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

"plum……!"

That unfinished cry of alarm, which would have been inconspicuous in the chaotic square, instantly put the guards of the emperor on high alert.

They couldn't hear exactly what was shouted, but they saw the woman of the Yang family on the high platform, about to be conferred a title, covering her mouth, her eyes fixed on the blood-soaked, sword-wielding madman below. Her gaze held shock, concern, and even a certain indescribable sense of familiarity.

assassin!

The thought was like ice water poured over their heads, causing the hearts of all the guards to tighten suddenly.

"Protect the Emperor! There's an assassin!"

A piercing scream tore through the air, coming from the edge of the platform. It belonged to an old eunuch in a purple robe, with a pale face and no beard. His voice, shrill and terrified, carried the distinctive characteristics of a eunuch, yet it resonated precisely throughout the chaotic square.

The word "assassin" is like a spark thrown into boiling oil.

The Imperial Guard, previously in disarray due to the earthquake, instantly found their target. The officers' shouts became unified: "Protect His Majesty! Form ranks!"

"Clang—clang—clang—"

The sounds of swords being drawn blended together, their cold glints flashing in the dusty air. Dozens of Imperial Guards closest to the platform quickly formed three layers of human walls, completely surrounding it. Long halberds stood like a forest, pointing downwards.

The eyes of the eight wounded guards closest to Li Bai, as well as the elderly eunuch and the swordsman wearing a bronze mask, instantly turned sharp.

"kill!"

The elder eunuch let out a sharp shout, his figure gliding forward like a ghost. He flipped his hands from his sleeves, and two slender, bluish-green short swords slid into his palms. The blades were as thin as cicada wings, almost transparent in the morning light. Wherever the sword tips pointed, a chilling ripple spread through the air.

At the same time, two figures silently emerged from the shadows on both sides of the platform.

They were two men, both dressed in eunuch attire, around forty years old, with fair skin, but their eyes were as cold and sinister as a deep pool of ice. They carried no weapons, but their fingernails were an unnatural bluish-black, with slightly curved tips, like the talons of some kind of raptor.

Internal guard.

This phrase flashed through Li Bai's mind. This was the most secretive and elite guard force in the Tang Dynasty court, specializing in protecting the emperor and handling shady matters. Rumor had it that each member possessed extraordinary skills and was ruthless.

Three people attacked simultaneously from three directions.

The older eunuch's short sword drew two eerie blue arcs, one aimed at the throat, the other at the heart. Even before the sword arrived, the chilling aura sent shivers down Li Bai's exposed skin. The masked swordsman swung his blade again, this time the light no longer scattered, but coalesced into a solid, azure streak, carrying a resolute determination to cleave everything, slashing down. Meanwhile, the two imperial guards, their figures elusive, flanked him from the left and right, their dark blue claws silently clawing at Li Bai's ribs, the air crackling as their claws passed.

Every move is deadly.

There was no testing, no mercy.

Li Bai took a deep breath—this action aggravated the tearing pain in his chest and abdomen, causing his vision to blur again. But he gripped the Azure Lotus Sword tightly.

The sword trembled slightly, emitting a low hum.

The violent power released by the jade talisman had subsided, leaving only an empty emptiness and pervasive, excruciating pain within his body. His true energy was depleted, his meridians were broken, his right arm was crippled, and his internal organs were bleeding... It was a miracle that he could even stand.

But he still had a sword.

There's also the Azure Lotus Sword obtained from the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom, and those Azure Lotus Sword Technique moves that are like branding marks in my mind.

"Azure Lotus - Protect Your Body!"

A hoarse voice squeezed out from his throat.

Li Bai flicked his wrist, and the Azure Lotus Sword drew a perfect circle in front of him.

"Zheng—!"

The sword light flashed.

It was no longer the pillar of light that pierced the heavens and the earth, but countless fine, lotus-petal-like cyan sword energies that burst forth from the sword, swirling and intertwining around his body to form a slowly blooming cyan lotus phantom.

The lotus flower spun, and sword energy crisscrossed.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!"

A dense, pattering sound, like raindrops hitting banana leaves, rang out.

The azure short sword pierced the lotus phantom, sending sparks flying. The chilling sword energy and the azure lotus petals corroded and eroded each other. As the azure blade flashed, the lotus phantom caved inward, its petals shattering, only to be replenished by new sword energy in the next instant. Two dark azure claws gripped the edge of the lotus, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound, yet they could not penetrate it.

Li Bai stood rooted to the spot, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground. The Azure Lotus Sword danced in his hand, its light like silk threads, weaving a protective lotus flower around him.

His face was almost transparently pale, veins bulging on his forehead, and sweat mixed with blood trickling down his temples. Each burst of sword energy was like squeezing water from a dried-up riverbed, consuming his last remaining life force.

However, the lotus flower had not yet bloomed.

Facing three opponents alone—two masters whose strength was no less than his at his peak, plus an experienced and cunning eunuch—he actually managed to hold his ground.

They did not retreat an inch.

On the high platform, Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji, surrounded by heavy guards, had a livid face.

He was fifty-five years old this year, and had been emperor for thirty-three years, creating the Kaiyuan era of prosperity. He boasted that his civil and military achievements were no less than those of Emperor Taizong. He had seen the murderous aura of fierce generals on the frontier, the intrigues of political enemies in the court, the martial arts of chivalrous heroes in the martial arts world, and even the strange methods of some hermits.

But what he saw before him was still beyond his comprehension.

The earth shook and the sky displayed strange phenomena, which could be attributed to "natural disasters." But what about that young man below, his white robes stained with blood, sword in hand...? The crisscrossing azure sword light, the lotus flower phantom blooming out of thin air to protect him, his tenacity in fighting three against one, remaining steadfast even in dire straits...?

This can no longer be explained by ordinary martial arts abilities.

"Sorcery?" Emperor Xuanzong's lips moved, uttering two words.

Beside him, Gao Lishi bowed and whispered, "Your Majesty, this man's origins are unknown, he possesses extraordinary abilities, and he is likely not a good person. Lady Yang just now... seemed to know him."

These words made Emperor Xuanzong's eyes suddenly turn cold.

He glanced at Yang Yuhuan, who was being supported by two female officials not far to his side, her face as pale as paper. She was still looking down, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression—shock, fear, worry, and something else... something deeply hidden that she herself might not even be aware of.

"Yu Huan," Emperor Xuanzong said, his voice calm yet carrying the majesty of an emperor.

Yang Yuhuan trembled, as if waking from a dream. She hurriedly turned her head, curtsied, and said, "Your Majesty..."

"Do you know this person?" Emperor Xuanzong asked.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty doesn't know," Yang Yuhuan's voice trembled. "I just... I just felt she looked familiar, and in my haste just now..."

"Familiar?" Xuanzong repeated, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before turning to the figures engaged in fierce combat below. "A madman of unknown origin, possessing sorcery, trespassing into the forbidden palace, and disrupting the grand ceremony—does he look familiar?"

The chill in those words sent a shiver down Yang Yuhuan's spine, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found herself unable to utter a word. The fragmented images in her mind—the mountains and rivers of Shu, the light of the Azure Lotus Sword, the blurry figures drinking together under the moon—swirled even more chaotically, giving her a splitting headache and leaving her in utter turmoil.

Meanwhile, the battle situation is changing below.

Li Bai defended steadily, wielding the Azure Lotus Protective Sword Technique with effortless grace, as if the technique was born for defense. The lotus phantom spun ceaselessly, deflecting each of the three attacks.

But all he could do was stay.

Each attack that struck the lotus flower sent a recoil that traveled through the sword into his body. It felt like someone was relentlessly hammering his already cracked porcelain body. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the web of his left hand gripping the sword was split open, the blood flowing down the hilt and staining the blue blade crimson.

Even more fatally, he was unable to move.

The lotus-shaped protective formation was centered on him. Any movement would inevitably create an opening in his swordplay. And the three opponents clearly understood this as well.

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the older eunuch. He suddenly sheathed his sword and stepped back, forming a strange hand seal in front of his chest.

"Mysterious Yin Soul Lock!"

He let out a low shout, exhaling a cloud of white, cold air.

The chilling aura rapidly condensed in the air, transforming into three thumb-thick, semi-transparent chains. At the front of the chains were grotesque ghost head phantoms, emitting silent shrieks as they coiled around Li Bai's lotus phantom.

This is not a physical attack, but a spell that directly targets the soul!

Li Bai's pupils contracted. He could feel the chilling aura emanating from the three chains, penetrating deep into his soul. The Azure Lotus Sword Qi could withstand swords and claws, but it was difficult to completely defend against this kind of invisible and intangible soul technique attack.

He had to divert some of his attention to activate the faint warmth remaining in the jade talisman to protect his sea of ​​consciousness.

In that split second of distraction—

"laugh!"

On the left, the eunuch of the inner guard seized the opportunity, and his dark blue claws suddenly shot out, his five fingers like hooks, tearing open a corner of the lotus phantom!

Although it was only for a moment, the lotus sword energy quickly reformed, but this caused a slight, almost imperceptible stagnation in Li Bai's swordplay.

On the right, another eunuch from the Imperial Guard had been waiting for this moment.

His figure moved like smoke, silently approaching, his right hand with its five fingers together, the palm turning a strange grayish-white, like the skin of a dead person, and he lightly pressed it onto the wound on Li Bai's right shoulder.

This palm strike, seemingly slow, was actually as fast as lightning.

Before the palm strike even arrived, a chilling, bone-deep aura, seemingly capable of freezing blood, had already enveloped half of Li Bai's body.

Li Bai tried to parry with his sword, but the sharp claws on the left had just torn open the lotus flower, the sword's momentum was turning around, and the palm print on the right was already close at hand!

He could only barely turn to the side, turning his left shoulder to meet the palm strike.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

The palm print was firmly imprinted on Li Bai's left shoulder.

There was no sound of bones breaking, no gruesome scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere.

But Li Bai was struck as if by lightning, his whole body trembling violently!

A chilling and vicious internal force, like a venomous snake, burrowed into his shoulder and spread wildly along his meridians. Wherever it passed, his blood seemed to freeze, his muscles stiffened and numb, and even his bones felt a bone-chilling cold.

"puff--!"

Li Bai spat out a mouthful of blood.

This time, the blood was no longer bright red, but had an eerie dark purple hue. When it fell to the ground, it actually condensed into tiny ice crystals.

He staggered back three steps, each step leaving a deep, bloody footprint on the bluestone slab. The lotus phantom protecting his body trembled violently, its light dimming considerably, almost dissipating.

"Good!" A fierce glint flashed in the older eunuch's eyes. "He can't hold on any longer! Take him down!"

The three pounced again.

On the high platform, Emperor Xuanzong looked down at the figure staggering backward, coughing up purple blood. The shock and anger in his eyes were gradually replaced by a complex emotion.

fear.

Yes, fear.

Such a young man, possessing extraordinary skills, fearless in the face of death, and capable of fighting three against one in dire straits… if he were an assassin, how terrifying would he be? If he weren't an assassin, then who was he? Why did he storm the palace? Why did Yang Guifei know him?

More importantly—the cyan sword light, the phantom of the lotus flower, the moves that were definitely not of this world… reminded Emperor Xuanzong of some things recorded in the secret archives of the palace that only existed in legends.

Cultivators.

A recluse.

Those who transcend the mundane and pursue immortality have always been objects of both admiration and wariness for emperors. Emperor Taizong once discussed Taoism with Sun Simiao, the "King of Medicine," and Emperor Gaozong once summoned the Taoist Pan Shizheng. He himself had also associated with extraordinary individuals such as Zhang Guo and Ye Fashan. However, he was well aware that these people always maintained a delicate distance from imperial power.

And this young man in front of me... he seemed to have no scruples whatsoever.

Just as Emperor Xuanzong was racing through his thoughts, the battle situation below changed again.

Li Bai staggered back three steps, barely managing to steady himself. The chilling, excruciating pain in his left shoulder made half of his body almost numb. He gritted his teeth, using his Azure Lotus Sword to support himself, and looked up at the high platform.

What he wanted to see was not Emperor Xuanzong, not the guards, and not the enemies who were besieging him.

It was her.

Yang Yuhuan.

She was being supported by two female officials, one on each side, as they forcibly retreated towards the entrance of the Qin Zheng Wu Ben Building behind the high platform. The officials looked terrified, but their actions left no room for doubt—this was an order secretly given by Gao Lishi: ensure Lady Yang's safety first, no matter what.

Yang Yuhuan struggled and looked back.

Separated by dozens of feet, through the swirling dust and the glint of swords, their eyes met once more.

In her eyes was despair—despair for the unchangeable situation before her and for her involuntary fate.

There was concern—concern for him, as he was covered in blood and teetering on the brink of collapse.

There was also a hint of...pleading.

Those eyes clearly said: Go, go quickly, don't worry about me, you'll die.

Li Bai understood.

His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, causing him unbearable pain.

go?

He has lived two lifetimes.

In his previous life, on the streets of Chengdu, he watched helplessly as Yang Xiaohuan was escorted away by two tattooed men, seeing the deep sorrow and helplessness hidden in her eyes, before a dagger was plunged into her chest. He left, walking towards death.

In this life, in the secret realm of Mount Shu, he left Chengdu and the fifteen-year-old Yang Yuhuan he had just met, all in order to gain power. He left, embarking on a solitary path of cultivation.

Now, is he still going to leave?

And once again, watch her being taken away, watch her head towards her predetermined, tragic fate?

"No……"

Li Bai let out a low growl.

He gripped the Azure Lotus Sword tightly; the blade hummed, as if sensing the churning obsession and resentment within him.

However, in the instant he was distracted by that glance—

Directly in front, the swordsman wearing a bronze mask seized this fleeting opportunity.

He remained silent, searching relentlessly. His blade was neither as sinister as that of the older eunuchs nor as cunning as that of the imperial guards; rather, it was a pure, refined, and unwavering weapon of slaughter.

At that moment, he moved.

His movements were as swift as lightning, and his blade flashed like a rainbow.

The cyan blade light tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound, and went straight for Li Bai's exposed chest, which was exposed due to his distraction!

This strike was faster and more ruthless than any of the previous ones.

Li Bai's pupils contracted sharply as he tried to parry with his sword, but the chilling sensation on his left shoulder slowed his movements by half a beat, and the blade was already at his chest!

It's unavoidable.

Unstoppable.

In the face of life and death, Li Bai made the most instinctive reaction—he forcibly twisted his body and used his right shoulder to meet the blade.

"laugh--!"

The sound of the blade piercing flesh was clearly audible.

The cyan blade sliced ​​through the already charred flesh of Li Bai's right shoulder, embedding itself deeply into the shoulder blade. Blood gushed out, tracing a tragic arc in the air.

"Ugh—!"

Li Bai grunted, his entire body being sent flying backward by the force of the slash.

He tumbled through the air, blood splattering everywhere, like a kite with a broken string.

"Bang!"

His body crashed heavily onto the bluestone slab ten feet away, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop.

The Azure Lotus Sword flew out of his hand and landed not far away with a clang, the azure light on the sword almost extinguished.

Li Bai lay motionless on the ground.

The wound on his right shoulder was so deep that bone was visible, and blood gushed out, quickly staining the stone slab beneath him. The chilling force of the palm strike on his left shoulder was still raging, leaving half of his body stiff and numb. The internal injuries in his chest and abdomen flared up again from the violent impact, and he coughed up several mouthfuls of dark red blood clots mixed with fragments of internal organs.

My vision started to blur.

My ears were ringing, and the sounds from the outside world seemed distant and distorted.

He struggled to lift his head and look at the platform.

Yang Yuhuan had already been pulled to the palace gate by the female official. She was still looking back, her face blurred with tears. Her lips were moving, as if she was shouting something, but he could not hear her.

Then, the palace doors closed.

It locked her and that world inside.

Li Bai looked at the tightly closed vermilion palace door, at the ferocious faces of the door gods on the door, and at the last glimpse of a skirt disappearing through the crack in the door.

He suddenly laughed.

A silent laugh, yet more unsightly than tears.

Blood kept gushing from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the ground and pooling into a small puddle.

In the distance, an elderly eunuch, a masked swordsman, and two imperial guards slowly approached. Their eyes were cold and filled with murderous intent. Further away, the Imperial Guards' encirclement was closing in, their long halberds gleaming coldly.

On the high platform, Emperor Xuanzong still stood there, looking down at the crowd with a calm expression and deep eyes, lost in thought.

Deep within the palace, the two subtle yet powerful auras seemed to draw even closer.

Li Bai closed his eyes.

Darkness surged in like a tide.