Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Tianji Imperial Palace.

If the former imperial palace maintained a sacred and dignified appearance, the current Tianji Imperial Palace no longer conceals its sinister nature.

The Yin Dragon coiled like a colossal serpent, its terrifying presence visible even before it entered the capital. Near the palace, its malevolent aura intensified, losing its former sublime grandeur and instead resembling a demonic abyss.

At first, the people in the capital were afraid, but later they became numb and used to it. How the emperor, who was high above, would show his face? Would the people below even care if they reacted?

For the emperor, this was nothing more than tearing off the disguise he had endured for so long, taking off the magnificent golden robe, and showing off his power to the fullest.

In the palace, which had been quiet for many days, a sound of metal shattering suddenly broke out!

The trembling palace maid knew that the emperor must have been furious again and smashed the dragon throne. She wanted to use the excuse of changing shifts to leave temporarily and avoid the emperor's anger, so as not to be affected by the dragon's wrath. However, she dared not move and could only stand quietly, praying that heaven would take her side.

"That bastard from Xiling obtained the clues to the Goddess of the Moonlit River. Why is he so much faster than me? I have already risen to a higher position the fastest, but I haven't even seen the Goddess of the Moonlit River yet, and he has already gained her approval!"

The emperor's roar shattered the priceless vase and shook the wooden window!

Beside the emperor, only the imperial advisor maintained a calm and composed demeanor, pondering:

"It is indeed unusual, a bit too fast. Don't the Moon Worship Cult members try to stop it? Their method should be even faster. The assistance that the Rakshasa Society is providing to His Majesty this time is, in principle, no different from the Moon Worship Cult's method."

Despite this defeat, the emperor revealed a twisted expression of excitement, for many reasons.

First and foremost, he is a glimmer of hope for continuing life. Now, looking across all the secluded sects, apart from the Wenqing Pavilion under Shen Xuejun's command, which sect would not come out to appease him and ask him to calm down in the face of his wrath? Given time, he could become an unparalleled monarch revered and respected by all the secluded sects!

But if he doesn't live to see that day, everything else is meaningless. Now that Chu Mingkong has discovered clues about the Moon Goddess, it's like finding hope for him to live. As long as he can survive these six months with the help of the Moon Goddess, he'll have plenty of opportunities to find a new Golden Crow Phoenix Body, and even find a fundamental way to escape this trouble!

Secondly, there is the issue of leaving the palace. A person with extreme emotions who has been tainted by the power of Yin is sometimes furious and sometimes cautious enough not to leave the palace, prioritizing stability in everything. This contradiction makes him very uncomfortable, and he can only vent his anger by setting fires and smashing things in the palace all day long, occasionally killing a few ignorant sect disciples to vent his anger.

Now, he finally has enough reason and backup plan to leave the palace, and his direct target is Chu Mingkong!

This is exactly what he wanted!

“That bastard definitely didn’t obtain the Moon Goddess herself in the Moon Eclipse Kingdom; he only got information. In the end, I only saw him alone, and it’s impossible for a living person to be brought out of a place that only a divine soul can enter. He must still be searching for the goddess in the Moon Eclipse Empire!”

The Imperial Advisor corrected him, "Your Majesty, it is the Crescent Moon Kingdom. The Moonlit Empire has been destroyed for many years."

The excitement in his heart calmed the emperor's anger, and he smiled without any concern:

"He's a bit out of his mind in the Moon Eclipse Kingdom. Send someone to contact Liu Zhonglie and have him use his merchant connections within the Moon Worship Cult to investigate Chu Mingkong's whereabouts. He must be desperately looking for the Moon Goddess!"

The Imperial Advisor then reminded him, "Liu Zhonglie died mysteriously a while ago. His newly purchased private estate was destroyed by the snowstorm. He never took the snowstorm there seriously, but this day was bound to come sooner or later. However, Your Majesty need not worry. Merchants in the Crescent Kingdom value intelligence as much as money. As long as the money is right, there is no intelligence that cannot be bought. As long as someone sees Chu Mingkong's activities, there will definitely be information about him."

The emperor nodded indifferently. He had no good feelings towards Liu Zhonglie either. He was just a dog. Even a dog wanted to put on airs and claim to be in a cooperative relationship with the emperor. He had kept Liu Zhonglie around only because he thought he was useful. Now that he was dead, so be it.

"Alright, then I'll get ready to set off. Grand Tutor, help me gather intelligence. Before I find out the whereabouts of that bastard, I'll slaughter a few tribes for fun. It's been a long time since I've gone hunting."

After the imperial advisor left, the emperor's expression suddenly twitched, an expression caused by the physical pain that men find most unbearable!

Although he did escape unscathed, he was under the illusion of the Lunar Eclipse Kingdom and went berserk against the iron pincers of a tribe. His meat was mangled and his eggs were smashed all over the ground.

The pain that had affected his soul was also brought back to the present. He couldn't bear it any longer and untied the belt to check. His little brother was unharmed, but the excruciating pain was unbearable. He wished he could kill him first to relieve the pain, and then heal him after the pain subsided!

If he hadn't been concerned about saving face, he wouldn't have wanted to put up with the Grand Preceptor.

After enduring the intense pain for a long time, the emperor's agony gradually subsided, and he entered a secret room.

----------

A timely snowfall promises a bountiful harvest, and farmers toiling in the fields, with their backs to the earth, place their hopes for the coming year on the heavy snow.

But what they faced was the snow and wind of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, and that vast expanse brought only uncertainty about the future.

The wind and snow freeze the land for thousands of miles, obscuring our hopes for the future and freezing them within the frost.

But things took a turn for the better, though not a very good one.

The Celestial Army stationed on the border of the New Moon Kingdom has made new moves. The sound of horses' hooves neighing, the sound of drums beating, and the sound of armor clashing with weapons are deafening.

The army set off, the horseshoes of their warhorses crushing the snow and ice as they marched toward densely populated towns.

They didn't receive any reason for being offended, nor did they know why they were to attack the town they were targeting. It seemed that the order from above was simply because there were many people there.

An army lacking a justification for its campaign, whose morale and fighting spirit are questionable, was rife with whispers during its march.

"What's going on? What's the purpose of our trip? Is it still because of the poisoning of the Princess?"

"The army was previously delayed by a sudden snowstorm and had to retreat from its original garrison back to the border. Is it for the same reason that they are setting off again? It seems that the Yueqi royal family has already issued an apology."

"Shh, don't make a sound. I heard from the officer that the Emperor seems to be coming. Keep talking if you want to die!"

Before long, a long shadow was cast across the sky. The scouts in the army looked up and saw a long black dragon soaring through the clouds.

Then, the emperor, clad in armor and carrying a hunting bow, descended from the dragon's head and landed at the front of the procession.

While waiting for information about Chu Mingkong, the emperor was extremely excited, both for the Moon Goddess and for the hunt.

The violence of killing is a primal release of emotions; the emperor had been cooped up in the palace for too long.

The mighty procession soon arrived at a market town. The town's watchtower sounded the alarm, and a group of tribesmen riding ice wolf war bears quickly gathered. They watched the Sky Pole March warily, secretly preparing for battle.

"Good, gather them quickly. Scattering the prey too far apart will only spoil my enjoyment." The emperor deliberately waited, then waved his hand and ordered, "Ten Thousand Arrows Formation, activate!"

The Thousand Arrows Formation is a magical formation used for attacking cities and seizing territory, which can enhance the sharpness of the arrows shot by archers.

In the archer camp, a vast blue array unfolded in the sky, unleashing a volley of arrows. After piercing through the array, the arrows transformed into streaks of golden flames that rose into the air before plummeting back down towards the town.

Because the various forces in the Crescent Kingdom changed hands too quickly, the defense of the towns relied entirely on manpower, and the protective magic arrays played a negligible role.

Among the arriving tribespeople, the giant beasts protected by their totems unleashed a barrage of meteor arrows. The sorcerers of the Moon Worship Cult also cast spells to create a barrier to defend against the attack, but the effect was limited.

They could block the stray arrows in front of them, but they couldn't protect themselves from all the arrows. Some arrows fell into the town, houses collapsed, and people screamed and fled in all directions.

Even more tragically, civilians died before they could even react.

The emperor commanded the black dragon formed from yin energy. The dragon lowered its head and exhaled sharply. The extreme yin power eroded and destroyed the totem beasts and the barrier they were trying to hold up. The arrows, now unhindered, shot into the town even more recklessly.

"Alright, it's about time for me to go hunting!"

Suddenly, his sense of danger kicked in, and his sharp eyes looked in a certain direction. A whistling sound pierced through the heavy snow and came from afar as a spear-like arrow shot out.

The emperor unleashed an extremely yin barrier to block the arrows, while the arrows emitted extremely yang golden light, shooting out in rapid succession and blasting the emperor's warhorse to smithereens.

The arrows continued their relentless assault, piercing the enemy ranks and tearing a gap in the orderly formation. Those who grazed or touched the arrows suffered unpredictable casualties.

"Hey! We just met in the divine kingdom, and now we meet again! You came pretty fast. Didn't you need to rest and recover from your egg injury before coming here? I thought you would be in a hurry to find me. Why do I have to come and find you?"

Chu Mingkong arrived on his sword. He leaped down from the sky, and the Moon Eclipse Heavy Sword returned to its normal size, flying into Chu Mingkong's hand.

Having obtained this heavy sword, it was indeed equivalent to gaining a portion of the Moon River Goddess's power. He could quickly learn about the killings and upheavals that occurred in the New Moon Kingdom, and Chu Mingkong had already rushed over immediately.

He thought the emperor would head directly to the location of the Moon Worship Cult, and even waited for the emperor there in advance. He never expected that the emperor would lead his army to massacre the town in the nearby Moon Worship Cult territory.

The emperor looked at him indifferently: "Have you forgotten how you hid like a coward in the palace last time? And how you ran away with your tail between your legs? Now you don't even go to find the Moon Goddess for me, and just come to the palace empty-handed. You really don't know any better."

"It's true that I'm keeping my tail between my legs. Empress Pei thinks so too, saying my tail is too long." Chu Mingkong shrugged, responding to the emperor's lame words with lame ones, but it was really pointless. He sighed wearily, "Great, you actually dared to run away from the palace. Looks like you've already decided how you want to die!"

Chapter 255 The Dead Man Whips His Corpse and Bubbles

Chu Mingkong stood alone in front of a well-organized, heavily armed army, confronting the emperor clad in armor.

Driven by intense killing intent, Chu Mingkong stood proudly amidst the wind and snow like a fierce and ruthless sword, his sharpness fully revealed, exuding an imposing aura without anger. The entire group of disciples beneath his feet seemed to resonate with him, and the spiritual energy of this world seemed to favor him.

Many soldiers in the army formation found that the spiritual energy they could sense had become much thinner. If they regarded spiritual energy as air, they were now beginning to feel suffocated. If they continued to fight like this, they would only waste the spiritual energy in their bodies until they were exhausted!

Some of the officers in the army felt a chill in their hearts, suddenly realizing that this might be the lingering power of the once mighty Moon Empire! No wonder the Heavenly Empire had many prosperous eras in the past, and no matter how many disputes arose within the Moon Empire, outsiders could not take advantage of the situation. Who could rival the Moon People for supremacy on such land?

"The Execution Formation, activate!" The emperor waved his hand again to give the order. He had not yet taken action himself, but his gaze was disdainful and mocking, as if he regarded Chu Mingkong as the prey of this hunt.

The "Decapitation Formation" is an assassination formation used when two armies are facing off. It concentrates the strength of the entire army into a single point, piercing through the formation to kill the opposing general. Even if the decapitation attempt fails, the powerful blow can still disrupt the enemy's rear.

The soldiers in the army formation could hardly obtain supplies from the thin spiritual energy of the heavens. Due to the emperor's power, they were all gritting their teeth and holding their formation.

With the decapitation strike initiated, every soldier became a point of killing intent, and each one seemed capable of launching an attack, making it difficult to predict where the final blow, gathering all the power, would come from.

Chu Mingkong gripped the Lunar Eclipse Heavy Sword, as a dark tide surged from the white snowfield. He said:

"I don't know if any of you behind the Empress grew up in Jin, or if any of your hometowns suffered famine and food shortages. Your revered Emperor ordered people to steal government grain in Jin and sell it to the Crescent Moon Kingdom, splitting the profits with merchants to enrich himself and buy treasures for his own use. Later, he used the people of Jin as experimental subjects to pave the way for the Jin King's abyss transformation."

The latter should only have occurred in the Jin region, since not every place has an abyss, but famine must have happened to some extent, right? Was it a natural disaster or a man-made calamity? What are your thoughts?

The officer in charge of the troops rebuked them, saying, "You're spreading rumors and misleading the public. You're a native of Tianji, yet you're helping outsiders fight against your comrades in a foreign land. How dare you say such things!"

"Oh dear! Now you're saying I'm from Tianji again. If I had to say, I'm at most a native of Xiling, and I'm not even sure if I'm a native." Chu Mingkong had been thinking of letting them go and letting them disperse on their own, but now it seemed unnecessary.

Behind the army formation, on the black tide that gradually submerged up to their calves, an approaching footprint appeared. Zuo Qiuchi appeared, carrying the Extinction Heavy Sword, while the soldiers were completely unaware of the anomaly and danger that had come from behind them.

Suddenly, a perceptive person sensed something and felt a trembling cry for help from their soul. They turned around and were so horrified that they forgot to speak.

Zuo Qiuchi unleashed a full-force sword strike, unleashing the might of the Giant Sword Immortal realm. The sword energy, capable of annihilating everything, swept across the area, stirring up a black tide on the ground.

The sword energy intertwined with the black tide, and from the sky, it looked like ripples spreading across a dead lake. However, these ripples swept more than half of the soldiers in half, like weeds being broken in the wind.

Faced with this situation, in the unaffected army formation, a soldier dared not wait any longer and quietly aimed his assassination strike at the black-robed man who was charging towards the emperor.

Just as that energy fluctuation was revealed from his body, an invisible dagger had already set its sights on him, silently piercing through his brow.

Feng Ying drew his dagger and vanished in an instant, leaping to Zuo Qiuchi's side. Meanwhile, the energy of the great array that had failed to be launched erupted on the spot.

With a deafening explosion, half of the surviving soldiers were blown to pieces, their blood staining the snow and melting into the black tide.

In the rear, at the Tianji Army's garrison, although they had retreated to the border due to the sudden onset of extreme cold and snow and had not made much of a move recently, the debts of looting and killing in the villages and towns of the past few days would not be washed away just because of a few days of quiet.

Apart from the hunting party led by the emperor, most of the troops remained stationed here.

Suddenly, someone noticed that the sky had darkened. Looking up, they saw a mechanical robot with a steel and mechanical aesthetic descending from the sky, smashing into the military camp with a powerful punch, leaving a large crater and cracked ground.

Upon closer inspection, the head of this towering mechanical puppet is none other than the Snow Mountain Temple where Chu Mingkong performed the ceremony. The successful completion of the ceremony also provided this mechanical puppet with energy, allowing it to recreate the former glory of the Iron Dynasty under the Moonlit Empire, crushing the Heavenly Soldiers in its fists like ants.

A long, resounding horn call from a wild bull gradually became clear amidst the wind and snow. Snow mountain tribesmen, clad in animal skins and riding snow wolves, brandished their scimitars and, under the protection of totem beasts, charged into the Tianji garrison to avenge their past grievances.

Despite the smooth progress of the situation, the two graceful young women serving beside the High Priest Baiyue had furrowed brows and were looking solemnly in a distant direction, the direction where Chu Mingkong and the Emperor were fighting.

Strange phenomena frequently occurred in that place. The night was shrouded in darkness, the pale moon hung in the sky, black tides surged, and a dark dragon coiled in the sky. Occasionally, it would burst out with the aftershocks of energy impacts, which, even from this distance, still felt like knives scraping against the girl's delicate face.

"What terrifying power! Is that His Highness's own power, or the power of the Moon River Goddess?" the younger sister of the girls exclaimed.

"That is the power that the Moon River Goddess comprehended in order to fight against the 'Moon'! The power that the Moon River Goddess never had the opportunity to display after becoming Empress! The goddess never worships the moon, but reveres and even seeks to defeat that mysterious moon. The goddess who defeats the moon is the true Moon River Goddess!" The high priest was filled with emotion and prayed with his hands clasped together.

On the battlefield, Chu Mingkong wielded the Lunar Eclipse Heavy Sword, summoning a surging black tide to aid him in the battle, slashing the Yin Dragon in the sky until its aura became weak and its body was covered in wounds.

However, he knew that this was not the same one that had appeared above the palace that day. The difference in strength was too great. With the protection of the Moon Eclipse Heavy Sword, Chu Mingkong was able to see the true face of the emperor who was hiding in the armor at this moment!