Druid Fairy

Chapter 211 Coming out of seclusion
The white jade wine cup in Qian Tianjue's hand silently turned into a handful of fine powder, which slipped from his fingers.

On the ground, a wisp of black smoke, about to dissipate, coalesced into the terrified and unwilling face of the Shadow Ghost—the last image the Shadow Ghost left in the wisp of its soul's memory for its master.

A realm where even wind and rain had ceased, and a seemingly ordinary sword light that severed all life.

"Sword Domain..."

His soul completely dissipated.

"Your Highness!"

Despite the piercing pain in his soul, Elder Xuan exclaimed in shock, "Shadow Ghost is a top assassin, yet he didn't even last a single move?"

Qian Tianjue didn't speak, but slowly closed his eyes, the last scene replaying in his mind.

That was not a contest of strength, nor a competition of skills, but a crushing defeat of the "Tao".

The Shadowcraft techniques that the Shadow Demon was so proud of were rendered useless and helpless in the face of that absolute control.

After a long while, he opened his eyes again. The greed and fanaticism in his eyes had not diminished at all; on the contrary, they burned even more intensely, almost to the point of madness.

"Good, what a great Yu Dynasty!"

He chuckled softly, his laughter filled with extreme excitement, "One possesses the Taiyin Sacred Body, one has comprehended the rudimentary form of the Sword Domain, and another is refining the Dao Fruit..."

He turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over all his terrified subordinates in the hall.

"Issue my secret order: the 300,000 'Armor-Piercing Army' stationed at 'Blackwater Pass' shall immediately advance 30 li eastward and set up camp on the border of the Great Yu Dynasty! Conduct daily drills and press forward with our military might. I want every subject of the Great Yu Dynasty to feel the might of my Great Qian army!"

"Your Highness, is this a prelude to war?" a military officer asked cautiously.

"No, this is a warning shot."

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Qian Tianjue's lips. "Since the assassination failed, I'll resort to open tactics. How long can a dynasty that has just experienced internal strife, is weak, and whose emperor is just a child, withstand the pressure of 300,000 fierce soldiers?"

“Tomorrow morning, we will enter the capital again.” He looked at Elder Xuan. “You will come with me. This time, I will give them two choices in front of the entire court.”

"First, hand over Li Mengze and that 'Dao Fruit' so that my Great Qian can take them back and 'purify' them to eliminate the calamities of the world. At the same time, to show the 'friendship between the two countries for generations,' please ask the Holy Maiden of the Nation to return to the capital with me, marry me, and jointly study the Great Dao."

"Second," his voice suddenly turned cold, "the swords of those 300,000 soldiers on the border will be taken by me!"

Inside the Tiangong Workshop, when the Duke of Zhenguo and Li Yuanhu saw Li Mengjin's ghostly figure emerge from the shadows carrying a head with unclosed eyes, even this veteran general, who had spent his life on the battlefield, couldn't help but gasp.

"Is this the assassin from the Great Qian delegation?"

Li Yuanhu recognized him at a glance; this was the black-clad man with the coldest aura who was following behind Qian Tianjue.

“Dead.” Li Mengjin said succinctly.

He threw the head to the ground, his gaze sweeping over the unscathed core foundation, and only then did the weight lift from his heart.

The Duke of Zhenguo strode forward and carefully examined the shadow ghost's corpse, becoming increasingly horrified with each look.

This person had no other wounds, only a tiny sword mark on his chest. His life force and soul were completely wiped out by an incomparably domineering power, cleanly and swiftly.

"What excellent swordsmanship!" the Duke of Zhenguo exclaimed sincerely, then his face showed worry. "However, this means we've completely broken ties with the Great Qian Dynasty. Qian Tianjue is narrow-minded and vindictive. Tomorrow, there will likely be a fierce battle in the court."

Li Mengjin did not speak, but looked up in the direction of the Honglu Temple, his eyes flashing with sword intent.

So what if we fall out?

Anyone who dares to extend their claws towards his family should be prepared to have their claws severed.

He walked slowly to Li Yuanhu's side and said in a deep voice, "Brother Yuanhu, the training of the 'Immortal Slayer Guards' must be accelerated. Take out all the 'Azure Blood Heart Pills' left by our elder brother and have them undergo extreme training with the help of the medicine. I need them to be able to skillfully operate the 'Burning Blood Returning to Origin Formation' within three days!"

"Three days?" Li Yuanhu exclaimed in shock. "People will die from this!"

"More people will die on the battlefield." Li Mengjin's voice was as cold as iron, devoid of any emotion. "Tell them that every drop of sweat they shed now will protect their families from further harm in wartime. Anyone who retreats or cowers in battle will be executed without mercy!"

Li Yuanhu looked into his second brother's unwavering eyes, nodded heavily, and turned to leave.

…………

The next day, at the Golden Palace.

Qian Tianjue stepped into the hall again, but this time, there was no trace of his warm smile on his face.

He cut to the chase, saying, "Your Majesty, I pondered this matter repeatedly after returning home yesterday, and I still feel uneasy. That Li Mengze, with his mortal body, forcibly devoured the vengeful dragon and evil spirits. The Dao Fruit he condensed must be a demonic creature containing boundless resentment. Such a demonic creature, if left in the world, will surely bring great calamity to the entire human race. As the leader of the Eastern Region, my Great Qian Dynasty has the responsibility and the obligation to eliminate such a hidden danger for all living beings!"

These words sound grand and righteous, but they completely distort the truth.

The assembled officials in the hall all wore expressions of anger.

Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress Dowager spoke coldly: "What does the First Prince mean?"

"It's very simple."

Qian Tianjue held up two fingers, his voice echoing in the empty hall, "I give you two choices. First, hand over Li Mengze and that Dao Fruit to me to take back to the Great Qian, where my national teacher will seal and purify them completely. To show my sincerity, I am willing to forge a hundred-year alliance with your country and marry the Holy Maiden who protects the nation as my consort. In this way, our two countries can not only turn hostility into friendship, but also create a glorious future together through the union of our sacred bodies."

"You're dreaming!" the Duke of Zhenguo roared, his murderous aura soaring to the sky.

Qian Tianjue, however, remained unconcerned. He looked towards the beaded curtain and continued, "Secondly, I presume the Empress Dowager and all the officials have already received the military report from the border? Our Great Qian's 300,000 armored troops are already at the city gates. My patience is limited. If I do not receive a satisfactory reply before sunset, then I will have no choice but to have my 300,000 troops personally enter the city to take it!"

A blatant threat, made without any disguise!
The entire court fell into a deathly silence.

Three hundred thousand troops!
This is almost half of the elite forces of the Great Qian Dynasty!
How could the Great Yu Dynasty, having just experienced internal strife, possibly withstand such an attack?
A look of humiliation and despair appeared on everyone's face.

Just as the entire court felt a profound sense of powerlessness, a clear, cold voice rang out from outside the hall.

"I don't want any of your choices."

Li Mengjin slowly walked in from outside the hall.

He had an ancient sword hanging at his waist, but today, his aura was sharper and more dangerous than yesterday.

With each step, the golden bricks beneath his feet seemed to tremble slightly, and the invisible sword intent made the air itself seem to groan.

"I'll give you a third option."

He walked to the center of the hall, looked directly at Qian Tianjue, and said, word by word, "Now, take your men and get out of the capital. Otherwise, the fate of that assassin yesterday will serve as a warning to you."

"Hahaha!" Qian Tianjue burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "Li Mengjin, do you think you can stop the iron hooves of my 300,000-strong army with just yourself and a sword? You are too naive!"

"Whether it works or not, you'll know once you try."

Li Mengjin stopped talking and slowly raised the hand that was resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Buzz!"

That domain power, which the Shadow Demon could never comprehend even in his death, descended once more!

This time, it was no longer confined to a small area, but spread out with Li Mengjin as the center, instantly enveloping the entire Golden Palace!
The wind inside the hall stopped.

The flickering candlelight froze.

The officials' expressions of shock seemed frozen in time. Time and space, at that moment, seemed to lose their meaning.

Only Qian Tianjue and the Elder Xuan behind him were still able to move, but they felt as if they were stuck in a bottomless swamp!

"You've managed to expand your sword domain to such an extent!"

This is no longer a prototype; it has clearly begun to grasp the authority of the "Tao"!

Qian Tianjue's expression finally changed. His proud cultivation level was suppressed by at least 30% in this domain!

"Now, do you still want to try?" Li Mengjin's voice struck Qian Tianjue's heart.

Just as tensions were about to escalate and a conflict was imminent.

Inside the Tingtao Xiaozhu, a secret room protected by multiple arrays.

Li Mengze, who was lying quietly on the cold jade bed, suddenly trembled.

The "Dao Fruit" between his brows, slowly rotating, quietly emitted a faint yet vibrant emerald green light from its deep black depths.

Deep within his consciousness.

That black ocean of resentment had long been completely suppressed by the ancient tree of life.

Li Mengze's soul was sitting cross-legged under the ancient tree, undergoing its final test.

He witnessed the founding emperor ascend the throne amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and in order to give this ravaged land a chance to breathe, he ultimately had no choice but to sign a tragic pact with the Nine Netherworld Evil Dragon.

He saw countless soldiers shedding blood on the frontier, sacrificing their lives, their loyalty and bravery ultimately becoming food for the evil dragon.

Resentment and protection.

Sin and helplessness.

Destruction and rebirth.

Countless contradictory causes and effects intertwined in his heart.

This is the most crucial "inner demon tribulation" within the Dao Fruit.

If he succumbs to resentment, he will transform into a new vengeful dragon and become a slave to power.

If he becomes lost in killing, he will fall into the demonic path and be condemned to eternal damnation.

"Everything has its origin, and every law has its beginning and end."

Li Mengze's soul slowly opened his eyes, which were clear and without any confusion.

"My way is not about killing or hatred, but about 'balance'."

"Only through death can there be life. Only through destruction can there be new life."

The next instant, the ancient tree of life that reached the heavens and the earth trembled violently!
Countless lush green branches and leaves began to grow wildly, absorbing the suppressed pure resentment as the most fertile nourishment!

A brilliant light of life flows between the branches and leaves.

One black and one green, one life and one death, two completely opposite paths, were perfectly integrated into one within his "Hundred Herbs Dojo," forming a profound cycle!

Outside the secret chamber, the floating "Dao Fruit" suddenly shone brightly!

The jet-black fruit split open in the middle, and a chaotic aura, which belonged neither to life nor death, yet transcended both, emanated from it.

The next moment, the Dao Fruit transformed into a stream of light and instantly entered Li Mengze's brow!
"boom!"

An indescribable, majestic aura surged from Tingtao Xiaozhu, instantly piercing through all the formations set up by Daoist Qingxu, and soaring straight into the sky!

The sky over the entire capital city changed color!

Half of the sky was filled with rolling dark clouds, lightning, and thunder, as if the end of the world had arrived.

The other half, however, was bathed in countless rays of light and auspicious energy, brimming with peaceful vitality.

Two completely opposite celestial phenomena, centered around Tingtao Xiaozhu, were clearly presented to everyone!
Inside the Golden Palace, Li Mengjin's sword domain was momentarily disrupted by the impact of this aura.

Qian Tianjue and Xuan Lao seized this fleeting opportunity, frantically urging their magical power to break free from their restraints, and stared in horror at the outside of the palace.

"Has the Dao Fruit been successfully refined?!" Elder Xuan's voice trembled.

Such an earth-shattering phenomenon was far beyond their comprehension!

"go!"

Qian Tianjue made a decisive decision, his eyes filled with resentment. But if he didn't leave now, he might never be able to leave again!

He had just turned around when a gentle voice seemed to transcend the distance of space, ringing directly in everyone's ears.

"Your Highness, now that you're here, why the rush to leave?"

Before the words were finished, a figure appeared silently beside the dragon throne in the Golden Palace.

He was still dressed in green, with a gentle face; it was Li Mengze who had just emerged from seclusion!

At this moment, although his aura was restrained, his eyes seemed to contain a complete world.

In his left eye, he saw the lush growth of all things; in his right eye, however, he saw the desolate cycle of death and decay of all living beings.

Just one glance from him was enough to make Qian Tianjue feel as if his soul was being sucked into the vortex of life and death, and he was about to be completely lost!

“You…” He pointed at Li Mengze, but couldn’t utter a single word.

"Big brother!" Upon seeing his elder brother, Li Mengjin's icy sword domain instantly dissipated, and a heartfelt joy appeared on his face.

Li Mengze nodded slightly to him, then turned his gaze to Qian Tianjue and said calmly, "You want my Dao Fruit? Fine. As long as you can withstand one of my moves, I will offer it to you with both hands."

He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upward.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no world-destroying magical fluctuations.

Only a small, verdant sapling, seemingly formed from the purest essence of life, slowly emerged in his palm.

Immediately afterwards, the leaves of the sapling began to turn yellow and wither, eventually turning into ashes and falling into his palm.

But at the end of that withered branch, a new bud stubbornly sprouted out.

One life, one death, one cycle of reincarnation.

"This move is called 'Withering and Flourishing'."

Li Mengze pointed lightly at Qian Tianjue.

That aura of deathly stillness, representing "withering," ignored space and magical shields, and instantly imprinted itself on Qian Tianjue's chest.

(End of this chapter)