An Jin's words silenced all the cultivators present.
But silence did not equate to quiet; everyone's breathing grew rapid, like the roar of a tidal wave.
The Sword Pavilion was a first-rate sect in the martial world of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Relying on the immortal swords within its halls, it had forged extensive alliances and possessed a profound heritage.
Such a sect, in a sense, was the emperor of its domain, and had developed to this point with the tacit approval of the imperial court. Thus, even the royal family's influence found it difficult to extend into its affairs.
Yet now, An Jin claimed that the Sword Pavilion, which managed the teleportation array, had an important official who was actually a person from the Great Xia Dynasty.
Was Qi Long a spy from Great Xia?
Who could believe this, who dared to believe it!
Sensing the gazes of those around him, an elder from the Sword Pavilion turned pale and said:
"Steward Qi Long joined the Sword Pavilion twenty years ago and rose to his current position through his own efforts. How could he be a Xia person? Everyone, please be rational!"
An Jin sneered with resentment, "The Great Xia and our dynasty share a border and have been enemies for generations. Although the two dynasties have signed a peace treaty, has the matter of each side planting spies ever stopped?"
An Jin clasped his hands behind his back and looked down disdainfully at the Sword Pavilion elder:
"I have served in the army for many years and captured countless spies. What is lurking for twenty years? Would you believe that a beggar who has been begging his entire life at the foot of the Son of Heaven in the imperial city is actually a lord of the Demon Extermination Division!"
"This..." The Sword Pavilion elder was rendered speechless. Others also remained silent.
When it came to matters between two dynasties, none of those present had more authority than An Jin, for he was a Prince's Guard and a veteran soldier.
However, to prove that a Sword Pavilion elder was a spy, mere speculation was insufficient.
An Jin, across the array, asked loudly:
"Valley Master Mei Chuan, please tell us what is going on. What enmity do you have with Qi Long that he wants to kill you?"
Mei Chuan, relentlessly pursued by Qi Long, was pale and on the verge of death with a single misstep. He dared not divert any attention, let alone answer An Jin's questions. Thus, he chose silence.
Seeing this, An Jin frowned and turned directly to the Sword Pavilion elder, "Could you please ask your Sword Pavilion's Domain Lord to break Qi Long's array?"
The elder shook his head:
"This array can trap Mei Chuan, the Valley Master of Plum Blossom Valley. How can it be easily broken? Furthermore, our Sword Pavilion does not have many Domain Lords, and most of them are artifact refiners, not skilled in breaking arrays."
An Jin frowned impolitely, "In the vast Sword Pavilion, can you not even find one Domain Lord who can break an array!"
The elder sneered and replied:
"Even if there were, so what?"
"It has not yet been determined whether Qi Long is a spy from the Great Xia. Perhaps he and Mei Chuan only have a personal vendetta. Are not cases of seeking revenge under a false identity common in the martial world? Why should we intervene?"
"You!" An Jin was so enraged his face turned ashen. He gritted his teeth and stared intently at Qi Long, who was pursuing Mei Chuan within the array. At this moment, Qi Long held an absolute advantage, wielding two immortal swords. No matter how Mei Chuan dodged and weaved, he could not escape being grazed by sword energy.
"We can't delay any longer!"
An Jin took a deep breath, turned to the Seventh Prince beside him, and cupped his hands with utmost solemnity:
"Your Highness, we must request your assistance with this array."
The Seventh Prince looked at the scene with a conflicted expression, "Commander An, are you sure this Qi Long is a spy? What if we are mistaken?"
"The jade token Father King gave me is unique. If I use it now, I'll regret it!"
As the Seventh Prince spoke, he revealed a smooth, mirror-like red jade tablet. The moment it appeared, everyone's sea of consciousness trembled violently.
An Jin gazed at the jade token in the Seventh Prince's hand, a look of reverence in his eyes.
This item was personally refined by the Emperor of Great Zhou. The token contained a trace of the Zhou Emperor's divine soul power. If shattered, it could summon an avatar of the Zhou Emperor.
Although the avatar could only deliver one blow, it was the Emperor of the Great Zhou!
The Zhou Emperor was a man who dared to confront the Fisherman head-on! His divine soul avatar's strike was enough to shatter any array below the Human King realm!
An Jin took a deep breath and said solemnly:
"Your Highness, this matter is of great importance."
"Think about it, if we successfully apprehend a spy from the Great Xia here, how will His Majesty view you? A mere protective jade pendant. If Your Highness achieves such a great merit, will you not be able to retrieve it later?"
"Moreover, if Your Highness achieves such a great merit, your establishment of a princely manor next year should face no obstacles. No more short-sighted ministers will object at this time. Your influence over the First Prince will also increase significantly!"
"Stop, don't say any more!"
The Seventh Prince's cheeks flushed. An Jin's words were incredibly tempting. He had almost shattered the jade token several times, but his timidity still held him back.
The Seventh Prince narrowed his eyes, staring at Qi Long within the array for a long time. His expression gradually turned frenzied and greedy.
Born into royalty, he was a concubine's son. Above him was the capable and valiant First Prince who had achieved great military accomplishments. Below him was a younger brother with extraordinary talent who knew how to curry favor with His Majesty.
He alone possessed nothing. He held the title of prince but had been marginalized by the court for over a decade, never truly entrusted with power. Last year, he had barely seen the Zhou Emperor a few times. Now, he could only pathetically rely on his elder brother, taking orders. To travel all the way to the Sword Pavilion to retrieve a sword, using all the forces he could muster – what a humiliation!
Within the array, Qi Long had traded injury for injury, pushing Mei Chuan to the brink of desperation. Mei Chuan had unleashed all his techniques and was now heavily wounded and dying.
An Jin urged anxiously:
"Your Highness, if Qi Long succeeds, he will likely escape through the array. If you don't act now, you'll lose your chance!"
"Stop urging me!"
The Seventh Prince roared, his face contorted.
Simultaneously, he applied force with his right palm, shattering the jade token in his hand!
"Crack!"
Crimson jade dust drifted from between his fingers, scattering in the air like a mist, yet it did not disperse in the wind. Instead, it slowly condensed into a human form.
At that instant, all the cultivators present felt an immense pressure. Regardless of their realm, even Mei Chuan within the array, instinctively buckled at the knees, a primal urge to submit erupting from the depths of their souls.
Qi Long felt the same. Moreover, he was already heavily injured, his abilities nearly depleted, and he had no way to resist this majesty. Thus, he was forced to cease his attack, standing still with a pale face.
"What is that!"
Xu Mu, standing at the mouth of the cave, stared at the sky above the crowd in shock.
There, a person stood.
The man wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with a design of surging seas and dragons. Golden waves crashed and surged at the hem of his robe. The sleeves fluttered high in the wind. His long eyebrows were slightly raised, and his pupils, as black as ink jade, exuded the commanding aura of a monarch.
This was a king.
Without a doubt, this was the monarch of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Long live our Emperor, long live, long live, long live!"
The crowd below knelt like a tidal wave, their expressions filled with reverence. Not a single person dared to stand tall at this moment, including those Sword Pavilion elders.
Because this man was the Emperor of the Great Zhou.
Because he was a Human King of the sixth realm.
"Rise."
"Father Emperor!" The Seventh Prince looked up, then hurriedly pointed at Qi Long in the arena and exclaimed, "Father Emperor, this Sword Pavilion elder is a spy planted by Great Xia to assassinate Mei Chuan, the Valley Master of Plum Blossom Valley."
"The array he set up is too powerful for us to break. I implore Father Emperor to condescend and assist!"
The Zhou Emperor heard this and frowned slightly.
"My son, you shattered the Dragon Blood Jade Token I personally refined for your protection, just to help our dynasty capture a spy?"
The Seventh Prince bowed, kneeling, "Please forgive me, Father Emperor!"
"The Great Xia spy is outrageously arrogant, daring to set a trap to kill someone within our Great Xia territory! Your son acted rashly out of anger, and I beg for Your Father Emperor's forgiveness!"
The Zhou Emperor chuckled twice.
"Do not panic. You have done very well."
"Return to the palace and seek your reward from me."
After speaking, the Zhou Emperor casually looked at Qi Long within the array, and then glanced at Zuo Mingqiu and Xu Mu, who had not knelt. His brow twitched slightly.
"Is the genius of the Great Xia Dynasty so monstrous?"
"Since that is the case, then kill them all at once."
The figure slowly pointed a finger at Qi Long.
However, both Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu simultaneously felt a fatal crisis. Their pupils contracted sharply, and they both retreated explosively.
"Quick, retreat!!!"