Chapter 97 - 96: Prepared to be buried here.

Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Prepared to be buried here.

And before he could say anything else, a sudden flare erupted from the spiritual bubble, bathing the surrounding rooftops in brilliant light as it rapidly flew toward the sky.

’A defensive and also a signaling technique...’

The masked man narrowed his eyes as he sensed the spiritual energy gathering around Zhao Linger.

His gaze then settled on the pendant in her hand.

It was likely something Zhao Tianqiong or Zhao Wuchen had bestowed upon her to safeguard her life.

The masked man examined the barrier for another moment and quickly understood its purpose.

If he attacked it directly, the pendant would retaliate with a spiritual technique of comparable strength, but it couldn’t be any stronger than its limit.

More importantly, the treasure had accomplished what it was intended to do.

It had bought her time.

The masked man watched as the bubble carried Zhao Linger farther away through the exploding dust.

He made no attempt to pursue her, as he had already achieved his first goal.

’Now then, let the fire burn.’

His gaze lifted toward the flare over the sky.

In the next second, a pillar of light shot from the pendant into the sky, piercing the clouds above the imperial palace.

Its brilliance spread across the surrounding buildings, forming a beacon that could be seen from every corner of the palace grounds.

In the next moment, the imperial palace awakened from its deep slumber.

Dozens of powerful auras erupted from its depths, surging into the sky as cultivators began emerging.

The formations covering the imperial palace began to stir, and waves of spiritual pressure spread across the rooftops like ripples across a water’s surface.

The masked man remained where he stood, not budging an inch.

And then, he sensed it, his gaze turning slightly in a direction, ’Here they come.’

From somewhere deep within the imperial palace, two extremely powerful auras were rapidly approaching.

"It’s time..."

Over where Zhao Linger was, Zhao Lianyu arrived with her spiritual energy circulating around her body, extending one hand to guide the bubble barrier toward her.

"Your Highness!"

Zhao Linger immediately recognized her voice from within the bubble. She hurriedly pressed against the translucent barrier, her face brightening with relief.

"Lianyu! I’m here..."

Zhao Lianyu guided the bubble down, and she reached out to examine the princess as the bubble unwrapped on its own and disappeared.

"Are you hurt?"

Her eyes swept over Zhao Linger, checking for injuries. Before she could finish, Zhao Linger seized her wrist, her voice bursting out in a rush.

"Lianyu, there’s a strange man—"

The space beside them rippled.

The air beside them rippled and twisted, and a figure in loose grey robes emerged from the distortion, the smiling mask appearing right before their eyes.

For an instant, everything seemed to slow.

The fluttering hem of Zhao Lianyu’s robes barely moved.

Dust drifting through the air hung motionless between them, each tiny speck caught in the pale light of the morning sun.

Even the distant cries of approaching cultivators seemed to stretch into a low, indistinct murmur.

Zhao Lianyu’s pupils contracted.

Her spiritual energy had already begun circulating through her meridians, but her body had yet to respond.

Beside her, Zhao Linger froze.

The smiling mask was rapidly approaching.

Oh no!

Her breath caught in her throat.

Her fingers, still wrapped around Zhao Lianyu’s wrist, tightened instinctively, but she could neither pull her away nor retreat herself.

The masked man tilted his head, the painted smile seeming almost cheerful in the stillness.

"That’s quite rude."

Then he reached out.

His sleeve slid back as his hand stretched toward Zhao Linger, moving with ease while the two women watched, their widening pupils reflecting the approaching fingers.

And just as the masked man’s fingers were about to reach Zhao Linger, another hand appeared from the side and seized his wrist.

BOOM!

The moment their hands met, an immense torrent of spiritual energy erupted into the sky.

The air trembled violently as two opposing forces collided, sending a shock wave sweeping across the imperial palace.

Clouds overhead were torn apart, splitting into two enormous masses that rolled away from the point of impact.

The morning sky, which had been covered in a layer of white clouds only moments ago, now revealed a vast opening stretching across the heavens.

At the center of the collision stood two figures, their hands locked together.

The newcomer wore majestic golden robes embroidered with intricate patterns that shimmered beneath the sunlight.

His broad shoulders remained perfectly still despite the violent currents of spiritual energy surging around him, while his fiery eyes burned with anger.

It was none other than Zhao Tianqiong.

Behind him, Zhao Lianyu and Zhao Linger stared at the sudden arrival, momentarily unable to comprehend what had just happened.

The instant his spiritual energy spread outward, a powerful barrier enveloped the two women, shielding them from the terrifying pressure radiating from the collision.

The spiritual currents swept past them, making their robes flutter violently, but not a single strand of their hair was harmed.

Zhao Tianqiong’s gaze remained fixed on the smiling mask before him.

His fingers tightened around the intruder’s wrist.

"Who..."

The first word struck the air like a thunderclap.

"Are..."

Another pulse erupted from his body.

Even the cultivators rushing toward the disturbance felt their movements falter under the pressure sweeping across the palace grounds.

"You..."

Zhao Tianqiong’s voice dropped.

BOOOOM!

His spiritual energy exploded outward.

By now, the commotion had drawn the attention of the entire imperial palace.

Cultivators continued to arrive from every direction, their figures cutting across the sky in streaks of spiritual light.

More than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators had already gathered around the ruined landscape, forming a wide perimeter around the confrontation.

The masked man simply tilted his head, looking at the Emperor’s hand gripping his wrist. Then, from beneath the smiling mask, a quiet chuckle escaped.

"Heh..."

His shoulders rose slightly as the chuckle grew into laughter.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Zhao Tianqiong’s fiery eyes narrowed.

His grip tightened once more.

The masked man tilted his head, seemingly amused by the Emperor’s question.

"How about you find out yourself?"

With that, he suddenly moved his free hand.

He twisted his body slightly and drew his other arm back, his sleeve sweeping through the air. His fingers curled into a loose fist, and in the next instant, he thrust it toward Zhao Tianqiong’s chest.

Zhao Tianqiong’s fiery eyes narrowed.

He immediately shifted his spiritual energy to intercept the incoming strike.

But before their forces could collide, another figure appeared beside them, reaching out to seize the masked man’s attacking wrist.

The newcomer wore a white robe beneath a hood, with intricate golden lines running across the fabric.

Zhao Wuchen had arrived.

BOOOOM!

The instant his grip stopped the attack, spiritual energy erupted between them, sending a shock wave sweeping across the ruined residence.

The cultivators gathered nearby hurriedly reinforced their protective barriers, while those closest to the confrontation retreated several steps through the air.

The masked man’s second attack had been stopped, but the force behind it did not vanish immediately.

His arm trembled against Zhao Wuchen’s grip, while the elder’s sleeve fluttered violently under the pressure. Zhao Tianqiong still held the masked man’s other wrist, leaving the intruder caught between the two.

Zhao Wuchen’s gaze settled upon the smiling mask.

"So bold as to come here alone? You must be one of those who have strayed from the light, no?"

The masked man’s eyes narrowed slightly beneath the mask.

Both Zhao Tianqiong and Zhao Wuchen noticed the subtle reaction and exchanged a brief glance.

"It seems the trouble the Chen Family warned us about was real," Zhao Tianqiong said, his gaze remaining fixed on the intruder.

Zhao Wuchen tightened his grip, his tone turning colder.

"And one of them has even come directly to us. What a troublesome development."

But the masked man clearly didn’t mind the situation.

"Two against one?"

The masked man muttered in a joking tone, "Your Imperial Family certainly knows how to welcome its guests."

Neither man answered. Then, seemingly curious about where the current situation would lead, the masked man gave a quiet chuckle.

"Though, I suppose I should be grateful. It would have been rather disappointing if only a few juniors had come to greet me."

Zhao Tianqiong’s expression darkened.

"You find this amusing, don’t you?"

Zhao Wuchen snorted from the side.

"Or do you intend to leave?"

"Leave?" The masked man sounded genuinely puzzled. "Who said anything about leaving?"

His shoulder shifted, and the two immediately felt the spiritual energy gathering around the man’s body.

BOOM!

The masked man twisted his body sideways, pulling both of them at once.

The two were forced to loosen their grips.

The masked man then disappeared from his position and gracefully landed on a distant, broken platform several dozen zhang away.

He stood as casually as before.

The masked man dusted off his sleeve as he stood upon the broken platform, seemingly unconcerned by the two powerful figures facing him.

"Is that all?"

He glanced at his wrists before looking back at Zhao Tianqiong and Zhao Wuchen, the smile painted upon his mask as infuriating as ever.

"I thought the Imperial Family would have something more impressive to offer. Yet after all that posturing, you couldn’t even keep me in place."

Zhao Tianqiong’s eyes grew colder.

"Foolish..."

His voice was low, yet it carried clearly through the air.

"Do you think our Zhao Family is any weaker than the Chen Family?"

As he spoke, he took a step forward through the air.

The moment his foot descended, his spiritual energy surged outward, spreading across the sky like a rising tide.

Beside him, Zhao Wuchen advanced as well. His white robes fluttered in the wind, the golden lines embroidered upon them glowing faintly as his spiritual energy rose.

The two auras intertwined, filling the space between the palace rooftops and the heavens with an overwhelming pressure.

They simply approached, one step at a time, their gazes fixed upon the masked intruder.

"Children who have strayed from the light," Zhao Wuchen said, his voice carrying a chill that seemed to seep into the very air, "I do not know what purpose has brought you here today, but you would do well to abandon that arrogance of yours."

He raised his hand slightly, and the spiritual energy surrounding his palm gathered into a turbulent current.

"Otherwise, prepare to be buried here forever."