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

In the end, both slowly dissipated in the confrontation.

The white-haired old cult leader was shaken back three steps by this invisible energy, his blood boiling and his internal energy slightly disordered.

Li Heng was also knocked back a step, but then regained his balance.

"Such powerful internal energy! This Night Emperor's martial arts are no less than mine! He's a true prodigy. A grandmaster-level martial artist, he can actually rival me, a late-stage grandmaster! Could it be that he used a secret technique to temporarily boost his internal energy?" The white-haired old sect leader suffered a setback in his first battle and was extremely frustrated.

"Haha, that's exhilarating! It's been a long time since I've fought like this. Let me see how many of my moves you, Night Emperor, can withstand!"

The white-haired cult leader was convinced that Li Heng must have used an explosive secret technique to be able to contend with him. Such secret techniques usually have great side effects and cannot last long. The white-haired cult leader decided to have a war of attrition with him and wear him down.

So the white-haired old cult leader struck again, and Li Heng countered each move.

This is all thanks to the Third Prince's order to share a large number of martial arts techniques for free over the past few years. He has seen countless martial arts manuals and his martial arts experience has been greatly enriched, allowing him to use any move with ease in battle.

The fight lasted for nearly an incense stick's time. The white-haired old master had already used up more than half of his internal energy. Not only had he failed to defeat Li Heng, he hadn't even managed to harm a single hair on Li Heng's head. It seemed that the opponent's internal energy was exceptionally strong, and he was not afraid of Li Heng's war of attrition.

Outrageous! A grandmaster-level martial artist is actually more durable than a late-stage grandmaster!

"I don't believe it! This Night Emperor is definitely a Grandmaster martial artist, just pretending to be one!" the white-haired old sect leader roared in his heart.

Li Heng remained calm and composed, his mind unmoved. In this battle, he chose to wear down his opponent through attrition. In front of a large audience, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn't use his life-draining secret technique. Moreover, this white-haired old cult leader had no grudge against him, so he wasn't prepared to use any ruthless methods.

But if he remains stubborn and insists on protecting Chen Tianwang and the others, then the only option is to send him to hell.

An hour passed.

The white-haired old cult leader was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. He knelt on one knee on the cold ground. At this moment, his internal energy was less than 10% of what it used to be, which was no longer enough for him to fight.

He had already lost, but he couldn't accept the result.

He had roamed the martial world for decades and had never suffered such a defeat as today. His opponent was like a bottomless pit; no matter how strong you were, he would drain you dry. No one knew where his limits lay.

Li Heng stood quietly in place, snowflakes falling on his hair, the cold wind howling and sweeping over his body, yet he remained like an eternal statue, forever unmoved.

"I... lost." After a long pause, the white-haired old cult leader lowered his proud head.

This was the first time in his sixty years that he had conceded defeat, and by a desperate margin, because even after fighting for so long, he still hadn't figured out just how strong his opponent was.

Aside from his initial counterattack, his opponent remained entirely on the defensive, silently neutralizing all his special moves and secret techniques.

Before this battle, he always thought he was invincible and fearless, except for those old monsters who were nearing the end of their lives and the legendary Celestial Realm experts.

"Night Emperor, I am utterly convinced of my defeat! You are the first martial artist who has truly won my heart! You have won. You can deal with Chen Tianwang and the others as you see fit."

After speaking, the white-haired old master used his lightness skill to fly towards the vast snow-capped mountains and disappeared completely.

Then, a loud voice echoed throughout the entire snow-capped mountain.

"Disciples of the Snow Mountain Sect, heed my command! From this day forward, the Snow Mountain Sect is officially sealed off from the mountain! No disciple of the Snow Mountain Sect may descend the mountain to commit evil deeds, nor may they interfere in the struggles of secular political power. Those who violate this order will be personally punished by me!"

When Chen Tianwang and the others saw that the white-haired old master had lost, they were terrified. Unfortunately, in order to prevent them from escaping, the white-haired old master had specially struck thirty-six major acupoints on their bodies and arranged for several grandmaster martial artists to guard them. They were now like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.

It wasn't just King Chen who was panicked; the National Preceptor and the leader of the Blood Lotus Sect were also in a panic.

Originally, he, the leader of the Blood Lotus Sect, was just a small cult in the Northwest region. The reason he climbed up to King Chen was because he saw that the monarch of Chu was incompetent and wanted to use King Chen's power to develop and expand the Blood Lotus Sect. However, he never expected that King Chen would fall to this state.

After Chen Tianwang swept through Yuncheng, he could no longer advance.

And the Night Emperor officially appeared in Cloud City.

All of this is thanks to the Night Emperor.

At first, the leader of the Blood Lotus Sect thought that Ye Tianzi might be Li Xiao, the leader of his Blood Lotus Sect's Yuncheng branch, but now he absolutely does not believe it.

If Li Xiao is truly that powerful, how come he can only be a branch leader? I'm afraid even I, the sect leader, would have to give him the position!

The Night Emperor must be someone else!

Unfortunately, he had no way of figuring out the true nature of the Night Emperor. Now that Chen Tianwang had fallen, their fates were intertwined, and his own death might be imminent. Thinking of this, he trembled all over.

When faced with death, he was no longer a grandmaster-level martial artist, but just like an ordinary person.

Then, his lower body became wet and hot, and a fishy smell slowly emanated from below.

Since ancient times, death has been the only hardship, and even grandmasters of martial arts can still make a fool of themselves.

……

After capturing Chen Tianwang and his men, the Third Prince led his troops back to Snow City.

This western expedition can be considered a complete success.

The generals and warriors were extremely excited, not only because of the upcoming rewards and honors, but also because it was a great honor and achievement.

Six months ago, Yuncheng was already on the verge of collapse. Half of the Chu Kingdom was about to be ravaged by the traitor Chen, and the country was on the verge of extinction.

Now, not only have they recovered all the territory, but they have also personally captured the bandit leader. This huge contrast gives them a sense of accomplishment in turning the tide and saving the collapsing edifice!

Make these soldiers and warriors feel that they are the pillars of the revival of the Chu Kingdom!

Of course, all of this is predicated on the fact that such a great revival could only be achieved under the leadership of the great legendary master, Night Emperor!

The Night Emperor's prestige had now surpassed that of the Third Prince and the King of Chu, becoming their sole source of spiritual support!

With the Night Emperor present, even if he didn't take action, the Chu soldiers and warriors felt reassured, and their morale was extremely high.

……

A month later, the Third Prince led his western expeditionary army and successfully returned to Yun City.

Subsequently, the Third Prince loaded Chen Tianwang and other high-ranking members of the pseudo-Liang regime into a prison cart and paraded them around Yuncheng for three days.

When the people of Yuncheng heard that the bandit leader was being paraded through the streets, they flocked to watch and threw vegetable leaves, rotten eggs, and pebbles at Chen Tianwang and his men, while crying and cursing them.

This shows just how heinous the crime Chen Tianwang committed!

If they hadn't been stopped by the soldiers in charge of the march, Chen Tianwang and his entourage would probably have been thrown to their deaths by the angry mob!

Three days later, the Third Prince, representing the imperial court, formally conducted a trial of Chen Tianwang and others at the Yuncheng City Lord's Mansion.

On the day of the trial, the area in front of the city lord's mansion was packed with people from Yuncheng who came to watch.

Li Heng also mingled in the crowd, silently watching this scene.