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Yi Huawei's gaze swept over the trembling, almost collapsing officials in the courtyard, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He didn't raise his hand, but his mind stirred slightly.

An invisible and intangible yet overwhelming pressure suddenly spread out from him like ripples on water!

"Uh……"

"Pfft..."

All the officials and yamen runners in the courtyard, near and far, seemed to have been struck on the head by an invisible hammer. Their eyes rolled back, and before they could even utter a proper cry, they collapsed limply to the ground, instantly losing all consciousness. In the entire front courtyard of the Ministry of Rites, only Yi Huawei and Shi Zhixuan remained, standing facing each other in deathly silence.

Shi Zhixuan's pupils contracted sharply again! The opponent's methods were no longer within the realm of simple martial arts! This was definitely not an impact of true qi, but rather an absolute suppression that was closer to the spiritual level!

The range, precision, and control were all beyond comprehension! His apprehension instantly surged to its peak, and the Undying Seal Technique's force field spun wildly to protect him.

"Fei Ju? Shi Zhixuan?"

Yi Huawei's voice remained calm, yet carried a soul-piercing indifference:

"Fame and fortune are but illusions. You are trapped by emotions, your mind is split, struggling and tearing between the political strategies of 'Fei Ju' and the evil madness of 'Shi Zhi Xuan,' like a drowning person, all in vain. This pain of split personality is the shackle that shackles you to stop on your path of martial arts. ... Hand over the book, and I will take it and leave."

Every word was like a knife, piercing with unparalleled precision into the most hidden and bloody wounds in Shi Zhixuan's heart! In the depths of those deep eyes, uncontrollable rage, pain, and a trace of horror at being completely seen through erupted!
Yi Huawei's words were more lethal than any physical attack, directly shaking the core of his schizophrenia!
The sinister smile on Shi Zhixuan's face froze completely, turning into a chilling, sinister expression. He stared intently at Yi Huawei, his eyes flashing wildly as if he were rapidly weighing his options. The other party's target was terrifyingly clear, and his strength was as unfathomable as the ocean. To seize it by force? The chances of success… were extremely slim!
But the "Flower Wandering" and "Punishment Escape Technique" are the most treasured artifacts of their respective sects; how could they possibly hand them over to others?!

"Your cultivation is extraordinary, I... no, I admire you." Shi Zhixuan's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a strange rhythm. The distorted light and shadow around him intensified, and his aura became erratic, as if he might merge into the void at any moment.
"You must be the 'Nameless One' who defeated Ning Daoqi?... No wonder, no wonder... But you want the scriptures? I'd like to see what makes you worthy of coveting them!"

Before he could finish uttering the word "to meddle," he had already vanished!

It wasn't just fast! It was utterly vanished! As if it had never existed in that location! Not even a trace of it remained, not even a ripple of air!

Illusionary Demon Body Technique—Shi Zhixuan's unparalleled lightness skill that allows him to roam freely across the world, shifting between reality and illusion without leaving a trace!
In the next instant, the air less than three feet behind Yi Huawei distorted violently, like a stone thrown into water! A hand silently reached out, its five fingers forming a claw, the nails gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, aimed straight at Yi Huawei's Dazhui acupoint in the back of his head! Before the claw even arrived, a chilling, bone-piercing, and seemingly soul-freezing evil energy had already penetrated his very bones!

This strike embodied Shi Zhixuan's life's work, and incorporated the essence of the Undying Seal Technique's ability to switch between reality and illusion, and to use an opponent's force against them. He maximized the timing, angle, and power of the sneak attack! He was confident that even if Ning Daoqi were here, he would have a hard time escaping unscathed!

However, Yi Huawei didn't even turn his head.

Just as that malevolent claw force, capable of piercing even the finest steel, was about to touch his blue robe—

Yi Huawei's right hand swung back with a speed that transcended the concepts of time and space. The movement was fluid and natural, as if brushing dust off his shoulder.

There was no earth-shattering collision.

There was only one extremely dull "bang," like a heavy hammer striking wet leather!
Shi Zhixuan's claw, imbued with terrifying power, landed squarely on the back of Yi Huawei's outstretched hand!

The anticipated scene of flying flesh and broken bones did not occur.

The fierce look on Shi Zhixuan's face instantly turned into extreme horror!
He felt as if his full-force claw strike, imbued with the strange true energy of the Undying Seal Technique and capable of splitting stone tablets, had struck an ancient, towering sacred mountain! No! It was more terrifying than a sacred mountain! The skin on the back of his hand was as warm and smooth as jade, slightly cool to the touch, yet it contained an unimaginable resilience and vastness that surpassed the limits of his comprehension!
He poured in the icy true energy of the Evil King's life's cultivation, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea. The moment it hit the back of the other's hand, it was silently annihilated, devoured, and assimilated by a powerful, unstoppable, extremely yang, and incredibly pure and refined purple-gold true energy! Not even a ripple was stirred!
Even more terrifying, an indescribable force of recoil, like a volcano that had been dormant for thousands of years suddenly erupting, surged up his arm!

Click!
A clear, piercing sound of bones cracking rang out!
Shi Zhixuan's right arm was twisted at an eerie angle, the arm bones breaking inch by inch! The excruciating pain assaulted his nerves like a tsunami!

"Well--!"

Shi Zhixuan groaned, his body uncontrollably sent flying backward by the irresistible force! His Illusionary Demon Movement Technique was forcibly interrupted, and his figure appeared disheveled in the air!

But he was still the Evil King! In the instant he was sent flying backward, he endured the excruciating pain of his severed arm and slammed his left palm into the ground!

"Undying Seal Technique - Emptiness!"

boom!
A strange suction force erupted from his palm! The hard bluestone slab below instantly and silently turned into dust! At the same time, a powerful recoil force arose out of nowhere, forcefully offsetting part of the backward flight!

Shi Zhixuan's body twisted strangely in mid-air, like a weightless willow catkin, narrowly avoiding a thick pillar in the center of the courtyard. He tapped his feet against the wall of the corridor several times, each step causing the bricks and stones beneath his feet to crack and dent silently. Finally, he managed to dissipate the terrifying force, staggered to the ground, his face as pale as paper, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his right arm hanging limply at his side, clearly crippled!

With just one move! A tentative exchange! Shi Zhixuan paid the price of losing an arm!

His eyes were filled with disbelief and shock as he stared intently at Yi Huawei, who remained standing still, his clothes unmoved. The other man hadn't even used seven-tenths of his strength! He'd just casually waved his hand!
Yi Huawei slowly turned around, his gaze calmly landing on Shi Zhixuan, his eyes seeming to say: Your struggle is meaningless.

Shi Zhixuan let out a low growl like a wild beast, a ferocity fully unleashed in a desperate situation! He bit his tongue hard, and under the stimulation of the intense pain, the five fingers of his only remaining left hand rapidly changed in an incredibly mysterious trajectory!
"The Seven Immortal Illusions: Generalizing from a Single Case!"

hum!
The entire courtyard space suddenly distorted! Light was wildly stretched and folded! In Yi Huawei's eyes, Shi Zhixuan's figure instantly transformed into hundreds or even thousands of images! Each one was incredibly real, with the same aura, posture, and even the suffocating pressure! It was as if countless Shi Zhixuans existed simultaneously in this courtyard! Where was the real Shi Zhixuan? It was impossible to tell!

This is Shi Zhixuan's most treasured technique, the pinnacle of his life's work combining spiritual illusion techniques and the profound mysteries of the Undying Seal! It creates an absolute illusion powerful enough to confuse even a Grandmaster's senses! It doesn't aim to harm the enemy, but only to trap them for a moment, creating an opportunity for escape!
However, faced with this illusion that would leave even the world's heroes helpless, Yi Huawei merely raised his right index finger slightly.

At the fingertip, a point of purplish-gold light suddenly shone! The light was not dazzling, but it carried a purity that pierced through all laws and pointed directly to the origin!

He gently pointed at the location of Shi Zhixuan's true form, amidst the countless overlapping and indistinguishable phantoms.

A beam of purple-gold light, condensed to its extreme, was like the first ray of light piercing through chaos. Ignoring all the distorted light and shadow, the folded space, and the confusing mental illusions, it shot towards Shi Zhixuan's brow with unparalleled precision at a speed beyond the reach of thought!

Shi Zhixuan was terrified! All his illusions and phantoms were rendered useless before that beam of purple-gold light! An unprecedented shadow of death instantly enveloped him! He had no doubt that if that finger struck, his head and soul would be completely pierced and annihilated!
"Let's perish together!!"

Shi Zhixuan let out a shrill, desperate roar. All the remaining Undying Seal True Qi in his body, along with that incomparably evil spiritual power, burned, compressed, and exploded wildly without reservation! His entire body transformed into a twisted black stream of light exuding an aura of destruction. Instead of retreating, he advanced, meeting the deadly purple-gold beam of light head-on, crashing into Yi Huawei in a tragic manner of mutual destruction!
This was his final, desperate strike! It contained the Evil King's lifelong cultivation and insane will! The air was torn apart, emitting a sharp whistling sound; the hard bluestone slabs on the ground were as if plowed by an invisible giant plow, shattering inch by inch! The entire front courtyard of the Ministry of Rites seemed about to be completely destroyed by this self-destructive force! Yi Huawei watched the black streak of light hurtling towards him, his eyes remaining calm and unwavering. That destructive energy, enough to make even a Grandmaster pale, seemed to pose little threat to him.

He didn't retract the index finger he pointed out; instead, the purple-gold light at the tip of his finger suddenly intensified!
There was no collision.

No explosion!

The black streak that tore through space and was powerful enough to destroy half the courtyard melted and vanished silently the moment it touched the purple-gold beam of light, just like ice and snow under the scorching sun!
Shi Zhixuan poured all his strength, will, and even his life into this desperate strike, but it failed to even make that index finger tremble in the slightest before it was completely reduced to nothingness under the purple-gold light!

puff!
Shi Zhixuan's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, even more violently than before! He crashed heavily into a sturdy government office wall deep in the courtyard!
Boom!

The solid brick and stone wall was smashed open like paper, leaving a huge hole! Shi Zhixuan's momentum did not diminish, and he smashed through two more thick walls before finally stopping amidst a pile of bricks and rubble!
He lay amidst the ruins, covered in blood, his purple robe tattered, his left arm twisted unnaturally, his breath barely perceptible, his eyes unfocused, filled with extreme pain and unbelievable despair. His prized Undying Seal Technique, Illusionary Demon Body Technique, and desperate strike… were as fragile as child's play before the absolute power of his opponent!
Yi Huawei slowly lowered his fingers, the purple-gold light at his fingertips fading. He strode forward, stepping over the mess on the ground—broken bluestone slabs, swirling mud, collapsed pillars, and billowing dust—his footsteps silent.

Standing before the ruins, I looked down at Shi Zhixuan lying amidst the rubble. Sunlight streamed through the three enormous holes he had smashed through, forming beams of light, with dust swirling within them.

"Considering your role in dividing the Turks, this time... I will not hold it against you."

Yi Huawei's voice remained calm: "I can exchange information about the Evil Emperor's Relic with you, how about it?"

Shi Zhixuan's body twitched slightly, each tiny tremor pulling at his broken bones and bringing excruciating pain. Blood mixed with dust spilled from the corner of his mouth, staining the rubble beneath him. Those eyes, once so domineering and wickedly arrogant, were now dull and lifeless.

Yi Huawei's calm words reached Shi Zhixuan's ears clearly.

"Considering your role in dividing the Turks, this time... I will not hold it against you."

These words pierced the last shred of dignity he was clinging to. The other party was powerful enough to easily take his life, yet they were showing leniency because of some minor contributions to the Sui Dynasty (or rather, to the Central Plains)? What utter condescension! What utter…charity!
Shi Zhixuan let out a series of ambiguous "hoho" sounds from his throat—a mixture of self-mockery, humiliation, and exhaustion from surviving a near-death experience.

Immediately afterwards, the four words "Evil Emperor's Relic" ignited the last bit of heat in his dying ashes!
Shi Zhixuan's pupils suddenly contracted, his unfocused gaze abruptly sharpened, and the surging blood in his chest almost made him vomit blood again, but he forcibly suppressed it.

The Evil Emperor's Relic! The supreme sacred object of the Demonic Sect! An unparalleled treasure left behind by the Holy Emperor Xiang Yutian! A legendary relic containing the essence and spiritual imprint of successive Evil Emperors!

That is the key that can complete the "Great Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique", help people break through the barrier between life and death, and even glimpse the mysteries of the shattered void! It is the treasure that Shi Zhixuan, whether as Pei Ju or the Evil King, has dreamed of and searched the world for but could not find!

The instinct for survival, the thirst for power, and the ultimate ambition to shatter the void and break free from the shackles of this world instantly overwhelmed the excruciating physical pain and the humiliation of the spirit.

The other party actually used this as bait?!
A tremendous temptation, like a venomous snake, instantly coiled around his heart. Reason told him that this might be another, deeper trap. But the excruciating physical pain, the absolute disparity in power, and the irresistible allure of the Evil Emperor's Relic itself made him realize that he had no choice at all.

To refuse is to die instantly, leaving behind endless regret and resentment; to agree is at least a glimmer of hope, or even... a tremendous opportunity!

Shi Zhixuan's chest heaved violently, his remaining left hand digging deeply into the rubble beneath him, the knuckles turning white from the effort. Reason screamed in desperation: This man's strength is unfathomable, his methods extraordinary; what he says may not be false!

The Evil Emperor's Relic—this was the opportunity he had sought all his life! With it, the grudge of losing his arm today could be repaid a hundredfold in the future! Perhaps… perhaps he could even glimpse the ultimate realm of shattered void!

"Ho...ho ho..."

Shi Zhixuan forced a smile, a smile more painful than tears, his voice hoarse and broken: "Fine... fine... not holding it against me... fine... the Evil Emperor's Relic..."

"A Stroll Among Flowers...The Art of Escape from Punishment..."

Shi Zhixuan closed his eyes, as if gathering his last strength, or perhaps bidding farewell to some past conviction. When he opened them again, only an almost numb calm remained in his eyes.

He no longer hesitated, nor did he attempt to bargain. The opponent's strength had proven that all schemes and tricks were futile. He began to recite clearly in a strange, rhythmic yet incredibly weak voice:
"Wandering among the flowers... Let the mind wander in tranquility, and the breath harmonize with the vastness. Riding the true course of heaven and earth, and controlling the transformations of the six qi, one can roam freely without limit. When the spirit is concentrated, all things are free from disease and the harvest is plentiful. The body is like a colorful butterfly flitting among flowers, and the mind is like flowing wind and swirling snow. Passing through a myriad of flowers, not a single petal clings to the body. The flow of qi is free and unhindered, as one pleases, without obstruction or hindrance. This is the carefree wandering among the flowers..."

"Punishment is concealment; escape is hiding. It follows the subtle and mysterious laws of heaven and earth, and embodies the profound unity of all things. Its form is like a ghost, its shadow clings to the void. Where the mind stirs, the body has already gone elsewhere. Its breath is as deep as an abyss, its spirit hidden in the deepest hell. It moves like thunder, it is as still as desolate silence, all its bones are hidden, and its traces are hard to find..."

Shi Zhixuan's voice was broken and intermittent, punctuated by painful gasps, but every word was uttered clearly. He revealed the core essence of the two supreme secret manuals of the demonic sects, their methods of circulating qi, and the coordination of mental intention without reservation. He knew that in the face of the opponent's all-seeing gaze and absolute power, any reservation or alteration would be self-humiliation, and might even lead to destruction.

Yi Huawei listened quietly, standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and unfathomable, revealing no emotion whatsoever. Only when Shi Zhixuan finished reciting the last word and lay there, barely breathing, did he nod slightly.

"good."

Yi Huawei's voice remained calm, yet carried an unwavering certainty: "The deal is done."

His gaze swept over Shi Zhixuan, whose life force had waned amidst the ruins, and he said indifferently, "The Evil Emperor's Relic is in Yang Gong's Treasure Vault."

Shi Zhixuan's breath hitched!
The Yang Gong Treasure Vault! That legendary secret vault, designed by the world's greatest craftsman Lu Miaozi, is said to contain unimaginable wealth and countless divine weapons!

The Evil Emperor's relic is actually inside?!
"As for Yang Gong's treasure trove..."

Yi Huawei's gaze seemed to pierce through layers of palace walls, landing in a certain direction in Chang'an:
"It will appear in the world a year from now."

Leaving behind these words that seemed like a prophecy, Yi Huawei didn't look at Shi Zhixuan again. Turning around, his blue robe brushed away the dust and pebbles on the ground, and with unhurried steps, he silently passed through the messy front courtyard, just as he had come, disappearing beyond the broken gate of the Ministry of Rites.

All that remains is a scene of devastation and ruins, where a mad king with a complex gaze and weak breath, whose madness is rekindled by news of the "Evil Emperor's Relic" and the "Yang Gong Treasure Vault," is left behind.

Sunlight streamed through the hole, casting swirling dust within the beams of light. The ruins were deathly silent, save for Shi Zhixuan's heavy, painful breathing and the two names that swirled wildly in his mind: "Evil Emperor's Relic" and "Yang Gong's Treasure Trove"!
(End of this chapter)