Poverty

Chapter 1873 Headless Corpse
The old land of immortals.

The entire imperial palace is now shrouded in a special space-time, like a mirage, impossible to approach or touch.

There was some chaos in the imperial city. The imperial families of the old lands had taken over the government, while the civil and military officials continued to handle the affairs of the Immortal Dynasty. The entire Immortal Dynasty was like a huge machine, and it continued to operate in an orderly manner even in Shao Hongjun's absence.

However, the entire imperial city was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

At this moment, two unfamiliar faces appeared in the imperial city. The man was tall and the woman had an ordinary appearance and was wearing a plain-colored long dress. The two appeared in a wine shop in the imperial city.

The woman looked like she had just returned from outside; she was travel-worn and looked somewhat weathered.

The tall man asked, "How is it?"

The woman said, "The Dragon Ancestor of Zhenjitian and all the Emperor Coffins are trapped in that boundless space-time. Now, there is a great deal of fear and panic. The old earth families are purging cultivators from dissident factions, and many have already died. They are still searching everywhere for His Majesty's people."

The tall man then asked, "Where are the Imperial Preceptor and the Grand Tutor?"

The woman said, "After the upheaval in the imperial city, the Grand Tutor, the Imperial Preceptor, and the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Gu Leyun, have all disappeared. The entire imperial palace is heavily guarded, and no one else can enter."

These people were Li Yanchu and Lin Wanqiu, who had returned from outside.

Li Yanchu used the properties of jujube trees to appear inside the imperial city and evade the search of others.

Now that Li Yanchu heard that Lin Wanqiu had found out a lot of information, he felt a little more at ease.

Shao Hongjun is not dead; the Grand Tutor and the Imperial Preceptor are still alive.

Li Yanchu said, "The old aristocratic families are delusional enough to overturn the world. Since that's the case, let's make the city even more chaotic."

Lin Wanqiu asked, "What do you want to do?"

Li Yanchu said, "Among the old aristocratic families, the Mo family is the most troublesome. I want to assassinate the Mo family elder and hang his head high above the city gate."

"An elder of the Mo family?"

Lin Wanqiu said in surprise, "This place is not like the Great Void. If you make a move here, it will attract the attention of others. Even if you are confident that you can kill the Mo family elder, it will be difficult for you to escape."

Li Yanchu said, "They are killing and arresting people everywhere in the city. If I don't do something, by the time His Majesty returns from the Boundless Void, most of his loyal followers will be dead."

Lin Wanqiu said, "I will go with you."

Li Yanchu said, "No need, I can do this myself. You've already done enough."

Lin Wanqiu said, "Although my cultivation level is not enough to deal with those clan elders, it can still help you hold your own against those young masters from aristocratic families."

Li Yanchu said, "Doing this is like putting your life on the line. There's a good chance you won't come back, and it could very well be a pointless sacrifice. Think it through."

Lin Wanqiu said, "They run rampant in the capital. I will never tolerate them continuing like this. Even if it means splattering blood on their faces, I will do it."

Li Yanchu nodded and said, "Alright, let's start with the Mo family elders!"

On the other side, the elders of the Mo family lived in a palace.

The Mohists were a prominent family in the ancient lands. The Emperor Mohist passed down supernatural powers, which enabled the Mohists to survive to this day.

Now they have launched a coup, seized power, and forced Shao Hongjun into an endless void, his fate uncertain.

On the other hand, although they have joined forces with the True Dragon Ancestor, the Dragon Ancestor is also a great threat. Now is indeed the best time, and the Dragon Ancestor is very likely to suffer heavy losses with Shao Hongjun.

The Mo family elder was arranging for Mo family members to capture cultivators loyal to Shao Hongjun when he suddenly sensed something amiss in the void.

He reached out and slashed out, a sharp blade of light appearing that instantly shattered the void.

The Mo family elder shouted, "Who goes there?"

There have been many changes in the court during this period. He has survived several assassination attempts. There are quite a few people who share the same thoughts as Li Yanchu. Although none of them succeeded, it was enough to make the elders of the Mo family wary.

Those who are loyal to Shao Hongjun are all a bit crazy, and the Mo family elders don't want to be killed by them.

At that moment, he slashed down with his sword, only to see an unfamiliar face.

The tall man was of very ordinary appearance, with a robust build, and judging from his attire, he was just an ordinary soldier.

The elder of the Mo family shouted in a deep voice, "How dare you remnants attempt an assassination!"

As he spoke, he unleashed a palm strike, and in an instant, the power of the Great Dao erupted, surging to an extreme.

The tall soldier was immediately unable to resist. He raised his hands, but was forced to bend over by the pressure, spitting out blood.

Seeing this, the Mo family elder smiled and said, "You people are like moths to a flame. Why can't you understand the inevitable trend of the times?"

Seeing that the soldier's cultivation level was not high, he breathed a sigh of relief.

If it were the Grand Tutor, the Imperial Preceptor, or someone else who were to attempt an assassination, he would have to be extra careful.

However, at this moment, the soldier suddenly took out a long knife. With a flash of light, the Mo family elder's four fingers were instantly severed. He quickly pulled his hand back, blood gushing from his hand, and he was in excruciating pain.

The Mo family elder's pupils contracted as he recognized the man's supernatural abilities and was greatly surprised.

Ordinary transformation techniques could not escape his eyes, but the Mo family elders had not sensed any transformation technique used by Li Yanchu.

The next moment, the tall soldier took out a jujube tree. The jujube tree was no more than two feet tall, with lush branches and leaves, and many jujubes hanging on it, which looked sweet and delicious.

Li Yanchu took out the jujube tree and shook it, and the Mo family elder immediately screamed in agony.

He didn't unleash his full cultivation at this distance, and he didn't take the assassination attempt by an ordinary soldier seriously enough.

The void path of the jujube tree was extremely sharp, directly severing his head. He screamed in agony as his head and body were separated, leaving only the corpse of the Mo family elder.

Li Yanchu then revealed his true form, his face covered by a silver mask, a magical artifact lent to him by Lin Wanqiu.

He used this magical treasure to deceive the Mo family elders' senses, and with the power of the Void Law Jujube Tree, he actually accomplished something incredible.

He assassinated the Mo family elder amidst heavy guard.

Upon seeing that the Mo family elder was dead, Li Yan withdrew.

When the Mo family members rushed in, they only saw a headless corpse on the ground.

At the same time, assassinations of powerful family elders occurred one after another in the city.

By the time everyone realized what was happening and began searching the entire city, seven elders of powerful families had already had their heads chopped off.

Everyone was shocked and began searching for the assassin, but they couldn't find him for a while.

Just then, someone returned to report.

The elder of the Bai family was extremely surprised upon hearing this.

"What did you say?"

The crowd was somewhat moved upon hearing the soldier's report.

The seven heads were hung high on the city gate tower; they were those of the seven aristocratic elders who had been killed and beheaded earlier.

At this moment, everyone felt a chill, and at the same time, an uncontrollable anger surrounded their hearts.

Among these elders of noble families, their cultivation levels varied. Although those who were killed were not at the level of Grand Tutor or Imperial Preceptor, they were still quite formidable, with one foot already on the threshold of Dao King, and were at the Great Perfection of Dao Lord Realm. Yet, they had all been killed, and they hadn't even found a trace of the assassin. Everyone was both shocked and furious.

The elder of the Bai family was regarded as the head of all the elders. His name was Bai Chongshui. He was a powerful cultivator. Gu Xiuyuan was injured by him and fled with serious injuries.

Even without the Emperor's Coffin, he was an extremely powerful expert.

At this moment, a cold aura emanated from him, and he said coldly, "Everyone, don't panic. Activate the great formation and search the entire city for this person. I suspect that a powerful expert from the Dao Domain has infiltrated."

The Hong family elder said in disbelief, "Did someone from the Dao Domain sneak in?"

Bai Chongshui said, "That's possible. You saw it yourself that day. Gu Xiuyuan, Shang Rongjun, and Gu Leyun were all seriously injured. They would never have the strength to assassinate the elders of the various families in a short period of time."

The Hong family elder said, "Should we report this matter to the Grand Master?"

The Bai family elder said, "Of course we need to inform the Grand Master about sealing off the entire city, but the matter is urgent, so let's do it first. I will explain to the Grand Master later."

Although it was only such a small difference, it showed that Bai Chongshui intended to become the leader of the aristocratic family and was unwilling to remain subordinate to others for long.

No one noticed anything unusual at the time.

Perhaps some people have noticed, but although Bai Chongshui is a domineering person, he will not suffer losses if he is the leader, especially now that such an assassin has appeared in the city.

Everyone then departed.

A cold glint flashed in Bai Chongshui's eyes. He summoned a member of the Bai family and gave the order: "Bring the Divine Martial Guards here as well. Let them participate in the pursuit. We must not let this person escape."

The Bai family member accepted the order and left.

Nowadays, powerful families have extended their influence far enough to interfere in the affairs of the imperial court.

The Divine Martial Guards are skilled in formations, each of them is at the peak of the Dao Lord realm, and they all cultivate the same Great Dao. When they form a group of nine, they can unleash extremely powerful combat strength.

Bai Chongshui can now mobilize the Divine Martial Guard, and his power can be described as extremely formidable.

A sense of curiosity also arose in his heart.

"Who exactly is this assassin?"

The Divine Martial Guards truly lived up to their reputation as the most elite guards in the old Celestial Empire. They were not only skilled in battle formation coordination but also adept at search and capture.

Although Li Yanchu had an inside man, Lin Wanqiu, to help him hide in the city, he was still caught by the soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard after he assassinated a clan elder.

Li Yanchu hadn't taken the group of soldiers seriously, but to his surprise, the soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard joined forces to form a battle formation and used the same Limitless Dao to instantly suppress Li Yanchu.

Li Yanchu was greatly surprised to find blood seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Although the Divine Martial Guard is called a guard force, it actually consists of only eighty-one people, arranged in the order of the Nine Innate Paths, with each team having nine cultivators.

Their Dao realms were almost identical, and the power they unleashed when they joined forces was extraordinary, demonstrating their perfect coordination.

Li Yanchu's attempts to break through the encirclement were repeatedly thwarted, while Lin Wanqiu was even more unable to resist, resulting in a terrible wound on her body.

A soldier from the Divine Martial Guard slashed her in the back with his sword, almost splitting her in two.

If Li Yanchu hadn't intervened at the crucial moment, Lin Wanqiu would probably have already perished.

Lin Wanqiu said weakly, "It's the Divine Martial Guard."

Li Yanchu frowned slightly. He had heard of this name before, and only the vast Old Heavenly Dynasty could cultivate such a team.

Li Yanchu said, "I have also heard of the Divine Martial Guard's reputation, but I have never had the chance to meet them. I never expected that I would become a lackey of a powerful family."

The captain of the Divine Martial Guard said, "Your Highness, His Majesty is now in an unknown situation and there is no way to reverse it. Your Highness should not make any more futile resistance."

Li Yanchu said, "Are you really willing to be traitors and rebels?"

The captain of the Divine Martial Guard said, "Whether they are traitors or not is still up for debate. We are the guards of the Immortal Dynasty, not His Majesty's personal guard."

Li Yanchu said, "Alright, since that's the case, then there's nothing more to say."

Li Yanchu lit the jujube tree. He couldn't be stopped for too long, otherwise he would attract the attention of experts from powerful families and find it difficult to escape.

At this moment, the soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard unleashed the Limitless Great Dao, circulating endlessly.

Li Yanchu was also extremely stunning.

Their formation seemed to contain evidence-based methods, but Li Yanchu couldn't care less about that at the moment. He unleashed the Void Divine Blade, relentlessly pressing down.

He continuously activated the jujube tree, which was a huge burden for him, but before his power was exhausted, the Void Divine Blade remained incredibly sharp, and three Divine Martial Guard soldiers were instantly killed.

Grief filled everyone's eyes; it would be difficult to gather their group together again.

The crowd charged at Li Yanchu like madmen, determined to hold him back!
Li Yanchu fought valiantly and finally killed all the soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard.

However, the ferocity of the Divine Martial Guard soldiers surprised him somewhat, and in the end, it was only after the powerful members of the aristocratic families arrived that Li Yanchu was left with a sigh.

Despite their differing stances, he still held these soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard in high esteem.

Feng Changhe, an elder of the Feng family, said coldly, "So it was you."

Li Yanchu sighed, "I didn't expect that these corrupt members of the aristocratic families wouldn't block my way, but the soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard would stop me instead."

He did have some admiration for the fallen soldiers of the Divine Martial Guard; their selfless courage had managed to hold him back and put him in danger.

Compared to these powerful figures from noble families, their status was not high, yet they displayed extraordinary combat power.

Li Yanchu looked at Feng Changhe and the others, and raised the jujube tree. The ancient jujube tree stood behind Li Yanchu, making him look like a handsome god, so handsome that it was hard to look directly at him.

Feng Changhe frowned.

He was one of the most powerful figures among the old aristocratic families. At this moment, he looked at Li Yanchu and said, "I do admire you. For an outsider to achieve this much, I even suspect that you are Shao Hongjun's biological son. But it's a pity that you can only go this far."

He then waved his hand and charged towards Li Yanchu.

Li Yanchu summoned the jujube tree to defend himself, while the Void Divine Blade continued to strike, neutralizing Feng Changhe's divine power.

With a wave of his sleeve, Feng Changhe sent countless Void Divine Blades crashing into the world within his sleeve.

Feng Changhe said, "If you have more time to grow, we might as well not rebel and just obediently grovel at Shao Hongjun's feet."

He was clearly very wary of Li Yanchu, but he was also very confident about the current situation.

At this moment, he made several moves to drive Li Yanchu back. Blood spurted from Li Yanchu's eyes, ears, mouth and nose again, making him look like a blood-soaked person, which was extremely terrifying.

Under Li Yanchu's protection, Lin Wanqiu was not injured again.

At this moment, watching Li Yanchu's relentless fighting, she couldn't help but be moved.

Li Yanchu was actually at a disadvantage in every fight, but even now there was no sign of defeat in his eyes, and his resolute fighting spirit was admirable.

Lin Wanqiu had seen many talented people in the old town, but she had never seen anyone as fierce as Li Yanchu.

The old land was simply too vast, with too many powerful families, which blocked the path of future generations.

No matter how talented or ruthless those scions of noble families were, they all seemed to lack Li Yanchu's ruthlessness in the face of mutual destruction.