Hero) slid out from his sleeve, rippling across the autumn water.

"The sword of adventure roams freely across rivers and mountains!"

"The Qilin leaps across the vast ocean!"

The Gentleman's Passion is associated with the element of wind, while the Nine-Five Seal is associated with the element of fire. One sword draws forth a blazing torrent of flames, while another unleashes a whirlwind of sharp blades. Wind and fire are two separate elements, yet they complement each other.

The three swords clashed fiercely, their sword intent surging, and bamboo leaves drifted down, completely obscuring the figures of the two.

The two unparalleled swordsmen fought with increasing abandon, and in the dim night, they gradually lost sight of each other, with only endless sword intent remaining.

Luo Hou left the fourth path of Haozheng and arrived at the Supreme Palace at the top.

"Your Majesty, I am here as the head of the evil god, Rahu."

A loud and authoritative voice rang out from the hall: "Luo Hou, you should not have come here."

"But I still came."

"Since you are here, come in."

Luo Hou pushed open the palace door and saw a magnificent golden sky, resplendent and splendid, with distinctive Confucian characteristics.

Standing in the main hall was Lin Tianxing, with white hair and a red robe, his thick eyebrows and angry eyes staring at Luo Hou with great displeasure.

"Of the eight dragon heads, I have already released five. This is the sixth. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant your request."

"Rahu, although you are not a member of the three religions, you once destroyed the Buddha's Twin Bodies and eliminated Mara, making great contributions to the Suffering Realm. Why would you choose to help the wicked when facing an evil god?"

"Does releasing the dragon's head constitute aiding and abetting evil?"

"Is not it?"

"Only the return of the dragon's head allowed the evil god to be reborn. Only with the rebirth of the evil god can he be truly defeated."

Lin Tianxing sneered, "Back then, my friend Jiutian Xuanzun and eight top swordsmen went to Shiliu Island and fought for a hundred days, sacrificing four of them, before they were able to seal the Orochi. Do you think you are more powerful than Jiutian Xuanzun?"

Luo Hou nodded slightly: "Not bad."

"Insanity!"

"For a thousand years, people from the three religions have been avoiding the problem, which is why the dragon's head has been sealed until now. Do you and I intend to leave it to future generations to solve the Eight-Headed Serpent?"

Lin Tianxing was speechless for a moment.

The seal on the dragon's head is about to break, and the evil influence is becoming increasingly severe. Lin Tianxing is not unaware of these situations, but his strength is insufficient to deal with Orochi.

We can only hope that these outstanding juniors of Defeng Ancient Path will grow up quickly and form a new Eight Swords, at which time they will challenge Liudao.

Seeing his thoughts, Luo Hou added, "Orochi won't give us time. Now the arrow is on the bowstring, and we have no choice but to release it."

"Then convince me with your strength."

"I am delighted to receive your invitation, Your Excellency."

Of the four founders of the Dao, only Huang Ru is still alive, but he won't live much longer. When Baqi comes from the east, his first challenge will be the three religions.

The imperial Confucian scholar sacrificed himself for the sake of the Confucian scholars who upheld the ancient virtues and traditions.

Luo Hou could conclude that even with the addition of Tiandu as a new adversary, the goal of Orochi in attacking the three religions would not change, with Confucianism still bearing the brunt.

In the eyes of the evil god, the three religions are the cornerstone of the righteous path in the realm of suffering; only by destroying the cornerstone can the edifice collapse.

"Ready, let's begin!"

At this time, Lin Tianxing had not yet separated his foundation to create the Spirit Pearl for the Emperor, and still possessed 80% of his full power.

Huang Ru Wushang angrily raised his true essence and unleashed the ultimate move of Huang Tian Zhi Xing, Huang Dao Zhi Wu, a ball of energy powerful enough to tear the heavens and earth apart, which struck Luo Hou and immediately caused the wind and clouds to change color.

Luo Hou slowly pushed out a palm, and an enormous force formed an invisible wall of energy in front of him.

Bang!

When the Imperial Scholar's attack struck the protective wall, two unparalleled forces exploded with a deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing or a sea raging. The aftershocks caused the Supreme Palace to shake violently.

"Very good, keep fighting, Huangyu Yinhe Chen!"

Lin Tianxing was no pedant; once he decided to fight, he wouldn't hold back. In the blink of an eye, he unleashed another ultimate move, his radiant light sweeping across the heavens, absorbing the power of stardust and transforming it into a full-force strike.

"Sun-Shattering Gale!"

Luo Hou split into three poles, channeling his demonic energy to counterattack with a devastating palm strike.

In an instant, an unparalleled demonic aura seemed to come from the ages, obscuring the three lights and the universe, sweeping across the vast land, like a raging wind swallowing the world, plunging the ancient virtuous path into darkness.

The blazing light and demonic energy, the swirling winds of stars—the Emperor's full-force attack clashed with the Martial Lord's five-tenths power, unleashing an even more terrifying roar.

Rumble!

The Supreme Palace finally gave way and collapsed to the ground, with rocks tumbling down and dust billowing everywhere, causing the ground of Haozheng Five Paths to tremble violently.

"The Supreme Palace has collapsed. What happened?"

"Your Majesty the Imperial Scholar is here!"

"Not good!"

Yin Xiaoshen, Ying Qingshuang, Yu Junheng and others felt uneasy in the midst of the fierce battle, but had no time to extricate themselves. Tian Du and the others fought calmly and unhurriedly, merely keeping them occupied without any intention to kill.

The first to concede defeat was Feng Ruying Shuangqing. After barely exchanging four or five blows, she not only failed to catch a glimpse of the God of the Dead Kingdom, but also could not even discern where she was.

“My strength is far inferior to yours, Ying Shuangqing is ashamed of herself.”

Shao Hao withdrew his magic and bowed, saying, "The Confucian arts are indeed extraordinary. Shao Hao has learned a lot and thanks Venerable Feng Ru."

"Why don't we go to the Supreme Palace together?"

"Please go first, Your Excellency."

The two rushed to the Supreme Hall, only to find the ground littered with broken stones and bricks. Lin Tianxing stood amidst the ruins, his hair disheveled, with a red mark on the corner of his mouth.

"Your Majesty the Imperial Scholar is here!"