May I seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and live a long and prosperous life.

The battle ended with Li Heng overwhelmingly killing all the Grandmasters present.

The Yuncheng side also suffered heavy losses, with only three Grandmaster-level martial artists surviving.

For the warriors of Yuncheng, this battle was like a rollercoaster ride: the first half was extremely tragic, while the second half was incredibly exhilarating!

When the results of the battle were reported back to Yuncheng, the people of Yuncheng all took to the streets to cheer.

The people of Yuncheng were especially excited when they heard that the Grandmaster Martial Artist who saved Yuncheng and killed nine of the opposing forces single-handedly was Ye Tianzi.

The deeds of the Night Emperor were being spread throughout the streets and alleys.

Many storytellers have embellished this battle, describing it as a story of the Night Emperor facing thirteen grandmasters alone, his hair standing on end in fury, displaying his divine might.

People flocked to hear the storyteller recount tales of the Night Emperor, filling not only the seats to capacity but also the surrounding area, wherever there was room to stand.

It can be said that after this battle, Night Emperor was directly deified in Cloud City!

His prestige was terrifyingly high; even the Third Prince was far inferior to the Night Emperor.

The Zhou family ancestral home in Yuncheng.

When Zhou Zhengqing heard the news that Ye Tianzi had appeared, turned the tide, killed nine Grandmaster-level experts, and reversed the critical situation in one battle, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and a smile finally appeared on his face, which grew wider and wider.

He clapped and cheered:

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! As expected of the Night Emperor, you have never disappointed anyone. You have the world in your heart, turned the tide, and saved the collapsing empire! A hero! You are a true hero! You saved hundreds of thousands of members of the Zhou family in Yuncheng. The Zhou family of Yuncheng will remember your great achievements for generations to come."

Subsequently, Zhou Zhengqing urgently summoned the heads of each branch of the family to discuss building a shrine for the Night Emperor, so that future generations could worship him forever. As long as the Zhou family of Yuncheng existed, the worship would never cease.

This time, none of the leaders of the various branches objected; they all agreed to build a shrine for the Night Emperor.

……

In a tavern in Yuncheng.

The once renowned first-rank martial artist, Mad Daoist, sat at a table. When he heard that Ye Tianzi had appeared and killed nine grandmaster martial artists in succession, he, who had never believed in miracles, finally believed that miracles truly existed in this world.

"Excellent! The Night Emperor has killed the three swordsmen with a single move, greatly boosting the morale of Yun City! Let's raise a toast now!"

Beside him sat a one-armed drunken scholar and a blind, mad beggar.

These were the most famous first-rank martial artists in Yuncheng back then, besides Ye Tianzi.

"Night Emperor has truly brought honor to our Yun City. It's a pity we can't see the Bald Monk and the Black-Faced Yama anymore. Come, let's drink this cup." The Mad Taoist picked up his wine cup and said to the Drunken Scholar and the Mad Beggar of Jiangnan.

The Drunken Scholar and the Mad Beggar from Jiangnan also picked up their wine cups and drank them down in large gulps.

Tonight, the three of them have been spending the whole night in the bar. Not long ago, the suffocating sense of despair had been suffocating them, and today they wanted to let it all out.

……

The residence of the Third Prince of Yuncheng.

After hearing the news that the Night Emperor had appeared at the most critical moment, single-handedly fighting nine Grandmaster-level martial artists, the Third Prince...

The Third Prince was so surprised he couldn't speak. The Night Emperor had become the savior of Cloud City!

"Excellent! I knew I hadn't misjudged Night Emperor! King Chen has lost nine Grandmaster-level martial artists overnight, a devastating loss indeed. Yun City is now safe!"

"Right now, we should intensify our efforts to expand and train our troops, stockpile provisions, and prepare for a counterattack. Maode, this is now your responsibility. Do not be careless."

Lu Maode respectfully replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly handle this matter well."

The Third Prince nodded and then said:

"If it weren't for Ye Tianzi's heroic efforts in this Grandmaster battle, Yun City would have been in grave danger. Issue my decree: bestow upon Ye Tianzi the title of Marquis Protector of the City, and build a shrine in his honor, erect a statue of him, and cast a monument to his merits and the monument to his heroes. This matter must be carried out immediately; we cannot let down Ye Tianzi, all the participating warriors, or the three million people of Yun City!"

"Your Highness, this conferment of a marquisate... requires His Majesty's personal approval. In my opinion, we should report it to His Majesty first."

The Third Prince waved his hand and said:

"With the country in crisis, we can't worry about that now. The capital is far away, and it will take more than half a year to go there and back. We can't wait. Don't worry, I will report to the Emperor about the ennoblement after we have quelled the rebellion of Chen. Just do your job."

A few days later, in the very center of Yuncheng, many carpenters gathered to begin construction of the Night Emperor's Shrine.

Near the shrine, a monument to merit and a monument to martyrs will also be built.

Soldiers and officers were stationed around the construction site.

However, it still attracted countless residents of Yuncheng to visit.

……

After the Grandmaster Battle, Li Heng immediately returned to his residence, which he had left thirteen years ago.

The mansion was covered in dust and cobwebs because it had been uninhabited for many years.

Li Heng thoroughly cleaned the mansion, and then secretly went to search for his former students.

Unfortunately, thirteen years have passed, and many students have changed their addresses. However, his most valued student, Li Hui, and his mother are still living in the same place.

Li Hui is now a fully grown man and a spirited young man.

Li Heng secretly investigated and learned that Li Hui had successfully graduated from the Imperial Academy in Yuncheng and was now teaching children to read and write at Qingyan Academy, the most famous academy in Yuncheng.

Li Heng did not appear to acknowledge Li Hui.

As long as he knows that his students are all well, that's enough.

He has his path, and his students have theirs.

The two of them will have fewer and fewer interactions in the future, so it's better to end it quickly than to suffer for a long time.

Now, knowing that his students haven't gone astray is the best reward for him.

……

On the other hand, after the crushing defeat in the Grandmaster Battle, King Chen summoned high-ranking officials overnight to discuss national policy.

The topic of discussion was an emergency troop withdrawal.

"Now, Yuncheng has been under siege for a long time without success. Our Grandmasters have suffered heavy losses and have already used all their trump cards. The morale of our soldiers is low. We now have very few Grandmasters left. Moreover, no one can defeat the Night Emperor of the enemy. In my opinion, we should retreat for the time being and regroup next year."

"I agree with the Heavenly King's strategy. At present, we have lost too many Grandmaster-level experts, and our safety cannot be guaranteed. The most urgent task is to retreat to the four cities of Jizhou, recuperate, and not give the Chu Kingdom any opportunity to take advantage of us," said a military general.

"What do you think, Imperial Preceptor?" King Chen asked, looking at the leader of the Blood Lotus Sect.

The leader of the Blood Lotus Sect spoke:

"The other party, Ye Tianzi, might be Li Xiao, a traitor from my sect and the former leader of the Yuncheng branch. I didn't expect his martial arts to improve so quickly. However, I noticed that during the Grandmaster battle, he frequently used my sect's unique secret techniques, Overlord Force and Life-Destroying Palm."

Although these two secret techniques are extremely powerful, they also have significant side effects. Each use consumes a large amount of lifespan, so the opponent dares not continue to use them frequently.

Otherwise, he would have died of exhaustion without us even lifting a finger. The Night Emperor isn't as strong as everyone imagines; he's overdrawn his own lifespan. At most, he's only slightly stronger than a typical peak Grandmaster martial artist. There's no need to panic!

"With the Imperial Advisor's words, we feel much more at ease. Everyone, go back and make preparations. We'll retreat tonight!" said King Chen.