Imperial City Ruins, opportunities refreshed daily

Chapter 161 Shocking Power

"Here is the draft contract for the cooperative development of the ancient ruins. Please put your fingerprint on it!" Cui Mingshuang smiled calmly and took out a contract that he had prepared in advance from his pocket.

He glanced at the writing on it and then threw it directly in front of the emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

It was as if they were dismissing a beggar.

The prey and the hunter have completely switched places.

The Great Xuan Emperor picked up the contract and stared at it closely; his pupils suddenly contracted.

This is a completely unequal treaty, even a humiliating surrender of national sovereignty, selling out the entire Great Xuan Dynasty!
"I will not sign!" The Emperor of Da Xuan raised his head and looked directly at Cui Mingshuang.

Even if he did, he wouldn't sign it.

"I didn't ask for your permission!" Cui Mingshuang smiled calmly, turned his head to look at the people behind him, and immediately a middle-aged man stepped forward.

The middle-aged man exuded a powerful aura, possessing the peak of the late-stage Heaven Rank, far surpassing the Great Xuan Emperor, who was only at the early-stage Heaven Rank.

He approached the Great Xuan Emperor and reached out to grab the emperor's arm.

The Great Xuan Emperor wanted to dodge, but the middle-aged man's cultivation was too high, and moreover, the Great Xuan Emperor's injuries had not fully healed, so he couldn't dodge at all.

"Ah!" The Great Xuan Emperor's body surged with energy, and a magical artifact flashed out, piercing straight at the middle-aged man's face.

Left with no other choice, the middle-aged man had to give way.

Taking advantage of this opening, the Great Xuan Emperor got up from the ground and turned to flee.

"Hmph, you don't know what's good for you!" The middle-aged man noticed the dissatisfaction in Cui Ming's eyes out of the corner of his eye. He surged with energy and shot towards the Emperor of Da Xuan with a loud bang.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slapped the Great Xuan Emperor directly on the head.

"You!" The Great Xuan Emperor was stunned for only a moment before his gaze dimmed.

boom.

It was like a wave crashing down on a watermelon, causing it to burst open instantly.

Red blood mist splattered.

"Playing house in a remote place, do you really think you're an emperor?" The middle-aged man from the Cui family sneered, flicked the blood off his hands, and immediately picked up the corpse of the Great Xuan Emperor, staining his seven hands with the emperor's blood.

The middle-aged man then placed the Great Xuan Emperor's palm over the contract.

The bloodstains congealed.

After checking everything, the middle-aged man carefully approached Cui Mingshuang, bowed, and reported, "Young Master, mission accomplished!"

"Don't keep me waiting too long next time!" Cui Mingshuang said calmly.

"Yes!" The middle-aged man quickly stepped back and moved the body of the Great Xuan Emperor away.

An emperor's reign has come to an end.

Cui Mingshuang held the contract with the bloody handprint with satisfaction, then glanced at the main hall next to him, walked in, and sat on the throne.

"It's quite comfortable!" Cui Mingshuang sighed slightly. "No wonder so many people want to become emperor. Unfortunately, without strength, they are just lackeys in the end!"

"Young master, what should we do now?" an elder from the Cui family asked.

"Wait, I think the so-called Ninth Princess and the so-called Duke of Zhenguo, Xu Hao, are about to arrive!"

Just as Cui Mingshuang spoke, Xu Hao and the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao had already entered the palace.

"Your Highness, the Cui family from the Eastern Extreme Region has already gone to His Majesty's cultivation chamber, and we are powerless to stop them!" A powerful member of the Zhenfu Division said with a hint of tears in his voice when he saw the arrival of Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao and Xu Hao. "Moreover, we also heard His Majesty's screams."

"What?" Princess Xuan Qingxiao's expression hardened upon hearing this, and she quickly ran towards the place in the palace where the aura was being released so freely.

Xu Hao followed closely behind, but his brows were furrowed.

The other party comes from the Eastern Extreme Region and is a powerful family. At least on the surface, we should maintain our dignity!
So, the emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty was killed just like that?

This is not about conquering the entire Great Xuan Dynasty, but about establishing authority and ensuring that those who obey me prosper and those who oppose me perish.

This fulfilled what was mentioned at the beginning of the divination.

The Ninth Princess will become the future Empress of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

It now seems that only Xuan Qingxiao can become the Empress, thus allowing him to seek opportunities in peace.

"She's finally here!" When Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao stepped into the palace hall, Cui Mingshuang, who was sitting high on the main seat, said with a cold expression, "I've heard that Ninth Princess is the most beautiful woman in the Great Xuan Dynasty. Seeing her today, she is indeed extraordinary."

"What did you do to my father?" Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao asked in a low voice, her face filled with murderous intent.

Cui Mingshuang did not answer Princess Xuan Qingxiao.

In his eyes, although Xuan Qingxiao had some cultivation, she was ultimately just a pretty face.

What he cared about was the young man beside Princess Xuan Qingxiao, Xu Hao.

"You are Xu Hao?" Cui Mingshuang stood up for the first time.

This is respect for the strong.

Xu Hao was able to kill three top experts from the Eastern Extreme Region's Heavenly Ranking, so even he had to give him enough respect.

"I am!" Xu Hao replied calmly, while glancing around at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye.

Because there was a faint fluctuation of array energy in the main seat of the palace hall.

Moreover, this fluctuation is accelerating and spreading rapidly, aiming to engulf the entire palace hall.

No wonder these people didn't leave once they arrived at the palace; they waited for him peacefully here.

It turns out that it had been planned all along.

However, the dangers of divination were not even passively mentioned.

In other words, all these people's actions were completely futile and posed no threat to him whatsoever!

Moreover, what kind of formation is this? Can it compare to the Demon-Sealing Formation of Mount Shu?
Xu Hao could break through the demon-sealing formation set up by Mount Shu, so why would he fear a mere trapping formation?

Even if you seal off all the energy of heaven and earth, Xu Hao's body now contains true essence, which is no longer the innate qi that interacts with the outside world.

"Let me introduce myself first. I come from the Cui family of the Eastern Extreme Region!" Cui Mingshuang nodded slightly, and then said, "To be honest, I admire you very much. You are able to have such combat power in such a poor and remote place!"

Xu Hao sneered.

This statement is ostensibly an exaggeration, but it's actually a veiled insult, implying that he's a country bumpkin.

However, Xu Hao did not immediately become angry and attack. Instead, he used his senses to search for the number and location of the enemies around him.

Since they are enemies, Xu Hao will not let a single one slip through the net.

One must act decisively to eliminate all threats, lest one bring numerous dangers and instability upon oneself.

"Alright, I won't say anything more!" Seeing that Xu Hao had no intention of responding, Cui Mingshuang got straight to the point, "My Cui family will develop the ancient ruins beneath the Great Xuan Dynasty together with you. Since you discovered the traces first, I can decide to give you 10% of the profits!"

"Ten percent?" Xu Hao laughed in exasperation.

These ancient ruins all belong to Lao Tzu, so why should Lao Tzu give you 90% of them?

Damn it, that tone made it sound like they were giving him a handout.

"I know you're very dissatisfied, but the world is vast, and the mere Great Xuan Dynasty is just a well. You need to jump out of this small well and see the world. Only then can you broaden your horizons and develop a sense of awe. Otherwise..."
If one day I die in the wilderness, I won't even have a place to be buried.

"What if I say no?" Xu Hao withdrew his senses and looked at Cui Mingshuang, who had a haughty demeanor, with amusement.

The enemy's location and number have been scouted. Next, it's time to stabilize the Great Xuan Dynasty.

"No? Hahahaha!" Cui Mingshuang changed his previous friendly and conciliatory tone and said in a deep voice, "You mere country bumpkin, do you really think you're a person just because you have some strength?"

I'm giving you 10% because you were able to kill three top-ranked experts from the Dark Alliance. It's just a small favor.

"You really think you, a country bumpkin, can compare to the prestigious Cui family?"

"Since you are so ungrateful, then you have no reason to live!"

With a wave of his hand, Cui Mingshuang caused the many members of the Cui family who were hiding behind the main hall of the palace to immediately unleash their Heavenly Rank energy.

In an instant, an inexplicable pressure swept out and enveloped the entire palace hall.

Princess Xuan Qingxiao felt it most acutely; in that instant, she felt the energy within her body being greatly suppressed. Even the smoothness of her movements was significantly reduced.

"Xu Hao, be careful... there's a formation here!" Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao hurriedly reminded him.

"Haha, I told you you were country bumpkins, but you didn't believe me. Look, no matter how high your cultivation or knowledge, you can't compare to a little vase."

With just a little effort, those two small fry will be trapped like turtles in a jar! Cui Mingshuang laughed wildly as he saw that the grand formation he had set up was complete.

The Cui family's background is something that country bumpkins from remote areas can't compare to.

The reason he chose the palace was to take advantage of the surrounding natural terrain.

Once the grand formation is established, those below the Spirit Rank will be like fish in a net, with no chance of turning the tide.

Although he acknowledged that Xu Hao was very strong and capable of killing experts on the Heavenly Ranking, he felt that Xu Hao's experience was too limited.

They actually watched helplessly as they completed setting up the grand formation.

"Boy, you should kneel on the ground and beg for my mercy, given the conditions I've given you so far."

"Now, it's too late!"

"Kill him for me!"

Cui Mingshuang waved his hand, his gaze filled with coldness.

"Has the true intentions been revealed?" Xu Hao stood quietly in the main hall, ignoring even the repeated gesturing glances from Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao.

These are just insignificant fish, not worth mentioning!
Whoosh.

The moment Cui Mingshuang gave the order, a middle-aged man jumped out from behind the palace hall, holding a long, gleaming sword, and began slashing down at Xu Hao.

Its speed and power were so great that the entire palace floor trembled as it moved.

In particular, the grand formation seemed to have a boosting effect, causing the middle-aged man's speed and strength to surge once again.

"Die!" the middle-aged man sneered.

Xu Hao glanced at it coldly, then reached out and pinched it between two fingers.

When.

Sparks flew.

Xu Hao remained completely still.

However, the middle-aged man who rushed forward was propelled by inertia, and the powerful reaction force spread under his feet, blasting a huge crater into the hard floor of the palace hall.

Debris flew.

"That's it?" Xu Hao glanced at Cui Mingshuang.

He hates people who act superior to him the most!

It was as if everything was under their control.

But he didn't even consider that he was able to rise up alone with the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao, so he certainly had the confidence to do so.

When.

As Xu Hao finished speaking, his two fingers froze.

The middle-aged man, gripping his long sword, was thrown into the air by the immense force and flew backward, crashing heavily into the wall of the palace hall.

boom.

The wall was pierced.

But the middle-aged man did not penetrate through, because outside the palace, thick array patterns shimmered.

The thick array patterns obstructed the middle-aged man's figure.

puff.

The middle-aged man crashed to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.

In that instant, his head tilted to the side, and all hope of survival was extinguished.

He was at the peak of the late Heaven Rank and died with a single blow.

"..."

Upon seeing this scene, Cui Mingshuang's expression darkened.

Despite the suppression of the great formation, Xu Hao was still incredibly powerful, exceeding his expectations.

However, Cui Mingshuang did not panic. Before he could speak, a powerful member of the Cui family stepped forward, holding a magic weapon that looked like an arrow.

This is the very magical artifact that previously broke through the formations of the Great Xuan Dynasty that had stood for thousands of years.

The elder of the Cui family poured in powerful energy, and with the support of the surrounding array patterns, it shot out with a whoosh.

The arrow flew from his hand.

It moved incredibly fast, arriving in front of Xu Hao in the blink of an eye.

"Be careful..." Princess Xuan Qingxiao warned in alarm.

But before he could finish speaking, the arrow was already close to Xu Hao's screen.

At this moment, even the Ninth Princess Xuan Qingxiao almost closed her eyes, unable to bear watching.

Because if it were her, or any other Heavenly Rank cultivator, they would definitely be hit. Even if it were Xu Hao, she felt that she couldn't avoid it.

Even Cui Mingshuang thought so, and at this moment, the corners of her mouth curled up, wanting to see Xu Hao's dejected moment.

After all, this arrow is one of the three trump cards we brought today, a flying arrow of the highest spirit-grade level.

This thing can kill even a Spirit Rank expert.

Moreover, the palace is surrounded by a powerful array, giving them a perfect combination of favorable timing, location, and popular support.

Let alone the tenth place on the Heavenly Ranking, even the number one on the Heavenly Ranking would be killed if they were in that position!

Just when everyone thought Xu Hao was about to be executed, Xu Hao still raised his hand and gently moved two fingers.

When.

After a crisp sound, everyone looked again, their faces filled with shock and horror.

Xu Hao gently caught the flying arrow between his two fingers.

Due to its immense inertia and force, the tip of the flying arrow continued to tremble, emitting a buzzing vibration.

"How is this possible?" Cui Mingshuang exclaimed for the first time.

That's a top-grade spirit-level magic weapon.

With the support of the grand formation, even true Spirit Rank experts would have to avoid its sharp edge!
But now, Xu Hao has actually managed to seize the initiative and turn the tide.

Moreover, the powerful impact did not shake Xu Hao's identity in the slightest.

Xu Hao didn't even have to move an inch.

This scene truly overturned Cui Mingshuang's understanding.

Cui Mingshuang, the patriarch of a prominent family from the Eastern Extreme Region, was known for his extensive knowledge, but he lacked even a fraction of the knowledge to explain everything that was happening here.

"He's a Spirit Rank cultivator! We underestimated him! Quick, kill him! We can't let him retaliate!" Cui Mingshuang, as expected of a member of the Cui family, quickly recovered from his shock and immediately issued orders.

Such an enemy is far too dangerous if it cannot be completely killed.

They still have a chance!

There's a powerful formation here, and they still have their trump cards.

We must use all our cards and kill Xu Hao completely; we cannot let the tiger return to the mountain.

(End of this chapter)