Chapter 221: Chapter 221

At such close range, with a Heavenly Thunder Talisman detonating right on his forehead and no other protective treasures to shield him, Yang Tai’s fate was sealed.

His head exploded instantly, and his body was torn apart and incinerated by the lightning and fire.

The eldest son of the Yang family perished on the spot.

Lei Jun remained calm as he began cleaning up the scene.

He hadn’t deceived Yang Tai.

Elder Lei did believe Yang Tai had a point—but only about the very last thing he said.

As for all that talk about cooperation? That was just for show.

Back in the day, the Sui Dynasty and Mount Longhu had no particular enmity.

But the Sui fell, the world changed, and that was their own doing.

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it peaceful and prosperous.

If one were to say that the Tang imperial court was merely using Mount Longhu and other Daoist holy lands, then the way the Tianshi Mansion cooperated with the Shengkang faction was even worse—they were just being used as a tool.

But Yang Tai was right about one thing: keeping the direct bloodline of the Sui imperial family alive did, to some extent, tie down Wei Anchang and the Blood River Sect.

Not that it stopped Lei Jun from killing Yang Tai.

Having two leads on the Tianshi Robe didn’t mean he could secure its return for sure.

So, he planned to keep things under wraps—acting low-key and keeping his intentions hidden.

This way, he could avoid becoming a target while also misleading others who were after the Tianshi Robe.

As for any aftereffects?

Besides using his formidable magnetic force to block communication in the area, Lei Jun also erased traces of his involvement using the dark side of the Heavenly Book.

Unless Shengkang Crown Prince Yang Yuqi was present at the scene, tracking Yang Tai’s exact cause of death would be nearly impossible.

And in any case, Yang Yuqi was likely too busy to spare much attention to Jinxizhang right now.

Meanwhile, at Zhongyu Mountain…

"Something happened at Jinxizhang?"

Shengkang Crown Prince Yang Yuqi wasn’t at Sleeping Dragon Lake at the moment—he was at Zhongyu Mountain.

Still, he sensed something was off.

He didn’t know exactly what had occurred at Jinxizhang, but he felt that Yang Tai’s 'Letters as Face' message had been blocked when trying to reach him.

That kind of interference was usually only possible for Upper Heaven cultivators.

Was Jinxizhang under attack by an Upper Heaven enemy?

But right now, he had no time to spare.

The air trembled as sword qi surged, exploding like thunder in the sky.

Blades of sword qi crisscrossed, vast and overwhelming, as if heaven’s judgment had descended.

Yet, this was completely different from the likes of Jiang Tiankuo and the others.

Although it was Confucian swordsmanship, it carried a majestic air that embraced the world itself.

Among all emperors throughout history, at any given time, only the current ruler and the crown prince were allowed to cultivate this technique.

Other members of the imperial family would study different Daoist paths based on their personal interests or talents, and with the resources of a dynasty, they often accumulated a vast number of legacies.

Even though the Sui imperial family had lost its throne, the martial and scholarly arts passed down through generations still carried a kingly aura.

Right now, as Yang Yuqi’s sword momentum unfolded, sword qi and thunderous sound intertwined, shaking the very heavens.

His opponent, however, did not project the same overwhelming grand presence.

Instead, each of their movements cut through Yang Yuqi’s sword qi with ruthless precision, closing the distance with shocking speed.

This figure was a tall, powerfully-built middle-aged man, clad in light armor, with unremarkable facial features—but his blood and qi burned like a small sun.

Each step he took was like warping through space, moving in blink-fast bursts beyond the ability of the human eye to track.

Even if one locked onto his position, in the next instant, he would already be right in front of Yang Yuqi, ready to strike.

In his hands, he wielded a black-gold halberd, its edge flashing faint golden light.

Wherever the halberd struck, everything was annihilated.

If Yang Yuqi’s sword qi was a magnificent golden palace, then this halberd was an iron-blooded storm, trampling over and destroying the palace’s grandeur.

But just as the black-gold halberd was about to cleave through Yang Yuqi, a broken jade seal suddenly manifested above his head, radiating light that blocked the halberd’s strike—if only briefly.

However, the seal was incomplete.

Its light flickered for only a moment before it dimmed, unable to sustain itself any longer.

At that moment, the halberd’s deadly force surged forth once more.

Fortunately, that momentary block had bought Yang Yuqi a split second to retreat.

In terms of speed, he was no match for his opponent, who could almost teleport short distances.

But the flickering light of the jade seal gave him just enough breathing room to keep up.

"The remnants of the Sui? Hardly worth the effort. Why keep struggling?"

The middle-aged man showed no emotion, relentlessly pursuing Yang Yuqi.

This was none other than the Great General of the Tang Dynasty’s Divine Strategy Army, and the current head of the Shangguan family—Shangguan Yunbo.

With his martial divine weapon, the Dangkou Halberd, he unleashed attacks so fierce that even Yang Yuqi had to evade.

Yang Yuqi’s expression remained calm: "Compared to the past, the Sui's situation has already improved greatly. The so-called 'Tang Dynasty' has begun to decay. The tides of fate are ever-changing. I have all the time in the world to patiently wait for the day when our empire is restored."

Shangguan Yunbo sneered.

"Survive today first, then dream all you want!"

With that, he launched another halberd strike toward Yang Yuqi.

But this time, Yang Yuqi did not dodge.

Instead, the broken jade seal atop his head flashed, and his sword qi and thunderous power condensed into a single, devastating counterattack.

His sudden change in tactics did not faze Shangguan Yunbo, whose combat instincts were razor-sharp.

He instantly pivoted, sidestepping to Yang Yuqi’s flank, his black-gold halberd slicing through space, threatening to cleave Yang Yuqi in half.

But just then, a cold gleam suddenly flashed from another direction.

A single, silent ray of light—capable of piercing through mountains and seas.

It had been lying in wait, meticulously predicting Shangguan Yunbo’s movements, and now struck at the perfect moment.

Shangguan Yunbo knew this person very well.

His face darkened in anger as he spat out two names:

The one who struck with the sword was Xiao Xueting.

"If it were me, I’d have chosen this spot too."

Gao Pu was so furious he nearly burst a blood vessel—but deep inside, a chill crept over him.

If it were just this woman, he could still call back Shangguan Peng’s corpse to attack alongside him.

But the real problem now was—his position was exposed!

Sure enough, almost instantly, the terrifying radiance of the Dangkou Halberd came slashing down toward his head!

Shangguan Yunbo charged forward like a roaring thunderstorm, shaking off Yang Yuqi and reaching Gao Pu in the blink of an eye.

With no other choice, Gao Pu activated a secret art of the Witch Sect.

A swirling black mist enveloped him, and in a flash, his position swapped with Shangguan Peng’s corpse!

Now, the corpse of Shangguan Peng, covered in blood-red curse markings, had to face Shangguan Yunbo head-on—who was already in a bloodthirsty killing frenzy with the Dangkou Halberd in hand.

The result was obvious.

The blackened body, riddled with curses, was cleaved in two within seconds.

But Shangguan Yunbo didn’t even pause. He pressed on, relentlessly chasing down Gao Pu.

A severed arm flew into the air.

Gao Pu, now one-armed, didn’t even look back as he bolted away.

"General, leave this to me." Xiao Xueting stepped forward, sword in hand.

The fury on Shangguan Yunbo’s face finally faded. He glanced in the direction Xiao Xueting was looking—

Yang Yuqi had already begun ordering his men to retreat.

Without Gao Pu’s interference, it would be too risky to continue facing Shangguan Yunbo and the Dangkou Halberd head-on.

Although Yang Yuqi had a silent understanding with Wei Anchang, there was no way he would fight to the death for him.

"Latest reports—" Xiao Xueting spoke swiftly. "Zong Han, the sect leader of Jincheng Stronghold, and Hu Hengyuan, the master of Yin Mountain Grotto, are still facing off at the sacred grounds of Yin Mountain Grotto. You could say they’re keeping each other in check, or you could say they’re both just waiting to see how things play out."

"Meanwhile, Feng Gui, the sect leader of Reincarnation Abyss, has officially emerged and is heading toward Sleeping Dragon Lake to aid Sang Lu of Gepo Mountain in the fight against Wei Anchang."

Shangguan Yunbo nodded, then immediately turned to pursue Yang Yuqi.

As much as he hated Gao Pu, the most critical figures were Shengkang Crown Prince Yang Yuqi and Blood River Sect Master Wei Anchang.

After using the dark side of the Heavenly Book to clean up all traces of his involvement, Lei Jun didn’t linger.

He swiftly left the area, opting not to head anywhere specific for now—just to find a quiet and safe place to lay low.

With the Southern Wastelands' vast mountains and rivers, such places weren’t hard to come by.

Amidst lush green mountains and flowing rivers, Lei Jun found a tranquil spot.

Seeing the surroundings were secure, he vanished on the spot, entering the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven.

Straightaway, he ascended to the third tier of the altar.

Inside the altar, he flicked his fingers lightly—

And two streams of nine-colored radiance emerged, hovering before him in midair.

The nine-colored radiance seemed to resonate slightly with the Tianshi Seal—

But it was not enough to directly trace the Tianshi Robe.

Lei Jun had expected this.

If it were that simple, then back when both the Tianshi Robe and Tianshi Sword were still at Mount Longhu, the entire Tianshi Mansion wouldn’t have struggled so much just to locate the Tianshi Seal.

Still, Lei Jun carefully examined the two streams of nine-colored radiance, following a different train of thought.

Back when he was gathering clues about the Tianshi Seal, he had obtained two imprints of the seal.

By resonating these two imprints together, he had briefly connected his soul to the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven.

Though he hadn’t found the Tianshi Seal itself, his soul had been able to enter the grotto-heaven, only to be rejected by the altar.

Now, he had obtained two clues related to the Tianshi Robe.

Lei Jun released black and white energy from the top of his head, guiding it toward the two streams of nine-colored radiance, fusing them together.

A moment later, the radiance intensified, growing brighter than before.

Then—gradually, the two streams merged into one!

The combined radiance descended, enveloping Lei Jun’s body.

He offered no resistance, instead focusing his mind on the True Dao of the Tianshi Mansion, reciting the scriptures of the True-One Dao Canon in silence.

At that moment, the radiance transformed—

It became nine flowing, ethereal robes of light, draping over Lei Jun’s shoulders.

Within his consciousness, he suddenly heard the roars of a dragon and a tiger, echoing in unison.

The true forms of the dragon and tiger merged into a Taiji symbol of Yin and Yang, transforming into a mystical talisman, vast and unfathomable, both intricate and simple.

The mystic symbols now manifested before his eyes.