Eternal Saber

"Master, I have served under your tutelage for decades. You know me; I would never do such a thing."

The Evil Emperor hesitated momentarily in his heart.

Her impression of Wang Ran had always been that of a simple, honest person, and it had been that way for decades.

Could it be that she was truly mistaken?

Or perhaps, there was more to this matter than met the eye?

Lu Qing suddenly said, "Uncle Master, you might as well admit it. Chen Tang has another identity as the Demon Monarch of Xiling, and the Great Celestial Demon is his senior brother. He can summon his brother at any time."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man’s face changed several times, but he said nothing.

"Wang Ran, give me a reason."

The Evil Emperor slowly spoke.

"Ha..."

Wang Ran let out a bitter laugh and said, "Reason? For more than ten years, my junior sister and I have been childhood sweethearts, yet she was stolen by that man. All these years, my heart has been filled with hatred for him!"

"My junior sister must have been deceived by his sweet talk. As long as I lock her up for a few years, she will eventually realize the truth and return to me."

The Evil Emperor slowly nodded and said, "It’s been hard on you, fooling me for so many years."

Before she finished speaking, the Evil Emperor flicked her fingers lightly, and a wisp of Profound Nether True Qi entered Wang Ran’s body.

"Ah!"

Wang Ran cried out in agony, suddenly feeling a piercing coldness that made his entire body tremble uncontrollably.

Within the blink of an eye, his body was enveloped in cold air, and even his eyebrows were covered with a layer of frost.

The flow of his blood became increasingly sluggish, with tiny ice crystals forming within.

The True Qi within him was nearly frozen!

Wang Ran glared viciously at the Evil Emperor, gritting his teeth and saying, "You crazy woman! All these years by your side, I’ve had to tread carefully every day, afraid of doing something wrong and angering you!"

"I’ve had enough! I wish for your early demise!"

Wang Ran’s teeth chattered violently as he spoke with intense malice.

The Evil Emperor’s face turned ashen.

Seeing that Wang Ran was nearing his breaking point, about to lose his life, Chen Tang hurriedly stepped forward, channeling a stream of Pure Yang True Qi to alleviate the cold within Wang Ran’s body, and sternly asked, "Where is Madam Lu being held in the Grand Commandant’s Mansion?"

Wang Ran, who was on the brink of unconsciousness from the cold, suddenly felt a rush of warmth flow into his body, bringing extreme comfort and a revitalized spirit.

"Hmph!"

Before she could react, the Evil Emperor snorted coldly and with a flick of her finger, sent another, even more powerful and concentrated wisp of Profound Nether True Qi into Wang Ran’s body.

"Hiss!"

Wang Ran inhaled sharply, his eyes wide open.

Chen Tang frowned, not daring to let go.

If he loosened his grip, the Profound Nether True Qi would instantly freeze Wang Ran to death!

Chen Tang continued to channel Pure Yang True Qi to resist the Evil Emperor’s Profound Nether True Qi.

In this way, it was as if Chen Tang and the Evil Emperor were using Wang Ran’s body as the battleground, engaging in a covert contest.

At the beginning, the Evil Emperor tried to intimidate Chen Tang, who remained unaffected.

This left her somewhat displeased, but due to her status, she couldn’t act rashly.

Now, she seized the opportunity.

Moreover, Wang Ran’s words just now had indeed angered her greatly.

Chen Tang wasn’t aiming to compete with the Evil Emperor; he merely wanted to force Wang Ran to reveal Madam Lu’s exact location.

Without knowing beforehand, they would have to search the Grand Commandant’s Mansion thoroughly when they got there.

If they alerted the guards, it could easily lead to unexpected complications, which would be more trouble than it’s worth.

In their secret contest, it was Wang Ran who suffered.

His body oscillated between bone-chilling cold and soothing warmth.

The constant alternation between hot and cold left him feeling unbearably itchy and numb, making him wish for death!

"Ah ah ah ah!"

Wang Ran let out a series of miserable cries, struggling maniacally.

But under the joint assault of Chen Tang and the Evil Emperor, he could barely move, forced to endure the torment of alternating heat and cold.

"Speak up already!"

Chen Tang shouted in a low voice.

"In Agarwood... Cottage!"

Wang Ran finally broke down and spoke up.

Receiving the answer, Chen Tang released his grip and stepped back.

Shush!

At the instant he let go, the Profound Nether True Qi swept over Wang Ran’s entire body, instantly turning him into an ice sculpture.

Crack!

The next moment, the sculpture shattered into ice shards, scattering everywhere, leaving no remains.

"Well, you do have some skill!"

The Evil Emperor glanced at Chen Tang and snorted softly.

"Predecessor, you are too kind."

Chen Tang exhaled gently.

The Evil Emperor said faintly, "Qing’Er, don’t worry. Since we know she’s in the Grand Commandant’s Mansion, I’ll seize an opportunity to rescue your mother."

"To my knowledge, Yuwen Mao may have already stepped into the Transformation Realm."

Chen Tang shook his head and said, "The Grand Commandant’s Mansion is not easy to breach."

"Oh?"

The Evil Emperor squinted.

Chen Tang continued, "Moreover, the Sect Leader of the Profound Celestial Sect is stationed in the Capital City. Any significant commotion will surely alert him. At that time, you’ll face a situation where you’ll have to fight against both, and the odds of success are slim."

"Tell me, what crazy idea do you have?"

The Evil Emperor glared at Chen Tang.

Chen Tang briefly explained his plan to the Evil Emperor and said, "As long as you and the Zen Sect join forces to slay the Evil Dragon in Qingzhou, you can lure the Sect Leader of the Profound Celestial Sect away and keep him occupied in Qingzhou. This way, I can rescue Madam Lu from the Capital City."

"Two problems."

The Evil Emperor said, "First, even if the Sect Leader of the Profound Celestial Sect leaves, with Yuwen Mao stationed in the Capital City, you still can’t save anyone."

"Second, even if I join forces with the Zen Sect, there is no guarantee of killing a True Dragon. A True Dragon can traverse the heavens and the earth, stirring up the seas. If that Black Dragon finds itself in a bad situation and escapes into the deep sea, it would be difficult for us to track it down in the depths."

Chen Tang said, "Don’t worry, I have another arrangement to lure Yuwen Mao away."

"As for slaying that Evil Dragon, besides you and the Zen Sect, I’ll find another helper for the two of you. Once that Evil Dragon escapes into the sea, it will undoubtedly suffer severe damage."

The Evil Emperor, the Zen Sect, along with the East Sea Giant Demon, equated to three Grandmasters of the Transformation Realm, more than enough to siege and kill that Evil Dragon!

Either don’t make a move at all, or strike with unerring precision!

"Who? Emperor Wu?"

The Evil Emperor asked eagerly.

"Uh..."

Chen Tang shook his head and said, "No."

The Evil Emperor asked again, "Where is he?"

Chen Tang’s mind stirred at the question and asked, "Has the predecessor been to the Three Thousand Snow Ridges?"

The Evil Emperor remained silent, which could be taken as tacit agreement.

Emperor Wu had left just in time.

If not, who knows how many would have come looking for him.

Chen Tang shook his head and said, "I did not intend to deceive you; I haven’t seen Emperor Wu for years and have no idea if he’s alive or dead or where he might be."

"It’s just as well that he’s hiding."

The Evil Emperor suddenly let out a cold laugh and said, "Saves him from being tracked down by his enemies and losing his life."

"Will the Dao Sect show up to kill that Evil Dragon in Qingzhou?"

Chen Tang suddenly asked.

If the Dao Sect shows up, the Evil Emperor and the Zen Sect would face grave danger.

"No."

The Evil Emperor said, "That person is extremely cautious; he won’t easily make a move unless he feels threatened. Knowing Emperor Wu is still alive, he will be even more vigilant."

Finalizing the plan with the Evil Emperor, the next day, Chen Tang temporarily parted ways with Lu Qing, heading toward Qingzhou with the White Ape and Xue Tuan’Er.

They would leave Xue Tuan’Er and Little White Ape in Qingzhou.

A significant battle was impending there.

The Silver Flood Dragon would be left to him, Xue Tuan’Er, White Ape, and the Little Golden Roc.

Chen Tang intended to annihilate that Evil Dragon’s entire family this time, eradicating them completely!

The bloody debt under the Qingzhou great flood and the death of Yuan Qingshan and his wife must be repaid with blood.

He would also head to Xiajiang to arrange another matter.

-----------------

Nanxia, Jingkou.

The Northern Expedition Army had long been stationed here, defending the north against Qian Country and guarding the Capital City.

In the General’s Mansion, night had fallen.

Uncle Wang had just taken an elixir pill and sat cross-legged on the bed in his chamber, meditating slowly.

In the dim light, his pale face was faintly visible.

In just over half a year, he seemed to have aged twenty years!

During that incident at the Lijiang Inn, the wounds inflicted by the Demon Venerable were indeed severe.

Half a year later, his injuries were still not fully healed, and his combat power hadn’t even recovered to half of its peak.

However, this matter was top secret, known to very few.

At that moment, Uncle Wang seemed to sense something, suddenly opening his eyes and shouting, "Who’s there!"

"General Wang, apologies for the disturbance."

A voice abruptly sounded in the room.

The next moment, someone emerged from the shadows, walking slowly toward him.

Uncle Wang snorted coldly and said, "So it’s Brother Ye. No wonder you could sneak quietly into my Northern Expedition Army camp."