Chapter 299 - 295: Surging True Essence

Chapter 299: Chapter 295: Surging True Essence

"Argh!"

Emperor Li Bi roared in fury, drew the sword from a nearby Guard, and slashed at the messenger from the Imperial Army.

"SPLURT!" "AHH!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed as a severed arm fell to the ground in a spray of gore. Blood gushed from the stump, staining the floor red. The messenger from the Imperial Army clutched the wound on his left shoulder with his right hand, his face pale and twisted in agony.

"The Imperial Army is a pack of useless good-for-nothings! It’s infuriating!" Emperor Li Bi pointed the bloody Sharp Sword at the messenger and snarled, "Where is that Lord White Cloud now?"

"T-To answer Your Majesty... after leaving Shuning Palace, Lord White Cloud seemed to head in the... the direction of the Ancestral Dragon Hall," the member of the Imperial Army reported respectfully, his face pale and his forehead beaded with cold sweat as he endured the pain from his severed arm.

"What did you say? He went to... to the Ancestral Dragon Hall?"

Emperor Li Bi’s face went white with shock. "Quickly! Attendants!" he yelled frantically. "Prepare my carriage to return to the Imperial Palace at once! Hurry! To the Ancestral Dragon Hall!"

At his words, all the civil and military officials were stunned.

"Your Majesty, you mustn’t! That brigand, Lord White Cloud, is already inside the Imperial Palace! You are the Son of Heaven; you cannot place yourself in such danger."

"Indeed, Your Majesty. It would be better to wait for the Imperial Army to capture Lord White Cloud."

"At the very least, you should wait for the hundred-thousand-strong army from the West Suburb to arrive. It’s too dangerous to return to the Imperial Palace now."

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" the officials cried, stepping forward to block his path and plead with him.

"Reconsider my ass! What do any of you know!" Emperor Li Bi’s eyes were bloodshot with anxiety as he panted, "Do you have any idea what the Ancestral Dragon Hall is?!"

"If Lord White Cloud forces his way into the Ancestral Dragon Hall, he will die instantly, but I fear my throne will be lost as well!" Emperor Li Bi was in a complete panic, like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Before, when he heard that the treasures in one palace after another had been plundered, Emperor Li Bi had merely been furious. But now, hearing that Lord White Cloud had gone to the Ancestral Dragon Hall, he was suddenly, utterly panicked. His expression was one of pure terror.

"Quickly, back to the Imperial Palace! To the Ancestral Dragon Hall, now! Stop Lord White Cloud at any cost! He absolutely cannot be allowed to break into the Ancestral Dragon Hall!"

Following Emperor Li Bi’s command, the procession set off. With countless Guards and attendants in tow, the imperial carriage sped hastily toward the Imperial Palace, the Emperor’s anxious shouts to hurry echoing along the way.

’What’s gotten into His Majesty? He wasn’t this panicked even when the Treasure Hall was picked clean!’

’Indeed, to leave in such a rush!’

’It’s strange. Isn’t the Ancestral Dragon Hall supposed to be a quiet, remote palace? I heard there aren’t any valuable treasures there. Why is His Majesty in such a panic?’

The civil and military officials were baffled, completely unable to understand the situation.

’The Ancestral Dragon Hall? The Ancestral Dragon Hall! Could it be—’

Beside them, National Master Meng Shuming’s eyes widened in shock, as if he had guessed something. A thrill of excitement shot through him.

* * *

At that moment, Ye Xing was weaving his way through the endless halls and layered stone steps of the Imperial Palace.

’Damn, that beautiful woman was stacked! Seriously, she was huge. Tsk, tsk, tsk... big, round, fair, and perky. Absolutely mouth-watering. Ahhh, it made this young master burn with lust. I almost couldn’t stop myself from just taking her by force. Good thing I managed to hold back with my incredible Willpower. All I could do was get a little hard to show my respect. After all, this young master is saving his virginity for my dear Little Mengmeng, hmph!’

’Ahhh, but she was really so huge! Even if I didn’t bang her, I could have at least copped a feel, right? A few good handfuls would’ve felt amazing. I can’t believe I just left without getting anything out of it. What a total loss. No, that’s too much of a loss. Since I didn’t get to cuckold that old geezer Emperor, I’ll have to make him bleed in other ways. This young master is going to plunder the Imperial Palace dry as compensation! That’s right, compensation is a must! All the treasure will be mine! I’ll loot everything! Haha!’ Ye Xing muttered and grumbled to himself as he used his Lightweight Skill to race through the Imperial Palace.

’Huh? Where am I? Damn, how did I end up in such a remote place?!’

Ye Xing couldn’t help but stop and look around. The area was desolate and quiet, filled with old buildings. It was clearly a remote corner of the Imperial Palace. The term "Imperial Palace" usually brought to mind the magnificent, bustling palaces at its center. But the grounds were immense; for every prosperous area, there were also sparsely populated, desolate places like the "Cold Palace," where disgraced concubines were imprisoned. And there were more than just the Cold Palace; many other remote, abandoned halls stood empty and neglected.

’So frustrating! I was planning to raid some rich palaces, but instead, I ended up in this godforsaken shithole,’ Ye Xing thought, exasperated.

There was nothing to be done about it; he wasn’t familiar with the Imperial Palace. It was his first time here, and the place was massive. How was he supposed to know his way around? He could only wander aimlessly and barge into places at random. Wherever he ended up, he’d just loot it.

’Ancestral Dragon Hall!’ Ye Xing’s eyes landed on the palace before him.

The palace covered a large area, but it was old and looked as if it hadn’t been maintained in years. With his sharp eyesight, Ye Xing could even see numerous white cobwebs under the eaves and a thick layer of dust on the windowsills and door panels. It was obvious no one had cleaned the place in a very long time. The roof tiles were overgrown with vibrant green moss, and many were shattered. It probably leaked whenever it rained.

’Ancestral Dragon Hall... that’s a pretty badass name, but too bad it’s just a dilapidated old palace. Ah, whatever. Since I’m here, I can’t leave empty-handed. This young master will go see if there are any valuable antiques to plunder before I go.’ Ye Xing immediately kicked off the ground and used his Lightweight Skill. He shot into the air like a great roc spreading its wings and landed on the roof of the Ancestral Dragon Hall.

He then took out a grenade and pulled the pin. As green smoke began to hiss from it, he casually tossed it away.

"BOOM!"

An earth-shattering explosion ripped through the air, seeming especially loud in this secluded place. Tiles shattered and gravel flew everywhere as the grenade blew a massive hole in the palace roof.

Dust billowed from the pitch-black opening, carrying the faint, pungent smell of sawdust and mold.

’Damn, what’s with that musty smell? How long has it been since anyone set foot in this Ancestral Dragon Hall?’

Ye Xing prepared to jump down through the hole in the roof and enter the palace.

Suddenly, at that very moment—

"VMMMM!"

A terrifying aura erupted from the palace below. A massive wave of Energy surged upward, vast and mighty, as if a primordial beast had just awoken. The entire Ancestral Dragon Hall began to shake violently, creaking and groaning as if it were about to collapse.

"Who dares disturb my Cultivation?!"

An old but powerful, furious roar suddenly thundered out.

The words had barely faded when a figure shot up from inside the Ancestral Dragon Hall. His body pulsed with roiling True Essence, which pulverized the surrounding tiles, wood, and stone into fine dust.

’Such immense True Essence! This is—’

Ye Xing’s expression changed drastically, and he scrambled to retreat. But the figure was even faster. Leaving an afterimage in its place, it appeared before Ye Xing in the blink of an eye, a pair of old, wrinkled palms striking toward his chest like a gale-force wind.