The Zanpakuto ignited with the scorching Li Fire, a flame identical to Samadhi True Fire, effective only against malevolent entities.
As Yan Shouyi dismounted and closed in, Huo Ban also sensed the threat emanating from the Zanpakuto.
"Li Fire… Chirentu?"
Huo Ban recognized this technique, detailed within the Luban Shu.
Yan Shouyi unleashed a sword strike, forcing even Huo Ban to instinctively evade its edge.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang seized the moment to catch his breath and scrambled up from the mercury river.
"This child actually possesses True Dragon Purple Qi as well?"
Upon reaching the shore, Emperor Qin Shi Huang stared at Yan Shouyi, surprise evident in his eyes.
Since ancient times, one mountain could not harbor two tigers. After discovering Lin Zitong's True Dragon Purple Qi, Emperor Qin Shi Huang had assumed her husband was likely an ordinary individual.
Yet, unexpectedly, her husband was also a Ziwei Star, destined for emperorship!
How could this be possible?!
It wasn't that two possessors of True Dragon Purple Qi couldn't exist in the same era; rather, it was that their coexistence was destined to be impossible.
It was akin to Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and the Hegemon King of Western Chu, Xiang Yu. Both bore the mandate of emperors, but when they met, only one would typically remain.
Unless…
Emperor Qin Shi Huang thought of something, his expression growing even more astonished.
Unless, one resided in the imperial court, and the other guarded the martial world!
As an emperor, Emperor Qin Shi Huang possessed keen judgment of people. He could tell at a glance that Lin Zitong would be the one in the imperial court, and the more reserved Yan Shouyi would be the guardian of the martial world!
A stable court and an untroubled martial world – this was the true state of a prosperous and stable empire!
Suddenly, Emperor Qin Shi Huang seemed to glimpse the golden age he had once envisioned, an age that might very well be achieved through Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong.
All these thoughts flashed through Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mind.
He had not forgotten that there was still a troublesome villain present.
After Huo Ban was repelled by Yan Shouyi, Emperor Qin Shi Huang and Yan Shouyi jointly pursued him!
Remarkably, Yan Shouyi's movements and fighting style bore an uncanny resemblance to Emperor Qin Shi Huang's.
This was precisely because Yan Shouyi, in his earlier observation of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, had experienced an epiphany and madly absorbed Emperor Qin Shi Huang's combat experience.
Because of this, despite a two-thousand-year age gap and hailing from entirely different eras, their coordination was surprisingly seamless.
Together, they began to gain the upper hand.
Huo Ban found himself in a passive position, his heart burning with rage.
Suddenly, he let out a furious roar, and the Suihou Pearl embedded in his eye socket emitted a strange green light.
The mercury river began to churn once more, and countless souls shot out from the riverbed, hurtling towards Huo Ban!
"Huo Ban intends to absorb souls again!"
Yan Shouyi's expression turned grim. Huo Ban was already difficult to deal with, and if he were to grow stronger, even with Emperor Qin Shi Huang's combined might, they might not be able to stop him.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's eyes flickered, and he seemed to make a decision.
He glanced back at Yan Shouyi's companions and then asked Yan Shouyi, "When your people trespassed into my imperial mausoleum, did they happen to see my Ancestral Dragon Sword?"
Hearing Emperor Qin Shi Huang mention the Ancestral Dragon Sword, Yan Shouyi quickly retrieved it from his satchel.
The Ancestral Dragon Sword was sealed within its scabbard, completely intact.
As soon as the scabbard was opened, the Ancestral Dragon Sword began to tremble and hum, its resonance like the roar of a dragon echoing from a distant valley.
It seemed the Ancestral Dragon Sword was also pleased to see Emperor Qin Shi Huang again.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang reached out and grasped it. With a "clang," the Ancestral Dragon Sword flew out of its scabbard and landed steadily in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's hand.
"I once wielded you, believing I could establish Qin for ten thousand years, yet I never imagined the Qin Dynasty's fate would be so short. You have been wronged, good sword."
Emperor Qin Shi Huang apologized to a mere weapon with a hint of remorse.
This was unexpected for Yan Shouyi. He had thought Emperor Qin Shi Huang to be the type of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, yet here he was, apologizing to a cold, inanimate object.
However, with the Ancestral Dragon Sword in hand, Emperor Qin Shi Huang exuded an even greater kingly aura, as if golden dragons were coiled around him, his might amplified severalfold.
"What is your name?" Emperor Qin Shi Huang suddenly asked Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi paused, then replied, "Yan Shouyi."
"Hmm, I will remember it."
Emperor Qin Shi Huang nodded and said, "Give me a drop of your blood, and call your friends over for assistance!"
"Ah? Oh… alright!"
Unsure of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's intentions, Yan Shouyi could only comply.
He forced out a drop of blood and flicked it towards Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Instead of catching it with his hand, Emperor Qin Shi Huang cleaved down with the Ancestral Dragon Sword!
The blade struck the drop of blood, but instead of splitting it, it directly absorbed it.
Yan Shouyi felt a tremor within him and couldn't help but stare at the Ancestral Dragon Sword.
In that instant, he seemed to establish a connection with the Ancestral Dragon Sword…
Without time for further thought, Emperor Qin Shi Huang charged towards Huo Ban with the Ancestral Dragon Sword, while Yan Shouyi, remembering Emperor Qin Shi Huang's previous command, turned and shouted:
"Everyone, come help!"
A Gong, Luo Ning, and Wang Ji had been eager to join the fray for a long time, yearning to assist. They had only held back previously, fearing that their intervention might only cause trouble due to Huo Ban's formidable strength.
"Brother Yan is calling us, let's go!"
A Gong said, leading the charge, with the others following suit.
Weng Qianxiang was also about to join them but was intercepted by Lin Zitong's Red God Umbrella: "With your combat prowess, stay here to protect everyone."
"I… Alright!"
Weng Qianxiang felt a pang of frustration for the first time due to his lack of combat strength.
He had always preferred to hide in the rear, acting like a turtle tucking its head away. But this time, seeing everyone else rush forward, a fire ignited within him, making him want to join the fight.
Most importantly, even Long Feicheng had joined the ranks!
The group left the shelter, braving the continuously falling night pearls, and charged towards the shore.
At that very moment, Emperor Qin Shi Huang arrived before Huo Ban.
Huo Ban's absorption of souls had made his body incredibly bloated, his limbs becoming thin and elongated, resembling a monster.
If not for his possessing only two hands and two feet, he would have looked like an octopus.
Looking at the monstrous Huo Ban before him, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's gaze was complex.
He had once placed such trust in this craftsman, entrusting Huo Ban with the design and supervision of several vital aspects of the Qin Dynasty. He had even considered Huo Ban a confidant, sharing many heartfelt words.
But in the end, he discovered that this confidant had been using him from beginning to end.
Using his imperial power, his empire and people, and ultimately, even his imperial mausoleum.
Unforgivable, utterly unforgivable!
The more Emperor Qin Shi Huang thought about it, the more enraged he became, his eyes threatening to spew flames!
He reached out into the air, and the purple Qi surrounding him condensed into a golden thread.
He blew the golden thread towards Huo Ban. Huo Ban, naturally, would not passively accept his fate and flailed his limbs, attempting to struggle free.
But the golden thread, like a long serpent, twisted and writhed before entwining around Huo Ban's body!
This was a golden thread condensed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang from his True Dragon Purple Qi, exceptionally tough. No matter how profound Huo Ban's cultivation, he could not break it!
The cost, however, was the expenditure of his True Dragon Purple Qi!
At this moment, Emperor Qin Shi Huang was consumed by righteous fury. Even if it meant descending from the status of True Dragon Son of Heaven to that of an ordinary person, he was determined to annihilate Huo Ban!
Seeing the golden thread entwine Huo Ban, Emperor Qin Shi Huang immediately yanked the thread back. The golden thread instantly tightened, binding Huo Ban firmly!
With another pull, the end of the golden thread split into seven smaller threads. Emperor Qin Shi Huang flung these seven threads towards Yan Shouyi: "Have your companions grab onto these golden threads and do not let go!"