I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

The Zhenmai Guard man gave Li Bai a deep look, then said nothing more. He turned and walked towards the crack in the palace wall, his steps steady, as if he were embarking not on a path to death, but on a journey back to his mission. Li Bai followed behind him, his right arm hanging limply at his sides, each step aggravating his injuries. He turned back one last time, looking towards the high platform. Yang Yuhuan was still standing there, the morning breeze ruffling her disheveled hair and skirt, like a jade sculpture about to shatter. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment in the air; she seemed to want to reach out, to call out, but her voice was drowned out by the wind. Li Bai turned his head away, no longer looking. The crack in the palace wall was wide enough for one person to pass through; outside lay the chaotic streets of Chang'an, and further away, the pillar of light that shot into the sky was slowly contracting and condensing, the dragon pattern becoming increasingly clear. One hour. He only had this one hour.

Just as he was about to step out of the palace walls—

"Boom—!"

A tremor more intense than ever before came from deep beneath our feet.

It wasn't just shaking; the entire earth was arching upwards, as if some colossal creature was turning over underground. The bluestone pavement of the Qinzhengzhengben Building square was visibly bulging and cracking, spewing out a murky, earthy stench mixed with a pungent, sulfurous smell from the cracks. Several ancient locust trees at the edge of the square were creaking so hard it made your teeth ache, their roots churning up from the soil and bringing with them large chunks of turf and dirt.

On the high platform, the vermilion dragon pillar, a symbol of imperial power, has a crack in the middle.

"The earth has turned over! The earth has turned over!"

No one knows who shouted this first, but panic spread like a plague in an instant.

The Imperial Guard, which had been barely maintaining order, was completely thrown into disarray by the sudden and violent tremor. Soldiers in the front ranks lost their footing, stumbling and bumping into their comrades behind them, the clanging of armor producing a piercing metallic scraping sound. Horses, startled, reared up, throwing their riders to the ground. Officers tried to shout to stop them, but their voices were drowned out by the greater chaos.

The officials were in complete chaos. Those who were usually dignified and meticulous about their manners now disregarded all pretense of decorum. Some crouched on the ground, heads in their hands, while others fled frantically towards the edge of the square, not even bothering to pick up their fallen hats. Several elderly officials were nearly knocked over by the throng of people, but were fortunately caught by quick-thinking servants. Screams, cries, and calls for help mingled with the increasingly loud, beast-like roars coming from the direction of the Xuandu Temple in the distance, creating a scene of utter apocalypse.

Li Bai was jolted by the sudden tremor and stumbled, instinctively grabbing the cracked palace wall with his left arm to steady himself. The sharp pain in his right arm made his vision go black, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. He gritted his teeth and forced the blood back down.

The Zhenmai Guardian also stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at the square, and frowned.

"The dragon veins are awakening at an accelerated pace," he said in a deep voice. "The upheaval of the earth's veins has already begun to affect the surface. We must move faster."

Li Bai nodded and was about to take a step—

His gaze, however, involuntarily drifted back to the high platform.

Yang Yuhuan.

She's still there.

The platform swayed violently with the tremors. The wooden scaffolding supporting it groaned under the weight. The guards tensed even more, practically forming a human wall around Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei. Supported by several close eunuchs, Xuanzong was pale and his lips were tightly pressed together; his imperial majesty seemed so fragile before the power of heaven and earth. He seemed to be issuing a stern command, but his voice was completely swallowed by the surrounding noise.

And Yang Yuhuan...

She was supported tightly by two palace maids, her figure appearing exceptionally thin on the swaying platform. In the morning light, her face was even paler than the plain white dress she wore. Unlike the other palace maids who screamed in panic, she stood quietly, her gaze sweeping blankly across the chaotic square below, as if searching for something.

Then, her gaze settled on the direction of the crack in the palace wall.

It was frozen in time with Li Bai.

Nearly a hundred feet apart, separated by the chaotic fleeing crowd, by the flying dust and the fragmented morning light.

Eyes facing each other.

Li Bai's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

He saw her lips part slightly, as if she wanted to say something. He saw her eyes, those beautiful eyes that were once full of innocence and naivety, but now only filled with confusion and emptiness, suddenly flashed a very subtle light, one that even she herself might not have noticed...

Like a spark streaking across the darkness.

Brief, faint, yet truly real.

It was this sliver of light that reignited something within Li Bai that had almost been extinguished.

No.

We can't just leave like this.

We can't leave her here alone, in this sinking city, in this fate she has no power to resist.

Even if it's only for one hour.

Even if he was destined to die.

At least... at least I can see her one more time.

At least... let her know that someone once risked their life for her.

Once this thought arises, it spreads like wildfire, instantly destroying all reason.

"Wait," Li Bai said hoarsely.

The Zhenmai Guard man turned around, his eyes sharp: "What do you want to do?"

"I..." Li Bai took a deep breath, his chest burning with pain. "I need to go to the high platform."

"Are you insane?" The man's voice suddenly rose. "Going there now is suicide! The guards won't let you near, and the emperor certainly won't allow it! Besides, the dragon vein could fully awaken at any moment; we don't have time—"

"I know," Li Bai interrupted him, his voice eerily calm. "I know this is suicide. I know we don't have time. But I have to go."

He turned his head to look at the man, his eyes filled with an almost insane determination.

"If you want to stop me, you can do it now."

The man stared at him, his grip on the knife tightening and loosening repeatedly. Finally, he let out a long breath.

"A quarter of an hour," he said. "I can only give you a quarter of an hour. After that, no matter where you are, I will go to Xuandu Temple. If you don't come... the seal will fail, Chang'an will sink, and everyone, including her, will die."

Li Bai nodded: "That's enough."

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned around and rushed towards the high platform in the center of the square.

The excruciating pain in his right arm, the tearing of his meridians, and the depletion of his true energy were all forgotten at this moment. The only thing he could mobilize was the last primal power within his body and the heart burning with resentment and obsession.

He moved like a shadow through the chaotic crowd.

He shoved aside a panicked official, dodged a runaway horse, and stepped over cracked flagstones, splashing up muddy water. His steps faltered, his body swayed, and with each step he almost fell, yet miraculously he regained his balance and continued forward.

The chaos in the square provided him with the best cover.

No one noticed the blood-soaked, ragged "madman." Everyone's attention was focused on the strange changes in the world and their own safety. The Imperial Guards tried to regroup, but were repeatedly scattered by the fleeing crowds. Officials fled for their lives, servants searched for their masters, and palace maids and eunuchs ran around crying and screaming.

Li Bai was getting closer and closer to the high platform.

Eighty feet.

Fifty feet.

Thirty zhang (approximately 33 meters).

He could now clearly see the faces of the guards on the high platform. They wore gleaming armor, held long halberds, and their eyes warily scanned the area below. He also saw Emperor Xuanzong surrounded in the center—that face he had once seen in history textbooks, now pale and furious. And… Yang Yuhuan.

She seemed to have seen him too.

Her gaze followed the figure struggling through the crowd. Her lips trembled slightly, and the blankness in her eyes was gradually replaced by a complex emotion—confusion, surprise, and a hint of... a flutter that even she herself couldn't understand.

Twenty zhang (approximately 33 meters).

Li Bai could already smell the complex scent wafting from the high platform, a mixture of sandalwood, sweat, and fear. He could hear the guards' heavy breathing and the clanging of weapons against armor. He could feel the growing oppressive atmosphere emanating from the high platform.

That was not the imperial majesty of Emperor Xuanzong.

Rather, it was... the aura of a master.

Just when Li Bai was still fifteen zhang away from the high platform—

"Stop!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, rang out.

Below the platform, the eight guards who had been facing away from the square and keeping watch outside turned around simultaneously. Their movements were perfectly synchronized; they held their halberds forward, their tips gleaming coldly in the morning light. Even more terrifying was the aura emanating from them—not the killing intent of ordinary imperial guards, but a deep, weighty, and unshakeable aura, like that of a mountain.

At least a martial artist in the late stage of Qi Refining.

No, not only that.

Li Bai's pupils contracted slightly.

Behind these eight people, four figures appeared on either side of the steps of the high platform.

The two men were dressed in crimson eunuch robes, with pale, beardless faces and eyes as cold as venomous snakes. The other man wore dark black close-fitting clothes, with swords at his waist, and bronze masks covering his face, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes.

Their presence was more subtle, and more dangerous.

Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath.

Li Bai could sense that at least four sharp auras had firmly locked onto him.

One of the dishes, chilling to the bone, came from the older eunuch on the left.

The other, sharp and menacing, came from the swordsman wearing a bronze mask on the right.

There were two more... more subtle, more profound, as if they came from the depths of the palace, from the shadows of those towering halls. They didn't directly target Li Bai, but like an invisible net, they enveloped the entire square, monitoring everything that was amiss.

And the last dish...

Li Bai suddenly turned his head and looked towards the edge of the square, towards the direction of the crack in the palace wall.

The Zhenmai Guard man remained standing there, motionless. But the broken sword at his waist had somehow been drawn half an inch from its sheath. A dark red luster flowed across the blade, like dried blood. His gaze was calm as he looked at Li Bai, offering neither obstruction nor urging.

But that aura clearly told Li Bai—he was watching. He was waiting.

A quarter of an hour.

Li Bai withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

Eight guards at the late stage of Qi Refining, four experts at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, and two more hidden yet terrifying auras deep within the palace.

He had exhausted his true energy, his right arm was crippled, and his meridians were severely damaged. All he had left was a sword and a heart ready to die.

"Get out of the way," Li Bai said, his voice hoarse but unusually clear. "I just want to go up and take a look."

"Insolence!" the older eunuch on the left shrieked. "His Majesty is here! How dare you, a madman, approach! Get out of here immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!"

The swordsman on the right, wearing a bronze mask, didn't speak, but slowly drew his sword from his waist.

The blade is long and narrow with a beautiful curve, and the edge shimmers with a faint bluish halo in the morning light.

Spiritual artifact.

Li Bai's heart sank.

But he did not back down.

Instead, he stepped forward.

"boom--!"

Almost at the same moment he took that step, the eight guards moved simultaneously.

Instead of charging forward, they marched forward in unison, their halberds thrusting out simultaneously. Eight halberd shadows, like eight venomous dragons, blocked all of Li Bai's paths of advance. The halberd tips pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound, tearing the air apart and creating visible ripples.

Li Bai did not dodge.

He couldn't escape it either.

All he could do was draw his sword.

"Clang!"

The Azure Lotus Sword was drawn.

The sword trembled, emitting a clear, melodious dragon's roar. A cyan sword light, like a lotus blooming, suddenly shone brightly in the morning light. The light was not dazzling, but it carried a pure, chilling quality, as if capable of cleansing away all impurities.

The light of swords clashed with the shadow of halberds.

"Ding ding ding ding—!"

A series of rapid clanging sounds, like a downpour pounding on banana leaves.

Li Bai's figure weaved through the eight halberd shadows. His steps were unsteady, his body swayed, and each parry seemed so strained. The Azure Lotus Sword danced in his left hand, its light sometimes unfolding like lotus leaves, sometimes closing like lotus petals, creating an impenetrable defense.

But only he knew that each collision felt like a heavy hammer hitting his chest.

The veins were groaning, the internal organs were bleeding, the wound on the right arm burst open, and warm liquid flowed down the charred skin.

Five steps.

He took five steps forward.

There were still ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) to the high platform.

"snort!"

A cold snort, like an ice pick piercing the eardrum.

The older eunuch on the left made a move.

He didn't use any weapon; he simply raised his right hand, his five fingers forming a claw, and grabbed at the air.

The air seemed to freeze.

Li Bai felt the surrounding temperature plummet, and a chilling, bone-deep aura, like invisible chains, wrapped around his limbs. His movements froze, and the light of the Azure Lotus Sword dimmed by a third.

It was this stagnation—

"laugh!"

The swordsman on the right, wearing a bronze mask, flashed his blade.

It was a streak of cyan light, like a crescent moon piercing the sky, silent yet incredibly fast. Wherever the blade passed, the air was neatly sliced ​​apart, leaving a faint cyan trail.

The target: Li Bai's throat.

Life or death hangs in the balance.

Li Bai's pupils suddenly contracted.

He could almost feel the chilling killing intent on the blade, and smell the faint, rusty scent of blood in the flash of the blade.

There's no escaping it.

Unstoppable.

At this critical moment—

"Buzz—!"

The jade talisman vibrated again in his chest.

This time, it wasn't a warm current, but a violent, scorching heat that seemed to tear everything apart.

"puff!"

Li Bai spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood was mixed with specks of golden light.

Those particles of light danced in the air, like fireflies on a summer night, or like shattered stars.

Then, they converged onto the Azure Lotus Sword.

"Zheng—!"

The sword rang out, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The cyan sword light suddenly surged.

It was no longer a lotus flower, but a pillar of azure light piercing through the heavens and earth, like a giant dragon awakening and roaring to the sky.

The light of swords clashed with the light of blades.

"boom--!"

The shockwave exploded outwards, forming a solid wall that swept outwards in all directions.

The eight guards were forced back, their halberds slipping from their grasp, their hands split open, blood gushing from their wounds. The elder eunuch groaned, his chilling aura abruptly dissipated by the intense heat of the sword light, his face paling, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. The swordsman wearing the bronze mask, his blade shattered, was forced back three zhang, a suppressed groan emanating from beneath his mask.

And Li Bai...

He stood still, motionless.

The Azure Lotus Sword hung at his side, its light gradually dimming.

His face was as pale as paper.

His eyes, however, were frighteningly bright.

He looked ahead, at the high platform so close at hand, and at the woman on the platform who was stunned by what he saw.

Ten zhang (approximately 33 meters).

Only ten feet remained.

He lifted his foot, wanting to move forward.

"Thump."

His knees buckled, and he fell to one knee.

The Azure Lotus Sword was driven into the ground, supporting the swaying body.

Fresh blood gushed from the corners of his mouth, his nostrils, and his ears.

The drops fell onto the bluestone slab, spreading out in striking red plum blossoms.

"plum……!"

On the high platform, a startled cry finally broke through the throat.

Yang Yuhuan covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, her pupils reflecting the figure below, covered in blood, yet still wielding a sword and moving forward.

That name, the name she only vaguely recalled in her dreams, in her daze, and in certain moments of inexplicable heart palpitations.

Li Bai.

She shouted it out.

Although it is only one word.

Although the voice trembled, and was so faint that it was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.

But she shouted it out.

Li Bai heard it.

He looked up at her.

Separated by a distance of ten zhang, by the pervasive dust, by the boundary between life and death.

He looked at her and smiled.

The smile was faint and gentle, yet it was like the first ray of sunlight at dawn, piercing through all the gloom and despair.

Then, using all his strength, he supported himself with the Azure Lotus Sword and slowly stood up.

"Get out of the way."

He spoke, his voice hoarse, yet carrying an undeniable resolve.

"I want to go up."