The villainous bosses from their past lives have all been reborn.

The capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In the vast palace, the Third Prince sat on the throne that originally belonged to his father, the Emperor, receiving the latest news from the six northern states.

"Xiahe surrendered, and Yuan Xiu led his army to capture Yanzhou. He executed Ming Zheng, the governor of Yanzhou, for treason."

Cao Xiaohu relayed the latest intelligence. The Third Prince's face paled slightly. After reading it, Cao Xiaohu hesitated for a moment, then said:

"The six northern provinces have now all turned to Yuan Xiu, and it will probably not be long before Yuan Xiu's army marches south."

The soldiers of the six northern prefectures all perished at Tianquan Manor. These experienced veterans were the backbone of the battle and the cornerstone of the stability of the six northern prefectures. Now, without them, the northern army can advance south without lifting a finger.

The Third Prince, seated on his throne, waved his hand and said:

"I do not care about the gain or loss of territory!"

At Tianquan Manor, after the Third Prince realized that the Northern Kingdom's army was advancing south, he resolutely chose to retreat. He knew that the six northern prefectures could not be defended. Of course, he no longer cared whether the six northern prefectures could be defended or not.

Although the capital troops of the six northern prefectures are gone, the imperial guards of the capital and the border troops of the four directions are still there. In terms of manpower and resources, the Third Prince has an absolute advantage over Yuan Xiu.

The only person the Third Prince was truly worried about was Yuan Xiu.

"That day, I only caught a fleeting glimpse of Yuan Xiu, but I knew that he had also reached the eleventh realm."

It was only after reaching the eleventh realm that the Third Prince understood the terrifying nature of this realm. This also meant that as long as Yuan Xiu was still alive, the six northern provinces could never be reclaimed.

With the loss of the six northern states, the capital of the Great Zhou would be exposed to the enemy's military might at any moment.

"Given Yuan Xiu's personality, he might come at any time."

"Is he alone?"

Cao Xiaohu was somewhat incredulous. But just then, an alarm suddenly rang out in the palace.

Cao Xiaohu was puzzled, but the Third Prince seemed to understand immediately.

"He's here!"

Just then, a Black Guard came to report, saying:

"Your Majesty, someone with a sword is knocking on the door and is now breaking in!"

The Third Prince closed his eyes, seemingly healing his injuries, and said:

"Little Tiger, hold off Yuan Xiu. Just one hour is enough!"

Cao Xiaohu cupped his hands and said:

"Yes, sir!"

"Remember, in critical moments, everything can be sacrificed, as long as this palace is saved!"

Cao Xiaohu was taken aback. Although he didn't understand what these words meant, he still accepted the order.

By consuming the Fire Pill, Cao Xiaohu also reached the Grandmaster realm. Although he was currently using the Second Elder's body, in some ways he was stronger than before.

However, when Cao Xiaohu ascended to the top of the palace and looked at the man who roamed the palace in broad daylight and whom the 100,000 imperial guards could not stop, he instinctively felt fear.

What worries Cao Xiaohu even more is that this fear doesn't just come from him, but also from another soul within this body.

It had been a long time since the Second Elder's will had manifested. Ever since Cao Xiaohu used his profound technique to seize this body, he had been trying to fuse with the Second Elder's soul. He had succeeded once, but now, facing the risk of death, the Second Elder did not choose to endure as he had in the past.

"Are you crazy? Trying to block Yuan Xiu? You can still leave now!"

The Second Elder's voice carried a hint of fear, but after suppressing his initial terror, Cao Xiaohu calmed down.

"I am different from you. It was the Third Prince who gave me a new life. Otherwise, I would be nothing more than an insect to be trampled on in this ridiculous palace."

"So what? You can't stop him!"

"There's still a chance!"

"You wouldn't be...?"

Cao Xiaohu smiled, took out a box from his sleeve containing a dozen or so Fire Pills. He then dumped all of them into his mouth.

"You're insane! You're a madman! We'll both die!"

The Second Elder's curses quickly disappeared, and a surge of violent resentment soon emerged from this body.

Cao Xiaohu did not try to control these resentful thoughts, but instead allowed them to take over his body. At a certain point, his body shattered and transformed into a swarm of insects.

"Your Majesty, this is the last thing I can do for you."

The swarm of insects surged down from the palace, multiplied rapidly, and began to devour everything in the palace except for the palace where the Third Prince was located.

The swarming insects used everything as bait—palace maids, eunuchs, imperial guards, and the rare and exotic animals kept in the palace—without any restraint.

Yuan Xiu walked with his sword in hand, watching the Imperial Guards who had originally blocked his way collapse on their own under the swarm of insects, but he was not moved at all.

He stopped, letting the imperial guards flee on either side. Until there was no one else in the palace corridor.

The swarm of insects stopped advancing and, as if spotting prey, surged toward Yuan Xiu.

The swarm of insects, towering several meters high, surged in like giant waves on the coast, attempting to engulf Yuan Xiu.

However, when the tide receded, Yuan Xiu remained standing there.

Upon reaching the eleventh realm, the [Dan Huo], which previously could only burn for a few breaths, can now remain detached from its physical form for extended periods. The Gu worms, upon encountering the [Dan Huo], all lose their vitality and fall to the ground.

No matter how turbulent the waves were, they could not harm Yuan Xiu in the slightest. Even though these Gu worms were no longer under control and began to reproduce entirely according to their instincts, enough to form a world-destroying worm tide, they still could not shake the corner of Yuan Xiu's territory.

Yuan Xiu continued walking forward, the lingering will of Cao Xiaohu from the insect swarm still driving the insects to hinder his progress.

"This is such a hassle!"

Feeling the difficulty of walking, Yuan Xiu did not want to continue the fight. She leaped up from the spot and reappeared several dozen feet in the air.

Seeing the swarm of Gu worms that had spread throughout the entire palace, Yuan Xiu swung a palm from the air.

A gigantic hand descended from the sky, leaving a massive palm print amidst the rolling, dark swarm of insects. Then, Yuan Xiu unleashed a dozen more palm strikes.

Once its body returned to the ground, the swarm of insects that had ravaged the palace was reduced to scattered individuals, fragmented across various locations, and unable to maintain its previous power.

A crisis capable of destroying the world was easily averted by Yuan Xiu. But he showed no intention of stopping to admire the scene; instead, he continued on his way.

Inside the palace, the only intact building stood before them.

Yuan Xiu stepped forward and pushed open the palace gate. There, on the throne, sat the Third Prince quietly.

The moment Yuan Xiu entered the palace gates, the Third Prince opened his eyes.

"Good servant, good servant indeed!"

Hearing this, Yuan Xiu looked at the Third Prince in the distance and said:

"How do you intend to explain this to the world?"

……