In the capital of Qu Yue, within the Imperial Palace.
In the Grand Hall, the gilded dragon throne no longer held the figure of Emperor Ruan Wenxiong. Only the long robes of Ruan Chao'an hung at the foot of the stairs, making the entire court silent as a grave.
"Well... this noble person, in my opinion, this matter should not be rushed into warfare. It would be wiser to follow diplomacy first, then resort to force if necessary..."
Ruan Wenxiong offered this advice. Despite the arrogance and domineering tone of the Imperial Guard, Ruan Wenxiong did not blindly follow his own confidence.
After all, Ruan Chao'an, up until now, was merely a talker, but the Emperor of the Summer Kingdom had actual battle achievements!
Ruan Chao'an regarded the Grand Masters as ants, yet didn't Fang Yuan also kill Grand Masters like killing chickens?
"Heh..." Ruan Chao'an sneered, his eyes flashing with disdain:
"Diplomacy first, then force? The enemy has already mounted Qu Yue, and you still think of treating them with diplomacy? A ruler of a nation, so hesitant and fearful, you truly dishonor the late Emperor's legacy!"
Ruan Wenxiong's face turned alternately red and white, but he dared not refute. He could only lower his head and remain silent.
Ruan Chao'an was very satisfied with the other's behavior and continued:
"A mere secular emperor, how much cultivation can they have? You frogs in a well, mistaking a firefly for the moon, truly laughable..."
In Ruan Chao'an's view, the path of cultivation required focus, and those distracted by secular power struggles inevitably made slow progress.
And he, was the most pure cultivator in this world.
"Think of me when I was young, I was taken in as a disciple by the late Emperor, praised as a rare genius of a thousand years."
Ruan Chao'an stood with his hands behind his back, a trace of pride flashing in his eyes,
"For three thousand years, I have never left the valley, living like a hermit, completely isolated from the world, only to pursue the ultimate martial path."
His voice echoed in the hall: "This half-step Martial Saint realm of mine was achieved through countless days and nights of unyielding cultivation!"
"Let me ask, those mundane fools who squander time in power struggles and neglect the martial way, how could they compare to me?"
Talents like him were not to be feared; what was truly frightening was the discipline he had to match his genius!
Thus, Ruan Chao'an could not imagine any possibility of failure.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere in the hall, the Empress of Qu Yue gently moved forward, her steps light like a lotus, softly speaking: "Noble sir, your martial prowess is certainly unparalleled, but..."
She nervously twisted the wide sleeves of her phoenix robe. "What if the Emperor of the Summer Kingdom fails to defeat you and vents his anger upon us?"
"You need not worry about that." Ruan Chao'an casually waved his long sleeve:
"Even if I have to bear the weight of all Qu Yue, I will extend a hand to protect all of you. I, Ruan Chao'an, am invincible in this world!"
In his eyes, no one in this mortal world could rival him, the only person who could surpass him being Ruan Tianhe.
Upon hearing this promise, the Empress's worries slightly eased. She poured him a cup of fine wine, smiling warmly: "Then noble sir, we rely on you for this battle."
Since Ruan Chao'an was so confident, what else could they say but to trust him?
Ruan Chao'an's expression softened. He raised his wine cup, about to drink, when suddenly, his brow furrowed, and a flash of cold light appeared in his eyes.
He abruptly looked up, his gaze like lightning, piercing through the ceiling to the heavens above.
"Heh, coming by airship, quite a spectacle!!!"
Ruan Chao'an sneered, gently placed his wine cup down, and his dark robe fluttered as if there were no wind, his aura suddenly rising!
The people in the hall were momentarily stunned, then they realized—only the Emperor of the Summer Kingdom, Fang Yuan, could provoke such a reaction from a half-step Martial Saint!
Had he arrived already?
"Your Majesty..."
Ruan Wenxiong's throat moved, about to speak, but Ruan Chao'an immediately interrupted:
"Let this cup of wine be poured first. I shall drink it upon my return!"
Boom!
With a deafening sound, a large hole suddenly exploded in the ceiling of the hall, stones and debris raining down, and Ruan Chao'an's figure had already disappeared from where he stood.
Ruan Wenxiong and the others had no time to consider Ruan Chao'an's dramatic departure by crashing through the ceiling. They were now only hoping that his words were true.
Could he really, as he claimed, kill Fang Yuan while sipping wine?
...
"Your Majesty, we will soon reach the capital of Qu Yue..."
The voice of Marquis Chongwu echoed in his ear, and Fang Yuan nodded slightly. He rose from the dragon throne and slowly walked out onto the deck of the airship.
Knowing that a Martial Saint might be present here, Fang Yuan showed a deep interest.
However, until now, the response from Qu Yue had been extremely calm—there had been no emissaries sent to warmly welcome him, nor had banners been hung in the air like with He Sang, showing loyalty.
It was a rather cold reception.
"Your Majesty, what do you plan to do with Qu Yue?" Marquis Chongwu quietly asked.
"Like with He Sang," Fang Yuan replied indifferently, "He did to us what we shall do to him."
With this casual remark, the fate of countless people had already been sealed.
Fang Yuan remembered that one of Qu Yue's princes had used the "Tai Xu Sword Plague" to infect the people of a state in Han Hai Province, even forcibly draining the life force of a whole state's citizens to launch a fatal strike against him.
Had it not been for his "Changchun Greenwood Body," saving the people in time, it would have led to another massacre.
Such actions, if left unpunished, could not quench the anger in his heart.
Fang Yuan only intended to destroy one city in Qu Yue, which was already quite lenient. After all, he could have chosen to increase the punishment tenfold, making them pay a far heavier price.
Sigh, perhaps he was too kind...
"Yes..." Marquis Chongwu nodded, his tone carrying a trace of coldness:
"Your Majesty is correct. These nations dared to unite and invade our Great Summer, it is time for them to feel the pain."
Fang Yuan glanced at Marquis Chongwu in slight surprise, a trace of doubt rising in his heart:
Could this fellow also be a time traveler? How could he speak Payne's famous line so naturally?
But his thoughts were soon interrupted by another matter.
A vast and powerful aura suddenly exploded from below!
In an instant, a middle-aged man dressed in a green robe soared up from the ground.
His steps seemed ethereal, and despite seemingly taking a single step, he crossed a thousand meters in an instant. Within only a few steps, he had already arrived before the airship!
Ruan Chao'an's eyes were as deep as a dark abyss, his gaze like a blade, directly locking onto Fang Yuan on the deck.
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he coldly spoke: "You must be the Emperor of the Summer Kingdom?"
At first sight, Ruan Chao'an could not help but feel a slight surprise. The person before him appeared so young; he must spend considerable effort on his appearance maintenance.
Chasing power while also coveting eternal youth—such divided attention would lead to stagnation in martial arts cultivation. He was certain that this person was no match for him!
However, what displeased Ruan Chao'an was that despite his half-step Martial Saint status standing right in front of him, the young man in white remained calm and unafraid, showing no signs of fear.
Not only that, the corner of his mouth even curled into a smile.
This calm and composed demeanor... immediately made Ruan Chao'an feel as though he was being underestimated.
"This is Qu Yue, not your backyard!"
"How dare you act so arrogantly here, get down here!"
Without hesitation, Ruan Chao'an pressed his fingers together like a sword, and in an instant, a hundred-foot-long blade of pure golden energy was formed, resembling a massive waterfall descending from the heavens, carrying the power to crush mountains and split valleys, directly slashing toward Fang Yuan!