The Human Emperor

Bang!

Less than a second later, a massive explosion sent the Dragon Guards flying through the air as they screamed.

The terrifying wave of energy swept past the Dragon Guards, traveled up the steps, and slammed into the doors of Taiji Palace, unleashing a deafening boom that made all of Taiji Palace tremble.

Those within the hall paled.

The Dragon Guards were the elite experts trained by the Sage Emperor, and there was no doubting their strength. They were the strongest defense for the Sage Emperor, but at this moment, none of these powerful Dragon Guards were capable of defeating this foe.

“Nothing but ants! If Li Taiyi had appeared, this prince might have been a little fearful, but you lot… don’t know your own strength!” A cold voice came from outside, brimming with killing intent that made a shiver run down one’s spine.

“Your Majesty…”

Li Jingzhong paled, and his entire body trembled as he looked at Li Heng.

“There’s no need to speak!”

Li Heng knew what he wanted to say and cut him off.

“The Great Tang has stood for several hundred years, and never has an Emperor been forced to flee due to some unrest. Jingzhong, stay in the hall. General Li, come out with me to assist the Dragon Guards. I’d like to see who would dare to cause trouble in the palace!”

Li Heng’s eyes coldly glinted. Clang! The Sage Emperor’s Son of Heaven’s Sword flew off the wall and into Li Heng’s hand.

With sword in hand, Li Heng fearlessly walked out.

General Li followed at his side.

……

Bang!

Li Heng had mentally prepared himself for what he would see when the doors opened, but when he saw the real situation, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

The Dragon Guards were the strongest force of the Great Tang Imperial Palace, the several dozen guards serving as a wall that could make almost anyone despair.

During the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the many Imperial Army soldiers and men in black had come in wave after wave, but they had been pushed back again and again by the indomitable Dragon Guards.

The mountain of corpses in front of Taiji Palace and rivers of blood was proof enough of the Dragon Guards’ strength.

But when Li Heng opened the door, what he saw was the slain bodies of Dragon Guards.

Their bodies were scattered across the area, and their sharp swords had been turned around by Li Xuantu as the tools to take their lives.

The sharp swords had flown into the air and turned back around, piercing through the bodies of the Dragon Guards and nailing them to the stairs of Taiji Palace.

Blood gruesomely flowed out of their bodies and down the steps.

“！！！”

“!!!”

Li Heng was dumbstruck.

“How could this be?!”

He knew that the other party had to be strong, but Li Heng had not expected them to be this frightening. In just a few moments of turmoil, half of the Dragon Guards had been slain.

The ten-some remaining Dragon Guards were heavily injured, gripping their swords as they stood in front of Li Xuantu.

The Dragon Guards were alarmed by Li Heng’s appearance, and anxiously cried out, “Your Majesty, get out of here!”

This enemy’s strength was too incredible. Just a few strikes had dealt heavy losses to the Dragon Guards and thrown them into despair!

“Get out? Hmph, can you!?”

A cold snort came from above. Li Xuantu floated in the air, his black and golden robe flapping in the wind. He had also noticed Li Heng emerging from the palace, and his gaze instantly darkened.

Bang!

He waved his hand, the sky darkening as a black Halo of Spacetime expanded and swiftly descended.

“Careful!”

The Dragon Guards paled, warily gripping their weapons.

Boom! Stellar Energy erupted from their bodies and Sword Qi exploded from their swords. The remaining Dragon Guards mustered up all their power and unleashed it at the black Halo of Spacetime.

General Li was also alarmed. Taking out his sword, he stomped on the ground. Numerous halos erupted from his feet as he assisted the Dragon Guards in resisting Li Xuantu’s attack.

“True Dragon in the Heavens!”

Li Heng clenched his teeth and gripped the Sage Emperor’s sword. With a resounding clang, Dragon Qi erupted from his body and followed General Li’s energy in attacking Li Xuantu.

But when this barrage of attacks struck the black Halo of Spacetime, all of them were twisted, shattered, and destroyed.

“Aaaaah!”

The earth shuddered and screams tore through the air as the massive shockwave blasted back General Li and the Dragon Guards.

Bang!

At the same time, there was a metallic ring as the Son of Heaven’s Sword was knocked out of Li Heng’s hand, spinning through the air until its tip penetrated into the earth.

Crack!

A powerful hand suddenly seized Li Heng by the neck, slowly raising him into the air.

“Your Majesty!!”

Everyone cried out in alarm, the tension soaring.

“Stop!”

At the same time, a furious roar could be heard as a destructive beam of Stellar Energy shot at Li Xuantu’s back.

Boom!

The Stellar Energy struck the walls of Taiji Palace like a mountain, causing the building to shudder so fiercely that it almost collapsed.

Elsewhere, a black Halo of Spacetime appeared, and Li Xuantu appeared, still holding Li Heng by the neck. He had just barely managed to avoid Wang Chong’s attack.

“Brat, you really did come! It seems that I wasn’t able to hide everything from you down there!”

Li Xuantu had his back to Wang Chong, his long black hair dancing in the wind, his image proud and majestic.

“But if you take one more step forward, you’ll have to set up a new sovereign!”

Li Xuantu’s final words were brimming with cold killing intent.

Buzz!

Wang Chong had already reached the outermost perimeter of the area guarded by the Dragon Guards, but when he heard Li Xuantu’s words, he was forced to stop, his heart sinking.

Too fast!

Though he had made his way here as quickly as he could, this gap in strength had meant that he had still come late.

“Release His Majesty! Senior, you had a grudge with the previous Emperor, not with His Majesty. Senior was a talent of your generation, so why must you make trouble for your juniors?”

Wang Chong nastily scowled.

Despite his vigilance, Li Linfu and Genesis Supreme had still managed to succeed.

“Release Us! Who are you?!”

Li Heng grabbed Li Xuantu’s arm and struggled. He had heard how Wang Chong had addressed this man, and also noticed the black and gold imperial robe Li Xuantu wore.

Li Heng was a member of the imperial household, and he had a keen understanding of the clothing laws of the palace. The black and golden robe imperial robe worn by this man was not something just anyone could wear. Not even as the revered Crown Prince had he been allowed to wear such a robe.

The Emperor would have to make an exception and have this sort of robe specifically woven for the wearer.

Only the most exceptional of Princes could enjoy such privilege.

Li Heng could tell at a glance that this was no counterfeit. It was an authentic imperial robe.

“Me? Haha, I am the true master of this realm! Thirty years ago, it was your father who stole the country from me, stole my right to imperial authority!”

Li Xuantu brazenly laughed, his body trembling, but his fingers remained tightly clenched around Li Heng’s neck.

“Thirty years ago? How!? You’re the previous Crown Prince, Li Xuantu!”

Li Heng stared at Li Xuantu, his entire body trembling in shock.

Though he had been born long after the Divine Dragon Coup, this coup had been the most important turning point in the Sage Emperor’s life. The Princes, who all revered the Sage Emperor, had heard the tale many times, and though the story had never been painted in too much detail, all of them knew the name of Li Xuantu.

This had been one of the Sage Emperor’s strongest foes!

Li Heng had never imagined that Li Xuantu would still be alive, and that he would appear right in front of him.

Li Heng looked past Li Xuantu and spotted Wang Chong.

Given what had happened just now, it was clear that Wang Chong knew some of the truth, and there was an extremely high chance that Wang Chong knew of this man’s identity.

Noticing Li Heng’s gaze, Wang Chong nodded.

Buzz!

Li Heng shivered, his heart sinking.

If this man was really the Li Xuantu from those childhood tales, then it would be very difficult to reach a good ending to today’s events!

A cold snort came from next to his ear.

“Hmph, though Li Taiyi deserved to die ten thousand deaths, at least he had extraordinary strength. How could he produce a son that hasn’t even reached the Subtle realm? A tiger fathering a dog!”

While Li Heng’s mind was reeling, Li Xuantu had been inspecting Li Heng with cold eyes, making no attempt to hide his derision.