"The Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword is an artifact of the Ming King. For those who are not descendants of the Ming King, using it will greatly increase the difficulty and be extremely taxing."
"I'm afraid the final results of your competition won't differ much," Zhu Zhi mused for a moment before explaining.
The Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword was very discerning of its master.
For individuals like Zhang Yang and Zhang Yingxiong, who were not descendants of the Ming King, it was essentially impossible to wield.
However.
Zhang Yang and Zhang Hero were unconcerned.
Both of them were the type to never give up until they hit a wall.
"It's fine, even with a small gap, a winner can be decided!" they said in unison.
Hearing this.
Zhu Zhi could only nod with a wry smile.
Ten minutes later.
The group stood on the deck.
Zhu Zhi produced the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword he had brought and asked,
"Who wants to go first?"
"I'll go!" Zhang Yingxiong, full of confidence, stepped forward before Zhang Yang.
However, as his hand touched the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword, his knees bent, and his body sank slightly.
So heavy?
Zhang Yingxiong's expression changed.
No wonder Zhu Zhi had said earlier that the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword was difficult to control; it truly was quite resistant.
However, Zhang Yingxiong was no ordinary person.
He immediately channeled the cyan energy within him, forcefully resisting the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword.
He gripped the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword with both hands.
Gazing at the vast, boundless sea, he adjusted his state to its peak!
Instantly.
A surge of cyan energy enveloped Zhang Yingxiong, along with a trace of Hao Ran Zheng Qi. Only then did he barely manage to subdue the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword.
"Hah!"
Zhang Yingxiong dared not delay and let out a loud shout.
Then, with a mighty swing, he slashed the sword towards the vast ocean.
Whoosh!
The calm sea surface was instantly divided by the sword energy.
A hundred-zhang long gully split the seawater in two.
This result truly astonished everyone present, even Zhu Zhi himself was shocked.
He had not expected Zhang Yingxiong to be able to control the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword and unleash such formidable power.
Even he, a descendant of the Ming King, if he were to use it personally.
He would likely only be able to unleash the same power as Zhang Yingxiong!
Zhang Yingxiong chuckled.
He was also very satisfied with his performance and cast a challenging glance at Zhang Yang.
Then, he handed the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword to Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang curled his lips in disdain and took the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword.
The moment he held it, he also frowned slightly.
Besides being a bit heavy, the sword seemed to be somewhat rejecting him.
He quickly released the true qi within him to resonate with the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword.
Instantly.
The Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword became light.
The thousand-jun weight it felt in Zhang Yingxiong's hands was imperceptible to Zhang Yang.
"A hundred zhang is nothing to be proud of! Watch this!"
Zhang Yang also shouted.
True qi surged out, and terrifying power converged onto the sword's body.
"Open!"
With a single slash.
The entire sea surface instantly churned with turbulent waves, and a fierce wind raged!
A dividing line, stretching tens of thousands of meters, appeared out of nowhere on the sea.
The ship they stood on swayed violently!
Everyone's eyes nearly popped out, their mouths agape in astonishment!
"This..."
"How long is that?"
"At least tens of thousands of meters, right? How did Zhang Yang do it?"
"My heavens, Zhang Yingxiong lost so miserably!"
The crowd was greatly surprised.
Even Di Yi, who possessed the highest cultivation, was stunned!
In that instant, Zhang Yang, wielding the Jun Zi Sword, made him feel a hint of danger.
Zhu Zhi was also moved to tears!
In Zhang Yang, he seemed to see a shadow of the Ming King!
With the results out, the superiority was clear.
Zhang Yingxiong's triumphant expression vanished, and he dejectedly lowered his head.
Before Zhang Yang had made his move, he had been full of confidence.
Who could have imagined...
That he would end up losing so miserably!
"I lost!" Zhang Yingxiong admitted helplessly.
Zhang Yang nodded slightly, not mocking Zhang Yingxiong, but turning to Zhu Zhi and the others.
"Now that the candidate is decided, everyone prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we head to the Imperial City to eliminate the fake Emperor and his ilk! And bring peace back to the world!"
Everyone nodded.
They departed with grim expressions.
They all knew the immense difficulty of tomorrow's battle, a challenge that reached the heavens.
Therefore, they had to adjust themselves to their peak condition.
...
The next day!
At the foot of the Imperial City!
Zhang Kuang, Zhang Yingxiong, Di Yi, Zhu Zhi, and a large contingent of troops were all in position!
A powerful killing intent enveloped the Imperial City.
Such a large-scale deployment of experts at the city gates was naturally sensed by the Emperor and his faction.
"Heh heh, they've all arrived!" the fake Emperor sneered.
"Once these people are eliminated, this world will be ours," Gu Congtian's eyes gleamed with greed.
"I will recreate my Evil Cult on this land!" the Evil Cult Emperor also stated solemnly.
Behind the three.
There were also countless experts, standing ready!
As Zhang Yang and the others arrived, they also emerged from the Imperial City.
The Imperial City was unusually deserted today, with no one in sight.
Clearly, the Emperor had cleared everyone out in advance, preventing anyone from approaching this area.
This was because he feared Zhang Yang and his group would spread the news of his being the fake Emperor.
This would be disadvantageous for him in ruling the entire territory after eliminating Zhang Yang and his faction.
Regarding this.
It also brought a sense of joy to Zhang Yang and his group.
The coexistence of the true and fake Emperor within one person was already an incredible matter.
It would be difficult for people to believe if it were spread.
So, rather than letting everyone know, it was better to have a decisive battle with the fake Emperor and his faction and rescue the true Emperor!
"We're all old acquaintances, so there's no need for superfluous pleasantries, right?" Zhang Yang said sternly, staring at the fake Emperor.
"Heh heh, come on then!" the fake Emperor sneered.
He chuckled upon seeing the Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword in Zhang Yang's hand and gave the first order!
"Kill!"
"Kill kill!"
"..."
Instantly, the shouts of war erupted at the foot of the Imperial City.
Both sides charged towards each other!
Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals!
Zhu Zhi led a group of low-star Yuan Fu realm cultivators into the fray, attacking without mercy!
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang and the other two exchanged glances and found their respective opponents!
Di Yi faced the Evil Cult Emperor.
Zhang Yingxiong, holding the eight-star talisman stone, confronted Gu Congtian.
As for Zhang Yang, it went without saying, his opponent was the fake Emperor!
Clang!
The Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword was unsheathed, and Zhang Yang swiftly thrust it forward.
With the augmentation of Hao Ran Zheng Qi, his true qi allowed Zhang Yang to unleash extraordinary combat power.
"Quite interesting! You can even control the Ming King's Hao Ran Zheng Qi Sword? But your realm is still too low; you can't unleash the power this divine weapon deserves!"
The fake Emperor sneered, his palm deflecting Zhang Yang's incoming sword strike, and then he lunged towards Zhang Yang's chest!
With a tearing sound!
Zhang Yang's chest clothes were ripped apart, his chest bleeding profusely, and he was sent flying backward!
Ugh~
So painful!
So strong!
Zhang Yang's face was filled with a solemn expression.
This fake Emperor was indeed a nine-star Yuan Fu realm cultivator; his strength was immense.
Currently, the nine-star talisman stone within him could not unleash its full power, so Zhang Yang could only fight and retreat.
"Heh heh, Zhang Yang, if you're willing to surrender to this Emperor, I can give you everything you desire!" the fake Emperor said, pursuing Zhang Yang and extending an olive branch!
"We have different paths and cannot conspire together! You imposter, today, either you die, or I do!" Zhang Yang glared at the fake Emperor and refused outright.
"You have quite the audacity. If that's the case, then die!" The fake Emperor, his persuasion unsuccessful, his expression darkened.
His attacks became even more ferocious, instantly overwhelming Zhang Yang, leaving him no chance to breathe.
In the eyes of the others.
Zhang Yang was in the most perilous situation at this moment, being kicked around like a football by the fake Emperor, completely unable to resist!
Although Di Yi wished to help, he was unable to disengage.
And Zhang Yingxiong, who was also using an eight-star talisman stone, was struggling to fend for himself!
Everyone could only pray in their hearts that Zhang Yang would quickly fuse with the nine-star talisman stone.
And that the fake Emperor would not discover the trick beforehand.
Otherwise, they would surely lose today!
But...
Just as they feared, it happened.
Gu Congtian, who was fighting Zhang Yingxiong.
Discovered something amiss with Zhang Yingxiong.
Zhang Yingxiong's resilience seemed to be increasing little by little!
After all.
The eight-star talisman stone was easier to fuse with than the nine-star talisman stone!
Zhang Yingxiong's fusion speed with the eight-star talisman stone was faster.
"Something's not right, Zhang Yingxiong's strength has suddenly increased, they seem to have a secret trump card!" Gu Congtian shouted.
Hmm?
The fake Emperor, who was pursuing Zhang Yang, frowned upon hearing this.
He glanced at Zhang Yingxiong, then observed Zhang Yang for a while, and seemed to realize something.
"Talisman stones?"
"I see! Heh heh, you truly have a good plan! You almost gave yourselves the qualification to challenge this Emperor!" The fake Emperor had seen through everything!
He knew the trump cards of the Central Island well!
Therefore, he immediately abandoned the pursuit of Zhang Yang and turned his attention directly to Zhang Yingxiong!
The fake Emperor was very clever.
He wanted to eliminate Zhang Yingxiong before the power of Zhang Yingxiong's talisman stone was fully fused.
This way, Gu Congtian could free himself up to deal with the other Yuan Fu realm cultivators!
This!
Not good.
He's been discovered!
Zhu Zhi and the others' faces changed drastically!
Zhang Yingxiong felt a strong sense of crisis from behind, his hair standing on end!
Zhang Yang had not expected the fake Emperor to be so decisive and rational!
"You bastard, your opponent is me!" Zhang Yang gritted his teeth and shouted, quickly chasing after the fake Emperor!
A long sword and two stone tablets were swiftly hurled towards the Emperor, but they were easily batted away by him!
Zhang Yang dared not delay. Upon approaching the Emperor, he immediately produced the crystal coffin!
"You think a mere broken coffin can stop me?" the fake Emperor sneered repeatedly.
With a palm strike of immense power, he swiftly struck the crystal coffin!
Crack!
Before Zhang Yang could even activate the crystal coffin, it shattered with a resounding crack.
Countless cracks appeared on the coffin's surface.
The crystal coffin, which had accompanied Zhang Yang in many battles, instantly turned to dust.
Zhang Yang, who was behind the crystal coffin, took the fake Emperor's palm strike directly.
Instantly, he spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string!
Pfft~
Blood painted an arc in the air, and Zhang Yingxiong was going mad!
"Zhang Yang! Son! Ah! I'll fight you all!" Zhang Yingxiong roared in fury.
But he was no match for the fake Emperor or Gu Congtian.
Under their pincer attack, from front and back, he immediately fell unconscious.
His life and death were unknown...