"Huh?"
Zhou Yi's gaze instantly sharpened, and with a sudden force of his arm—
Thud!
Xu Fengnian fell to his knees again. His heart trembled uncontrollably as an indescribable fear surged through him.
"Stop!"
Xu Xiao shouted anxiously, quickly adding:
"I agree to your terms!"
No matter what, Xu Fengnian's safety was non-negotiable.
Moreover, Zhou Yi's strength was beyond measure—resistance was futile.
For a prodigy like Zhou Yi, letting Xu Weixiong and Xu Zihu follow him wouldn't be a loss, perhaps even an advantage.
If Xu Weixiong and Xu Zihu could uncover Zhou Yi's capabilities and possibly bring him under their control, it would be a significant boon for Northern Liang.
Northern Liang's future rested on Xu Fengnian.
With Zhou Yi's support, Xu Xiao could face his end without regret.
"Bring them here!"
Xu Xiao ordered his subordinates, and soon, the people Zhou Yi had requested were brought forward.
Xu Fengnian seethed with anger, but under Zhou Yi's overwhelming aura, he dared not speak a word.
"Everyone's here. Now, will you release my son?" Xu Xiao asked Zhou Yi, his tone cautious.
The women—Hongshu, Qingniao, and others—trembled slightly, their eyes dim with sorrow. Being handed over like this, even if they understood the circumstances, still left a bitter taste in their hearts.
Nangong Pushe, with her cold, striking gaze, fixed her eyes on Zhou Yi. Her pale, delicate hand rested on the hilt of her embroidered Chunlei blade. She wasn't part of the Northern Liang royal family.
But in the end, Nangong Pushe did not draw her sword.
She knew the gap between her strength and Zhou Yi's.
Following Zhou Yi might not be a bad thing. His power was evidently far superior to Wang Xianzhi's.
If she could learn martial arts from Zhou Yi, her chances of avenging her grievances would significantly increase.
Amid the complex emotions of the onlookers—
The golden sword in Zhou Yi's hand, forged from divine energy, dissipated. He released Xu Fengnian.
Xu Xiao hurriedly pulled Xu Fengnian behind him, fearing his son might do something foolish to provoke Zhou Yi and get himself killed.
Zhou Yi, however, paid them no further attention. He manifested a golden rope from his divine power, a technique derived from his soul bone's invincible binding ability.
The rope slithered like a venomous snake, swiftly coiling around Nangong Pushe's waist before extending to bind Xu Zihu, Xu Weixiong, Hongshu, Qingniao, Jiang Ni, Huanggua, and Luyin.
Xu Xiao, Li Chungang, and others couldn't help but twitch their eyelids. They were both astonished by Zhou Yi's methods and stunned that he had bound all these people.
What was he planning to do?
"Farewell!"
With a tug of the golden rope, Zhou Yi soared into the air, pulling Nangong Pushe and the others along with him.
"You bastard! I won't let this go!"
Xu Fengnian glared at Zhou Yi with clenched fists, silently vowing to train harder so he could one day defeat Zhou Yi and rescue Hongshu, Qingniao, and the others.
Zhou Yi ignored him. His gaze shifted toward the distant Zijin Tower. With a wave of his hand, Yu Youwei—who had been holding the orange cat, Wu Meiniang—was drawn into the air by the golden rope, a look of terror on her face.
"Why are you capturing me?"
Yu Youwei was utterly confused, her fear evident. She couldn't understand why she had become entangled in this disaster.
"Stop!"
At that moment, a sword flashed from Wudang Mountain, traveling thousands of miles to strike at Zhou Yi's chest.
A colossal yellow crane descended upon Northern Liang City, and a young Taoist descended like a meteor, landing in the Northern Liang royal courtyard.
The young Taoist was Hong Xixiang, the reincarnation of Lu Zu.
Lu Zu (Lu Dongxuan) was a master of creation who had once dreamed of a woman in red and fell in love at first sight. Knowing he wouldn't meet her in that lifetime, Lu Zu self-dismembered and reincarnated, seeking her in his next life.
First, he reincarnated as Qi Xuanzheng of Dragon Tiger Mountain but still failed to encounter the woman in red.
So, he reincarnated again as Hong Xixiang of Wudang Mountain.
Now, he had finally found her.
The moment Zhou Yi's golden rope bound Xu Zihu, Hong Xixiang felt a ripple in his soul.
The Lu Zu sword, which had hung in Wudang for 500 years, hummed like a dragon.
The sea of clouds around Wudang's seventy-two peaks surged, resembling seventy-two white dragons converging on the main peak.
Hundreds of yellow cranes circled in the sky.
Hong Xixiang divined the situation for himself:
"Today's fortune: ascend to Northern Liang!"
With one step, he entered the celestial realm. With a second step, he became a land immortal. Riding a yellow crane, he flew toward Northern Liang.
Because Xu Zihu was the woman in red he had waited for over three lifetimes.
Clang!
Zhou Yi casually flicked the Lu Zu sword away.
Hong Xixiang leapt into the air, catching the sword. Standing midair, he glared at Zhou Yi and shouted angrily:
"Release her!"
"And why should I? Because of the sword in your hand?"
Zhou Yi grinned, sizing up the reincarnated Lu Zu before replying leisurely:
"Lu Dongxuan, you've wasted three lifetimes. A beauty brings disaster, and she's beyond your grasp. Let me bear this burden for you. No need to thank me!"
"Die!"
Enraged, Hong Xixiang charged at Zhou Yi.
"Back down!"
Zhou Yi delivered a single, resounding slap.
Smack!
Hong Xixiang was slapped into the ground. By the time he crawled back up, Zhou Yi had already disappeared into the sky with Xu Zihu and the others.
"This... this is..."
Xu Fengnian's eyes widened in shock as he stammered:
"Did they ascend to the celestial realm?"
He had clearly seen Zhou Yi open a portal in the sky and lead Xu Zihu and the others into it before vanishing.
This was even more astonishing than when he had witnessed the Sword God Li Chungang.
"Could it be that Zhou Yi is an immortal?"
Old Huang gaped, his jaw practically hitting the ground. Despite his broad experience, today's events had left him utterly dumbfounded.
"A heavenly gate, yet not quite..."
Li Chungang squinted, puzzled.
He, too, could open a heavenly gate with his sword and had experienced its aura before.
But the gate Zhou Yi had opened felt different.
"You won't escape!"
Hong Xixiang roared, slashing the air with his sword.
Boom!
A heavenly gate opened, and Hong Xixiang charged through on his sword.
Unfortunately, he didn't realize that Zhou Yi wasn't from their world's celestial realm.
The "heavenly gate" Zhou Yi had opened led back to the Battle Through the Heavens universe, not their world's immortal plane.
Hong Xixiang's pursuit was destined to be in vain.
"This is craftsmanship!"
"Is that Taoist really this powerful?"
Xu Fengnian stared, wide-eyed, as Hong Xixiang split the heavenly gate open and charged after Zhou Yi, utterly dumbfounded.
Wasn't this the same Hong Xixiang he had frequently bullied?
And now, Zhou Yi claimed Hong Xixiang was the reincarnation of Lu Zu?
Could such a tale even be real?
"So Qi Xuanzheng was Lu Zu reincarnated..."
Li Chungang murmured to himself.
Back when he had gone to Dragon Tiger Mountain seeking a life-saving elixir for Lü Pao'er, he had lost to Qi Xuanzheng and been shaken to his core.
Looking back now, his loss seemed far less shameful.
Though he was a prodigious talent, how could Lu Zu be ordinary?
Decades of cultivation couldn't possibly outmatch the reincarnated Lu Zu. If they could, wouldn't Lu Zu be worthless?
Recollecting his thoughts, Li Chungang glanced at Xu Xiao and took his leave.
He had fulfilled his debt to Xu Xiao by acting once.
There was no longer any need for him to remain at Tingchao Pavilion.
He planned to visit Wudi City and meet Wang Xianzhi.
And thus, the events at the Northern Liang royal court spread like a tempest across the world.
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