Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

However, from Li Xin's psychic perspective, the gray-black arc of light emanating from this person's body appeared almost tangible.

It's obvious that they harbor great malice towards themselves.

If it were merely because the young emperor was humiliated, leading to the growth of hostility in his heart, that would be one thing.

However, Li Xin deliberately used the [Secret Listening] skill to listen to the other party's thoughts, and immediately smiled.

Closer, closer.

[As long as one gets within three feet, the Dragon-Binding Rope can be unleashed to bind the soul.]

No matter how strong his physical martial arts skills are, or how profound his secret techniques are.

Once the soul is locked away, it becomes utterly useless, leaving one completely at the mercy of others.

Upon hearing this, Li Xin immediately understood what was going on.

He grabbed at the air with his large hand and stood up.

The old eunuch's eyes suddenly narrowed, and the humility and numbness that had been on his face for years vanished, replaced by a hint of surprise.

He neither dodged nor avoided, offering no resistance whatsoever.

His body's flesh exploded instantly, turning into a cloud of blood mist that scattered in all directions.

Only a skeleton remained on the spot.

A series of faint, strange creaking sounds emanated from the layers of blood mist...

The voice was hoarse and eerie, unlike a human voice.

At the same time, the swirling blood mist suddenly converged and coalesced inward, with wisps of blood swirling and congealing...

In an instant, it transformed into a strange noose, entirely scarlet and gleaming with a dark, eerie light.

The noose moved nimbly like a snake, twisting and coiling in the air, carrying a chilling, soul-locking, and eerie aura, heading straight for Li Xin's body to coil around him.

The rope snapped shut, but it came away empty.

It turned out that Li Xin's leap forward was just an illusion.

A fleeting shadow remained in sight, but he was already two zhang away.

Furthermore, he didn't forget to grab the young emperor by the back of his collar and pull him to the center of the hall.

"How did you find out...?"

Li Xin looked at the crimson binding ropes swirling and coiling towards him, and sneered, "I could smell your disgusting stench from a distance."

"When they used dragon energy on that golden bell and silver bottle, do you think they failed?"

..............................

Chapter 175 Imperial Preceptor, A Thousand Pounds

The switch between reality and illusion happens in an instant, without the sound of wind or any unusual phenomena.

No one in the hall even noticed that he had changed his seat.

Once out of the trap, all the obscurings disappeared.

The old eunuch who had just exploded his own flesh and blood was no longer recognizable as human.

In the center of the main hall stood a complete skeleton, its bones withered and dry, the joints gleaming with an eerie, dark luster.

Wisps of black and yellow energy rose and floated up from the bone joints, swirling and circulating around the skeleton.

This aura was cold and stagnant, lacking the blood and spiritual power of Central Plains martial arts; it was the unique skeletal energy of the Great Snow Mountain in the far north.

The billowing malevolent energy suddenly surged, and a ring of light appeared, transforming into layers of turbid waves.

It swept across the open space in the hall and rushed straight toward the empty rosewood dragon throne at the back.

It exploded with a sharp, hissing sound.

The sturdy and heavy imperial dragon throne, polished over several dynasties, is made of dense wood, so that it is difficult to leave marks even with ordinary swords and knives.

The moment this layer of malevolent energy touched it, white smoke immediately rose from the surface...

The wood surface quickly turns black, rots, and peels off.

The crimson dragon-binding rope, suspended in mid-air, tightened as if it were a fine steel coil, repeatedly grinding against the broken chair body.

Within a few breaths, the entire dragon throne was pulverized into fine powder, which scattered on the ground with the wind and completely dissipated.

Not even a single intact piece of wood was left.

The skeletal body standing in the hall only then realized that its scheme had failed.

The cracking sound of bones turning was piercing, stiff and dull, and particularly clear in the deathly silent hall.

The white skeletal skull was twisted abruptly 180 degrees, and two points of eerie green light suddenly shone from the empty eye sockets.

The light flickered, locking onto Li Xin behind him.

A chilling and violent aura instantly spread out, causing the air inside the hall to freeze.

Before the White Bone Dharma Body could launch a second attack, Li Xin turned sideways, reached out, and precisely grabbed the back of the young emperor's neck.

The force was light and steady, neither heavy nor painful, yet it prevented the opponent from breaking free.

He then pulled the still-shaken young emperor to the center of the hall, completely away from the battleground shrouded in malevolent energy.

After regaining his footing, Li Xin released his grip, his tone as calm as ever.

"See, didn't I save your life again?"

The young emperor was stiff all over, his limbs were ice cold, and his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

He stared blankly at the white skeleton emanating a chilling aura, his eyes wide open, his pupils suddenly contracting, and he froze on the spot.

"The methods of the Great Snow Mountain... Wang Cheng?"

His voice was dry and hoarse, with an uncontrollable tremor.

Wang Cheng stayed with him for several years.

The palace was desolate, imperial power was constrained, the old faction in the court pressed on step by step, and the power in the harem was restrained at every turn.

For countless days and nights, he was suppressed by various forces, feeling frustrated and unable to vent his anger.

Often, sitting alone late at night, I feel a deep sense of despair...

Every time he felt down, Wang Cheng would stay by his side, gently comforting him and patiently reassuring him.

Wang Cheng took care of all the daily affairs, meals, and social interactions in the palace, never troubling him.

Faced with the difficulties from the harem and the checks and balances from powerful ministers, Wang Cheng secretly offered advice and gradually taught him to be patient, shrewd, and adept at maneuvering.

Teach him how to protect himself in a difficult situation, how to be patient and bide his time, and how to wait for the right moment to turn the tables.

In the young emperor's heart, Wang Cheng was the only person he could trust in the deep palace.

It was the only warmth he could feel while he was in prison.

But the scene before him completely shattered all his preconceived notions.

This old eunuch, who accompanied and assisted her closely, was never a loyal servant.

He is the skeletal incarnation of Master Wuchang of the Great Snow Mountain.

Hidden deep within the palace, they controlled his every word and action.

To understand all his thoughts and weaknesses.

Years of warmth were all a facade.

Offering companionship and comfort is all calculated.

“I recognize this Dragon Tendon Soul-Binding Rope…”

The young emperor's throat tightened, his words came out in fits and starts, and two streams of tears slid down his cheeks, splashing onto the cold gold brick floor.

He recalled the beloved concubine who had suddenly passed away years ago.

His beloved concubine passed away tragically, and he could only watch helplessly, filled with grief but powerless to stop it.

He even saw that the scarlet rope had not spared even the soul; the other party had gone to great lengths to kill, leaving his beloved concubine with no chance of reincarnation.

Now, seeing that scarlet soul rope again, he felt an intense, agonizing hatred.

"It is said that the Dragon Tendon Soul-Binding Rope is specifically designed to lock and imprison the souls of living beings."

Once entangled by this rope, the soul will never be freed, nor reincarnated, and will be reborn as a slave for all eternity.

“Back then, the monk Wuchang often established his authority and occasionally walked into the inner palace. Under this rope, there were many wronged souls.”

Even I have suffered greatly from this. Without eliminating this scoundrel, there will be no peace in the palace forever.

Years of pent-up grief, suppressed hatred, and the frustration of being fooled erupted at this moment, making his chest feel heavy.

The young emperor suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Li Xin, his eyes filled with earnestness:

"Scholar Li, Lord Li, Master Li! If you can break this spell and eliminate this great calamity today, I know what honorary title I should bestow upon you."

At this moment, he finally understood everything.

Personal attendants are all embodiments of the other person, lurking by their side day and night.

This means that his years as emperor were entirely under the control of others.

His privacy, his schemes, his struggles, his joys and sorrows.

Even their lives and safety are entirely in the hands of others.

In the past, he promoted reforms, struggled to maintain checks and balances, and tried his best to break free from constraints, but the other party always remained patient and silent.

It wasn't out of fear of imperial power, nor out of concern for the political situation.

I just found it interesting.

Like a bystander watching a caged rat, or an ant trapped in a cage.

They struggle and fidget repeatedly to relieve their boredom.

He had been planning and patiently enduring for years, believing he was gradually gaining control of the situation.

In reality, from beginning to end, they were just playthings in someone else's hands.

Inside the main hall, the power of the white bone avatar continued to rise.

The crimson sheen grew richer and brighter.

Strands of dragon vein energy converged from all directions, continuously being devoured and absorbed by the skeletal body.

The moment the dragon energy gathered, a seated statue, a mixture of reality and illusion, slowly emerged behind the white bone.

It is three parts solid and seven parts illusory, seemingly solemn and dignified, but it hides an extremely heavy evil spirit within.

The seated statue is not topped with a crown or canopy; instead, it is topped with five ferocious snake heads.

The snake's mouth was wide open, constantly flicking its tongue, its fangs menacing.

Its shape resembles neither a dragon nor a snake, and it exudes an eerie and oppressive aura that transcends the mundane world.

Obscure and strange scriptures slowly emerged from the mouths of the five snakes, silently reverberating through the void...

None of the civil and military officials in the hall, the kneeling military scholars, or the seriously injured guards could see this strange phenomenon.

All they could see was a withered skeleton standing in the hall, crimson blood mist and surging ropes, hear the low chanting of sutras, and feel an increasingly heavy sense of oppression.

Only Li Xin's psychic perspective could take in this illusion on a spiritual level.

The scriptures enter the mind, buzzing and disturbing the mind, causing inexplicable irritability.

This is a purely spiritual secret technique; it does not attack the physical body, but only locks the soul.

Silent and stealthy, impossible to guard against.

The five illusory snake heads suddenly swelled and rolled, their bodies stretched, their scales solidified, and in an instant, they shed their snake form and transformed into five enormous dragons.

It resides within Li Xin's spiritual consciousness.

The dragon's tail swept across, giant waves surged, and boundless spiritual power pressed down layer upon layer.

They attempted to completely imprison his original divine soul.